Letters Letter From the Editor Letter From the Editor Welcome to the June issue of MORNING STAR. The Lord continues to bless this magazine ministry. We keep getting good news reports from all around the world. This past month we received kind words of encouragement from friends in Canada, Israel, Norway, Australia and the Philippines. Please pray that the Lord will open doors to even more countries for distribution of Morning Star. The theme in this issue is counseling. We would like to thank Dr. Gary Collins, Ph.D. and the staff of the American Association of Christian Counselors, as well as Barbara Thompson, M.A., Brenda Poklacki, and the staff of Minirth-Meier Clinic Dallas and Minirth-Meier Clinic West, for their help in providing material for this issue of Morning Star. As I try to mention in every issue, we are constantly in need of stories, articles, testimonies and ideas! If you would like to make a literary contribution or wish to write for Morning Star on a more regular basis, please contact us either through our postal box or one of our electronic mail links. (Refer to the Staff List and Mail Links column) If you are wondering what to write for, there are two options. You can submit something that would fit into one of our over twenty regular columns. You can also tailor an article or story to one of our future themes, to be published in the Feature section. Upcoming themes are: Volume 1.10 - Christian Women's Issues Volume 1.11 - Bible Study Volume 1.12 - Praise, Prayer and Worship Volume 2.1 - 1990's Evangelism (Computers, BBS, faxes, software, film, television, radio etc.) In the Resource section at the back of this issue, you will find a list of electronic bulletin board systems (BBS) that this magazine can be found on. We hope to publish a much larger list in our October issue (Vol 2.1). There is no doubt that there are more BBS carrying Morning Star that we simply haven't been made aware of yet. There are certainly many more boards, perhaps hundreds across the U.S., that would love to carry the magazine but simply don't know about us. This is certainly an area that many Christians can help out with. If you are aware of a BBS in your area that does not carry Morning Star, contact the System Operator and ask to upload a copy. Please send us a note to inform us of the BBS's name, number, state and the System Operator's name. Lastly, keep the magazine and staff in prayer! The Lord remains faithful, we keep meeting our deadlines, despite many obstacles. The enemy certainly does not like to see the Lord's work travelling across the globe each month and is continually throwing his fiery darts at those on the staff! Fortunately, our God is an awesome God and His Will shall be done! In service to Jesus, our Wonderful Counselor! Toby Trudel 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 Your Letters "Thanks for the recent issue of Morning Star. I am anxious to find a few minutes so I can read it. I will see that Randy Mitchell gets a copy and that other copies are distributed. You have a unique publication. I trust it will bless many hearts and challenge many lives. God bless you." John Larson Chaplain, Ellis II Unit Huntsville, Texas "Dear Friends, Morning Star is a very informative publication and a blessing to read. I read it from front to back and find it insightful, challenging, and moving. I really appreciate the CFI reports it has stirred my heart to be faithful in prayer for Israel. You're all in my prayers and may the Lord richly bless Morning Star and speak to the hearts of the people who read it." Diana Bull Sheridan, California "I would like to praise the Lord about the Morning Star ... I'm so glad that from the very beginning of the publication I have a copy, though I've wanted to disseminate it to other pastors. But, it is very hard to reproduce in the Philippines because we do not have access to computer systems where we are yet. So what I do is to lend it to somebody who is quite closer to me. I am really very very glad for that, because it includes almost all the topics that could be taken under the sun. It is very very rich in information as well as the Bible study it has included. So, I'm very glad and so thankful for that." Roger J. Obe Iloilo City, Philippines "I would Like to take this moments to thank Bruce Derouen for the supplying the Morning Star Magazine to The Word BBS." Myong Yu Sysop - The Word BBS Orange, Texas "I would also like to thank Bruce for sharing with us this magazine. I had the opportunity of reading it today and thought it was great reading. I am notorious for keeping all my "old magazines". This is going to be able to help me just to save it on floppies." Larry Henry Orange, Texas "I think your magazine is great and a wonderful idea. I enjoy the entire magazine ... Keep up the good work." Mason D. Murch Wayne, Michigan "Greetings in Jesus' precious name! I wanted to first of all give praise to God for Morning Star magazine and its ministry around the globe. I stumbled into your magazine one day looking around a Christian BBS (Corpus Christi) in Napa, California. I was merely curious, but once I got hold of it, I've anxiously awaited its download! I'm pleased with your content and intent, and have prayed for you regularly ... that the magazine would reach the eyes and hearts of those who need encouragement, and those who are lost and need the divine hand of deliverance ..." David J. Blacksmith Sonoma, California Commentary Commentary "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" (Matthew 28:18-20) This is a very familiar passage, or at least the first half is. The call to go and make disciples has motivated missionary zeal throughout church history. Many mission organizations have used verse nineteen as the basis of their efforts to go out into the world, bringing the message of salvation to the unbeliever. But, does this passage focus on the call to save the lost? Certainly, the need to bring the Gospel is implied in the passage. You cannot be a disciple of Christ unless you have accepted His payment for your sin. And of course, that payment is His shed blood on the cross, the final sacrifice for all sin. But, the thrust of this passage is not limited to the need for salvation. It is concerned with the necessity of helping believers grow in their walk with God. And this growth is demonstrated by obedience to Christ's commands. Christ, of course, made His commands very clear. "... 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments'" (Matthew 22:37-40). To make disciples then means, first, presenting the message of salvation, and seeing it accepted. And second, discipleship is a life-long process of helping the believer grow in obedience to Christ's two commands. Making disciples, and helping them grow, is the major purpose behind Morning Star. We endeavor to bring material to non-believers that will show them their need to accept Christ as their Savior. We also provide information that will help believers grow in their relationship to God. Making disciples is the main work of the church, the body of Christ. This must include sending evangelists out into the world, taking the message of salvation to those who have not heard it, and instructing disciples in how to live as followers of Christ. Making disciples is also the work of the church among its own people. This includes the teaching of Scripture from the pulpit, in Sunday School, in small fellowship groups, and anywhere else training occurs. This should be the underlying intent of all ministry occurring within the context of the local church. The responsibility to disciple cannot be limited to the clergy or lay leaders. All believers are called to make disciples. The activities that go on in small fellowship groups should be examples of how we, as believers, can disciple one another. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). Some churches have discipleship programs where believers meet one-on- one, or in twos or threes. They spend time in the word, prayer, encouragement, and holding one another accountable to the teachings of Scripture. This must always be done within the spirit of Christ's love, or it can turn into something very damaging. (See this issue's SCUD Warnings.) But there is another place where training believers to walk in the God's way is practiced. This is in the context of Christian counseling. And it is to this area, that we turn in this issue of Morning Star. Biblical counseling is the most intensive form of helping believers to mature. This is true in any counseling situation, such as group therapy, marriage enhancement, family practice, or individual therapy. The purpose of Biblical counseling is to bring the truths of Scripture into the lives of those who are struggling with emotional problems. Basing his or her approach on Scripture, the Biblical counselor has a model for a healthy personality. This model is developed by identifying the godly qualities found in people. These are the qualities we received when we were created "in the image of God." The ultimate illustration of these are provided by our Savior, Jesus Christ. Historically, the church has been the provider of wise counsel. With the rise of secular counseling, activities appear to have moved away from the church. This isn't the case. Statistically, today more people still see clergy than secular counselors. Over the last years, we have seen the development of a new group, identified as Christian counselors. These may be individuals with clinical training who are Christians. Those who are truly Christian counselors allow Scripture and the Holy Spirit to direct them in the exercise of their professional skills. These individuals can be invaluable resources to the local Christian community. The Christian clinician is available where pastors don't have the gifts necessary to counsel, are already overburdened with clients, or have time limitations. Another area where resources outside the church are vital is the inpatient clinic unit. There comes a time when even the most competent clergy counselor has a client who needs inpatient care. Frequently, inpatient programs ignore the faith of the client, and in some cases, actually see faith as part of the problem. The Christian inpatient unit can be a God-send. Pastors should explore the availability of these services in their area. Those of us who are pastors need to remember our responsibility to have some knowledge of the skills, beliefs, and approaches of the counselors we refer clients to. As shepherds of our churches, we must be careful that we refer to clients to counselors or counseling centers where help is going to be received, not where faith may be destroyed. And being careful we do find that there are Bible-believing, Spirit-filled Christian counselors available. Each of us as believers must be concerned that our own church is a place where hurting people can come to meet the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. As Paul said, "Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). This means that it isn't enough to have sound teaching coming from the pulpit. We must also be a caring and loving people, committed to nurturing one another. Let us never forget, the church is to be a mid-wife, helping new babies to be born into the kingdom. The church is also to be first, a nursery and then a school helping these new babies grow into maturity. And as they grow, they can move out into a fallen world, reaching others for Christ. Finally, the church is to be a special place of hope and comfort where the wounded worker can come for food, rest and healing. This is where all believers should receive the message of the hope of eternal peace with our Lord. Let us do all we can to ensure that our churches are such special places. "Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21) Staff List Morning Star Staff List Morning Star Staff : MORNING STAR STAFF LIST 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 Network: Jerry White - Germantown, MD COMPUSERVE Network: Kay Hall - Cocoa Beach, FL 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 MSDOOR PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION Alan Graff - Wheelersburg, Ohio 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 Unity in Christian Counseling Unity in Christian Counseling We live in a day when many of the people we know are dealing with a significant amount of personal pain. Personal pain may be a product of struggling with abuse and/or other circumstances that have injured individuals during some period of their lives. They may be suffering the results of some of the choices they made for themselves. And certainly, Christians within the church are not exempt from this problem. The Christian community has a responsibility to provide an environment where this pain can be recognized and the resources be made available for recovery. Unfortunately, it seems that among certain elements of the body of Christ, there is more fighting about method then concern with helping. This isn't to say that all treatment methods are either appropriate or acceptable from a Biblical perspective. Frequently though, judgments don't focus on treatment approach; they are made on the salvation and faith of those caring for the damaged. In the following editorial we read the call for unity in Christ, not necessarily unity in method. There are many Christian practitioners who care for the hurting with only a desire to serve God. They desire to bring their clients to a mature Christian walk, helping them to be conformed to the image of Christ. UNITY IN CHRISTIAN COUNSELING Used with the permission of the American Association of Christian Counselors. This is an editorial from the January 1992 issue of "The Christian Journal of Psychology and Counseling," the official journal of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). In the summer of 1977, futurist author John Naisbitt declared bankruptcy. Five years later, his financial problems disappeared with the publication of his widely-heralded volume, MEGATRENDS. The book gave an upbeat projection into the future, spent two years on the "New York Times" best-seller list, and sold 8 million copies worldwide. Critics blasted Naisbitt for "bottling the obvious and peddling it as revelation," and some questioned the accuracy of his predictions. But nobody disputed the impact of the megatrend thing. Clones and follow-ups by other authors soon made their appearance. Maybe it isn't surprising that Naisbitt decided to try again. With the assistance of his wife, Patricia Aburdene, Naisbitt wrote MEGATRENDS 2000: TEN NEW DIRECTIONS FOR THE 1990'S. But unlike its predecessor, the new book got a cool reception. Some called it flashy, unrealistic, overly optimistic, "a megaretread of the first happy tome." Probably I am not the only one who found that is was just plain dull. Even so, in a world of change, most of us like to have guidelines for the future. Seers, fortune