(An extract from the book THE FULL GOSPEL - Published in 1996)

Daniel was a man whom God could use in his generation. When he was a young man, "he determined in his heart not to defile himself" (Dan.1:8). When Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah saw young Daniel taking a stand for the Lord, they too got the boldness to stand for the Lord themselves (Dan.1:11). They did not have the courage to stand on their own. But when they saw Daniel's stand, they became bold. There are many people like those three today, who do not have the boldness to take a stand for the Lord on their own. They are waiting to find a Daniel who will take a stand. Then they will join him.

Will you be such a Daniel? Will you say, "I will not defile myself. I will not seek to please any king, or commander, or backslidden elder, or any relative or anyone. I shall stand 100% for what the Word of God says."

There is a great need for such Daniels today - men and women who will "lead many to righteousness" (Dan.12:3). That verse does not refer to those who preach righteousness, but to those who lead others to righteousness - by word and by example. This is the Daniel-ministry.

We read in Scripture of another ministry that is the exact opposite of this "Daniel-ministry". It is the "Lucifer-ministry".

In Revelation 12:4, we read that Lucifer succeeded in getting one-third of the angels (stars) of heaven to follow him in his rebellion against God. These millions of angels became demons. Why did God permit Lucifer to lead so many angels astray? So that heaven could be purged of all the disgruntled and rebellious angels. Their rebellious hearts would not have been exposed, had not a Lucifer arisen in their midst to lead them in their rebellion against God.

And so, even today, God allows brothers and sisters to have a Lucifer-ministry in our churches. God permits them to go from house to house backbiting, accusing, telling lies, speaking evil, sending emails, so that all the disgruntled, rebellious and worldly believers in the church can be identified, exposed, gathered together and taken out of the church - so that the Body of Christ can be purified.

God will not stop those who are engaged in such a Lucifer-ministry today from moving around among believers in the church, just like He did not stop the original Lucifer in heaven, millions of years ago. That is Divine wisdom.

We can warn believers about such Lucifers, just like we warn them about Satan (See Rom.16:17). But we are not afraid of what these Lucifers will do. They cannot corrupt the church. They will only take out the weeds from God's garden. God Himself will preserve the church. And at the right time, He will destroy those who defile the church (as He has said in1 Cor.3:17). But God is long-suffering and waits many years before He judges. But when He does judge, His judgment will be severe.

It is foolish for any church to boast that it has never had a split. There was a split in heaven itself, among the angels, right at the beginning. Such splits are necessary. The Holy Spirit says : "There must be divisions (splits) among you (in the church), so that those who are approved (by God) can become manifest" (1 Cor.11:19).

In the very first paragraph of the Bible also, we read of another split. God separated the darkness from the light (Gen.1:4). That separation also was necessary. Without such separations of people from the church today, God's testimony on earth will be corrupted.

All of us can have either a Daniel-ministry - building unity and fellowship in the church - or a Lucifer-ministry - sowing discord. God hates those who sow discord (Proverbs 6:16-19). We cannot be neutral in this matter, for Jesus said that those who do not gather with Him are scattering people away from Him. There are only two ministries in the church - gathering and scattering. (Matt.12:30).

In our churches in India, the Lord has wonderfully and deftly arranged circumstances, so as to expose and remove from our midst those who sought position and honour, or who had a controversial spirit, or who were jealous of younger brothers going ahead of them, etc., God has caught the "clever" people and the "big" people in our midst "in their own craftiness" (1 Cor.3:19) and thus frustrated their secret plans to "hijack" the church!! This is a mark of the Lord's care for us, and of His intense desire that there should be a pure testimony for His Name in our land.

We praise the Lord that He watches over us constantly to preserve us from such Satanic attacks. "Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchmen keep awake in vain" (Psa.127:1) It is only where brothers dwell together in unity that the Lord can command His blessing (Psa.133:1,3). Only a united church can triumph over the gates of Hell. So the Holy Spirit works mightily in our midst, to remove all those who hinder that unity, so as to preserve us as a united Body in our CFC churches.

We must pray that the Lord will continue to do this work in our midst in the future as well - because there is always the possibility of people becoming proud in our midst at any time. God's promise to us however is: "I will remove from your midst the proud, exulting ones,.......and I will leave among you a humble, lowly people, who take refuge in the Name of the Lord" (Zeph.3:11,12). The church can be built in unity only with humble, lowly people.

The Lord is jealous to preserve His church in purity, and so He Himself will expose and remove self-seeking people in His own way and in His own time, just like He drove the money-changers out of the temple at the right time. All glory and praise be to Him.