Embassy of Heaven

Newsletter Archive

 

Midnight Rider Newsletter

Jan-Feb, Year of Our Lord, 1995
Number 951

What's Inside


 

Never mind Lord, I see land!

There was a man on a raft, stranded out on the open sea.

"Oh God," he said. "I will give my house to you, if you will save me.

I will be your faithful servant forever.

I will give up my wife, my children and pay off all my loans if you will only save my life. . .

. . . Never mind Lord, I see land!"

By Skye Revere

Dear Friends,

Glory, honor and praise to Jesus Christ who sets us free.

My wife suggested that I write an article on overcoming depression. I don't feel qualified to write such an article because I seldom get depressed.

People who get depressed are focusing on the things of this world. They are forgetting to trust in God. When discouraging thoughts try to find a place in you, lift up your heart to the Heavenly things. Meditate on that which is eternal (Philippians 4:8). Replace gloomy notions with thoughts of the liberty, joy and peace we have in Christ's Kingdom.

Paul Revere, Pastor

Why No Date of Birth?

We do not use a date-of-birth on a Kingdom of Heaven driver license because it is an invention of the State. The date-of-birth is the day that a baby comes forth from his mother's womb. The doctor and parents, being citizens of the State, witness the birth and register the child in the State inventory records. Through the filing of a birth certificate, the State aggressively claims ownership over this new human resource. Whatever the State creates, the State controls. Even if no papers are filed, the child is still a citizen of the State because the baby's parents are citizens.

Marked in the head and the hand To those who have been born again from above, a date-of-birth is meaningless. In Christ's government, baptism is the important event. This new date takes precedence over the State-created date-of-birth. When an individual is baptized, he is a new creature, old things have passed away, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through baptism, the new creature is automatically removed from the State's claim.

Unfortunately, the State does not respect the loss of jurisdiction when an individual is baptized. This is because most people are baptized by State churches. State churches are religious organizations that have gained permission to exist through State incorporation. These churches are just another agency of the State. They have lost their authority under the Kingdom of Heaven to perform true baptisms. When they baptize a repentant soul, they keep him under the realm of the State. They do not baptize him into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the status of the individual does not change. He is still viewed as a State citizen, not a citizen of Heaven.

True baptism is a cleansing or purging of the old. You can be baptized by water, fire, or the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is also a public declaration of your new allegiance to Jesus Christ. As you pass through the waters, baptism symbolizes the drowning of the Old Man, born of the flesh, and the emerging of the New Creation, born of the Spirit.

The waters of baptism represent the escape from the world system, which is under divine judgment. When we are baptized, we are baptized into Christ's death. Death puts an end to our relationship with the world system, but baptism also represents a new birth into Christ Jesus as Sovereign Lord.

With the churches in the pocket of the State, baptism loses its political significance. The State does not fear that their citizens are joining another government. Even if the new converts say, "Jesus is Lord," they mean Jesus is Lord under the State.

The True Church is not to be yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14). Its life comes from Jesus Christ by eating His body and drinking His blood (John 6:53-58). The Church cannot serve both the State and the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 6:24).

In order to overcome the State, we must come out (2 Corinthians 6:17) and be baptized into the True Church (Matthew 28:19). This causes the State "date-of-birth" to become obsolete and removes us from State citizenship. Let us therefore go forth as new creatures. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17).

Anabaptists

Baptism. It does not seem to be a revolutionary topic. Yet, in the 1500's, thousands in Europe were persecuted for Baptizing. They were imprisoned, drowned, burned and exiled because they were baptizing people into another government.

The Anabaptist movement started January 21, 1525, in Zurich, Switzerland, when Conrad Grebel baptized George Blaurock and then Blaurock baptized others to form a Church. This re-baptism of adults provoked the city council and led to widespread persecution of the Brethren.

The Anabaptists denounced the baptism of infants. In State churches in the 1500's, babies were routinely baptized shortly after birth. Infant baptism was viewed as an initiation into the State church. This custom parallels today's ordinance of registering a baby in the State inventory records through a birth certificate.