tellers, soothsayers, astrology writers, forecasters, futurists, and even doom predictors appear with frequency on talk-shows and in newspaper columns. Some of our theological colleagues have attracted large followings and considerable attention from their speculations concerning the ways that biblical prophecy relates to contemporary world events. Psychologists have long maintained that "the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior." The effective counselor keeps aware of trends in society and is aware of future trends. Most of us have considered some megatrends in the field of counseling and we know that ignorance of these emerging changes will leave us behind the times, irrelevant, and eventually without counselees. But we know too that only God knows the future. Only God is in control. And only God can guide our work as we move into the coming decade. This is the centennial year of the American Psychological Association. Psychology, psychiatry, social work, and related disciplines, including Christian counseling, are relatively new. In the first century of its formal existence, secular therapy has split into a variety of directions, and Christian counselors have done the same. Like the diversified denominations with which we are affiliated, Christian counseling is a collection of beliefs, attitudes, values, and ways of doing things. In the past two or three decades, we have drifted into camps - sometimes warring camps - where brothers and sisters build their methods and look with suspicion, and sometimes with hostility, on those who approach counseling differently. We talk about the value of research and the weakness of case histories, but then we ignore research and laud our theories, build on our success stories and the selective use of biblical texts. Few of us believe in the possibility of one "true" counseling approach. Jesus used a variety of methods in his people-helping activities and we are likely to do the same. Even those who believe in the authority of Scripture and the Lordship of Jesus Christ have different personalities and varying approaches to people-helping. We are diversified members of the body of Christ. We are not all the same. God didn't make us that way. But just as the parts of any body must work together, so we who are counselors must learn to respect, learn from, and seek to avoid criticizing one another. There is strength in our diversity. As iron sharpens iron, so we can rub against and sharpen each other (Proverbs 27:17). But there is also strength in our unity. Paul's words to the Corinthian believers could apply equally to us. "I appeal to you ... in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought" (1 Corinthians 1:10). As Christian counselors, we have different levels of training, different theoretical perspectives, and different methods of intervention. But our task is to pull together, serving the Lord as people-helpers who are diversified in perspectives, but united in Christ and willing to serve alongside one another. AACC is in the process of change. We have exciting plans for the future, but we must not forget our ultimate twofold goal: promoting excellence and unity in Christian counseling. To help us reach this goal, a new Board of Advisors has been formed, drawn from the thousands of dedicated Christian counselors who serve Christ every week in counseling rooms across the country. In most cases, these consultants were approached by telephone and asked to serve. Their reactions were frequently the same. "I am willing to affiliate with an organization that has a clear biblical perspective and that seeks to pull us all together." We can make megatrend predictions about the future of our field, and in some cases our prognostications might even be right. Even so, some of the future will remain uncertain until Christ returns. While we await that day and while we move into the future, we will all be more effective if we move forward together, united as counselors who are servants of Jesus Christ. Information on the American Association of Christian Counselors can be found in the Counseling Resource Area of this issue. Cliches That Discourage (Part 1) An Interview with Dr. Linda Jean Schupp (Part 1) As believers we are called to care for one another. We are to comfort one another in times of stress and pain. Unfortunately we frequently use common cliches as a way of dealing more with our own discomfort, that the pain of the one we are trying to comfort. Dr. Linda Jean Schupp speaks to this problem in this excerpt from a slightly longer article published in "The Christian Journal of Psychology and Counseling." Dr. Schupp's comments to the "Christian Journal" are concepts drawn from a manuscript, for a book, tentatively titled, "False Comforters." Her concerns spring out of the experiences of herself and her son during his years suffering with cancer. Cliff, her son, died November 3, 1978 at the age of 18, after a five year battle with the disease. FALSE COMFORT: CLICHES THAT DISCOURAGE An Interview with Dr. Linda Jean Schupp Used with the permission of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Taken from the October 1991 issue of "The Christian Journal of Psychology and Counseling," the official journal of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). Cliche One "God will not give you more than you can bear." There are two perilous aspects to this cliche. The first message assumes that God is the giver of horror or tragedy. If this was not the assumption, then the comforter would not begin by saying "God will not give you." The second implication can wield a not-so-obvious but equally damaging message, God will not give you "more" than you can bear. In other words, the severity of God's horror gift will be determined by the character of the victim. It implies that if someone is strong and mature that God will give him or her a double dose of tragedy. The strong will have more horror gifts and the weak will receive fewer. What a paradox! Scripture encourages us to be strong, courageous, and confident, yet the reward for such behavior is the privilege of enduring another onslaught of torture. If we take this cliche literally, then it would seem logical to exhibit weakness so we can avoid tragedy. I believe that the origin of this may be the misuse of I Corinthians 10:13 where Paul says that there is no temptation taken you but such is common to man. The Corinthians were yielding to all kinds of temptations such as sexual sins and drunkenness. This passage is not discussing trial, but rather providing a way of escape for those who want to clean up their lives and live righteously. Also, there is a freedom of choice for the Corinthians. They could choose to change the way they were living by allowing the Holy Spirit to control them. In the book I refer to a young father who accidentally ran over his daughter. This had nothing to do with his will. I Corinthians 10:13 is inappropriate to many types of pain and sorrow. In the Bible there are examples of indescribable murders of babies. For example, Herod had all the Jewish babies killed in order to destroy Jesus. In Moses' time the Pharaoh decreed that all Hebrew babies should be killed. Those murders were a Satanic scheme. John 8:44 tells us that Satan was a murderer from the beginning. Cliche Two "Have you given it to the Lord?" This question may be viewed by the sufferer as condemning. Often, when someone uses this cliche, they are insinuating that if you have really given a problem, pain, or situation to the Lord that you should no longer be bothered by it or at least not mention its existence. In their perception, the fact that you are enduring this pain is proof positive that you have not committed it to the Lord. The Apostle Paul was left with a "thorn in the flesh" and continued to suffer. Whether his thorn was physical or simply problems with people is not the issue. We do know that Paul's suffering was not a lack of commitment on his part. Rather than use a cliche which questions their commitment, my suggestion would be to offer to pray for the person and to find practical ways of assisting them. Usually the only person who receives any comfort from asking, "Have you given it to the Lord?" is the person asking the question. If I tell you that you should give it to the Lord then I do not have to deal with the problem. Galatians 6:2 says that we should bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. As a false comforter I may be ignoring the reality of the person's problems rather than choosing to get involved and help the person. Such a spiritual sounding platitude allows us to evade our Christian responsibility one to another. Colossians 1:18 and I Corinthians 12:13-27 talk about the body of Christ. Each of us has a function to provide and a ministry to each other. I should give what I have to the member of the body who needs it. Christ, the head, may tell the foot or hand to go and minister to the suffering person. The foot or hand may reply, "No Lord, that is your job. I can't do it." While the assigned part of the body is arguing with the head, the sufferer receives nothing. The body tries to give the responsibility back to Christ and Christ keeps giving it to the body. When we tell a sufferer to put a burden in God's hands, we must remember that we may be God's hands to that person. When a sufferer comes to us and shares, he is in effect putting it in God's hands. We should pray and suffer with them rather than deny our responsibility by saying, "Give it to the Lord." When I offer to pray for the person I am joining them in their suffering rather than leaving them to suffer alone. "Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body." Cliche Three "Cheer up and stop feeling sorry for yourself." This one is not based on Scripture or theology but it is said so much by Christians that I believe it needs to be included. May people believe that sorrow is not an acceptable emotion to express. Following the advice of this cliche can hamper the normal grieving process. In the book, I cited the example of Beth, a woman whose husband was killed in a plane crash. Her friends unknowingly rejected her when they would not allow her to express her grief. They forced her into playing an unhealthy role. Rejection, denial, and condemnation resulted from this cliche. It is as though the false comforters are saying, "Let's play a game. Smile and pretend that everything is all right." In doing so they reject the person. Also, they deny the person's pain and want him or her to function like a robot. These false comforters are protecting themselves from the reality that a similar tragedy could happen to them. In effect they are saying, "I can share happiness with you, but I do not want any part of your sorrow." "It is easier for me to deny what is happening to you in order to protect myself." In the case of Beth, her visitors also condemned her because she could not withhold her tears of grief which they interpreted as self-pity. In essence they said, "We came to help you with your practical needs and you have placed us in an uncomfortable position by grieving. We have to remind you that you are involved in self-pity, which is a sin." How much better it would be to follow the advice of the apostle Paul. I have found it useful to apply his principle of "mood matching" which comes out of Paul's statement in Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with them that weep." Many people think that they have to be cheery and pretend that everything is all right, which encourages the sufferer to deny what is happening to them. This prolongs the grief process. The scriptural principle that should be emphasized is to "weep with those who weep." Walk into the pain of those who suffer. Even though there are a variety of opinions as to the explanation, we know that Jesus wept. The impression of the people who observed him was expressed in the statement, "Behold how He loved him." (John 11:36) Jesus is "touched with the feelings of our infirmities." (Hebrews 4:15) Ecclesiastes 3:4 says, "There is a time to weep." We need to give people time to heal. We would not expect a man who had his leg amputated to immediately get up and try to run. Yet, we do not give people in emotional pain the same benefit. We accept the necessity of time for healing in the physical realm, but often fail to accept it in the emotional realm. Cliches That Discourage (Part 2) An Interview with Dr. Linda Jean Schupp (Part 2) FALSE COMFORT: CLICHES THAT DISCOURAGE An Interview with Dr. Linda Jean Schupp (continued) Cliche Four "God wants to make you dependent upon him." First of all, let me clarify that I believe that it is important to be truly dependent upon the Lord. We must depend upon Jesus as our source of salvation and the Holy Spirit to guide, direct, and empower us to live the Christian life. However, sometimes this cliche can be interpreted so as to create pathology. My concern regarding this cliche lies again in the perception of the image of God. Every time that something catastrophic or terrible happens it should not be interpreted as God trying to make us dependent upon him. In my book, I give the illustration of a woman with a mentally handicapped child who was abandoned by her husband. When someone stated this cliche to her, she could not understand why God would delight in seeing his children become like her son who was not able to walk, speak, make decisions, or take care of himself in any way. Passive dependency and true spirituality should be differentiated. In some cases, the church says that an infant-like dependency is considered spirituality. However, Paul says in the third chapter of I Corinthians that Christians should be weaned from milk and grow up. The cliche may imply that the less a Christian does, the more spiritual he is. I had a friend who gave up his job and quit working in order to show the Lord that he was totally dependent upon him. Finally, he lost everything, including his wife and home. When he was at the lowest point, he said, "I don't understand why God has not provided for me. I have been totally dependent upon him." I told him that God may have wanted to provide for your needs, but He wanted to provide them through you. He may also have wanted to supply needs for others through you. You may have blocked the channel through which He wanted to operate. My friend had bought into a sick type of dependency. Paul said in II Thessalonians 3:10, "If any will not work, neither let him eat." Paul did not condone passive dependency. Dependency is normal as a child. Only as we grow into maturity can the Lord use us for His glory and purposes. Another example is that of a twenty- eight-year-old son who lived with his parents. He worked just enough to buy liquor and a few things that he wanted. His parents were amply providing for him. We would not praise this young man and hold him up as an example for