Letters
Letter From the Editor
Letter From the Editor
Welcome to the August issue of Morning Star. This is our
eleventh edition and all of us on the staff as well as our
readers offer our praise to God for His faithfulness in enabling
people from all over the world to receive this magazine.

So far, Morning Star has been read in the U.S., Canada, England,
Ireland, France, Norway, Finland, Israel, Saudi Arabia,
Cameroon, Chad, China, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines,
Australia and New Zealand.

Not all these doors are still open however. We have lost some
contacts, so please continue in prayer for continued success in
distribution. If you know of believers in other countries and
would like to help in distribution, please contact us via our
Post Office box or one of our electronic mailing addresses.

This month we have "Bible Study" as a theme to our Feature area
as well as several of our regular columns. If you wish to make
a literary contribution, you can submit an article for one of
our regular columns or "tailor" one for one of our future
Feature area themes. Here is the lineup of themes for the five
issues beginning with Volume 2.1, our October edition.

Vol 2.1 (Oct) - 1990's EVANGELISM (Computers, faxes, film, radio
                etc.)

Vol 2.2 (Nov) - PASTORS AND MINISTERS (Testimonies and stories)

Vol 2.3 (Dec) - MISSIONS AND MISSIONARIES

Vol 2.4 (Jan) - MEN'S ISSUES

Vol 2.5 (Feb) - MESSIANIC STUDIES

I would add that if you support any missionaries, especially
those in other countries, you might want to contact them right
away and ask them to put together a story on their personal
experiences and mail it back to you as soon as possible. 
Feature stories should be between 1000 to 2500 words long. 
Though we prefer material to be sent in on computer disks,
neatly typed documents are acceptable.

Don't forget, we are always looking to hear from our readers and
publish your comments in our Letters section. Please write to
us!

In service to Jesus the Messiah,

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
"I am half done with the June Morning Star magazine. It is
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Pasadena, Texas


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Commentary
Commentary
In this month's column we present a guest editorial from one of
our readers, Mr. K. David Kragen of Bainbridge Island,
Washington.


I am writing in reference to the article entitled "GABLERS
DISCOVER AMAZING FACTUAL ERRORS IN SECULAR TEXTBOOKS," which
appeared in the Education column of the June 1992 Issue. 

Although I heard this information about textbook errors on
National Public Radio some months ago, it is good you included
it in Morning Star. Thank you. On the whole the article was
good, including the writer's analysis of the problems with
public school textbooks. (Keep in mind, though, that the burden
of guilt rests as much or more with the text book publishing
industry, which has been ripping off schools as well as the
public for years!) The last line of the article, however, was
especially unfortunate both in its sweeping over generalization
and in its tendency to mislead.

It reads: "When I contemplate all of this I thank God for
Christian schools where students are exposed to a complete
picture of truth - not a censored version of reality."

My concern is twofold. First, while some Christian schools may
be more academic, scholarly, and truth teaching than their
public school counterparts, by no means do all Christian schools
achieve the ideal of teaching "a complete picture of truth" or
"an uncensored version of reality." 

Many Christian schools present a sadly skewed version of
history, often countering the liberal bias found in public
schools with an equally biased right wing, conservative view. 
Where public schools tend to purposefully ignore all aspects of
religious reality, specifically Christian or Jewish history,
Christian schools too often do the same with other aspects of
history, e.g., on Central America, or the U.S. and Native
Americans, or the Vietnam War.

My second concern is that the article's concluding lines ignore,
neglect, and fail to acknowledge the too often thankless
dedication and perennial efforts of those Christian teachers who
choose to work and witness in public schools. And there are
many of them out there! (Of course, there are some good and
scholarly non Christian teachers bucking the secular biased
system as well.) We must never forget that there are Christian
teachers in the public schools who have learned how to work
within the system, who can skillfully weave into their often
state mandated curriculum the whole truth and picture of human
experience: historical, scientific, political, educational, AND
religious.

I would suggest Morning Star include an article on Christian
teachers in public schools, both the difficulties and the
successes of their work. But keep in mind that teachers can
only submit articles in the summer, because they are killing
themselves at their jobs throughout the school year!

May God continue to bless the work of Morning Star as it
ministers to people in the public marketplace of the electronic
world! Great work!

K. David Kragen
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:
Jorge Lopez - Lubbock, TX

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
Studying God's Word
Studying God's Word by Ralph Rechnitz
Editors Note: The Morning Star staff endorses and recommends
thorough and complete studies of the ENTIRE scriptures, both old
and new testaments, since it is only as we apply God's whole
message to our lives, that we can live in accordance with His
perfect will. The following recommendations for study are not
meant to be substitutes for your COMPLETE study program. 
Rather, they are suggested enhancements that may be used as
extra, over-and-above adventures in the Word, as we "study to
show ourselves approved unto God".


STUDYING GOD'S WORD
By Ralph Rechnitz
Danville, California


BIBLE STUDY ... how often we as Christians look at it as
something we HAVE to do, instead of something we WANT to do
(such as a child brushing his teeth). As a result, it becomes a
dry, listless regimen we try to go through in order to "please"
God or live up to the church's standards for our devotional life.

The fact is that studying the Word of God can be one of the most
exciting things that happens in the course of your day. The
whole world wants God to speak to them and yet we have His
perfect will revealed to us in this book we call" the Bible". 
The mystery of the ages revealed! What's even more powerful
than that is the fact that God actually will and does speak to
us individually through His word. It's one thing to read the
written word ("logos" in Greek). But it's quite another thing
to hear the spoken word ("rhema") from God! This is the
phenomenon that happens when God takes His word, breathes life
into it, and makes it come alive on the inside of us concerning
a specific area of our life. 

God desires for us to receive this type of experience with Him,
but it can only happen through a consistent life spent seeking
Him through His Word. This should be our goal in reading the
scripture - hearing from God Himself, not just satisfying some
religious regimen.

Now that we have established our goal, how do we enter into a
consistent, daily time in the Word? I've used something that
was passed on to me which has helped tremendously.

Two very important books of the Bible are Psalms and Proverbs. 
The Psalms reveal to us the HEART of God and put us in the
posture of WORSHIP. The Proverbs reveal the MIND of God and
provide us with His WISDOM for practical application in our
daily living. As we line up with these two aspects of God's
character on a daily basis, it's very hard to step out of His
will for our lives. 

Now, to have a daily goal of reading, we first need a monthly
goal. There are 150 chapters in Psalms and 31 chapters in
Proverbs. Therefore, if we read five chapters of Psalms and one
chapter of Proverbs each day, we can read both books through on
a monthly basis. This means we will be getting a constant
feeding of the heart and mind of God on a daily and monthly
basis. Add to that one chapter each day from the Epistles
(God's love letters to the Church) and we have a very
well-rounded, consistent spiritual meal.

This program has helped me tremendously and I believe it will do
wonders for you as well. It is amazing how God can emphasize
different portions of the scripture every month and every day
and speak directly into the specific situations and areas of our
lives. 

The Word of God is one of the most important weapons of our
warfare. It is the sword of the spirit (See Ephesians 6:17). 
It is the only weapon which is not defensive, but OFFENSIVE
against the devices of the enemy. We need to read it, hear it,
speak it and LIVE it for a daily victorious life in Christ!
It Is Good
It Is Good by Dale Strand
IT IS GOOD
By Dale Strand 
Dublin, California

Advertising bombards us daily with products that claim they are
"good for us". And we've probably purchased some of those
products, based on our believing their claims. Whether it's
cars, medicine, vacation spots, savings institution deals or
many other products that even require labels warning that their
use can kill you, many people continue to believe that they are
indeed, "good for them".

The Bible is filled with directions from the heart of God that
tell us the truth about what is "good for us". Following are
just a few of them:

1.  IT IS A GOOD THING to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing
    praises unto Thy Name, O most High.  Psalm 92:1

2.  IT IS A GOOD THING that the heart be established with grace.
    Hebrews 13:9

3.  IT IS GOOD FOR ME to draw near to God.  Psalm 73:28

4.  IT IS GOOD (to) hope and quietly wait for the salvation of
    the Lord.  Lamentations 3:26

5.  IT IS GOOD (to) bear the yoke in (your) youth.  Lamentations
    3:27

6.  IT IS GOOD (to do nothing) whereby your brother stumbles or
    is offended or is made weak.  Romans 14:21

7.  IT IS GOOD to be zealously affected always in a good thing. 
    Galatians 4:18
True Colors
True Colors by Allan Jump
TRUE COLORS
By Allan Jump
Oakland, California

When the Apostle John went through the door that opened in
heaven, he saw sights and heard sounds that were so fantastic
and meaningful, human words could hardly be found to give
adequate description. The first sight John saw in Revelation
4:1-3, was God sitting on the throne of heaven. As John began
to describe what he saw, he did not begin with details of form
or dimension, but with colors. Both in the Old and New
Testaments, numbers and colors are not just arbitrary or one
dimensional, but have deep spiritual significance and teach
about God's nature and attributes.

Seeing this awe-inspiring sight must have left an indelible
impression on John and inspired him in the rest of his words in
the Revelation. The great composer, George Handel was once
asked what inspired him to write his famous oratorio, "The
Messiah". To the inquirer's amazement, Handel responded, "I saw
the heavens opened and God sitting on His Great White Throne." 
No wonder his work increases in popularity every year.

The first thing John saw was someone sitting on the throne who
had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. "Jasper", in
Biblical times, was the word for what we know as "Diamond"
today. The beauty of a diamond is not only its purity and
clarity, but its ability to refract light into many colors that
make up the essence of pure white light. Diamonds dazzle us
with a symphony of blazing colors. Inside of the Person of God,
all beauty and color resides. The brilliance of all of these
colors at their point of origin gives off radiance of pure,
original light. No wonder the Psalmist said, "God covers
Himself with light as a garment." (Ps 1104:2). John also
underscores the truth of light when he proclaimed, "God is
light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:15).

The second color John saw on the throne was the carnelian or the
red hue of the sarden stone. The color red symbolizes the
atoning blood of Jesus Christ which takes away sin. God's
provision for mankind to approach the Father of light is the
holy blood of Christ, which is upon each believer giving him the
benefits of sonship. In relating to our Father in heaven, He
has made us holy, not by our own efforts, but by the life-gift
of Christ. Paul said, "Since we have not been justified through
His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath
through Him." (Romans 5:9).

The third color John saw was emerald green, represented in a
rainbow encircling the throne. While the one sitting on the
throne looked like jasper (diamond) and carnelian (blood red),
the color green circled around the throne. Green is always
symbolic of mercy in the Bible, and so is the rainbow. Green is
also the easiest of colors to look at. No wonder we love to be
out in God's creation. He made green His primary color. The
emerald rainbow surrounding the throne suggests that God's
presence is surrounded by mercy. In Lamentations 3:22, Jeremiah
said, "It is because of the Lord's mercy that we are not
consumed; His compassion never fails." Paul wrote to Titus
and said, "Not because of righteous things we have done, but
according to His mercy He saved us."

It is wonderful to know that just a simple but sincere cry for
mercy from the Lord is answered. The tax collector who cried
out, "Have mercy on me" went away justified from his prayer time
in contrast to the pharisee who boasted in his own religious
works. (Luke 18:9-14). God desires to have mercy on all. The
emerald rainbow is not hard to find. All we need to do is cry,
"God have mercy." When we see the green rainbow of God's mercy,
we then can appropriate the provisions of the red blood of
Christ and enter in to the pure essence of fellowship with our
God, the Father of Lights. John indeed described the nature of
God with three colors.
Victory
Victory by Rev. Sandy Mabee
VICTORY
By Rev. Sandy Mabee,
Trinity Church, Oakland, CA

"Victory" is a very common word in the Christian's vocabulary. 
We all desire and even struggle to possess it; but the truth is,
many Christians are lacking in both their understanding and
possession of "the victory".

