Letters Letter From the Editor Letter From the Editor Welcome to the March issue of MORNING STAR, our sixth edition. "So far - so good", would be the best way to describe how this magazine ministry is doing. The other day someone asked me what our circulation totalled. I laughed and replied, "I can tell you approximately how many COUNTRIES we are in. But I have no idea how many people read it. The Lord knows the exact number and one day I suppose we could ask Him!" We continue to hear about new electronic bulletin boards and networks that are carrying MORNING STAR on a regular basis. If you downloaded this magazine from such a BBS, or know of one that the magazine is located on, PLEASE send us a post card and let us know. We are trying to put together a list of these boards in order to publish it in future issues. (We will revise it periodically.) If you do send us a post card, please include as much of this information as possible: 1. Name of Board 2. Phone number with area code 3. City and state 4. Sysop name 5. Baud rate 6. Operating hours 7. Charges, if any Also (and I don't mean to sound like a broken record) we are always in need of articles, stories, poems, testimonies, etc. The MORNING STAR staff is made up of people who have regular full time jobs and do this on a volunteer basis. There are times when it is very stressful for some of the staff, especially with family and employment obligations to take care of, on top of this "job". The Lord has had His hand in seeing that we meet our deadlines so far, but I'm sure He wouldn't mind if a few more believers helped out to lessen the burden. If you have a literary contribution, please mail it to our Post Office box or use one of the electronic mail links. (Page 6) In every issue we have regular columns as well as other articles that relate to a "theme". This issue our theme is "relationships". I'd like to thank all the brothers and sisters in the Lord who helped put this issue together by submitting articles. (By the way, most of them are NOT professional writers!) If you would like to try your hand at writing, the themes for our upcoming issues are: Issue 7: Prison Ministries (deadline Feb. 15th) Issue 8: Israel-44th anniversary issue (deadline Mar. 21st) Issue 9: Biblical Counseling (deadline Apr. 18th) Issue 10: Christian women's' issues (deadline May 16th) We especially need articles for issues 8 through 10. Remember, we cannot use copyrighted material without prior written consent from the writer or publisher. If you have an idea for a theme (along with some material) please share it with us. Besides articles, if you have a prayer need that you would like to share with believers around the world, send it in. Our PRAISE AND PRAYER column includes such requests from folks all across the USA. Our NEWSDESK column will be larger beginning with this issue. There is a lot going on in this world that affects Christians, or is of interest, especially in prophetical significance. If you have a newsworthy note send it in for publication. Please be sure to cite your source. Our MINISTRY AND PRODUCT INFORMATION AREA has grown so large that we are now splitting it into two sections. This month we are featuring a revised Ministry listing. Next month we will have the product list. We love hearing from our brothers and sisters across the USA and around the world! Please send in a post card or contact us via one of the E-mail links. Your comments, questions and suggestions are wanted and welcome, and may be published in our LETTERS column. Since we began publishing this magazine, every month has brought a new development, and this one is no exception. Beginning with this issue, MORNING STAR will be available in the WINDOWS format for PC's. Special thanks goes to our publisher Steve Paulovich who worked hard on this project. This means MORNING STAR is now available in three computer formats. 1. Hypercard (version 1.2.5) for Macintosh computers 2. WINDOWS for PC's 3. DOS edition for any DOS-based computer Each DOS edition comes with its own reader application. We are now in the process of re-releasing issues 1 through 5 in the WINDOWS format. The excitement continues. Praise God for His faithfulness! In service to Jesus the Messiah, Toby Trudel Editor in Chief MORNING STAR MORNING STAR accepts literary contributions from believers wherever they may live. It is our policy to publish testimonies as they are originally submitted with minimal alteration of the text. Opinions stated in these testimonies do not necessarily reflect those of the MORNING STAR staff. The content of MORNING STAR does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any computer network. Your Letters Letters From Our Readers I just downloaded your January 1992 issue of Morning Star Magazine, and was very impressed. It is very professional in appearance, and "right on" doctrinally as well. With your permission, I'd like to upload issues to our local BBS's. They aren't Christian BBS's, but I would hope they won't object. I'll try one first ... and see what reaction it gets. Again, congratulations on a beautifully done Christian magazine. Now I'll have to upload the other issues to complete my collection! Joanne Marshall New York, New York Hi! I just finished reading the February '92 issue of Morning Star, and I must say I am thrilled! I am the co-sysop of Abba II, a Christian BBS in San Diego, California, and we have all issues of your magazine available for downloading. What impresses me most about Morning Star is that it is so well done. I see lots of Christian programs and text files, and much of it is rather mediocre. Your magazine stands out. Anton Hein San Diego, CA Staff List Morning Star Staff List Morning Star Staff : EDITOR IN CHIEF Toby Trudel - Nashua, NH SENIOR EDITOR - Biblical Department Geoffrey Kragen - Roseville, CA SENIOR EDITOR - Christian Life Department Teresa Giordanengo - Canonsburg, PA SENIOR LITERARY EDITOR Al Murillo III - El Paso, TX ASSOCIATE EDITORS Jerry Johnson - Modesto, CA Clark Stephens - Huntington Beach, CA Dale Strand - Dublin, CA J.C. Trudel - Naples Park, FL Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA Dr. Charles Wootten - Matoaca, VA SENIOR PUBLISHER - DOS and WINDOWS Editions Steve Paulovich - Derry, NH NETWORK DISTRIBUTION AMERICA ONLINE & COMPUSERVE Networks: Jerry White - Germantown, MD GENIE Network: Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA DELPHI Network: Derrick Shipman - Greenville, SC DIRECTOR OF BBS DISTRIBUTION - USA Walter H. Bauer Jr. - Sugar Land, TX INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION Sharon Sanders - Jerusalem, Israel Lars Storstrand - Minde, Norway Peter Cunliffe - Noisiel, France Roger J. Obe - Iloilo City, Philippines Scott Walters - Punchbowl, NSW, Australia David Faris - Yaounde, Cameroun OFFICE SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN Patrick Auriemma - Nashua, N.H. Features Relationships and Holiness Relationships and Holiness by Norman Hils ------------------------------------------------------------------ RELATIONSHIPS AND HOLINESS By Norman Hils Fort Walton Beach, Florida ------------------------------------------------------------------ I believe God is calling us to focus on our relationships. I believe the backbone of the church is relationship building. Visualize it kind of like a pyramid. The bottom and largest stone represents our relationship with Jesus! We must return to our first love and to a RADICAL embrace of Biblical Christianity. He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him (II Cor. 5:15, Gal. 2:20). It is time for us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling!! Have you ever heard the phrase, "You become like those with whom you associate." We must ask ourselves, how much have we been associating with Jesus lately? If our relationship with Him is strong and solid, we will desire to be like Him - HOLY. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do (1 Peter 1:15). If this stone, this first layer of the pyramid, is not laid properly or not maintained, our pyramid of life will not stand under any weather. How IS our personal relationship with Jesus? What is our Holiness quotient like? Do we spend time daily with Him through prayer and His word? In a recent study of baby boomers, by the Barna Research Group, they were asked this question: Not including when you are at church, how many days in an average week do you read the Bible? 59% - NONE 22% - 1 or 2 days 12% - 3 to 6 days 4% - every day But our goal is more than just knowing the book of the Lord. It is knowing the Lord of the Book. We can memorize the Bible and still not know Him. We can know all truth accurately and still be disobedient. We can't recognize true Christians by their words, their degrees, and their knowledge, but only by seeing our Shepherd in them. Do others see Jesus in us, in our homes, in our offices, in our lifestyles? You and I know that Christianity is not a formula. It's not an assimilation of or an agreement with certain principles and facts. It is a relationship with Christ. Shouldn't the desire of our hearts be not just to know ABOUT Him but to know Him? Jesus is truth, and those who love Him, love truth. We do want our understanding of the Bible to be accurate, but having our facts right is not as important as our relationship with Him. If our relationship with Him is not right, only having all doctrines laid out properly is still eating from the Tree of Knowledge, which still brings death. If this foundational stone is cracked or has weak spots, we are wasting our time trying to build the next layer. Concerning our relationship with our families (spouse, parents, children, siblings,) if we are not in tune with Christ, we will never be in tune with our families the way Christ meant it to be. Husbands do we love our wives like Christ loves the Church? Ok, so we say we would die for her; would we do the dishes, the vacuuming, laundry, and diapers for the next week or month? More importantly would we take the spiritual helm for her as it was meant for us? In too many Christian families, the husbands and fathers are not exercising spiritual leadership. In a personal, unscientific survey, I have discovered that if we ask the wife of a Christian family what one thing would she change about her husband, too often her answer is to have him assume the role of spiritual leader in the family. Scripture is not lacking in guidance in this area. Let's pray that the Holy Spirit will pierce our heart and really convict us in this area. Wives, the best thing you can do to allow your husbands to be all that God intended them to be is to pursue intimacy with the Lord! If you are spiritually healthy, you will be a good wife. Wives are like the thermometer but the husbands are the thermostat for spiritual vitality in the home. No new wisdom here, pray for each other... pray with each other. Don't let your marriage be spiritually platonic. The next stone is our relationship with other believers. I stand condemned now because I'm as guilty as the next guy. But what kind of Christian friendships ARE we building? Are the walls, masks and barriers coming down with fellow believers; do we earnestly desire for others to pray for our sincere needs; when we're having problems, when we're down and out, when we're cursing God for whatever; or is it a big secret we can't dare share? There's no doubt about it. Relationship building is very expensive. It takes our time and our energy. And these are often more valuable to us than our money. I sometimes think that if we could purchase close personal relationships, we'd do it in a snap. It's been said that if the Devil can't make us bad, he'll make us busy. Are we too busy for others? I call this layer of the pyramid the edification, the building up of one another. Paul talks about it in Ephesians 4. The top stone, not the biggest nor the strongest, though we don't have a pyramid without it, is our relationships with unbelievers. It sounds simple, yet overwhelming in Matt 28:19-20; "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." Do we have an evangelism lifestyle, a philosophy of being prepared to share about Christ with others on a moments notice? Bill Bright of Campus Crusade calls these times Divine Appointments: One-on-one opportunities with people we meet in the store, at the park, on vacation, in school, at work, in the doctor's office, etc. Friends, it is my opinion that the church has not impacted the world as much as the world has influenced the church!! It doesn't matter how articulately we can talk about the cross, if we are not living it, it is not in our message! It's one thing to declare that we are a Christian within the church or among other Christian friends. It's another thing to live that commitment out in the world. Living a Christ-centered life in the world often marks the distinction between institutionalism and discipleship. If we are to respond to our callings and walk in truth, a commitment to the reality of Romans 12:1-2 will be required so that we present ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice, which is our REASONABLE, not above and beyond the normal call of duty but our REASONABLE service. Are we walking, breathing, living sacrifices for God? Don't you think it's time? Let's get serious, dead serious about Jesus. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. If we are out of fellowship, true fellowship with Him, it won't work. A tree bearing no fruit is worthless "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing "John 15:5." Let's not get caught saying; just one more course, one more book, one lesson, one more workshop and seminar and then I'll be ready. Let's take that first step and say, Lord, I'm available. Send me. Peter didn't say Lord, give me the power to walk on water and I'll step out of the boat. He said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come ..." and Jesus said, "Come." Then Peter got down out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. I believe Jesus is saying COME to all believers. If He is speaking to your heart, don't resist His calling. Our hearts will be hardened if we resist. Hebrews 4:7 tells us, "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." Why don't we step out of the boat today and begin a fresh walk with Jesus on the water ? Relating the the Unrelatable Relative Relating the the Unrelatable Relative by Joe Sewell ------------------------------------------------------------------ RELATING TO THE UNRELATABLE RELATIVE By Joe Sewell Melbourne, Florida ------------------------------------------------------------------ We all probably have at least one of them. It may be close by. It may be distant. It may be infrequent. It may be ever-present. Whatever the frequency or distance, chances are every family is blessed with one somewhere. I'm talking about the relative whom you just can't stand. No matter how hard you try, there's something completely annoying about the person. Something that always gets in the way of real communications. I have one in my father. There are times when I just want to strangle him. It may be when he insists on getting up and doing something, even though he has a broken ankle. It may be when he insists on cutting the grass when he's under doctor's orders to do no strenuous work. It may be when he just doesn't seem to listen to what anyone has to say. What do you, a Christian, do under these circumstances? One thought that does not work is merely trying to ignore the situation. Clutching to the notion that "I love the sinner, but hate the sin" doesn't always work, either. You'll find yourself resenting the person's presence, which is probably close enough to hate to damage you spiritually. So what do you do? Through my time with my "unrelatable relative", I've discovered these notions: Love him. Do this above and beyond all other notions. Whatever you do to get closer to your unrelatable relative, you must do it for him, not just for you. Talk to him. Open yourself up. Sometimes he will respond in kind. Suddenly you find a fellowship you never thought you'd find. Accept him just as he is. This is the most difficult thing for a person to do. Yet this is how Jesus accepts us. What is more important, it's how He accepts your "unlovable" family member! See him through Jesus's eyes. Remember Paul's encouragement in his letter to the Philippians: "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." (Phil. 4:11 NIV) We may not be able to change the situation, but we must make sure it doesn't change us for the worse, either. Finally, remember that Jesus loves you both, even with a strained relationship. He can heal it, if the two of you will let Him. It doesn't even take a concerted effort. If you decide to let God's power work in the situation, He will. Whenever there's strife between family members, usually both parties are "at fault". God can work through even one of them to heal both. How God Put Two People Together How God Put Two People Together by Walter H. Bauer ------------------------------------------------------------------ HOW GOD PUT TWO PEOPLE TOGETHER by Walter H. Bauer Sugar Land, Texas ------------------------------------------------------------------ When I came back from Germany after completing my tour with the United States Army, I wanted to continue my walk with the Lord. That did not include such worldly wastes of time as partying and worse, so I immediately set out to find a church where both my life and my soul could be nourished. It wasn't that simple. I went to the Lutheran Church to see if this was where the Lord wanted me to be, but no one even said "hello." I felt so alone that I tried the Baptist Church across the street. At least here people greeted me and showed the love of Christ. Even so, this still wasn't the right place. The Lutheran Pastor solved the problem by introducing me to a lady who attended a small house fellowship, the kind of place he thought I would like better. On Wednesdays I began to attend this small house fellowship, and on Sundays I went to church at Hill Country Faith Ministries in San Marcos, Texas. The small fellowship soon began to grow and was allowed to begin a new church in New Braunfels, Texas. This new church, Freedom Fellowship, is still in existence. After my Army service, I continued my education at Southwest Texas State University. My major was in Criminal Justice, since I believed that the Lord was going to allow me to continue my career in law enforcement. While attending college I kept up my walk with the Lord by meeting together with the brethren of Freedom Fellowship as often as possible. This included singles' get-togethers to do things such as bowling and swimming, and we usually shared a meal or snack. When graduation time was approaching, I knew that I would not remain in my home town and that my career would take me elsewhere, probably within Texas. Even though I knew the Lord would be with me, I did not want to leave New Braunfels by myself. I wanted to be married. To that end, I tried to find the right girl on my own, dating many different girls, Christians and non-Christians alike. The right girl was no where to be found. When many of the singles I knew began to get married, I experienced an enormous bout of self-pity. A brother with a similar problem told me that he resolved it by giving up the whole thing to the Lord, trusting Him to work it out in His good time. After much prayer, I turned the problem over to the Lord, letting Him handle it His way. As graduation grew near, I began to wonder who, if anyone, the Lord had in mind for me. I was astonished when He seemed to be persuading me to consider Diane. How could that be? Diane and I had dated in the past, and things hadn't gone too well. After all, I thought, how could I, a university-educated intellectual with an extensive vocabulary, be expected to communicate with a mere high school graduate? We simply didn't speak the same language! After a few attempts at dating, our relationship dropped to the point where we saw one another only at the singles' meetings or at church. After yet another wedding, I sought the Lord again and again He told me that it was Diane. At this point, I said, "Lord, if it really is Diane, you're going to have to change my heart." Well, the Lord did more than that! In His wonderful way, He began to iron out the details and circumstances so that even after those bad dates, Diane and I started to see one another again and eventually fell in love. Now we had no problem communicating! The timing was right for the Lord to do his work in both of our lives. We were married four months after I had started work with a small police department (then Veterans Administration and now the Dept. of Veteran Affairs Police.) After almost 11 years of marriage, we are more in love with each other now than when we first were brought together by the Lord. It is true that if we allow the Lord Jesus Christ to work in our lives, He will do it to His glory. Not only is our marriage strong in the Lord, but He has also blessed us with a fine son who at the age of three asked Jesus to come into his life. My wife has told me that when I first walked into the small house fellowship that had moved to a store front, she was attracted to me, and that when I brought various girls to church with me, she would think , "That girl isn't right for Walter." She was right, as the right girl for me was Diane. He Cares For You He Cares For You by Cynthia R. Vogel ------------------------------------------------------------------ HE CARES FOR YOU by Cynthia R. Vogel Gibsonia, Pennsylvania ------------------------------------------------------------------ Some people say, "God is dead," others say, "God would never intervene in my life if He were alive," and others say, "God's too busy to be concerned with my little, insignificant life." These are just a few of the philosophies people hold concerning their view of God and man. Well, my story and testimony is quite different than that. God has always been so real in my life. At age nine, I asked Christ to wash away my sins. No, I wasn't a hardened criminal, but everything in my life was headed towards a rough, sin-filled life. My conversion experience was just the beginning of a personal walk with the living God. Not only did He wash away my heavy burden of sin, He began to lead all of my steps. Years of church, camp, youth for Christ, and four years of Christian college have molded me into the person I am today. I'm writing all this to say that God is concerned about our lives. Nothing is insignificant to Him. When I was twenty years old I was engaged to a young man whom I thought was the "right one." But through time, I found out he wasn't what I wanted or needed. We broke our engagement and both went our separate ways. I came back to my home town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, busying myself with a job as a house parent. Meanwhile I was struggling to fill the loneliness of being single. God is so faithful. "He knows the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). After the break-up, I had told the Lord that I needed Him to choose my mate because I wasn't wise enough to do that. I then left it in His hands. The scripture says, "The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord" (Psalm 37:23), and I believed that. I had received a clear assurance from the Lord the summer of 1981 that God was moving on my behalf to bring someone special into my life. I had no idea who; the prospects were slim. I received a phone call one day at my place of employment from a young man I had known for years. He wanted to take me out. I begrudgingly agreed, and made plans for a short luncheon outing. Then I realized that the day we had planned for our date was the day my family was planning a big picnic because it was Labor Day. I had to call him back and invite him to the picnic. It was the only polite thing to do. Ralph Vogel had been in love with me ever since he laid eyes on me at the age of fifteen. He had met me at a Youth For Christ function and had pursued me ever since. It had been seven years and he still had not given up. He became discouraged at times, but his mother kept telling him to pray and have faith. He was confident that we would be just right for each other. He could see us both serving God together. I could have cared less about him. Sure, we were friends but that was the extent of my interest. I had never felt that Ralph Vogel was my type. I thought he was too different, not cool enough, but I never really knew him. I attended his church one Sunday and later that week I asked him to have dinner with me at a local restaurant, as a friend. I told him that the Lord had shown me that something was to happen to make me very happy. He said that the Lord had shown him the same thing. I got angry at him and told him not to mix his words with mine. He began to cry because he knew that he was telling me the truth. Each night I would wake up about 2AM and pray to the Lord for guidance. God was dealing with me but I did not know what was happening. I just kept on praying. The Lord was tearing down walls of fear and anxiety and the false ideals I had. Within a matter of two weeks all my misconceptions and wrong ideas had vanished and I was falling madly in love with the man of my dreams. All the walls of past relationships were falling and my eyes were being opened to the things in life that really counted. Here was someone that really loved me and wanted to serve God with me the way I wanted to; someone who was willing to not give up when time was fleeting by. Only God could put such stamina and patience into a man to wait for me all this time. Ralph asked me to give our relationship a try, to allow God to work within us or we would know that we were not meant to be together. Six weeks later, Ralph and I became engaged and then in April 1982, we were married. Our family and friends were so happy to see us together at last. No it hasn't been easy nor without its battles, but we are always confident that God brought us together and that is the foundation we stand on. God is alive and does care about our lives. We are a living testimony of His loving hand. Give Him your life and He will prove Himself to you.... "O Taste and see that the Lord is Good" (Psalm 34:8). You can write to Ralph and Cynthia Vogel at: Salem Heights Christian Life Center R.D. 1 Box 391 Gibsonia, Pennsylvania 15044 Phone (412) 935-1329 Fax (412)-935-1351 Love Thy Neighbor Love Thy Neighbor by Bob Hamilton ------------------------------------------------------------------ LOVE THY NEIGHBOR By Bob Hamilton Modesta, California ------------------------------------------------------------------ My wife Ellie and I have been working with the Vietnamese people for three years at the First Baptist Church in Modesto, California. We love the people very much and they have now become our peer group. They come with many problems from Vietnam. Many have lost relatives and suffered trauma that will last their lifetime. They seem to be highly prone to cancer here that wasn't a problem in their country. I believe it may have to do with the change in food and the high stress level they've lived with. We deal daily with emotional problems, financial needs and just adjusting to our society. Many of them can't even read or write in their own language. We can always tell because when we are in a home and ask them to read something, they say they lost their glasses. When you enter their home be sure to take your shoes off because this is their custom. Never pat a child on the head because the head is sacred to them. Also don't sit with your feet crossed with the bottom of your foot toward them because this may offend them. A Vietnamese home here in America is like walking into Little Saigon. It's colorful with all the flavor of their country. They are gentle people and they don't like confrontation. If you push for decisions they will accommodate without really meaning it only to keep from confrontation. Their hospitality makes ours look sick. Be sure to leave some tea in the cup or they will continually fill it up. The thought is you aren't full if you drink it all. We have attempted to learn Vietnamese but it's a difficult language to learn. It is tonal and a word can be different by just raising or lowering your voice. There are six tones and some words are difficult for us to say because getting our throat to do the right thing is difficult. Many Vietnamese are now Catholic and many are Christians. Many of the people send a lot of money home to Vietnam. They are expected to help their relatives back home even to the point of great sacrifice. The respect they have for elders is something we should re-learn. Many of the people have been victimized by their own people here in America. There are gangs going around the country robbing the Asians and they won't tell the police so it keeps going. You should try their food. Their egg rolls are great. They stuff them with shrimp or crab meat and they are delicious. Their teas are great and many of them medicinal and good for what ails you. I enjoy some of their food better than Chinese food. There are a few surprises. We were treated to a delicacy one night that was like liverwurst by flavor but very difficult to chew. When we asked what it was (with a smile) they said pigs ears. The texture was just as you would imagine an ear texture would be. We love these people and they have been good to us. My prayers for them are that they grow more in the Lord every day. Relationships Among Minsters Relationships Among Ministers by Brian P. Jenkins ------------------------------------------------------------------ Relationships Among Ministers Through Encouragement By Brian P. Jenkins Depauw, Indiana ------------------------------------------------------------------ Today more than ever it is important for ministers to maintain strong relationships with fellow ministers in their local areas. In recent years we have experienced a move toward independent ministries. Leaders in the body of Christ felt that it was important to have the freedom to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit rather than the dictates of an organization lead by men. This seemingly would bring about many advantages for the "Man of God" to boldly do what God has spoken to him. However, what it has brought is a lack of accountability and a lack of support for the independent minister. These ministers may have been purely inspired by God to operate in this way. God may have told them to cast off organizational restraints so they could do certain things for him. He may have asked them to do things (or speak things) not widely accepted within certain denominations, but he did not set them above being accountable to their fellow ministers in a given area. Nor did he give them a supernatural ability to fulfill their calling without encouragement. Ministers, independent or otherwise, must recognize the necessity of close relationships with other ministers around them. These relationships are not to control or to criticize, they are to support, encourage