October, 2008

Greetings from Brunswick,

Well, here we are right smack in the middle of an active hurricane season, and also entering in to the Lord’s Fall Feast Days.  The High Holiday period actually began on September 1^st this year at the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul.    

The month of Elul is an important period of introspection, in other words the beginning of the thirty day period before the Feast of Trumpets where we step back and look at ourselves critically and honestly, searching our hearts, examining our deeds, and asking the dear Lord to show us our weaknesses and shortcomings in order that we can repent of those things and draw closer to Him.  The shofar is blown every morning after prayers and Psalm 47 is read.

The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah) is the beginning of the ten days called “High Holy Days” or “Days of Awe”. The Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur are looked upon as the two most holy days of the year.  During the ten days between the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur, the stirring wail of the shofar is designed to awaken the hearts of the people to repent and turn to God wholeheartedly. It is important that everyone hear the sound of the shofar.

The Feast of Trumpets is unique in that it is both serious and festive.  Not only is it a time of spiritual renewal, but also a time to gather together with family and friends and make amends, asking forgiveness of everyone that we might have offended in any way in the past year.  Last but surely not least, it is a time to recognize that Yahweh is the King and Judge over all living beings, and everything we say or do is a reflection on Him.  Through our words and deeds we either sanctify His Holy Name, or we profane His Holy Name.   

In an afternoon during the Feast of Trumpets, it is customary to go to a lake, river or small body of water and throw in pebbles, one to represent each sin you have struggled with.  Throw them in to the water, one at a time, as far as you can throw them.  This is symbolic of throwing off all remaining sin or residue from sin, in preparation for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.       

Yom Kippur or the “Day of Atonement” speaks to both Jews and Gentiles of the tender mercy of Yahweh, who has always understood our frailty and evil inclinations and made provision by which we can be restored to the graces and communion of Himself.  All that is required is faith in His provision and faith to act in fulfillment of His commandment for repentance and renewal.   

Yom Kippur is a solemn day of fasting when we can meet with Yahweh and truly thank Him and praise Him for His love, grace, patience and longsuffering, as well as every blessing we have received from Him, especially for the blessing of Yeshua, the One He provided to take away our sin and restore us to Himself.  

Feast of Tabernacles (Succot) begins just five days after Yom Kippur.  It is the most joyful of all of the Feasts of the Lord.  More sacrifices were offered during Tabernacles than all of the others.  For eight days the people live in temporary shelters (booths) in remembrance of their days in the wilderness. This Feast comes during the final harvest of the year, and is symbolic of the great provision and supply of the Almighty.

This Feast was historically fulfilled when Israel entered the Land and took possession of it.  They rejoiced in their freedom from the heat and oppression of the desert.  They could now give up their temporary shelters and receive a permanent home from which they could not be driven.

Prophetically it will be fulfilled at the last ingathering, at the “great harvest” when He draws His chosen unto Himself.  Then, we will experience deliverance from the wilderness of this world and enter our eternal home from which we will never be driven.  We will come to realize just how He has provided for us throughout our wilderness journey, and we will praise Him as we have never   praised Him before.  We will rejoice in our deliverance from the pressure and heat of the desert, and we will dwell with Him as He reigns over His Kingdom.     

We celebrate the Feasts of the Lord at His “appointed times” to give Him honor, acknowledge the picture that He has given us of His Master Plan of Salvation, and to experience some of what it will be like when we are all gathered together with Him, in our eternal home.  Hallelu Yah and Chag Sameach!  
 

Prophecy Concerning Mind Alteration

Yesterday, as I was resting during Shabbat, the Lord gave me the following serious word.  Please consider it!  

“There is a world-wide conspiracy ready to unleash its poisons.  Its program is to design plans to alter and re-orchestrate minds and thereby our reactions, behaviors and decisions. This will be afflicted personally, corporately, and internationally.  This has enjoyed its early stages already and will continue to worsen its attacks on all relationships – marriages, parents, children, siblings, pastors, congregations, callings, studies and those in Christian authority.             It will be as a deadly spiritual beheading!