To have a victory without a battle is incomprehensible to the
natural mind. Society's sense of victory is something that
follows or is a result of a challenge. In the sports world, the
victory comes after an intense competition. In the world of
education, victory comes after one masters a subject. In the
military, victory comes after a battle. But we, as God's
people, must understand that the spiritual principles of victory
are opposite to natural principles. In the natural realm,
victory comes after a battle, but in the spirit, victory comes
without a battle, because the Lord has already battled and
triumphed over every power of darkness. Therefore, this is why
the scriptures say, "for My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord". (Isaiah 55:8)

The word "victory" in the Bible, means salvation or deliverance.
Both salvation and deliverance are gifts that are received
through grace and not through works. Victory then is a "gift of
grace", or a "gift of deliverance".

Look at Exodus, chapter 33, where God is instructing Moses to
take the people and go to the land that He promised to give
Abraham. In verse 12, Moses reveals his distress. He is facing
the challenge of taking a rebellious group of people into a land
filled with "...ites", those enemies that would surely surround
and slaughter the people of God. But God did not respond to
Moses' fear with a strategic battle plan, nor with a promise to
send an army to fight on behalf of Moses. Instead, He said, "My
presence will go with you and I will give you rest".

The first key then, to having the victory and receiving
deliverance, is in acknowledging that God wants to fight your
battles. Scripture tells us in Ist Samuel 17:47, that "the
battle is the Lords". Psalm 24:8 says that, "He is mighty in
battle". So, we must be willing to submit the battle to Him and
resist the human tendency of temptation to take the matter into
our own hands and fight the battle ourselves. For if we should
fight and win, then we would also be tempted to take the glory
for ourselves. But, if we allow Him to fight and win our
battles, then we will give all the glory to Him. For the
scripture says, "to Him be all the glory".

The second key to having the victory, is being in His presence. 
We enter His presence when we begin to praise Him. The
scripture teaches us in Psalm 22:3, that "He inhabits the
praises of His people". This means that His presence will be
with us as we focus our attention on His greatness, His love and
mercy and His power to deliver. Consider 2nd Chronicles chapter
20, where Jehoshaphat and the Israelites were being threatened
by three enemy nations. Surely a "battle" was at hand. But
what did God say? He told them through the prophet that "the
battle is not yours, but God's ... take your position, stand
firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you" (verses
15-17). So Jehoshaphat, being of a spiritual mind, did the one
thing that made any spiritual sense: He positioned the praisers
on the front line of their army and commissioned them to praise
God for the splendor of His holiness and to proclaim to the
forces of evil, that God's mercy endures forever. God Himself
inhabited their praises. His presence was with them and no foe
could stand in His presence. God won the victory and the people
experienced a divine deliverance.

Today, we, as Christians, are still surrounded by enemies. We
are being attacked by the powers of darkness from every possible
angle and in every part of our lives. But the spiritual
principles of victory are the same today as they were for Moses
and Jehoshaphat. Submit the battle to the Lord and praise Him
for the victory. Our hope, rest, joy, and strength, come only
by being in His presence. Therefore, the wise Christian will
choose to have his mouth continually filled with the praises of
God. God will inhabit those praises, and there, in His
presence, will be fullness of joy. That joy will become your
strength. For this reason, praise and victory go hand in hand. 
Praise is ours for the giving and victory is ours for the
receiving. 

So, let us take the scriptures seriously. Let us begin to
develop our praise-life. It is a vital step toward walking in
victory every day.
What the Bible Says About People Skills
What the Bible Says About People Skills by Dale E. Strand
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT PEOPLE SKILLS
By Dale E. Strand
Dublin, California

Dozens of "How To" books fill the counters of the business
sections of book stores throughout America. And people
scrambling to "get ahead" flock to the stores, searching for the
right formula, the special "magic" to give them a jump on their
competitors, to keep them on the cutting edge as they claw their
way up the ladder of "success". 

Most of these books will touch on, if not spend a great deal of
time on relationships and people skills, for without them it is
unlikely that anyone can find the coveted favor they seek with
the "higher ups" in their organization.

What they don't mention, however, is that the Holy Bible has
more to say about keys to successful relationships than any
other book ever written. And, whether the authors know it or
not, their "insight" concerning relationships was covered a long
time ago by the One who knows more about human relationships
than anybody - the Master of relationships and life - The Lord
God Almighty. Here's what He says:

1.  Give a soft answer (Pro. 15:1)
2.  Be peaceable with everyone (Rom. 12:18)
3.  Avoid wrath (anger) (Jam. 1:20)
4.  Agree with your adversaries quickly (Mat. 5:25)
5.  Be kind, show love, put others first (Rom. 12:10)
6.  Be tenderhearted, forgiving (Eph. 4:32, Col. 3:13)
7.  Don't lie to anyone (Col. 3:9)
8.  Give instruction in righteousness (Heb. 3:13)
9.  Motivate toward excellence (Heb. 10:24)
10. Be honest with everyone (Rom. 12:17)
11. Don't be judgmental (Rom. 14:13)
12. Minister to others at their point of need (I Pet. 4:10)
13. Be subject to others and clothed with humility (I Pet. 5:5)
14. Be hospitable and without grudging (I Pet. 4:9)
15. Share others burdens (Gal. 6:2)
16. Walk in love (Eph. 5:2)
17. Admit your faults and pray one for another (Jas. 5:16)
18. Be patient and not proud (Ecc. 7:8, I Thes. 5:14)
19. Esteem others better than yourself (Phil. 2:3)
Reading the Bible Devotionally
Reading the Bible Devotionally by Larry Ballew
READING THE BIBLE DEVOTIONALLY
By Larry Ballew

Adapted from an article in PIONEER PASSAGES, a monthly
publication of First Baptist Church, San Francisco, California. 
Reprinted from the JEWS FOR JESUS NEWSLETTER.


Many Christians like to use a devotional guide for their regular
quiet time. before the Lord. While such books can be helpful
and uplifting, they can result in a somewhat superficial
devotional time. Really reading the Bible devotionally involves
more than the perfunctory reading of a given "verse of the day"
and its accompanying explanatory notes. Devotional Bible
reading ought to be an in-depth experience that will not only
bring us into closer fellowship with God, but draw us into His
mind and His purpose for our lives.

In analytical Bible study, we note the content and the context
of a particular passage and what it meant to the people of that
day. In devotional reading we must ask ourselves what the
passage means to us. Certain questions can help us apply a
passage of Scripture to our personal situation. The following
are some good questions to ask:

1. What does the passage say to me?
2. What stands out in my mind as I read it?
3. What does it teach me about God?
4. What does it teach me about myself?
5. How can I apply this to my life?

Perhaps an even more important concern is whether or not we meet
God as we read. To hear God's Word and feel His touch on our
hearts brings personal meaning and value to devotional Bible
reading.

In order to experience this personal impact we need to affirm
that God's Word is contemporaneous. In other words, we must
know that what the Bible authors wrote two, three or four
thousand years ago, is still true and is applicable to our lives
today.

When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, He might just as well
have been speaking to some Wall Street stockbrokers on their
lunch break, or a Grange meeting of midwestern wheat farmers, or
a group of university students sipping Cokes at the student
union. When He fed the 5,000, it might have been hamburgers and
fries instead of bread and fish.

All of Scripture is just as relevant today as it was when the
events first happened and were first recorded. The words given
by the Holy Spirit are alive and meaningful for each of us today.

The devotional style of reading God's Word is more difficult
than analytical Bible study because it requires us to be silent
and allow God to speak to us through the text. This does not
come easily or naturally. It requires working on a particular
text until God uses it to strike an inner chord that will
resonate throughout our being, bringing a changed character
along with an increased understanding of who God is and what He
desires from us.

This style of devotional reading is difficult because it can be
learned only through patient perseverance. Patience is the most
difficult part of all. God does not always speak loudly or
according to our schedule. In our fast-paced culture we expect
instant everything. We are seldom willing to wait for anything,
including the touch of God.

To benefit from devotional Bible reading, we must be willing to
read one passage of text again and again and wait for God to
speak to us. To benefit from this style of reading means laying
aside all of our pride, all our preconceived notions about a
text, and all our resistance to change our view of God and of
life. This is a difficult way to read the Bible because it
takes so much time. It requires more practice and diligence
than any other. But the rewards are incalculable. because to
feel the touch of God is to be changed forever.
Gehenna
Gehenna by Mark Robinson
GEHENNA
By Mark Robinson
Overland Park, Kansas

The topic of Hell is one that modern day Christians have come to
discuss less frequently, through no fault of their own. 
Teachings from the pulpit have reacted with timidity to
accusations of "hell fire and brimstone" messages. As a result
the shepherd is down playing the reality of Gehenna to his
sheep. The Worldwide Church of God is one such organization
which completely dismisses the reality of hell, calling it a
misinterpretation of scriptures.

Present day theologians typically down play the area and
teachings of Gehenna, more commonly and vernacularly known as,
"Hell." Recently there was an exception to this trend which
resulted in an enlightening and interesting exposition. The
topic of discussion went something like, "Why did God even
create Hell in the first place?"

The premise is one that appears to be rather solidly based and
went along the following lines; "Hell was initially created for
the punishment of Satan and his band of rebel angels. Hell is
intended to be the place of torment and punishment for Lucifer. 
People have heard of the 'Lake of Fire'. As people willingly
follow the temptation and leadership of the Prince of Darkness
rather than the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they choose to
bring upon themselves the same penalty for sin and the same
punishment as that which Satan will suffer."

Understand the logic behind God's creation of Hell by asking,
"For whom has hell or Gehenna been created?" Satan, fallen
angels - servants of Lucifer, and all souls who have denied the
atoning work of Christ on the cross.

To be sure, this area of God's love doesn't sound all that kind
or comfortable! It's not sugar coated and "peaches and cream"
nice. Then again, when a person freely chooses to follow Satan;
that is, lie, cheat, steal, murder, slander, covet, et cetera,
why should one rightly expect any better reward?

Our standard is the complete righteousness of God. Only through
Christ are we clean before Him. Simply put, isn't the denial
and rejection of Christ equally wrong and worthy of punishment? 
Remember that to deny Christ is to belittle His sacrificial
death. To deny God's plan for salvation is to defiantly place
ourselves in the position of a "god" who can provide for the
salvation of ones own soul. When Satan strove to become "like
the Most High" he committed the act of high treason which
erupted in a spiritual war which still rages! When someone
implies that Christ died in vain, he immediately plays into the
schemes of the evil one.

Think for a moment. When the Biblical teachings on Gehenna
present such a graphic idea of what awaits the unrepentant
heart, why under heavens' name would anyone deny the Lordship of
Jesus Christ? Why would anyone hesitate to accept the Good News
of Jesus Christ when a believer offers the plan of salvation? 
Fear of God is the beginning of righteousness, yet He does not
wish to intimidate us into submission. On the contrary He does
want our hearts to grow such that we call Him, "Abba, Father" -
our "daddy". 

The contemporary church does need to maintain its message of
Christ's love, His sacrifice on the cross for our sins, the
power which He instills into each believer. At the same time,
the contemporary church is guilty of negligence if it doesn't
also teach that there are consequences of sin and denial of
Christ.

God did not create Hell exclusively as a means of negative
reward. Far from it! Christianity is an abundant life-style,
full of so many positive blessings that we couldn't begin to
list them even if we tried. Growing into the joy of Christ -
the love of God is enough of a positive motivator in and of
itself! If a statistical analyst were to survey those who
genuinely accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one will find that
few babes in Christ are buying the divine "Fire Insurance"
policy. Salvation simply doesn't work that way. The Holy
Spirit doesn't call individuals unto Him through intimidation,
horror or abuse. People receiving the Gospel message of Jesus
Christ choose to be regenerated, cleansed, washed "white as
snow" and redeemed from the guilt of their sins.

However, let's not excuse the lack of instruction on the tenet
of 'Gehenna' and ignore it's actuality. Numerous preachers try
to smooth over the terror of hell by excusing it as a
"separation from God". This is a classically exaggerated
euphemism! This is also only half the truth! Gehenna - eternal
hell - as the Bible describes it is not only a separation from
God, but bondage to the punishment Satan has wrought for
himself. People who have studied the Word have seen the vivid
portrayal that has become generally known as "Fire and
Brimstone". There are other clues from passages that would seem
to indicate that only a Nuclear war would give us a "hint" of
what is involved with the pure, unadulterated, untamed fires of
hell - where the worm never dies.

