WorthyThinking

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

2008-08-08T09:55:00.005-05:00

I want to return to a line of thought from a previous post, "What is the Gospel?" and explore more along the lines this concept of understanding the message Christ came to deliver. In his book, "The Kingdom That Turned the World Up Side Down", David W. Bercot wrote:

Unlike most theological systems, the gospel of the kingdom centers on the kingdom of God, not on man's personal salvation. We cannot separate salvation from the kingdom. And we cannot be devoted to Jesus Christ if we're not devoted to His Kingdom. Actually, all of Scripture looks toward this kingdom. From the beginning, God had purposed to establish a special kingdom. In fact, He prophesied about it during the Old Testament Period. One of the most significant of these Old Testament prophecies is found in the second chapter of Isaiah:

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD'S house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore. (Isa. 2:2-4 NKJV)

Most Christians read this passage as though it's talking about events after Christ returns to earth. And while it certainly applies to that time as well, its fulfillment is going on right now. In fact, it's been going on since Christ began His ministry. Jesus inaugurated His kingdom when He came to earth and invited his hearers to enter it.
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Jesus has made a covenant to bestow a kingdom upon those who walk in His ways: "You are those who have continued with Me in my trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed on upon Me" (Luke 22"28, 29). And again, "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Revelation 4:21). Chapter 17 pp. 132-133

This understanding of the Gospel of the Kingdom presents a very different realization of what Christ expected His disciples to believe concerning the good news Christ delivered to mankind. Bercot notes that the emphasis was not directly aimed at the personal salvation of the individual, but of the reality of salvation of those that in obedience as disciples form the body of the Church of which Christ is the head. (Eph 1:22 And He [God] put all things under His [Christ's] feet, and gave Him [Christ] to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His [Christ's] body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (NKJV) Most theological systems go to the epistles of Paul extensively, to the point of exclusivity, built their body of thought from that perspective. This is getting the cart before the horse, first we must understand Christ through the OT and the Gospel records with most emphasis on what Christ taught and gave example to us in His walk in life among men while looking to the epistles for deeper understanding of Christ's work and message. By looking to Paul first and almost exclusively, as most systematic theologies do, the teachings of Christ are minimized at best, or totally ignored at worst.

The logical out working of easy believism that systematic theologies can bring forth is the negation of obedience to the commands of Christ. The message is directed at individual salvation and promotes individualism that is an enemy of unity in the Body of Christ, the Church. Such theology is also responsible for the separation of the Body into many factions, referred to as denominations. Such denominations teach a theology based on their interpretation of Paul's writings first and then form the balance of the Scriptures around what Paul wrote. Paul is not the author of the gospel, Christ is the Author of the Gospel, and that good news is the reality of the kingdom of God available to all mankind which He preached in His walk among man.

Much of what the systematic theological systems eliminate or minimize is the importance of obedience to the Word, Christ the Logos. Let's look at a statement that Christ made during His ministry and recorded in two of the Gospel accounts:

Mt 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' 24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

Lu 6:46 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say? 47 "Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 "He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 "But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."

The Matthew account indicates the greatest challenge to the concept of "just believe" or "only have faith" and you are saved. Jesus says plainly that many will come offering proof of their salvation by their works, but their works are classified as practicing lawlessness. This lawlessness is due to their violation of the rules of the kingdom of God which is another area we need to touch on in a future post. The Luke account indicates much the same, that people will call Christ "Lord" yet do not the things He has commanded them to do. Along with these let's look at something Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians:

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

It is apparent that the grace of God is primary in the salvation of mankind, it is through this grace that the kingdom of God is possible, and it is apparent that no one enters on the merits of any works, righteousness, which they have done to prevent boasting. However, we are now a new creation in Christ, a workmanship of God as citizens of the kingdom of God which Christ has inaugurated and sealed with His sacrifice and resurrection. We are created unto good works; works that God has prepared for us to walk in as serving citizens of God's kingdom. We are enabled to serve God and Christ now in the kingdom of God in this life as members of the Body of Christ. Now before the charge of legalism is raised, Jesus also taught us that what we do is our reasonable service, as Paul noted in Romans 12:1. Jesus said in Luke's recorded gospel:

Lu 17:7 "And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? 8 "But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? 9 "Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'"

The work is God's provision (Eph. 2:10) not our own creation, therefore we cannot earn or be owed anything based on doing our duty to our God and Lord. Let's look at more of what Christ said on this subject of our works:

Mt 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 'I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 'When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 'for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 'I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Note the questions of both groups asking when they saw Him in such sore condition, and the answer of Christ that it was the conditions of the "least of these" which represented Christ's need. The disciples of Christ noted and met these needs without apparent conscious thought, and the others on the other hand did not even see them. This difference is what separates the disciples of Christ that obey from those that profess to know Him and never see the ministry they have been called to, but seek one of their own design. James spoke of this in his general epistle to believers:

Jas 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

The comparison of the body needing the spirit to be alive gives us the point James wants to make, that in the same way faith without the deeds of its reality, works if you will, has no "life"; it is dead (vs. 17 & 26).

So, in light of the call of Christ to discipleship and entrance into the kingdom of God, the concept of easy believism, just believe on Christ, is not the total of the call of the Gospel Christ preached or which Paul and his contempories taught. We must look through the lens of the Gospels, the teaching of Christ, to understand the Epistles properly.

Dehumanizing People

2008-08-05T10:39:00.003-05:00

A post from a blog that I read often got me thinking. The Anchoress posted about those that couldn't say anything about our President without being negative and dehumanizing of him. She quoted one of my favorite lines from the last comic strip of Pogo that I remember, “we have met the enemy, and he are us?” This is so true in the area of dehumanizing others we want to hate. We dehumanize another person to make them less worthy of our respect and love; this allows us to label them as our enemy and justifies our evil treatment of them. It reminds me that Christ taught us that we should love one another as we would love ourself. In dehumanizing them we make ourself the enemy in God's eyes; we become what we hate.

Lu 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Lu 6:28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
Lu 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

As a believing disciple of Christ, I am taught by Christ to never consider another human as an enemy. Regardless of their actions towards me I must treat all people with love and respect no matter their status in life or any supposed threat I may perceive they represent to me; i.e. tribe (nationality), skin color, religion, custom, culture, lifestyle, worldview (philosophy), etc., etc.

Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Jas 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Jas 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Jas 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Let's face the fact that in order to hate and kill another, we don't hesitate to find reasons to lower, dehumanize, the individual(s) that oppose us in some way. In her post, the Anchoress was referring to those that could not say anything positive about our current President. If we can dehumanize one of our own, then dehumanizing and demonizing those not of our own is no real problem, it becomes a matter of "us" or "them". But then, we are commanded to love our neighbor as we do ourself; loving family and spiritual brethren is expected, but we can fail there as well.

The underlying focus in dehumanizing other people, at least as I see it, is obviously to see to it that (I) we as a (person) people survive, (I) we deem it more important that (I) we live and others die, or that (I) we (am) are protected from them in some manner of isolating them. This is tribalism at its basic level; natural survival in a hostile world. It is the way of the world, and as a Christian I am called to not be conformed to the world, meaning that I may not live in accordance to all the conventional wisdom of the world or its patterns, but look to Christ for my orders while giving respect to the rulers over me in the areas that are not a conflict with my King's commands, and loving and returning good to all that choose to harm, persecute, or defraud me in anyway.

Ro 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Ro 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

As one that rejects how Christendom operated in the past since Constantine's involvement with Christianity, I read the New Testament record about the gospel of the kingdom of God and it is apparent to me that this world is not my home, nor is any particular earthly kingdom due my total allegiance, but only the kingdom of God gains that submission from me. I am to respect the earthly rulers of the nation where I live; give tribute, custom, fear, and honor to them as God's representatives of order in society (Romans 13), but my absolute obedience, allegiance if you will, is to be given only to my King, Jesus Christ, and to follow Him as directed in His teachings in the New Testament writings. This means that I will have to respectfully decline to obey the earthly rulers over me who require of me that which I may not do according to my King, and submit to any penalties that the rulers may require of me.

Ac 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Lu 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Mt 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

I plan, Lord willing, to continue to address this concept of living in but not of the world as a citizen of the kingdom of God in future posts. Meanwhile, I list several books that have helped me understand the reality of the kingdom of God and discipleship to Christ, along with encouragement to read the Gospel accounts in the New Testament which is of higher importance; I believe the teachings of Christ prompted these books to be written by their respective authors.

"The Kingdom That Turned the World Up Side Down" by David W. Bercot
"The Up Side Down Kingdom" by Donald B. Kraybill
"Mere Discipleship" by Lee C. Camp
"True Discipleship" by William MacDonald
"Myth of a Christian Nation" by Gregory A. Boyd

Edited to add this link to more thoughts by the Anchoress on dehumanizing.

More Changes

2008-05-22T18:59:00.002-05:00

I wrote a post back last year on Changes and I find that I am at that point again, but from a more negative position than before. This post is serving as a catharsis so please bear with me.

Less than a week ago I was working in a power plant with a rail road crew that was assembling a train of empty coal hoppers for return to the coal mines in West Virginia. At one point I was asked to turn the van around and pick up one member of the crew and take him to the rear of the train. I scanned the area and made sure that my move was safe, but due to the outcome, I miss judged the stationary nature of the engine or the engineer chose to move, at any rate my van got hit by the train engine and it was totaled. For this I have been dismissed since I did not do "everything possible to avoid an avoidable accident".

