Letters Letter From the Editor Letter From the Editor Welcome to Volume 2.3 - our Missions Issue! I hope you enjoy the wonderful assortment of stories we have for you in the Features area as well as in several of the regular columns. There are many worthy missions and missionaries in the world and Morning Star would love to publish more reports about the work of these brave and industrious brothers and sisters in the Lord. Send us some stories! If we get enough response we may start a Missions column in some future issue. Wouldn't that be great? It's up to YOU! In this issue, you'll find two improvements in our Staff List & Mailing Address column. The international distribution list now has postal addresses and/or electronic mail links so that you can contact those people in other countries that help us get the magazine out. The mailing address column has several new electronic mail links including, Internet, Fidonet, the Christian Family Network, the Christian Distribution Network and the Policenet system! Here is the lineup for Feature themes for Volumes 2.6 through 2.9: Volume 2.6 - WITNESSING IN THE WORLD TODAY (work, school etc.) Volume 2.7 - FREEDOM FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE (Testimony Issue) Volume 2.8 - MARRIAGE & FAMILY IN TODAY'S CHANGING WORLD Volume 2.9 - BIBLICAL PROPHECY We need YOUR help! Keep this ministry in prayer and help us "stay in business" by sending in articles for these future themes. In service to Jesus the Messiah, Toby Trudel Commentary Commentary LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY (Luke 1:1) By J.C. Trudel Naples, Florida "The Lord's Prayer," as it is referred to by most Christians, has been used many times in devotions. Others believers have used it as part of their repetitious prayers, as I did for many years. I have observed when people do not know to pray, they will use the Lord's prayer. What follows is not to discourage people from saying it, but to put it in proper perspective. The prayer was given during the Law dispensation. This period began at Mount Sinai and ended with the death and resurrection of Christ. It was at the completion of Christ's work that the dispensation of Grace began. This period ends at the return of Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. Many do not realize that Jesus meant His prayer to be a model for prayer. The following, from the notes of the late Dr. C.I. Schofield in his reference Bible, will shed more light on this subject: "Christ's law of prayer may be summarized: (1) He grounds prayer upon relationship, and reveals God as freely charging Himself with all the responsibilities, as His heart glows with all the affections of a Father toward all who believe on Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:25-32;7:9-11). Prayer therefore is a child's petition to an all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful, Father-God. (2) In the so-called Lord's prayer, Christ gives an incomparable model for all prayer. It teaches that right prayer begins with worship; puts the interests of the kingdom before merely personal interest; accepts beforehand the Father's will, whether to grant or withhold; and petitions for present need, leaving the future to the Father's care and love. Used as a form, the Lord's prayer is, dispensationally, upon legal, not church grounds; it is not a prayer in the name of Christ (John 14:13,14); and it makes human forgiveness, as under the law it must, the condition of divine forgiveness; an order which grace exactly reverses (Ephesians 4:32). (3) Prayer is to be definite (Luke 11:5); and, (4) importunate, that is, not discouraged by delayed answers." Most of my life, I prayed the Lord's prayer. I didn't understand God's amazing grace and that it was only through Christ I could reach the Heavenly Father. As Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." And since, I had also prayed through various saints, I came to realize the futility of all those prayers. I realize they must have been offensive to God. These prayers denied that Jesus is the only mediator between God and Man (1st Timothy 2:5). God wants to be praised. This is evident in many of the Psalms such as Psalms 147-150. He will not share His glory. "I am the Lord; that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images" (Isaiah 42:8). We should praise Him many times a day. We should bless Him. (Psalm 103,104). We should thank Him frequently for His goodness, His mercy, and His daily provisions for our needs. We should pray sincerely "Thy kingdom come." Many say those words mechanically without realizing that they express a longing desire for Christ to return and rule this earth. Only then will the Father's will be done on earth as it is in heaven. After praising, blessing, and thanking God, we then should approach Him with our requests. Remember always, He is the Lord of our needs, not the Lord of anything we want. Otherwise we may often ask amiss (James 4:3). Let's say that every one on earth prayed the same prayer and asked for one million dollars and the prayer was answered, what kind of world would we have. No one would want to earn a living. We have an all-wise God who knows what we would do with what we sometimes ask. He knows our heart and the ever failing human nature. Paul, in Romans 8:26,27 tells us: "Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searched the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Therefore, we should ask the Lord to teach us how to pray. When we ask by faith, "according to His will", let's have a faith ready to accept a different answer than the one we seek. Paul, who had a bad thorn the flesh, asked the Lord three times to heal him. (2nd Corinthians 2:7,9). God answered, "My grace is sufficient for thee." Why? In verse 7 Paul explains that God wanted to keep him humble, because of the high knowledge he possessed. Christ models this same principle in the garden as He prayed: "O my Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me," and in the same phrase, He submitted to the Father's will by saying: "Not as I will, but as Thou wilt" (Luke 22:43). The Heavenly answer was our salvation, not the passing of the cup. Many will receive an answer to their prayers. I saw many receive healing and other answers to prayers. Many did not get the answer hoped for. But, I could not question God as to why He did not answer some of those prayers of faith. I reminded them that we must pray without ceasing and to come again to God's throne of mercy. He is a sovereign God, who has never surrendered His sovereignty. He is the potter and we are the clay. (Isaiah 45:9; Romans 9:18-21) He will have mercy on whom He will give it to. He cannot be forced into action by repetitious prayers or bible verses said over and over. (Matthew 6:7) Some of us are destined to be examples of faith. Therefore, we will need God's sufficient grace to support us. Paul tells us, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him" (2nd Timothy 2:17). In the process of reaching our eternal destiny, we may have some illnesses with some measure of suffering. To us who will have to undergo sufferings, Paul stated, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to compare with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). Paul suffered greatly as a result of his labors for our Savior. He was able to say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2nd Timothy 4:7,8). In my years as a Christian, I have seen much abuse in prayer for the sick. There is a fine line between testing and tempting the Lord. Many have tempted the Lord by "claiming," as if the Lord owes any of us anything. They failed to see that what we are, and will be in eternal life depends on His Divine Mercy. I saw sinful presumption in repetitious prayers or Bible verses taken out of scriptural context. One of the verses most misused is, "By His stripes we are healed" from Isaiah 53:5. Isaiah 53 speaks of the vicarious sacrifice of Christ. His precious blood from the crown of thorns, from the stripes, from the nails in His hands and feet, from the spear in His side, was shed for the spiritual healing of the spiritually deadly wounds of our sins. It was these sins that brought eternal death to the human race. Peter in his 1st epistle, Chapter 2:24,25, spoke of the sacrifice of Jesus. "Who his own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your soul." It is by through Savior's mighty intercession that we receive physical healing. How often have people clung on to someone dying in agony. They pray for healing, refusing to pray in God's will. They refuse to consider God was calling that person home. And, possibly they were objecting to our Savior's prayer of John 17:24. "Father I will that they also, whom Thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which Thou hast given me; for Thou lovest me before the foundation of the world." In our prayers, we should often ask the Lord to protect us in times of temptations. Even though the Lord's prayer says, "Lead us not into temptation," James 1:13-15 makes it very clear that God does not tempt man. By our own lust we are driven to sin. Jesus said, "Pray not to be tempted" (Matthew 26:41). Paul tells us that God will be with us in times of temptation, if we ask Him to be, and He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear and He will make us a way to escape. (see 1st Corinthians 10:13.) God does indeed answer every prayer. But, not always our way, according to our schedule or plans, and often, the answer is, "No. I have other plans for you." We must pray without ceasing but not in repetitious prayers as the heathen do (Matthew 6:7). But Jesus in Luke 18 tells us to pray and not faint. He also gives us the parable of the widow who came often to trouble the unjust judge with her request. You may have to wait a long time for the answer to come. The mother of Augustine, who was a libertine, prayed for him 30 years. My wife and I prayed for our son to return to Christ for many years, and God blessed us with great joy as the prodigal child returned home to the Father. How long do you think Job had to wait? How many come to the Lord in prayer of any kind only when troubles arrive. Our God is not a push button God to be used only in times of need. Praise Him, thank Him, glorify Him each day and many times each day. If you are born-again, give special thanks for your salvation, for the blood Jesus shed to wash away your sins. If you are not born-again, ask God to lead you by the Holy Spirit to the place where you can be born-again and become a child of God by adoption. Then you will truly be able to say, "My Father, who art in heaven," and also be assured of eternal life through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Don't wait too long for Jesus warned, "I will come as a thief in the night," and the signs of the times indicate He is returning soon for His own. Don't just pray for yourself, but pray one for another (James 5:16). If you see someone in need of prayer, don't be shy. Go to that person and say, "Let me pray for you or with you." So many are troubled and in need of prayer. The Word of God assures us that He hears us when we go to the Father through Jesus Christ our only intercessor and mediator. Go to Him with confidence, expressing your willingness to accept His will and whatever He will give you in His own time, In His own way. Don't go to Him with prefabricated (recipe) prayers. Approach Him as a child approaches a loving father, with honest, simple words, expressing your needs. Sometimes you may not know how to pray; don't fear, He knows your needs before you express them. And, the Holy Spirit will plead for you (Romans 8:26,27). Just trust in Him and as the apostles did in their time, you may ask, "Lord, teach me to pray." May the Lord of Mercies answer your every prayer, and give you abundantly of His sufficient grace in your times of need. Praise His Holy Name. Staff List Morning Star Staff 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, 91015 Israel Tel: 972-2-894-172 / 894-187 FAX: 972-2-894-955 CANADA John Vickers PO Box 511 Ucluelet, British Columbia Canada V0R-3A0 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. 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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 M.A.P.S. 1991 M.A.P.S. 1991 by Danny O. Dennis M.A.P.S. 1991 Jalapa, Guatemala Danny O. Dennis Opelika, Alabama On April 6, 1991 a group of 20 men and two women left the parking lot of Auburn First Assembly of God in Auburn, Alabama for a missions trip to build a church in Jalapa, Guatemala. I was fortunate and blessed to be one of those 20 men. We were led by our pastor Mike Wright and his wife Sue, who until the previous year were missionaries to Guatemala. I have a wonderful friend who had been saved the previous year and had gone on a missions trip to Guatemala City that year. He asked me to start praying about going on this missions trip with the group. I really wanted to go because I had seen the remarkable change in his life yet I wanted to know that this is what God wanted for me to do. After much prayer, I finally felt a release from the Lord to go on the trip. There isn't enough room in one article to tell about the entire trip so I would like to mention some special moments and highlights of the blessed trip. We drove to Atlanta and flew from there to Dallas and then on to Guatemala City. We arrived in Guatemala City late that night. On our drive from the airport in Guatemala City we saw a little homeless girl who could not have been more than five years old standing in the middle of the street asking passers-by for money. Just on that short drive to the hotel we saw countless homeless children who were just wandering through the night wondering where their next meal might come from. It was very sobering and humbling and would be the first of many we would experience during this week. We left for Jalapa the next morning aboard an old school bus which broke down twice on the 80 kilometer, four hour ride through mountainous and bumpy terrain. Guatemala has a dry season and a rainy season. The dry season runs from approximately December through May and from June until the late fall is the rainy season. Pastor Mike says that it is like living in two different worlds during rainy and dry seasons. After unloading our luggage and tools we went directly to the building site and began construction on the church which would be a cement block building with a tin roof approximately 24 x 60 feet. Some people might think it strange that we began construction on a Sunday morning but the thought of Jesus doing goods works on His day made it seem a very appropriate day to begin construction of His church. Several of the men on this trip had been on previous missions trips and had construction experience for this type of work. The rest of us would learn in a hurry how to mix mortar, lay cement blocks and carry heavy buckets of mortar. There were no cement mixers (manual or motorized) and the mortar had to be mixed by hand on the ground with hoes and shovels. Even though it might not have looked like it at times, we were an organized unit which was broken down into separate work groups. We had block layers, block cutters, mortar mixers, mortar carriers (most in gallons buckets), carpenters, and electricians. It was all hands-on work and was probably the hardest work many of us had ever done but it was also the most precious tired feeling many of us have ever experienced. Many continued to work even though slowed down by sickness, which was probably caused by the altitude, water and different foods, etc. . In actual labor hours worked, the church was built in an amazing 33 1/2 hours. The dedication services of the church was on Wednesday evening and it was such a special service. There were approximately three hundred people in attendance that night. The building was standing room only with people sitting in the windows and doorways and more people standing outside. We couldn't understand Pastor Mike's message since in was in Spanish but the Spirit of the Lord let us know it was powerful. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit that evening was nothing short of absolutely super-natural. Throughout the week there would be many children who would come and talk to us and watch the 'gringos' work. I made a very special friend during this week. His name was Manuel, he was eight years old and a typical little boy. We would talk to each other constantly even though the language barrier made it difficult at times. We did a lot of pointing at different things and would tell each other what the word was in our own language. I will never forget my little friend Manuel, or others like the beautiful little girl Rosa and many others. A large piece of all our hearts were left in Jalapa with those beautiful, loving children. There were so many children being late for school or some not even going that one day the entire school, teachers (who looked like children themselves) and children alike came to see what was going on. This was probably the first time many of them had seen a 'gringo' much less twenty of them at one time. Poverty was everywhere you looked. We took canned goods with us to eat lunch at the worksite and the children would want our empty cans to play with. We shared crackers, fruit cocktail, vienna sausages, spam, sardines, and such with the children. They probably thought that these 'gringos' sure do eat weird food. Without any doubt, these were the most loving people I have ever met. These wonderful people had nothing; yet, women would come in the afternoons and bring us a drink similar to unsweetened kool-aid knowing this would be taking away from what they had for their own families but they wanted to share with us. It really tasted bad, but we accepted it as it was given, in love. We saw so many real life situations that reminded me of biblical stories. After a long day of work a few of us went walking through the street markets which were actually in the streets. We saw a man lying in the street with his hand out asking for money. He had a grossly deformed leg which was about five times the size of his normal leg. Unfortunately, we like countless others passed this man by. I will always have this man's image in my mind because I did pass him by. My prayer is that this man's good Samaritan will come to his aid. After arriving back in Guatemala City, many of our first wants were for some real food. So what do we do? We head for the local fast food restaurants. After a few days of eating what was available at the Hotel Mendez in Jalapa we were ready for something familiar like hamburgers and french fries. As we were leaving a local McDonalds' I saw something that brought tears to my eyes. Two little boys came in and were going from table to table scraping the leftovers off plates and grease from the wax paper trying to get something to eat. It was obvious that these children were homeless and just looking for a taste of food. When an employee, who probably sees this often, saw them he made them leave. (Remember the story of Lazarus and the rich man and the crumbs from the table). We arrived back in Guatemala City on Thursday and had a chance to do some sightseeing. We visited the presidential palace, the national museum, the gigantic underground market, and other sites of interest. On one of our stops we came upon the most humbling sight I have ever seen. There were shacks (actually worse than shacks) which were on both sides on a railroad track. These shacks were about three to five feet from the tracks and were built of old pieces of lumber, cardboard, and scrap tin. There was no running water, no heating or cooking sources or sewage facilities. The waste ran out from the shacks into open shallow ditches dug next to the railroad tracks. The starvation and disease statistics were staggering. Pastor Mike told us that more than fifty percent of the children would not live to be five years old. Many more would die by being run over by the train which came through many times a day. We had made a quick stop and bought loaves of bread and candy to give out. The bread went to the mothers of the families and the candy went mostly to the children. This candy was about the size of an M & M and we gave each child one so that we might give to as many as possible. You would think that we had given these children a million dollars. It was so humbling to see their little faces light up over just one small piece of candy which was probably the first any of them had ever had. It was truly heart-breaking and an experience none of will ever forget. One of the men in our group (Billy Hall) who had been to Guatemala on previous missions trips was having trouble with his foot and had asked us to go to the church that they had built two years before and lay hands on him and pray for healing for him. He was very insistent that we go to this particular church because it was at this church that he had received the baptism of the Holy Ghost the year before. Little did I know that the impact of the visit to this church would be the greatest experience of my life. At almost the same time we arrived at the church the local pastor was being told by the Holy Ghost he needed to go to the church this morning. After a very emotional reunion, we began to lay hands on the local pastor and Billy and pray. All of a sudden I found myself lying face down of the floor crying out to God. I had had trouble with feeling worthy to be a part of this group of wonderful men. I was just crying out, sobbing, pleading with God saying I wasn't worthy to be a part of this missions team, that my walk with the Lord wasn't good enough, that I was too much of a sinner to be receiving this blessing. Then the most wonderful, beautiful, superb, super-natural thing happened to me. The presence of the Lord came all about me and enveloped me like a giant invisible bubble and the Spirit of the Lord said to me, "Danny, of yourself you are not worthy but by the blood of the Lamb you are found worthy". I only wish I could adequately explain the precious experience but words aren't adequate to explain the love of God. In closing I can only say that if anyone who reads this article ever has a chance to go on a missions trip to go, go, go!!! The blessing that you will receive will be more than you can ever imagine. Western PA Conference Western PA Conference by Denise M. Wirick WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA CONFERENCE MISSIONS PROJECT The Islands of Bocas del Toro & Carenero, Panama Denise M. Wirick McMurray, Pennsylvania For two weeks in July, eight Christians, ranging in age from 29 to 75, in occupation from a secretary to a retired CEO, worked on the small Island of Carenero, Panama rebuilding two homes for Guaymi Indian families who lost their homes during the April, 1991 earthquake. TEAM MEMBERS: From Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church: Rev. Harold Heard (Team Leader); Micki Heard; Jim Lutz; Howard Spicher; and Mary Garber. From Trinity UMC (McMurray): Denise Wirick. From St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (Sewickley): Evelyn Parish (team nurse). And from Bakerstown Presbyterian Church: Jack Shepard. REFLECTIONS: The Islands of Bocas del Toro and Carenero are in the northwest sector of Panama, near the Costa Rica border. It is inhabited by the Antillian Blacks, the Guaymi Indians and the Bocatorenos (Spanish descendents). The official language is Spanish; however, English is the language of the Methodist churches which are gradually becoming bi-lingual. The success of this project is due much to the efforts of Rev. Heard and his wife, Micki. It all started when they answered an article in their church bulletin looking for a Methodist pastor to minister to the people of Bocas del Toro and several surrounding islands for four months in the Fall of 1990. At the same time, the pastor from Bocas, Rev. Danoval Johnson, came to the Western Pennsylvania area to share with us the special needs of our Methodist brothers and sisters in a third world country. When Rev. Heard & Micki returned to Pennsylvania, they had a vision of raising funds to build a Methodist Chapel on the Island of Carenero and to begin a youth ministry in all the churches. But last April a devastating earthquake changed the focus of the mission to helping the Guaymi Indians of Carenero rebuild their lives. It's exciting to reflect back on the mighty works that God did with our sincere efforts in Panama. Through the generous contributions of the churches in the Western Pennsylvania Conference, we were able to purchase building supplies and necessary tools to construct several homes, and also purchase six TV/VCR's for the purpose of Christian Youth Education for each of the Methodist churches. We even presented a TV and VCR to the island of San Cristobal, where there is no electricity. By way of a solar generator, the children of San Cristobal were able to watch and listen to the story of John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress". We also presented to the churches a Spanish video entitled: The