Departments Staff List Staff List MORNING STAR A Multimedia Christian Publication P.O. Box 7755, Nashua, NH 03060 Tel: 603-883-4624 Fax: 603-883-0466 INTERNET: mstarmac@aol.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Toby Trudel - Nashua, NH EXECUTIVE EDITOR Pastor Geoffrey Kragen - Roseville, CA MANAGING EDITOR Teresa Giordanengo - Canonsburg, PA SENIOR EDITORS Janette Kragen - Roseville, CA Al Murillo III - El Paso, TX ASSOCIATE EDITORS Jerry Johnson - Modesto, CA Pastor Russell Walden - Doniphan, MO Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA Dr. Charles Wootten - Matoaca, VA CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Chuck Bennett - San Jose, CA Bryan Dufelmeier - Springfield IL Dr. Paul A. Kienel - Whittier, CA Zola Levitt - Dallas, TX Dennis R. Mallory - Albany, NY Joseph A. Nigro - Oradell, NJ Rick Riker - North Plainfield, NJ Jeannine Robinson - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Moishe Rosen - San Francisco, CA Ray & Sharon Sanders - Jerusalem, Israel Dale Strand - Dublin, CA Rick Thrasher - Santa Clara, CA J.C. Trudel - Naples, FL Terry White - Washington, DC SENIOR PUBLISHER - DOS and WINDOWS Editions Steve Paulovich - Pembroke, NH SENIOR PUBLISHER - MACINTOSH Edition Toby Trudel - Nashua, NH SENIOR PUBLISHER - Hard Copy Edition Ray Reed - Beaumont, TX HARD COPY COVER ARTIST Donna Riker - North Plainfield, NJ OFFICE SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN Patrick Auriemma - Nashua, N.H. ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR OF BBS DISTRIBUTION Walter H. Bauer Jr. - Sugar Land, TX AMERICA ONLINE Jerry White - Germantown, MD COMPUSERVE NETWORK Dr. Charles Wootten - Matoaca, VA (DOS) Douglas Wade - Redondo Beach, CA (MAC) GENIE NETWORK Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA DELPHI NETWORK Rev. Vince Gonzalez - Naples, FL E-WORLD NETWORK John Linton - Haverford, PA INTERNET NETWORK (DOS EDITION) Per Cederqvist - Linkoping, Sweden Internet Email: ceder@lysator.liu.se Morning Star is available on the Internet via anonymous ftp from: ftp.lysator.liu.se (pub/religion/christianity/morning-star) INTERNET NETWORK (MAC EDITION) Gary Bogart - Ithaca, NY Internet Email: njb@iclnet93.iclnet.org Morning Star is available on the Internet via anonymous ftp from: iclnet93.iclnet.org (pub/software/mac/Morning.Star) DISK SUBSCRIPTION DISTRIBUTION James Byers - Sun City, AZ Del Fletcher - Mountaintop, PA Joe Giacco - Durham, CT Michael W. Law - Moffett Field, CA Craig Olson - Springfield, OR Charles Richardson - Greenville, SC Dale Strand - Dublin, CA MORNING STAR is produced and published monthly, by a staff of born again believers in Jesus, located across the United States of America. Correspondence to MORNING STAR may be sent via the U.S. Postal Service or one of several computer networks. ELECTRONIC MAIL LINKS INTERNET: mstarmac@aol.com FIDONET: 1:106/3118 CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK: 8:3003/0 CHRISTIAN DISTRIBUTION NETWORK: 8:2013/0 POLICENET: 150:402/53 If you run a bulletin board system and would like for your BBS callers to be able to view Morning Star on line by running a door program then contact: Alan Graff P.O. Box 131 Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694 Fidonet 1:2260/250 and 77:100/50 BBS: 614 776 7136 Editor's Letter Editor's Letter Hi again folks, Yes - we ARE a bit late with this issue. My apologies. Yours truly had some surgery done and had to stay away from the computer for a while. What we are doing is calling this the Nov/Dec issue and continuing next month with the January issue. Besides, after 37 straight months of publishing, the "staff" can certainly use a month off to rest! You can help us keep this magazine going strong. We need personal testimonies, articles and stories. Don't worry if you're not a "professional writer" - none of us are! We do have a few people that can polish up any rough drafts sent in. Here are our upcoming Feature themes heading into the winter/spring: Volume 4.4 (Jan) Music Volume 4.5 (Feb) Messianic Studies Volume 4.6 (Mar) ONE in Christ Volume 4.7 (Apr) Prison Ministry Check out our updated BBS listing in this issue. We are being received in more states and countries than ever! Whatever you can do to help us distribute this magazine to people in more states or other countries is greatly appreciated. Please write to us and let us know what you can do. Don't forget that we publish a hard copy of this magazine which we send free of charge to prison chaplains, inmates, missionaries and small churches across the country. We depend on YOUR donations to keep this going. Unfortunately, we have presently put a hold on this important part of our ministry because of lack of funds. I hope that some of you who enjoy the electronic versions of this magazine (for free) would find it in your heart to make a tax-deductible donation so that we can jump-start the hard copy. Remember, 100 percent of all funds received goes to printing and mailing cost. All work is done on a voluntary basis. As soon as we have enough money to print and send another issue - we will. Send a check or money order to our publishing ministry: David's Mighty Men PO Box 5093 Beaumont, TX 77726 For any of you with Email access through the Internet - we have a free monthly news, info and prayer chain letter called the CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP ONLINE LETTER. Send your Email address to phdutchess@aol.com to sign up for this. Happy Thanksgiving to you all, Toby Trudel Ministry Focus Ministry Focus THE CIRCLE OF LOVE TAPE MINISTRY to the Blind! By Rev. George E. Gray One of my favorite scripture verses is 1 Corinthians 9:22; "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." I was pastoring in a small town in Western Pennsylvania when one Monday morning in November, 1984 my telephone rang. It was my good friend Rev. Elmer McClain. "Hey Bro. Gray, how about coming over to our house for dinner. You need a break and I'd like to discuss something with you anyway and I could do it much better in person," he said. Well, Bro. McClain was right - I did need a break. The ministry is tiring and sometimes can be a tremendous strain on a pastor's family. We decided to get together that Thursday for a meeting. This meeting would soon alter my life. Bro. McClain and I have something in common! We are both totally blind. He lost his vision in a work accident, when there was an explosion. My vision loss was due to congenital glaucoma; I lost my vision at the tender age of 22. Bro. McClain was a tremendous inspiration to me when I first entered the ministry and pastored my first church. Bro. McClain had pastored four churches in Western Pennsylvania. God had blessed his ministry. When he was 65 years old, he retired from pastoring, but still had the burning desire in his heart to see men saved through the blood of Christ. He took a "mission trip" to the Island of Haiti and God burdened his heart for those people. He worked tirelessly to build a school where the nationals could be trained in Theology so that they could minister to the Haitian people. He had worked there for 3 1/2 years and now because of health reasons had to return to the states. Bro. McClain was not the type of person to "sit around" and do nothing. Being blind himself, he knew that "spiritual food" for those who are blind is, many times, either lacking or else very sparse. He had a tape recorder and decided to make a tape to minister to the hearts of Christians, while striving to win others who heard it to come to Christ! He sent the tape to three of his friends. They in turn sent that tape - or a copy of it to their friends. What I have described to you was the "birth of the "CIRCLE OF LOVE" in August, 1979. When Bette and I arrived at the McClain's home they had a wonderful dinner prepared for us. We certainly enjoyed the time of fellowship around that table. After eating Bro. McClain and I retired to his study which was in an upstairs bedroom in his home in New Castle, PA. "George, I asked you here for a reason - I must confess. My health is getting worse and worse and I know it. I'm 72 and Frances my wife is having trouble herself with Parkinson's disease. The tape ministry I've begun has grown to the point that it is too much for me to continue. I've prayed about it and believe you are the one God would have to take it over. Would you pray about it? Well, I knew I was busy with my flock, not to mention my young family, but agreed to pray and seek God's leadership in this area. I knew Bro. McClain was right about his health, but I did not know if I was up to the added burden of a tape ministry. We returned home and made this a matter of much prayer. This, I believe, is so important. I'm convinced that when we have "spiritual" decisions to make we ought to employ the "tools" of fasting and prayer so that we do not make a decision which would take us out of God's perfect will for our lives. The following week, I picked up the phone and dialed Bro. McClain. I told him that I had a peace about continuing the work he had begun. We made arrangements to pick up the materials that I would need to get started. He had a one-on-one tape duplicator, a tape recorder, record player and a file of names. Oh yes, there were 4324 casette tapes! Now that I think of it - it might have been 4,325 tapes, but then who's counting? I was in business! I can remember working on my first few tapes. How pathetic they must have sounded. Bro. McClain had gotten the routine down to a science. Here I was a total "novice." I made up a braille program from several old Circle of Love tapes and tried to follow that - religiously. Somehow each issue rolled off the press. I tried to make each one better than the last. After all, doesn't Christ deserve our "best?" I think so! God has been good through the ten years now that I have been producing the "CIRCLE OF LOVE." We praise the Lord for His goodness - we have never missed an issue, although sometimes things have been difficult for us, just as they are for most Christians. In 1984 Bro. McClain had 120 subscribers to this magazine. Today, we have just over 400. Our ministry sends tapes all over the world making it unique. We have a college professor in Brazil who is blind and receives our tapes each month. We have lepers, who are blind in India who get our tapes. At this writing we are in 30 foreign countries. How people overseas hear of us is a miracle in itself. They do, though, and as a ministry of love to the world, we faithfully send out the monthly tapes. Ours is a listener supported magazine where readers send in articles of interest. They are reviewed and then published on our tape. Everything is Christian oriented. The 90 minute monthly casette tape contains: Bible games Missionary stories Bible memorization section A Scripture reading for the month Singing A prayertime and praise section A sermon on a timely subject Recognition of birthdays and anniversaries Testimonies Christian pen pals and classified ads - when we have them. It is such a blessing to receive a tape expressing the joy over a lost relative or friend who has recently accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. I get the privilege of rejoicing with my readers. Last year, we had 13 readers to accept Christ as Savior. Now, this is not a multitude - I confess. I have not been called to win the multitudes, but to win people "one by one." August is our "missions month." Each year we choose a project. Usually this ministry is something that benefits the handicapped in some way and encourages them for Christ. One year we helped a blind missionary in Brazil purchase a much needed speech synthesizer for her computer so that she could more effectively do her translation work. We raised $250 that year - praise the Lord! This year we are raising funds for a library which provides Christian books for the blind. Our goal is $500. Our readership ranges from 11 years old to 94 years of age. We have blacks, whites, Indians, deaf, as a part of our group. Most of our readers are on the low end of the financial scale. Many are unemployed, underemployed, elderly, etc. Some are highly educated, but all have the need to become saved and to grow closer to Jesus Christ! We are not a church, but an extension of the church. I try to work with people on the "CIRCLE OF LOVE" to get them involved in their local New Testament Bible believing church where they can not only grow, but be a blessing to others. Just because a person is blind - or has some other handicap - does not exempt them from serving the Lord Jesus Christ. A blind person can rock a baby in the church nursery - allowing that child's parents to hear the Gospel. Many times I've found that my blind "brethren" have outstanding music abilities. One of our readers used to play guitar for some very well known country western singers. Now he plays for "King Jesus." Another gal who reads our magazine now types letters of greeting to visitors who come to her church. There are a multitude of things which "handicapped" people can do - we just have to "plug them in" and then mostly we will find they are the best workers we have ever had - and faithful! God has been good. I produce the CIRCLE OF LOVE full time now. Ours is a faith supported ministry. Two times a year I travel via Greyhound Bus to share what God is doing with the blind. In February 1994 my guide dog "Buck" and I traveled over 8,500 miles preaching the Good news in local Bible believing churches. I was telling the people what God can do for them, if they will let Him. Am I extraordinary? Absolutely not - but my God is! Well, we covet your prayers as we labor trying to reach blind individuals for Jesus Christ! After all - isn't this what all of us are to be doing? If you know of a blind person who would benefit from Circle of Love, please get their name, address & phone number and write: "Circle of Love Tape Ministry to the Blind" Attn: Rev. George Gray 1002 Johnson Street Pasadena, Texas 77506-4618 INTERNET EMAIL: 71064.541@cis Book Review Book Review Browsing with the Bookworm If there is any class of Christian writing that is perceived as boring, it is Apologetics. There have been some standard works over the years that have been very helpful, but aren't exactly easy to apply. These include Josh McDowell's "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" and "More Evidence that Demands a Verdict." We have all seen books on inerrancy and general works on the Bible. These too have been very helpful. But we not too many new works on apologetics have been written lately, until now. InterVarsity Press has recently published a book that is both easy to use and readable. HANDBOOK OF CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS by Peter Kreeft & Ronald K. Tacelli InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL Generally, I don't review reference works. One reason is I don't read them. For that matter, they aren't intended to be read, but to be used as a reference tool. This book isn't an exception. It is a reference work that provides "Hundreds of answers to crucial questions" (cover). It is put together in a way that makes it very easy to use and does not bore its readers. Kreeft and Tacelli are both professors of philosophy at Boston College. Peter Kreeft has published some well read books including "Heaven and Hell" and "The Best Things in Life," both from InterVarsity. Kreeft and Tacelli's personal preface explains their concerns for this work better than I could, so let me quote it here: "Our compelling reasons for writing this book are three: 1. We are certain that the Christian faith is true. 2. We are only a little less certain that the very best thing we can possibly do for others is to persuade them of this truth, in which there is joy and peace and love incomparable in this world, and infinite and incomprehensible in the next. 3. We are a little less certain, but still confident, that honest reasoning can lead any open-minded person to this very same conclusion" (preface). With this terse and positive focus "Handbook of Christian Apologetics" presents its arguments for the Christian faith. Each chapter is introduced with an outline of its materials. Next comes the text itself. Finally, each chapter ends with questions for discussion. Therefore, this book also can be used as an in depth study guide for a Christian Basics class. (The book is too detailed to be used as a study for the average small group.) Since the authors are both philosophers, they begin their work by discussing faith, logic and reason. This discussion is vital in understanding their approach to the issues of doctrine and faith that encompass the main focus of the work. In Chapter 1, "The Nature, Power & Limitations of Apologetics," they focus on these three areas, considering approaches to their reconciliation. While an analysis of faith, logic and reason sounds dry, it is actually quite readable and should be helpful in getting the most from the rest of the book. Too often, we have lost the ability to think concisely and therefore are confused by the vague thinking permeating Western Civilization. The general approach of the books is rationalistic. The authors explain the layout of each chapter as follows: "... B. Each chapter is divided into a number of distinct, specific controversial questions which have two possible answers, or sides. ... C. Each question can be further divided into seven parts. These seven things must be done in order to settle an argument completely. 1. Definition of terms and the meaning of the question 2. The importance of the question, the difference it makes 3. Objections to the Christian answer to the question 4. Answers to each of these objections 5. Arguments for the Christian answer from premises accepted by the unbeliever as well as by the believer 6. Objections to these arguments 7. Answers to each of these objections The remainder of the book is broken down into five areas. These include: God; God & Nature; God & Grace; God & Glory and Conclusions. The section on God discusses twenty arguments for His existence and moves on to talk about His nature. The section, God & Nature is vital to our ability to respond to the unbeliever when asked about the existence of evil in relation to God. The authors first look at the subject of cosmology. They introduce this discussion by saying: "All four of the problems of cosmology--creation and evolution, providence and freedom, miracles and angels--concern God's relationship with the cosmos or nature or the universe" (p. 104). In this day of claims or rejections of miracles, obsession with angels and the religion of evolution taught as science, there is much found here to help in talking to unbelievers. -- Concluding this section is an extensive discussion of the nature of evil. In the section "God & Grace," basic Christology doctrines are considered. These include the divinity of Christ, His resurrection and "The Bible: Myth or History?" The questions and arguments affect the very foundation of Christianity, for without the deity of Christ and His resurrection we have no faith. And since the way God has chosen to give us these truths is in the Word, then we need to defend it with clarity. Section 5, "God & Glory" deals with eternal issues. Discussions focus on life after death, heaven, hell and salvation. Here the main concerns of Christianity are brought back to center stage. The authors are concerned that Christianity has become simply a social service program, instead of an issue of eternal destiny. We are to be used by God in His work of saving souls, and that is the thrust of the arguments in this section. Section 6, "Conclusions," is a summary of all that has come before. It provides direction for the believer in speaking to unbelievers, religious or non-religious. The authors discuss such subjects as: "Christianity and Other Religions;" "Objective Truth," including a review of: theories of truth, attacks on apologetics, skepticism both universal and religious; and "The Bottom Line," which is the choice to accept or reject salvation. Kreeft and Tacelli have put together a work that will benefit believers for years to come. I also pray that it will be used by God to lead unbelievers to Him. This is a highly practical and very readable book. As the back cover states: "Reasonable, concise, witty and wise, Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli have written an informative and valuable guidebook for anyone looking for answers to questions of faith and reason. Whether you are asking the questions yourself or want to respond to others who do, here is the resource you have been waiting for." This is a book that should be in everyone's library, and so until next time, good reading and ... See you next month. Your friend, The Bookworm 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 MARYLAND Dale is praising the Lord for his new job which is only a few miles from his home. NEBRASKA Thank the Lord for pulling George through surgery recently. With very low blood pressure, his family was called in because the hospital staff didn't think he was going to make it. But soon all was well. Praise the Lord! Continue praying for his cancerous condition. OTHERS AngieFaye reports that the Lord has brought a broken family back together again. Thank you Jesus! Jason thanks the Lord for helping him in a reconciliation with a friend at a retreat recently. PRAYER REQUESTS CALIFORNIA Pray for a job for Janette. Also pray that the Lord will grant her and her husband the desires of their heart. Red asks prayer for a friend Paul and his poor relationship with his mother. Circumstances have put a maternity ranch ministry at risk. Pray that the Lord would provide funds for the maternity ministry to purchase the ranch property. Pray also that the Lord would provide someone to buy the ranch and to continue to make it available to them. Also that the Lord would somehow touch the heart of the current owner to hold off on selling it. This is very hard on them right now because of their daughter ShariAnn's illness. Pray for Don's dog who was hit by a car. FLORIDA Michael requests prayers on behalf of his brother Howard, his mother Julia and himself. He has received an answer to our prayers in that his brother has "invited" him to visit him in Arizona. God has led him to go out to his brother to help him as the Lord empowers him through His spirit. He will, however, need our prayers for strength and faith and power in the Spirit to be able to face the enemy that is at work in his brother. Howard talks about suicide and that he will die at the age of 27 and is convinced that suicide is "cool". Please pray for this family and for Michael. ILLINOIS Pray for Pastor Smith. He is exhausted and needs strength from the Lord. Pray for Etheldra who recently lost a son on the urban battleground. Pray for strength and comfort from the Lord. INDIANA Pray for Nick who has been very depressed lately. Christine asks prayer for her sister Cathy, who was kicked out of the home by her mom, because of her sinful lifestyle. Pray she will hear the call of our Lord and come back to Him. Pray for a job for Christy. KANSAS Pray for a 15 year old who has cancer. Pray for a healing touch from the Lord. MASSACHUSETTS Pray for Maura that she will grow in the Lord's grace as she begins her new life in Christ. MICHIGAN Pray for Wade who has cancer. NEW JERSEY Pray for Bethany, a Kindergarten Sunday School student, her sister Bess in first grade and their mom. Their father went home to be with the Lord and they need the Lord's help. NORTH CAROLINA Pray for Robert who is back home from the hospital after having multiple surgery recently. Robert requests prayer for Gene who is going for complicated back surgery soon. Pray for a successful operation. OHIO Pray for Annette who has cancer. OREGON Pray for Jerry and Evie. Evie is in the hospital and has been diagnosed with Liver Cancer. Pray for a touch from the Lord and also for their salvation. PENNSYLVANIA Pray for Derek, 14 year old boy, who has cancer. He has just had a last resort transplant of his own treated marrow and he had to go back in the hospital and is on a respirator. Pray for a reconciliation of Dan and Beverly's marriage. Pray for salvation for Dan. Pray for Dan, a gas station attendant who suffers from seizures and recently had 18 stitches put in his forehead. A gas station pump hose hit his head when a car pulled out while the gas was being pumped into the car. Pray for his whole family also. TEXAS Pray for Danny who needs financial help. Pray for salvation for Dean. VIRGINIA Pray for Brian and his wife as they are recovering from a very serious car accident. He hopes to get the cast off his foot soon and his wife will have to stay on oxygen for at least 2 more months. WISCONSIN Patrick asks for prayer for a friend, Joanne, who is seeing "visions" and "ghosts". He is not sure she is saved. He asks for strength and guidance and wisdom. OTHERS Arlene needs prayer support. After many corrective surgeries to her intestinal tract, she has had an Ileiotomy. She needs God to do a massively divine corrective surgery of His own on her body and in her life. Pray for Tammers whose daughter age 14 was killed a number of years ago. She requests prayer for the driver of the car also. Pray that John and Becky will turn their lives over to the Lord and that the Lord will restore their marriage. Pray for Chanti's family, that the Lord will have His way in their lives. Pray for salvation for Jerry. Pray for salvation for Gordon. He is in an alcoholic center. Pray for Dave's mom in the hospital with pneumonia. Pray also for her salvation. Pray for Tiny who lost his job and they have twins on the way very soon. Pray for Kelsey with epilepsy. She has convulsive seizures. Kelsey is three years old and unable to talk. Leo is 16 years of age and has accepted Jesus. Her parents are set against her belief. She must read her Bible in private and only has a child's Bible now. Pray for her and her family. Pray for a brother in Christ, Gary, who suffered a stroke. Pray also for his family. Pray for Debbie. She was in a wreck and has been in ICU with a concussion. Pray for her recovery. Ace asks prayer for friend Jael and also for himself. He wants God's will for his life and needs another job to be able to continue college and maintain a roof over his head. Pray that the Lord will lead and guide him. Pray for Jaaaron's friend Dan and family. He has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, or multiple tumors and given only a couple of months to live. Pray for Judi's son, that the Lord will intervene in his life. Jason asks prayer for Walt's health. Pray also for a job for Jason. Pray for the restoration of the marriage of L and E. Pray for Arkie's salvation. Pray for a healing for Bruno who is in a coma following an accident. He was jumping out of a van to get away from the men who were trying to abuse him, when he hit his head on a rock. He needs our prayers desperately. Pray for Janice. She is 17 and a senior in high school. She has been diagnosed with Lou Gerhigs disease and has been told that her condition will deteriorate rapidly. She has been in a wheel chair since July. She is a Born Again Christian and loves the Lord with all her heart. She feels the Lord is using her condition to work in different peoples' lives. Pray for the Lord's will in her life. INTERNATIONAL REQUESTS SUDAN Rev. Lwoki Matayo is imprisoned for his faith. Please pray for his release and for him to be a good witness for Christ in prison. Write him at: Juba Military Prison, Juba , SUDAN Most of all, Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6a). Resources Resources MORNING STAR BBS DISTRIBUTION LIST - November, 1994 The MORNING STAR BBS list contains those electronic Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) that are carrying MORNING STAR. They are either available as a compressed file for downloading or in some cases use a "DOOR" program that allows the viewers to read the magazine on screen. With the MSDOOR program available free from Alan Graff, P.O. Box 131, Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694 or Fidonet (1:2260/250 or 77:100/50 - BBS Phone: 614-776-7136), callers can read or copy articles to their system while on line. Those BBS's with the asterisk next to the name are using a door program to read MORNING STAR on line. The System Operator (SYSOP) names are posted where known. Is your BBS carrying MORNING STAR? If not, send a message to the SYSOP and upload it! Please let us know of any new BBS where MORNING STAR is being made available or any that are no longer carrying the magazine. Contact Walter Bauer, Director of BBS distribution, via E-mail at: walterbau@aol.com or write to our Post Office box. ALABAMA 205 739-1469 Odyssey BBS- Jerry Woody * 205 457-5901 J&J OnLine - Cal Evans 205 744-0943 The Family Smorgas-Board - Randall Dickerson 205 942-4506 SALT - Betty McKnight ARIZONA 602-459-2383 The Edge BBS - Joseph Simo 602-264-8144 Dove BBS - CALIFORNIA 209 576-1606 Root Connection - Larry Beyers * 209 675-3218 Hangar 7 - Dennis E. Conner * 310 947-4402 Maclectic BBS - Bob Rockhill 408 899-4552 Logos - Dan Brynes 408 246-8877 His Servant BBS - Mickey Schumacher 408 264-7002 The Silicon Valley Christian Connection - David Honeywell & Eric Roberts 615 588-4321 The Joyful Noise - Steve 619 460-6398 ToghtToPigeonHole - Howard Barton 707 252-4830 Corpus Christi BBS - Gary Bradford 708 739-0033 Chicago Area Computer Center- Bob Hoffmann 714 870-9228 Digital CHapel BBS - Dennis Vandergoore 714 838-3837 Shofar BBS - Shoshona Bat Zion 714 838-4689 Shepherd - John Scudder 714 457-1020 The Believer's Board - Randy Tincher 714 971-1564 Christian Central - Jeff Reese 805 541-0789 Born Again BBS - James Smith 909 766-8219 Locksoft BBS - Carl Curling COLORADO 303 935-6323 Electronic Library Exchange - Phil Scovill CONNECTICUT 203 456-1180 The Grapevine - Scott Lovell FLORIDA 305-726-5434 Christian Computer Users Group - Doug Lynn * 407-773-0831 The Saddlebag BBS - William Herrington * 407-391-4884 Boca Bytes - Bruce Miller 407-687-8712 Bloomunit BBS - Linda Bloom 813 544-3793 The Salt Shaker BBSBen Waggoner & Phillip Bartol * 904 353-3807 Maranatha - Dan Nance 904 623-5512 OffCenter BBS Richard Swatsenbarg 904 744-9991 Guiding Light - Rich Cowan * 904 789-0192 New Life Christian BBS - Don Geser 904 783-3236 The Shire * 904 532-1911 The Refuge BBS - Joe Francoeur GEORGIA 404 948-3428 ACTS BBS 404 924-7963 Educational Center- Joan Bates 404 509-8565 Pc Exchange - Jim Simmons 404 637-9276 Genesis BBS -John Doughtry * 404 429-1512 College BBS - Bruce 404 637-9276 The Potters House Nancy Powers 404 944-8059 Revelation BBS - Harry Whitehead IOWA 515 961-5693 Good News - Chris Barnes KANSAS 913 262 0220 KYFC BBS -D.W. Haskins KENTUCKY 606 276-3590 Petra - Bob Finmore 606 836-3437 The Spotlight BBS - Shawn Brown * LOUISIANA 504 878-3023 CDN Headquarters BBS - Ray Waldo 504 764-0449 The Eagle's Nest - John Perilloux 504 758-2184 The Word - Charlie Copes MARYLAND 301 862-3160 Southern Maryland Christian Information Service Buggs Bugnon 410 247-6266 Turnout BBS - Larry Widikowski or Dale R. McNamee MICHIGAN 313 795-5829 New Life BBS- Juilia Sidbottom 616 792-4309 The Farside BBS - Khan Hollis 616 531-7915 Warehouse BBS - Jon Vandenberg MISSOURI 314 227-6885 Messianic Jewish Computer - Harvey Smith 314 821-1078 Origins Talk - Walt Stumper 816 931-1257 The Rock bbs Christian Kingdom - Michael Kiger * 816 858 2989 Piercing the Darkness - Daniel Lemasters 816 231 3235 For God and Country - Jonathan Taylor NEVADA 702 438-2992 Ice Palace BBS- Joe Dabrowski NEW JERSEY 609 586-4847 Freedom Infonet - Peter Skorupsky 609 625-4475 Koinonia! CBBS - Bob Korch NEW HAMPSHIRE 603-594-0510/0511 The System BBS - Jerry Kramer 603 432-6711 Nor'Easter - Gardiner Jones * NEW YORK 313 455-5806 Cnypcug bbs - Barbara Mancuso 518 756-3002 Christian Hotline - Bob Lucido * 518 537-4881 The Open House BBS 718 352-0821 Hidden Manna NORTH CAROLINA 704 845-0416 Maranatha! BBS- Joe Squiccianni 1-910-882-8881 The Maranatha Connection - Robert Smith Jr OHIO 216 723-6732 Medina County Freenet Dan Prorok/Doug Mcclure 419 244-4597 Cuttin - Joe Britt 614 776-7136 Cross Connection - Alan Graff * OKLAHOMA 918 492-1749 The Star Christian BBS - Dave Wenrick 918 775-9102 Anawah Rescue Mission & BBS - Rev. Frank Cooke OREGON 503 632-6058 Starfall - Alexandria Sherwood * 503 683-2614 The Provided Faith BBS PENNSYLVANIA 215 391-1612 The Abundant Life BBS - Lynn Dehart * 215 670-5323 Round - Dan Mccoy TENNESSEE 615 584-6356 The Joyful BBS - Steve P. Taylor 615 588-4321 The Joyful BBS - Steve P. 