Letters
Letter From the Editor
Letter From the Editor
Welcome to Volume 2.3 - our Missions Issue! I hope you enjoy
the wonderful assortment of stories we have for you in the
Features area as well as in several of the regular columns.

There are many worthy missions and missionaries in the world and
Morning Star would love to publish more reports about the work
of these brave and industrious brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Send us some stories! If we get enough response we may start a
Missions column in some future issue. Wouldn't that be great? 
It's up to YOU!

In this issue, you'll find two improvements in our Staff List &
Mailing Address column. The international distribution list now
has postal addresses and/or electronic mail links so that you
can contact those people in other countries that help us get the
magazine out. The mailing address column has several new
electronic mail links including, Internet, Fidonet, the
Christian Family Network, the Christian Distribution Network and
the Policenet system!

Here's the lineup for Feature themes for Volumes 2.6 through 2.9:

  Volume 2.6 - WITNESSING IN THE WORLD TODAY (work, school etc.)
  Volume 2.7 - FREEDOM FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE (Testimony Issue)
  Volume 2.8 - MARRIAGE & FAMILY IN TODAY'S CHANGING WORLD
  Volume 2.9 - BIBLICAL PROPHECY

We need YOUR help! Keep this ministry in prayer and help us
"stay in business" by sending in articles for these future
themes.

In service to Jesus the Messiah,

Toby Trudel
Commentary
Commentary
LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY
(Luke 1:1)

By J.C. Trudel
Naples, Florida


"The Lord's Prayer," as it is referred to by most Christians,
has been used many times in devotions. Others believers have
used it as part of their repetitious prayers, as I did for many
years. I have observed when people do not know to pray, they
will use the Lord's prayer. What follows is not to discourage
people from saying it, but to put it in proper perspective.

The prayer was given during the Law dispensation. This period
began at Mount Sinai and ended with the death and resurrection
of Christ. It was at the completion of Christ's work that the
dispensation of Grace began. This period ends at the return of
Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Many do not realize that Jesus meant His prayer to be a model
for prayer. The following, from the notes of the late Dr. C.I.
Schofield in his reference Bible, will shed more light on this
subject: 

"Christ's law of prayer may be summarized: (1) He grounds prayer
upon relationship, and reveals God as freely charging Himself
with all the responsibilities, as His heart glows with all the
affections of a Father toward all who believe on Jesus Christ
(Matthew 6:25-32;7:9-11). Prayer therefore is a child's petition
to an all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful, Father-God.

(2) In the so-called Lord's prayer, Christ gives an incomparable
model for all prayer. It teaches that right prayer begins with
worship; puts the interests of the kingdom before merely
personal interest; accepts beforehand the Father's will, whether
to grant or withhold; and petitions for present need, leaving
the future to the Father's care and love. Used as a form, the
Lord's prayer is, dispensationally, upon legal, not church
grounds; it is not a prayer in the name of Christ (John
14:13,14); and it makes human forgiveness, as under the law it
must, the condition of divine forgiveness; an order which grace
exactly reverses (Ephesians 4:32). (3) Prayer is to be definite
(Luke 11:5); and, (4) importunate, that is, not discouraged by
delayed answers."

Most of my life, I prayed the Lord's prayer. I didn't understand
God's amazing grace and that it was only through Christ I could
reach the Heavenly Father. As Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the
Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me." And since, I had also prayed through various saints, I
came to realize the futility of all those prayers. I realize
they must have been offensive to God. These prayers denied that
Jesus is the only mediator between God and Man (1st Timothy 2:5).

God wants to be praised. This is evident in many of the Psalms
such as Psalms 147-150. He will not share His glory. "I am the
Lord; that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another,
neither my praise to graven images" (Isaiah 42:8). We should
praise Him many times a day. We should bless Him. (Psalm
103,104). We should thank Him frequently for His goodness, His
mercy, and His daily provisions for our needs.

We should pray sincerely "Thy kingdom come." Many say those
words mechanically without realizing that they express a longing
desire for Christ to return and rule this earth. Only then will
the Father's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

After praising, blessing, and thanking God, we then should
approach Him with our requests. Remember always, He is the Lord
of our needs, not the Lord of anything we want. Otherwise we may
often ask amiss (James 4:3). Let's say that every one on earth
prayed the same prayer and asked for one million dollars and the
prayer was answered, what kind of world would we have. No one
would want to earn a living. We have an all-wise God who knows
what we would do with what we sometimes ask. He knows our heart
and the ever failing human nature. Paul, in Romans 8:26,27 tells
us: "Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we
know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit
itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered. And He that searched the hearts knoweth what is the
mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the
saints according to the will of God." Therefore, we should ask
the Lord to teach us how to pray.

When we ask by faith, "according to His will", let's have a
faith ready to accept a different answer than the one we seek.
Paul, who had a bad thorn the flesh, asked the Lord three times
to heal him. (2nd Corinthians 2:7,9). God answered, "My grace is
sufficient for thee." Why? In verse 7 Paul explains that God
wanted to keep him humble, because of the high knowledge he
possessed.

Christ models this same principle in the garden as He prayed: 
"O my Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me," and in
the same phrase, He submitted to the Father's will by saying:
"Not as I will, but as Thou wilt" (Luke 22:43). The Heavenly
answer was our salvation, not the passing of the cup.

Many will receive an answer to their prayers. I saw many receive
healing and other answers to prayers. Many did not get the
answer hoped for. But, I could not question God as to why He did
not answer some of those prayers of faith. I reminded them that
we must pray without ceasing and to come again to God's throne
of mercy. He is a sovereign God, who has never surrendered His
sovereignty. He is the potter and we are the clay. (Isaiah 45:9;
Romans 9:18-21) He will have mercy on whom He will give it to.
He cannot be forced into action by repetitious prayers or bible
verses said over and over. (Matthew 6:7)

Some of us are destined to be examples of faith. Therefore, we
will need God's sufficient grace to support us. Paul tells us,
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him" (2nd Timothy 2:17).
In the process of reaching our eternal destiny, we may have some
illnesses with some measure of suffering. To us who will have to
undergo sufferings, Paul stated, "For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to compare with
the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).

Paul suffered greatly as a result of his labors for our Savior.
He was able to say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto
all them also that love his appearing" (2nd Timothy 4:7,8).

In my years as a Christian, I have seen much abuse in prayer for
the sick. There is a fine line between testing and tempting the
Lord. Many have tempted the Lord by "claiming," as if the Lord
owes any of us anything. They failed to see that what we are,
and will be in eternal life depends on His Divine Mercy. I saw
sinful presumption in repetitious prayers or Bible verses taken
out of scriptural context. 

One of the verses most misused is, "By His stripes we are
healed" from Isaiah 53:5. Isaiah 53 speaks of the vicarious
sacrifice of Christ. His precious blood from the crown of
thorns, from the stripes, from the nails in His hands and feet,
from the spear in His side, was shed for the spiritual healing
of the spiritually deadly wounds of our sins. It was these sins
that brought eternal death to the human race.

Peter in his 1st epistle, Chapter 2:24,25, spoke of the
sacrifice of Jesus. "Who his own self bare our sins in His own
body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. For ye were as
sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and
Bishop of your soul." It is by through Savior's mighty
intercession that we receive physical healing.

How often have people clung on to someone dying in agony. They
pray for healing, refusing to pray in God's will. They refuse to
consider God was calling that person home. And, possibly they
were objecting to our Savior's prayer of John 17:24. "Father I
will that they also, whom Thou hast given me, be with me where I
am; that they may behold my glory, which Thou hast given me; for
Thou lovest me before the foundation of the world."

In our prayers, we should often ask the Lord to protect us in
times of temptations. Even though the Lord's prayer says, "Lead
us not into temptation," James 1:13-15 makes it very clear that
God does not tempt man. By our own lust we are driven to sin.
Jesus said, "Pray not to be tempted" (Matthew 26:41). Paul tells
us that God will be with us in times of temptation, if we ask
Him to be, and He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can
bear and He will make us a way to escape. (see 1st Corinthians
10:13.)

God does indeed answer every prayer. But, not always our way,
according to our schedule or plans, and often, the answer is,
"No. I have other plans for you." We must pray without ceasing
but not in repetitious prayers as the heathen do (Matthew 6:7).
But Jesus in Luke 18 tells us to pray and not faint. He also
gives us the parable of the widow who came often to trouble the
unjust judge with her request.

You may have to wait a long time for the answer to come. The
mother of Augustine, who was a libertine, prayed for him 30
years. My wife and I prayed for our son to return to Christ for
many years, and God blessed us with great joy as the prodigal
child returned home to the Father. How long do you think Job had
to wait?

How many come to the Lord in prayer of any kind only when
troubles arrive. Our God is not a push button God to be used
only in times of need. Praise Him, thank Him, glorify Him each
day and many times each day.

If you are born-again, give special thanks for your salvation,
for the blood Jesus shed to wash away your sins. If you are not
born-again, ask God to lead you by the Holy Spirit to the place
where you can be born-again and become a child of God by
adoption. Then you will truly be able to say, "My Father, who
art in heaven," and also be assured of eternal life through the
shed blood of Jesus Christ. Don't wait too long for Jesus
warned, "I will come as a thief in the night," and the signs of
the times indicate He is returning soon for His own.

Don't just pray for yourself, but pray one for another (James
5:16). If you see someone in need of prayer, don't be shy. Go to
that person and say, "Let me pray for you or with you." So many
are troubled and in need of prayer.

The Word of God assures us that He hears us when we go to the
Father through Jesus Christ our only intercessor and mediator.
Go to Him with confidence, expressing your willingness to accept
His will and whatever He will give you in His own time, In His
own way.

Don't go to Him with prefabricated (recipe) prayers. Approach
Him as a child approaches a loving father, with honest, simple
words, expressing your needs. Sometimes you may not know how to
pray; don't fear, He knows your needs before you express them.
And, the Holy Spirit will plead for you (Romans 8:26,27). Just
trust in Him and as the apostles did in their time, you may ask,
"Lord, teach me to pray."

May the Lord of Mercies answer your every prayer, and give you
abundantly of His sufficient grace in your times of need. Praise
His Holy Name.
Staff List
Morning Star Staff
MORNING STAR STAFF

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Features
M.A.P.S. 1991
M.A.P.S. 1991 by Danny O. Dennis
M.A.P.S. 1991
Jalapa, Guatemala

Danny O. Dennis
Opelika, Alabama 


On April 6, 1991 a group of 20 men and two women left the
parking lot of Auburn First Assembly of God in Auburn, Alabama
for a missions trip to build a church in Jalapa, Guatemala. I
was fortunate and blessed to be one of those 20 men. We were
led by our pastor Mike Wright and his wife Sue, who until the
previous year were missionaries to Guatemala. I have a
wonderful friend who had been saved the previous year and had
gone on a missions trip to Guatemala City that year. He asked
me to start praying about going on this missions trip with the
group. I really wanted to go because I had seen the remarkable
change in his life yet I wanted to know that this is what God
wanted for me to do. After much prayer, I finally felt a
release from the Lord to go on the trip.

There isn't enough room in one article to tell about the entire
trip so I would like to mention some special moments and
highlights of the blessed trip.

We drove to Atlanta and flew from there to Dallas and then on to
Guatemala City. We arrived in Guatemala City late that night. 
On our drive from the airport in Guatemala City we saw a little
homeless girl who could not have been more than five years old
standing in the middle of the street asking passers-by for
money. Just on that short drive to the hotel we saw countless
homeless children who were just wandering through the night
wondering where their next meal might come from. It was very
sobering and humbling and would be the first of many we would
experience during this week.

We left for Jalapa the next morning aboard an old school bus
which broke down twice on the 80 kilometer, four hour ride
through mountainous and bumpy terrain. Guatemala has a dry
season and a rainy season. The dry season runs from
approximately December through May and from June until the late
fall is the rainy season. Pastor Mike says that it is like
living in two different worlds during rainy and dry seasons.

After unloading our luggage and tools we went directly to the
building site and began construction on the church which would
be a cement block building with a tin roof approximately 24 x 60
feet. Some people might think it strange that we began
construction on a Sunday morning but the thought of Jesus doing
goods works on His day made it seem a very appropriate day to
begin construction of His church. Several of the men on this
trip had been on previous missions trips and had construction
experience for this type of work. The rest of us would learn in
a hurry how to mix mortar, lay cement blocks and carry heavy
buckets of mortar. There were no cement mixers (manual or
motorized) and the mortar had to be mixed by hand on the ground
with hoes and shovels.

