Letters Letter From the Editor Letter From the Editor Greetings and welcome to Volume 2.1 of Morning Star! This issue was released a bit late for a variety of reasons, but we praise the Lord that it finally got out and for the entire first year of this ministry. There is a rather unique theme running through many of the articles this month. Our feature area and several of the regular columns are concerned with modern methods of evangelism. We have articles on computers, software, electronic bulletin boards, online Bible classes, and television and radio ministries. You might call this our high-tech issue! In the back of our Resource area, you will also find an updated list of electronic bulletin systems (BBS) that Morning Star is available on. Since the last issue, we have found our way onto BBS on mainland Europe (Germany) and by next month we should be (once again) on BBS in Japan! Japan may be our gateway into that part of the world and maybe even a back door into Russia! There is also a chance that we might get onto a BBS in Mexico in the near future. Keep all this in prayer folks. Keep in prayer our (small) staff as well. We are all overloaded with work in our regular daytime jobs. Remember, everyone involved with Morning Star does it on a part time, volunteer basis, though it is a full time job much of the time! We are putting the call out for articles once again. Our upcoming themes are: Vol 2.2 Pastors and Ministers Vol 2.3 Missions and Missionaries Vol 2.4 Christian Men's Issues Vol 2.5 Messianic Studies and Stories Testimonies are needed too and we are also looking for ideas for future themes. (We could also use more staff help!) Shalom for now. In service to Messiah Jesus, Toby Trudel Your Letters Your Letters I just wanted to drop you a line to say that I have enjoyed the Morning Star online magazine. I've downloaded them all, and although I haven't read them all, I have enjoyed what I've seen so far. Keep up the good work! Nathan Martin Pineville, Louisiana I am reading the November Morning Star and enjoyed reading about your healing. Every time I read or hear of a miracle God performs it just makes my faith all that much stronger ... I found the August issue on a local board and got the others from a friend's board in Denver. If you know of some boards which carry the magazine I could get the issues that way and then upload them to local boards here ... I think the concept of an online Christian magazine is great and Morning Star has something for everyone. It shows people whose backgrounds are very different and who have never met each other can form wonderful friendships with the Lord as the center of that friendship. Also, there aren't many Christian magazines in a format I can read. I am blind. I was premature at birth and given too much oxygen. I access my computer with a speech synthesizer, so I do have a "talking computer". I am sure reaching the disabled might not have been an original goal for Morning Star, but computers have opened the world to many disabled. Linda Iverson North Richland Hills, Texas Commentary Commentary MORNING STAR MAGAZINE MINISTRY It certainly is an unusual way to get the Gospel out and for believers to share information. The story behind the creation of this electronic Christian magazine is a peculiar one as well. I purchased a Macintosh computer in the fall of 1988, using it mostly to play chess and type documents for the first year I had it. One day my friend who first introduced me to computers asked me to visit and check out an "online service" called America Online. I had seen some television commercials for such services, but didn't think they had anything of interest for me. After spending an evening "roaming around" the world of America Online, I realized that there was great potential in this new medium to do work for the Lord. One of the first things I did after purchasing the software myself and "signing on", was to do a "profile search" for "Christians". (People online can list their interests, occupation etc. on their member profile.) I came up with a list of about a dozen names which I then sent letters of introduction to. I inquired from these people if there was any Christian activity online and found that there was little if any. The first online project was the creation of several "discussion folders" - online messages that others could read and respond to. This was a great way to "advertise" that there were Christians online - and it worked. A lot of people started posting messages in these folders and I began making a list of their names. Within a few weeks I had an online mailing list of 40 people. Another great feature of America Online is the "People Connection" area where it is possible to engage in "live" group discussions. Anyone can create a "chat room" which other members can enter if they are interested in the topic at hand. One Sunday night I decided to try my hand at this and created a chat room called "Born Again Onliners". I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of believers "stopping in" to say hello, talk a bit and even ask for prayer. I decided to start up this room every Sunday night. The mailing list continued to grow. By the spring of 1991, I had a list of 100 names of brothers and sisters in Christ. I began sending out a weekly letter to these people. There were a lot of prayer requests and praise reports being brought up in the chat room and a weekly letter was a great way to share them with all the believers online. I thought this was a great little ministry, with the discussion folders, chat room and weekly letter, but the Lord had far greater things in mind. One day I received a piece of electronic mail from one of the brothers on the mailing list. He had an idea he wanted to run by me - an online Christian magazine. As soon as I read this, I got very excited over the concept. I had no idea how we were going to do this, my knowledge of computers was very limited, so I asked around for suggestions. The other thing I did was pray. What did I know about magazine publishing - much less ELECTRONIC magazine publishing? I worked in retail clothing! Oh well, I thought, Moses had no public speaking experience and look what God chose him to do. My prayers were answered very quickly. As I looked over my ideas for the content of this magazine I realized that I would need several qualified people to make it all work. I needed someone that knew computers and programming to actually create a program for publishing a magazine that most computers could run. I needed someone with a lot of Biblical knowledge to oversee the articles that concerned scripture. I needed someone with a lot of enthusiasm to take charge of the articles that dealt with Christian living. I needed a literary editor to look over the articles (mostly written by a bunch of amateurs) and make them at least respectable for publication. I needed someone to coordinate distribution of the magazine to electronic bulletin board systems across the country. Quite a tall order eh? A piece of cake for the Lord (our CEO)! Every position was filled with someone with the right skills for the job. Steve Paulovich from Derry New Hampshire, put this to prayer and came up with the idea for the DOS edition and its reader application, which enables any DOS-based computer to read the magazine. Right away we knew that we could reach roughly 3/4 of the computers in the world. The Lord provided a qualified computer person for the job of publisher. Geoff Kragen from Roseville, California is a Pastor, Pastoral Counselor and Jewish believer. Having a great appreciation and interest in the Jewishness of our faith and an eagerness to use the magazine as a vehicle to teach more on this subject I knew the Lord provided for the job of Senior Editor of the Biblical area. Teresa Giordanengo was one of the first people I met online and was the obvious choice for Senior Editor of the Christian Life area. Terri is a businesswoman from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, knows a lot of people and is a real go-getter. She had already been helping me with the chat room and online letter, so I knew how talented and dedicated she was. Al Murillo wrote to me online and offered his help as a literary editor. He just happens to do that for a living in El Paso, Texas! Needless to say, I accepted his offer. Walter Bauer of Sugar Land, Texas took the job coordinating distribution onto electronic bulletin boards (BBS). Look at the BBS list in the back of this issue to see what a great job he has done! Can you believe it? Not only did the Lord provide all the right people to get this project rolling, but just look where they are from - New Hampshire, California, Pennsylvania and Texas! With time even more staffers were added. Just look at the staff list elsewhere in this magazine to see where all these people reside. We still hold our Born Again Onliners chat room every Sunday night. The praise reports and prayer requests that people present there end up going all around the world in Morning Star's "Praise and Prayer" column. The mailing list on America Online recently topped 400 names, including people on other networks who receive it via "Internet" a global network link! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! Staff List Morning Star Staff STAFF LISTING EDITOR IN CHIEF Toby Trudel - Nashua, NH SENIOR EDITOR - Biblical Department Geoffrey Kragen - Roseville, CA SENIOR EDITOR - Christian Life Department Teresa Giordanengo - Canonsburg, PA FEATURES AREA EDITOR Dale Strand - Dublin, CA LITERARY EDITOR Al Murillo III - El Paso, TX ASSOCIATE EDITORS Jerry Johnson - Modesto, CA Clark Stephens - Huntington Beach, CA J.C. Trudel - Naples Park, FL Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA Dr. Charles Wootten - Matoaca, VA SENIOR PUBLISHER - DOS and WINDOWS Editions Steve Paulovich - Derry, NH NETWORK DISTRIBUTION: AMERICA ONLINE Network: Jerry White - Germantown, MD COMPUSERVE Network: Jorge Lopez - Lubbock, TX GENIE Network: Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA DIRECTOR OF BBS DISTRIBUTION - USA Walter H. Bauer Jr. - Sugar Land, TX MSDOOR PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION Alan Graff - Wheelersburg, OH INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION 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 - N'Djamena, Chad David Johnston - Norwich, U.K. Ted Day - West Bridgeford, U.K. Deane Hibbarb - Okinawa, Japan Shane Haney - New Zealand OFFICE SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN Patrick Auriemma - Nashua, N.H. Graphics reproduced with permission of: T/MAKER GRAPHICS, 2115 Landings Drive Mountain View CA 94043 DAVKA Corporation, 845 North Michigan Chicago IL 60611 (1-800-621-8227) ____________________________________________________ MAILING & SUBSCRIPTION INFO MORNING STAR is produced and published monthly, by a staff of born again believers in Jesus, located across the United States of America. Correspondence to MORNING STAR may be sent via the U.S. Postal Service or one of several computer networks. POSTAL ADDRESS: P.O. Box 7755 Nashua, NH - USA 03060-7755 ELECTRONIC MAIL LINKS: America Online E-Mail (DOS Files): MStarDOS America Online E-Mail (MAC Files): MStarMAC GENIE Network E-Mail: M.Wilkinson1 COMPUSERVE Network E-Mail: 70743,603 To receive a free copy of the MS DOOR program, which allows viewers to read the magazine onscreen, write to: Alan Graff P.O. Box 131 Wheelersburg, OH 45694 Do you know someone who does not have access to a computer network or electronic bulletin board, but would like to get this magazine? MORNING STAR is available in the following formats and can be shipped by way of our trusty U.S. Postal Service: DOS Edition - 3.5 and 5.25 inch Disk WINDOWS Edition - 3.5 and 5.25 inch Disk MACINTOSH Edition (Hypercard 1.2.5) - 3.5 inch Disk HARD COPY Edition Write to the Post Office box for more information. Foreign subscription information also available upon request. If you downloaded MORNING STAR from a network or BBS, we ask no money, but please help us out by sending us a postcard. Let us know where you live and what network or BBS you found this on! Please send us your comments and suggestions. Features Online Bible College Online Bible College by Rev. Roger Sapp ONLINE BIBLE COLLEGE By Rev. Roger Sapp, Church Road, Virginia Home study used to take days. Now the home classroom is no further away than a telephone call. Attaching a computer to the telephone line with a modem has taken thousands shopping, paying bills, meeting new friends around the world, getting instant answers from information services as well as sending and receiving mail. For years modem lovers have been able to access thousands of files and message bases in the growing number of electronic bulletin board systems (BBS's). These high-tech notions now allow you to use a computer and modem to further your theological education! Ivy League school services, such as the PLATO system at the University of Illinois, can barely match the first full-fledged total educational telecommunications package that is ready to go for the Christian community. The On-Line Bible College operates with the Christian International School of Theology. C.I. has been training ministers, missionaries, and others for twenty-five years from the Florida panhandle. Eleven courses of study leading to degrees from Associate level to Doctorate programs are offered on and off line. Christian International receives accreditation from the Accrediting Commission International for Schools, Colleges and Theological Seminaries. Christian International is seeking candidate status for further accreditation. Other schools and seminaries throughout the country broadly accept their course work. The On-Line Bible College is offering eighty courses in various subject areas such as Old Testament, New Testament, Christian History, Counseling and Christian Psychology, Pastoral Ministry, Theology, Charismatic Theology, Greek and Hebrew Biblical Languages, Christian Education and Missions. All courses are theologically conservative. Students from other theological persuasions can express themselves without fear of prejudice. Ministerial experience and previous course work for academic credit receives a full and fair evaluation. Special study groups exist for those taking the same courses that allow the on-line sharing of information. The systems operator (Sysop), Rev. Roger Sapp, is a Doctoral candidate with Christian International School of Theology. The Sysop has the keys to the eighty courses. This allows for on-line grading and responsive help when the student has a theological question or an administrative problem. The Sysop is constantly writing new programs to aid the students and improving the course formats. The support Bulletin Board System, SERVANT OF THE LORD BBS, uses a high tech, user friendly format, that minimizes student costs by fast access options, an E-mail door, and 24-hour operations. SERVANT also has thousands of Christian messages, Christian oriented files and programs too varied and too many to be listed here. It also has a licensed on-line Christian computer consultant that provides free consultation for SERVANT's users. The On-Line Bible College is less than a year old and already has international students. Besides participants from all over the USA, students in Canada, Japan and Greece are active in the programs. Inquiries are coming in from all over the globe. Foreign nationals, missionaries, and American military contact the On-Line Bible College through the mails and electronic networks connected with national and international electronic services such as CompuServe, Prodigy, and America OnLine. Costs to the student for studying this way are greatly reduced. There are no hidden expenses for the student such as travel costs and overhead maintenance on buildings for the school. This savings is passed on to the student in keeping the tuition low, $35 per credit hour, which may be the lowest tuition anywhere for theological study. Students who enroll before September 1, 1992, and maintain active student status will be able to complete their entire degree program at this tuition rate. However, after September 1, Christian International anticipates a tuition of $45 per credit hour (still very low for theological study). Another financial advantage is that the Christian International On-Line Bible College doesn't require payment for the entire program in advance. You simply pay for the courses that you are working on now. There is even a very low rate audit program. And besides, nothing beats the convenience of studying at your own pace in the privacy of your own home using your computer to speed your study and grading. Privacy yes, but isolation: no. That is what makes the On-Line Bible College unique! For more information, contact: Rev. Roger Sapp at his Prodigy ID: SGKR72A, CompuServe: 71042,2520. You may call "The Servant of the Lord" BBS by modem at 804-265-5571. 