Why else would He create the eternal place of torment? Christ
used the term "Gehenna", a reference to the Valley of Hinnom. 
This area was a border area of the city of Jerusalem used as the
public refuse pile. The citizenry would take their garbage
there and set it ablaze to sanitize the filth and control
disease. The population of the Jewish community regularly took
their garbage to the refuse pile - so often that these
sanitizing fires were constantly burning, always ablaze. Christ
was using terminology which gave the hearer the concept that
those who found themselves in Gehenna would be like that refuse
which was dumped among the garbage and set afire. He also gave
precise qualifications for avoiding such a fate - "No man comes
to the Father but by me." If the person doesn't go to the
Father, to whom does he go?

Understand that an attribute of God is that He is a "Just" God;
meaning that people are given a divinely fair chance to receive
the loving grace of God. People are not free from the
responsibility for their actions and "free will" decisions. 
Every individual is fully accountable for the condition of his
or her soul. This means that when a persons soul is required of
him, he needs to be prepared to face the fruition of his ways. 
He will either be covered by the blood of Christ or he won't be.

God has given His creation a completely free and independent
will - a free choice to either accept or reject the atoning work
of the Messiah. Suppose the omnipotent Creator made the
decision for people to arbitrarily save us from the eternal
torment. Suppose that in His infinite wisdom He created
preprogrammed intelligent robots which would be eternally
submissive. Would this allow Him to receive a greater degree of
Glory and honor? If heaven were filled with souls who had no
choice except to follow Him, where is the victory? Does God not
bring to Himself greater glory and honor by receiving the free
will adoration and praise of those who believe?

Nobody can honestly offer Christ only as the one true "fire
insurance" policy. The fact is that the Lord is constantly and
always at ones side; helping, consoling, comforting,
encouraging, guiding and loving His children. This is the fact
of life from day one of becoming a Christian. It isn't always
easy, but one can be eternally secure in the firm knowledge of
salvation and life with God!

God has given us the ability and freedom to accept or deny. The
denial results in death and suffering. The reward is even now
being prepared for those who believe - a mansion in heaven, a
dwelling place in His presence! Heaven is easily accessible
through Christ Jesus. It's readily accessible and can be
attained today by calling upon Christ as your personal savior.
Do We Believe...
Do We Believe... by Ray Reed
DO WE BELIEVE in the Holy Scriptures - OR DON'T WE?
By Ray Reed
Beaumont, Texas


II Timothy 3:14-17:

"But as for YOU, continue in the things which you have learned
and been assured of, knowing from Whom you have learned them,
and that from childhood you have known the HOLY SCRIPTURES,
which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus. ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION
OF GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of
God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

In this passage, Paul the apostle boldly and without apology
affirms that ALL Scripture IS of God. The Scriptures that he
was speaking of were, of course, those written before his time -
namely the books of the prophets and the writings of Moses. 
These writings were some one and two thousand years old when he
wrote the above confirmation; yet he spoke of these writings in
the PRESENT TENSE, implying that they were still inspired by God
and still profitable for learning. Not only were they inspired
at the time of their writing, but they were STILL inspired and
STILL profitable two thousand years later.

This same principle applies today. God not only inspired men to
write His word, but He also inspired men to preserve His word. 
The writers of God's word are generally called "prophets," and
the preservers of His word are usually called "scribes ". The
Lord Jesus told the generation of His time that He would send
scribes to the world after His incarnation:

Matthew 23:34:

"Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and SCRIBES:
some of them you WILL kill and crucify, and some of them you
WILL scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city
..."

And indeed, so He has done until now - He has sent to us scribes
and others - the result being the Holy Scriptures that we have
today. We have beyond a doubt the most accessible and the most
accurate compilation of Scriptures ever in the history of the
world - this compilation is called the "Holy Bible". We have
more concordances, harmonies, dictionaries, etc., for the
Scriptures than ever before; the Lord Jesus has indeed been
true to His word.

Read very carefully the following reference, and notice that the
apostle Peter defends his own written testimony, which today is
also called Scripture:

2nd Peter 1:16-21:

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made
known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but
were EYEWITNESSES of His majesty. For He received from God the
Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the
Excellent Glory: 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.' And we heard this voice which came from heaven when
we were with Him on the holy mountain. We also have the
PROPHETIC WORD made more sure, which you DO WELL TO HEED as a
light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that NO
PROPHECY OF SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION, FOR
PROPHECY NEVER CAME BY THE WILL OF MAN, BUT HOLY MEN OF GOD
SPOKE AS THEY WERE MOVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT."

Notice that Peter uses the term, "prophecy of Scripture". This
is very appropriate, considering that all Scripture IS inspired
by God, and did not originate from man, and is therefore
"prophetic" in nature.

In the following, the prophet Isaiah also upholds the Holy
Scriptures, and proclaims that all things in the world are
temporal, but the word of God will be around forever:

Isaiah 40:8:

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the WORD OF OUR GOD
stands FOREVER."

In the next reference the psalmist affirms the importance of the
word of God by comparing it to a light for our path in the
darkness that confronts us. How lost we would be without this
light - yet God has provided:

Psalm 119:105:

"Your WORD is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

In this next passage from the book of Isaiah, God states that
His favor is extended toward those who greatly respect the word
of God, which seems to imply that His favor is not shown toward
those who do not fear His word:

Isaiah 66:2b:

"But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a
contrite spirit, and who TREMBLES AT MY WORD."

But just how much of the Scriptures should we believe? Can we
pick and choose portions to believe or must we believe all of
them? This is of course a leading question, because the
Scriptures themselves teach that "all Scripture is inspired by
God," not just the parts we like. (See the first reference
given in this study.)

In this next reference from the book of Exodus, God had just
begun giving the children of Israel the "bread from heaven,"
also called "manna". Remember that these things are symbolic:
the manna is representative of the word of God that He has given
us today. Notice that the children of Israel were instructed to
eat ALL of the manna that was given to them; they were not to
leave any of it for "another day ":

Exodus 16:14-20:

"And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the
wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on
the ground. So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to
one another, 'What is it?' For they did not know what it was. 
And Moses said to them, 'THIS IS THE BREAD WHICH THE LORD HAS
GIVEN YOU TO EAT'. This is the thing which the Lord has
commanded: "Let every man gather it according to each one's
need, one omer for each person, according to the number of
persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent." 
And the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some
less. So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much
had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every
man had gathered according to each one's need. And Moses said,
'LET NO ONE LEAVE ANY OF IT TILL MORNING.' Notwithstanding they
did not heed Moses. But some of them LEFT PART OF IT UNTIL
MORNING, and it BRED WORMS AND STANK. And Moses was angry with
them."

Notice what happened to the manna that was not eaten: it bred
worms and STANK. How could God's heavenly bread ever breed
worms and stink ? This happens only when we pick and choose
parts of the Holy Scriptures to believe in, and leave other
parts for "some other day ".

Again, God says through His servant Moses that our spiritual
nourishment comes from "eating" ALL of God's word:

Deuteronomy 8:3b:

"... that He might make you know that man shall NOT live by
bread alone; but man lives by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the
mouth of the Lord."

In this next passage, God commands that we should not tamper
with His holy word; how serious a matter it is: when we speak
God's word and teach God's word - that we should not leave parts
of His word for "another day":

Deuteronomy 4:2:

"You shall not ADD TO the word which I command you, nor TAKE
ANYTHING FROM IT, that you may KEEP the commandments of the Lord
your God which I command you."

Thousands of years later God once again reissues this same
command and reiterates the grave consequences of tampering with
the word of God:

Revelation 22:18-19:

"For I testify to everyone who hears the WORDS OF THE PROPHECY
of this book: If anyone ADDS to these things, God will add to
him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone
TAKES AWAY from the WORDS OF THE BOOK OF THIS PROPHECY, God
shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy
city, and from the things which are WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK."

God's word is truly holy and is firmly established - it will
endure forever - ALL OF IT.

Paul the apostle also shows the importance of "eating" ALL of
God's word in his next statement from the book of Acts:

Acts 20:26-27:

"Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the
blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the
WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD."

Had Paul not spoken the "whole counsel of God" as he testifies
here - had he instead spoken "easier words" to the people, would
he not have been guilty of a great injustice?

But "what if" we just can't believe ALL of God's word ? Surely
He will excuse us - right? The following references bear
consideration when pondering that question:

Proverbs 13:13:

"He who DESPISES the WORD will be DESTROYED, but he who FEARS
the COMMANDMENT will be REWARDED."

Notice in this last reference from Proverbs that those who
greatly respect God's word will be REWARDED. This reward is to
be greatly desired rather than the consequences of despising
God's word.

The same idea of punishment and reward concerning God's word is
expressed by the Lord Jesus in the following two passages:

Mark 8:38:

"For whoever is ASHAMED of Me and My WORDS in this adulterous
and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be
ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy
angels."

John 5:24:

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who HEARS MY WORD and believes
in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into
judgment, but has passed from death into life."

Once again, in the next passage, the same principle of reward
and punishment is expressed by our Lord, in relation to whether
or not we believe or "keep" God's word:

John 14:23-24:

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves me, HE WILL
KEEP MY WORD; and My Father will love him, and We will come to
him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does
not keep My WORDS; and the WORD which you hear is not mine
but the Father's who sent Me.'"

The Scriptures are full of examples of God's people who did not
keep God's word. The resulting punishment was inescapable:

Ist Chronicles 10:13a:

"So Saul DIED for his unfaithfulness which he had committed
against the Lord, because he DID NOT KEEP the WORD OF THE LORD
..."

In this next example the whole nation of Israel had departed
from God's word - yes, the WHOLE nation of Israel; God's
punishment had already begun and more was looming.

King Josiah, a godly king, had ordered the priests to clean and
repair the temple of the Lord which had been forsaken. In the
process of this restoration, a BOOK WAS FOUND. This book was
the Holy Scriptures. The "book" had been lost and forgotten by
Israel for many years - imagine what our lives would be like
today without the Scriptures!

2nd Chronicles 34:21:

"Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for those who are left in
Israel and Judah, concerning the WORDS OF THE BOOK that is
found; for GREAT IS THE WRATH of the Lord that is poured out on
us, because our fathers HAVE NOT KEPT THE WORD OF THE LORD, to
do according to ALL THAT IS WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK."

King Josiah was a godly king, and afterwards he returned Israel
to obedience and faith in God's word; then God's favor was once
again restored to His people.

Will we be any different if we reject God's word? Will not
God's punishment descend upon us if we refuse to "eat" ALL of
the word that He has given to us?

Rejection of God's word is not always "bold-faced," but
sometimes is done by ignoring parts of God's word. By leaving
out part "for another day" we become guilty of that same
rejection.

We also sometimes cleverly change the meaning of God's word in
order to suit us, as the apostle Peter acknowledges here:

2nd Peter 3:15b-16:

"... as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom
given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles,
speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard
to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable TWIST
to their own destruction, as they do also the REST of the
Scriptures."

But why would anyone want to twist or ignore parts of God's
word? The answer can be found in a discourse that our Lord took
up against the Pharisees of that day. It seems that some people
hold some things in higher esteem than the word of God - namely
their tradition:

Mark 7:8-9:

"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition
of men - the washing of pitchers and cups, and MANY OTHER SUCH
THINGS YOU DO. And He said to them, 'All too well you REJECT
THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD, that you may keep YOUR TRADITION.'"

Have not our fathers done the same? Has not the church of
tradition rejected God's holy word?

Thank God that He has shown mercy toward His people and has not
completely destroyed us. For He has promised in His word to do
a "work" among us once again, just like He did in the days of
old, even though our "fathers" have rejected His word:

Isaiah 29:13-14:

"Therefore the Lord said: 'Inasmuch as these people draw near to
Me with their MOUTHS and honor Me with their LIPS, but have
removed their HEARTS far from Me, and their fear toward Me is
taught by the COMMANDMENT OF MEN, 'therefore, behold, I will
AGAIN do a MARVELOUS WORK AMONG THIS PEOPLE, A MARVELOUS WORK
AND A WONDER; for the wisdom of their wise men shall PERISH,
and the understanding of their prudent men shall be HIDDEN.'"