The Anabaptists held that only those old enough to understand repentance and rebirth should be baptized. Baptism held no supernatural saving power, but was an outward symbol of a responsible person's acceptance of Christ and His Kingdom. For the Anabaptist, baptism was a renunciation and separation from both the Roman church and the State.

Anabaptists denounced the kind of reformation proposed by Luther, Zwingli and Calvin as only a halfway affair. The Anabaptists were not interested in merely separating from the Roman Church. They wanted a congregation of believers, completely free from State control as well. They believed so strongly that Christ's Kingdom was to be separate from the Kingdoms of the world, that those who held civil offices were not granted membership in the Church.

This attitude of separating from the State seemed insufferable to the major Reformers. How could the Reformation be maintained if it threw off the support of the State? The Reformers saw certain failure ahead if the Church was reduced to a voluntary society of Christians who would not even accept positions with civil government.

The Anabaptists had great influence and spread numerously across Europe. Their beliefs appealed to the poor and oppressed. Their popularity was seen as dangerous to both the State church and the secular authorities.

Anabaptists suffered ruthless persecution. All the major Reformers published brochures against them. They were exiled from Zurich under heavy penalties. The Zurich Council announced, "We are determined not to tolerate Anabaptists within our borders. There must be no fellowship with them whatever." In 1529, an imperial edict decreed that "every Anabaptist and rebaptized person, of whatever age or sex, be put to death by sword, or fire, or otherwise. All preachers and those who abet and conceal them, all who persist in Anabaptism, or relapse after retraction, must be put to death. In no case must they be pardoned." They nearly succeeded in exterminating the Anabaptists and almost all of their writings.

One of the few writings that survived was The Schleitheim Confession of Faith, prepared at a conference of Anabaptist Swiss Brethren in 1527. The Confession said in part:

"Dear brethren and sisters, we who have been assembled in the Lord at Schleitheim on the Border, make known in points and articles to all who love God that as concerns us we are of one mind to abide in the Lord as God's obedient children, [His] sons and daughters, we who have been and shall be separated from the world in everything, [and] completely at peace. To God alone be praise and glory without the contradiction of any brethren. . . .

"We are agreed on separation: A separation shall be made from the evil and from the wickedness which the devil planted in the world; in this manner, simply that we shall not have fellowship with them [the wicked] and not run with them in the multitude of their abominations. This is the way it is: Since all who do not walk in the obedience of faith, and have not united themselves with God so that they wish to do His will, are a great abomination before God, it is not possible for anything to grow or issue from them except abominable things. For truly all creatures are in but two classes, good and bad, believing and unbelieving, darkness and light, the world and those who [have come] out of the world, God's temple and idols, Christ and Belial; and none can have part with the other.

"To us then the command of the Lord is clear when He calls upon us to be separate from the evil and thus He will be our God and we shall be His sons and daughters.

"He further admonishes us to withdraw from Babylon and the earthly Egypt that we may not be partakers of the pain and suffering which the Lord will bring upon them. . .

"It will be observed that it is not appropriate for a Christian to serve as a magistrate because of these points: The government magistracy is according to the flesh, but the Christians' is according to the Spirit; their houses and dwelling remain in this world, but the Christians' are in heaven; their citizenship is in this world, but the Christians' citizenship is in heaven; the weapons of their conflict and war are carnal and against the flesh only, but the Christians' weapons are spiritual, against the fortification of the devil. The worldlings are armed with steel and iron, but the Christians are armed with the armor of God, with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and the Word of God."

Romans 13 - Who Do We obey?

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Romans 13:1

Obey only those who have the Authority.

People claim that Romans 13 says we are to be obedient to the State authorities. For them, the State is their higher authority. For us, the Kingdom of Heaven is our higher authority. Most people do not understand that there is more than one higher authority. They demand that we obey their higher authority - the State. This poses a dilemma for those of us who have entered the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus said, "You cannot obey two masters" (Matthew 6:24). A master is a higher authority. It is impossible to obey all higher authorities. We can only obey one authority. We cannot obey two.

