A Young Person Who Makes a Difference by Ron Brubacher

© 2010 Jasper Life Publications 1st Edition in English – December 2010 1st Edition in Portuguese – January 2000 Um Jovem que Faz Diferença! Translated from Portuguese with permission of Editora Árvore da Vida All rights reserved by Jasper Life Publications Inc. Jasper Life Publications 725 Viscount Road London, Ontario, Canada N6J 4G9 Phone: (519) 472-6620 www.jasperlife.com info@jasperlife.com ISBN 978-1-926970-00-4 All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version® is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000. Printed in Canada

Contents Preface..................................................................... 5 Introduction. ......................................................... 7 Those Who Live by Faith. ...................................... 11 Those Who are Enlightened and Separated......... 29 Those Who are Saved ............................................ 47 Those Who are Called. ......................................... 59 Those Who are Controlled by a Heavenly Vision 83 Those Who are Prepared to be Useful to God.... 107 Those Who Run the Race with Endurance. ........ 127 Outlines.................................................................. 143

Preface This book is a compilation of seven messages given at a young people’s conference held in Brazil at Estância Árvore da Vida in July 1999 for those 12 to 16 years old. We strove to follow the style of each of the speakers as much as possible in order to preserve the riches of examples that could help many. At the end are the outlines on which the messages were based. The Editors January 2000

Introduction You are starting to read this book; pay attention. Some young people get discouraged because every time they attend a conference, or camp, or special meeting, or read a book like this (which is based on a young people’s conference), they receive the word, but cannot fully apply it in their daily life. So they need a turn. Do you realize that you need to turn around? After all, why would you participate in church life? Or why read a book like this? Do you think that you are perfect? Did you ever reached an ideal stage? No! All these contacts with God’s speaking are opportunities that the Lord has given for you to advance. The conference setting includes the word, prayer, and meeting in groups. God’s speaking is there. However, it is not enough to have the environment, you also need to have a heart open to the Lord. The same thing applies when you

read this book. Do you want to open yourself to the Lord? Do not wait! Will you open yourself to Him right now while you are just starting to read? Why be the one left behind? Do not look back; do not remain in the past. Come back to the Lord now. Open your heart to Him. God loves you and wants to talk to you, to appear to you. How about receiving the Lord, His speaking, His infusing, and His revelation? If while reading these pages you can say, “God spoke to me”, this will be very good. Do not have a defeatist attitude: “It will not help to read this book. Nothing will change in my life.” Don’t believe that. If you have that attitude, it is true that nothing will advance and nothing will change. But if you say, “Lord, I open myself to You; You can change my life”, the Lord will do something in you from the first chapter. Are you ready to go?

Chapter One

Those Who Live by Faith Scripture Reading: Heb. 10:38-39; Dan. 11:32b

Be Strong and Active Young person, are you strong and active for the Lord? Heb. 10:38-39 says, “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.” In this book we are going to study the book of Hebrews. The word Hebrew means, “one who crosses (a river, or from one region to another).” That is why the book of Hebrews is directed to “the river crossers.” Let us read Daniel 11:32b: “But the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” The words be strong and carry out great exploits can also be translated strengthen

A Young Person Who Makes a Difference! themselves and take action. Who will strengthen themselves and take action? The people who know their God. Do you want to be a young person who is strong and active? Then you have to know God. You have to declare, “I need to know my God.” Young one, this is possible. By reading this book you can know God a bit more. God needs a strong and active generation. This is God’s need. Maybe this is not a concern for you, but it is for God. He is looking for a group of young people who will be strong and active for Him. To be strong and active are characteristics of these young people. But how many young people have these characteristics? Many young people are second generation Christians, that is to say, they were born and raised in a Christian home with Christian parents. Now we need to know what kind of second generation they are. In the Bible there are two types of second generation: one who is passive and weak and one who is strong and active. One day a certain brother gave a testimony: “I came to the Lord through my older brother. At that time the brothers did not even know my name. They would address me as, “This is soand-so’s brother.” So-and-so had a strong and personal experience with God and also wanted me to have the same experience, so he brought me to the Lord. That was such a blessing to me.” By recognizing the blessing of having been brought to God through someone, this young person showed that he was strong and active. Some young people say, “Why did my parents bring me to God?” They speak as if being brought to the Lord is a curse. Young one, it is not a curse, but it is a very great blessing that you have been brought to the Lord through someone. Someone opened the way for you to come in and now all you have to do is enter in.