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St. Orminskiego 30 84-230 Rumia, Poland INTERNET: washburn@sunrise.pg.gda.pl SOUTH AFRICA 27 21 618 780 Mother City Mailhub - James Burns-Howell 27 12 429 2882 Unisa Editorial BBS - Steve Hayes UNITED KINGDOM 44-392-495899 Trinity, line 1 - John Burden 44-392-412370 Trinity, line 2 - John Burden 44-392-410210 Trinity, line 3 - John Burden 44-602-893344 "HIS" SHAREWARE & PUBLIC DOMAIN - Tony Clatworthy TAIWAN 886-4-292-4455 Taiwan Missionary BBS - Tim Tyler MORNING STAR can also be found on these major networks: AMERICA ONLINE Keyword: RELIGION, enter File Library, Go to Publications CONTACT: Jerry White: sermoner1@aol.com COMPUSERVE DOS EDITIONS: Lifestyles Department, Special Interests Forums, Religion Forum, Browse Libraries, Christianity CONTACT: Charles Wootten: 76476.1556@cis MAC EDITIONS: CIN-4 - Ministry Outreach+ Forum; library 12 "Mac 'n Ministry" CONTACT: Douglas Wade: 74152.624@cis GENIE Issues, Religion & Ethics Round Table, Software Library, BBS Uploads CONTACT: Mike Wilkinson: m.wilkinson1@genie.geis.com DELPHI At the MAIN prompt enter GO GROUP THEO and CR. At the NETWORK prompt enter DATA (Database) and CR. At the TOPIC prompt enter SEARCH (for keyword) and CR. At the SEARCH prompt enter MSTAR and CR. At this point either enter DIR for a directory listing or READ for the full description of the files. CONTACT: Vince Gonzalez: vincegsr@delphi.com E-WORLD Arts & Leisure Pavilion / Forums / Religions & Spiritualities / The Sharing Scrolls / Morning Star CONTACT: John Linton: jlinton@eworld.com INTERNET NETWORK (DOS EDITION) Per Cederqvist - Linkoping, Sweden Internet Email: ceder@lysator.liu.se Morning Star is available on the Internet via anonymous ftp from: ftp.lysator.liu.se (pub/religion/christianity/morning-star) INTERNET NETWORK (MAC EDITION) Gary Bogart Internet Email: njb@iclnet93.iclnet.org Morning Star is available on the Internet via anonymous ftp from: iclnet93.iclnet.org (pub/software/mac/Morning.Star) S.C.U.D. WARNINGS ! S.C.U.D. WARNINGS ! S piritual C ounterfeits U ndermining D octrine W A R N I N G S By Jerry Johnson The following is a portion of an original STAR TREK script for an episode that had been scheduled, but was not filmed due to the series being canceled in its third year. Majel Barrett found the script in a bag in the back of the storage shed of her late husband, Gene Roddenberry. Incidentally, the bag also contained 27 "tribble" fur balls and an old "Andorian" costume. The title of the episode was "Chaplain Spock." The Enterprise was assigned to transport a prominent religious figure, Robert Patson, from earth to a religious convention on the planet Narthex 5. During the trip Patson became sick when a malfunctioning food replicator fed him Zorian Bloodwort stew instead of the chicken soup he had ordered. Patson felt that his keynote sermon was so critical for the convention that he requested that a member of the Enterprise crew deliver it on his behalf. Dr. McCoy declared that he was a doctor, not a preacher. Scotty stated that he "dinna ha' the time" because he was trying to repair the faulty food replicator. Uhura and Chekov were pulling double shifts and Captain Kirk simply did not want to do it. That left Spock. Here is an excerpt from the script. This scene takes place on the bridge, with Captain Kirk seated in his chair, while Spock stands to his right. The gaps and capitalized words in captain Kirk's dialogue were put in for dramatic effect and are best read with hunched shoulders and an over dramatic presentation. Spock: But Captain, it is not logical for me to deliver Mr. Patson's sermon, since I do not adhere to his religious beliefs, nor am I capable of speaking in the emotional style for which he is famous. Kirk: SPOCK, You are the MOST LOGICAL choice given the options. Mr. Patson was granted AMBASSADORIAL status, and you are the ONLY fleet officer available. Spock: I understand the logic of that factor, Captain, but I still will not be able to deliver the speech as written to the effect desired by Mr. Patson. Kirk: Then, SPOCK, ALTER the sermon so it maintains the HEART of what Mr. Patson wanted, but without the EMOTION. Spock: I will do my best, Captain. The next scene opens on Narthex 5 with Spock standing before an audience of very pious religious leaders. Spock: Due to an unexpected illness, I will be delivering Mr. Patson's keynote sermon. (Spock looks at the notes, then looks up, obviously ill at ease) Will you please assume a position that denotes respect towards whatever supreme being you may happened to maintain a belief regarding as we make a request of said supreme being to be of aid to this convention. (Reading) Oh, supreme being to which Mr. Patson holds a feeling of allegiance and belief. On behalf of Mr. Patson I request that this convention proceeds without undue difficulty and that the, however illogical, belief systems of those assembled here will be reinforced, despite the lack of empirical data. Those assembled here offer religiously phrased affirmations towards you and thank you for their assumption of your active participation in their lives. Amen. I will now read a portion from Mr. Patson's preferred compilation of religious conceptualization; specifically, Psalms 63rd chapter: "O, supreme being, I consider us to be in relationship, I will expend some measure of effort seeking you; the presupposed essence of my personality prefers your company, my biological organism is adamant about preferring your company, in an arid region, which I assume is a metaphor. I have seen you where you dwell, again I assume metaphorically, and witnessed your energy and affirmations. Because your positively inclined opinion of me carries import with me, I will use my vocal capabilities to affirm you." You're probably catching the general drift of that overly long intro. The title of this SCUD is "VULCAN CHRISTIANITY," and there will be a portion of you readers that will not relate to this article at all. But, if you attend a church similar to the one I attend it should sound familiar. The idea for this column came out of an incident that occurred a couple of months ago. A Sunday school teacher at our church became convicted a while ago of the manner in which he had lead the class. He had realized that he had set an example of cold love that had grieved God, and now grieved him. During the process of sharing with the class the errors God was revealing to him and asking forgiveness, he got obviously "choked up" on a couple of occasions. That's when a couple of members of the class declared him to be "emotionally unstable." And that's when it hit me ... When was the last time I saw a teacher, pastor or Sunday school teacher weep for what they said grieved them? When was the last time I heard someone speak about the things of the Lord with passion? When was the last time I saw someone in front of a class or congregation be obviously filled with delight and enthusiasm for God? It had been a loooooooong time. (Like I said, I'm sure there are some of you that can't relate to this ... your church is passionate. If that is the case, I encourage you to check out to read another section of this issue at this time) I began to look at a strong trend in many evangelical churches today and I realized that this trend frankly scares me. It's the trend towards VULCAN CHRISTIANITY. Star Trek fans will know what I mean. Spock was a Vulcan. Vulcans were a race that had total control over emotions and who felt that emotions were illogical and detrimental. I see an increase in churches that seem to value an emotionless approach to God. Expression of sorrow or grief are signs of emotional instability. Expressions of joy and delight are defined as fanaticism. Raising hands in prayer or praise is unseemly and too demonstrative. Now, I'll freely allow that there is and should be great variety in how churches are able to express their feelings towards God. But somehow I don't think that having no observable feelings about God was something God had in mind. Christ first came a unique time and place in history. He arrived in Bethlehem, as a Jewish baby. He was born into a culture that saw the value in emotional expression. How else do you describe a people who could party at a wedding for days on end, or tear their clothes, put ashes on their head and wail in pain. These are a people who, during Passover Sader, would eat a gob of horseradish so that tears would flow to express the pain that we experience in life. Jesus was born into this demonstrative culture ... at a time when the Greek language and trend of thought created a language that was bathed in nuance. The Jew, though passionate in love, really has a single word for love, much like the English language (I love my car, I love my wife, I love ice cream, etc.) The Greek had at least four primary words to delineate between types of love. The analytical Greek style for debate and exposition was used mightily for the Kingdom of God (read Paul). Christ came, and the church was birthed, at a time and place where both emotion and intellect were valued. The early church had the gift of being able to examine and analyze doctrine with honed analytical skills and still get majorly excited and expressive about God. That is our Judeo-Christian heritage. But I'm seeing less and less of the Judeo part. Less and less of the passion about God. Less and less of the impact of being in relationship with the Creator of the universe should have on the minds and spirits of us created beings. I believe it is likely a sin to stand or sit in a church and live life or teach or preach in such a way that the implication is that God is boring, passionless, Vulcan. If you spend ANY time in the Psalms you see everything from the "down and dirty, everybody's dissing me, why am I in a cave with these whiners blues" to exultant joy that includes loud music and jumping and dancing. Grief to joy and everything in between. Look at Paul and Silas in the dungeon, singing for joy. If they had been singing a hymn because that's what they were supposed to do, nobody would have bought it. But because they sang in pure joy for the awesomeness of who God is, people were touched and saved. Although Biblically aligned doctrine is important, doctrine didn't ever save anyone. Christ dying on the cross in an act of committed love did. Why would getting excited about being in relationship with the living God be viewed as unseemly or inappropriate? Why would shedding tears of grief over sin or the suffering and pain of others be a sign of emotional instability? Probably because emotion is viewed in a Vulcan manner: not quite in control, likely to get out of hand, and I might look silly. Or at least that's what Michal accused David of when he danced in joy before the Lord as the Ark of the Covenant was brought back into Jerusalem. His response? "It was before the Lord ... I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes" (2 Samuel 6:21-22). I guess he felt that acknowledging the greatness of the God was more important than a self imposed sense of presentation and dignity. "So are you saying we should dance in our underwear in church?!" No. But I believe if we let the passion of God make itself evident in our joy and our sorrow and everything in between, the world might not so readily see us as being stiff, humorless, hypocritical and in denial. Again, to live our lives in such a way that indicates that God is boring and passionless must be a sin. Next time: Horace meets the Who, Part Two Commentary Commentary 1994? - Why Harold Camping Was Wrong Undoubtedly many of you have heard of the book 1994 written by Harold Camping in which Harold claimed proof for when the world would end. He basically and simply put didn't know what he was talking about. He simply was wrong. He is not the first person who has tried his hand at date setting/nor probably will be the last but I have seen this type of aberrant teaching before and have a little insight into "Why Harold Camping was wrong." We live in a real and very practical world. We face facts every day. When we see facts it is normal to recognize them and act accordingly. In certain instances we only get a limited and partial view of some things. Many times what evidence we can gather is but meager at best. In such cases it becomes necessary to formulate a theory in regard to what we have in consideration. When we adopt a hypothesis we need to remember (something Harold didn't do) that this is only a deduction and not, I repeat not, an established fact. We must be careful and considerate of others not to elevate a theory to a tenet of faith--for when someone creates such a theory and takes it to the public and makes a stand upon it then it becomes most difficult for such a one (as Harold) to see anything else except his theory. Jesus recognized this too--He said to the Pharisees that they compassed land and sea to make one proselyte to their views and that, when one has accepted a false theory he becomes twofold more a son of perdition. (Matthew 23:15). My experiences through the years has been that once people take a position regarding any scriptural truth, and when a view contrary to their own weird slant on things emerges, it is very very difficult to get them to even consider the facts which one is attempting to present to them. One fact overlooked in this case is Jesus said No man knoweth the day nor the hour not that Harold didn't ever hear the verse or that he didn't misuse it for He stated that the end of the world would take place somewhere between September 15 -17 because according to Camping maybe we don't know the day and hour, but we can know the week and month. Which is preposterous to take a public stand on but He just figured he didn't need to pay attention to when the plain sense of scripture makes common sense seek no other: Therefore take every word at its primary ordinary usual literal meaning . As everyone knows who is familiar with the study of prophecy, there have been many who have set dates for the transpiring of various events. In recent years there were 2 books printed one in 1988 and its sequel in 1989 that deceived its fair share of people. It seems there is a constant flow these days of tracts pamphlets and booklets that provide the latest and greatest sensationalism that they engage in and are based on nothing more than speculation and guesswork. J Vernon McGee used to say He liked to keep the cookies on the bottom shelf so you could reach 'em. And that's what I like to do when I explain things too I don't need to razzle and dazzle you with sensationalism I'll just settle to tell you the truth and keep it simple so everyone can understand it--keep the cookies on the bottom shelf its better that way if you know where they are and it's not too difficult to reach. Harold's book to me was like a blueprint that dazzles you and razzles you with all this brilliant prophetic utterance and really was nothing more than another bunch of guesswork by someone who would not listen to the people who presented other facts. Yes it was a treatise of sensationalism but not one based in fact--go ahead pinch yourself yes you are still here. If I paid attention to all this type of rubbish that crossed my desk relating to this date setting done by Harold Camping and others I wouldn't know what to teach or believe on the subject. All this past year I have met people who get very upset at and are very confused in regard to prophecy and this practice of date setting for the rapture and for the beginning of the Tribulation--What is the answer? Its simple the practice is wrong Harold was wrong all the others before Him were wrong and if another date setter comes along I hope we all remember this--He will also be wrong! Date setting is wrong! There is only one scriptural sound sane and sober approach for us to take in regard to these matters. We are to expect the Lords return at any day at any hour--At any moment He may come for His waiting church. Know this that we should be ready for the Lord to come at any time. On the other hand we should not involve ourselves in any speculative guesswork--and the setting of dates like Harold did because it is wrong. But while we look for him at any moment He still may be a long way off and we should make our plans as if he were a long way off. We should be prepared to continue a long time before He does make His appearance. Diametrically opposed attitudes you say? No they harmonize with each other. If I am busily engaged in the Lord's cause and He comes suddenly I'm ready--But for those who set dates (and even more sadly those poor souls who listen to date setters) and make arrangements accordingly (Harold) -- there is a great letdown in every way and bitter disappointment. People's affairs are now out of joint (Harold) and they can not function in the way which they should. So it is very very detrimental to one's self and to the cause of Christ for His followers to set a date for the Lord's return. Instead of doing like the Pharisees and giving the blinding effects of theorizing to proselytes and making them twofold more a son of perdition--Isn't it better to Listen to Jesus accept the facts and not offer a post graduate course from Hell via date setting books like 1994? Of course it is! Because once again date setting is wrong 1994 was wrong. I do not wish to see anyone taken again by such a practice as date setting aberrancy --so I offer two sources of information you may contact on any scriptural subject, topic, doctrine, group, sect, cult, etc. These two groups are dedicated to serving the body of Christ by bringing you the truth and exposing clearly what is not sane sound and sober such as date setting. The Christian Sentinel has a free quarterly newsletter and also offers representatives to come to your church for a speaking engagement and has various books tapes and things to give you facts you might want to look at before the next date setter comes along. I believe both groups can facilitate such but I am only sure of this one--my heart goes out to all you who were taken in by this years possibly biggest lie to come down the pike. The Christian Sentinel PO Box 500 San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693-0500 Christian Research Institute Echo, Inc. PO Box 11322 Philadelphia, Pa 19137 Behind the Screens Behind the Screens Behind The Screens By Bryan Dufelmeier Let me define a term which I mistakenly assumed would be understood by everyone last time - SHAREWARE. The term refers to programs that a person can try before they decide to purchase. Registering these programs usually gets you the latest version, a printed manual, and other benefits depending on the program and company. The programs in this category are usually cheaper but not necessarily lower in quality than many commercial programs. Shareware can be freely distributed as long as the copyright conditions that are clearly spelled in the unregistered version. Sometimes these programs are full-featured and other times something is left out that can only be found in the registered version. A few comments on the trend toward windows. Attention dos users!!! While dos development is not as yet finished it is slowing rapidly and you might find that new versions or programs that you would like to own can only be found in windows. Two modules of my Bible program from Navpress Software are only available in windows. Since these are auxiliary modules and require the main program, I will have to wait until I get windows to get these modules. The main feature is infosearch. This is a powerful and flexible storage retrieval system for abstracts, illustrative data, and other types of information that can be used to enhance and enrich any bible study, sermon, or any other document for that matter that requires that little something extra of a Christian nature to make it complete. Let me start by describing the databases that are available with the infosearch package. You can choose from any one or more of the following: sermons and illustrations, current thoughts and trends, two music databases, humor, and quotes. The songs are neat because you get not only the words but also the sound played through the pc speaker. While it doesn't yet support sound cards the problems are contractual and not technical so I look very strongly for this to change as the music industry comes to grip with the overwhelming trend toward multimedia. Besides those who don't yet have sound cards aren't missing a thing as far as using the program is concerned. Remember the current thoughts an trends, derived from various magazines are not full articles and yet they are more than citations and can provide the little extra you may be looking for. The same can be said of the sermon and illustrations database. There are thousands of tidbits out there if you can only find them. I should add before I forget that the two music databases reflect both hymns and contemporary music so if you enjoy both than both are a must. People have been using great quotes and humorous illustrations for as long as any kind of writing has been done and now here is a rich Christian source for such material. There is a seventh database under development. This will be Christian cartoons. This time you'll have text, a caption, and the cartoon graphic all on the same screen. To top it all off a windows version will be available as well. A little about the program itself. It's menu-driven and fairly intuitive. It allows you to select the desired database and then search by words, topics, words in the topics, or verses. You can also search by usage if you have previously recorded the use of a illustration, a song, etc. in a sermon or study. The way the data is indexed the search possibilities are endless. There's an awful lot here and it's ripe for the picking. The best way to find out more is to use the program yourself. You won't want to part with it. Pick a database and start your collection. Call Navpress at 800-888-9898. Remember, that for a Christian, the real power both in our use of the computer and in our lives and daily Christian walk must be Jesus. Without His saving grace and presence in our lives, we are empty and lifeless. Without Him there is no power Behind the Screens of our heart and mind. Remember the first part of Philippians 3:10 ... "That I might know Him and the power of his Resurrection." Until next time. Amen! Bryan Dufelmeier may be reached via Internet email at: 73617.251@cis Features But I Don't Feel Thankful But I Don't Feel Thankful BUT I DON'T FEEL THANKFUL By Nancy Prestide From HIGHWAY magazine Sometimes it's easy to be thankful, sometimes not. We have set aside a day to celebrate called "Thanksgiving Day." Yet many struggle to feel thankful. Recently, I was reading Isaiah 54 and sensed God speaking concerning a friend who is going through a tough time. Isaiah 54:4 says, "Fear not for you will not be put to shame; neither feel humiliated for you will not be disgraced, but you will forget the shame of your youth, and your reproach." We often have times when we feel humiliated and feel like God has abandoned us. Although Jesus went to the cross with all it's shame and pain, now He sits at God's right hand reigning in victory. He has forgotten that reproach. The same can be true for us. God wants to guide us through the hard times and promises to reward us. Isaiah 54:5 continues with, "For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the Lord of Hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth. For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake but my loving kindness will not be removed from you and my covenant of peace will not be shaken, says the Lord." When God disciplines or tries us, we feel forsaken, but He is always there to gather us up. Like the mountains and hills in this passage, we may be shaken, but He is there to give us peace and to see us through. Isaiah 54:11 calls out, "O afflicted one, storm tossed and not comforted" Does this sound like how you feel right now? "Behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. I will make you battlements of rubies, your gates crystal, your wall precious stones." He will reward us here and in heaven if we allow Him to be our Lord and Redeemer. "All your sons will be taught of the Lord and the well-being of your sons will be great. In righteousness you will be established." Isaiah continues, "You will be far from oppression for you will not fear and from terror, for it will not come near you." It seems if we allow ourselves to fear or be terrorized, we have given the enemy an "open door" but when we trust God, oppression is far from us. Verse 15 says, "If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. Behold, I myself created the smith who blows the fire of coals and brings out a weapon for its work; and I have created the destroyer to ruin. No weapon that is formed against you will prosper. Every tongue that accuses you in judgment, you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. Their vindication is from Me; declares the Lord." God never fiercely assails us. If you feel fiercely assailed, that may be Satan at work. God is in control of all things. At times He allows Satan to work, but only in a way that is ultimately for our good and only for a time. God promises to fight for those who serve Him and destroys any weapon or accusing word brought against them. That's our heritage. Are you His child? If not ask Him to forgive you of your sins and take control of your life. Start reading your Bible asking God to guide you. If we trust and seek to obey Him, He will give us a thankful heart. Knowing God's Will Knowing God's Will KNOWING GOD'S WILL By Winkey Pratney How can I know the will of God?" If you haven't asked this question openly or secretly, you are probably not a Christian. Walk through the halls of time and you will see the men of God who changed history. Look at them carefully. They were not special men. You will not often find the naturally gifted among their ranks. But all had one thing in common - they knew and did the will of God in their generation, and God did a work through them to shape the course of history. Those that God used in the past were just ordinary people with an extraordinary Master. They were not all champions of great faith, but little people who saw their own need, and put their small faith in a great God. The driving force in their lives was the sure conviction that God had called them to His work - and that as long as they were faithful to that call, He would work with them and through them against impossible odds to victory. They knew His will! Living in His purpose, they could be natural and let Him be supernatural. Scripture is a record of common people who found the will of God. Jacob met an angel. Joseph with his multi- colored coat had a dream. Paul saw a blinding light. Samuel heard a voice. John had a vision. God is wholly involved with us as human beings. He spoke to men then, and He has not changed. At every point in history, He waits to show the way. God is looking for willing hearts - those who whole-heartedly decide to do the will of God. (2 Chron. 