A disciple will turn down a promotion on his job if he judges that it will in any manner affect his fervent pursuit of Christ. He is learning, learning, learning every day of what it means to walk with God. Every day he is more proficient in recognizing good and evil and more capable in the desire and strength to reject the evil and choose the good.

Every day his natural strength is being broken and he is living more and more by God's strength and wisdom. He is being fed the hidden manna, the body and blood of Christ, and he is living in this virtue.

There is absolutely nothing in his life, no thing, no relationship, no activity, no circumstance that he will not give to Christ promptly if it is asked for. He is being freed from all idolatry.

It is Jesus! Jesus! Jesus everywhere and in everything. This is what it means to be a disciple of the Jesus Christ. Nothing short of this is acceptable.

We understand, therefore, that the churches in America are filled with "Christians" but not with disciples. If one can find a single disciple in a large Christian assembly it is a cause for rejoicing.

If I am hearing correctly from the Lord, we are due for enormous catastrophes in America. No doubt the great majority of church members will follow the secular government wherever it leads them. But there will be a godly remnant who will follow only Jesus Christ. Suffering and persecution may cause a division between the lukewarm and the fervent believers.

Eagles' Wings

You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. (Exodus 19:4—NIV)

The concept of eagles' wings is important for us to understand. The idea merely is that God carries us Himself until we are ready to fly.

Right here can be identified one of the most weakening of the Christian errors.

On the basis of the fact that Jesus Christ kept the Law of Moses perfectly, and then suffered the penalty imposed on those who break the Law of Moses, God is able to ascribe (impute) righteousness to whoever chooses to come under the lordship of Jesus. This is what Paul meant when he taught we no longer can gain righteousness by keeping the Law but must receive the righteousness of God by faith.

What this means is that when we trust in Jesus Christ for our righteousness we are credited with perfect observance of the Law of Moses.

This truth has been taught clearly by numerous godly Christian teachers and preachers.

However, the proviso stated by Paul, that this ascribing of righteousness depends on our following the Holy Spirit, has not received nearly the attention that has been given to the idea of ascribing righteousness to those who come to Christ in faith.

Thus we have fatal error at the heart of Christian teaching.

To be continued.