newsletter
Servant Ministries, Inc.
Issue No. 115 Ira & Judy Milligan Dec 1, 2007

A Christmas Prayer & A New Year’s Blessing

It is comforting to know that our security isn’t based upon this world’s economy but rather upon the Father of lights from Whom all blessings flow. For this reason, I not only give thanks for the wonderful gifts that He has so abundantly bestowed upon us this past year but I look forward with expectancy to what the New Year has in store for us, too.

God’s mercies are renewed each morning and His goodness is without bounds. I pray that everyone of you will experience His wonderful, manifest presence this Christmas. I pray that your families will be in perfect harmony and united in fulfilling His purposes; that every need will be met and that the desires of your hearts will be fulfilled. And may God visit each and every one of you with His continual presence the whole year through, for “in His presence is fullness of Joy”. Amen!

The Prophet’s Perspective
Exposing the Leaven

Last month I mentioned that the “Word of Faith” doctrine contains a measure of leaven within it. This doctrine basically states that God’s promises are activated through our confession, and although that is partly true, it isn’t the whole truth. This doctrine is supported and built upon certain scriptural verses such as Romans 10:10: (“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”) and Proverbs 18:21 (“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof”). One can see that at first glance, it appears to have a solid biblical foundation. So, you may be wondering, since the Bible clearly states that we are blessed or cursed by the words of our mouths, where is the error?

The answer to this question is found, not in the scriptures used to support the doctrine, but rather in those that are left out! Although our words are very important, they are only a part of what affects and directs the course of our lives – besides our words, our thoughts, ways and works must also be factored into the equation.

For example, Jeremiah 17:10 says, “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings”. Proverbs 1:31 also mentions that our ways help determine which scriptural promises come to pass in our lives (the Bible contains many promises, but all of them are not desirable, as this verse implies): “Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices”. And since both our words and our ways are the product of our thoughts, our thoughts cannot be left out, either: “Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it” (Jer. 6:19). So if we desire to see the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises we must do more than confess them; we must meet any and all conditions necessary for their fulfilment.

Of course, the primary condition for the fulfillment of all New Testament promises is asking in faith (the Bible teaches us to pray the promises. We can’t take them for granted). If we ask in faith, our faith will generate corresponding works. Without works, faith is dead, so our works cannot be left out of the mix!

And lastly, the motives of our hearts, hidden or otherwise, have as much to do with receiving the promises as all the rest combined. If we ask for God’s blessings with a selfish motive, regardless of how many promises we quote and how many times we confess, He isn’t likely to respond in a positive way. James said, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3).
So, as you can see, our confession is but one fourth of the equation; our thoughts (including our motives), words, ways and deeds all play an important and equal part in determining which promises are brought to fruition in our lives. Another way of saying this is if our walk doesn’t agree with our words, all the confession in the world won’t change our situation. It takes living faith, (which, by the way, Roman 10:17 says is the product of hearing, not confessing) to release God’s precious promises into action. So, as Proverbs 12:14 says, “A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompense of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him”. May God give us grace to believe. Amen!

“Helping Hands”

God is good! I am really looking forward to what He has in store for us in 2008. Because of your faithfulness He has met every need that we’ve encountered this past year, and in some cases even exceeded the amount needed. As a result, besides being able to continue the usual ministry that we are always involved in we’ve also been able to bless several missionary families who were in need. Thanks friends – you guys have blessed us and enabled us to be a blessing to many!

Prayer Partners’ Update

Help us pray that regardless of whatever challenges we face in 2008, God will give us the grace to overcome. I have been in continual warfare for my health for over a year now. I need God to heal me in several areas, especially in my lower back. I feel sure that these attacks upon my health are from Satan. He is trying to stop us from traveling overseas this coming year. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you.

Just Thinking

Looking back over the year 2007, and even all the way back to the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York, one has to acknowledge that God has been exceedingly merciful to America. Since 9/11 there hasn’t been a single successful terrorist attack on American soil. But let’s not allow this to lull us into a false sense of security. It is no time for complacency. Our nation is deeply divided and Jesus said that a divided nation cannot stand. We must watch unto prayer and continually hold up our President’s hands to prevent the malicious attacks from his many enemies from destroying him.

I was born during the Roosevelt administration so I’ve seen many different presidents come and go – both the good and the bad (and even the very ugly) – but I cannot ever remember a president being as despised and hated as President Bush is. Why is there so much hated directed toward him? The answer isn’t found in his politics, nor in his involvement in the war; it is because he is a bold, outspoken Christian who isn’t afraid to take a stand for Christ, even against abortion! Jesus warned: “you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake” Then He explained why: “this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (Luke 21:17; John 3:19-20).

The selfishness and corruption that saturates our government is so deeply ingrained that anyone who professes Christ is automatically deemed as a threat. Bush’s light threatens everything they believe in and stand for – including abortion.