There are many higher authorities. Romans 13 cannot possibly be saying, "submit to all higher authorities." We can only submit to the higher authority in our chain of command. The New American Bible translates Romans 13:1 more accurately: "Let everyone obey the authorities that are over him." A child cannot obey every Dad, but only the Dad who has the rule over him.

We have to remember that Apostle Paul was writing to the Church at Rome. He was not writing to the citizens of Rome or to the Pharisees. He was writing only to ecclesia, "the called-out ones." When Paul said, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers," he specifically meant, "Be subject to the authorities within the Church."

Paul goes on to say that a ruler is "God's minister" for our good. He does not say he is "Caesar's minister" for our good. Again, Paul is talking about ministers within the Body of Christ. The Greek word translated "minister" in Romans 13:4 is translated "deacon" in other writings of Paul. Paul is saying we are to submit to the "deacon," or "Church officers." Paul is not saying, "Obey the policeman," as some Bible paraphrases read. Paul never says, "Obey Rome." He knows you cannot obey Rome and God. You cannot obey two masters.

Paul warns that these ministers bear not the sword in vain. Paul uses the word "sword" figuratively to indicate that Church officers will chasten those who do evil. Paul's purpose for writing to the Church at Rome was to instruct the congregation to be subject to the chain of command within the Church, who look out for their souls. He was a higher authority over the Churches. And when he said to them at Romans 13, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers," he was referring to the higher powers within Christ's Kingdom, not the kingdoms of the world.

The Two Minute Rebuttal

Let's say Apostle Paul was telling the Church, "Be subject to the secular government," which at that time was the Roman Empire. And he was also saying, "Rome is not a terror to good works, but to the evil. The Roman centurion does not swing his sword in vain. Therefore, do good and you shall have praise of the same."

I pose only one question, Why was Apostle Paul beheaded by a Roman Centurion if he was preaching, "Be subject to Rome"? The Roman government would have no cause to behead him.

On the other hand, if Paul was beheaded because he was an "evildoer," why is an "evildoer" writing in our Holy Book? We better purge him out of there. We better clean up the Holy Scriptures. We better remove Romans 13 because it was written by an "evildoer."

No, I don't believe for a minute that Paul was telling the Church to be subject to the Roman Empire. Nor do I believe Paul was an evildoer. Paul was beheaded for promoting a rival government. It has to be. The secular authorities killed him because he was establishing another government, the Kingdom of Heaven.

Paul would be a hypocrite if he were saying to obey the secular authorities in Romans 13. It is inconsistent with his other writings. In Romans 12, Paul tells us, "do not be conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). Obeying the secular authorities certainly means conforming to the world. In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 6:14-17, Paul says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? . . . Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." We cannot cut our ties with the world and still be subject to them. "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

What is the study of the Holy Bible from beginning to end? It is God's people rebelling against Him and seeking to be like the Kingdoms of this world. Again and again, they are brought into harsh slavery because of their disobedience. Chasing after the Kingdoms of this world leads to death. Only the Kingdom of Heaven is an everlasting government.

Christ's government is here right now. It is His government that every soul is to be subject to. Turn away from sin and come out from the governments of the world. "Be subject unto the higher powers within Ecclesia, within Christ's government." (See Hebrews 13:7 and 13:17).

Wife or Kingdom

Take up the Cross and follow Me.Yesterday I received a phone call from a man who is throwing in the towel. "No more Heaven plates for me. My wife doesn't like this battle and she had me choose either her or the Embassy of Heaven."

When you start seeking the Kingdom first, be prepared for all hell to be unleashed. What's more, our enemies become those of our own household.

Harold Hill faced a similar dilemma with his wife and she was won over after he decided to stand on God's chain of command. Here is his story:

A long time ago, I had a religious wife. She went to her temple religiously every Sunday morning, doing the religious things that they did. She even wore a hat, or a little doily thing on her head that pretended to be a hat.