Even though it might not have looked like it at times, we were
an organized unit which was broken down into separate work
groups. We had block layers, block cutters, mortar mixers,
mortar carriers (most in gallons buckets), carpenters, and
electricians. It was all hands-on work and was probably the
hardest work many of us had ever done but it was also the most
precious tired feeling many of us have ever experienced. Many
continued to work even though slowed down by sickness, which was
probably caused by the altitude, water and different foods, etc.
In actual labor hours worked, the church was built in an
amazing 33 1/2 hours.

The dedication services of the church was on Wednesday evening
and it was such a special service. There were approximately
three hundred people in attendance that night. The building was
standing room only with people sitting in the windows and
doorways and more people standing outside. We couldn't
understand Pastor Mike's message since in was in Spanish but the
Spirit of the Lord let us know it was powerful. The outpouring
of the Holy Spirit that evening was nothing short of absolutely
super-natural.

Throughout the week there would be many children who would come
and talk to us and watch the 'gringos' work. I made a very
special friend during this week. His name was Manuel, he was
eight years old and a typical little boy. We would talk to each
other constantly even though the language barrier made it
difficult at times. We did a lot of pointing at different
things and would tell each other what the word was in our own
language. I will never forget my little friend Manuel, or
others like the beautiful little girl Rosa and many others. A
large piece of all our hearts were left in Jalapa with those
beautiful, loving children. There were so many children being
late for school or some not even going that one day the entire
school, teachers (who looked like children themselves) and
children alike came to see what was going on. This was probably
the first time many of them had seen a 'gringo' much less twenty
of them at one time.

Poverty was everywhere you looked. We took canned goods with us
to eat lunch at the worksite and the children would want our
empty cans to play with. We shared crackers, fruit cocktail,
vienna sausages, spam, sardines, and such with the children. 
They probably thought that these 'gringos' sure do eat weird
food. Without any doubt, these were the most loving people I
have ever met. These wonderful people had nothing; yet, women
would come in the afternoons and bring us a drink similar to
unsweetened kool-aid knowing this would be taking away from what
they had for their own families but they wanted to share with
us. It really tasted bad, but we accepted it as it was given,
in love.

We saw so many real life situations that reminded me of biblical
stories. After a long day of work a few of us went walking
through the street markets which were actually in the streets. 
We saw a man lying in the street with his hand out asking for
money. He had a grossly deformed leg which was about five times
the size of his normal leg. Unfortunately, we like countless
others passed this man by. I will always have this man's image
in my mind because I did pass him by. My prayer is that this
man's good Samaritan will come to his aid.

After arriving back in Guatemala City, many of our first wants
were for some real food. So what do we do? We head for the
local fast food restaurants. After a few days of eating what
was available at the Hotel Mendez in Jalapa we were ready for
something familiar like hamburgers and french fries. As we were
leaving a local McDonalds' I saw something that brought tears to
my eyes. Two little boys came in and were going from table to
table scraping the leftovers off plates and grease from the wax
paper trying to get something to eat. It was obvious that these
children were homeless and just looking for a taste of food. 
When an employee, who probably sees this often, saw them he made
them leave. (Remember the story of Lazarus and the rich man and
the crumbs from the table).

We arrived back in Guatemala City on Thursday and had a chance
to do some sightseeing. We visited the presidential palace, the
national museum, the gigantic underground market, and other
sites of interest. On one of our stops we came upon the most
humbling sight I have ever seen. There were shacks (actually
worse than shacks) which were on both sides on a railroad track.
These shacks were about three to five feet from the tracks and
were built of old pieces of lumber, cardboard, and scrap tin. 
There was no running water, no heating or cooking sources or
sewage facilities. The waste ran out from the shacks into open
shallow ditches dug next to the railroad tracks. The starvation
and disease statistics were staggering.

Pastor Mike told us that more than fifty percent of the children
would not live to be five years old. Many more would die by
being run over by the train which came through many times a day.
 We had made a quick stop and bought loaves of bread and candy
to give out. The bread went to the mothers of the families and
the candy went mostly to the children. This candy was about the
size of an M & M and we gave each child one so that we might
give to as many as possible. You would think that we had given
these children a million dollars. It was so humbling to see
their little faces light up over just one small piece of candy
which was probably the first any of them had ever had. It was
truly heart-breaking and an experience none of will ever forget.

One of the men in our group (Billy Hall) who had been to
Guatemala on previous missions trips was having trouble with his
foot and had asked us to go to the church that they had built
two years before and lay hands on him and pray for healing for
him. He was very insistent that we go to this particular church
because it was at this church that he had received the baptism
of the Holy Ghost the year before. Little did I know that the
impact of the visit to this church would be the greatest
experience of my life. At almost the same time we arrived at
the church the local pastor was being told by the Holy Ghost he
needed to go to the church this morning.

After a very emotional reunion, we began to lay hands on the
local pastor and Billy and pray. All of a sudden I found myself
lying face down of the floor crying out to God. I had had
trouble with feeling worthy to be a part of this group of
wonderful men. I was just crying out, sobbing, pleading with
God saying I wasn't worthy to be a part of this missions team,
that my walk with the Lord wasn't good enough, that I was too
much of a sinner to be receiving this blessing. Then the most
wonderful, beautiful, superb, super-natural thing happened to
me. The presence of the Lord came all about me and enveloped me
like a giant invisible bubble and the Spirit of the Lord said to
me, "Danny, of yourself you are not worthy but by the blood of
the Lamb you are found worthy". I only wish I could adequately
explain the precious experience but words aren't adequate to
explain the love of God.

In closing I can only say that if anyone who reads this article
ever has a chance to go on a missions trip to go, go, go!!! The
blessing that you will receive will be more than you can ever
imagine.
Western PA Conference Missions Project
Western PA Conference Missions Project by Denise W. Wirick
WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA CONFERENCE MISSIONS PROJECT
The Islands of Bocas del Toro & Carenero, Panama

Denise M. Wirick
McMurray, Pennsylvania


For two weeks in July, eight Christians, ranging in age from 29 
to 75, in occupation from a secretary to a retired CEO, worked
on the small Island of Carenero, Panama rebuilding two homes for 
Guaymi Indian families who lost their homes during the April, 
1991 earthquake. 


TEAM MEMBERS:

From Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church: Rev. Harold Heard
(Team Leader); Micki Heard; Jim Lutz; Howard Spicher;
and Mary Garber.
 
From Trinity UMC (McMurray): Denise Wirick. From St. Stephen's 
Episcopal Church (Sewickley): Evelyn Parish (team nurse). And 
from Bakerstown Presbyterian Church: Jack Shepard.


REFLECTIONS:

The Islands of Bocas del Toro and Carenero are in the northwest 
sector of Panama, near the Costa Rica border. It is inhabited
by the Antillian Blacks, the Guaymi Indians and the Bocatorenos
(Spanish descendents). The official language is Spanish;
however, English is the language of the Methodist churches which
are gradually becoming bi-lingual.

The success of this project is due much to the efforts of Rev. 
Heard and his wife, Micki. It all started when they answered an 
article in their church bulletin looking for a Methodist pastor 
to minister to the people of Bocas del Toro and several
surrounding islands for four months in the Fall of 1990. At the
same time, the pastor from Bocas, Rev. Danoval Johnson, came to
the Western Pennsylvania area to share with us the special needs
of our Methodist brothers and sisters in a third world country. 
When Rev. Heard & Micki returned to Pennsylvania, they had a
vision of raising funds to build a Methodist Chapel on the
Island of Carenero and to begin a youth ministry in all the
churches. But last April a devastating earthquake changed the
focus of the mission to helping the Guaymi Indians of Carenero
rebuild their lives. 

It's exciting to reflect back on the mighty works that God did 
with our sincere efforts in Panama. Through the generous
contributions of the churches in the Western Pennsylvania 
Conference, we were able to purchase building supplies and 
necessary tools to construct several homes, and also purchase
six TV/VCR's for the purpose of Christian Youth Education for
each of the Methodist churches. We even presented a TV and VCR to
the island of San Cristobal, where there is no electricity. By way
of a solar generator, the children of San Cristobal were able to 
watch and listen to the story of John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's 
Progress". We also presented to the churches a Spanish video 
entitled: The Life of Christ as Taken from the Gospel of Luke.

I was very touched by the simplicity of their lifestyle. It's a 
humbling experience to witness first hand the peace and joy a 
simple lifestyle such as theirs can bring to one's life. It 
demands a personal reflection of one's own life and priorities. 
I was truly blessed by their spirituality, their fellowship, 
their gratitude towards our efforts, and by the incredible 
ministry of Rev. Danoval Johnson. His ministry includes five 
Methodist churches, and two mission projects among the Guaymi 
Indians - all of this spanning four different islands and two 
churches on the mainland of Panama. It's a demanding ministry, 
yet he has been blessed by God with amazing gifts to address the 
needs of his people, whether it is spiritual teaching or
building homes ... yes, he was our foreman on the work site!

You know, when I first felt the calling to go into missions
work, I had to debate the issue with God. I really couldn't see
how I could contribute. I've only been a Christian for two
years - there is so much I need to learn and experience - I just
didn't think I was "Christian" enough. I didn't have scripture
memorized; I knew I couldn't get up and "preach" to anyone; and
I am a secretary by profession ... how useful can that be! I
discussed these concerns with my pastors and they encouraged me
to be obedient and go ... God would use me in the way He wanted
to use me. And so the doors opened wide for the Panama trip,
and I praise God for allowing me to be a part of His plan; to
have provided me with the opportunity to serve Him and His
people in Panama. I only regret that I have no more vacation
time left and I have to wait until next year before I can share
Christ's love with my brothers and sisters in Panama! 

Our work team would be honored to share with any church group
our presentation on God's work in Panama. You can reach me
through this magazine.

There is still MUCH WORK that needs to be completed for our
brothers and sisters in Panama. We need to continue with the
rebuilding of homes and to eventually build a Methodist Chapel
on Carenero.

More WORK TEAMS are needed to continue in the work started by
the Western Pennsylvania Conference & Rev. Heard's team. For
more information, contact Rev. Harold Heard through this
magazine.

TOOLS are needed for use on the construction projects.

CHRISTIAN VIDEOS for the youth program are needed in Spanish.

PRAY that God will meet the needs of these people and continue
to provide Rev. Danoval Johnson with the resources he needs to
meet the added demands this earthquake has put on his ministry. 


PERSONAL DATA:

After 10 years in the Catholic Church, I gave up on "religion"
(which is all that it was.) I spent the next 11 years with no
"religion" in my life. HOWEVER, during a two week vacation with
a Catholic Christian, she witnessed to me about a "relationship"
with Christ ... something I never learned in my church. Three
months later I made a public commitment to Christ in a Methodist
church. I have been a committed Christian for two years.

I am a member of the United Methodist Church -- Trinity UMC in
McMurray, PA. I am chairperson of the Church & Society work
area. I am responsible for bringing awareness to the
congregation about the many social issues affecting our
community and our faith. I have a strong belief that Christians
need to be involved in all aspects of our culture and I
encourage my congregation to get involved with such 
issues. I also volunteer to help with most of the church fund
raisers. I also have a ministry in missions ... having
completed my first missions trip to the Republic of Panama.

As a Christian I am strong and getting stronger every day!! As
a "babe in the Lord", I am spiritually HUNGRY. I can't seem to
get enough information! I am committed to living my life, all
aspects of my life, to the glory and honor of God our Father.
I approach my Christian walk one day at a time ... delighting
every step of the way in the awesomeness of our God!

Thinking of my future ... Could I quit my job of 13 years and go
full time in missions work ... perhaps ... Could I see myself
marrying a minister ... yes, I think so ... Would I be content
to have a ministry as a single Christian ... yes, no problem ...
What is my dream for the near future ... working together with
deaf Christians in the missions field - that is, providing them
with an opportunity to do missions work - despite their
limitations.
Mission Trip to Morelia, Mexico
Mission Trip to Morelia, Mexico by David Applegate
MISSION TRIP TO MORELIA, MEXICO
By David Applegate
Houston, Pennsylvania


It was decided that Central Assembly in Houston, Pennsylvania,
like most churches in all of Christendom, was having a problem
with their burden for missions. We felt that the burden for
missions in the local church, and churches across America, was
slipping away from us. We decided that a way to preserve this
burden for missions and the burden for souls was to have a
missionary trip with a hands-on type of ministry. We began a
ten year program called "The Decade of Harvest", that would take
us into the twenty-first century. The congregation began to
pray and pledge funds to help those who wanted to go on the
mission field. We contacted a man by the name of Rev. Hartley
Fidler of Atlanta, Georgia, who had already made plans to go to
Mexico. We decided to go with him to the city of Morelia, high
in the mountains above Mexico City. 