No matter a year of employment with no accidents and a 40+ year motor vehicle record that is clear; I am deemed unsafe and now unemployed.

Well, how do I, as a Christian, deal with something of this nature that "seems" unfair. Do I seek to have the dismissal reversed? Do I just accept the ruling as is?

Humanly speaking I feel the call is unjustified due to certain details of the incident, which I won't go into them here. The Company is the authority and has the right to make such decisions they feel are necessary for the continued safety of their clients. Since I claim to be a Christian and I was under their authority as an employee, biblically I am to submit to their decision, no matter how unjust I view the decision.

I admit it is hard to accept this; the flesh wants to fight the decision; yet, did Jesus fight Pilate or the Jews that delivered Him up? No He did not; and since He is my example in life as my Lord, I must follow Him.

In the interest of having the record straight, I did send an email to the head of safety to correct some facts in the memo I received concerning my dismissal, but only that and no claim to have the case reopened.

The job was not a perfect situation, too many hours on the road, too many conflicting orders on service hours and the recording of on time arrivals from higher up management, as well as missing many fellowship opportunities and service opportunities with my home congregation. I felt I was apart of a conspiracy of sorts on one hand and not a part of my fellowship on the other, and was looking for different employment, so possibly this is my answer to the whole situation. However, I dislike the negativity it casts on my work record; something that may have to be explained over and over in the future. I am being carnal again; the spirit is willing but the flesh is so weak.

I find at this juncture that I have to accept responsibility that I was the one driving that van; it was my responsibility. Therefore, I will not seek any redress at this point, but leave it in God's hands by faith. I am grateful that I was not hurt, nor was anyone else. Praise God!

What is the Gospel?

2008-05-01T09:03:00.002-05:00

Just what is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Seems to be a rather simple question for those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, yet is it so simple?

It is recorded that Jesus prophesied in the New Testament Gospel according to Matthew 24:14:

"This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

What then is the gospel of the kingdom? Is it the same thing as the gospel of Jesus Christ in my first question?

I read the gospels or listen to them on CD regularly. As a professing disciple of Christ, I want to know what He said to His followers during His ministry on earth. It makes sense to me that I ought to be attentive to what my Lord spoke while in His incarnation; He is the Word made flesh after all. I read the rest of the books of the New Testament more as commentaries on what Jesus taught and accomplished in His sojourn among men.

It is said that, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." Mt 4:23. This kind of statement is repeated over many times throughout the gospels of the New Testament.

Mt 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Mt 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Mr 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Do a phrase search for "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven". The kingdom of heaven is quite well represented in Matthew's gospel. The kingdom of God is rather well represented throughout the other gospels and epistles of New Testament.

I am wondering if we Christians have lost sight of something concerning the gospel, or good news, that Jesus came to preach. He spoke of a kingdom of God, and on occasion about the kingdom of Heaven, which are apparently synonymous phrases indicating the same concept. In my study of God's Word I am wondering if it is possible that we have lost the true meaning of this "good news" that Jesus came to preach, and have accepted a substituted meaning for just what this gospel represents.

I will confess that these questions haven't come just from my own studies in the Word of God, but have been stirred by another writer that has studied the early history of the Church from the first century until modern times.

In his book, "The Kingdom That Turned the World Up Side Down", David W. Bercot wrote:

"The gospel of the kingdom is basically the historic Christian faith. It's what the Christians of the first few centuries believed and practiced. The Kingdom gospel takes the totality of what Jesus and His apostles say on every subject. It's not built on proof-texts, and doesn't depend on anything outside the Scripture.

You've probably heard of the "Roman's road to salvation." Well, in a sense, the gospel of the kingdom is the Jesus road to salvation. Its foundational beliefs are the direct teachings of Jesus Himself--not the writings of Paul. To be sure, Paul's writings are inspired by the Holy Spirit and are therefore inerrant and true. But Paul was building on the foundational teachings of Jesus. He wasn't starting a whole new gospel. In contrast, popular theology today--the gospel of easy-believism--begins with Paul. And, ignoring the context of Paul's letters, it interprets Paul in a way as to make Jesus' teachings heretical." Chapter 17, p. 131.

If Bercot's understanding of this gospel of the kingdom is correct then there is much concerning salvation that we currently hold in error. Thus we need to know the essence of this gospel which Jesus came preaching in order to fully understand salvation as it is accomplished in the kingdom of God.

Also, we have to decide on the nature of the kingdom of heaven; is it a reality now or is it strictly a future event/reality as some hold it to be?

Lots of questions, more later. Meanwhile, you can acquire a copy of Bercot's book from Scroll Publishing.

Burn Out?

2008-04-28T10:04:00.003-05:00

Have you ever reached the point that something isn't as exciting or as important as it once was? I may be in the early stages of burn out, so I am ready to make some decisions about my online footprint.

When I first "discovered" the internet, after learning late in life how to use a computer, I became fascinated with the concept of internet communications, especially within the Christian context of sharing the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God around the world from my personal computer. This was a very simplistic approach on my part overall, based on my own uninitiated and very pollyannish understanding of the process, nor comprehended the vastness of existing "Christian" and other religious and secular sites already on line and being added daily.

Well, hopefully I have learned a bit since those glorious days of the uninitiated; I have made many friends along the way by surfing the innumerable blogs and forums available that are Christian of one flavor or another, seen some go and new ones come on the scene. Eventually I found a place at one forum that has become home to me on line, and has taken me away from these original blog sites of my early days, as well as from Worthythinking.

So, I find myself at a point of decision; what to keep and what to let go.

I have decided to keep this site open for now and make it more of a journal of my ongoing Christian journey and hopefully in the process bring some light into my ramblings along the way. I may still impart some of my simplistic notions for I am of the opinion that theology is made way too complicated by our finite abilities to fathom an infinite Creator, so please allow me some grace in this case.

By the way, that forum that became my on line home is MennoDiscuss; feel free to stop in and visit there too. Also, I will be changing some of the links listed on this site, some on here have left the blogosphere or changed their site name or address. I have got to do some housekeeping as I have time.

Thanks to all that have continued to visit this site; I hope to reduce my tendency towards procrastination and post more often.

Changes

2007-06-23T06:43:00.000-05:00

Changes in life are interesting occurrences; they can be an improvement, or not, depending on ones view of them. However, I believe if we allow God to use them as He desires, they can help us grow more spiritually.

When I first established this blog, I had no idea where my path would lead me on my journey within the world of the internet. I rather simplistically initiated this blog as my outlet for witness to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the internet, but along the way found other outlets for my time and attention; i.e. other blogs at first, and then on an internet forum of which I eventually became a moderator. Thus, this site has languished due to my neglect to the point that I had to work a bit to re-establish my identity to enter and publish again, since much has changed in the management of Blogspot.com.

Well what to do with this site? I have decided, for now, to take it more in the direction of publishing changes in my thinking as a Christian since coming to the internet; primarily in the changes of how I work through issues and concepts that challenge me now, which were very much non-existent when I first established Worthythinking, and to analyze these changes as to how they will effect my witness of Christ; especially to those with whom I now work alongside who come from vastly different situations in life than I have previously known.

A primary area of change that has affected me in the last several years is in the area of employment. I have gone from being a self-employed individual in the heating, cooling, and refrigeration contracting business to un-employed due to changes in my physical inability to do hard labor. This process was a slow one from self-employed to being employed in the retail sector, and two occasions of un-employed time leading to my current low paying job as an on call "taxi" driver for railroad train crews at night. I am investigating other avenues of employment constantly, but at present this is what has been opened to me so I do it since I need whatever income I can earn as I look for a better position.

I do view this current employment as God's answer to prayer. It is not the answer I would have expected, or preferred to have had for my prayers, and those on my behalf which my brothers and sisters in Christ have offered, but I find that perhaps God is working through this experience to teach me several lessons in life including that I can survive on less as long as I look to Him for what I/we need. I will also note that employment for my wife has gone the other way and improved greatly in the field of private nursing. Interesting how this has reversed the "normal" route of the man being the bread winner and the wife as home maker and supplemental income producer in our home.

Since we are "empty nesters" and are coming closer to the Social Security years, our needs, which are primarily medical, are more in focus and we are learning to curb our "wants"; although not with relish. One effect of these changes, which is major for us, is the drop in church fellowship that our current job schedules demand. Evening services are not open to me with my current work schedule; and the schedule my wife is working allows for no Sunday morning worship. However, she can sometimes make an evening meeting, although arrive a bit late due to the timing of work and meetings. Along with this is the loss of the ability we formally had to "take off" and visit our children and grand children, along with other extended family members and friends. This is possibly the most frustrating "change" that we have faced.

This job is also teaching me are that many people survive with much less in life than I have been blessed with over the years. I am seeing a side of living that I was distanced from previously with the income, and free time, we previously enjoyed as a family. I am also realizing that poor financial planning on my part is also a lesson in this situation, and that reality is painfully sobering as well, yet not one that God cannot help us learn from as we look to Him and strive to live within our current means.

Well, I hope this is a beginning. I plan, as the Lord and schedule allows, to ruminate more on these changes in life and how they are reshaping our little part of the world as they shape us as Christians. I doubt if the postings will be all that profound, but hopefully a way of sharing what I am learning and to focus my own thinking as I go through the process of change.