Indeed, even now, His people are returning to Him in truth and
sincerity, performing and believing His word. What a lifeline
His word is! How lost we would be without it - but He has
remembered us, and has not left us without our spiritual
sustenance - the HOLY SCRIPTURES!

Ray Reed
David's Mighty Men, Inc.
PO Box 5093
Beaumont, TX 77726
409-755-3015

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.


GONE TO SEED
By Rick Booye
Eagle Point, Oregon

Seeds are interesting. They're pretty much everywhere, too. I
got one stuck in my tooth the other day. And several more in my
shoe. They congregate under the wiper blades of my car, of all
places. Our cats and dog need to be de-seeded regularly in the
spring and summer, as do my socks when I am foolish enough not
to wear boots into the field outside our house. Some seeds fall
from the trees around our place and cover the ground so
thoroughly that walking is like roller skating. Others flutter
down like tiny, quiet helicopters invading the yard. Big trees
can sometimes produce big seeds, or at least big packages for
their small seeds. When I was a boy we used to throw pine cone
grenades into each other's bunkers. I never knew they were part
of the plan of regeneration for the world of trees. We used to
sit, barefoot on the curb at our uncle's ranch and spit little
black ones out into the vineyard as far as we could. A gaggle
of skinny little brown kids having summer fun and spreading
watermelon life into the grape kingdom.

Every living thing springs from and produces a seed of some
sort. All plants and animals were once seeds (animal seeds are
often called sperm or eggs, but they do the same thing). And
even though the process of fertilization and reproduction may
vary from species to species, the created order lives by the
perpetual passing along of life inherited from previous
generations. Nothing creates itself. If a thing has life, it
must have gotten it somewhere else, from parents. It must have
begun as a lowly seed. This all started in a beautiful garden,
long, long ago, a garden with all the first seeds, a place where
there was life on loan from the only One who needed no seed
because He always was alive - and always will be.

It should come as no surprise, then, that His Book uses the
metaphor of seed in a rich variety of ways. "Abraham's seed"
refers variously to the Jews (John 8:37); to the Messiah (Gal.
3:16); and to those who, like Abraham of old, would put real
faith in the Lord of the universe, giving their lives to His Son
and inheriting the new covenant (Gal. 3:26-29). The passing
along of spiritual life and faith is like the planting of seeds.
The resulting harvest of souls brings joy to the heart of the
Gardener.

The gospel is said to be like seed (Matt. 13:18-23). It gets
sown into the soil of humanity's fallenness and begets eternal
life. That life in turn bears fruit which, if you think about
it, is just another word for more seed. We who have been born
of the Spirit are described as being "begotten" by the
imperishable seed of the word of God - the preaching of Christ
(I Pet. 1:23).

Jesus called Himself a seed. Did you know that? It's in John's
gospel, the twelfth chapter, verses 23-27. 

"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell
you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and
dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces
many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the
man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal
life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my
servant will also be. My Father will honor the one who serves
me."

He uttered these famous words the day after the "triumphal
entry" into Jerusalem, just a few days before he was crucified.
The falling and dying He refers to is, of course, His own death
and burial, followed by the springing forth of resurrection
life, poured out richly upon anyone who puts vital faith in Him
(Titus 3:4-7). By giving His life, He becomes the Life Giver. 

He seems also to be making the point that we are in some small
way seeds ourselves. I think that's what He's getting at when
he refers to hating (ignoring) this life in favor of the next
one. He wants us to see that the value in being a seed is found
in it's sowing and resultant multiplication, rather than in
preserving its "seedness". The real glory of human life is
discovered in losing it to Him, being sown for His kingdom. 	An
unsown seed is really a useless item when you consider it. I
mean, what does it do? Nothing, except sit around with other
unsown seeds in some bag or packet. True, it would have lots of
company, but where's the purpose?

What if a bunch of kernels decided it was really much better to
be seeds than to grow into fruit-bearing plants. What if they
developed a well articulated kernel-philosophy that stated the
glories of seediness, and then taught it to all the other seeds
they could find. It might sell real well. Gradually the idea
would develop that just being a seed was a special sort of
calling after all, and that seeds in their unsprouted beauty
should be left to glory in their original form. This would
appeal to seeds of all shapes and sizes. Away with the agony of
brokenness and cultivation and loss of the seed's identity! Up
with seeds! In their neat, sterile little homes, seeds would
have pictures of - seeds! See how handsome that one is and how
famous this other is. The ultimate goal would be to achieve
bigger and better seedhood. "Golden Kernel" awards could be
given to the most outstanding nuts. 	

In such a world the sight of a sprouted seed would be revolting.
"Well, just look at her." they would say, "She's all broken and
split and really half the seed she used to be. And the soil all
around her! Why, it's just disgusting. And look at him. He
had such seed-potential, too. What a shame he had to get
planted. He could have been the master of his fate, the captain
of his ship. What a wonderful kernel he would have made. Now
he'll have to settle for obscurity being a tree. Too bad."

But don't try telling the young tree that. Seeds and trees
think differently about a lot of things. Trees like growing
stronger in ways seeds will never understand. Seeds tend to
wonder what they're here for. Trees know. Seeds cling to the
little, short, dry life they have. Trees lose themselves in the
rooted fruitfulness of a greater life than they could have
imagined. Seeds try desperately to squeeze a tiny drop of the
water of life out of this existence. Trees evaporate enough
water to cultivate the earth. Seeds are forever fearful of
losing their seediness. Trees have left the husk behind in
favor of the life for which they were created.

Yeah, too bad about those sprouted seeds ...

Other references are: Phil. 3:7-8; 13-15; 20-21; John. 15:8.

Blessings to you! 
Pastor Rick Booye
Trail Christian Fellowship
18881 Highway 62
Eagle Point, OR 97524
Bible Study
Bible Study - Get a Job
This issue features a study of 2nd Thessalonians, Chapter 3. 
This is the third part of a three-part series. Future studies
will include Psalms, and books from both the Old and New
Covenants.


GET A JOB
2nd Thessalonians, Chapter 3

About fifteen plus years ago, my wife and I were involved with a
church in San Francisco, California. This church was one of the
first to become involved in the small group movement. We
participated in what were called growth groups, modeled after
the pattern developed by "Churches Alive," a ministry dedicated
to starting small groups in local churches.

We had already been involved in an eighteen-month pilot program,
meeting every week, and using Navigator materials. This program
included the Topical Memory Course as well as training in
evangelistic outreach. That first group had been very easy to
lead. It included people who would be leading other groups, as
well as the pastor.

The second time we went through the program, it was with a new
group. These people were a lot more interesting, but also more
of a challenge. I remember one woman in her late thirties. She
decided that it was time for her to get married. One week she
asked if we would pray for a husband for her. The next week she
panicked, feeling that she was too set in her ways. But it was
already too late, for the Lord sent a man into her life during
that one week, and later that year they were married.

There is another individual who came to mind as I was looking
over the passage for this article. He was a young single who
lived by receiving "crazy" money from the state. Knowing him,
the group assumed that when the money had been authorized, he
probably deserved it. Although he was strange, there was no
question that he was capable of taking care of himself.

For several weeks, the group prayed for him. The members kept
reminding him of his responsibility as a believer. He needed to
become a reputable member of society. Without pulling any
punches we told him: "Get a Job." And interestingly enough, he
listened too well; for he went out and got two jobs. Pretty
soon he barely had enough time for the Lord. Anyway, our big
concern for him was that he would understand the following: as
Christians, we are to be responsible members of our community.

This is part of the concern Paul expressed to the Thessalonians
in the last part of this letter. The details of the first two
chapters of 2 Thessalonians are found in Morning Star, Issues 9
& 10.

In chapter 3, Paul encourages the Thessalonians to get back on
track. The important issue wasn't prophetic, though prophecy is
important. The true focus must be on spreading the message of
salvation. And so, Paul requests them to pray that the work
wouldn't be hindered. He desires the rapid expansion of the
ministry of the word and that it will be well received.

Thus Paul completes his main argument. Next, he moves on to a
secondary concern. This had arisen out of the Thessalonians'
fears regarding the Day of the Lord. Paul teaches that the walk
of faith can't be grounded in the latest theological fad. 
Finally, the passage demonstrates that being a responsible
member of society is a major part of effective Christian witness.

Beyond these concerns, Paul also desires prayer for protection
from those wicked men who interfere with his work. It is
generally accepted that Paul is referring here to those Jews
back in Corinth who had tried to stop him. "While Gallio was
proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and
brought him into court" (Acts 18:12ff).

But, although men are unfaithful, God isn't. Paul may have not
only been encouraging the believers, but himself as well. It
wouldn't be surprising if he, as we have too, said one time or
another, "This would be a great world if it weren't for people."

As Paul asks for prayer, he once again is reminded just how much
the Lord had been doing among the Thessalonians. While his
confidence couldn't be grounded on people, it certainly could be
in God. Paul had no doubt that the Lord would continue to work
with these believers helping them grow and be obedient to God's
Word. So he prayed that they would be led by the Lord, and that
they would continue to have the necessary perseverance.

On the other hand, Paul has to bring up one more concern about
something going on in the church. Now you might ask, "What does
this warning against idleness have to do with what has been
already stated?" Paul had previously expressed concern because
the Thessalonians thought the Day of the Lord had arrived. 
Apparently, there was another result of this misunderstanding. 

Some Thessalonians, believing the Day of the Lord had already
arrived, felt they didn't have time or possibly need to earn a
living. Other believers, although on the right track, were
excessively focused on the urgency of getting out the gospel. 
As a result, they believed they must be about the Lord's
business constantly, even neglecting their responsibility to
earn money. 

Paul implies there was a lack of sincerity beyond this behavior.
The real problem is laziness not spirituality. As the saying
goes, "So heavenly bound that they're no earthly good." The
appearance of spirituality may have been simply a cover-up for
excusing irresponsible behavior.

This view is reinforced by Paul telling the responsible
Thessalonians to stay away from the idle ones. The primary
reason for this was because of their direct disobedience of
Paul's teachings. This meant that discipline had to be
exercised and the miscreants cut off.

Paul uses himself as the example of how they should choose to
live. As a minister of the gospel, he was entitled to be
supported by the believers. But he had chosen not to exercise
this right. Instead, he had paid his own way. He wanted to
emphasize the principle that believers were not to be a burden
on either the church or society at large. Paul worked as a tent
maker in addition to his ministry. He did this so he wouldn't
burden the believers. (Acts 18:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:9) 
Remember that these people were suffering persecution, and so
probably struggling to even be able to support themselves.

The other problem with this highly spiritual group, busy with
the Lord's work instead of their own, was that they were also
busy with everybody else's business. They were the
troublemakers in the body. And if Paul was your grandmother
he'd have told them, "Idle hands are the Devil's tools. Hey
guys, settle down and get a job."

In conclusion, Paul reinforces the point that his call to
discipline this type of behavior isn't just because of some
irritating members of the body. This was a problem of sin
resulting in the need for discipline and cutting off the
individual from the body. (Remember that discipline has a two-
fold purpose: restoration of the sinner, and protection of the
body.) Paul reiterates this so there would be no question as to
how serious he considers this kind of behavior. It reflects
negatively on the individual, the body, and ultimately the Lord
Himself.

And so Paul closes the letter with a reminder that the Lord is
the one who is the source of their peace, and reminding them
that He would always be with them.

Finally, a correct understanding of Scripture doesn't always
translate into proper behavior. The Thessalonians understood
quite correctly that the Lord could return at any time. This
led to a misunderstanding of the tribulation in which they found
themselves, causing them a great deal of emotional stress. Paul
corrected this with his letter.

But there was a second group that apparently chose to take the
teaching of the return of Christ and its valid corollary of the
urgent need for giving out the gospel as an excuse for being
parasites on society. They said, in effect, that because the
Lord will return at any moment, we must give our time to
spiritual matters and not be concerned with day-to-day life.

This is nothing new, and the problem hasn't gone away. Yes, the
Lord can return at any moment. This is our hope and comfort. 
But, we are to continue living until He comes. Yes, the giving
of the gospel is urgent. This is not just because the Lord can
return momentarily and remove His church, so the world can enter
the Tribulation. It is also urgent because we have no idea how
much time we have as individuals to serve Him. Giving out the
message is urgent because we also have no idea how long the
recipient has to receive and act on it.