people to model. It would be ridiculous to talk about how much faith he has in his parents and that he is expressing it more and more each day by doing less and less. Yet, in the church we sometimes consider passive dependency as great spirituality. God is not trying to make us dependent upon him. Rather, He is trying to get us to a place that He can depend upon us. When we grow up enough to be useful to Him, perhaps much of the suffering of the world can be alleviated. Cliche Five "It is God's Will." Of all the cliches, perhaps this can be the most devastating. To attribute the tragedy to an ever-loving, good God can inflict unbelievable pain on a grief-stricken person. To provide some clarification, let us look at four realms or aspects of God's will. The first aspect is God's DETERMINED will. It is fixed and unalterable. A second type of will is God's DESIRED will. His desired will includes all of the things that He would like to accomplish in and through our lives. For example, He tells us to preach the Gospel. Sometimes we do and sometimes we do not. He tells us to love one another and sometimes we do and sometimes we do not. The desired will of God is dependent upon our compliance on our yielding to him. The determined will is what God causes to happen. God's desired will is what He wants to happen. I have interviewed many people who have experienced deep suffering and grief. From my observation most people interpret this cliche to mean either that God caused it or He desired it. This is the interpretation that my son and I had when people came into his hospital room and said, "This is God's will." When people used this cliche with my son, he would say, "You should not continue to pray for me. If it is God's will for me to have cancer and you pray for it to be removed, then your prayer is in opposition to God's will." He would say it in a sincere and graceful way, but in his mind there was a contradiction in what people were saying and doing. I do not believe that God gives cancer to children or anyone, because God does not cause evil. He does not cause the drunk driver to drink to excess and kill an innocent party or babies to be murdered. Neither does He want or desire such tragedies. It is contrary to His good and holy nature. The third realm of operation is what I call God's DILUTED or DIMINISHED will. This is God's permissive will. God permits things which He does not directly determine or desire. For example, God told Jonah to go to Ninevah to preach. Jonah went the opposite way and eventually ended up in the belly of the fish. God did not make or desire for Jonah to sin, but He did allow him to sin. In this case, it was Jonah's choice to operate temporarily in God's diluted will. Fortunately, Jonah got a second chance to obey God and get back in His Desired will. Sometimes we get into God's diluted will through no fault or lack of yielding on our part. I use the example of a woman who had four children and her husband left her for another woman. Her friends insisted that these circumstances were God's will. The question then becomes, did God make her husband sin? God did not cause her husband to have an affair and desert her and their children. Neither was it God's desired will. God did not want the man to commit adultery. God's diluted will can be defined as what He wants us to do in circumstances that He did not determine or desire. With Jonah God wanted him to get back into the desired will. The woman whose husband left did not have an option but there were certain things that God wanted her to do in those circumstances. He wanted her to look to him, pray for wisdom, and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit so as to make the best choices possible for herself and her family. The fourth realm of God's will is the DISCIPLINARY will of God. The disciplinary will involves the actions that God takes to remove evil and restore good. For example, if we do not recognize and acknowledge sin in our personal lives, God acts to correct us. His discipline is for our good. Just as the parent acts to correct the misguided child, God is training us. The story of Noah and the flood is about God's effort to destroy evil and restore good. Many confuse the acts of God and the acts of Satan. They need to be clarified. God's intent and purpose in disciplining us is to eliminate evil and restore good. Satan's intent and purpose is to elevate evil and destroy us. A simple differentiation of the acts of God and those of Satan is that God wants to help us, while Satan wants to hurt us. Another cliche that is related to "It is God's will" is an explanation of why children die. People sometimes say, "Your child was so precious that God wanted him or her in heaven." Let me relate an example of a couple whose children died in a fire. When people used the "God wanted them in heaven" cliche their response was, "He could have made clones of them, or could have lifted them to heaven ever so gently without leaving us with their charred remains." People try all kinds of ways to explain causes for suffering and they may end up speaking erroneously for God. Also, culture dictates that we have to find a reason to explain anything that we do not understand. Of one thing, we can be certain. Proverbs 6:17, 18 says that God "hates hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, and feet that be swift in running to mischief." God cannot do the things that He hates. He hates shedding innocent blood so He was not responsible for the children's death. Another mistake that people make is in labeling bad events as good. This leads people to deny loss and act as though nothing has happened. Sometimes this is done as a misapplication of Romans 8:28 which says, "All thing work together for good for them who love God...." All things can work together for good if a person is yielded and allows the free reign of the Holy Spirit. But it does not say that the act itself is good. To say that a murder is a good deed is calling evil good. If we accept evil as good, then we do not allow the griever to grieve. How can you grieve for something that is good? The "God's will" cliche blocks the griever from openly expressing and sharing their true feelings. Another similar cliche that prevents full grieving is often used when the death of a spouse occurs. People might say, "Aren't you glad that you have your children left." If you only focus on what is left rather than what is missing, you avoid the grief process. Focusing on the remaining family members does not make up for the loss or make the family whole again. Frequently, false comforters point to the living as a distraction from the dead. The message is, "Don't grieve quite so hard. You still have someone left." While it is important to be thankful for our many blessings and count our blessings, this should not be used as an excuse to prohibit someone for going through the grief process. There is a time to grieve. The griever needs to look at the loss, grieve and mourn it, then go through the adjustment, healing, and recuperation process. This grieving process is thoroughly explained in the research and work of Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross. In closing this discussion on whether God can or will do evil, I would like to make one more point. God is perfect and perfection cannot create imperfection. Imperfection or sin originated in human beings through the influence of the evil one. I believe that Satan confuses the issue. He wants as little difference between himself and God as possible. Satan desires to discredit God. If Satan can get us to attribute his evil characteristics to God, he has discredited God in the eyes of people. Satan's purpose is to make God look as though He is evil and make himself look righteous. He wants the counterfeit to look as real as possible. The cliche, "It is God's will," has contributed to the slander of God's character. I am sure that Satan is delighted when people attribute evil to God because it encourages them to turn away from God as I did for a period of time. Praise God, I have moved into a faith that is based on the character of God. God is good! He cannot do evil because his nature is good whether we see it, feel it or understand it. It is very important for Christian counselors to understand God's will and have some discernment of issues related to good and evil. Otherwise, we will promote neither spiritual nor emotional health, maturity, and well-being. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Information on the American Association of Christian Counselors can be found in the Counseling Resource Area of this issue. Lazarus - An Example for Encouragement Lazarus - An Example for Encouragement By Russell D. Welsch As believers, we can comfort others, not using cliches as mentioned in the preceding feature article, but with the truth, as encompassed in the account of the resurrection of Lazarus. LAZARUS - AN EXAMPLE FOR ENCOURAGEMENT By Russell D. Welsch Pastor (retired) Assemblies Of God Man's disappointments can be God's appointments. With the natural mind, this is hard to understand. When we begin to experience disappointments and trials, when our faith and devotion begins to seem unreasonable, it is possible to allow discouragement to become our greatest spiritual enemy. It is then God appears on the scene and begins to reveal to us that He is more than able for every situation. Many times this encouragement comes through the Word of God. The biblical record of the death and resurrection of Lazarus, (John 11:1-46), allows us to see how our hearts can be encouraged in the midst of disaster. The writer John begins by revealing the love Jesus had for these three individuals. Verse 5 reads: "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." Christ had a deeper love for them than ever was realized. Even in the midst of sickness and death, Christ was devoted to them. He loved them with an everlasting love. The first truth of encouragement is: God Loves Us! His love for us is beyond our understanding, far beyond our thinking. We should be encouraged in the fact that circumstances never change His love towards His children. Many of us have blamed God for disasters that have taken place in our lives. We seem to think that God's love towards us has changed to some degree. Human love has its limitations and endurance. God's love for us is deeper in its nature, stronger in its power, longer in its duration than any love ever known. The second important truth that brings encouragement to our heart is knowing we have the privilege of bringing our needs to the Lord. When Lazarus became afflicted, the scripture tells us how Mary and Martha reacted. "So the sisters sent word to Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is sick.'" (John 11:3) They made their request known. The apostle Paul, in writing to the Philippian church, wrote these words: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Phil 4:6) The writer to the Hebrews gives to us this encouragement: "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) How easy it is to forget the privilege which we have - coming directly into the throne room of heaven. During the time of the Old Testament, when the Israelites where worshipping according to the Law, the individual worshipper did not have the privilege of entering into the Holy of Holies. He could not approach the mercy seat. Only the High Priest could enter into the presence of God. When Christ was crucified, "the curtain of the temple was torn in two." (Matthew 27:51) You and I can now come directly - any time - into God's presence, presenting our burdens. God's love provided this privilege. Let us rejoice and be glad! The third truth that gives us encouragement is: God is in control. Perhaps it may not be as we have pre-planned, yet He will work to bring glory to His name. After Jesus received the announcement that Lazarus was sick, the scripture records, "He stayed where He was two more days." (Verse 6) In verse 11, Jesus told the disciples what He was planning to do: "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." Verse 14 describes how devastating the situation had become: "So then he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead." Verse 15 fully explains the ways of God: "and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe." Perhaps the disciples were thinking and wondering as to why Jesus didn't hurry to do something now. Jesus was not only considering the present, but also the future. This miracle was the last miracle performed by Christ before His death and ascension into heaven. Jesus knew the early Church would suffer trials and tribulations. Many would face disappointments. There would be times when the heavens would seem to be silent. Christ was mindful of every event that would take place in their lives. At the grave of Lazarus Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" Jesus knew if the disciples had faith in Him while He was still upon earth, that faith would remain and become stronger after His departure from their midst. The apostle Paul reminded the early church of this same fact: "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power." (I Cor 2:4,5) A faith which is founded on the doctrine of the church, or upon human reasoning is unstable and unable to sustain in time of need. But a faith founded on the demonstration of the Spirit is abiding, there to keep us from falling in the hour of temptation. While we are upon earth, we will suffer persecutions, face disappointments, experience disasters, but let us be encouraged by the Word of God. Let us remember, God loves us with an everlasting love. We have the privilege of bringing every burden to the Lord. Let us never forget that God is in control! He knows our every need, He cares and understands. He is working for His glory and our good. He will give to us strength to endure and bring us into total spiritual victory as we trust in Him. Tribulation and Patience Tribulation and Patience by L.E. Bartlett TRIBULATION AND PATIENCE By L.E. Bartlett Tempe, Arizona I once thought that being Christian meant that one would escape from the trials of the world. But then, life and the scriptures taught me that God does promise that we will escape all of life's ills, indeed Jesus has told us that, "In the world ye shall have tribulation:". The promise of Christ is not that his followers will escape every problem, but that in Him we will find peace. [John 16:33] So, our task is not to wonder why afflictions beset us - afflictions are part of the world, a part of living in a mortal body amongst other mortals who are as imperfect as we are. Afflictions are something that we should expect and so, we should be prepared to meet these afflictions as God would have us meet them. This was the understanding that I gained from the scriptures during a period of time when life seemed very harsh and unfair. During this period of time, I