“Right will be called wrong and wrong will be called right! If your minds are not cleansed daily and operating under My divine direction, you will fall prey to this great deception.

“Give no place to harboring perverse pictures in your mind, or anxious thoughts, or fear of tomorrow, or personal inadequacy. Discipline and keep your minds and hearts renewed daily by the power of the precious effectual blood of Messiah Yeshua.  Go about your daily tasks with confidence but Godly fear, knowing that you are fully protected from this attack.  But heed My stern warning, Oh My people!  This is not a time to procrastinate, or to be not serious, or to dwell on things which are captivating, but unnecessary.

“I speak to congregations which are caught up in programs, whose light has gone out, whose first love and priority has been altered. I speak to you who have allowed your business and even ministry to push away your times allotted to be alone with Me.  Focus on Me! Look to Me!  Prepare for Me, as if I were right at the door today. And I will keep you in perfect peace because your minds are stayed on Me, and because you trust in Me.  (Isa. 26:3) And the peace that I promised, that passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Yeshua HaMashiach, My beloved Son.” (Phil. 4:7).

This word was given through Merla Watson. 

Asian Mission

As I closed out the September newsletter I promised that I would continue to share about the Asian Mission this month as well.  There is so much to share and so little space in each newsletter.  Also, I want to try to answer all your questions, for so many of you wrote or called to hear what the Lord did in Asia.

Prior to making the trip I spent a lot of time waiting on the Lord so that I would teach on the topics that He wanted to present to His people there, for He knew exactly what they needed. We were doing in-depth teaching so I didn’t want to teach just for the sake of teaching. I wanted to give them what He wanted them to have. Bless their hearts they were so hungry, and Praise His Name, He filled them up.  The before and after that we saw was absolutely amazing!                  To Abba be all of the glory for great things He did and is still doing in Asia!

The need for teaching and training is great in the Asian countries.  Most of the Vietnamese Pastors we were teaching do have Bibles, but a few did not.  New believers don’t receive Bibles right away. After they have had some training, they are given one if there is one available.  And among the Tribal people, Bibles are very scarce, therefore many of them simply have not been taught the Word of God and bless their hearts they are hungry.

As I spent time with a few of the girls, they shared a lot about the Tribal people and the hardships they face.  I was told of one village where there are about seven or eight hundred people and they have only six Bibles in Vietnamese, so each family is given a Bible for two days and then they must pass it on. They said that the people are so happy when they have the Bible in their possession.

They shared how hard it was to evangelize some of the Tribal areas.  They must travel by night on very rough roads and through streams and meet at about three o’clock in the morning in order to avoid being arrested.  Despite the lack of Bibles and the difficulties in evangelizing, thousands of Tribal people in Vietnam are coming to the Lord. They meet in houses and the number of them meeting can range from ten or twelve to one hundred in each home, and they just love to worship. 

When they come to the Lord they are taken to a river, creek or someone’s bathtub to be baptized.  Then they burn all of their idols and charms and repent and turn from all ancestor worship. The Vietnamese people follow witchcraft and animism. They worship plants and rocks. Often times when they see the new believers destroying their idols and charms, they will report them to the police. God bless the believers, though, for they do not let persecution stop them from witnessing or evangelizing.     

Cambodia is much different than Vietnam.  There is a whole lot more freedom in the country and the whole atmosphere is lighter.  On our way in to Phnom Penh from the airport we were told that Joyce Meyer had come and left an indelible mark on the city, and ruined it for all other Christian Ministries. 

It seems that she wanted to rent their stadium to hold a crusade, and the Cambodian Government told her that she could not rent the stadium for that would immediately trigger a bombing, but they would give her another venue where she could hold her meetings.  However, she kept insisting on the stadium even though they tried to tell her that they were only trying to protect their people. They had had problems before. Nevertheless, she refused any other venue and walked away.  However a couple of days later, she attempted to rent the stadium under a different name. When the authorities checked it out, they traced it back to Joyce Meyer and refused to rent it to her once again.