Lot, an Example of a Weak and Passive Second Generation Young Person The Bible gives us an example of someone who was “brought” by someone else—Lot. When Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees, he took his nephew Lot with him (Gen. 11:31; 12:5). Lot was brought by Abraham every time. There is not one account of Lot taking the initiative to seek the God of Abraham or of him actually following Abraham. He was always brought, carried, pushed by Abraham and he never sought to experience God. What was the result? At one point in his life, he separated himself from his uncle and was no longer cared for by him (Gen. 13:10). The Bible shows us that little by little he moved his tent as far as Sodom (Gen. 13:11-12). The problem began when there was disagreement between Abraham’s and Lot’s herdsmen (Gen. 13:6-7). Then Abraham asked Lot to choose the place where he wanted to live. If Lot went one way, Abraham would go the other. Lot chose the plains of Jordan because they were well watered and he knew that it was much more difficult to live in the mountains. He believed he had made the right choice, but the result was that he came to live in Sodom. After a certain time there was a war between four and five kings. The four kings won and took Lot as a captive. Abraham found out and while depending on God, with only three hundred and eighteen men, defeated the four kings and rescued his nephew (Gen.14:12-17). Abraham risked his life for Lot. Yet did this make Lot follow Abraham? No, after being freed he probably believed that his home was in Sodom. Abraham went back to the mountains and Lot, because he was passive, went back to Sodom. Lot was like a piece of dead wood

A Young Person Who Makes a Difference! being carried by the current. In today’s language, whatever his group would do, he would do; wherever his group would go, he would go. He would not take a stand, he was one carried by the current because he was passive and depended on others. Today many young people are like Lot. They say, “If my father goes to the meeting, I will go, but if he doesn’t go I won’t go. If my father prays I will pray, but if he does not pray I won’t pray either. If my father purchases Bibles and spiritual books, that’s fine; but if he doesn’t, I don’t really care.” Young one, you need to wake up! If you want to be strong, then you need to seek God. He is waiting for you to seek Him, for you to have a definite experience with Him, so that when someone asks where you meet you may say, “I touched God. I know Him and He spoke to me. He called me and He appeared to me.” What kind of end did Lot come to? Luke 17:32 says, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Lot’s wife was a part of him. Before God destroyed Sodom, two angels came to Lot because Abraham had prayed for Lot to be rescued. At that time, the leaders of the city would sit at the gates of the city where they would judge people, and it was there the angels found Lot (Gen. 19:1). He had made himself a leader in an evil city. The men in that city, seeing the two men (angels) enter Lot’s house, wanted to sexually abuse them (vv. 3-5). Sodom was full of homosexuality, prostitution, fornication and illicit sexual relationships. Is this not what you see on television? From a young age, children are taught to be involved in amorous relationships. It is common to hear the question: “Do you have a boyfriend? Do you have a girlfriend? Have you been with him/her?” Children

