It will happen to your family.

2012年6月5日、吉祥寺学び会でベック兄が語られた『あなたの家族も・・・』の英訳です。

[1]

It will happen to your family.
June 5th, 2012, Kichijouji Bible Study Meeting
Brother Gotthold Beck

Mark
6:1 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
6:2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6:6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.






We have just read some well-known verses. They say that Jesus was 'marvelled'. I guess that Jesus was not actually marvelled, but that He felt sad. Jesus wanted to heal all the sick people there. However, as it is written, the Lord almighty could not perform any miracle at all. This was because of their unbelief.

”Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved.(Acts 16:31)" This is one of the most wonderful promises in the Bible. However, many believers are disappointed when they see others refusing to accept Jesus and are frustrated because of their stubbornness. They come to think that it may not be the Lord’s will to save them, or they wonder why the Lord does not perform His miracles for them. However, it may be because of the disobedience and unbelief of believers, rather than the obstinacy of the non-believers.

”Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved." Today’s concept of family is ‘those connected by blood’; but this was not necessarily the case when the New Testament was written. In this time, family included relatives and some acquaintances. In these times, wealthy people often owned slaves, which were also considered part of their family. Taking this into consideration, more than eight-tenths of the members of the early churches were slaves. Slave-owners took very good care of their slaves. They believed that Jesus died for these slaves too, and prayed for their salvation. Many slaves were saved by this.

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and not only you, but your family, your relatives and everybody you know will be saved. Certainly, this is one of the most beloved verses for so many people. We all have prayed using this verse and have believed in it. So why haven't these prayers been answered yet? Why are so many prayers left unanswered?

Of course the Lord will answer our prayers at the time of His choosing, but shouldn't we rethink the reasons why prayers are not answered right away? Last week, we discussed the seven reasons that our prayers are not answered.

They were disobedience, hidden sins, indifference, disrespect of the bible, stubbornness, an unstable mind and impure motives. Because of these reasons, the Lord does not answer many prayers.

What is it that the Lord wants from us? Jesus expressed it in simple words in John 6:40: This is my Father's will: That everyone who sees the Son (Jesus Himself) and believes in him should have eternal life. The Lord wants us to have everlasting life.

It may not be to release you from the very problem you are facing now. People can't help but ask for their difficult problems to be solved instantly. However, the Lord presents new problems to us one after another. If he didn’t, we wouldn’t be broken. We won't ask for His help unless we hit the wall. This is our tragedy. You won't get help if you don't beg, and thus, you won't get to know your savior.

This is why Jesus said: How blessed are those who mourn. When you are in agony and mourn, you will seek for help; then you will hear His words: Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest(Matthew 11:28). This is exactly what the Lord keeps saying to you. It is not to be strong, not to study hard. He just wants you to come to Him. It is because “everything the Father gives Him will come to Him, and He will never turn away the one who comes to Him(John 6:37).”

Jesus must have agonized so much because of His Family during His time on this earth. Maria, who bore Jesus, of course believed Him from the beginning. She never had any doubts, but the same was not true for the other members of His family. Jesus had at least four brothers and some sisters. Though the number of His sisters is not recorded in the Bible, they never believed Him anyway.

Acts
1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Jesus' brothers were not saved until Jesus was killed and resurrected. There will be no salvation as long as we make compromises with our families. Only if you keep testifying about Jesus through your own experiences will salvation come.







[2]

It will happen to your family.
June 5th, 2012, Kichijouji Bible Study Meeting
Brother Gotthold Beck

“Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved." We have to believe this and strive with these words in our hearts. But, what will actually happen when we could truly believe these words? How does true faith reveal itself? First of all, it comes up as a victory of prayers.

Luke
10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

Unless we stay at the feet of Jesus just like Mary did, we can't live a life of prayer. Mary knelt down at the feet of the Lord in her own house, not in the gathering. It is truly important to ponder the words of the Lord and have close communion with the Lord, when you are alone in your room not only at the gathering.

Those who heard the voice of Jesus through the Bible are true prayers. There is a story of Abraham in the Bible, in which Abraham talked with God face-to-face. The Lord God also said to Abraham, "Should I hide from Abraham what I'm about to do?" The Bible praises the attitude of Abraham, who kept standing in front of the Lord, as he prayed. The prayer of Abraham was based on the humbleness of a broken man. He said to the Lord in Genesis 18:27: Look, even though I am only dust and ashes, I've ventured to speak to my Lord.