16:9J You can know God's will! God has no favorites. You do not have to be special, but you have to be available. You do not have to be clever, but you must be willing to learn from Him. You do not have to be talented, but you must be willing to obey whatever He commands. You do not have to possess much, but you must give everything you have. Has the "will of God" been a mystery to you? Have you longed to know what He wants for you, but somehow never found the way? Then read on. If you will faithfully apply these Biblical principles of guidance to your life, you can know the voice of God and do His will, as surely as any man or woman of God that ever lived. Goal and Plan God's will for your life is a goal, not a blueprint. His one ultimate goal, or purpose, is for you to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus. God's goal never changes. A goal is the point you are trying to get to - it sets your direction. While on your way to this ultimate goal, you will encounter many smaller goals and purposes along the way. Guidance is a lifelong process. God will reveal goals, help you reach them, then set new, higher ones. Therefore, knowing God's will for your life is a continued discovery of the present most-effective plan to help you eventually reach, (through a series of sub-stages) His ultimate goal for you. Should you miss God and make a wrong decision at one of these sub-stages, all is not lost. However, many times there are consequences to pay. Sometimes you may miss an opportunity that may never again come your way... and many times good years that belong to God are simply wasted. But the moment our self-dependence or mistakes are confessed to God, and His pardon obtained, He will take you where you are at and work with you, daily pointing out the best course to take in order for you to reach His ultimate goal for you - to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus. Conditions You cannot expect to her from God until you are fulfilling these essential conditions for knowing His will. Check your life against these before you ask for guidance: 1. A DESIRE TO KNOW WAND DO ALL THE WILL OF GOD. Don't ask for guidance unless you are prepared to act on it! God is always willing to make His purpose known. If you "cannot" find an answer, it may be that you have some secret reservation in your heart. God will not show you His will if you are merely considering doing it. Unless you are prepared to trust His wisdom and love, and DO what He shows you, don't ask Him. Many say they can't get God's guidance, when they really mean they wish He would show them an easier way. God promises to show us only if we are ready to act on His revelation. (In. 7:17) 2. BE A LOVE-SLAVE. God guides the meek, or those with yielded wills. If we have unyielded rights or stubborn wills, we cannot expect His guidance. A love slave lives to serve, not be served. He owns nothing of power, possessions or personal rights. He has no plans of His own that are not subject to the command of his Master. God does not guide those who want to run their own life. He only guides those who admit their need of His direction and rely on his wisdom. (Matt. 10:24, 37-39; Phil. 2:5-8; Ps. 25:9) 3. A WILLINGNESS TO BE COUNTED A FOOL. Doing God's will often conflicts in what's going on in our surrounding selfish world. Some Christians don't really do anything for the Lord, excusing themselves by saying they are "not sure of God's will." We need not always expect a voice from the sky when the path of service is clear. God gave us common sense, and He expects us to use it. Most of the time, His will makes sense to our reason and intelligence. God's will is usually in an area of general direction, within which He leaves us relatively free to work for Him. (Prov. 6:20-22, 11:3) However, sometimes His direction cuts across all human reason, and even goes totally contrary to it. When the inner voice of God speaks clearly, obedience may be counted as madness in the eyes of the world. But if you are willing to be God's fool, then you will see His power. (Matt. 11:25; Acts 26:24-25; Mk. 3:21;1 Cor. 3:1 8-20) 4. A CLEAN CONSCIENCE FROM THE PAST. Guidance will always be hindered or misunderstood if there are still sinful things in your life that God has urged you to get right. How can He show you more if you have not obeyed the things He has already shown you? (Luke 16:10) Every time you kneel to pray, the finger of His Spirit will point back to that thing He wants you to get right. A clear conscience is absolutely essential to distinguishing the voice of God and the voice of the enemy. Unconfessed sin is a prime reason why many do not know God's will. It is the "pure in heart" who will see Him. (Matt. 5:8, 23-24; Ps. 24:3-6) 5. REGULAR TIME OF PRAYER AND READING THE WORD OF GOD. God's will is expressly revealed in His Word. It is indeed a foolish and inexcusable thing to neglect the Scriptures if you have access to them. Bible study shows us what God expects in daily living. No guidance will ever go against Scriptural principles. Prayer teaches us by experience what the presence of God is like, and how His voice sounds. Many do not recognize the call of God simply because they have never taken the time to talk with Him long enough to know what He is like. It is not enough to know about Him - you must know Him! (Prov. 6:23; Isa. 58:9-11; Jn. 27:3) Methods God speaks and has spoken in many different ways. Guidance breaks down into three basic categories personal, corporeal and supernatural. Study the following examples in Scripture. I. PERSONAL (Individual Direct Guidance) 1. THE WORD OF GOD - The Holy Scriptures, the foundation of all guidance. A. Regular Bible Reading - The "jigsaw" principle. You fill in a portion of a "puzzle" each time you read a section of the Bible. A key piece fitted in will suddenly reveal a whole picture. B. Open Page Method - Definitely not to be abused! Ask God in faith to guide you to the right Scripture for your need. Open the Bible, trusting Him to speak to you from it. C. Mental Suggestion - In prayer God will sometimes bring to mind a verse, a chapter, or a book of the Bible. Turn to the place and begin to read until God speaks to you. D. Recalled Memory Verse - Often, during a time of temptation or difficulty, God will bring to your mind a verse of Scripture that will give you clear instruction. It is to your benefit to know and memorize parts of the Word of God. (Ps. 119:9-11, 15-26, 33-35, 65-68, 97-105; Prov.2:1-20, 3:1-6, 4:1-13; 2 Tim. 3:14-17) 2. THE WITNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - An inner voice known by all true children of God. The Holy Spirit is able to "check" you inside as to whether or not something is of God. You must NEVER act on a doubtful impression, especially if it is accompanied by haste. God leads, not pushes. Rushed urgings are usually of the enemy. There is never a feeling of worry or fear with the voice of the Good Shepherd. His voice is gentle, familiar-sounding, loving, and leaves you with a sense of spiritual uplift and rejoicing, never fright. (Jn. 10:3-5, 14-16, 27-28) Test all of your spiritual leadings by the Word of God, especially when you feel a sense of uneasiness or fear. (Rom. 8:14-16; Jn. 14:16-17; 1Jn. 2:27, 4:1-3; Col. l:9-11) 3. WAITING ON GOD - Listening to Him in prayer and getting to know His voice. God has three answers in guidance - (1)"YES" (2) "NO" (3) "WAIT." We cannot have a demanding attitude towards God. Sometimes there must be delays. Our lives are bound up with others, and many times God has to wait until they are ready (or until we are), before giving us the go-ahead. "Wait" is the most difficult of all answers, but sometimes it's the most necessary. Here is the test of a love slave. (Ps. 62:1, 5, 33:20, 25:5, 27:14, 40:1, 130:5, 37:7; Isa. 40:31, 49:23; Hos. 12:6; 1 Chron. 28:9) II. CORPOREAL (Other Christians) Although God greatly desires to speak to each of us personally, He also likes to use other members of the body of Christ to pass on needed pieces of the "puzzle" to us. This helps teach us gratitude for His work in the lives of others, and the needed lesson that none of us are a law or light to ourselves. We can learn a lot from other Christians, although in the end, we are responsible to no one but Him. 1. GODLY MEN AND WOMEN- The advice of experienced Christians sought as confirmation. Counsel from those who are known to have a pure and trustworthy walk with God, is often of great value when seeking further light on some major decision. This counsel should be more in the area of principles, not pronouncements. Carefully concerned and loving suggestions aren't necessarily final or direct statements from the Lord. True godly counsel will of course always line up with the Word of God and Scriptural principles. (Prov. 15:22,12:15,13:7(),11:14, 24:6, l Th. 2 15) 2. GOD'S SERVANTS IN THE MINISTRY - Preaching under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes God will use a message or sermon anointed by the Holy Spirit to bring needed light when you are facing a difficult decision. Perhaps the word you need to help give you direction is waiting for you at the next meeting! (Ex. 4 12; I Sam. 3 21; Isa. 6:8-9; Rom. 10:14-15;1 Cor. 2:1-2; l Pet. 4:11) 3. THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - In line with previous leadings from the Lord and the Word of God. Scripture records incidents where God has confirmed direction through such gifts in His body as prophesy, words of knowledge and words of wisdom. Study their function in Scripture. Such words are simply spiritual parallels to individual godly counsel and preached messages, and should not be looked on with more authority than any of the other means the Lord chooses to use. Never act solely on a "word" given to you by another. Remember, the key is individual responsibility for our own actions, and it is you that must make the final decision, and not someone else for you. (Rom.12:6-8;1 Cor.12:1-1, 27-31, 14:12, 26-33, 39-40; Eph.4:8-11; II Tim.1:6) III. SUPERNATURAL The instance of "supernatural" guidance, or special Divine Intervention in our lives are more rarely recorded. These cases are rare, not because there are only a few who ever reach the "exalted height" of such direct contact - but to the contrary, sometimes, God may choose to act in this way because those on the receiving end are so spiritually insensitive and dull that they might otherwise never hear or understand! Although it is not wise to generalize principles from such occasional interventions, it is certainly clear through Scripture and history that men and women have received authentic direction from such divine channels of contact. 1. THE AUDIBLE VOICE OF GOD. God can and has spoken to people audibly. I know a very trustworthy person who became a Christian as result of God answering his prayer for help in this way. He described the voice lie this: "Like everyone I had ever loved in my life all rolled up in one, like someone I had known all my life, yet I knew I had never met." As in the case of Saul and the crowd that witnessed the Lord's baptism, it is apparently a real sound and not just a mental impression. Examples: Samuel (l Sam. 3:1-10); Elijah (I Kings 19:9-13); Saul (Acts 9:1-7); the Lord Jesus and the multitude. (John 12:27-30). 2. VISIONS AND DREAMS. The early church gave much more attention to this subject than do most Christians today. A dream is like a spiritual TV commercial - short, easy to understand, and given at the time when our whole attention is undistracted. Visions, on the other hand, are superimposed over the normal visual reality around us, and do not have to happen when we are asleep. If you believe that God may be trying to speak to you in this way, prayerfully consider the details of your dream or vision, remembering that they may represent symbols or principles - not necessarily absolutes. And finally, talk it over with a trusted and mature friend in Christ. Both dreams and visions, when inspired by the Holy Spirit, can be powerful means by which God speaks to His people. Examples: Peter (Acts 10:9-16); Daniel (Dan. 8:1-27, 7:128, 10:1-9; John (Rev 1-20); Elihu (Job 33:14-18); Joseph (Matt. 1:19-21). 3. VISITATION- It appears that angels in Scripture do not "guide" in the same way that the Holy Spirit Himself does, but they have been sent to warn believers of danger, as well as provide for their physical needs and safety. They also have made significant announcements, as in the case of Mary. Many believers throughout history have had authentic visions or visitations - and many numbers of Christians have seen either Jesus or ministering angels at their deathbeds. Examples: Abraham (Gen. 18:1-33; Moses (Ex. 33:19-23); Joshua (Josh. 5:13-15); Jacob (Gen. 32:24-30); Manoah (Judges 13:2-23); Zacharias (Lk. 1:8-20); Mary (Lk. 1:26-38). A Word Of Warning before we leave this area. Young Christians can easily become fascinated with the "special cases," and exalt these above the more simple and ordinary daily ways God uses to speak to us. To deliberately seek or glorify any form of guidance is an outright invitation to spiritual deception. We are not to seek or specify how God should speak, but only seek Him in any way that He wishes to make Himself known. And as previously mentioned, for God to have to use such methods is no guarantee at all of our superior spirituality - it may instead be an indication of spiritual immaturity. Steps The following method of receiving guidance combines most guidance principles into three basic steps: 1. GIVE UP YOUR OWN DESIRES. Take your own desires to God in prayer and place them aside for the Lord to crucify. In prayer, give your desires to Him, and ask Him to give you His desires. Tell Him that you are willing to "die" to the things you most want to do, in order to do the things He has for you. 2. RESIST THE DEVIL. Be on guard against the tactics of the enemy, and the temptations that may come your way. Each child of God has been given power over sin through Christ Standing in His authority, drive back the enemy's voice. As Jesus did in the wilderness, you can quote an appropriate Scripture, and like the thrust of a sword, it will force the enemy to retreat. Do it simply and clearly, trusting that the power of Christ will back you up. (Prov.18:10; Eph.1:17-23; James 4:5-10; 1 Jn. 3:7-8;1 Peter 5:6-9) 3. LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF GOD. The Lord wants to speak to you - He doesn't want to hide or make you play guessing games. If you have fulfilled His conditions, the lines of communication between you are open. Ask God to show you, in faith, expecting Him to answer. Look for an immediate, definite impression. DO what He tells you to do. If nothing comes immediately - thank God for His answer of "wait." Be faithful to what the Lord has shown you, and patient as you wait for further guidance. If you are being tempted, cry out to the Lord, for it is through Him that you will find your strength to stand firm in righteousness. Your Move Ahead of you is a generation that desperately needs a voice of authority. Men are tired of the constant failure of human wisdom - what they need most of all is to hear from Heaven. Can you be His vessel to proclaim "Thus saith the Lord!" to a lost and dying world? Dare YOU be guided by God? Will you accept the challenge to hear His voice and do His will? "Copyright: 1983 Last Days Ministries Box 40, Lindale, Texas 75771-0040 All Rights Reserved" Finding and Understanding... Finding and Understanding... FINDING AND UNDERSTANDING THE WILL OF GOD By Rev. Chester N. Shew The late George Mueller, when asked how he ascertained the will of God replied, " I seek to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. I seek the will of the Spirit of God through or in connection with the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be in agreement. I look to providential circumstances that may be in reference to the situation. I ask God to reveal His will to me outright. Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly." Seeking and finding the will of God in any Christian's life is perhaps one of the most difficult but most important facets of his or her life. Ephesians 5:17 says, "Wherefore, be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is ... (KJV). Acts further explains it, "The God of our Fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will. (KJV). and Isaiah tells us, "And thine ear shall hear a word behind thee, saying, this is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." (KJV). We need to know the will of God because, only God knows the future. Only God knows what is best for me. God has made me fit into His overall plan in a certain way. My effectiveness in prayer depends upon my praying in God's will, and lastly God commands his children to know and obey His will in their lives. This is all well and good, but how does one get himself or herself in the state that can obey all these concepts? We, as obedient children, must be willing to do His will when we know He has revealed it to us. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV). We note here that the word acceptable is used twice to impress upon us that only following the will of God is acceptable to Him. Not only does Paul tell us it acceptable to God but that it is reasonable. By this statement we can assume the other side of this if it is reasonable to God then it is not unreasonable to us. We can see the acceptableness and reasonableness of this command of God in Luke 9:23, "Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me'". (NKJV). Too often today Christians want to follow Christ but they are not willing to deny themselves and they are not willing to take up the cross to follow. We too often rely upon emotions and feeling when we seek the will of God. While, I am certain, that emotions and feeling play apart in seeking the will of the Lord, we must be very careful to ascertain whether or not the spirit that is working in us is the Holy Spirit or not. "Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.'" John 8:31-32 (NKJV). Note here that Christ tells us to be in the Word not in our emotions or feelings. We are to rely upon what He tells us through the sealed canon of the Scripture and not what our emotions or feelings may be telling us. That beautiful Psalm, Psalm 119; verses 105 and 130 explain in very clear language that we are to rely upon His precious word to find His will, "Your word is lamp to my feet and a light to my path." 105 (NKJV). "The entrance of Your word gives light; It gives understanding to the simple." 130 (NKJV). In seeking anything we need light to find it. And the light we need to seek God's will in our lives is the light of His Word. We need to be constantly searching His word for principles we can apply to our lives, commands to complete His will, prohibitions that would impede our doing His will in our lives, promises that will guide us through our work. We need to ask outright for God to reveal His will so we can serve Him better. Philippians 4:6 tells us, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. let your requests be made known to God." (NKJV) and James 1:5 explains it this way, " If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (NKJV) Both of these verses make it abundantly clear that not only should we ask but that God expects nothing less. Too often we take upon ourselves to determine what we think God want of us. Another facet of knowing God's will in my life is the realization that He generally coincides His will in my life with the God-given talents, gifts, and burdens that I already have. God is not going to call me to teach molecular biology to a group of people. I have absolutely no knowledge or training in that field. But, He might call me to teach theology or Biblical principles as I have training and knowledge in that field. God is a conservative God. He uses the materials that are at hand. "Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ' All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'" Matthew 28: 18-20 (NKJV). There are many other verse to bolster this premise of knowing our gifts and talents, verses such as Acts 20:24; I Corinthians 10:31-33; Romans 12; and I Corinthians 12. While many of us today are guilty of overplaying the prompting of the Holy Spirit and underplaying the importance of the Word, we must still be aware and sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our lives and work. We must be aware in a way that leave no room for doubt. We must remember that the Holy Spirit will not tell us something or guide us into something that cannot be backed up or proven in God's Holy Word. John 16:13 says, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." (NKJV). We also read in Galatians 5:16, "I say then: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." (NKJV). I am not here to cast disparaging remarks or thoughts on anyone or any organization but I do believe that we are all, sometimes, failing to heed the prompting of the Spirit in a real way. We have allowed the emotions to rule where the heart should be in charge. While we should never allow ourselves to become a follower of any man we are obliged to seek the counsel of those who are godly individuals. We should seek this counsel from those individuals who, preferably, know us and know the factors involved in our search for God's will in our life. God gives us godly individuals as examples and as counselors and prompters. Another important factor in seeking and finding God's will in our life in to be alert for providential circumstances that may come into play in our search. We must know and understand the doors that God opens and shuts before us. Revelation 3:8 tells it this way, "I know your works, See, I have set before you and open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name." (NKJV). Romans 8:28 says, " And we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (NKJV). Praise God from whom all blessings flow for His unspeakable love and understanding when we seek to find and do His will. For it is then that we find that inner peace that comes from knowing that we have found His will for our lives. This is an inner peace that only God can give us and then only when we seek it. Isaiah 32:17, "The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever." (NKJV). "And let the peace of God rule in our hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15 NKJV). We also find in I John 3:21 and 22 these words, "Beloved of our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." (NKJV). All should seek that inner peace that comes from knowing that we are exercising God's will regardless of what that will is. If we be only the door keeper and it is God's will it should bring His peace to our hearts. If we have discerned the above factors in our search for God's will in our lives the next step is doing that will in our lives. In order to accomplish His will we must exercise faith. Faith that will bring results. Too often our faith is not the type that brings results. It is like the story of the fellow trapped on a roof during a flood. Shortly a man in a rowboat came out and asked if he wanted to be rescued, and the man replied, "No, I have faith in God and He will rescue me." Later another man in a motor boat came and asked the same question and he received the same reply. Much later a helicopter landed beside him and inquired if he wanted to be rescued and the man replied that he did not; that he had faith that God would rescue him. A little later the waters rose and washed the man away to his death. On his arrival in heaven the man inquired why God had not rescued him as he had exercised faith that He would do so. The reply was that God had sent a rowboat, a motorboat and a helicopter; what more did the man want? Too often our faith is exercised as this man's was. Psalm 37:5 speaks clearly of our need to exercise faith in doing God's will, "Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." (NKJV). Proverbs also has something to say about placing our faith in the Lord, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV). While the ways I have mentioned are the main ways we should seek and find God's will for our lives there are some other ways that we should be aware of and practice in our spiritual lives: 1. Increase your spiritual awareness through Meditation (Joshua 1:8); and fasting (Judges 20:26 and Acts 14:23). 2. Look for guidance through authority figures that God may set over you. 3. Make sure that you are submissive in all areas of your life. Make sure your are "confessed up to date" and have a clear conscience. Be sure that your relationship with others is on a solid footing and if you have wronged a brother or sister that it is cleared up. Be a student of the Word. (If you have never read the directions it is hard to accomplish the task). Be a witness for Christ. (Put into practice what you have learned). 4. Study the lives of others who have walked in the will of God and spend time with those who do so now. 5. Tell others of your search and enlist their prayers. (Matthew 18:19-20). Many people seeking the will of God in their lives do not really understand how to "hear" the voice of God. The voice of God is heard in many ways. It is sometimes heard audibly such as Elijah and John or we may find His will through signs sometimes such as Gideon. Frequently we find God's will through other people such as the apostle David. We may even, like Paul, find His will through circumstances. But the most reliable and the method God always uses and many times it is direct guidance is His Word. I cannot stress enough the importance of reading, studying and absorbing God's word. As you seek God's will in your life may He bless in you in such a way that you may never have doubts as to His calling and His will and love in your life. Work for Him. Love Him. Seek Him. Reverend Shew can be reached via Internet Email at: revshew@aol.com Steps to Christian Growth Steps to Christian Growth STEPS TO CHRISTIAN GROWTH Prayer: Keeping the lines Open Isn't it disappointing to place a phone call to someone and have it ring with no answer or to get a busy signal? That never happens with God. He's always there. He's never busy, on another line, or preoccupied. And He always is happy to hear from us. That's what prayer is - communicating with God in our own words. Not an option Why should we pray? The most important reason is that God commands us to do it. Read: * Ephesians 6:18 * I Thessalonians 5:17 * I Timothy 2:8 * Psalm 29:1-2 Jesus prayed continually throughout His life. Make a list of hints on how to pray based on His example. Read Luke 3:21; Luke 9:29; Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 6:12; John 6:11; Luke 22:31-32; Luke 23:34. The great "Lord's prayer" is in Matthew 6:9-13. What prayer is NOT * Fancy words. Your own language will do fine. * An attempt to push God around. He will do His will in His way. * A public exercise only. Scripture teaches praying in private, also. * Approaching God directly. Jesus, through the sacrifice of His life, is now our "lawyer" through Whom we approach God. So we pray "in the name of Jesus" or "in Jesus' name." See John 16:23-24 * Only asking for things. We're also instructed to praise God, to confess our sins, to thank Him and to enjoy His presence. * Limited to kneeling with bowed head and closed eyes. In the Bible, people prayed standing, lying down, on their knees, with hands lifted. Some practical tips If you aren't in the habit of praying, it may seem strange at first. Here are some ways to have a good experience praying: 1. Set time each day and be disciplined. Maybe 10 minutes when you first wake up. Or at lights out. Or when you get alone in the rec yard. But determine to pray regularly. A Handy Prayer Formula: ACTS Adore Him - Give God praise Confess your sins - Be specific Thank Him - Be grateful Seek answers - Ask in His will 2. Pray using scripture. Take a verse like I John 1:9 and put your own name in it. Instead of "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins" say "If I confess my sins, You are faithful and will forgive me my sins. Lord I want to confess X and X and X and receive Your forgiveness." 3. Pray using hymns. Many hymns express wonderful prayers directly to God. Copy some from the chapel hymnal or obtain a personal hymnal to use. "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and "I Need Thee Every Hour" are good to start with. 4. Keep a prayer journal. Part 1 may be prayers which you write out to God. Part 2 could be a list of things you asked for, and a record of when God answered them. Seeing this list grow will strengthen your faith. 5. Share prayers with another. Pray together. Pray for each other. Don't go it alone. One good time is in the chow hall, thanking God before each meal for His provision. Or pray together through the mail, with a Christian pen pal. Unanswered questions There are a lot of things about prayer we don't understand. If God knows everything, why does He want us to ask? If He really wants what is best for us, why don't we get everything we ask for? If He hears all our prayers as He promises, why do I sometimes feel like He doesn't? Why would God want to hear from me? Great Prayers in the Bible Jacob, for God's protection- Genesis 32:1-12 Moses, for God's mercy- Numbers 14:1-20 Paul, for believers' strength- Ephesians 3:14-21 David, for forgiveness- Psalm 51 David, to thank and praise God- Psalm 30 Jesus, a model prayer- Luke 11:2-10 David, when lonely- Psalm 22 We don't really know. Someday, when we see Him in heaven, we can ask. Meanwhile, Scripture is rich in its teaching and examples on prayer. The main thing is ... get busy and do it. You will please God, and you will grow in your Christian life. Who Are You Following ? Who Are You Following ? WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING? By Rev. John DelTurco In 1 Corinthians 4:16, Paul made a statement to people who knew him, who were familiar with him. He said, "Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me." He did not go on to say, be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ, which he did later in 1 Corinthians 11:1. He was, in effect, standing up in the midst of those people and making a declaration, "I beg you to follow my example." I wonder, if Paul was walking the face of the earth today and addressing Christianity, would he dare make that statement? In light of everything that has happened in some major ministries and the spotlight thrown on the church by the media, would Paul dare say, "Follow me?" Knowing that reporters are waiting for the wrong thing to be said so that they can sell newspapers, magazines, and attract more people to their portion of television airtime, would even Paul have said such a thing? During the past religious scandals, Ted Koppel was heard to say that the information he gets about ministers is from other ministers. I am not condoning what any man or woman who sins has done, but the Word of God says, "Confess your faults one to another" (James 5:16). If what Ted Koppel said is true, that ninety-five percent of all the sludge and smut that comes out (about ministers) comes from ministers, how in this day and age can we go one to another and confess our sins? In this kind of climate, would Paul dare today to stand up and say, "Be ye followers of me?" Church, the Word of God does not change. The Word is not affected by situations and circumstances that occur. The Word does not change even when God is doing a shaking. If the Word says we are to stand up boldly and proclaim that we are born again and Spirit-filled, that we believe in the move of the Spirit of God, then we are supposed to stand up in the middle of adversity and say even as Paul said: "Be ye followers of me." For the most part, people are followers. I am not talking just about Christians, but about all humanity. Most people are followers. We follow the example of other people. In Christianity, we are followers. It is not wrong to be a follower of someone, if that person is following Christ. We learn from numerous people in our Christian lives. Very few of us do not have books and tapes in our homes of someone whose ministry we prefer over the others. And that is all right -- but only when they are truly following Christ. THE SPIRIT OF DECEPTION. In this day and age, I cannot stress enough that one of the greatest demonic spirits, if not the greatest, next to the spirit of anti-christ, has been loosed upon the Body of Christ. That is the spirit of deception. All Satanic deception has an element of truth. If it was one hundred percent error, people would recognize it as a lie. If Satan were to appear wearing a red suit and carrying a pitchfork, we would say, "Oh, that's the devil." But if he walked in as an angel of light, many of us would not know the difference. Satan will bring that which is good in order to cause you to miss the perfect. He would much rather have you do something secondary for God than to have the perfect will of God in your life. He comes in with deception. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul said, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." That is the only way we can stand up and proclaim to anyone to be followers of us -- only if we are following Christ. We need to be aware, particularly in this day of shaking, of whom we do follow. There are various things to consider. Following even someone who is following Christ involves knowing Biblical principles well enough to know how far to follow. For example, beware of where you send your tithes and offerings. Your tithes belong in your local church. Your tithes do not belong to traveling evangelists. Offerings can go to wherever God gives you a witness to send them. But also be wise where you send your offerings. Beware where you plant your seed. Is that man or woman who is standing up proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus, following Him in truth and in reality? If not, do not be deceived. Do not be deceived today by all that you hear. Beware of those who are "putting notches" in their Bibles. If something happens in their ministry -- or in your own -- let the glory go unto God, for believers are simply His instruments. The church must stop putting men or women in the ministry on pedestals. If their lives really reflect Jesus, we can follow them. But you cannot follow someone who is standing up on a pedestal. You are only to follow someone walking down the path ahead of you who is following Jesus walking down the path ahead of all of us. There is only room for one at the top. His name is Jesus. The King James version of Philippians 3:17 says, "mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample." In Ezekiel 9:4, the prophet wrote that there is a mark put on the forehead of the believer. You may not see it, but it is there in the Spirit. Beware of those with whom you associate. Beware of those whose pattern you follow. In Philippians 3:18, Paul tells of those enemies of the cross who at one time lived by the Gospel. Beware of emotionalism. Do not get caught up in just the things that can be seen. See by the Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit's gift of discerning of spirits more today then ever before. We need to be followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promise (Hebrews 6:12). We should be followers of those who are following Christ. Look at the fruit in the lives of the ministers and other Christians before you follow them. Do not look to the right. Do not look to the left. Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:12). From Vista, a Publication of the General Council of the Christian Church of North America. 10 Reasons to Believe... 10 Reasons to Believe... 10 REASONS TO BELIEVE IN A GOD WHO ALLOWS SUFFERING 1. SUFFERING COMES WITH THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE Loving parents long to protect their children from unnecessary pain. But wise parents know the danger of over-protection. They know that the freedom to choose is at the heart of what it means to be human, and that a world without choice would be worse than a world without pain. Worse yet would be a world populated by people who could make wrong choices without feeling any pain. No one is more dangerous than the liar, thief, or killer who doesn't feel the harm he is doing to himself and to others (Gen. 2:15-17). 2. PAIN CAN WARN US OF DANGER We hate pain, especially in those we love. Yet without discomfort, the sick wouldn't go to a doctor. Worn-out bodies would get no rest. Criminals wouldn't fear the law. Children would laugh at correction. Without pangs of conscience, the daily dissatisfaction of boredom, or the empty longing for significance, people who are made to find satisfaction in an eternal Father would settle for far less. The example of Solomon, lured by pleasure and taught by his pain, shows us that even the wisest among us tend to drift from good and from God until arrested by the resulting pain of their own shortsighted choices (Eccl. 1-12; Ps. 78:34-35; Rom. 3:10-18). 3. SUFFERING REVEALS WHAT IS IN OUR HEARTS Suffering often occurs at the hand of others. But it has a way of revealing what is in our own hearts. Capacities for love, mercy, anger, envy, and pride can lie dormant until awakened by circumstances. Strength and weakness of heart is found not when everything is going our way but when flames of suffering and temptation test the mettle of our character. As gold and silver are refined by fire, and as coal needs time and pressure to become a diamond, the human heart is revealed and developed by enduring the pressure and heat of time and circumstance. Strength of character is shown not when all is well with our world but in the presence of human pain and suffering (Job 12:117; Rom. 5:3-5; James 1:2-5;1 Pet. 1:6-8). 4. SUFFERING TAKES US TO THE EDGE OF ETERNITY If death is the end of everything, then a life filled with suffering isn't fair. But if the end of this life brings us to the threshold of eternity, then the most fortunate people in the universe are those who discover, through suffering, that this life is not all we have to live for. Those who find themselves and their eternal God through suffering have not wasted their pain. They have let their poverty, grief, and hunger drive them to the Lord of eternity. They are the ones who will discover to their own unending joy why Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:1-12; Rom. 8:18-19). 5. PAIN LOOSENS OUR GRIP ON THIS LIFE In time, our work and our opinions are sought less and less. Our bodies become increasingly worse for the wear. Gradually they succumb to inevitable obsolescence. Joints stiffen and ache. Eyes grow dim. Digestion slows. Sleep becomes difficult. Problems loom larger and larger while options narrow. Yet, if death is not the end but the threshold of a new day, then the curse of old age is also a blessing. Each new pain makes this world less inviting and the next life more appealing. In its own way, pain paves the way for a graceful departure (Eccl. 12:1-14). 6. SUFFERING GIVES OPPORTUNITY 8 TO TRUST GOD The most famous sufferer of all time was a man named Job. According to the Bible, Job lost his family to war, his wealth to wind and fire, and his health to painful boils. Through it all, God never told Job why it was happening. As Job endured the accusations of his friends, heaven remained silent. When God finally did speak, He did not reveal that His archenemy Satan had challenged Job's motives for serving God. Neither did the Lord apologize for allowing Satan to test Job's devotion to God. Instead, God talked about mountain goats giving birth, young lions on the hunt, and ravens in the nest. He cited the behavior of the ostrich, the strength of the ox, and the stride of the horse. He cited the wonders of the heavens, the marvels of the sea, and the cycle of the seasons. Job was left to conclude that if God had the power and wisdom to create this physical universe, there was reason to trust that same God in times of suffering (Job 1-42). 7. GOD SUFFERS WITH US IN OUR SUFFERING No one has suffered more than our Father in heaven. No one ha paid more dearly for the allowance of sin into the world. No one has so continuously grieved over the pain of a race gone bad. No one has suffered like the One who paid for our sin in the crucifix body of His own Son. No one has suffered more than the One who, when He stretched out His arms and died, showed us how much He loved us. It is this God who, in drawing us to Himself, asks us to trust Him when we are suffering and when our own loved ones cry out in our presence (I Pet. 2:21; 3:18; 4:1). 8. GOD'S COMFORT IS GREATER THAN OUR SUFFERING The apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord to take away an unidentified source of suffering. But the Lord declined saying, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect i weakness." "Therefore," said Paul, "most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:9-10). Paul learned that h would rather be with Christ in suffering than without Christ in good health and pleasant circumstances. 9. IN TIMES OF CRISIS, WE FIND A ONE ANOTHER No one would choose pain and suffering. But when there is no choice, there remains some consolation. Natural disasters and times of crisis have a way of bringing us together. Hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, riots, illnesses, and accidents all have a way of bringing us to our senses. Suddenly we remember our own mortality and that people are more important than things. We remember that we do need one another and that, above all, we need God. Each time we discover God's comfort in our own suffering, our capacity to help others is increased. This is what the apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Cor. 1:3-4). 10. GOD CAN TURN SUFFERING AROUND FOR OUR GOOD This truth is best seen in the many examples of the Bible. Through Job's suffering we see a man who not only came to a deeper understanding of God but who also became a source of encouragement for people in every generation to follow. Through the rejection, betrayal, enslavement, and wrongful imprisonment of a man named Joseph, we see someone who eventually was able to say to those who had hurt him, "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Gen. 50:20). When everything in us screams at the heavens for allowing suffering, we have reason to look at the eternal outcome and joy of Jesus who in His own suffering on an executioner's cross cried, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46). YOU'RE NOT ALONE If the unfairness and suffering of life leaves you unconvinced that a God in heaven cares for you. But consider again the suffering of the One called by the prophet Isaiah, "a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Is. 53:3). Think about His slashed back, His bloodied forehead, His nail-ripped hands and feet, His pierced side, His agony in the Garden, and His pathetic cry of abandonment. Consider Christ's claim that He was suffering not for His sins but for ours. To give us the freedom to choose, He lets us suffer. But He Himself bore the ultimate penalty and pain for all of our sins (2 Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 2:24). When you do see the reason for His suffering, keep in mind that the Bible says Christ died to pay the price for our sins, and that those who believe in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead will be saved (Rom. 10:9-10). The forgiveness and eternal life Christ offers is not a reward for effort but a gift to all who, in light of the evidence, put their trust in Him. If we can help you with your questions or send additional materials showing the reasonableness of believing in a God who allows suffering, please write or call RADIO BIBLE CLASS at 1-800-598-7221. No Bargain Churches No Bargain Churches NO BARGAIN CHURCHES By Moishe Rosen The man and his wife summed up their varied church experiences with, "We have yet to find a church we care to join." I looked each of them in the eye and asked, "So, what kind of church do you think God intends for you to join?" I wasn't referring to denomination. They had not complained about denominations or the various doctrines of the several churches they had attended. In fact, the diversity was so great that I wondered if either of them noticed or cared about such matters. The husband spoke up for both of them. "We would like a church that is filled with love and loving people. It should make religion exciting to us, but it should not have very many or very long services." That couple wanted a "bargain" church. Our human nature craves a bargain to receive much and give only a little; but human nature certainly is not God's nature. God gave much when He gave His only Son, and He asks comparatively little of us in return. Yet I see an ever-growing trend, even in God's people, to want more while giving less of self. Have Churches Changed? Much of what we accepted as ordinary in the churches 30 or 40 years ago is now considered exceptional, if it exists at all. When I first became a believer in 1953, the pastor of my church frequently preached for an hour on Sunday mornings. No one expected less. Afterwards he always gave an invitation to receive Christ, and no one fidgeted while we sang every verse of the invitation hymn and inwardly prayed for a response. We also had long Sunday evening services. They often included three or four musical presentations: a brass quartet, a men's quartet and a women's trio. The congregation sang not just one or two verses of a couple of hymns, but every verse of half a dozen hymns. We looked forward to the midweek service when we could pray for corporate and individual concerns. When we met we didn't talk so much about our problems as we did about blessings from God and about people to whom we had witnessed. There were many spoken doxologies for answered prayers. We canvassed door-to-door and we held big outdoor evangelistic meetings where the tent was filled every night almost to capacity. We took special offerings for missionaries in need and helped at the local rescue mission. We thought of our church as God's little oasis in a spiritual desert. It was an inviting haven where we were willing to give of ourselves to God and others for His sake. Someone put it very well by saying, "The church is the only institution founded to serve those who are not yet members." The members of my first church in Denver, Colorado certainly lived that philosophy. Churches Like That Still Exist Such churches go beyond the "good old days" because they still cling to the "good old ways." Though they may be scarce, such vibrant, Christ-centered congregations are still oases in a spiritual desert of godlessness and materialism. We dare not take them for granted. We must preserve them with our prayers, commitment and encouragement; but there is a price to pay. There is no such thing as a bargain in church or anywhere else. You get what you pay for. If people complain about not getting anything out of church, it's because they put nothing into it. Nothing in, nothing out. A church is like a bank. You cannot make a withdrawal unless you first make a deposit. But church investment is better than any bank. You can never outgive God in time or substance. The more you put in, the more comes back to you in enthusiasm, deeper understanding and Christian fellowship. In order for God's people to put more into church, a few guidelines are in order: Set a Standard For Attendance Successful church life depends on standards and policies-decisions made in advance. We cannot successfully govern business transactions by waiting to see how we feel about a given matter. Why do it with church attendance? Make a commitment to regular church attendance. Before you allow yourself to be absent, ask yourself: Would I stay home from work or school as easily? You can choose to go or not to go. A third choice is that you act on a set policy that you will go to church unless _____ , and those exceptions should be kept to a minimum. At times you may have out-of-town guests who may not want to attend church, and your time together is precious. It is an occasion to show your guests what you really value. Tell them even before they arrive, "We attend worship every week. Our times of worship are _____ . If you would rather not accompany us, feel free to make other plans for those times." Often your guests will not only attend church with you, but your commitment will make an important statement to them. If you plan to leave town on vacation or for business purposes, ask your pastor to recommend a church of like faith and practice where you are going. When you arrive, contact that church and explain hat your pastor recommended it. You can be sure you will be welcomed and treated with affirmation. If the church you visit introduces visitors, stand up and tell the congregation what church you came from. That will strengthen the bond of fellowship between sister churches. You might also send the church bulletin back to your home church. If you visited a church recommended by your pastor, he will be encouraged that you followed his advice. Attend Church With Zeal and Promote Enthusiasm Church requires active participation, but most of us go into a passive mode as soon as we take our seat in the pew. To avoid this, think of yourself as an active component of the worship service. Begin by praying for the pastor and for those around you. Don't be reticent about the responsive readings or the hymn singing. If possible, sit close to the front and establish eye contact with those who are on the platform. Your attentiveness, smiles and nods of agreement will cheer those who are leading worship. Set a Standard of Financial Support Support your church and other worthy causes by policy, not merely by opportunity. Most people support their churches by putting money into the offering once a week. If, however, you find yourself unavoidably away a great deal, plan to mail a check for a specified amount once a week or once a month. After all, your church keeps on ministering whether or not you can be there. To be an effective giver, set aside time once a year to review your assets and determine what you can do for God. Budget your giving, then take advantage of extra giving opportunities to show your love and thankfulness to the Lord. Make Your Church Your Ministry Be a worker for God in your church. As a member, you have a proprietary interest in its welfare and success, and you need to participate actively in some aspect of its ministry. Nothing in Scripture restricts leading in worship, teaching, evangelism, or even preaching, to ordained clergy. Some of the most effective church ministry is accomplished by lay people. Those who are not professional clergy often have the best opportunities for evangelism because they have more contact with non-Christians. An unchurched person might discount a clergyman's words as something spoken out of "duty to his job," but he might find a lay-person's words more credible because they were spoken outside of such an obligation. Church work can be pleasant and gratifying. Some of the satisfactions are similar to those of parenthood. As parents take joy in watching their children grow in responsibility and love for God, you will find that same sense of fulfillment as you watch your church and its ministry grow. One of the joys of lay ministry is to teach Sunday school at virtually any age level. There is no greater delight than seeing someone's eyes brighten with understanding as you explain a scriptural truth. Church musicians and lay worship leaders experience similar joy upon noting a worshipful response in the faces of the congregation. Many church members miss those satisfactions. They shrink from any active role because they feel shy or absolutely tongue-tied in public. Are you like that? Those in charge of the church nursery, the kitchen or the office usually will be quite willing to put you to work. If you are only able to nod yes, they will find something helpful and meaningful that you can do as your ministry to God and to your fellow church members. Love Is Also a Ministry! Love your church. If you give of yourself to your church, it will be there for you when you need it. You will find a great deal of love, but you must not be afraid to open your heart first and give love. No church is perfect, because churches are made up of imperfect people. The more you care for people, the more you can be hurt or disappointed by them. On the other hand, the more love you show, the more people will respond. If you love your church, spread your love around. Tell the pastor and the whole church that you do. Better yet, tell outsiders and invite them to a service. Nothing gets others involved like friends who are enjoying themselves and love what they are doing. Your enthusiastic love for the Lord and your church can be a spiritual magnet. Find your own church good, or find a good church! Make the commitment to belong to it, and let it belong to you. Work for God in it and through it, and He will work His joy and fulfillment in you. Moishe Rosen is International Director of Jews for Jesus 60 Haight St. San Francisco, CA 94102 INTERNET EMAIL: mitymo@aol.com The Proper Care and Feeding... The Proper Care and Feeding... THE PROPER CARE AND FEEDING OF A PASTOR By Moishe Rosen Most church members don't know how to treat their pastor! If you want to be a considerate church member, there are some things you ought to know that your own minister will never tell you. Few pastors will put themselves in the precarious position of stating what benefits they feel they should receive from their ministry because they deem it improper to seek for themselves the remuneration and respect due their office. Nevertheless, proper care on the part of church members in certain sensitive areas will aid both the pastor and the church in fulfilling their God-given roles. The Pastor and Gossip One thing that hurts ministers the most is that some church members like to gossip. They take devilish delight in relating to their fellow church members those things about the pastor that represent his shortcomings. Pastors are human! Some may have bad habits or may make grammatical errors; others may quarrel with their mates, or devote too much time to personal affairs at the expense of their ministry to the congregation. You don't help your church to grow by detracting from your minister's credibility through faultfinding. If he has a character flaw that you regard as severe, go to him and speak with him respectfully, following the Scriptural admonition to exhort an elder as a father (I Timothy 5:1). Above all, pray for your pastor, that he might be able to live up to his own ideals. The Pastor and His Time Some church members want their pastor to join every civic group in town because they feel this is good for their church image in the community. As worthwhile as some of these groups may be, they take precious hours away from his duties in the church, from his prayer and study time and personal family time. This kind of community involvement should be left strictly to the discretion and wishes of the individual minister. Many pressing responsibilities claim a pastor's time. He should spend between 20 and 40 hours a week in study, prayer and preparation for his messages. The younger a pastor is in the ministry, the longer it takes him to prepare his sermons. In addition, he must attend board meetings, committee meetings and Sunday School meetings and often must oversee youth work and children's work. In many instances the younger pastor finds himself shepherding a small or new congregation that is less than affluent and sometimes cannot even afford a paid custodian. In such a case the young pastor may find himself to be the chief fund raiser, custodian, secretary and errand boy. These are all areas where church members can help to shoulder the burden by typing letters, making phone calls, vacuuming the sanctuary and mowing the church lawn. Proper Title of Respect This is a small matter, but it's important. Even if your minister tells you to call him by his first name, perhaps it's better for your family and other members of your church if you address him in public with a title of respect He might give you the right to call him Ed, Jim or Joe to help you feel at ease with him, or you may even enjoy a special friend-to-friend relationship with him. Nevertheless there are times when out of respect to his office you should refer to him as 'Pastor Brown, Smith or Jones," or at least as "Pastor Ed, Jim or Joe." Salary or Living Allowance A neglected fact of Scripture is that the Apostle Paul in I Timothy 5:17 wrote that a pastor deserves double pay. Check it out for yourself. The word "honor" as used in that text is related to the word "honorarium" or "fee." Some interpret this as referring to two different kinds of honor: remuneration and respect. However, the noun is used in the singular form, suggesting only one kind of "honor," and the context clearly speaks of wages. The Apostle Paul set an example of not taking pay for his ministry because he ministered for the most part among new and immature believers. Still, the Scripture teaches that "a workman is worthy of his hire." If the pastor deserves double pay, he should at least be accorded a salary that will allow for a comfortable standard of living. Many denominations in this country maintain set policies for the welfare of those who minister under their auspices. The specified benefits in such cases include minimum required salaries, hospitalization, annuities and educational allowances. Nevertheless there are many other groups and independent congregations that have no such set policies, and it is to them that this advice is directed. A good rule of thumb for a pastor's living allowance is not in terms of money, but in terms of the median life-style of the congregation which he serves. If almost all of the people in the congregation live in apartments rather than in single-family homes, then the pastor and his family should be able to afford a nice apartment by community standards. If the church people generally own their homes, the pastor should be accorded a salary whereby he and his family may enjoy the same privilege. Oftentimes church property includes a parsonage. This is a practical and convenient arrangement because the house is usually close to the church and the housing benefit allows for a lower salary to be taken from the annual church budget. Nevertheless some pastor's families may not be comfortable with such a living arrangement. Self-esteem, privacy and being free to choose one's place of residence are all important factors to be considered. Besides this, the monetary benefit to the church may be offset by expenses of repair and maintenance for the parsonage. Another factor in favor of a pastor buying his own home is that under IRS rules a home owner enjoys substantial tax benefits in the form of deductions for all housing expenses. In any case, if the pastor were to feel more content in a home of his own choosing, the church might well consider renting the parsonage to someone in the community and adding the amount of the rental to the pastor's salary. Your pastor has many other needs and expenses of which you may not be aware. As the leader of a faith mission I have found that ministers are extremely generous. They often support Christian causes with their own funds. It is not unusual for Jews for Jesus to receive a gift from a minister that represents his whole week's salary. In addition, because a bishop must be "given to hospitality" according to I Timothy 3:2, pastors must entertain much more than the average church member. That can be expensive. Then, too, the successful pastor is busier than the average working man in his church and can't do some of the things for himself and his family that can be done by the ordinary layman. He may have to pay for things like shoveling the snow from his front walk in winter, or mowing his lawn in summer. Just about the time he gets ready to repair this appliance, or do that errand, he is likely to be interrupted by some church emergency. It is necessary that he be paid enough so that he can devote as much time as he needs to his flock and leave errands and chores to those whom he can pay. Another minister's expense involves study materials. Did you know that your pastor will need to spend $500 to $800 a year for books and periodicals just so he can do the work of informed preaching? Other ministry-involved expenses include the cost of attending conferences and denominational conventions, and the all too often forgotten major expense of an automobile. The pastor's car is a business tool, and the pastor should be reimbursed for the use of his car in behalf of the church. Car expenses should be in the same category as office equipment used for church purposes. Furthermore, most pastors find themselves in a social security trap. Under present law, everyone is covered by social security unless he files for an exemption stating that he is conscientiously opposed to any government help for himself or his family. If the pastor does not file the exemption form, he must pay the full social security tax of a self-employed individual out of his own pocket. If he does choose to file an exemption, he is not covered by social security. Then he is left to provide for his own retirement and hospitalization benefits unless he is fortunate enough to belong to a denomination which makes it a policy to provide for such needs. Another expense for a young pastor might be an outstanding school debt. Few church members realize that a man who completes college and seminary often graduates owing a considerable amount of money. The debt was incurred in preparing himself for the ministry. His income should be sufficient to allow the repayment of that debt. The pastor's income should also be adequate for him to afford an occasional private, restful vacation that involves travel and hotel bills. A visit with family or friends, while enjoyable, does not usually comprise a time of rest and privacy. As a considerate church member you should see to it that your pastor does not have to concern himself too much with money needs. Most pastors spend as many years in school as does a doctor or a lawyer, and they deserve a salary commensurate with their training. Though pastors are willing to humble themselves and settle for little in order to serve God, it is up to you to show your pastor that you understand the value of the position to which God has appointed him. What Else You Can Do If your church is the kind that cannot give your pastor a proper salary and uphold him financially the way that he deserves, there is one thing you can do that is always welcome. Sit down and write your pastor a note. Tell him how much you appreciate him and what he is doing. Be specific. If you were moved to action by a particular message, tell him which one. There's another way you can uphold him. Tell other members of the church specifically how and why you appreciate him so that they might look for the same qualities in him and gain from God what your pastor has to give them. If you know that what you have received from him is of God and you are growing spiritually and are headed in a proper direction because of his ministry, why not tell others outside of the church too? Through your efforts the congregation may gain new members, and nothing pleases a pastor more than to see God's kingdom grow, especially if it's his own little flock. A pastor's lot is often lonely and demanding, and even discouraging at times. Your pastor needs to know that you care and that you appreciate him. Treat your pastor well and you encourage him to do his very best for God. A right relationship between the pastor and the congregation will please God and make your church and its ministry a blessing to the entire community. Moishe Rosen is International Director of Jews for Jesus 60 Haight St. San Francisco, CA 94102 INTERNET EMAIL: mitymo@aol.com Studies Old Testament Studies Old Testament Studies In this column, we return to the Old Testament. We will continue our pattern of looking at the Psalms between major series. During this study, the column is called "Old Testament Studies." Future studies after this series will include books from both the Old and New Testaments. NOW HEAR THIS! Psalm 5 By Pastor Geoffrey Kragen There have many been times over the last years when my circumstances have been going less than ideal. As a result, I have experienced the reality of a prayer life that controlled me, more that I controlled it. I'm sure, considering the tests that many of you have been put through, you too are familiar with the experience of crying out in pain to the Lord. These are prayers that are inarticulate groans, reflections of the pain being felt, more than some profound theological exercise. When the church I was pastoring finally closed, I had some serious discussions with God about my assessment of His fairness. I was in significant pain. I felt that I had given my all, and that He owed me because of my sacrifice. I also recognized this was an emotional response and not consistent with what I knew to be true about God, or about life. It is during these times of struggle we can prostate ourselves before the Lord. All we seem to be able to express is pain and frustration. But this very expression can be a testimony to the depth of our faith. It is God to whom we are crying, because we know He loves us and can do something about our pain. While there may even be anger in our cry, nevertheless there is also an awareness of God's mercy. And it is that mercy we long for. While Satan may say, as Job's wife did: "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die." Let us say with Job, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:9-10). One of our greatest blessings as believers is access to God. We can have the confidence that we have His ear and His love. The author of Psalm 5 also had this awareness. This was true even though he lived in the Old Testament economy and we live in the New. In this article, we will look at his prayer and see what we can find that will benefit our daily walk. The approach we will take as we examine the Fifth Psalm is to first examine its form. Next, we will review the passage itself. Lastly, we will see how, and how not to apply it to our own walk. Yes, you read correctly. I wrote "how NOT to apply it." This is the first of the imprecatory prayers, a concept and word that will be explained shortly. Now, unlike earlier psalms, this one is much more general in focus. It doesn't relate to a specific incident in the life of David. In fact, there is some thought that he might not have even written it, but it was sung to one of the familiar tunes of the day, which David composed. Keep in mind that it really doesn't matter who wrote each Psalm. What is important is that the Holy Spirit inspired them and chose which to include in Scripture. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16). It would be helpful to have an outline of the Psalm for clarification, so I have borrowed the one given by H. C. Leupold and altered it slightly. a) A plea to be heard. Vs. 1-3 b) The wicked may not abide in the presence of God, but God's true children may. Vs. 4-7 c) A prayer for guidance, and condemn nation of the wicked. Vs. 8-12 (1) The overall focus of the poem is the need for moral standing before the Lord. This need must understood within the context of an Old Testament perspective. The Psalmist knew that God was just and required mankind to meet His standards. This is still the case today. Where individuals reject the sacrifice of Christ as payment for sin, they place themselves in the same position as the wicked of the Old Testament. Through the birth of Jesus, God has provided a way for people to be restored to a relationship with Him. Nevertheless, He has not changed His standards and He will not accept anyone who has rejected Christ. As Jesus said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well" (John 14:6-7). God is not a different God in the Old Testament than He is in the New. A plea to be heard: "Now Hear This!" This Psalm is called a morning prayer because of verse 3. It presents the reflections of the author as he urgently approaches the Lord with his concerns. His prayer is an act of sacrifice, as Spurgeon notes when speaking of the word "lay:" "It is the word that is used for the laying in order of the wood and the pieces of the victim upon the altar, and it is used also for the putting of the shewbread upon the table. It means just this: 'I will arrange my prayer before thee;' I will lay it out upon the altar in the morning, just as the priest lays out the morning sacrifice." (2) The petitioner presents all his concerns to the only One who can truly respond. He is both David's God and King. The Lord is the One who has all authority to deal with the burdens of His people. The psalmist also makes an underlying assumption: God only hears the prayers of those that are His own, desiring to be obedient to His will. The author has the confidence that God hears not only the words of his mouth, but also the sighing of his heart. These are the inarticulate expressions that aren't understood by the one making them. "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" (Romans 8:26-27). Finally, not only does the petitioner go before the Lord in confidence, he shows trust, by waiting on the Lord for the answer to His prayers. We often pray this way, recognizing God already has our answer, and that all we have to do is wait to see how He works it out. Conversely as Alexander Maclaren notes: "Many a prayer is offered, and no eyes afterwards turned to heaven to watch for the answer, and perhaps some answers sent are like water spilled on the ground, for want of such observance." (3) The wicked may not abide in the presence of God, but God's true children may abide: Obviously the conditions of the day burden the author's heart. Dealing with the issue of sin, first he starts from the negative position. Wickedness abounds, and so his prayer reflects the reality that God will not accept unrighteousness. He will not accept the wicked before Him. Now understand that the wicked are all who have rejected the way of the Lord. Wickedness is not synonymous with a life style that would cause society to put the individual away. It is a state that causes the Lord's rejection. First, the psalmist notes that God hates all forms of unrighteousness and second, He will destroy the wicked. There also may be a prophetic aspect to this. The psalmist may be looking towards the day when God will finally bring down judgment on all unrighteousness. This truth allows Paul to instruct the Romans; "Hate what is evil: ..." (Romans 12:9). The Psalmist's thrust is the fact that God's very nature is unable to accept unrighteousness. Leupold notes that at this point in the psalm the author is simply expressing his confidence in the righteousness of God. (4) A prayer for guidance, and condemnation of the wicked: In contrast with the wicked, the righteous can enter into God's presence with confidence and hope. Even here, however, the basis for approaching God is His mercy, and not petitioner's worthiness. (5) He looks for the of Lord's leading, specifically as it pertains to walking in the midst of all the enemies of the author. Remember as we walk in God's ways, His enemies are our enemies. Jesus said, "All men will hate you because of me, ..." (Matthew 10:22). In contrast, again pointing to the wicked, the psalmist notes their deceitful nature. He prays God will bring all their plans to ruin. As Jesus spoke of the "white washed tomb," so the psalmist compares the wicked with the stench that comes out of the grave. Their very words filled with lies, destruction and treachery, betray their wickedness. Second he prays that God would bring destruction upon them. As his support for this request, he notes that underlying all their sin is the fact they are in rebellion against the Lord. This rebellious nature of mankind explains how we can see individuals who are "upright" by society's standards, but still meet the definition of "wicked" from God's perspective. There are many individuals carrying out "good" works, claiming to follow the Lord, but their motivation is self righteousness. This is nothing more than rebellion against God's righteousness, against God Himself. The psalmist closes with the confidence of the righteous man before a loving God. God is the source of his security and protection. His righteousness comes from his choice to follow God and is therefore imputed by God to him. None of us have any righteousness in and of ourselves. Because we have chosen to follow the Lord, we too, along with the psalmist, can have confidence in the care and protection that the Lord provides to His own. There are three points I want to take from this passage. The first is that God is a just and righteous Lord whom we can approach with all our concerns because He is also loving and merciful. Second, while God is just, and does hate all unrighteousness, it would be inappropriate for us to pray that God would bring down judgment on them. Finally, we can rejoice in the security that is available to us through our prayer life. The greatest gift we have, next to our salvation, is direct access to the God who holds all things in His hands. So we need to be in prayer for the concerns of our heart. Too often we feel guilty if we continually go to God with the same problems. We are sometimes told that this shows lack of faith. Maybe sometimes it does. But then again, if we are burdened by something, we need to go to the Lord for relief. Prayer is to be a continuing work. As we struggle through the difficulties of life, we need to depend on God through the process. It isn't wrong for individuals to wrestle with the Lord over the question of the need to work, or spending time dealing with career directions. Take time to talk to the Lord about the pain of a marriage, or the fears in raising children. If I am to serve those to whom I've been called, then I must make these people a regular issue in my prayer life, a task at which I often fall short. King David is our example, for many of the prayers found in Psalms deal with the same battles and concerns, but he shows us the blessing and comfort that comes from a relationship with the Lord. The psalms themselves can serve as a basis of our own prayers, especially when we need help in praising and worshiping the Lord. Having said that, some of the text is clearly not appropriate for us as a basis of prayer. As I pointed out at the beginning of the article, this is called an imprecatory psalm. It contains a prayer offered up to God, calling for His judgment and destruction on the unrighteous. As noted before, there also may be a prophetic aspect to this call for judgment. (6) We are of the Church, and therefore our responsibility isn't to pray for the working of God's judgment on the unrighteous. On the contrary, we are called to pray for them and their salvation. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:44-45). The day will come again where the saints of the Lord will plead for His judgment, but that day isn't today. "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who have been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, 'How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?'" (Revelation 7:9-10). David wasn't wrong in praying for God's judgment on his enemies, but we would be. Our concern is to be the healing of mankind. We are to strive to bring all people to salvation and to aid in their spiritual growth. This is the marching order of the church. "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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). Finally, let us stop and remember just how greatly we are blessed, because each of us, no matter how young, no matter how old, whether a new believer, or a long time one, has access to the throne of God. I don't know about you, but I often take this privilege for granted. So I need to resolve to go to God as frequently as possible, under good circumstances or bad. There is so much joy available to us from a deep and continuous relationship with God through the work of prayer. "Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name" (Psalm 100:1-4). Often it gets discouraging when we view the fallen world around us. I know that it gets to me when I see the painful lives of people with whom I come in contact. But wait! Remember our hope. The more we understand the nature of the world and its wickedness, the more we can rejoice in just what a loving Lord we have. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). No matter how far man has fallen, God is there, offering the way back up out of the mire and into His arms. This is the message of joy and hope we have to offer to people around us. This is the true message of the Gospel. 1. H. C. Leupold, "EXPOSITION OF PSALMS," Baker Book House, 1969, pg. 74-78. 2. C. H. Spurgeon, THE TREASURY OF DAVID, Vol. 1, MacDonald Publishing Co., pg.46. 3. Alexander Maclaren, THE PSALMS, A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1901, pg. 41. 4. Leupold., pg. 77 5. Maclaren, pg. 43. 6. Ibid., pg. 47. 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 use freely this information to help new Christians grow in their walk with the Lord. CHRIST IS GOD Part two of a three-part series By Toby Trudel There are many opinions in the world as to who Jesus Christ really was/is. The most important question in my opinion would be, "Is Jesus God?" There are churches and individuals today, professing to be Christian, who don't believe Jesus is God - or that the Bible teaches this, or that Jesus Himself said that He is God. This month, in part two of our study, we examine what Jesus Himself said about who He was. WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT WHO HE WAS? Jesus Himself let it be known that He believed Himself to be God. He clearly acknowledged Thomas in the affirmative when he expressed his belief that Christ WAS GOD: "And Thomas answered and said unto him, MY LORD AND MY GOD. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:28,29). Christ not only accepted this worship of Thomas, He also accepted the worship of many other people: (Matthew 8:2, 9:18, 14:33, 15:25, 20:20, 28:9,17 and Mark 5:6 and John 9:38). Yet only Jehovah is to be worshipped as such (Exodus 20:1-4, Deuteronomy 5:6-9). No men are to accept worship, (Acts 14:15), nor do angels, (Revelation 22:8,9). Jesus not only accepted worship but put His words on a par with those of God: "You have heard that it was said to men of old, ... But I say unto you ..." (Matthew 5:21,22). He claimed all authority under heaven (Matthew 28:18,19). He added to the ten commandments (John 13:34). He claimed that not one jot or tittle would pass from the Law (Matthew 5:18) and put His words on that level when He said that "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). Speaking of those who reject Him, He said that HIS WORD would be their judge on the last day (John 12:48). In view of these statements it is obvious that Christ gave His word the same authority as God's. The reason the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Him was clearly due to His blaspheming claims to be God. Christ claimed the authority to forgive sins, (Mark 2:10) which in Judaism was only God's right and ability. It would NOT have offended the Jews if Christ claimed to be "A HUMAN son of God." This was within the realm of Jewish thinking. Rather, the Bible shows that the religious leaders wanted Him dead for His claims of BEING GOD. When talking to the religious leaders He referred to God specifically as "MY FATHER" not "Our Father." He claimed the ability to grant eternal life and said He and HIS FATHER WERE ONE. The religious leaders knew exactly what He meant. Jesus claimed to be God: "Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; BUT FOR BLASPHEMY; AND BECAUSE THAT THOU BEING A MAN MAKEST THYSELF GOD" (John 10:25-33). "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, MAKING HIMSELF EQUAL WITH GOD" (John 5:18). The reference Christ made in John 8:56-58 ABSOLUTELY related to Exodus 3:14. Jesus claimed to have seen Abraham in verse 56. The Jewish leaders knew exactly what he meant in verse 58 by his use of the term "I AM", as in verse 59 they picked up stones to kill him, again for claiming to be God, the great "I AM". His claiming to BE GOD is the reason they sought (continually) to kill Him. Jesus certainly claimed to be God. He made it clear that; To know Him was to know God (John 8:19, 14:7). To see Him was to see God (John 12:45, 14:9). To believe in Him was to believe in God (John 12:44, 14:1). To receive Him was to receive God (Mark 9:37). To hate Him was to hate God (John 15:23). To honor Him was to honor God (John 5:23). To obey HIS commandments (John 14:15). To pray in His name (John 14:13,14). The Jewish leaders sought to stone him for His claims (John 5:18). At His trial it was clear that the Jewish leaders interpreted His claim to be God as such. They accused Him of blasphemy (Mark 2:7, 14:61-64, John 5:18, 8:59, 10:33). In Matthew 21, the people offered their praise to Jesus which greatly displeased the chief priests and scribes, (verse 15). Jesus countered their complaint in verse 16, by quoting Psalm 8:2; "Out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise." With this, he unmistakenly is stating that these words of praise were prepared BY God for worship OF God, Himself. Jesus accepted the worship of others as in Matthew 28:17, even though He Himself stated that this was for GOD ONLY (Matthew 4:10). There is no doubt according to the Bible - Jesus claimed to be God! Our study concludes next month with even more evidence from the Bible that Christ is God. Growing in Grace Growing in Grace The Growth in Grace column provides insights into basic issues of Christian maturity. Growth is the nature of life. When growth ceases, death is the result. Spiritual growth is a possibility, and a necessity. Growth in Grace is every believer's privilege and responsibility. This article is one of a series and some questions raised here will be answered as the series continues. RECOVERING BIBLICAL SPIRITUALITY - Part 2 By Pastor Russell Walden Biblical Spirituality is a term coined here to describe life as Jesus intended it to be lived grounded in His death, burials and resurrection. The hope is that we can strip away the religious trappings and reveal a biblical Christianity. This is the true Christianity as it could have been had it never strayed from its purity. This is what it will be again if we will return to our God in a new, deep way. Last month we looked into Romans 10 and 11 to see a warning from Paul to Christianity: If the Christian religious system commits the same errors as the religious system of Jesus' day, they too, will face the same difficulties. The prevailing religious system in Jesus' day crucified the Living Word because they couldn't see past the end of their religion as they understood it. This month we will continue to study on "Recovering Biblical Spirituality." We will consider the road to restoration, examining the wrong turns the religious leaders in Jesus' day made and how we can avoid the same mistakes. Twentieth-century Christianity is as far removed from its first century counterpart as the Herodian religious system in Jesus' day was from the Temple of Solomon. The religious system prevalent in Jesus' time strayed from the pure, vital worship of Yahweh, denigrating into a corrupt, politicized monstrosity. This system flourished under Herod, the Pharisees and Saducees. Yet every advance brought it further from the purpose of God. These leaders were so far removed from God they crucified his Son to preserve the religious status quo. "... nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me" (John 5:38-39). Christianity today is possessed of a life and vitality FULLY SEPARATE from the life of God. It is capable of advancing its agenda, and fulfilling its goals SOLELY in the context of its vigor as a sociological unit or religious subculture. Many of its vast organizations, countless programs, myriad activities and endless pursuits are largely void of His grace, alien to His influence. The exposure of immorality and deceit in Christian leadership over the last years is a much needed wake-up call to the saints slumbering in the false security of the Clergy. It is no longer safe to consign the spiritual affairs of your life in the hands of the church, the pastor, or religious group you are a part of. It is no longer safe to wait for the next revival, or move of God. This is the time to optimize to full potential the impact and power available through Jesus Christ who lives personally and in reality in the heart of everyone who has accepted him as their personal savior. It is not enough to be just to be sincere. The Waco cultists under David Koresh were sincere, and the results were deadly. There is no denying the need for recovering the individual values and godly ideals that give Christianity a character distinctive from other religious systems. The primary value of biblical spirituality is not expressed in doctrine, practice, program, or organization. At the core of biblical spirituality you will find rather, the Person of Jesus Christ, as he is personally manifest in the life of the born again believer. "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"" (John 14:6). In contemporary Christianity throbbing beneath the tangled morass of programs, preachers, three piece suits, and denominational power lunches, under the tons of stained glass and glitzy sanctuaries and benign Sunday morning fashion shows throbs the beating heart of God pumping the liquid virtue of the blood Christ to the surface of every honest person's conscience. Honest hearts are crying out for a return to intimacy with Jesus and heartfelt commitment to the Word of God. How is this return to Biblical Spirituality to be affected? The means will be determined by God's restorative method. In the fall, one man brought condemnation on the whole race. In regeneration, one man provided justification to all who believe. God fixes things the way they get broken. The church emerging from the first century died by degrees. Year after year subtle shifts in emphasis and changes in practice accumulated, ultimately leading to a crisis situation (usually involving accusation against a sect or would-be reformer). Church councils convened to redress the critical issues with a view to shoring up their threatened power base. These repetitive crises and resulting solutions engendered a cumulative drift away from spiritual purity. A pattern of change developed within Christianity. Small, almost immeasurable shifts away from biblical spirituality into a religious value system prioritized to maintain the entrenchment of the prevailing leadership and proliferation of creed-based spirituality or religion as opposed to personal experience with Christ. At times, when a call or demand for change escalated to the point that it could not be ignored, the "powers that be" would posture themselves through doctrinal revision, and increasingly lax standards to accommodate those who were dissatisfied. Thus, the vibrant church of the living God lurched toward the spiritual abyss of medieval times. This downward process continues today concurrent with God's program of restoration. Ultimately this will lead to full apostasy of those particular elements of Christianity that thrive independent of the sustaining grace of God. Around the time of Martin Luther, God's restorative efforts emerged undeniably in the annals of Church history. This was typical of the fact that, at periodic intervals, men of good conscience and spiritual insight successively influenced increasingly noticeable numbers. The resulting crises in the Church would result in the embrace of reform or more common, expulsion of the reformers and the establishment of splinter groups. On an individual basis, the ebb and flow of these conflicts provided the believer cause to reflect on his relationship with God and perceive it as more personal than institutional. In this way cumulative restoration resulted in a series of restorative events described as revivals. With most revivals in church history since Luther, the defectors from the religious establishment usually formed into a separate movement. However, the upward velocity of these split-away groups seldom reached escape velocity. After a number of years they would ultimately spiral backward into the gravity well of the prevailing system. They would continue to operate independently of the original system, but the distinctives would wane, and practical differences between the original group and the reformers ultimately became nominal. The classic example of that is seen in the Ecumenical agenda which continually minimizes the distinctives between the Lutheran and Catholic churches which historically were very different one from the other. At first analysis, the quest for recovery of biblical spirituality may seem bleak. Yet the scriptures affirm the expectation of this hope. Even as the ultimate evil expressed through the Antichrist will emerge in full manifestation in the Tribulation (Revelation 13), likewise there will be a full manifestation of the purpose of God with a restored Israel and the healing of creation through Christ's rule in the Millennium. (Romans 8:18-23). Satan is only a counterfeiter. He originates nothing. He only determines what God is doing in the earth and attempts the opposite. To illustrate, it is known by the scriptures that he will attempt to preempt the personal return of Jesus with a personal, individual expression of himself in the person of the Antichrist. The spirit of Antichrist has been in operation since the first century preparing a support system that will provide the religious, economic, and political platform from which the emerging antichrist will attempt to dominate the world (2 Thessalonians 2:7). The Spirit of Christ, also has been in operation through His support system (the church) to prepare the hearts of men for salvation and to prepare the world for judgment. The antichrist's effort is perversely patterned after this activity of the Spirit of God. Satan's strategy for destruction and God's agenda of restoration will reach their final stages in the same generation. The Antichrist will present himself not only as the Jewish messiah, but also as the ideal evangelical leader to guide Christianity into the "Kingdom Age." So there are two forces in the earth: the Purpose of God and the working of Satan. Both are on a collision course, upon which Christianity will be the backdrop. That aspect of Christianity that is casual, innocuous, not recognizably different in dynamic and principle from other religions in the world, this will fall by the way side. In the midst of the Christian Religious System, however are thousands of individuals who are looking beyond the social, natural aspects of religious life. These are hungering and thirsting for a reality that can't be found in a pew, or behind a pulpit. This is a draught of spiritual satisfaction that is only realized in deeper, personal, (mystical if you will) union and intimacy with Jesus Christ (remember Him, he's the head of the Church). Even as those who "waited on the consolation of Israel" became the first century church, even so, those who are crying out for more, who refuse to swallow the religious propaganda of Christianity as a religious system, these honest, searching, hungering souls will become the building blocks, the living stones of God's purpose as it is fulfilling in these last hours. The WORD for Today The WORD for Today This month, we will continue the series on Communication in Marriage. We are examining communication problems in marriage from a biblical perspective. We are showing how couples can apply God's word to their marriage. The companion book to this study is H. Norman Wright's COMMUNICATION: KEY TO YOUR MARRIAGE. The book is published by Regal Books and should be available from your Christian book store. This is the ninth of ten articles inspired by a series given by Pastor Geoff Kragen through Foothill Bible Church in Lincoln, California. As you can see, this series has almost ended. If it has been a help to you, please let us know. You also can send any questions about marriage issues to us here. Finally, we are considering continuing the series with the recently published sequel to the companion book. Let us know how you feel about using this column to continue focusing on communication in marriage. WE'RE CHRISTIANS. WE NEVER FIGHT! Conflict -- 1. A state of open, often prolonged fighting; a battle or war. 2. A state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests; a clash. (1) There seems to be a myth in Christian circles: Christian couples don't fight. Maybe better words might be: argue, disagree, yell, etc. For some, fighting carries the picture of physical violence. I hope there is no physical confrontation going on in your marriage. If there is, get help NOW! To come back to the point though, the myth is: Christian marriages should not experience conflict. This is especially true for marriages of people in leadership. And while there are some couples who don't fight, I suspect they are in the minority. Most couples fight at one time or another. We all know that we can chose to put on the "I've got it together" mask when we are around other believers. You've seen them frequently on Sunday mornings. But I bet if you ask, and people are honest, the time of the week when they are most likely to end up in a struggle is Sunday morning before, or on the way, to church. (Sound familiar?) It is a myth that believers never experience conflict. All marriages do, although conflict isn't synonymous with fighting. How can we expect always to agree with our spouse, when we can't always agree with ourselves? Haven't you ever struggled with coming to a position on an issue for yourself, much less with someone else? One of the real blessings of a healthy marriage is a husband and wife with different perspectives and approaches who commit to help each other. They can come to agreement on matters of significance, and for that matter, on small but irritating problems. We are less likely to make faulty decisions if we look at more than one perspective before making them. Why do appropriate disagreements move from "we can agree to disagree" to serious conflicts that create major pain and can even fracture a marriage? One major reason is: we focus on protecting our "interests or our rights." If our greatest concern in a disagreement is "winning," then we have already lost. We have forgotten a principle we have seen in previous articles. "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ..." (Ephesians 5:21-22, 25). If we are in submission to each other, we can disagree and stand for our own point of view. Finally, we will be more concerned for our spouse than winning the argument. We should be concerned with the Lord's will and benefiting the family, not just getting our way. Where the Lord is part of the process, disagreement doesn't have to deteriorate into conflict. H. Norman Wright gives several examples of behaviors that significantly enhance the likelihood of either ending up with or avoiding a serious conflict. I will only mention them here and recommend that you read these sections in his book. "Don't avoid conflict with the silent treatment." (2) Some believers are so afraid of conflict that they will remain silent, not even expressing hurt feelings or disagreement. Silence also can be used to punish our spouse for failing us. Obviously, silence, a lack of discussion, solves nothing. If there are significant issues that must be resolved, then silence can create a disaster. Silence is also very frustrating for the individual on the receiving end. Frustration can build to anger and a desire to retaliate. Couples must find a way to talk about their concerns without either the need to attack or to defend. "Don't save up emotional trading stamps." (3) Have you ever been in a disagreement with your spouse when you got so angry you brought up the hurts and sins of the entire life of your marriage? How often do we think: "I'll forgive him/her, but I'll never forget what he/she has done!?" God calls us to forgive one another and let go of the past. "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Colossians 3:13). "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). If we refuse to hold grudges, then we will let go of the past, not forgetting, but choosing not to remember. This will eliminate much of the ammunition used to move from disagreements to open warfare. The most important issue in dealing with areas of disagreement is focus. If we focus on the problem, we are less likely to make our spouse the problem. When we attack each other, when we demean our spouse, we not only don't find a resolution to the area of disagreement, but instead we do serious harm to our relationship. Also, we are displeasing God by not showing His love for us toward our spouse. Paul said the following to believers in Rome. "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way" (Romans 14:13). If we are to care for one another within the church in this way, we need to act with the same love toward our spouse. Too often we treat each other in ways we would never treat anyone else. There are some behaviors that must be avoided if you want to prevent disagreement from escalating. Don't use the words "never" or "always." "You never tell me you love me." "You always hurt me." As you shouldn't bring up past failings, you shouldn't put a person on the defensive where he or she feels there is no choice but to fight back. Similarly, don't use "you" words. Avoid comments like: "You really hurt me." A better choice of words would be: "I'm feeling hurt right now." This helps your spouse understand that you are hurting, but helps avoid putting him/her on the defensive. If the discussing is getting hot, acknowledge the difficulty and make a mutual agreement to put it on hold. Take time away from the subject and then agree on a mutual time to come back when tempers have cooled. Most important, before discussions of serious consequence, start first with prayer. We need the Lord's wisdom to find the answers to difficult questions. We must turn to Him to help us learn to compromise, for compromise may often be the only real solution to avoiding conflict. As Ogden Nash once said: "To Keep your marriage brimming with love in the loving cup When you're wrong admit it, when you're right, shut up." (4) Next time: "Build Up One Another" 1. THE AMERICAN HERITAGE ELECTRONIC DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, THIRD EDITION, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992 2. Wright, H. Norman, COMMUNICATION: KEY TO YOUR MARRIAGE, Regal Books, Ventura, CA, 1974, p. 139. 