Letters Letter From the Editor Letter From the Editor Hello again and welcome to Volume 2.2 of Morning Star! In this issue we bring you a variety of stories and articles from pastors, ministers and evangelists from across the United States. A real "potpourri" of ideas and topics! Speaking of topics ... we are in need of material for the Feature areas of Volumes 2.4 and 2.5. Volume 2.4 is our Christian Men's Issue. We are looking for articles and stories that reflect the concerns of Christian men in the 1990's. These can be stories about family, relationships, careers, personal stories of faith, overcoming sin - you name it! What do you say brothers? Take an hour of your time one night, write down what's on your mind and in your heart and send it in! Volume 2.5 is our Messianic Studies issue. One thing we will be doing in this issue is to publish a list of Messianic congregations across the U.S. (and abroad), as well as a list of Messianic book publishers and sources of Messianic music. You can help by sending the following information to us: Name of Congregation, publisher or music company Address with zip code Telephone number Pastor, rabbi, or other person to contact Days and times of services We will be deciding on Feature themes for Volumes 2.6 through 2.9 in the next few weeks. The exact lineup will be published in next month's Morning Star. Your help is needed here as well! Some of the ideas we are pondering for themes are: Spiritual Warfare Unity of believers in Jesus Revival Christians in the workplace Christians in the schools Music Parenting Prophecy Faith and Works These are just a few ideas being tossed around at this point. What we REALLY need are people to say, "I think 'such and such' is a good idea for a theme - AND - I've got an article or two that you could use for it." Whatever ideas get the most support will be selected. (And you thought the elections were over with!) So, please ponder the list above as well as any of your own ideas and send in an article, story or testimony that we can publish. All articles should have the title with the author's name, city and state at the beginning, and should be single spaced with no indentation. Remember - we do not have a writing staff. We depend on you, our readers, to send us material to keep us going strong. The Lord continues to do His part. More and more electronic bulletin board systems around the world are carrying Morning Star every month. The readership is growing tenfold ... now if we could only see such an increase in helpers. Put it to prayer and grab a pen and paper! In service to Jesus the Messiah, Toby Trudel Commentary Commentary THE "LONE RANGERS" Pastor Geoff Kragen "A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty 'Hi-Ho Silver.' The Lone Ranger." - "Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again..." (From the opening of the Lone Ranger radio show.) The troop of Texas Rangers rode into the trap. The Butch Cavendish gang killed them all. Or so they thought. But, one of the Rangers survived. He was nursed back to health by the Indian Tonto. While the Ranger was recovering, he captured and trained a great white stallion, which he named Silver. To protect his identity, he put on a black mask. And so was born the Lone Ranger. "With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. Nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice." (From the opening of the Lone Ranger radio show.) ************************* Who are today's Lone Rangers? Unfortunately, it is often we pastors. While it sounds exciting to be the lone champion of truth, riding the pulpit, preaching orthodoxy and salvation throughout the unsaved world, it isn't. It's dangerous. Without intending to, we frequently fall into this role. And "fall" may be the operative word. Over the last few years, major names in the pastoral world have succumbed to moral failure within their own lives. Part of the problem may well be the Lone Ranger Syndrome. My concern here isn't to explore the reasons for the sins of specific pastors. Rather let this be a warning to all of us who are now serving as ministers. We are in grave danger. Too many of us play the role of the Lone Ranger, sometimes by choice, and sometimes because of perceived need. This is neither biblical nor wise. There are several reasons we find ourselves isolated in ministry. Many churches frequently have lost sight of the biblical model for church government. The head of the church IS NOT the pastor. The head of the church is Jesus Christ. The people to whom Christ gave the responsibility of overseeing His body are the elders, (or whatever your local body calls this group). The church is to be cared for by a plurality of elders, not an individual pastor. Paul notes that the pastor/teacher is to be a part of this leadership. "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching" (1 Timothy 5:17). There should be, among the elders, at least one individual with the gift of pastor/teacher. "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4:11-12). The pastor is to be one of the elders. Although he is the most visible member of the leadership group, he isn't to be personally in control of the whole church. Sometimes small churches lack mature men, so the pastor is forced to carry out the leadership role individually. This is not the way it should be, but extreme circumstances may require it for a short time. Make sure that this role is unavoidable at all costs. Don't choose it simply because it is easier to do everything yourself. Don't withhold the responsibility from other men the Lord can use, simply because you think they don't measure up to your standards. Remember: The Lord desires a plural leadership and will use the best people available. He will provide the men who should lead, even if they are not as mature as they should ideally be. Also, maturity is not necessarily synonymous with advanced age. Remember: Paul gave Timothy significant responsibility in the early church. Some people felt he was too young for that responsibility. But, Paul told him, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). Pastors can refuse to accept the Lone Ranger role. If you have mature men in your body, you must place yourselves under their authority, caring for the church together. We shouldn't take responsibility for the whole show ourselves. Scripture doesn't give us that authority. We can stop "riding the plains" alone. Pastors must come to recognize their need for accountability. I'm not talking about accountability to a board, as noted above, but accountability to another man of God. We can't hang out there alone. Remember, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto and Dan Reed. Find another man, or men with whom you can meet on a consistent basis. Be open and honest, sharing struggles and needs. Pray for one another. If that can't be done safely within the context of your church, find someone outside. But don't try to walk alone before the Lord. Christ has given us His body (the local church) to be a caring environment, especially for pastors. We must take off the black mask. We must refuse to submit to parishioners' unrealistic, non-biblical demands. Yes, we do need to meet that qualifications of an elder. But, we also need to be human. We have to get off the pedestal of perfectionism, whether we have put ourselves there or let someone else do it to us. Let your people see you working with the Lord in your own life. Help them understand that you too are part of the maturing process. Additionally, it would be very wise if pastors in a common geographical area met to form their own support group. They don't have to agree on every theological nuance, just the basics of orthodox Christianity. In the Sacramento, California area, there are at least two groups of pastors that are currently meeting: The Independent Fundamentalist Churches of America (IFCA), and the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). Pastors need to be caring for each other. We are men who love the Lord. We all desire to be fully used by Him. It is vital that if we find ourselves in trouble we get help immediately. Pastors are constantly under extreme stress. We are attacked by the world. We are attacked by the Devil. And we are attacked by the flesh. It gets lonely out here on the prairie. When we're tired, or lonely and filled with self doubts, we can get depressed. We can lose perspective in the midst of trials. And when this happens, if we don't have a support system, we are vulnerable to every attack and a serious fall. If you look at your life and think it is out of control, don't be afraid to ask for help. It may not be safe, or for that matter, appropriate to go to someone in your body. Because of your position as a pastor both your job and you reputation could suffer if you talk to the wrong person in the church. Instead find a Christian counselor, or another pastor, or a Christian psychologist whom you can trust. But above all, never fall into the trap of saying, "It can never happen to me," or "I will work this out by myself." God demands we have our needs met within the Christian community. Isolation is contrary to Scripture. If anyone in your Parish were in trouble you would counsel them to get help. You MUST do the same yourself. Finally, remember that your wife is one of the best resources the Lord has provided. Don't feel you must protect her from your struggles. Instead, look to her for clarity, help and support in the process. The concept behind the Lone Ranger saga never quite made sense. It made for exciting stories, but was illogical. When his posse was wiped out by the Butch Cavendish mob, what the Ranger should have done was to go back to headquarters. He should have gathered another group of men and gone with them after the gang. We need to get off our white horse, take off the mask, and gather a group of Rangers around us. Maybe the Lone Ranger syndrome worked in the Old West, but it was never God's intent for the Church. Pastors, come in out of the wilderness and into the Christian community. This is where we are called to shepherd and care for the flock. But never forget, we too are Christ's sheep. We too need to be part of that flock, cared for and strengthened by Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Staff Listing Staff Listing MORNING STAR STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF Toby Trudel - Nashua, NH SENIOR EDITOR - Biblical Department Geoffrey Kragen - Roseville, CA SENIOR EDITOR - Christian Life Department Teresa Giordanengo - Canonsburg, PA SENIOR LITERARY EDITOR Al Murillo III - El Paso, TX FEATURES EDITOR Dale Strand - Dublin, CA ASSOCIATE EDITORS Jerry Johnson - Modesto, CA Clark Stephens - Huntington Beach, CA J.C. Trudel - Naples Park, FL Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA Dr. Charles Wootten - Matoaca, VA SENIOR PUBLISHER - DOS and WINDOWS Editions Steve Paulovich - Derry, NH NETWORK DISTRIBUTION: AMERICA ONLINE Network: Jerry White - Germantown, MD COMPUSERVE Network: Jorge Lopez - Lubbock, TX GENIE Network: Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA DIRECTOR OF BBS DISTRIBUTION - USA Walter H. Bauer Jr. - Sugar Land, TX MSDOOR PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION Alan Graff - Wheelersburg, OH INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION: ISRAEL Sharon Sanders c/o Christian Friends of Israel P.O. Box 1813 - Jerusalem, Israel Tel: 972-2-894-172 / 894-187 FAX: 972-2-894-955 CANADA John Vickers FIDONET: 1:351/715 NORWAY Lars Storstrand Lion of Zion BBS: 011-475-293009 Voice: 011-475-290554 PHILIPPINES Roger J. Obe P.O. Box 191 Iloilo City, 5000 - Philippines FRANCE Peter Cunliffe 5 Allee A. Croizat F-77186 Noisel, France UNITED KINGDOM Ted Day 18 Denton Drive Wilford Hill, West Bridgeford Nottingham - NG2 7FS 602-234047 GERMANY Wonderland BBS BBS: 421-4422980 Sysop: Marc JAPAN Deane Hibbarb PSC 80 Box 12416 APO AP 96367-2416 NEW ZEALAND Shane Haney BBS: 635-62058 OFFICE SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN Patrick Auriemma - Nashua, N.H. ------------------------------- MORNING STAR is produced and published monthly, by a staff of born again believers in Jesus, located across the United States of America. Correspondence to MORNING STAR may be sent via the U.S. Postal Service or one of several computer networks. POSTAL ADDRESS: P.O. Box 7755 Nashua, NH - USA 03060-7755 ELECTRONIC MAIL LINKS: INTERNET: MStarMAC@aol.com (Toby Trudel) AMERICA ONLINE: MStarDOS (Steve Paulovich) GENIE: M.Wilkinson1 (Mike Wilkinson) COMPUSERVE: 70743,603 (Jorge Lopez) FIDONET: 1:106/3118 (Walter Bauer) CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK: 8:3003/5 (Walter Bauer) CHRISTIAN DISTRIBUTION NETWORK: 8:2000/2005 (Walter Bauer) POLICENET: 150:402/53 (Walter Bauer) To receive a free copy of the MS DOOR program, which allows viewers to read the magazine onscreen, contact: Alan Graff P.O. Box 131 Wheelersburg, OH 45694 AMERICA ONLINE: Alan Graff FIDONET: 1:2260/50 Features How to Live a Christian Life How to Live a Christian Life by Finis Jennings Dake HOW TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN LIFE By Finis Jennings Dake From Dake's Annotated Reference Bible Were a Pastor or Minister to have a "job description," one of the key expectations outlined therein would be the ability to explain to people HOW to live a Christian life once they have committed their lives to Christ. And while there are countless "how to" books outlining the many things one has to consider when addressing this question, none have captured the real essence quite as well as the notes contained in Dake's Reference Bible (available from Dake Bible Inc., P.O. Box 1050, Lawrenceville, GA 30246). 1. BELIEVE THE GOSPEL and the entire Word of God at all times, and walk in the light as you receive it (1 John 1:7). 2. WALK BY FAITH in newness of life, not by sight or by feelings, for "the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him" (Hebrews 10:23-39). 3. READ THE BIBLE daily. Search it. Meditate on it day and night to feed and nurture the spiritual life (Psalm 1:1-3). 4. PRAY TO GOD daily as your heavenly Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ, casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you (1 John 16:23-26; 1 Peter 5:7). 5. CLAIM ALL THE BENEFITS of the promises of God and appropriate by faith all that He has promised (2 Peter 1:1-4). 6. KEEP YOUR MIND stayed upon God (Isaiah 26:3) and grow in grace, in all the virtues of grace and of God (Philippians 4:8). 7. RECOGNIZE at all times your own weaknesses as well as God's strength and keeping power (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). Faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:1-4). 8. CONFESS the Lord Jesus Christ frequently and daily as your personal Savior (Matthew 10:32-33). Be busy at soul-winning and keep occupied in all phases of Christian work possible (Proverbs 11:30; Daniel 12:3). 9. AVOID TEMPTATIONS and shun evil companions (Psalm 1). Resist sin and Satan (James 4:7). Make friends with God's people, and strive to be a blessing to them and all others (Romans 12). 10. ATTEND CHURCH REGULARLY (Hebrews 10:25), cooperating with the pastor in all of his many labors (Matthew 28:19-20). [Ed Note: Do we hear an incredible wave of "amens" from the pastors?] 11. SEEK GOD CONSTANTLY for the full anointing of the Holy Spirit, the fruit and gifts of the Spirit, and yield to and obey the Holy Spirit in all things (Luke 11:13; 24:49). Editor's Note: There really is no magic "formula" for successfully living for God. It really is a by-product that just "happens" when you fall in love with Jesus! Remember when you were "courting" ? You'd do anything and everything, regardless of the cost or time involved, to please the object of your affections. The same is true in the Christian life. We become willing to do everything possible to please our Savior. The "steps" above are certainly a vital part of making it happen, but nothing can take the place of a genuine commitment to Christ from which comes a natural outflow of love and desire to know Him and to please Him in all things. Unlikely Pastoral Candidates Unlikely Pastoral Candidates From the Bible UNLIKELY PASTORAL CANDIDATES FROM THE BIBLE (From the JEWS FOR JESUS NEWSLETTER) If we could turn back time and send a church committee to investigate a number of Bible heroes for the position of pastor, every one of them might be disqualified. The report would probably go something like this: The committee regrets to report that the candidates in question have failed to meet our qualifications. NOAH - Even though he has preached for 120 years, he has no converts. This indicates a credibility gap. Besides, a certain account (we refer to Genesis 9:21) seems to indicate that he has a drinking problem. ABRAM/ABRAHAM - We find it odd that he has two names. Is he using an alias? And if so, why? Also, we learned that he has stooped to bending the truth when it suits his purposes. Another matter we must question is whether he is the head of his own household. His wife laughs while he converses with God and she also likes to take charge of a matter before God acts on it. If Abram and his wife would agree to take some personal counseling, and also some marriage counseling, he might work out at some later time. MOSES - We were impressed with Moses, except for two severe problems. He has been known to lose his temper once in a while. Furthermore, while he seems to have the necessary perseverance for preaching, his stuttering and stammering would defy all speech therapy. DAVID - So far as David is concerned, he seems rather talented in writing music and poetry but we don't know if he can preach. Worse yet, he has had a few moral lapses. We could not have him as pastor, but perhaps at a later date when the church can afford it, he could be considered for a position as minister of music. SOLOMON - Like David, he spends too much of his time writing. And besides, he has such a lavish lifestyle and so many dependents that our church could not pay him enough salary. ELIJAH - Regarding Elijah, no one can doubt that he is a powerful preacher. Nevertheless, is the sarcasm he sometimes employs necessary in this day and age? Also, we cannot overlook the fact that he has a tendency toward self-pity. ISAIAH - Now there's a person who is well thought of, but there seems to be a serious PR problem. Can you imagine a preacher who upon meeting God, instead of addressing Him politely says, "Woe is me"? If Isaiah greeted people in church that way, no one would ever feel welcome. JEREMIAH - We need an upbeat preacher for our church-one who can make people happy. We feel unanimously that Jeremiah would be too depressing in any church position. MATTHEW - His background is finance, not religion. He would probably preach like an accountant and we would get too many sermons on stewardship. LUKE - Again, his background is not in religion. He was a physician. It seems strange that he would leave such a lucrative profession unless something unsavory had occurred in his practice of medicine. JOHN THE BAPTIST - He's certainly a good preacher and he gets good results, but he dresses very strangely. And worse than this lack of pulpit decorum, he eats very strangely. What if he brought a honey-dipped insect casserole to one of our covered-dish suppers? PETER - Peter seems to show leadership, but the last thing we need is a preacher who carries a sword around, is likely to take off and go fishing at the drop of a hat and smells like fish most of the time! We could not have him as pastor, but maybe we could undertake his partial support as a part-time missionary to seafarers. PAUL - Paul is reputed to be a great preacher, but he is very moving. That is, he is always moving here and moving there. So how could he keep his mind on ministry when he always wants to be somewhere else? Which all goes to show that we can find fault with almost anyone if we consider only the negative aspects. Maybe we should start a new therapy group in the church called "Fault Finders Anonymous!" Changing the World God's Way Changing the World God's Way by Rev. Vernon Nepstad CHANGING THE WORLD GOD'S WAY By Rev. Vernon Nepstad Pastor Emeritus, Victory Temple Oakland, California It seems that the church, more often than not in recent times, has expressed the gospel of social action rather than preached the gospel of individual change. It has failed to realize the gospel is always spiritual in nature, and always social in impact. If you study history from the first century up to the present day, you'll find that behind the establishment of hospitals, colleges, universities, orphanages, the care of the elderly, and the abolishment of slavery, was the pressure and power of Christian people. Behind ALL of these social movements was the pressure and power of Christian people. God's program of social change always begins with the proclamation and implementation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Acts 3, we see God's program of social change. Notice verse 2 - a man crippled from birth; and chapter 4, verse 22 tells us he had been this way for over 40 years. He was carried each day to the temple gate called, "Beautiful," where he was placed to beg for his living. He was now a professional beggar. Beggars knew where to beg. There were three "best" spots. One was in front of a rich man's house. Another was on a highway where people were leaving the city. And the third was at the gate of the temple. The Pharisees were such that they wanted to parade their piety before the people. One Jewish historian described the gate called, "Beautiful", as being 80 feet tall, 65 feet wide, made of Corinthian brass overlaid with gold. It took 20 men to open and close those gates. But this elegant surrounding did not improve the man's condition. We need more than just parks and lakes and beautiful scenery to meet man's real needs. But this beggar is symbolic of the crippled people in our world today. It is a very sick world we live in. Society needs more than a few paltry coins of social progress and self improvement to achieve its pressing goals. Jesus said in Matthew 15, that out of the heart, out of the inside of man, comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, thievery and sexual immorality. Jesus said that all the things that make life ugly, find their origin in the heart of man. Man's heart needs to be changed. Albert Einstein, in a speech during World War II, said, "I do not fear the explosive power of the atomic bomb, but the explosive power of evil of the human heart." What is the answer to drug addiction, alcoholism, soaring