Date: 9th Nov 2011
Dear Pastor, Church & all Supporters;
(Col 1:28) “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:””Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”
Part No. 5
Bro James Kai continued to explain how he had been promised money if he would halt our mission work in any way. He explained how he had been persuaded that our work would fail, and how any pastor who followed them, they would rise to ultimate success and authority.
You see, even primitive people fall prey to the same vices as educated people do. Satan will cater to a people on the level that they are, i.e., for those who are primitive he (Satan) will use simple, yet cunning tactics, and for those who are of the educated, developed world and pride themselves on a lot of finesse, that is also how Satan approaches that group, with a lot of ‘finesse’!
Bro James explained how he had come to see the error of this effort and how the wrong crowd had used him. He asked if we would give him another chance and receive him back into the fellowship of the brethren and churches. I informed him that I as a preacher of God’s Word, and fellow believer could forgive him and receive him. I also warned him that it would take him time to ‘win’ the confidence of others, among his own Tribesmen, and that he would have to ‘work out’ his confession.
I am of the persuasion that no where in Scripture does God’s Word put the N.T. Christian (in the church age) under ‘probation’ though this seems to be the habit and practice of some of our brethren and churches, this I strongly disagree!
There is only one kind of discipline in the N.T. among the churches, which is ‘corrective’ discipline. Either one is in full fellowship with their church, or else they are out of fellowship through exclusion.
(1Co 5:5) “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
(1Co 5:13) “But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”
(2Co 2:6) “Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.”
:7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
:8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
:9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
(2Co 2:10) “To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;”
Further to this I believe that if a certain member of a N.T. Bap church has committed such a grievous sin as to exclusion, and after being restored, I believe common to human nature it will become necessary for that one to ‘prove’ their genuineness by ‘working out’ the ‘fruits of the Christian life’.
We all have heard many messages, and statements from other believers that we are not to ‘judge’ one another, which is biblical; however folks seem to forget that it is just as biblical to be a ‘fruit inspector’. Jesus himself said
(Mt 7:16)” Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?”
(Mt 7:20) “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
During the time of John the Baptist, he also received folks who made confessions with their mouth, therefore he demanded physical evidence (as much as possible); the fruit which is spoken herein has reference in the Greek to – ‘a fruit that is ripe and ready to be plucked, or picked’
(Lu.3:8) “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”
That being said, I told Bro James that it would take time for him to prove himself again, but in time this could be achieved if he would offer himself for the LORD’S work. One of these efforts would be for him to go on patrol with me to the churches and into some of the new areas, which I had planned to go, he agreed to this effort and so the planning was set in place, the names of those whom would go with me as carriers were also selected.
One among them was a young lad, who was new to our work but in time I feel the LORD will pave a way into a new and primitive land where the Missionary enterprise has not reached.
This young man’s name is Akibe, and where his home is located is on the boarder of three Tribes, One the Duna people where we have had a strong work for years, Two the Hewa Tribe, and Three the Opana Tribe. The last two Tribes we have been invited for years but no one ventured to go, this time would be different.
After several hours of discussion and decision making the day was spent, we had a meal with Bro Ekere and his family and then we found transport back to Mike’s residence as we were putting up there.
In His Name,
Missionary Peter A. Halliman