did not feel very close to the Lord, in fact, I felt a little angry with Him and began to doubt that He really cared for me. It seemed that if He cared, He would relieve me of my afflictions. During this period of time, I was guided to the scriptures by a very wise woman, my mother. She opened the scriptures and asked, "Show me where God has said that mortal life would be fair?" My reply was that a loving God should be fair, and in return she told me, "God is fair - but His fairness is seen when you look at things from an eternal perspective. Christ has promised those that follow him that they will be blessed through all eternity. And when you weigh the hardships of this life against the glory of the life to come, you can see that God's blessings far outweigh any hardship we may experience now." She then went on to quote, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." [2 Corinthians 4:17] Then, she gave me a list of scriptural passages and told me that I needed to search the scriptures for answers. God would tell me what I should do to overcome my feelings of depression and despondency. The first of the scriptural passages on the list scolded me for my lack of faith: "And these are they which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness' and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." [Mark 4:16-19] I asked myself, had I received the word on stony ground? Were my roots in the gospel shallow? Was I allowing the cares of the world to choke the word of Christ out of my life? I had to answer yes. So what should I do to become close to God, to gain the peace that He has promised? The next scripture pointed out that I had been approaching God in prayer in the wrong manner: "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." [Matthew 26:39] How often had I asked God to let the cup pass from me? Many, many times! But not even once had I said, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." I prayed to be relieved of my problems, but I dictated the way that I expected that relief to come. I never exercised the faith I claimed to possess by placing myself in the Lord's hands. I refused to allow Him to make the decisions, instead I tried to bend God to my will. Is it any wonder that I could not find the peace that He promised to those who follow him. I wasn't trying to follow, I was trying to lead! Returning to the parable of the sower, I learned what it takes to become a follower. "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." [Luke 8:12] Patience. The Lord expects us keep the word and to be patient. But not just passive, apathetic patience. The scriptures taught me that it is not enough to have the kind of patience which simply waits for time to pass. This kind of patience hopes that problems will resolve themselves if we just hide ourselves away long enough. No, the scriptures speak of active patience. It is active patience that Paul describes to the Romans when he said, "... by patient continuance in well doing." [Romans 2:7] and to the Hebrews when he admonished them, "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises ... For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." [Hebrew 6:12-15] It is active patience that is spoken of in the parable of the sower, "...bring forth fruit with patience." [Luke 8:12] And active patience that Peter details in his epistle, "For what glory it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." [1 Peter 2:20] Patience in affliction and tribulation means to put down roots in the gospel of Christ so that we can stand against the trials of the world without losing our faith. This means to study the scriptures, pray, and seek the guidance of the Lord through the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit. [John 14:26] Patience means to learn to look at life from an eternal perspective and see that God is not only fair, but generous and we have no reason to feel that the scales have been tilted against us. To do this we must study the scriptures and pray to understand just what it is that we have been promised. By growing closer to God in this life we can begin to understand how glorious it will be to be with Him through all eternity. Patience is to continue in well doing, even if there does not seem to be an immediate reward. Christ has said that those who seek a reward in this life will indeed be rewarded in this life, but that is the only reward that they will have. [Matthew 6:16] But those who expect no reward, who perform their services in secret without thought of reward will gain a better reward than anything that is available in this life. [Matthew 6:18] Patience is becoming a follower of Christ according to the manner that Christ has specified. He has detailed that the way to serve Him is by serving our fellow men. [Matthew 25:40] It is through the love that we show to others that we show that we are his disciples. [John 13:35] But most of all, patience is being willing to exercise your faith in God by putting yourself into His hands and saying, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." Trusting God to fulfill His promises in His own way. Does active patience work? I testify that it does. When I trust God, allowing him to decide what is best for me instead of screaming against "fate" and demanding that God fix things to suit my preferences, I find that I can accept my trials with a greater sense of well-being. I can feel as Paul felt when he said, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted by not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed." [2 Corinthians 4:8-9] When I concentrate on the well-being of others, offering my love and service to my fellow man, I find that I don't have time to think about my own problems. In losing myself in service to others, which is losing myself for Christ's sake, I do indeed find myself. [Matthew 10:39] Through study and prayer I draw closer to God and I begin to see things from a different perspective. The problems don't go away, but they no longer seem as important as they seemed before. The peace that God promised was not just for the next life. We can also find peace through Christ in this life. Now when I face affliction, I no longer pray to be delivered from that affliction, instead I pray that I might bear the affliction with patience - active patience that allows me to receive the seed of the Word in fertile soil, so that my roots will grow deep in the gospel and my branches will abound with the good fruit of service and love. May the peace of God be found in all of us. In Christ's Holy Name. Amen. (All scriptures quoted are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.) Counsel Counsel by Bruce Soren COUNSEL By Bruce Soren Goodwater, Alabama Imagine applying for a new job. Without hesitation your new boss agrees to take you on and proceeds to take you to a new office with state-of-the-art machinery wall to wall. With no further explanation he tells you to produce and disappears. You stare at all the wonderful machines before you, wondering if you have the courage or the know-how to operate and produce as your boss instructed. You decide to give it your all and jump right in pushing buttons, sliding switches, and flipping levers. All to no avail. Investigating closer you discover manuals to some of the mysterious machines and begin to read but soon discover that the manuals seem to be in another language, one you unfortunately don't understand. When the janitor comes in you ask him if he has any ideas. He tells you that the person in the office before used to push this button a lot and seemed to slide that lever but he isn't quite sure, he's the janitor remember. You go out in the hall and see another office worker rushing by. You ask him if he can help. He makes it known that he doesn't have a lot of time to mess around, but if you hit this switch the machine will give you enough output to make the boss happy until you can take the time to do it right. This process goes on for some time before you finally find an old experienced hand who takes you under his wing and tell you first hand what he has learned in dealing with the machine. He carefully explains what did and didn't work and how to get the best from the machine. All too often, many of us walk into marriage as though it were the job from the story. Without any real preparation we walk into something that, without the proper instruction wreaks havoc on our lives. That was surely the case in my own marriage. With the best of intentions we were joined as man and wife, living semi-happily for a while before communication broke down and our lives began a down hill spiral that eventually ended in divorce. It's often hard to say that there is anything good about divorce, but in our case it was the glass of ice water in the face that caused me to wake up and see that there were things in me that I had to face. Although my wife had attributed to me more than I believe I was capable of producing on my own, she still had many very valid complaints about my life and the way I was living. At this point I was turning to the "janitors" in my life who wouldn't know for sure if there was a problem let alone have the answers on how to fix them. Sure they were well meaning and had my best interest in mind, they just didn't have the answers. I knew that there were problems but for many of them there was no way for me to find the answers. I began to ask the harried passersby who were so wrapped up in their own lives that they could only offer quick fixes and short lived relief for the real problems that lay at the core. So many times I would cry out for help, only to be passed by because of the pressures of daily life and the cares of this world. Finally, I found a men's prayer group who cared about helping me. They were patient and listened to me during the hard times, that seemed to be very frequent at first. They didn't give up on me but included me in all the activities they could. They shared with me things from their own lives that they thought might help me. They loved me and showed me in a loving way the areas that needed the most help. It was in the counsel of this caring group of men that I learned to love myself, as I was, and learned to love my wife as Christ loved the church. We began to pray for my wife, that the hurts she felt would be miraculously healed and that the Lord would restore my marriage again. This prayer went on for about a year but was answered when, on April 11, 1986, my wife and I were remarried. Since that time we have gone as a couple to get formal counseling to help us resolve some of our problems but we have also relied on good Godly groups of men and women, who have loved us enough to share their counsel and be honest and frank with us. Perhaps one of the best things anyone can do is to surround themselves with good, solid, real Christians with whom they can seek Godly counsel. Counseling Resources Counseling Resources COUNSELING RESOURCES The following is provided for the benefit of the reader. Listing does not imply endorsement by Morning Star or it's staff, except where noted. INPATIENT, OUTPATIENT AND SEMINAR SERVICES Minirth-Meier Clinics (Refer to the Ministry Profile column in this issue for information on Minirth-Meier) Western Region 1-800-877-HOPE Eastern Region 1-800-486-4673 Mid-Western Region 1-800-848-8872 Southern Region 1-800-229-3000 ASSOCIATIONS The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) 2421 West Pratt Avenue, Suite 1398 Chicago, IL 60645 1-800-526-8673 The AACC is an organization dedicated to providing professional, lay and pastoral counselors with a unique opportunity to join other individuals committed to the practice of people-helping within a Christian context. The AACC will provide resources, information, and encouragement to help you in your counseling efforts. Dr. Gary Collins, Ph.D., has recently become the Executive Director. AACC has been an excellent recourse for Christian counselors, and the future looks even brighter. Membership includes "The Christian Journal of Psychology and Counseling" which comes out quarterly and is accompanied by an audio tape resource. Any Christian involved with people-helping should consider joining AACC. For membership information call the "800" number listed above. BOOKS Resources for Christian Counseling Word Ministry Resources P. O. Box 2518 Waco, TX 76702-2518 1-800-933-9673, ext. 2037 This is a thirty-plus volume series of Christian counseling books. Volumes are available individually, through your local Christian bookstore, or by subscription directly from Word Books. Dr. Gary Collins, Ph.D. is the senior editor of this collection. These books provide specific information on a number of counseling issues. (Issue # 3 of Morning Star reviewed the volume dealing with Homosexuality.) The topics cover everything from marriage and family counseling, to grief therapy, eating disorders, and case studies. The material is provided from an evangelical position. Recommended to those whose ministry is largely counseling oriented. Psychotherapy Book Club 230 Livingston Street P. O. Box 941 Northvale, NJ 07647-9970 1-800-525-6939 This is a discount buying service for clinical books. This material is secular and represents 81 publishers. A free no obligation book newsletter is available by contacting the "800" number listed above. The following two book distributors are discount sources for many Christian books. They each have an annual membership fee. Either or both are recommended for those who buy Christian material on a regular basis. Books are not limited to counseling books. Both also carry videos, computer material, records and compact disks. Great Christian Books also carries home schooling materials. Great Christian Books 229 S. Bridge St. P. O. Box 8000 Elkton, MD 21922-8000 Contact Customer Services for information on obtaining a current catalog. (410) 392-0930 Christian Discount Book Service P. O. Box 6000 Peabody, MA 01961-6000 Contact Customer Services for information on obtaining a current catalog. (508) 977-5050 PERIODICALS For pastors, clinicians, and counselors Journal of Psychology & Theology Subscription Manager 13800 Biola Avenue La Mirada, CA 90639-0001 An Evangelical Forum for the integration of Psychology and Theology. Quarterly publication from Rosemead School of Psychology, affiliated with Biola and Talbot Theological Seminary. Subscription rates: 1 year (4 issues) USA $32.00 All other countries $35.00 (surface mail) All other countries $43.00 (air mail) Journal of Religion In Psychotherapy Haworth Press, Inc. 10 Alice St. Binghamton, NY 13904 1-800-342-9678 - Call for current subscription information Subscription rate: 1 year (4 issues) $ 24.00 individuals $ 32.00 institutions $ 60.00 libraries Journal of Pastoral Care Journal of Pastoral Care Publications 1549 Clairmont Rd., Suite 103 Decatur, GA 30033-4611 Subscription rate: 1 year (4 issues) $ 20.00 For the general reader Solutions A Minirth-Meier Clinic West Publication contact 1-800-877 Hope for subscription information Today's Better Life A Minirth-Meier Publication P. O. Box 1924 Marion, OH 43305-1924 1-800-942-9500 The magazine of spiritual, physical & emotional health from the doctors of the Minirth-Meier Clinic. Subscription rate: 1 year (4 issues) $ 14.95 for one year $ 24.95 for two years Visa or MasterCard subscriptions accepted (include card #, expiration date, and signature) Biblical Department New In Christ New In Christ "New in Christ" is a regular MORNING STAR column written primarily for people who wish to learn more about the basic teachings of Biblical Christianity. The editorial staff at MORNING STAR encourages all readers to freely use this information to help new Christians grow in their walk with the Lord. In this issue we conclude our article, begun in the previous issue, on living a Christian lifestyle. THE GOD OF THIS WORLD (Part 2 of a 2-part article) In part one of this article (Morning Star Volume 1.8) we discussed the character of Satan, the "god" of this world. In this month's column we look at what the God of the universe has given unto His children to combat the evil one. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Besides the examples of Satan's power given in part one of this article, there is also the account in Matthew 8:29 when Jesus went to cast demons out of a couple of men. These demons shouted at Him and asked if Jesus had come to impose their eternal torment on them before the designated time. Of course Christ hadn't come to do this, but only to cast them out of the men. The demons, as they addressed Jesus, referred to Him as "the Son of God." This was a clear sign that they "believe about" Christ. In another Bible passage, it tells how Satan will be permanently tossed out of heaven down to earth during the Earth's last few years. He will cause worse misery for people than ever before, because he will know his time is short. (Revelation 12:12) Satan and his demons know who Jesus is and they know their scripture too. Being aware of his power, what are Christians to do if they sense Satan causing problems for them? If you recall from earlier, we have many weapons, (Ephesians 6:10-18), the greatest of which is to PRAY. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) What a Christian has to do is call on God with all his or her heart to get Satan out of their life, and he must flee. He cannot resist the will of God, and God does not turn his back on His people when they pray to Him earnestly. In fact, Christ Himself said that we could ask for anything within the will of God, and it would be done for us. It may take some intense praying. The Lord may direct you to correct something first, (i.e. make amends with someone you're quarreling with. [Matthew 5:23,24]) But God will answer your prayers. (Matthew 21:22, Mark 11:24, 1st Peter 3:12, James 5:16, 1st John 5:14,15) God says that you must pray earnestly, and not waver in your belief. You must have complete faith that the Lord will hear you and not hold any doubt. (James 1:5-8) So if you don't get an answer right away, keep praying. The Lord may be allowing the situation to continue to test or strengthen your belief. God sometimes allows Satan to test us and therefore will not protect us from his actions. Consider how God allowed Satan to attack Job, tempt Christ, and prevent an apostle from going to Rome. Never despair or feel resentment if this occurs, as the Lord knows what's best for you, and may be working to correct flaws in your faith. He does this because He loves you, though like any child we may not always understand why our father disciplines us. (Hebrews 12:6-11) Remember, we're not capable of understanding all of the Lord's ways. It's also a good idea to get another Christian to pray with you. The Lord says that if two people agree to pray for anything within His will, it will be done for them. (Matthew 18:20) Rest assured that God will not allow anything too great for you to withstand to remain in your life. (1st Corinthians 10:13) As the title, "the god of this world" suggests, there is a relationship between Satan and this world. The more you understand what Jesus Christ taught through His words and actions, and what God's plan for mankind is, the more you realize there is a lot in this world that conflicts with both. The world defines success by wealth, fame, or sexual prowess. Who do you think is the "driving force" behind these non-Christian pursuits in the world today? Through the reading of Scripture you will recognize Satan's power. You will also discover that his goals are always contrary to the Lord's. As a result it's not hard to see that he is the driving force. Compare the Lord's position with that of the world's on almost any issue. You'll begin to understand why He tells us that we are not to love the world or the things in it. Anyone who does, hasn't God's love in him. (1st John 2:15) He specifically refers to the lust of the flesh, (sex), the lust of the eyes, (material possessions), and the pride of life, (fame), as being ideals of the world. These, of course are in direct opposition to His standards (1st John 2:16) As usual, there's no gray area with God; whoever is a friend of the world, is His enemy. (James 4:4) If it starts to sound that Christians are to distance themselves from a lot of what goes on around them, you're right. (Romans 12:2) This isn't a call to quit your job, unless it's directly sinful. Paul isn't saying to cut yourself off from the unbelievers you come into contact with each day. What he does say is that you shouldn't be adopting the values of the world. You can be certain that if God made it a point to mention these things specifically, they will be the ones that Satan primarily focuses on. New Testament examples of Satan's abilities show he has the capacity to offer riches, fame and sexual distractions. As he also knows his Scripture, he's aware that it's almost impossible for a rich man to find Christ. (Matthew 19:23,24) He realizes that God resists those who are proud. (James 4:6) So wealth, popularity, and the lure of sex, are the "carrots" Satan uses to lead people away from the Gospel. Playing upon the natural desires of men and women, and granting them occasional "success" in these areas, is one way he blinds people from God's truth. He knows human beings won't want to get involved with something that opposes the values of the world. This is why he is the god of this world. What are we to do if our friends or business partners who aren't Christians want us to go along the route of some of the activities mentioned above? As that's a likely problem today, it's a good thing the Lord has told us exactly what to do. We are not to be associated with such people. We should try to correct them if possible, but are to have nothing to do with them and their plans. They are not on the same team that we are. (2nd Corinthians 6:14-18, Ephesians 5:11) In this world, you must make a choice of which team you will be on, Christ's or Satan's. When Jesus prayed to His Father, He prayed not for the world, only for His followers. (John 17:9) Remember what He said about making a choice between Him and friends or family if it came down to one. Christians don't belong to this world and the god it serves. (John 15:19, 17:14-16) In fact we are only visitors, passing through. We are waiting to arrive at our real destination with Christ, which is Heaven. (Hebrews 11:13, 13:14) Bible Study Fire and Brimstone (2nd Thessalonians, Chapter 1) The Bible Study column examines specific sections of Scripture. This issue features a study of 2nd Thessalonians, Chapter 1. This is the first part of a three part series. Future studies will include other Psalms, and books from both the Old and New Covenants. FIRE & BRIMSTONE (2nd Thessalonians, Chapter 1) New parents are a constant source of entertainment. This was demonstrated on one specific episode of the television comedy "Family Ties." Alice and Stephen were going out to dinner for the first time after the birth of their caboose baby. They had committed to each other that they wouldn't talk about the baby. And it looked as if they would accomplish their goal. Unfortunately, at the table next to them was another couple with a brand new baby. Alice turned and, as most people would be inclined to do, smiled and tried to get the baby to smile. Realizing that she was disturbing the parents, she apologized with the information that their new baby was at home. Soon Stephen had whipped out the pictures, and even the couple with the baby brought out pictures, saying the baby wasn't feeling well and so he looked better in the pictures. As a result, both couples' dinner was disrupted by the discussion about the respective infants. A common source of jokes centers around the couple who brings out the family albums, films or video tapes of their little "crumb cruncher," inflicting the material on any unwary guest. But in spite of the endless hours of infliction of babies most people are more than sympathetic of the proud parents. Each of us has felt the need to brag about someone or something at least once in our life. Even the apostle Paul found himself in the position of wanting to boast about those he considered like his own children: the Thessalonians. It was the early 50s (A.D.), and Paul was in Corinth. He had just been informed that "the Thessalonians were continuing to grow and to remain faithful to Christ in spite of persecution." * On the other hand, "false teaching concerning the day of the Lord had entered the church and was causing confusion and leading some of the Christians to quit their jobs in expectation of the Lord's return." ** It was in light of these facts that Paul sat down to pen the second letter to the Thessalonians. We would do well to use his approach as we strive to help one another grow. First, Paul identifies the Thessalonians' past progress (Chapter 1). Next, he spoke to the need for correction of current error (Chapter 2). Finally, he encouraged these believers with the hope of their positive future (Chapter 3). In this, the first of three articles, the positive response of these believers will be examined. Also, the factors involved in their hope and confidence will be explained. These same truths that were a comfort to the Thessalonians serve as a comfort for today's Christians. Paul opens the letter with a greeting that is similar to a number of his other letters. He informs the reader that the message comes not just from him, but also from Silas, or Silvanus and Timothy. The content of the letter, comes not from those named, but God. The letter also comes from the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is the basis of Salvation. Paul is writing from his authority within the church. Paul addresses the letter to the believers with "grace" and "peace." These are the Greek and Hebrew greetings. They each have specific significance. Grace, or "charis," refers to "the act of God in Christ whereby man's sin is put away and salvation made available as a free gift." *** Peace is the Hebrew word shalom and doesn't refer to the absence of war or turmoil, but "is concerned with 'wholeness', 'soundness', and signifies prosperity in the widest sense, especially prosperity in spiritual things." **** Paul writes to the Thessalonians based on the foundation of their relationship with God, grounded on the shed blood of Christ. Paul deals with them as believers, and his praises, concerns and instructions are based on the reality of their salvation. In his salutation, he informs them that his words carry the weight of divine authority. Before Paul can get to the main point of his letter, he feels thrust upon him the need, the duty to thank God for these believers. His specific reasons for his thankfulness are: First, the ever-increasing faith demonstrated by them. And second, along with the increase in faith, they showed growth in the depth of the relationship among themselves, that is an increase in agape. Agape is the love of God, putting the needs of others ahead of their own, lived out through believers. Paul is like a proud father, bubbling over with joy and excitement at the spiritual growth of God's children in this body. And, like the exuberant father, he even finds himself boasting to some of the other churches he comes in contact with. He speaks of the qualities found within the Thessalonian body. If possible, he would have probably whipped out pictures as well. Paul's letter notes that the Thessalonians deserve of his good words. But even the Thessalonians' quality of faith and love wasn't the basis for his joy and pride. It was the fact that these qualities validated God's righteous judgment in His relationship with them. The believers' perseverance in suffering was proof that they were part of God's kingdom. Pain, contrary to current popular teaching, isn't a sign of lack of faith, a lack of love, or even being out of God's will. On the contrary, these things were proof that God considered the Thessalonians an integral part of His kingdom. Their faithfulness in the midst of pain showed that God was working through them. Christians don't need the strength of the Lord to stand firm when everything is going smoothly. But, if you are to remain true in the midst of trials and tribulations, then you must depend on His strength, for you have none of your own. It is because of the righteousness of God that He allows Christians to suffer so that they can be better conformed to the image of Christ. This doesn't mean that God brings suffering, but He does allow it. Suffering comes from living in a sinful world. All men suffer, both the saved and the lost. The difference is that the Christian can truly say, "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). Paul notes that the Thessalonians' ability to persevere is the evidence of God's righteousness working in their lives. It is God that empowers them in their perseverance. Their steadfastness is also the validation of the future judgment, in which the righteous will be rewarded and the unrighteous will be punished. The comfort here is that God cares for His own, even in the midst of their trials. This is the hope and comfort of all believers, that one day God will bring vindication for suffering and persecution, resulting in comfort for the saved. And, in a real sense, there is comfort in the fact that the unrighteous will be judged and will suffer everlasting punishment. The comfort is their imminent punishment, but the fact that God is a just and righteous God. If He does not punish sin, then what confidence can the Christian have in the truth of His justice? Paul makes it clear that this eternal punishment goes hand in hand with eternal separation from the Lord. The judgment will fall when Christ returns with His children. These children will include the Thessalonian believers. Believers will be compensated