Twenty-nine members of Central Assembly boarded the plane in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When we arrived in Mexico City, we
got on charter buses and were transported up to the city of
Morelia. We arrived during the rainy season with temperatures
about 75 degrees. We had rainy nights, but the skies were clear
every day for our work projects and our ministry projects.

Morelia is very scenic and beautiful, as well as picturesque, at
an altitude of 7,000 feet. We enjoyed being there very much. 
Our trip was two-fold. We wanted to help in the construction of
a local church and to minister in the churches there. We wanted
to be able to touch the Mexican people with the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Our trip showed us the need there, through our street
witnessing and through our attendance in their church services. 
Being there was quite an interesting experience. 
 
We went to Morelia to build a church and ended up digging the
footer and the foundation which was a very hard working part of
our journey. We had to dig this foundation through solid rock. 
There were thirteen teenagers and sixteen adults in our group
which made a good working balance. We put our backs to the task;
the adults worked very hard, but the teenagers worked right
beside us. Even the girls were down into the stone and rock
with hammers and chisels getting the work done. To accomplish
our work we had to have seven footer holes dug to support the
pillars that would eventually support the roof. We finished
four of the seven we wanted to dig and filled them with
concrete. We were quite pleased with that. Rev. Glenn Israel
from Montgomery, Alabama, a great man of God and missionary to
the Mexicans in Morelia, was in charge of the work detail. We
could readily see that he had a great love for the people of
Mexico. We were blessed in working with Rev. Israel. 

On Sunday afternoon we went down to the city of Morelia into a
park near one of the beautiful Cathedrals. The musicians in our
group played their instruments while we witnessed to the people
on the street and handed out tracts, written in Spanish. The
music drew the attention of the passersby and we were able to
minister to them in a mighty way. Later we went into the church
for services. We recognized the songs that were sung in Spanish
and we joined in, singing in English. The Mexicans raised their
hands and praised the Lord as we do. They received us with open
hearts into their worship service. There were so many people at
this service that there was standing room only. We had a
wonderful time of fellowship. We saw seven people go forward to
receive Jesus as their personal Savior on Sunday night. We felt
the presence of the Holy Spirit in all the services in Mexico,
as we opened our hearts to God. 

On one special evening our own young minister was asked to
speak, with an interpreter translating in Spanish. This was
quite a challenge because this was the first time he had ever
done anything like this. After he gave his testimony and
sermon, again seven people came forward to accept Jesus. 

The next day we were taken to the "tarpaper" church across town.
The reason for this name is that a few posts had been put up
with a couple of 2 by 4's across, then black tar paper had been
wrapped around it. There was an electrical cord strung across
with the bare light bulb showing, but these people loved the
Lord Jesus Christ. They sang with all their hearts and raised
their hands in worship to the Lord; you would have thought they
were in a million dollar cathedral! Again the church was packed
with people and there was standing room only. We were able to
communicate person to person and heart to heart through the Lord
Jesus. We were separated by many things; the miles by which we
live, the language that we speak, but we were joined together
heart to heart with our love of the Lord Jesus. 

Again Rev. Fidler preached the Word and Rev. Israel interpreted
into their native language. We saw many souls saved as the
altar was full with many more people coming to the Lord. For
the time we were in Mexico, we saw twenty-two people saved by
the Lord Jesus in first time decisions. Our field trip was
complete in many ways. It was a success in that we were a help
in building the church and completing the pillar holes in the
foundation in the rock with the help of the Lord. The high
altitude slowed us down a little; we were being affected by the
altitude in our working habits. There was total cooperation in
our group; we were of one mind and in one accord. 

As we were traveling through the city on our way to the airport,
we thought about the plight of the people, the poverty, and the
money that was almost useless in the world market. We saw the
poor conditions in Mexico including the type of housing and the
way that they lived. The only hope for Mexico is the Lord Jesus
Christ. Without Christ they will not accomplish much. Only
Christ can help them rise above their poverty and poor living
conditions. Jesus can lift them up above all of this and put
their feet on solid rock.

Rev. Israel told us about his son-in-law who earns $20.00 a week
in his father's motor cycle repair shop and earns $17.00 a week
working as the Assistant Pastor in the church. This is a small
income according to our standards. They have three children and
have just built their house, being of block construction with
concrete floors. 

Our trip to Mexico was an overwhelming success. We were able to
meet a missionary in a foreign country. He took us into his
home and 
family; he took us into his ministry. It molded and melted us
together as a unit, the twenty-nine of us working as a team in
every project.

We returned, being glad we were back in America, but yet happy
to experience a missionary trip. Our missionary trip was a
success because we saw changed lives for Jesus Christ and we saw
Jesus Christ change our lives. Pray for Mexico!
The Shantymen
The Shantymen by Jeannine Robinson
THE SHANTYMEN
Submitted by Jeannine Robinson
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada


Scripture tells us that young men are more apt to see visions,
while old men will dream dreams. (Acts 2:17) Sometimes we wonder
if that is also true about missions.

Shantymen is over 80 years old. This definitely brings with it a
tendency for us to act as -old men+ by dreaming about the
glorious fruit borne by Shantymen in days gone by. We do so
without apologies, but at the same time it is important for this
generation to grasp the vision of what (God may want to do
through this mission in the days to come.

There are many who have come to the Lord through a Shantymen's
missionary, who then went on to substantial ministry of their
own. Don Richardson, best known for he film -The Peace Child+ is
an example of this. Many hundreds of people came to know Christ
through the ministry of this one man.

Many years ago a Shantymen missionary working out of Thunder
Bay, Ontario, led a man to the Lord, who had come to Canada from
Russia. We have since learned that this man went back to Russia,
and there established a church by preaching the gospel. And this
was done in the days when it would not have been permissible.

In the book, "Splendour from the Sea" , Philip Keller tells many
exciting stories of early Shantymen ministries on the west coast
of B.C. For example, he tells of two rowdy men in a village
along the west coast of Vancouver Island. These men were
fishermen, and after coming to shore and selling their catch,
they would go on a boozing and gambling spree lasting for days.

They despised and reviled the Shantymen missionaries, and anyone
who named the name of Christ.

On one occasion, after they had spent all their money in this
ungodly way, they went back fishing, to get more money, and go
through the whole episode again. However, the engine in their
oat was rather temperamental. Soon they had caught a fair catch
of salmon, but, wanting more, they pushed further out to sea.

It was then that they encountered serious difficulties. Their
engine cut out, and simply wouldn't start. A severe storm came
up, and threatened their lives. After they literally collapsed
from exhaustion, trying to save their boat, many miles from
shore, they resorted to praying- praying to the God they had so
severely reviled.

In the morning they again tried to start the engine. It started
with the very first try.

When they reached shore the villagers came in a crowd, relieved
to see they had survived the storm. However, they were soon
hushed as the two fishermen told of their encounter with God.

The years have changed many of the conditions under which people
work and live. But hearts are still the same. This is especially
true of those who live in one form of isolation or another. The
Gospel message is still relevant, and powerful to save. The work
of Shantymen goes on - must go on, until our Lord returns to
bring in His harvest.


WHAT IS A SHANTYMAN?

William Henderson was born into a well-to-do Scottish shipping
family. After finishing private boarding school he emigrated to
Canada, and became superintendent of a large woollen mill in
Hespeler (now Cambridge) Ontario.

In Canada he met and married Nellie Merry. Their life together
was short, and filled with personal sorrow.

First, there was the death of two infant sons, only to be
followed by the death of his dear Nellie.

Following the death of his beloved wife, Henderson moved to
Toronto. There he married again, but also began a ministry into
what was then considered -Northern Ontario+ - the Parry Sound
district, on the east shore of Georgian Bay, now a popular
resort area

Here Henderson ministered to men who worked in the bush, or on
the rail roads, and who lived in isolation in the bush, in
-shanties+. These men were called "shantymen", but it wasn't
long until that name was applied to Henderson, and others who
worked with him. The name has been retained to this day.

Henderson was well received, at least for the most part. There
are many stories of early Shantymen missionaries who had to
travel by foot to the camps with literature, and minimum
supplies, only to be turned away. They would then have to tramp
many more miles to the next camp, sometimes in below zero
temperatures.

Nevertheless, the ministry flourished and others joined
Henderson. One of the first to join him was Oswald J. Smith, who
was later to found the widely renowned People's Church in
Toronto, which today is pastored by his son.

Henderson died in 1924, at only 52 years of age. However, the
ministry he began, and to which he gave much of his life, has
flourished to this day with as many as 30 to 40 missionary
couples, or single men and women, serving in ministries still
similar to the early missionaries.

Modes of travel have changed, but the needs have not. Even
today, many people work in conditions of isolation, or may
simply want to live as secluded as possible, but all of them
need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As Canada grew, and railways connected east and west, the
spiritual need for the ever increasing numbers of people in
isolated railway towns became great. As itinerant preachers and
counsellors, Shantymen visited towns and villages, sometimes
only once in several months, but people looked forward to gospel
films or music provided by the Shantymen.

In the United States during the depression and post-war era, the
mountain people of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia received
the gospel, zealously preached by Shantymen like Matthew H.
Smith, the "little mountain preacher from Canada. Men in the
logging camps of the northeastern U.S. were ministered to for
about eight years in the 1950's by Shantyman

Medley Wry, while other Shantymen ministered in Illinois,
Minnesota, and in the northern peninsula of Michigan. Shantymen
even had a branch office in Chicago, under whose guidance these
missionaries worked.

Today Shantymen ministries include:

- Coastal ministries, by boat or land, from docks, or in ports.
- Prison inmates, and their families.
- Indian and other aboriginal people.
- Traditional ministries to lumber camps, fishing villages, and
  other isolated people.

In 1988 the "Nootka Mission" amalgamated with Shantymen. Nootka
was founded by Shantymen over 50 years ago on the west coast of
Vancouver Island, at Esperanza, in the Nootka Sound. It was at
Esperanza that Shantymen built a hospital for people in that
region, who had no other hospital within reach. All travel was
by boat, and still is. However, when Government hospitals were
built, the Nootka hospital was closed.

Over the years Nootka became known as the place to get help and
a sense of security. Many ministries to spiritual needs of the
region are continuing.

Shantymen operate two boats based on Vancouver Island, one from
Nootka, and the other on the east coast of the island. Both
minister to people on the islands, and the coasts of that
region. A missionary may live on a boat for as much as a couple
of weeks at a time, and ply the inlets and coastal villages,
which often are Indian villages. Also to "float houses", (houses
built on large rafts, and tied to a shore,) fish farms, logging
and saw mill operations, and other isolated people.

On Canada's eastern coasts most fishing villages can be reached
by land. However, there are some difficult regions on the south
shore of Newfoundland, and the coasts of Labrador.

With all the modern technologies available, people are still in
need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many still live in what most
would consider very lonely locations. And loneliness itself
sometimes brings out, in very obvious ways, the need for the
Gospel.

The vision to bring every isolated North American into the
Kingdom could not have advanced as it has without the prayers
and support of many thousands of faithful people in Canada and
the U.S. The need for the Gospel will go on until our Lord
returns. So will the need for Shantymen ministries.

"Sometimes going into all the world means staying right here."
Teen Missions
Teen Missions by Sandy Hester
TEEN MISSIONS
Sandy Hester
Braeswood Assembly of God Church
Houston, Texas


Greetings in the name of the Lord! I am writing to update you
on the marvelous things God did in Russia this summer. There
were three teams that went to Russia with Teen Mania Ministries,
and each team had about 22 people on it. The gospel of Jesus
Christ was presented through a 17 minute drama called
"Allegiance" on an average of 4 times a day, Tuesday through
Saturday. The drama showed how Jesus came and died for our
sins. The drama was presented on the streets of Moscow, in the
parks, busy market places, bus and train stations, and even at
Moscow University! At the end of the drama one of the leaders
would explain to the crowd what the drama was about, and then
they would ask those people who wanted Jesus Christ to forgive
them of their sins and be their Lord and Savior to step forward.

Then, we, the team, went out and witnessed to those who did not
come forward. By the end of the month we had seen 4,500 people,
including atheists and Muslims, make a decision for Christ. We
had the privilege of witnessing to over 20,000 people with the
drama and with tracts! Glory to God!