and to protect. The Bible tells us that there is safety in a multitude of counselors. Proverbs 15:22 says, "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." We should look to ministers around us as counselors, advisors and friends. Proverbs 27:9 says, "the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel." Nothing is greater than a friends earnest counsel. Who should be more of a friend to a minister of the Gospel than another minister? To develop relations with the ministers around us we must first show that we have no spirit of competition. We must convince them that we have an earnest desire for their success and the success of their ministries. Only when others are convinced that you have their best interest at heart can they receive counsel. In the book of Acts we discover a man named Joseph, a Levite from the island of Cyprus. When he joined himself to the Apostles they renamed him The Son of Encouragement, or "Barnabas as we commonly know him (Acts 4:36). It is obvious that he was an encouragement to the Apostles. He was one of the first who sold some land and gave the money to the Apostles. When the Antioch church began to grow the Apostles sent Barnabas to encourage them. Acts 11:23 says, "When [Barnabas] arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and ENCOURAGED them." The wisdom of the Apostles was to send someone to Antioch that would encourage the believers. They knew that this would build strong relationships. We further find that after Barnabas encouraged the believers in Antioch that he continued north to the city of Tarsus to find Paul, whom the Apostles had sent there (Acts 11:25). Barnabas became a valuable and constant source of encouragement to the ministry and person of Paul the Apostle. We also later find Barnabas using this same technique of encouragement on a young fellow named John-Mark. Paul might have disagreed, but the encouragement of Barnabas finally made John-Mark profitable even to Paul's ministry. Later in Acts 15:32 we read, "Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to ENCOURAGE and strengthen the brothers." They too had gone to Antioch and began to encourage the believers. One of the gifts given to us according to Romans Twelve is the gift of encouragement (verse 8). Let's develop that gift. Let us take these examples of encouragement and use them to build relationships among those that serve under the calling of the five-fold ministry. Let's encourage one another. If we begin building a relationship through encouragement we will find that later we are not able to criticize or condemn. Why? Because we will have become friends. We will have seen and felt the burdens that other ministers bear in their effort to walk before the Lord in their area of service. If we will lay down our lives for our friends, surely we can lay down our differences. Surely we will find ways to encourage one another. We will begin to understand that each persons ministry is a necessary part of the whole as we serve Jesus together in this life. And then, when we are going though that time when we need help, when we need a friend, when we need that word of encouragement; it will be there! "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11) You can write to Brian Jenkins at: Life in Jesus Ministries, Inc. P.O. Box 13 Depauw, Indiana 47115-0013 (812) 347-2543 Biblical Department New In Christ Lifestyles of the Poor and Humble New In Christ - Chapter Five Lifestyles of the Poor and Humble Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven. But our commitment to the Lord means we should always seek to be perfect like Christ was. We don't have to guess or argue among ourselves as to what is right and wrong and how we should be spending our time. God was wise enough to give us His commandments and the guidelines we need in the Bible. There's two important points to make concerning this last sentence. First, there's a difference between God's commandments and His guidelines. He is very clear in His word as to what that distinction is. Commandments are rules we must always follow and never break. Guidelines are directions for us to use in everyday decision making. The second point has to do with the Bible having the answers to what we need to know. Of course it's possible to get real "clever", and think of some heavy philosophical questions that the Bible doesn't answer. (i.e. How did Satan originally become evil?) The answer is not given us, nor do we need to know. Christians should simply accept God's word that certain things are as He says. Let's not be so vain to think that there are no things beyond human understanding. It's not possible for us to know everything the Lord knows in His mind. (Romans 11:33-36) There are many things He does, or allows to happen in this world that we just can't fully comprehend. To illustrate how far apart we are from God on that level, He tells us that even His "foolishness" is wiser than any human wisdom. (1st Corinthians 1:25) There are just twenty-four hours in a day, and only so much time to spend learning those things that the Lord wants us to know. In fact, one of His guidelines is that we should not waste time discussing unanswerable questions and far out philosophical ideas. (2nd Timothy 2:23, Titus 3:9) How to get to heaven, and how to live until we get there, are the important questions. They are answered quite well in God's word. Many of the problems we encounter in life result from violating God's commandments. God's commandments were originally listed in the Old Testament. (Exodus 20:1-17) They of course hold true forever, but in the New Testament they were clarified for us in greater detail and some others were given. The human nature that we are all born with causes us to break God's laws. So when someone uses the excuse that a certain behavior is not really wrong because it's "natural" for human beings to want to do it, they are only half right. God's word gives us some examples of what is both wrong and yet "natural" for human nature. The Bible states that lying, swearing, hatred, greed, slander, fighting, jealousy, envy, lust, adultery, thievery, drunkenness, desire for great wealth and possessions, desire for things that belong to others (gambling), lustfulness, desire for sex outside of a married relationship, homosexuality, idol worship and even delving in witchcraft are all "natural" behaviors. God also tells us that anyone willfully participating in any of these activities will not get into heaven. (1st Corinthians 6:9,10, Galatians 5:21, Ephesians 5:5, Colossians 3:5-9) Despite these Biblical warnings, many people continue to let such behaviors keep them from making commitment to the Lord. Jesus Himself said that it was better to cut off your hand or pluck out your eye if they were causing you to sin and be kept out of heaven. (Matthew 5:29 & 30) Of course He was speaking figuratively, as He often did, but the point He was making is easily understood. When we are born again, we are to put off these things and "walk in the Spirit". (Galatians 5:16) For if we follow the Holy Spirit's lead, the following things will now be "natural" for us: Love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22,23) But how do we shake the old "natural" tendencies off? The temptations certainly just don't vanish! The answer is given us in scripture once again. We can do all things with Christ's help, who gives us the strength and the power. (Philippians 13:4) We're not totally helpless you know. A Christian should be aware however, that although some things may be permissible for him or her to partake of, if there's any chance that this thing could gain control over them, then they should keep away from it. (1st Corinthians 6:12) For example: Consuming a moderate amount of alcohol is not a sin, (1st Timothy 5:23), but drunkenness definitely is, (1st Corinthians 6:10, Galatians 5:21). We have the choice of whether or not to put ourselves in the presence of temptation. We are never tempted by God, as He does not tempt men. (James 1:13-15) What is God's guideline to keep from sin? Keep your thoughts trained on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and virtuous. (Philippians 4:8) Above all else, always ask Jesus to help you with your weaknesses and don't put yourself in tempting situations. (Romans 13:14). One of the best ways to gain spiritual strength is by getting together with other Christians on a regular basis. Going to church consistently is proper behavior for all Christians. (Hebrews 10:25) What about our inner feelings that emerge when people do things to upset us in life? We certainly can't put a complete stop to all our emotional reflexes, so are we sinning whenever we get angry? Well, our creator knows us well, and says that it's all right for us to get angry, but wrong for us to stay angry. We shouldn't let the sun go down on our anger. He says that it should be resolved or put out of our minds before we go to bed that night. (Ephesians 4:26) We are to forgive those that hurt us, (Ephesians 4:32), just as the Lord forgives us our sins. What about our thoughts? If we deliberately think about sinful things, is it the same as actually committing a sinful act? The Lord is very definite on this matter. He gave us two clear examples. If a man thinks lustful thoughts about a woman in his mind, he's guilty of committing adultery. (Matthew 5:28) If a man hates another man he's guilty of murder. (1st John 3:15) Remember, we're not talking about passing thoughts here. But, if we dwell on the subject, we are sinning. Again, the Lord knows your mind and where to draw the line. It's up to you to catch yourself in the act, stop, and ask the Lord to pardon your slip up. What about our speech? As Christians, we are representatives of Christ, His actual ambassadors, (2nd Corinthians 5:20), we must always act accordingly in public. This means that swearing, dirty jokes and other such speech have no place in a Christian's life. (Ephesians 4:29, 4:31, 5:4) Of course using the Lord's name in vain is breaking the third commandment. (Exodus 20:7) I often hear people in public use the words "Jesus Christ", as an expression in their conversation. What's shocking is that most of the people I hear use the Lord's name in vain consider themselves to be "Christians". We are responsible to always be on our best behavior in public so that no one can point to any bad conduct on our part, and say that it's representative of being a Christian. (2nd Corinthians 6:3,4, Philippians 2:14-16, 4:5) Our speech should always be pleasant and full of kind things, so that we don't offend anyone and possibly drive them away from finding Christ. (1st Corinthians 10:32,33) In fact, if we truly love the Lord, we are to look for opportunities to tell others about Him and not be shy about it. (Matthew 5:14, 2nd Corinthians 5:11, Colossians 4:5,6) Remember what was said in a previous chapter about being ashamed of testifying for Christ. ------------------------------------------------------------------ When we share the news of Christ with others we are not to do so in a threatening or condescending manner. Rather, we are to be pleasant and gentle when we try to persuade them to come to Christ. (2nd Timothy 2:23-25) An important technique is to find a "common ground" with people, so that we can gain their trust, and they will be persuaded to listen to our message. (1st Corinthians 9:19-23) This does not mean however, that we are to try and trick anyone into believing, by "coloring" what the Gospel says. (2nd Corinthians 4:2) We should simply present its truth as it stands. Unfortunately, some Christians start to take pride in how many "souls they've won", and forget two important things. First, that they are only doing what they are supposed to do as the Lord's servants. (Luke 17:10) Second, that they are only presenting the Gospel. It's the Holy Spirit that does the actual soul-winning. Being involved with "soul winning" is probably the most important duty of a Christian. Some of us may be better than others, because the Lord has given us different abilities in life, but we all are to make the best effort with what He gives us, and not just stick our heads in the ground. (Matthew 25:14-30) Christ said that if you're not part of the team "gathering", then your part of those "scattering". (Luke 11:23) Sounds like that old saying; "If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem". There are big rewards in store for those who bring people to the Lord. (John 4:35-38) God is especially pleased when you can bring someone back to trusting the Lord after their having slipped away. (James 5:19,20) Soul-winning should be a priority in every Christian's life. Here's the question in the back of every new or potential Christian's mind: Won't I be ridiculed by both friends and strangers, if I go around talking about Christ to people? Jesus gave these words of wisdom to those who follow Him: "Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:6) The Lord tells us that any suffering we encounter for Him is microscopic compared to the size of the reward we will receive from Him. (Romans 8:17,18, 2nd Corinthians 4:17,18) As many of us would say that we would be proud to go fight and die for our country, all the more should we not be ashamed to suffer for Christ, who suffered and died for us. (Philippians 1:29, 1st Thessalonians 3:3, 2nd Thessalonians 1:5, 1st Peter 4:16) Keep that one thought in mind if you ever start to "chicken out" of a chance to talk about Him because of what someone present might think. We are to worry about pleasing God, not people. (1st Thessalonians 2:4) Going back to the subject of those bad "natural" desires mentioned in the previous part. Three of the most prevalent causes of sin in the world today are desire for wealth, desire for status (fame or power), and desire for sex. When you look at the New Testament, you will find more written on these issues than any others. Not only does the pursuit of these things lead to sin, but the failure in acquiring them often causes many people to turn to crime, alcohol, drugs, abuse of others and suicide. The Lord's position on these three matters is something to be aware of. In the areas of desire for wealth, God makes it quite clear that our lives are not to be lived in the pursuit of money. There's nothing wrong with earning good wages and leading a comfortable life, but we should be satisfied at that. Those fortunate enough to have high paying jobs should be actively using their money to do good. (1st Timothy 6:17-19) We are warned that the desire for a lot of money is the source of all evil, and that its pursuit will cause many people to turn away from God. (1st Timothy 6:10) There's nothing wrong however with saving or frugal investment, as long as you remember to first return to the Lord His fair share of what you earn. As we bring nothing into the world, none of it is really ours, it all is "loaned" to us by the Lord. We take none of it with us when we die. (1st Timothy 6:7) We are to keep the less fortunate in mind, (Ephesians 4:28), and help support the Christian Church's ministries here on Earth. We can forget worrying about ever starving once we are part of God's family of born again believers. Jesus said there is no need to ever fear where our next meal is coming from or how we are going to clothe ourselves, because our Father in heaven promises to provide for us. (Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 12:6,7, Philippians 4:19, Hebrews 13:5) Social status is so important in this world we live in. If you can't keep up with