Slue Foot began to work on my wife after I had met Jesus for real, because he knows that family unity is vital to Christian growth. The home is the final testing ground for this whole spiritual dimension, and one night the battle was engaged. My wife came out with it:

"Look, you Jesus fanatic. I've had it right up to the eyeballs with this fanatical bit of yours. If you don't quit, I'm getting out of here! I'm fed up with all this ridiculous 'Praise the Lord,' and 'Thank you, Jesus' business."

Now, she had kind of hinted at these things before, but I hadn't taken her seriously. With a little practice, a husband can tell when a wife is just threatening and when she is in earnest about something. This time she meant it, and I knew it. We'd been sitting across the grocery table from each other for about twenty-five years at that point, and she came through loud and clear.

I almost panicked. I didn't want to lose my wife. Jesus was going to have to come to my rescue on this one, or I was a goner. "Lord, what do I tell her?" I wailed. The answer I got came in the form of an understanding: "State your position to her as head of the house."

He directed my attention to the Scriptures describing the chain of command He has established for best results in Kingdom living, earthside:

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Ephesians 5:22-24

Until that night, I had never realized this chain of command and the reasons for it were laid out so plainly in the Scriptures. And here I was being told to explain these things to my wife. It made me more than a little uneasy, because we had never talked about these things before, and I didn't know how she would take it. We had a good working relationship, I thought. I paid the bills and mama did the cooking. I didn't interfere with her department; she let me run mine. She couldn't add two and two together, and I couldn't manage to make instant oatmeal, so it worked out fine. She'd never paid a bill; I'd never baked a pie. Without each other, we'd be lost. I'd starve to death, and she'd go to debtor's prison.

Slue Foot was trying to split us asunder. And it seemed that the advice I was getting from Heavenly headquarters wasn't going to help matters all that much. For a while, I wasn't sure I understood whose side God was on and what exactly He wanted me to do. That called for another question: "Lord, what do you mean, that I'm to state my position? What is my position?" I had never thought it through. "Who comes first in your life?" was how He put it to me. And then I understood what He was getting at.

"Lord, give me the words to tell her," I prayed, and this is what He had me tell my wife: "Look. I hope you don't go. I hope you don't feel that you have to leave." I was getting it straight in my own mind as I was telling it to her. "But let's get this one thing settled right now, once and for all: Jesus Christ is number one in my life, and you are number two."

Zonk! She looked as if I had hit her on the head with a chair. After all these years of thinking she was something really special in our household, she was confronted with the fact that she had to take second place. It was kind of rough, and I admit I felt sorry for what she was going through.

It was a tense moment. I was learning that you don't make apologies for God's Word. When you stand on it and tie your statements into eternal truth, God won't let you down. He'll back you up.

Immediately Slue Foot got on the defensive. The power of Satan began to leak out because the truth had been spoken, loud and clear.

"But where will I go?" mama asked, her voice trembling.

"I have no idea," I told her. "As far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to stay, but no more quibbling or argument about one thing: Jesus is first; you are second. If you have to go, you'll have to figure out the where for yourself. And if you go, don't slam the door when you go out. You just might want to come back sometime."

She just stood there, thinking about it.

In the midst of the impossible situation, God gave me a gift of faith that beat anything my intellect could have cranked up. I stopped holding my breath, because I felt the faith rise up in me that God would deliver us out of the sticky situation. He let me know that if our marriage came unglued, it wouldn't stay unglued forever. I understood by faith that my wife might go, but that if she did, she'd be back. As it happened, I got a brand-new wife without having to bother about divorce or alimony-but not without many trials and tribulations. It turned out that mama didn't leave. She hung around and got saved. She became a new creature in Christ Jesus.

Two friends of mine were talking one night, and I learned that between them they had seven wives, and not a good one in the lot. King Solomon did worse than that. He had a thousand wives, all of them pagans. But the Lord gave me one wife, and made her perfect.

