newsletter
Servant Ministries, Inc.
Issue No. 100 Ira & Judy Milligan Sep 1, 2006

Holy Spirit Conference in Joshua, Texas
September 21-23, 2006 

Joshua is located right below Fort Worth, Texas. The conference will start 12:00 noon on Thursday and end 2:00 pm Saturday. The location is: Second Chance Fellowship, 613 North Broadway (Hwy 174), Joshua, Texas. It is easy to find ­ if you need help call 254-874-5424 or 817-648-9639. We will see you in Joshua! 

2 New Bible Study Courses
Hidden Mysteries of the Bible, Vol I & II

I've been busy since I announced my latest book in my last newsletter. I've written a sequel titled: Hidden Mysteries of the Bible, Vol. II. Like the first one, it is also a 52 lesson Bible Study Course but instead of being foundational, it is much more advanced. For instance, I've included eleven lessons on deliverance and five on the gifts of the Spirit.
You can order them now, and I'll ship them as soon as they arrive from the printers. I should have the first one by late September or early October, and the second volume about three weeks later. The price is $19.95 each. You can order both courses in advance for $34.95 and I'll pay the shipping.
These books are 8 ½ by 11, 120 pages each. They are spiral bound for ease of use. They can be used for personal study or in small groups. Bulk discounts for small groups and churches are available upon request.

The Prophet's Perspective 
The Full Purposed Church 

Most Christians are familiar with the seven letters to the seven Churches in Asia that Jesus dictated to John while he was on the isle of Patmos. What you may not know is the meaning of each of the seven Churches' names. The first letter was addressed to the church of Ephesus, which means, "full purposed" (see Rev. 2:1-7).

As long as the Ephesians kept the initial vision that God put into their hearts in the beginning, they did well. Jesus commended them for making a good start. In the past, they had worked long and hard for His name's sake. Also, they were diligent in watching for and rejecting false apostles as they waited for the Lord's return. But, there is also an ominous note in their letter. They had a very serious problem. At the time John wrote to them, they had drifted away from their first love. They had forgotten their original purpose!

The Lord's passion is to reach every lost soul with the Gospel. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). God isn't willing for any to perish, but His passion is for every soul to come to repentance (see 2 Peter 3:9).

His passion drives His purpose. When the early Church was launched in the power of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, 3000 souls were saved immediately, and more were added in the days that followed! (See Acts 2:47)

All Heaven gets excited when a sinner repents and turns his heart to the Lord. Jesus said even the angels rejoice (see Luke 15:10). There is nothing that revives a Church quicker and keeps the revival fires burning longer than seeing lost souls saved in their midst. And there is nothing more chilling than a Church with little or no concern for those who are daily slipping into the eternal flames of hell without the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Church loses its love for the lost, she has left her first love.

Some may question whether Jesus meant the Ephesians had lost their love for missions and evangelism when he reproved them for leaving their first love, but He said when we do something for someone who is in need, we have done it for Him (see Matt. 25:31-46). How can we say we love Him while we ignore the pitiful condition of those whom He loves and died for?

We are living in a time of great deception. Jesus called the Church of our day, "the church of the Laodiceans." Laodicea means the, "peoples' choice". The media ads intone: "This Sunday, attend the church of your choice". Shouldn't we be attending the Church of His choice? Laodicean "Saints" go where they choose to go, do what they choose to do, give what they choose to give; Jesus said, they say, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing ­ and do not know that [they] are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked". God, help us all! (see Rev. 3:14-22).

"Helping Hands"

I was blessed to be able to get two complete Bible courses written this summer. They are both being printed now. They should be finished and ready for distribution by the end of October. I will need some help paying the final printing cost. I only had to send in a third of the total amount to get the process started. I'll need the rest by the end of the month. (Both together, including overruns and shipping, will cost a little over $3000.00). Thanks for all your help. We couldn't do near what we do without you guys. God bless you! 

Prayer Partners' Update

Summer is over and it's time for us to go back on the road again. We have cut back on our traveling but we are still scheduling some seminars and conferences. We appreciate your continual prayer support for our travels. Also, please help me pray for God's perfect will concerning my participation in foreign missions, and thanks for your help!

Just Thinking

When the apostles in Jerusalem first heard about Antioch receiving the Gospel, they sent Barnabas down to see about their situation. "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord" (Acts 11:23). The Greek word translated cleave means to glue! There is a direct connection between our purpose in serving God and being glued to the Him in faithfulness.

Solomon said, without a vision the people perish, or as the NKJ translates it, the people "cast off restraint" (Prov. 29:18). Without a common purpose the Saints scatter and each goes his or her own way.

Even sinners understand this principle. In the beginning, as the people multiplied and began over-spreading the earth, they came to a plain and said, "Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (Gen. 11:3-4).

The best way to "glue" people to the Lord is to get them involved in serving Him, not tell them all of the wonderful things He wants to do for them. People will work together to achieve a common goal, but work independently of one another to acquire material wealth.

The modern prosperity doctrine, including the new twist on an old theme, the "market place apostles" and "prophetic business men" groups that are being trumpeted throughout the nation, has done more to distract the Saints from God's eternal purpose than any-thing else the devil has hatched up in ages! (I know I'm going to get some calls and letters on this one, but it is about time someone exposed these ploys for what they are ­ just another way of promoting covetousness among the Saints.) Peter didn't go back to his fishing business until he came unglued!