Except for one village trip to Tula, my team was in Moscow for
the whole month. Moscow is a very oppressive city, and the
oppression that was on Moscow began to come on us without our
even realizing what was taking place. For about a week we were
distracted during our prayer time and depressed during the day.
Finally, one of the team leaders realized what was happening and
pointed it out to the team. Then, we were able to bind it off
of us and command it to go in the name of Jesus! After that, we
were able to minister with joy in our hearts.

One of the biggest problems we faced was the language barrier.
My team was split up into 7 ministry groups and we had 3
interpreters; so, 4 ministry groups did not have an interpreter.
So how did we, who didn't know Russian, witness to these people,
many of whom didn't know English? We soon found that God does
not need for two people to speak the same language in order for
someone to get saved! I was able to lead 10 people to the Lord
one-on-one! Praise the name of the Lord! It is certainly only
because He was working through me! One young man that I was
able to lead to the Lord was Alexander. He did not know any
English. Before the trip, Teen Mania had mailed me a sheet with
the plan of salvation on it. It was written in English, with the
Russian pronunciation underneath, and the Russian language under
that. So, I pulled out the sheet and pointed to the Russian
where it said, "Do you believe in God?" He nodded his head yes.
So, I pointed to the question that said, "Do you have Jesus in
your heart?"

He shook his head no. So I went to the front page pointing to
each sentence of the plan of salvation, and he nodded his head
after every sentence.

When I got to the question, "Do you want to receive Jesus into
your heart?" he nodded his head yes. So, he read the Russian
prayer out loud. Then, I noticed that an interpreter was free;
so, I called him over and made sure that Alexander knew what he
just did.

He knew that he had Jesus in his heart! Praise God - He can
work in any situation!! God even worked in the lives of the
interpreters. Two of the interpreters on my team did not even
get saved until a few days after we got there! One other person
that I want to tell you about is a 17 year old guy named Valeri.
I led him to the Lord on the last day of ministry, but the thing
that is different about him is that he was the only person that
I saw come to church out of the 10 I led to the Lord. (The
others might have come but I didn't have the opportunity to see
them.) He came to the youth service the day he got saved, met
the youth pastor, some of the interpreters, and signed up to go
on a retreat with the youth group at the end of August!

Also on the last day of ministry, my whole team prayed for a man
(who one of the team members had just led to the Lord) who was
deaf and mute. After just a few minutes of praying, God
completely healed the man, and he could hear out of both ears
and speak! Then, a lady heard about what had happened to this
man, and she wanted prayer because she was deaf in one ear. So,
we prayed for her and God healed her, too! God is still a
miracle working God!

I want to thank you for all of your prayers and financial
support. It is because of you that this trip was possible and
such a great success. God kept me in perfect health the entire
time I was in Russia, and He protected me and my belongings the
entire time I was away. You are a blessing, and I thank God for
you!

This fall, I will be a junior at Southwestern Assemblies of God
College and I will be serving in the positions of RA (Resident
Assistant) and Missions Association Treasurer. I hope to return
to Russia someday and continue the work that God has begun this
summer.
Operation Carelift
Operation Carelist by Spencer Graham
OPERATION CARELIFT
Submitted by Spencer Graham
East Meadow, New York


Can you imagine your own children not having the shoes they
need, nor having winter boots to get through a long, harsh
winter? How would you feel if your child did not have adequate
food and you had no resources to find help? Now, picture
yourself as a Russian parent meeting a stranger who arrives with
shoes, winter boots, and socks, along with several month supply
of urgently needed food staples. Your heart would be overwhelmed
with joy, and you would shed tears of happiness! Can you
envision how open you would be to hearing the Gospel at that
particular time?

Friend, by being part of Operation Carelift '93, you, too, WILL
experience all these emotions, only 1000 times greater!

You can join us either in Lancaster, Pennsylvania from November
2-14, or for one of the two Russia trip opportunities. Our
primary need is for volunteers to go for 14 days to Russia to
help with distribution from January 30 to February 13. Second,
there is a need for a small group of volunteers to assist the
management team from January 16 to February 27, 1993. Let me add
a brief word about each of these critical needs.

Churches from throughout the United States will be shipping the
children's shoes, winter boots, and socks they have collected to
a warehouse in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lancaster is located in
the heart of Amish country, and a 100,000 square feet warehouse
has been made available to us, free of charge. Although we don't
know what the exact response will be, we are praying for at
least one-half million pairs of shoes to arrive at the
warehouse. The items will then be placed in 20-40 foot sea-going
shipping containers that will be sealed and sent to Russia.

Several of our staff will be there to provide direction and
leadership. The daily schedule will also include devotions and
prayer, and I know you will enjoy fellowshipping with new
friends.

If you volunteer to go with us on the 14-day trip to Russia, we
will be departing from New York on January 30 and will be
arriving in Moscow or St. Petersburg (our two Russian
distribution locations) on January 31. Early the next morning,
you will join the other Operation Carelift '93 volunteers in the
warehouse where, working side-by-side with the Russian military,
you will break the seals on the sea-going shipping containers of
children's shoes, winter boots, and socks, as well as powdered
milk, powdered eggs, and flour. Then we will begin to organize
everything for distribution.

Tentative plans are that Russian families would begin to come to
the warehouse on February 4. At that point, they would be given
shoes, winter boots, and socks for each of their children, as
well as enough food to take each child through the next three
months. They will also have an opportunity to talk with you and
hear the message of God's love for them.

You will be able to communicate in fluent Russian with each
child through a cassette tape recorded by a Russian grandmother
named Sasha. On this five-minute tape, Grandma Sasha shares the
Gospel as she explains the gospel bracelet which you will give
to each child. We have found that whenever we have gone and used
the bracelets and tapes, we have seen the parents listening
attentively, many wiping tears from their eyes.

Another experience that will change you forever will be the hugs
and handshakes that you will receive from parents. Even with the
language barrier, their smiles, handshakes, hugs, and tears will
clearly communicate to you their deep, deep appreciation.

You will have the opportunity to see firsthand the response to
the spiritual literature that we will distribute. You will see
people take the New Testament and clutch it to their chest. I
also hope we will be able to have time to distribute literature
in the metro stations. You will be amazed, how in a matter of
minutes, you will be able to pass out 500 books!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Josh McDowell Ministry
Box 1000
Dallas, TX 75221
(214)-907-1000

Biblical Department
New In Christ
New In Christ
"New in Christ" is a regular MORNING STAR column written
primarily for people who wish to learn more about the basic
teachings of Biblical Christianity. The editorial staff at
MORNING STAR encourages all readers to freely use this
information to help new Christians grow in their walk with the
Lord. 

In this issue, we continue the "Letters From God" series, by
Pastor Dale Strand of Dublin, California.


LETTERS FROM GOD
 
(#3 - For People Who've Said They'd Never Darken The Door Of A
Church) 


Dear Earthworld:

Circumstantial evidence.

Your courts use it all the time to help prove things that cannot
be proved any other way. If a crime has been committed and your
car was seen in the area, and you had no alibi for your
whereabouts at the time, this circumstantial evidence would
suggest that you might be a suspect.

Everywhere you look, you will find evidence of Me and My love
for you. A flower's scent. A bird's song. A seed's growth. A
baby's smile. Color. Wind. Fire. Gravity. Snow. Breathing.
Thoughts. Heartbeats. You name it and I created it. And
sustain it. Of course, because I've given you a free will, you
can choose not to believe Me. But your non-belief does not
change the fact that I am He "Who was and is, and is to come".

Life. Your life is the biggest evidence of My existence. And
whether you consider Me a "higher power", "supreme being", "the
man upstairs" or deny Me altogether, no jury in the country
could examine the evidence of your life and living and not
wonder about the Source of that life.

I know your name, the number of hairs on your head, and I have
all of your tears saved up in a bottle. I remember when I gave
you life. I loved you then and I love you now. And I long for
you to know Me. I have a special plan for you. And I can do
exceedingly abundantly above all you can even think or imagine.

Can you think of any reason why you wouldn't want to be involved
as a recipient of My special blessings upon your life and that
of your family?

I'd really like to talk to you about that. Call 1-800/GOD (just
kidding!). Really, though - I'm only a prayer away. 

Talk to me!
Bible Study
Bible Study
This issue features the third in a series on the Epistle of 1st
John. Future studies will include Psalms, and books from both
the Old and New Covenants.


THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL
1 John 2:12-17


"When Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and
pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she
took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was
with her, and he ate it" (Genesis 3:6). 

The woman listened to the words. Certainly, she loved the
Creator. He came and talked to her husband. He loved them. But
the words gave her a strange feeling. She felt a longing she had
never before experienced. Maybe there was something more than
the life she knew.

The creature was beautiful and his voice was honeyed. He
confused her. What exactly had the creator said about the tree
anyway? As she gazed upon the fruit she knew that it would taste
wonderful. She was almost hypnotized by its beauty. Something
that beautiful was meant to be enjoyed, to be tasted.
Additionally, it would give her wisdom. And wouldn't she impress
the man if she was the one to bring them wisdom?

Maybe the creature was right. The creator was trying to prevent
them from becoming all they should be. It would be good to know
the difference between good and evil. And then she would
understand what good and evil were. She decided that it was best
to take and taste the fruit...

The difference between children of God and children of the
Devil, is whom they serve, to whom they listen. Jesus made this
clear when speaking to those who were rejecting him: "You belong
to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your
father's desire" (John 8:44). The battle for the Christian is
always against the World, the Flesh and the Devil. If believers
are to stand firm for the Lord, they must recognize that they
are constantly fighting on all these fronts.

John wants to make sure that his readers understand he isn't
questioning their faith. So he makes comparisons between the
reality of the lives of the believers, contrasted with the fruit
of the false teachers. In the first section, 2:12-14, John
focuses on the believer. In 2:15-17, he turns to the fruit of
the unbelievers.

John identifies three specific groups in these verses. He names
the children, the young men and the fathers. They are
representative of the body as a whole. Therefore they encompass
both men and women. There are several views as to why he
identifies these three groups. Some commentators hold that John
is giving different messages which are actually age-based.
Others believe these identifications relate to levels of
spiritual maturity.

Zane Hodges takes a position which overlaps the spiritual
maturity view:

"It seems best (with C.H. Dodd and I.H. Marshall) to view the
terms of address as referring to all the readers in each case.
Then each experience ascribed to them is appropriate to the
category named.

Thus, thought of as "children," the readers had experienced the
forgiveness that their heavenly Father grants to His own." 1

Actually, no one knows exactly why John uses this method of
breaking down this section. But, God deals with the believer
based on where he is in his walk with Him. He touches at
whatever level Christians are capable of operating when
empowered with the Holy Spirit. At times, each shows attributes
of the child, the young person and the mature believer.

The other question is why John repeats himself in these verses.
Except for the tense change from "I write" to "I have written,"
the thrust is the same. Elsewhere in Scripture, especially in
the Psalms, we find that writers repeat words, phrases,
sentences for emphasis. This may be what John is doing here.

What is clear, however, is that John was reminding his readers
of the truths they have already learned and experienced. This
way they would not be led astray by the false teachers who were
striving to undermine their faith.

2:12 First, John writes to those believers he identifies as
children. The unbeliever, under the leading of the Holy Spirit,
accepts the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Consequently, the
new believer is forgiven for all past, present and future sins.
The Christian life begins at salvation.

2:13 Believers, described here as fathers, having received the
gift of salvation have a personal relationship with God. "In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all
things were made; without him nothing was made that has been
made" (John 1:1-3). Consider this: as finite creatures we have
a personal relationship with the infinite, eternal God.
Additionally, the depth of our knowledge of Him grows over time
and manifests itself in the quality of our walk.

Remember, (see previous article) the false teachers were saying
that informational knowledge of God equaled spiritual maturity.
Conversely, God teaches that obedience over time testifies to
the maturity of the believer.

Next, John speaks to those he calls young men. Walking with the
Lord means fighting the spiritual fight. Knowledge is a product
of walking with God. Walking requires obedience, lived out in
battle. The young express their walk with the energy used in
battle. The battle here is against the evil one. Who is the
evil one? Satan. These believers had in the past stood firm
against Satan. Now they needed to stand firm against false
teachers.

Even new believers know God. Maybe they don't have a lifetime
experience of walking with Him. Perhaps they haven't had any
real battles yet. But they do know the most important truth of
all. They are saved, therefore they begin to know God in their
life.