Good Bye to the Old Year and Hello to 2007

2007-01-01T00:33:00.000-05:00

We bid 2006 good bye, and we welcome 2007 as a gift from God. I pray that we all have a wonderful and joyous New Year ahead. May God receive all the glory for His wonderful works to the children of men thoroughout this past year! I look forward to His blessings in this New Year as well! May His name be glorified!

Our family has been granted many blessings this last year. Among these blessings, one has survived breast cancer, and two new beautiful grand daughters joined the family this past year.

Although we experienced grief over the passing of loved ones, we rejoice that they were prepared to meet God through His grace provided through Christ's shed blood.

May God show Himself strong among His children throughout this year, and may the Peace of God truly become a reality for all.

Maranatha!

About Time to Post

2006-11-24T09:29:00.001-05:00

I apologize to my faithful readers, I have been involved in a discussion forum rather intensively and I am assuming a deeper commitment there from here on as Head Moderator. Please come and check out our many discussions and the sometimes painful learning process of interpersonal relationships in things pertaining to the Christian life from a Christian Anabaptist view point. We welcome all individuals regardless of Christian affiliation. You can go here and access the site.

As I said, there are many learning experiences to be gained in participating in such sites, some are pleasant and some are not so pleasant, but then so it is with life. We are challenged at many turns in our lives with choices which will set us on paths that may bring joy or grief; hopefully, we learn from both sides of that experience.

The Christian life is not a cut and dried existence. Salvation in Jesus Christ is a dynamic work in progress as the Holy Spirit abides within us and empowers us in the work of sharing God's Kingdom and the call to salvation within the lives of those around us. We bring nothing to God when we come to Christ, only our desire to worship and serve Him as the Spirit of God directs us. Christ said, "ye can do nothing without me." In and of our own strength we are unable to please God nor do anything toward our salvation. However, as we yield to the calling of God's Spirit by the hearing of the Word of God, we can choose to believe in God. For we must come to Him believing that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that seek Him, Hebrews 11:6. We come through the Door of His Son (John 10:9) who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) the only One to which we can come and be able to stand before the Father and find acceptance by Him.

Salvation is at first a personal and individual experience. The relationship is one we maintain by abiding in the Person who is our Lord in life and the personification of our Salvation, Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God (John 15:1-11). Faith is the straight and narrow path of abiding in God, and is available by the Grace of our Father in accepting His Son's atonement for our sins. Ephesians 2:9-10. We live life by the power of God and enter into the joys of fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ, in the power and direction of the Holy Spirit which brings us life eternal. Beyond this individual experience is a relationship in the Church, the living Body of which Christ is the Head. We are lively stones which God uses to construct the Church of Jesus Christ. Coming together, in many ways, we fellowship with one another and worship our Lord and God. Such is the nature of our individual local church fellowships which we each attend. So too, are sites like Menno Discuss where thoughts and ideas are shared on the many issues of understanding Scripture and living according to its precepts and commandments.

I hope to return on a more regular schedule of posting. Thank you for your patience in my absence. I hope to bring a few pearls from our Forum and share them here as I am able.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day before our God, and look forward to the rememberance of the birth in His Son soon. God be with all who seek salvation in faith through our Lord Jesus Christ by the Abundant Grace of Almighty God.

Freedom

2006-07-04T21:56:00.000-05:00

What is freedom?

Paul the Apostle had a conversation with a Roman soldier who was about to scourge him in order to find out who he really was and why he was causing such a public tumult in Jerusalem. The Word of God records it thus:

Ac 22:24 The chief captain commanded him (Paul) to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. (KJV)

We observe a very interesting account of the reality of Paul’s earthly citizenship and how it came to his aid; by Paul asking a simple question. Paul was free born within the Roman Empire, therefore, with Roman citizenship he was free, and it was forbidden to scourge a Roman citizen unless they had already been condemned. The actions of the Romans indicate that they feared that this may bring them under condemnation, for they had already bound him.

God has given us all an earthly citizenship as it has pleased Him. Paul could have been born somewhere else than Tarsus. Paul made use of his Roman citizenship on this occasion and on other occasions as well. He had that privilege by birth.

Paul enjoyed another birth blessing which he described in his letter to the Philippians:

Php 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (KJV)

Quite a pedigree, however, notice how he finishes this rehearsal of his heritage:

Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (KJV)

It is apparent that his Roman citizenship was of more use to him with the Romans than his Hebrew faith/nationality. Paul was a dual citizen; a Roman and a Hebrew. I find this interesting that God would give such a mixed citizenship to one like Saul who became known as Paul, for the two are so opposite each other. But there is the crux of the issue, we see through human eyes and God sees the end from the beginning of time, and God gave Saul/Paul exactly what he needed to be His servant and builder of Christ’s church among the gentile nations. Paul inherited the wisdom of a Hebraic identity and education along with a Roman citizenship that allowed him to freely travel within the Roman Empire. Paul was free; or was he?

Paul also had another reality gained by birth, he was a sinner. Paul even mentions this fact in one of his letters to his spiritual son, Timothy.

1Ti 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (KJV)

Saul was a dedicated Hebrew Pharisee; trained at the feet of Gamaliel the greatest Rabbi of his day. Yet, Saul was also lost to God “in unbelief” not accepting the witness of Jesus Christ, or the prophecies about Him. This lack was literally illuminated to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) as Saul traveled to imprison and kill more followers of Christ. Saul was a sinner, and by his own testimony, the chief of sinners.

What does all of this have to do with freedom? After coming to salvation in Christ, Saul, now called Paul, found true freedom for the first time in his life. Try to grasp this situation; Paul is a man who possessed the single most desired citizenship in his day, he had Roman citizenship and gained it by being free born to its possession. The Roman chief captain came to Paul and noted that Roman citizenship had cost him a “great sum” of money, but Paul was free born. However, Paul was not “free” in truth; Paul was under bondage to sin. Neither his Hebrew heritage, nor his Roman citizenship made him truly “free.” The only freedom Paul had, before coming to Christ, was freedom to sin; he enjoyed no righteousness apart from his obedience to the Law and he wrote later:

Ga 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law..............for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (KJV)

Paul’s earthly citizenships, Jewish and Roman, were only tools for the spread of the gospel of Christ, a provision from God. Beyond that, Paul’s citizenships were but fleshly realities which Paul gained by no merit of his own.

We Americans celebrated our Independence Day today. A day we set aside to remember our nation being separated from the British Crown in 1776. In that declaration our founding forefathers proclaimed to be “free” from the ruler ship of the King of England. Free from England we became in fact; but were/are we truly “free?” Do we truly have true “freedom” and/or “liberty?”

In a secular sense we do, we have the right of assembly, free use of speech, religion, use of the press (media), and other rights most of us take for granted. In all of this we are still in bondage; no citizenship apart from a heavenly citizenship will ever bring true freedom.

How does one obtain this heavenly citizenship and true freedom? Jesus Christ read this passage from Isaiah in a synagogue about His ministry:

Lu 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel (good news of salvation) to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (KJV)

Christ came that we may truly be at liberty, whether as a free man or a slave, no matter nationality or gender, all that come to Christ can be truly “free”.

Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (KJV)

Free to live and serve God, free to inherit eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ; free of the curse of sin, truly and actually free.

Ga 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Ga 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty;

I return to Paul as he continues his statement in Philippians chapter 3:

Php 3:9 And be found in him (Christ), not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (KJV)

No matter our citizenship in this world, we can be free and have our eternal citizenship in heaven through Christ.

Ac 16:30 And (the jailer) brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (KJV)

Another Blessing From God

2006-05-27T15:31:00.000-05:00

Rejoice with us again! God is so Good!

I recently posted on the birth of our third granddaughter, Kaylie Joy, born April 26 to my youngest daughter and her husband, and I now take the honor of presenting to you our fourth granddaughter, Chloe Alison, born May 24 to my son and his wife. Please go to this site to see pictures that Chloe's tired, but very happy, dad has put on his site.

Chloe weighed in at 5# 10.5 oz and was 18.5" long when she was born at 4:31 pm. Both mother and daughter are doing well, for which we are most thankful to God for His grace and mercy through another birth. Chloe and Kaylie will be almost twins, being only four weeks apart at birth, so they may be more sisters than cousins, time will tell. Chloe joins her big sister Brenna Leigh, almost 5 years old, and Olivia Ryanne, already 2 years old. Mom and dad will have their work cut out for them for quite a while, pray that God will give them wisdom and strength for this work of love in bringing up these children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

These blessings by God reinforce to me His commitment to us that life will continue on despite all the death we see daily. We bid adieu to our loved ones in death, but not forever when each of us rest in Christ. However, this heart breaking parting that death brings is expotentially magnified when we are separated by death in the present along with no hope for reunion in eternity; all because of the failure of our loved one in coming to Christ in belief for salvation. This grief is without relief in this life, however, God has promised that He will wipe away all tears of grief in heaven, only then will we cease grieving. That knowledge is not all that helpful while living in the flesh, but a grief we will not carry throughout eternity.