8 bits, no parity, 1 stopbit, ansi-terminal, from 300 baud up to 9600 baud V.32/42, On-line MS DOS catalog: OLBC9206.ZIP Text files catalog available for non-DOS callers: OLBC*.TXT. For America Online: contact the OLBC Representative, Dr. Charles A. Wootten, (ID: Listener1). For those who are interested in computer study but are not interested in using a modem, then write to: Rev. Roger Sapp, On-Line Bible College, 7600 Coleman Lake Rd., Church Road, VA 23833. Request a catalog on disk. Please specify computer type and size disk. Macintoshes for Ministry Macintoshes for Ministry by Rick Thrasher MACINTOSHES FOR MINISTRY By Rick Thrasher President of the Christian Macintosh Users Group People often give me quizzical looks when I tell them that I'm the president of a Christian Mac users group. They're usually familiar with user groups, but can't fathom why there should be one for Christians. It's actually a very good question and I'd like to answer it here. I founded the Group in 1987. Several of the pastors at my church in Palo Alto, California were using Macs. They were preparing sermon outlines and writing a letter or two. The software they used was MacWrite, the word processor that was, at the time, the leading Mac word processor. This was about the only software package they were using. While there was nothing at all wrong with what they were doing, they weren't, I felt, doing enough with this amazingly powerful computer. I hoped to be able to teach them to make more use of this tremendous resource God had graciously provided for them. I reasoned that if my pastors were this untaught in the ways of computers, there must be others. I began to ask around and found many area Christians using Macs. So in February 1987, I began CMUG, with a mailing list of about twenty names. One of the difficulties Christians face when using computers is the inability of computer stores to understand church and ministry needs. Computer and software manufacturers aren't much better. A user group for Christians was a way we could support and encourage one another. We produced a monthly newsletter and held monthly meetings. We covered our expenses thru donations, most from just a couple of individuals. A normal meeting included plenty of time for informal information exchange (questions and answers) plus a presentation on a topic of general interest to our attendees, usually given by one of our regulars. These meetings gave us an opportunity to learn from each other about various Mac or software idiosyncrasies and other issues. Our original mailing list of twenty quickly grew as each person told their friends, who told their friends who told their friends. Soon, we began to make contacts outside California. We even made contacts internationally! This format has generally remained the same ever since. We've had a few changes, though. In 1989, we sponsored a logo contest, won by a graphics artist from Pennsylvania. The logo he designed continues to adorn our printed material. In 1990, we gained a formal newsletter editor. Also in 1990, we began to accept advertising as a way of defraying our rising costs. CMUG has always provided the newsletter and most other services at no cost. We do not feel that we can charge to serve those in need. We originally covered our expenses by accepting donations. Later, we offered optional memberships. In order to make the memberships more than pay for themselves, we asked vendors to provide discounts to CMUG members. Some of our discounts can save literally hundreds of dollars. Currently, the most popular benefit available for members is discounts on purchases of new Macintoshes and peripherals. At one time, we kept a public domain library. However, America on-line and other services provide a much broader selection of software than we could, and it takes us much less volunteer time (always at a premium). However, we do maintain an extensive list of software companies servicing the Christian Macintosh community. We know of over 40 companies selling Mac-based church management and Bible study software. Our current mailing list is approaching 1,400. We have people in every state in the US, and on every continent except Antarctica. We continue to add people at the rate of 30-40 per month. We have a forum on the America On-line network. You can find it in the Computers and Software section, in the User Group Central folder (Contact Board #1). If you have questions relating to Mac use, buying computers or software, or effective use of computers in ministry, please let me know. Rick Thrasher, President Christian Macintosh Users Group 3140 de la Cruz Blvd., Suite 200 Santa Clara, CA 95054-2406 (408) 980-0338 America On-line: RickT5 AppleLink: THRASHER.R The Christian Macintosh Users Group is a non-denominational assembly of folks from a variety of backgrounds who use their Macs in their ministerial, personal or professional lives. We provide services to the Christian community, such as meetings, training, advice and support, Mac resource information, etc. We focus in particular on ways to use Mac in God's service and to His glory. Christian Bulleting Boards Christian Bulleting Boards by Jim Anderson CHRISTIAN BULLETIN BOARDS By Jim Anderson Billings, Montana I have received many requests for information regarding the establishment of a Christian Bulletin Board. Many individuals want to minister to those in their communities via the computer. I decided to write a file that would give some "thoughts to consider" before trying to establish your own Bible Bulletin Board System (BBS). 1. Are You Called by God to Be a Public Teacher of the Scriptures? This has to be the first question. To decide that one "wants" to have their own BBS without direct "leading" from the Lord is wrong. Remember the words of Scripture, "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." (James 3:1). It is God who decides who will "teach" the truths of Scripture in a public manner. All Christians are qualified to share the Word with both unbelievers and believers. But not all Christians are permitted to stand in a Church or other public place and proclaim the truths of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul reminds us that not everyone is called to teach, "It was He (God) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers ..." (Ephesians 4:11). Note the word "some." Paul did not say that God gave "all" to be teachers, but instead "some" to be teachers. This position of teaching referred to is one that is "official" in nature. In other words, witnessing to an unsaved neighbor is teaching in a sense, but it is on a small scale and the area of influence is limited. Even if we say something in error, its impact is limited. But to teach from an official position is very powerful and influential and requires a special calling and equipping from God. The words spoken from a pulpit, be it wooden or electronic, seem to have authority which carry an official "ring" that affects lives. Consider the false teachers who are not "called" by God to teach and note their influence; for example, take the Mormons and the Jehovah Witnesses: they have false gospels and yet because of their official position of teaching have had great influence on society. God says that those who teach will be, "... judged more strictly." (James 3:1). Those teaching from official positions can expect a more severe judgment by God for what they say. If we make an error in a "one-on-one" witnessing situation, God will be more understanding; however, when we teach in an official capacity we can expect God to discipline us for errors preached that are a result of each teacher either not "doing his homework" or "not being called to teach." 2. What is Your Inner Motivation for Wanting a Christian BBS? Examine yourself before you embark on committing yourself to this type of ministry. Why do you want to start a Christian BBS? Is it because you like computers and want to have "something" to do for Christ that involves your computer? Or do you want the status and other rewards that comes with the position of being an official teacher? Do you secretly wish to have a following of people who look to you for all the answers? Remember the role of a teacher is much more than having honor and a following, it is one of responsibility. A teacher must have a more perfect understanding of doctrines and ethics to teach according to God's standards, otherwise he has the possibility of inflicting great damage in the hearts of men. Each one of us needs to be very careful and prayerful in approaching such a task. There can only be one true motivation for establishing a Christian BBS, and that is, that the Lord has called and gifted you to do it. It is an endeavor that must be preceded by prayer and study of the Word. If you have examined yourself and your motives are pure then, ask yourself, are you truly equipped to teach others? Have you had any formal training in the interpretation of the Scriptures? Do you understand enough of the Hebrew and Greek languages to be able to study the "inner depths" of the selected verses? Can you teach the truth? 3. Qualifications to Teach as a Spiritual Leader of God's People. As a Sysop on a Christian BBS, you are responsible for the teaching of God's people. Most who call and "download" files or dialogue will be Christians. You will become their teacher on many Christian matters. This position parallels that of an elder or overseer in a church, who has the responsibility for the spiritual direction of the flock. Therefore, if you feel that God has called you to start a Christian BBS, then prayerfully consider these spiritual qualifications of those who are charged with the leadership of God's people. If you fail in any area, then you should reconsider any plans for a Christian BBS. (Note: Each of the following requirements are to be viewed from one's present life situation. One could have violated any or all of these qualifications at a previous time in one's life, but has since repented and proved oneself by consistently walking in obedience to these qualifications.) (1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9). One must be. . . A. Above Reproach. That is blameless, with conduct of such a nature that no cause is given to anyone by which his reputation may be injured. He is to be known for his consistent, mature Christian life-style which gives no occasion for public reproach to himself or to God. B. Husband Of One Wife. "A One Woman Man," totally devoted to his wife, not flirtatious, not accusable regarding any relationships with other women. He may also be single, divorced, remarried, or widowed, as long as his heart's longings are for no more than one woman. C. Temperate. His judgment never leans to the extreme. He is balanced and circumspect in judgment. D. Self-Controlled and Not Quick-Tempered. The quality of mind which is in control of one's impulses and emotions being serious, earnest, and sound. Not long-faced, he relegates fun to its proper place. E. Respectable and Disciplined. A well-ordered mind and life, without continual confusion of unaccomplished plans and disorganized activity. F. Hospitable. Loving strangers. Love expressed by welcoming and caring for visiting Believers and Unbelievers. G. Able to Teach. Apt at teaching, able to impart knowledge and wisdom to others, especially sound doctrinal knowledge. Handling accurately the Word of God. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught. H. Not Given to Much Wine. Literally, one who is not a slave to drink. I. Not Violent or Overbearing, but Gentle. Not prone to strike back with a blow (or harsh remark) when offended or annoyed; rather, he is considerate of the feelings of others, refusing to insist on one's own rights. J. Not Quarrelsome. Not a fighter, he does not go around with a chip on his shoulder. K. Not a Lover of Money. Money does not dictate his decisions, his attention is not fixed on monetary reward. He does not pursue dishonest gain, being always above reproach in his finances. L. Exhibiting Control Over His Family. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. His family must recognize his headship. He must rule in a dignified manner. His children must believe (consistent with their maturity) and not be open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. M. Not Be a Recent Convert. He must not have had too rapid a promotion to leadership, which could lead to excessive pride. (It is desired for him to have been a professing Christian for at least five years). N. Have a Good Reputation. A bad reputation in the community is to bring reproach on himself, on the church, and on Jesus Christ. He must love what is good. O. Upright and Holy. He must seek to imitate Christ, and to be able to say with Paul, "Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ." Those of you who meet the spiritual qualifications for leadership, whose motives are right, and who are truly equipped to be responsible teachers of the Word of God are welcome to have any information I might have concerning my own BBS setup. May the Lord bless the efforts of all who are called by Him for this service. The Christian Dsitribution Network The Christian Dsitribution Network by Ray Waldo THE CHRISTIAN DISTRIBUTION NETWORK By Ray Waldo Loranger, LA. The Christian Distribution Network (CDN) is a computer-based system for distributing computer software and text files to computer users who wish to use their computers for some phase of Christian undertaking. The CDN project was begun by Ray Waldo as a ministry to such computer users. Although it is illegal to share most commercial software, the CDN project distributes what is commonly called "shareware" or "freeware". The developers of both types of software encourage the copying and redistribution of their software. Authors of "Shareware" generally request that those who continue to use their software send a registration fee while "freeware" authors generally ask only that users send them a post card to establish themselves as a user. A good example of freeware is the Christian Magazine you are reading called "Morning Star". With approximately 120 computer Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) connected via their dial-up telephone modems, the Christian Distribution Network is now international and offers its services on several continents. Very likely, there is a member node (BBS) nearby where ever you may be. A common question is "How do I make '1-2-3' to be 'Christian?'" Actually, some very creative software has been developed because of the CDN. Not only does the Project distribute Bible concordance software, Church/Parish member tracking and business software, etc. but it even carries a graphics-oriented aid to evangelism and a Christian-based BBS software package. The network maintains a database program for organizing the published music pieces and the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) files to play hundreds of songs for contemporary and standard Christian music including the entire Canadian Hymnal. Recently, the network distributed a program to help Christians in memorizing facts such as the books of the Bible. Monthly computer-based electronic "magazines" (such as "Morning Star") round out the fare offered by the network. The CDN project continues in the same "hobby spirit" as the SDNET/Works! (Sm) Project (Meriden, CT) from which it germinated. CDN uses the filename extensions ".SDN" , ".SDA", and "Security Envelope" (supplied by Nogate Consulting) through a license from the SDN project. The SDN extension refers to an archived package that is electronically "Shrink wrapped" with a special seal that, once opened, cannot be replaced -- thus assuring that the package is original and has not been tampered with. This seal helps prevent you the computer user from obtaining a program through this network which has been tampered with by adding a virus to it. The major method computer viruses are injected into computers is through illegally tampering with an existing program and adding the "virus" program to it. The "security envelope" can be tested by the end user to assure the file's authenticity and by that assure the user that the software is virus-free. Although most of the CDN's programs are shared when a user calls a local computer BBS using his or her modem, some users prefer to exchange floppy disks. Therefore, the CDN has set up specific nodes that offer such service. For example, recently the on-line Bible program (14 each, 360k diskettes) was made available to those interested through postal distribution. Some overseas systems also require floppy transfers of the larger files. There are several types of CDN members, based on the requirements for each node level. Full members fly the CDN user flag in the nodelist for whatever network they are a participant. Full members must carry all program file areas, maintain files for a specified length of time, and not change the compression type or remove the Security Envelope during the specified minimum time. Limited members do not fly the CDN flag and are not required to carry all program file areas. "Recipients" are the end users and their participation in the CDN is limited. CDN operates in several hobby computer networks: Family Net International (FNI) Agapelink Christian Network (ACN) Fidonet international 30 Second Impact 30 Second Impact 30 SECOND IMPACT From THE CHOSEN PEOPLE magazine It happened three times during the evening of March 19, 1992, on station WWOR, during the programs New York at Night, The Evening News, and The Arsenio Hall Show. Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., this 30-second television commercial, featuring the testimony of Chosen People Ministries staff member Barry Berger, reached over one million residents of New York City. Taking Aim Transcending conventional methods of outreach, this unique opportunity for evangelism was targeted to the large Jewish population concentrated in that area. In that brief, but powerful 30 seconds, television watchers would hear the testimony of a Jewish believer in Yeshua (Jesus), memories of his conservative Jewish upbringing, his search for fulfillment, and the peace he ultimately found in Yeshua. The audience was then asked to respond for further free information. In a mere span of time-the same it takes to button a shirt or back out of a driveway-the Gospel message was shared in this unique and unexpected way. The Opposition Arises Prior to its airing, getting this Gospel message on New York television proved quite a challenge. Aiming for the broadcast networks of WPIX and WWOR, Chosen People Ministries found themselves in three long weeks of negotiations that would finally reach the general managers of the respective stations for final review and approval. At the end of those three weeks, one station, WPIX, rejected the request for air time. The decision was made based on the station's belief that the issue being presented was too sensitive, the spot too religious, and the broad statements being made too unsubstantiated. Satan may have been trying to close the door on this prime outreach opportunity, but God had other plans. For the other station, WWOR, agreed to the air time purchase of three spots. The February '92 Nielson rating of combined audience delivery for the three spots to the New York area was estimated at 1,051,000 adults. An additional bonus was WWOR's super station cable network airing two of the spots in 26,000,000 homes across the United States! Hitting the Mark As the spots aired, Chosen People Ministries had telephone lines and staff members poised and ready for the response of those watching. And respond they did! A few of the calls were hostile, but that didn't deter the dedicated staff members receiving the calls. For on the heels of the negative calls came the positive ones. . . calls of questioning, calls of searching, calls of gratitude. Israel Cohen received a call from a Jewish woman from Long Beach, New York. She was an unbeliever, but expressed an openness to the message she had just heard. She readily gave Israel her name and address and said, "Please send me the information. I would like to know more." Another caller, a Jewish believer from New Jersey shared from a grateful heart. The spot had given him the courage needed to stand openly for his beliefs. It also put him in contact with other Jewish believers who could offer him understanding and support. What a powerful connection! Opportunity to Educate Michael Rydelnik, Chosen People's Northeast Regional Director found himself engaged in a 20-minute conversation of questions and answers, challenges and rebuttals, from a tenth grade Hebrew academy student. During their discussion, Michael was able to direct this young man's attention to Jeremiah 31 and the New Covenant, present the concept of inner peace brought by the Messiah, and address the seeming contradictions the young man raised. Upon questioning him, Michael discovered that he had only read portions of the New Testament, selected specifically by his instructors. "Reading God's Word out of context," Michael stated, "could lead to confusion and alleged contradictions." Michael then challenged him to actually read the New Testament for himself, and offered to send him one, but the young man declined. Before hanging up the phone, the student admitted he had several things he now wanted to discuss with his Rabbi. Michael felt the call was time well spent. A Young student had been challenged, and encouraged to read the Gospels to find the answers for himself. Right on Target Each time our evangelistic commercial was broadcast, the calls of response came in. Staff members eagerly sent out the information requested and prepared for additional follow-up. Sam Nadler, president of Chosen People Ministries, sees the outreach as a success with unlimited potential. He has made a commitment to continue with evangelistic television spots, targeted to reach Jewish people with the Gospel. Additional phone lines and personnel will be added as this vital outreach is continued. Sam stated, "As financial support for this outreach becomes available, our plans call for re fining our efforts and expanding with additional spots in New York, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities with high Jewish populations." After all, only on television, somewhere between endorsements for the latest running shoe and most improved laundry detergent, could viewers be exposed to another endorsement of sorts . . . this one with life-changing possibilities. And only on television, could such a small segment of time make such a profound impact, touching viewers with the Gospel . . . a message that is always right on target. The Bible, The Law, and Software Piracy The Bible, The Law, and Software Piracy by Rick Thrasher THE BIBLE, THE LAW, AND SOFTWARE PIRACY By Rick Thrasher President, Christian Mac Users Group Without getting into either legal or theological arguments, I'd like to explore a difficult subject related to living life before the Lord: Software piracy. I am not a lawyer and I am not trying to provide legal advice here. I'll try to clarify the issues and inform you of the impact. I understand that software is expensive. I know that it doesn't seem fair to spend $500 to $600 for a poorly written manual and a couple of floppy disks. I know that you have much better things to do with your money. I know you may have received a used Mac with a hard disk full of software. I know you don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a program to find out it doesn't do what you want. I know that you can easily copy software from one system to the next, and probably no one would ever know. I know that the courts are still working thru the issues related to software copyrights. But. According to the law, software piracy is illegal. Each software vendor has their own license agreement. What might be true for one vendor could be completely different for another. You might need to become familiar with the various license agreements for your software. Especially if you're not sure where you stand. Take out the documentation from one of your software packages and read the section on licensing. Each company has their own variations, but in most agreements, you do not own the software, you own a license to use it. The rights for that software are protected by the same copyright laws that prevent you from making copies of a book or tape. Further, your software license is for a single computer. You can load it onto one computer and one computer only. If you want to use the same software on another computer, you should go buy another copy. If you have five Macs, and all need the same software, you need five purchased copies of that software. If you have a Mac at home and one at the office, you need one purchased copy for the office and a second for home. The previous paragraph is a strict reading of the law. Most software companies would try to hold you to this interpretation, should they somehow find out you have the software one multiple Macs but only purchased one copy. However, this single computer restriction can be interpreted to mean that it can reside on multiple computers simultaneously, but can only be used on one computer at a time. For instance, if I have a program on the Mac at the office and also have it on my Mac at home, it's not likely that I would be using both versions (at the office and at home) at the same time. So, under this interpretation, I could buy a single copy and still abide by the single use restriction. But if my wife or daughter is likely to use that program at home while I am using it at my office, I am no longer complying with either the narrow or broad interpretations of copyright law. So I should buy a second copy. Think of it in terms of the original intent of the copyright laws: printed material. If I have a book, it can only be physically used at one place at a time. If I want a copy of a book at home and at the office, either I carry it back and forth or I buy two copies. This is the principal the courts seems to be following. Since software is not really the disk, it can't be "read" until it's loaded onto a computer and executed. Once executed on a given computer, it can't be executed on another computer without physically being in two places. If you need to execute or -read+ programs on more than one computer at a time, you need to purchase multiple copies of the programs. If you haven't before, it may be wise to do some reading on this issue so that you are familiar with the issue and its impact on you and/or your organization. From a Biblical perspective, we are to submit to the governing authorities unless it contravenes a Biblical position (Rom 13, Titus 3:1,1 Pet 2:13f); to provide a worker with his due (Dt. 24:15, Jer 22:13, Mal 3 5, Jas 5:4); not to steal (Ex 20:125, Lev. 19:13). Most important, however, we are to submit our will to His. As with anything, you and He must spend time together on this subject until you come to an understanding of His will in this. The law says copying software illegal, but as I've shown there are different interpretations of the law. There is an organization (the Software Publisher's Association) whose business it is to find organizations that are abusing the law. They are aggressively pursuing software piracy and have a high conviction rate. Whatever the law says, whatever your interpretation of either the law or the Bible, we must all stand before the Lord to answer for our lives. What will He have to say to us on this part of our lives? Biblical Department New In Christ New In Christ Over the next few issues, the New In Christ column will present a series called "Letters From God" by Pastor Dale Strand of Dublin, California. LETTERS FROM GOD Letter #1 - For Atheists Who Feel Grateful and Have No One ToThank. Dear Earthlings, Religion is such a sad state of affairs: After all these years since I created Adam, mankind (personkind?) still does not realize that I didn't get involved in this whole mess to create division among people. My intent was to make available a wonderful way of life far beyond anything the human mind could ever imagine or even hope for. Religion is man made. But what I have come to offer is a touch of My spirit to man's spirit - something that, unfortunately, many people just don't seem to want to get involved with. If only there was some way that I could communicate to them that My way is the absolute best way to bring them the highest quality of life available on planet earth! When your car needs repair, you take it to someone who knows all about your car. And they consult the manufacturer's handbook to make certain it is fixed right. So then, when one's life needs "repair", wouldn't it make sense to go to the One who knows all about you? Wouldn't it be smart to consult the Manufacturer's Handbook (The Holy Scriptures), to make certain it's done right? I made you. I fashioned you in your mother's womb. I created your mind and brain and muscles and senses. I gave you the personality and emotions and understanding and response mechanisms that are unique to just you. I designed your face (don't be