We must be balanced in handling Scripture, stressing those
truths vital to Salvation, and to the gospel, and then apply the
teachings for walk and work in a balanced manner. We know this
is true. Look at the churches around us. Some focus on only
teaching and are like the ivory tower, proud in knowledge and
dead in life. Some focus on experience only and have become
like the lab rat living for the drug rewarded for proper
behavior. They constantly strive to recapture the "warm
fuzzies" and are unequipped to live in the real world. There
are those that find the Devil in every engine block. And there
are those that are so concerned with prophecy and the big
picture, they take no notice of the desperate lives of those
right next to them. THE CHRISTIAN WALK IS A WALK OF BALANCE.

And this brings up Paul's last point. Christians must be a
benefit to the society around them. Now this doesn't mean you
will always be perceived that way, but nevertheless, you must
strive to be responsible. And that does mean paying your own
way and not living off your community.

But there are other ways that you can be active, to live as good
citizens and therefore bring honor to the name of the Lord. You
can be good employees when those around you are shirkers. You
are working for the Lord, not for your employer. You can be
industrious students out of a desire to please your Father in
heaven. 

Couples must strive to strengthen marriages, so the unbelievers
can see what it means to have the Lord as the focus of the
marriage relationship. The Christian marriage is not perfect,
but it can survive adversity and be a positive witness. And
believing parents can strive to be godly parents. As a result,
they can show that responsibility to the children isn't to
satisfy society, but to honor God.

Scripture teaches that the world will grow worse, and in fact it
is doing so. But this doesn't excuse believers from trying to
improve the lives of others. Jesus healed, fed and cast out
demons in the midst of a society that would soon kill Him. 
Believers must care for those in need, the homeless, the
excluded, the victims of society. The purpose for this is not
only to make their lives less painful, but also so they can
discover that the final answer to life isn't better
circumstances, but a better relationship with God.

Christians must be willing to take a stand for the pre-born, the
handicapped, the elderly, all those that are unable to stand for
themselves. Throughout Scripture, God expresses concern for
the oppressed and promises to judge the oppressor. Believers
must be responsible citizens and vote for those that hold moral
positions. There is no excuse for a Christian not voting. You
must be willing to speak out for those in need. You must be
willing to stand for that which is Biblical truth.

The most important trait we can do is to demonstrate the love of
the Lord. We do this by first loving Him, and next, by being
willing to love those around us. This means accepting people
for who they are. After all, we are saved because God loved us
while we were yet sinners.

This means we can love the homosexual, while hating
homosexuality. We can care for the AIDS victim, while hating
their lifestyle, which is their sin. We can try to stop the
murder of the pre-born, while loving the murderer. After all,
God loves the sinner and hates the sin. Jesus died for the
sinner. Jesus died for them as much as He died for us. Let us
be willing to love them. Let us be willing to risk telling the
lost of their need for full payment for their sins. Warn
sinners that they face an eternity of punishment, if they are
unwilling to accept the payment for that sin.

Let us stand up for the wrongs in society, because we want to
see God's will done here, as it is in Heaven. But let us do so
in the spirit of the loving God. God was wiling to lay down His
life, so the lost could be freed from their misery.

Let's offer the greatest gift ever given to anyone: forgiven
sins, and an eternity of peace and joy with our Lord. Let us
never forget to comfort one another with the hope of that
eternity and the imminent return of our Lord and Savior. "For
the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud
command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet
call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that,
we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we
will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other
with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
Special Studies
Special Studies - Symbols and Types
SYMBOLS AND TYPES, Part II

By Dr. Charles A. Wootten
Whole Counsel Ministries, Inc.
Matoaca, Virginia

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 seventh in a series of articles detailing the
individual covenants found within Scripture. This issue's
article is the second dealing with the subject of symbols and
types.

There are many symbols and types within Scripture. Some can be
interrupted dogmatically and others can't. We can interpret
types dogmatically when they are explained in Scripture. For
example, the serpent in the wilderness is a picture of Christ. 
We are told this in the New Testament. On the other hand,
Joseph can be taken as a picture of Christ because much of his
life fulfill the pattern of Christ's life. But we can't be
dogmatic in our understanding because nowhere in Scripture are
we told that Joseph is a type of Christ. Keeping this
distinction in mind we present the following.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Now we shall look at types. As previously noted, a type is a
prophetic representation, i.e., one thing foreshadowing another.
We shall glance at the same categories as the symbols. However,
this listing will be alphabetical thus crossing some categories. 

Abel is a type of shepherd-martyr. "Adam lay with his wife
Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said,
"With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man." Later
she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and
Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of
the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel
brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.
The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain
and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very
angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain,
"Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is
right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is
right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you,
but you must master it." Now Cain said to his brother Abel,
"Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field,
Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. " (Genesis
4:1-8). See also Hebrews 12:24.

Abraham is a type of Everlasting Father with his name change
from "Exalted Father" to "Father of a Multitude." (Genesis
17:1-5). Also see Isaiah 9:6-9. 

Abraham and Sarah together typify God and Israel. "Return,
faithless people, declares the LORD, for I am your husband. I
will choose you--one from a town and two from a clan--and bring
you to Zion." (Jeremiah 3:14). "Later I passed by, and when I
looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I
spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your
nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant
with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine." 
(Ezekiel 16:8). 

In the same way, Adam and Eve typify Christ and the Church. "And
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling
of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his
people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." 
(Revelation 21:3). Also see Eph 5:23-31. 

In this context the guidelines that God gave are for the family
IN THE LORD, and are not necessarily expected to work outside
the believing home. 

The Angel of the Lord is the second Person of the Trinity in the
capacity of God's messenger (Judges 13:15-22). At times this
messenger is described as the Lord Himself (Judges 6:11-18;
Exodus 3:2- 6), whereas at other times as one sent from God.

The blood on door posts and lintels typify the faith application
of redemption. "By faith he kept the Passover and the
sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn
would not touch the firstborn of Israel." (Hebrews 11:28). Also
see Exodus 12:12-13. 

The developed significance of the role of the blood points
toward the blood of Christ and its application for our
redemption, justification, and sanctification. "How much more,
then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from
acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" 
(Hebrews 9:14 ).

The bruising of the head is Satan's head crushed. "The God of
peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our
Lord Jesus be with you." (Romans 16:20). 

The type of the bruising of the heel is Christ crucified. "Yet
it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and
though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his
offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will
prosper in his hand." (Isaiah 53:10).

Our victory is a continuation of Christ's victory when He
bruised the head of the serpent at Calvary. In the Greek, crush
(verse 20) "suntribo" points to present victories over the
powers of darkness as well as to the ultimate destruction of
Satan's kingdom at the Second Coming of Christ.

The consecration of priests with water, blood, and oil is a type
of consecration of believers by water, blood, and Spirit. 
"...the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in
agreement." (I John 5:8). This is in keeping with the Law that
demanded the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy
19:15; John 8:17,18).

The Exodus from Egypt typifies the departure from sin's bondage.
"For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers,
that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all
passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the
cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and
drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the
spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 
Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their
bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things
occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil
things as they did." (I Corinthians 10:1-6). 

Christian liberty has its limits. History illustrates the danger
of self-indulgence. Israel had redemptive experiences that
parallel water baptism and eating and drinking the Lord's Supper
(1 Corinthians 10:5-10). These same lessons apply today (vv.
11-13). This and related texts give full and strong warrant for
the New Testament's believer's study of Old Testament passages,
to draw lessons from assertions and analogies.

Jacob typifies the anointed of Bethel (Genesis 28:17-22; II
Corinthians 1:21-22) while Joseph typifies the rejected beloved
Son (Genesis 37; Acts 7:8-13). 

Judah is the sceptered one, the ruler, the king who conquers
through his praises. "The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to
whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." 
(Genesis 49:10) "Then some Levites from the Kohathites and
Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with
very loud voice. Early in the morning they left for the Desert
of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen
to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD
your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and
you will be successful." After consulting the people,
Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him
for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of
the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures
forever." As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set
ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who
were invading Judah, and they were defeated." (II Chronicles
20:19-22). 

II Chronicles 5:13 demonstrates the power of unity in praise,
thanksgiving, and music when the sole attention is on God
Himself. Here (vv. 19-22) is an excellent example of overcoming
the enemy using the weapons of our warfare.

The leper typifies the sinner See Leviticus 13:14. When he was
come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
"When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed
him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said,
"Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus
reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he
said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy." Then
Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show
yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a
testimony to them." " (Matthew 8:1-4). Jesus touched the
leper, exhibiting authority over both disease and the Law, which
prohibited such physical contact with a leper. He then
instructed the leper to show himself to the priest, balancing
His authority over the Law with His commitment to it.

Levi typifies the believer priest. See Deuteronomy 33:8-11 and
Revelation 1:6. "And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to
take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe
and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a
kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the
earth." (Revelation 5:9-10). See the Pentateuch to
understand how one should behave as a priest unto God. 

The gathering of manna is a type of feeding on the bread of life
(Exodus 16; John 6). 

Melchisidek is a type of Priest-King (Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews
7:1-7). 

Moses is the type of lawgiver/prophet "I will raise up for them
a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my
words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command
him." (Deuteronomy 18:18). And, "For Moses said, 'The Lord
your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your
own people; you must listen to everything he tells you." (Acts
3:22).

The Red Sea crossing, (Exodus 13:14), is separation from the
world by water baptism. "For I do not want you to be ignorant of
the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the
cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all
baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea." (1
Corinthians 10:1-2). The waters of separation typify the washing
of water by the Word. 

This list of symbols and types are by no means complete. Many
symbols and types that were omitted reveal the Messiah, our Lord
Jesus Christ. This issue will be addressed further on in this
study.

Not only is God revealed through shadows and types, but, as we
have already seen, through His Names. During the Mosaic period
there were at least two other Names of God revealed in various
situations. One was JEHOVAH-NISSI and the other JEHOVAH-ROPHEKA.

JEHOVHAH-NISSI means The Lord Is Our Banner. This Name reveals
personal leadership by God. This Name Moses gave to the God who
led them through a tremendous battle with the Amalekites by
Israel under Joshua at Rephidim (Exodus 17:15; Joshua 5:13,14;
Psalm 20:7). God is show here as the Lord who leads us against
the enemy and in whose Name we are more than conquerors (Romans
8:37). This is also the alternate meaning of the Name in that
"the Lord is my sign of conquest." This Name is used to declare
that God will always fight to conquer the enemies of His people.
God has taught us that when personal problems arise that,
instead of being overwhelmed by them, we can call upon Him who
will raise His standard. The odds will be defeated. 

JEHOVAH-ROPHEKA is the Lord that heals, or the Lord our healer.
This Name reveals personal preservation. The word means to mend
as a garment is mended, to repair as a building is constructed,
and to cure as a diseased person is restored to health. All
healing, both direct and indirect, is from God. He is our saving
health. God revealed His Name to His people in the promise of
health in exchange for obedience to His commandments (Exodus
15:26). God has declared the conditions for His blessings. All
that is necessary to receive them is complete obedience to Him. 

In our next discussion we shall look at the Palestinian
Covenant. The first generation of the Israelites failed to see
the Promised Land and died without entering covenant rest. This
series on Old Testament revelations of God will be complete in a
few issues. We shall then focus on the Revelation of God in the
New Testament. 


Much of this two-part study of symbols and types came from the
book, "Interpreting the Symbols and Types," by Kevin J. Conner,
Bible Temple Publications, 7545 N.E. Glisan Street, Portland,
Oregon, 97213-6395.
Messianic Studies
Messianic Studies: Jesus, the Rabbi - Was He Orthodox ?
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.

In this month's column, we conclude our 3-part series, "Jesus
the Rabbi - Was He Orthodox?". This is a transcript of an
address by David Bivin given at the Christian Friends of Israel
Teaching Seminar held at Christ Church, Jerusalem on May 26th
1987.


JESUS, THE RABBI - WAS HE ORTHODOX?
(Part 3 of a 3-part series)

The sole Scriptural basis for the many blessings that an
observant Jew still says daily is found in Deuteronomy 1:10.
"When you have eaten your fill, thank the Lord your God for the
good land He has given you".