the Joneses, at least give the appearance that you are doing so. Television and magazines are just littered with ads for material goods, telling both teenagers and adults that they need this thing or that. The amount of money that young adults spend today on the latest clothing, jewelry and cosmetics is staggering. All so that they aren't left out of the crowd. It used to be that these advertising strategies were aimed exclusively at women, but that's changed. A casual look around will reveal that more and more men are becoming overly concerned with how "fashionable" they look, or seeking to get attention by wearing ridiculous amounts of jewelry. God made it quite clear that Christian women, (and nowadays men), should not be concerned with the whims of fashion or spending their money on expensive jewelry. (1st Timothy 2:9, 1st Peter 3:3) There's nothing wrong with looking sharp, but when vanity enters your heart, it's not right. (Galatians 5:26) Our lives should be humble like Christ's was, not seeking the praises of men and women. (Matthew 20:26-28, Galatians 5:26, Titus 2:12) Those who seek after such admiration will be brought down by the Lord. And those who live humbly, will be exalted by Him. (Luke 14:11) Lastly, there's the area of desire for sex outside of a married relationship. This is the issue of Christianity that more non-Christians take exception to than any other, and try to justify. The morality of the world today says that whatever goes on between two consenting adults in fine. (Of course, they say, "safe sex" guidelines should be observed.) God however, refers to all sex outside of a male-female marriage as fornication. There are too many references to this being sin in the Bible to list here. The most graphic one tells us that as Christians our bodies are part of Christ. If a Christian should engage in fornication it is the same as joining Christ to a prostitute. (1st Corinthians 6:13-20) God's position on this issue is quite clear and as always unchanging. Look at how the world is trying to cope with the problems of aids, venereal disease, rampant abortion, teenage pregnancies and illegitimate, unwanted children. Society is trying to correct all of these problems by applying "surface remedies". Sort of like a doctor putting band-aids on bruises caused by internal bleeding as a "cure". The world hasn't dealt with the real cause of these problems, which in each case is disobeying God's law regarding sex. To whoever says that this is not a practical solution, note that all of these tragic situations are getting worse daily while we experiment with foolish human ideas on solving them. It's not just a practical solution, it's the ONLY solution, because it deals with the problems at their source. Of course the world will never turn to Christ, which is why the Bible tells us that our problems will grow continually worse until the Lord returns. Bible Study Jonah - A Story of God's Love (Part 4) The Bible Study column examines specific sections of Scripture. This is the conclusion of a four-part series on the book of Jonah. Future columns will include individual Psalms and books from both the Old and New Testaments. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Jonah "A Story of God's Love" Chapter 4 "The Anger of Jonah" ----------------------------------------------------------------- Jonah had carried out his mission. Granted, he did so under duress. God had called him to bring the message of judgment to Nineveh. Jonah knew that if the people repented, God would withhold judgment. He wanted the people to be judged. Sure enough, the people repented, and God withheld judgment. Jonah experienced the greatest evangelistic success ever. Was he overjoyed? No, he was devastated and angry with God. (The background of all of this is found in issues 3-5 of Morning Star.) Chapter 4 will show how God met Jonah's needs. This account demonstrates how Jonah let the loss of his plant became the trigger for an outpouring of all his frustration. He didn't understand that his present circumstances reflected God's will for him. God was concerned with His own goals and Jonah's growth. To Jonah, however, the destruction of a plant became "the straw that broke the camel's back." The message of this last chapter of Jonah is God's perspective for Jonah. This same lesson is one believers are still dealing with - God's perspective for Christians. Believers need to be willing to accept their circumstances as the environment in which Christian maturity is developed. God's perspective for Jonah Jonah's attitude toward his "great work" was not exactly positive. Chapter 4 finds him pouting over the mercy of God. This reaction is not what one would expect, considering Jonah had been given the opportunity to be used in the greatest evangelistic crusade in history. Jonah did more than pout; He was bent out of shape. He was extremely angry, and his anger was with toward Lord. He had run from the face of God because of the concern that the Ninevites would repent and be saved. He didn't want to be part of that event. Now, all that he feared had come to pass. The people had repented and God had decided not to judge them. The bottom line was: Jonah wanted them to be judged. Angrily, Jonah actually accused God of being gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness. Can you imagine anything more strange than berating God for such wonderful qualities? The New Testament instructs believers to emulate these qualities, but at the moment, Jonah saw them as negative. Jonah's frustration and anger had reached the point where his only desire was death, a death at the hands of God. This was a sincere desire. He would rather die than see the destruction of the Hebrew people instead of that of the Ninevites. In Chapter 2, Jonah praised God for snatching him from the jaws of death. "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry" (Jonah 2: 1-2). Now, in contrast, Jonah wants to die. God didn't even respond to this request. He simply asked, "Why are you angry?" Again -- Jonah was angry at the righteous work of God. He was angry at grace and mercy because he believed it was going to the wrong people. Note the context in which this anger was expressed. Jonah was praying to the Lord. His confidence in the Lord was such that he had no fear of expressing his true feelings. Believers must accept that it is better to express anger to the Lord than to deny it, for He knows of it anyway. If you really are committed to the kind of relationship with the Lord that you should have, then you must be totally honest with Him. Don't fall into the same trap as Jonah, acting as if you can withhold something from Him. "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts form afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord" (Psalm 139:1-4). Naturally, God had no intention of granting Jonah's request for death. Instead, He had planed to give Jonah the opportunity to understand the importance of love and mercy. God responded by asking the question, "Do you have a good reason to be angry?" The very nature of Jonah's anger was to question the judgment of God. Jonah was saying that God had made a mistake. Jonah identified God's strengths as weaknesses because they caused God to act contrary to Jonah's desires. So, in a huff, Jonah goes out to the edge of town on a hill and settles down to see if God will do anything. Jonah still hoped that maybe the repentance of the city was false. Maybe God would come to His senses and still destroy the city. Jonah would not give up his desire for destruction. He certainly couldn't answer God's question. Had he been truly honest, he would have had to admit that he shouldn't be angry with God. Jonah was saying that his own wisdom was greater than God's. Nevertheless, God prepared a lesson in mercy for Jonah. The third supernatural intervention in the life of Jonah occurs here. God prepared a plant to shade Jonah, to give him comfort. Jonah, sitting there waiting for something to happen, appreciated the gift. It gave him joy. God demonstrated love and care for Jonah, but Jonah took this care for granted. Apparently Jonah was a man of extremes. He was extremely displeased with God, and now he was extremely pleased with the plant. In his commentary on Jonah, Charles Feinberg notes that this is the only time Jonah is happy. The source of this happiness was personal comfort, a totally selfish attitude. So, Jonah was sitting comfortably up on the hill waiting, and hoping that God might still destroy the city. He did not want to recognize the repentance of the people, except as a hindrance to their destruction. Jonah didn't desire God's mercy for the Ninevites. So, God supernaturally intervened for the fourth time. God chose a worm to destroy Jonah's plant. The fifth case of supernatural intervention was a scorching east wind, called up by God. As Jonah sat, waiting and hoping for the destruction of Nineveh, he started to bake, his sheltering plant having died. Once again he pleads for death. Again this is a sincere request, for he really did want to die. Absolutely nothing was going right. God had a question for Jonah. Did Jonah have a right to be angry about the death of the plant? Jonah's response was, yes. His anger at the situation was warranted, or so he believed. As a result he even thought he had the right to want to die. This was genuine anger. Although a great deal of his stress was a result of his own emotional choices, his pain was real. He had reached the point of burnout. This is a problem for many believers today. They have reached a point in their lives where the pressure is so severe they feel they can't handle anymore. As a result they would rather give up than try. Jonah's situation wasn't unique. Anyway, Jonah has become attached to that plant. It was his only friend. The death of the gourd became the focus for all Jonah's frustration with his situation. God's basic message to Jonah was: "Can't you see how unreasonable you are being? You are so wrought up that you want to die over a plant which you had no hand in creating. You have demonstrated compassion for a simple plant. Can't you understand how I can have compassion on 120,000 people who are my creations?" (author's paraphrase - Jonah 4:10-11) These people had been without light, and then God provided it. They repented and turned to Him. Jonah came from a people who did know God and so should have been judged by different standards than the Ninevites. God told Jonah he needed to accept these people as they were. Again, God said they were as animals not knowing their right hand from their left. But they did repent. They did turn to God. This much they did understand. God asked Jonah, "How can you be unfeeling toward these people when you can fall into so intense a depression over the death of a simple plant?" So ends the book. There is no comment from Jonah, no response. What could he say? But the very record of all this is a testimony to the truth of God's charge against Jonah. What a wonderful picture of the love and mercy of God. He desired salvation for all, Jew and Gentile. And this is still true today. You should pray that you can look at people through God's eyes, desiring their salvation--no matter what their state. God's perspective for Believers It is amazing how often Christians can lose sight of what the real issues are. God sees the world as it really is. You must trust in Him if you are to live in a way that is consistent with the reality of your claimed faith. Two lessons can be learned from Jonah. The first is that God loves all people. It is He who chooses believers' contacts. You must seek the power of the Holy Spirit to express God's love for all individuals. God calls for Christians to love all, desiring their salvation. This should be the case regardless of how they respond. God calls the believer to love even their enemies. Remember the attacks that were made against Christ and His response? "And as Jesus passed on..., He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, 'Follow Me!' And he rose, and followed Him. And it happened that as He was reclining at table in the house, behold many tax-gatherers and sinners came and joined Jesus and His disciples at the table. And when the Pharisees saw this they said to His disciples, 'Why does your Teacher eat with the tax-gatherers and sinners?' But when He heard this, He said, 'It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are ill. But go and learn what this means, 'I desire compassion, and not sacrifice;' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners'" (Matthew 9:9-13). Living this way means that Christians cannot be concerned with pleasing men, but with pleasing the Lord. "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men?" (Galatians 1:10). The second lesson found in Chapter 4 deals with the question of God's perspective versus the believer's. It is clear from God's comments to Jonah that somewhere Jonah had lost touch with reality. This is shown by his devastation over the death of a plant, and lack of concern over the potential destruction of the Ninevites. Sometimes we can get so caught up in our own daily concerns that we lose all perspective on the crucial issues. Matthew 14 gives an account of how the Apostle Peter walked on water. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on water. But when he focused on the waves, he began to sink. Sometimes we are so concerned with the waves, or circumstances, that we lose all sight of the Savior. Sometimes we aren't even seeing waves, but swells which only appear to be waves. Believers can get so overwhelmed by life that they get knocked over by a ripple. For example, children can be extremely difficult. Some jobs make one feel the need for permanent retirement. However, reality is being loved by the Lord, and allowing Him to decide what is necessary for growth. The lesson of Jonah for the unbeliever is that God loves all people and desires to provide them with the gift of salvation and eternal life. This can be received as Paul notes: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). If you accept this gift, then you can look forward to an eternity of joy in the presence of God. The message of Jonah for the believer is that God knows what circumstances are necessary for spiritual growth. If you truly trust the Lord, then you must be willing to say, "Although I may not like my situation, I trust the Lord to provide what I need to gain maturity." "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). May your life demonstrate the love of God towards others as well as your trust in Him in your difficult circumstances. All believers can walk on water. Just keep your eyes on the Savior. He wants to be there for you, loving and comforting you as you grow in Him. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). Special Studies God's Names in His Fourth Covenant by Dr. Charles A. Wootten The Bible is an account of God's relationship to man, a covenant relationship. We find this from the day of creation to the eternal relationship we can have with the Messiah. This is the fourth in a series of articles detailing the individual covenants found within Scripture. This is the first article reviewing the Abrahamic Covenant. ------------------------------------------------------------------ GOD'S NAMES IN HIS FOURTH COVENANT ------------------------------------------------------------------ The next covenantal era covers a span of time starting with Abraham through the giving of the Law to Moses. During this period God was known as "EL SHADDAI" (Almighty). God revealed Himself to Abraham in His mightiest statement made to this point: "I am El Shaddai. Walk in My ways and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will make you exceedingly numerous" (Genesis 17:1-2). The term "EL SHADDAI" is archaic. There is no doubt though that it means "strong so as to overpower." Besides its use in Genesis, we find it employed as the name of God by Balaam (Numbers 24:4,16), by Naomi (Ruth 1:20), and in the Book of Job where it occurs thirty-one times. In Exodus 6:3, it is said with evident reference to "this place," that "EL SHADDAI" was the name of God revealed to the Patriarchs. The gist of the passage is the identification of JEHOVAH and EL SHADDAI. Moses uses manifest care in distinguishing Divine Names. He demonstrates that JEHOVAH became the special name of ELOHIM. (Exodus 6:2) In His covenant relationship, the God of Revelation is ever One and the Same. The name "God Almighty" (EL SHADDAI) demonstrates that God can quickly and efficiently deal with any situation concerning His people. Dr. W.A. Criswell notes that EL SHADDAI "...is a further enrichment of the supreme name YAHWEH. 'EL' is the singular form of ELOHIM, and SHADDAI is literally 'sufficient' or 'self-sufficient'; therefore, it is rendered 'almighty.' The 'almightiness' and 'self-sufficiency' of YAHWEH are adequate for Him to deal victoriously and even destructively with His enemies" (W.A. Criswell, ed., The Criswell Study Bible, p. 27). It pleased God to reveal Himself to Abraham. It is not that we see evidences of God revealing Himself to the ungodly. His revealing Himself is usually to those who are not seeking His Face for the purpose of being placed in a position of power. Abraham was probably brought to the True Knowledge and Worship of the True God quite some time before this dramatic change in the course of world events. God saw that the whole race of Man (after the Fall of Babel [Genesis 11:1-19]), was not interested in obeying Him. As a result, He decided on the instrument of a Theocratic Covenant with a chosen race. He looked down. There was Abraham. The Abrahamic Covenant was the next step (Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14-18; 15:1-21). The Theocratic Covenant (one that pertains to the rule of God) of Abraham was unconditional. It depended solely upon God. God obligated Himself in grace, indicated by the unconditional declaration "I WILL," to bring to pass the promised blessings. The covenant was revealed when it was time for Man to relearn how to trust God. Relearn because, as with the previous covenants, this covenant required a comprehension of the promises of God. This particularly reveals the Unchanging nature of God as He "has sworn and will not relent" (Psalm 110:4, JPSA). He said, "I am the Lord - I have not changed" (Malachi 3:6 JPSA). What had changed between the first covenant and the Abrahamic one was the method of His revelation to Man? For Adam the revelation was all at once because of Adam's glorified state. After the Fall, God's revelation to man must of necessity be in a series of progressions as our minds would not be able to handle the fullness of Him. God is a covenant making-and-keeping God (Psalm 111:5,9; Hebrews 6: 12-18). This is because "He give meat to them that fear Him: He will ever be mindful of His covenant" (Psalm 111:5). The source of the covenant is always the grace and mercy of God. It is His mercy that causes Him, the Higher Being, to stoop down to elevate or lift a lower being up to His level. The whole purpose of Covenant is to make Man into the image of God and bring him into fellowship with God. In this covenant ELOHIM, the Tri-unity or Trinity, is revealed. This covenant was not only made with Abraham, but also with Isaac and confirmed to Jacob and then Israel (I Chronicles 16:15-17). These three fathers were partakers of one covenant; even as three persons in the eternal Godhead are partakers of one covenant (Exodus 2:24; 3:6, 15). God blessed Abraham with a personal blessing (Genesis 12:2). In this particular blessing God also made Abraham's name a standard by which all following blessings would be invoked! This was in addition to making him a great nation. God blessed Abraham in the blessing of others (Genesis 12:3) through a means of reciprocity, i.e., in the giving and taking of all His benefits down the chain of descendants. This included Sarah, Rebekah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, and to Israel as a Holy Nation. Then, as if that was not enough, God promised through Abraham the blessing of the promised birth of the Messiah (Genesis 12:3; 22:17-18). God added further blessings for Abraham. First, He said that land that was promised to Abraham as an everlasting inheritance. "The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had parted from him, 'Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west, for I give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too can be counted. Up, walk about the land, through its length and its breadth, for I give it to you'" (Genesis 13:14-18 JPSA). God was revealing Himself here in His determination to ensure the Day of Restoration will have a secure place in which to manifest itself. Next time, in the continuation of this discussion of the Abrahamic covenant, we shall see the extension of God's blessings to Abraham through victory over enemies and the blessing of kings. But, best of all, is the blessing of Divine Relationship between man and his God. Dr. Charles A. Wootten Whole Counsel Ministries, Inc. Matoaca, Virginia Messianic Studies The Bat Mitzvah of Sarah Briskin by Pastor Geoff Kragen The Messianic Studies column explores the world of the Messianic Believer. Like the church at large, Messianic Judaism contains much diversity. It is made up of numerous views as to what it means to be a Messianic Jew, who we are, what we call ourselves and what we believe. This column will be used to explore this variety, giving the reader a broader perspective of Messianic Judaism than found elsewhere, exposing those of us who are Messianic Believers to the wide spectrum of practice found within the movement. Hopefully we will succeed in helping our Jewish brothers and sisters to understand why we follow Yeshua as our savior. We also hope that what is provided here will give our gentile readers both a better understanding of their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as the Jewish roots of their own faith. ------------------------------------------------------------------ THE BAT MITZVAH OF SARAH BRISKIN ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Bar/Bat Mitzvah is that point in the life of a Jewish young person when they become publicly identified with the Jewish people and the hope of a restored Israel. It can be described as the Jewish right of passage, and for the religious Jew it is the time when they become part of the adult community gathered around the Scripture. Even the cultural Jew often chooses to go through this ritual to solidify his/her identity with the Jewish tradition. The Messianic believer also identifies, through this process, with the Messiah, and looks towards the hope and promise of His (Y'shua) return to restore the nation. The preparation for the Bar (male) or Bat (female) Mitzvah, is a time of study in the Old and New Covenants (The Bible). It is a time of study in the Hebrew language. The service itself is a testimony to the study and faith of the participant. It is a celebration welcoming the young person into the adult community. It was a Saturday afternoon and our friends, the Briskins, had invited us to the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter Sarah. The family members are Messianic Believers, and so this promised to be an interesting time. The group, which was fairly large, was eclectic as well. There were Messianic Rabbis, pastors (Messianic and Gentile). Our friends' families were represented. The mother's side included believers, while the father's included non-believing Jews. And then there were many friends of the family. It was to be a time of blessing, and for those who don't know Y'shua, a time of challenge and even discomfort. The Tehillah - Service of Praise - was a time of song, prayer, music and the reading and teaching of the Word. The service opened with the Call to Worship - Psalm 100. Then mother lit the candle and asked the blessing. Readings included the Shema - (Deuteronomy 6:4), Exodus 6:2-13 and Acts 7:30-38. Readings were in English and Hebrew. Songs included "O Come," "Be Exalted, O God," "Lord, We Enthrone You," "Echad," "Sabbath Prayer" and "Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve." Then, twelve-year-old Sarah stepped forward to give the Bat Mitzvah message. Listen with us now as she begins to speak ... ------------------------------------------------------------------ On the front cover of your worship guide, you will find one of the most meaningful of traditional Jewish prayers, the Shehechiyanu: "Blessed Art Thou O Lord Our God King of the Universe Who Has Kept Us In Life Preserved And Enabled Us To Reach This Moment Of Happiness" As we arrive at this festive occasion, let us reflect on survival. As a young Jew marking the passage from childhood to adulthood, I, of course, reflect on surviving the ordeal of Bat Mitzvah preparation, but I also am called upon to consider the deliverance of the Jewish people. In my Torah portion, Exodus 6:2-13, God repeats His promise that He would indeed deliver His people out of slavery. Moses was impatient. God had already promised deliverance, but He had not yet fulfilled His promise. We have our schedules, and God has His. After all, He is entitled. God created time as we know it; He started time; He will stop time when He chooses to do so. Nonetheless, it is often hard to accept the fact that many of His promises will not even be fulfilled during our lifetimes. As we go through times of great difficulty, we might consider Job's response to God's provision: "I know that my redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." When at other times Job spoke out of unbelief, God rebuked Him by affirming the witness of His creation. (I'm paraphrasing here) WHO IS IT THAT HOLDS THE EARTH UP IN SPACE??? IT'S NOT ATLAS!! We can name the forces that seem to perform these feats, but without naming the true creator of these forces, all God might say in response is, May the FARCE be with you! My parents have told me that time seems to speed up as we get older. I have already noticed this, as more recent years have seemed to go by faster than the earlier parts of my life. In the New Testament, we are told that we can have ETERNAL life through Yeshua, the Messiah--LIFE WITH NEITHER BEGINNING NOR END. Messiah IS indeed our life. We have, in a sense, died to our old selves and risen with Him. We are told to "set our minds on things above, where Messiah sits on the right hand of God." In Exodus 6, verses 1 through 3, the Lord God reaffirmed that He is God Almighty, the Eternal One. He reminded Moses that He would keep His promises. Moses had accused God of mistreating His people. In accusing God, Moses had acted out of unbelief. How many times, as we walk through our own lives, do WE act out of unbelief? God speaks to all humanity through His creation. Could the chance events of evolution have "created" the natural wonders that we see all around us? To those who seek Him out, God speaks to man through the scriptures, and through the Ruach ha Kodesh, the Holy Spirit. In Exodus 6, God had already spoken to Moses out of the burning bush regarding His plan of redemption from Egypt. Had God forgotten in the meantime? Was God going to break His promises? GOD FORBID! In Exodus 6:4, we read that the Israelites were strangers in Canaan. They had become accustomed to living in Egypt. I can fully relate to those Israelites who were more concerned with making life in Egypt more livable than they were with escape. After all, God had promised the Land to our ancestors; He promised the Land to all Israelites for all time. Yet, as Jews, how many of us are ready right now to pack our bags and move to Israel? As children of Abraham, we seek the NEW Jerusalem, whose builder and maker is God. In verse 5 of our passage, the Lord God reminds Moses that He has not forgotten His people in their time of crisis, that He has remembered His everlasting covenant. God is not blind to our troubles; God does not forget His promises. Even today, the Lord is fulfilling His promises regarding the reestablishment of Israel. Israel is once again a nation with a land; however, there is not yet peace in the land. Peace will only come when Messiah Himself rules from Jerusalem and banishes all ungodliness from Jacob. In my Haftorah passage, Ezekiel foretells that God's people would be brought back into their Promised Land. After God brings His children back into the Land, He will thoroughly cleanse them of all filthiness and idolatry. The people of Israel will then receive heart transplants. Their hearts of stone will be replaced by hearts of flesh. The prophet Zechariah writes of a time when the Lord Himself saves Jerusalem and its inhabitants from destruction. The Lord speaks: "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first- born." In Exodus Chapter 6, the sixth verse, God promises to liberate the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Is God dependable? How do we know? The Lord God gives us signs through the dependability of his creation. For example, does God ever shut off the gravity? On occasion, God performs the unexpected--turning water into blood, for example. In such cases, He has definite purposes in mind, as shown by the plagues brought upon the Egyptians. Faith is trust, but our faith in God is trust based upon knowledge. God has already proven Himself through the miracles of His creation. Our faith is not blind faith. "And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God." In verses 7 and 8, we learn that the Israelites were to be God's chosen people. In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye asks God, "Why don't you choose someone else sometimes?" The Torah teaches us, in Deuteronomy chapter 28, that the Jewish people would be scattered into other lands, that they would suffer greatly. In the 37th chapter of Ezekiel's prophecy, the nation of Israel is compared to a valley full of dry bones. God orders Ezekiel to prophesy unto the bones, that the dead bones would be made alive. Over the centuries, many people could not believe that Israel would ever be reestablished as a nation. Yet, God's promise of the Land to Israel is unbreakable. After all, the Lord God sealed the agreement with Himself. Abraham did not take part. In Genesis, chapter 15, verse 17, we read "that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp passed between the pieces (of the animal sacrificed for the occasion)." In ancient Israel, when a covenant was made, it was normally sealed by having the two parties pass between the pieces of a sacrificial animal. God passed through with Himself. Hundreds of years later, when our people were in the wilderness, God manifested His presence as a cloud by day, and a fire by right. In Exodus 6, verse 9, we read that Moses informed the Israelites of God's promise of deliverance. The Israelites were unable to accept God's promise because of shortness of spirit, of impatience with their situation. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years--that's all they knew. King Solomon. reminds us in the book of Proverbs: "Without a vision, the people perish." The Israelites had lost their vision of redemption while slaves in Egypt. God raised up Moses for the purpose of restoring that vision. In verses ten and eleven of our passage, God finally tells Moses to DO IT! Previously, God had said that He WAS GOING TO send Moses to Pharaoh. In earlier passages of Exodus 6, God had reassured Moses regarding His once and future provision for His people. In verse twelve, Moses responds to the immediate prospect of facing Pharaoh--the temptation to chicken out was great and getting greater. Moses's own people had not listened to Him. Would Pharaoh listen to him? If I were in Moses' shoes, figuratively speaking, I would be scared out of my wits! After all, it's not everyday that I get to speak to a king, particularly one with such a reputation for power and ruthlessness. In verse 13, God responds by giving Moses and his older brother Aaron shared responsibility for the task of approaching Pharaoh. In essence, God was saying, "Don't ask how you'll be heard; in fact, don't ask any more questions. I've promised it; I've repeated the promise; now I will do it." What is the result of all this? If God calls you, answer, "Hineni!" - Here I am! You think you're not good enough? God will make you good enough. If the Lord God knows everything, made everything, is everywhere, and can do anything that pleases Him, and He calls you, He obviously plans to use you as promised and He will equip you for the job. Without the Lord, you can't do anything with lasting meaning anyway--As Solomon said of life without God, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." Moses was called by God. God had His plan. Moses at times questioned God's calling, but in the final analysis, He trusted God and served willingly. God's plan was carried out on schedule. Thousands of years ago, the Lord God promised to reestablish Israel as a nation. For hundreds of years, most gentiles believed that Israel would never again be a nation, but God keeps His promises. Israel is once again a nation, dwelling in the Promised Lard. God has promised that He will replace Israel's heart of stone with a heart of flesh. He keeps His promises. ------------------------------------------------------------------ ... The message was over. The benediction was given, and family and friends gathered for the celebration luncheon, where Kiddush (Hebrew blessing) was give by Sarah. One of the concerns I have is what is happening to young people. I see a lot of pain and emptiness among them in my counseling practice. I suspect that you have observed the same thing as well. And this isn't true just for the young, but it is true of people in general. But Sarah has the answer that we need to also give out. Hope and restoration can only be found in G-d, in the Messiah. What a blessing it was to hear the truths of Scripture in the words of a young woman. Sarah's testimony to her faith can give us all hope for our young people, that some of them do know the Lord and desire to serve Him. And brothers and sisters in the Lord, her message can become our message, the message of salvation and forgiveness for sin. Let us say with Moses, and Sarah, "Hineni!" - Here I am! I pray that if you don't know Sarah's Messiah, Y'shua Ha Mashiach, that you will desire to come to a relationship with Him. It is only through the sacrifice of the Lamb of G-d that you can find relationship with the G-d of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If we can help please contact us here at Morning Star. May you find the Shalom of Y'shua. - Pastor Geoff Kragen Anee M'Amin Lox, Bagels, and the Bread of Life by Steve Herzig ANEE M'AMIN is Hebrew for "I believe". Every month this column will feature the testimony of a Jewish believer in Yeshua (Jesus). ------------------------------------------------------------------ LOX, BAGELS, AND THE BREAD OF LIFE The Testimony of Steve Herzig ------------------------------------------------------------------ I was born 38 years ago in Cleveland, Ohio, which has a Jewish population of about 80,000. I was raised in an Orthodox environment, going to synagogue every Saturday, Hebrew school four days a week, Sunday school on Sunday, and Friday night service. Judaism was a seven-day-a-week affair for my family and me. I kept kosher and participated in many Jewish activities. At the age of 18, while attending college, I met a born again Christian. I didn't understand what the term "born again" meant, but over the next four years he and other Christians came into my life to explain such terminology and share spiritual truths with me. I however, deeply resented that kind of presentation. I regarded this young man as a friend, but he was my adversary when it came to religious matters. Before graduating from college, I went to California to visit my sister, and I learned that she was involved with a group called The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. She shared the gospel with me, particularly the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. I immediately recognized that it was referring to Jesus, which was disturbing because of my background and family. My sister invited me to attend a Friends of Israel Bible study. Quite frankly, the only reason I went was because they were serving free lox and bagels. She told me I didn't have to listen to the speaker or talk to anyone; all I had to do was go to the table, eat as much as I wanted, and wait until she was done (she was singing in a group that night). And that's exactly what I did. But I had to admit I was fascinated by the mix of people who attended the study - there were Jews, Gentiles, believers, and nonbelievers. They were nothing like my friends at college in Ohio, who were very radical and believed anything and everything. Rather, these were middle-aged people who had mortgages, car payments, and kids in school and everyone, whether a believer or not, told me they were searching for the truth. That was very interesting, and I went back to the table to take some literature, which, of course, was published by The Friends of Israel. That evening I went home, read the literature, and invited Jesus to come into my heart. But nothing happened. There was no explosion or vibration of the bed - my body didn't shake - so I thought God had rejected me. A few days later, my sister and I went to Disneyland. While waiting in line to enter one of the attractions, I asked, "How do you know if you're born again?" She explained that a person is born again when he understands that he is a sinner and has received Jesus Christ into his heart as his Savior from sin. I told her that I had done that but that I felt God had rejected me because I was still the same person. She then gave me my first lesson in discipleship. "Steve," she said, "God is going to make you the best you possible. Don't think that you're going to be just like us, because you're not. Take your eyes off of man and put them on the Lord Jesus." Shortly thereafter, I moved to Southern California, and for the next year a very godly man helped me to grow in Christ. He practiced his Bible study lessons as we played softball together, and, although he didn't realize it, he was instructing me in the Word of God. I attended his Bible study, went out on visitation with him, and matured in Christ. He later recommended me to the leadership of The Friends of Israel and they extended to me an invitation to participate in their Atlantic City summer program. I accepted because I felt I had nothing to lose, and I wanted to be educated in the Scriptures. I spent the summer in Atlantic City and went on to Philadelphia College of Bible for two years of further Bible training. During my time in Bible college, I served as a volunteer with The Friends of Israel later became a part-time worker, and joined the Mission full-time in 1978. That same year I married Alice, whom I had met during the Atlantic City summer program. When we first discussed where the Lord might lead us in His service, I told my wife that the last place in the world I would go was Chicago. Of course, that's where I've been serving since 1979! My first months here were quite discouraging. In New Jersey, The Friends of Israel was a well-known ministry, but in Chicago-especially in the north suburbs-very few people were familiar with the organization. I had to literally knock on doors to meet people and acquaint them with The Friends of Israel as well as witness to people. Each morning I woke up ready to work for the Lord, and if there were two or three who were interested, it was a banner day. In the middle of 1980, I received a telephone call from a man who wanted me to meet a Jewish man and his Gentile wife who were very interested in spiritual things. We met, they both came to know Christ, and that encounter seemed to mark a turning point in my ministry. A number of years later I met another servant of the Lord who presented me with the opportunity to minister to Russian Jewish immigrants. In those days they were trickling into Chicago. Now there are literally thousands pouring into this area. In October 1991 I was appointed Central States Director for The Friends of Israel and the ministry has spread into many areas - both geographically and in types of outreach - that we never dreamed of in 1979. Truly the Lord has done great and mighty things in our midst, for which we will be eternally grateful. Please pray with us that He will continue to bring many of the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" to Himself through this ministry as we continue to serve Him. (From ISRAEL MY GLORY magazine, Dec 1991/Jan 1992) Witnessing Column Cut the Jargon by David J. Beiswenger ------------------------------------------------------------------ Cut the Jargon by David J. Beiswenger Kenosha, Wisconsin ------------------------------------------------------------------ I remember one day, a few years back, being in the student union of the University of Wisconsin, Parkside. There had been an African Music symposium in a conference room next to the TV room in that building. I was in the TV room studying, when a young black man, coming out of the symposium, approached me with what seemed like a question. "Way da means bafumay?" he asked. "What?" I replied. He repeated his query, which now sounded like, "Wayr da means bafumayt?" Somewhere in the very deep recesses of my mind I knew what he was saying. My conscious mind however, was theorizing that this man was speaking in some ancient African dialect and doesn't realize that I do not understand him. "I'm sorry, say that one more time please" I asked, knowing that this time I would be able to decipher this coded message. His words were slow and deliberate. It was as if he where reaching out to an imbecile whom he wanted very much to understand this message of great importance. A message that could no longer be held back, one that demanded immediate response, "Whay da menns baf room eh!" he cried. At last I knew. I now fully understood the nature of his question, and the urgency which bade him ask again and again until the location of the secret place in question had been known. The men's room, this poor fellow was asking me, "Where's the men's bathroom at?" I pointed to its location with as much clarity as his original request to me. I watched as he went down the hall trying to make sense of my directions. He looked around and finally asked some guy on the phone for further directions, to which I saw the other fellow mouth, "what?" I realized after this that this fellow's culture was very different from my own. I remember wondering whether I would be able to relate to anyone in it should I have to. This experience made me think that maybe my world and his were so far apart that it would be very difficult for the two to come together. The point of all this, is that the Christian world is viewed by many on the outside as such, who don't relate to the JARGON. Even simple statements like, "You must accept the Lord as your personal Savior" evoke visions of a small pocket sized lord that follows you around like an imaginary friend. Not the type of image you want to present. Words like; grace, trinity, rapture; that embody hard to explain concepts for us, are Greek to most non-Christians. Does it help to tell a lost person to, "let Jesus come into your heart?" Christians know that this is a reference to John 15, but to non-Christians it sounds like something out of "The Exorcist." Those are some of the less obvious examples. Don't think that I am advocating hiding your faith. NOT AT ALL. What I am addressing is the mistaken belief that spouting out a bunch of meaningless jargon is SHARING your faith. I've seen many a lost person walk away from a well meaning brother or sister, thinking to themselves, "These people are weird or just plain brainwashed." Don't be afraid to put Scripture in your own words (just don't change the meaning) when talking to someone who does not yet accept the Bible as truth. Most people will not respond to the 5 minute gospel. They want to SEE the gospel in you. Prayer Guidelines Prayer and Emotions by Michael Wilkinson The place of emotions within the context of worship, prayer, and the Christian life in general, is one open to many views. If we are actually relating to the Lord with our prayers, can we be emotionally uninvolved? We are created in the image of God, and one aspect of that image is emotion. This question of the relationship between prayer and emotions is examined in this second article of this series. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Prayer and Emotion by Michael Wilkinson ------------------------------------------------------------------ THE SCENE: A group of believers are meeting together for a prayer meeting and Bible study session. The participants are taking turns praying out loud. One woman, in her turn, begins praying for a friend of hers. She begins to cry in spite of herself. She struggles to keep her composure, but her voice becomes bleary, her eyes fill with tears and she is unable to continue for the moment. Looking around the room, we see the blank looks of the others and an uncomfortable silence. Most don't know what to do. Someone hands the woman a tissue while thinking to herself, "Imagine her crying during prayer time. I thought she was more mature than that." Hoping to relieve everyone's embarrassment, someone else begins to pray. Meanwhile, the woman feels the need to apologize, and perhaps pray at home or silently from now on. If you've never been in a similar situation, count your blessings, for I have seen it too many times. And I can't begin to tell you how many times I have heard "Thank you Lord for this wonderful day" prayed in a voice less joyful than a dial-tone. So, have modern believers become uncomfortable with the expression of emotions? Have normal human emotions become out of place in church? Or, worse yet, have we stopped caring strongly about anything other than the respect of others? True worship comes from the whole of man's being. When we pray to God, it is not simply speaking words. Praise is not limited to an intellectual exercise. Although praise is based on the facts of who God is, it is our spirit and emotions that cause us to praise. Likewise, when we bring petitions to God, whether for our own needs or the needs of others, if we are truly caring people we cannot come devoid of feelings. Consider these two examples: "Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms." (Psalms 95:1-2) Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly." (Ezra 10:1) Praise and repentance are very emotional actions. They are not solely made up of emotions. It's easy to fake these activities with the appearance of emotions. Perhaps this is part of the reason the church is uncomfortable with the overt display of emotion. Yet to "shout joyfully" to the Lord can't be done without feeling it. Without feelings, man is only left with reason, and "shout joyfully" doesn't fit any logical equation. Another issue is sincerity. Emotional worship can't make a person more sincere. Yet you won't find many sincere people who aren't experiencing strong feelings. This is not to say that non- demonstrative people in the church are insincere. Christians need to be free to show their sincerity through feelings. As a result they uplift all believers who hear them. Unbelievers too may hear the hearts of the believer. The testimony of one who can honestly show his/her deep love of God is a truly powerful witness to the reality of the Lord. Our emotions are not strange or unwarranted in God's sight. He commands us, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15). The love we have for others should motivate our prayers. This is expected of us by God. If we have trouble praying for others, we need to be more responsive to their joys and sorrows. The church needs to experience much more rejoicing "with those who rejoice." Many prayer meetings have far too few prayers of praise and thanksgiving. We need to let the happiness of others fill our hearts with joy and express that joy to the Lord in prayer. We need to express our own joys so that others may know what the Lord has done for us. When we act accordingly, then the whole church can rejoice as a family. I hope this article will help many learn to be free to express their joys and sorrows, to share their lives with their fellow believers, and to worship with their whole heart. SCUD Warnings SCUD Warnings by Jerry Johnson S piritual C ounterfeits U ndermining D octrine W A R N I N G S THE BOOK OF (PROSPEROUS) ACTS - (a satirical rewrite) Chapter 1, verse 1: And, lo, after Jesus was raised from the dead he again appeared before the disciples, saying, "Having conquered sin and death, I now command you to go and collect great stores of material goods and mammon, so that the world may marvel at all I have given you." 2. And behold, the disciples looked about and saw many material goods and much mammon and understood that it was good and much to be sought after. 3. So, the disciples departed, understanding that if they followed the laws of God, that great blessing and wealth would follow according to the will of God. 4. For, verily, did not the scripture state that God sent his son to die that we might accumulate great wealth? 5. So, in accordance to the commands of Christ, Peter, James and John did form the "Fishes and Loaves Catering Business" and, yea, due to being able to feed thousands using but two fish and five small loaves of bread, their overhead was small, but profit was great. And, lo, following many festivals, they prospered greater than all other catering businesses. 6. And Simon the Zealot did run for political office and, verily, became a man of great power and prestige in the region of Galilee and vanquished many of those that would thwart the investments of the other disciples. And, so, Simon was much respected and gained great wealth in his working with businessmen of special interests. 7. And Andrew, according to his manner, ran seminars on how to meet and influence people and, yea, he prospered greatly. And, lo, not many days hence, he committed his wise teachings to a best selling scroll and, lo, he gained greatly in wealth and comfort. 8. And, lo, Philip, after meeting the eunuch on the road to Emmaus, was lead into the used chariot business. And, verily, he prospered greatly and became the sole proprietor of 25 Mercedius Chariots Dealerships throughout the known world and his fame was known far and wide. 9. And Matthew, whom God had already gifted with a skill with numbers, formed "Cash from Carp Tax Services" and invested wisely in the Markets of Rome and, lo, his investments bore fruit twenty, thirty and fifty fold. And he was visited by an angel in the night who told him, "Thus sayeth the Lord, Go to all the world and spread the good news of multi-level marketing." Matthew did as he was commanded and prospered greater than any other disciple. 10. And the other disciples gained, too, in wealth and reputation above all others in their region and lived to be old and exceedingly rich, except for Thomas, known as the doubter. 11. And, not many days hence, there was a long waiting list of people desiring to join the church in Jerusalem... if their bank balance bore witness that they had learned well the laws of God. 12. So, verily, those who were poor or disadvantaged or visited by trial or tragedy were viewed by those in the church as reaping the results of the sin they had sown. And those visiting from the Far East did recognize the concept of Karma, and felt they had much in common with the beliefs of the church in Jerusalem. 13. And soon the church in Jerusalem was a source of great financial and political force in the region and its name was changed to the Mount of Olives Country Club and many powerful people gathered there. 14. And the poor and halt and hurting stayed away in droves. 15. And, during those times, the apostle Thomas, known as the doubter, did not take to heart that God had called him to amass wealth. And it was heard that he was acting as servant to those in pain, speaking of God's love and sufficiency in times of trouble. And great was the number of people who came to hear these words of acceptance and succor. 16. And, in time, the Mount of Olives Country Club did continue to accept those who were qualified, as there were openings by those whose sin caused them to experience hardship and, thus, were required to leave until their bank balance once again indicated God's blessing. 17. And there was talk of franchising the church, but those who could afford the franchise so valued their contacts at the Mount of Olives Country Club, that they chose not to leave. And so, to this day, the church in Jerusalem may be visited at their opulent facilities, reservations permitting. 18. And Thomas's group, which had little wealth, shared all it had in common, and turned the world upside down. ------------------------------------------------------------------ "MAKE THE BUCK STOP HERE" - THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL It seems quite ironic to me that we in America, the single wealthiest culture with the highest standard of living in history, have had a teaching develop that says God wants to make his people wealthy in material goods. We already are! Hopefully the above satire showed how absurd, and differently, the disciples and the church in Jerusalem would look if they were pursuing the same goals as are being extolled by the prosperity gospel teachers today. After all, once Judas had literally bumped himself off, ten of the remaining disciples were martyred spreading the news of God's love and Christ's sacrifice and tradition says the only reason John was exiled to Patmos was that he had survived being boiled alive in oil. OUCH! These men lived under the full, complete and personal teachings of Christ for around 1000 days. If anyone would understand what it was that Christ considered important, it was them. And did they spend their lives in ease, comfort and wealth? Nope. Like Paul, their lives were poured out like a drink offering to spread the good news of salvation. Somehow, I think they got it right and those who believe Christ merely wanted to bring us prosperity missed the boat that Christ built. Christ and the disciples spent and lost their lives focusing and investing not in property, venture capital and mass marketing, but people. Remember what the Bible says about putting your energy in things "that moth and rust doth corrupt." Well, how was that for preaching? Now, on to a slightly more analytical view of a couple of the teachings of the prosperity gospel. I will freely acknowledge that there are a number of teachers out there preaching this misdirection to whomever will listen. Some of these teachers are as deceived by what they teach as the people who follow them and then there are others, I am convinced, that preach this as a pure con job in order to get money sent to them. I doubt there is a Prosperity Creed per se, but we will go over two of the most common beliefs and line them up against the Word and see how they fare. "If a believer is in right relationship with God and has no sin, secret or otherwise, in his/her life, they will be blessed with material goods, physical health and will have no trials or difficulties. On the other hand, if there is sin in their life they will not be able to prosper and will, perforce, have trials, traumas and tragedies." Do I hear the dulcet tones of Karma wafting through the air? That teaching is strictly eastern in its origin and interpretation, and it is not part of the revealed Word of God. "Prove it!" David. After David had been anointed by Samuel, proved faithful and successful in battle and loyal to the King, he ended up living in caves followed by every misfit and malcontent in Israel while the King of Israel hunted him like a dog. Had he done anything wrong? No. In fact, he had the opportunity to kill Saul twice and each time refused to take the throne by his own hand. So he had bad when he hadn't deserved it. Then, after David is King of Israel and Israel is a major force in the region, he lusts after a married woman, commits adultery and arranges the death of her husband. Although he loses the son the liaison conceived, he loses no wealth and keeps his throne and position. So he had good when he didn't deserve it. "Well, that changed after Christ came... he wanted us to be prosperous." Paul. Have you read II Corinthians 11:23-27 lately? God utilized Paul to spread the gospel through the majority of the Mediterranean and look at all he went through! Now, I have heard that one of the prosperity teachers stated that Paul had missed the blessing and didn't need to go through all that. Sure! Paul was wrong and this guy is right. I doubt it seriously. Besides, read John 15:20 and II Timothy 3:12. The New Testament is VERY clear, if we desire to be like Christ, we will be persecuted like Christ. Both James and the gospels state that God uses persecution and trial to conform us to the image of Christ. James 4:4 says that friendship with the world is hatred toward God. Think about it. Adam and Eve handed this world over to Satan and it's been following his lead ever since. This world is a self-centered, violence-loving, status-conscious, stuff-loving, people-hating, God- avoiding, I-gotta-look-out-for-number-one place. Do you really want this world looking at you with envy? Do you want Saddam Hussein to say you're really a wonderful guy and he really likes the way you think? The world hates the Lord and, except for those individuals who come to Him, they will continue to hate the Lord and anything that even smells like Him. The prosperity gospel wants the world to look upon its blessings and be impressed enough to come to the Lord. I guarantee you; if they come, it will be for the stuff and not for the Lord! "God set certain laws in order and He sticks to them. So if we obey those laws, we are guaranteed blessing which includes material prosperity and physical health." I'd like you to analyze this concept very calmly: God has set laws in order that He will not go against, so follow the rules and you get a pay off. God obeys the rules. So who is in charge? The rules. This is philosophical and functional idolatry. Those who are into prosperity gospel live their lives according to the "prosperity laws," which God supposedly follows. According to their teaching, God is in subjugation to these laws; He is serving the laws, ergo, the laws are higher than God. I believe there is a commandment somewhere that has something to do with having no other gods before Him. "But God has committed to follow His own rules, that's his rule, not mine... I'm just taking Him at His word." It sounds Biblical enough... but does God HAVE to follow His own rules? Here are three things for you to examine and ruminate on. The first two are thought-provoking, the third may take some Bible study and prayer. 1) God created the conditions that have lead us to develop the laws of aerodynamics, which tell us whether or not something can fly. According to the laws of aerodynamics, which God created, the bumblebee, which God also created, CANNOT possibly fly. Wrong ratios between mass, wing area and lift. Either they are too dumb to know they can't fly or God is not doing things according to our understanding of His law. 2) Newton "discovered" the laws of thermodynamics and physics: to every action there is an opposite and equal reaction, etc. However, scientists are now discovering, much to their amazement, that when dealing with sub-atomic particles, so-called quantum physics, Newtonian law doesn't fit. An action does not result in an opposite and equal reaction. Once again, He who made the laws doesn't necessarily follow them to our understanding. 3) Read I Kings 22 and II Chronicles 18. In these verses God wants Ahab to go into battle so he can be killed, but Ahab doesn't trust his prophets' counsel that he will win. God then authorizes a spirit to go down to Ahab and lie to him, so that Ahab will go into battle and die. This is a tough chapter and I have known no theologians courageous enough to deal with this in a group setting. Is God "breaking" his own rules here? You decide. Main point of this is, either God is calling the shots or His law is calling the shots... one must be subject to the other. Which are you serving? In the Old Testament, God used the law to effectively prove that man cannot muster enough righteousness in himself to keep the law. Now a group of people want us to again submit ourselves to the law so we may profit and be impressive to a God-hating world. But then again, as the pharisees of old proved, it's much easier to try to follow rules than a living God. Next time: Programitis - the disease of growth. Bible Quiz Bible Quiz BIBLE QUIZ Relationships is the theme to this issue of MORNING STAR. In this month's quiz you have to match the pair of people in the top list with how they are related in the second list. The answers can be found by looking up the Bible verses after the names. 