2:14 John reinforces the truths that should be the foundation
on which the believers could stand firm under the attack of
false teachers. Again, they have experienced the reality of God
in their lives, and stood for Him and against Satan. In
dependency on God they can once again stand firm, in this case
against doctrinal attacks.

2:15-17 Why does John switch his comments from the believer's
life to comments regarding love of the world? Because loving the
world shouldn't be part of the believer's pattern. Loving the
world typifies the life of the unbeliever. John may also be
saying that the positions put forth by the false teachers are
actually a disguised call to love the world.

We need to be clear on what John means by "the world." John
stated in his Gospel that "God so loved the world..." There John
is expressing God's love for all people and His willingness to
die for them. The world John is warning against in these verses,
however, is the worldly system, the system that Satan rules.
Jesus identifies Satan as this world's ruler when He said: "I
will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this
world is coming. He has no hold on me" (John 14:30). 

We are to reach out to the people that are part of this system,
but we are not to become entangled with it. This world hates the
believer. "Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates
you" (1 John 3:13). 

When John warns against loving the world, he is cautioning
believers against being motivated by a worldly system. There is
nothing wrong with appreciating worldly things of worth.
However, the motivating force behind the Christian walk is to be
the love of God and the desire to please Him.

The specific qualities that John identifies as worldly are lust
of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride. The first, lust of
the flesh, would be sensuality. The world expresses this
position by saying: If it feels good, do it. Remember, part of
the false teaching was that because people are saved and sin is
paid for, then what they do with their bodies is irrelevant. The
false teaching would say: You can indulge your fleshly desires
and not be in sin. John describes this as lust and this is sin
from within, the flesh.

The second was lust of the eyes. This is a warning against being
attracted by material objects of the world. This can be a lust
for possessions. Or, it can be a literal lust which comes from
viewing others as objects instead of people. This is the world.

Pride led to the fall of Satan. He desired to raise himself to
God's level. Through false teaching, Satan endeavors to make
people believe they can become their own gods. People assume the
world revolves around them. This is pride, the sin that brought
down Lucifer. This is of the Devil.

John is therefore warning believers against falling into the
trap of the World, the Flesh and the Devil. All three of these
are identified in verses 14 through 16. If people accept this
system, they can't have a relationship with the Lord.

All the "benefits" of giving into self, or the world, or even
the Devil are tenuous at best. The day is coming when the Lord
will judge the unrighteous and they will be sent into outer
darkness. (Revelation 20:11-15) To the believers John is saying:
Don't give into the temptation of believing false teachers.
Stand firm before the Lord; only your relationship with Him will
be everlasting.

Application: Lives of believers and unbelievers are contrasted
by their relationships. For believers, the basic relationship is
a personal one with the Lord. It is grounded on salvation
through the shed blood of Christ.

The Christian life is typified by loving God and others out of
obedience to Him. This life is a struggle. "For our struggle is
not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against
the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians
6:12). Believers are in this battle because they are children of
the Father. If they depend on Him to carry them through the
struggle, the quality of their relationship with Him will
continue to grow and deepen.

There must be a difference in the lives of believers versus non-
believers. Sadly, this difference is often hard to identify.
Sometimes believers confuse what these differences are.
Historically, Christians have focused on outward behavior as the
basis of these differences.

John tells his readers not to be enamored with the world.
Christians should be identifiable by the differences in their
lives. Disagreement over issues of lifestyles are legitimate.
However, too often believers are more concerned with behavior
patterns than with abiding in the Lord.

Believers can fall into the trap of judging the maturity of
others by how they dress, what they do for recreation, and whom
they keep company with. This standard can become so extreme
that, even if Jesus were alive today, He would be rejected.
Preoccupation with legalism and appearances can lead to
Pharisaism.

The danger with an outward focus is that believers can become
judgmental. They forget there are different maturity levels
among their brothers and sisters. Too often, they put the same
expectations for quality of walk on all believers. Don't expect
the new believer's walk to be the same as the that of the old
saint. The other point to keep in mind here is: People mature
at different rates. Only God really knows at what level the
individual believer should be living.

Encourage one another to grow in your walk. You are not called
to judge whether or not the individual is living up to his or
her potential. Instead make sure that you are depending on the
Lord to live up to yours!

What does John identify as the basis of distinguishing between
the believer and unbeliever? It is who or what you love. If you
love God, you should live in a way that pleases Him. If you love
the world your life will be motivated by what gives you
pleasure, power, or some other sense of false fulfillment. The
only true fulfillment comes from a person's relationship with
God.

The world, the flesh and the Devil are constantly striving to
drag believers away from God, their first love. Often, they are
not always aware of this. Therefore, you need to ask the Holy
Spirit to help you step back. Check if something other than the
Lord is becoming the prime motivator for your behavior. You need
to examine the attitudes and activities in your life in light.
Do they honor the Lord? "So whether you eat or drink or whatever
you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

The prime motivator for making our choices must be to please the
Lord. If your aim is to give the appearance of being a believer
according to other peoples standards, your walk is selfishly
motivated. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of
God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to
please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).

Step back from your behavior. Examine your choices. Wherever you
find you are loving the world too much, repent and return to
your first love. Pray with the psalmist: "Search me, O God, and
know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if
there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting" (Psalms 139:23-24).

1. Hodges, Zane C., THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY,
   New Testament, Victor Books, 1987, p. 890.
Special Studies
Special Studies
The Bible is an account of God's relationship to man, a covenant
relationship. We find this from the day of creation to the
eternal relationship we can have with the Messiah. This is the
tenth in a series of articles detailing the individual covenants
found within the Scripture.


AN OVERVIEW OF THE REVELATION OF GOD ACCORDING TO HIS WORD
(Part 1 of 2)
by Dr. Charles A. Wootten
Whole Counsel Ministries, Inc.
Matoaca, Virginia


"In every revelation God's prime disclosure is of Himself. This
not only includes His self-disclosure but also the impartation
of supernatural truths. We find also that no single act of God
can cause its Originator to be know completely as it is only one
act among many. One can think of revelation in the strict sense
only if the special means by which God becomes manifest, or the
particular act by which He proves Himself, is not seen as
distinct from His own essence." "This God Himself is not only
Himself but also His self-revelation" (Karl Barth, Church
Dogmatics, I/I, 1957). 

Nothing reveals more truly the real essence of God than the
position assigned by the Bible. The Bible is by no means usually
the burden that it seems by many who consider themselves pious.
The whole purpose of the Bible is to reveal God, and to reveal
the covenant walk that all are supposed to follow. It is by
means of the Bible that God reveals Himself to His people. This
cannot be emphasized enough. In it His mind is reflected; and
His will is stated once and for all. It contains the essence of
Divine Wisdom.

A thing that so closely corresponds with the mind of God, and
expresses the fullness of His wisdom, must logically have
existed with God from all eternity. "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in
the beginning with God. all things came into being by Him, and
apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not
comprehend it" (John 1:1-5 NASB).

When God began to create the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1)
the Lord founded the earth by wisdom; He established the heavens
by understanding (Proverbs 3:19 JPSA). Rich and poor man meet;
the Lord made them both (Proverbs 22:2 JPSA). Shout, O heavens,
for the Lord has acted; Shout aloud, O depths of the earth!
Shout for joy, O mountains, O forests with all your trees! Thus
said the Lord, your Redeemer, Who formed you in the womb; It is
I, the Lord, who made everything, Who alone stretched out the
heavens and unaided spread out the earth (Isaiah 44:23 JPSA). So
that they may know, from east to west, That there is none but
Me. I am the Lord and there is none else, I form light and
create darkness, I make weal and create woe--I the Lord do all
these things. Pour down, O skies, from above! Let the heavens
rain down victory! Let the earth open up and triumph spout, Yes,
let vindication spring up: I the Lord have created it (Isaiah
45:6-8 JPSA). It was I who made the earth and created man upon
it; My own hands stretched out the heavens, and I marshaled all
their host (Isaiah 45:12 JPSA).

He made the earth by His might, Established the world by His
wisdom, And by His understanding stretched out the skies. When
He makes His voice heard, There is a rumbling of water in the
skies; He makes vapors rise from the end of the earth, He makes
lightning for the rain, And brings forth wind from His
treasuries (Jeremiah 10:12,13 JPSA). But ask the beasts, and
they will teach you; The birds of the sky, they will tell you,
Or speak to the earth, it will teach you; The fish of the sea,
they will inform you. Who among all these does not know that the
hand of the Lord has done this? (Job 12:7-9 JPSA). The shades
tremble beneath the waters and their denizens. Sheol is naked
before Him; Abaddon has no cover. He it is who stretched out
Zaphon (i.e., heavens) over chaos, Who suspended earth over
emptiness. He wrapped up the waters in His clouds; Yet no cloud
burst under their weight (Job 26:5-8 JPSA).

He drew a boundary on the surface of the waters, At the extreme
where light and darkness meet. The pillars of heaven tremble,
Astounded at His blast. By His power He stilled the sea; By His
skill He struck down Rahab. By His wind the heavens were calmed;
His hand pierced the Elusive Serpent. These are but glimpses of
His rule, The mere whisper that we perceive of Him; Who can
absorb the thunder of His mighty deeds? (Job 26:10-14 JPSA; cf.
Job 38:4-38). The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky
proclaims His handiwork (Psalm 19:1 JPSA). The earth is the
Lord's and all that it holds, the world and its inhabitants
(Psalm 24:1 JPSA). The day is yours, the night also; it was You
who set in place the orb of the sun; You fixed all the
boundaries of the earth; summer and winter--You made them
(Psalms 74:16-17 JPSA). Before the mountains came into being,
before You brought forth the earth and the world, from eternity
to eternity you are God (Psalm 90:2 JPSA).

Abraham planted a tamarisk at Beer-sheba, and invoked there the
name of the Lord, the Everlasting God (Genesis 21:33 JPSA).
Blessed is the Lord, God of Israel, from eternity to eternity.
And all the people said, "Amen" and "Praise the Lord" (I
Chronicles 16:36 JPSA). But the Lord abides forever; He has set
up His throne for judgment; it is He who judges the world with
righteousness, rules the people with equity (Psalm 9:8-9 JPSA).
What the Lord plans endures forever, what He designs for ages on
end (Psalm 33:11 JPSA). Before the mountains came into being,
before You brought forth the earth and the world, from eternity
to eternity You are God (Psalm 90:2 JPSA). Thus said the Lord,
the King of Israel, Their Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts: I am the
first and I am the last, And there is no god but Me (Isaiah 44:6
(JPSA).

Remember, I am with you: I will protect you wherever you go and
will bring you back to this Land. I will not leave you until I
have done what I have promised you (Genesis 28:15 JPSA). Know,
therefore, that only the Lord your God is God, the steadfast God
who keeps His gracious covenant to the thousandth generation of
those who love Him and keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 7:9
JPSA; cf. also Nehemiah 1:5). Acknowledge with all your heart
and soul that not one of the good things that the Lord your God
promised you has failed to happen; they have all come true for
you, not a single one has failed. But just as every good thing
that the Lord your God promised you has been fulfilled for you,
so the Lord can bring upon you every evil thing until He has
wiped you off this good land which the Lord your God has given
you (Joshua 23:14-15 JPSA).

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord! The Lord!
a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in
kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth
generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin ..."
(Exodus 34:6 (JPSA). But the Lord said to Samuel, "Pay no
attention to his appearance or his stature, for I have rejected
him. for not as men see (does the Lord see); man only sees what
is visible, but the Lord sees into the heart." (I Samuel 16:7
(JPSA). For the word of the Lord is right; His every deed is
faithful. He loves what is right and just; the earth is full of
the Lord's faithful care (Psalm 33:4-5 JPSA).

The Rock! - His deeds are perfect, Yea, all His ways are just; A
faithful God, never false, True and upright is He (Deuteronomy
32:4 (JPSA). The way of God is perfect, The word of the Lord is
pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. Yea, who is
a god except the Lord, Who is a rock except God ... (II Samuel
22:31-32 JPSA).

Who alone works great marvels ... Who made the heavens with
wisdom ...Who spread the earth over water... Who made the great
lights ... the sun to dominate the day ... the moon and stars to
dominate the night ... Who took note of us in our degradation...
and rescued us from our enemies ... Who gives food to all flesh
... Praise the God of heaven, His steadfast love is eternal
(Psalm 136: 4-9, 23-26 JPSA).