mad at Me). I know you better than anybody else. Wouldn't it make common sense to communicate with Me about the problems and difficulties you face in life? I breathed the holy Scriptures through men of old. And although there have been many translations, I designed the original language interpretations to carry My clear message down through the years in the Book of all Books (it's still the best seller every year!), the Holy Bible. Wouldn't it be common sense to consult the Manufacturer's Handbook about areas of your life that concern you? Then why don't you do it? How can you do it? Funny you should ask. Read My second letter in next month's Morning Star. Bible Study Bible Study This issue features the first in a series on the Epistle of 1st John. Future studies will include Psalms, and books from both the Old and New Covenants. An Introduction to The Epistle of 1st John (1st John 1:1-4) This article will serve as an introduction to the series. Areas examined include the authorship, background, dating, and the purpose of the letter. An outline of the book is also included. Finally, John's own introduction will be reviewed. His introduction is found in the first four verses of chapter 1. Author: The generally recognized author is the Apostle John. This position is supported by the content and style of the epistle. The text itself doesn't contain an authorial statement. Not surprisingly, some contemporary critical scholars have denied the Apostle John's authorship. As usual, they are in a minority position. Unger's Bible Handbook has this to say on the authorship of 1st John. "The writer was the apostle John, also the author of the fourth gospel. This fact is demonstrated by such internal evidence as a similar vocabulary in both the gospel and the epistle. They contain such expressions as LIGHT, NEW COMMANDMENT, WORKS OF THE DEVIL, TAKE AWAY SINS, ETERNAL LIFE, LOVE, ABIDE, LAY DOWN ONE'S LIFE, PARACLETE, SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD, BORN OF GOD. Both also have the same simple, direct Hebraic style, employing similar types of parallelism and sentence construction." "Johannine authorship is also attested by external evidence which is both early and substantial. Polycarp, Papias, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Cyprian, the Muratorian fragment, the Syriac Peshitta, Origen, Dionysisu of Alexandra and Eusebius all lend their testimony to the authenticity of the epistle and Johannine authorship."1 Background: Glenn Barker, the author of the commentaries on the Epistles of John in THE EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY notes that, unlike Paul's writings, there is very little internal detail to use as a basis for developing a background to the epistle. As a result, the only information we have is early church tradition. This is not the best source material, but it should be considered. 2 The text does give a clear picture of John's concern regarding a growing schism within the Christian community. Individuals had broken away from the local body. These people were trying to draw believers away from the church. The differences between the two groups related to disagreement over the Sonship of Christ and rejection of Christ's coming in the flesh. These divergent teachings also denied the authority of Christ's commands, and rejected the personal sinfulness of the believer. Additionally, other teachings of the Apostles were rejected. These false teachings will be covered through the study of the letter. John seems to be speaking against a specific group of teachers. Some commentators have speculated that he was reacting to specific sects. One group could have been the Gnostics. Certainly much of what they taught was consistent with false teachings identified by John. Gnosticism was not well defined, but was "characterized by belief in the evil of matter, in mediating beings, and in salvation through knowledge." 3 Because of these teachings it is clear why this group would reject the Incarnation. Another sect identified by commentators is Docentism. This group taught that Jesus only appeared to be human, but his humanity was an illusion. Again, this type of teaching would lead to rejection of the Incarnation. These letters were written during the early days of the church. Consequently it would probably be a mistake to try to identify with an established heresy. John states that he is speaking out against several false teachers as opposed to specific groups. 4 Rather that accept that John was refuting either Gnosticism or Docentism, it would be better to focus on the specific teachings that he identified as false. Tradition states John was especially concerned with Cerinthus, the leader of a specific cultic sect. Ireanaeus quotes Cerinthus as having "represented Jesus as having not been born of a virgin, but as being the son of Joseph and Mary according to the ordinary course of human generation, while he nevertheless was more righteous, prudent and wise than other men. Moreover, after his baptism, Christ descended upon him in the form of a dove from the Supreme Ruler, and that then he proclaimed the unknown Father, and performed miracles. But at last Christ departed from Jesus, and that then Jesus suffered and rose again, while Christ remained impassible, inasmuch as he was a spiritual being." 5 Similar views are found today in some of the cults and in New Age teachings. Often this position is identifiable by discussions of the "Christ Consciousness." Taking the above into consideration, conservative scholarship holds that the letter was published in the province of Asia. (This Asia, not to be confused with the continent of Asia, would have been located in western Turkey.) 6 Dating: There are several views related to the dating of the epistles. One position is that the first epistle was written sometime between 85 and 90 AD. This conclusion is based on the dating of the book of John. John is commonly dated as written sometime between 75 and 80 AD. The focus on John was the establishment of the faith. The epistle moves on to the holding on to that faith within the existing Christian Community. Others have dated the letters as early as 60 AD. In contrast, Dr. J Vernon McGee, along with other expositors, holds for a very late date. He notes that "...in recent years some of us have come to the position that John wrote his epistles last. Therefore he wrote his first epistle after his imprisonment on the Island of Patmos. This places the date about A.D. 100." 7 Purpose: As already shown, the intent of this letter was to expose the false teachings that were arising in deviant groups. John takes the position that one proves the fallacy of the new teachings by holding them up to the light of Spirit-revealed truth. John is not one to mince words. He identifies the false teachers as a serious danger to the Christian community. If they were left unchallenged, they would bring destruction to the believing body. And implied there would be destruction to the very truth of the Gospel. The church would do well to stand as unflinchingly for truth as John did. Too often there is more concern with loving at all costs than with a willingness to pay the cost of standing for Truth. Keep in mind, however, truth must be given in love, desiring to save the unbeliever and disciple the believer. John will not allow the truth that Jesus is the Christ to be compromised. And it is this truth that is lost in cult teachings; even by those that claim historic Christian roots. For this reason the epistle of 1st John is a tested weapon in the fight against heresy and cultic teachings. "We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20). The message of this first epistle is the hope of salvation. John presents God as light, righteousness and love, the One who exposes sin and provides the way of salvation. This letter should bring comfort to the believer in the midst of trials. It presents the truth of God's love and His magnificence Outline: Prologue. 1:1-4 I. God is light. 1:5-2:27 A. Communion with God and confession of sin. 1:5-2:2. B. Communion with God and obedience. 2:3-11 C. Attitude toward the world. 2:12-17 D. Warning against the antichrists. 2:18-27 II. God is righteousness. 2:28-4:6 A. The righteous children of God. 2:28-3:10. B. The righteous love of the children of God. 3:11-18 C. Confidence before God. 3:19-24 D. Warning against the spirit of antichrist. 4:1-6. III. God is love. 4:7-5:12 A. The nature of true agape. 4:7-21. B. Cruciality of faith in Jesus. 5:1-12. Epilogue. 5:13-21.8 8 Prologue: 1 John 1:1-4--John doesn't give a typical salutation to this first epistle. Because of this some scholars believe this to be a sermon, given to the church at Ephesus, instead of a letter. Baker notes "the four verses represent a single periodic sentence in Greek. But the main verb and subject "we proclaim" (apangellomen), which controls the whole sentence, does not appear until v.3." 9 The Amplified Version of the Bible passage is provided here. This is because of the difficulties involved with the translation of the Greek into English. "[We are writing] about the Word of Life [in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands." "2 And the Life [an aspect of His being] was revealed (made manifest, demonstrated), and we saw (as eyewitnesses) and are testifying to and declare to you the Life, the eternal Life [in Him] Who already existed with the Father and Who [actually] was made visible--was revealed--to us [His followers]" "3 what we have seen and [ourselves] heard we are also telling you, so the you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have (which is a distinguishing mark of Christians) is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, the Messiah." "4 And we are now writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be full--and your joy may be complete." 10 vs.1: The main thrust of this passage is the reality of the incarnation. All that is to come must be grounded in the truth of this reality. The fact that Christ was born God in human form, fully God and fully man, is absolutely essential in order for Him to be able to provide for salvation. Only a mediator having the attributes of both parties for whom he mediates could bring peace between God and Man. Only a man who was sinless, and therefore not carrying the fallen nature, could pay the price for mankind's sin. This means if Christ wasn't virgin-born, then there is no savior. John says that Christ was present from the beginning. A number of conservative scholars believe that John is referring to the beginning of the incarnation. This is in contrast with the beginning of all creation that John identifies in the introduction to the Gospel of John. John wants to make sure his readers understand that the reality of the incarnation isn't just a theological issue. He notes that he and others, the apostles, were living witnesses to the physical manifestation of God. He says they saw the risen Lord. They touched His resurrected body. John states that they had seen, heard and touched the living God. He is preparing the groundwork for the arguments that he would be bringing to support the orthodox teachings of Christianity. vs. 2: And the presence of God is the presence of life, for without Christ there is not life. Individuals receive eternal life when they receive Christ, for He is that life. This is the heart of the gospel message. All people are dead in their sins. "The wages of sin is death." This doesn't mean that people face physical death because of sin, though they do. What this refers to is that because of the fallen nature of mankind, individuals are already dead in their sin. It is only by accepting the gift of life from the God who is life, that the dead can come to life, eternal life. vs. 3: John reiterates that statement that he is an eyewitness to the truth which he is presenting. This is required because he personally saw what he testifies about. This is in contrast to those who deny the incarnation. JOHN WAS THERE. This is the truth that when accepted, brings fellowship with God and with members of the body of Christ. Relationship can only exist where there is an acceptance of Christ based on who Scripture says He is. From the way he makes this statement regarding fellowship, it is safe to conclude that he is writing to believers. vs. 4: The letter then is not intended to be an evangelistic statement as much as a call to stand for theological orthodoxy. (Here theological orthodoxy isn't used to refer to a system, but simply the accurate teaching and following of Scripture, and the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles.) False teachings can bring about disruption in the life of the body and the individual believer. False teaching can steal the joy of believers. The false teaching that a believer can lose salvation steals the joy that comes with the confidence that one day he or she will spend eternity with the Lord. The false teaching that Christ will only return after the church has ushered in the millennium can steal the joy that comes from the comfort that the Lord will return at any moment to take Christians to be with Him. Unbalanced teachings can bring disharmony and unhappiness to the body and to the individual believer. Legalism leads to dependency on rules and not the Lord. A judgmental spirit leads to disruption instead of a desire for restoration and comfort. Orthodox theology and a balanced walk are necessary ingredients for the maturing of both the believer and the body. These must be in place if believers are to show the love of God. Finally, they must display God's love if they are to be effectively used in giving out the Gospel. John concludes this section desiring the life of the believer be one of joy because of the truths underlying the message salvation. 1. Larson, Gary N. revisor, THE NEW UNGER'S BIBLE HANDBOOK, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1984, p. 629. 2. Baker, Glenn W., THE EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY, Vol 12, 1, 2, 3 John, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1981, p. 293. 3. Vaughan, Curtis, THE EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY, Vol. 11, Colossians, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1978, p.166- 167. 4. Hodges, Zane C., THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY, New Testament, 1, 2, 3 John, Victor Books, 1987, p. 881. 5. Baker, p. 294-295. 6. Hodges, Ibid. 7. McGee, J. Vernon, THRU THE BIBLE WITH J. VERNON MCGEE, Vol 5, Thomas Nelson Publishes, Nashville, TN, 1983, p. 752. 8. Baker, p. 298 (Taken by Baker from P.R. Jones) 9. Ibid, p. 306. 10. THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE, Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI, 1983, pg. 374. Messianic Studies Messianic Studies This is the second study exploring the analogy of Jesus the Messiah as the Bridegroom of the Church. In this article Dr. Showers demonstrates how Jesus applied the Jewish marriage customs to His promises made in John 14. The customs considered are those of the biblical times. BEHOLD - THE BRIDEGROOM COMES! By Dr. Renald Showers (From ISRAEL MY GLORY Magazine) Part 2 - The Examination of the Analogy Earlier it was stated that in His promise in John 14 Jesus drew an analogy from Jewish marriage customs in biblical times. Now that the marriage customs have been considered, it is essential that the analogy be examined. In what ways was Jesus' promise analogous with Jewish marriage customs? In the examination of the analogy the first thing that should be noted is the fact that the Scriptures regard the Church to be the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33). In addition, Just as the Jewish bridegroom took the initiative in marriage by leaving his father's house and traveling to the home of the prospective bride, so Jesus left his Father's house in heaven and travailed to earth, the home of His prospective Church, over 1900 years ago. In the same manner as the Jewish bridegroom came to the bride's home for the purpose of obtaining her through the establishment of a marriage covenant, so Jesus came to earth for the purpose of obtaining the Church through the establishment of a covenant. On the same night in which Jesus made His promise in John 14. He instituted communion. As He passed the cup of wine to His disciples, He said: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood" (NASV, 1 Corinthians 11:25). This was His way of saying that He would establish a new covenant through the shedding of His blood on the cross. Parallel to the custom of the Jewish groom paying a price to purchase his bride, Jesus paid a price to purchase His Bride, the Church. The price that He paid was His own life blood. It was because of this purchase price that Paul wrote the following to members of the Church: "do you not know . . . that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body" (NASV, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Analogous with the Jewish bride being declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for her groom once the marriage covenant was established, the Church has been declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11; Hebrews 10:10; 13:12). In the same way that a cup of wine served as a symbol of the marriage covenant through which the Jewish groom obtained his bride, so the cup of communion serves as the symbol of the covenant through which Christ has obtained the Church (1 Corinthians 11:25). Just as the Jewish groom left the home of his bride and returned to his father's house after the marriage covenant had been established, so Jesus left the earth, the home of the Church, and returned to His Father's house in heaven after He had established the new covenant and risen from the dead (John 6:62; 20:17). In correspondence with the period of separation between the Jewish groom and bride, Christ has remained separate from the Church for over 1900 years. The Church is now living in that period of separation. Parallel to the custom of the Jewish groom preparing living accommodations for his bride in his father's house during the time of separation, Christ has been preparing living accommodations for the Church in His Father's house in heaven during His separation from His Bride (John 14:2). In the same manner as the Jewish groom came to take his bride to live with him at the end of the period of separation, so Christ will come to take the Church to live with Him at the end of His period of separation from the Church (John 14:3). Just as the taking of the Jewish bride was accomplished by a procession of the groom and male escorts from the groom's father's house to the home of the bride, so the taking of the Church will be accomplished by a procession of Christ and an angelic escort from Christ's Father's house in heaven to the home of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:1-6) . Analogous with the Jewish bride not knowing the exact time of the groom's coming for her, the Church does not know the exact time of Christ's coming for her. In the same way that the Jewish groom's arrival was preceded by a shout, so Christ's arrival to take the Church will be preceded by a shout (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Similar to the Jewish bride's return with the groom to his father's house after her departure from her home, the Church will return with Christ to His Father's house in heaven after she is snatched from the earth to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17; John 14:2-3). In the same manner as the Jewish wedding party found wedding guests assembled in the groom's father's house when they arrived, so Christ and the Church will find the souls of Old Testament saints assembled in heaven when they arrive. These souls will serve as the wedding guests. Parallel to the custom of the Jewish groom and bride entering into physical union after their arrival at the groom's father's house, thereby consummating the marriage that had been covenanted earlier, Christ and the Church will experience spiritual union after their arrival at His Father's house in heaven, thereby consummating their relationship that had been covenanted earlier. Just as the proposal that the Jewish bridegroom made could be accepted or rejected, so Christ's proposal to you can be accepted or rejected. If you reject it throughout this lifetime, then you never will be rightly related to Jesus Christ. The tragic result will be that you will spend eternity separated from God and Christ in the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). If, however, you accept Christ's proposal, then your sins will be forgiven, and you will enter into that relationship that makes you part of His Bride, the Church. In addition, you will go to be with Him when He comes to take the Church, and you will remain with Him forever in great blessing. The way in which you can accept Christ's proposal is quite simple. If you sincerely believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He came to this earth, died for your sins and rose from the dead, then respond to Him as follows: I, sinner, take Thee, Jesus, to be my Savior ... And I do promise and covenant before God and these witnesses to be Thy loving and faithful Bride; in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, for time and for eternity. Second, the analogy is most significant also for those who have taken Christ to be Savior. During the time of separation between the establishment of the marriage covenant and the coming of the bridegroom to take his bride, it was possible for the Jewish bride to commit adultery by giving herself to another man. In like manner it is possible for believers today to commit spiritual adultery against Christ before He returns to take His Church. Paul expressed concern over this possibility when he wrote the following to Christians: For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid, just as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (NASV, 2 Corinthians 11:2-3). James expressed the same concern when he rebuked Christians as follows: "You adulteresses do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (NASV, James 4:4). The context of flames' statement indicates that spiritual adultery is committed when a believer becomes more devoted to the godless world system and the things that please it than he is to Jesus Christ and the things that please Him. If you are a believer, honestly evaluate your devotion to Jesus Christ. Do you love Him as much now as when you took Him to be your Savior? Is He truly the Center of your existence the One who gives your life its meaning and purpose? Is your every attitude, action and lifestyle motivated and controlled by your devotion to Jesus Christ, or by a desire to have the friendship of the world system in which you live? If you have been unfaithful to your heavenly Bridegroom, confess this to Him and be assured that even "If we are faithless, He remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself" (NASV, 2 Timothy 2:13).Then trust the Holy Spirit to renew your devotion as you wait for your heavenly Bridegroom to come at any moment. Anee M'Amin Anee M'Amin THE STORY OF EVANGELIST LOUIS KAPLAN Founder of JEWISH VOICE BROADCASTS Inc. I was born of Russian Jewish parentage in New York City where approximately two and a half million Jews live. I attended Hebrew school (Chader) at an early age and was later made "Bar Mitzvah" - "A Son of the Law" -at the age of thirteen according to the laws of Judaism. We were taught by the Rabbis to observe rituals, ceremonies and Jewish traditions more than the teachings of the "T'nach" -the Law and the Prophets. What Jesus described in His day is also characteristic of many of the Protestant denominations and the Catholics: "These people draw nigh unto me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. But in vain they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Matt 15:8, 9. I became rebellious at the dull, monotonous, repetitious teachings of the Talmud which did not satisfy the inner man and bring peace to the guilty conscience. At an early age, I decided to run away from home to see the world and seek adventure. I roamed all over the United States doing odd jobs, working on farms, and on construction projects. One day while working in a packing house in Florida, I became acquainted with a real Christian upon whom God put the burden of prayer for the salvation of my soul. He testified to me concerning the claims of Christ as My Messiah. This young man, from the very day he saw me, was impressed by God to go home and intercede in prayer before the Throne of Grace for my conversion. Of course, I simply ignored his testimony about Christ being Saviour of the world, for as a Jew, I had been brought up to regard Jesus as just a good man, one of the greatest philosophers of his day, but certainly not the Divine Son of God-but rather the illegitimate offspring of Mary. Besides, I had been brought up to believe that all Gentiles were Christians, and that they had murdered and massacred, hated, despised, abused and ill-treated the Jews for centuries. The Cross-to me-was a symbol of brutality, murder, oppression and hatred. Had not these so-called Christians murdered thousands of my own people during the Crusades in Europe and during the Inquisition in Spain? You see, I did not know the difference-at that time-between a Gentile and a Christian. A Gentile is not a Christian until he accepts Christ as his Saviour and follows in His footsteps. There cannot be any hatred in his heart, for God is there-and God is love! Many Gentiles have been raised up in a Christian environment, but they have never been regenerated, or born again by the Spirit of the living God. Our churches today are full of professing Christians who have never experienced the transforming power of Christ in their lives nor felt the joy of sins forgiven. They have never had a personal contact with Christ as a Redeemer, Deliverer, and Liberator from the power of sin. This young man was very kind to me and manifested a concern for my soul's welfare which no other person before had done. I do not remember a single word he told me at that time but I do remember the LOVE OF GOD he demonstrated which touched my heart and set me thinking about the Christ he worshipped. This young Christian left Florida shortly afterwards and I did not meet him again until fourteen years later. While I was conducting an evangelistic campaign in one of the churches in South Carolina, he came to my meeting and made his identity known. He is now pastoring one of the Assembly of God churches in the South. One night, having learned that the Nazarenes were conducting a revival meeting in town, I attended one of the services just for curiosity - however, I was also hungering for the precious something that this young man had in his heart which I did not have. The Spirit of God began to move upon me, as the preacher ministered under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and I came to the realization that this was what my poor soul thirsted after. But how could I a Jew, embrace a Gentile religion? (for that is what I thought I was). After the service, I hesitantly approached the minister and asked him privately if a Jew could be saved? He replied: "Salvation is of the Jews, and Peter and Paul and the prophets were all Jews." I was astonished at that time to know that Christianity sprang from Judaism and that the first Christians were Jews! I shall never forget that night as long as I live! I ran as fast as I could to the farmhouse which was now my home. A group of Christians were conducting a prayer meeting there and I opened the door, went in and knelt down along with them with my head bowed low in repentance, feeling the guilt and condemnation of sin. Suddenly, I raised my hands toward heaven as the Spirit of God came upon me: I cried out from the depths of my soul for Christ to save and reveal Himself to me. As I was weeping and repenting of my sins, the Spirit of God came in and I was marvelously saved, and made a new creature in Christ. The whole world looked different - the sun seemed to shine brighter - the birds sang sweeter - the trees and flowers were more beautiful than ever. Oh, the love of God that just flooded my soul like a river! The peace, the quietness that comes with the joy of sins forgiven! Praise His name! From then on, I began to love the Gentiles, for God had broken down the middle wall of partition between us, and made us one in Him. "For he is our peace, who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandment contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man; so making peace: And that he might reconcile BOTH unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." Ephesians 2nd chapter: 14th to 16th verses. From the foregoing Scriptures we see that the church of God would not be the Jewish nation, nor would it be the Gentile nations, but JEWS AND GENTILES made one in Christ, thus establishing a New Nation, a Holy Nation; "That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel." Ephesians 3rd chapter and 16th verse. At that time, I had been away from home for several years, and after my marvelous experience, I immediately made plans to return to my parents in New York and testify to them that Jesus Christ was our Messiah and that I had found Him. When I arrived in New York, I little knew of the persecutions I would have to endure. My parents were glad to see me again until I commenced to tell them of the wonderful Saviour and the change that had come to my life. They were horrified, stunned, and shocked. This was too much for them to bear for they thought that I had disgraced and humiliated them and had left the God of their fathers for the false gods of the Gentiles. They even considered sending me to the nearest hospital for observation thinking that my mental facilities had become impaired during my long absence from home. Finally, after much persuasion and threatening, they decided it would eventually wear off and that I would forget about Jesus. But thanks be to our wonderful God - twenty-six years have now gone by and I am still saved and Jesus is more precious to me than ever! Glory to God! In spite of all the persecution and severe testing and trial I have gone through these years, God has enabled me to be faithful, and hold fast to that which I have received. After seeing that I was not to be shaken, neither would I deviate, or recant in any way from my testimony that Jesus was the Messiah, one night at 12 o'clock midnight, my father, who was enraged at my refusal to relinquish this so-called Gentile religion, ordered me out of the house and told me never to return. At that time, I was only 19 years of