Placing ones faith in Christ, the provider of the blood of Atonement, which is necessary for a sin offering in bringing about reconciliation between ones lost soul and Almighty God, is the greatest gain to achieve in this life. All other gains and accomplishments made in life pale in the light of the reality of salvation in Christ; now is the day of salvation. Choose life in Christ; do not remain in the eternal death that already abides in the unregenerated soul we all possess apart from God's amazing salvation provided by God's grace through Christ.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (KJV)

Living Despite the Presence of Death

2006-05-19T17:28:00.000-05:00

Our enemy has returned, but the Victory is not his! Praise God for His Salvation! Another family member has passed over the threshold of death and entered into the Glory of heaven and come into the presence of God, our Saviour. Eternal healing for her is complete! All glory be given to the God of Grace!

To bring everyone up to date; one of my wife's brothers, Glen, passed away about a year and a half ago due to an agressive brain tumor; I mentioned it in a post here. I also mentioned in that post that his wife, Dawn, had just been diagnosed with a different form of brain cancer that was inoperable. Dawn made the decision not to seek any other therapy, but to take the time left that was allowed her by God that she could be with family and friends as much as her health would concede. This gift of time has been a blessing for all concerned, yet also a bittersweet time considering the inevitable outcome in human terms. Though we glory in the victory she has been given over death by Christ, we still grieve the loss of her presence from our lives.

As I posted earlier, we all have to deal with death, for it is the normal end of life for each one of us. How do we then live with that end of life approaching? Death seems so much of a defeat that looms before us, mocking all we accomplish or possess. I believe some of us attempt to just ignore death and just grab all we can now, while others have an excessive focus on death in their life which inhibits living well; there ought to be a balance.

With the reality of the physical nature of life and death we must consider the spiritual aspect. I wrote in the aforementioned post of my struggle with death on a human level within a Christian context. We see death manifested daily, it is a reality; within that reality we need to live and experience life. So we try to live life as if we can defy, or deny, death's reality; which is impossible. Recently, in my meditations, the teachings of Christ have confirmed to me that our view of life is backwards, that the spiritual aspect of life teaches us to be looking from the point of death back towards life.

Therefore, I propose that our physical living is enhanced by accepting death's inevitablity and allowing that realization to awaken us to real living in the physical sense by the power of the spiritual life available to us in Christ. I believe this is exactly what Jesus was instructing us in the concept of dying to self; of living as dead already, yet alive with the indwelling presence of God's Spirit. Thus, seeking to save our life, by cramming in as much of the material essence of life as we can, is to actually loose that life, for death swallows all the material gain we accumulate. By receiving life through Christ, by the presence of God's Spirit, we are enabled to look beyond the material and truly live in an eternal sense in this present material life but apart from its demands, and realize that death is just a portal through which we pass as our life continues eternally in Christ.

Christ lived among mankind for 30+ years with the actuality of His death having already happened. Christ was "offered up" in the beginning, at the creation, for the sins of man in the plan of God's salvation. We need to learn to live in the same manner, as dead to the flesh yet alive in the Spirit; only then shall we truly understand life in all its real richness and meaning and truly live despite the presence of death.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:55-58 KJV)

Wonderful News for a Change

2006-04-27T12:37:00.000-05:00

Rejoice with us for the birth of our third granddaughter, Kaylie Joy Horst born on 26 April 2006 at 3:03 pm EDST in Augusta Ga. She weighed in at 7# 13 oz and she is 20.5" long. Mother and daughter are doing well. My wife is currently there with them.

We are awaiting another grandchild soon. Our son and his wife are expecting their third child in a about 4 to 6 weeks, if it goes to term. Pray for them as their babies tend to be early.

Ps 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. (KJV)

REJOICE AND AGAIN I SAY, REJOICE!

UPDATE:If you would like to see a picture of this wonderful gift from God, just go to md_hopeful.blogspot.com. It is in my blog roll. I am not versed in publishing photos, yet! He has a link to another site for more pictures!

In Memory of Daniel Wayne Good

2006-04-02T14:35:00.000-05:00

When Sorrow Comes
By Edgar Guest

When sorrow comes, as come it must,
In God a man must put his trust,
There is not power in mortal speech
The anguish of the soul to reach,
No voice, however sweet and low,
Can comfort him or ease the blow.

He cannot from his fellowmen
Take strength that will sustain him then,
With all that kindly hands will do,
And all that love may offer too,
He must believe throughout the test
That God has willed it for the best.

We who would be his friends are dumb;
Words from our lips but feebly come;
We feel, as we extend our hands,
That one power only understands,
That truly knows the reason why
So beautiful a soul must die.

Another Family Member Called Home

2006-03-14T13:06:00.000-05:00

Daniel Wayne Good

Daniel W. Good passed away on Thursday, March 9, 2006, at 57 years 1 month. His tragic death was due to crossing a flooded creek in which his truck was washed downstream and overturned trapping him in his vehicle.

He was born at South Boston,VA on Feb 8, 1949, the son of Ira and Beulah (Greider) Good, who survive. He married Susan Gingerich (John & Fanny) in Plain City, Ohio on April 18, 1977.
In addition to his wife, Susan Good, he is survived by 3 sons, Joseph David & Margaret (Kropf) of Grandin, MO, Timothy Daniel & Pearl (Weaver) of East Earl, PA, Mark Ira of Grandin, 3 daughters, Faith Elaine Martin & Anthony, and Dorcas Ann both of Grandin, MO, Miriam Rose Strite & Roland of Doniphan, MO, 3 brothers, Kenneth Good & wife Betty of Broadway, VA, Nathan Good and wife Mildred, David Good and wife JoAnne of South Boston, VA, and 2 sisters, Bonnie Moore and husband Jim, Rosanna Slabach and husband Mark, both of South Boston,Va., and 10 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one brother, Richard Nelson, and grandparents Oscar and Mary Greider, and Henry and Cora Good.

He was a Bishop in the Grandin Mennonite church and was active in the ministry. He was also a farmer. His close walk with God and love for people has touched many lives in the church and community. He will be greatly missed by family and friends.

Visitation will be 5-8 pm Sunday, 3/12, and Monday, 3/13, in the Grandin Mennonite church. The funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m, 3/14, Tuesday, in the First Baptist Church in Doniphan. Burial will be in the Grandin Mennonite Cemetery.

Ps 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

I am reminded once again of the frailty of life. Daniel and I were of the same age, he being only one month older than I. I was not priviledged to spend much time with Daniel, but was blessed to know him these last 35+ years. I have come to know and love his parents and siblings well, since we fellowship within the same congregation in South Boston, Va. This is the family that reached out to a very odd looking hippe type and offered to introduce me to Jesus Christ. Along with a cousin, Janet Good, the sisters of Daniel, because of the love of Christ given to them, they brought this lost sheep to their Savior and Lord. Daniel played a part, as did the rest of the immediate family; Grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins also did their part as I came to know them and their Lord and God. I eventually chose to make their fellowship of saints mine, for their love of God and man was so strong it drew me.

Why God chooses certain doors of death to bring us into His presence is strange to my human mind. Recently, I have seen cancer, automobile accident, and now a flooded stream, take family members into eternity. I have learned it is not the manner of going to God that is of importance, but the readiness to go that is important. As weak mortals we tend to question God when situations like this occur, but we must remember that Almighty God, the creator of all we are or see around us, knows the end from the beginning; this is the essence of Faith; a trust in the person of God and His Grace that will bring us through whatever door death works through, and bring us into His glorious presence.

Today the family bade farewell, for now, to their son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle; fellow church members bade farewell, for now, to a brother in Christ, minister/Bishop; friends bade farewell to a kind helpful neighbor. As Christians, we believe that this is not the end of life, only life as we know it here. Therefore, while we do grieve, it is not without hope, but with rejoicing that, at a time appointed, we all shall pass through some portal of death and will be reunited, for eternity, in the presence of God. This is because of the Grace of God in bringing salvation to each of us that have turned away from our sin and trusted in the finished work of God's Son, Jesus Christ, for redemption.

Death is only a reminder of our sinfulness and need of salvation. This salvation is possible by the Grace of God, through the work of Jesus Christ who suffered and died for the remission of sins for all that believe on Him, turning from their sin by repentance of the sin that besets each of us. Most of us will not know the day, or moment, of our death; though some may see it coming through sickness or other means. Expect that your time will normally be sudden and be ready to face eternity; Daniel was just going to work per usual when the call came; he was ready.

2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Living Faith

2006-02-04T11:01:00.000-05:00

Faith in God........what does that mean to you? Salvation through Jesus Christ.......what does that mean to you as a Christian?

I find that there are about as many definitions to these questions as there are denominations that claim to believe in God and claim salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. Are they all correct in their beliefs? As I have written before, I do not judge anothers claim to salvation in Christ, but I may take issue with their confession of faith and manner of application to that confession of faith. There are too many opposing theologies in the Christian Church universally for them all to be correct, so the logical assumption is that some are wrong, since opposite views of a central truth cannot both be correct.

I do not like negative responses as a rule, however sometimes it may be necessary in order to get to the truth as one has come to understand truth, especially in the realm of faith and religion. I try to go by an axiom I came upon in my reading; it goes like this: "Does your position set your theology, or does your theology set your position." I find that our preconceived positions can interfere with our understanding of God's Word; this is usually because we tend to let other men or women do the explaining of what the Word of God says theologically, but do not take the time to study the Word for ourselves. Many of our preconceptions come from our upbringing; our families beliefs gained from our parents tend to set our thinking from birth, and this is normal. The challenge comes when we reach the age where we are to think for ourselves and enter into dialog with those that view truth differently; we usually take two courses when this happens, either we become defensive of our position, or we have our position shaken apart by the view of others.