Next time we will look at an overview of God in each of the Old
Covenant Books.
Messianic Studies
Messianic Studies
The Messianic Studies column explores the world of the Messianic
Believer. Like the church at large, Messianic Judaism contains
much diversity. It is made up of numerous views as to what it
means to be a Messianic Jew, who we are, what we call ourselves
and what we believe. This column will be used to explore this
variety, giving the reader a broader perspective of Messianic
Judaism than found elsewhere, exposing those of us who are
Messianic Believers to the wide spectrum of practice found
within the movement. Hopefully we will succeed in helping our
Jewish brothers and sisters to understand why we follow Yeshua
as our savior.

We also hope that what is provided here will give our gentile
readers both a better understanding of their Jewish brothers and
sisters in Christ, as well as the Jewish roots of their own
faith.

This is the first of two columns dealing the historic Jewish
understanding of Messiah as G-d's light. Within the celebration
of Chanukah was a clear understanding of the need for Messiah to
suffer and for His role in the redemption of His people.

As you read part one of this article keep in mind that the
extra-biblical sources are neither inspired or correct in their
understanding of the deity of Messiah. They are used to
demonstrate the fact that historical Judaism understood the role
of the Messiah, and that this understanding has been lost.


CHANUKAH & THE MESSIAH
(Part 1 of 2)

From Burt Yellin
Congregation Roeh Israel
Denver, Colorado


The Torah portion for Chanukah deals with the story of Joseph;
the story of Joseph and Chanukah both have been viewed by our
sages as speaking of Messiah and His era. Much debate has taken
place during modern times concerning the idea of a Suffering
Messiah and whether it is a Jewish concept or not.

Yeshua clearly states that this belief was present during His
times in Luke 24:25-26. He is speaking to His disciples on the
road to Emmaus, after His resurrection, and He tells them, "O
foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all the prophets
have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer
these things and enter into his glory?" He speaks as if they
should have known that the Messiah should suffer, as indeed they
did.

Many of our sages believed that the Messiah would suffer, and
they searched the Scriptures to find a type or picture for this
Messiah, some person written of that would embody the sufferings
portrayed in Isaiah 53. Their search ended when they came upon
Joseph, the son of Jacob. In Joseph, they found one who was
favored by his father. He prophesied that he would rule over his
brothers and so they became very jealous and sold him to the
heathen for silver. Joseph was then placed in a pit and left to
die, but he did not die. He was raised out of the pit, placed in
prison and numbered with the transgressors. Yet G-d loved Joseph
and gave him a portion with the great. Joseph soon distinguished
himself and prospered, being made second only to Pharaoh in
Egypt, and consequently through Egypt he ruled the world.

Joseph was thirty years old, when G-d showed Pharaoh that in
Joseph indeed dwelt his presence, the Divine Spirit, and he
named him "Tzephan-yahu," the hidden one of the L-rd. Pharaoh
gave to Joseph his signet ring, the symbol of his power, and
told Joseph that he would be over all in his house, and that all
the people would pay homage to him. Wherever Joseph went, there
was a man who would go before him clearing the way, proclaiming,
"Bow the knee."

During a Famine that covered the world, all the people of the
earth came to Joseph for their nourishment, for he was given
authority in such matters. Finally his brethren came, and bowed
before him, pleading for grain. Joseph accused them of wrong
doing and, not recognizing their brother, they wept, for they
realized that it was because of what they had done to their
brother whom they thought dead, that this was happening to them.
Later, upon recognizing Joseph as their brother, they rejoiced
greatly, and the reunion of Joseph and his family is one of the
most touching portions of Scripture. Pharaoh then empowered
Joseph to impart to his relations the finest of the land, that
they might settle there and prosper--to divide the booty among
the strong. His prophecies were now fulfilled.

It is from the story of Joseph that our sages first began to
call the Messiah who would come, Ephraim our Righteousness, the
Messiah ben Joseph (Ephraim being the son of Joseph). This
Messiah would not be esteemed by his people, but rather
despised. That is why, during Chanukah, the story of Joseph is
read, for it speaks of a deliverer, a redeemer, and the
rejection of that one by his brethren.

The festival of Chanukah also speaks of redemption, of Messiah.
Our sages inform us of the seven feasts of Chanukah. Of these
seven, only two would deal with light, and these would more
properly be called the Feasts of Rededication. The Hasmodean
Chanukah was the rededication of the Temple by Yehuda Maccabee.

The Book of Maccabee describes Chanukah as the time when the
Maccabees celebrated the Feast of Sukkot. They were not able to
celebrate the Levitical Holy Day at the proper time, for they
were fighting Antiochus IV for control of Jerusalem. When they
finally secured the Temple and purged it, they rededicated the
"Tabernacle of G-d," and celebrated the Feast of Sukkot
(Tabernacles) on the 25th of Kislev, or Chanukah. Chanukah is
seen as a "Feast of Lights" because Sukkot was also viewed in
this manner.

On Sukkot, menorahs would be lit all over Jerusalem, and the
glow of the city could be seen for miles around. This light was
representative of the Shechina Glory of G-d and the presence of
the Holy One in the midst of Israel.

In Pesquita Rabbati, we learn that the Messianic Era was
associated with the Feast of Chanukah, when the children of
Israel would bask in the light of Messiah and rededicate
themselves to the L-rd. The Light from the Menorahs set on the
hill of Jerusalem could be seen from miles around, and it
beckoned G-d's people to return to His holy place. This light
was representative of the Light of Messiah who would lead us
back to G-d. John speaks to us of the significance of Chanukah
as the Feast of Light when he says in verse 1:4, "In Him was
life, and the life was the light of men... And the light shines
in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." Yeshua
spoke of Himself in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world: He
who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life."

These statements had great significance to the Jewish people at
the time of Yeshua and to us as well. They not only fulfill the
prophecies of Tanakh, but the interpretation of those Scriptures
by the sages as well. One particularly significant prophecy
found in Isaiah 60:1-2 states, "Arise, shine, for thy light is
come, and the glory of the L-rd is risen upon thee. For behold,
darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples;
but upon thee the L-rd will arise, and His Glory shall be seen."
In commenting on this portion our sages write: "These words are
to be considered in the light of what David, King of Israel was
inspired by the Holy Spirit to write: "For with thee is the
fountain of life: in Thy Light do we see light." (Psalm 36:10)
What is meant by "In Thy Light do we see light"? What is the
light that Israel looks for as from a watchtower? It is the
Light of Messiah, of which it is said, "And G-d saw the Light
and it was good." And then under His Throne of Glory, He put
away His Messiah until the time of the generation in which He
will be revealed.

Satan, upon seeing this light, asks G-d for whom it is intended.
G-d replies, "It is for Ephraim, Son of Joseph, My true
Messiah." Satan asks to see Him. Upon being shown the Messiah,
he falls to his knees and says; "I admit this is the Messiah,
the Light that all men seek after, who in the latter days will
cast me and my cohorts into Gehennom."


Next month we will continue to explore the relationship between
Chanukah and the Messiah.
Anee M'Amin
Anee M'Amin
TESTIMONY OF DAVID KATZ

I was raised in Conservative Jewish home. My mother was a
Hebrew school and Sunday school teacher. My dad was involved
with the Men's Club. Our family lives revolved around the
synagogue. I used to walk the three miles from our home to
attend services every Saturday morning. All of my friends were
Jewish. Even though I knew any Gentiles, none of them were able
to get to know me because I was in the Jewish world of L.A. It
was sort of a self-imposed ghetto. For instance, When I became
old enough to date, the thought had not even entered my mind of
dating a Gentile. I was going to marry a Jew and that was that.

I became involved in a Zionist Jewish youth group called
Habonim (it translates to mean the builders). In that group I
met my future wife, Shirley. We corresponded between
Vancouver, B.C. and L.A. for five years before it was time for
us to marry.

We settled in Vancouver and began our lives together. After
being married for four years my wife comes home to announce that
she had accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. I was in
shock. I felt like she had gone into a cult and I needed to get
her out of it. We were constantly fighting verbally. She
wanted me to become a Christian and I wanted her to come back to
Judaism. I figured that I would go to the rabbis and they would
tell me where in the Scriptures I could prove the Jesus couldn't
be the Messiah. I knew from my upbringing the Scriptures were
true. I should clarify what I mean. I knew that from Genesis
to Malachi is true. I wouldn't read the New Testament any more
than Christians would read the Koran or the writings of Buddha.
The New Testament was foreign to me. I went to one of the chief
rabbis in Vancouver for answers and I felt like his answers were
inadequate. I knew that I would have to search the Old Testament
myself.

I realized that if we continued fighting as we were that our
marriage was doomed. I knew that God hates divorce and I knew
that I truly loved my wife. I felt like I was caught between a
rock and a hard place. I suggested that Shirley show me by her
life that Jesus makes a difference not just her words. This
also would give me time to study the word of God so I could show
her that Jesus was not the Messiah.

I really thought my task would be easy. All I would have to
prove is Jesus was not sinless. Every night after dinner I
would go into the study around 7:00PM and I wouldn't come out
till 10:00. I began to see the way Judaism is practiced today
is not what God wanted for his people. For example Micah 6:7-8.
"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten
thousands rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my
transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He
hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what the Lord
require of thee, but to justly, and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God?"

What is amazing about this Scripture is not what it contains but
what it doesn't contain. If you ask any Jew what is Judaism
basically about they will immediately answer the law of God.
Here was a perfect opportunity for God to say that He requires
the Law and He choose not to.

There began in me a thirst for the word of God that was
insatiable. I asked Shirley to read to me the Bible while I
was driving to work. I began in earnest to seek out the
Messianic Scriptures. I saw Psalm 2:6,7,12 who is this son? If
this is David's son, Solomon, why does it say Blessed are they
that put their trust in him? The only One who is able to Bless
is the Lord himself. Isaiah 47: 4 states that God himself is
Israel's redeemer. Whoever is the Redeemer must by definition
be God also. The book of Isaiah had a big impact on me simply
because so much of it is Messianic in nature. One passage in
particular Isaiah 49: 14-16 "But Zion said, The Lord hath
forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman
forget her suckling child, that she should have no compassion on
the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet I will not
forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my
hands; thy walls are continually before me."

I know that every word that is in the Scriptures is there for a
purpose. I knew there had to be something significant about the
palms of God's hands. Somehow something was engraved in it.
Keep in mind this passage of Scripture was written 600 years
before Christ. In fact, it is written about 200 years before
crucifixion was invented. The traditional Jewish method of
killing was to stone the offender. But with God all things are
possible, that is why Isaiah can be describing something not
invented yet.

The prophet Jeremiah also was used of the Lord to speak to me in
Jeremiah 31: 31-33. It speaks of a new convenant where God
would put his laws in our hearts. I knew we had the law of
Moses but what was this new covenant that Jeremiah spoke of? He
goes on to say the Lord will cleans the Jewish people of all
their iniquity in Jeremiah 33:8. The Lord added that unless we
can cause such a catastrophe so there is no day or night, his
covenant with the people of Israel will stand.

The book of Ezekiel 36:25-27 speaks of a time when God will
sprinkle clean water upon us and we will be clean from all our
idols and filthiness. He goes on to promise a new heart and a
new spirit in us and to take out the heart of stone.

I realized that I needed to seek the Lord for myself, not just
for Shirley. I took comfort in the passage from Deut. 4:29 
"But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt
find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy
soul." I knew that I was seeking Him with all my being. I knew
also that God wasn't a liar like men. So I took this passage as
a promise from God to continue seeking Him.

Zechariah 12:10 really spoke to my heart. "And I will pour upon
the house of David, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of
grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom
they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one that
mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him,
as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."

I wondered who was God speaking about? Could this be Jesus? I
needed more. The says the Jews are a stiff-necked people and I
am a perfect example. Even though God was showing Scripture
after Scripture, I needed more.

God began to invade my dreams. These were not dreams a good
Jewish man would have. The first one was six years before I
came to faith. I dreamt I was falling. Everything was black. I
continued to have the sensation that I was falling. I called
out every name I could think of for God. I called out Adonai
(God), Eloheim ( plural form of God), Abba (Father). I continued
to fall. Then I called out the name of Yeshua ( Jesus).
Immediately I stopped falling and I saw a light a long distance
away. I started to go towards that light. That was the end of
that dream.

I had another dream. I was looking up and I saw Jesus on the
Cross. His blood was pouring out of his body on to me. I
looked at my hands and my body. It was covered with blood.
Every part of my body was covered with this blood. This was
still four years before I asked Christ into my heart.