age and did not have any money at all - for it was in the period of the depression years. I was poverty-stricken, alone, homeless, and did not know where to go that night. Oh, how black and dark it was as I packed my handful of meager belongings and left my home in that great cold, unfriendly, calloused city! Satan began to taunt and tantalize and tell me that I was in trouble now because I had become hoodwinked, blindfolded, and deceived by what I had experienced and that it must have been just a delusion-a thing of the imagination. You see - the Jew really must pay a terrific price when he accepts Christ; that is why there are now about 100,000 secret Jewish believers in the United States who know that Jesus is the Messiah, but dare not make a public confession for fear of being put out of the synagogues as in the time of Christ. Satan told me my troubles would be over if I would only return home and recant; but praise our God, there had been such a pronounced and drastic change in my life, that I would have had to deliberately shut my eyes to the truth that had been unfolded-if I were to deny my Savior and Lord. "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The veil had been lifted from my eyes and I had been translated from the Kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light! Through that night of trial, the Spirit of God suddenly flashed these words of comfort and exhortation to me which have carried me through these many years - "When my mother and father forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." I shall never forget the joy and the peace that filled my soul as God spoke to me through His precious Word. That night, I slept in the city subway because I had no place else to go. The next evening, I attended a Full Gospel Church located in Jamaica, New York and gave my testimony, telling the Christians there of the stand I had taken for Christ. They were very sympathetic and kind and counseled me to be faithful and steadfast. A dear precious Mother in Israel about 71 years of age at that time, told me that God had put it upon her heart to take me into her home and give me a roof over my head. Praising God for His goodness in providing a place to stay, I went to her home, little dreaming of what would later take place there which would change my entire life. This dear Mother in Christ taught me one of the most precious lessons which very few Christians have learned-how to pray and not let go until you have prevailed with God and received an answer! Many hours of fasting and prayer were spent at her home as she led me into the deeper truths of God. I have never forgotten these early days of intercessory prayer - prayers mingled with perspiration, tears and intensity of desire to get closer to God and be baptized with His Holy Spirit. This dear old woman was later to reap the benefits of leading this poor Jewish boy into a greater relationship and communion with Christ through consecration and complete abandonment to the will of God; for it was a year later that I launched out into the evangelistic field by faith, when one day I received a letter from this dear woman that she was dying of Angina Pectoris and wanted her little boy to come and pray for her. I immediately packed my belongings, took a train, and arrived at her home at midnight. When I walked through the house to her bed, I saw her lying there gasping for breath because of this heart ailment which is usually fatal to persons at that advanced age. (She was about 75 years of age at that time.) I knelt down at her bedside, lifted up my hands to God and began to intercede in behalf of her deliverance from this inevitable end - and thank God - as soon as I had prayed, the Lord Jesus appeared to her and told her that if she would get up out of bed, He would heal her! This she immediately did and was instantly made whole! At the time of this writing in 1963, she was alive-Glory be to our wonderful God! After laboring on the evangelistic field for several years, I was forced to return to secular work again because of the tire and gasoline conservation program launched during the War. I would not get tires and very little gas for my car to keep me on the field as an evangelist. I took a job managing a Real Estate Office in New York City and became so successful that I soon opened up my own office and had men working for me. The money was just pouring in and I became satisfied, smug, complacent and secure - But God had called me to preach the gospel, and I was not to be engrossed in making money and putting over business deals while souls went to hell. The Spirit of the Lord began to convict me, and I felt the woe hanging over my head "If I preach not the gospel." I became miserable, dissatisfied, unhappy and depressed because I was out of the will of God. Yes, friends, the most miserable place that anyone can be is to be out of God's will. Faith and confidence cannot operate and prayer is of no avail when there is condemnation in the heart. The Bible tells us: "If our hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence towards God, and whatsoever we ask, we receive, when we do those things that are pleasing in His sight." I was very reluctant to leave this very remunerative business to go back to self denial, sacrifice, struggle, and a life of faith. But, something happened that put the fear of God into my heart and stirred me to responsibility as a preacher of the gospel: Hitler at that time embarked on his extermination crusade against the Jews by gas chambers and cremation furnaces, and the Jews began their world-wide exodus and flight to Palestine from the four corners of the earth and with prophecy being fulfilled right before my very eyes, I was moved by fear, as Noah was, to return to the ministry again, realizing that the coming of Christ was indeed very near. (The Bible tells us that, "By faith, Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, MOVED WITH FEAR ...") The greatest sign, warning, proof and evidence to the world and to the church of the end of this age is the Restoration and Resurrection of the House of Israel after being entombed in the graves of exile for many centuries. "And, it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover (restore or gather) the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." Isaiah 11:11-12 . I sold my business and launched out again into the ministry and can truly say that God has blessed and prospered me and I have been the happiest man in the world because I am in the center of His Will. The Lord has privileged me to conduct city-wide evangelistic campaigns in the principal cities of America, and I have seen thousands come to the altars in my ministry. Do pray that God may use me mightily in reaching my own people, the Jews, with the gospel, that they might see Jesus Christ as their own long-awaited Messiah . "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love Thee." (The story of JEWISH VOICE BROADCASTS is featured in this month's MINISTRY PROFILE column.) Prayer Guidelines Prayer Guidelines PRAYER AND REPENTANCE Article 8 of the "Prayer and..." Series by Michael Wilkinson "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' And You forgave the iniquity of my sin" (Psalm 32:1-5). When God created man, He made him complete. He made man a living soul. He gave him a mind with which to think, learn and reason. He gave man a will with which to make decisions, and to plan and attempt to do things. He gave man a living, working physical body in which to dwell. The only thing man has added to himself through all the centuries of time is sin. And man has had to live with the results of sin ever since. Evil, violence, dishonesty, murder, hatred, fear, guilt, shame, selfishness, abuse, disease and death have plundered mankind in all nations throughout time. "Then He said to them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem'" (Luke 24:46-47). Yes, God has provided the remedy for sin. Man has only to repent and receive forgiveness through Christ. Repentance means confessing sin to the Lord and turning away from sin towards Him. "He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). Do you want to walk with the Lord? Repentance is the first step. But repentance is not only the first step, for we who have already come to Christ in faith do still commit sins. "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). Although we believers live for Christ, we still struggle against the sinful nature. How wonderful that the Christ we live for will help us when we fall. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). So when we repent of the sins we have committed, we have confidence that we are at peace with God. And we also will know that our prayers will not be hindered. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!" (Psalm 66:18-20). God is indeed faithful, just and merciful! He asks us to repent, confessing and forsaking our sins so that we can have wonderful fellowship with Him. What could be worth more to us than that? Surely the temporary pleasures (if any) of sin cannot compare to the riches of His love. In conclusion, consider these verses from Psalm 103:8-12: "The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us." 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 fifth 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. "Let Them Eat Meat" Hebrews 5:11-14 We had finished dinner and, with our host and hostess, moved into the living room area. Our hostess immediately made sure that her daughters cleared the table and washed the dishes. We could consider ourselves honored because we weren't asked to take off our shoes when coming into the apartment. Our hostess was the kind of individual who would put out an ashtray, and as soon as someone dropped in an ash, would clean it. The apartment always had to be sparkling. She would give it the white glove test. And, if she didn't have her daughters cleaning, she would be cleaning the apartment herself. You might say that her behavior was compulsive, neat, but obsessive. ... I was at a planning session for my credit union last weekend. Both my manager and the facilitator had to have breaks during the session so they could go outside and light up. I've known them for some time, and they certainly would qualify as cigarette addicts. ... We live in a world that is obsessed with the subject of addictions. In fact, it can be said we are addiction addicts. Addictions and compulsions are a favorite talk show topic. We are an addictive and sometimes compulsive society. We give substantial attention to alcohol and other drug related addictions. The local Christian book store has books on food, TV and other addictions. Many would argue that a couch potato is an addict. Another way of considering this whole topic is to look at how Scripture would describe addiction. "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness" (Romans 6:20). Frequently our addictions and obsessions are a way of filling our needs for relationship and impact. Those who struggle with sexual addictions are striving for relationship in ways that will never truly fulfill their needs. For clarity's sake, let's make the distinction between addiction and compulsion. David Mains identifies the contrast this way: "...it helps to see addictions in the context of a person's being a slave to something. His or her master is drugs, food, work, sex, anger, smoking, watching television, gambling, or spending." * And, I'd like to add, ministry and even religion. Mains goes on: "The individual is controlled by such a master and submits to its will." "By contrast, compulsive behavior is more in the realm of an irresistible impulse to perform irrational acts. For example, a person can become compulsive about hand-washing or cleaning the house time and again, or making lists." ** Actually sin itself is addictive. Even for us, as believers, it is difficult to break the sin patterns that have become habits over many years. Essentially, the difference between the believer and unbeliever is that we can choose not to sin. The desire of our heart is obedience to God. And as such, we should be willing to break the pattern. The thrust of this morning's message is one of promise and hope. No matter how strongly we are addicted to our behavior patterns, it is possible to find freedom. No matter how we carry our addictive patterns into the church, they can be broken. As we go through this series of studies and examine the dysfunctional ways we behave, we shouldn't be overwhelmed by what we discover. Instead we should rejoice because we have a loving Father. He desires to help us break sin patterns and become conformed to the example of Christ. "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers" (Romans 8:29). Instead of condemning us for our shortcomings, our heavenly Father loves us unconditionally and comes alongside us to lead us to growth and maturity. His desire is that the church be a place where everyone will have the opportunity to mature. The message of Scripture is that we find eternal life and forgiveness from sin through the work of Christ on the cross. Additionally, we also receive the resources to break the bondage of sin in our lives. It is through the Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit that we can become truly free. "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness" (Romans 6:18). Addictive and compulsive patterns can be broken, but only by first recognizing them. Some addictions are easy to recognize, from the outside. Most of us can see addictions to alcohol and drugs in others. What is interesting however, is that frequently alcoholics and drug addicts will deny they even have a problem. The compulsive hand washer, talker, list maker, and cleaner may be essentially unaware of their behavior. They don't recognize their actions. I think you can see that denial and delusion frequently go with addictive and compulsive behavior. Again, these patterns can only be broken by first recognizing the behavior. While recognition doesn't always mean that one will deal with the problem, without recognition the problem can't be overcome. We must also come to realize that people use these behaviors as a way of filling legitimate needs in an illegitimate way. In reality, only the Lord can meet our needs. One major factor in self-awareness is allowing the Holy Spirit to use the Word to reveal the sin in our life. "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). The author of Hebrews puts it this way: "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrew 5:11-14). The author is concerned for the spiritual maturity of the individual believer. Apparently, there is a sad lack of maturity among the Hebrew believers. They had been believers for some time, but they were still at the infant stage. They had to be constantly retaught the basics of the faith. The author describes the basics as milk. Meat on the other had represents the more difficult teachings of Scripture, those which help us grow in our walk as believers. These teachings are necessary to move beyond being saved to being conformed to the image of Christ. The basics of salvation are necessary. It is appropriate for the new believer to be reassured of the basis of salvation, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and other teachings essential to the young Christian. It is appropriate