Let us face some facts, not all of us can debate the Word of God, nor want to; others tend to seek such debate in order to push their views. There are many that have the skills of debate that can overwhelm the unprepared. There are many obviously intellectual people with this tendency that make it hard for the rest of us to oppose their ability to debate issues of how salvation works or the way one lives their faith in God. My testimony of my journey to faith in God and knowledge of His Son will explain where I stand today.

I came to faith in God through my upbringing; my family taught that there was a God and that Jesus Christ was a part of the whole religious package. Application of faith was in the moral and ethical sense of the ten commandments of the Old Testament and not much deeper theologically. It was in my 20's when I met other believers that expounded a clearer gospel teaching on the person of Jesus Christ that brought me to a completed faith in God through the only portal Biblically available; the person of Christ Himself. These believers were of the Anabaptist faith that are called Mennonite, and they preached to me only Christ as the way of salvation. Their applications of Scripture could be seen, but were not a part of their verbal witness, only the obvious visual indications and lifestyle one could see for themselves.

Once they "won" me to Christ they encouraged me to read God's Word for myself, and recommended the Gospel of John and John's epistles in the New Testament. I was encouraged then to read the other gospels to further understand who Jesus is to a believer before I tackled the other epistles of the New Testament or books of the Old Testament. Never did they push me to become a member of their church, but did encourage me to find a fellowship where I could find support as a believer, and they welcomed me to come to Sunday School and Worship with them in the meantime. It soon became obvious to me that God was leading me to the Mennonite fellowship and I chose to enter instruction for baptism and membership with them.

With this background it is quite obvious that I accepted the teachings of theology and practices of application that these Anabaptists believed. I came to see too that they stood out among the other Christian denominations in the defined way this theology they taught from the Word of God set the applications of living the faith they held in God through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Though I have had many struggles with the flesh over the years, going on 36 years, I still have not seen any reason to doubt or reject the beliefs and out working of those beliefs I accepted in my beginning walk with Christ. Are we perfect in living for Christ; may be not entirely and on every point as we should, but the failure is in our weakness steming from the flesh, not the theology or applications of the Biblical theology I/we believe.

Faith is to be a living reality in a Christian. How is faith to be expressed in this living way? Well to me it is quite realistic to allow our faith to so flavor our lives that it molds us into the image of the One that our salvation finds reality. Salvation is through the grace of God in providing His Son for the sacrifice needed to purchase our salvation. We are to be conformed to the image of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit shed abroad in our hearts; this is the renewed mind and transformed heart from sinner to saint in operation. We are God's workmanship created in Christ as a new creation and ordained unto good works that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14 & 3:8; Hebrews 10:24; James 2:14-20.

When we read verses like these listed above and compare them to the Biblical truth that works do not save anyone, Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4 and many other passages, how do we deal with a seeming opposition in the teachings of Scripture?

As I read the Word of God I am told that, "2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." And Peter wrote that, "2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The Word of God is consistent in its teaching because God is its author. All Scripture is authored by the Holy Spirit as He moved men to write, so we are to, "2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

The truth is we do not earn salvation through "works...which we have done." I believe we have to understand that we must come to Christ for salvation standing only on the Grace of God's loving provision of Christ as our atonement; we bring no "works....which we have done" with us that have any saving merit, "Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." And Paul wrote by inspiration, "Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

How do we reconcile these seemingly opposing passages? You must rely on the Holy Spirit for your ultimate understanding; here is mine. I bring no "works of righteousness which I have done" to the cross of Christ; I come as the naked and despised sinner that I am and throw myself on the abundant mercy of God's Grace provided in the shed blood of Christ. It is the application of the cleansing blood of Christ that cleansed me and made me righteous in the sight of Almighty God, and the washing of the water of the Word that enables me to walk in newness of faith. As I step forth a new creature in Christ, behold all things are new, I am free of the sin that beset me as a sinner. Within the "all things are new" is the fact that I am now "God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus, created unto good works, which God hath before ordained that (I) should walk within them." (Eph. 2:10, substituting "I" in place of "we.") These works are the proofs that I am a child of God; my faith is living, not dead, and meets the criteria set forth by James 2:14-20. You may ask, "Do works keep us saved?" and I would say, no, we are kept by and through the Grace of God, but these good works are the evidence of our commitment to that Grace and the will of God. With out faith it is impossible to please God; this is "evangelical faith" and James points out that such faith is supported by the evidence of "evangelical works" which we are able to do by that same Grace of God. I would say that without these "evangelical works" my salvation comes into question and I fall under the judgment of God as a professor and not a true possesser of His Grace.

I see too many professors of Christ that have not of the evidences that the Holy Spirit dwells within them. This is not judgment from me, Christ taught us to "judge righteous judgment" for the standard we use for judgment of others will be used to measure our faith too. Matthew 7. The Word says, "Ga 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

What are you and I as a Christian sowing towards, the Spirit of God or to our fleshly lusts. Is it not obvious that sin shall not dwell within us as a Christian; we may sin a sin and we do have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ His Son who sits at God's right hand interceeding for us when we sin, but to willfully continue in that sin separates us from God, we must repent and do works meet for repentance; not get "saved" again, but admit that we failed of God's Grace and are truly sorry and turn from that sin that we may be restored. I believe that God's keeping power can preserve us for a time while this process works out, but there are sins of the flesh that God will not forgive if we die in them. Be diligent and work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Thanks for reading all of this, I know it is long, but it has been on my mind to share this for a long time. May God, by His Holy Spirit and through the Word He gave us, keep and preserve us until we are called into His Magnificent and Holy Presence for all eternity. Even so come Lord Jesus.

Thoughts on Suffering and Death

2006-01-22T14:12:00.000-05:00

As you can tell by my many reports on the situation of the Schrock family and the death of their five children and their father's continued suffering that many in our family have been dealing with suffering and death much lately. This odyssey includes also the death of one of my wife's brothers a little over a year ago. He was found to have a brain tumor and tumors in his lungs; none of which were treatable, although radiation was administered to the brain tumor to try to reduce it and stop its growth. This apparently did not work as planned and my brother died within about a month. Since he was the first of his siblings to die it was quite a blow to my wife, her other two brothers, and sister. Within the last week we learned his wife has now been diagnosed with a brain tumor of undetermined type. We only know that she is experiencing difficulty in thought and speech due to the location of the tumor. Along with this news is that a nephew of ours has been diagnosed with acute leukemia and will be taking weeks of chemo-therapy off and on for several months depending on the outcome of further tests to determine the type and scope of his illness. Death and suffering seem to surround us at every turn.

I have experienced the passing of a sibling, my sister, who was 18-20 months my junior, that died suddenly in Sept. of 2001 due to an aneurysm in the brain. She was buried on Sept. 11, 2001, and for obvious reasons I shall never forget that day; the other reason is that my brother and I also served as pall bearers. Since then we bid good bye to our father who died due to cancer. With my sister's death it was "unexpected" in that she was young, but with Dad we had the warning of several months of sickness that eventually was explained by the discovery of untreatable cancer, and he was also of a more advanced age. In my sister's case we had to deal with the shock of death in the unexpected sense, but Dad's death followed a slower path and we adjusted to the reality of his passing, but we sense the loss of his presence very much as we do the loss of my sister.

Death is not abnormal in the course of life; it is the way of all living things, an established reality. With this understanding, why is it so traumatic to us? Why do we talk of death as "unexpected" when it manifests itself among our families or friends? Why do we seek all means to reverse the sentence of death when it comes upon us or our loved ones? Why do I seek the relief from all suffering in body and mind when I know in my heart that I can learn more spiritually from suffering than I can in the non-suffering times of life?

I believe that what a person believes on a spiritual level has much to do with how they ultimately deal with death and suffering. Since I am a believer in Christ, I look to the Word of God for guidance in all of life, and how to accept death is a part of this understanding. However, along with my spiritual awareness there is the emotional and mental wrestling that must be dealt with in how I handle death on any level of relationship. Despite the development of my spiritual level of understanding, I find my emotional and mental grasp is not usually as well defined, or prepared. There is a visceral unacceptance of death and suffering in my mind that affects me differently from the spiritual acceptance I understand from God's Word. My spiritual understanding of death is that it is only a passing from one existence to another; the Word teaches me that life continues on a different level after death, that death can be a release from suffering; we which continue living only bury the tabernacle of our friend or loved one. However, my emotional and mental distress is more motivated by the flesh that I inhabit, and I grieve at the loss of my friend or family member in death, or of the suffering they endure in life.

I cannot truly explain these opposing realities between our spiritual understanding verses our fleshly experience with suffering and death in the concrete terms I desire to impart. I find that I wrestle with the concepts of death and suffering on these two levels daily. My connection by flesh to fellow humans easily over-rides my spiritual understandings as taught by the Word of God. In my heart I believe; in my bowels I continue to question and grieve. I seek to understand the spiritual side better, and for my faith in God to grow within the furnace of the suffering and death of those around me and the suffering within my own life. I long for the understanding that is only brought forth by living totally in the control of the Spirit of God.

Pray for me while I continue to wrestle with these realities. Hopefully I can return with more insight and a stronger faith and understanding in the spiritual aspects of dealing with suffering and death.