Another dream: I was standing on a wall. There is an angelic
being with me. On one side there were people who were doing
things that I know displeased the Lord. On the other side of
the wall there were people who were praising the Lord with their
hands raised up. I knew these were Christians because on their
chest was a big Cross and I could see Jesus in the distance.
That was still two years before I accepted Christ.

There were other things that happened besides these dreams. I
had challenged Shirley to show me the difference Christ made in
her life. Over time I did see changes, she became a better wife
to me. She was more loving, more self-confident, more a peace
within herself. She showed more grace to others. I saw these
changes and I had to admit they all occurred after she had
accepted Christ into her heart.

God would also answer Shirley's prayers. I wondered if this was
Satan at work why would God allow him to answer her prayers.
Once I went on a trip about 350-400 miles from here and Shirley
prayed that someone would witness to me. As it turned out God's
agenda was at work not mine. I bruised my ankle so that it was
so swollen that I couldn't travel on. I stayed at my campground
near a pool reading my bible. A couple came to the campground
and naturally assumed that I was a Christian simply because I
was reading my bible. They invited me for dinner to have
fellowship. They served me ham. ( God has a sense of humor
doesn't he) I didn't eat it and they asked me why. I told them
I was Jewish and it was against God's law for me to eat pork.
They asked so innocently don't Jews trust Jesus regarding the
law? I had to explain that Jews don't accept Jesus as their
Messiah. Then we got into a discussion about the cost of being
a believer. I needed to hear this because if I ever accepted
Christ there was going to be a big cost to pay in turns of my
relationships in my family and in the Jewish community.

About one year later my mother passed away. She was overweight
and a diabetic. But it was thought that her heart simply gave
out because of the strain of her weight problem. I grieved
deeply over her loss. However, I remember reading in the Psalms
that God inhabits the praises of Israel (Psalm 22:3). I thought
if anyone had the right to call themselves Israel, I certainly
did. So by forcing myself to praise the Lord no matter what I
felt, I knew that God would be with me. It lifted me out of my
grief. I read in Habakkuk 2:4 the just shall live by his faith.
I knew that I needed to have faith in the Lord for his provision
for my salvation. I knew that I couldn't keep the law and I had
given up trying. I knew that God would provide but I didn't
know how.

I started corresponding with a Christian worker to the Jews. He
wrote me a very long letter basically explaining the Gospel to
me. I could tell from the letter that he really cared about me
and I wasn't some kind of notch on his gospel pistol. It was
the first time I had contact with a born-again Christian that
was a positive experience. Up to that point, I felt like
Christians wanted to shove the Gospel down my throat. I had
never met anyone who loved me unconditionally before I accepted
Christ. Yet, at the same time, he didn't try to compromise the
Gospel to suit my ears. I respected him for that.

I considered all the things I had read, the dreams, the
miracles. I finally came to the conclusion it has to be true.
Jesus has to be the Messiah of Israel. No one else could
qualify because of all of the prophecies about the Messiah that
Jesus fulfilled. After I accepted Christ did I read the New
Testament to confirm what the Old Testament said.

I have been a believer now for twelve years. Some of the events
I am describing to you happened eighteen years ago. They are
accurate as far as I can remember. I pray that anyone who reads
this testimony will be edified by it. I praise the Lord for his
intervention.
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 seventh 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.


FEELING WHAT YOU FEEL
Luke 19:28-44


When I was fairly young, I had a bad temper. I recognized my
behavior was inappropriate. My problem was, I didn't understand
the proper way to deal with my anger. As a result, I simply 
decided to stop responding angrily. So I shut down the deeper
emotions of my spirit. I had to face this during the counseling
I underwent to deal with problems in my marriage.

One of the riskiest activities for individuals in a
dysfunctional family is feeling what they feel. Sometimes the
risk is so great that feelings are rejected. Children are taught
that feelings must be repressed. For example, real boys don't
cry. They aren't allowed to feel pain from abuse or neglect.
Constant repression of negative emotions leads to a total shut
down of all feelings.

When God created us in His image, He included our emotions as
part of that image. He gave them to us to help us experience the
depths of life. They serve as signals of how we perceive life. I
often say to my clients that emotions are like the red light on
the dashboard of the car. Emotions, such as anger, are given to
warn of a problem. We can deal with the problem. Or, we can slap
a band-aid over the light, i.e. suppress or reject our emotions.
But if we cover-up the warning light, one day the engine may
blow up.

Frozen emotions reflect a sad condition which often separates us
from both God and the people around us. Disconnection from our
emotions causes us to go through life as if we were simply an
actor on the stage. We are untouched by all that goes on around
us. Certainly there is less pain when we refuse to feel, but
there is also less joy. Even worse, frozen emotions lead to
alienation from spouses, children, extended family and other
believers. This prevents us from being the person God intends us
to be.

It is appropriate to feel what we feel. Christ certainly
experienced a range of emotions in His life on earth. Luke
19:28-44 shows the highs and lows that Jesus had to deal with on
one specific day, Palm Sunday.

As the Lord came towards Jerusalem, the crowds shouted welcoming
greetings. They acted as if He was the promised King and
Messiah. The joy and praise of the crowd washed over Him. His
response to the Pharisees' criticism of the crowd was to approve
the people's praise. He told the Pharisees that if the people
didn't praise Him, the stones would be given voices to fulfill
the task. The Lord accepted the adulation of the crowd,
recognizing it was His due.

Imagine the contrast. Jesus felt the joy experienced by the
crowd in their exuberance. He appreciated their recognition of
God's involvement in their lives. But as Jesus approached
Jerusalem, He moved past the momentary praise of the crowd to
the reality of being rejected by the general populace.

Under the leading of the Holy Spirit, Jesus looked forward in
time and saw His rejection, the fall of Jerusalem and the
suffering of the Jewish people. His response was one of sorrow
and weeping. He wept, not because He was to be rejected, but
because of the suffering that the people would experience. They
would suffer as a result of rejecting the opportunity to receive
peace.

Palm Sunday was a day of emotional extremes. Jesus experienced
the joy coming from the crowd's recognition of God's working
through Him. But, He also felt sorrow at the imminent suffering
of many of these same people, and the nation as a whole.
However, nowhere do we see the Lord protecting himself from
painful emotions.

Consider this passage. "He (Jesus) withdrew about a stone's
throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are
willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be
done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened
him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his
sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground" (Luke
22:41-44). Jesus allowed Himself to feel what he felt, no matter
what the cost.

In contrast, much of our suffering, and certainly the suffering
of the unbeliever, comes not so much from circumstances. But our
response to those circumstances. As a result, many have allowed
themselves to deal with suffering, not by accepting the peace
God has to offer, but by denying their emotions. In a real
sense, frozen emotions are another form of denial, the denial of
the reality of our emotions, and the delusion that emotions are
unacceptable.

When an individual suffers from emotional problems and frozen
feelings, he must learn to recognize that, first of all he is
still experiencing emotions. The problem is, he is so
disconnected from them that he is unaware of them. When you ask
this individual how he is feeling, he is likely to respond, "I
don't know." And he really doesn't! But he has to reconnect with
his feelings without being overwhelmed by them. He has to feel
what he is feeling.

Even though most of us don't suffer from frozen feelings, we
frequently discount emotions in ourselves and others. How often
has the husband said, "You shouldn't feel that way"? How often
has the mother has said the same words to her children? But we
do feel that way. Maybe the reasons I feel the way I do is
wrong, but I feel what I feel. 

Another problem that sometimes occurs is when you consistently
move towards someone out of love, and are rejected. There is a
desire to avoid the pain, and therefore temptation to say "It
doesn't matter." Barriers can spring up between husbands and
wives or parents and children where rejection occurs and
emotions are shut down. 

Young people are often uncomfortable with their emotions. They
are emotional beings who feel out of control and therefore they
reject them. Your teenager will say, "I don't care" to just
about anything, but they do care. They simply don't know how to
respond to what they feel. This is a normal part of being a
teenager, and not always symptomatic of a problem.

Anger is the emotion that brings the most fear in the
dysfunctional individual. If you were a victim of someone else's
anger, and if it led to physical abuse, you know why you are
afraid of anger. But even anger in and of itself isn't the
problem.

The real issue with emotions is how do we handle them? Do we
repress them, or do we vent them? Neither is an appropriate
solution. We need to use our emotions as a better way of
understanding our thought processes. In this way, we can see if
our thoughts conform to the will of the Lord. Paul puts it this
way: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will
be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good,
pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2). By allowing the Holy
Spirit to reveal what is behind our emotions, we can truly allow
Him to renew our mind.

Dysfunctional family members often disconnect from each other.
In contrast, the healthy family feels what each member feels. It
is ok to be sad and angry as well as happy and excited. No one
is threatened by anyone else's emotions.

How does the problem of frozen emotions move into the church and
prevent it from being the environment God desires? Some of the
symptoms may be ongoing discomfort with those who are "touchy
feelie," or those who express their emotions. Are we extremely
uncomfortable with people who tend to express their opinions at
higher decibel levels, or may cry when in pain?

Keep in mind that we all may be somewhat uncomfortable with any
of the above. But the person with frozen feelings maybe more
than uncomfortable, they may be downright hostile.

People with frozen feelings may display subtle symptoms,
including an inability to affirm others, or the denial of their
own feelings in painful situations. Again, the problem here is
that when feelings are frozen, the goal is self-protection.
Self-protection is in direct opposition to God's command to love
others. If I can't accept hurt, then how can I move towards you
in love? The risk is simply too great.

A healthy church family experiences joy and happiness in unity.
It also can weep and mourn when that is appropriate. "If one
part (of the body) suffers, every part suffers with it; if one
part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the
body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it" (1
Corinthians 12:26-27).

Throughout this series we have seen a number of the problems
families experience today. We have seen how people carry these
problems into the church. And we have reviewed the effect these
problems have in the church. However, the message of this series
should be one of hope and comfort. 

We are children of an faithful God. He can and will change us,
if we are willing to let Him do the hard work. We are already
new creations. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians
5:17). We have allowed Him to transform us by the renewing of
our minds, conforming us to the image of Christ.

As we allow the Lord to bring spiritual healing into our lives,
we will in turn bring new patterns of behavior into our local
church. Remember, the promise here isn't that we will no longer
have any problems. No, the hope is that, under the leading of
the Holy Spirit and the headship of Christ, we will be able to
deal with our problems.

It will be ok to hurt, to struggle, to cry, and to laugh. We can
truly be the body that the Lord desires us to be. We can reach
out beyond the church walls, bringing the message of salvation,
and the message of healing. We are the family of God. Let Him
make us a healthy one.

Praise the Lord! We still live in a day of miracles. The
greatest miracle of all is God giving people eternal life. Lives
are changed, from empty and hopeless to purposeful and
expectant. We have the opportunity to be involved with this
miracle.

First, let us pray that we will allow God to do a great work in
us. Let us live in the truth that all life comes from Him. Then,
pray with expectation that we will see the miracles of God
worked through us, for such is His will. As we depend on the
Lord to become more healthy as individuals, let us also desire
to become more healthy in the local church.

The message of the Gospel is eternal life, and being conformed
to the image of Christ. The church in the environment in which
this growth is to occur.

Therefore "... go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded
you" (Matthew 28: 19-20). 

We will demonstrate this as we follow the teachings of Jesus to:
"... 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and
greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your
neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on
these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37- 40). "By this all men
will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" 
(John 13:35).
Prayer Guidelines
Prayer and Solitude by Michael Wilkinson
PRAYER AND SOLITUDE
Article 10 of the "Prayer and ..." Series
by Michael Wilkinson


"Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His
disciples followed Him. On reaching the place, He said to them,
'Pray that you will not fall into temptation.' He withdrew
about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
'Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my
will but yours be done'" (Luke 22:39-42).

As Jesus began to face the agony of His final hours before the
cross, He went to a secluded place to pray. He left His friends
and disciples behind, and went to find a place where He could be
alone with the Father.

Once alone, He could talk to the Father about His destiny, the
horrible death by crucifixion. The prayer He prayed expressed
intense feeling and strong devotion. This was a prayer the
disciples could not have understood at the time, and therefore
Jesus prayed it alone.

It is important that Christians meet together for prayer, as was
done in the early church. "They devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching, and to the fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). Praying together helps the
church exalt the Father as provider, Jesus the Son as shepherd,
and the Holy Spirit as comforter. Praying together causes the
needs of the believers to be shared so that love for one another
may abound, and so that those who do not know God may see Him
work in the lives of His children.