What were the consequences of Abraham's prayer?

Genesis
19:29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

Abraham had always cared about his nephew, Lot, and was so persistent in asking the Lord to help him. He kept standing in front of the Lord with strong determination and never stopped praying. Let's look at another example of a prayer for one’s family.

Matthew
15:21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
15:23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
15:25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
15:26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
15:27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

This is how salvation of the family should be accomplished. "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed!" Have mercy on me. My husband still does not listen to me. My children are not saved yet. She prayed in this way.

What should we do when our family, relatives or friends are possessed by an evil spirit? They might have already fallen into the hands of the devil. According to John, the devil has been a murderer since the beginning of time. Our beloved family and friends may be about to fall into the hands of the devil, who wants to destroy them forever. Do we remain silent knowing this? The foreign woman kept screaming to the Lord just like Abraham did because she wanted her demon-possessed daughter to be healed. She never stopped screaming because she believed that the Lord would absolutely answer. She wouldn't give up.

Matthew
15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

If we kneel down at the feet of the Lord and love the words of the Lord more than anything, just like Mary did, if we stay and pray in front of the Lord just like Abraham did, and if we keep screaming to the Lord just like the heathen woman did, the Lord will never fail to fulfill his promises. He will give you His words: “Your faith is great! what you want is granted.”





[3]

It will happen to your family.
June 5th, 2012, Kichijouji Bible Study Meeting
Brother Gotthold Beck

”Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved." These words will come true if we take them to heart. Only when we totally believe in these words will our prayers be accepted. Then you will come to trust the almightiness of Jesus.

Matthew
8:5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
8:6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
8:7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

This is the pure faith, the pure belief that is asked of us.

Matthew
8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

East in this verse may refer to Japan, which is east of Israel. Verse 8 says: "Sir, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Here we can see that he totally believed in the almightiness of Jesus. This centurion came to see Jesus and confided all his worries in Him.

True prayer is nothing but to honestly confide in Jesus and tell him all your worries. There were a number of soldiers under the centurion, who would obey any words he said. This was why the centurion only asked Jesus; Sir, Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

He was able to say this because he totally believed in the almighty power of Jesus. Jesus must have rejoiced when He heard these words. Jesus was so glad and answered the centurion, “Go and it will be done for you, just as you have believed." The centurion did not come for his family connected by blood; he just prayed for his subordinate, who was not related by blood.

How about us? Do we really pray for our relatives, family and friends? Do we strive for their salvation?

Paul wrote some very important words in his letter to Timothy:

First Timothy
5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

This very verse tells us that believers could be worse than non-believers. If we fall into indifference and walk the path to a self-centered life, it is so pathetic and will bring harm to your life.


We will be blessed when we kneel down to the Lord and beg Him, “Lord, I worship you, Almighty God. I entrust everything to you. Please save my parents, my brothers and sisters and my husband. They will be saved if you give them a word”.

Then, the Lord will tell you: “Go and it will be done for you, just as you have believed." He will also give you these words; "I told you that if you believed you would see God's glory, didn't I?" Let's look at another person who prayed for his family.

Matthew
17:14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
17:15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
17:16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17:17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
17:18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

This father’s son was severely possessed by a filthy demon. He was his father's heavy burden and the source of his worries. Furthermore, this son was also the source of all the desperation in his father's life. This pathetic father came to Jesus with all his troubles.

The father knelt at Jesus' feet and begged to Him. He confided all his worries in Jesus. Jesus helped the father. It is not easy to confide in Jesus and tell him everything on your mind.

But let us all tell the whole truth to Jesus and kneel down before Him. Then, Jesus will absolutely answer us. Verse 17 details the answer of Jesus to His disciples: “You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you?” He is still saying the same things to us.

Because of your lack of faith. I tell you with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. These words from verse 20 are a reprimand, but at the same time reflect the promise of Jesus.

What is the best thing we can do to make Jesus rejoice? It is having true faith which relies on the almighty power of the Lord, instead of something we can see. ”Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved." We have to stand firm with these words in our hearts. So what will happen when we totally believe in Jesus' words?

As I have just said, it will be shown in your prayers. It will first come up as victory in your prayers. Then you will be able to totally rely on the almightiness of the Lord Jesus.

End