As though trickery was not enough, next she put upon her website a bold faced lie which spoke volumes to the Cambodian officials, upsetting them enough that they will no longer be bothered with any Christian Ministry.  It was a terrible witness to everyone who was involved, especially those from the Cambodian Government, who were sincerely trying to accommodate her.  Her behavior certainly did not sanctify Abba’s Holy Name, but instead profaned His Holy Name, for she was there as His representative.     

The Lord had us tucked away while we were ministering there, and we had complete freedom to worship, teach and minister by the Spirit of God.  He strengthened, encouraged, healed and set His people free! They were all happy campers when we left them, and the Name of the Lord was greatly praised!                

Waves of Persecution in China

Government initiated attacks in China against Christians is the worst in years. Despite the media trying to convince us that they have become more open and tolerant, House Churches are being closed, Christians detained, mistreated and punished while their properties are being seized by the authorities. Christians are continually monitored by security forces.  Nevertheless, the Church in China is growing by leaps and bounds and the Government is finding that they are in many ways powerless to stop it.  

As if the problems they face with the Government are not enough, China House Church leaders have to deal with a vicious cult known as Eastern Lightning. Although they have burrowed further underground in China, their followers are now handing out leaflets in Chinatown, New York City and also San Francisco. 

Leaders of this well organized cult will enter a Christian Church pretending to be a sincere seeker, but once they have gained the trust of the members, they begin to push the EL beliefs on the members.  Because most of the members are not willing to convert, they revert to blackmail, and torture to convince the people to join the cult.  Thousands of Christians have been tortured by EL. They often separate the believers from one another to weaken their resistance. Although this cult is still young, the reports of abuse, blackmail, torture and unethical behavior are too numerous to count.

EL members refuse to accept the authority of Scripture in fact they oppose it vehemently.  They claim that all of Jesus’ words are useless. They believe that there is only one god, but they do not believe in the Trinity or a Triune God. They believe that Jesus has returned and “she” is Chinese.

 Yes, they believe that a plain looking 30 year old Chinese woman, who lives in hiding and has never been photographed, is the only way to Heaven.  They credit this woman with writing a Third Testament to the Bible and writing enough hymns to fill 10 CDs.  Their appeal seems to be their claim that they have improved the Christian faith by putting the end of the world into a Chinese context and offering believers a path to immediate salvation.

This cult steals all of its followers from the Christian Church.  Their handbook contains detailed information on how to spy out and then infiltrate existing Churches in order to convert their members. They teach their followers to abandon their family and find a new family among EL followers.  Many who have opposed this cult have been kidnapped, beaten and even murdered.  Some have had their ear cut off.  Those who refuse to submit to their authority have been put in sacks and thrown in to the river.  They control their victims through drugs, violence, and eroticism. 

They have also been known to take advantage of a House Church leaders financial hardship and slyly offer them extraordinary sums of money if they will convert.   Some leading local level officials have accepted protection money from EL, which has hindered the Beijing authorities from cracking down on EL as they have tried to do. The EL operates under a tight blanket of security, constantly moving their meeting places and using only cell phones to communicate.

Many brothers and sisters who loved the Lord, and were full of zeal and fervent in spirit, have been led astray by this cult.  One of the House Church leaders has asked that we pray that they may remain strong and courageous in contending for the faith, and that they be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power so they may win the spiritual war they are in at this time.

This same leader said, “God’s loving words encourage us, guide us and help us to know the Savior, who is kind, merciful, faithful, and just. He forgives our sins and protects us to the end.  We must trust Him, depend on Him, be submissive to Him, follow Him and worship Him.  We really must root ourselves in His Holy Word.”  Let us all remember to fast and pray for the Persecuted Church worldwide.  They truly are in dire need of our prayer cover. 

Well, I’ve done it again.  I’m out of space, so until next time, please know that you all are dearly loved and deeply appreciated.  Shalom and Blessings,  Myrna

Contact Info:  (912) 265-0019 or myrnamiddleton@yahoo.com    

                           (912) 265-0019 or www.fairhavensmissions.org