Literally the text says: "And you shall eat, and you shall be
full, and you shall bless". The rabbis found in this verse
justification for saying a blessing before the meal as well as
after, and on many other occasions. Indeed on almost every
occasion. We only have this one verse, which is the only
Scriptural basis for the blessings that Orthodox Jews say even
until this day, and that is simply that after you eat you are
supposed to bless. And yet the Orthodox says a blessing for
anything and everything. The general rule was that anything
which a man enjoys requires a blessing.

If a man built a house or bought something new he has to say
"Blessed is He who has brought us to this moment". If one saw a
place where great miracles had occurred in Israel's history,
one was to say, "Blessed is He who in this place performed
miracles for our ancestors". In response to a shooting star,
lightning, a storm or an earthquake, one was to say "Blessed is
He whose strength fills the universe". And a mountain, hill,
lake, river or desert was to prompt, "Blessed is He who fashions
the works of creation". There was a blessing to be said before
publicly reading from the Torah, and another at the completion
of the reading. A blessing after immersing oneself in a mikveh 
(a ritual immersion bath), a blessing upon seeing a great
scholar.

There was even a blessing to be said when one urinated. In
fact, maybe we should read that particular blessing. Those of
you who have had problems with prostate or bladder infections
will appreciate how important this blessing is! At the
commencement of the blessing, which starts as do all blessings
with the words, "Blessed art Thou O Lord our God", you have to
mention that God is the King of the Universe, because a blessing
which does not mention the Kingdom of God is not a valid
blessing. And this one goes: "Blessed art Thou O Lord our God,
King of the Universe, who hath formed man in wisdom, and has
created in him manifold orifices and manifold cavities. It is
revealed and known before the Throne of Thy Glory that should
one of them be opened or should one of them become obstructed,
it would be impossible to exist in this land before Thee. 
Blessed art Thou O Lord, healer of all flesh, and wondrous of
works".

One was obligated to bless God for calamity and misfortune, as
well as for prosperity and good fortune. For rain and for good
news one says: "Blessed is He who is good and who gives good". 
For bad news one says: "Blessed is He who is the true judge".

There is evidence that Jesus adhered to the ruling of the oral
law in His use of various blessings. In conformity with the
rabbis' interpretation, Jesus not only recited a blessing after
meals but also said the blessing before meals. This blessing
is: Baruch atah Adonai elohcynu, melcch haolam, ha-motzi lechem
meen ha-aratz. (Blessed art Thou O Lord our God, King of the
Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth). That's a good
one to learn, only a few words, and you can bless the Lord for
each meal the way Jesus did.

It is recorded that at the last Passover meal which Jesus and 
His disciples ate in Jerusalem, Jesus, "took bread and blessed
and broke and gave to His disciples". Since in the Greek text
there is no direct object following the verbs, "blessed",
"broke" and "gave", English translators have felt it necessary
to supply the word "it" after each of these verbs. The English
reader therefore receives the impression that Jesus not only
divided and distributed the bread, but blessed it as well. Many
scholars also have understood that Jesus blessed the bread, and
it is amazing how many translators of the New Testament have
added "it" after the verb "blessed".

This is simply a misunderstanding of the Hebraic and Jewish
connotations of the word "bless". When Jesus fed the five
thousand with five loaves and two fish He also "blessed, broke
and gave", as He did when dining with the two disciples from
Emmaus. Because of this recurring "blessed, broke and gave the
bread" in the gospels, it is a common Christian misunderstanding
that Jesus blessed the bread. Consequently we Christians
customarily "bless the food" before we eat a meal, but no
observant Jew would ever make such a mistake! One does not
bless anything or anyone except God. The blessing that was said
in Jesus' time before one ate was praise and thanksgiving to
God who so wondrously provides food for His children.

Even in His supernatural, resurrected body, Jesus, in Emmaus,
did not neglect the required rabbinic blessing before the meal.
 One does not bless the food, nor does one ask God to bless the
food, one blesses God who provided the food. We might just note
here that it is a similar mistake to assume that Jesus
multiplied the loaves and the fish by blessing them. What Jesus
did was simply to bless God before the beginning of the meal. 
The miracle was not a result of the blessing, for food did not
multiply on other occasions when Jesus said the blessing.

This I think is a good example of how Christians' lack of
knowledge of Jewish custom has led to misunderstanding an act of
Jesus. In this case it has led to the development of a
Christian practice which has no foundation whatsoever in Jesus'
own practice or teaching. It is also an example of how a
Jewish book, written for Jews can create confusion for later
non-Jewish readers. Luke made it clearer for his 
Greek-speaking readers when he referred to Paul's practice in
Acts 27:35: "He took the bread and after giving thanks to God
in front of them all, He broke it and began to eat".

The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus, like all observant
Jews, of the first century, wore tzitziyot. (Tzitiyot are the
tassels or the fringes that hung from the four corners of the
outer garment or robe of a Jew of the first century). This is
commanded in Numbers 15:37-41 and Deuteronomy 22:12. That Jesus
wore these tzitziyot is illustrated by the story in Matthew 9:20
of the woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for 12 years
and was healed when she came up to Jesus and touched "the fringe
of His garment". This Greek word is the word for the tzitziyot
of the outer garment (the fringe or tassel).

There is no explicit evidence offered in the gospels that Jesus
also wore the phylacteries, the teffillin of the head and the
arm. These are the two leather boxes which each contain four
passages of Scripture inscribed on tiny parchment scrolls. 
These boxes are bound by leather straps, one on the forehead and
one on the arm. The "arm box" contains one parchment on which
all four passages were written, while the "head box" is divided
into four compartments each of which contains a parchment with
one of the Scripture passages written on it. Wearing these
phylacteries was an observance of the commandment to bind the
words of the Lord as a sign on your hand, (this should be
translated arm), and let them serve as frontlets between your
eyes. It might be argued that this is metaphorical language,
that one is not meant to literally bind all or part of God's
word to one's arm or forehead.

Nevertheless, the Jews living in the time of Jesus viewed the
wearing of tefillin, phylacteries, as a Biblical commandment
and they were part of ordinary Jewish dress. Putting on the
tefillin or phylacteries only at the time of prayer as practiced
today is a later custom. In Jesus' time they were worn
throughout the day. (Note the tefillin, phylacteries, of arm and
of fore entering a place which was ritually unclean. Actually,
efillin dating from the first century have been found in the
caves near Qumran on the shores of the Dead Sea, and they are
almost identical to those worn by Jews today.

There are suggestions in the New Testament that Jesus also
followed this custom. In Matthew 23:5 He criticized some of
the Pharisees because: "They make their phylacteries broad and
their fringes long". Rather than criticizing the wearing of
tefillin and tzitziyot, Jesus was condemning religious hypocrisy
that led to enlarging the tefillin and the tzitziyot. He was
not criticizing the wearing of the phylacteries or the wearing
of the fringes but just the exaggerated use of them in order to
be seen of men, or in a hypocritical way. While Jesus condemned
the ostentatious wearing of fringes we saw that He Himself also
wore them. Probably He also wore the phylacteries, while at the
same time criticizing those who wore them hypocritically. Had 
Jesus not worn the phylacteries, as well as having the fringes
on His garment, He surely would have been attacked by the
religious leaders of the day.

In general, one gains the impression from the gospels that
Jesus dutifully adhered to the practices of observant Jews of
His day and that His attitude towards these practices was guided
by the interpretations of the rabbis as expressed in the oral
law.

To conclude, let me just say that in all my research I can see
that Jesus was a Jewish rabbi, or if we don't want to use the
word rabbi, since it was not a title in those days, we can say
that He was a Jewish teacher. This is so difficult for large
sections of the Christian church to see, and only illustrates
how dim is our recollection of our Jewish origins, and to what
extent we have assimilated into the pagan culture that surrounds
us. One wonders what kind of dynamic organism the church might
have been throughout the ages had she clung more closely to her
Hebraic roots, rather than embracing and becoming amalgamated
with the pagan Hellenistic philosophy that persists in the
church even to this day to a great extent.

The church's only hope of course is to see Jesus, but this time
to see Him and know Him personally as He really is, an
observant Jew, a Jewish rabbi, the Jewish Messiah of God, and
one might add, God Himself, Emmanuel.

The Gentile church must become Jewish and purge itself of the
pagan influences of nineteen centuries. May we members of
Christ's Body who are not of Jewish parentage rid ourselves of
the arrogance of which Paul warned the Roman Christians: "Do no
boast over the branches. If you do boast remember it is not you
that support the roots, but the root that supports you. So do
not become proud but stand in awe". (Romans 11:18-20)


David Bivin has lived in Israel since 1963, when he came to do
graduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. From
1970 to 1931 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.

Produced by: Christian Friends of Israel U.K. BM Box 2188, London
Anee M'Amin
Anee M'Amin - How a Rabbi Found Peace
ANEE M'AMIN is Hebrew for "I believe". Every month this column
features the testimony of a Jewish believer in Messiah. 

HOW A RABBI FOUND PEACE
The personal testimony of Dr. Max Wertheimer
Former Rabbi of Temple Israel in Dayton, Ohio

From SHOFAR PUBLICATIONS - Ronks Pa.17572

Born in Germany, of orthodox Jewish parents, my first fifteen
years were saturated with training in orthodox Judaism. Then I
began my studies toward a career, and was apprenticed to a
manufacturer, doing office work. Although I continued to read
the prayers and attend synagogue, my worldly associates led me
into sinful pleasures and I drifted from the faith of my fathers.

My parents sent me to America to study in the Hebrew Union
College in Ohio. There were major adjustments to be made, but I
finished my training in all phases of Hebrew learning, completed
my undergraduate work and received eventually, my Master's
degree.

Having become proficient in translation of Hebrew into the
vernacular, and with a complete knowledge of Jewish history, I
was ordained and inducted into the rabbinical office. In my
first charge I served ten years, receiving many tokens of
affection from my flock. I contributed much to their knowledge
of the social, industrial and economic problems of the day. I
spoke on monotheism, ethical culture, and the moral systems of
the Jews. On Sabbath mornings I gave addresses on the Pentateuch
and on Sundays I taught from eight in the morning to five in the
evening with only an hour's break for dinner.

I became popular as a public speaker and was often asked to
speak in Christian churches. Well do I recall the day when I
proudly stood before an audience of professing Christians and
told them why I was a Jew and would not believe in their Christ
as my Messiah Saviour. I gloried in the Reform Judaism that
acknowledged no need of an atoning sacrifice for sin, a religion
of ethics which quieted qualms of conscience through a smug
self-righteousness.

In that audience sat a humble, elderly woman who prayed, "O God,
bring Dr. Wertheimer to realize his utter need of that Saviour
he so boastingly rejects! Bring him, if necessary, to the very
depths in order that he may know his need of my Lord Jesus
Christ."

What did I need of Jesus? I was perfectly satisfied with life.
My wife was young, attractive and accomplished. I was rabbi of
the B'nai Yeshorum Synagogue, lived in a beautiful home, enjoyed
a place of prominence in the community where I spoke in every
denominational church, was honorary member of the Ministerial
Association, served as Chaplain in the Masonic Lodge, and faired
sumptuously every day.

Suddenly there came a change. My wife became seriously ill, and
was soon dead, leaving me a distraught widower with two small
children. I could not sleep. I walked the streets striving to
find something that would make me forget the void in my life. My
dreams were shattered. Where was comfort to be found? I called
on the God of my fathers, but the heavens seemed as brass. How
could I speak words of comfort to others when my own sorrow had
brought me to despair? I delved into Spiritism, Theosophy and
Christian Science only to find them futile and hopeless.

I decided that I must resign and take time to think things
through. I was perplexed about one thing in particular: Where
was the spirit and soul of my loved one who had made my
existence so sweet? What had become of all her faculties, the
intents and purposes of that active, keen mind? I turned to the
Bible for an answer.

Again I studied Judaism, but it answered no questions, it
satisfied no craving in my heart. Then I began to read the New
Testament, comparing it with the Old. In the fifty-third chapter
of Isaiah I was perplexed by the expression "... my righteous
servant?" I found he was going to bear the iniquity of Israel. I
decided it could not mean Israel, for the prophet spoke of them
as a sinful nation, laden with iniquity. Who was it?