divorce and suicide rates? How can we deal with the rising tide of violence in our inner cities? The answers have to begin within man. E. Stanley Williams wrote, "You'll never read a story titled, 'The Plans and Objectives of the Apostles', because success comes from acting on our desires, not just thinking about or making plans about them." Look at the varying cultures within America. They are growing at an alarming rate. Their number has not remained constant because they are mostly made up and created by activists. The world today needs things that money cannot buy. It wasn't the silver or gold that set that beggar free but the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Someone said: Money will buy you a bed but not sleep. Money will buy you books but not wisdom. Money will buy you fine clothes but not beauty. Money will buy you a house but not a home. Money will buy you a church but not heaven. A recent poll indicates the unchurched in 1992 are more religious than they were ten years ago. The bottom line is that people are saying, "We thought money could buy happiness and we were wrong." Yes, they were wrong, because there is a hunger in the heart of man for more than just material things. Proverbs 11:4 says wealth is worthless in the day of wrath. Peter and John gave this beggar something money could not buy - a relationship with God and a new lease on life. God's power coupled with our availability can make miracles happen. God is looking for people like Peter and John through whom He can lift crippled people and a crippled world and lead them into new life in Him. Will YOU be one He chooses and uses? Melted Down for His Service Melted Down for His Service by Denny L. Strand MELTED DOWN FOR HIS SERVICE By Denny L. Strand Bothell, Washington Scripture Reference: Acts 8:1-4 and 11:19-21 Key verse 11:21: "... preaching the Lord Jesus." The British Government began to run low on silver for their coins during the reign of his Lordship Oliver Cromwell. There was an investigation of the local churches to locate some of the precious metal. The report came back that the only silver available was in the statues of saints standing in the corner of the church buildings. Oliver Cromwell's reply was, "Melt down the saints and put them into circulation!" Authentic Christianity has never been rows of silver, highly-polished, frequently dusted, saints--but rather melted-down saints, circulating through the mainstream of humanity, bringing worth and value to God's kingdom through their Christian lifestyle and sincere witness. * Deception comes easy. Many professing Christians think they've done a great work for God because they are in church twice on Sunday. * Being among the saints is no sacrifice--rather it is a privilege. * The cost factor is revealed on Monday through Friday when we are melted down and placed into circulation for Jesus Christ. * It's the daily, acid grind that either discolors the saint, or makes him/her shine in a dark and hostile environment. * It's not the "rhinestone cowboy" who thinks he's done God a favor by showing up on an occasional Sunday, who furthers the Kingdom, but the person who is melted-down in the wilderness of difficulty where spiritual welfare calls for sweat, energy, strategy, determination and the right kind of ammunition--one who refuses to surrender even when the enemy is "stepping on their air hose". This, then, is what separates "convenience believers" from true BELIEVERS! Now, if you keep your own score, you can always look good to yourself. But the important question is, is God pleased with your "efforts"? You dressed up, drove to church, walked two blocks in the rain, got a seat, sat quietly, sang each song, smiled, gave a $2 offering, listened to the sermon, prayed, looked pious, shook hands, walked out and--quickly forgot that a world out there is heading for eternity without Jesus. But at least we were polished, shining and contented on Sunday. There are so many "touch-me-not, ask-me-not, silver-tarnished saints" out there that God is calling for an investigation of the whole church. Any professing Christian sitting on the fence has already chosen what side of the fence they are on. Some people may be born again, but they haven't learned to be spiritual (they're unwilling to commit totally to and live for God). The only people who know what God thinks are spiritual people. They know God's viewpoint and understand His perspective. "Let this mind be in you--we have the mind of Christ" (Philippians 2:5, 1 Corinthians 2:16). If you don't have the mind of Christ, all you have is your own mind, without divine understanding. As such you can only provide band aids--not solutions, to life's difficult problems. We will be in service to someone every day of our lives. God has an agenda planned for our lives. Our agenda is only important as it conforms to HIS agenda. And that is a total melt-down for His service. Are you melted-down and ready for His Majesty's service? Editor's Note: Denny Strand traveled the world for 12 years as a singing evangelist and recording artist and song writer. He has since pastored a church, served as Chaplain of a police force and is now Field Rep for the Salvation Army in Washington. His insight into God's Word comes from a powerful personal experience that has often driven him to his knees to bury his face in the Word as he searched out the truth from God's holy writ. Brokenness - A Key to Renewal Brokenness - A Key to Renewal by Jay Comiskey BROKENNESS - A KEY TO RENEWAL By Jay Comiskey From "The Banner" Pinecrest Bible Training Center Salisbury Center, New York "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Psalm 51:17). "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time" (I Peter 5:6). The wellspring of our heart is motivated either by brokenness, or by pride. Our Lord's attitude toward us is affected by both. Brokenness is a quality of character that insures against the violation of God's Glory by human arrogance. It is the opposite of the great sin of the universe - pride. Brokenness portrays a humility which has been birthed and developed deep within us through the chastening hand of the Lord. It is best to view brokenness from God's perspective. He does not provide "Seven steps on how to be broken", but rather, sovereignly arranges the affairs of our life to weave humility and brokenness into the fabric of our being. During these periods of God-ordained crises, the Lord desires to deposit a spirit of brokenness within us. Jonah's experience is a prime example of how the Lord is able to arrange circumstances to deal with arrogance and bring a spirit of repentance. God, in His mercy, met Jonah in the fury of the storm, and in the belly of the great fish. He now had Jonah's undivided attention. Even today, Jonah signifies God's ability to meet us in the midst of distressing circumstances to resolve a controversy. The sins of pride, lukewarmness, and apathy quickly captivate an unbroken heart. Unless God boxes us in through difficult circumstances, we may refuse to acknowledge our stubbornness and the futility of our own ways. Unfortunately, apart from God's corrective rod, we seldom experience any real change. In Matthew 12:40, Jesus compared Jonah's three days and three nights spent in the belly of the fish to the three days and nights He would spend in the grave following His crucifixion. We are confronted with Calvary and the way of the Cross at every turn, yet in our cultural obsession with "excellence" and success-oriented formulae, we have developed an aversion to the Cross. For some, the way of the Cross seems to be a step backwards. This obsession with "progress" is due to an ignorance of God's "ways." Until we are broken and our carnal ways exposed to us, our goals are little more than an object for boasting. Divine purpose flows from a humble and contrite spirit that can tremble at God's Word. True, the School of the Holy Spirit is sometimes painful! There was nothing even remotely pleasant about three days and three nights in the belly of a whale. It may seem that our whole world has fallen apart and everything we cherish is in jeopardy. This is the time to stop looking for scapegoats and embrace the Cross. Brokenness is only found at the foot of the Cross. If we do not despise the hand of God that is upon us, but humble ourselves and acknowledge that His ways are perfect, out of death and brokenness, in due season, will burst forth resurrection life. Paraphrase of Psalm 91 Paraphrase of Psalm 91 by Dale E. Strand PARAPHRASE OF PSALM 91 By Dale E. Strand Dublin, California One of the most exciting methods of bible study I've discovered recently is taking a portion of scripture and asking the Holy Spirit to reveal its depth of meaning to my heart. God's Word is so marvelous that it can meet each of us at our point of need and many times even the same, identical verse can speak deep insight to different people for different needs. Here, then, is my understanding of what God is saying in Psalm 91. (Try this during your next study. You'll be amazed at how "the Word get's into you! 1: I am protected by God's sovereign power as long as I get into and remain in His personal, intimate presence. 2: I will repeat again and again that God is MY personal God. He is an always available Refuge to Whom I can run. He is also a mighty walled Fortress Who protects me from harm and evil. I feel totally comfortable and at ease trusting Him completely. 3: He, with certainty, delivers me, not only from snares set by the enemy to entice me, but also from subtle erosion or hidden diseases that try to come against my body, heart, mind and soul. 4: He builds a shield of protection all around me so that I feel totally dependent upon His provision and sustenance. His truth precedes me, making my way clear and my direction sure. 5: Circumstances that cause others mortal fear in time of darkness, or problems that constantly try to trouble me throughout the day, will not cause me to fear. 6: Neither will deadly plague-causing bacteria, lurking in the darkness, or potential devastation that happens suddenly during the day, bring fear to my heart or spirit. 7: Though a thousand people fall on one side of me and ten times that many fall on the other side of me, the source of their falling shall not even have ACCESS to me, because I am carefully protected by The Most High. 8: And I am more motivated than ever to live in righteousness because God reveals to me the utter calamity and terrible fate of those who fight against God. 9: When I dwell and find refuge in the presence of my Lord, The Most High, 10: He prevents evil from touching me and redirects plagues so that they can't even come near me. 11: God has assigned His angels the responsibility of watching over me, protecting me and keeping me safe wherever I may go and whatever I may do, as I continually abide in His presence. 12: God's assigned angels reach down to steady and support me so that I don't walk in places where pain and danger threaten me. 13: I triumph over unexpected danger and am victorious over Satan's attempts to fool me into yielding to sin's enticements. 14: The Lord has promised that, because my living proves my love for Him, He brings me deliverance. Because I know Him and the power of His Name, He puts me in places of honor. 15: Whenever I call on the Lord, He answers me. He is right there with me to deliver me whenever trouble comes my way. He honors me with His best blessings. 16: He grants to me a long and satisfying life and each day He reveals more of His glory and the joy of His salvation.  First Petro Chapel First Petro Chapel by Bruce Presitdge FIRST PETRO CHAPEL By Bruce Prestidge Executive Director Transport for Christ Intl. (Editor's Note: The following feature story tells about the brand new Chapel being established at the Rochelle Petro Travel Plaza in Rochelle, Illinois. This dream became a reality due to the interest and involvement of a group of individuals in Illinois. We pray that this Chapel (and many more in the future) will "make a difference" to over eight and a half million truck drivers in North America. Ministers, volunteers, and faithful supporters are needed in every area. See the Testimony and Ministry Profile in this issue of Morning Star.) About two years ago, I received a phone call from a Mr. Burt Johnson who said he had just heard about Transport for Christ on Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family radio program. Burt was in the process, along with several other investors, of doing all the ground work for building a Petro Travel Plaza in Rochelle, Illinois. He was asking if we (TFC) would consider placing a chapel at this new facility if things should work out to build it. I said, "Certainly!" About the time Burt called we also received a call from a pastor near Rochelle saying he had a man in his church who would make a great TFC Chaplain. Since that time Jay and Karen LeRette have raised their financial support and are ready to go to work at this new Petro. (You'll read about Jay in the testimony area of this issue.) A temporary Chapel was placed (until the funds are raised for a Permanent Chapel) at the Petro Rochelle Travel Plaza all because God has worked His usual work to bring something into existence that did not exist. We are excited about the possibilities of ministering to thousands of drivers every year at this new and strategic location. Our desire is to raise the funds needed to build a Permanent Chapel for this location by the end of this year. BURT JOHNSON'S TRUCKSTOP MADE FOR TFC This all began in 1989, when Burt Johnson sold his successful gear manufacturing business and set out to take life easier. One year later, he found himself involved in a truckstop "adventure" in Rochelle. When Burt got involved, he helped to get the investors together and told them they needed to find someone to run the show. They all turned and pointed to him. He had selected a very good group of investors, many of whom were Christians. They knew from the beginning what kind of environment they wanted to have at the truckstop. It was going to be clean, drug-free and there was going to be a TFC permanent Chapel on the property. When questioned about what motivated this group to place a Chapel for the drivers, Burt replied, "Any way to bring more people to the Lord-that's number 1. It's a good way to reach the truckers who are on the road and can't really have a church home. I try to greet them and say, 'How are you, how's your day going?' I can see the pain and trouble on their faces." Burt was always taken to church when he was growing up in Michigan, but his parents never attended. Burt came down to Illinois to make more money so he could further his education. In 1962 he discovered he needed the Lord and he has been growing with Him ever since. His faith has been carrying him through his marriage, the birth of two sons and now two grandsons. "I have been very blessed throughout the years and God gets all the credit. I start out everyday in the Book and with devotions. I came into this truckstop needing all the help I could get. I couldn't make it through the day without Him." Burt has not been keeping the Chapel a secret. He has spent time speaking to the local town people and organizations. Why all this effort? - "To be able to serve the truckers more, not for monetary reasons, but only to further the Kingdom of God." We praise God for men like Burt Johnson and his group of investors who share our vision of reaching truck drivers for Jesus Christ. We are thankful for men like Jay LeRette who respond to the call of God on their lives and want to give themselves to ministering to the needs of drivers on our roads. Establishing chapels at new locations to reach as many truck drivers as possible depends on God raising up faithful supporters who will join with us. We need to find more truckstop owners who have this kind loving concern for the lost around them. ROLLING INTO ROCHELLE They say that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. At the new Petro Rochelle Travel Plaza, they don't need a second chance. Rochelle was the dream of two Illinois farmers seven years ago. The time of planning was not wasted. From the beautiful landscape to a superb meal in the restaurant, the commitment to excellence shows. As you roll through the Illinois corn fields traveling west from Chicago on routes 64, 88 or 30, you will intersect Interstate 39. As you approach the junction of 88 and 39 you will see rising from the cornstalks the Petro high-rise sign. The first thing that catches your eye is how clean everything is. The landscape with its lush grass growing is a sight for sore eyes when you have been staring at pavement all day. (You might want to consider bringing golf clubs.) In between the trees and shrubs are 120 parking places for cars and RVs. Trucks can find refuge at over 150 parking locations, with more coming soon. The truckstop spreads out over 16 acres with an additional 16 acres available for expansion. You will find a four bay shop, platform scales, large fuel islands, with a truckers store close at hand, and the main truckstop. The total facility consists of 30,000 square feet under roof, with a truckwash scheduled for next spring. As you enter from the front, you immediately see a bank teller machine waiting to meet your cash needs. The 175 seat, full-service restaurant with its truckers' seating and buffet, waits for you on the right and the truckers store with its selection of boots, clothing, electronics and other driver accessories sits on your left. If you need to get cleaned up first, you will find nine spacious private showers available along with washers and dryers for your laundry. When you're through, you can spend a little time in the game room or get your boots shined or just pull up a chair in front of the projection TV. Your communications needs are covered by plenty of telephones, a load board, a postal machine and all of the assorted mail drop boxes. What about areas you don't see? The owners have done things they were not required to do to keep the environment as clean as possible. Ground-water run-off is a sensitive issue for farmers so they made sure that there were oil separators and skimmers in place to keep the water from becoming contaminated by fuel and oil. There are maintenance men constantly walking the lot to insure that the trash gets picked up quickly. One day, a driver dumped his garbage out on the parking lot and the maintenance man came over, picked it up and commented to the driver, "Thanks, that's job security." The driver later apologized and bought the man a coffee and donut. At night, there is armed security patrolling to insure that the drivers get a good uninterrupted night's rest. From start to finish, the Rochelle Travel Plaza has made it a point to provide the driver with a "home-away-from-home." Now, with the TFC Chapel, this truckstop is not missing a thing! Bruce Prestidge is also an ordained minister with the First Christian Church. He has pastored several churches before becoming the Executive Director of TFC. Used with permission: Transport for Christ International Bruce Prestidge, Executive Director P.O. Box 303 Denver, Pennsylvania 17517-0303 Phone (215) 267-2444 FAX (215) 267-4181 Biblical Department New in Christ New in Christ "New in Christ" is a regular MORNING STAR column written primarily for people who wish to learn more about the basic teachings of Biblical Christianity. The editorial staff at MORNING STAR encourages all readers to freely use this information to help new Christians grow in their walk with the Lord. In this issue, we continue the "Letters From God" series, by Pastor Dale Strand of Dublin, California. LETTERS FROM GOD (#2 - For People Who Fall Asleep In Church) Dear People on Earth: Isn't mathematics a marvelous science? I used it in forming the Universe. Did you ever stop to think how absolutely precise the timing of your world is? The sun's rising and setting is absolutely predictable. The in and outflow of the tides is intricately timed. The rotation of the Earth is totally exacting. The distance of the sun from the Earth is protectively measured. I have carefully detailed every phase of what you know as your world, for your protection and enjoyment. After all, you're My children (whether you want to admit it or not). When the Americans prepared their first moon shot, they didn't aim at where the moon was at the time of lift-off. They aimed where the moon would be when their space vehicle got there. They KNEW they could depend on the absolute timing of the Universe. I designed it that way. You wouldn't try to explain high mathematical formulas to a child in kindergarten. They couldn't begin to comprehend them because your explanations, however simple, would be far beyond their level of understanding. They would first need to work through the foundations of basic math toward building a higher level of understanding. The same is true in the spiritual dimension. (There really is a dimension beyond the "3-D" height, width, and depth dimensions you understand, accept and take for granted.). And this 4th "Spirit Dimension" is the one in which I operate. Unfortunately, it is also the dimension in which evil spirits also operate. But we'll talk more about that in a future letter. I am a Spirit. And You are body, soul and spirit. Spiritual things (not "religion") just can not be understood by those who live on a level that does not acknowledge or involve spiritual things. I reveal Myself and My ways to those who, of their own free will, open their hearts to Me. I don't expect you to understand everything. People don't understand all the intricate workings of electricity, but they still flip on the switch and take advantage of the light. I know you because I made you. And I'd love for you to get to know Me. Why don't you "flip on the switch" and take advantage of My "Light". When you're ready - I'll be here. Waiting. Bible Study Bible Study This issue features the second in a series on the Epistle of 1st John. Future studies will include Psalms, and books from both the Old and New Covenants. "Law Versus Love?" 1 John 2:3-11 There is currently a major focus within the Christian community on God's grace. He loved us and died for us while we were still sinners. Because our sins are forgiven, we should never have any reason to feel guilt for our actions. John had written this letter to counteract erroneous doctrines of false teachers. One of the teachings he was correcting was the misunderstanding of God's expectations. This teaching led to the false conclusion that how one lived had nothing to do with one's relationship with Christ. I have had a believer come to me and say, "I've left my husband and am getting a divorce. I will remarry this other believer. I know that God hates divorce, but I also know He will forgive me." This person believed God would ignore her willful disobedience. Another individual said, "Since God desires my happiness, God will overlook the choices I must make to get it." Somewhere along the line people claiming to be believers see no correlation between their lifestyle and claim of salvation. This is frequently a product of being self-centered, and/or receiving in accurate teaching. This is the problem John speaks to in this next section of his first epistle. This position, no correlation between faith and life-style, had moved from being disobedience in the believer, to a theological position taught by false teachers. Even in the early church, there was a movement to excuse sin by rewriting the teachings of Scripture and the words of Christ and the Apostles. Let us examine the passage, and then we will see just how we have to apply it to our own lives. Here we will strive to make the distinction between the law and love. We need to make sure that we don't confuse obedience with legalism. We don't want to fall into the trap of using works to confirm someone as a believer. But, we do need to recognize that works are proof of the quality the believer's walk. Remember, we are called to judge spiritual maturity, not whether a person is saved or not. 2:3 John starts this portion of his letter by identifying himself with fellow believers, "We know...". Note that John shows his salvation not by the fact he knew Jesus. He showed it by the reality of God's presence in his own life. No one has ever been reconciled to God based on personal merit. Mary, the mother of Jesus, could never have been saved unless she accepted her Son's death for her sin. In the same way we must also accept His words. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well" (John 14:6-7). John's salvation wasn't based on his earthly relationship with Jesus. It was a product of having accepted Christ's shed blood as payment for sin. As a result, John does not use his Apostolic position to stand above other believers. Instead, he identifies with the recipients of this letter. The proof of salvation isn't a verbal testimony, but a life committed to Christ. The child of God obeys the commands of Christ. What were Christ's commands? "...'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40). The proof of salvation isn't dependent on a perfect demonstration of love. Calvin stated it this way: "he (John) does not mean that those who wholly satisfy the Law keep His commandments (and no such instance can be found the world), but those who strive, according to the capacity of human infirmity, to from their life in obedience to God." 1 In other words, the reality of God's presence in our lives is demonstrated by God's love manifested in our lives... 2:4-6 Many people claim to be believers. John says though, if there is no demonstration of a desire to obey Christ that these people are liars. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Conversely, obedience shows the manifestation of God's love. Therefore, the reality of salvation is shown by the obedient life. This verse reinforces the fact that when John is discussing obedience to God, his primary concern is that we love God and love each other. Obedience is a loving life, and loving is proof of obedience. The desire to love, as God loves, is proof of salvation. Note that the love is proof of salvation, not the basis of salvation. It is God's love for us, shown through the incarnation, the crucifixion, and the resurrection that is the source of our salvation. 2:7-8 John makes it clear that what he says isn't new. Remember that the commands of love are Christ's summary of the Ten Commandments. This is why John said he isn't talking about anything new. On the other hand, it is new because the focus has shifted from the Law and the Sacrifice to the Law of love. We are obedient, not out of fear of punishment, but because God first loved us. "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). We desire to be obedient because we love God and want to please Him. 2:9-11 John provides a specific illustration of his theoretical position. If an individual says that he is a believer, and hates his brother, he's a liar. Considering the context of the letter, here the term brother can be understood as a fellow believer in the local body. Someone who obeys God loves, and this is visible to all. You can't be a believer and hate. John isn't talking about the fact that all of us sometimes sin by hating. His concern is a life-style typified by hatred. This doesn't mean that because at some point in his life the aforementioned individual feels hatred towards his brother he isn't a believer. But, if he knows that he shouldn't hate, and is unwilling to depend on the Lord to release that hatred, then John says he isn't in the light. The one who loves his brother is the one who lives in God's light. God's light can be described as the presence of purity and righteousness. And of course by living in God's light we walk safely and won't fall. The saddest result of disobedience is that unbelievers who walk in darkness, stumble around blindly. They are lost and can't even see it. This truth is clear because we see the hatred in their lives. John has answered the claim that living in the light means having knowledge of God. But this false knowledge has no relationship to moral obedience to God's commands. For example the following is found in the Corpus Hermetica 10.5-6: "Not yet are we able to open the eyes of the mind and to behold the beauty, the imperishable, inconceivable beauty, of the Good. For you will see it when you cannot say anything about it. For the knowledge of it is divine silence and annihilation of all senses... Irradiating the whole mind, it shines upon the soul and draws it up from the body, and changes it all into divine essence" (cited in Dood, Johannine Epistles, p.30). 2 John said that if an individual really lives in God's light he will live in moral obedience to God. He was calling the false teachers liars who dwelt in darkness. 3 Walking in the light is not an exercise in mysticism, but a life lived in conformity to God's commands. Application: Much of today's teaching muddles the differences between the relationship of works to salvation, and obedience to fellowship with God. Even here some commentators believe John, when speaking of knowing God, refers to salvation. Conversely, others understand him to be dealing with the issue of quality of relationship with God. There seem to be elements of both present, and certainly there are truths tied to both views. Let us get one point clear. We are not to judge whether or not someone is saved. This assumes that they are clear in their understanding of the basis of salvation. If their testimony is orthodox, then we must deal with them from the position that they are brothers. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them'" (Matthew 13:28-29). On the other hand we are called to judge works. Some will quote Christ where He said, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" (Matthew 7:1). But, the purpose of this verse is to warn against a judgmental spirit, not against judging. What we can judge is the obedience of a believer, and therefore by implication, the quality of his relationship with the Lord. The reality of obedience in our lives gives testimony of our salvation. "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do" (James 2:14, 17-18). Where the problem arises is when we lose sight of the basis of our works. First, they are the product of salvation, not the source of salvation. "A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35). James says we show faith by works. Christ says faith is shown by love. So how do we reconcile these two proofs? Simple, our works must flow from the love of God manifested in our lives. The Jewish leaders carried out works. The problem was that this was done in a spirit of legalism, not love. "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi'" (Matthew 23:1-7). As we claim to be believers, we must depend on the Holy Spirit. He will motivate and empower us to live out our testimony in works. If we have something against a brother or sister, we must go to them and strive to restore fellowship. If we have sinned against a member of the body, we must be willing to go and ask forgiveness. Finally, we must encourage one another to live in the love that is the fulfillment of Christ's commands for His body. This is the way we will show the truth of John's words: It does matter how we live, if we claim to be in the light. This is how the world will see that Christ is in our midst. 1. Stott, John R. W., THE EPISTLES OF JOHN, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI., 1983, p. 90. 2. Baker, Glenn W., THE EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY, Vol. 12, 1, 2, 3 John, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1981, p.315. 3. Stott. p.94. Messianic Studies Messianic Studies THE PROPHET DANIEL By Harold A. Sevener (From THE CHOSEN PEOPLE magazine) Editor's note: From time to time, Rev. Sevener refers to passages in the book of Maccabees. You will not, however, find Maccabees in most Bibles. First and Second Maccabees are two of the 12 books that make up the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha is not recognized as canonized Scripture in Protestant churches, but used in individual study. The Books of Maccabees are historical records covering the period of 175-134 B.C. "Maccabaeus" is the Greek spelling of Judas ben Mattathias' name. Mattathias and his sons led a revolt against the Syrians in and around Jerusalem in the second century B.C. Mattathias' third son, Judas Maccabaeus, led the rededication of the Temple in 165 B.C., which is celebrated now as the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah. ------------------------- The dedication of the altar by the Maccabees is still celebrated on 25 Kislev by Jewish people. It is called Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, or the Festival of Lights. It is celebrated for eight days, just as the Maccabees established. Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, is only mentioned once in the Scriptures-in John 10:22. It is a most interesting reference: "Then came the Feast of Dedication [Hanukkah] at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade" (Jn. 10:22-23). Yeshua (Jesus) had been ministering in the Temple. (This Temple, called Herod's Temple, was an enlarged version of the Temple cleansed and rededicated to God by the Maccabees.) The Jewish leaders came to Yeshua asking Him if He was indeed the Messiah. Yeshua responded that they should know He was the Messiah by the miracles He had performed in His Father's name. He then told them that He and the Father were one. Upon hearing Yeshua's declaration that He and His Father were one, the Jewish leaders picked up stones to stone Him (cf. Jn. 10:24-33). The significance of this incident not only involves Yeshua's declaration that He was equal to and one with the Father, but the Jewish leaders' reaction: They were going to stone Him for blasphemy. Three questions come to mind: (1) Why did Yeshua wait until this particular festival, Hanukkah, to declare His deity? (2) Why did He make this declaration in the Temple? (3) What stones did the Jewish leaders use in their attempt to stone Him? The Return of God's Glory God had promised that His glory would return to His Temple in Jerusalem. Yeshua was the visible manifestation of God's glory. John wrote, "We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (Jn. 1:14). Yeshua chose to declare His deity in the Temple on Hanukkah so the Jewish leaders would know that He was the Son of God and that God's glory had returned. Sadly, however, religious tradition and the sin of unbelief had so blinded the hearts of the Jewish leaders that they refused to listen to his message. They refused to accept Him as the Messiah, the Prophet like unto Moses, whom they were to listen to and obey (cf. Deut. 18:14-20). So, when Yeshua declared Himself to be equal with God, they picked up stones to stone Him. When the Maccabees were cleansing the Temple, which had been desecrated by the Hellenistic priests of Antiochus, the workers pulled down the altar and put all the stones aside. The account in 1 Maccabees stated, "... wherefore they pulled it [the altar] down, and laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to show what should be done with them" (lMacc. 4:45, 46). I believe that the very stones they picked up were the stones which had been set aside by the Maccabees, awaiting the Prophet who was to tell them what should be done with them. The Prophet came, but they would not listen to Him. Such is the blindness which sin brings to the heart. God's glory was rejected once again, and the priests and the people who were celebrating Hanukkah, the festival honoring the cleansing of the Temple, celebrated in a defiled sanctuary. Only a few short years later, in A.D. 70, the army of Titus marched into the city of Jerusalem, destroying the Temple and scattering the priests and the people to the far-flung regions of the then-known world. Both Daniel and Yeshua prophesied that the Temple standing during the Tribulation would also be defiled by an "abomination of desolation" (cf. Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:15). Both Daniel and John in the Revelation addressed the issue of the duration of this "desolation," which they said would last, ironically, three and one-half years, approximately the same length of time that Antiochus defiled the sanctuary (cf. Dan. 12.11; Rev. 11:1, 2). God's Word is accurate. It is authoritative. It is infallible. What God speaks, He brings to pass. His Word is a reliable guide for everyone. Believing His Word brings life. Rejecting His Word brings death and judgment. It is interesting to note that when God gave Daniel the vision of the little horn (Dan. 8:9-12), He did not refer to the Roman Empire as well. We have already discussed that this vision was fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes when he polluted the Temple and trampled the sanctuary underfoot. And these historical actions of Antiochus Epiphanes actually prefigure the activities of the Beast (anti-Christ) during the Tribulation. In other words, the vision in Daniel 8:9-12 had dual prophetic significance and fulfillment: it spoke of a tribulation as well as to the Tribulation. Such a long-term future fulfillment of the Daniel 8:9-12 prophecy became clear as Daniel's vision continued. He was told, "and I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, 'Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.' As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. 'Son of man,' he said to me, 'understand that the vision concerns the time of the end'" (Dan. 8:16,17). Recall that Daniel was standing by the Ulai canal when he first received this vision (Dan. 8:2) and that he evidently had not moved. The Vision Interpreted The fulfillment of this vision spans the corridor of time and holds great significance for Israel's future. Because of this significance, God sent Gabriel to interpret the vision. The name Gabriel means "strong man of God," and it is the name of an angel or messenger from God. The angel Gabriel stands in the very presence of God (Lk. 1:19). Gabriel is mentioned only four times in Scripture: twice in Daniel (Dan. 8:16; 9:21) and twice in Luke (1:19, 26). Gabriel's name also appears in the non-canonical writings of Enoch. He is referred to as one of the four archangels in Enoch 9:1. He is called the holy angel who presides of Ikisat, over paradise, and over the cherubim (cf. Enoch 20:7).* He is also referred to as one of the four "presences," the one presiding over all that is powerful (cf. Enoch 40:3-9). It was Gabriel who gave Daniel the interpretation of the vision as recorded in Daniel 8 and 9 (the latter vision concerned the 70 weeks). It was also Gabriel who announced the birth of Messiah, Yeshua, to Mary and Joseph. Thus Gabriel was sent to reveal God's program of judgment as well as His program of redemption. God's program of judgment for Israel certainly did not end when Antiochus defiled the Temple in 168 B.C. The intervention of the angel Gabriel at that point in time indicates that this vision has great future significance. And indeed it does. Note "The time of the end" (verse 17); "I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end" (verse 19); and "The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future" (verse 26). In other words, a specific revelation by a specific messenger of God carries with it special significance and often has a near fulfillment and a future fulfillment. As we discussed, the vision given to Daniel had an immediate fulfillment as well as a future. fulfillment. Daniel was being shown not only what was to take place historically when the little horn (Antiochus Epiphanes) would come upon the scene of history, but also that the actions of this historical person were to foreshadow what would ultimately take place during the Tribulation. Likewise, the coming of the Messiah, Yeshua, did not complete the prophecies of His coming. There is to be more. He is to return to establish His Kingdom and to judge the world. * Ikisat appears to be a proper name. In another edition, this word is translated "the serpents." Anee M'amin Anee M'amin EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE The testimony of Craig Hatman (From ISRAEL MY GLORY magazine) I was born of Jewish parents and have spent much of my life among Jewish people. I grew up in a typical contemporary Jewish home in which God and our heritage were, unfortunately, not the most important parts of our lives. We did, however, observe the holidays and were taught to be proud of being Jewish, and I had a bar mitzvah when I was 13 years old. As I grew older, I became a self-proclaimed philosopher. I was very idealistic and wanted to do my part, in some small way, to make the world a better place for the sake of humanity. I fought for truth and for what I thought was right in everything I did. I loved to debate with anyone about anything, and I often pondered the deeper things of life, always asking why. As I observed life and the world around me, I became convinced that God either did not exist or was not all the wonderful things that some people claimed. I was extremely frustrated with the many so-called religious people I met from various faiths, all of whom I considered to be hypocrites, and so I remained content with the theory of evolution and happy with my views. I became antagonistic toward religious matters and was quite persuasive in arguing the logic behind my beliefs. I entered college as an accounting major, but in a break from traditional business philosophy I used a number of my electives to take English literature courses because of my interest in that area-after all I was a philosopher. In some of those courses I bean to notice subtle references to Bible characters and Bible stories, and I resolved to someday read the Bible to better appreciate "good literature." I shared these thoughts with my girl friend Lauri (who later became my wife), and she agreed to join me in my study. After completing college, I went on to law school where my love for arguing and my debating skills became stronger and more refined. My law school years further strengthened the convictions I had already developed. Now, as I look back, I can see that the Lord was preparing me for things to come. In 1985, Lauri and I were married. Although she was not very religious, she believed in God, so we decided that we would raise our children in her religion. We did agree, however, that it was our obligation as parents to educate ourselves about religion so that we could pass the information on to our children and teach them accurately about their heritage. We wanted our children to be able to come to us for answers in this regard. Shortly before the birth of our son, Grant Zakarias, I met a Christian named Mark in the Manhattan office where I worked. At first, I avoided Mark because I thought he was a religious fanatic, and I had already made my own conclusions about religious people. In even mundane conversations, he always brought things back to God and the Bible, which I found quite annoying to say the least. Eventually we were assigned to the same office and, after getting to know Mark, I realized that he was genuine and different from the other religious people I had known. Here, then, was my opportunity to learn something about religion. Mark was very knowledgeable about the Bible and taught me much about my own Judaism from the Old Testament. In the evenings, I would share with Lauri the things Mark and I had discussed during the day, and this led me on a personal search for knowledge that lasted for a year and a half. Often accompanied by my wife, I attended a regular Bible study and personally read and studied the Bible, analyzing its claims. I also read other literature and compared the doctrines of many religions. I even studied archaeological findings. I was fascinated at how different the Bible was from what I had expected and how reliable, truthful and accurate it was. I soon saw that there was a real likelihood that God did exist, that He had created the world and man, and that He had revealed Himself to us in the Bible. I also realized that the theory of evolution was just a myth and could easily be disproved. It took more faith to believe in the absence of God than in the Creator. As I continued to study, I discovered that, from God's perspective, we are all sinners, and-although I was uncomfortable with the idea-I too was a sinner in need of forgiveness. I further understood that my ancestors in the Old Testament taught of a Messiah who would provide for my need. But the biblical teachings often differed from what I remembered of the rabbinic teachings of my youth. In my study of the New Testament, I was particularly intrigued by the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, but the nagging question that remained was, What about this Jesus of Nazareth? I then began to focus my study more intently on the claims of Jesus as the Messiah. I was somewhat cautious at first because, although I was not raised in a religious environment, I had been taught at an early age that Jesus was not for the Jews. I especially examined Jesus' final proof that He was Messiah-His resurrection. Again, I studied a wide range of material. Coming from a legal background, I subjected all that I examined to strict tests of evidence. I had to be convinced. It had to be proven to me! I was slow in making a decision as I let other matters take my attention away from spiritual things. Then one day Mark challenged me, saying that I had already gathered and examined more than enough evidence and that it was time I made a decision. He was right. The next day, I again worked through all that I had been taught and read, and, after weighing all the evidence, the conclusion was clear: Jesus of Nazareth was God's sacrifice to pay the penalty for my sins. He is the Lamb of God. The certainty of His resurrection assures me of the certainty of His offer to forgive my sins and give me eternal life. He is the Hebrew Messiah who was sacrificed for all nations. On that October day in 1989, I got down on my knees and asked Jesus to forgive me and become my personal Lord and Savior. Three months later, the Lord saved Lauri and shortly thereafter we were baptized together. Now that I am walking with the Lord, I understand the meaning of life and see the world in a much clearer and more definite way. I no longer ask why. Things that once puzzled me have become obvious, and I have a greater compassion for others. I know the truth, and the truth has set me free. I believe that anyone who approaches God with an open mind will see the truth in God's revelation; history has proven this. True Christianity is not a blind leap in the dark but a trusting, heartfelt acceptance of the historical facts about the Messiah. I am thankful to be a Jew who believes that the Messiah has come. Although I do not deserve it, I am in God's family, where all are welcome. Please pray with me for the peace of Jerusalem. Praise the Lord! Prayer Guidelines Prayer Guidelines Prayer and Wisdom Article 9 of the "Prayer and..." Series by Michael Wilkinson "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5). Although we Christians may know many things about God and have an understanding of spiritual things, we sometimes need to ask God for wisdom to deal with the problems we face in life. Wisdom is insight into the way life should be lived in order to please God. Wisdom includes knowledge, discretion and understanding. "For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you" (Proverbs 2:10-11). Although natural men can attain some knowledge on their own, true wisdom can only be gained by coming to the Lord. "He provided redemption for His people; He ordained His covenant forever. Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise" (Psalm 111:9-10). "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, for they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment. For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:14-16). Thus it is necessary for a person to accept Christ as Lord in order to benefit from God's wisdom. "...but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24). The apostle James wrote his letter to believers who were suffering trials and temptations. They were persecuted as Jews and persecuted as Christians. Some were poor. Some were tempted to give up on their faith. Some were having trouble saying no to evil temptations. In the midst of this, James tells them that they should seek wisdom from God. They needed wisdom to know how to respond to those who were persecuting them. There is an excellent account in Acts 4. Here Peter and John, "unschooled ordinary men", were able to give a wise answer to the religious leaders who wanted them to stop preaching in the name of Christ. God gave Peter and John the wisdom they needed. As a result the leaders who threatened them had to let them go. People also need to pray for wisdom to know how to live righteous lives in a world that does not tolerate or understand Christian purity. "For this reason we also since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:9-10). "Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments" (Psalm 119:66). And we also need wisdom to keep walking with the Lord if we are ever tempted to give up or depart from the plan He has for our lives. "Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face" (Psalm 5:8). "Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name" (Psalm 86:11). How do we receive wisdom from the Lord? When Solomon became king over Israel, he asked for wisdom to lead the nation. God was pleased with this request and granted Solomon a gift of wisdom which seems to have stayed with him most of his life. When two women were fighting over one living child (see 1 Kings 3:16-28), Solomon simply knew how to discover which was the child's real mother. Solomon's wisdom was a special gift, but God can also give us wisdom in that same way. More frequently He will reveal His wisdom through study of the Bible (prayer and scripture should always be the first means of finding God's will). He may also speak to us when we seek advice from Christian elders or parents, especially those who have already suffered the things we are now suffering. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, SO THAT we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" (1 Corinthians 1:3-4). In conclusion, please consider the following verses: "Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her" (Proverbs 3:13-18). The WORD for Today The WORD for Today Before this last Easter (1992), many churches across the country were involved in The Chapel of the Air's "Fifty-Day Spiritual Adventure." This program was designed to help local churches become "The Family God Wants Us To Be." The material provided focused on dysfunctional behavior found in families and brought into the church. The article presented here is the sixth of seven messages given by Pastor Geoff Kragen. They were presented at Foothill Bible Church in Lincoln California as part of that church's involvement with the program. "The Ultimate Crime" Galatians 6:1-5 One of my major responsibilities as Budget Manager at a major San Francisco Hospital, was the annual budget presentation for the Board of Directors. My assistant and I had a week to put together all the data gathered over a two-month period. We prepared both the financial reports and all of the related text material to be presented. And if I do say so myself, we made a pretty good job of it. Having completed all fifty pages of the budget package, we had to send it to my boss, the Director of Financial Services. Then we would sit back and wait for: THE CALL. For, no matter how good the report was, he would always have a problem with it. He'd find a comma he didn't think was in the right place. He wouldn't like a word or phrase we had chosen. If the report wasn't perfect (and from his perspective it never was), then he'd throw it back at us to fix. John (not his real name), also, could never accept mistakes made by his other managers. For him, the ultimate sin was to commit an error. We all had to be perfect, and if we weren't, he made sure we knew it. I always suspected the real issue was his concern that any errors we made would reflect negatively on him. As you might expect, the problem with this approach to life is that nobody, other than Christ, is perfect. The demand for perfectionism is a dysfunctional and destructive behavior. This is true whether the problem is within the family unit, or the local church. This behavior is destructive to the individual who practices it. Furthermore, it is devastating to the victim of the perfectionist's demands. We can see this behavior acted out in the church by "church hoppers." They are always looking for perfection. Of course they never find it. Because they don't find perfection, they move on, looking for the next church, hoping it will be better. Unfortunately, they lose the blessing of being part of a church family. And if by some miracle they would ever find the perfect church and join, then it will no longer be perfect, because they'll be part of it. Before we discuss the problem of perfectionism in the church, let's note how the dysfunctional family lives it out. As we've already noted (see previous articles), the dysfunctional family spends inordinate amounts of time trying to maintain a perfect image. The appearance of being perfect is all-important. Sadly, these families live as if it were possible to meet these impossibly high standards. Understand that the truly dysfunctional person believes only he is a failure. Everyone else outside the family has their act together. Perfection is possible for everyone but him and/or his family. The perfectionist typifies denial and delusion. He denies that perfection is an impossibility because he lives under the delusion that others are perfect. For the perfectionist, making mistakes is unthinkable. When the perfectionist is in a leadership position within the church, he can't let anyone do a job but himself. They might make a mistake, which is sin. But the real sin is preventing members of the church from doing the work of the church. By demanding perfection from himself and others, the perfectionist sets himself up for failure and this results in an overwhelming sense of disappointment. He carries around immense guilt related to his behaviors. He is judgmental with others. Finally, he has extreme difficulty forgiving himself and, as a result, forgiving others. What does Scripture say about our need to forgive? "Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven'" (Matthew 18:21-22 NAS). God constantly forgives us based on the work of Christ on the cross. But, if we believe that our sin is so offensive that God can't forgive us, is it surprising we can't forgive others? In contrast, the healthy family is satisfied with consistent adequacy. David Mains writes is the HEALING THE DYSFUNCTIONAL CHURCH FAMILY: "What a freeing term this is "consistently adequate." Raising a healthy family is not an easy task. But certainly the inevitable problems faced by families today are handled more easily when they don't have to worry about being perfect." * As the healthy family unit is satisfied by consistent adequacy, so it should be within the healthy church. This doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive for excellence. After all, we are God's representatives here on earth. However, we must recognize that perfection is only obtainable in eternity. We are in a constant growth process, striving to become more Christlike. "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers" (Romans 8:29). Paul gives recognition to this truth in Galatians 6:1-5. "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load." Paul gives instructions for dealing with the believer caught in sin. Don't be shocked or surprised, and more importantly, don't be condemning. Paul's demand is that we are to work toward restoring fallen brothers or sisters. Keep in mind that what Paul expects here is behavior that flows out of the fruit of the Spirit. (See the preceding verses.) We are only able to care for one another when we allow the Holy Spirit to move through us. The evidence of genuine spirituality is our willingness to be used in restoring the sinners relationship to God. Remember: The perfectionist is going to be harsh and judgmental. Since the perfectionist is dysfunctional, he hasn't dealt with the sin in his own life. But he has no problem seeing and judging sin in the lives of others. This is the reality that caused Christ to say, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3). Frequently, testimony to a believer's lack of maturity is a harsh and judgmental spirit. Contrast this with the healthy response that Paul is calling for. He not only tells us to restore the sinner, but gives us instruction on the approach we should take. He says to restore gently. You don't prune a delicate orchid with a chainsaw! Doesn't this require love and a willingness to accept the person unconditionally? Again, lest I be misunderstood, I don't mean that we are to excuse sin, for Paul is calling for correction here. But, we are talking about restoring a brother or sister in the Lord. This means that we must never lose sight of the need to love them and hold them accountable because we love them. This is the model that God established when the author of Hebrews said, "...because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son" (Hebrews 12:6). Paul warns that we need to be careful when we try to restore one another that we don't find ourselves falling into sin. This could mean that we may be tempted by the same sin. Or it could mean we must be careful that we don't fall into sin by dealing with our brother or sister with the wrong attitude. Paul makes it clear that the attitude within the church is not to be perfectionist. The church is to be a place where Christians can share their burdens safely. We are to create an environment where we can be open with our struggles. We should not have to fear condemnation. Instead, we should receive the love, comfort and help to move away from sin, and towards obedience to God. We must operate from the assumption that if someone is coming to church that they realize the importance of having God in their lives. If they present themselves as believers and they seem to understand what it is to be saved, we have to accept them as such. Therefore, we can lovingly hold them accountable, and encourage them to repent and be saved. We are to carry each other's burdens, but simultaneously to provide teaching that will allow each person to stand on their own before the Lord. Paul notes that each of us must be able to test our own actions. And what is the model we are to test against? We have Scripture and Christ's example as the basis for comparison with our own actions. This also means we must remember that our own behavior is not the standard against which we test the actions of others. Even more importantly, we are not to test others against the standards we set for ourselves. I am constantly amazed to find how often the person who is the harshest judge of others has the most problems himself. If we think perfection is possible, not only are we wrong, but we are more disappointed and judgmental than anyone when someone fails our standard. Frequently, we find the perfectionist has a "direct line" to God. This person claims to have a "word of the Lord" for you. God has told him personally, or he knows from his understanding of Scripture, why your choices are sinful. Yet when you look at these people's lives, they don't have one log in their eye--they have enough lumber to build a complete housing development. Paul says that pride should not come from the fact I can find someone who is in worse shape than me. This allows me to feel good about myself. Instead, he refers to the pride which comes from a sense of satisfaction and joy in shouldering the burden God has given us to carry for ourselves. In response to Paul's words, let us pray about the following two issues. First, that the Lord would help us see our own blind spots where we are judging ourselves and others by our own standards, not the Lord's. Frequently, we are harder on ourselves than God is. Conversely, we often have the ability to be more tolerant in the areas that really matter, loving God and loving one another. If we want to be in a church committed to ministry, then we had better be prepared to have our boundaries stretched. I remember when I was in that old church I discussed in the last issue. It is easy to take shots at these people for some of their negative behaviors. But they were risk takers. It was the time of the flower child era fall-out in San Francisco. We decided to have a meal Sunday afternoon for those in need. The hope was that people would come for the meal and stay for the service. And for a while, it did happen. Anyway, you might not believe the kind of people who showed up. These weren't just street people, but they were hippies, druggies, the dregs of society. I remember one couple. The husband had a full beard, long hair, and a wardrobe that was certainly strange. The wife wore a long granny dress and rim-framed glasses. They appeared to be typical hippies . And they were sitting in someone else's pew. But the members of the church had decided to take risks, and this was the result. Over the years this family accepted Christ, and the day came when the husband became a deacon. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). The second point I would like us to consider praying about is risky, but it is a fulfillment of God's call to go out and make disciples. Let us pray that the Lord will give us the courage to reach out to a fallen world, being willing to take the risk that entails. Keep in mind: it is the Lord's will to provide the needed resources. The only question is, Are we willing to reach out? Let us be willing to be uncomfortable, even in our own body, if that discomfort allows others to come to know the Lord and His love. Let us be willing to be uncomfortable, if it means we can truly love and care for one another. Let us be willing to fulfill the call of Paul to "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way (we) will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). And what is the law of Christ? "A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35). Only by being willing to be constantly adequate can we take risks, loving the unlovable, and forgiving the unforgivable. And in risking we will truly be able to experience the miraculous love and mercy of God. If we never take risks, we will lessen the danger of being hurt and disappointed. But we also reduce the opportunity to see the living God working in the lives of fallen human beings. * David Mains, HEALING THE DYSFUNCTIONAL CHURCH FAMILY, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1992, p. 106. S.C.U.D. Warnings S.C.U.D. Warnings S piritual C ounterfeits U ndermining D octrine W A R N I N G S by Jerry Johnson ------------------- (The previously scheduled SCUD, Gracebusters, has been postponed until the next issue) This (fictitious) want ad was (not) published in the New York Times on February 30, 1992: HELP WANTED: "Take charge" person needed to direct young, growing company. Must be skilled in public presentation, interpersonal communications, financial planning and administration. Additional typing, electrical, layout, carpentry and artistic bends a plus. Must be able to spearhead programs without alienating sensitive co-workers. Must be able to work 80 to 100 hour work weeks, be available 24 hours a day, family man preferred but family must NOT take precedent over company concerns. Pay is low, benefits poor and must be able to deal with continual criticism. If interested in this management position, call Prestodyne Electronics (001) 555-1814. Any takers? I guarantee you, I can change that last line, without changing the pay or perks, and make it a job that hundreds, maybe even thousands of people would clamor after. "I'll believe it when I see it!" The new last line? If interested in this pastoral position, call First Church of Burpton (209) 555-1814. Suddenly it's "ministry". Suddenly the oppressive conditions are simply a gift offered for the Kingdom of God. Suddenly it's OK. Or is it? Back in Genesis is the account of when God asked Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. When Abraham and Isaac headed up onto the mountain he told his staff to wait because they would both be back. Most theologians believe that Abraham felt that God would make sure that this would be true. It was. God provided a ram for the actual sacrifice. Now, how do you suppose God would have felt if, after spotting the ram and being told by God to use the ram instead of Isaac, Abraham would have gone ahead and killed Isaac? I agree. I don't think it would have made God's day. Sad thing is, there are a lot of Isaacs being killed by a lot of Abrahams out there. "Could you please state that in a somewhat less obscure manner?" Certainly. There are many people who, in the name of "the ministry" (paid or lay), sacrifice their families. I've known quite a few PK's (preacher's kids) and MK's (missionary's kids) over the years and some have been cared for, loved and valued. Others have not been so fortunate... they didn't come back off the mountain. Those are usually the PK's that you hear the horror stories about. You know, the kid who introduced the entire youth choir to pot or is known by every juvenile probation officer in the county or is the behavioral nightmare of every Sunday school teacher and secretary in the church. Granted, there can be many reasons that they act this way, but I believe it is because, most commonly, they were sacrificed to "the ministry". When it was between them and the choir or the distraught person on the phone or the building committee or the guest speaking engagement in a nearby town, they lost the toss of the coin nearly every time. And let's not forget pastor's wives, who have as big, if not bigger, a job description than their hubbies... and they don't even get paid. Biggest trouble is, part of the job description is "bite the bullet and NEVER acknowledge your loneliness or frustrations, because you are the pastor's wife and pastor's wives don't do that. Also, if you don't fulfill your job description, we'll blame your husband". You see, we as Christians tend to engage in an oppressive activity to a greater extent than probably any other group in existence: Expectation. We know that we are to live our lives in as Christlike a manner as possible. We know how often, and sometimes spectacularly, we fail, but heaven forbid if our pastor doesn't meet every expectation we have. Combine that with unrealistic expectations that the pastor may hold for him/herself and in order to meet all these expectations, something has to give. And that "something" is frequently time and emotional energy for family. "But Luke 14:26 says that if people don't hate their father, mother and family they can't be Christ's disciple." Every pastor and theologian I know understands this to be a hyperbole, an exaggeration to drive home a point. We are to love God so much that the intense love we have for our family pales in comparison with our love for God. "But still, the Lord's work should be of paramount importance, shouldn't it?" I agree wholeheartedly, but let's examine what "the Lord's work" is. Sometimes the strongest lessons in the Bible are the one's that are obvious, but not overtly stated, such as "something innocent had to die because of sin" or "God goes to a lot of trouble to stay involved in the lives of his people". In my opinion "the Lord's work" includes one of those obvious, but not overtly stated lessons: "family is MAJORLY important to God." I agree that's no great surprise, but neither were the other two lessons. I told you they were obvious. Let's start in the Old Testament. In Numbers 11:11-13 Moses places God in the mother's role; Psalm 68:5 says that God is father to the fatherless; Isaiah 64:8 calls God our father and there are countless other references that infer or directly talk about a familial relationship between God and his people. In the New Testament God is not just our father, but our Abba (papa), Jesus is our brother and Christ is the bridegroom and Christians the bride. For thousands of years God has defined his relationship to us as family, one could conclude that he was kind of fond of the concept of family. In I Timothy 5:8 Paul says that if anyone does not provide for his immediate family "he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever". We would be assuming God was one dimensional if we honestly believed that this verse referred exclusively to housing and clothes. Remember, we are being conformed to the image of Christ. Does he only care about our physical needs? Not by a long shot. "But if the ministers do less in order to be with their families, who'll do their jobs?" Us. Look at Acts 2:44-47, it really is pretty clear. A church is not made up of a minister and a congregation. It's made up of a congregation of ministers. If a church doesn't live up to that description it is probably because the EXPECTATION was that the pastor would do it all. Congregation: Romans 12 states that we have been equipped to minister, we just need to kick the gift into gear. And as we minister to our pastors, I believe it is the congregation's obligation to make sure they have time to be spouse and parent. Pastors and committed lay-workers: I honestly believe God wants you to put your family after Him, but before "the ministry". One of the prerequisites for being a deacon or elder was that the family was well managed. Have you ever seen a well managed company where the manager was gone the vast majority of the time? The same is true of a family. Spouses grow lonely and, unless they are truly saintly, resentful if left to raise a family alone. Children will look wherever they can for identity and acceptance if it is not offered (frequently) in their home. And the church would tend to be a last choice. After all, would you want to be trained by the mechanic that ruined your car? "The ministry" is the competition, not the ally. I have a friend who is a caring, loving, fun PK. She readily admits that her pastor father was always busy with "the ministry" and her mother was frazzled trying to raise a family alone and be a good preacher's wife". She states that, for the most part, she raised herself. She did a good job. But it was her parents' job, not hers. These are not cruel, uncaring people who were looking for an excuse to ignore their daughter. They were godly people who didn't know/realize/understand that the first priority of "the ministry" is to those that, through marriage and birth, God covenanted into their care. And this applies equally to anyone whose job comes before their family. I am married and have two young, adorable daughters. If I were an ideal husband and father (and I'm not) I would relate just the way God relates to me. And you know what? He doesn't ignore me nearly as much as I'd like... in fact he doesn't ignore me at all. Next time: the belated "Gracebusters" Bible Quiz Bible Quiz BIBLE QUIZ Match the disciple in the first part with the statement in the second part which best fits him. 1. James 2. Philip 3. Peter 4. Simon 5. Thomas 6. Thaddeus 7. Nathanael 8. Matthew 9. Andrew 10. John a) He sat under a fig tree (John 1:48) b) He walked on water (Matthew 14:29) c) He was the "Disciple of love" (1 John 4:7) d) He was a tax collector (Luke 5:27-28) e) He brought Nathanael to Jesus (John 1:45) f) He was a doubter (John 20:24-25) g) He called Lebbaeus (Matthew 26:14-16) h) He was the first to die (Acts 12:2) i) He was Peter's brother (Mark 1:16) j) He was called "the Zealot" (Acts 1:13) Christian Life Department People Profile People Profile Morning Star Senior Editor, Teresa Giordanengo, conducted this interview with Pastor Jeffrey Johnson of the North Ten Mile Baptist Church in Amity, Pennsylvania. Pastor Johnson holds a B.A. degree in Psychology and a B.A. degree in Prelaw Philosophy. Teresa: Pastor Johnson, you were interested in the Lord's work at an early age. How did this come about? Pastor Johnson: I was born in 1964 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, being one of six children. I never knew a time that I did not go to church. I came from a Catholic family, but I, myself, attended a Baptist church down the street from my home. I spent all my growing-up years at this particular Baptist church just because it was at the end of our street and I was not allowed to cross to the other side. This was also the church where I discovered at the age of five, my calling to the ministry. I can remember going to that church with my grandmother, because she was the only member of the family who attended with me. I recall saying to her during the service that I believed I wanted to be that man standing up there on that platform. She asked if I felt that God had called me and I told her that I didn't know about this calling thing but I felt it was better to talk for thirty minutes than to listen. But in that early experience, God began to shape my life. Even at that very young age, God began to work in a very definite way. Then at the age of twelve, a pastor came to our church. My parents had been divorced since I was about three and a half. This pastor took me into his home, and for all intents and purposes, raised me. At this time, I began to make a commitment to the ministry. At fourteen I preached my first sermon. At sixteen I began to travel and preach at different churches. At sixteen and a half I became the first boy elder, of my age, in our church. Teresa: What happened that was very special to you when you were preparing to go to college? Pastor Johnson: One of the marvelous ways I have seen God's hand at work is when I made plans to go down to West Virginia to study. I found that all my financial aid had fallen through. The college had called me and suggested that I call here and go there seeking loans. I felt that God has the provisions to meet our need. This was truly a need in my life to be there and pay the way, and that God would see to it, as my Heavenly Father, to meet those needs. I was speaking in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a gathering of several hundred people, most of whom I had never met before. After I had finished speaking a woman came up to me and said, "The Lord has just impressed upon me to give you a gift for college." I told her that I would be running all afternoon but that I would be home sometime later in the evening when she could reach me. I got home about 4:00 PM and about 4:05 PM the phone rang and she said she had gone home and called her brother in Texas. He had picked up the phone and said, "How much do you want me to write the check for?" Together they gave me $2,000.00. I called the college to confirm that I had money now to come to school, but did not know how much it would be. I wanted to know how much it would be for me to study there for one semester, because I knew that my financial aid would take care of the second semester. Also since I had grown up in a crowded house with six children, I wanted to have my own room. I asked how much it would cost me. He calculated the figures and came back and said, "You will need exactly $2000.00." God is so faithful; I have seen it so evident in my life and in the life of others. I feel that I am so blessed! Teresa: What happened at school that changed your life again? Pastor Johnson: At eighteen I went to a college in southern West Virginia and due to an accident I stayed only one year. It was the last day of school and I fell from a second story window and was paralyzed on my left side. About a year later God gave me total absolute healing. I had been working for the college on one of the professor's homes when the ladder slid away from the wall of the house. I tried to throw myself from it but I got caught up in the ladder. It came down and severed and crushed the main nerves in my shoulder, my hip and my arm. I went through massive amounts of rehabilitation at several hospitals. Just when the therapists were ready to give up and said that there was no use in continuing this, it was the very next day when I began to see movements. Overnight all the feeling, all the movements, and mobility came back, and still continues today. I have no arthritis in those areas and no damage. Even the extensive scars from reconstructive surgery are not even evident. God did tremendous work. I decided then to go to Waynesburg College where I began to study for a Christian Education degree. After my first semester, the program was cancelled and I transferred to a psychology degree for the next two years at Waynesburg. Then I transferred to the California University of Pennsylvania where I got my Bachelor degree in Psychology and Bachelor degree in PreLaw Philosophy. It was during my first year at Waynesburg that I was asked to pastor a very small Christian Church at the age of twenty. I pastored this church for two years. I was ordained on the basis of life experience in my denomination. Teresa: Tell us about the church you are pastoring now? Pastor Johnson: I am the Pastor of the North Ten Mile Baptist Church, the oldest church in Washington County, founded in 1773. We have the original documents of the church which are actually older than our nation's constitution. I have been the Pastor here for six years. This church that I pastor is unique in that I grew up with about a third of my membership in summer camp. They are my age and older and having families. I stayed at their homes and palled around with them. The older people in my church are the parents of these friends of mine. It is great seeing all these families worshipping together for years. Our church is a very concentrated church on Christian education and growing in the Word. The extent of that is far-reaching; beside our regular Sunday School and church service we offer a number of cottage meetings and Bible studies. These are flexible as to the time of the people involved such as Monday evening, Tuesday morning, and Thursday evening. We have a youth group Bible study on Sunday night. Teresa: What type of outreach do you have in the community? Pastor Johnson: Our church is active in the community in several areas. Most of our interest in the community is through financial support of Habitat for Humanity, The Washington City Mission, Hospice etc. The Habitat for Humanity is an interdenominational ministry that builds and refurbishes homes for the underemployed and those below the poverty level. The Washington City Mission is a homeless shelter for the County. The focus of our church's ministry is concentrated on a Christian camp that we operate. It is located in the Laurel Highlands near Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. Many of our members take a very active part in the camp and are also on the Board of Directors. The name of the camp is "Camp Carmel Baptist Camp." Teresa: How do you get involved with the community around the Thanksgiving/Christmas Season of the year? Pastor Johnson: During this Thanksgiving Season, we have an Interdenominational Thanksgiving Service where we bring together all the different churches of this rural area that we are in. We get together for the purpose of fellowshipping as a collective body of believers, praising God for the things He has done for us. Then we go a step beyond that and give something back to the community. This month we will kick-off our annual Christmas Food Bank Program, where we help to feed approximately 70 families throughout the Christmas season. We will have fruit and vegetables, meats and canned goods. This is culminated about a week before Christmas. Thanksgiving time is that reflection upon what God has done for us this past year and symbolically bringing in the harvest of praise as well as the harvest of first fruits. We begin by collecting those items for a few weeks and then distribute them. Teresa: You met someone very special at one of your revival meetings. Who did you meet? Pastor Johnson: I met my wife at an evangelistic revival, and we have been married for three years. I have conducted about forty of these revivals in the last eight years. Teresa: Why do you have a great burden for some of the church-going people? Pastor Johnson: One of the areas where I have a great burden for people, is the religious unsaved. My heart breaks for them because I was one of them. I went along thinking that because I was attending church and because I was doing my thing, that's what counted; and that when God would count it up, I would have more pluses than minuses. Then I came to discover that it is not a matter of how good you are, it is the matter of the fact that HE is God and died for me. It was that experience that really has been a burden on my heart and the Lord has moved me into areas of revival ministries in churches to those people who are probably one of those most difficult groups to reach because they have heard the truth and their hearts have even been hardened to it by the devil who has allowed them to think that just because they go through the motions, that's all there is; that's it; that's enough! And really what it is, is that one to one personal relationship through Jesus Christ, made possible because He died for us. I want to reach out to those who don't have that experience with Christ, but have a head knowledge but not a heart knowledge. Teresa: What would you say to the young people today? Pastor Johnson: I would tell a young person today in the words of Ecclesiastes. Remember now Thy Creator, in the days of your youth. Because I find that when I talk to the older people they say to me, "I wish I knew the Lord when I was younger." I would have served Him more, I would have had more energy, more commitment, more time. Young people, I believe, are given a unique opportunity, by God, to live for HIM now and they won't have to regret it later. I would encourage the young people that if they are looking for fulfillment, a purpose, in a world that is empty and shallow, then find it in the Lord, because you won't find it anywhere else. I'm friends with millionaires; I'm friends with entertainers; I'm friends with people who would in the eyes of the world be considered a great success. Yet the thing that they are a great success in is not their business, not their profession, and not in the amount of money they make, but in their personal commitment to Jesus Christ. That's what makes them great. Teresa: How should we live today in this time of economic as well as political change? Pastor Johnson: What people need to begin to get a grasp on and a handle on is those things that don't change. If I look around me seasons change, the value of the dollar changes, employers change, people change, everything changes but one thing; and that's God and God Alone! So the first thing people need to do, is give up emotionally if you will, the hold they have on so many changing things. They need to get a hold of God who does not change. In our world today we try to handle all these problems ourselves, but our arms are not long enough and our hands are just not large enough. What we need to do is use our hands for the purpose they were made for, and that is to grab onto God and let him get a handle on everything else. It is He who puts things in order. The reality is that we are living in the last days and that was never more evident, in any other time in human history. Things are beginning to decline, morals are beginning to erode, and it's all the signs of the times. Just because the signs are evident, doesn't mean that we have to be changing with them. We can remain steadfast and true like the prophets of old. Even if we are all alone, in the midst of this world that is against us, and not in favor of us, we must remember that we and God make a majority. We will always be able to stand the test. Teresa: How can the older folks be an inspiration to us? Pastor Johnson: My wife has a real burden for the older folks. We have discovered that the older people have such a rich history to share. And we who are younger should do what the scripture says and that is to sit and listen to these older folks. Because if there is nothing else they can teach us, we can know one thing, that God has seen these people through 80, 90 and 100 years of living. If He has seen them through it, He can see us through it. What an encouragement to see people who don't just read about history but have lived it, and to be able to testify. It must have been a great blessing in the old testament to talk to people who lived to be 600, 700, and 800 years old, and to be able to share how God had been faithful to them for all those years. We often forget in our lives that God saw us through yesterday, and is seeing us through today and will see us through tomorrow. We often are in a trial or trouble and soon forget what God did for us yesterday or what God did for us in the past. But yet if we would just pause and realize that God remains the same. Teresa: What thoughts do you have concerning our Nation? Pastor Johnson: I believe that the decline of our nation is also the decline of our school system. It all parallels the fact that God has a diminishing part of our lives. The less we give to God of our lives the less Godliness there will be in our world. And the two go hand in hand. Statistics prove it out, that the day prayer was taken out of school, social problems began to rise at an astronomical rate. The same is true in our individual lives. The more we take God out of our individual lives and the less control we give Him over our own lives, the more sin rises. The more God has a hold of us, the less hold sin will have. People need to get back to the basics of life: the family, the Word. God instituted three institutions; the family, the church and the government. He created them so that they would have certain authority and structure and responsibility. We have really messed things up by taking God out of most of those. Teresa: What final thought would you like to leave our readers? Pastor Johnson: I think of my faith in these terms: If I spent all of my life believing in God and trusting in His grace and died and found out that there is no heaven, there is no hell, there is no after-life, there is no condemnation, or commendation, I have lost nothing, because I have lived a wonderful life. I have been blessed by friends and fellowship and a faith. But if I lived my whole life as if there was no God; If I lived my whole life as if there was no hell or heaven, and I died and found out there was, I would have lost everything! Pastor Jeffrey Johnson North Ten Mile Baptist Church RD 2 Box 17 Amity Pa 15311 (412)267-4385  Ministry Profile Ministry Profile TRANSPORT FOR CHRIST INTERNATIONAL Bruce Prestidge Executive Director When Jesus told us to pray, He was undeniably clear that we should pray for LABORERS ... THE NEED OF THE HOUR! He didn't say, "Pray for opportunities." Opportunities to proclaim Christ face each of us boldly every day. Our purpose in Transport For Christ (TFC) is to, "Win Truck Drivers to Jesus Christ and Establish Them in Their Faith." Dr. Ralph Winter said that the eight and one-half million truck drivers in North America represent one of the largest groups of unreached people in the world today. Almost every day we meet men and women who have no religious background, who know nothing about the Bible and yet, have a hunger for spiritual truth. Transport For Christ is committed to meeting that need. Over 1,000 men and women receive Christ each year through the personal ministry of Transport For Christ. Transport For Christ was primarily a mobile ministry going from truckstop to truckstop from 1951 to 1986. In 1986 only two of six Mobile Chapels were in operation; an average of fifty to sixty coming to Christ on each Chapel per year. In 1986 the first Mobile Chapel located permanently, at the request of a truckstop owner in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. That year one hundred fifty truck drivers trusted Christ on that one Chapel. The costs drastically reduced and many local people got involved in the ministry as volunteers. In 1987 we began recruiting new staff, asking them to raise their own support. In 1989, from just four Chapels, over eight hundred men and women trusted Christ and an average of three to four thousand drivers visited each Chapel. They came in for counseling, encouragement and worship services. TFC became a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) in 1990. We ended the year 1991 with nine permanent Chapels; six in the United States of America, and three in Canada. There are twenty-five men committed to TFC; some are full-time and others are still raising their own support. Presently, TFC has opened six new Chapels this year. In September alone, we opened three Chapels with one more by the end of the year. That will give us a total of sixteen Chapels. We thank God for each and every one of them. Think how many men and women we will be able to reach out to this year alone! Our goal is to place one hundred permanent Chapels by the year 2000. It cost nearly $100,000.00 to build, staff and administer a Chapel the first year. One hundred Chapels will allow us to minister to between 300,000 and 400,000 drivers each year and see between 10,000 and 15,000 trust Christ as their Savior. We are now getting invitations by truckstop owners who are willing to underwrite a significant part of the construction cost, provide meals for the Chaplains and cover the liability insurance. All other expenses are covered by individual contributions. The Highway News and Good News magazine has a current circulation of 40,000 per month. It is a sixteen page publication distributed to truckers free of charge. In the first six months of 1992 alone, over seventy sent in decision slips indicating a first time commitment to Christ through the magazine. It is the desire of Transport For Christ to form a partnership with the local church. We anticipate having several hundred Affiliate Churches working hand in hand with TFC, joined to the common purpose, "To Win Truck Drivers to Jesus Christ and Establish Them in Their Faith." TRANSPORT FOR CHRIST AND YOU What can the local church do to begin to reach out to the millions of truck drivers who travel the highways of North America? The task may sound impossible but to God "... all things are possible." Within this partnership between Transport For Christ and the Affiliate Church is an open exchange of needs and ideas. We both are joining together for one common purpose, "Winning Truck Drivers to Jesus Christ and Establishing Them in Their Faith." CURRENT NEEDS: STAFF SUPPORT - Our Staff Chaplains each raise their own support. They must each go out among their friends and local churches, sharing their vision and their needs. A Chaplain must have 70% of his finances raised before he can go on staff full time. MOBILE CHAPEL FUND - This fund is used to cover the cost of construction and maintenance of our Mobile Chapels along with furnishing it with Bibles and follow-up material. INTERNATIONAL OFFICE SUPPORT - The International Office is in need of funds to enable the Executive Director to visit various Bible Schools and Seminary campuses to recruit future staff from among the older graduating students. Staff training, follow-up correspondence, and developing relationships with truckstop owners are but a few of the needs for which resources need to be developed. Currently, TFC has more opportunities to place Chapels than we have staff for the Chapels. Laborers is still the crying need in TFC as well as throughout the Body of Christ. CHURCH VOLUNTEERS - It is our intention to have two full-time Chaplains on staff at each of our locations. They will work seven days on and seven days off. At this current time, most of our Chapels only have one full-time Chaplain. We are in great need for that second full-time staff Chaplain. In the meantime, we need volunteers to step forward and give some time on the Chapel to give our staff the time off that they need to be with their own families. WHAT ELSE CAN THE LOCAL CHURCH DO? Your church may not be in an area that is close to a TFC Chapel but there is a truckstop nearby. You have truck drivers in your congregation and you would like to minister to them. The following is a list of different things that churches are now doing throughout the country to meet the needs of their local drivers: 1. Hold a service somewhere drivers congregate (truckstops, rest areas, truck terminals or loading areas, etc.). 