From the book, HOW TO LIVE IN HIGH VICTORY by Harold Hill, Logos International, 1977

Entering Kingdom of Heaven
Questions and Answers

My wife of 23 years is not willing, at this time, to give up her state driver's license, marriage license, etc. Can I become an ambassador for the Kingdom of Heaven without my wife doing the same?

The scripture that comes to mind is, one must hate his wife, his children, and even his own life in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Luke 14:26).

In other words, there is nothing greater than Christ. Not even a wife is greater than Christ. Yet your wife is one flesh with you. If part of your flesh is weak, then so is the entire body. I encourage you to work with your wife to bring her into conformity with Christ. Sometimes this can be very trying, but give it your best, or you cannot be at peace.

Sit down together and search the scriptures on the Kingdom of Heaven. Study books and listen to tapes to give you an understanding on the Kingdom. If the two of you search together, you will be one flesh. But if you do all your research and study by yourself, then there is no possible way that you can expect her to come into the Kingdom with you. She is not going to understand or see your vision.

When my wife and I were first being awakened, we traveled 150 miles every week to attend meetings. We brought our young children with us and they learned to quietly entertain themselves and nap during the several hours of the meeting. On our way home, Rachel and I excitedly talked about what we had learned and the following week we were busily searching the scriptures. Growing in the knowledge of the Lord brought us closer together. But can you imagine if I had gone to those meetings and left my wife at home? Then several months later I would tell her, "Honey, we're taking the license plates off the car." She'd tell me I'm crazy. She would not see what I see. Don't leave your wife in the dark. Use the months of learning to study together so that each of you are convinced that what you are doing is God's will.

You mentioned "giving up" a State driver license and marriage license. It is not a question of "giving up," but of translating. To translate something is to convey it to Heaven. (See definition of translate in modern Webster's dictionary.) Our marriage, even though licensed by the State, has been translated into the Kingdom of Heaven. Translating the marriage into the Kingdom of Heaven acknowledges that the marriage was made by God, not by the State. No papers need to be filed.

We had a friend who was married in England and later became a citizen of the United States. When his wife filed for a divorce, he tried to claim the courts in the United States did not have jurisdiction because the marriage took place in England. The courts denied his claim and said that when he became a citizen of the United States, the courts' jurisdiction over his marriage automatically transferred from England to the United States. When you become a citizen of Heaven, your marriage license is automatically transferred from the State to the Kingdom of Heaven.

I cannot pay off my mortgage and do not really want to sell. What alternatives are acceptable in the Kingdom?

The Borrower is slave to the lender

Mortgage is an issue dealing with debt. The lender is master over the one who has accepted the loan (Proverbs 22:7). In Christ, we are to be brothers and not lord over one another. What you have done is allowed someone to have lordship over you financially, through a mortgage. You are to owe no man anything, but the continuing debt to love one another (Romans 13:8).

The house that you are holding is technically not yours. It belongs to the lenders. You have made agreements that bind you to perform until the debt is paid. The difficulty is that most mortgages are for 30 years. That is a long time and many things can change in your life. Through good times and bad times, the mortgage must still be paid or you will be thrown out in the street. What if Christ calls you to go somewhere else? How can you answer, "Yes, Lord," if you are enslaved by house payments?

You should never have entered into the mortgage. You do not have the finances to pay off the mortgage and you do not want to sell. You love your house, but it is not yours. It is like taking something that does not belong to you, using it, and then falling in love with it. It is a form of coveting and coveting is a sin. You are enjoying things that are not yours. The problem is, how do you undo what you have done?

We know of several people who have just decided to be defrauded. They let the bank foreclose on their mortgaged house. They find a new home, on a foundation of being debt free. While this may be a very difficult decision to make, God will help you find a way, as you trust in Him.

We have a principle that is loosely based on, "settle with thine adversary quickly" (Matthew 5:25). When someone is in debt, we give them a year and a day to settle their debts. What happens when the year and a day is up? If they are close to resolving their debts, then maybe they should be given another year and a day. The intent and effort should be to remove all those agreements that allow someone to lord over us. For we have but one Lord, Jesus Christ.