as young as 10 years of age already have lovers. It is common to encourage young people to have their first sexual relationship at an early age. This is what was being practised in Sodom. Young one, forget the philosophy, “The younger the better”, or “Take advantage of your youth” or “If your body is ready, then you are ready.” The passive generation, those who are carried along by others, say, “It’s true. They’re right. My mom and dad don’t know anything. I have to take advantage of my life, the younger I experience sex the better.” Young people such as these are one way in front of their parents and are something else when their parents are not around. This is to be passive, without personality. The Bible shows us that Lot and his family loved Sodom so much that the angels had to take them forcibly by the hand so that they would leave the city (Gen. 19:15-16). This is what happens with so many young people. It is as if they are saying, “Ah, my dear Sodom, my video game, my favourite TV show, my friend’s parties. How can I miss out on all of this?” The angel had to actively go to pull Lot and his family out of the city. Young one, will it take an angel to pull you out of the world? As they were leaving, the heart of Lot’s wife was torn but the angel told them that they were not to look back because God was going to judge the city (Gen. 19:17). God came to judge her. God will also come to judge this world. Whether your friends, parents, teachers accept it or not, it is a fact that God is coming to judge this world. Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. What a shame! She became a symbol of shame. The Lord quoted her name, but in the Bible it is a shame to be quoted in such a way as: “Remember Lot’s wife.” This is such a solemn warning to all of us. Do you want to be such an embarrassment, such a negative example?

A Young Person Who Makes a Difference! Many of us know of young people who did not seek God. They began to have small amorous relationships. They started to know each other emotionally. Later they had sexual relationships as boyfriend and girlfriend that resulted in pregnancy. Today what became of them? Where are they? They became pillars of salt. Young one, is this what you want? Do you want to be as passive as Lot and his wife? Do not deceive yourself. Your parents and the serving ones who care for you are unable to be with you all the time to look after you. Neither can they know what goes through your mind, but God does. It is not a matter of control or manipulation. It is a matter of what you want in your Christian life. What is your intention when you participate in conferences or church meetings? We hope that in every meeting, whether it is junior high, young people or adults, meetings throughout the week or conference meetings, you could say, “I came to know my God.” Have a time with God; pray to Him individually; verify what your true intentions are in your Christian life and in the church life. Turn your heart to God while there is still time. Examples of Strong and Active Second Generation Young People Let us look at the experiences of a group of young people who knew their God. The Bible not only gives us examples of defeated ones. No! The Bible also has examples of victorious people. There were those of the second generation who knew their God, young people who were brought by someone else, but at a certain point in their life they declared, “Now it is my turn, I want to know my God.”

Moses Hebrews 11:23 speaks of one of them: “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.” Young person, you are lovely in the eyes of God. God has preserved you because He desires to use you. Verse 24 says, “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” Moses was a young person with personality, who knew his God. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be ill treated with God’s people rather than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin (vv. 24-25). Why did Moses have such strength? Because he knew his God. Young person, take every opportunity to know your God. Maybe you are one who has many excuses when at home, at school, and even in the young people’s meetings. But you are responsible if you do not seek the Lord. Nobody can seek God on your behalf. That is something completely up to you. You are no longer a “baby”, you shouldn’t need anyone to be changing your diaper. Wake up. Moses woke up. It was as if he was saying, “I am not the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. I am not of this world. I do not belong to this group.” “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (v. 26). He preferred to remain with the people of God. And what about you? Whoever knows God desires to stay with God’s people. Moses grew up in Egypt. Young person, you are in this world; you are growing up in this world; you go to school and you work. The world will try in many ways to tell you,

A Young Person Who Makes a Difference! “You are an Egyptian, just like one of us. Do what we do, walk the way we walk, dress the way we dress, because you are an Egyptian.” But Moses said “No! No!” If Moses was here today, he would participate in young people’s meetings, have fellowship with other brothers and sisters, go to the young people’s conferences at least twice a year, and he would hear, “You are not an Egyptian, you are not of this world, you do not belong to Satan but to God.” Moses was on the Lord’s side. Young person, take a firm stand for the Lord, and do not be an “Egyptian.”