3. Ibid., 141. 4. Ibid., 156. Special Studies Special Studies THE NEW DELIVERANCE MINISTRY -- A BIBLICAL CRITIQUE Part 2 of a 2-part series By K. David Kragen Bainbridge Island, Washington The Bible commonly contrasts the inner and outer person (2 Corinthians 4:16; Romans 7:22; Ephesians 3:16; 1 Peter 3:4), as well as the old self and the new self (Ephesians 4:20-24; Romans 6:6, 7:6). Therefore, not only are there "monist," "dicotomist" and "trichotomist" (functional) breakdowns of human nature in the Bible, there are also "quatrochotomist" or four-part ones as well (Mark 12:30, with its "heart, soul, mind, and strength" division; also Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12). 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12 are the primary if not the only biblical texts used by deliverance theorists to support the trichotomist view of human nature. Deliverance theory requires the trichotomist view to even get off the ground. Yet, trichotomy has always been a much debated theory. Even in terms of psychology and counseling, the trichotomist theory of human nature has proven to be highly problematic. Such speculative theology ought never to be utilized as a basis for one's basic Christians beliefs about sin, salvation, regeneration, sanctification, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, healing, demonology, or spiritual warfare. To build such a complex doctrine and practice as the new deliverance ministry upon problematic interpretations of but two biblical verses is not only unsound hermeneutics but bad reasoning. Note, I am not claiming here the trichotomist view of human nature is flatly wrong or has been disproved. I am only claiming there is not enough evidence in favor of the trichotomist view to base key Christian doctrines and ministries upon it as deliverance theorists have attempted to do. B. So much for trichotomy as a sound basis for deliverance ministry. What about the further claim concerning Christian demon-possession and the nearly universal need for deliverance? The primary passages appealed to by deliverance theorists in support of these claims are Isaiah 61:1, quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18 (and secondarily, Colossians 1:13 and Ephesians 2:5-8). Isaiah 61:1 concerns "liberty to captives and to bound ones" (lishburim deror), a technical expression referring to the release of Hebrew slaves and property every 50th year in the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:10). "Isaiah uses the term [deror] once (61:1) in announcing good news to the afflicted, including a proclamation of liberty to captives. This text, portraying the reversal of Jerusalem's material and spiritual fortunes, was quoted by Christ in the synagogue in Nazareth with reference to his own ministry." (12) Of the New Testament use of aphesis ("release, pardon, cancellation, forgiveness") in its 17 instances, 15 have the sense of forgiveness (e.g. Colossians 1:14; Mark 1:4; Matthew 26:28; Luke 1:77; Acts 2:38; Hebrews 9:22) while two refer to release from captivity (as Luke 4:18). (13) In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus alludes to the Jubilee passage of Isaiah 61:1, that is, "To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:19). This is Jesus' message of redemption (from our sins), and Jesus' Messianic role as the redeemer. The term "deliverance" itself only refers to deliverance from sin by Christ's atonement, and deliverance from actual, physical, socio-political oppression and captivity, again by Christ. There is not one specific biblical usage of "deliverance" in connection with exorcism. To read Isaiah 61:1 (and Luke 4:18) as referring to deliverance, or exorcism, from demons is to succumb to one of two errors: First, this reading adds a second underlying meaning to the text. (This is the fallacy of the allegorical method of biblical interpretation, which claims that underneath the literal, straight-forward meaning of a passage lies deeper, more spiritual meanings not open to common persons). Second, such a reading takes the passage completely out of context, ignoring its clear meaning and reference to the year of Jubilee, i.e., setting people free from actual prisons and real political oppression. Now, in reference to Colossians 1:13--"for he delivered us from the domain of darkness" --according to the context, 1:12-14, this passages is again a straightforward statement of redemption from sin unto life everlasting (see Ephesians 2:5-8; also Dictionary of New Testament Theology, v. 3, pp. 177f, and "Exorcism," pp. 473-76). Even in Matthew 6:13b, whether read as "deliver us from evil" or "deliver us from the evil one," it is still too unspecific a statement to construct a solid basis for a theory of deliverance. Supplemental to the claim that Christians can be demon-possessed are the dual notions of "binding and loosing," drawn from Matthew 16:18-19. Again, as stated in Pigs in the Parlor, ch. 15, the claim of deliverance theory is that this "difficult passage" in Matthew "makes a lot of sense" only when taken in the light of deliverance theory. Thus their interpretation does not rest on a clear reading of the passage itself, but rather on a previous acceptance of deliverance theory. Therefore, the passage does not support deliverance theory, but, precisely the other way around, deliverance theory is held to support this particular (deliverance) interpretation of the passage! This kind of fallacious thinking is called "circular reasoning." Concerning the phrase "the gates of Hades" (Matthew 16:18), thought by deliverance theorists to refer to "the powers of the infernal region, the forces of Satan," L. Coenen writes, "it is improbable that the gates of Hades in Matthew 16 denotes the ungodly powers of the underworld which assail the rock, for Hades is not regarded as the abode of evil powers, whence they emerge to attack men. In the light of Jewish background, the image is best understood as affirming that death, in spite of its hitherto unconquerable power, will not win control over the rock or more probably over the ekklesia (church) erected on the rock: death will not vanquish the Messiah who builds the church, nor the members of the messianic community [1 Corinthians 15:54-57]." (14) Matthew 16:19, "Whatever you bound on earth will be bound [already] in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed [already] in heaven," concerns the context of church discipline over particular situations of sin (Matthew 18:18; John 20:23; Acts 15:20). This straightforward reading is quite different from the deliverance interpretation which has Satan's power along with demons being "bound" by deliverance or exorcism, and has "loosing" being tied into the motif of "setting the (demon-possessed) captive free." The point is that deliverance theorists, reasoning in a circle, appeal to difficult, debated passages for support of their theory while at the same time interpreting these "supporting" passages in terms of that very theory. C. Contrary to the new deliverance ministry, in most cases "deliverance experiences" may be interpreted wholly in terms of non-deliverance, Christian counseling theory and practice. Without clear, incontrovertible biblical support for demon-possession of Christians, or of anyone for that matter, positing demons is neither theoretically sound nor practical, and more often than not ends up denying human responsibility and accountability. This is not of course to deny that some people, non-Christians that is, can and indeed are at times possessed by demons, as was true in New Testament times! Demon possess is still a problem today; however, deliverance is not the solution. Finally, it is alleged deliverance experiences which are nearly always the last court of appeal in the support of deliverance ministry, even though most deliverance ministers do claim biblical support for their views. 3. Following from the technical and biblical criticism of deliverance, we can now consider some of the implications of deliverance practice. As has been shown, deliverance theory breeds misleading and dangerous hermeneutical habits, that is, improper methods of biblical interpretation, which may also manifest themselves in other doctrinal errors. Deliverance can supply the philosophical foundation for heresies and cults, which in turn can lead to erroneous beliefs concerning salvation or the nature of Christ. There is also a problem of confusion surrounding the doctrine of divine revelation and inspiration. Deliverance literature speaks continually of the method by which names for demons are "discerned" or learned, for purposes of recognizing their presence in people and "calling them out." Deliverance ministers often claim to learn about demons and their names from other demons encountered during deliverance sessions. These new "divine revelations" (called also "dream revelations") play a large role in developing the details of deliverance ministry (see dreams and their interpretation at the end of Pigs in the Parlor). This practice blurs the distinction between the true divinely inspired revelation, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit's activity of illumination (making clear the truths of the Bible to the believer). Deliverance also poses a real danger to children, particularly where parents attribute their child's problem-behavior to demons. Such beliefs can result in misdirected blame and the breakdown of communication between a child and parent or counselor, especially when it is believed that it is a demon or demons speaking and in control of the child. For an horrendous example of this kind of problem, see "Spirits of Arrested Development," Rudy LeBlanc, The Dove, Spring 1988, vol.1.X, pp. 19-22. LeBlanc writes, "The function of this demon is to arrest development in a young person, always bringing them back to age 13 and younger. [The demon] claims to have authority over homosexual spirits, ... over spirits influencing a girl to be a tomboy to please her father, the demon will stir up the desire through the spirits passed on by ancestral curses; ... he is also called the chronic prince of arrested development, ... claims to be sent by Satan personally, has a prince and a deputy who lives in the mind of the person to make sure that they do not advance past age 13. ... Those that collect dolls and stuffed animals as grown-ups are arrested in their development. They do childish things such as playing with toys on their desks when at work" (15). For other examples, see also Pigs in the Parlor, ch. 14. Given the lack of solid biblical support for (a) the trichotomist view of human nature, (b) the demon possession of Christians, and (c) a correlation between the ideas of deliverance and exorcism, appealing to "new revelations" in support of the details of deliverance becomes even more dangerous to orthodox Christianity. Adding "new revelations" to the inspired Word of God, especially ones that "come from demons" is one of the more common starting points for many of the ancient heresies and modern cults. Recall the "angel" Moroni, who is said to have given certain engraved plates to Joseph Smith in 1827. (16) One logical and unavoidable consequence of the claims of deliverance is especially striking. That is, if any of the deliverance listings of demons is even modestly accurate, and if, correspondingly, deliverance is the only successful means of counseling in the majority of cases, then the following conclusion is inevitable: the history of Christianity is a vast landscape of helplessly demon-possessed Christian. As stated earlier, some deliverance practitioners even conclude that Paul did not escaped being possessed by demons his entire life. What hope then did Augustine have, or Catherine of Sienna, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Kierkegaard, Finney, Knox, Gladys Aleward, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Amy Carmichael, C. S. Lewis--1900 years of missionaries, martyrs, evangelists and biblical scholars? How many demons possessed Mary while she carried Jesus within her? Either God has not much cared for the needs of His church for the last 2,000 years or else He must consider demon-possession to be of little consequence to the life of His bride, the church. In the final analysis, to accept such an extreme consequence a Christian ought to require only the most incontrovertible biblical evidence! Yet, as has been shown, difficult or inapplicable passages, highly controversial, unsubstantiated interpretations, fallacious exegesis, poor hermeneutics, and circular reasoning abound in much deliverance literature. "New revelations" or "insights" such as those found in deliverance must be viewed with skepticism and subjected to careful biblical verification. Even if some deliverance ministers reject the more extreme literature on the topic, there is still a need for careful response to the objections raised here. 1. Brown, Rebecca, HE CAME TO SET THE CAPTIVES FREE, Chic Publications. 2. Berkhof, L., SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY, Grand Rapids, 1977, p.193. 3. Hammond, Frank and Ida Mae, PIGS IN THE PARLOR, 1972, p. 136. 4. Ibid, p. 137. 5. Thomas, Robert L., EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY, v. 11, Frank Gaebelein, ed., Grand Rapids, 1978, p. 295. 6. Marais, J. L., INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA, 4, p. 2,496. 7. Berkhof, p. 192. 8. Ibid. 9. Duddy, Neil, THE GOD-MEN, InterVarsity Press, 1981, p. 98. 10. Bruce, F. F., THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, 1964, pp. 81-83. 11. Hodges, Charles, SYSTEMATIC THEOLOG, v. 2, Grand Rapids, 1981, p. 50. 12. THEOLOGICAL WORDBOOK OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, vol. 1, Chicago, 1980, p.198, #454e. 13. DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY, v. 1, Zondervan, 1979, p.701. 14. NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY, 1, Colin Brown, ed., Grand Rapids, 1978, p. 292. 15. LeBlanc, Rudy, "Spirits of Arrested Development," THE DOVE, Spring 1988, vol.1.X, p. 20. 16. The Book of Mormon, Salt Lake City, 1949, p.ii. Messianic Studies Messianic Studies AN OVERVIEW OF REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY Part two of a two-part series By S. Douglas Sorensen Director of Christian Friends of Israel - USA Replacement Theology obscures the purposes which God has predestined for both Israel and the Church. Nineteen centuries of Church history have chronicled a sad story of how greatly the Church has missed the blessings reserved for her by God. Satan is engaging all the resources of his kingdom in these final days to keep believers ignorant of the Church's destiny. Of course, this ignorance will not ultimately prevent God from accomplishing His purposes for both Israel and the Church, but will unnecessarily prolong the pain and suffering (Romans 8:22) which are currently borne by Israel, the Church, and all creation. Paul calls the Church a mystery (Ephesians 3:4), and Satan acknowledges that it is the Church's destiny to cast down his kingdom from its current seat of rule in mid-heavens (Ephesians 3:10-11; Rev. 12:7-12). He further understands that the restoration of Israel to it place in the Holy Land, with Jerusalem as its capital, and the restoration of Israel's religious leaders and people to faith in Yeshua as Messiah, are the necessary final steps preceding His return (Matthew 23:39). This suggests that as long as Satan can keep the Church ignorant of its destiny, which is to make disciples of all the nations, participate in God's purposes for the restoration of Israel, and to rule in the heavenly places, he can prolong his domination over the world. It is therefore of vital importance that the true Church align itself with its destiny and thereby hasten the Day of the Lord. Interpretation of the Tenach - the Old Testament. Although the Tenach frequently incorporates allegory in prophecy to illustrate a principle, or describe an object or place, (and sometimes to conceal as in Daniel 8:26), the prophet or angel dictating the prophecy will generally state specifically how it is to be applied (Daniel 7:16+; Revelation 1:20). In the Tenach, unless so qualified, a prophecy should be understood to describe actual 'literal' persons, places and events. Perhaps no better example can be found than the many references to Messiah which became 'literally' - that is actually - fulfilled in Jesus. The following are just a few examples. Isaiah 40:3-5 A prophet shall precede the coming of Messiah. Isaiah 7:14 Messiah will be born of a virgin. Micah 5:2 Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. Numbers 24:8 Messiah, the Son of God, called out of Egypt. Jeremiah 31:15 The infants of Bethlehem slaughtered by Herod. Zechariah 9:9 Messiah will ride into Jerusalem upon a donkey and its foal. Zechariah 13:7 Messiah is struck and the disciples are scattered. Zechariah 11:12 Messiah betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Psalm 22 Messiah will suffer physical abuse and torture, and will be rejected and abandoned by God. Isaiah 53:8-9 Messiah will be buried in a rich man's grave. Psalm 16:10 Messiah will live again after his death. That these prophecies were in actual fact fulfilled so accurately and completely should leave no question that we can be assured that the prophecies describing Israel's restoration will also be fulfilled with the same certainty of timeliness, accuracy and completeness. The Use of the words Israel and Israelite in the New Testament. In the Tenach, the word Israel (pronounced in Hebrew, Yis-rah-el) occurs more than 2,492 times, and Israelite at least 6 times. A thorough review of their usage confirms that these words always mean a person, a people or the nation descended naturally from the lineage established through Abraham's son Isaac and grandson Jacob, whom God renamed Israel. The writers of the New Testament books, themselves Jews, (with the possible exception of Luke), understood and used the words Israel and Israelite in the same way. In the New Testament, Israel occurs 75 times and Israelite 2 times. It is certain, with possibly one exception, that the usage and meaning is as found in the Old Testament: Israel refers to the nation and people descended naturally from Jacob. For example: John 1:47 "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." Jesus speaks of Nathaniel who was a Jew, possibly from Cana of Galilee, and a disciple of Jesus. Matthew 8:10 "... I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" Jesus, referring to the faith of the Roman (gentile) centurion, is amazed that his faith is greater than that found among the Jews. Matthew 15:24 "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Jesus, referring to the requests of a gentile (Canaanite) woman explains that his ministry is to the Jewish people, not to the gentiles. Acts 2:22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you..." Peter is addressing the crowd of Jews assembled within the city of Jerusalem for the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) whom he has just referred to in the same scene as 'Men of Judah' (Acts 2:14). Romans 11:1 "I am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin." Paul here traces his ancestry to one of the twelve tribes (sons) of Jacob. Ephesians 2:12 "... aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise ..." Paul is addressing gentile believers (verse 11) concerning God's covenants with the Jewish people and that they are brought near through the blood of Messiah. Philippians 3:5 "... circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews ..." Paul uses the most basic terms to describe is natural ancestry. Is the Church the Israel of God? Perhaps the most frequently cited scripture supposedly proving that the Church is Israel is Galatians 6:16: "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God." Those who embrace Replacement Theology claim that this verse equates the Church with the 'Israel of God.' The translators of the New International Version of the Bible are apparently convinced of this, since they render this verse, "...peace and mercy be upon them, even upon the Israel of God." The assumption here is that "...Israel of God" is the true Israel (which it is) and "... as many as walk according to this rule" is the true Church (which it is). The problem lies in whether it is legitimate to equate the two groups. In the Greek text, the word here translated 'even' is the Greek word kai. Kai is most frequently used in the New Testament as the conjunction 'and', and is so rendered hundreds of times. It is also possible to render kai as 'even', 'also', 'so' and 'then', although it is so rendered to a much lesser extent than the primary usage, 'and'. If we render kai as 'even', then we mean that the Israel of God is one and the same with "..as many as walk according to this rule." However, if we render kai as 'and', then we mean that there are two distinct groups of people, the "Israel of God," and "as many as walk according to this rule." Since the choice of translation is up to the opinion of the translator, based upon context and usage, translating kai as 'even' instead of 'and' to prove the supposed connection between the "Israel of God" and "as many as walk according to this rule", cannot be considered a valid proof since the word kai can be legitimately rendered either way. As we have said, the most straightforward meaning of this verse is that there are two categories of people being referred to. The first are those who keep the rule of walking by faith who are not of the circumcision. The second are those who walk according to this rule of faith who are of the circumcision, the Israel of God. If one continues to insist that here the term 'Israel of God' refers to the Church, then it is an single and stark exception and cannot change the use of Israel throughout the rest of the New Testament. Furthermore, if one insists that Israel always refers to the Church in the New Testament, then we are at liberty to test this theory by substituting the word 'Church' for the word 'Israel' wherever it occurs in the New Testament text. Such a test will quickly prove a failure, however, since such substitutions will render passages where Israel appears not only meaningless but ridiculous. (In the following scripture references, wherever 'Israel' or 'Israelite' occurs in the original text, it is replaced with 'Church' or 'the Church'.) For example: Acts 13:16 "Then Paul stood up, and ...said, 'Men of the Church, and you who fear God, listen: The God of this people the Church chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt...'" Romans 9:6 "For they are not all the Church who are of the Church..." Romans 11:7 "What then? The Church has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, the rest were hardened." Romans 11:25-26 "For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that a hardening in part has happened to the Church, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all the Church will be saved ..." Furthermore, the term 'Church of God' is used at least eight times in the New Testament. For example, Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; etc. In no case is the term 'Church of God' also referred to as Israel. On the contrary, the usage of the special terms 'Israel of God' and 'Church of God' reinforces the observation that these are two distinct categories of people. The Apostle's Treatment of Believing Jews and Gentiles Paul, in his ministry, also made a distinction between Jewish and non-Jewish believers. For example, he circumcised Timothy, who was a Jew through his mother (Acts 16:3), but Titus, who was a gentile, he did not circumcise (Galatians 2:3). James addresses his letter to "The twelve tribes of the Diaspora." Diaspora is a Greek word used exclusively among Jews to describe those Jewish communities scattered throughout the Roman empire away from the land of Israel, meaning primarily Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. In James 2:2, the writer refers to the Jewish believers meeting in a synagogue, a Greek word transliterated directly into English, used exclusively in the Bible to designate a meeting place for Jewish worship. Thus, James is writing primarily to the believing Jews scattered throughout the Roman empire. Peter is called the Apostle to the circumcised and Paul to the uncircumcised (Galatians 2:7-8). Thus the New Testament makes a clear distinction between the believing Jews and believing Gentiles. *** SELF STUDY TEST *** In the following self-study test you can discover for yourself that throughout the Bible Israel retains her own unique calling. Matthew 23:39 "...for I say to you, you shall see me no more until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" Speaking to the leaders of the Jewish nation, what does Jesus say they must confess openly to the world before Messiah will appear a second time in His glory? Luke 21:24b "... and Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." Until the "Six Day War" in June, 1967, the Jews were forbidden by the Jordanian occupiers of (the Old City of) Jerusalem to enter the city. Now, after 19 centuries, Israel is again sovereign over Jerusalem with the exception of the temple mount area where two Moslem mosques now stand. Where are the gentiles still "trampling" Jerusalem? Matthew 24:15 "Therefore, when you see the 'abomination of desolation' spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place ... then let those who are in Judea flee to the hills." In 70 C.E. the Temple and the Holy Place within it were utterly destroyed by the Romans. What significant structure must be rebuilt by the Jews to make it possible for an 'abomination of desolation' (abominable sacrifice) to be offered? Romans 9:3-5 "For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites ..." Paul suggests that he might be willing to be forever cut of from Messiah if it would mean that which people, whom he calls his brethren, might turn to faith in Messiah? Romans 9:4 "... who are the Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the service of God, and the promises." To whom do the covenants and the promises (made to Israel in the Tenach) still belong? Romans 9:30-33 "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at the stumbling stone. As it is written ..." Paul here refers to two groups of people, the believing Gentiles who have received righteousness through faith, and ____ . In the this scripture reference, is unbelieving Israel still called Israel by the Holy Spirit writing through Paul? Romans 10:20-21 "But Isaiah is very bold and says: 'I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.' But to Israel he says: 'All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.'" Who found Messiah although they were not seeking for Him? Who are called a disobedient and contrary people? Can both of these peoples here referred to be one and the same people? Romans 10:1-4 "Brethren, My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved." What nation does Paul pray will be finally saved? Romans 11:2-6 "I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away his people who He foreknew. ... Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace." Paul here identifies the Israelites as being the seed of Abraham. Has God cast away Israel and now being finished with them? Romans 11:8 "Just as it is written: God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, ears that they should not hear..." Who does Paul say caused Israel to be deaf and blind to the Gospel? Romans 11:32 "For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all." For what reason did God cause Israel to enter into disobedience? Romans 11:25 "For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own opinion, that a hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved." Paul does not desire us to be ignorant; he calls the partial hardening of Israel a ____. Referring to the above scripture, when does Paul say Israel will be saved? Romans 11:28-29 "Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." Concerning Israel, what does the Jewish apostle Paul say about the gifts and calling given to her by God? Jeremiah 33:25-26 "Thus says the Lord: 'If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth, then I will cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Jeremiah states that as long as the sun, moon and stars continue in their courses, and the laws which govern nature remain in force, the descendants of _____ and _____ , God's servant, will not be cast away, so that they will continue to rule over the descendants of _____ and _____ . I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. (Isaiah 62:6-7) Except where noted, all scripture quotations in this article are taken from the New King James version of the Bible, copyright by Thomas Nelson, publishers. This article is taken from an instructional course series entitled, "The Restoration of Israel," copyright 1994 by Douglas Sorensen, used by permission of the author. No part of this article, other than within the format of this issue of MORNING STAR, may be copied, printed, transmitted over a data network, posted on a computer bulletin board, or stored in an information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author. Douglas Sorensen Christian Friends of Israel PO Box 19227 Charlotte, NC 28219-9227 Tel: 704-357-1611 Fax: 704-357-1612 EMAIL: 74111.552@cis The Roots of Our Faith The Roots of Our Faith THE ROOTS OF OUR FAITH "... I worship the God of my fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets" (Acts 24:14). THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH IN THE TANACH By Pastor Chuck Cohen King of Kings Assembly Jerusalem, Israel Messianic terms used in this teaching: Yeshua = Jesus Messiah = Christ Tanach = Old Testament (Unless stated otherwise, all scripture verses are from the New King James Version) All basic doctrines of the New Testament have roots deep in the TANACH, so it is essential to a fuller understanding of these doctrines that we dig into their Hebraic soil. Their scriptural background permeated the hearts and mind of Yeshua and the New Testament writers. Only by building on this foundation could these men be used by the Spirit of God to explain the true meaning of, or to "fulfill", the Law of God. Have you ever read Ephesians 3:4-6 and considered what Paul, the Jewish believer, must have been thinking? "... understand my knowledge in the mystery of Messiah ... that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs (with the Jews], and of the same body [with the Jews], and partakers [with the Jews] of His promise in Christ [the Jewish Messiah] by the gospel." Paul was declaring that the inclusion of the gentiles with the Jewish people in God's plan of salvation was the mystery revealed to him by the Spirit of God. To explore the Tanach roots of gentile participation in God's promised salvation to the Jewish people, as well as the concept of a world-wide body of believers, i.e. the church, we must understand that the word "mystery" used in the New Testament is " a divine truth, formerly hidden, but now supernaturally revealed to men, which can be fully understood only by the saved individual through the illumination of the Holy Spirit." (Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p.1164) The most surprising act of God in the life of the early church was not Jewish salvation, but that "... God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life", through Yeshua the Jewish Messiah (Acts 11:18). Can you hear Rabbi Saul's delight and joy in Colossians 1:25-27, "... the Word of God, the mystery ...which is Christ [Messiah] in you [gentiles!], the hope of glory."? Jews and gentiles now have equal access to God through the Messiah promised to the Jewish people! And in Messiah Yeshua they are one, although different parts of the same Body. Prophecies of Gentile Salvation Now that this mystery has been revealed to us, can we find its root system in the Tanach? The New Testament declares that the gospel was proclaimed even before the birth of the Messiah. "And the Scripture [the Old Testament], foreseeing that God would justify the nations [The Hebrew word, "goyim", can be translated as "nations", "heathens" or "gentiles".] by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, 'In you all the nations shall be blessed'. " (Gal.3:8) The verse Paul quotes is found not only in Genesis 12:3, but also in Genesis 18:18 and 22:17,18. The Lord proclaims the same gospel to Isaac (Gen. 26:3,4) and Jacob (Gen. 28:13,14). God is prophesying that through the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, i.e. the nation of Israel and the Jewish people, all the nations/gentiles will be blessed. Looking back through the filter of the New Testament, we understand the ultimate Seed to be Yeshua Himself, the perfect representative of Israel. He was the One who accomplished Israel's task completely, bringing gentiles to a saving knowledge of the God of Israel. In fact one of His prophesied names is Israel (Isa. 49:1-6; note v. 3)! Are there other verses concerning gentile salvation in the Tanach? Look up the following. Keep in mind that "nations" or "heathen" can also be translated "gentiles": Deut. 32:21;1 Chr. 16:31; Psa. 46:10; 65:2,5; 66:4; 68:32; 72:8ff; 86:9; Isa. 2:2-4;11:10; 42:1-12; 45:22-24; 49:1-7; 52:15; 55:4,5; 56:38; Jer. 3:17;16:19-21; Ezek. 38:23; Dan. 7:13,14; Zech. 8:20-23;14:8,9,16; Mal. 1:11. Examples of Gentile Salvation Once we understand what to look for, it is amazing how many examples of gentile salvation we find in the Tanach. Although some might object to using the word "salvation" for what occurs in the Old Testament, Hebrews 11 clearly states that there will be many Old Testament saints in heaven. Even Yeshua says that many saints from the Tanach will be found in His kingdom (Matt. 8:11; Luke 13:28). We believe that their salvation was only through Yeshua (2Tim. 3:14,15; Heb. 11:39,40). Before Abraham, there were no Jewish people. All the early faith heroes, Abel, Enoch, Noah, etc. were gentiles. So were Abraham and Sarah. According to Joshua 24:2, Abraham was the son of an idol worshipper. God removed Abraham from that situation and revealed Himself to him. Gen. 14:18,19 calls Melchizedek, a gentile, "priest of the most high God". As Kin-Priest of Salem (later, Jerusalem) he blessed Abraham and accepted a tithe from him. This event shows that God always had His people who witnessed to His Name before men. In the story of Moses (Exo. 3:1), Jethro, a Midianite priest, not only becomes Moses' father-in-law, but also his counselor (Exo.18:1). Jethro, blessed by blessing Israel, recognized the LORD God of Israel as the great God, sacrificed to Him and ate a covenant meal with Moses, Aaron and the elders of Israel, indicating that he was now a part of the commonwealth of the house of Israel (Exo.18:11,12). Meals for confirming a covenant in the days of the Tanach (Gen. 26:26-30: 31:44-47) are the foundation for Communion being our covenant meal (see Exo. 29:33). Gentiles Rahab and Ruth joined not only the household of Israel (Josh. 6:25; Ruth 1:16,17; 2:12 respectively), but the ancestry of the promised Messiah as well (Matt. 1:5)! God calls Job, a gentile of the land of Uz and probably a contemporary of Abraham and Melchizedek (Job 1:1,5), "My servant Job...a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" (Job 2:3) Balaam, Naaman the Syrian general, and Nebuchadnezzar are a few others from among the nations who came to a knowledge of the true and living God. Gentile salvation (in many cases without circumcision), definitely occurred in the Tanach. The fullness, of this truth comes to completion after our Lord Yeshua's death and resurrection. God Speaks to His Church in the Tanach Does God talk directly to the gentile part of His Body in the Tanach? We believe the Tanach contains vital endtime marching orders to the mostly gentile Church. At times, the Lord speaks directly to the "nations", i.e. gentiles. But who are the gentiles to whom He is directing His words? What gentiles are going to be reading and believing His Word? Those who are part of the Olive Tree and the Bride, the Church! All the following commands to God's last days Body are about her response and responsibility to the end-time nation of Israel and/or the Jewish people. In Isaiah 40:1,2, the most familiar verse in this regard, God is speaking to His people, but they are not Israel. "Comfort, yes, comfort My people [Israel] says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem... "God speaks to a people and calls Himself "your God". Besides Israel, there has never been, nor will there be any people God would declare His own other than the Church. Isaiah 52:7 says that it is beautiful in the eyes of the Lord to bring good news, proclaim peace, bring glad tidings, proclaim salvation and say to Zion, "Your God reigns". To whom but the Church can this verse be directed? Please note the proclamation to Israel - "Your God reigns". Our Lord, the God of all born-again believers, is still the God of Israel. Paul stated this same concept in Romans 11:28. We are not bringing the Jewish people to some strange god, but to their God, into whom gentile believers have been grafted. If the gospel were presented in this way, the response might be different from the typical Jewish response of, "oh, Jesus is for the gentiles, but I'm Jewish". Church, proclaim to Israel the good news that "Your God reigns"! All of Isaiah 62 is speaking to the Church. In verses 6 and 7, God wants the watchmen He Himself has placed on the walls of Jerusalem to "not keep silent, and give [God] no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth". In verses 10-12, the Church is commanded to "Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people Israel; ... Build Up the highway! Take out the stones, lift up a banner for the peoples! ... Say to the daughter of Zion, surely your salvation is coming...". Church, are we about our Father's business? What about aliyah, God's end-time plan to return the Jewish people to the land He swore to give them? (Psa. 105:8-11; Jer. 30:3; 32:41) Please read Isa. 49:22,23; 60:1-16; 61:5; 66:18-23. Remember that God is speaking to the Church. Is she carrying Zion's sons in her arms, Zion's daughters on her shoulders? Is she heeding the warning in 60:12, "For the nation [gentile] and kingdom which will not serve you [Israel] shall perish ..." We bless the Lord that He is revealing this to many believers throughout His kingdom. (For practical ways of fulfilling these prophecies, write to CFI at the address below.) In Jeremiah 29:24, God says, "In the latter days you will consider it." The Hebrew for "latter days" is literally, "last days". Chapter 30:1 then continues with "At the same time...". In verse 6, the word in Hebrew for "watchmen" is the same word modern Hebrew uses for "Christians"! Obviously, it did not mean "Christians" in Jeremiah's day, but God, who knows the end from the beginning, used that word here to leave no doubt that He is speaking to "last days" believers. (There are other Hebrew words for "watchmen" that could have been used.) And what is God saying to the Church? "Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations [gentiles]. Proclaim, give praise, and say, O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!" That is an end-time command that God gives to all Christians throughout His kingdom. In response to this "shout", the Lord is bringing and will continue to bring His people back to Israel (30:8,9)! Why? Because He has stated prophetically many times that the majority of Jews who will be saved will be saved in the land of Israel. (See Ezekiel 36:24,25 for one of the clearest examples.) The Lord continues in Jeremiah 30:10; "Hear the Word of the LORD, O nations, [gentiles - and which gentiles would even be listening for His voice except for the Church?] and declare it... 'He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock." This is God's desire for His Bride's end-time proclamation to the world. In the midst of the news, views and confusion of the current situation in Israel, this is what our Father is doing. He wants the world to wake up to His mighty acts as He fulfills His word before our eyes. Israel's final acceptance of Messiah will be life from the dead for the world (Romans 11:15). Our prayer is that you have been challenged to live prophetically according to God's Word, and not pathetically according to the world. Remember that the ultimate reason for establishing good roots is to be able to bear fruit for our heavenly Father. "The LORD who made heaven and earth, bless you from Zion!" Columns Anee M'Amin Anee M'Amin ANEE M'AMIN is Hebrew for "I believe." In this month's column we presenting a wonderful witnessing story by Zvi in Israel, who writes for ISRAEL MY GLORY magazine. I recently was in Eilat, in the south of Israel, visiting my daughter and her family. Because it is located on the Dead Sea, Eilat is a popular resort area, and many people from Europe go there for the therapeutic value of the water. Whenever I visit Eilat, I enjoy walking along the beach and meeting new people. Among the many I met on my recent visit were two men who did not seem particularly happy when I tried to strike up a conversation with them. They looked very disheveled, and when I tried to speak with them about faith in God they became upset. "You can see the sorry state of our lives," one of them said. "How then can you speak to us about faith? You are nicely dressed and do not appear to have any troubles. We are worlds apart from someone like you. We have done so many bad things in our lives that God could never forgive us or forget our sins." At that time I took out my small Bible and read one of its most familiar verses: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jn. 3:16). I then explained, "This passage does not say that God will accept people based on who they are or what they have done in the past. God said 'whosoever,' and the only condition is that you believe on His Son. If you will accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior, God will immediately forgive and forget whatever you have done up to that point in your life, and He will give you the means of receiving forgiveness of any sins you commit in the future." The man spoke up again, this time more earnestly. "We are very insignificant to God, and it will not help us now to come before Him and ask Him to forgive us." I then asked, "What in the world have you done? Did you kill someone?" "No," the other man said, "but we are poor and homeless. We live here on this beach, and we are so dirty that people hate to even look at us." I then read to them the comforting words of Psalm 118:22, "The stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner." "Don't say that you are beyond hope, my friends," I told them. "Believe me, in God's sight you are of as much value as any other person ever born into this world. God's Son was rejected by the Jewish leaders, but God the Father did not reject Him. Rather, through His death and resurrection He became the Messiah and Savior of the world." After more conversation they asked, "What do you want us to do?" I answered, "For me you do not have to do anything. What you must do is for yourselves. You must come to God, worship Him, be faithful to Him, and bear fruit for His glory. If you do, I am sure you will no longer question, 'Who are we?' or say, 'We have no value before God.' Instead you will be glad to be called servants of the Lord. Regardless of what you see when you look in the mirror, you will be children of God and will never again doubt your worth before Him." At that time they became more open with me, and, without my asking, they began to tell me about themselves. They told me they were alcoholics and that they had lost their families, their homes, everything they ever had because of that evil bottle of vodka. They said, "There is no doctor who can cure us of this chronic disease." I responded, "Quite to the contrary, it would be very easy for you to stop drinking." They were surprised and asked, "How?" "You do not have to go to a doctor. You can stop on your own," I replied. Becoming impatient, they again asked, "How? Tell us now!" I said, "Open your hearts before God. He will listen and answer your prayer. He will make it possible for you to turn from that poison-alcohol." By now they were very curious about me and asked, "Are you a pastor or something like that?" I replied, "No, I am not a pastor, but, as a believer in Christ, it is my obligation to go to people who are in trouble and try to help them. All I want to do is help you be weaned from your destructive addiction to alcohol." Again they asked, "What do we have to do?" I told them, "Open your hearts to God, and He will do the rest." "Shall we do it right here or wait until we go to bed?" they asked. I could not tell if they were being serious or mocking, so I said, "You must understand that this decision is yours alone to make. God is full of love and compassion, and He is ready to forgive you. If you think you would be doing me a personal favor by asking God for forgiveness, you are making a big mistake. If you are not serious about this, I'll be glad to leave you alone." "No, we are very serious," they assured me. "Good," I responded. "In that case you can go to a quiet spot on this very beach and pray silently in your hearts, so that only God Himself can hear. You need not pray in a loud voice because, as it is written, 'man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart' [1 Sam. 16:7]. And please understand that it is not because of me that you should pray to God but because of your own needs. I will not listen to you. Just talk freely from your hearts to the Lord. Tell Him of your sins and ask Him to forgive you and become your Savior." "Will you wait here for us?" they asked, and I assured them I would. The two men then walked along the beach until they found a spot with no people around. I waited and watched for more than a half hour as they both sat quietly under the hot sun with their heads slightly bowed and very serious expressions on their faces. Of course, as I waited I prayed that the Lord would open their eyes and hearts and draw them to Himself. Eventually they got up and returned, and, praise God, that which I would not have believed when I first met them had truly happened. They had come to the Lord of their own free will. Whereas before they were without any hope in this life, they were now full of hope because they had put their trust in God. These two men, who just a short time before appeared to have lost the image of God in which they were created and looked no better than the dust of the earth, now wore happy expressions on their faces. They were full of joy because the Lord had taken away their stony hearts and given them hearts of flesh (Ezek. 36:26). The Lord had given them a new heart and a new Spirit, the Spirit of the living God, and they were rejoicing in Him. And so, of course, was I! Testimony Testimony MANUEL BAERGA: A LIFE OF MIRACLES Manuel Baerga is a man of God with a dynamic testimony to the saving power of Jesus Christ. Before accepting Jesus as his Savior in 1981, he had to learn the hard way about the dark side of life. Manuel was the coordinator of a Miami drug cartel which was responsible for the distribution of nearly 350,000 pounds of marijuana per year throughout the United States. He was arrested for the possession of over a million dollars worth of drugs. While incarcerated, he had an encounter with God that changed his life. Upon his release, he began attending Teen Challenge in Capitol Heights, Maryland. He became actively involved in the program and was placed on staff. God's hand was evident on Manuel's life and he was soon elevated to the position of Head Counselor. God has placed in Manuel a desire to help people avoid the same traps that he experienced. While counseling men and women on how to overcome their problems, he became involved in Turning Point Ministries. This national out-patient counseling program is designed to help the church reach out to people with life-controlling problems. This is accomplished through a model program for churches which gives training and support to a group of lay people. Turning Point provides the training and guidance in cooperation with the minister. As Director of Turning Point Ministries in the Washington Metropolitan Area, Manuel has witnessed over 3500 community leaders being trained. There also are 15 groups that have established the program to reach out into their communities. Constantly being aware of ways to lead others to Christ, Manuel started a Bible study group which grew to become the Iglesia Neuva Vida, or New Life Church. Iglesia Neuva Vida is active in the community, to say the least. The church has been on the streets distributing food to the needy, conducting Outreach Meetings, preaching the Gospel, and discipling those who respond to the salvation message. God has honored the outreach. The first worship service was attended by 12 people. Presently, over 125 attend on Sunday, many of whom were first introduced to Jesus during one of the Church's street meetings. God is still actively moving in Manuel's life. Recently he was appointed by Teen Challenge as Executive Director of the Washington D.C. area. This position keeps him doing what he loves best; working with people. One of his immediate goals is to open another house for Teen Challenge. Manuel has plenty of help in the ministry. His wife, Laura, works side-by-side with him. She serves the Lord as Buyer for Teen Challenge, supervises the Food Service Department, helps with the production of the Teen Challenge Newsletter plus contributes to the office work and planning of the various activities. She is also, as Manuel says, "an excellent mother to our three daughters." She also holds credentials in the CCNA (Christian Church of North America) as a Licensed Preacher. Manuel also leads a group of 10 people in the CCNA School of the Bible. The group has participated in 2 semesters, taking 4 classes each semester. His future goal is to start 2 more Schools of the Bible. Manuel is also working on publishing a book describing life in a Miami drug cartel. In preparation for the book, Manuel has read over 300 biographies relating to the drug world. Manuel feels that the book that he has written is the only true account of what life is like being involved in a drug cartel. "Modern depictions really glamorize and make the drug lords appear as movie stars. It just isn't like that," he says. His vision for the book is that God will use it to help people. Helping people is what being a Christian is all about. Manuel prays that God would use him to carry the message to the streets. "We have become experts in the business of Religion. We are able to set up Church Boards and conduct church business, but sometimes we fail in meeting the people on the streets. What is really needed is that we all need to move in the power of God." From Vista , a Publication of The General Council of the Christian Church of North America. Prison Ministry Prison Ministry LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN A CONVICT WORLD By Ritch Hall Say what??! Is it really possible to actually live the Christian life in our convict world of alienation, bitterness, confusion and con games? You bet. What enters your mind when you hear that so-and-so up the cellwalk has gotten a dose of Jesus? Probably depends on your last encounter with someone choosing Christianity as his way to go. Christianity has gotten a really bad rap inside these walls: Sometimes a convict will hang on to the "Me & Jesus" doctrine. Christianity to these convicts simply means a daily reading of the Good Book in the privacy of their cells, praying some "thee's" and "thou's" to the Dude Upstairs, and remaining a safe distance from anyone who might disrupt his practice of giving God some time and attention. On the other hand, how many times have we spotted the well-known, Bible-thumpin', tract-passin', non-smokin', non-julep drinkin', non-cussin', very obnoxious nerd whose relationship with God is totally based on proving that everyone else's way to Glory just ain't good enough? And we've all known the convict who temporarily sets aside his syringe or shank, replacing it with a Bible. He jives his way through the system, convincing all those who'll listen that his life is truly transformed. Unfortunately, the parole board has heard it all before, and when they delay this particular convict a year or more, he grows disillusioned and returns to his slightly-used syringe and now-sharpened shank. Beyond the basics Many of us reluctantly turn to religious programs provided by the prison chaplain. Frequently, religious services are conducted by free world volunteers, each with a well-intentioned mission to save as many souls inside prison as possible. Sermons are constantly geared toward the unbeliever still neck-deep in sin. The truth is that many of have already taken that first step of accepting Christ our Savior. Nevertheless, the sermon remains the same. Our Christian lives stagnate at the starting gate because we continually answer the altar all and accept Christ as our Redeemer over and over. No one takes the time to explain how convicts can nurture and develop positive Christian characteristics inside the madhouse of prison. How do we hold our tongues when a guard tells us to get back to our #%&#@ cages? How do we develop the forgiveness it takes to understand why a child-molester- sleeping in the bunk above-chose to commit his crime? I'm a Tennessee convict. Since I'm presently serving a life sentence that reaches well into the next century, I figure this convict world is the only one in which I might learn true, genuine Christian characteristics. I'm a convict. I'm a Christian. I'm learning to be both. Each of us discovers his own reason for picking up the Bible and gettin' religion. Some folks are scared into it by the fires of hell. Others are driven by guilt. Some need something besides Prozac to maintain sanity in today's wacky world. Others just want a piece of the Rock when we get to Gloryland. Some convicts see it as a miraculous way to leave the convict world. Whether Freedomsville awaits the Christian convict is unimportant. What's important is learning to be a true, solid Christian convict within a prison environment that may well be our final home here on earth. Convicts and con men There was a time when parole board members might've felt a flicker of hope toward the convict who toted a Bible to the parole hearing and demonstrated a serene, peaceful face. But that flicker has all but fluttered out. Talk about Jesus nowadays, and it's an automatic invitation to being perceived a true "con man." A "con man" and a "solid convict" are different characters. Only by being a solid convict can any Christian truly shine the light of Jesus within this darkness ... and co-exist with both believers and non-believers. What is a "solid convict?" According to an unwritten, "unspoken" ageless convict code of ethics, a true convict is one who does his or her own time without allowing the pressure cooker of prison to turn him against his fellow convict. Many times for the first time in a person's life; a newcomer to prison feels part of a "community" ... a brotherhood or sisterhood of convicts. We depend upon each other more than within any other community. Under no circumstances does the solid convict ever run to The Man against his brother. If a problem arises between convicts, one goes to the other and communicates. Communication means listening as well as talking. The true convict doesn't talk behind another convict's back and spread rumors. He pays his bills to those convicts he owes, and doesn't charge an arm and a leg to those who might depend upon him for a "convict-world" favor; whether it be a soft drink, snack, or clean and folded laundry. In other words, to be a solid convict simply means to respect those we are forced to live and work with, many times crammed inside living quarters the size of bathrooms. Respect is the key word here. No matter what our criminal charges are, no matter how much abuse we might have received in our upbringin', no matter how "criminally-tough" we want to appear to our fellow convicts ... the fact remains that we are all in this together. At one time, prison was full of true, solid convicts. We worked together, respected one another, and prison served as an alternative community by which we learned to interact and get along with each other. Prison was more or less our final school to "get it together." If we got along sociably in here, then it was a good indication we could get along with a lot more others in Freedomsville. Nevermore. Prison is now filled with the same disrespectful folks as are out in the streets of Freedomsville. We have all been nurtured into looking out for #1, just to scrap and scrape to get a piece of the action ... or whatever's left of the pie. The greatest commandment Jesus Christ entered this world nearly 2,000 years ago when Freedomsville was experiencing the very same problems. Folks tend desperately to follow the Ten Commandments-the legal system at that time. But it was impossible simply because without respect for ourselves or our brothers and sisters, laws are worthless. Fear of punishment just doesn't make any of us want to respect others. It comes from a much more powerful influence. Jesus demonstrated it beautifully. It's known as love. Jesus demonstrated love in some radical ways. His lifestyle is based on what's known as the Greatest Commandment. Short. Simple. But very effective. Look it up in Matthew 22:36-40. Paraphrasing, "Love the Lord as much as much as we can ... and love each other as if it were God in our neighbor's shoes." Love and respect are pretty much the same. But love comes from the heart. Love generates a willingness to respect others not because of some law, but because we acknowledge our need and respect for each other. Convicts can indeed live the Christian life behind prison walls. It begins by getting to know God in a very personal and honest way. From INSIDE JOURNAL A publication of PRISON FELLOWSHIP PO Box 16429 Washington, DC 20041-6429 Missions Missions ROMANIAN MISSIONS TRIP By Joseph A. Nigro Standing on top of a hill overlooking the city of Sibiu, Romania, my head, heart and spirit were in awe of what I had just experienced over the past fifteen days. God had used a unique series of circumstances, while also speaking