God Is Still Counting on You

One of the greatest reasons the Church and individual Christians are no longer the powerful spiritual influence on society they used to be is due to a horrendous lack of knowledge of Bible truths beyond what they have been taught about salvation. As such, they remain babes in Christ, thus making them spiritually retarded in their growth. One of the primary reasons for this is a lack of perspective that comes from remaining ignorant of history and the truths of the Old Testament. For many, including pastors and teachers, the Old Testament receives little attention compared to the New Testament, as an examination of their lessons and sermons will reveal. This is troubling on a number of fronts. First, Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles plainly declared that the events in the Old Testament were given to us by GOD for our learning. Jesus Christ also said He came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it, so the idea that there is nothing there for us to learn is patently absurd. In addition, when GOD moved the New Testament writers to pen their books, it was done so with the expectation that the readers were already familiar with the previous books of the Bible. Without having done this, the Christian who reads the Bible has an incomplete picture of GOD as well as His mind and Personality. One of the greatest books overlooked is the book of Esther. Scholars note that the book contains no direct reference to GOD and thus declare it to be nothing more than a historical account. However, as Emmanuel Israel points out, there is a reason this book is just as inspired as the gospel accounts or Paul's epistles. Within this book are wonderful lessons in typology that parallel events facing the church today. At a time when the Church is no longer transforming the world, but the world is transforming the Church into its own image, the author shows the solution to this alarming trend is not to look forward, but rather to look backwards to a similar time when the nation of Israel faced a spiritual battle for its very survival and how by individuals surrendering their wills and desires to serve the Living GOD, they not only brought salvation to themselves but showed a pagan nation what happens when GOD'S people obey His commands and do what they are called to do. The great evangelist George Whitefield transformed both England in America by preaching open air meetings to crowds numbering in the tens of thousands, including 100,000 at a meeting in Scotland. His message of the necessity of the new birth resonated with the American colonists, uniting them through a common gospel that paved the way for the Revolution that was coming in just a few short years. As this amazing preacher lay, dying crowds gathered outside the room where he was staying. Late in the day he got off his bed and as the sun went down he preached his final message using the text "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith" (2 Corinthians 13:5). "GOD IS STILL COUNTING ON YOU" issues the same charge for all those who claim the name of Christ, asking them to look within to see if they are truly living a life of submission and obedience to Jesus Christ. If those reading were to heed the warnings sounded forth in these pages the church will once again become the salt of the world she is called to be and it will once again be able to be said "these that have turned the world upside down are come hither also" (Acts 17:6).

About the Author :
Emmanuel Israel is a man with a heart for the Church of GOD. His experiences in serving GOD in many areas of ministry have been poured out in his books and other writings with a goal to wake up the average Christian, strengthen those who are faithfully serving GOD and tell others of their need to come to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. He currently resides in Ontario, Canada.