to need milk. Peter put it this way: "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation..." (1 Peter 2:2). We must make sure that milk is available for those that need it. The problem arises when we continue to provide only milk. At some point individuals must move from milk to meat. Christians must grow. If we don't move forward, we slip back. Large segments of the church are content with being milk bars. The call to the believer is to grow in faith. "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:4). Why is it necessary to take meat? What does all this have to do with addictive and obsessive patterns of behavior? The author of Hebrews takes the position that it is only through taking in meat that we grow enough to be able to distinguish between good and evil. Addictive and obsessive behaviors are products of sinful thinking. We can only recognize our thought patterns as sinful when we compare them against the truths of Scripture. The young Christian may need a set of rules in order to know how to behave. Just as you had to supply clear rules for your young child, so the new believer too needs clear instruction in the basics of the Word. But, as your children grew, you wanted them to be able to make correct decisions based on what you had taught as they were growing up. They needed to be able to think for themselves if some day they were to stand on their own. So it must be with the believer. As we mature, we need to be able to examine our own behaviors and choices in light of Scripture. We are finally accountable to the Lord. It is a sign of maturity when the believer struggles with the Lord, depending on His word and the Holy Spirit for direction in all areas of life. Parents instruct children in Biblical standards. Mature individuals know for themselves, because of their training, how to distinguish right from wrong. The author is concerned that these believers must take meat, for only in this way will they be able to distinguish between good and evil. Through the receiving of truth, and the maturity of perspective, that we can come to recognize and deal with the addictive and compulsive behaviors of our life. As we come to understand the teaching of Scripture, with the clarity provided by the Spirit, we can find the way to break the chains of addiction. As believers, the potential for pattern breaking comes with our salvation. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). But the wisdom and understanding how to accomplish this only comes with the time we spend with the Lord, looking to Him for understanding of His word. Now, how do these addictive and compulsive behaviors manifest themselves within the church? Mains identifies a few of these problems. The person who is chronically late teaches the same behavior to their children and practices this in the body. I am aware of one situation in a church where the decision to not start an outreach program was based on the need of one compulsively neat person to keep the church kitchen clean at all cost. If the church opened itself up to serving meals for the poor, the kitchen might get dirty, and that certainly couldn't be allowed. This individual was more concerned with protecting the facility than reaching the lost. He certainly wouldn't have seen it in that light, but that's what it came down to. Another problem is created by individuals who are compulsively negative. This behavior may also be demonstrated by chronic gossipers. Negative people constantly look at the downside of any issue. Without intending to they will always have something negative to say. Besides the fact these people are difficult to be around, they can also affect the overall spirit within the church. If we constantly hear nothing but negative statements, we can't help but become negative. So where does this leave us? If we have these patterns in our lives, it is unrealistic to think that we wouldn't bring them into the church. As a result, we must take two factors into consideration if we are to deal with compulsive and addictive behaviors. First, we must be willing to allow the Lord to work in our lives as individuals, helping us recognize and deal with our own patterns. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts" (Psalm 139:23). We must take responsibility for our behaviors. Since we all want to be conformed to the image of Christ, we should be willing to take this step. Second, we must help one another grow and mature within the context of the family. Risk asking your prayer partner to help you recognize where you might be practicing some of these traits. If we are really struggling with serious problems of addictive patterns, we must be willing to seek help. Remember that it isn't a sin to be struggling. But we must be willing to deal with our issues and depend on the Lord to grow beyond them. Again, we don't want an atmosphere of condemnation. We want the church to be a place of mutual struggling, love and a desire to help each other. We need to pray to God for the same sensitivity that Christ modeled, not a desire to condemn, but a desire to heal. We are all in the same situation. If we don't care for each other, who will? The principle we need to bring from all this is not to be overwhelmed by our struggles. Instead, we should rejoice because we don't have to be bound to our past. We can rejoice because as Christians we can experience the freedom that the Lord desires for us. Let us depend on the Holy Spirit to give us a desire and the power to be conformed to the Father's will and Christ's example. * David Mains, HEALING THE DYSFUNCTIONAL CHURCH FAMILY, Victor Books, Wheaton IL, 1992, pg. 86. ** Ibid. p. 7 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 August 3, 1992 Compressed Christianity Publishers 1 Quick Street New York, New York Dear Sirs; In light of the popularity of books like "The One Minute Manager" I had a great idea for a new book: "The One Minute Bible". You see, the premise is to make a Bible for really busy Christians who want to read the Word, but don't have the time. I figure I can condense each book of the Bible to be able to be read in one minute flat. This way a person can read through the Bible in 66 minutes... what a boon to Bible study! Here's a sample of what I mean from Exodus and Numbers, or Ex and Nu as we call them, starting with Ex 11: "After God killed all the firstborn, the Pharaoh called it quits and let the Israelites go. So Moses lead them to the Red Sea. And the Israelites whined. Then God parted the Sea, drowned the pursuing Egyptian Army, and Moses lead them to the Wilderness. And the Israelites whined. Then God gave them shade by day, a night light, clothes and shoes that would last for forty years and a free daily diet. And the Israelites whined. Moses went up Mt. Sinai to get the law from God. And the Israelites whined. God gave the people quail. And the Israelites whined. God healed the people when they viewed the bronze serpent on the rod. And the Israelites whined. God lead the Israelites to the promised land and the spies went over to view the land. And the Israelites whined. Well, what do you think? In a pinch we could really condense this section and just say the Israelites whined between the miracles. Let me know if you'd like to publish this... I think it would be a hit. Yours truly, Leonard Rush ***************************************************** Whining between the miracles. I don't know about you, but that sure tends to be my pattern... and the pattern of a lot of believers I know. Big question is: Why do we do it? It's as if each time the Israelites, or us, hit a snag, it was assumed that the God that brought us this far may have forgotten about us, or decided we weren't worth the effort, or was just setting us up for some cosmic sized prank. Or maybe it's something more basic, like erroneous thinking on our part. Do I smell a S.C.U.D.? Sure enough. This one is so fundamental and so clearly laid out in scripture, it is amazing that we keep repeating the error of the Israelites. Come to think of it, they were just beginning to learn about God and Moses was writing the Pentateuch as they were going, while we have all of the Bible for a frame of reference for our world view. So maybe we have less of an excuse than the Israelites, but it sure doesn't stop us from whining as well as they did. Why did the Israelites whine? Well, check what they whined about: the Egyptian army's gonna kill us; we're gonna starve; we're gonna die of thirst; manna pancakes, manna sandwiches, manna a la manna... we're SICK of manna; it would be better to die in Egypt than out here; God's abandoned us, let's pick a god that really cares, is intelligent, dynamic and forceful... I got it! Let's worship a cow! Well, basically, they whined about anything and everything. But why? Let me bounce this hypothesis off of you and see what you think: They whined because they weren't convinced that God knew what was going to happen next and, therefore, he was as much at a loss for a solution as they were. They were wrong, of course. The Israelites would have coped much better, and we as believers would cope much better, if we would examine and believe a Biblical reality: God knows it all. Or, to be more seminarian-like, God is omniscient. "So this is supposed to change my life?" Yes. If we come to understand what omniscience means, it will change our life, honestly. "Prove it." I'll do my best. First, let me start with the premise that we cannot fully understand any of God's power attributes, such as omniscience, omnipotence or omnipresence... "Ah-ha, you're trying to wiggle out of explaining it." No, I'm trying to explain that my explanation is going to be weak compared to the reality, just as the painting of a beautiful person doesn't convey their wisdom or sense of humor. So here's my explanation: God knows everything. Period. Everything that we consider past, present or future is already known to him. That's why his prophecies are so accurate... to him it's a done deal. In II Peter 3:8 it says that to the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. Now, granted, I've had work days that felt like a thousand years, but I do not believe this verse is merely a metaphor. It is my opinion, based on my understanding of scripture, that while we experience time in a linear fashion, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, that God is NOT subject to time, but that time is subject to God. "Whoa, this is getting to sound like either science fiction or some philosophical mumbo-jumbo." Scripture states that God is alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, and that all things were created by him. There was nothing that preexisted God, there is nothing that he is subject to... including time. We live in such a way that we don't know what's happening next because we are walking down a path and can see no farther ahead than our vision and position permit. God, on the other hand, resides above the path and cannot only see it in its entirety, but has also seen our entire trip on the path even though, to us, it seems like we're just starting out. Again, analogies about omni-anything are going to be flawed, but try this concept on for size. It is as if we are watching a movie while, simultaneously, being in it. We are experiencing it moment by moment, but God was the writer, producer, director and editor... he knows exactly what is going to happen and when. It's only a surprise to us. That's what the Israelites were freaking out about. They didn't understand that God knew about the difficulties they would encounter, what their reactions would be and what his solutions would be. God was fully prepared, but from their limited vision and position, they were in deep trouble and God was nowhere to be found. For some reason, this concept of God pre-knowing our lives has proved to be a hard pill for some to swallow. Some say that it takes away our free will for our choices to be foreknown. But that is no more true of God than saying that because you know what you did yesterday, you didn't have free choice yesterday. Pre-knowledge doesn't limit choices, it simply recognizes that they took place, be it in OUR past, present or future. I knew a group that took this concern to such an extreme that they believed that God "only knows what is knowable," therefore God had to wait until we make a decision before he could deal with it. This paints a picture of God as a cosmic catch up artist rushing feverishly to work with 4 billion people dropping new info in on him. Not omniscience, but omnistressed. "So God knows everything ahead of time, how is this concept supposed to change my life?" Romans 8:28 says that all things work for good (or God works all things to become good) for those who love the Lord and called according to his purpose. This is not pie-in-the-sky hope of someone scrambling to patch up major booboos. This is the assurance of an all powerful God who knew, thousands of years ago, exactly what and when ANY and EVERY event in your life would be, the effect it had, would have, will have on you and he had the solution warmed up and running long before the event. Yet again, the problem and the solution are usually surprises to us, NEVER to God. WARNING - THE NEXT STATEMENT IS GOING TO SOUND WEIRD UNTIL YOU READ THE EXPLANATION. God is never shocked or disappointed when we sin or fall. "Heresy... I hear heresy here!" I told you to wait for the explanation: First, to be "shocked" by something, it has to be unexpected. After all, when's the last time you were shocked when the light came on after flipping a wall switch that had always worked. You don't get surprised by the known. Second, we are "disappointed" when someone or something fails to live up to our expectations, such as when your brand new car dies on the freeway with only 400 miles on it. God KNOWS what we are going to do... he holds no false expectations. "OK, so you played word games... how is this supposed to change my life?" So much of our lives, and whining, is based on our perspective of not knowing how something is going to turn out. God not only knows how it is going to turn out, he's already implemented people and circumstances to redeem it for his use. "So, does this make our sin OK, since God was planning for it?" Does that make getting a broken arm OK just because we have the medical skill to deal with it? From our linear viewpoint it is always better to strive to live as Christlike a life as possible. From God's non-linear viewpoint, he's been prepared for centuries for the times he knew we would fail. We can quit panicking about whether or not the garbage that hits our life (much of it our own creation) is going to throw God for a loop. That's a lie that Satan has sold us so; 1) we won't trust in God's power and grace and 2) so we will get so wrapped up in guilt about shocking and disappointing God that we won't simply repent and move forward. Consider how much more energy, time, spark, creativity and resources the Israelites would have had, and we'd have, if all the energy that is dumped into worry and whining were available for God's glory. When we don't truly believe that God is doing his job, we tend to invest an incredible amount of worry, energy and time in trying to do it for him. He can do (already has done) the job. Honestly. Next time: Gracebusters Bible Quiz Bible Quiz BIBLE QUIZ God is using computers, faxes, television, radio and other unusual means to get His Word out to the world. He has always used unique method's to do things. Match what the Lord did in part 1 to how He did it in part 2. 