to my spirit, to show me that He wanted me to go to Romania to feed His sheep and to tell the Romanians that God loves them. The furthest thing from my mind was going to Romania, but God told me to go, and in obedience, I went by invitation of Calvary Commission, to help minister the Word of God to the people of Romania. I must confess, I feared the unknown, and the thought of the twelve hour flight. Yet God calmed my spirit with Psalm 46:10 ... "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted among the earth." The trip to Romania was extremely exhausting. The fellowship with the other pastors was great, but the total time of the trip, including lay-overs in the airports, from my door to the house in Sibiu, was twenty-eight hours! One of my mistakes was not sleeping on the plane, and as a result I was dragging. I arrived in Bucharest, Romania at night and endured the bumpy four hour drive with the other dead tired pastors on the team. The Calvary Commission team of Milton Fauss, and his wife Dia, along with Daniel Guerrero and Melissa Cornelius, all godly servants for the kingdom, graciously made soup for us when we arrived at Milton's house. God's Word tells us that joy comes in the morning, and Sibiu, Romania in the morning light proved that to be true. The beauty of the country was extraordinary! Mountains that dwarfed the Rockies, and country landscaping that made me feel like I was constantly in a movie setting. But the best was yet to come, for I discovered the Romanian people to be of exceptional warmth and hospitality. I not only fell in love with the beauty of the country, but God showed me the hearts of the Romanian Christians, and I wept as I saw their pure devotion to Christ. I experienced the book of Acts as I saw how the Christians of Romania lived to worship God, going to church four times a week for services that were two to three hours long, and intently listened as the Word of God was preached. The whole church would pray for one hour before Sunday service. Then they would have their regular worship service, sitting on hard wooden benches, crushed together for another several hours. They opened up their hearts and homes to us, and welcomed us by giving us meals that they couldn't afford to give ... meals that would deprive them of meat for the next several weeks! These people were giving to us out of their poverty and would not accept anything in exchange. I had gone to the country of Romania to minister the Word of God, and by God's grace the Word went forth, yet the one who was being ministered to was me. I experienced the love of Christians who endured the communist regime, and knew what it truly meant to rely totally on Christ. These believers were following Paul's example in 2 Corinthians 6:10, "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing, yet possessing all things." The Romanian believers had just experienced years of painful suffering and great sorrow under the communist regime and yet they continued to rejoice. They were extremely generous, even in their poverty, as they gave to us out of their need. According to American standards, they are poor. Yet, I realized we are the ones who are poor and needy, and they are truly rich. For they found their total riches in Christ alone, setting their minds on the things above and not on things down here on earth. Let us observe the example of the Romanian believers and take heed to the words of the apostle Paul: "... I consider everything a loss compared to surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him." [Phil. 3:7-8] Joe Nigro is Director of Straight Path Ministries and can be reached at straitpath@aol.com. Education Education THINGS YOUR CHILDREN LEARN FROM YOU By Dr. Paul A. Kienel, President Association of Christian Schools International I will celebrate my 61st birthday in a few days. I am not sure "celebrate" is the correct word, but I do know I have lived long enough to have a more balanced perspective on a number of things. Parenting is one of them. Time has a way of filling in the blanks. Understandably, I know more now than when I started out as a young, amateur father 36 years ago. My wife, Annie, and I are blessed with three daughters, three sons-in-law and four remarkable grandchildren. I am pleased to tell you they all know and serve Christ our Lord. Permit me to share a few things in this brief article I wish someone had shared with me when I was a much younger dad: 1) CHILDREN LEARN MORE THAN WE TEACH THEM. As a conscientious young father I focused my child-training program on such practical things as, "how to walk on two feet," "how to speak the English language" and, in a spirit of generosity, "to graciously share one's toys with others." Later, in Advanced Parenting, I taught "bicycle riding," "water skiing" and "how to drive the family automobile." Things did not always go well. I could take you to a decorative stone at the edge of our driveway, three homes back, and show you deeply etched marks shaped exactly like the undercarriage of our car - clear evidence that my training program was not perfect. But more important, I now know that my children were learning far more from me than my practical list of "do's" and "don'ts" on how to do things. To my amazement, they were literally absorbing my life patterns. They were learning to live by the way I lived. How do I know this? When I look at the life patterns of my three daughters today, I see an amazing resemblance to the life patterns of my wife and me. Quite frankly, it is scary when you realize that what you teach formally to your children is but a fraction of what they really learn from you. That is consistent with that valuable parenting lesson in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy where the writer talks about the principles of loving God. He wrote, "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:7 NKJV). There is just no question about it - the lessons of informal learning in your household will have a greater life-long impact than your formal school of "do's" and "don'ts". Please don't misunderstand. Your family school of "do's" and "don'ts" is necessary. My point is that there is a powerful informal family training program in every home that most parents simply are not aware of. All of this, of course, applies to the school your children attend. The character and the lifestyle of your children's teachers becomes "living curriculum" to your children. Unsettling as it is, your youngsters will retain more from the life patterns of their teachers than they will from the academic content of what their teachers teach. Amazing, isn't it? The Bible says, "A student, when fully trained, will be like his teacher" (Luke 6:40). It frightens me, when I read those words, when I think of the multiplied thousands of Christian parents who place their children under the training of non-Christian teachers in non-Christian schools. I know it is not popular to say so, but I believe they have no scriptural foundation for doing so. 2) PARENTS ARE THEIR CHILDREN'S NUMBER ONE EDUCATOR. I thank God for the quality Christian school teachers who taught my children. Children benefit greatly from inspired, inspiring, professional teachers who accelerate their learning process. They broaden and balance a child's education. But life's major lessons are taught by parents. Chuck Swindoll said, "Home is where life makes up its mind." You might think of it this way: Your "mom and dad school" is an "attitude factory". You have positive and negative attitudes about many things. Like it or not, your children are learning your full repertoire of attitudes; your attitudes about God, family, government, church relationships, money, leisure, work, authority, education, health and life in general. The number one molder and shaper of attitudes is your very own "mom and dad school of attitudes." Your children are "reading you" on every issue, and they are formulating their own set of values and attitudes by what they see lived out before them on a daily basis. I close with words written to me on my birthday card last year from my youngest daughter, Cheryl: Dad- I think you really do live, to the fullest, every minute of EVERY day. I cherish some very vivid memories of our vacations when I was a kid. We always had our dad modeling for us what it meant to be happy and content ... even when our boat or camper broke down. And when it was time to swim or ski none of us could enjoy the play any more than you. You truly make the most of every situation. Thanks for passing on those wonderful Godly blessings. I'll do my best to pass on the legacy of faith and joy as you have. I love you, Cheryl Every parent cherishes "payday" letters like the one above. With God's gracious help, raising your children to honor Christ and to honor you is possible, even in the anti-Christian culture of today. My prayers are with you! Music Music WE GATHER TOGETHER IN THANKSGIVING By Teresa Giordanengo The Thanksgiving Day gathering of my family is not complete without the singing of the traditional Dutch hymn "We Gather Together". I heard this hymn for the first time when I was a child in grade school. I learned to play it on the piano and from then on, each year, our family gathers around the piano for the hymn sing. We sing this hymn and many others as our expression of thanks to God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us each day. We thank Him for His love and for protecting us and guiding us throughout the year. Even though each one of us thanks the Lord in our prayers each day, it is wonderful to come together on Thanksgiving Day to express our gratitude together as a family unit. The text to "We Gather Together" was written by an anonymous author. It was to celebrate the Dutch freedom from the Spanish overlords, who had been driven from their land, and the freedom that was theirs, both politically and religiously. References to these historical events are throughout the hymn's text: "The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing: Sing praises to His name - He forgets not His own." The prayer in the final stanza is: We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant, and pray that Thou still our defender will be; let Thy congregation escape tribulation: Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free! At this time of year I can't help but think of the pilgrims who came here for religious freedom years ago. They were the first to celebrate Thanksgiving day, and how happy and thankful they were! If we would just pause for a moment, we could find so many reasons to be thankful. Where would we be if the Lord had not saved our soul? How comforting it is to know that He is always with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. We have nothing to fear. Since He is for us, who can be against us? He is our ever-present help in time of need! He listens to our prayers ... even a child's prayer. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end and has everything under control! Our list could go on and on. It is certainly a pleasure to think of all the succulent food that is prepared to our liking on this special day. God has provided all this for us. He provides the bountiful harvest each and every year, even every day, for our pleasure and nourishment. We are so truly thankful for all these blessings. Thanksgiving is not merely a day to be observed once each year; for the Christian it must be a way of daily living. "I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34:1). Chef's Corner Chef's Corner TASTY DISHES TO COMPLEMENT YOUR THANKSGIVING TURKEY BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH WALNUTS - 2 pints brussels sprouts, 2 slices bacon, diced, 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Remove the outer leaves from the brussels sprouts. Cut a shallow X in the base of each sprout with a paring knife. Boil the brussels sprouts in lightly salted water until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water. Cut the brussels sprouts into quarters and reserve. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and saute until golden. Add the walnuts and brussels sprouts. Heat thoroughly and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Yield: 10 servings. BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH CARROTS - 4 pounds butternut squash, 2 tablespoons softened butter, 1 beaten egg, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 can (1 pound) whole baby carrots, drained well, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Wash squash, cut lengthwise, core. Cook uncovered in boiling water until tender (20 minutes). Drain on paper towels. Scoop out pulp, mash thoroughly. Add butter, egg, brown sugar, salt. Spoon into a 1-1/2 qt. baking dish. Toss carrots and sugar. Arrange on top of squash. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350-degrees for 30-45 minutes. Yield: 6-8 servings. CARAMEL SWEET POTATOES - 4 cups sweet potatoes cooked and mashed, 1/2 cup milk or half & half, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup pecans, 1 teaspoon vanilla. After creaming potatoes, add sugar, vanilla and cream. Put in greased baking dish; make a "well" in the center and sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 350-degrees until hot and just before serving, our sauce over, filling the "well". SAUCE ... Melt one cup butter and one cup sugar together in skillet until golden. Slowly pour in 1/2 cup cream and cook about 2 minutes, adding pinch of salt and one teaspoon vanilla. MARMALADE BEETS - 1 can (2-1/2 cups) whole beets, 1/3 cup orange marmalade, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, 2 tablespoons beet liquid, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger. Drain beets; reserve 2 tablespoons liquid. Melt marmalade with lemon juice, butter and beet liquid over low heat, stirring constantly. Add seasonings and blend. Add beets; cover. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to glaze all beets. Yield: 6 servings. CORN PUDDING - 2 cups corn, cream style, 6 tablespoons melted butter, 4 beaten eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons sugar. Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Blend butter, flour, salt and sugar. Add beaten eggs. Stir in corn and then milk. Pour in casserole and bake 40 minutes. HONEY MUFFINS - 4 tablespoons melted shortening, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 egg, well beaten, 2 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup milk. Mix together shortening and honey. Add well beaten egg. Add to first mixture alternately with milk. Beat well. Half fill greased muffin pans and bake in moderate oven (400-degrees) about 25 minutes. RAISIN BREAD - 2-1/2 pounds flour, 10 ounces whole wheat flour, 1 ounce yeast, 1-1/2 ounce salt, 1 ounce cinnamon, 1 pound raisins, and 3-1/2 cups water. Mix until smooth. Add raisins at end. Then let dough rest 45 minutes. Punch it down and divide into 5 loaves. Let rest another 45 minutes. Mold into loaf and then let it rise for approximately 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Bake in 380-degree oven for about 40 minutes. Yield: 5 loaves. CRANBERRY SALAD - 2 (3 oz.) boxes strawberry jello, 2 cups hot water, 1-1/2 cups cold water, 1 can jellied (whole) cranberries, 1 can fruit cocktail, 1 apple, pared and chopped nuts. Mix jello, hot water and cold water together. Add remaining ingredients and mold. TWENTY-FOUR HOUR COLESLAW - 1 small head cabbage, grated fine, 1 green pepper, chopped, 1 small jar pimentos (can use red peppers), 1 teaspoon mustard seed, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup celery, chopped, 1 small onion, cut fine, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup vinegar. Let stand overnight - tightly covered. Stir the next morning. Will keep in the refrigerator a week to 10 days. CRANBERRY AND NUT PIE - 1-1/4 cups fresh cranberries, 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed, 1/4 cup chopped nuts, 1 egg, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup butter, melted and vanilla ice cream. Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate and layer cranberries on bottom. Sprinkle with brown sugar and nuts. In a bowl, beat egg until thick; gradually add sugar, beating until thoroughly blended. Stir in flour and melted butter; blend well. Pour over cranberries. Bake 45 minutes. Cut in wedges and serve warm with ice cream. Yield: 6 servings. PEANUT BUTTER PIE CRUST ... 1-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers, 3 tablespoons sugar, 4 ounces melted butter. Combine all and press on sides and bottom of a 10-inch pan. Bake 5 minutes at 350-degrees. Let cool. FILLING ... 4-1/2 ounces cream cheese, 6 ounces powdered sugar, 6 ounces peanut butter, 12 ounces whipped cream. With electric mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together until free of lumps. Add peanut butter and blend in gently. Add whipped cream and beat on high speed. Scrape sides of bowl and beat until all combined. (Do not overbeat.) Pour into crust. Smooth sides and top with whipped cream or plain. Chill. APPLE CRISP - 5 cups peeled and sliced apples, 1 cup uncooked oatmeal, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine, 1/3 cup flour. Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Put apples in an 8-inch square pan. Combine the remaining ingredients, mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of apples. Bake 30 to 45 minutes until apples are tender. Yield: 6 servings. ICED PUMPKIN COOKIES - 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup sugar or 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup shortening, 1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cup nuts, chopped and/or 1/2 cup raisins or dates. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Cream together the sugar, shortening, pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Combine dry and moist ingredients. Add nuts, stir to distribute evenly. Drop cookies from teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in a 350-degree oven. ICING ... 1/2 cup butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 to 4 tablespoons milk. Heat butter over low heat until golden brown. Remove from heat, blend in sugar and vanilla. Add milk until of spreading consistency. PUMPKIN LOG - Grease 10 x 15-1/2 inch cookie sheet. 3 eggs, 2/3 cup pumpkin, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 3/4 cup flour. Mix above ingredients together. Pour in prepared cookie sheet and sprinkle with nuts. Bake at 375-degrees for 15 minutes. Turn on well-powder-sugared towel or pastry cloth immediately. Roll like jelly roll (towel and all). Let cool 1-1/2 hours on a rack. Unroll and spread with filling. Reroll and refrigerate. FILLING ... 1 tablespoon butter, 8 ounce cream cheese, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup powdered sugar. Blend together. A large can of pumpkin makes 4 logs. These freeze well! CFI Reports CFI Reports CFI REPORTS is our monthly column dedicated to the ministries of CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL in Jerusalem. Our October, 1993 issue of MORNING STAR (Volume 3.1) presented a summary of the various CFI ministries and explained the foundational principles and objectives of CFI. In this month's column we present the monthly WATCHMAN'S PRAYER LETTER from Sharon Sanders in Jerusalem. WATCHMAN'S PRAYER LETTER - November 1994 "I will take my stand to watch, and station myself on the tower..." Habakkuk 2:1 1994/1995 - The Peace Year? In Israel there have never been so many peace advertisements such as "peace tourism year," "peace logos," "peace vacations," "peace statements," "peace negotiates" and it goes on and on. Voices say: "Peace is on the horizon here in Israel." We all need peace! There are sources of peace which are common to all men, the peace of a happy home, an increasing business and enlarging influence, and the respect and love of our fellows. We can all understand peace for those situations, but there is a "peace that passeth understanding." "It is too deep for just words. It is like the pillowed depths of the ocean, which are undisturbed by the passing storm ... here is a peace that passes understanding which comes from the God of Peace." (F. B. Meyer) As we concentrate on the issues of peace in this part of the earth, let us remember at all times who our real source of peace is, Yeshua, the Prince of Shalom! The people of Israel are in a decisive battle for the Golan. The "Rabin" plan which proposes to make a compromise regarding a withdrawal over three years-and not eight or ten, as Israel had proposed up until now-has undoubtedly been influenced by considerations related to the referendum with the Syrians," wrote Yosef Harif, in MAARIV. Syrian President Hafez Assad wants the entire Golan withdrawal completed before the next Israeli election in 1996. * INTERCEDE for the 13,000 Jewish residents in the Golan who represent the real pioneers of the state. There are many settlers who believe in the Hebrew Scriptures and that the Land of Israel was given to them by Almighty God. Pray that they will teach others the Word of God throughout Israel and instruct them to stand for and retain what God has given them. "And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people." (II Chronicles 17:9) * FERVENTLY PRAY for the courageous settlers living on the Golan Heights who are helping to guard the northern border. While they are not actually engaged in a physical battle at this point in time, they are engaged in a spiritual battle. Pray that they will put their hope in the Almighty. "For they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them; because they put their trust in Him (I Chronicles 5:20) "Religion has proven to be an unhelpful influence in the Middle East peace process, therefore it is incumbent upon religious leaders around the world to come to grips with that and promote political moderation," Deputy Foreign Minister Yossi Beilin recently told an annual inter-religious conference in Assisi, Italy. It seems as if Israel has forgotten the words of one of its most beloved Prime Ministers, David Ben Gurion, who said: "The Bible is our mandate." * TRAVAIL IN PRAYER for the present government leadership to realize before it is too late) the danger in its anti-biblical policies. God is looking for men with united hearts who will be upright before Him and return to Him. While religion may not be the answer, seeking a merciful God is. For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive ... for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away His face from you, if ye return unto Him ... Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the word of the Lord. (II Chronicles 30:9,12) Syrian President Hafez Assad reiterated demands recently for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights prior to the next election in Israel. Yet, he still expressed his willingness to work for peace. "Syria realizes the importance of a peace which ensures full withdrawal ... we want a just peace ... but the peace we want should restore our land, "Assad stated. * CRY OUT TO GOD that Israel's leaders will have discernment when they hear Syrian statements stating that there will be no peace if Jerusalem does not go to the Arabs. May Israel not be deceived into believing that the concept of peace Assad refers to is the same peace Israel desires. How desperately discernment, understanding and insight are needed here. "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad ..." (I Kings 3:9) Pray for humanistic hearts to be turned toward the Lord God of Israel so that they will cry out for discernment instead of forsaking Him. (Jer 2:13) * INTERCEDE for Tsomet leader Rafael Eitan who argued recently that "No peace agreement with any Arab state, including Egypt can be trusted." This is the beginning of a breakthrough in the delusion of true "peace" with Israel's Arab neighbors. Pray that leaders such as this one will continue to speak up with the voice of courage. "18 Arab States Ready for PEACE Deals Once Israel, Syria Sign Pact!" blared the headline of the Jerusalem Post recently. One week later, headlines ran: "Time is Running out for a Deal with Syria." Diplomatic relations could be established with Israel, but only upon the conclusion of full withdrawal from the Golan Heights. BESEECH THE LORD that Israel will have wisdom and knowledge from the Almighty if she is forced back to her 1967 borders. Even Abba Eban termed them "The Auschwitz borders." May Israel's leaders accept the fact that the very Arab nations promising peace if Israel agrees to shrink back to its 1967 borders are the same countries that could easily unite in one heart to war against Israel. Pray that the words of the Psalmist be brought to Israel's mind, "For they have consulted together with one consent: they are united against thee." (Psalm 83:5) PROCLAIM that the Word of the Lord stands! Recently, 22 Arab League countries said: "Based on the fact that Holy Jerusalem is a Palestinian, Arab city that has a sublime status to the Arab and Islamic worlds, the League Council stresses the extreme significance of Jerusalem and the need to restore its Arab and Palestinian sovereignty as the capital of the independent Palestinian state." However, God's word says: "In Jerusalem shall My name be forever!" (II Chronicles 33:4) There is no city like Jerusalem! It is the city of Almighty God and not Islam. * PRAY that as David recognized the Godly significance of the City of Jerusalem, we will be challenged today to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they will prosper that love thee.'' (Psalms l22:6) Ask God for lsrael to have the courage (in the Lord) not to discuss Jerusalem at all! The battle of words is on, as in l Samuel 17 between the Philistines and Israel. May all who are faithful Watchmen on the Wall for Israel, move into the front lines of prayer, as each day, this tiny nation faces more intense spiritual warfare against her. We need prayer warriors to mount up, increase in number and pray that the Lord will shield lsrael from unseen dangers. Waiting for His Return, Sharon Sanders, Jerusalem Please copy and disseminate this prayer material as far and wide as possible to the Body of Christ Christian Friends of Israel PO Box 1813, Jerusalem, 91015, ISRAEL Tel: 972-2-894172/187 Fax: 972-2-894955 Christian Friends of Israel - USA PO Box 19227 Charlotte, NC 28219-9227 Tel: 704-357-1611 Fax: 704-357-1612 INTERNET: 74111.552@cis A Crash Victim's Faith A Crash Victim's Faith A CRASH VICTIM'S FAITH By Teresa Giordanengo Everyone was shocked to hear of the USAir Flight 427 plane crash near The Pittsburgh International Airport on September 8, 1994. All 132 aboard perished. One of the passengers, Kirk D. Lynn, 26, was a senior programmer/analyst in Management Information Systems for a local bank. He exemplified the life of a Christian at work, as well as in his leisure times. He was a devout Christian and never turned anyone away who needed help. He was a soloist at the First Evangelical Church in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. In the months before he died, he felt compelled to share his faith with others. Lynn was planning to devote more time to a sacred music ministry at the time he died in the crash. But death, it seems, has not stopped his calling. A tape recording of "As We Sail To Heaven's Shore", a ballad Mr. Lynn sang in church eleven days before the crash, is touching the hearts of many today. It's ironic that his faith and testimony in that song are reaching more people in his death than he ever could have imagined. His church is giving away copies of the tape to more than 1,000 people who have called and written from far and near. The hymn tells of a journey to heaven on stormy seas, with God's hand guiding the way. It opens, "Storms may rise on seas unknown, while we journey toward our home. Surely we'll learn what grace is for, as we sail to heaven's shore." Mr. Lynn's singing and the lyrics by Phill McHugh have moved many to tears, including dozens at a small service for several of the passengers from southwestern Pennsylvania. His father said that he ministered wherever he went and wanted us to think about the song as a prayer. Following in His Footprints Following in His Footprints FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTPRINTS By Gwen Lawan Johnson "Heavenly Father, please help me get to the top of this steep road," I prayed. It was beginning to get dark and I knew my parents must be worried about me. My brother had needed someone to carry his paper route. It was the longest route in St. Joseph, Missouri, but I'd volunteered to take over for him while he was recuperating from a bad case of the mumps. I hadn't expected to be carrying papers when the ground was slick as glass. First it had snowed, and then it had rained and frozen over. In order to reach a few isolated houses I'd had to go down a steep country road. Going down had been easy. By sitting down it had become a block long slide. Getting back up the steep incline was another matter. I tried time after time, but even crawling on my hands and knees I'd slip backwards. I'd tried grabbing hold of the tops of small shrubs buried in the snow at the side of the road, but they crumbled in my mittens. I could get out another way by hiking out over the railroad tracks but I wouldn't be able to make it home before dark. "Gwennie, is that you?", My father shouted to me from the top of the road. "It's me, daddy" I yelled back, happy that he'd come. As the familiar figure of my father drew closer I felt a deep sense of relief. I know he'd be able to help me. "I was beginning to think I'd never get home tonight. I just couldn't seem to get to the top of this road no matter what I did," I told my father. "When it became so late your mother and I figured you were stuck somewhere. Grab hold of me, Gwennie. I'll get you to the top." I felt secure with my father's arms around me, pulling me toward the top. My daddy's size thirteen shoes were able to dig into the snow. So I could follow in his footprints. About a third of the way up the steep incline, we were doing so well I stepped out ahead of my father. As I did, I slipped and my father and I went shooting back down the road toward the bottom laughing all the way. Once again we started up the steep road. This time we made it further up. Once more I grew confident enough to pull out ahead of my father. My feet slipped out from under me and I fell, pulling my father down with me. He landed with a thud. When we could stop laughing my father sat grinning at me. "She's sure a slick one. Gwennie, if you want to get home tonight I think you'd better let me do the leading. Why don't you just follow in my footprints?" Many years later while reading my Bible I thought about that night. That's exactly what we need to do with Jesus ... let Him do the leading while we follow in His footprints. That way we don't slip and fail. It's when we pull out ahead and try to do things in our own strength that we're sure to stumble and slide into temptation.