Yet Christians can and should also approach the Lord in prayer
on their own. When I pray by myself, being alone with God, I may
be more free to pour out my whole heart to the Lord. I can then
pray without being concerned about how others might
misunderstand my feelings, be ashamed of the sins I confess or
impatient if I pray too long I don't need to be concerned about
the sound of my voice or using the "right" words and phrases.

More importantly, I need time to be worshiping the Lord with MY
worship, not just OUR worship. I can bow my head in a prayer
meeting for hours either praying along or not praying. But when
I pray alone, I know what kind of worshiper I am. If I can not
pray when I am alone, I need to confess that I am not following
the Lord as I should. I need to pray, "Lord, help me love you as
I should." I need to find out what I am trying to love instead
of the Lord and get it out of my way!

And the Lord expects us to worship Him on our own. He created
us for this. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 
You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore
honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Although
these two verses were written in the context of urging believers
to flee immortality, the use of the word "temple" indicates that
we are to be full of worship, for there is no other purpose for
a temple.

Therefore, let us take time to worship God and have personal
fellowship with Him in prayer. The solution to a life without
personal prayer is to begin praying. Pray about your lack of
desire for prayer. Ask for forgiveness and help. Never give up.

"O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts
for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where
there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness
is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will
bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my
mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on
my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You
have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will
rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand
upholds me" (Psalm 63:1-8).
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


GRACEBUSTERS

The Do-attitudes

Blessed are the demanding in spirit, for theirs is the rule book
of heaven.

Blessed are those who feel guilty, for they shall feel justified.

Blessed are the perfectionists, for they will inherit the
expectations of everyone on earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after clearly defined
structure, for they shall create their fill.

Blessed are the unmerciful, for they know the others don't
deserve it anyway.

Blessed are the guilty in heart, for they would see God, if they
deserved it.

Blessed are the lawmakers, for they will be called the
terminators of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of their upholding
of the rules, for theirs are the clearly defined parameters of
the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are you when people revile you, persecute you and say 
all manner of evil against you, for you probably deserve it.


Gracebusters - those insidious attitudes that have, throughout
the centuries, been able to make their way both into the
churches and into the lives individuals and compromise the
immense grace of God. These attitudes are insidious because,
somehow, even though they mitigate the grace of God, the people
with these attitudes usually believe them to be of God.

The three biggies we will be discussing will be:
    1) guilt
    2) perfectionism
    3) legalism

We'll start with guilt. You know guilt. It's that "go out and
have a good time, ignore the fact that I have tons of work to
do, including some of your leftover work. Enjoy yourself. After
all, I can handle the extra work... my back doesn't hurt nearly
as much today. Go out... enjoy!" Guilt.

I believe that guilt is a weapon of Satan against people in
general and Christians in particular. "Hold it just a minute! 
Are you saying we're not guilty of anything?"

No, we're guilty. What I'm talking about is the difference
between guilt and conviction. And there are significant 
differences.

"Prove it."

Adam and David. Both blew it. Each responded differently and
those differences clearly indicate the dissimilarities between
conviction and guilt.

Guilt: Adam knew he blew it, so he hid from God in the bushes
(never very effective), tried to compensate on his own power
with fig leaf Levi's, passed off the blame and felt put down and
was put out.

Conviction: David knew he blew it with Bathsheba and his
reactions. So, when trapped by the prophet with a tidy little
analogy; David turned back to God, asked for God's forgiveness,
acknowledged his sin and responsibility and was restored. 

Guilt condemns and causes one to avoid God because of our
unworthiness. We become obsessed with our failings, and usually
with looking for at least explanations (if not excuses); we get
depressed, withdraw from God and fellow believers and end up in
a dark room, watching soaps and eating bag after bag of
Pepperidge Farm cookies.

Conviction draws one towards God because we understand we are
unworthy, but that He wants to restore us; we focus on
repentance and change, seek out the Lord and other believers so
we won't fail as readily in that same area; we get determined to
move on and end up sharing our struggles to help others through
the same types of conflicts.

It's like having your car run out of gas. Guilt wants us to
abandon the car because we were too dumb to gas up at the last
gas station and, thereby, we get nowhere. Conviction gets us to
go get gas, fill up the car, go on and watch the gauge more
closely.

Satan loves to have Christians abandon their cars, God loves to
get us up and going.

Satan would love to have all believers dead, but in lieu of that
he'll accept having them simply acting as if they are dead:
cold, withdrawn and still. That's why he likes guilt. It can
tie Christians in knots, obsessing on their inadequacy and
somehow functionally convincing them that Christ's blood wasn't
quite effective enough for THEIR sin.

One way guilt can effect a believer is to propel them into
perfectionism. We all know some of those people. Hey, some of
us ARE those people.

These are the ones who understand how unworthy we are of God and
seek to pay Him back for His sacrifice. Now it usually doesn't
come across that bluntly. It's usually someone who feels REAL
bad when they fail God, so they knock themselves out trying to
not blow it. These people usually succeed. They are structured,
extremely demanding of themselves and scared to death they'll
blow it and fail God again.

Somewhere, deep inside, comes the feeling that we're earning
God's favor. That's a subtle deception because it results in
all the outward signs of righteousness, doing the right thing.
And then comes this small, persistent voice: "you know, you
really are doing so well that God should be delighted in you.
You really deserve His sacrifice on the cross."

Wrong!

Isaiah 64:6 says that our righteousness is as filthy rags. Our
very best is contaminated trash. That's the modern version of
filthy rags. In the Hebrew it refers to rags used for menstrual
flow or a festering wound. That wasn't just dirty, but also
somewhat gross and, to a Jew, ritually unclean as well. That's
our righteousness.

"Oh yeah, now I REALLY feel worthy to come to God!"

We should, because we come based on Christ's righteousness, not
ours. We don't and can't deserve His sacrifice. We are
unworthy, but we get it anyway! It's like winning the biggest
lottery of all time when you didn't even buy a ticket.

"So what's so wrong with wanting to try to pay God back?"

Besides the fact that it's impossible, consider this: would you
like the love of your life interacting with you to impress you
or because they love you. Jesus wasn't impressed by the efforts
of the Pharisees to impress God and He is unequally unimpressed
by our efforts.

Now, onto legalism. The difference between perfectionism and
legalism is a lot like the difference between suicide and
homicide... it depends who you're aiming the gun at.

It doesn't take a theological seminarian to realize that Jesus
wasn't too wild about legalistic pharisees and Paul wasn't too
fond of legalistic Judaizers. Both groups wanted to whittle a
relationship down to a simple, quantifiable list of dos and
don'ts. Again, it's much easier to follow rules than God.

But, much like perfectionism, legalism can have a "holy" feel
about it. After all, aren't we defending the faith, encouraging
people to righteousness, lifting high the standard of Christ?!

See, it even sounds righteous. The problem is, it rarely
reflects the compassion of Christ and most often feels harsh and
condemnatory. And remember, guilt is very much a part of
perfectionism and legalism.

The big question is: Why, when we have the totally effective
sacrifice of Christ bathing us in grace, do we fall back to the
gracebusters like guilt, perfectionism and legalism?

Have you ever worked in a job that you really liked and put out
extra effort for? Have you ever been in a job you hated and
tended to do only what you had to do? What was the difference?

Usually you get response like, "it was a lousy place to work" or
"they were trying to rip everyone off" or "they treated you 
like a slave" or "they were always so nit picky."

Bottom line is, we tend to become legalistic, perfectionist and
guilty when we really don't trust that the boss cares about our
well-being. We try to cover our own posteriors through
observance of guidelines and rules that could stand up under
arbitration if the boss decided to nail you without warning.

We tend to utilize the gracebusters because we don't truly
believe God loves us, cares for us and supports us. So we try
to make ourselves look good by "doing it right."

If we truly understood that Christ's blood is sufficient for any
and every sin; if we truly believed that He loves us dearly and
works in our lives to our ultimate, God-defined good; if we
truly relaxed in the truth that we can't earn God's grace, but
can wholly enjoy its benefits; we could quit trying to act like
Christians and get busy ministering to the Almighty and each
other.

Next time: The Gospel According to Judas
Bible Quiz
Bible Quiz
BIBLE QUIZ

Paul was perhaps the greatest missionary of all time. He met a
lot of people during his ministry. Match the person Paul was
associated with in the first list with their description in the
second.

1.  Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25-30)
2.  Eutychus (Acts 20:9)
3.  Agabus (Acts 21:10-11)
4.  Demetrius (Acts 19:24)
5.  Alexander (Acts 19:33-34)
6.  Priscilla (Acts 18:24-26)
7.  Gaius (19:29)
8.  Gallio (Acts 18:14-17)
9.  Lydia (Acts 16:14)
10. Claudius Lysias (Acts 22:23)


a) tried to quiet the riot in Ephesus
b) predicted Paul's imprisonment
c) ordered Paul beaten
d) drove Paul's accusers from the judgement seat
e) provided help for missionaries
f) taken to theatre during riot
g) opposed Paul's teachings
h) fell from window while Paul preached
i) friend who almost died
j) helped instruct Apollos in the truth

Christian Life Department
People Profile (Part 1 of 2)
People Profile - Mrs. Elizabeth DeSantis (Part 1 of 2)
Morning Star Senior Editor, Teresa Giordanengo, conducted this
interview with Mrs. Elizabeth DeSantis of Westfield, New York. 
Mrs. DeSantis and her husband, Rev. Matthew DeSantis have
recently returned to the United States after thirty-nine years
as Missionaries to Northern Europe. The most appropriate way to
describe their years of work is found in two words: Faithfulness
and Commitment.

Teresa: Sister DeSantis, when did you and Rev. DeSantis come to
know the Lord? 

Elizabeth: My husband was born in Italy and was an altar boy in
the Catholic Church. When he came to America in 1936, his
father had already been converted and told him the plan of
salvation. He accepted and began attending the Christian Church
and kept going from that time on. I was raised in a Pentecostal
family. My mother had already accepted the Gospel when I was
born. We lived in Erie, Pennsylvania at that time. 

Teresa: What background did you have that prepared you for the
mission field and how did you get started?

Elizabeth: When Matthew was transferred due to his job, from New
Castle to Erie, he began attending the church where I was a
member. This is when we met and were married three years later,
in 1944 during the war. We both worked but we felt the call of
God to do something more with our lives in the ministry. While
we were waiting for the right doors to open we continued to be
active in our church. In 1950 we felt it was time that we got
some training. We were already settled in Erie and had our own
home, but when we were accepted at The Central Bible Institute
in Springfield, Missouri we sold everything, packed our car and
were on our way. 

During our last year at the Institute, we received a call to be
part of a team being sent to Italy to start Sunday Schools. We
were asked to participate along with two members from the
Assembly of God missionaries, Bro. Fiorentino who was also with
the Christian Church of North America, and another girl from
Brooklyn. There were six of us. We accepted this challenge and
felt that this was the door the Lord was opening to lead us into
missionary work. This was our first experience on the mission
field. 

Teresa: Tell us about your first Missionary experiences in Italy.

Elizabeth: We were in Italy for only one and a half years
because there was no religious liberty there at that time. We
did not have the liberty to work as missionaries. We were
expelled from the country as not being acceptable, but in the
meantime we did establish about 100 Sunday Schools. During the
day we would choose the best people suitable as teachers and
give them the training. At night we held evangelistic services;
I played the accordion and my husband played the trumpet. This
really drew the crowds and was our first experience on the
mission field. Because there were six of us together, it helped
overcome many obstacles and difficulties. 

Teresa: What were some of the difficulties encountered in Italy?

Elizabeth: At that time Italy was faced with many problems. 
There was never enough food to buy, and items we were accustomed
to in America, we had to do without. There were no indoor
facilities and we were restricted in so many ways. The joy of
the success of the work and seeing the people accepting the Lord
compensated for all the shortcomings. When they told us to
leave the country we didn't know what to do because we did not
want to go back to America, so we decided to go to the island of
Malta, which was the nearest place of another government at that
time. We thought that we would go out, get our passports
stamped, and go back into Italy to continue our work. But when
we got back to the Port of Syracuse in Italy, the authorities
would not let us off the boat. They took our passports and we
were detained for two hours. They were determined not to permit
us back into the country because they followed us around and
knew the work we were doing for the Lord. 

Let me tell you that while we were visiting churches in America,
a little while later, an elderly sister came to