I began to study the context and in Isaiah 50:6 I found, "I gave
My back to the smiters." Then I read how the chapter began:
"Thus saith Jehovah ..." I asked, does God have a back? Did He
give it to the smiters? Then I read he "gave his cheeks to them
that pluck off the hair." and how he hid not His face "from
shame and spitting." I asked myself, when did Jehovah have these
human characteristics? When and why did He suffer these
indignities? I was further perplexed by Psalm 110:1.

In my confusion I began to read Isaiah from the beginning. I was
stopped at the sixth verse of chapter nine: "For unto us a child
is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be
upon His shoulders: His name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace."

Here was a most incomprehensible thing!

I suddenly faced with the doctrine of the Trinity. What now
about our popular monotheistic slogan, "Sh'ma Isroel, Adonai
Eloheynu, Adonai, Echod." Upon that word "Echod" (one) the
entire philosophy of Judaism is based. I had been taught by the
rabbis that echod means absolute unity. I began to study that
word and found to my amazement it was used of Adam and Eve, who
became one. It was used again when the spies returned from
Canaan with a cluster of grapes (Eshol Echod). It was used again
when the "men of Judah stood up as one man" (Ish Echod).

Suddenly I was struck with the error I had believed and
proclaimed all through my ministry. Echod cannot mean absolute
unity, but a composite unity.

Next I began to search for the name of Jesus in the Old
Testament. In my study I found that 275 years before Christ,
King Ptolemy Philadelphus summoned men from Palestine and
commanded them to translate the Hebrew Scriptures into the Greek
vernacular. They took the Pentateuch first, and when they came
to "Joshua" they translated it the book of "Jesous," written
with a circumflex over it, to show that there had been a
suppression of the Hebrew that could not be expressed in Greek.
When Joshua went into Canaan with the other eleven spies, he was
called "Yehoshuah" (Jehovah is Savior). That is exactly what the
word "Jesus" means.

I could hold out in unbelief no longer. I was convinced of the
truth of God as it is in Christ Jesus. I cried, "Lord, I believe
that Thou as Jehovah Yesous has made atonement for me. I believe
that Jehovah Yesous died for me. I believe that thou has made
provision for me. From henceforth I will publicly confess
Yeshua as my Saviour and Lord." 

Thus, after months of searching, I was convinced that Jesus was
the righteous servant of Jehovah, (Jehovah-tsidkenu), "The Lord
our righteousness."

While I had served as a rabbi I had yearned to give the bereaved
some hope and comfort, but I could not give what I did not
possess. Now I could approach those in heartbreaking grief and
tragedy and give them the satisfying words of the Lord Jesus, "I
am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and
believeth in Me shall never die."

And again, "Verily, verily I say unto you: He that heareth My
Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath (possesses now)
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but IS
passed from death unto life."

There is but one eternal life, and one source of eternal life;
that is God's Son. What a great and glorious message we, His
redeemed ones, are commissioned to deliver today !
The WORD for Today
The WORD for Today
Before this last Easter (1992), many churches across the country
were involved in The Chapel of the Air's "Fifty-Day Spiritual
Adventure." This program was designed to help local churches
become "The Family God Wants Us To Be." The material provided
focused on dysfunctional behavior found in families and brought
into the church. The article presented here is the third 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.


KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES
1 Corinthians 12:14-26

Most consumer-oriented marketing is based on making the
purchaser feel inadequate. It compares us to someone else. And
we always come up short. Why are we inadequate? Because we
don't use the sponsor's product. To keep up with the Joneses,
we have to buy what they buy, or buy even more and better.

If you don't want to be considered a failure, buy the right car.
If you want to stand up to the competition in the battle of the
sexes, wear the right perfume or after-shave. Make sure you
never have a dandruff problem, or baaaaad breath. Young people:
you have to wear the right name brand clothes! And for
goodness' sake, don't forget to buy the proper brand of kitty
litter for Fluffy!

We see these comparisons carrying over to everyday
relationships. You're in the store with your two kids. A
stranger comments, "What a beautiful little girl." Meanwhile,
your other daughter stands there, completely ignored.

This same approach to life is frequently seen over in the
schools. I remember that when I was young, grading wasn't based
on a standard, but on the curve. I was graded based on where I
fit in comparison to others. If class performance was below
average, than I might be an A or B student. On the other hand,
if the majority were Rhodes Scholars, I would pull grades that
would make my parents think they had raised a Neanderthal.

Unfortunately, the problem of comparison as a basis for value
carries over into the church. We frequently evaluate people
based on what they do, how much they give, their talents, or
personalities. We forget that worth comes from being a child of
God, and that He gives each of us a place within His body.

I remember the time in our former church when the new pastor
first stepped into the pulpit. He was small of stature,
apparently fussy in personality, single, and very British. But
that wasn't what gave the older members heart attacks. On the
first Sunday, he came into the pulpit wearing a robe. "Our old
pastor would never wear a robe. Only papist types wear robes. 
How awful." And poor pastor never recovered from this first
evaluation. He wasn't with us very long. 

But you can't judge a book by its cover. Sometime later he
married a very attractive young lady. We know him best as the
author of the lyrics of the song "Hiding Place."

Worth comes from being created in God's image, not from being of
utilitarian value. Paul demonstrates that each Christian has
value and purpose. God is the one Who assigns that purpose. 
This is the message of 1 Corinthians 12:14-26. 

Paul identifies one characteristic of a healthy church family. 
When the church is functioning properly, each member of the body
is accepted for their unique qualities. Comparison and
competition is not the focus. Each person is valued, from the
youngest member to the oldest. As adults, we should recognize
the uniqueness of each of our children. We must remember that
they too are as much a part of the body as each adult.

Paul illustrates his concern by drawing an analogy between the
human body and the church body. By the way, I think that this
passage shows that Paul, as with Jesus, had a true sense of
humor. He makes his points using the absurd.

Apparently the problem in the church was disagreement over the
relative importance of different service opportunities. The
custodian wanted to be the organist. The secretary wanted to be
the youth director. The foot resented the fact it wasn't a
hand. On the other hand, the ear was bent out of shape because
it couldn't see why it wasn't an eye.

God created the body with a multitude of different parts, and
each is equally important to the smooth running of the body. 
Also, notice Paul says that God assigns each role as it pleases
Him. The Lord, in His wisdom, knows just what the perfect slot
is for each person. He doesn't compare us with each other. He
only holds us to the standard that He sets for us individually.

As with the human body, the church cannot function unless God
fills many different roles. The individual parts of the body
can't say, "I don't need you." And, if this is true for the
human body, Paul says it is even more true for the church body.

Finally, Paul makes a point which most churches choose to ignore
rather than recognize. He understands that some of the roles
God assigns appear to be more glamorous than others. He
realizes people have a tendency to give the honor and
recognition to the high-profile positions.

I saw an example of this attitude the first time I held the
office of elder. Some people mentioned to my wife, Janette,
what an honor it was that I had been given the position. The
implication was that it was better to be an elder than a deacon,
a teacher, singing in the choir, or any other position within
the body. Janette's response was, "What honor? Being an elder
just means a larger burden of responsibility." 

Paul was concerned about this tendency of misapplying value
based on position. As a result, he instructed the Corinthians
to give special attention and honor to those in the low-profile
positions. This also points out that it is appropriate to let
people know they are appreciated. If we say that serving God
should be enough honor in and of itself, that doesn't take into
consideration the reality of human needs. 

One church I know would have an annual banquet put on by the
body for the Sunday School teachers, youth and nursery workers. 
It was a great way of telling them, "Thank you." 

Paul directs us to honor those in the less than honorable roles.
Again, the point here is that God assigns all the roles and
every one is important. 

How is the problem of unhealthy comparisons and competition
modeled in the dysfunctional family? We see this frequently in
parents making comparisons between their children. One isn't as
bright, or pretty, or for that matter, as well-behaved. We
forget that each is unique and devalue that uniqueness. Little
Tommie isn't Joey and never will be.

We see a couple of examples of how this problem occurred in one
of the most important families in the Bible. Clearly, this was
a dysfunctional family, but one which God used in spite of its
problems.

One generation was made up of Isaac and his wife Rebekah. He
loved Esau and she babied Jacob. "Isaac, who had a taste for
wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob" (Genesis
25:28). As a result, there was nothing but trouble between all
the members of the family. Because of Rebecca's favoring Jacob,
he had to flee home and never saw his mother again.

Apparently Jacob hadn't learned much from this because he
favored Joseph and later Benjamin. They were the sons of his
favorite wife, Rachel. You all know the results of his
favoritism. Joseph's brothers resented him. As a result they
decided to sell him into slavery.

The dysfunctional family stresses the importance of a healthy
appearance before reality. As a result, they often compare one
another with the intent of bringing the disfavored one "up to
snuff." And of course, the one being unfavorably compared is
hurt, and frequently shamed.

This person becomes an adult, he or she always compares their
performance with that of other people. The woman who struggles
to keep the house spotless, even when ill, explains the behavior
by saying, "Well, other people can keep their house clean."

Then there is the employee who works long hours, to the
detriment of his/her family. "Everybody else works 70 hour
weeks. What would they think of me if I said my family was more
important than my job?"

This same behavior carries over into the church. Frequently, 
the individual giving large sums of money is perceived to be
more important than someone who can't give much. Here's Jesus'
view on the subject: 

"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put
and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple
treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor
widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a
fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said,
'I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the
treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their
wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she
had to live on'" (Mark 12:41-44).

Another example of problem behavior is the belief that those who
are dedicated to visitation, (or other types of works), have a
higher commitment than others. As one church member asked, "Why
isn't the pastor's wife as active in church functions as
Pastor's Jones' wife at the neighboring church?" A similar
comment also heard is, "Should so-and-so really be doing that
job? After all, you never see their spouse in church!"

Of course, we all know one sign of spiritual maturity is being
in the church every time the doors are open. Another truth is
that volunteers are more spiritual that those that are paid, or
is that the other way around? I forget!

Again, what does Paul say about each member of the body? "But
in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of
them, just as he wanted them to be" (1 Corinthians 12:18). It
is God who assigns the positions. It is God who sets the
standards. It is God who will convict us of where we need to
make changes in our lives. His desire is for us to be obedient
to Him, in whatever role He has assigned to us.

So, what do we do about the problem of unhealthy comparisons and
competition within the body? First, we have to bring our mind
set in line with the truths shown by this passage.

We must reject the world's standards, which believe that if you
win a silver metal at the Olympics you have lost. It is just as
valuable to be a construction worker as it is to be an executive
director. We must realize our society's way of defining value
is unacceptable. After all, society says Michael Jackson,
Michael Jordan and Lee Iacoca are more important than your local
school teacher, or the neighborhood postman. And personally,
when my sink is stopped up, I appreciate the plumber more than
Joe Montana.

Are you are a victim of unhealthy comparisons or competition? 
Then you must ask the Lord to help you recognize when you are
practicing this same behavior yourself. Remember how hurt your
were when someone treated you this way? As you remember your
own pain, hopefully you won't want to perpetuate this same
behavior towards others.

Finally, we can break this pattern if we are more concerned with
helping the body function effectively for the Lord than we are
about getting personal recognition. We must strive to do the
best job we can with the position the Lord has assigned to us. 
Then we will be able to reach out to others in love. We will be
able to affirm one another, striving to help each other to be
the best we can for the Lord.

Instead of comparing ourselves one to another, let us praise the
Lord that He loves each one of us. He is willing to let each of
us serve Him. And He has opportunities for us that He chose
before eternity. "For we are God's workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for
us to do" (Ephesians 2:10). Let us all affirm one another as
children of the Lord. Then we will no longer practice unhealthy
competition and focus on unhealthy comparisons.
Prayer Guidelines
Prayer and Asking by Michael Wilkinson
PRAYER AND ASKING
By Michael Wilkinson
Article 6 of the "Prayer and ..." series

"And He said to them, 'Which of you shall have a friend, and go
to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves
for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have
nothing to set before him;' and he will answer from within and
say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children
are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you?' I say to
you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his
friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him
as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given
to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to
you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and
to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread
from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he
asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask Him!'" (Luke 11:5-13).