These are hard decisions. They tear at your heart and that which you love dearly. The Kingdom of Heaven is the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46). It costs everything you have, even your own life. And when you come to that condition, you will have lost all, but you will have gained the Kingdom of Heaven. There is nothing greater.

As you seek this greatest of all treasures, I pray that your wife will stand with you, work with you, and be one flesh with you.

Care and Feeding of Clients

Let's keep happy clients.Citizens of Heaven stand out in the work world because our goal is to serve, not to get rich. While citizens of the world strive for shorter work hours and fringe benefits, we seek to build happy clients by treating them the way we would like to be treated.

Clients can be demanding, unreasonable, irrational and overbearing. They may expect the moon and the stars--but only want to pay for one star or a piece of the moon. They may want this chunk of heaven delivered yesterday--at no additional cost. This type of behavior can get on your nerves. But in your patience, possess ye your souls (Luke 21:19).

Clients . . . can't live with them, can't pay the bills without them. We need to find and keep happy clients. Why do we want happy clients? Because a happy client is a quiet client (most of the time). More importantly, a happy, quiet client comes back for more--and tells friends.

You never want to make existing clients angry. Because all too easily, they become nonexistent clients. Easy come, easy go, you say? Listen up; you need repeat business. Also, it takes a lot more effort to bring in new clients than to keep existing clients happy.

Your clients don't want to leave you, and it's not because they love you so much. It's because finding your replacement is work. They have to do research to find someone else. They need to create new relationships. Unless you mess up big time, they would rather stay with you.

But that doesn't mean they won't leave if you give them enough cause. Your clients have plenty of problems in their lives. Maybe their boss rails on them every day; maybe their health is failing. If, for any reason, you add to their problems, you will be gone--replaced by someone who won't give them problems.

The Golden Rule

Treat your good clients like kings and queens. They deserve it. It's simply the golden rule at work. Treat your clients like you want to be treated. Here's how:

  1. Make your yes's yes. If you say you will meet with them at a certain location, be there. If you absolutely cannot make the appointment, let them know right away. Don't wait until you see them the next day to tell them what happened.
  2. Give one-on-one service. Personally deliver the product, rather than dropping it in the mail or sending it with a helper. What if the product gets lost in the mail and the client misses an important deadline. "Oh, sorry, these things happen." No, not with you. Make sure these things don't happen. Besides, when you make your own deliveries, you buy yourself another positive, stress-free occasion to interact with clients. Maybe they have more jobs in mind that they want to discuss.
  3. Answer questions. Don't make your clients feel stupid when they ask questions. Remember what is routine to you, may still be mysterious to them. Answer in layman's terms; no technical jargon.
  4. Go the extra mile. When you are doing the job, always do more than is expected. Look for some little extras you can do at no charge. After you've finished the job, casually point out the extras. If the client finds a small problem or two after you're gone, he or she will be less likely to call and complain.
  5. Listen to complaints. As humans, we don't want to hear complaints. But we should want to listen to complaints because then we can fix whatever is causing our clients to be unhappy. Remember, sometimes dissatisfied clients just quietly go away and never come back. No one can expect you to never make a mistake. That would be a ridiculous thing to suggest. But they can expect you to make good on your word. Hear your clients out without interruption. Don't make excuses. Sometimes they may just want to clear the air. It's possible that all you have to do is agree with them and promise not to do it again. Keep your cool. You may think the complaint is unfair, but if you lose your temper, then you can kiss that client goodbye. Remember, the client is always right.
  6. Be defrauded. Do something about the problem--right now. Is it your fault? Is it a serious error? Will it damage your relationship? Find an answer you can both accept. Do the project over, refund the client's money, sing Amazing Grace, whatever it takes to make it right.
  7. Stay in touch with clients. Call clients who haven't brought you projects in a while. Make sure they were happy with your last project. See if there is anything coming up down the road. Keep a notebook or card catalog where you can make notes on the conversation. If the client answers, "Yes, I might have something coming up in April," make a note to yourself to call that client in March.
  8. Try a direct mail campaign. Many busy clients are difficult to reach on the phone. Try sending postcards reminding clients and potential clients that you exist. Remember, your competitors are calling on them, too. You need to give your existing clients a good reason to stay with you.
  9. Put serving above profit. When you call a longstanding client who is having financial problems and needs a small job, consider doing the job for free. In this profit-oriented world, your client won't forget the favor. You may find that he is so surprised, that he tells others what a great service you provide and more work comes your way.