1. Parted the waters of the Red Sea 2. Moved the stone at Jesus' tomb 3. Took Elijah to heaven 4. Spoke to Moses 5. Fed the Israelites 6. Changed Peter 7. Created the earth 8. Destroyed the world 9. Saved Jonah 10. Destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah a) A burning bush b) Fire and Brimstone c) A flood d) A great fish e) Wind f) A sheet from heaven g) An angel h) His Word i) Manna from heaven j) Whirlwind Christian Life Department People Profile People Profile - Larry Baker MORNING STAR Editor in Chief, Toby Trudel, conducted this interview with Larry Baker of Haines, Alaska. Larry has a very unique calling from the Lord - a Fax ministry - dedicated to helping the Jewish people return to their homeland in these last days as well as disseminating prayer needs and accurate news information direct from Israel to Christians around the world. Toby: What is your FAX ministry called and what prompted the idea? Larry: It's called "Zion's Trumpet". I began this ministry in the spring of 1990 after spending time in Israel. I'm a retired electrical engineer and was looking for something to do for the Lord using my technical skills. I had an electronics business in the Seattle area, sold it five years ago and moved to Alaska. After the visit to Israel and the breakout of the Gulf War I saw that the news about Israel being published in the world press, especially in the U.S., was quite biased as to what was really happening in Israel. The believers that I knew over here, take most of their input, knowingly or not, from the secular news media which is slanted quite obviously against Israel. I wanted the praying intercessors to have accurate information to add to their daily prayer requests. Toby: Can you share with us a little more detail on the background of this ministry and who you are in contact with in Israel? Larry: I met Eliyahu Ben Hain, who is a believer, on my first trip to Israel in 1990. He is head of "Intercessors for Israel" in Jerusalem. He was at the time publishing a faxed newsletter called "The Emergency Prayer Alert". It became very expensive for him to do this as most of the prayer groups he was sending to were outside of Israel, with at least half living in the U.S. The Lord put into my spirit the need for the praying believers of Israel to be connected to the rest of the church around the world. I saw a need to get information about what's going on in Israel, reported by Christians in Israel distributed to other Christians around the world without going through the secular news media. Over the next year I tried different configurations of fax technology that could do this. What I was looking for was building a fax system on a personal computer. A PC with a fax board in it. Toby: When did everything get rolling? Can you tell us of any instance where the prayer alerts really helped? Larry: We started transmitting prayer alerts from Israel in the spring of 1991. These were first sent to me by Eliyahu and soon many other people began sending them in. The first use of it where we hit a lot of traffic was when the boat sailed from Oddessa to Haifa in January 1992. This was a ship chartered by believers around the world to carry the Jewish people home from Oddessa in the Ukraine. This was a 525 foot ship which sailed from the Black Sea through the Bosporus straights into the Agean Sea and down through the Mediterranean to Haifa in Israel. Toby: What Christian groups were involved with this project? Larry: There was a group of many believers from many countries, organized by Steve Little of Exodus II, in the United States. There was another group on the European side which helped to organize called the "Ebenezer Emergency Fund" which is headed by Gustav Scheller from the U.K. Together they formed "Exodus Shipping Lines" which brought almost 1400 Jewish people home over the course of three separate trips. Toby: How did your Fax network come into play? Larry: This is something that had never been done before and it required a lot of intercessory prayer. Eliyahu was on the first trip. During this time we needed to keep the various prayer groups around the world informed as to what was going on. He would transmit messages to me in Alaska by way of radio telephone from the ship. We would take his information and transmit it to groups of believers in over 25 countries on a daily basis. These groups would in turn take the information and pass it on inside their own countries. Toby: That's incredible. Did all this prayer help with the expedition? Larry: That's the only way the boat got through. There was a lot of opposition to this journey. One time a very important prayer request came through from the boat to be passed on. The port authorities in Odessa did not want to process the Jewish people through so that they could get on the ship in. Within a period of a half hour after receiving that prayer alert here in Alaska, the power went out and the telephone system went out. When the telephone was restored the long distance carrier had major problems. I came down with a very "sudden" flu and one of my children got hurt. Everything finally worked out though. Toby: What is the status of your Fax ministry going into 1993? Larry: The fax system now acts as a delivery vehicle for prayer requests from believers around the world. There are now two facets to this. One is the actual transmission of a request for prayer where we send it out. The second is something called "Fax-on-demand". This allows you to go to your Fax machine, call a number and then you are led through a series of voice prompts where you answer questions by using the touch tone keys on your telephone. The requested documents are then faxed back to your machine. It's basically a 24 hour a day, seven day a week electronic library. Toby: Is this new Fax on demand system ready now? Larry: We will have this system available by the end of November 1992, somewhere around Thanksgiving. We are working the final 'bugs' out now. There will be two phone numbers to call. One is in Seattle, 206-562-1163. The other is in Alaska, 907-338-6346. These two numbers will both be tied in to the fax-on-demand network. Toby: What sort of material will be available on the network? Larry: I'm currently using the fax-on-demand network to distribute all the material from Christian Friends of Israel and about a half dozen other contributors. I will have all of their material going back about a year in time. I also will be carrying the newsletters from Steve Little and Gustav Scheller. There will also be periodicals available for people to select and retrieve to their faxes. Toby: Are you involved with any other special projects now? Larry: I'm travelling a lot right now back and forth to Russia involved with Exodus II. We believe that the Lord is preparing to open the highway from the Russian far east, through Alaska to Israel. They would come to Alaska then fly over the North Pole to Iceland then to Israel. We are looking to charter a plane from Khabarobsk, one of the far eastern cities in Russia. Toby: There are actually Jewish people way out there? Larry: Oh yes, they are there. The area we are working in is called Birobidzhan, the capital of the Jewish autonomous region in the Russian far east on the border with China. This is the area that Stalin gave the Jews to try to keep them from returning to Israel. He put it about as far away from Israel as he could. These people have never had a direct method of going back home until now. There is also a city called Magodan. This was a stalag prison city. In Stalin's time they would take boatloads of prisoners to this city and dump them there. The whole city was a prison. There is evidence that a good number of these were Jewish political prisoners. Officially, the Russian government today says that there are very few Jewish people in the east, but I don't believe that's the case. I think we are going to find that as much as 10 percent of the Jewish population that is left in Russia today come from the Russian far east. These people have an opportunity to come through Alaska. Magodan is only four hours away from Anchorage. Toby: How do these people know about your efforts? Are you advertising it somehow? Larry: Yes, we are working with one of the leaders of the Jewish community there. It's being done word of mouth. Toby: He doesn't mind working with a Christian group? Larry: Not at this point. We are the only way out. And they want to leave. Anti-semitism is on the rise even in the Russian far east. Also, the ones that are listening to what the Lord is saying are hearing the call to go home. However this is one of the most difficult regions for many of them to leave. These people have been essentially left alone since Stalin's time. They have businesses set up and for the most part are much better off than the Jewish people in western Russia. There is a tendency to not want to leave. However they are sitting right on the border area of China. This is right where there have been many Sino-Soviet border clashes in the past. If there is ever an escalation to war between Russia and China in these last days, they could be right in the middle of it. Toby: This seems like another major undertaking. Are the plans in place and finances there for it? Larry: We are hoping to charter a 747 soon and make a test run to work out the logistics. Lord willing, in November we should see our first flight of actual immigrants from the Russian far east to Israel. I'll be on that plane myself. At this point we need a little more than a half a million dollars to charter this. We had to have 10 percent for the signing of the contract and the Lord provided that. Toby: Where is the money coming from? Larry: A lot of places. We've even received very large donations from people who we hadn't even asked. We received one check for ten thousand dollars ($10,000) with only a scripture verse on it and a note saying "The Lord told me to send this to you." Toby: What should people do if they want to help out with this project? Larry: Anyone wishing to help for this ministry should send contributions to, "Exodus II - Four Corners Fund" to my Post Office box in Alaska. Toby: Could you explain what the term "Four Corners" means? Larry: Alaska is one of the "four corners" of the earth. Some of the translations of Revelation call the "uttermost parts" the "four corners". If you lay a map out and divide it by the international date line, Nome Alaska is the westernmost city in the world. The other corners are in New Zealand, Norway and South Africa. Toby: That's interesting. Aren't some of the strongest Christian pro-Israel groups in the world from those four areas? Larry: That's true and I don't think it's any accident! In 1989, a prayer group led by Steve Little went to the "Four Corners" of the earth. The Lord showed them first where these places were and why they were, and had them pray according to Revelation, that the angels would let loose the wind that had been held at the corners of the uttermost parts to work its way back toward Israel again. Nome Alaska was one of the places they went to. Toby: So what are you up to at this time? Larry: After this is done I plan on completing the final details for the Fax on demand network. We hope to have a way for people to electronically register for the prayer alerts to be sent to them. You could key in your fax number into the system so that whenever prayer alerts came out, they would be sent to your fax number automatically. We also hope one day to have a regular computer bulletin board that computers could call into to get this information as well. Right now however, you have to have a Fax or Fax-modem with a touch tone phone, and we are still in an interim stage. The information for the Fax on demand system is there, but the touch tone menus won't be in place until late November. People can write to me for instructions however, if they want to access the information before Thanksgiving. Eventually we hope to have Fax networks installed in several countries. There is one in Israel that is near completion. We are also looking at establishing networks in Sweden, the U.K., South Africa and New Zealand. We hope to link all of these together. These should be completed within the next year and each one will have the modems for future bulletin board capability installed. You can currently reach Larry Baker directly at his home fax number 907-766-3342 or at this address: P.O. Box 1033, Haines, Alaska, 99827. Ministry Profile Ministry Profile - Jewish Voice Broadcasts JEWISH VOICE BROADCASTS A chronicle of Jewish Voice Broadcasts, Inc. a worldwide outreach to the Jewish people with headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, founded by Evangelist Louis Kaplan. "It was in December of 1966 that the Lord spoke to me very clearly regarding leaving the evangelistic field and starting a radio broadcast to the Jewish people. I had spent twenty years of my life as an evangelist, preaching to predominantly Gentile Christian Church audiences, and I liked it. Christians treated me well and the Lord gave me good results in the evangelistic ministry. To give it all up and start preaching to my own people was not really an attractive prospect." "God had shaken me out of my spiritual complacency as a successful Jewish real estate agent in New York City in 1948 when the state of Israel was re-established by a United Nations decree. That was when He sent me to preach repentance and proclaim the soon coming of the Lord. Now God revealed to me that He was soon going to revive His ancient covenant people spiritually and reveal to them their own longed-for Messiah whom the majority of the Jewish people have rejected for so long. To confirm that this call to a broadcasting ministry was really from God, the Lord revealed to me that a great prophetical event was soon going to take place. When I told it to some Christian businessmen in Phoenix, whom I tried to interest for a ministry to the Jewish people, they gave me the polite brush-off. Through His grace and the faithful support of one unknown elderly lady, God nevertheless enabled me to start one daily 15 minute radio broadcast in Phoenix in January of 1967. The prophetic event, that God spoke to me of when He called me to a Jewish ministry took place in June of 1967: The Old City of Jerusalem with the Temple area was conquered by the Jewish army for the first time in nearly 2000 years. God had revealed it to me six months before it happened! This gave much impetus to my ministry, and from one station in Phoenix, Arizona the Jewish Voice Broadcasts spread to every major city with a substantial Jewish population in the United States. We now broadcast messages on Israel and Bible prophecy and testimonies of Jewish people from all walks of life, businessmen, lawyers, doctors, artists, housewives, drug addicts, and college students, in daily 15 minute radio programs and on weekly half hour television shows across the nation and overseas. The broadcasts must be within the reach of every Jew on this earth before I can quit. The purpose of the programs is not only to reach the Jewish people with a message of atonement through faith in the l