1. Benjamin to Joseph (Genesis 35:24) 2. Dinah to Leah (Genesis 34:1) 3. Elisabeth to Mary (Luke 1:34-36) 4. Elkanah to Hannah (1st Samuel 1:8) 5. Esau to Abraham (Genesis 27:1) 6. Herodias to Herod (Mark 6:17) 7. Jezebel to Ahab (1st Kings 21:25) 8. Kish to Saul (1st Samuel 9:3) 9. Mary to Martha (Luke 10:39) 10. Orpah to Naomi (Ruth 1:11-14) a) Father b) Cousin c) Daughter-in-law d) Daughter e) Grandson f) Sister g) Brother h) Sister-in-law i) Husband j) Wife Christian Life People Profile An Interview With Robin Cole by Teresa Giordanengo Morning Star Senior Editor, Teresa Giordanengo, conducted this interview with Robin Cole of Eighty-Four, Pennsylvania, who was an All American football player while attending college. He was drafted as a line-backer by the Pittsburgh Steelers, which was the first team in the National Football League to win four Super Bowls, two in consecutive years. Robin, a born-again Christian, holds a B.S. degree from the University of New Mexico. Teresa: Robin, you were born and raised in the Los Angeles, California area and the seventh child in a family of ten children. What was it like growing up in a large Christian family? Robin: I am thankful that I was raised in a Christian home. I asked Jesus to come into my life as Lord and Savior when I was ten years of age. In a large family there was always someone present. I was never completely alone. I know what it means to share and I know what it is to wear all the hand-me-downs. My mother was always there of course, and my brothers and sisters, but I remember my grandmother who was there most of the time. My grandmother stands out in my mind the most. Grandmothers are always more relaxed because they have already gone through all that mothers are going through now in raising a family and they can enjoy and love the grandchildren. Somehow a grandmother feels that her grandchildren can do no wrong. They love us with that unconditional love. Grandmothers always want to help, especially if you are willing to listen. Teresa: What relationships in life have influenced you the most? Robin: I would have to say my grandmother. She will always have a special place in my heart. She was a wise lady and a God-fearing woman. My grandmother always believed and said, "If you want to do something, pray like it depends on God and you work like it depends on you. Truly believe that you can do it." I bought what she said. She sold it and I bought it! I really believe in my heart and know for a fact that I can do all things through Christ; He strengthens me. Sometimes I look at the political offices and I know that all those things are ahead of me and only God knows what I will be doing twenty years from now. We are here on this earth for a time and I want to experience it all. Teresa: You were a part of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1977 to 1988. Did the fact that you were a Christian affect your relationships with the other team members in any way? Robin: It was not difficult for me to share the gospel of Jesus Christ because it has always been a part of my life. Through my days of high school and college, people knew exactly what I believed. They knew who was my strength, my power, my source, and my everything. It was easy sharing because it was just like growing up and saying I was black. I am black and that's just the way it is; I'm a Christian and that's just the way it is. I feel that I would never have obtained the things that I obtained in life if it were not for the Lord, because my help had always come from God. When I asked Jesus to come into my life, and help me and show me the way, He opened doors for me. Once the doors were opened, I walked through them with my head high and willing to accomplish the goals that were set before me. It was never awkward for me to share with a football player. There are many football players who are not Christian and yet there are some who are. The Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as the New York Jets, had a Bible study where we would all take turns in choosing a Bible verse, subject, or chapter and take the others through it each week. It was great learning together and praying together. My having the personality that I have, it was easy for me to associate with everyone. I was never the type who had to be by myself or with one small group of people. I could relate to everybody. We are all God's children and my job is to love everybody. I believe that people can learn and begin to understand God's Word because eventually they will get into a bind or be in a situation where they will need to call upon the Lord. If a person is an unbeliever and I have not shared, and they don't truly understand the Word and know the power of God and what He can do for them, then I have failed. I did not do my job. I am with them and they are my friends, so it is my job to let them know why I am the way I am, and why I sleep comfortably at night, no matter what the circumstances or challenges may be. It may be personal or financial or any other. I can sleep because I know the Lord will work it all out. That is the type of relationship I have had with the Lord. He has always pulled me through; He has always found a way. God has given us all so many talents and I know that He has given me my share. I want to use them all. I am not going to bury my talents. I am going to duplicate them by sharing and giving of myself, because that's the way it was meant to be. I love people. It doesn't make any difference who they are or where they come from. That makes no difference to me. Teresa: What role has the Bible played in the relationship between you and your family? Robin: My wife is a super helpmate and I am blessed with four children, two girls and two boys. So many times we run into a challenge, even as the leader or head of the home, and if we look through the Bible we will find the answer. I know many times I would ask my wife for her opinion on something, even though I might not do as she suggests all the time, but still I value her opinion. The Bible tells us how to be the leader, the provider, the protector and the guide. We learn all about life and how to treat other people, and how to relate to others, including our family and spouse as well as friends. The Bible has an answer for everything, even concerning our finances. It's all there. It's our handbook. There are always bylaws to abide by in all facets of life. Even in the car business I have a handbook. We know what is right and what is wrong, but your handbook to life is the Bible. Teresa: Getting to know people, as you traveled with the football team, has always been a very important part of your life. How are you meeting new people today? Robin: I retired after one year with the New York Jets due to an injury. Later I became a partner in an automobile business, and now I am back in school training for a dealership sponsored by the Ford Motor Company. When I played football I served on many charitable boards. I gave a lot of my time. I had many speaking engagements at charities and churches and other associations. I met many people and there was a lot of handshaking. Therefore, when I got into the car business it was the same thing; I was meeting people. I try to make the people feel good; I try to get them to feel at home and welcome in my presence wherever we are. I like to be the same wherever I go. I like people to be themselves and accept me the way I am. Many times I am out among people and when they see me smile they think that I don't have a downside to myself. Well, I know what the downside is with all the problems. I know what it is to be on the happy side too. It's hard for me to be a sad guy. I've been blessed. Why should I be sad? I know that the Holy Spirit lives within me and I know where I am going. I am not perfect but just trying to be the best person that I can possibly be. That's all I want to be. Teresa: What would you say to the young people today who feel that they can't make it? Robin: A young person must have a dream; there has to be a vision. Everybody's got to have a dream! A man without a dream is dead; a man without a vision perishes. That is one thing we are given, if nothing else, the dream. If we build on a dream, we can build empires. This whole world was built on a dream. It was God's dream. We are God's creation, made in God's image, and we were given the ability to dream. This building we are sitting in came from a dream. The clothes we are wearing came from a dream. Even the eyeglasses, they all came from a God-given vision. The thing that motivates us each morning is the dream. You will notice that those who do not want to get up in the morning do not have a dream. They have no goals set before them to do anything. They don't want to go to work. They walk around with sad faces; they never smile, because they have lost the vision. The difference between success and failure is the size of a man's dream! If I were to tell my children anything, I would first say to them that they must believe. They must believe that doors will open for them, and then they must have a dream and act upon this dream. They should always conduct themselves in the proper manner. Others should know by the way that they walk and talk that they are believers. I know by the way a person speaks, the words that he uses, and the way he conducts himself, that he is a born-again Christian. I can just talk to a person and know that he believes in God. He doesn't have to be saying this or that all the time for me to know he is a Christian. Actions speak louder than words. Many times people have been attracted to me by the way I conducted myself. I like them to know I am a Christian. Now I can share because I have developed a good rapport. God has taken me from a poor background and blessed me with opportunities. If I had not taken advantage of what God had for me I would probably be at home right now working in a grocery store or something like that. Whatever we ask for, we can get, if we believe. All I have to do is believe and do the work. Many people say that they asked God for something but He never gave it to them. Well, we must believe and then do the work. We reap what we sow. If we sow nothing we will receive nothing. We can also be sowing the wrong way and be getting nothing back, because we can be sowing in an area that will not give us the return we are looking for. So in all these things we must be taught. We must be taught in Sunday School by teachers who understand those principles of success. I think that unless a person has experienced this in life it is very hard to understand and teach others. We have to be disciplined and work in these areas to understand how this can work for you. When I was growing up we were not poor, we were "broke." We had nothing. My goal was to relate to anyone, no matter who they were. I can relate to the poor, the middle-class, and the rich, or the professional. I was in all these places. We all have to start somewhere. I had many challenges along the way. Once I got started I would never quit because I had too much pride to quit. Along the way there were drugs and alcohol that some of my family had trouble with. But I never cared to get involved with any of that. I chose not to be involved with drugs and alcohol. I was one of the youngest in the family, and in the middle of the time when all these things were happening around me, but I feel that I was guided this way. The Holy Spirit was with me and I never wanted to bother with such things. Teresa: Networking is a skill that must be developed; Networking is building relationships. As a Christian, how are you helping others in a crisis situation today? Robin: I am in the business of network marketing and I help others all the time. I have many people in the organization, including married couples, and I spend time sharing and talking about how everything should be for them. I always put a "book" in their hands, and the book is always the Bible. I am an Amway distributor and networking is the way we build a business. Helping the people is not really Amway; it's just an organization. But, it's the way a man by the name of Dexter Yeager has put this ministry together, that has caused this business to become a ministry of helping people. You become "like the people with whom you associate." If you hang around good people, you will be a better person. If you hang around with bank robbers, you will become a bank robber. There is no doubt about it. It's the same thing with Christian people and successful people. You will not have time to entertain negative thoughts that will keep you from reaching your goal. Teresa: How do you find the time to keep up your exercise program in order to stay in excellent condition? Robin: I lead a very disciplined life. I set aside some time each day for physical exercise. I will be working out tonight before I go to bed. There are three things we must remember. There is a mental, a physical and a spiritual part of our body that we must keep up. Most of the leaders of our country were athletes at one time in their life. They ran track, played football, wrestled and some of them still jog. We must exercise our brain or it will get stale. I read as much as possible each day; I read the Bible first. Teresa: What plans and goals have you set for yourself for the future, Robin? Robin: I want to help create a better world like so many super people out there have done. I can't do it alone and it does take money. I would like to work, and by the sweat of my brow, fund these projects myself. I want to build churches and a camp and create more jobs for people. I want to build a nice place where people can come and be happy and feel welcome. Teresa: Do you have any final thoughts you would like to leave with our readers? Robin: I always go back to Psalm 23, The Lord is my shepherd. I don't understand how a person can live on this earth and get up every morning and go to work and do all the things that they do, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, and never think about God. I don't know how some people live on this earth today, with all the corruption that is out there, without all the power on their side. I want all the power on my side. When all else is gone there is still God's power. With His power there will always be a vision to show us the way out. There are many people I know that don't understand it and are lost at times. I have never had to go to anyone to find an answer. I get on my knees, and the answer is given to me! Even before the challenge, it is there. It is fantastic. Ministry Profile Sentenced to Life by Susan Norman ------------------------------------------------------------------ SENTENCED TO LIFE by Susan Norman ------------------------------------------------------------------ Does your marriage feel like a life sentence from God? Ray Mossholder's did. He went to the Lord and asked, "God, how could you be a loving God and design this hideous thing called marriage?" Knowing from the Bible that God hates divorce, Ray did the only thing there was left to do. He prayed. His simple petition went something like this, "Lord, kill my wife." Arlyne survived those prayers. So did the Mossholders' marriage. And today, some thirty years later, this same couple is happily married and in the full-time business of restoring other couples' miserable marriages. Twice a year they lead marriage conferences for the Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Thousands of people from all over the United States have attended the conferences and many, many lives have been changed. Lorrie and Paul, a New Jersey couple, attended a CBN marriage conference in the summer of 1989. "We'd been married for three years, and it looked like we weren't going to make it," Lorrie says. "This was sort of a last-ditch effort. Paul had a real problem with being married. He liked the dating scene." Lorrie heard about the conference while watching "The 700 Club" on television. At first Paul wasn't interested. A week later, she approached him again. "Paul, this is probably our last shot." Paul made a bargain with God. If the money for the trip came in, he would go. The money came and Paul obediently began the trip down to Virginia from New Jersey. But he was determined not to enjoy it. "He was in the foulest mood," Lorrie says. During the conference, they learned for the first time about what the Bible says about marriage. Paul, whose parents had divorced when he was young, was surprised to discover that God Himself created the marriage relationship. "He had the idea that man made this