I can't tell you how many times I have contemplated how nice
life would be without needs. There would be no more worry, no
more impatience, no anxiety, no stress, and no effort required. 
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. (Pardon me for snoozing on the job. I must have
been overcome by all the peace and tranquility.)

Seriously, many times a day I find myself in need. Mostly just
little concerns like: needing a little more cooperation from my
children, a little more time to relax, a friend to talk to, etc.

I pray well under pressure, and nothing will bring me to prayers
like a miserable crisis or tragedy. Yet the little frustrations
in life often are not considered prayer-worthy. They can cause
worry, anger, sorrow, confusion, fear or dismay, but too often
do not motivate prayer.

Yet, if you look at the above verses, you can see that the
people in them are not asking as a result of any life
threatening crisis. They have common everyday needs. Each is
seeking help from the one person best able to help them with the
situation of the moment.

But these are the examples Jesus uses to illustrate the
principle of asking our heavenly Father to meet our needs. And
to Him all of our needs are small, but important. The point is
that we should ask His help when we have needs, whether great or
small.

In James 4:2 it says "You do not have because you do not ask
God." A familiar old hymn tells of forfeited peace and needless
pain when we do not bring everything to God in prayer. And as
Christians often say, "Christianity is not a set of rules to
keep, but a personal relationship with our Savior and Lord Jesus
Christ. It is not a Sunday religion; Christianity is the life
we live every day."

As noted, the Lord sends the gift of His Holy Spirit to dwell
with us. This is because "In the same way, the Spirit helps us
in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but
the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words
cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind
of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in
accordance with God's will." (Romans 8:26-27)

I refer to this passage because it points out how easy it is to
bring prayer requests to the Lord. We don't have to stop and
plan our prayers. We don't need to take a course on how to pray
or ponder the best wording. All we need do is present our
requests to God and the Spirit will intercede for us.

Finally, consider the meaning of the terms "anything" and
"everything" in the following verse: "Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6) 
And also consider these verses: "Is any one of you in trouble? 
He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the
church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of
the Lord." (James 5:13- 14)
SCUD Warnings
SCUD Warnings by Jerry Johnson
S piritual
 C ounterfeits
  U ndermining
   D octrine

W A R N I N G S

By Jerry Johnson
Excerpts from the church newsletter from the First Church of The
Contemporary Christian, dated October 21, 2021:

******************************************************************

Greetings! We are excited about all the great things going on
here at First Church!

We have lots of opportunities at our church to meet all your
needs. Here's a brief listing and description of a few of the
classes we offer:

Co-habitants for Christ, Tuesdays 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.

This class is for all our members that are living together and
are struggling to keep that relationship alive and vital. This
class is taught by our singles Pastor and his
girlfriend/roommate of 3 years.

Bended Reeds/Divorce in Progress Class, Monday 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.

This class is offered for members of our church who are process
of divorce ...to help give support along the way. This class has
helped over 30 couples start new lives apart. Taught by an
associate minister currently going through a divorce. Talk
about a sympathetic teacher!

Smoldering Wicks/Extra-marital Affairs Support Group, Monday
7:00 - 9:00 P.M. (for convenience, it runs concurrent to Bended
Reeds)

Support class designed to aid those involved with extra-marital
affairs in the church. Premarital counseling is also available
upon announcement of separation. Taught by the former mistress
of our seniors' pastor, Marilyn Smits.

Bombed Believers, Saturdays 6:00 P.M. until the stash runs out

Why get loaded with a bunch of non-Christians who might rip you
off? Keep it in the family! Bring enough drugs to share. Lead
by our Youth Pastor, "Stoney" Masterson.

PRAYER REQUESTS: Join us in prayer that the sixth grade class
Crips and Bloods will stop having gang rumbles after the second
service.

PRAISES: Good news! All the students in the Wednesday's youth
group that were injured when precocious Stephen Stiller, a 7th
grader, took over the class with an assault rifle, will be 
released from the hospital by next Tuesday.

Also Pastor Newburg's divorce has become final and he and his ex
want to thank everyone who came to the yard sale. It really
sped up the divorce to have the property converted to cash so
easily.

******************************************************************

Sounds ludicrous...

But frankly, what kind of response would you have gotten from an
evangelical minister in the late 50's if you told him that
within 35 years:

- Over 30% of his congregation would have been divorced.

- Pre and non marital sex would be a common problem.

- The majority of the teens would not be virgins.

- It would be common to have Christian versions of secular drug
  and alcohol programs in the church.

- There would be a growing number of single parent households in
  the church.

- Major denominations would reevaluate whether or not to perform
  marriages for homosexual couples or have homosexuals ordained.

- Child abuse and molestation rates would be about the same in
  church as in society at large.

He would have looked at you like you were crazy!

Sadly, maybe my weird church bulletin is not that far off.

But WHY?

The draining and training of the Christian mind.

"Meaning what?"

My wife and I have an 11 foot Burmese python (did I hear,
"somehow that doesn't surprise me"?) that she acquired as a baby
when she was teaching school. In the years we've had her ...
the snake, not my wife ... we've met many people who are
terrified of snakes. The best way to get them over the fear, IF
they are willing to cooperate, is to desensitize them to the
snake.

Classically, this is done by first talking to the person about
snakes until that doesn't really bother them, then show them
drawings, then pictures, then videos, then expose them to a
snake in a cage, etc. etc. By shear, repetitive exposure, the
snake loses its shock value.

Is the analogy resounding clearly enough yet?

By repeated exposure to the sin and dysfunction of the world,
sin is losing its shock value for the modern Christian. We're
getting used to it.

You see, when something happens often enough and becomes common
enough, people begin to think of it as being normal.

But normal doesn't mean right. After all, a recent study 
indicates that 54% of the people in the U.S. have been molested
or abused as a child. That means that most people have been
abused. Statistically it is "normal", but it isn't right.

But the stuff loses its shock value. After all, when's the last
time you registered even the slightest surprise at finding out
that someone is divorced or not a virgin when married or that
they had tried drugs in college?

When we are watching "Transsexual, gay vegetarian mass murderers
and the cross dressing libertarian Nazis that love them" on
Oprah, Phil and Geraldo, aren't we likely to get a bit
desensitized to the "normal" sins?

This stuff's getting so common that we are coming to expect it
... even in the church.

"Oh wonderful, here's another 'let's burn all TVs, throw away
the radios, form a Christian commune and get away from those bad
people' speech."

Not even close.

The first point I am espousing is that we have to be careful to
not set our moral and ethical standards (there's a phrase rarely
heard any more) by just being better than the world. At that
rate we'll be just as messed up as the world, just twenty years
later. Think about it, do you want your family just to run a
little bit better than the Connor family on the TV show
"Roseanne"?

I doubt it.

We MUST base our standards on the Word of God, in response to a
personal, holy God; not just get a list of do's and don'ts that
throw us into legalism. And we have to be willing to be moral
and ethical, even when it is not popular.

Second point: Romans 14:23 states that everything that does not
come from faith is sin. Therefore I could be walking into major
trouble if I told everyone to watch the shows regardless. If
you cannot watch TV in good conscience, don't.

However, if you DO watch TV I have something for you to consider:

Who is stronger, God or the world? Who is more powerful? Does
God fear the world or the world fear God?

God wins ... and so do we. We are not to wallow in sin nor are
we to tolerantly meditate on the messed up standards of the
world nor are we to fear the world. Greater is He ...

So consider this concept: quit watching like a potato (spelled
correctly) and start to use it as a tool for discussion and
analysis in your home.

Example: next time you watch "Roseanne" see if you can define
what makes their family dynamic, weird and uncomfortable even as
you may laugh. You can laugh ... but think as well. Also,
there was a new show on last night called "Grapevine". I'm not
sure of the premise, but it was mainly comprised of multiple
characters talking about multiple sexual contacts with multiple
people, with incest inferred in a positive manner.

Garbage? Definitely!

Will I watch it again?

Doubtful. Not because the morality was lower than a centipede's
toenails ... I wasn't tempted to follow the same AIDS-magnet
lifestyle they exemplified. It was a boring show.

These shows tell us what's happening to our world and its moral
structure, pitiful as that is. As long as we don't start to
believe the piffle they are selling, we can use it to train
ourselves and our children about what and why we believe:

It is fulfilling for people to engage in serial, temporary,
sexual relationships based on physical attraction while
repeatedly running the risk of catching AIDS;

Accumulating stuff that will eventually break and fall apart is
the true path to happiness;

The O'Connor family on "Roseanne" is a warm, wonderful family;

It makes sense to use a drug to feel good for no real reason at
the expense of killing brain cells and causing Chromosonal
damage;

Every father in the U.S. is a bumbling idiot whose kids are
smarter than he is;

You cannot be happy unless you have the right deodorant,
toothpaste and shampoo. If you do get the right mix, the most
attractive people in the world will find you irresistible.

This is the stuff great conversations are made of. When you
look at what the world is selling, not just how they sell it,
and keep your standards Biblical, the absurdity of the world's
false promises come across loud and clear.


Next time: The Spiritual Pendulum
Bible Quiz
Bible Quiz
BIBLE QUIZ
Test your Biblical knowledge! Identify the following words from
the Bible as being a city, island, mountain or river.

1.  Abana (2 Kings 5:12)      CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

2.  Arba (Joshua 15:13)       CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

3.  Arimathaea (Luke 23:51)   CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

4.  Clauda (Acts 27:16)       CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

5.  Ebal (Deuteronomy 27:13)  CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

6.  Gilead (Hosea 6:8)        CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

7.  Hor (Numbers 20:22)       CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

8.  Horeb (1st Kings 19:8)    CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

9.  Melita (Acts 28:1)        CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

10. Ramah (1st Samuel 28:3)   CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

11. Shushan (Esther 3:15)     CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

12. Tyrus (Ezekiel 27:32)     CITY, ISLAND, MOUNTAIN, RIVER

Christian Life Department
People Profile
People Profile - Ray Reed
Morning Star Senior Editor, Teresa Giordanengo, conducted this
interview with Evangelist Ray Reed. Ray is affiliated with
David's Mighty Men Inc., a Bible study group in Beaumont, Texas. 

David's Mighty Men is featured in the Ministry Profile column of
this issue of Morning Star. 

Teresa: Ray, you always attended Church and Sunday School, but
when did you accept Jesus as your personal Savior?

Ray: I first knew the Lord Jesus as my Savior about twelve years
ago, when I was twenty years of age. I was raised in the
Methodist church; my dad, all of my uncles and my grandfather
are Methodist ministers. 

The sad news is the fact that I never really heard the gospel
message until I was age twenty. I was certainly in church every
Sunday, and was never late for Sunday School, but in all those
years I was never told that I needed to be "born-again".

Teresa: What prompted you to get serious with the Lord?

Ray: My teen years were quite rebellious, and I came to the
conclusion at that time that God did not exist except in
people's minds. I went further and began to say many
blasphemous things against God and His Holy Word, until one day
I decided that in order to be truly open-minded, and to make
sure that I did not believe, I had better read at least some of
the Bible - objectively. Had I opened the Book to an obscure
passage somewhere in the prophets or kings at that time, I
shudder to think what may have been the outcome. I surely would
not have understood what I was reading. However, my Lord being
a merciful Lord, and an all-present Lord, caused me to open to
the Gospel of John, where I read for the first time in my life
about the many signs and wonders that our Lord Jesus performed. 
I was transfixed. I never thought that the account of these
miracles and mighty deeds that Jesus had worked could sound so
real - I had always assumed that the Bible was rather
"fairy-tale-like". I read and read and read.

At this time I also read for the first time that I - me - needed
to be "born again of the spirit"! I realized then what a
miserable heel I had been, and at this time called out to God to
make me "born of the Spirit". He heard my cry, according to
Romans 10:9-13.

Teresa: How did your life change after being 'born-again'?

Ray: From this point I spent the next twelve years in intensive
personal Bible study. I taught a number of study groups and
Sunday School classes in the process, and helped form a
non-profit ministry by the name of "David's Mighty Men". I am
currently an