When I invited brother John Mark Louse to Zambia, we arranged a series of meetings which involved travels to and from various places in the country. Each time he waited for other trips he lodged at my home. The total number of days he spent with my family was somewhere between four to five weeks.

The moments we spent with that humble apostle of faith will forever be remembered. Every evening my family would gather in the living room for some time of fellowship and testimonies before going to sleep. One day my wife was curious to know more about how the Lord Jesus looked when He first appeared to brother John Mark Louse (read the testimony on Prophetic Revelation website). Brother John Mark then narrated an incident when he had a terrible toothache.

One day the toothache so much troubled him that he could not rest or sleep from the pain. It was at night but he had to go out to look for medical help. If my memory serves me right, the clinic was either closed or they didnt find a dentist. After returning home, as he lay in bed, the Lord Jesus appeared on the side of the bed where he lay his head. The Lord touched him on the side of the cheek where the pain was. It was at that moment that the pain stopped, and he talked about how wonderful the touch the felt. “I didnt want the Lord to go. I wanted his hand to be on me forever!”

Brother John Mark later slept and upon waking up found himself alone. The Lord wasnt there but that was the end of the toothache. If I have the time, I hope in the next few days, to share other testimonies brother John Mark shared when he stayed with us at home.

In Christ, Andrew Phiri.

Read about the Call and Ministry of John Mark Louse here.

Each revival in history ends up with three kinds of people: (1) truly converted believers who persist on, (2) the backslidden – those who after a while lose their first zeal and remain cold and formal, and (3) those who reject (or betray) the Truth they had first believed.

The most dangerous situation of these three is the backslidden condition. The backslider treads on middle ground. He is neither hot nor cold. He or she partly identifies with things of God and also things of the world. The backslider wants to serve both God and Mammon! But, like the Lord Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Mat.6:24). So, the backslider’s heart actually leans towards evil but only wants to use God for safety or a public appearance.

A backslider prays together with believers. He also raises his voice in prayer and in singing praises but his mind is actually on business. His mind is on watching soccer. His mind asks, What time will the church service end? His mind is comforted by the presence of backsliders in church so that he is able to say, “it’s a problem other believers also face.” See, like the Scripture says, “the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways” (Pro.14:14). Dearly beloved, the hour is late and we ought to be wise, “understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph.5:17).

Now, to those who think they are the strong and not the backsliders, take heed for Satan also seeks after you – “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor.10:12). Indeed, there are many believers who think they are still standing when they actually fell from the first love and zeal they had.  Like the Spirit admonished the church at Ephesus, these words apply to many believers: “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Rev.2:4-5).

But, how shall one know that they are in danger of backsliding? How shall one know that they have already fallen from the First Love? Well, the condition of a backslidden believer develops gradually.

Symptoms of Backsliding

We can guard against the condition of backsliding when we know the symptoms:

Loss of the “Joy of the Lord”

Believers have joy in their heart that comes from being in prayer and fellowship. They look forward to another prayer meeting, another Bible Study, another time to meet and encourage one another with a person of like-faith. When a believer is in prayer, there is this joy in their heart that gives them strength (Neh.8:10). However, when one backslides they lose that Joy, and with the loss of the Joy, one has no strength to resist evil. It is for this reason that David when repenting of his sin cried saying, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psa.51:12). Oh, how we need that Joy to keep us going in this troubled world

Comfort in the Congregation of the Dead

When a person backslides, fellowship with spiritual people is replaced with company with carnal people. The person is continuously found with people who have no revelation of Truth; His new friends are people who see nothing wrong with listening to worldly music, with taking a beer, with chilling out at a party, and all such vanities of the world. In his or her early days of hanging out with such people, the ‘believer’ tries to hide his true beliefs for fear of looking odd. But with time he slowly blends in and begins to do things that were once nowhere close to his lifestyle. That’s the way of a backslider, he finds himself in the congregation of the dead because he himself has died spiritually! Like the Scripture admonished, “The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead” (Pro.21:16).

Indifferent attitude towards spiritual things

A backslidden person is not committed towards spiritual activities. When there is a prayer and fasting programme, he or she is never bothered to attend. The backslider is always busy with a certain appointment, event, business, or work. A backslider is ‘another face’ in church – he or she is not a pillar that can be relied on. Backsliders don’t share burdens of the church or the ministry. They are simply not involved in visiting that brother or sister who was announced to be sick at home or admitted at a hospital. In their mind, that ‘work’ is for certain committed people in church. A backslider is not bothered by the Scripture which says, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Gal.6:2).

No longer bothered by doing things scripturally right

A true believer is like the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31:27 who “looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.” It is important here to note that a church environment can influence people to backslide. A true church should look carefully into the ways of her household – are things done scripturally correct? Are people dressing modestly, in a manner that is pleasing to God? Is there casualness towards worldly behaviour? Is there alertness to remove any leaven that is found among believers? (1 Cor.5:6-7). Just like a church can become indifferent towards sinfulness, a backslidden believer gradually gets unbothered by habits which he or she once resented. The backslider is no longer much bothered by what the Scripture says on certain of his conducts or behaviour.