in two ways. First, and most important, they will enjoy an eternity with the Lord. Second, they will be vindicated by His judgment on those who had rebelled against Him and persecuted His children. Grounded in these truths, Paul continues to lift the Thessalonian believers up in prayer. He requests that God would continue to strengthen them and to help them to continue to grow in their faith and deeds, that is, become more conformed to the image of Christ. As they continued to grow, the name of Christ would be glorified, for again their faith was the proof of the Lord's working in their lives. Plus, they would receive the blessings that come from being God's children. Now first, it should be noted that the specific type of trials the Thessalonians faced were at the hands of men. They were being persecuted for their faith. It was for this reason Paul stressed that those who rejected the truth of the gospel would be eternally separated from God, and would experience eternal ruin. Second, with the coming of Christ they would experience an end to all suffering and pain. Just as those who have rejected Christ would be rejected, the Thessalonians would receive the reward of their faithfulness. Finally, it should be noted that their faith and perseverance were not the criteria by which they were saved. The faith and perseverance was the proof that they were saved. Works are not the basis of salvation, but the product of a saved condition. Without any works there is real doubt if salvation is present. As James wrote: "But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do" (James 2:18). Paul could write this same letter to the Christian today. Most believers in the United States are not experiencing the same kind of suffering, that is the type of persecution that these early believers lived through. Some of Morning Star's readers outside the United States may be experiencing this, but there is also no question that many of the difficulties in the lives of Christians exist because they have chosen to live according to the Lord's direction. Many believers' trials are tied to circumstances, poor health, a difficult economy or the inappropriate choices of those around them, and therefore are not tied directly to their faith. There is also no question that the very faith and perseverance that is demonstrated in standing up to these trials is proof of the Lord's working in their lives. While all of us would like life to be easy, or fair, you should realize that it is through your experiences in trials that you continue to grow in your dependency on the Lord, and to be more conformed to His image. Paul's message of Christ's imminent return is to be the believer's comfort. The assurance that what you suffer today will be rewarded in the quality of your eternal relationship with the Lord can be a true motivator. The believer can move toward an attitude of not only accepting present circumstances, but taking joy in the knowledge that he will be compensated in eternity. Finally, the knowledge that God is just and therefore, just as He will reward you for your faith and obedience, so He will also judge those who haven't accepted Christ's payment for their sins. This truth should motivate you as a believer to bring the Gospel to whoever the Lord puts in your path. As you depend on the Lord, He will provide you with the faith, strength and comfort to carry on, no matter how difficult your circumstances. And, as you see Him working in your life, so will others. As a result, the name of Christ will be glorified and you will also be glorified in Him. Through this others will come to know Him and to also desire to grow in their relationship with Him. As you struggle in the difficulties of life, it is vital that you remember one fact. Your very suffering is proof that "...you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering," As you have these opportunities you will find yourselves in good company, for remember, it was said: "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" (Acts 5:41). Christ suffered for you, so that you can spend an eternity with Him. Praise the Lord, not for your difficulties, but for the blessings and opportunities that come out of them. Finally, pray that you will continue to grow in your faith and love so that within the body of Christ you can care for one another as you struggle to glorify your God and Father. Even so, come Lord Jesus. * Thomas L. Constable, THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY, "2 Thessalonians," Victor Books, 1987, pg. 713. ** Ibid. *** Leon Morris, TYNDALE NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARIES, "1 and 2 Thessalonians," Inter-Varsity Press, 1983, Pg. 33. **** Ibid. Special Studies God Is Revealed In The Covenant of Freedom 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 sixth in a series of articles detailing the individual covenants found within Scripture. Last time we discovered the impact of the Abrahamic Covenant, when God revealed that it was time for man to relearn how to trust Him. GOD IS REVEALED IN THE COVENANT OF FREEDOM By Dr. Charles A. Wootten The next revelation of God occurs when He revealed Himself to Moses. God recalled His covenant with Abraham. Accordingly, He had mercy on His people, and therefore sent Moses to deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. "God spoke to Moses and said to him, 'I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name Adonai. I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. I have now heard the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Say, therefore, to the Israelite people: I am the Lord. I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisement'" (Exodus 6:2-8, JPSA). God instructed Moses in the building of the Tabernacle, ordination of the clergy, details of ritual worship, and requirements of the Levitical law. An exciting statement on the revelation of God, as seen through the eyes of Moses and Aaron, is found in the Midrash. Here is an account of the interview which took place between them and Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked them, "Who is your God that I should hearken unto His voice?" They replied, "The universe is filled with the might and power of our God. He existed ere the world was created, and He will continue in being when the world comes to a final end He formed you and infused into you the breath of life. He stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. His voice hews out flames of fire, rends mountains asunder and shatters rocks. His bow is fire and His arrows flames. His spear is a torch, His shield the clouds and His sword the lightning. He fashioned mountains and hills and covered them with grass. He makes the rains and dews to descend, and causes the herbs to sprout. He also forms the embryo in the mother's womb and enables it to issue forth as a living being." (Exodus R.v.14). This is the understanding of the revelation of God. It was this revelation that was the undergirding of the Mosaic Covenant. The Mosaic Covenant was given to the children of Israel 430 years after the Abrahamic Covenant. God heard the cry of the children of bondage and decided to set them free as He had promised. In this action, His redemptive purposes, His character and His way of life were revealed to His people (Exodus 1-5; Deuteronomy 5). The words of the covenant, more words than any other, involved the Law (Exodus 20-40; Leviticus 1-27; Numbers 1-10, 15, 18, 19, 28-36; Deuteronomy 1-34). The Law had three major divisions: Moral, Civil, and Ceremonial. The promises of the covenant were conditional on the same platform as the Abrahamic Covenant (see previous articles). As we shall see later, the curses were outlined in the Palestinian Covenant. Regarding the terms of the covenant, we find faith-obedience was replaced with legal-obedience. "You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live: I am the Lord" (Leviticus 18:5 [JPSA]) (cf Galatians 3:10- 12). Under this restriction, Israel could obtain the promise of life only by fulfilling the works of the Law to obtain righteousness (Deuteronomy 6:25; Leviticus 18:5; Romans 10:1-5; Galatians 3:21). Under other covenants they could receive righteousness by faith in God's promises (Galatians 3:11; Romans 4:1-5). A summary of the terms is: 1. The Ten Commandments, which showed man's relationship to God and man's relationship to man (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:1-21). 2. Legal obedience to God (Deuteronomy 11:26-28; 13:4; Jeremiah 11:1-10). 3. The heart condition of love of God that enabled them to keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; 10:12,13,16; 30:6-8). Unless God changed man's heart he would never be able, by self-effort, to develop a perfect heart of loving obedience toward Him. Interestingly enough, there was no oath of this covenant. Examining the blood of the covenant, there is an extremely detailed description of sacrifices that typified the atoning work of Christ. The blood, as we recall, symbolized life and atonement (Genesis 4:10; Leviticus 17:10-14). The Law includes many voluntary and compulsory offerings. The offerings include three voluntary ones: the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering (Leviticus 1-7). The compulsory offerings are the sin and the trespass offerings. We can see in the reading of the Law concerning the blood of the covenant that: It has a voice (Genesis 4:10; Hebrews 12:22-24) It is life (Genesis 9:4-6; Deuteronomy 12:23) It is an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:10-14) It is evidence of out-poured life (Deuteronomy 12:16,23,24) It is the evidence of judgment on sin by death (Exodus 12:13; Leviticus 16:15,16) The seal of the covenant is distinctly revealed as the weekly Sabbath Day (Exodus 31:12-17; Leviticus 19:30; 23:3; Ezekiel 20:10-26). This was a reminder that when the Lord had made the heaven and the earth, He sanctified the seventh day as a day of rest. God's day of rest is Man's first day of life. The goal of the Sabbath is Man's redemptive rest. It asserts the principle of freedom under God and of liberty under God's Law. The essence of the Sabbath is the work of restoration, God's new creation. The goal of the Sabbath is the second creation rest of God. Man is required to rest and to allow earth and animals to rest. This rest is necessary for God's restoration to work, and creation to be revitalized. Every Sabbath rest points to the new creation, the regeneration and restoration of all that things. God's work of restoration is from the ground up. The Sabbath has always had reference to the future. The pattern of the Sabbath is in the past, from the Sabbath of Creation. The entrance into the Sabbath is also in the past; for Israel, it was the redemption from Egypt. God's Sabbath for the Church is found in the Resurrection. In the next part of this series, we will take a pause to look at the symbols and types found in the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses. The purpose will be to find a greater appreciation of the covenants in the many small ways that God is revealed in them. Two greater names of God will also be discussed. Messianic Studies Jesus, The Rabbi - Was He Orthodox by David Bivin 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------ JESUS, THE RABBI - WAS HE ORTHODOX? By David Bivin Part 1 of a 3-part series (A transcript of an address first given at Christ Church in Jerusalem on May 26th 1987. Reprinted with permission of Christian Friends of Israel) INTRODUCTION "Jesus, The Rabbi - Was He Orthodox?". It may be jumping ahead a little bit to ask whether or not He was observant and orthodox. First, we must ask, was He even Jewish? And then, was He a Rabbi? Only after that may we go on to find if He was an observant orthodox Rabbi. It is rather shocking to find out how many Christians are not aware that Jesus was Jewish. In this land (of Israel) for instance there are whole communities of people, Christian people, non-Jewish, who do not believe that Jesus is Jewish. A friend of mine was furthering her knowledge of Hebrew in an Ulpan (a language school) here in Jerusalem. She fell into conversation with a young lady from Bethlehem, a Christian, who was trying to learn Hebrew. At one point in the conversation my friend said, "Well, you know Jesus was Jewish after all". The lady replied: "He wasn't Jewish". My friend replied, "Well, go ask your priest and see what he says". She didn't ask her priest, but she went home and asked her mother and father. The father said: "Yes, she's right. He was Jewish". The mother said: "No, He's not Jewish". So it was a tie. Not only here, but in Europe, England and the United States, we would be shocked to find out how many Christian people have never realized that Jesus was Jewish. Another friend of mine, who is a film actor in the United States, was commissioned by a certain person in a large city to create a mural of Acts chapter two as an artistic representation. This friend of mine suggested that it should have a wider context. The mural should not only depict the fire and the tongues and the Holy Spirit, but the men and women should be represented as Jews, perhaps in Jewish dress. After all, he said, "Jesus was Jewish, and His disciples were Jewish". The person who had commissioned the mural replied, "You know, my pastor said that in his sermon last Sunday, and I was absolutely shocked!" I could go on with stories like this, but if you just do a minimal amount of research, you will find that many Christians still believe that Jesus was not Jewish. Let me begin by saying a few words about Jesus' Jewishness, as obvious as it should be. THE JEWISHNESS OF JESUS It is not hard to find evidence in the New Testament for Jesus' Jewishness. Firstly, Jesus genealogy is clearly Jewish. In the gospels of Matthew and Luke, His lineage is traced back to the patriarches in typical Jewish fashion. Jesus' family was also completely Jewish. Joseph, the earthly father's name, was the second most common name of the period for Jewish men. His mother's name, Mary, was the most common Jewish women's name. Inscriptions dating from the first century indicate that the name Jeshua, Jesus, was itself the fifth most common Jewish man's name after the names Simeon, Joseph, Judah and John. All of Jesus' known relatives were Jewish. They included Elizabeth, Zachariah the priest, their son John the Baptist, as well as Jesus' own brothers, James, Joseph (one of the sons carried the name of the father), Simeon and Judah. The fact that Jesus and His family were observant Jews is fully documented in the gospels. Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, and as is still Jewish custom for male children, at his circumcision ceremony he was formally given his name. His parents also performed two other Jewish ceremonies in Jerusalem during that time. One was the "pidyon ha-ben" (the redemption of the first born), which Joseph symbolically performed on Jesus' thirty-first day, by giving five silver coins to a priest. The other occurred on the forty-first day after Jesus' birth when Mary performed the ceremony for her purification by bringing two offerings to the temple. Jesus' parents, we are told, went up to Jerusalem every year to observe the east of Passover. This devotion is exemplary and unusual, because many people living outside Jerusalem made a pilgrimage to the Temple only a few times in their lives, and some only once. To make a pilgrimage was a major expense for people who had to pay for the cost of the journey, the cost of the stay in Jerusalem and the cost of the sacrifices offered in the temple during the festival. The Biblical commandment of Deuteronomy 16:16, "Three times a year all your men shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that He will choose, on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths", was not interpreted literally by the rabbis. Pilgrimage was encouraged by them but not made mandatory. Of course, all the other biblical regulations pertaining to each festival could be fully observed by each family in its place of residence. The evidence in the gospels indicates that Jesus was no less observant than His parents. For instance, Jesus was in Jerusalem for Passover when He was arrested and when he "ate the Passover" with His disciples. JESUS A RABBI So much for Jesus' Jewishness. Now, was He a rabbi? By the time Jesus began His public ministry, He had not only received the thorough religious training typical of the average Jewish man of his day, but He had probably spent years studying with one of the outstanding rabbis in the Galilee. He did not begin His ministry until a rather mature age. What was He doing all these years? We know quite a great deal about that from rabbinic sources. Jesus thus appeared on the scene as a respected rabbi Himself. He was recognized as such by His contemporaries, as many passages in the New Testament illustrate. And Jesus answered and said to him: "Shimon, I have something to say to you". And he said: "Rabbi, what is it?" A lawyer asked Him a question to test Him: "Rabbi, what is the greatest commandment in the Torah?" And behold a rich man came up to Him and said: "Rabbi, what good thing must do to have eternal life?" And someone in the crowd said to Him: "Rabbi, order my brother to divide the inheritance with me". Matters of inheritance were a typical thing that one came to a Rabbi about. And some of the Pharisees said to Him: "Rabbi, rebuke your disciples". And they asked him saying: "Rabbi, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God truly ..." And one last example. Some of the Sadducees came up to Him and they asked Him saying: "Rabbi ...", and so on. Note the diversity of those who address Jesus as rabbi; a lawyer, a rich man, Pharisees, Sadducees, and ordinary people. Obviously there was a broad cross-section of people in Jesus' day who saw Him as a rabbi. To understand the significance of Jesus being called a rabbi, one must first grasp what a rabbi of the first century was and how he functioned in that society. The term "rabbi" is derived from the Hebrew word "rav" which in biblical Hebrew means "great". It was not used as a title or as a form of address. In Jesus' time it was used to refer to the master of a slave or the master of a disciple. Thus a rabbi literally meant "my master" and was a term of respect. It was not a formal title, but it was used when you addressed a teacher. From the gospel accounts, Jesus clearly appears as a typical first century rabbi. He traveled from place to place. He depended upon the hospitality of the people. He taught out doors. He taught in homes. He taught in villages. He taught in synagogues. He even taught in the temple. He had a band of disciples who followed Him around as He traveled. This is the very image of a Jewish rabbi in the land of Israel at the time. Perhaps the most convincing proof that Jesus was a practicing rabbi was His style of teaching. He used the same method of instruction that was characteristic of the other rabbis of His day. A simple example is Jesus' use of parables to convey His teaching. Parables such as Jesus used were extremely common among the rabbis of first century Israel and over 4,000 of them have survived in rabbinic literature. That is if you count only the full-blown story type parables. Other scholars estimate that there are around 20,000 parables that are found in rabbinic literature. It is of interest that of all of these thousands of parables, there is not one parable in Aramaic. Every one of them is in Hebrew. Even as much as a few hundred years later, 500 to 600 AD, which include texts written in Aramaic, the parable is always given in Hebrew. Next month: Part 2 - "Was Jesus Observant?" David Bivin has lived in Israel since 1963, when he came to do graduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. From 1970 to 1981 he was director of the modern Language Division of the American Ulpan, and also director of the Modern Hebrew Department of the Institute of Holy Land Studies on Mount Zion. He is co-author of two books: "Fluent Biblical and Modern Hebrew", and "Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus". He is currently director of the Jerusalem School for the Study of the Synoptic Gospels, which is sponsored by the Centre for Judaic-Christian Studies. David Bivin also serves as an elder of the Narkis Street Baptist congregation in Jerusalem. Anee M'Amin Anee M'Amin - Out of Control by Susan Liles ANEE M'AMIN is Hebrew for "I believe". Every month this column will feature the testimony of a Jewish believer in Yeshua (Jesus). OUT OF CONTROL By Susan Liles Addicted to crack, living on the edge, Susan Liles wandered far from her Jewish heritage - until someone suggested Jesus might be the answer to her problems. ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you saw me at a family gathering, I always looked happy and in control. That is, if you were able to look past how thin and drawn I was. If you saw me out on the streets in the worst parts of town, you saw the real me: desperate, frightened, strung-out and self-destructive. I was a 30-year old mess, using crack cocaine, addicted to anything that made me numb. Ever since I could remember, I had been trying to escape the horrible situations around me. When I was very young, my father physically abused my three brothers, my mother and me. I remember trying to protect myself, and feeling so guilty that not only could I not stop him from hitting me, but my mother was often hit as she was trying to protect us. My mother and father had been high school sweethearts. My mother was Jewish and had escaped Hitler's Europe. My dad was not Jewish, but had been a tender person when they first met and married. After he returned from Korea, however, mom noticed a change. The abuse--verbal and physical--grew as the family grew. The closest thing to a traditional upbringing was the summers I spent with my grandparents in Long Island, New York. I also spent many holidays with my grandparents, and frequently attended synagogue with them. Finally when I was 10, my folks divorced. By that time, however, the damage was done. In addition to physical abuse, a relative had frequently sexually abused me. At night, I'd lie in bed, sometimes using safety pins to close my nightgown, afraid that he'd come in. I could never tell anyone because I was full of guilt, certain that I was doing something to deserve it. Death and Drugs So as far as I was concerned, life was horrible and I was horrible. At 13, I began to use whatever drugs I could find. The only person who loved me, and whom I trusted, was my oldest brother Robert. When I was 16, he was murdered while walking down the street. It seemed to me at the time it was because he was using heroin, and had gotten mixed up with drug dealers. Because they never proved the connection between his death and drugs, officially the case wasn't solved. With Robert's death, I felt my life go out of control. I occasionally tried returning to synagogue, and enjoyed the services. But I finally stopped, because my prayers never seemed to go anywhere. Over the next few years, I made many choices which led me deeper into drugs and relationships with men who, for the most part, were drug dealers or gang members. I attempted suicide several times, almost succeeding at age 25, which resulted in my being in a coma for four days. One night, early in 1991, I was at rock bottom. My latest boyfriend had thrown me out. With nowhere to go, I checked into a cheap motel room. When I ran out of crack, I stared into the empty jar, then swung it hard against the bathtub. Holding a piece of glass against my wrist, I was determined to succeed this time. I didn't want to die, but it seemed that there was just no other answer. "God," I cried out, "help me." That night, I put aside the glass and decided to live at least the rest of the day. Even then, I sensed that something, or someone, was preventing me from taking that final step. Against All Odds Not too long after that, I went to visit my mother and stepfather. Two of my stepdad's co-workers had been praying for me and told him about Teen Challenge. Against all odds, and despite a normally lengthy waiting list, I was accepted into the program within two weeks. If I hadn't been, I firmly believe I would have been dead in that same time. I was so frightened the day my mother and I came up the drive that I wanted to back out, but something inside of me kept pushing me forward. Inside, I was greeted by many faces. These people hugged me, some said they were glad I was there, and others told me they loved me. "How on earth could they love me?" I kept thinking. I knew how lousy I really was. Being around them made me very uncomfortable. I didn't trust anyone, and could tell they were either Jesus freaks or liars. And besides, I was Jewish. Jewish people didn't believe in Jesus. Even though my life had been so atypical, I did have a sense of Jewish identity, which became even more important to me than ever. Happy, Loving, Truthful, Slowly I began to see that even though I had learned not to trust people, these people at the center were real. They were happy, loving, truthful, caring, kind and patient (especially with me). Everything they said or taught was shown in their actions. One morning, while meeting with a staff member, she told me how she had come to a personal relationship with the Lord and went on to say, "Susan, you need to be willing to ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you. Ask Him and He will." All that day, under my breath, I asked Jesus--If He was real--to show me. I said it before I went to sleep. I repeated it when I got up the next morning. That morning, after breakfast, I went into the classroom we used for chapel. When I walked in, I was stunned. There was a long table covered with a white cloth, set with a complete Seder service. It was beautiful. There was even a bowl of charoseth, the special mixture of apple, nuts and honey, and I wanted to sneak up and take a taste. Defining a "Coincidence" A Jewish woman, Artis Clotfelter, a missionary with Chosen People Ministries, was there. I could feel everyone's eyes on me and I tried to act as if I wasn't affected by any of it. Then I looked over at my desk where there was a sign that read, "A coincidence is when God makes a miracle and decides to remain anonymous." I went and sat in the first row as Artis explained how the Messiah was portrayed in the Passover meal. There it was, amidst all the tradition and ritual I had always felt comfortable with: the truth that Jesus is the Son of God, that He is the Jewish Messiah. I watched Artis explain how the middle matzoh is taken out and broken, half is buried and then raised later in the service. All of my doubts and fears fell away. After the service, I went for a walk with Artis. For over an hour we talked about God and Scripture. It was as if I had been seeing everything through a gray film up until now, and suddenly everything became clear. Talking about how much God loves us and takes care of us, Artis plucked a tiny flower that was growing along the side of the path. "Look, God is a God of such detail." The love I felt was compelling, but still I worried about how my mother and grandparents would feel. Completing My Judaism She explained that I would not be departing from being Jewish...I'd be completing my Jewish identity as I came into relationship with the Jewish Messiah. She asked me if I'd like to receive my Messiah. Part of me wanted to, but I hesitated. We talked more about the Jewishness of the message, and Artis pointed out Jeremiah 31:31, where God promises a "new" covenant. Once more Artis asked, "Would you like to receive Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah?" This time I replied, "Yes." I prayed, acknowledging that I was a sinner, separated from God. I recognized for the first time that Jesus was my Messiah, the son of God who died for me, the One Who loved me as no one else could. "I love You," I prayed, without fear, for the first time. "Jesus, I love You." ------------------------------------------------------------------ Susan is still living at the Teen Challenge residence home, growing in the Lord and actively involved in their outreach. Her mother and stepfather say that she is a completely changed person. If you would like to know more about Yeshua (Jesus), Susan's Messiah, contact Chosen People Ministries. (See the resource area for their address.) You may also write us here at Morning Star for a referral in your area. Reprinted with the permission of the author, Artis Clotfelter, and Chosen People Ministries, from "The Chosen People," March 1992. The WORD for Today Seeking The Healthy Church Family Before this last Easter, many churches across the country were involved in The Chapel of the Air's "Fifty-Day Spiritual Adventure." This program was designed to help local churches become "The Family God Wants Us To Be." The material provided focused on dysfunctional behavior found in families and brought into the church. The article presented here is the first of seven messages given by Pastor Geoff Kragen. They were presented at Foothill Bible Church in Lincoln California as part of that church's involvement with the program. The balance of this series of messages will be continued in this column beginning with the next issue. Additional information on the "Fifty-Day Spiritual Adventure" can be found in the Counseling Resource area in this issue of Morning Star. ------------------------------------------------------------------ SEEKING THE HEALTHY CHURCH FAMILY "Unconditional Love" 1 Peter 3:8 & 9 Over a many years of counseling, I have observed clients who are very performance oriented. They constantly strive to prove their worth by what they accomplish. They believe their value comes from the praise