Blessing and peace to you in the name of Christ, Truthseeker.

A Most Blessed Christmas to All

2005-12-24T19:19:00.000-05:00

I would like to take this time to offer my greetings to all for a most wonderful and blessed Christmas, and for a joyous New Year in 2006. I also want to offer a New Years resolution on my part to post more often. I want to get back to the earlier format of looking into God's Word, but continue to include the needs of those that I know or hear about that need our prayers and support; such as the Schrock family I have posted on since early November. Thank you all for your prayers for this family and for all you bloggers that carried the story out to your readers. May God bless you for your caring and sharing in Jeff and Carolyn's loss and grief.

A true evangelical faith moves in whatever way it can to meet another's need whether a spiritual need or for needs of the body. Service to others must operate in parallel to our witness of Christ; it starts at home, goes into Samaria, and on to the uttermost part of the earth. I believe the witness of the gospel of Christ carries with it this action of love to meet as many needs as possible while being God's hands and feet among the lost we seek in the name of Christ. The Epistle of James points out this reality quite well:

Jas 2:15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (NKJV)

As a Christian, I believe I am brother to all men and women and commanded to obey Christ's Word, "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." Luke 6:31. Also this from the Apostle Paul:

Ro 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NKJV)

May God continue to bless us as we faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ; once the babe of the manger, but now and forever Immanuel, God with us; the One that came to live among us and to die for us as the Lamb of God so that we might truly live forever. Alleluia, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men! REJOICE, AND AGAIN I SAY, REJOICE!

Yours in Christ, Truthseeker.

Rejoice with the Schrocks

2005-12-16T00:45:00.000-05:00

Jeff and Carolyn Schrock welcomed their sixth child, fourth daughter into the world yesterday afternoon. Her name: Jolene Marie Schrock.

After the heart break of this family losing all of their children they now have their sixth child, rejoice with them. I will update this as I gain more information.

Jeff Schrock Update

2005-11-29T00:27:00.000-05:00

November 14, 2005 Update from Jason, Jeff Schrock's dad. (Ernest & Louise are Carolyn's parents; Sara (Schrock) is Jeff's sister who teaches in the Russian School in Spokane; Jerrold (Hooley) is Sarah's boyfriend - he teaches the church school where Jeff's 3 girls attended; Cliff Helms is the driver of the "at-fault" vehicle in the accident.)

From: Jason
This is Thanksgiving morning. As we ponder on this day, especially focused on being thankful, there are many thoughts that swirl through one’s mind – Perhaps it seems with the loss of five precious children that it is difficult to be thankful today. But that is not so. There are so many circumstances in relation to this loss that makes one truly thankful. When one ponders the “what ifs” we can only say that the Lord doeth all things well.

We got a copy of a letter sent to Jeff & Carolyn from a local lady here that lost her husband in a traffic accident 10 years ago. He was a farmer that we had dealt with for many years. I was impressed with what she shared. I’m going to quote from it here:
“I must confess that even though I don’t know you or your children, their loss hit me hard. I have four grandchildren who are very dear to me, and I could not fathom having them gone in an instant. Our human nature wants to ask God ‘WHY?!’ Well a couple of verses in Isaiah have meant a lot to me.

Isaiah 57:1,2 (NIV)
“The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; (well some of us do) devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.”

“These verses seem to explain that God looks at death in a different way that we do – our loved ones who are in His presence no longer have to deal with the world, the struggles, sin, pain, and troubles. They are in His presence and are in peace.” End of quote.

So is there any thing to be thankful for? Certainly! Also the fact that Jeff was spared and that God is giving them the opportunity to start over with a family.

Well, I thought this was supposed to be an update on Jeff’s condition!

I’m not going to go back at this time and reconstruct the happenings from the accident on November 1, through the time of the funeral on November 7. I think most of you have the basic facts surrounding what happened. But I do want to share a few things concerning Jeff that we learned since the time many of you were here at the funeral. Some of you likely got some of this information, but will share for the benefit of all.

On the afternoon of the accident Jeff was airlifted by helicopter to the Sacred Heat Hospital in Spokane. He says that his first memory is getting on the elevator at the top of the hospital. The paramedics asked him if he knew where he was. He said, “On an elevator.” They told him he was at the Sacred Heart Hospital. He said there are bits and pieces of memory that evening, but nothing that came together to make any sense out of what was going on. He could not figure out why everyone was gathered there – why the church people and many from the Deer Park Church. Something serious must have happened, but what? He couldn’t put it all together. Also by the next morning he was just beginning to think about the children. He remembered they were with him. He wondered – had he met Carolyn and then something happened? He just couldn’t remember. It was only about a half hour later that Ernest and I came into the room and then broke the news of their deaths.

Before Jeff was released from Spokane to go to Chewelah, we had the opportunity to talk to the nurse and doctor that were in the emergency room that night. We also got the written report from the doctor that told the extent of what he found and what he did.

The thing that stood out to us in the doctor’s report was that he said he had spent three and one half hours trying to resuscitate Jeff. It’s not that he wasn’t breathing or conscious enough to answer questions, but I think the main problem was stabilizing him because of severe bleeding. He was bleeding badly but they could not find the location. The top number on his blood pressure plummeted to 60. They gave him five units of blood, but they just went through him. They did an angiogram to determine if the aorta had ruptured, which it had not. But the bleeding stopped on it’s own! In comparing the time frame of this, it appears that his bleeding stopped about the time word got around concerning the accident and people began to pray. God doesn’t answer prayer? There are no Divine miracles performed in our day? The doctor said they do not know to this day where he was bleeding, but thinks it was likely an artery off the aorta valve.

Jeff has a lot of broken bones. I wasn’t initially aware that beside the fracture of the sternum he also had a cracked rib. Also we found out that another fracture was his collarbone.

His third surgery was on Wednesday the 9th. (The two previous surgeries before the funeral had to do with his knees and jaw.) This surgery was to repair his right arm. The crazy bone on the elbow was broken, so they repaired that with a plate. Then the doctor put a nail up the inside of the entire humorous bone from the elbow to the shoulder. He told us that each end of the nail (or rod) had a hole for a screw. Once in place they x-ray it to find the hole, then put a screw in the bone and rod to keep it from swiveling. He said that the bone was broken in two places and that there were a number of pieces of bone broken loose but that all the nerves and blood supply was intact, so he was very optimistic. The doctor told me that he gives the arm an 80% chance of full recovery. He said it may be three or four months until the nerves wake up.

After that surgery they were talking of transferring him to another facility for therapy. They gave us three options: The St Luke’s Hospital in Spokane, which specializes in therapy, The St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chewelah, or home care. They felt it is a little soon for home care. We opted for Chewelah, since it is close home and Carolyn had heard good things about their therapist.

Once we got some of those decisions made and some other business matters under control our family left for home on Thursday, getting home around 11:00 pm. We wanted to be home for Beulah Patzan’s wedding on Friday and communion on Sunday morning. Ernest and Louise stayed with Jeff’s in Spokane.

On Sunday afternoon I drove back to Spokane so that I could be there to help facilitate the move to Chewelah. There were five young people traveling back in the afternoon also, including Sara and Jerrold. We basically traveled together until the last couple hours, but I drove by myself, listening to some tapes and talking to some of my siblings on the phone. I got to the hospital a little after 9:00 pm and got to visit Jeff for awhile yet that night.

There were too many things to pull together yet on Monday so the decision was made to make the transfer on Tuesday. The main thing was that Chewelah wanted to make sure they were staffed enough to handle him. It is a small hospital with approx. 20 beds and an adjoining long-term care facility.

Before leaving Spokane the orthodontist, orthopedic surgeon, and his primary care physician (the one that attended him in the emergency room) all needed to see him. The orthopedic doctor said that Jeff will need to be in a wheelchair for six weeks until his arms heal enough to put weight on them so that he can use them to carry his weight as he tries to get back on his feet. So that put it almost until the end of the year, until he can even try to walk.

The primary doctor told him before leaving, that even though he is broken up badly and has a lot of issues, all of his injuries are recoverable. That is much for which to thank the Lord.
His jawbones need to fuse together and heal before Jeff can eat anything solid. So there again for six weeks he’s limited to soft food. Most of his meals are puréed. His lower lip is still numb, just like after one gets out of the dentist chair.

They ordered a wheelchair transport to move Jeff. He sat in the wheelchair the whole way to Chewelah, enjoying the scenery on the way. They did stop at the orthodontist’s office on the way out for one more check. Carolyn and Sara rode with Jeff in the transport. The driver was a Russian man that is the father of one of Sara’s students.

Jeff’s regimen in the hospital in Chewelah has been to get out of bed twice a day and sit on the wheelchair for one and one half to three hours at a time. They usually get him up for two of his meals. Then it was a great accomplishment the first time he could use a commode instead of a bedpan. In fact the first time they were able to seat him on the commode, it took the male therapist and three nurses. I walk down the hall just as the nurses came out to give Jeff some privacy. They were jubilant, acting like a great event was taking place. Another nurse asked them if a baby had been born! I need to explain that statement. Jeff is in a room at the end of the hall that is used for the recovery room or second labor room in the OB section. They chose that room because it is large with enough room for a second bed for Carolyn. She sleeps nights in Jeff’s room. The first room they put him in was not large enough for all the paraphernalia the therapists needed, causing them claustrophobia. They also soon saw that he needed larger quarters for all his visitors.