It is my prayer that you walk faithfully before the Lord.  “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luk.21:36).

Download PDF copy of this message: To the Elect Lady

When a mountain stands before you,it is not time to cry but to remember what the Lord did for you in the past. Like the psalm of Asaph declares, “This is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old” (Psm. 77:10).

That day when the master said to Peter to launch out his net into the waters and there was a mighty catch of fish, Peter did not get excited at the blessing on his business. He discerned something far more important – a holy man stood before him and he was a sinner! But that was a turning point of his life.He was to leave the trade which fed his family; God told him to leave the nets and become a fisher of men. Surely, the God who supplied the fish would tend to his needs. But one day Peter forgot the testimony of God; he did not remember the wonder of God.

Peter needed money to pay tax. His mind stressed and worried. He was no longer a fisherman but the Lord asked him to fish – this time not to catch a multitiude of fish, but to remind him that the same God who had multiplied his fish would take care of his tax to be found in the mouth of a fish: “What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?.. go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee” (Mat. 17:17-27).

When you go through valleys, or you are come before a mountain, remember His “wonders of old”. Amen.

As I was putting things in place this morning, preparing to leave home for work, I noticed a pencil on the floor. Unknown to me  was that Terry (my younger son) also had his eyes set on it. As I tried to reach for it, he ran quickly and grabbed it, felt excited and exclaimed, “It’s mine! Its me who saw it first!“…Quite a child’s way of analyisng things – I discovered it and so I own it! But, is that not how human society behaves. One discovers a certain pattern or phenomenon and next is awarded an achievement as doctor or professor. Notice that discovery is not creation. To discover is to merely find what was previously hidden from sight. When one discovers something we should surely be thankful because that could help society in one way or the other. But to worship the discoverer as though he created the thing discovered would simply be absurd! To think, “There is  no one who caused this thing because I can explain how it got here” is simply foolishness. Is this not how some scientists have behaved? They discover how certain phenomena of the universe occurs and then declare “Once man thought this was an act of God but now we understand how it came to be and so God doesnt exist.” Such an assertion assumes that mechanism (how something happens) rules out agency (the creator of mechanism). Now, just as the undersranding of how different pieces of wood fit together to make a table doesnt rule out the existence of a carpenter,  so does comprehending how the mechanism of the universe works not rule out the existence of God!

I was at a restaurant in Cambodia, so hungry and yearning for a good meal.

Choosing the food to eat was the problem. No one at the restaurant knew how to speak English. In Camdodia they speak Khmer – a language so completely foreign as it has its own alphabet system. Next the waiter dropped a menu on the table.Alas, it had no pictures but strings of unknwon symbols!…Well, together with my host we walked to where they cooked. There close by was another menu with pictures. But these foods were still strange. We needed to smell and taste them to know them!

The smell was good.We saw the rice, the meat, the vegetables and pointed out what was to be put on our plates. We tasted the meals and they were great!…Isnt this like our Christian walk?

One can never comprehend God by merely reading about Him. No amount of theology can truly inform someone about the nature of God. One needs to TASTE and SEE that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). Just as one can never warm himself with a painted fire (no matter how good the art work is), so one can never be converted by a ‘historical God’. He is called “I AM”, not “I was” or “I will be.” You need to know Him in the PRESENT!

As usual before I started my lecture I greeted my students and talked on one or two items that made international news headlines…the class was quiet…I continued speaking: “Remember something like that happened when the Axis powers fought against Allied forces in WWII“… I realised that I was talking to myself. Faces of students looked lost.

Curious, I asked: “Do you know what has been happening between America and Russia over Syria the past two days?” A few students mumbled some words expressing ignorance over the matter…I went further to ask: “What about the Axis powers and Allied forces. Who were they?“…None could explain.Next I asked each student to tell me something…”No sir, I have never heard anything about it” was the response from everyone.

I was deeply afraid and concerned. What will future generations be like? Will it be generations of highly skilled men in their fields of study but so ignorant of the world around them? Will they be nincompoops that know so much about Manchester United and Barcelona than where they are coming from and where their world is heading to? A generation that spends so much time on selfies and social media and very little or no time at all spent on books? No, not academic textbooks but books that would enrich someone’s understanding of themselves and the world around them.

I woke up at 5 Am to refresh my mind with history notes on the Middle East. Reading about how Israel persevered to rise in that hostile region is quite intriguing. The words of Chaim Azriel Weizmann, a Zionist leader and Israeli statesman, caught my attention:

“A state cannot be created by decree, but by the forces of a people and in the course of generations. Even if all the governments of the world gave us a country, it would only be a gift of words. But if the Jewish people will go build Palestine, the Jewish State will become a reality—a fact.”

1948 came and we know how determination, action, and perseverence gave birth to Israel. Faith without works is dead. Faith with works manifests Life!