Samuel In 1 Samuel chapter 1, we see a young person who was brought to the Lord by his mother, Hannah. What a blessing to have a mother such as Hannah, who prayed for him before he was conceived, and after he was born consecrated him to the Lord. Many who are reading this book are blessed because when they were born their parents were already in the church life and are under an even greater blessing to have parents who pray for their children. There came a time when Samuel had grown up and was no longer a “baby.” Among believers’ children today, there are many “babies” whose mothers need to take them to the meetings: “Son let’s go to the meeting.” And the son responds, “I am not going today mom.” When his mother invites him again, he responds, “Mom, isn’t there anything else besides meetings? I have other things to do.” You are familiar with this story, right? Samuel grew up in an environment in which the sons of the serving one were in a “gang.” These were the sons of Eli. In 1 Samuel 2:12 we read, “Now the sons of Eli were corrupt;

they did not know the LORD.” Who was Eli? He was a high priest, an elder, a responsible brother, one who was taking the lead. And the sons of Eli had no knowledge of the Lord. Many of our young people are like this! Their parents love the Lord, among the saints they are leading ones, but their children have no interest in God. How sorrowful! Verse 17 says, “Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.” They would be the ones playing in the meeting, making fun of others, criticizing others, bothering and distracting others. They despised the offering of the Lord. In verse 25, Eli speaks to his sons saying, “If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.” In reading 1 Samuel chapter 2 we see that the sons of Eli were truly evil and perverse and even “lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting” (v. 22). If the sons of Eli acted in such a way, being the sons of the high priest at that time, Samuel could have thought, “If they behave like that then I, not being the son of a responsible brother, can also do whatever I please. If the sons of the leading brothers go to certain places, then I too can go. If they watch certain shows, then I too can watch them. If they look at pornographic magazines, then why can’t I look at them?” But Samuel did not imitate them because he was Samuel. What kind of young person are you: Samuel or a son of Eli? A “Samuel” is not infantile or passive. On the contrary: “But Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod” (v. 18). Samuel was one who would sit

A Young Person Who Makes a Difference! in the front row during the meetings and participate. At home he was submissive to his parents. In school he would sell and hand out books dispensing the word of God as a young person. Young people today express the things of the world, the things they see, the magazines they read, and the music they listen to. But you need to be one who proclaims the Lord whom you enjoy, who proclaims the word of God, and who enjoys the gospel and the things of the Lord. Many Christian young people are much like the young people of the world. They involve themselves in inappropriate things, improper relationships, movies, obscene magazines, believing that nobody knows, that no one realizes that they are involved in such things. The older ones know everything because they too were young, and they know that all these things corrupt the young people and in the end can damage their Christian life. Do not deceive yourself in thinking that you can trick someone. The older ones can tell the condition of the young people by looking at their faces when they come to the meeting. The face of a young person bears the expression of how they are doing and what they are doing. We do not want our young people to be deceived; we desire that each one would be like Samuel. In 1 Samuel 2:26 we see, “And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the LORD and men.” This was the young person Samuel who grew up in that environment, with that group, with that gang, but who declared, “I do not want to be like the sons of Eli.” A young person doesn’t always grow up and become acceptable before men. There are even some who suffer persecution from their own parents because they go to the meetings. There are some who are beaten by

their parents for having gone to a church meeting when they come home. But even then they continue to go to the meetings. This is a “young Samuel” who pays the price because he knows his God. He knows that God is worth more than a beating. They may beat him but they cannot separate him from God. There was such a young person, who was beaten by his parent every time he returned from a meeting. But even with all of this, he loved the Lord more than himself. By the Lord’s mercy, today he is a firm brother. But his brother did not want to know the Lord. The result of this was that he contracted the AIDS virus and contaminated his wife and child; they died but the young person is still alive. Is this not horrible? May God have mercy on each one of us so that we would remain firm even though there may be many difficult times. Samuel grew before the Lord because he knew his God. Young person, may you have this prayer: “Lord, I do not want to be like the young people who are only after relationships. That is temporary and utterly empty. I want to take advantage of every opportunity that I have to seek the Lord and give my life direction.” Samuel was such a one. Recently brother Dong Yu Lan, a brother who has had many years in serving the Lord, had some fellowship with the young people. He asked them to ask questions because his youth was different from that of young people today. In his time, young people were concerned about their parents. In the beginning, the questions were very spiritual, such as what is the best way to follow the Lord? But a mature young sister knowing what the young people would really like to know, asked what the brother thought of relationships. And another brother asked what the Lord’s view was of “being together”. It

A Young Person Who Makes a Difference! was then necessary to translate to brother Dong what it means to “be together” (an amorous relationship that may imply sex). He became very sober and said, “That is fornication. Such a thing should not exist in the church. It is a grave sin.” Does he think that way because he is eighty years old, or because of the Bible? Maybe you think that the older ones think this way because they are old, and in their time it was different, etc. Young person, the ones who care for you think this way because they know the Lord. Do you want to be like Lot or like Samuel? In publishing this book our desire is that you would be like Samuel.