of others. They also believe they can only please the Lord by how they perform. They believe this because they learned, growing up, that it was performance that earned their parents love. I remember one specific individual who came to the elders of our church. He wanted to help us by going into the community, witnessing door to door and then also telling people about the church. Our response was that he needed to get to know us, and vice versa, if he was to represent us to the community. We were more concerned about his spiritual condition than we were about his ministry. He was not pleased with our response. He wasn't interested in being part of the body. He wanted to work. He said that the only time he felt close to God was when he was involved with ministry. It was clear that he believed that the only way he could please the Lord was by doing. It was because of this unbalanced view that we were not able to accept his offer. He immediately went elsewhere. One symptom of the dysfunctional home is: Personal value is dependent on performance. "I will love you, if..." Or, "Look what a great person your sister is, because she got all "A's." Often the performance-oriented type of individual is the product of parents who never validated him as an individual. The child was "loved" and praised, but only in relationship to the quality of his or her performance. The flip side of positive reinforcement for good behavior is negative reinforcement for inappropriate behavior. The parent or spouse says, "I can't love you because of what you have done to me." Or, "How could you treat me this way?" The spouse or child is valued when the expectations of the parent or spouse are met. He or she is devalued when failing to meet the other's expectations. The issue isn't even whether or not the expectations are valid. They may very well be. The problem is that the spouse, child or family member is not valued as a person. The individual is only accepted or rejected based on performance. Dysfunctional love is conditional, while healthy love is unconditional. This is true in our family. It is also true in the church family. This morning we are looking at the first attribute needed within the family, within the church, to become "The Family God Wants Us To Be." We are going to discuss the need to love each other unconditionally. First, let us examine the passage in I Peter. Next, we will discuss a couple of reasons why we often refuse to love unconditionally. Last, we will consider what it truly means to love unconditionally within the church family. The call to love, within the body, is not an option, it is a requirement. As Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35). Peter, in I Peter, Chapter 3, had been discussing the duties of Christian living. Now, he closes this section of his letter with directions to the whole community which makes up the local church. "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-9 Paul calls believers to get along with one another in love. Their relationships are to be typified by harmony, that is, they are to be of one mind. As we focus on the call of Christ to us as a church, we will be of one mind. This is not optional. Paul required the same unity of focus when he said: "Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose" (Philippians 2:2). Is our primary focus on our common relationship with the Lord? Maybe we are more concerned with validating our specific doctrinal positions. Peter calls his readers to be sympathetic to one another. We must show compassion for one another. This means that while we may not be able to empathize with the pain of another, we must recognize the pain and demonstrate the Lord's compassion for the person experiencing the pain. As Paul put it: "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15). Do we hurt when others hurt? Instead, aren't we more likely to respond, "If they would depend on the Lord more, everything would be all right." Next, Peter says to love as brothers and be compassionate. It is safe to presume that he doesn't mean try to kill each other, as brothers sometimes want to do. He is assuming that brothers love one another and that this is an unconditional love, a product of the relationship. "Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more" (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10). Brotherly love is a product of our relationship with the Lord and then each other. But Paul makes it clear that while we may have love, we always need to have more. Remember that our model of unconditional love is God, who "demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Lastly, note that Peter calls us to be humble. True humility is only experienced when we have an accurate self-image. If we see ourselves as God does, then how can we not accept people as they are? And what is the opposite side of the coin? Well, according to Peter, if we show all these positive qualities, then we would not want to get even with others. We wouldn't demand that we get our way. We wouldn't say, "But what about my rights?" As we love others, and give up the right to our rights, then we will truly be able to love others unconditionally. Then we will be able to fulfill Christ's command to love one another. So, why don't we love unconditionally? I think there are at least two reasons for this. First, we often take on God's role, demanding that others behave Biblically, righteously and justly. The problem here is that while we may be correct in our assessment of another's behavior, we are confusing the call to disciple one another with being judgmental. We will love those that meet our "Biblical" expectations. And often, our expectations aren't even grounded in Scripture. David Mains lists several excuses that we use to withhold our love. * Someone's taste in music is different. * Someone wears clothes others don't think are appropriate for the Sunday morning service. * Someone's been going to a charismatic Bible study. * Someone's been going to a theater, etc. * Now understand, I am not talking about compromise of truth here. After all, since God loves us, He expects obedience from us. His love provided the payment for our sin. But, God is concerned that we manifest His love, so we can grow in maturity, striving to become more like Christ. We are to love one another, teaching and correcting, out of love. We are to leave conviction to the Holy Spirit, and allow God to move believers at His own pace. Our love must never be dependent on the behavior of another. After all, how does God deal with us? His love isn't based on our behavior. He loves us in spite of who we are. In fact, when He disciplines us it is because He loves us. "Because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son" (Hebrews 12:6). The whole message of the parable of the Prodigal Son is that God loves his children, even when they are in the pig pen. How can we do less? We must always move towards one another regardless of the response. Again, God never rejects us as His children, no matter what we have done. So how can we reject one another? The main reason we don't love unconditionally is that we are self-centered. We want things our own way. We demand that our standards are to be the criteria for others. Just as the parent or spouse who says, "I will love you if." So we say that we will love those that meet our standards. The focus of our love is not the other person, but ourselves. Our concern is with our comfort, not the needs of the other individual. We feel challenged by the behavior of others. If we tell people what is right, they should respond accordingly. If they don't, they are rejecting our good advice. And how dare they! If we love them and they are being disobedient to God, then our response shouldn't be anger. Instead, we should be pained for what they are doing to themselves. When we sin as believers, God grieves for us. When Paul is concerned with the behavior of believers in the local church, he notes that discord grieves God. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice" (Ephesians 4:29-31). By the way, if unconditional love was being lived out by the Ephesians, I suspect that they wouldn't have be experienced the sins Paul enumerated. If we are to love unconditionally, then we must be willing to take a significant risk. We must be willing to let the Lord examine our hearts. If we do, He will show us when our responses to others are self-centered instead of God-centered. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts" (Psalm 139:23). Peter calls us to be humble. This is necessary if we are to demonstrate Godly love towards others. Humility requires an understanding of our own failings and that truth that God loves us anyway. Following God's example we too can love others by putting their needs ahead of our desires. Christ did this by dying for us. This being the case, how can we refuse to love others, no matter how justified we may choose to feel? How does Scripture define love? "Love is patient." How do you respond when your spouse blows it for the umpteenth time? With patience? "Love is kind." When your child fails you, do you react out of anger, or do you deal with him out of kindness? "Love does not envy." When someone in the body gets a new house, one better than yours, are you glad or jealous? "Love does not boast." Do I make sure everyone knows how I have helped someone out of love? Then they can say, "What a great guy!" Or, instead, do I keep my mouth shut? "Love is not proud." Even if I keep my mouth shut, I know deep inside just how wonderful I am to put up with you. "Love is not rude." Do we interrupt with advice, showing how much we know, or do we listen? "Love is not self-seeking." Are we happy when someone else sits at the head of the table? Or instead, do we feel rejected because we weren't chosen? "Love is not easily angered." Are we more concerned with the other guy or our bent feelings? "Love keeps no record of wrongs." Do we say, "I forgive, but I'll never forget!"? "Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth." If we love, we do react to the failures of our brothers and sisters. But we do so out of concern for them and a Biblical desire for restoration. And, when truth prevails, we rejoice, not because we can say "I told you so," but because the Prodigal Son has returned. "Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). If we love one another, then we will desire the best for each other. We will care for each other. We will trust one another, even when disappointed. And we will never give up on one another, no matter how great the failure or how long the time. The Lord never gives up on us, therefore we can never say, "Enough already!" If we demonstrate these qualities, then we are loving unconditionally. After hearing the message to this point, you may feel discouraged and think, "I can't even practice these things at home. How on earth can I possibly practice them here in the church?" Praise the Lord, I don't have to work up love to love you. And you don't have to work up love to love me. The Holy Spirit will empower us to love one another. But we have to choose to allow Him to do this through us. We must be willing to give up the right to be right. We must give up the demand that others meet our expectations. Instead, we must truly desire to love as God does. Then, we will be willing to recognize our sin when we refuse to love. But then we will be able to love unconditionally, and we will experience the true freedom to us as Christians. When we are able to love unconditionally, we will be free to meet God's expectations and longer be controlled by the expectations of others. We will be able to love even if we aren't loved in return. We will be able to say with Paul, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). * David Mains, HEALING THE DYSFUNCTIONAL CHURCH FAMILY, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1992, pg. 17-18 Prayer Guidelines Prayer and Faith by Michael Wilkinson PRAYER AND FAITH By Michael Wilkinson Article 4 of the "Prayer and..." Series "Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, 'Arise quickly!' And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, 'gird yourself and tie on your sandals'; and so he did. And he said to him, 'put on your garment and follow me.' So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.' So when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, 'you are beside yourself!' Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, 'It is his angel.' Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. And he said, 'Go tell these thing to James and the brethren.' And he departed and went to another place." (Acts 12:5-17) As Christians, we believe that prayer is an important part of our faith. This is communication and communion with the Almighty God, who cares for His people and wants to bless us. As prayer is part of our faith, faith also must be vested in our prayers. The above scriptures give us a sad example of how Christians can pray and yet have no faith. As Peter was being kept in prison, the prayers on his behalf were constantly being offered up. No indication is given as to how many hours or days Peter was kept in prison. But, the church was faithfully praying, apparently with little faith, for perhaps the whole time. And the prayers were continuing even as Peter was knocking at the door of Mary's house. The girl who opened the door, Rhoda, was glad and excited to hear Peter's voice. Hopefully her excitement was due to the Lord's answering her prayers as much as for Peter being there. Yet it is apparent that many of the others had already given up hope even as they prayed. "You're out of your mind (for thinking that God actually answered our prayers)!" they said, or, "If it is Peter, it must be his ghost (because we think he must have already been put to death in spite of our prayers)!" We are to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If the faith ceases, the constant prayers are useless. This does not mean that the Lord will not answer (He did let Peter out of prison unharmed). The focus of prayer is the Lord, not faith itself. Yet the spiritual gain of the people praying was diminished. Remember that "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). They must also have been humbled by the sight of Peter who had waited outside while they insisted it could not be him. They should have sensed their failing faith and prayed for help to believe (see Mark 9:24). Since "the just shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4), let us also pray with faith in the Lord. I hope this article will be helpful as a reminder to pray in faith. Remember that God can do "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think..." (Ephesians 3:20). SCUD Warnings SCUD Warnings by Jerry Johnson S piritual C ounterfeits U ndermining D octrine WARNINGS By Jerry Johnson ************** TO DO LIST ************** Call