Editorial – Is It Time To Reorganize?

Revelation 16:14 informs us that three demonic spirits that look like frogs are to gather “the whole world” for “the battle on the great day of God Almighty.” Symbolically these issue forth from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.

The dragon

The chief characteristics of the dragon are the satanic diabolism of its teaching, which “leads the whole world astray,” and its long war against those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 12:9,17 NIV). The dragon of godless hedonistic humanism — love of worldly pleasure — reigns supreme throughout the affluent ‘West’ and also in east Asia. Believers loyal to the Bible and its moral standards are under increasing legal pressure and being forced into social isolation. In some places this is beginning to take the form of mild persecution. Education authorities are insisting that all teaching must be patently atheistic, especially in science, and guidance counselling must be “value-free and non-judgmental” (whatever that means!). The government of Sweden, for example, with the full support of the Lutheran state church, is preparing legislation to make it a punishable crime to quote in print or read aloud any passage of the Bible which is considered to be sexist or discriminatory to homosexuals. A special national exhibition was held recently in the royal cathedral in Uppsala which specifically presented Jesus as an active homosexual.

The beast

The chief characteristics of the beast are worldwide authority, blasphemous teaching and a long and apparently successful war against the saints (13:7). The beast puts his symbolic mark or brand of ownership on those loyal to him. During the last ‘holy year’, at the ceremony of the opening of the golden door at the Vatican, the “Holy Father” (the Pope) was presented to a million worshipers in St. Peter’s Square as “the nearest we have to a world ruler,” and the crowds were urged to acknowledge him as such.

The false prophet

The chief characteristics of the false prophet are his miraculous signs and his ability to delude those who have received the mark of the beast. We can assume that Revelation is based upon Jesus’ words and warnings in Matthew 7:15 and 24:11. Until eleven years ago, the world was divided by the ‘Cold War’ into two irreconcilable ideologies – the so-called ‘free’ world and the socialist countries. Today the world is divided almost equally into three vast ideological ‘camps’ — militant Islam, militant apostate Christendom, and an aggressive humanistic paganism. All three are increasingly hostile to “the saints,” that is to say, sincere Bible believers.

The saints

Prominent in the Revelation, alongside the various symbolic animals, are some very real people. They are (the elders say to God) “your saints and those who reverence your name” (11:18). They are those who “overcome” by the word of their testimony, and by their faithfulness even unto death (12:11). They are characterized by patient endurance and faithfulness (13:10). They are, in fact, described as “blameless” (14:5). And, most significantly, they are “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (5:9).

Miracles of providence

Through miracles of Providence during the past ten years, sincere seekers for truth from Albania to Zululand have been led to our biblical faith. Brother Ng and sister Aa have joined brother Smith and sister Brown around the Lord’s table, and in 2001, for the first time in the history of our denomination, a majority gave their good confession in a language other than English. The productivity of God’s harvest fields is increasing all the time. An elderly visiting brother recently told me that forty years ago his ecclesia had to invest many thousands of dollars to ‘produce’ one convert, and then he or she did not always stay the course. Today, from a strictly financial standpoint, the outlay of a few dollars will yield a new convert for Christ. And he also commented that it is seeing the ‘quality’ of our new members that gives him the greatest satisfaction.

Suffering saints

Recent reports indicate that many hundreds, perhaps even several thousand, beloved brethren and sisters are starving in Africa and elsewhere throughout the world’s poorer countries. Hundreds are slowly dying because no emergency medical care is available. Never in the history of our brotherhood has there been such a dire crisis. Our Bible mission organisations are presently accepting much of the responsibility for dealing with this ‘welfare’ crisis, which, strictly speaking, is not their mandate. Their funds should be directed towards preaching the gospel to every nation under heaven.

The latest information is that brothers and sisters are suffering direct and cruel persecution from dragon, beast and false prophet in at least twenty-five countries across the globe, including several ‘western’ countries (there has even been one recent tragic case in Birmingham, England!). The Karolyn Andrews Memorial Fund, newly reorganized in Canada after being targeted by the international financial police in the Cayman Islands, is doing its best to help, but is desperate for funds also.

Waiting on tables

The worldwide ecciesia of Jesus Christ is facing its biggest financial challenge since the apostolic age. In Acts 6:2, the leading preaching body (“the Twelve”) insisted, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.”

Is it time, brethren and sisters, to reorganize the financial structure of the brotherhood on similar lines to those outlined in Acts 6? The apostolic church had both ‘evangelists’ and ‘pastors’, each with specific responsibilities. This was a wise division of responsibility. Perhaps it is time for our Bible Missions to concentrate on preaching, and restrict their funds to that end. Is it time for a specific worldwide pastoral or ‘welfare’ system to be devised, ecclesially based perhaps, using the sponsorship or twinning system which has proven to be so effective in denominations such as the American Baptists, the Seventh Day Adventists, the Church of God (Anderson, IN) and the Mennonites?