If you keep your clients happy, you will have many opportunities to serve them. Make them sad or angry and they will go somewhere else. It's that simple. Just remember, they want the same thing you do--the moon and the stars, yesterday. Is that so much to ask?

Riches are the least worthy gifts which God can give man, yet men toil for them day and night, and take no rest. Therefore, God frequently gives riches to foolish people to whom He gives nothing else.

Martin Luther


Readers RespondReaders Respond


Dear Reverend Paul,

I recently read an article called, "Are There Property Taxes in Heaven?" in a newspaper I just happened onto and read out of idleness. I've never been where the paper was from, and I don't normally read strange papers, but for some reason this article was different. The article triggered a memory of a story I saw on TV about the Kingdom of Heaven Embassy. (America's Most Wanted show).

I don't know if it's only a matter of taxation, Mr. Revere, but one thing is obvious: Someone does not like you or does not like what you represent as a free thinking Christian with a comfortable life and a loving family.

It makes me wonder: of the tens of thousands of homeless street people, how many have been rendered homeless by corrupt government tax collectors. I know in this State, thousands of sick and confused people were turned out on the streets when State run mental hospitals were converted into prisons, with much higher budgets allowed for their operation.

I'm on your side in support of your rights to choose celestial citizenship, and your right to return your land to the original Owner, for surely God was the original Owner of all that He created - even under Oregon law.

I am in prison in Galesburg, Illinois. In 1987, I was persecuted as a Christian counselor. Illinois has an accountability law that basically says that if you know about a felony and don't report it, you have become just as accountable as the perpetrator. One of my people had abused her daughter and I had advised her to get an attorney, then turn herself in. She did turn herself in, but it was a year later and without the benefit of counsel. In her statement, she told police that she had told me about the offense during one of our personal talks.

As a result, I was also charged under the accountability clause on the theory that my status as a minister/counselor was not "professional." I could not produce a college degree in theology or social work. Therefore, as a lay counselor, I was obliged to report the offense. I was found accountable and sentenced to 80 percent of the maximum sentence allowed by law. Ironically, the offender refused to testify for me, then "cooperated," accepted a plea agreement, and received the minimum sentence. My appeal has been pending 5-1/2 years.

The Lord works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. It is important, though, to be careful that you don't overlook his messages because they are in a more simple form, or in a different media, than we want to expect. Not everyone gets a burning bush, or is stricken blind. Heed, for one, the wisdom of the children, for they are nearest to the heart of God and often serve as His emissaries. Remember that Mary was but 14 when she gave birth to Jesus, and Jesus was but 12 when He gave His first sermon.

All are invited to write and your personal questions are acceptable.

Sincerely in His Service,
Jerold W. Stanley

Pure Water in Prison

One of our people told us the following story about the miraculous way she obtained pure water while being imprisoned.

In the Federal Prison Camp, it was impossible to get pure distilled water. I tried to get the commissary to carry it, but to no avail. I prayed for pure water and eventually found a connection in the Garage, where distilled water was used for car batteries. I thought my prayers were answered after I managed to obtain a couple of gallons. However, my connection was soon released and I was once again without water.

I kept on praying, and one day the main waterline burst and the prison camp was forced to truck in bottled water! From then on, I was able to retain a supply of pure water until a week before I was transferred. I don't doubt the power of prayer and I believe in miracles.

Heavenly Humor

 

A three-year-old was overheard praying the Twenty-third Psalm:

"He leadeth me beside distilled water."

He leadeth me beside still water.