After Jeff was settled in Ernest went home Wednesday, returning Saturday. Tuesday to Thursday nights I slept at James & Eunice’s place. That was so nice, since it is in town and not far from the hospital. I didn’t actually get a lot of time to visit there as it kept me going to keep up with things in the hospital.

The rest of the family went back to WA on Friday to be there for Bev Schrock and Arnold Weaver’s wedding. When Ruth got there we stayed out at Jeff’s from then on.

There are two therapists working with Jeff – the physical therapist and the occupational therapist. The physical therapist had me begin to help him with putting the leg and arm splints on Jeff before moving him out of bed and helping him to transfer Jeff from the bed to the wheelchair and back again. One day he took me to their exercise room and had me be the “patient” while he got me up and transferred me to the wheelchair. Then it was my turn to do it to him. There are techniques and positions that make the job easier. Jeff was in his wheelchair watching and enjoying the whole procedure. He said it helped him understand much better what they are doing to him and he can help with some slight movements at the right time.

After Ernest got back on Saturday we had another training session. I think Jeff got more of a kick out of that, watching us hoist each other back and forth. The procedure is to get the patient on the edge of the bed by getting a hold of his hips and pivot from side to side while sliding him forward with feet nearly touching the floor. Then a transfer belt is put around his waist so that one has something to hold on to. Then a slide board about two feet long or a little longer tapered on each end is used to slide him from the bed to chair and back again. I was rather amazed when I took Ernest’s entire bulk and hoisted him from the wheelchair to the bed, which was a couple inches higher than the chair, with little effort!

On Friday the occupational therapist and her assistant went with me to Jeff’s place to evaluate the house and make recommendations of what equipment is needed and how to set things up. She seemed pleased with the adequate room and the width of the doorways.
This therapist has been working with Jeff on his right hand and arm. He can close his fingers, but is not able to lift them up without help from his other hand. It is called radial palsy because the radial nerve is damaged in his upper arm, if I understand correctly. Improvement is already showing in the movement of his arms and fingers.

Another thing they are watching is his diabetes. It often goes up to 210 plus after a meal, so they are giving insulin. Before he had the accident he was able to get along with oral medication. Hopefully he can return to that later. He was diagnosed with diabetes in August and was watching diet and exercising. He had gone from 225 lbs to 205. He has lost more through this experience. The last they weighed him he was down to 188. They have him on a 2200 calorie diet because he needs the calories to heal the bones, but it’s a little hard for him to eat that much diabetic food without exercise.

Here are the plans for the near future. This Tuesday a number of the local men and Ernest poured concrete under the awning that runs the whole length of their mobile home. It had just been gravel there. Then they got the idea to put in some flowerboxes; so yesterday Joe Miller made flowerboxes with brick along side of the concrete floor, in front of the house.

Ernest’s whole family is to be there over the weekend for Thanksgiving. On Saturday they plan to build the ramp. It needs to be one foot long for every inch of rise. So that means a ramp of 30 plus feet long. A neighbor and his family plan to cut wood for Jeff today, so some of the Birky family was going to build a little shelter to put the wood in to keep dry.

On Monday the medical supply company is scheduled to set up a hospital bed in the house. They will also bring out other items needed. Then we hope to move Jeff home on Tuesday the 29th. Ruth and I plan to go back Monday evening, so we can be there to help with the move. We plan to be there for a week while Ernest and Louise come home. Louise has not been home yet – it will be four weeks from the time she left home till she gets back. From then on we plan to alternate every other week. We feel that as long as Jeff is wheelchair-bound either Ernest or I need to be there since we are the ones that got the training.

Last week I made a number of calls trying to get Jeff’s business matters under control. Jeff Kessler, who used to work for Jeff has offered to help fill orders. He and Lloyd worked on a couple tables and then Jeff K. has done a number of other items since then. So that is very nice. We are trying to hold off on any new orders for now. They are leaving the store front open until Christmas with a sign that says they will not be able to take orders, but would sell floor models and if anyone wants to wait for furniture in the future they can leave a message. I don’t see how Jeff can do any work for at least six months, and then I question whether he can do as much strenuous work as he had been doing.

I’ll mention a little yet about the graveyard where they children were laid to rest. That is such a lovely, peaceful setting, overlooking the churchyard. The dirt dug out of the grave was so rocky and full clay that they hauled in other dirt to fill the hole. You probably know that there was not enough dirt there the day of the funeral. They hauled in some more – then made five mounds. Each mound has a bronze metal marker with the names of each one. It looks so much more individualized than that great big hole for them all.

Maybe you remember the individual red roses on the table in the back of the church the evening of the viewing. Each one was labeled with one of the children’s name. They were in vases. Carolyn decided to go to school on Thursday, when they had a half-day of school for the first time following the accident. At the close of school she had each student take one of the roses – five students, five roses; three of the student girls for the three girls who died and two boys for the boys. They each took their rose up to the burial plot and laid their rose on the corresponding grave. Then the vases were given to them as a keepsake.

The Helm family continues to keep contact with Jeff’s. They were to visit him in the hospital again on Monday. Cliff Helm had a spell last week. He was at home, was telling a story, got a coughing spell and fell over, passing out for about 40 seconds. They took him to the hospital in Spokane and did testing on him but could not find anything to say why he passed out. His wife said they have an appointment with the heart specialist. If that produces no answers they plan to continue going to various specialists until they find out what is causing his problems. Cliff says he is not going to drive until they determine whether or not it is safe.

"So, prayer Warriors, Keep on Praying for Healing for Jeff and Cliff." vmr

Thank you for your concern and prayers, and please keep on praying for Jeff, Carolyn, and Mr. Helms.

Schrock Family Update II

2005-11-19T22:50:00.000-05:00

I want to thank all of my readers for their prayers on behalf of Jeff and Carolyn Schrock. The following is an update concerning Mr. Helm and Jeff's on going situation. I encourage prayer for Mr. Cliff Helm especially, it is apparent that the state will probably seek charges against him for the wreck that claimed the five children of Jeff and Carolyn Schrock. Also pray for Jeff's physical healing and for his and Carolyn's emotional and spiritual health to continue strong dispite this tragic loss.

The following comes from The Roth Report #219, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2005; for a personal subscription e-mail, news@anabaptists.org.

Court documents obtained by News4 show Washington State Patrol detectives are pursuing vehicular homicide charges against Cliff Helm. Investigators believe that Helm's driving caused a head-on collision that killed the five Schrock children on Highway 395 two weeks ago.

Physical evidence and witness statements suggest Helm had control over his pickup -- even after he swerved into the center median -- yet he still was not able to avoid the collision. Witnesses say Helm looked like he was accelerating as he drove the wrong way on Highway 395 in the seconds before the collision.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Schrock family says "though our grief is great during this time of the loss of five precious children, we have reason to daily thank God for his abundant care and provisions for us. We will never forget the sense that our great loss and sorrow was shared by the entire Spokane area." [KXLY; 11/15]

Jeffrey Schrock, the father of five children who were killed in a Spokane County car crash earlier this month, was moved to St. Joseph's Hospital in Chewelah today for therapy and care.

Ruth Hertzler, a member of Pine Grove Mennonite Church, said that Schrock "is recovering well and was in good spirits" before he left Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. In a statement to the community released through Hertzler, Jeffrey and Carolyn Schrock said they feel "blessed and humbled to have experienced the outpouring of concern and sympathy from the Spokane and Chewelah communities."

They were especially grateful to the physicians, chaplains, nurses, therapists and staff at Sacred Heart; the Washington State Patrol; Lauer Funeral Home; Calvary Spokane; Hansen Logging for helping with funeral arrangements; the media; and others who provided them with physical, emotional and spiritual support.

"We will never forget the sense that our great loss and sorrow was shared by the entire Spokane area, for which we thank you all," the Schrocks wrote. "Our prayer is that God will abundantly bless all who have touched our lives during this time of grief and sorrow." [SR.com; 11/15]

The following is from the Mennonite Weekly Review article by Robert Rhodes, http://www.mennoweekly.org/. Some of this is an overview of previous reports.

CHEWELAH, Wash. — The quiet scene outside Jeff and Carolyn Schrock’s home seemed to crystallize everything the family had lost in the previous week. There in the yard, according to a relative, were all the reminders of the five children who no longer lived there — toys, tricycles, a swing set, even a lonesome dog.

“The house was locked, but outside, you could see so many signs of children,” recalled Carmen Schrock-Hurst of Harrisonburg, Va., a cousin to Jeff Schrock. “How on Earth will these parents ever be able to go back into this empty house? I cannot imagine the many layers of memories they have to unpack and sort through.”

Schrock-Hurst and nearly 1,500 other people had gathered Nov. 7 for the funeral of the five Schrock children — Carmen, 12; Jana, 10; Carrina, 8; Jerrill, 5; and Creig, 2.

The children were killed around 4:20 p.m. Nov. 1 when their father’s pickup, headed south on U.S. Highway 395 near Spokane, collided head-on with a northbound truck driven by Clifford Helm of Deer Park. Helm’s vehicle had crossed the grassy median and, for reasons still unexplained, had driven the wrong way for more than 1,200 feet before the collision.