Daniel Daniel, like Samuel, chose the way of the Lord. As a young person Daniel, along with the tribe of Judah, was taken captive to Babylon (meaning confusion). The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, ordered the chief eunuch to choose some from among the sons of Judah (Dan. 1:6). They would have to be young, cultured and attractive to serve in the palace and among them was Daniel. Daniel 1:5-8 says, “And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank;

therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” The king of Babylon, who represents Satan, determined what they had to eat. Young person, do you know what you eat at school every day? What the “king of Babylon”, the prince of this world, has determined. Today’s T.V. shows, fashions, magazines, and music, were all determined by the king of Babylon. But in Daniel 1:8, we see that Daniel took a stand. What if you take a stand? You just have to positively determine whether you know your God. Daniel knew Him. He was a second generation young person who was also brought by someone. But there came a time when he took a stand. You also need to make a definite stand: “I need to know my God.” Do you know why you are weak and passive? Because you do not know your God. When you know Him, when you have an experience of Him, you will have the strength to say, “No, I don’t need this. I am not going to do it. I am not going to contaminate myself with this.” Young person, we are going to say “no” to what is of the world, the flesh, Satan, and self. Even if they say that you are old fashioned or out of style, it does not matter. It is better to be “old fashioned” in the kingdom than to be “modern” in the outer darkness. Do not desire to be valiant for this world. That can lead you to seek quests that jeopardize your physical, moral and spiritual integrity, apparently innocent but harmful, that will leave you scarred for the rest of your life. Rather be a young person who is valiant for the Lord, whose quests involve preaching the gospel, speaking for the Lord in school, distributing healthy Christian literature. Be a young person of faith who lives not by what he sees, but by faith. Daniel was a young person of prayer, having a life of prayer

A Young Person Who Makes a Difference! which was hidden from others but not hidden from God (Dan. 6:10). He did not pray before the God of his father or the God of his mother. He prayed and gave thanks to his God. It was a personal experience. Young people, we challenge you to have a personal relationship with God. How many young people have knelt down to pray? Many times the Lord will take us through experiences that will take us to our knees to pray and give thanks. Daniel 9:3-4a says, “Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession.” This is a young person who knew his God, who prayed, gave thanks and confessed his sins. Can you not be like this? There is one who says, “In the church, a young person does not pray, does not read the Bible, does not preach the gospel nor offer.” We need to change this concept. You are not a young person of this world. That is in the past. A young person in the church today reads the Bible, prays, preaches the gospel, visits cities and offers. A certain young person at the age of fourteen, after visiting a certain Christian group asked permission to speak and it was granted. He spoke concerning the tripartite man (the three parts of man: spirit, soul and body). While the young person spoke, the pastor cried. When he finished the pastor asked him to return. There were other young people, one fifteen and one eighteen years old, who brought seventy people to call on the name of the Lord. They spoke from noon Saturday till the following Sunday at noon. Aside from establishing a meeting on Saturday they also established meetings during the week in that city. These young people were not passive but strong and

active. They strengthened themselves to the point that they exceeded many people’s expectation. There was a group of young people who prayed for forty-five minutes while fasting and some of them said, “I never thought I could pray so much, nor did I feel the time go by.” Other young people have had experiences of offering, of serving the Lord with their material riches. This is another concept that needs to be changed. A young person needs to take part in offering. Second Corinthians 4:18 says, “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Hebrews 10:35-39 says, “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.” Young person, be one who lives by faith. If you persevere in living by faith, you will do the will of God, you will obtain the promise. You will not shrink back to ruin, and God will delight in you.