Life of Christ as Taken from the Gospel of Luke. I was very touched by the simplicity of their lifestyle. It's a humbling experience to witness first hand the peace and joy a simple lifestyle such as theirs can bring to one's life. It demands a personal reflection of one's own life and priorities. I was truly blessed by their spirituality, their fellowship, their gratitude towards our efforts, and by the incredible ministry of Rev. Danoval Johnson. His ministry includes five Methodist churches, and two mission projects among the Guaymi Indians - all of this spanning four different islands and two churches on the mainland of Panama. It's a demanding ministry, yet he has been blessed by God with amazing gifts to address the needs of his people, whether it is spiritual teaching or building homes ... yes, he was our foreman on the work site! You know, when I first felt the calling to go into missions work, I had to debate the issue with God. I really couldn't see how I could contribute. I've only been a Christian for two years - there is so much I need to learn and experience - I just didn't think I was "Christian" enough. I didn't have scripture memorized; I knew I couldn't get up and "preach" to anyone; and I am a secretary by profession ... how useful can that be! I discussed these concerns with my pastors and they encouraged me to be obedient and go ... God would use me in the way He wanted to use me. And so the doors opened wide for the Panama trip, and I praise God for allowing me to be a part of His plan; to have provided me with the opportunity to serve Him and His people in Panama. I only regret that I have no more vacation time left and I have to wait until next year before I can share Christ's love with my brothers and sisters in Panama! Our work team would be honored to share with any church group our presentation on God's work in Panama. You can reach me through this magazine. There is still MUCH WORK that needs to be completed for our brothers and sisters in Panama. We need to continue with the rebuilding of homes and to eventually build a Methodist Chapel on Carenero. More WORK TEAMS are needed to continue in the work started by the Western Pennsylvania Conference & Rev. Heard's team. For more information, contact Rev. Harold Heard through this magazine. TOOLS are needed for use on the construction projects. CHRISTIAN VIDEOS for the youth program are needed in Spanish. PRAY that God will meet the needs of these people and continue to provide Rev. Danoval Johnson with the resources he needs to meet the added demands this earthquake has put on his ministry. PERSONAL DATA: After 10 years in the Catholic Church, I gave up on "religion" (which is all that it was.) I spent the next 11 years with no "religion" in my life. HOWEVER, during a two week vacation with a Catholic Christian, she witnessed to me about a "relationship" with Christ ... something I never learned in my church. Three months later I made a public commitment to Christ in a Methodist church. I have been a committed Christian for two years. I am a member of the United Methodist Church -- Trinity UMC in McMurray, PA. I am chairperson of the Church & Society work area. I am responsible for bringing awareness to the congregation about the many social issues affecting our community and our faith. I have a strong belief that Christians need to be involved in all aspects of our culture and I encourage my congregation to get involved with such issues. I also volunteer to help with most of the church fund raisers. I also have a ministry in missions ... having completed my first missions trip to the Republic of Panama. As a Christian I am strong and getting stronger every day!! As a "babe in the Lord", I am spiritually HUNGRY. I can't seem to get enough information! I am committed to living my life, all aspects of my life, to the glory and honor of God our Father. I approach my Christian walk one day at a time ... delighting every step of the way in the awesomeness of our God! Thinking of my future ... Could I quit my job of 13 years and go full time in missions work ... perhaps ... Could I see myself marrying a minister ... yes, I think so ... Would I be content to have a ministry as a single Christian ... yes, no problem ... What is my dream for the near future ... working together with deaf Christians in the missions field - that is, providing them with an opportunity to do missions work - despite their limitations. Mission Trip to Morelia, Mexico Mission Trip to Morelia, Mexico by David Applegate MISSION TRIP TO MORELIA, MEXICO By David Applegate Houston, Pennsylvania It was decided that Central Assembly in Houston, Pennsylvania, like most churches in all of Christendom, was having a problem with their burden for missions. We felt that the burden for missions in the local church, and churches across America, was slipping away from us. We decided that a way to preserve this burden for missions and the burden for souls was to have a missionary trip with a hands-on type of ministry. We began a ten year program called "The Decade of Harvest", that would take us into the twenty-first century. The congregation began to pray and pledge funds to help those who wanted to go on the mission field. We contacted a man by the name of Rev. Hartley Fidler of Atlanta, Georgia, who had already made plans to go to Mexico. We decided to go with him to the city of Morelia, high in the mountains above Mexico City. Twenty-nine members of Central Assembly boarded the plane in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When we arrived in Mexico City, we got on charter buses and were transported up to the city of Morelia. We arrived during the rainy season with temperatures about 75 degrees. We had rainy nights, but the skies were clear every day for our work projects and our ministry projects. Morelia is very scenic and beautiful, as well as picturesque, at an altitude of 7,000 feet. We enjoyed being there very much. Our trip was two-fold. We wanted to help in the construction of a local church and to minister in the churches there. We wanted to be able to touch the Mexican people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our trip showed us the need there, through our street witnessing and through our attendance in their church services. Being there was quite an interesting experience. We went to Morelia to build a church and ended up digging the footer and the foundation which was a very hard working part of our journey. We had to dig this foundation through solid rock. There were thirteen teenagers and sixteen adults in our group which made a good working balance. We put our backs to the task; the adults worked very hard, but the teenagers worked right beside us. Even the girls were down into the stone and rock with hammers and chisels getting the work done. To accomplish our work we had to have seven footer holes dug to support the pillars that would eventually support the roof. We finished four of the seven we wanted to dig and filled them with concrete. We were quite pleased with that. Rev. Glenn Israel from Montgomery, Alabama, a great man of God and missionary to the Mexicans in Morelia, was in charge of the work detail. We could readily see that he had a great love for the people of Mexico. We were blessed in working with Rev. Israel. On Sunday afternoon we went down to the city of Morelia into a park near one of the beautiful Cathedrals. The musicians in our group played their instruments while we witnessed to the people on the street and handed out tracts, written in Spanish. The music drew the attention of the passersby and we were able to minister to them in a mighty way. Later we went into the church for services. We recognized the songs that were sung in Spanish and we joined in, singing in English. The Mexicans raised their hands and praised the Lord as we do. They received us with open hearts into their worship service. There were so many people at this service that there was standing room only. We had a wonderful time of fellowship. We saw seven people go forward to receive Jesus as their personal Savior on Sunday night. We felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in all the services in Mexico, as we opened our hearts to God. On one special evening our own young minister was asked to speak, with an interpreter translating in Spanish. This was quite a challenge because this was the first time he had ever done anything like this. After he gave his testimony and sermon, again seven people came forward to accept Jesus. The next day we were taken to the "tarpaper" church across town. The reason for this name is that a few posts had been put up with a couple of 2 by 4's across, then black tar paper had been wrapped around it. There was an electrical cord strung across with the bare light bulb showing, but these people loved the Lord Jesus Christ. They sang with all their hearts and raised their hands in worship to the Lord; you would have thought they were in a million dollar cathedral! Again the church was packed with people and there was standing room only. We were able to communicate person to person and heart to heart through the Lord Jesus. We were separated by many things; the miles by which we live, the language that we speak, but we were joined together heart to heart with our love of the Lord Jesus. Again Rev. Fidler preached the Word and Rev. Israel interpreted into their native language. We saw many souls saved as the altar was full with many more people coming to the Lord. For the time we were in Mexico, we saw twenty-two people saved by the Lord Jesus in first time decisions. Our field trip was complete in many ways. It was a success in that we were a help in building the church and completing the pillar holes in the foundation in the rock with the help of the Lord. The high altitude slowed us down a little; we were being affected by the altitude in our working habits. There was total cooperation in our group; we were of one mind and in one accord. As we were traveling through the city on our way to the airport, we thought about the plight of the people, the poverty, and the money that was almost useless in the world market. We saw the poor conditions in Mexico including the type of housing and the way that they lived. The only hope for Mexico is the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Christ they will not accomplish much. Only Christ can help them rise above their poverty and poor living conditions. Jesus can lift them up above all of this and put their feet on solid rock. Rev. Israel told us about his son-in-law who earns $20.00 a week in his father's motor cycle repair shop and earns $17.00 a week working as the Assistant Pastor in the church. This is a small income according to our standards. They have three children and have just built their house, being of block construction with concrete floors. Our trip to Mexico was an overwhelming success. We were able to meet a missionary in a foreign country. He took us into his home and family; he took us into his ministry. It molded and melted us together as a unit, the twenty-nine of us working as a team in every project. We returned, being glad we were back in America, but yet happy to experience a missionary trip. Our missionary trip was a success because we saw changed lives for Jesus Christ and we saw Jesus Christ change our lives. Pray for Mexico! The Shantymen The Shantymen by Jeannine Robinson THE SHANTYMEN Submitted by Jeannine Robinson Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Scripture tells us that young men are more apt to see visions, while old men will dream dreams. (Acts 2:17) Sometimes we wonder if that is also true about missions. Shantymen is over 80 years old. This definitely brings with it a tendency for us to act as -old men+ by dreaming about the glorious fruit borne by Shantymen in days gone by. We do so without apologies, but at the same time it is important for this generation to grasp the vision of what (God may want to do through this mission in the days to come. There are many who have come to the Lord through a Shantymen's missionary, who then went on to substantial ministry of their own. Don Richardson, best known for he film -The Peace Child+ is an example of this. Many hundreds of people came to know Christ through the ministry of this one man. Many years ago a Shantymen missionary working out of Thunder Bay, Ontario, led a man to the Lord, who had come to Canada from Russia. We have since learned that this man went back to Russia, and there established a church by preaching the gospel. And this was done in the days when it would not have been permissible. In the book, "Splendour from the Sea" , Philip Keller tells many exciting stories of early Shantymen ministries on the west coast of B.C. For example, he tells of two rowdy men in a village along the west coast of Vancouver Island. These men were fishermen, and after coming to shore and selling their catch, they would go on a boozing and gambling spree lasting for days. They despised and reviled the Shantymen missionaries, and anyone who named the name of Christ. On one occasion, after they had spent all their money in this ungodly way, they went back fishing, to get more money, and go through the whole episode again. However, the engine in their oat was rather temperamental. Soon they had caught a fair catch of salmon, but, wanting more, they pushed further out to sea. It was then that they encountered serious difficulties. Their engine cut out, and simply wouldn't start. A severe storm came up, and threatened their lives. After they literally collapsed from exhaustion, trying to save their boat, many miles from shore, they resorted to praying- praying to the God they had so severely reviled. In the morning they again tried to start the engine. It started with the very first try. When they reached shore the villagers came in a crowd, relieved to see they had survived the storm. However, they were soon hushed as the two fishermen told of their encounter with God. The years have changed many of the conditions under which people work and live. But hearts are still the same. This is especially true of those who live in one form of isolation or another. The Gospel message is still relevant, and powerful to save. The work of Shantymen goes on - must go on, until our Lord returns to bring in His harvest. WHAT IS A SHANTYMAN? William Henderson was born into a well-to-do Scottish shipping family. After finishing private boarding school he emigrated to Canada, and became superintendent of a large woollen mill in Hespeler (now Cambridge) Ontario. In Canada he met and married Nellie Merry. Their life together was short, and filled with personal sorrow. First, there was the death of two infant sons, only to be followed by the death of his dear Nellie. Following the death of his beloved wife, Henderson moved to Toronto. There he married again, but also began a ministry into what was then considered -Northern Ontario+ - the Parry Sound district, on the east shore of Georgian Bay, now a popular resort area Here Henderson ministered to men who worked in the bush, or on the rail roads, and who lived in isolation in the bush, in -shanties+. These men were called "shantymen", but it wasn't long until that name was applied to Henderson, and others who worked with him. The name has been retained to this day. Henderson was well received, at least for the most part. There are many stories of early Shantymen missionaries who had to travel by foot to the camps with literature, and minimum supplies, only to be turned away. They would then have to tramp many more miles to the next camp, sometimes in below zero temperatures. Nevertheless, the ministry flourished and others joined Henderson. One of the first to join him was Oswald J. Smith, who was later to found the widely renowned People's Church in Toronto, which today is pastored by his son. Henderson died in 1924, at only 52 years of age. However, the ministry he began, and to which he gave much of his life, has flourished to this day with as many as 30 to 40 missionary couples, or single men and women, serving in ministries still similar to the early missionaries. Modes of travel have changed, but the needs have not. Even today, many people work in conditions of isolation, or may simply want to live as secluded as possible, but all of them need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As Canada grew, and railways connected east and west, the spiritual need for the ever increasing numbers of people in isolated railway towns became great. As itinerant preachers and counsellors, Shantymen visited towns and villages, sometimes only once in several months, but people looked forward to gospel films or music provided by the Shantymen. In the United States during the depression and post-war era, the mountain people of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia received the gospel, zealously preached by Shantymen like Matthew H. Smith, the "little mountain preacher from Canada. Men in the logging camps of the northeastern U.S. were ministered to for about eight years in the 1950's by Shantyman Medley Wry, while other Shantymen ministered in Illinois, Minnesota, and in the northern peninsula of Michigan. Shantymen even had a branch office in Chicago, under whose guidance these missionaries worked. Today Shantymen ministries include: - Coastal ministries, by boat or land, from docks, or in ports. - Prison inmates, and their families. - Indian and other aboriginal people. - Traditional ministries to lumber camps, fishing villages, and other isolated people. In 1988 the "Nootka Mission" amalgamated with Shantymen. Nootka was founded by Shantymen over 50 years ago on the west coast of Vancouver Island, at Esperanza, in the Nootka Sound. It was at Esperanza that Shantymen built a hospital for people in that region, who had no other hospital within reach. All travel was by boat, and still is. However, when Government hospitals were built, the Nootka hospital was closed. Over the years Nootka became known as the place to get help and a sense of security. Many ministries to spiritual needs of the region are continuing. Shantymen operate two boats based on Vancouver Island, one from Nootka, and the other on the east coast of the island. Both minister to people on the islands, and the coasts of that region. A missionary may live on a boat for as much as a couple of weeks at a time, and ply the inlets and coastal villages, which often are Indian villages. Also to "float houses", (houses built on large rafts, and tied to a shore,) fish farms, logging and saw mill operations, and other isolated people. On Canada's eastern coasts most fishing villages can be reached by land. However, there are some difficult regions on the south shore of Newfoundland, and the coasts of Labrador. With all the modern technologies available, people are still in need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many still live in what most would consider very lonely locations. And loneliness itself sometimes brings out, in very obvious ways, the need for the Gospel. The vision to bring every isolated North American into the Kingdom could not have advanced as it has without the prayers and support of many thousands of faithful people in Canada and the U.S. The need for the Gospel will go on until our Lord returns. So will the need for Shantymen ministries. "Sometimes going into all the world means staying right here." Teen Missions Teen Missions by Sandy Hester TEEN MISSIONS Sandy Hester Braeswood Assembly of God Church Houston, Texas Greetings in the name of the Lord! I am writing to update you on the marvelous things God did in Russia this summer. There were three teams that went to Russia with Teen Mania Ministries, and each team had about 22 people on it. The gospel of Jesus Christ was presented through a 17 minute drama called "Allegiance" on an average of 4 times a day, Tuesday through Saturday. The drama showed how Jesus came and died for our sins. The drama was presented on the streets of Moscow, in the parks, busy market places, bus and train stations, and even at Moscow University! At the end of the drama one of the leaders would explain to the crowd what the drama was about, and then they would ask those people who wanted Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sins and be their Lord and Savior to step forward. Then, we, the team, went out and witnessed to those who did not come forward. By the end of the month we had seen 4,500 people, including atheists and Muslims, make a decision for Christ. We had the privilege of witnessing to over 20,000 people with the drama and with tracts! Glory to God! Except for one village trip to Tula, my team was in Moscow for the whole month. Moscow is a very oppressive city, and the oppression that was on Moscow began to come on us without our even realizing what was taking place. For about a week we were distracted during our prayer time and depressed during the day. Finally, one of the team leaders realized what was happening and pointed it out to the team. Then, we were able to bind it off of us and command it to go in the name of Jesus! After that, we were able to minister with joy in our hearts. One of the biggest problems we faced was the language barrier. My team was split up into 7 ministry groups and we had 3 interpreters; so, 4 ministry groups did not have an interpreter. So how did we, who didn't know Russian, witness to these people, many of whom didn't know English? We soon found that God does not need for two people to speak the same language in order for someone to get saved! I was able to lead 10 people to the Lord one-on-one! Praise the name of the Lord! It is certainly only because He was working through me! One young man that I was able to lead to the Lord was Alexander. He did not know any English. Before the trip, Teen Mania had mailed me a sheet with the plan of salvation on it. It was written in English, with the Russian pronunciation underneath, and the Russian language under that. So, I pulled out the sheet and pointed to the Russian where it said, "Do you believe in God?" He nodded his head yes. So, I pointed to the question that said, "Do you have Jesus in your heart?" He shook his head no. So I went to the front page pointing to each sentence of the plan of salvation, and he nodded his head after every sentence. When I got to the question, "Do you want to receive Jesus into your heart?" he nodded his head yes. So, he read the Russian prayer out loud. Then, I noticed that an interpreter was free; so, I called him over and made sure that Alexander knew what he just did. He knew that he had Jesus in his heart! Praise God - He can work in any situation!! God even worked in the lives of the interpreters. Two of the interpreters on my team did not even get saved until a few days after we got there! One other person that I want to tell you about is a 17 year old guy named Valeri. I led him to the Lord on the last day of ministry, but the thing that is different about him is that he was the only person that I saw come to church out of the 10 I led to the Lord. (The others might have come but I didn't have the opportunity to see them.) He came to the youth service the day he got saved, met the youth pastor, some of the interpreters, and signed up to go on a retreat with the youth group at the end of August! Also on the last day of ministry, my whole team prayed for a man (who one of the team members had just led to the Lord) who was deaf and mute. After just a few minutes of praying, God completely healed the man, and he could hear out of both ears and speak! Then, a lady heard about what had happened to this man, and she wanted prayer because she was deaf in one ear. So, we prayed for her and God healed her, too! God is still a miracle working God! I want to thank you for all of your prayers and financial support. It is because of you that this trip was possible and such a great success. God kept me in perfect health the entire time I was in Russia, and He protected me and my belongings the entire time I was away. You are a blessing, and I thank God for you! This fall, I will be a junior at Southwestern Assemblies of God College and I will be serving in the positions of RA (Resident Assistant) and Missions Association Treasurer. I hope to return to Russia someday and continue the work that God has begun this summer. Operation CARELIFT Operation CARELIFT by Spencer Graham OPERATION CARELIFT Submitted by Spencer Graham East Meadow, New York Can you imagine your own children not having the shoes they need, nor having winter boots to get through a long, harsh winter? How would you feel if your child did not have adequate food and you had no resources to find help? Now, picture yourself as a Russian parent meeting a stranger who arrives with shoes, winter boots, and socks, along with several month supply of urgently needed food staples. Your heart would be overwhelmed with joy, and you would shed tears of happiness! Can you envision how open you would be to hearing the Gospel at that particular time? Friend, by being part of Operation Carelift '93, you, too, WILL experience all these emotions, only 1000 