DO You FEEL LIKE GIVING UP?

[Lou Newton]

I found this article by David Wilkerson so have some valuable truth in it.

DO You FEEL LIKE GIVING UP?

by David Wilkerson


A growing number of ministers have been writing to me in recent

months, telling of their concern for those in their flock who are

simply giving up. Today, more and more Christians are at the

breaking point. None of the talk about giving up has to do with

the Lord. Few Christians would even dare entertain thoughts of

quitting on their love for Jesus. Most despairing Christians think

only of giving up on themselves. You hear it so often now, "I can't

go on anymore. I just can't make it. It's totally hopeless! Why try?"


I hear some ministers today who continually preach only a positive

message. To hear them tell it, every Christian is receiving miracles-

everybody is getting instant answers to prayer-everybody's feeling

good, living good, and the whole world is bright and rosy. I really

wish all those good and healthy things for God's people, but

that's not the way things are for a great number of very honest

and sincere Christians. How sad to hear such shallow theology

being pushed from pulpits today. It's an insult to a lowly Jesus

who became poor, who died a failure in the eyes of the world. It

is this kind of materialistic preaching that has so ill-prepared an

entire generation of Christians to endure any kind of pain. They

have not learned to be content with such things as they have-to

be abased and not always abounding. Serving God becomes a

kind of Olympic race in which everyone must strive for gold medals.


No wonder our young people give up in defeat. They can't live

up to the image created by the religion of a happy-go-lucky, rich,

successful, always positive-thinking Christian. Their world is not

that idealistic. They look in a mirror reflecting a face covered with

ugly pimples. They live with heartbreaks, hour-by-hour crises,

and horrible family problems. They look into the uncertain future,

frightened and worried.


Positive thinking won't make their problems go away. Confessing

that these problems don't really exist doesn't change a thing.

These "apostles of the positive" should not exclude the Gethsemane

experiences of life. The cup of pain, the hour of isolation, and the

night of confusion were all part of the Master's lifestyle. Our great

achievements, our successes, ought to take place at Gethsemane,

not Fort Knox!...

[redsoxmaloney]

I found this article by David Wilkerson so have some valuable truth in it.

DO You FEEL LIKE GIVING UP?

by David Wilkerson


A growing number of ministers have been writing to me in recent

months, telling of their concern for those in their flock who are

simply giving up. Today, more and more Christians are at the

breaking point. None of the talk about giving up has to do with

the Lord. Few Christians would even dare entertain thoughts of

quitting on their love for Jesus. Most despairing Christians think

only of giving up on themselves. You hear it so often now, "I can't

go on anymore. I just can't make it. It's totally hopeless! Why try?"


I hear some ministers today who continually preach only a positive

message. To hear them tell it, every Christian is receiving miracles-

everybody is getting instant answers to prayer-everybody's feeling

good, living good, and the whole world is bright and rosy. I really

wish all those good and healthy things for God's people, but

that's not the way things are for a great number of very honest

and sincere Christians. How sad to hear such shallow theology

being pushed from pulpits today. It's an insult to a lowly Jesus

who became poor, who died a failure in the eyes of the world. It

is this kind of materialistic preaching that has so ill-prepared an

entire generation of Christians to endure any kind of pain. They

have not learned to be content with such things as they have-to

be abased and not always abounding. Serving God becomes a

kind of Olympic race in which everyone must strive for gold medals.


No wonder our young people give up in defeat. They can't live

up to the image created by the religion of a happy-go-lucky, rich,

successful, always positive-thinking Christian. Their world is not

that idealistic. They look in a mirror reflecting a face covered with

ugly pimples. They live with heartbreaks, hour-by-hour crises,

and horrible family problems. They look into the uncertain future,

frightened and worried.


Positive thinking won't make their problems go away. Confessing

that these problems don't really exist doesn't change a thing.

These "apostles of the positive" should not exclude the Gethsemane

experiences of life. The cup of pain, the hour of isolation, and the

night of confusion were all part of the Master's lifestyle. Our great

achievements, our successes, ought to take place at Gethsemane,

not Fort Knox!...

Beautiful thoughts, and very encouraging.....

[Lou Newton]

Beautiful thoughts, and very encouraging.....

Thanks for the reply Tom.

Many so called preachers claim that if you are not rich and have no troubles in your life , that you are doing something wrong. BUT they do not preach on many passages of the Holy Scriptures such as the one that follows:

Luke 6

Blessings and Woes


¹⁷ He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, ¹⁹ and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
²²Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.

Note: notice that they are poor now, and hunger now, and weep now in the present tense, BUT they will be satisfied, and will laugh in the future tense. BUT the Kingdom of God is their's now.

²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
²⁵ Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
²⁶ Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

[Lou Newton]

From Linda:

Linda Shaffield Cook I certainly felt like giving up yesterday. I had my first migraine in 17 years. I had myself a big pity party and a big cry. Today, I felt fine. Rode two hours to the doctor, passed with flying colors, visited with my daughter, then rode two hours home. I am still feeling ok

Thanks for sharing with us Linda.

[redsoxmaloney]

Thanks for the reply Tom.

Many so called preachers claim that if you are not rich and have no troubles in your life , that you are doing something wrong. BUT they do not preach on many passages of the Holy Scriptures such as the one that follows:

Luke 6

That's why we need to read some scripture every day. How quick do we forget that the God of all the diamonds, silver, and gold in the universe adorned himself with none of it while he was here. He was poor, and content to be poor. We are so not that way.

[Lou Newton]

That's why we need to read some scripture every day. How quick do we forget that the God of all the diamonds, silver, and gold in the universe adorned himself with none of it while he was here. He was poor, and content to be poor. We are so not that way.

Very well said Tom.

[glen smith]

Brother Lou,
This article by David Wilkerson describes what is wrong with many Christian’'s devotion while it describes discipleship realistically. When Christian devotion is about what is happening to oneself, then such a misplaced faith becomes frustrating –- giving up -– quitting –- hopelessness - defeated.

All preaching which focuses upon the Christian's’ rewards rather than on He who provides the rewards is misdirected. Whether it is the works of Catholicism or the Word of Faith message they are centered upon what man can do. The counter notion of this is reformed theology.

The Word of Faith family of cultist notions includes the prosperity gospel, faith healing, positive confession or negative profession. David Wilkerson indicates these notions in his article and writes of them, "“It is this kind of materialistic preaching that has so ill-prepared an entire generation of Christians to endure any kind of pain.”" But the Word of Faith preaching he describes is more about presumption than it is about faith, and this is the issue which makes it the worship of a false god of man’s design. These notions presume upon Almighty God.

The giving up -– quitting –- hopelessness –- defeated spiritual condition of many is because they believe in a supposed revelation from the God of the Bible when it is deceit and false.
The test is simple. Believers in whom the Holy Spirit dwells are victorious –even in death or illness or poverty or pain or loss or betrayal or tribulation. Just look at the life of the apostles.