2. Minister one on one with drivers whenever possible. 3. Provide tracts and the Highway News and Good News magazine where drivers can pick them up. 4. Provide your Sunday services on cassette to the drivers. (One church makes 20 copies a week and gives them away at a local truckstop.) 5. Provide transportation to your church services from the truckstops. 6. Have someone on call to pray with, counsel, and help truckers in need. 7. Develop a ministry to the families of local drivers, helping them in emergencies when dad is miles away. 8. Help the truckstop deal with stranded motorists and homeless. This will develop a good relationship with the truckstop management and employees; they need the Lord as well. (A good relationship between church and truckstop can help keep pornography and gambling out of your community.) These are just a few ideas. Your group may develop others as they get involved and listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit. If your church will begin an outreach just to the drivers that live in or drive through your community, then we can begin to have an impact on the 8 1/2 million drivers in North America. It can only be done if each one of us begins to do our part. Will you let your church join with TFC to begin to reach this dynamic industry for the Lord? This kind of ministry can: turn the focus of your church "outward" toward a lost world outside the doors, help fulfill the Great Commission, create a setting by which church members can respond to God's call into full-time ministry, give every person the opportunity to be involved in evangelism, provide a platform for mission's teaching to the church, and bring God's blessing to an "evangelistic" church. I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider Transport For Christ as worthy of your financial investment through your missions program. Your support will assist us greatly as we seek to give ourselves fully to "Winning Truck Drivers to Jesus Christ." I trust this glimpse into Transport For Christ is helpful. Thank you for considering Transport For Christ in your budget. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me personally. (Editors note: For more information about TFC, please see the Testimony and Feature areas of this issue of Morning Star.) Transport for Christ International Bruce Prestidge, Executive Director P.O. Box 303 Denver, Pennsylvania 17517-0303 Phone (215) 267-2444 FAX (215) 267-4181 Canada Address: Box 2321 Clearbrook, BC V2T 4X2 Phone (Canada) (604) 856-8024 Education Education THE BATTLE OVER VALUES IN SCHOOL The following is from the Christian School Comment newsletter written by Dr. Paul A. Kienel, Executive Director of the Association of Christian schools International based in La Mirada, California. We, in Christian school education, should not gloat over the struggle public school educators are having with moral values. They have a problem we do not have. They are caught in a system without a moral base and have no moral "bottom line." The "moral ozone" is depleting all around them but unless laws are changed at the state and federal level they cannot appropriate, study, or otherwise defer to moral absolutes as defined by God in the Bible. Officially and legally these educators are restrained from utilizing biblical morality. They are restricted to synthetic man-made morality which inevitably leads to squabbles about which man's (or woman's) morality will prevail. Quite frankly, my heart goes out to them because they are trapped in a moral "black hole" with no way out. Short of a national spiritual awakening where lawmakers change laws and lift the ban on Bible-based morality in the public schools, there is no hope. They need our prayers. The spiritual well being of 41 million students is at stake! Thankfully, a growing number of public school educators and education professors realize there is a problem but their focus, regretfully, is NOT on the Word of God as the solution. Gary Adams, a writer for The Los Angeles Times, reported the following: This month Boston College education professor William K. Kilpatrick will issue a manifesto calling for widespread teaching of character education, mainly by using great works of literature from various cultures as vehicles for moral instruction. Citing a variety of sources, Kilpatrick notes that each year, nearly 3 million crimes are committed on or near school property, about 135,000 students carry guns to school and that 21% of all secondary school students avoid using school restrooms because they fear harm or intimidation. Thomas Lickona, an education professor at the State University of New York and author of last year's "Educating for Character," notes that within the last three to four years "virtually every state education department" has issued recommendations that schools teach character education. But Lickona is skeptical that reading great books alone can build great character. "I just consulted with a school this week where the kids are reading all the great literature and they're robbing each other blind," he says. 1 As the moral dilemma of the public schools deepens more and more, articles documenting the problem are appearing in major publications. The following statement appeared recently in a full-page article in The Wall Street Journal: In the 1960s, many educators decided that teaching clear moral lessons was strong. Values, they said, were relative and personal. Instead of being taught right from wrong, children should go through "values clarification" exercises that helped them understand their values, no matter what they were. Aspiring to be either a saint or an ax murderer was all right, as long as you knew what your values were. ... teachers were told that all values were relative and personal. Many texts with moral messages of right and wrong were supplanted by values-neutered texts. One commonly used textbook described the Pilgrims not as seekers of religious freedom but as "people who take long trips." "Schools didn't want to indoctrinate children," says University of Illinois values education expert Edward A. Wynne. Instead, schools turned to "values clarification" - often exercises that tried to get children to figure out and embrace their own values, no matter what they were. Typical were exercises where children were told that World War III was beginning, and only six of ten individuals, whose personality traits were described, could enter the fallout shelter. If the child said the ax murderer should live and the nun should die, that was fine. Some teachers, notes Gary Edwards of the Ethics Resource Center, began questioning, "What would we say to the little Charlie Manson who clarified his values?" "Teachers have recognized that they have to do something, or not live through their classes. Pluralistic societies need common values or tribalism takes over," he warns. 2 In the 1960s public school educators drifted into "values clarification" because they were misled by nonbiblical thinkers who convinced them that mankind, including children, comes into the world with a human nature that is basically good. Since Johnny's nature is already good, they said, who are we as parents and educators trying to impose our values on a child who is already good and on his or her way to getting better and better. Dale Stringer, associate superintendent of schools in Clovis, California said recently, "Values are the underpinning of everything we do."3 Clearly, the public school community is backing away from their "no values" position to acknowledging the need for values in education, but the federal ban on the Bible as a moral base for values leaves them in a quagmire of whose values are to be taught. Let their dilemma be a lesson to us in Christian school education. One of the oldest traditional values of our country is a high regard for the Holy Scriptures. Dr. Kenneth O. Gangel provides the following illustration: During pioneer days, the American west kept in touch with the established portion of the country through the Pony Express, a 1900-mile trail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. Forty men, each riding fifty miles a day, utilized 500 of the best horses in the west to make the journey in ten days. Their clothing was light - their saddles thin. The horses wore small shoes or none at all. Yet each man carried a full-sized Bible presented to him when he joined the Pony Express team. 4 The public school community cannot use the Bible as their moral point of reference but we can. Let's not shrink for one moment from our mission to provide our students with a strong academic program which is fully integrated with Bible-based morality. Our 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, said it best, "To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society." 1. Gary Adams, "Building Better Characters," The Los Angeles Times, October 1, 1992, P. 2. 2. Sonia L. Nazario, "Right and Wrong," The Wall Street Journal, September 11, 1992, B-6. 3. Ibid. 4. Kenneth O. Gangel, (Forward) Handbook for Christian Living, Thomas Nelson publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1991. Testimony Testimony WHY THE MINISTRY WORKS Transport for Christ is in the mainstream of a trucker's life. Trained and dedicated Chaplains are on duty at the Mobile Chapel - 24 hours a day - 365 days a year. They provide counseling, encouragement and worship services for truck drivers. Testimonies of a few truck drivers are as follows: KEN: "I ran into this church on wheels by accident when I decided to pull into this truck stop in Elkton, Maryland. When I realized it was a church, I walked in just to get some answers from the Chaplain on why I have been running from myself for such a long time," said Ken Faircloth, of Maryland. Today, Ken is free from a 15-year drug addiction and has given his habit and life to Christ. SHELBY: "It's a long, lonely road out there and driving truck is challenging," said Shelby Stone of North Carolina. "Transport for Christ understands - they're right there with you. The Chaplain was also a former truck driver and he knew exactly what I was going through," she said. For many years, Shelby had been trying to pick up the pieces after an alcoholic spouse shattered their marriage. TFC made a difference by understanding, which helped her to accept Christ and give her burdens to Him. BOB: "I'm very involved in the ministry of Transport for Christ and I can tell you it is greatly needed," confirmed Bob Stevenson, Ontario, Canada. "My personal thanks to TFC for all you are to the truck driver." Many Christian drivers spend days and weeks away from home, family and church. The ministry of Transport for Christ helps to encourage and strengthen the Christian trucker while they are on the road. Following are a few excerpts from recent logs kept by the TFC Chaplains: BRIAN: I was going around the parking lot inviting drivers into the Chapel. I stopped to talk with Brian. He had several questions concerning the Bible. I answered them the best I could. He had more questions about what it meant to be a real Christian. I presented the plan of salvation from the Bible. Brian said yes to Jesus and invited Him into his heart. He joined us later for services in the Chapel - truly changed. He said he would be seeing us again soon. FRANK: Frank came into the chapel around 9:15 at night. He said that he was very mixed up - depressed and stressed out. We talked until late. We talked about many things - about his childhood, how his mother was very difficult to talk to. He had much anger in his life. He and his brothers don't talk to each other. He's having problems with his dispatcher at the company he works with. He lives in a pick-up truck camper. I listened while he talked. Frank is a believer - so I shared with him that he needs to forgive his family for their failures and make sure that his relationship with God is right. Pray for Frank. GENE: Gene came in with much heaviness and anger. He is experiencing real difficulties in his marriage and feels like people are just using him. After much discussion and sharing, I showed Gene the plan of salvation from the Bible. Gene prayed and felt a great release with much joy and tears as he left for his next destination. Thanks be to God for ministering to so many hurting people on the roads. LAWRENCE: Lawrence came into the Chapel about midnight after a rather quiet day. I first met Lawrence about two years ago when he came to a chapel in a desperate state. I saw him twice after that time but had not seen him in about a year. I recently wrote him a letter to let him know that I was thinking about him and to encourage him. He came into the Chapel to thank me for the letter and to let me know that we had pretty much saved his life two years ago. We talked 'til 2:00 in the morning. It is so encouraging to see how Jesus can deliver lives. Thank you Lord. (Editor's note: The following testimony is from a man who has felt the love of God in his life and is willing to share it with others. He was led by the Lord to minister to the truck drivers.) HOW FAR DOES GOD'S LOVE REACH? By Chaplain Jay LeRette How far does God's love reach? For me it took six years in jails, prisons and mental institutions to quit trying to live life on my own and to submit my life to God's love. I had one month to go and I knew that the way I was living was a complete waste. I reached down to a little Gideon New Testament and I read where Christ died for me while I was still a sinner. It really spoke to my heart to know that I had such a loving Father who loved me so much even with the condition I was in. Can it be true? Did God really love me as rotten as I was? Even in that jail cell, God heard my prayer. Lord Jesus, I ask you to forgive me for living life on my own and I just pray that you will forgive me and cleanse me and set me free. Since that prayer, I have been free by the power of Jesus Christ. In that jail cell, I could feel the glory of God and His love and I could feel His forgiveness. I knew He was a merciful God and I knew He had a plan for my life. After my release from jail, I began to work at a local factory in northern Illinois. While there, I met my wife Karen, and began to share my faith with others and led a local Bible study. I also began to minister at the local jail and nursing home. But I was still looking for God to do something special in my life. Shortly after this time, I was hurt in an industrial accident. The company terminated me after this point because of my back condition. Now I found myself with a wife and three children out on the street with nothing. It was really a time that we had to put our trust in Jesus. God provided me a backhoe and a truck and I began to do some dirt work in the area. It was an odd job here and a little carpentry there and it all led to the business I have to this day. But God still had more for me. A couple of men from my church heard about Transport for Christ from the Focus on the Family radio program and felt that TFC was the place for me. So the church got together and sent me to Pennsylvania to take a closer look at TFC. I went out, but I really wasn't interested. I'm not a trucker and I didn't understand the things that drivers go through. How could I minister to them? It didn't take me long to learn. I finally made it to bed that first night on the Chapel at 2:00 A.M. I was worn out but I didn't want to leave. I was afraid I might miss something special, several drivers had already come to the Lord. As I was lying there, I began to weep at the prospect that God would use someone like myself to see men and women come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I am so happy to share with others, what Jesus has done in my life. I love people so much because I am so glad that someone loved me enough to share Jesus Christ with me. It is an extreme privilege for me to go out and do the same thing. It has been two years now and I am ready to go to work full-time at the new Chapel at the Rochelle Petro, near Chicago, Illinois. Please continue to pray for me and my family. God bless you all! (Editor's note: For more information on Transport for Christ, please see the Ministry Profile and the Feature area in this issue of Morning Star.) Transport for Christ International c/o Jay LeRette P.O. Box 303 Denver, Pennsylvania 17517-0303 Praise and Prayer Praise and Prayer PRAISE AND PRAYER is our international prayer link column. Send your praise report or prayer request to MORNING STAR for publication in our next issue. Call on your brothers and sisters worldwide and together we will call on God! PRAISE REPORTS: Pastor John of New York thanks all the Brothers and Sisters and most importantly, God Almighty, for answered prayers in the family. Please keep his parents and nephew's wife in prayer for their salvation. Thank the Lord that Richard of PA has recovered completely from the infection he had following surgery of a gangrenous gall bladder. Karen Kay offers praise to the Lord for her pastor who went to India for 3 weeks. Many people were healed, and many have accepted Jesus as Lord! William thanks the Lord for providing financial help to his school. Bonnie thanks the Lord for the job that has been provided for her daughter. Diane in Texas praises the Lord for a friend who has recommited her life to the Lord. PRAYER REQUESTS: Churches in Ft. Worth, Texas, have scheduled retreats for men on Nov. 6 & 7th, 1992. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will raise up our men, in our churches, and our nation to take their Biblical place of holiness, leadership and honor. Pray for Walter in Texas for wisdom and tact in dealing with a circumstance on the job. Pray that a new Chief will be chosen in his department so that Walter can return to his regular job. Pray for Wanda's nephew Billy in Florida. Pray that the Lord will lead and protect him in every way. Pray for Lyle's father in California who is dying of cancer. Pray for J. L. Garland who is dying of cancer and Barbara A. who is undergoing chemo for cancer after surgery. Pray for "N's" sister in Florida who is pregnant. She needs a healing touch from the Lord, both physical and spiritual. Pray for Betty's sister in Maryland who is going through a serious crisis now and needs prayer. Pray also for Betty's friend who started drinking again after 3 1/2 yrs of being alcohol free. Thomas from N.C. asks for prayer concerning the affect the Media has on our society. Pray for Jane of CA. for her physical and spiritual needs. Pray for Don, Alice and Dominic who need jobs in California. Pray for Pastor Geoff Kragen. The church board, at their meeting this week, will be discussing bringing him on full time. This will allow him to give up his part time job allowing him to have more administrative time as well as more time for his message preparation and work on Morning Star. They also want to add a support group for adult victims of childhood sexual abuse and this will allow him to do that too. Rob asks for prayer. He and his wife have been apart for 9 months but the Lord has kept her from getting a divorce, and she is seeking His will. He covets all the prayers they can get for intercession and submission to His will. Steven asks for prayer for trouble he is having at work right now. He needs the Lord to change some bad habits that he has and needs HIM also to change some people at work. He also requests help for his future housing as he is in the process of selling his house of five years in a very tough market. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). CFI Reports CFI Reports CFI REPORTS is our monthly column dedicated to the ministries of CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL in Jerusalem. Our October 1991 issue of MORNING STAR (Volume 1.1) presented a summary of the various CFI ministries and explained the foundational principles and objectives of CFI. In this issue, we feature the monthly WATCHMAN'S PRAYER LETTER from Jerusalem as well as a wonderful video and T-shirt offer from CFI. ------------------------- WATCHMAN'S PRAYER LETTER - OCTOBER 1992 As Watchmen on the walls for the nation of Israel, we have been given an opportunity to step into the breach for Israel through our prayers. True, earnest prayer can change circumstances. Its clear characteristic is that it is persistent and earnest because an effective intercessor keeps a focus in mind and does not give up quickly. Effective prayer costs time and strength. "... to pray correctly means to keep on praying until God answers". (Praying Hyde). This is the Jewish New Year of 5753. In home ceremonies around Israel the following theme will be emphasized according to the Rabbinic forum of the United Jewish Appeal, "Awake, sleepers from your sleep, arise slumberers from your slumber". An awakening is being prayed for this year. Won't you join in persevering prayer with the Jewish people at this time? An hour of true intercession for Israel will call us away from all worldly cares, bidding us to the Father's throne in petition to Him on behalf of His beloved Israel. As you take your station waiting upon the Lord, may your spirit burn within to see Israel return and awaken. Freezing home building in Judea, Samaria and Gaza seems a major commitment the new Government of Israel is determined to keep. Promises of only partial withdrawal without additional promises of towns and villages not having to be abandoned have not yet been made. Difficult and arduous "peace talks" continue with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shara reiterating a traditional Syrian demand for complete Israeli withdrawal from the whole of the Golan. He has yet to mention that the purpose of the peace talks is for a "peace treaty" with Israel. INTERCEDE for the inhabitants in the villages on the Golan to look to God for help in this difficult time. "At that day shall a man look to His Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 17:7). PRAY that Israeli outposts watching Damascus will not be caught off guard by any surprise attack from Syria. The Golan is traversable in one hour and missiles would reach Israel in seconds if launched. Pray for Israeli soldiers to know that God is their true Defense. "Unto thee, O My Strength, will I sing: for God is my Defense ...". (Psalm 59:17). LAY HOLD on God's promises for the people of Israel to possess the Land which God gave as an ongoing possession. May the Counsels of God be acknowledged. "For all the Land which thou seest, to thee (Abraham) will I (God) give it (Israel) and to thy seed (the Jewish people) forever. (Genesis 13:15; Amos 9:14-15). PRAY EARNESTLY that Israel will not be deceived by Syria's delegates to the "peace talks". Smirks have been exchanged for smiles, cold rudeness to affable handshakes (butter & oil) when no actual change in the Syrian position of "withdrawal from all occupied territories" has been made. "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart, his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords." (Psalm 55: 21) . PLEAD GOD'S MERCY for a halt to the feverish pace of the Damascus arms build-up of nuclear weapons which indicates (by its deeds) that it is preparing for Israel's destruction. Read Isaiah 17:1. Immigration also has a direct influence on the peace process as it has shattered the Arab illusion that Israel was a temporary phenomenon that would disappear from the region in the future. STAND BOLDLY against lies and spreading of misinformation such as that the immigrants are settled in Judea and Samaria when truthfully only one percent live in the territories. "But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped." (Psalm 63:11) INTERCEDE for the 250 Bosnian Jews with whom the Jewish Agency has lost contact. Pray that they will be found. There are 300 Ashkenazi Jews in Sukhumi who are in danger and 180,000 Jews living in Moslem dominated republics of the former Soviet Union who need to get to Israel. May they safely reach their borders. "And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border." (Jeremiah 31:17). Should a sudden tidal wave of immigration from the former Soviet Union take place, please pray that ministries such as Christian Friends of Israel and others will be prepared to help meet the tremendous challenges that the new immigrants will face once they arrive. Pray we will help to get them home and help them once they are here. "... I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles ... and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters will be carried upon their shoulders." (Isaiah 49:22). "And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls ...". (Isaiah 60:10). PREVAIL WITH GOD for an increase in numbers of Jewish people living in the nations to leave lives of ease and comfort to obey the call from the Lord to "come home". When they hear the "inner whistle in the heart", may they obey. "And He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly." (Isaiah 5:26). In Israel, many have turned from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the Rock of their Strength and Salvation. Because of this, Israel is facing widespread drug dealing, addiction, waves of thefts, robberies and greed. Words of concern from the Prime Minister of Israel has recently said: "...in the once-compassionate Jewish heart, I find too much argumentativeness and too little concern for one's fellow man. What has happened to us?". This statement expresses a real need for sincere prayer. PRAY SINCERELY for "every man to speak truth to his neighbor, and to execute the judgment of truth and desire peace in his gates." (Zechariah 8:16). EARNESTLY PRESS THROUGH IN PRAYER for the Jewish people to respond to the sounds of the shofar (Joel 2:1) by meeting their responsibility to the God of Israel humbling themselves (as we all need to do), turning from their wicked was so that God can heal their Land. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (II Chronicles 7:14). THE ROSH HASHANAH 5753 HOME CEREMONY READS AS SUCH: "For centuries Jews have been awakened by the yearly call of the shofar, which arouses in us our sense of responsibility to G-d, the Torah and the Nation of Israel ... we are awakened by the sound of history, a sound as loud and piercing as the Tekiah, Shevarim and Teruah ..." Tekiah: The sound of the redemption of Ethiopian Jewry as the last remnants are being brought to Israel. Shevarim: The sound of more than 350,000 Jews from the C.I.S. who have been ingathered during the past three years. Teruah: In spite of the threatening sounds of anti-semitism, we are hearing new sound of Jewish vitality in centers throughout Eastern Europe. May these sounds lead to a spiritual awakening .. In Messiahs Love, Sharon Sanders, Jerusalem Please copy and disseminate this prayer material as far and wide as possible to the Body of Christ for prayer purposes. For further information on building the Wall of Prayer, Write to CFI. Street Address: P O Box 1813 Jerusalem 91015 ISRAEL Tel: 972-2-894172/187 Fax: 972-2-894955 ------------------------- Christian Friends of Israel presents ... STANDING WITH ISRAEL We are pleased to announce the completion of a 41-minute video on the ministry of CFI in Israel. This project has been under consideration for some time awaiting God's clear confirmation. The Lord made provision for the undertaking and we believe this video's impact will awaken many believers to the opportunity of blessing Israel. The ministry of CFI has grown substantially during the past three years and it seemed to us a video was the best medium to communicate the many facets of the work. We have attempted to portray the heart of the ministry through interviews with Russian and Ethiopian immigrants, Holocaust survivors and Israelis who have received assistance through CFI. The Distribution Center and Ministry Office are both featured along with interviews of staff and volunteers whom the Lord have called to Israel to minister His unconditional love for the people of the Land. We encourage you to purchase this video for sharing with those who have a heart for Israel and the Jewish people. The cost is $15 US or Foreign Currency Equivalent, which includes postage. Please complete the order form below and return to our Jerusalem office. ------------------------- ORDER FORM FOR "STANDING WITH ISRAEL" Cost $15.00 U.S. or F.C.E. Length: 41 minutes Please send me .... VHS - PAL _________ (quantity) VHS - NTSC ________ (quantity) Total Amount Enclosed ... U.S.$_______ (or foreign currency equivalent) Name________________________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________________ City, State, Zip____________________________________________ Country ______________________ Payment should be made in U.S. dollars or Foreign Currency Equivalent. Please make checks payable to CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL. Return this- order form to Christian Friends of Israel, PO Box 1813, Jerusalem 91015 ISRAEL --------------------------- T-SHIRTS Did you know that you were able to own an original "Christian Friends of Israel" T-Shirt which you can wear as a witness to your Jewish friends in your home town? To order one, write to us today. We have Medium, Large and X-tra large sizes (both long and short sleeves available in beautiful powder blue with the white CFl logo on the front). Each T-Shirt is $10.00 (U.S.) plus $2.00 postage. -------------------------- ORDER FORM FOR CFI T-SHIRTS Please send me _____ T-Shirts (quantity) Specify sizes _____________ Total Amount Enclosed..U.S. $ _______ (or foreign currency equivalent) Name ______________________________ Address ____________________________ City, State, Zip ______________________ Country _____________________________ Please make checks payable to Christian Friends of Israel Return this order form to Christian Friends of Israel, PO Box 1813, Jerusalem 91015 ISRAEL Music Column Music Column SONGS OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING By Teresa Giordanengo "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting: and His truth endureth to all generations" (Psalm 100:4-5). Thanksgiving is the name of a day set aside each year to remind our nation how much we owe our Maker. From the very first Thanksgiving celebration, when the Pilgrims settled in America, there was much to be thankful for. One of Charles Wesley's hymns wishes for a "thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise." We should at least use the one we have, to the best of our ability! A thankful spirit, both for the good and the difficult, is one of the important indicators of a believer's spiritual condition. A grateful person is a happy one. As August Ludwig Storm wrote, in his first stanza of "Thanks To God For My Redeemer": Thanks, O God, for boundless mercy from Thy gracious throne above; thanks for ev'ry need provided from the fullness of Thy love! Thanks for daily toil and labor and for rest when shadows fall; thanks for love of friend and neighbor and Thy goodness unto all! I like the traditional hymn that children love to sing in Sunday school. Their faces are beaming with huge smiles and sparkling eyes as they sing and clap their hands to "Praise Him". The song says to Praise Him, Praise Him ... Praise Him in the morning, Praise Him at the noon-time. Praise Him, Praise Him ... Praise Him when the sun goes down. The additional verses are, Love Him ... Serve Him ... and Thank Him. Yes, I believe that singing warms the heart and smiles are contagious. We SHOULD be happy ... we have much to be thankful for and we know that we have been redeemed and that Heaven is our future home. I am sure we all remember the chorus, "Thank you, Lord" by Seth and Bessie Sykes. Let's sing it together ... : Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul; Thank You, Lord, for making me whole; Thank You, Lord, for giving to me ... Thy great salvation so rich and free. How about this one! "I Love You, Lord" by Laurie Klein. When was the last time we told the Lord that we loved Him? Here are the words to this lovely chorus: I love you, Lord, ... and I lift my voice ... To worship You; O my soul, rejoice! Take joy, my King ... in what You hear: ... May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear. No Thanksgiving Day service seems to be complete without the singing of this traditional Dutch hymn, whose author is unknown. I am sure you remember these words to the hymn, "We Gather Together": We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing, He chastens and hastens His will to make known; The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing, Sing praises to His name-He forgets not His own. An excellent way to memorize scripture is by setting the words to music. I have many favorites, but the one that comes to mind concerning thanksgiving is this one, taken from I Thessalonians 5:16-18: In everything give thanks, this is the will of God. In everything give thanks, this is the will of God. In everything give thanks, this is the will of God, In Christ Jesus, concerning you. The words go on to say that we should pray without ceasing and that we should rejoice evermore in Christ Jesus! J.S. Bach said that the aim and final reason for all music should be nothing else but the glory of God and the refreshment of the spirit. To give glory to God should be the greatest desire of every Christian. This reminds me of the beautiful hymn, "To God be the Glory", written by Fanny J. Crosby. One of the stanzas is: To God be the glory-great things He has done! So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, And opened the lifegate that all may go in. Chorus: Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory-great things He hath done! There are many aspects of our life and world that we take for granted at times. It could be our health, family, friends, home, our country, and even life itself. The hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth" written by Folliott S. Pierpoint, lists some of God's blessings to us, as in the first stanza: For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies, For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies. Lord of all, to thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise. Throughout the Bible, singing is often spoken of as a "sacrifice of joy" or a "sacrifice of praise". Hebrews 13:15 says that "By him (Jesus Christ) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." The last stanza of "For the Beauty of the Earth" reminds me of this scripture verse: For Thy Church that evermore, Lifteth holy hands above, Offering up on every shore, Her pure sacrifice of love. Lord of all, to Thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise. A beautiful hymn, that reminds us to be thankful in whatever situation we find ourselves, was written by Lanny Wolfe; "In Everything Give Thanks": In everything, give Him thanks, give Him thanks; ... In everything give Him thanks; ... In the good times, praise His name, In the bad times, do the same; ... In everything, give the King of Kings all the thanks! We thank the Lord for the many blessings that are ours. Most of all we thank God for sending Jesus. Thank you Jesus for being willing to come to earth and die on the cross to redeem us. We know that where you are, someday we will be also. Thank you for sticking closer than a brother, for your word says that you will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). We are grateful to God for this privilege of proclaiming His message. May this be a time when we all truly pause to remember and to thank God for the enormous blessings we have received in this land. May we commit ourselves afresh and anew to a spiritual revival in America! Chef's Corner Chef's Corner A TRADITIONAL HARVEST FEAST THANKSGIVING just wouldn't be the same without the turkey - it's been an American tradition ever since the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth colony. The following recipes will serve six people. To prepare, wash a 12 to 14-pound turkey in cold running water. Pat the inside dry with paper toweling; leave the outside moist. Sprinkle the inside cavities with salt and pepper. In a large saucepan, heat 1 cup butter or margarine. Add 1 cup chopped onion and cook until onion is tender but not brown. Add 4 cups water, 1 cup orange juice, 3 tablespoons grated orange rind, 4 cups chopped celery, 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil and stir in 5 1/3 cups packaged precooked rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chopped parsley. Fluff with fork. Stuff rice mixture in neck and body cavities of turkey. Fasten neck skin to body with skewer. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in shallow open roasting pan. Cover with a loose tent of aluminum foil if desired. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 hours and 30 minutes of cooking time. If you wish, gravy may be prepared from turkey drippings. If you plan your cooking schedule so that the turkey has 15 to 20 minutes to set after being removed from oven, carving will be much easier. To prepare BAKED TANGERINES, make eight vertical cuts in the tangerine skin from blossom end to about one inch from the bottom. Pull peel down; turn pointed ends in. Remove white membrane from fruit. Loosen sections at center; pull apart slightly. Place in baking pan. Fill center of each tangerine with 1 teaspoon sugar and dot with 1 teaspoon butter. Pour 2/3 cup orange juice over tangerines. Bake in 325-degree oven for 30 minutes. Spoon a small amount of Orange-Cranberry Relish in center of each and serve with turkey. ORANGE-CRANBERRY RELISH is good, not only with Baked Tangerines, but by itself as a side dish. It can be prepared several weeks before your dinner. Quarter two oranges and remove seeds. Force orange with peel and 4 cups fresh cranberries through food chopper. Add 2 cups sugar and mix well. Chill in refrigerator for several hours before serving. Relish will keep in refrigerator for several weeks. BRUSSEL SPROUTS ROYAL combines the flavors of water chestnuts and brussel sprouts into an exciting vegetable dish. Halve the larger sprouts of two 10-ounce packages frozen brussel sprouts. Drain one 5-ounce can of water chestnuts, reserving liquid. Dice chestnuts. Add enough water to chestnut juice to make 1 cup liquid. Pour liquid into saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 cup snipped parsley. Bring to a boil. Add brussel sprouts. Simmer, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off liquid; toss in 1/4 cup butter and diced chestnuts. Simply delicious! Another great flavor combination is CAULIFLOWER WITH ALMONDS. To prepare, steam one large cauliflower for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, saute 1/2 cup slivered almonds, 1 cup soft bread crumbs, and one minced garlic clove in 4 tablespoons butter until almonds are golden and crumbs crisp. Serve the sauce over cauliflower. PUMPKIN CHIFFON PIE is the traditional Thanksgiving favorite. Beat 3 egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until thick. Add 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Cook in double boiler until thick. Then add one envelope unflavored gelatin softened in 1/4 cup cold water. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Beat 3 egg whites with 1/2 cup sugar until stiff. Add to pumpkin mixture. Pour into a 9-inch pie shell. Chill until set. If desired, top with sweetened whipped cream before serving. ORANGE CREPES are sure to please everyone! Beat three eggs and two egg yolks together. Add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons salad oil, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon grated orange rind. Beat until smooth. Let stand at room temperature for at least one hour. Then brush a hot 7 or 8-inch skillet lightly with salad oil. Pour 2 tablespoons batter onto skillet. Tip skillet so that mixture covers the bottom evenly. Batter will set immediately into a thin, lacy pancake. Cook for about 15 to 20 seconds until brown. Loosen with spatula and flip over. Brown other side and turn crepe out onto foil or waxed paper. Repeat until all batter is used. To prepare the ORANGE SAUCE that gives these crepes their delightful flavor and texture, cream 1/2 cup soft butter with 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon grated orange rind. Gradually blend in 3 tablespoons grenadine. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of this mixture over each crepe, spreading it on the last-browned side. Roll up crepes so that the side first browned - the most attractive side - shows. Place the rest of the butter mixture in a large chafing dish. Add 1/3 cup orange juice. Heat in dish until bubbly. Add rolled crepes and heat, spooning sauce over top. Add 1 cup orange sections, and heat for two or three minutes longer. LEFTOVER TURKEY DELIGHT features the flavors of Italian cooking in a certain-to-please dish. Combine one 1-pound 12-ounce can tomatoes, and 2 1/4 cups tomato juice, 1/4 cup cooking oil, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped green pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon garlic salt in a large saucepan. Stir in 1 cup long grain rice. Cover and bring to a boil. Add two 9-ounce packages frozen artichoke hearts -thawed- 3 to 4 cups diced cooked turkey, and 1/2 cup sliced stuffed green olives. Turn into a 3-quart casserole dish or into two small casserole dishes. Cover and bake, stirring occasionally, in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Garnish with stuffed green olives. (NOTE: This dish may be frozen after baking and served later, if desired.) MINCEMEAT CAKE may be prepared weeks in advance, wrapped in foil, and refrigerated. Combine 1 cup mincemeat, 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, 1 teaspoon orange juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla. In a separate bowl, blend 1 cup mayonnaise with 1 1/2 cups buttermilk. Into this mixture sift 3 1/4 cups sifted flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon soda. Add the grated rind of one orange and mix well. Stir in mincemeat mixture. Pour into tube cake pan lined with heavy brown paper. Bake at 325 degrees for two hours. Cool on wire racks. Frost with your favorite fruit-flavored butter frosting. Potpourri Potpourri ENCOURAGE YOUR PASTOR If you like the pastor's sermon, Why not stop and tell him so? It will give him inspiration - More than you will ever know. If you like the work he is doing, Do not be afraid to say; It will give him added courage, For the burden of the day. If you think he's being partial To some members of his flock, He is merely being friendly - Do not start a lot of talk! Just remember he has trials, Just the same as you and I; Though he can't please all the people, Neither could our Lord on high. If you have a word of kindness - Not a lot of flowery praise - You should let your pastor know it; It will brighten up his days. -Anonymous NEVER ENDING I sat down to count my blessings, And how numerous they be, Since I gave my life to Jesus, And started the path to eternity. I remember in the beginning, The love that burned within my heart. That gave me a love for others, And gave my life a brand new start. I began to know the Savior, Who was only a story before. I grew to know Him intimately, To know His love more and more. I began to delve into His book, to learn the wisdom of all ages. And started to seek His perfect will, That I found throughout its pages. I have stood upon His promises, Through trial after trial and through tests. And have proved with understanding, That our loving God knows best. I have seen the times when I said I can't, And His word said, yes you can. So I believed what I read and proved I could, And overcame again and again. I have seen miracle after miracle, In things both great and small. And found everything was mine for the asking, As humbly on my Savior I called. I have learned He is my source of provision, Constantly providing in every way. No good thing has He withheld, He has showered blessings day by day. I've faced onslaughts of the enemy, With severe attacks of the mind. But I learned the battle was the Lord's, And through Him, great peace I did find. I recall the many times I did not know, The way in which I should go, Jesus whispered, "My child, be still, The road you should take, you will know." I know everything has worked for good, Though at times I could not see, The plan He was working out for my life, He's known what was best for me. I've found Him to be my comfort, In the loss of my mate, so dear. All the day long and in the night seasons, God's presence has been lovingly near. I find His blessings too great to number, In a volume of a book. But just thank Him and give Him praise, As over the years I look. I press on with Him, forgetting all behind, To the prize awaiting for me. Looking toward the portals of Heaven, Where Jesus, face to face, I'll see. By Liz Kidder (A BIBLE GAME) CAN YOU FIND 16 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE? I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible. It was a lulu, kept people looking so hard for facts and for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the name of the books were not capitalized, but the truth finally struck home to numbers of readers. To others, it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments for you. YES, THERE WILL BE SOME REALLY EASY ONES TO SPOT. Others may require judges to help them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a minister to find one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found. A little lady says she brews a cup of tea, so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now for there are really sixteen names of books of the Bible in this story. (Editor's note: The paragraph above contains the names of 16 books of the Bible. Some of the books can be found by connecting parts of words in succession. One preacher found 15 books in 20 minutes ... but it took him 3 weeks to find the sixteenth one.) FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES! A father asked his two year old son to recite to his dinner guests John 3:16. The little lad said, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only forgotten Son, ..." "That's begotten Son, not forgotten son" the father declared. But on second thought maybe we are in the mess we are in, in the world today, because we have forgotten God's Son, Jesus Christ! When we get discouraged, angry, extremely lonely or overwhelmed with the world's problems we have a tendency to lose perspective and forget who Jesus is. Resource Area Book Reviews Book Reviews THE OPEN CHURCH by James H. Rutz The SeedSowers, Auburn, MA, 1992 UNLEASHING THE CHURCH by Frank R. Tillapaugh Regal Books, Ventura California, 1982 (Review reprinted from Mornings Star, Volume 1 Number 5) WELL-INTENTIONED DRAGONS Marshall Shelley Word Book Publishers, Waco, TX, 1985 Books on churches and pastoral roles jam the shelves of Christian bookstores. They include everything from church growth manuals to books on how to be a better pastor/administrator. Many are helpful. But, many reflect the tendency of the world's methods moving into the church... Some are of mixed benefit. THE OPEN CHURCH may be one of these. James Rutz recognizes a major problem in the contemporary American Church. Since the early days of Christianity, there has been a steady drift toward assigning ministries to the "professional" rather than the lay Christian. The rise of the use of the terms laity and clergy is symbolic of this movement. Today in many churches the laity has come to the conclusion that only clergy are equipped to carry out the work of the ministry. Lay men and women are not necessary for the church to function. Or, so they believe. This certainly isn't the way God intended the church to operate. Rutz uses a very systematic approach to show the problem. In Part I of the book, he identifies what is the current view of the church. The problem within the contemporary church can be related to the end of persecution and the church's official recognition in 313 A.D. by Emperor Constantine I. The Church was no longer a home-based movement. Instead, it became building-bound. Part II of the book focuses on the change of believers from participants to spectators. Rutz identifies the rise of the clergy versus laity situation. He notes that Luther successfully rescued Christianity from the damage done by Roman Orthodoxy. Rutz proposes that Luther stopped too soon. Luther continued to perpetuate the division between lay people and leadership. Part III gives various examples of how to encourage the local church to become an "Open Church". This is the term Rutz uses to describe the local church where the people are the ones involved in ministry. The Open Church is described as follows: "In an open ministry church, the Holy Spirit is free to tap you on the shoulder and say, for instance, "Take a look at all those men living in cardboard boxes on South Main. I want you to start a soup kitchen for them." You're then allowed to stand during the sharing time on Sunday morning and say, 'I have a burden for a soup kitchen. Does anyone else care to join me in starting one?" You're encouraged to then go before the leaders and say, "Six of us want to set up and operate a soup kitchen. Will you back us up?" The leaders then pray and seek God's face about the project. If they approve, the may commit to you the support of the congregation, moral and financial" (p. 29). Part IV includes examples of how specific churches have put the open church concept into practice. The examples include articles by Ray Stedman about Peninsula Bible Church, Tommy Barnett and Leo Godzich at Phoenix First Assembly of God, and an account of Bread of Life Ministries. Much of THE OPEN CHURCH is excellent. One problem, found in many similar books, is a tendency to see the early church in Acts as normative for today. The author looks with nostalgia on the first century church and would like to take the church back there. This is neither necessary nor appropriate. As is frequently the case, when discussing the problem of clergy versus laity, there is a danger of throwing out the baby with the bath water. Nevertheless, when James Rutz calls for a return of ministry to all Christians, he demands what God desires. THE OPEN CHURCH deals with an important subject which all Christians must face. This book is well worth reading. However, if you only read one book on the subject of the importance of lay ministry, I recommend Frank Tillapuagh's UNLEASHING THE CHURCH. Tillapaugh's concern is the need for believers to advance the kingdom into the community. UNLEASHING THE CHURCH speaks to a concern for outreach. It also describes some of the ways Bear Valley Baptist Church in Denver has met these needs. The focus of this book is directed to the leaders of the local church. They are the ones who should be creating a climate in which the church is simply a "base of operations." From this base, the individual believer serves the Lord in the community, as directed by the Holy Spirit. Every believer must serve the Lord, consistent with the opportunity and gifts He has provided. Tillapaugh isn't saying Christians are to serve the community with a hidden agenda of making converts. Instead, believers are to work with the purpose of living out the reality of the Love of God. This is done by caring for those around them. Not surprisingly, where believers practice agape, souls will be saved. This book is highly recommended. Christians must develop the aggressive mentality of ambassadors for Christ in a fallen world. This book will give some clear direction in fulfilling the "Great Commission." UNLEASHING THE CHURCH should be read by both clergy and laity. While the pastor is struggling to open up his church, he still has to survive in ministry. As has been said, -The job would be easy except for the people.+ Marshall Shelley's speaks to this problem in WELL-INTENTIONED DRAGONS. The dust jacket describes well-intentioned dragons as "the sincere, well-meaning saints who leave ulcers, strained relationships, and hard feelings in their wake. They don't intend to be difficult; they don't consciously plot destruction. But for some reason, they undermine the ministry of the church and make pastors question their calling." This book is a record of some of the battles between pastors and their dragons. Some are humorous and some are frightening. But the purpose of the book is to help us identify our dragons. Pastors can learn to survive dragon attacks and deal with the resulting spiritual and emotional effects. Marshall gives examples of how pastors have kept their jobs in the midst of the attack. He shows how they found ways to minister to even these individuals. Remember, the focus of this book is on the "well-intentioned" saint. These are people who are committed to having the pastor "committed." These people drive the pastor nuts, with the best of intentions. The pastor must not only survive, but, if possible, care for and correct the dragons. The pastor isn't called to slay dragons, but in dependency on the Lord, tame them. Finally, Shelley calls the pastor to be aware that hard as it may be to believe, the dragons may be right. Even though the dragons are trying to incinerate the pastor, he shouldn't reject the concerns expressed by these parishioners. Every pastor finds himself fighting dragons. Therefore, every pastor should read WELL-INTENTIONED DRAGONS, a book in Word's Leadership Library. Newsdesk Newsdesk MORNING STAR NEWSDESK - November 1992 EC TO RENEW ECONOMIC TIES WITH ISRAEL European Commission President Jacques Delors told Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres that the EC would renew its economic accord with Israel to improve ties and support Middle East regional cooperation. He said that political developments toward regional cooperation and industrial changes in Israel meant the 1975 accord needed to be updated. "It is the duty of the Community, both politically and in terms of friendship, to take these new realities into account," Delors said in a rare joint appearance with a foreign leader. Peres added that Israel had sought the updating of the agreement to get better access to Community markets and to help correct Israel's trade deficit with the Community. The Israeli minister also stated that the EC could contribute to the Middle East peace process by trying to get all sides together in multilateral talks on regional issues such as water supplies, a key economic and environmental problem in the area. (JERUSALEM POST) SYRIA'S CONTINUED "PEACE MANEUVERS" Another North Korean ship load with missiles is on its way to the Middle East. U.S. intelligence reports that the vessel, carrying as many as 100 of the latest models of Scud ground-to-ground missiles, left North Korea in late October and is expected to dock at the Persian Gulf port of Bandar Abbas in Iran by the end of November. Half of the cargo is bound for the Iranian military and the other half will be shipped to Syria. (US NEWS & WORLD REPORT) JERUSALEM - THE TREMBLING CUP The Anglican Church in Jerusalem has joined with a world Islamic body to call for an international conference on the situation of Christians in the Holy Land. Uri Mor, director of the department for Christian Communities of the Religious Affairs Ministry, called the move a "gross attempt to interfere in political issues." (JERUSALEM POST) KNOW WHO THE ENEMY IS The U.S. State Department was more concerned about nuclear arms development by Israel than by Iraq in 1986. Documents uncovered during a recent House of Representatives investigation into pre-Gulf War U.S. policy on Iraq show that the State Department blocked the sale to Israel of a computer, Safari, which can be used for nuclear development, because Israel had not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Iraq, which had, was allowed to buy Safari. (THE JERUSALEM REPORT) AND MANY SHALL TRAVEL TO AND FRO Increasing congestion at Europe's busy airports has led to the European Parliament calling for a new supra-national Civil Aviation Authority, able to take wide-ranging planning decisions on air traffic control. There was a 60% jump in the number of flights across Europe's skies between 1986 and 1990, and an even bigger increase is expected by the end of the century as the countries of Central and Eastern Europe forge closer links with the Community. Transport committee spokesman, Enrique Sapena Granell believes the current systems are insufficient and that member states must agree to a coordinated planned strategy leading to a single system by the end of the decade in order to keep pace with projected traffic flows. (EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT - EP NEWS) THE EC TO THE RESCUE Following a public hearing involving economists, Russian political leaders and EC specialists concerned with the economic management of the former Soviet Union, Parliament called for a renewed effort from the international community and, in particular, the EC member states to step up economic assistance to the region. Sir Fred Catherwood, one of the prime movers in organizing the hearing, told the House it was now clear that the CIS states were facing a grave economic crisis with the prospect of soaring inflation and a huge jump in unemployment. The consensus emerging from the hearing was that what was needed was a free trade agreement with the European Community, which in itself would act as a catalyst to the revival of free trade between the republics and a rouble stabilization fund. (EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT - EP NEWS) GAINING GROUND IN THE OLD SOVIET UNION Southern Baptist evangelist Sammy Tippit got a warm reception when he preached in stadiums in three cities in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia last month. More than 15,000 people registered professions of faith in Christ in five days of meetings, said an official of the San Antonio-based Tippit ministry. In the city of Achinsk, about 1,000 people exited the stadium in a huff when Tippit gave his altar call, but 90% of the remaining 5,000 locals responded publicly to the invitation, the aide said. Moldavian students from Baptist Seminary in Oradea Romania, stayed behind to conduct follow-up Bible studies for the new converts, he added. (NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL RELIGION REPORT) LOSING GROUND AS WELL Egypt and some Gulf states will spend $50 million to build 10 Islamic centers in the newly independent Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union, the Cairo daily newspaper Al-Ahram reported. It quoted Egypt's minister of religious affairs as saying each center will include a section to teach the Koran, a school, a mosque, a library and a hospital. The paper did not say which Gulf states will put up money or how much Egypt's share is. Conservative Sunni-rules Arab countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia are competing with fundamentalist Shi'ite Iran for influence in the former Soviet republics. (NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL RELIGION REPORT) CLOSER AND CLOSER TO REVELATION 13 The debit card - which makes an instant payment from your checking account - is finally spreading to supermarkets, convenience stores and fast food restaurants, and consumers are catching on. Vermont National Bank in Brattleboro, for example, has 1,800 new Visa "Checkers' Card" members this year, tripling the number of its debit card holders. The bank charges a tempting $1 a month flat fee for unlimited use of the card. The cards are becoming more popular in part because bank charges for handling debit card sales are down. They used to be 2% to 3% but are now often less than 1% - a decline greased by fierce competition between the new Visa Interlink and Mastercard Maestro debit clearing networks. Both expect enormous growth in the number of locations honoring debit cards, both here and abroad. Customers and merchants also like the extra protection from fraud. To make a Maestro or Interlink purchase - whether in Utah or Utrecht - you need only key in a code on a pad at the checkout counter to prove your identity and show you have funds to cover your purchase. The money is transferred instantly - which prevents you from buying Wednesday's groceries with Friday's paycheck. (KIPLINGER'S PERSONAL FINANCE MAGAZINE) Ministry & Product Information Ministry & Product Information MINISTRY INFORMATION GUIDE The MINISTRY INFORMATION guide is for the benefit of all believers. MORNING STAR does not charge for these advertisements. AMMI MINISTRY P.O. Box 27576 Philadelphia PA. 19118 (215) 843-7964 BILL RUDGE MINISTRIES (An international outreach challenging believers to reach their maximum potential in Christ.) 220 North Buhl Farm Drive Hermitage, PA 16148-1718 (412) 983-1223 CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST INTERNATIONAL Arrowhead Springs San Bernardino, CA 92414 (714) 886-5224 CHOSEN PEOPLE MINISTRIES Inc. 1300 Cross Beam Drive - Charlotte, NC 28217-2834 (704) 357-9000 CANADA: Box 4400, Sta. D - Hamilton, Ont. L8V4L8 (416) 545-9066 CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL P.O. Box 1813 Jerusalem 91015 Israel tel: 972-2-894-172 / 894-187 fax: 972-2-894-955 NOTE: The Editor in Chief of MORNING STAR is a U.S. distributor of material for CFI. Write to MORNING STAR for more information. America Online contact: MStarMAC INTERNET: MStarMAC@aol.com. DAVID'S MIGHTY MEN, INC. (A Bible Study Group) P.O. Box 5093 Beaumont, TX 77726 (409) 755-3015 EXODUS INTERNATIONAL (Global ex-gay Ministry - Write for free information) PO Box 2121 San Rafael, CA 94912 (415) 454-1017 FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN PEACE OFFICERS, USA P.O. Box 11547 Chattanooga, Tennessee 3740l-2547 (615) 622-1234 FRIENDS OF ISRAEL GOSPEL MINISTRY PO BOX 908 Bellmawr, NJ 08099 1-800-257-7843 (Publishers of "Israel My Glory" magazine - $8 per year. Sponsor of the Institute of Biblical Studies.) INTERNATIONAL PRISON MINISTRY P.O. BOX 63 Dallas TX 75221 JESUS CARES MINISTRIES (Ministering to those in crisis pregnancy) P.O. Box 371 Chandler, Arizona 85244 (602) 831-1737 JESUS FILM PROJECT 30012 Ivy Glenn Drive Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 FAX: 714/495-7383 JESUS PEOPLE USA 4707 N. Malden Chicago, IL 60640 Editorial office: (312) 989-2080 (An excellent resource for tips and techniques on witnessing and ministering to specific groups of people.) JEWISH VOICE BROADCASTS INC. P.O. Box 6 Phoenix, Arizona 85001 (Publishers of "Jewish Voice Prophetic Magazine". (Annual cost $20, published monthly) Producers of JEWISH VOICE television program seen on cable networks CBN, LBN, and PTL as well as many network stations.) JEWS FOR JESUS 60 Haight St. San Francisco CA. 94102-5895 (Publishers of "The Jews for Jesus Newsletter" - no charge) Canadian Office: P.O Box 487, Station Z Toronto, ON M5N2Z6 JOHN ANKERBERG MINISTRY P.O. Box 8977 Chattanooga, TN 37441 LEDERER MESSIANIC MINISTRIES 6204 Park Heights Ave. Baltimore MD 21215 (Publishers of the "Jewish New Testament" by David Stern) MESSIANIC JEWISH ALLIANCE OF AMERICA (MJAA) P.O. Box 417 Wynnewood, PA 19096 (215) 896-5812 (Serving American Messianic Jewry since 1915. A main resource for ministering and witnessing to Jewish people everywhere. Call for more information.) MINIRTH-MEIER COUNSELING CLINICS (Christian Mental Health Professionals) Western Region 1-800-877-HOPE Eastern Region 1-800-486-4673 Midwest Region 1-800-848-8872 Southern Region 1-800-229-3000 MOMS IN TOUCH INTERNATIONAL (Calling moms to pray for our public schools) P.O. Box 1120 Poway, CA 92074-1120 (619) 486-4065 NITELITE MINISTRIES (Building the faith of the youth through the Gospel of Jesus Christ using music) 16 Crockett Street Irvine, CA 92720 (714) 559-0894 PARDONED MINISTRIES (Ministry to jails and prisons) PO BOX 50746-433 Phoenix AZ 85076 POINT MAN INTERNATIONAL (Christian outreach for veterans by veterans) 820 Wayne St. Washington PA 15301 (412) 228-5081 PRISON FELLOWSHIP PO BOX 17500 Washington DC 20041-0500 (703) 478-0100 PROJECT LETTERS OF LOVE (Building bonds of friendship between Christians and Israelis via letter-writing) P.O. Box 1813 Jerusalem, 91015 Israel Phone 972-2-384-406 RESOURCES FOR CHRISTIAN COUNSELLING Word DMS - PO Box 10853 Des Moines IA 50336-0853 SEPHER MINISTRIES (A church-based counseling/discipleship ministry) C/O Foothill Bible Church P. O. Box 236 Lincoln, CA 95648 American OnLine contact: Pastor1 TEEN CHALLENGE TRAINING CENTER INC. P.O. Box 98 Rehrersburg, PA 19550 (717) 933-4181 TRANSPORT FOR CHRIST INTERNATIONAL (Winning truck drivers to Jesus Christ and establishing them in their faith) P.O. Box 303 Denver, Pennsylvania 17517-0303 Phone (215) 267-2444 FAX (215) 267-4181 Canadian Address: Box 2321 Clearbrook, BC V2T 4X2 Phone (Canada) (604) 856-8024 WHOLE COUNSEL MINISTRIES INC. 6113 River Road Matoaca, VA 23803-8047 America Online contact: Listener1 CompuServe contact: 76476,1556 ZION'S TRUMPET (A FAX-on-demand system) A FAX-ministry dedicated to bringing accurate news reports and prayer needs from Israel to Christians around the world. The following numbers will be in effect as of 12/1/92: Seattle Washington: 206-562-1163 Haines Alaska: 907-338-6346 For more information contact Larry Baker Home FAX: 907-766-3342 Address: P.O. Box 1033 - Haines, Alaska, 99827. ZOLA LEVITT MINISTRIES INC. P.O. Box 12268 Dallas Texas 75225 (Publishers of the "Levitt Letter" (no charge) Producers of "Zola Levitt Presents" television show)