times greater! You can join us either in Lancaster, Pennsylvania from November 2-14, or for one of the two Russia trip opportunities. Our primary need is for volunteers to go for 14 days to Russia to help with distribution from January 30 to February 13. Second, there is a need for a small group of volunteers to assist the management team from January 16 to February 27, 1993. Let me add a brief word about each of these critical needs. Churches from throughout the United States will be shipping the children's shoes, winter boots, and socks they have collected to a warehouse in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lancaster is located in the heart of Amish country, and a 100,000 square feet warehouse has been made available to us, free of charge. Although we don't know what the exact response will be, we are praying for at least one-half million pairs of shoes to arrive at the warehouse. The items will then be placed in 20-40 foot sea-going shipping containers that will be sealed and sent to Russia. Several of our staff will be there to provide direction and leadership. The daily schedule will also include devotions and prayer, and I know you will enjoy fellowshipping with new friends. If you volunteer to go with us on the 14-day trip to Russia, we will be departing from New York on January 30 and will be arriving in Moscow or St. Petersburg (our two Russian distribution locations) on January 31. Early the next morning, you will join the other Operation Carelift '93 volunteers in the warehouse where, working side-by-side with the Russian military, you will break the seals on the sea-going shipping containers of children's shoes, winter boots, and socks, as well as powdered milk, powdered eggs, and flour. Then we will begin to organize everything for distribution. Tentative plans are that Russian families would begin to come to the warehouse on February 4. At that point, they would be given shoes, winter boots, and socks for each of their children, as well as enough food to take each child through the next three months. They will also have an opportunity to talk with you and hear the message of God's love for them. You will be able to communicate in fluent Russian with each child through a cassette tape recorded by a Russian grandmother named Sasha. On this five-minute tape, Grandma Sasha shares the Gospel as she explains the gospel bracelet which you will give to each child. We have found that whenever we have gone and used the bracelets and tapes, we have seen the parents listening attentively, many wiping tears from their eyes. Another experience that will change you forever will be the hugs and handshakes that you will receive from parents. Even with the language barrier, their smiles, handshakes, hugs, and tears will clearly communicate to you their deep, deep appreciation. You will have the opportunity to see firsthand the response to the spiritual literature that we will distribute. You will see people take the New Testament and clutch it to their chest. I also hope we will be able to have time to distribute literature in the metro stations. You will be amazed, how in a matter of minutes, you will be able to pass out 500 books! FOR MORE INFORMATION: Josh McDowell Ministry Box 1000 Dallas, TX 75221 (214)-907-1000 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 (#3 - For People Who've Said They'd Never Darken The Door Of A Church) Dear Earthworld: Circumstantial evidence. Your courts use it all the time to help prove things that cannot be proved any other way. If a crime has been committed and your car was seen in the area, and you had no alibi for your whereabouts at the time, this circumstantial evidence would suggest that you might be a suspect. Everywhere you look, you will find evidence of Me and My love for you. A flower's scent. A bird's song. A seed's growth. A baby's smile. Color. Wind. Fire. Gravity. Snow. Breathing. Thoughts. Heartbeats. You name it and I created it. And sustain it. Of course, because I've given you a free will, you can choose not to believe Me. But your non-belief does not change the fact that I am He "Who was and is, and is to come". Life. Your life is the biggest evidence of My existence. And whether you consider Me a "higher power", "supreme being", "the man upstairs" or deny Me altogether, no jury in the country could examine the evidence of your life and living and not wonder about the Source of that life. I know your name, the number of hairs on your head, and I have all of your tears saved up in a bottle. I remember when I gave you life. I loved you then and I love you now. And I long for you to know Me. I have a special plan for you. And I can do exceedingly abundantly above all you can even think or imagine. Can you think of any reason why you wouldn't want to be involved as a recipient of My special blessings upon your life and that of your family? I'd really like to talk to you about that. Call 1-800/GOD (just kidding!). Really, though - I'm only a prayer away. Talk to me! Bible Study Bible Study This issue features the third in a series on the Epistle of 1st John. Future studies will include Psalms, and books from both the Old and New Covenants. THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL 1 John 2:12-17 "When Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" (Genesis 3:6). The woman listened to the words. Certainly, she loved the Creator. He came and talked to her husband. He loved them. But the words gave her a strange feeling. She felt a longing she had never before experienced. Maybe there was something more than the life she knew. The creature was beautiful and his voice was honeyed. He confused her. What exactly had the creator said about the tree anyway? As she gazed upon the fruit she knew that it would taste wonderful. She was almost hypnotized by its beauty. Something that beautiful was meant to be enjoyed, to be tasted. Additionally, it would give her wisdom. And wouldn't she impress the man if she was the one to bring them wisdom? Maybe the creature was right. The creator was trying to prevent them from becoming all they should be. It would be good to know the difference between good and evil. And then she would understand what good and evil were. She decided that it was best to take and taste the fruit... The difference between children of God and children of the Devil, is whom they serve, to whom they listen. Jesus made this clear when speaking to those who were rejecting him: "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire" (John 8:44). The battle for the Christian is always against the World, the Flesh and the Devil. If believers are to stand firm for the Lord, they must recognize that they are constantly fighting on all these fronts. John wants to make sure that his readers understand he isn't questioning their faith. So he makes comparisons between the reality of the lives of the believers, contrasted with the fruit of the false teachers. In the first section, 2:12-14, John focuses on the believer. In 2:15-17, he turns to the fruit of the unbelievers. John identifies three specific groups in these verses. He names the children, the young men and the fathers. They are representative of the body as a whole. Therefore they encompass both men and women. There are several views as to why he identifies these three groups. Some commentators hold that John is giving different messages which are actually age-based. Others believe these identifications relate to levels of spiritual maturity. Zane Hodges takes a position which overlaps the spiritual maturity view: "It seems best (with C.H. Dodd and I.H. Marshall) to view the terms of address as referring to all the readers in each case. Then each experience ascribed to them is appropriate to the category named. Thus, thought of as "children," the readers had experienced the forgiveness that their heavenly Father grants to His own." 1 Actually, no one knows exactly why John uses this method of breaking down this section. But, God deals with the believer based on where he is in his walk with Him. He touches at whatever level Christians are capable of operating when empowered with the Holy Spirit. At times, each shows attributes of the child, the young person and the mature believer. The other question is why John repeats himself in these verses. Except for the tense change from "I write" to "I have written," the thrust is the same. Elsewhere in Scripture, especially in the Psalms, we find that writers repeat words, phrases, sentences for emphasis. This may be what John is doing here. What is clear, however, is that John was reminding his readers of the truths they have already learned and experienced. This way they would not be led astray by the false teachers who were striving to undermine their faith. 2:12 First, John writes to those believers he identifies as children. The unbeliever, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, accepts the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Consequently, the new believer is forgiven for all past, present and future sins. The Christian life begins at salvation. 2:13 Believers, described here as fathers, having received the gift of salvation have a personal relationship with God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1:1-3). Consider this: as finite creatures we have a personal relationship with the infinite, eternal God. Additionally, the depth of our knowledge of Him grows over time and manifests itself in the quality of our walk. Remember, (see previous article) the false teachers were saying that informational knowledge of God equaled spiritual maturity. Conversely, God teaches that obedience over time testifies to the maturity of the believer. Next, John speaks to those he calls young men. Walking with the Lord means fighting the spiritual fight. Knowledge is a product of walking with God. Walking requires obedience, lived out in battle. The young express their walk with the energy used in battle. The battle here is against the evil one. Who is the evil one? Satan. These believers had in the past stood firm against Satan. Now they needed to stand firm against false teachers. Even new believers know God. Maybe they don't have a lifetime experience of walking with Him. Perhaps they haven't had any real battles yet. But they do know the most important truth of all. They are saved, therefore they begin to know God in their life. 2:14 John reinforces the truths that should be the foundation on which the believers could stand firm under the attack of false teachers. Again, they have experienced the reality of God in their lives, and stood for Him and against Satan. In dependency on God they can once again stand firm, in this case against doctrinal attacks. 2:15-17 Why does John switch his comments from the believer's life to comments regarding love of the world? Because loving the world shouldn't be part of the believer's pattern. Loving the world typifies the life of the unbeliever. John may also be saying that the positions put forth by the false teachers are actually a disguised call to love the world. We need to be clear on what John means by "the world." John stated in his Gospel that "God so loved the world..." There John is expressing God's love for all people and His willingness to die for them. The world John is warning against in these verses, however, is the worldly system, the system that Satan rules. Jesus identifies Satan as this world's ruler when He said: "I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me" (John 14:30). We are to reach out to the people that are part of this system, but we are not to become entangled with it. This world hates the believer. "Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you" (1 John 3:13). When John warns against loving the world, he is cautioning believers against being motivated by a worldly system. There is nothing wrong with appreciating worldly things of worth. However, the motivating force behind the Christian walk is to be the love of God and the desire to please Him. The specific qualities that John identifies as worldly are lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride. The first, lust of the flesh, would be sensuality. The world expresses this position by saying: If it feels good, do it. Remember, part of the false teaching was that because people are saved and sin is paid for, then what they do with their bodies is irrelevant. The false teaching would say: You can indulge your fleshly desires and not be in sin. John describes this as lust and this is sin from within, the flesh. The second was lust of the eyes. This is a warning against being attracted by material objects of the world. This can be a lust for possessions. Or, it can be a literal lust which comes from viewing others as objects instead of people. This is the world. Pride led to the fall of Satan. He desired to raise himself to God's level. Through false teaching, Satan endeavors to make people believe they can become their own gods. People assume the world revolves around them. This is pride, the sin that brought down Lucifer. This is of the Devil. John is therefore warning believers against falling into the trap of the World, the Flesh and the Devil. All three of these are identified in verses 14 through 16. If people accept this system, they can't have a relationship with the Lord. All the "benefits" of giving into self, or the world, or even the Devil are tenuous at best. The day is coming when the Lord will judge the unrighteous and they will be sent into outer darkness. (Revelation 20:11-15) To the believers John is saying: Don't give into the temptation of believing false teachers. Stand firm before the Lord; only your relationship with Him will be everlasting. Application: Lives of believers and unbelievers are contrasted by their relationships. For believers, the basic relationship is a personal one with the Lord. It is grounded on salvation through the shed blood of Christ. The Christian life is typified by loving God and others out of obedience to Him. This life is a struggle. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). Believers are in this battle because they are children of the Father. If they depend on Him to carry them through the struggle, the quality of their relationship with Him will continue to grow and deepen. There must be a difference in the lives of believers versus non- believers. Sadly, this difference is often hard to identify. Sometimes believers confuse what these differences are. Historically, Christians have focused on outward behavior as the basis of these differences. John tells his readers not to be enamored with the world. Christians should be identifiable by the differences in their lives. Disagreement over issues of lifestyles are legitimate. However, too often believers are more concerned with behavior patterns than with abiding in the Lord. Believers can fall into the trap of judging the maturity of others by how they dress, what they do for recreation, and whom they keep company with. This standard can become so extreme that, even if Jesus were alive today, He would be rejected. Preoccupation with legalism and appearances can lead to Pharisaism. The danger with an outward focus is that believers can become judgmental. They forget there are different maturity levels among their brothers and sisters. Too often, they put the same expectations for quality of walk on all believers. Don't expect the new believer's walk to be the same as the that of the old saint. The other point to keep in mind here is: People mature at different rates. Only God really knows at what level the individual believer should be living. Encourage one another to grow in your walk. You are not called to judge whether or not the individual is living up to his or her potential. Instead make sure that you are depending on the Lord to live up to yours! What does John identify as the basis of distinguishing between the believer and unbeliever? It is who or what you love. If you love God, you should live in a way that pleases Him. If you love the world your life will be motivated by what gives you pleasure, power, or some other sense of false fulfillment. The only true fulfillment comes from a person's relationship with God. The world, the flesh and the Devil are constantly striving to drag believers away from God, their first love. Often, they are not always aware of this. Therefore, you need to ask the Holy Spirit to help you step back. Check if something other than the Lord is becoming the prime motivator for your behavior. You need to examine the attitudes and activities in your life in light. Do they honor the Lord? "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). The prime motivator for making our choices must be to please the Lord. If your aim is to give the appearance of being a believer according to other peoples standards, your walk is selfishly motivated. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). Step back from your behavior. Examine your choices. Wherever you find you are loving the world too much, repent and return to your first love. Pray with the psalmist: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalms 139:23-24). 1. Hodges, Zane C., THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY, New Testament, Victor Books, 1987, p. 890. Special Studies Special Studies The Bible is an account of God's relationship to man, a covenant relationship. We find this from the day of creation to the eternal relationship we can have with the Messiah. This is the tenth in a series of articles detailing the individual covenants found within the Scripture. AN OVERVIEW OF THE REVELATION OF GOD ACCORDING TO HIS WORD (Part 1 of 2) by Dr. Charles A. Wootten Whole Counsel Ministries, Inc. Matoaca, Virginia "In every revelation God's prime disclosure is of Himself. This not only includes His self-disclosure but also the impartation of supernatural truths. We find also that no single act of God can cause its Originator to be know completely as it is only one act among many. One can think of revelation in the strict sense only if the special means by which God becomes manifest, or the particular act by which He proves Himself, is not seen as distinct from His own essence." "This God Himself is not only Himself but also His self-revelation" (Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, I/I, 1957). Nothing reveals more truly the real essence of God than the position assigned by the Bible. The Bible is by no means usually the burden that it seems by many who consider themselves pious. The whole purpose of the Bible is to reveal God, and to reveal the covenant walk that all are supposed to follow. It is by means of the Bible that God reveals Himself to His people. This cannot be emphasized enough. In it His mind is reflected; and His will is stated once and for all. It contains the essence of Divine Wisdom. A thing that so closely corresponds with the mind of God, and expresses the fullness of His wisdom, must logically have existed with God from all eternity. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. all things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:1-5 NASB). When God began to create the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1) the Lord founded the earth by wisdom; He established the heavens by understanding (Proverbs 3:19 JPSA). Rich and poor man meet; the Lord made them both (Proverbs 22:2 JPSA). Shout, O heavens, for the Lord has acted; Shout aloud, O depths of the earth! Shout for joy, O mountains, O forests with all your trees! Thus said the Lord, your Redeemer, Who formed you in the womb; It is I, the Lord, who made everything, Who alone stretched out the heavens and unaided spread out the earth (Isaiah 44:23 JPSA). So that they may know, from east to west, That there is none but Me. I am the Lord and there is none else, I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe--I the Lord do all these things. Pour down, O skies, from above! Let the heavens rain down victory! Let the earth open up and triumph spout, Yes, let vindication spring up: I the Lord have created it (Isaiah 45:6-8 JPSA). It was I who made the earth and created man upon it; My own hands stretched out the heavens, and I marshaled all their host (Isaiah 45:12 JPSA). He made the earth by His might, Established the world by His wisdom, And by His understanding stretched out the skies. When He makes His voice heard, There is a rumbling of water in the skies; He makes vapors rise from the end of the earth, He makes lightning for the rain, And brings forth wind from His treasuries (Jeremiah 10:12,13 JPSA). But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; The birds of the sky, they will tell you, Or speak to the earth, it will teach you; The fish of the sea, they will inform you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? (Job 12:7-9 JPSA). The shades tremble beneath the waters and their denizens. Sheol is naked before Him; Abaddon has no cover. He it is who stretched out Zaphon (i.e., heavens) over chaos, Who suspended earth over emptiness. He wrapped up the waters in His clouds; Yet no cloud burst under their weight (Job 26:5-8 JPSA). He drew a boundary on the surface of the waters, At the extreme where light and darkness meet. The pillars of heaven tremble, Astounded at His blast. By His power He stilled the sea; By His skill He struck down Rahab. By His wind the heavens were calmed; His hand pierced the Elusive Serpent. These are but glimpses of His rule, The mere whisper that we perceive of Him; Who can absorb the thunder of His mighty deeds? (Job 26:10-14 JPSA; cf. Job 38:4-38). The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky proclaims His handiwork (Psalm 19:1 JPSA). The earth is the Lord's and all that it holds, the world and its inhabitants (Psalm 24:1 JPSA). The day is yours, the night also; it was You who set in place the orb of the sun; You fixed all the boundaries of the earth; summer and winter--You made them (Psalms 74:16-17 JPSA). Before the mountains came into being, before You brought forth the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity you are God (Psalm 90:2 JPSA). Abraham planted a tamarisk at Beer-sheba, and invoked there the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God (Genesis 21:33 JPSA). Blessed is the Lord, God of Israel, from eternity to eternity. And all the people said, "Amen" and "Praise the Lord" (I Chronicles 16:36 JPSA). But the Lord abides forever; He has set up His throne for judgment; it is He who judges the world with righteousness, rules the people with equity (Psalm 9:8-9 JPSA). What the Lord plans endures forever, what He designs for ages on end (Psalm 33:11 JPSA). Before the mountains came into being, before You brought forth the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity You are God (Psalm 90:2 JPSA). Thus said the Lord, the King of Israel, Their Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts: I am the first and I am the last, And there is no god but Me (Isaiah 44:6 (JPSA). Remember, I am with you: I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this Land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you (Genesis 28:15 JPSA). Know, therefore, that only the Lord your God is God, the steadfast God who keeps His gracious covenant to the thousandth generation of those who love Him and keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 7:9 JPSA; cf. also Nehemiah 1:5). Acknowledge with all your heart and soul that not one of the good things that the Lord your God promised you has failed to happen; they have all come true for you, not a single one has failed. But just as every good thing that the Lord your God promised you has been fulfilled for you, so the Lord can bring upon you every evil thing until He has wiped you off this good land which the Lord your God has given you (Joshua 23:14-15 JPSA). The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord! The Lord! a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin ..." (Exodus 34:6 (JPSA). But the Lord said to Samuel, "Pay no attention to his appearance or his stature, for I have rejected him. for not as men see (does the Lord see); man only sees what is visible, but the Lord sees into the heart." (I Samuel 16:7 (JPSA). For the word of the Lord is right; His every deed is faithful. He loves what is right and just; the earth is full of the Lord's faithful care (Psalm 33:4-5 JPSA). The Rock! - His deeds are perfect, Yea, all His ways are just; A faithful God, never false, True and upright is He (Deuteronomy 32:4 (JPSA). The way of God is perfect, The word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. Yea, who is a god except the Lord, Who is a rock except God ... (II Samuel 22:31-32 JPSA). Who alone works great marvels ... Who made the heavens with wisdom ...Who spread the earth over water... Who made the great lights ... the sun to dominate the day ... the moon and stars to dominate the night ... Who took note of us in our degradation... and rescued us from our enemies ... Who gives food to all flesh ... Praise the God of heaven, His steadfast love is eternal (Psalm 136: 4-9, 23-26 JPSA). Next time we will look at an overview of