Cleanse Restores My Health

by Paul Revere

When the first edition of CLEANSING OR SURGERY was released last year, every copy was distributed within a couple months. People kept saying, "when I put the book on the coffee table, someone would pick it up and want to keep it." Everyone was ordering more copies.

People are really excited about being able to drink something as simple as apple juice for three or four days and be able to expel kidney stones and gallstones - and do it painlessly.

The second edition of CLEANSING OR SURGERY contains several new cleanses including a Heart Cleanse, a Tooth Cleanse and the Cleanse that restored my health - the Intestinal Cleanse.

My wonderful wife, Rachel, said to me ten years ago, "You're dying. It is written all over you." It was true. I suffered from painful bleeding hemorrhoids and only had bowel movements about once a week. My other problem was high mucus levels. I had lots of colds and often suffered from flu symptoms. Every fall I would come down with a cold that hung on until the warm days of summer. Than as soon as the weather cooled off, I would be back to sneezing and coughing.

I tried to figure out whether my problem was some kind of allergy. Was it something I was eating? Was it wool blankets? Was it the mattress? Was it my clothing? Many people gave us suggestions and I tried almost everything, but nothing helped.

During the day, I was tired and worn down. I lacked energy to complete even simple tasks. I was grouchy and could not sleep at night. It was very difficult to be a Christian in this kind of condition. And I just kept going downhill. I did not have cancer or aids or some other dreaded disease. Yet, I knew that if I did not start improving, my time on this earth was short.

One day my wife went into a health store. The owner of the store had just returned from an Intestinal Cleanse seminar. With excitement she said, "I could throw out half the supplements on my shelves if people would just take this Intestinal Cleanse. People are being healed from many kinds of diseases on this program." My wife and I immediately began the several-month program of taking whole Psyllium husks in liquid, three or four times a day.

Within a short time after starting the Cleanse, I began feeling better. Finally, I was having daily bowel movements. Six months after I completed the Cleanse, I felt better than when I was a youth. In the ten years that followed, I just kept feeling healthier and more energetic. The common cold and various flu symptoms passed me by. I would abuse my body, sometimes staying up all night. I had started eating more natural foods, but I didn't always eat right. I did many things that should have weakened my body, yet I still felt strong and energetic. Praise God for His great mercy.

Shortly before writing the Second Edition of CLEANSING OR SURGERY, I repeated the Intestinal Cleanse. Though the changes were not as dramatic as with the first Cleanse, my energy levels have significantly increased, and, hopefully, my body will now be more effective at warding off disease.

The Intestinal Cleanse is effective at relieving constipation, chronic fatigue, asthma, susceptibility to colds, allergies, nagging backache, respiratory disorders, digestive problems such as gas, indigestion, and abdominal pain; menstrual troubles, headaches and skin eruptions. Having a healthy intestinal tract is the foundation of a healthy body. Every system in the body will function better once the intestines are cleansed. In the Second Edition of CLEANSING OR SURGERY, we explain how to do the Intestinal Cleanse and five other cleanses.

No Complex Procedures

People are often willing to take great and drastic measures, such as surgery and drug therapy, in the hope of curing a health problem. They spend thousands of dollars for operations that they think will help them. After their wallets have been emptied and vital organs cut by the knife, they may still be plagued with pain and discomfort. Surgery disrupts the natural functioning of our organs and the body must learn to compensate. Surgery is not the only answer. Why not try something as simple as cleansing the organs?

All healing power comes from God and is ever present within us. The cleansing methods in CLEANSING OR SURGERY work with the natural body functions, not outside them. Cleansing allows the body to do its own work of bringing specific organs back in balance and functioning properly. When an organ is flushed out and cleaned, it will often start functioning properly again. Cleansing is natural, noninvasive and does no harm. Side effects caused by drugs and the trauma of surgery are eliminated. Cleansing can be tried with confidence and provides a healthy, painless alternative to surgery. Click here for more information.

Cleansing or Sugery

Second Edition

 

New Expanded Version

 

76 page Book