God in each of the Old Covenant Books. Messianic Studies Messianic Studies The Messianic Studies column explores the world of the Messianic Believer. Like the church at large, Messianic Judaism contains much diversity. It is made up of numerous views as to what it means to be a Messianic Jew, who we are, what we call ourselves and what we believe. This column will be used to explore this variety, giving the reader a broader perspective of Messianic Judaism than found elsewhere, exposing those of us who are Messianic Believers to the wide spectrum of practice found within the movement. Hopefully we will succeed in helping our Jewish brothers and sisters to understand why we follow Yeshua as our savior. We also hope that what is provided here will give our gentile readers both a better understanding of their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as the Jewish roots of their own faith. This is the first of two columns dealing the historic Jewish understanding of Messiah as G-d's light. Within the celebration of Chanukah was a clear understanding of the need for Messiah to suffer and for His role in the redemption of His people. As you read part one of this article keep in mind that the extra-biblical sources are neither inspired or correct in their understanding of the deity of Messiah. They are used to demonstrate the fact that historical Judaism understood the role of the Messiah, and that this understanding has been lost. CHANUKAH & THE MESSIAH (Part 1 of 2) From Burt Yellin Congregation Roeh Israel Denver, Colorado The Torah portion for Chanukah deals with the story of Joseph; the story of Joseph and Chanukah both have been viewed by our sages as speaking of Messiah and His era. Much debate has taken place during modern times concerning the idea of a Suffering Messiah and whether it is a Jewish concept or not. Yeshua clearly states that this belief was present during His times in Luke 24:25-26. He is speaking to His disciples on the road to Emmaus, after His resurrection, and He tells them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?" He speaks as if they should have known that the Messiah should suffer, as indeed they did. Many of our sages believed that the Messiah would suffer, and they searched the Scriptures to find a type or picture for this Messiah, some person written of that would embody the sufferings portrayed in Isaiah 53. Their search ended when they came upon Joseph, the son of Jacob. In Joseph, they found one who was favored by his father. He prophesied that he would rule over his brothers and so they became very jealous and sold him to the heathen for silver. Joseph was then placed in a pit and left to die, but he did not die. He was raised out of the pit, placed in prison and numbered with the transgressors. Yet G-d loved Joseph and gave him a portion with the great. Joseph soon distinguished himself and prospered, being made second only to Pharaoh in Egypt, and consequently through Egypt he ruled the world. Joseph was thirty years old, when G-d showed Pharaoh that in Joseph indeed dwelt his presence, the Divine Spirit, and he named him "Tzephan-yahu," the hidden one of the L-rd. Pharaoh gave to Joseph his signet ring, the symbol of his power, and told Joseph that he would be over all in his house, and that all the people would pay homage to him. Wherever Joseph went, there was a man who would go before him clearing the way, proclaiming, "Bow the knee." During a Famine that covered the world, all the people of the earth came to Joseph for their nourishment, for he was given authority in such matters. Finally his brethren came, and bowed before him, pleading for grain. Joseph accused them of wrong doing and, not recognizing their brother, they wept, for they realized that it was because of what they had done to their brother whom they thought dead, that this was happening to them. Later, upon recognizing Joseph as their brother, they rejoiced greatly, and the reunion of Joseph and his family is one of the most touching portions of Scripture. Pharaoh then empowered Joseph to impart to his relations the finest of the land, that they might settle there and prosper--to divide the booty among the strong. His prophecies were now fulfilled. It is from the story of Joseph that our sages first began to call the Messiah who would come, Ephraim our Righteousness, the Messiah ben Joseph (Ephraim being the son of Joseph). This Messiah would not be esteemed by his people, but rather despised. That is why, during Chanukah, the story of Joseph is read, for it speaks of a deliverer, a redeemer, and the rejection of that one by his brethren. The festival of Chanukah also speaks of redemption, of Messiah. Our sages inform us of the seven feasts of Chanukah. Of these seven, only two would deal with light, and these would more properly be called the Feasts of Rededication. The Hasmodean Chanukah was the rededication of the Temple by Yehuda Maccabee. The Book of Maccabee describes Chanukah as the time when the Maccabees celebrated the Feast of Sukkot. They were not able to celebrate the Levitical Holy Day at the proper time, for they were fighting Antiochus IV for control of Jerusalem. When they finally secured the Temple and purged it, they rededicated the "Tabernacle of G-d," and celebrated the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) on the 25th of Kislev, or Chanukah. Chanukah is seen as a "Feast of Lights" because Sukkot was also viewed in this manner. On Sukkot, menorahs would be lit all over Jerusalem, and the glow of the city could be seen for miles around. This light was representative of the Shechina Glory of G-d and the presence of the Holy One in the midst of Israel. In Pesquita Rabbati, we learn that the Messianic Era was associated with the Feast of Chanukah, when the children of Israel would bask in the light of Messiah and rededicate themselves to the L-rd. The Light from the Menorahs set on the hill of Jerusalem could be seen from miles around, and it beckoned G-d's people to return to His holy place. This light was representative of the Light of Messiah who would lead us back to G-d. John speaks to us of the significance of Chanukah as the Feast of Light when he says in verse 1:4, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men... And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." Yeshua spoke of Himself in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world: He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." These statements had great significance to the Jewish people at the time of Yeshua and to us as well. They not only fulfill the prophecies of Tanakh, but the interpretation of those Scriptures by the sages as well. One particularly significant prophecy found in Isaiah 60:1-2 states, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the L-rd is risen upon thee. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but upon thee the L-rd will arise, and His Glory shall be seen." In commenting on this portion our sages write: "These words are to be considered in the light of what David, King of Israel was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write: "For with thee is the fountain of life: in Thy Light do we see light." (Psalm 36:10) What is meant by "In Thy Light do we see light"? What is the light that Israel looks for as from a watchtower? It is the Light of Messiah, of which it is said, "And G-d saw the Light and it was good." And then under His Throne of Glory, He put away His Messiah until the time of the generation in which He will be revealed. Satan, upon seeing this light, asks G-d for whom it is intended. G-d replies, "It is for Ephraim, Son of Joseph, My true Messiah." Satan asks to see Him. Upon being shown the Messiah, he falls to his knees and says; "I admit this is the Messiah, the Light that all men seek after, who in the latter days will cast me and my cohorts into Gehennom." Next month we will continue to explore the relationship between Chanukah and the Messiah. Anee M'Amin Anee M'Amin TESTIMONY OF DAVID KATZ I was raised in Conservative Jewish home. My mother was a Hebrew school and Sunday school teacher. My dad was involved with the Men's Club. Our family lives revolved around the synagogue. I used to walk the three miles from our home to attend services every Saturday morning. All of my friends were Jewish. Even though I knew any Gentiles, none of them were able to get to know me because I was in the Jewish world of L.A. It was sort of a self-imposed ghetto. For instance, When I became old enough to date, the thought had not even entered my mind of dating a Gentile. I was going to marry a Jew and that was that. I became involved in a Zionist Jewish youth group called Habonim (it translates to mean the builders). In that group I met my future wife, Shirley. We corresponded between Vancouver, B.C. and L.A. for five years before it was time for us to marry. We settled in Vancouver and began our lives together. After being married for four years my wife comes home to announce that she had accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. I was in shock. I felt like she had gone into a cult and I needed to get her out of it. We were constantly fighting verbally. She wanted me to become a Christian and I wanted her to come back to Judaism. I figured that I would go to the rabbis and they would tell me where in the Scriptures I could prove the Jesus couldn't be the Messiah. I knew from my upbringing the Scriptures were true. I should clarify what I mean. I knew that from Genesis to Malachi is true. I wouldn't read the New Testament any more than Christians would read the Koran or the writings of Buddha. The New Testament was foreign to me. I went to one of the chief rabbis in Vancouver for answers and I felt like his answers were inadequate. I knew that I would have to search the Old Testament myself. I realized that if we continued fighting as we were that our marriage was doomed. I knew that God hates divorce and I knew that I truly loved my wife. I felt like I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I suggested that Shirley show me by her life that Jesus makes a difference not just her words. This also would give me time to study the word of God so I could show her that Jesus was not the Messiah. I really thought my task would be easy. All I would have to prove is Jesus was not sinless. Every night after dinner I would go into the study around 7:00PM and I wouldn't come out till 10:00. I began to see the way Judaism is practiced today is not what God wanted for his people. For example Micah 6:7-8. "Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what the Lord require of thee, but to justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" What is amazing about this Scripture is not what it contains but what it doesn't contain. If you ask any Jew what is Judaism basically about they will immediately answer the law of God. Here was a perfect opportunity for God to say that He requires the Law and He choose not to. There began in me a thirst for the word of God that was insatiable. I asked Shirley to read to me the Bible while I was driving to work. I began in earnest to seek out the Messianic Scriptures. I saw Psalm 2:6,7,12 who is this son? If this is David's son, Solomon, why does it say Blessed are they that put their trust in him? The only One who is able to Bless is the Lord himself. Isaiah 47: 4 states that God himself is Israel's redeemer. Whoever is the Redeemer must by definition be God also. The book of Isaiah had a big impact on me simply because so much of it is Messianic in nature. One passage in particular Isaiah 49: 14-16 "But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her suckling child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." I know that every word that is in the Scriptures is there for a purpose. I knew there had to be something significant about the palms of God's hands. Somehow something was engraved in it. Keep in mind this passage of Scripture was written 600 years before Christ. In fact, it is written about 200 years before crucifixion was invented. The traditional Jewish method of killing was to stone the offender. But with God all things are possible, that is why Isaiah can be describing something not invented yet. The prophet Jeremiah also was used of the Lord to speak to me in Jeremiah 31: 31-33. It speaks of a new convenant where God would put his laws in our hearts. I knew we had the law of Moses but what was this new covenant that Jeremiah spoke of? He goes on to say the Lord will cleans the Jewish people of all their iniquity in Jeremiah 33:8. The Lord added that unless we can cause such a catastrophe so there is no day or night, his covenant with the people of Israel will stand. The book of Ezekiel 36:25-27 speaks of a time when God will sprinkle clean water upon us and we will be clean from all our idols and filthiness. He goes on to promise a new heart and a new spirit in us and to take out the heart of stone. I realized that I needed to seek the Lord for myself, not just for Shirley. I took comfort in the passage from Deut. 4:29 "But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." I knew that I was seeking Him with all my being. I knew also that God wasn't a liar like men. So I took this passage as a promise from God to continue seeking Him. Zechariah 12:10 really spoke to my heart. "And I will pour upon the house of David, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one that mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." I wondered who was God speaking about? Could this be Jesus? I needed more. The says the Jews are a stiff-necked people and I am a perfect example. Even though God was showing Scripture after Scripture, I needed more. God began to invade my dreams. These were not dreams a good Jewish man would have. The first one was six years before I came to faith. I dreamt I was falling. Everything was black. I continued to have the sensation that I was falling. I called out every name I could think of for God. I called out Adonai (God), Eloheim ( plural form of God), Abba (Father). I continued to fall. Then I called out the name of Yeshua ( Jesus). Immediately I stopped falling and I saw a light a long distance away. I started to go towards that light. That was the end of that dream. I had another dream. I was looking up and I saw Jesus on the Cross. His blood was pouring out of his body on to me. I looked at my hands and my body. It was covered with blood. Every part of my body was covered with this blood. This was still four years before I asked Christ into my heart. Another dream: I was standing on a wall. There is an angelic being with me. On one side there were people who were doing things that I know displeased the Lord. On the other side of the wall there were people who were praising the Lord with their hands raised up. I knew these were Christians because on their chest was a big Cross and I could see Jesus in the distance. That was still two years before I accepted Christ. There were other things that happened besides these dreams. I had challenged Shirley to show me the difference Christ made in her life. Over time I did see changes, she became a better wife to me. She was more loving, more self-confident, more a peace within herself. She showed more grace to others. I saw these changes and I had to admit they all occurred after she had accepted Christ into her heart. God would also answer Shirley's prayers. I wondered if this was Satan at work why would God allow him to answer her prayers. Once I went on a trip about 350-400 miles from here and Shirley prayed that someone would witness to me. As it turned out God's agenda was at work not mine. I bruised my ankle so that it was so swollen that I couldn't travel on. I stayed at my campground near a pool reading my bible. A couple came to the campground and naturally assumed that I was a Christian simply because I was reading my bible. They invited me for dinner to have fellowship. They served me ham. ( God has a sense of humor doesn't he) I didn't eat it and they asked me why. I told them I was Jewish and it was against God's law for me to eat pork. They asked so innocently don't Jews trust Jesus regarding the law? I had to explain that Jews don't accept Jesus as their Messiah. Then we got into a discussion about the cost of being a believer. I needed to hear this because if I ever accepted Christ there was going to be a big cost to pay in turns of my relationships in my family and in the Jewish community. About one year later my mother passed away. She was overweight and a diabetic. But it was thought that her heart simply gave out because of the strain of her weight problem. I grieved deeply over her loss. However, I remember reading in the Psalms that God inhabits the praises of Israel (Psalm 22:3). I thought if anyone had the right to call themselves Israel, I certainly did. So by forcing myself to praise the Lord no matter what I felt, I knew that God would be with me. It lifted me out of my grief. I read in Habakkuk 2:4 the just shall live by his faith. I knew that I needed to have faith in the Lord for his provision for my salvation. I knew that I couldn't keep the law and I had given up trying. I knew that God would provide but I didn't know how. I started corresponding with a Christian worker to the Jews. He wrote me a very long letter basically explaining the Gospel to me. I could tell from the letter that he really cared about me and I wasn't some kind of notch on his gospel pistol. It was the first time I had contact with a born-again Christian that was a positive experience. Up to that point, I felt like Christians wanted to shove the Gospel down my throat. I had never met anyone who loved me unconditionally before I accepted Christ. Yet, at the same time, he didn't try to compromise the Gospel to suit my ears. I respected him for that. I considered all the things I had read, the dreams, the miracles. I finally came to the conclusion it has to be true. Jesus has to be the Messiah of Israel. No one else could qualify because of all of the prophecies about the Messiah that Jesus fulfilled. After I accepted Christ did I read the New Testament to confirm what the Old Testament said. I have been a believer now for twelve years. Some of the events I am describing to you happened eighteen years ago. They are accurate as far as I can remember. I pray that anyone who reads this testimony will be edified by it. I praise the Lord for his intervention. 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 seventh 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. FEELING WHAT YOU FEEL Luke 19:28-44 When I was fairly young, I had a bad temper. I recognized my behavior was inappropriate. My problem was, I didn't understand the proper way to deal with my anger. As a result, I simply decided to stop responding angrily. So I shut down the deeper emotions of my spirit. I had to face this during the counseling I underwent to deal with problems in my marriage. One of the riskiest activities for individuals in a dysfunctional family is feeling what they feel. Sometimes the risk is so great that feelings are rejected. Children are taught that feelings must be repressed. For example, real boys don't cry. They aren't allowed to feel pain from abuse or neglect. Constant repression of negative emotions leads to a total shut down of all feelings. When God created us in His image, He included our emotions as part of that image. He gave them to us to help us experience the depths of life. They serve as signals of how we perceive life. I often say to my clients that emotions are like the red light on the dashboard of the car. Emotions, such as anger, are given to warn of a problem. We can deal with the problem. Or, we can slap a band-aid over the light, i.e. suppress or reject our emotions. But if we cover-up the warning light, one day the engine may blow up. Frozen emotions reflect a sad condition which often separates us from both God and the people around us. Disconnection from our emotions causes us to go through life as if we were simply an actor on the stage. We are untouched by all that goes on around us. Certainly there is less pain when we refuse to feel, but there is also less joy. Even worse, frozen emotions lead to alienation from spouses, children, extended family and other believers. This prevents us from being the person God intends us to be. It is appropriate to feel what we feel. Christ certainly experienced a range of emotions in His life on earth. Luke 19:28-44 shows the highs and lows that Jesus had to deal with on one specific day, Palm Sunday. As the Lord came towards Jerusalem, the crowds shouted welcoming greetings. They acted as if He was the promised King and Messiah. The joy and praise of the crowd washed over Him. His response to the Pharisees' criticism of the crowd was to approve the people's praise. He told the Pharisees that if the people didn't praise Him, the stones would be given voices to fulfill the task. The Lord accepted the adulation of the crowd, recognizing it was His due. Imagine the contrast. Jesus felt the joy experienced by the crowd in their exuberance. He appreciated their recognition of God's involvement in their lives. But as Jesus approached Jerusalem, He moved past the momentary praise of the crowd to the reality of being rejected by the general populace. Under the leading of the Holy Spirit, Jesus looked forward in time and saw His rejection, the fall of Jerusalem and the suffering of the Jewish people. His response was one of sorrow and weeping. He wept, not because He was to be rejected, but because of the suffering that the people would experience. They would suffer as a result of rejecting the opportunity to receive peace. Palm Sunday was a day of emotional extremes. Jesus experienced the joy coming from the crowd's recognition of God's working through Him. But, He also felt sorrow at the imminent suffering of many of these same people, and the nation as a whole. However, nowhere do we see the Lord protecting himself from painful emotions. Consider this passage. "He (Jesus) withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground" (Luke 22:41-44). Jesus allowed Himself to feel what he felt, no matter what the cost. In contrast, much of our suffering, and certainly the suffering of the unbeliever, comes not so much from circumstances. But our response to those circumstances. As a result, many have allowed themselves to deal with suffering, not by accepting the peace God has to offer, but by denying their emotions. In a real sense, frozen emotions are another form of denial, the denial of the reality of our emotions, and the delusion that emotions are unacceptable. When an individual suffers from emotional problems and frozen feelings, he must learn to recognize that, first of all he is still experiencing emotions. The problem is, he is so disconnected from them that he is unaware of them. When you ask this individual how he is feeling, he is likely to respond, "I don't know." And he really doesn't! But he has to reconnect with his feelings without being overwhelmed by them. He has to feel what he is feeling. Even though most of us don't suffer from frozen feelings, we frequently discount emotions in ourselves and others. How often has the husband said, "You shouldn't feel that way"? How often has the mother has said the same words to her children? But we do feel that way. Maybe the reasons I feel the way I do is wrong, but I feel what I feel. Another problem that sometimes occurs is when you consistently move towards someone out of love, and are rejected. There is a desire to avoid the pain, and therefore temptation to say "It doesn't matter." Barriers can spring up between husbands and wives or parents and children where rejection occurs and emotions are shut down. Young people are often uncomfortable with their emotions. They are emotional beings who feel out of control and therefore they reject them. Your teenager will say, "I don't care" to just about anything, but they do care. They simply don't know how to respond to what they feel. This is a normal part of being a teenager, and not always symptomatic of a problem. Anger is the emotion that brings the most fear in the dysfunctional individual. If you were a victim of someone else's anger, and if it led to physical abuse, you know why you are afraid of anger. But even anger in and of itself isn't the problem. The real issue with emotions is how do we handle them? Do we repress them, or do we vent them? Neither is an appropriate solution. We need to use our emotions as a better way of understanding our thought processes. In this way, we can see if our thoughts conform to the will of the Lord. Paul puts it this way: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2). By allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal what is behind our emotions, we can truly allow Him to renew our mind. Dysfunctional family members often disconnect from each other. In contrast, the healthy family feels what each member feels. It is ok to be sad and angry as well as happy and excited. No one is threatened by anyone else's emotions. How does the problem of frozen emotions move into the church and prevent it from being the environment God desires? Some of the symptoms may be ongoing discomfort with those who are "touchy feelie," or those who express their emotions. Are we extremely uncomfortable with people who tend to express their opinions at higher decibel levels, or may cry when in pain? Keep in mind that we all may be somewhat uncomfortable with any of the above. But the person with frozen feelings maybe more than uncomfortable, they may be downright hostile. People with frozen feelings may display subtle symptoms, including an inability to affirm others, or the denial of their own feelings in painful situations. Again, the problem here is that when feelings are frozen, the goal is self-protection. Self-protection is in direct opposition to God's command to love others. If I can't accept hurt, then how can I move towards you in love? The risk is simply too great. A healthy church family experiences joy and happiness in unity. It also can weep and mourn when that is appropriate. "If one part (of the body) suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it" (1 Corinthians 12:26-27). Throughout this series we have seen a number of the problems families experience today. We have seen how people carry these problems into the church. And we have reviewed the effect these problems have in the church. However, the message of this series should be one of hope and comfort. We are children of an faithful God. He can and will change us, if we are willing to let Him do the hard work. We are already new creations. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). We have allowed Him to transform us by the renewing of our minds, conforming us to the image of Christ. As we allow the Lord to bring spiritual healing into our lives, we will in turn bring new patterns of behavior into our local church. Remember, the promise here isn't that we will no longer have any problems. No, the hope is that, under the leading of the Holy Spirit and the headship of Christ, we will be able to deal with our problems. It will be ok to hurt, to struggle, to cry, and to laugh. We can truly be the body that the Lord desires us to be. We can reach out beyond the church walls, bringing the message of salvation, and the message of healing. We are the family of God. Let Him make us a healthy one. Praise the Lord! We still live in a day of miracles. The greatest miracle of all is God giving people eternal life. Lives are changed, from empty and hopeless to purposeful and expectant. We have the opportunity to be involved with this miracle. First, let us pray that we will allow God to do a great work in us. Let us live in the truth that all life comes from Him. Then, pray with expectation that we will see the miracles of God worked through us, for such is His will. As we depend on the Lord to become more healthy as individuals, let us also desire to become more healthy in the local church. The message of the Gospel is eternal life, and being conformed to the image of Christ. The church in the environment in which this growth is to occur. Therefore "... go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28: 19-20). We will demonstrate this as we follow the teachings of Jesus to: "... '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). "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35). Prayer Guidelines Prayer and Solitude by Michael Wilkinson PRAYER AND SOLITUDE Article 10 of the "Prayer and ..." Series by Michael Wilkinson "Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him. On reaching the place, He said to them, 'Pray that you will not fall into temptation.' He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 'Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done'" (Luke 22:39-42). As Jesus began to face the agony of His final hours before the cross, He went to a secluded place to pray. He left His friends and disciples behind, and went to find a place where He could be alone with the Father. Once alone, He could talk to the Father about His destiny, the horrible death by crucifixion. The prayer He prayed expressed intense feeling and strong devotion. This was a prayer the disciples could not have understood at the time, and therefore Jesus prayed it alone. It is important that Christians meet together for prayer, as was done in the early church. "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). Praying together helps the church exalt the Father as provider, Jesus the Son as shepherd, and the Holy Spirit as comforter. Praying together causes the needs of the believers to be shared so that love for one another may abound, and so that those who do not know God may see Him work in the lives of His children. Yet Christians can and should also approach the Lord in prayer on their own. When I pray by myself, being alone with God, I may be more free to pour out my whole heart to the Lord. I can then pray without being concerned about how others might misunderstand my feelings, be ashamed of the sins I confess or impatient if I pray too long I don't need to be concerned about the sound of my voice or using the "right" words and phrases. More importantly, I need time to be worshiping the Lord with MY worship, not just OUR worship. I can bow my head in a prayer meeting for hours either praying along or not praying. But when I pray alone, I know what kind of worshiper I am. If I can not pray when I am alone, I need to confess that I am not following the Lord as I should. I need to pray, "Lord, help me love you as I should." I need to find out what I am trying to love instead of the Lord and get it out of my way! And the Lord expects us to worship Him on our own. He created us for this. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Although these two verses were written in the context of urging believers to flee immortality, the use of the word "temple" indicates that we are to be full of worship, for there is no other purpose for a temple. Therefore, let us take time to worship God and have personal fellowship with Him in prayer. The solution to a life without personal prayer is to begin praying. Pray about your lack of desire for prayer. Ask for forgiveness and help. Never give up. "O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me" (Psalm 63:1-8). SCUD Warnings SCUD Warnings by Jerry Johnson S piritual C ounterfeits U ndermining D octrine W A R N I N G S By Jerry Johnson * * * * * GRACEBUSTERS * * * * * The Do-attitudes Blessed are the demanding in spirit, for theirs is the rule book of heaven. Blessed are those who feel guilty, for they shall feel justified. Blessed are the perfectionists, for they will inherit the expectations of everyone on earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after clearly defined structure, for they shall create their fill. Blessed are the unmerciful, for they know the others don't deserve it anyway. Blessed are the guilty in heart, for they would see God, if they deserved it. Blessed are the lawmakers, for they will be called the terminators of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of their upholding of the rules, for theirs are the clearly defined parameters of the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you, persecute you and say all manner of evil against you, for you probably deserve it. Gracebusters - those insidious attitudes that have, throughout the centuries, been able to make their way both into the churches and into the lives individuals and compromise the immense grace of God. These attitudes are insidious because, somehow, even though they mitigate the grace of God, the people with these attitudes usually believe them to be of God. The three biggies we will be discussing will be 1) guilt, 2) perfectionism and 3) legalism. We'll start with guilt. You know guilt. It's that "go out and have a good time, ignore the fact that I have tons of work to do, including some of your leftover work. Enjoy yourself. After all, I can handle the extra work... my back doesn't hurt nearly as much today. Go out... enjoy!" Guilt. I believe that guilt is a weapon of Satan against people in general and Christians in particular. "Hold it just a minute! Are you saying we're not guilty of anything?" No, we're guilty. What I'm talking about is the difference between guilt and conviction. And there are significant differences. "Prove it." Adam and David. Both blew it. Each responded differently and those differences clearly indicate the dissimilarities between conviction and guilt. Guilt: Adam knew he blew it, so he hid from God in the bushes (never very effective), tried to compensate on his own power with fig leaf Levi's, passed off the blame and felt put down and was put out. Conviction: David knew he blew it with Bathsheba and his reactions. So, when trapped by the prophet with a tidy little analogy; David turned back to God, asked for God's forgiveness, acknowledged his sin and responsibility and was restored. Guilt condemns and causes one to avoid God because of our unworthiness. We become obsessed with our failings, and usually with looking for at least explanations (if not excuses); we get depressed, withdraw from God and fellow believers and end up in a dark room, watching soaps and eating bag after bag of Pepperidge Farm cookies. Conviction draws one towards God because we understand we are unworthy, but that He wants to restore us; we focus on repentance and change, seek out the Lord and other believers so we won't fail as readily in that same area; we get determined to move on and end up sharing our struggles to help others through the same types of conflicts. It's like having your car run out of gas. Guilt wants us to abandon the car because we were too dumb to gas up at the last gas station and, thereby, we get nowhere. Conviction gets us to go get gas, fill up the car, go on and watch the gauge more closely. Satan loves to have Christians abandon their cars, God loves to get us up and going. Satan would love to have all believers dead, but in lieu of that he'll accept having them simply acting as if they are dead: cold, withdrawn and still. That's why he likes guilt. It can tie Christians in knots, obsessing on their inadequacy and somehow functionally convincing them that Christ's blood wasn't quite effective enough for THEIR sin. One way guilt can effect a believer is to propel them into perfectionism. We all know some of those people. Hey, some of us ARE those people. These are the ones who understand how unworthy we are of God and seek to pay Him back for His sacrifice. Now it usually doesn't come across that bluntly. It's usually someone who feels REAL bad when they fail God, so they knock themselves out trying to not blow it. These people usually succeed. They are structured, extremely demanding of themselves and scared to death they'll blow it and fail God again. Somewhere, deep inside, comes the feeling that we're earning God's favor. That's a subtle deception because it results in all the outward signs of righteousness, doing the right thing. And then comes this small, persistent voice: "you know, you really are doing so well that God should be delighted in you. You really deserve His sacrifice on the cross." Wrong! Isaiah 64:6 says that our righteousness is as filthy rags. Our very best is contaminated trash. That's the modern version of filthy rags. In the Hebrew it refers to rags used for menstrual flow or a festering wound. That wasn't just dirty, but also somewhat gross and, to a Jew, ritually unclean as well. That's our righteousness. "Oh yeah, now I REALLY feel worthy to come to God!" We should, because we come based on Christ's righteousness, not ours. We don't and can't deserve His sacrifice. We are unworthy, but we get it anyway! It's like winning the biggest lottery of all time when you didn't even buy a ticket. "So what's so wrong with wanting to try to pay God back?" Besides the fact that it's impossible, consider this: would you like the love of your life interacting with you to impress you or because they love you. Jesus wasn't impressed by the efforts of the Pharisees to impress God and He is unequally unimpressed by our efforts. Now, onto legalism. The difference between perfectionism and legalism is a lot like the difference between suicide and homicide... it depends who you're aiming the gun at. It doesn't take a theological seminarian to realize that Jesus wasn't too wild about legalistic pharisees and Paul wasn't too fond of legalistic Judaizers. Both groups wanted to whittle a relationship down to a simple, quantifiable list of dos and don'ts. Again, it's much easier to follow rules than God. But, much like perfectionism, legalism can have a "holy" feel about it. After all, aren't we defending the faith, encouraging people to righteousness, lifting high the standard of Christ?! See, it even sounds righteous. The problem is, it rarely reflects the compassion of Christ and most often feels harsh and condemnatory. And remember, guilt is very much a part of perfectionism and legalism. The big question is: Why, when we have the totally effective sacrifice of Christ bathing us in grace, do we fall back to the gracebusters like guilt, perfectionism and legalism? Have you ever worked in a job that you really liked and put out extra effort for? Have you ever been in a job you hated and tended to do only what you had to do? What was the difference? Usually you get response like, "it was a lousy place to work" or "they were trying to rip everyone off" or "they treated you like a slave" or "they were always so nit picky." Bottom line is, we tend to become legalistic, perfectionist and guilty when we really don't trust that the boss cares about our well-being. We try to cover our own posteriors through observance of guidelines and rules that could stand up under arbitration if the boss decided to nail you without warning. We tend to utilize the gracebusters because we don't truly believe God loves us, cares for us and supports us. So we try to make ourselves look good by "doing it right." If we truly understood that Christ's blood is sufficient for any and every sin; if we truly believed that He loves us dearly and works in our lives to our ultimate, God-defined good; if we truly relaxed in the truth that we can't earn God's grace, but can wholly enjoy its benefits; we could quit trying to act like Christians and get busy ministering to the Almighty and each other. Next time: The Gospel According to Judas Bible Quiz Bible Quiz BIBLE QUIZ Paul was perhaps the greatest missionary of all time. He met a lot of people during his ministry. Match the person Paul was associated with in the first list with their description in the second. 1. Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25-30) 2. Eutychus (Acts 20:9) 3. Agabus (Acts 21:10-11) 4. Demetrius (Acts 19:24) 5. Alexander (Acts 19:33-34) 6. Priscilla (Acts 18:24-26) 7. Gaius (19:29) 8. Gallio (Acts 18:14-17) 9. Lydia (Acts 16:14) 10. Claudius Lysias (Acts 22:23) a) tried to quiet the riot in Ephesus b) predicted Paul's imprisonment c) ordered Paul beaten d) drove Paul's accusers from the judgement seat e) provided help for missionaries f) taken to theatre during riot g) opposed Paul's teachings h) fell from window while Paul preached i) friend who almost died j) helped instruct Apollos in the truth Christian Life Department People Profile People Profile Morning Star Senior Editor, Teresa Giordanengo, conducted this interview with Mrs. Elizabeth DeSantis of Westfield, New York. Mrs. DeSantis and her husband, Rev. Matthew DeSantis have recently returned to the United States after thirty-nine years as Missionaries to Northern Europe. The most appropriate way to describe their years of work is found in two words: Faithfulness and Commitment. Teresa: Sister DeSantis, when did you and Rev. DeSantis come to know the Lord? Elizabeth: My husband was born in Italy and was an altar boy in the Catholic Church. When he came to America in 1936, his father had already been converted and told him the plan of salvation. He accepted and began attending the Christian Church and kept going from that time on. I was raised in a Pentecostal family. My mother had already accepted the Gospel when I was born. We lived in Erie, Pennsylvania at that time. Teresa: What background did you have that prepared you for the mission field and how did you get started? Elizabeth: When Matthew was transferred due to his job, from New Castle to Erie, he began attending the church where I was a member. This is when we met and were married three years later, in 1944 during the war. We both worked but we felt the call of God to do something more with our lives in the ministry. While we were waiting for the right doors to open we continued to be active in our church. In 1950 we felt it was time that we got some training. We were already settled in Erie and had our own home, but when we were accepted at The Central Bible Institute in Springfield, Missouri we sold everything, packed our car and were on our way. During our last year at the Institute, we received a call to be part of a team being sent to Italy to start Sunday Schools. We were asked to participate along with two members from the Assembly of God missionaries, Bro. Fiorentino who was also with the Christian Church of North America, and another girl from Brooklyn. There were six of us. We accepted this challenge and felt that this was the door the Lord was opening to lead us into missionary work. This was our first experience on the mission field. Teresa: Tell us about your first Missionary experiences in Italy. Elizabeth: We were in Italy for only one and a half years because there was no religious liberty there at that time. We did not have the liberty to work as missionaries. We were expelled from the country as not being acceptable, but in the meantime we did establish about 100 Sunday Schools. During the day we would choose the best people suitable as teachers and give them the training. At night we held evangelistic services; I played the accordion and my husband played the trumpet. This really drew the crowds and was our first experience on the mission field. Because there were six of us together, it helped overcome many obstacles and difficulties. Teresa: What were some of the difficulties encountered in Italy? Elizabeth: At that time Italy was faced with many problems. There was never enough food to buy, and items we were accustomed to in America, we had to do without. There were no indoor facilities and we were restricted in so many ways. The joy of the success of the work and seeing the people accepting the Lord compensated for all the shortcomings. When they told us to leave the country we didn't know what to do because we did not want to go back to America, so we decided to go to the island of Malta, which was the nearest place of another government at that time. We thought that we would go out, get our passports stamped, and go back into Italy to continue our work. But when we got back to the Port of Syracuse in Italy, the authorities would not let us off the boat. They took our passports and we were detained for two hours. They were determined not to permit us back into the country because they followed us around and knew the work we were doing for the Lord. Let me tell you that while we were visiting churches in America, a little while later, an elderly sister came to us at a church in Youngstown, Ohio. She told us that on a certain day she was working in the kitchen and she heard an inner voice say to her, "Stop everything and go and pray for Bro. and Sister DeSantis." She knew us but she didn't know where we were at the time. But the urge, that voice, was so strong that she left her work and began praying for us. When we compared the day and the time when this occurred, with the six hours difference, it was the exact time we were on that boat. We knew at the time that it was a miracle of God that we got back into Italy, because all of a sudden one of the authorities came over to us and returned our passports and told us to 'get off', and that's all that was said. This was an answer to prayers. We were able to continue our work for only about three more months. Then we felt that we should leave, and we came back to America for a short while. Teresa: In the secular world 33 percent of all overseas employees return to the United States of America, within the first year. The typical length of service in the decade of the 90's is between one and eight years. You and Rev. DeSantis stayed for 39 years. Why was your life so different? Elizabeth: We felt the calling of God to do this work and we dedicated our life to this work. We made a definite commitment to the Lord. In fact, we purchased a one-way ticket to Brussels. We had no intentions of quitting. It's tough out there, and perhaps this is why it has been calculated that up to half of all new Missionaries do not last beyond their first term on the field. We were interested in only one thing: Being successful in completing the task we had pledged to complete. Teresa: You departed for Europe, armed with the Bible and the call of God. What happened in Belgium? Elizabeth: We got the call to go to Belgium in 1956 and we have been in Europe until now. We knew no one in Belgium, but we knew there was a need there. The people who told us about the need were here in America, when we arrived in Belgium. It felt really strange arriving in a strange country with a different language. The language was French, and even though at the Institute I felt I should learn French, I never thought I would have any use for it. So we had to learn it the hard way. We stayed at a hotel for about a month. Then we found an evangelical church and the people were very nice to us. We did find a little furnished apartment and learned our way around. We wanted to find a meeting place, so we wrote back to our missions office and asked for a little help to rent a store room on the main street. We began our meetings there; passing out invitations and tracts on the street and making contacts by going door to door. We began our little mission with only the two us. We held our meeting and played our instruments every night and sang as loud as we could. Teresa: Do you remember your first convert? Elizabeth: The first convert that came to our meeting, sat in the back of the room near the door. Matthew continued the service as usual with the sermon and singing. At the end of the evening, he asked if anyone needed prayer. Well, this gentleman was the only one there, and he did come forward. He said, "I don't know what you have, but whatever you have, I want it." Matthew said, "We will pray for you right here." When we got up from prayer he told us, "I was on my way to throw myself down into the canal. I have committed every sin that you could ever imagine that I could. My family is without food, and I was ready to leave home. I was so desperate but when I came by your mission, your music sounded so wonderful; it sounded like heavenly music. A little voice told me to stop and put my bicycle on the side and go in." He did come in and God really did something for him that night. That was the break that we had in our ministry. He went home and told his wife ... but of course she wasn't going to believe him. He had promised her so many things before. He came over to us and asked that we go over and explain everything to her. She accepted and then he brought his family and friends. This is how our work got started there in Belgium. Teresa: How did you function in those early days, especially not knowing the language very well? Elizabeth: We were with the Missions Department of the Christian Church of North America, so they did send us $130.00 a month at that time. We were able to find an apartment, and the landlord spoke English and was a big help to us. The lady upstairs was a school teacher and knew English, and was also a big help to us. We had the help of one or the other, and they were so kind. Teresa: Into what areas did your ministry expand? Elizabeth: We went to Liege, and began opening more churches. We started to spread around Europe and did not come home on furlough for six years. But when we came home we were so happy to see the Statue of Liberty in the harbor. God bless the U.S.A. We were committed to the work of the Lord and were able to establish a beachhead in Belgium, and when we returned in 1963, the work began to spread to France, Germany, Switzerland, and England. We decided that we could not stay in one place anymore, so we moved to Luxembourg in 1964 and established our headquarters there. Churches were springing up everywhere. This was a centrally located city for us in order to travel from place to place. Today, after 39 years, there are 132 churches in 5 different nations in Northern Europe. Some have memberships of 500 people. We have a good committee that coordinates all the work of all these churches. We have an Executive Board with Brother Navanteri as President. There are annual Pastors' conventions, seminars, annual rallies in different nations, camp meetings and N.E.A.T., a Mini-Bible school in Germany every year, in the month of July. With these Mini-Bible schools, we are able to train many more workers. Before this time, there was no organization of any kind. There were no workers or pastors' conventions. We just had to use the best that we had. Teresa: What programs are in place for the youth? Elizabeth: We organized all our youth and encouraged them to play their musical instruments and sing for the Lord. We saw to it that we had a leader in every country. We have a very strong youth program. We have an international youth leader who coordinates all the work of the youth. Most of our churches have Sunday Schools. That was our first priority, to establish Sunday Schools. Each church has its own local youth activity. We have the districts and an international gathering when they come in from each country. We have youth camps from age 18 to 35. This helps to keep our young people together. This year they sang the Hallelujah Chorus at the Easter Rally, with a 60 voice choir from a small section of France and a tiny section of Germany. A young man age 21 was the choir leader. It was amazing how well they did. Everyone stood and applauded to the Lord for such beautiful music; we had never heard these young people before. It was fantastic. Thank the Lord! We had an American evangelist with us that day and he was just overtaken by these young people too. The music really holds our young people together. It is really rewarding to them. Teresa: What part do the women have in the ministry? Elizabeth: The women's ministries is probably one of the last that we were able to organize because of their culture. We just didn't know how much liberty the women would have. To see them leave their husbands and children behind and board buses to go to another city is not easy. But these women are very Missionary minded. There are about 65 women's groups organized. They support about 50 children in India. All year long they have bake sales or sell hand-work to save money for the LOVE month of February. Each year in February, we put all these funds together to send to the missions. Last February we had $15,000.00 total funds to send. This is all voluntary. We have already built a church in Uruguay, and are building one in South Africa. We have been able to reach out to most of the South American countries. We have helped in India and Guatemala too. We have received many blessings from the Lord! The women have been a real blessing to the work; it has been a very rewarding work. Teresa: What insights have you gained in the mission field? Elizabeth: We felt the work should fall into the hands of the Nationals, the citizens, because they know the culture, they know the language and they are able to do much more. By the time you send an American and he is trained in the language etc. we lose a lot of time. It is better to teach their own people to do the work. Besides, it is less expensive to support a family already established in a country, rather than to support one from abroad, especially with children. In the beginning everything was different, but now, especially with the spirit today against the Americans, it is best the Nationals carry on the work in their own countries. We gave them the training and the materials and showed them how the work is done. We helped them all we could. We did all we could to give them the Word. We felt that the Word is what was going to hold them. Teresa: To what do you attribute your great success in Europe? Elizabeth: I think the reason we were successful, with the help of the Lord, is that we made ourselves "one of them." We never said that things should be done this way or that; or that this is the way it is done in America. We always adapted ourselves to the culture we were in. We identified with them and became one of them. This is why they appreciated us. They had faith in us, so that whatever program we wanted to initiate, they knew it was for their own good. We could never live like the top Americans and expect to communicate with the people of the different countries. A Missionary must remember that it is important to BE THERE with the people. Teresa: What is the worst situation that Missionaries have to overcome? Elizabeth: Being in northern Europe is not as bad as in some of the other countries ... but it's the loneliness that is the worst thing to deal with. When we first arrived we knew no one and there were many times that we felt very lonely. We could do without the good food that we were accustomed to or the best clothing, but many times we felt lonely for the family and friends back home. And being so far away, we couldn't call the missions office for counseling or support in these matters. We had the Lord with us at all times, and He was the one who helped in all situations. But I think loneliness would be the worst circumstance that one would have to cope with when in the mission field, away from home and family. Also as different needs came up, we didn't call the headquarters, we just dealt with them ourselves. But if we really have the "call of the Lord", you would be surprised what the Lord can help us overcome! Teresa: What would you say to someone who thought that the Missionary's life was so glamorous with all the travel and excitement? Elizabeth: Unless you are called of the Lord, the excitement of travel will soon fade away. My advise to all Missionaries going to the mission field is: "Don't leave home without the attitude of commitment." Teresa: Do the Europeans attend the church services more often than the Americans do? Elizabeth: The Christian people in Europe seen to be more dedicated to the Lord and to the church than in America. They don't have so many outlets and commitments of their time. I think they live on a little less income than the Americans do because their culture is different. The students don't have all the distractions that the students have here. We have more sports oriented programs here than there are in Europe. When our young people come to the services, they look forward to the fellowship they have together. Teresa: What are your plans for the future? Elizabeth: We traveled continuously and we thank the Lord for our good health through the years. We felt that we could leave now because we have trained the leaders throughout Europe. The people need a stronghold ... they have to know that they have someone they can rely on. Right now we are helping out in our local churches, and we attend conferences. Each year in May, we will return to Germany to conduct our Mini-Bible School there. We want to return to conduct these classes each year. Teresa: Is there any particular circumstance that stands out in your mind? Elizabeth: One day when I was handing out tracts on the street, I noticed a lady approaching us wearing black. I felt she was in mourning, because black is worn during a time of mourning. As she got closer to me, I stopped her and said I had something to give her. She asked if it talked about God. I told her that, yes, it did talk about God. She began opening up to me and saying that she was on her way to her daughter's home and that her daughter really needed God. I asked if I could go with her to her daughter's home. She said that I could. When we entered the home, she was a very pretty girl about the age of 22, but the whole one side of her face had been burnt when she was a child. The mother proceeded to tell her that I was there to tell them about God. She turned to me and said, "What God do you want to talk to me about?" She said that her husband was packing up and ready to leave her with the three children; she had no food in the house; the condition of her home was terrible and she wanted to know where this God was that could help her. I let her talk and get it all out of her system. Then I began to tell her about how much Jesus loved her and before I left I asked if we could pray. We knelt down to pray and when we stood up again, tears were streaming down her face and I knew that God had touched her. I continued to minister to her, and she accepted the Lord, and so did her mother, her husband, and her family. The Lord blessed her with three more children as time went on. One day I was in London at a meeting and a fine young girl came up to me and introduced herself and said, "Sister DeSantis, I don't think you remember me? I remember you when I was just a little girl and you came to my home to visit my mother." She was the daughter of this young lady I ministered to. And now this daughter was in London at the Bible college, training to be a Missionary. Today she is in Greece working for the Lord. Isn't it marvelous what the Lord can do! Teresa: Would you have done the same work in your life if you had it to do all over again? Elizabeth: We never regretted being in Europe. It is so rewarding to see all the people come to the Lord. I wouldn't have wanted it any different. Teresa: You have seen so many changes in the world during these last days of time. Do you have any comments? Elizabeth: We are definitely in the end times of this life. We were there when the Berlin Wall was put up and we saw it come down. The people reacted with joy but many people expected a lot more to happen much sooner, like success in so many different ways. But this was a big victory for everyone. Since the common market came into power, it confirms what we have studied about for years. Never did I think that I would be a part of all this; Then becoming united in so many ways. Today there are no restrictions to go from one country to another. Now they are wanting to make one currency for everyone. The license plates and passports are all one. Things I studied since I was a young person; even the huge computers in Luxembourg, with volumes and volumes of information, have come to pass right before our eyes. The Bible tells it all. I know that Jesus is coming soon! Teresa: What is your final thought to everyone reading this magazine? Elizabeth: The only hope for this world is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the power of God. We need THAT power that can change; can turn a sinner into a saint; it could bring healing to the families; healing to the individual; and keep the marriages together. It is THAT power of Jesus Christ that every woman and every man needs. Ministry Profile Ministry Profile WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO PLANT A CHURCH? From PARTNERS - a publication of PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL INDIA - Seizing Opportunities When the government of India decided to deal with the nation's 70% illiteracy rate our partner, Anand Chaudhari, saw a golden opportunity to help his people read and also introduce them to the Author of life. He sent out trained literacy teachers with Bible-based materials. By the end of last year more than 9,000 adults had already graduated from 321 literacy centers. This year 617 centers have been started. Each student receives his or her own Bible upon graduation. In just two years 11 5 new churches have grown out of this literacy program. In a remote area two brothers have started five literacy centers. When they began, there were less than ten believers in the whole region. Today 110 converts have built their own mud and thatch house of worship. These believers fanned out into surrounding villages and have already started twenty house churches. At this rate there should be no problem to reach Anand Chaudhari's goal of 2000 new worship centers by the year 2000. THAILAND - Perseverance Joseph Tien is the chief in the picturesque village of Hwei Mok in Northern Thailand. The villagers are proud of their neatly swept dirt streets, and well-kept thatched houses-and of their beloved chapel. Joseph started the church here in 1978. Since then he's reached out to other villages and seen chapels open-and close. The Meng Gao Chapel on the Burmese border, which opened six years ago, has been closed because of communist guerrilla activities. All the believers have been scattered to other places. In an Akha tribal village, Joseph was able to start another church. But recently government officials chased the people away because of plans to replant the denuded forests. He doesn't know where many of them have gone. Joseph has started eight churches in the past 14 years. Though some have been disbanded, others are growing. In fact, two are now being pastored by young people who graduated from our Sponsor A Child program in Hwei Mok. And when he last wrote, Joseph reported that 15 new believers were ready for baptism. SOUTH AFRICA - Compassion Winterfeld is a squatter camp outside Pretoria, South Africa. Three hundred thousand people have crowded together in shacks and huts, many without running water and electricity. This is as close as these Botswana residents can legally get to the job market in Pretoria. It's a three hour commute. And many simply never find jobs. It's here that our partner, Richard Makunyane, pitched his tent and began a church. The crowds soon outgrew the tent. The people brought money and materials, and over time worked to build their own church building. Now that it's completed the church serves the community in many ways - sewing classes and skills training for women, literacy programs to battle the high illiteracy rate, and instruction on family planning. This winter (the winds blow coldest in July and August) the church opened a soup kitchen for the old people and children who are roaming the streets without food or care. Even out of their poverty the people have learned to demonstrate the love of Christ to those around them. CHINA - Risk of Prison Church leaders in China must train in secret. Recently in one area 29 graduated from a three-year course. One of these leaders told how God had cared for him: "We held a massive service with an out-of-town servant of God coming to perform baptisms. Around 500 people attended the meeting, singing through the night.... The baptism was indeed performed, but a few days later the church was persecuted. I was imprisoned. I saw God's presence with me then. We had very little to eat. After one week, the convicts with me toppled to the ground because of hunger. But after each meal God allowed me to fall asleep. When I awoke I was full, ... and I was able to survive until I was released from prison." INDONESIA - Prayer When Johari Yohanis visited an obscure Muslim village in Indonesia, no one wanted to listen to his message about the love of Christ. As he went from house to house, the people threatened and ridiculed him and told him to leave their village. He was about to give up and go elsewhere. Then he came to a little bamboo and thatch house where he found a paralyzed woman Iying on her bed and willing to listen. She became the first Christian in the village, and did the only thing she was able to do. She began praying for her neighbors. Soon others came to meet with her whenever Johari came to visit. Today the church that started in her humble home meets in a new church building, but a small group continues to meet with her in her home each week. NEPAL - In the right place at the right time Just two years ago anyone who openly converted to Christianity in the country of Nepal was put in prison for one year. And if you were caught converting and baptizing someone in this Hindu kingdom, it was a six-year sentence. But when pro-democracy forces marched on the king's palace in April 1990, laws against Christianity were eased, and prisoners of conscience released. Though authorities can still enforce anti-Christian laws if they wish, Christians are taking advantage of this window of opportunity to share the good news of Christ. The Indian Adult Literacy Program, led by our partner Anand Chaudhari, started 10 new Bible-based literacy centers in Nepal in July. Two Nepalese students completed their training for this ministry at the Rajasthan Bible Institute. Not only are the Nepalese mainly illiterate (68% male, 90% female), but Christians have had virtually no opportunity to study the Bible because of stringent laws in the country. ALBANIA - Finleys report on trip to Albania Allen Finley, board member and former president of Partners International, and his wife Ruth spoke at Partners headquarters after their recent "vacation" in Albania. The Finleys painted a picture of utter economic chaos. "It's as though time stood still for the 60 years of the communist regime," said Allen. They told of a group of university professors who had never seen a check, and could not understand how an item could be paid for simply by transferring a piece of paper. They visited an orphanage filled with children of failed abortions and hospitals without medicines. One woman told Ruth angrily, "The communists took away my life!" In todays open religious climate the Finleys observed that many Islamic nations and other false religions are seeking ways to get a foothold in the country. They warned that any Christian groups entering the country must also bring physical help and expertise along with the gospel. BRAZIL - Brazilian woman's dreams fulfilled in Albania Some years ago Jonathan de Santo, director of Antioch Mission, a partner ministry in Brazil, heard about the desperate conditions in Albania. He challenged the students at his mission's training school to pray for this atheistic country. A young Brazilian woman, Najoa Diva, went a step further. She felt God calling her to work among Albanians even though the doors were tightly shut at the time and there seemed no hope of getting into the country. When she completed her training, Antioch Mission sent her to Yugoslavia instead, where she worked among Albanians there. She learned the language fluently and became comfortable in the Muslim culture. Now the doors have opened. When the Finleys attended a church in Albania some weeks ago (see adjacent story) they found a vibrant Najoa happily settled in the "land of her dreams," and leading a large congregation of new Albanian converts. MYANMAR (Burma) - Scorned Tribe Hears Message of Love for the First Time A team of young ethnic Chinese Christians recently took an arduous trip into the mountains of northern Myanmar (Burma), and discovered a group of 200,000 people without a single Christian. The northern Shan province along the Chinese border had been closed to outsiders for many years. Infested with communist guerrilla groups backed by the Chinese government, the region was unsafe even for those who lived there. Our partners have been working among Chinese in the southern part of the province since 1982. In the early years, four pastors were tortured to death by the rebels. But now the guerrilla armies have disintegrated, and the Christians there have asked for more pastors and workers. Two of these workers are Cha Tan Yone, a Burmese of Chinese descent, and his wife Susan Chang, who attended Bible school through our Student Scholarship program. They returned to Myanmar after their studies to begin work among the ethnic Chinese who are only one percent Christian. Though a Thai by birth, Susan had a special interest in the Buddhist Burmese even while she directed a Bible school in Northern Thailand. She had led her Buddhist mother to Christ and saw her freed from lifelong opium addiction. When she and Tan Yone, a Burmese Christian, met, they discovered they shared the same concerns. Recently Tan Yone led a team of workers to visit a remote region of northern Myanmar near the Chinese border. They had to abandon their vehicles and climb by foot into the mountains. The area is inhabited by people of the Wa tribe, who traditionally offered human skulls to their gods. The Was are suppliers of raw opium in the flourishing drug trade of the "golden triangle." Shunned as a minority by the rest of the Burmese, the Was are looked upon as the most inferior of all the tribes. The month-long trek by Tan Yone and his team was a tough assignment. He wrote, "It was like living with the lifestyle of the 18th century." Most of the Was had never seen electricity, telephones or even cars. The team did not find a single Christian. But they used ingenuity to present the gospel to these simple people. "Every time we reached a village, we held open-air rallies using hymns, dances and plays. Over 10,000 people heard the gospel for the first time," he wrote. And more than 100 Was accepted Christ during the team's stay. Several Christian workers have gone back to live among these new believers. These people, who are at the bottom of the ladder in the sixth poorest nation in the world, are now learning how to be sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father. New Churches since 1986 Argentina - 3 Bangladesh - 129 Belgium - 17 Brazil - 27 China - 210 Ghana - 5 Guatemala - 1 India - 886 Indonesia - 512 Korea - 103 Liberia - 63 Malaysia - 4 Myanmar - 18 Pakistan - 1 Philippines - 325 South Africa - 5 Thailand - 11 Vietnam - 220 Yugoslavia - 7 Zimbabwe - 4 PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL 1470 N. 4th St. San Jose, CA 95112 Tel: (408) 453-3800 FAX: (408) 437-9708 Education Education CHRISTIANS AND CHRISTMAS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS By John Sipple Eagle Point, Oregon It was an old Harry Belafonte song, "Mary's Boy Child", and it had a nice Caribbean feel to it. Mrs. Howell decided it would fit nicely into the "Christmas In Other Lands" theme of the Winter Program. It used to be called the Christmas Program until someone complained. Mrs. Howell remembered that incident all too well. The complainant had been a Presbyterian, not that it was a condemnation of all the Presbys; there's bad apples in every barrel. The woman had come in with a scowl on her face and had shook her finger as she said, "It shouldn't be called the 'Christmas Program'. Not everyone who goes to our school is a Christian, y'know!" Mrs. Howell had said, "You know, Christmas isn't just a Christian holiday; it's an American holiday. A lot of people who are not Christians still take a lot of pleasure and joy from the traditions of Christmas." "The word means 'The Mass of Christ' and that makes it a Catholic holiday!" Mrs. Howell remembered how she had shrugged and said, "I know some very nice Catholic people and they don't think it's their holiday. They think the holiday belongs to everyone who will receive it." The other woman sniffed at this and said, with an air of finality, "Calling it a 'Christmas Program' violates the separation of church and state. I'll call the ACLU if you don't change it to Winter Program or something like that." Mrs. Howell recalled watching the woman march out, stiff and awkward to the last. Afterward, she had turned to the principal and said, "She's probably bluffing. Even if she did call the ACLU, they won't do anything. They've lost on this one before." To her surprise, the principal had turned to her and said, "We can't chance it. We'll just call it the Winter Program. What difference does it make?" That had been a bitter pill to swallow. So the school called it the Winter Program, but the organizers went on doing the same songs as they had before. Now she was facing that same woman again. She was complaining about the Belafonte song. It mentioned "Mary's boy-child, Jesus Christ". Tsk, tsk, tsk. Mrs. Howell, a good Christian woman, was having a hard time avoiding anger with this complaining spirit. The job was hard enough; why did people like this have to come around to the schools? Why did her boss give in to this? Reluctantly, at her boss's insistence, she changed the song to "Winter Wonderland". The next day, another parent came. Only this one was complaining because of "Winter Wonderland". What was wrong with the Belafonte song? Didn't she know that "Winter Wonderland" was a New Age anthem? Imagine getting married by a snowman! What kind of message is this sending the kids? Really, Mrs. Howell, I am beginning to wonder what sort of Christian you are! Every day across the country, Christian teachers are in hot water because of their beliefs. The worst times are around the Christmas holidays. Christmas time in the schools can be a fun and happy time, but often isn't. As teachers, we see kids caught in the "Gimme Whirlwind", making out lists to Santa and dreaming of very expensive toys. During the first week after New Years, the kids who did well want to bring their hordes to school and show off to the less fortunate. What's the fun of doing well if you can't rub it in? For every kid who does well, there are two or more who don't. Teachers often wind up having to pick up the emotional pieces. Christian teachers have the double burden of having to obey their laws and their bosses while still obeying their Master. Fortunately, He lifts burdens when we ask Him to. He also expects us to play by the rules. He has made it clear that He doesn't want us in rebellion. The other side of the burden involves all of the politically active groups which want teachers to help pull their carts. We get the New Agers, the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons, the Ku Klux Klan, the ACLU, and a zillion others. At times, our brothers and sisters in Christ can fall into this category. And that's the hardest part to take of all. Just when we're in need of support from our brothers and sisters, they either come at us with lectures or pull their kids out of school to home teach them. Either way, we get left holding the bag. Our fellow Christians should be our allies, helping us to fight the good fight of faith. We have lost so much of the real spirit of Christmas from our schools because, as Christians, we haven't stood shoulder to shoulder. Perhaps we've forgotten how. There's no trick. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide. He doesn't want you to be angry and have your blood pressure up - ever! He wants you to show love and forbearance. Second, come and ask the teacher for information; don't come and preach. Those who are Christians don't need it and those who are not won't heed it. Christian teachers will tell you exactly what policy says and might even suggest how to turn it around. Listen, and they will tell you both sides of the story. Understand, and you will know how to help. Help starts with prayer. Pray for the teacher and, if it's the right time and place, pray with the teacher. More good comes from prayer than you might realize. If you really want to pray for us, join Mom's In Touch (see the Morning Star Vol 1.5 edition dated February 1992 for more details.) Get your ducks in a row and then go to the building principal. Go as a group and have modest goals to accomplish. Be reasonable or you'll get nowhere. Concentrate on the cultural heritage of Christmas rather than the religious ones. Talk about your faith but make it clear that you aren't trying to force your faith on anyone. Remind this person that your child and the other children of the class come from homes with cultural traditions which deserve to be reflected. Purposely cleansing the holidays of culture is precariously close to a violation of first amendments rights to freedom of expression. (Hey, it may be a sword of the other side, but it can cut for us.) In many cases, if you make your group the dominant force, you will prevail. Under no circumstances should you get hostile or negative if you get turned down. Turn the other cheek and smile. Then go to the superintendent. If you don't get any support from that person, go to the school board. Odds are, you will prevail along the way, so long as your argument is cultural. But if you should lose, do it again. Like Joshua, you may have to march around the walls seven times before they come down. Around Christmas time, I have lately come to feel that too many Christians have turned their backs on the public schools. Taxpayers and parents have more clout than teachers. We need you to use that clout in a positive, helpful way. Stand with the Christian teachers and let's take back the schools, not in a spirit of rebellion but in love. More than anything else, hold us up in your prayers; God knows, we need it! Testimony Testimony BORN ANEW AT 42 By Mona A. Gallagher Oneida, New York Looking back and reflecting on our past life is sometimes a necessary and constructive step to take. In my case, it never fails to remind me of the reality of God's infinite grace; now, in sharing my testimony, I am privileged to let my experiences glorify the one true God of my salvation. Like countless others, I was brought up with the knowledge of God, the ten commandments, heaven and hell, and mandatory church attendance on Sunday and holy days. The youngest of four and the only girl, I was a bit intimidated by the incense, the dark confessional and that immense cross always looming over the priest with the sad figure of the Christ hanging on it. The idea of Jesus dying for me remained a mystery and no matter how hard I tried, I could not seem to obey all the rules, and that frightened me. But my Dad was the primary source of my fear. His unpredictable, violent disposition kept me "on edge" from a very young age, especially when he drank. My Mom held the family together but stood quietly in the background when disciplinary measures were being issued. It would have only made matters worse, as she would lovingly explain when the rage passed. There is actually very little I recall from my family years, except the punishments, and they always ended with a lengthy prayer penance. Needless to say, at age 17, when it was time to depart for college, I was elated with my sudden freedom from all those years of do's, don'ts, bewares and disciplines. Waving good-bye to my Mom was the difficult part, for I knew I would never return home again except for very short visits, and I knew that her life was not easy. I made an immediate decision to live a life of excitement and fun; thus, I was quickly drawn into the party crowd. Here, in the midst of drinks and laughter, I felt accepted and loved, the old years of fear and rejection were "Put on the shelf" ... or so I believed. Little did I realize that we are all born with a void; that "empty place" we are created with that is meant to be filled with its Creator. There is not one temporal thing that will satisfy this emptiness within us which is meant to be the home of our Savior. The world system prompts us to acquire "things": cars, boats, clothes, jewelry, to live and plan for vacations, a new job, higher education, to explore our "purpose" through various religions, self-esteem seminars and sex, to relax by taking a pill or having a few cocktails. "Whatever works for you", is the slogan. The danger in the last method is that what seems to be carefree and harmless at the start often results in dependence on devices that have been sent straight from hell to destroy. You see, "Your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). He cannot touch a Holy God but he can and does seek to torment, steal and defile God's creation by deceiving him into self-destruction. And so it went; bars and parties became the focal point of my existence. Somehow I managed to squeeze through with my studies, straight through summers for a total of three years and an early graduation. I wanted the freedom of the working world and no more financial dependence on my father ... my peace of mind was always over the next horizon. It was then I met and, within three months, married my first husband. He was also alcohol-dependent. For the next four years, as my two children were born, all my energies were concentrated on Motherhood. I found my self-worth and I poured my conception of love into my two beautiful children. Suddenly, out of the blue one day, my husband announced a transfer. We would relocate to his alma mater where he had accepted a professorship and had bought into partnership in a local college bar. Thus began the return plunge into the darkness - only deeper this time because marijuana was added and the bar room environment we literally lived in, was the death certificate to our marriage. The drinking became so consuming that I cannot honestly recall much of what happened during those years. It is a blur of long drunken parties, vicious arguments, lying, cheating and anger while I sank deeper into this pit of destruction. As expected, the marriage ended and as always is the case, the innocent victims in all this were our two children. To this day, I marvel at my merciful and gracious Lord who blessed me with those two children. I remain eternally grateful and thankful for His protection in their lives ... God's grace is without measure. For the next six years, I would continue to hide alcohol and mix it heavily with pills, cocaine and hallucinogens - anything I could swallow, snort or smoke to stay high and to veil my unnamed fears and increasing feelings of inadequacy. I had bluffed my way into a hotel secretarial job and quickly worked my way to catering manager. Drinking on the job was never a problem since i supervised the bars and the bartenders. These were dangerous years and I knew in my empty heart that I could not continue to abuse myself in this manner much longer. It was during this period that I married my second alcohol-dependent husband, and nearly five years lapsed before circumstances motivated him to stop drinking. After two relocations, I, on the other hand, graduated to solitary drinking. My new sales career took me out of town frequently and for four years, I was peaking in self-destruction. I was living a lustful, bleak life, an angry, frightened child on the inside, tough and determined on the outside. It was an existence filled with guilt and shame and I began to truly hate it and myself. The trouble was, I could not help myself nor did I know where to turn to stop. One dismal, rainy night in May, I was alone in my hotel room in a complete state of despair while my mind was racing through reasons to end my life. I remember planning on how I would drive to the liquor store, drink myself into a near stupor, and head my car off the Hudson River bridge. I was overwhelmed with remorse and guilt for all the wasted years and the lives I had affected. Something rooted me to that room and suddenly I found myself kneeling at the bed. Uncontrollably, I began to weep over my sinfulness. This was different from a "pity party" - it seemed to be from the very depths of my soul and I knew I was at my final breaking point. I could hear my voice calling out to Jesus and I began confessing the sins of a lifetime and asking God to please forgive me and show me what to do. It seemed as if that cross from my childhood was looming before me in my room, but now, Christ Jesus was no longer on it! Something made me reach for the Gideon Bible from the nightstand (I had never opened a Bible) and it opened to Psalm 23 "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want ..." - on and on I read those precious words out loud ... but these were not mere words in a book. This was life being poured directly into me; it was the healing power of Jesus' love and it was washing me clean. I have no adequate description of the miracle of regeneration as I experienced it that night ... I can merely testify that the years of fear and desolation were gone and I knew I was forgiven. He, my Savior, had taken my hand and I knew He would never let go. I was at peace and I slept as a newborn baby ... I had been reborn! Since that night in 1989, I would never take nor desire another drink or drug. God changed me and continues to change me from the inside out. Old sinful desires and habits were miraculously replaced with an intense hunger to know and serve my Savior. Still, I couldn't help wondering if I was going to wake up one day and find that this joy and peace which I had that was so undeserved would be gone. I needed a church to attend, and so I searched. My friends said I needed a psychiatrist, and so I went. She said I needed intense therapy and AA meetings, and so I attended. During this eight-week period I continued to read the Scriptures with a fervor. One morning the Gospel of John seemed to reach out and touch my heart ... as though the Lord was speaking directly to me. "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63b); "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12); "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me." (John 14:6) Jesus was and is my light, my way, my truth and my life and by faith I embraced Him solely that moment and made a complete commitment to trust Him and surrender all. No more appointments, no more meetings and the Lord led me to a small, full gospel Pentecostal Church, which has become my beloved Spiritual family. It is here and in my personal prayer closet that His Holy Spirit continues to teach me how to love, to worship, to praise, to pray and to walk in obedience that God may become "all in all" in my life. Oh Lord, let me be less conscious of what I have become and more conscious of all that You have done for and in me. "My soul, wait thou only upon God; For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation." (Psalm 62:5-6) 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: Dominic from California thanks the Lord for providing all his needs since he lost his steady job months ago. Jeff & Cindy from Pennsylvania praise and thank the Lord for saving their marriage which was on the brink of divorce 7 weeks ago. Jeff was suffering from an addiction problem while backslidden and was delivered at church, and at the same time their marriage was restored! Their children are opening their hearts to the Lord too. One boy age 8 is saved now and being baptized. Pray that the Lord will provide jobs for Jeff and Cindy soon. S. from Kansas praises the Lord for saving his marriage. He said it was eleven years ago, but is still just as sweet! Keith from Illinois thanks the Lord for the work he is doing in the lives of his children. Joe from Florida praises and thanks the Lord as follows: I have been at the church I'm at for over 12 years now. There's been lots of dissention and too little talk of God among the members (in spite of the pastor's admonitions from the pulpit.) Over a hundred of us just went through a "Faith Alive!" weekend where we discovered not only that we're not alone in our faith, but ... have discovered a tremendous faith in each of us. I felt the Spirit in the meetings like I've never felt Him before in that congregation. Praise God, I think there may be hope for us yet!" Steven praises the Lord as follows: "The LORD has, as I asked HIM, brought me a buyer for this house. It has sold. I will be getting even more money than I thought I would ..." Steve also has this prayer request ... "I have to be out of here by Tuesday a.m., I do not have any place to go. My son and dog and I are will be homeless as of then. I will have more than enough money to put a down payment on another home but have not as yet found one. I know that the LORD has a place for me but HE has not let me know where it is yet. I do believe that this a true test of my faith and believe me, it is very trying. Until yesterday I had a rental all arranged over in the next canyon. Then the owner changed their mind about renting. I have given this to the LORD and go to HIM in prayer about this. My time is running out and I am getting frustrated. Thanks for the understanding and the prayers. When I do get back online I will let everyone know what HE has done with this situation." PRAYER REQUESTS: Pray for Lars, our Morning Star correspondent in Norway. He has lost his job and needs the Lord's intervention in certain circumstances that have come about. Remember to intercede for this young man, for this is a crucial matter. Pray for Wanda's 5 year old nephew, Billy, in Florida. Pray that the Lord will intervene in this situation. Pray for Rob in Pennsylvania as he attends his sister's wedding in New England. May God make him a good testimony at this wedding. Also pray for his situation at work which is in a state of uncertainty. Pray for his associates' negotiations with the hospital administration. Continue to pray for his wife Kimberly's safe and healthy pregnancy. Nancy from California asks for prayer for her unsaved brother. Mark in Ohio asks for prayer for his back. May the Lord take away all his pain. Pray for Spencer, from New York, and his family who are having a bout of the flu. Also pray the Lord provides a job for him soon, when he Joe from Florida asks for prayer for his father who is in a nursing home suffering from cancer. Pray that the Lord will have His way in this gentleman's life. Tom from South Carolina would like to ask for prayers for a new career. He is currently in the Air Force but soon will be separating under the incentive program the Department of Defense initiated. He has a good opportunity for a new job at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base which would be close to family and friends and would like prayers that the job is offered to him. Larry in New York asks prayer for his father in law and sister in law who both have cancer and don't know the Lord. Larry would love to see healing but more importantly salvation for these two. Steve from Connecticut asks prayer concerning his church (Beacon Hill Evangelical Free Church, Monroe CT) which was broken into. Of primary importance is, naturally, that if the police catch the kids that they may use the incident in the Lord's Way with regards to dealing with them and letting His purposes come thru in our actions. It's all too easy to put self-interest & property ahead of what really need to be done in a situation like this. The equipment is secondary. Jeff from Pennsylvania asks for prayer for his backslidden mother-in- law. She has a tumor or cyst on her leg and needs a touch from the Lord. Dan from Texas asks for prayer for the little Baptist church he attends, as they want to grow and reach people for Christ. Pray for Deanne from Texas who has bronchial and throat infection. Pray for David from Minnesota who suffers from Sinus and Asthma problems. Pray for the workers at the Lutheran Church in Texas who are evangelizing the lost souls in Mexico. Pray for Mary's son in Pennsylvania who is a college student, age 22, unsaved, and has lost 40 pounds. The doctors don't know why he is losing the weight, but he is dying. Spencer from New York is a 12 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps and is about to be "downsized" out in June. He has a wife and five children and asks for prayer concerning employment soon. Ron Elkin, Director of the Ammi Ministry in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, asks for prayer concerning the summer missions to the Jewish People in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, New Jersey. For more information write him at P.O. Box 27576, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19118, or phone (215) 843-1764. He has asked for prayer for the salvation of Mark and IsaJane who are Russians. Pray for Thelma Scott's mother in Memphis, Tennessee, who is in the nursing home. Pray for personal needs of Karen's husband. Neese asks prayer for her husband who is depressed and in need of employment in Florida. Danny in Texas asks prayer for new responsibilities he is taking on at his church. Dominic from California asks us to pray for the opportunity to become a full-time teacher at the adult school and teach science and computers and the learning center Also, Dominic from California asks prayer for a couple, Don and Alice, both working for the school district who just got word that they both will be laid off because of cut backs. Bob asks prayer for guidance in a decision regarding moving. Pray for Dr. Levi Price Sr. in Texas, who is in the hospital after a triple bypass surgery on his heart after two heart attacks about two months ago. Forman asks prayer for his dad who is trying to lose weight. Raylene asks that we continue to pray for her and her boys who lost most of everything they had in hurricane Andrew. Pray for our country, and for all the countries of the world. In less than 60 days Europe becomes one market; the middle east is more of a powder keg than ever; the ex-Soviet republics are all about to explode; prejudice and bigotry in Germany and elsewhere is on the rise; paganism on the rise in the United States; and violence in Ireland is worse than ever. This and more are all signs of the times! Pray most of all that the Lord returns soon! Pray for Gilbert, a Christian Prayer Partner at his church. His wife left him and wants a divorce. They have two children, age 4 and 7 named Matthew and Lucas. Pray the Lord will intervene in this family. Mothra asks us to pray for Toshie Kaina. She is dying of colon cancer, and is not yet saved. Also, prayer is needed for her daughter, Bertha, that she would continue to place her faith in God. Joe asks for prayer for Cindi, who has recently been led to leave her job. Pray for guidance. Pray for Jack for continued help from the Lord in his therapy. He is at home again in Georgia. Pray for Danny in Texas who needs financial assistance to complete his education. Pray the Lord will provide! 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 present information on the 1993 CFI Winter Conference, to be held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. ------------------------ CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL 1993 WINTER CONFERENCE February 5-7, 1993 - Ft. Lauderdale, Florida "Looking For and Hastening the Day of the Lord" - 2 Peter 3:12 With featured speaker Derek Prince Plus: David Dolan, Jerusalem-based journalist and author A PERSONAL WORD ... Dear Friend of Israel: Shalom and warmest greetings in the Name of Messiah Jesus! We invite you to attend the first Christian Friends of Israel Conference to be held in the United States, this February 5-7. 1993. The theme of the conference is taken from 2 Peter 3:12: "Looking for and Hastening the Day of the Lord." In Revelation 22:20, Jesus' last words as recorded in the Bible are: "Surely I am coming quickly!" To this John replies, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" Surely this ought to be the cry of our hearts as well. The writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 9:28) suggests the kind of persons to whom Jesus will appear at His coming: "To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time ..." It is those of us who have an attitude of eager expectation that will be ready when Jesus returns! The Bible reveals two main conditions which must be met before Jesus can return. The first is described by Jesus in Matthew 24:14: "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." The second is described by Jesus in Matthew 23:39: "You (the leaders of Israel) shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD.'" So here are laid before us the two principal ways we can hasten the day of the Lord. The first is to fulfill the Great Commission. The second is to participate in God's purposes for the regathering and restoration of Israel. In light of the facts of His imminent return, Peter asks, "What manner of persons ought (we) to be?" (2 Peter 3:11). Won't you join us then, as we discover the answer to this question and learn to anticipate with eagerness the birth of His kingdom? Sincerely in the love of Messiah, Douglas Sorensen, Director Christian Friends of Israel - U.S.A. *** CONFERENCE SCHEDULE *** FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 7:30 pm Praise & Worship Messianic Music & Dance Team Greetings from: Pastor Geoff Buck, Good News Church Rabbi Neil Lash, Temple Aron Kodesh - Kiddush Blessing Ray Sanders, CFI, Jerusalem 8:30 pm Evening message from Derek Prince SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6 9:00 am - 12:30 pm Special Interest Seminars 12:30 - 2:00 pm Lunch Break 2:00 - 3:30 pm Special Interest Seminars: "Israel, the Struggle to Survive" - David Dolan "Investing in Israel" - Saul Freedman "The Christian Businessman's Challenge - Cal Mason "Responsibility Toward Israel" - Cal Mason "Interceding for Israel" - Douglas Sorensen "Hebrew, the Language of Jesus" - Hannele Sorensen 5:30 pm Banquet Dinner to Honor Israel (Extra charge, reservations required) 7:30 pm Praise and Worship Messianic Music & Dance Team 8:00 pm Greetings from: Rev. Charles Carrin, Grace Fellowship Rabbi Samuel Silver, Temple Sinai - Havdalah Blessing Hon. Dr. Moshe Liba, Ambassador, Israel Hon. Gadi Baltiansky, Vice-Consul, Israel Hon. Avi Granot, Counsellor for Church Affairs, Israel 8:30 pm Derek Prince SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7 10:45 am Sunday Worship Service Holy Communion Final message by Derek Prince CONFERENCE SPEAKERS DR. DEREK PRINCE was born in India of British parents and was educated in the Classics at Eton College and Cambridge University. By age twenty-four he was a Professor of Philosophy at King's College. Cambridge. He has written more than 30 books with translations in some 5O languages. produced 400 audio and 150 video cassettes. Prince's daily radio broadcast, "Today With Derek Prince" reaches most of the world and is translated into several languages. Now past 75, he and his wife Ruth live in Jerusalem where their primary ministry is intercession and writing. DAVID P. DOLAN has been a professional journalist and broadcaster since his graduation from KZUN School of Broadcasting in Spokane, Washington, in 1976. His work has included assignments with Moody Radio in the U.S.A., Voice of Hope Radio in South Lebanon, CBN's Middle East Television (Jerusalem), as well as filing regular reports for IMS Radio News and CBS Radio from Jerusalem. A full-time resident of Israel since 1980, David has authored two books on the Middle East situation, and writes the monthly "Israel News Digest" in the Christian Friends of Israel Newsletter. RAY SANDERS is one of the founders of Christian Friends of Israel, and has been Director of the Jerusalem office since its inception in 1985. SAUL FREEDMAN is director of corporate and institutional investment programs for the Development Corporation for Israel, which is the corporate structure for the Israel Bond Campaign. CAL MASON is Regional Director of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce in North America. His varied background of financial, marketing and management experience provides a comprehensive understanding of business challenges and needs. DOUGLAS & HANNELE SORENSEN met in Israel where Douglas was managing a business and were married in Jerusalem. After living in Israel for several years, they relocated to the United States in 1986. In 1991 Douglas began directing Christian Friends of Israel in the U.S.A. ************************* ROOM RESERVATION Name __________________________ Address _______________________ City __________________________ State _____ Zip _____ Telephone _____________________ I am enclosing $ _____ for _____ person(s) $45.00 per night, per person double occupancy Arrival Friday, February 5; Departure Sunday, February 7. First night to be paid in advance with reservation. Second night, taxes, etc. paid directly to Sunrise Hilton Inn upon arrival. Room reservations are fully refundable if cancelled at least 48 hours in advance of opening night. Send reservation deposit along with conference registration to: CFI-U.S.A., P.O. Box 63-8703, Margate, FL 33063 (Hotel information will be sent after receipt of registration.) CONFERENCE REGISTRATION Before January 1, 1993 - $30 per person/$50 per couple After January 1, 1993 - $40 per person/$70 per couple Name __________________________ Address _______________________ City __________________________ State _____ Zip _____ Telephone _____________________ I am enclosing $ _____ for _____ person(s) Note: Conference registration is not refundable. However, if cancellation becomes necessary, CFI will send a receipt acknowledging the amount as a contribution to the ministry. BANQUET DINNER TO HONOR ISRAEL (Private Reception Precedes Dinner) With special consular guests from the Israeli Embassy $27.50 per person Names ________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ (If you require additional space, enclose a separate sheet.) I am enclosing $ _____ for _____ person(s) Make checks payable to CFI-U.S.A. I would like to receive information concerning next year's tour to Israel for the Shauvot Conference, May 8-19, 1993. Music Column Music Column CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS By Teresa Giordanengo Morning Star Senior Editor FROM HEAVEN ABOVE TO EARTH I COME (Vom Himmel Hoch, Da Komm Ich Her) It was Christmas Eve, Martin Luther was bending over the cradle of his little son, Hans. Luther thought how wonderful it was that he should have this child to love and care for. With joy he recalled how God had sent His Son as a tiny babe. He began singing to Hans the angel's tidings, and when he had finished, he had composed fifteen verses. I will share the first in German and also in English, and four other verses in English: 1. Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her, Ich bring' euch gute neue Mar, Der guten Mar bring' ich so viel, Davon ich sing'n und sagen will. From heaven above to earth I come, To bear good news to every home; Glad tidings of great joy I bring, Whereof I now will say and sing. 2. To you this night is born a child, Of Mary, chosen Mother mild; This little Child, of lowly birth, Shall be the joy of all the earth. 3. Were earth a thousand times as fair, Beset with gold and jewels rare, She yet were far too poor to be, A narrow cradle, Lord, to thee. 4. Ah, dearest Jesus, Holy Child, Make thee a bed, soft undefiled, Within my heart, that it may be, A quiet chamber kept for thee. 5. Glory to God in highest heaven, Who unto man His Son hath given! While angels sing with pious mirth, A glad New Year to all the earth. Luther's reverent love of music is revealed in his own words: "I truly desire that all Christians would love and regard as worthy the lovely gift of music, which is a precious, worthy, and costly treasure given mankind by God ... This precious gift has been given to man alone that he might thereby remind himself of the fact that God has created man for the express purpose of praising and extolling God." AWAY IN A MANGER Though Martin Luther wrote several hymns and hymn texts, this sweet lullaby is not among them. In a collection published in 1887 James R. Murray labeled this hymn "Luther's Cradle Hymn", and is still being sung by German mothers to their little ones." It is assumed that the colony of German Lutherans in Pennsylvania was responsible for its origin and widespread growth in America. 1. Away in a manger, no crib for His bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head; The stars in the sky looked down where He lay, The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay. 2. The cattle are lowing, the poor baby wakes, But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes. I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky, And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh. 3. Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay, Close by me forever, and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care, And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there. SILENT NIGHT (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht!) Perhaps the most universally beloved Christmas song ever written, "Silent Night" was created by two friends, Franz Gruber, schoolmaster and organist at Arnsdorf, near Salzburg, Austria, and Josef Mohr, pastor at the neighboring village of Oberndorf. It was on December 24,1818 when Josef Mohr handed to Franz Gruber a poem, with the request that he write for it a suitable melody arranged for two solo voices, chorus, and a guitar accompaniment. On that very same evening, in fulfillment of this request made to him as a music expert, Franz handed to the pastor his simple composition. Immediately, this beautiful carole was performed on that night of Christmas Eve and received with all acclaim. The organ in the Arnsdorf church was not working on Christmas Eve, 1818, when "Silent Night" was first performed. An organ builder was in the church repairing the instrument on that occasion, and was so impressed by the beauty of the song. Upon his return home he introduced it to the Strasser sisters, a famous singing troupe known for their rendition of mountain songs. They added it to their repertoire, and as a result, the popularity of "Silent Night" spread all over Europe - and to the rest of the world. The words are also so beautiful in German. I will share the first verse in the German language and the others in English. 1. Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht! Alles schlaeft, einsam wacht- Nur das traute, hochheilige Paar; Holder Knabe in lokkigen Haar, Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh, Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh! Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, all is bright. Round yon Virgin Mother and Child, Holy Infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace! Sleep in heavenly peace! 2. Silent night, Holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight, Glories stream from heaven a-far, Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia. Christ, the Savior is born! Christ, the Savior is born! 3. Silent night, Holy night, Son of God, love's pure light. Radiant beams from Thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth! Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth! May the Lord Mighty God, bless and keep you forever; Grant you peace, perfect peace, courage in ev'ry endeavor. Lift up your eyes and see His face, and His Grace forever. May the Lord Mighty God, bless and keep you forever! May our Lord grant each and every one of you a Blessed Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year! Chef's Corner Chef's Corner CHRISTMAS EVE ... Call it peace ... call it the end of Christmas shopping ... call it the spirit of Christmas ... there is something very special about Christmas Eve. Following is a Christmas Eve buffet menu to serve four to six people. Most of the dishes can be prepared for cooking or actually cooked in advance, leaving you free to share in the wonderful spirit of Christmas Eve. Start with SAVORY MEATBALLS, where we combine one beaten egg, 1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 3/4 teaspoon sweet basil, 1/2 teaspoon marjoram, and salt and pepper to taste. Add one pound ground lean beef and mix thoroughly. Shape into meatballs and brown in a greased frying pan. Mix one can mushroom soup and one soup can of water until smooth. Add 1/2 teaspoon sweet basil and mix. Add to meatballs and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. These can be kept at the peak of their hot goodness by serving them in a chafing dish. HAM BALLS are so delicious ... combine 2 1/2 lb. ground ham, 2 lb. ground pork and 1 lb. ground beef with 3 slightly beaten eggs, 2 cups milk, and 3 cups graham cracker crumbs; mix well. Shape into balls; place in baking pan. Combine 2 cups tomato soup, 3/8 cup vinegar, 2 tsp. dry mustard and 2 cups brown sugar, blending well. Pour sauce over balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes. TWICE BAKED POTATOES are so easy to prepare. Bake six medium baking potatoes in a 400-degree oven for 60 minutes or until done. Cut crisscross slits in the top of each potato. Scoop out pulp and mash. Add 3 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup warm cream, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/4 cup crumbled bacon. Refill potato shells and sprinkle generously with one cup grated cheese. Return to oven until heated through and browned. If desired, these potatoes may be prepared in advance, wrapped in foil, and frozen. When ready to serve, thaw and bake in 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Your guests will compliment you on this unusual flavor combination ... BUTTERNUT-ORANGE CASSEROLE ... peel and slice one large butternut squash. Boil in salted water until barely tender; drain. Mash with 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ginger, and a pinch of powdered cloves. Spoon into buttered casserole dish. Spread top with orange marmalade. Bake in 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. THREE-LAYER CHRISTMAS SALAD is another one of those wonderful dishes that can be prepared well in advance of your party. Dissolve one 3-ounce package strawberry gelatin in 1 1/4 cups boiling water. Add one 1-pound can cranberry sauce. Mix well and chill until partially thickened. Pour into an eight-cup ring mold and chill until set. Then dissolve one 3-ounce package lemon gelatin in 1 1/4 cups boiling water. Add an 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened, and beat with mixer until smooth. Add one 9-ounce can crushed pineapple. Chill until partially set and pour over strawberry-cranberry gelatin. Chill until firm. Then dissolve one 3-ounce package lime gelatin and 2 tablespoons sugar in 1 cup boiling water. Add 2 cups grapefruit sections, with juice. Chill until partially set. Pour over lemon gelatin mixture. Chill until firm. Unmold on lettuce and garnish as desired. This SHRIMP CHRISTMAS TREE adds a special touch to the buffet. Thaw 3 lb. frozen shrimp or use the fresh shrimp. Add 1/2 cup salt to 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Place shrimp in the boiling salted water. Cover; simmer for about 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink and tender. Drain. Peel shrimp, leaving last section of shell. Remove sand veins; wash. Chill. Separate and wash 4 large bunches curly endive. Chill. Place one 2 1/2-ft. high styrofoam cone in center of one 12 x 12 x 1-inch styrofoam square; draw a circle around base of cone. Cut out circle; insert cone in square. Cover base and cone with overlapping leaves of endive. (You will need 1 small box of round toothpicks.) Fasten endive to styrofoam with toothpick halves. Start at the outside edge of base and work up. Cover fully with greens to resemble Christmas tree. Attach shrimp to tree with toothpicks. Provide Cocktail Sauce for dunking. CHRISTMAS SPICED CRANBERRY TEA ... Cook 4 cups cranberries in 4 cups water until skins pop open; strain. Reserve juice. Combine 2 1/4 cups sugar, 3/4 cup red cinnamon candies, 2 whole cloves and 4 cups water in saucepan; heat, stirring, until candies are dissolved. Stir in reserved cranberry juice, 2 cups orange juice, 1/2 cup lemon juice and 3 quarts hot water. Serve hot in punch cups. Yield: 30 servings. A MERRY CHRISTMAS RING ... Scald 1/3 cup milk; add 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 tablespoons butter. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve 1 pkg. yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in large warm bowl. Add milk mixture and 1 egg; stir in 1 cup sifted flour. Beat until smooth. Add 1 more cup sifted flour to make soft dough. Turn onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl; brush top with butter. Cover; let rise in warm place, until doubled in bulk. Punch down. Roll into 1/4-inch thick oblong; brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup chopped candied cherries, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup chopped pecans. Roll up from long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. Overlap slightly on greased cookie sheet to form large ring. Cover; let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from pan carefully; cool on cake rack. Decorate with powdered sugar frosting and whole candied cherries. Top your buffet menu with cool and delicious EGG CUSTARD PIE; To prepare, combine 3 well-beaten eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 2 cups evaporated milk. Beat well. Pour into one 8-inch unbaked pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until custard is set. Potpourri Potpourri GOD BLESS God bless thy year, Thy coming in, thy going out, Thy rest, thy travelling about, The rough, the smooth, The bright, the drear. God bless thy year! By Shirley Croft Orilia, Ontario, Canada Wise men STILL seek the King of Kings! Christ's soldiers fight best on their knees! JUST FOR TODAY JUST FOR TODAY, I will admit that things are out of control. JUST FOR TODAY, I will realize this is not my fault. JUST FOR TODAY I will admit I am powerless to do anything about it. JUST FOR TODAY, I will not let another's failure become MY problem. JUST FOR TODAY, I will not let my emotions rule me. JUST FOR TODAY, I will freely admit to others that, because I am not perfect, I did not accomplish everything as planned. JUST FOR TODAY, I will refuse to feel guilty about the previous admission. JUST FOR TODAY, I will not regret yesterday's mistakes or worry about the future. JUST FOR TODAY, I will not demand that life be perfect. JUST FOR TODAY, I will dwell in the perfect peace of the Lord. By Janette Kragen Roseville, CA HOW DO I STAND WITH GOD? I guess I pass inspection - When I go by, the neighbors nod - But still (upon reflection) How do I stand with God? I live in a noble country, Far from the tyrant's rod, But that doesn't answer the question: Just how do I stand with God? I go to church on Sunday, Say, why do I feel so odd? Is it because man's righteousness Doesn't make him right with God? If I must give it all away - Go hungry - walk unshod - I'll not let pass another day, Till I get right with God! -Author Unknown IF BUT ONE YEAR "If I had but one year to live; One year to help; one year to give; One year to love; one year to bless; One year of better things to stress; One year to sing; one year to smile; To brighten earth a little while; One year to sing my Master's praise; One year to fill with work my days; One year to strive for a reward When I should stand before my Lord, I think that I would spend each day, In just the very self-same way That I do now. For from afar The call may come to cross the bar Or raptured be to meet my Lord At any time, and I must be Prepared to meet eternity. So if I have a year to live, Or just one day in which to give A pleasant smile, a helping hand, A mind that tries to understand A fellow-creature when in need, 'Tis one wit me - I take no heed; Buy try to live each day He sends To serve my gracious Master's ends." ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH'S BIBLE WORD SEARCH GAME: 1. reMARK 2. luLU,KEpt 3. looKING So 4. fACTS 5. REVELATION 6. JAM,ESpecially 7. tRUTH 8. NUMBERS 9. JOB 10. A MOSt 11. yES,THERe 12. JUDGES 13. admiT IT USually 14. LAMENTATIONS 15. sHE BREWS 16. comPETE. Relax  Resource Area Book Reviews Book Reviews THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, in 7 volumes C. S. Lewis These books are available in a number of different editions. Also audio and video editions of selected volumes are available. OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET, PERELANDRA, THE HIDEOUS STRENGTH - (THE SPACE TRILOGY) C. S. Lewis These books are available in a number of different editions. Some Christians feel that reading fiction is frivolous. And, unfortunately most contemporary Christian fiction is very shallow. Much of it is also poorly written. But to reject reading fiction out of hand means missing such great works as John Bunyan's PILGRIMS PROGRESS & THE HOLY WAR and C. S. Lewis' SCREWTAPE LETTERS. There are some excellent works of fiction grounded in a Christian world view, such as BEN HUR and J. R. R. Tolkin's HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy. The fiction works of C. S. Lewis are, as a group, well worth reading. His best known books make up the Narnia series. These are written for children. But in the opinion of this forty-six year old bookworm, they can be enjoyed by children of all ages. Many are familiar with at least the first book of the series, THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE, possibly through seeing an animated or a BBC live-action version. Both of these have been shown on television. Additionally, PBS has shown the BBC films of three additional books. The first book is an account of how four English school children find their way to the land of Narnia. There they meet the wicked White Witch, and the great lion, Aslan. Through the story of Aslan, who is an allegorical picture of Christ, Lewis plays out the story of salvation from Christ's death through His resurrection. In the second book, PRINCE CASPIAN, the reader returns to Narnia. This time the children help Caspian, are aided by Aslan. The focus here is the need to once again free the land from the attack of evil. THE VOYAGE OF THE "DAWN TREADER" reunites Lucy and Edmund, from the first two books along with their cousin Eustace and King Caspian. By showing the transformation of Eustace from a self-centered child to a loyal citizen of Narnia, Lewis shows the effect of allowing Christ to have control in the life of the believer. In the fourth book, THE SILVER CHAIR, Eustace is joined by Jill. At the request of Aslan they search for the missing Rilian. THE HORSE AND HIS BOY, recounts the story of Bree, the talking horse and Shasta. The two warn the people of Narnia of a coming invasion. THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW, book six, recounts the beginning times of Narnia. It takes place prior to the children's arrival in book one. Finally in book seven, THE LAST BATTLE, the reader is presented with a final attempt to destroy Narnia. These books are ideal for reading aloud as a family. The New York Herald Tribune said of these books: "The devoted adult audience of this distinguished English author gave their children his first book about the magic land of Narnia. Then discriminating young fairy tale fans began to discover them without adult help. Now we are apt to hear visitors to our own book room say: 'Oh, those Narnia books are tops-the only really good modern fairy tales.'" While there are some other good modern fairy tales, these are right up there among the best. C. S. Lewis didn't limited his writings to just fantasy. He has also written three satirical fantasy books. This series, THE SPACE TRILOGY, can be enjoyed by older teens and adults. As with the Narnia books, these are also allegorical. In the first book, OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET, Dr. Ransom, Cambridge philologist, is kidnaped and taken to the planet Mars. While on Mars he discovers that earth has been cut off from the rest of the universe because of the fall of the "Bent One" and the damage done to the planet as a result of this. This is Lewis' interpretation of the fall on Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In PERELANDRA, Ransom once again travels to space, specifically Venus. There he meets "Adam and Eve" and sees the fall of mankind repeated once again. Ransom tries to prevent history from repeating itself as a professor of physics from earth, Dr. Weston, takes on the role of the serpent. THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH is the third of the books. Though this book could have used some judicious editing, it is still an excellent work. In it, Lewis deals with the theme of mankind's degeneration resulting from the worship of scientific materialism. Each of these three books stands alone, and therefore can be read independently from the trilogy. The fictional works of C. S. Lewis represent the best in Christian world view writing. They challenge the reader, and in the case of the Narnia books can be used to introduce children to the message of the gospel. These books can also be given to unbelievers as a way to introduce them to Christian concepts in an entertaining and challenging way. If you haven't read any of these books you have a real treat in store for you. NewsDesk Morning Star NewsDesk MORNING STAR NEWSDESK - December 1992 A LOND ADIEU IN JORDAN? Although the recent kidney surgery on King Hussein of Jordan was thought to be a success, he may be planning on abdicating the throne in favor of his younger brother, Crown Prince Hassan. The departure of Hussein, who has ruled for 40 years, would deal a heavy blow to the Middle East peace process. Of all Israel's neighbors, Jordan appears most eager to cut a deal. Hassan has poor relations with Palestinian Jordanians, and he may be too weak to resist hard-line pressures from fundamentalists at home and from neighboring Syria and Iraq. (U.S. News & World Report 11/16/92) FIGHTING TO STAY IN ISRAEL Gary Beresford, a messianic Jew, said last week he would go to prison rather than leave the country. He and his wife Shirley, who came to Israel in 1986 from Zimbabwe, say they believe in Jesus but have never converted to Christianity and live as Orthodox Jews. Interior committee chairman Yehoshua Matza has called on Interior Minister Aryeh Deri to grant them temporary resident status. (JERUSALEM POST) ITALIAN POLL RESULTS An opinion poll published in ESPRESSO news magazine revealed that 10.5 percent of Italians think all Jews should leave Italy and wouldn't want their children to marry Jews. The survey reported that in a nationwide representative sample of 1,064 people aged 14 to 79, 34% agree that "Jews are not real Italians"; 63.3% that Jews "have a different mentality and lifestyle from other Italians"; and 56% that Jews "have a special relationship with money." Forty-two percent agreed that "Jews should stop feeling they are victims of the Holocaust". (JERUSALEM POST) CHINESE EVANGELIST RELEASED A leading Chinese house church leader, Xie Moshan, was released from police custody after almost three months, NNI reported. In his 70's, Xie was apprehended by Shanghai authorities for "illegal" itinerant preaching. He spent 24 years in prison for his faith between 1956 and 1980, the news service said. (NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL RELIGION REPORT 9/21/92) HOMOSEXUALS "IMPORTANT PART" OF EPISCOPAL CHURCH Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning of the Episcopal Church encouraged homosexuals in the denomination to "hang in" and keep talking even though the church sometimes doesn't want to listen. In a first for a presiding bishop, he addressed last month's annual convention of "Integrity", an organization of gay and lesbian Episcopalians. He told the some 200 attendees in Houston they are an important part of the church. In Washington, D.C., Bishop Nathan D. Baxter, dean of the Washington Cathedral, told the WASHINGTON TIMES he does "not think that one's sexual ordination is a block ... to ordination." Commitment to faith, leadership, and a clear sense of call to service are the qualities that count, he said. (NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL RELIGION REPORT 8/24/92) FAMILY MATTERS The Population Reference Bureau will release a report this week titled "New Realities of the American Family." It predicts that family life in the 1990's "will be marked by its diversity." Some of the survey's findings: * One in four babies is now born to an unmarried mother, compared with one in ten in 1970. * About half of all children today will spend some part of their childhood in a single-parent home. * Over half of all mothers with preschool-age kids were in the labor force in 1991, compared with one in five in 1960. * Women are just as likely to be full or part-time workers as full-time homemakers. (NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE) Ministry and Product Info Ministry and Product Info MORNING STAR INFORMATION AND PRODUCT GUIDE - December, 1992 ******* READING ******* DECISION MAGAZINE ($7 annually, 11 issues per year) Billy Graham Evangelistic Association P.O. Box 779 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440-0779 FOCUS ON THE FAMILY MAGAZINE P.O. 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