Jeff Schrock, 38, was seriously injured in the crash and was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, where Helm, 55, also is recovering. The children, all of whom wore seat belts, are believed to have died instantly, though one passerby told authorities he reached one of the children while she was still breathing and tried to help. Struggling for breath and gravely injured, however, the girl quickly died, the motorist said.

The children’s mother Carolyn, 32 — who is due to deliver the couple’s sixth child in December — was waiting for her family to pick her up in Spokane after a shopping trip. She was informed of her children’s deaths only after authorities had taken her to the hospital, where her husband lay clinging to his own survival in the hours after the crash.

On Nov. 5, Carolyn Schrock visited Helm in his hospital room, where she expressed her family’s forgiveness and concern for the welfare of the man many in the region have held responsible for one of the worst highway wrecks in recent memory. Church members said the Schrock family had heard that people were disparaging Helm, and wanted to send the public a different message.

“There is also another family who is sorrowing today, perhaps from a different perspective, but their chasm is great, too,” the Schrock family said in a statement. “We met the Helm family . . . and had a meaningful time. It was as if we were seeing into Sandy and Cliff’s souls. We saw their acceptance of proffered forgiveness and their expression of release from the thing that held them. It is a very special memory."

“There were some hard things said of the Helm family that were not from us. We feel and pray for them. Love builds bridges. Hate digs graves. May the seeds of love and forgiveness that have been planted this day grow and the leaves be for our healing.”

Meanwhile, at the site of the wreck, someone had set out two flower arrangements with the word “forgiveness” on a ribbon between them, according to news reports.

The deaths galvanized the Schrocks’ tiny faith community, centered on Chewelah’s small Pine Grove Mennonite Church, part of the independent Western Conservative Fellowship. The Schrocks had moved to Washington from Oregon a few years ago to help the new congregation prosper. They run a furniture-making business nearby.

According to Schrock-Hurst — whose uncle is Jeff Schrock’s father, Jason — the funeral for the five Schrock children was an emotional, faith-filled gathering that attracted a variety of people touched by the family’s tragedy.

The initial service — which Jeff Schrock was able to attend with the help of a medical crew — was held in Calvary Chapel, a large Spokane church. Afterward, mourners drove the hour’s journey to the Chewelah church, where the Schrock children, buried in a single grave, were the first to be laid to rest in the congregation’s cemetery.

“Perhaps the most vivid memory for me [was] sitting at the funeral watching the procession,” Schrock-Hurst said. “After the service, which was an hour and 20 minutes, they had everyone walk past the open caskets, all 1,500 people. It took an hour. We were some of the last to go since we were seated in the relatives section.

“It was just so amazing to see so many different kinds of Mennonites and Russian immigrants in their scarves, and Amish and Shriners in their uniforms and paramedics in their uniforms . . . and so many, many children.”

Throughout, Schrock-Hurst said, the children’s parents — Jeff propped in a specially-equipped wheelchair to cushion his many injuries — looked on. Nearby, two paramedics kept watch.

Schrock-Hurst said local response to the tragedy has been touching, with total strangers expressing condolences when they meet other members of the Schrocks’ plain-dressed church and offering everything from money to help securing motel rooms for out-of-town visitors.

“The firm faith in the providence of God and God’s ability to make something good out of this tragedy will see these people through,” Schrock-Hurst said. “The strength of community and depth of church support will undergird them. But it will not be easy, and the pain will last long after the newspaper coverage ends.”

Schrock Funeral Update

2005-11-08T23:25:00.000-05:00

This update comes from a church member and blogger friend on the west coast. His name is Mark Roth and issues by e-mail his Roth Report. If a subscription to his report is desired you can subscribe by going here: news@anabaptists.org His reports contain many briefs on current news stories from various sources. Some of what follows may repeat a part of previous postings.

The Schrock family has released a statement regarding the deadly accident yesterday.On behalf of the Jeffrey Schrock family, we want to thank all our friends, family, emergency and medical personnel, and community who have shown so much caring and compassion at this time. Your prayers and expressions of love have been a wonderful support to us. We thank God for His love and unlimited grace and strength sustaining us. "He hath loved thee with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3, and "Underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:27

Yet even while we struggle to understand and cope with the pain and magnitude of our own loss, our hearts go out in compassion for the driver of the other vehicle and his family. We pray that God's physical, emotional, and spiritual healing power be evident in their lives. [MSNBC; 11/2]Schrock Family StatementToday many people are asking the question, "Why? Why did this accident happen? Why did Clifford Helm's pickup cross the median strip and collide with Jeffery Schrock's pickup?" The Schrock family is asking "why?" The Helm family is asking "why?" The Washington State Patrol and detectives are asking "why?" and will spend several months investigating and searching for the answer to the question "why?"

In the end, there may be only one who will know the answer to that question and that is God. It may well be that when Mr. Helm's pickup entered the median strip of highway 395, it was no longer guided by Mr. Helm but by God and for reasons only He will reveal as events unfold.
But we believe the question "why?" will be answered in thousands of ways as people respond to the wake-up God is sending to this community and to our nation.

Already, one powerful message emerging from this event is this -- that love, compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation are far more positive forces for good and healing than hatred, scorn, bitterness, and alienation.

God help us all to follow the example of Jesus who said in divine love, "Father forgive them" about those who crucified Him. As we enter this Thanksgiving and Christmas season, let us all humbly seek that forgiveness and become God's ambassadors for the peace and healing of our land. [KXLY; 11/7]

Nearly 1,400 people gathered Monday for the funeral of five Chewelah children killed in a head-on collision between two pickup trucks.

The children's father survived the collision last Tuesday along US Highway 395 and attended the service with assistance from hospital staff.

Carolyn Schrock, the children's mother who was not in the accident, has expressed forgiveness for the driver of the pickup truck that smashed head-on into her family. She has met twice with Clifford Helm, of Deer Park, in a hospital room at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.

Jeffrey Schrock is recovering from severe injuries he suffered in the collision when investigators say Helm's truck veered off Highway 395, went about 1,600 feet before hitting the Schrock family. Experts believe he drove the wrong way on the southbound shoulder, swerving off the road once and regaining control before impact. They have, however, ruled out alcohol or medical problems. The cause of the accident remains under investigation. [KXLY; 11/8]

Here's how 1,500 mourners explained the deaths of five Mennonite children, all under the age of 13, all from the same family: By answering in 19 different ways that God, their Shepherd, was calling in his lambs.

But 19 answers don't quell the question: Why?
"We need to consider his wisdom and be satisfied with that," Mennonite deacon Clayton Eveleth told the crowd assembled Monday at north Spokane's Calvary Chapel.

Jeffrey Schrock was able to attend his children's funeral on Monday with the aid of a heavily padded wheelchair and a medical crew. He sat beside Carolyn Schrock, pregnant with their sixth child, facing the small white caskets containing the bodies of Carmen, 12; Jana, 10; Carinna, 9; Jerryl, almost 5; and Craig, 2.

The Schrocks wanted Eveleth and two other church leaders conducting the service to emphasize the need to forgive Helm, who had crossed the median and driven about 433 yards in the wrong lane before the crash. It remains unclear why Helm crossed the road.

Carolyn Schrock visited Helm at Sacred Heart Medical Center on Saturday in a personal gesture of forgiveness. The Schrock family photographed the visit and delivered a picture to local media, along with a written account of the visit.

"Love builds bridges. Hate digs chasms" was among the sentiments of the account.
Members of their Pine Grove Mennonite Church had heard hurtful statements about Helm in supermarkets and elsewhere. Concerned, the Schrocks decided to make their gestures of forgiveness public.

"There was a response from Carolyn right from the beginning for the driver of the other vehicle and how he was doing. That's compassion," Dan Hertzler, a Pine Grove congregant and family friend, said away from the service. "Forgiveness is the foundation of the believer's experience."

After the service, a procession of cars more than a mile long meandered up US 395, past the site of the accident and some 30 miles beyond to Pine Grove Mennonite Church cemetery in Valley. There, beneath a dozen canopies and myriad umbrellas, mourners watched as the children's caskets were lowered into the earth.

There were hundreds of mourners from as far as Virginia and Mexico, Guatemala and Poland -- family members and friends familiar with the Schrocks through Bible schools, people who were moved by the magnitude of the tragedy.

In the crowd, as a choir sang, Mennonite women tended to restless children. Some gave their daughters cautionary grasps on shoulders. Others cradled children for a long time as only parents can.

Beside the burial site of her five children, for perhaps the first time in 12 years, Carolyn Schrock's arms lay still at her sides. [Spokesman-Review; 11/8]The emergency responders quickly knew the gravity of the crash last Tuesday that killed all five children of a Chewelah, Wash., family. But for more than an hour, they feared there were even more victims they hadn't yet found.

Some of the responding fire crews from Spokane County Fire District 4 and Fire District 9 worked to free the children from the upside-down, twisted mess of their family pickup, while others stopped traffic to avoid more damage at the crash site on US Highway 395 near Hatch Road.

"We didn't know if that was all or not," District 4 Lt. Larry Helmer said. "We were concerned of maybe having to find more. Thank God it wasn't too long after I took over as incident commander that we found out that we had all the victims accounted for."

Although nearly a week has passed, the grisly recollections remain fresh in the minds of many of the first responders to one of the worst crashes in recent memory. The fire districts have provided counseling to their crews, many of whom are volunteers with their own young children.

When the first emergency workers arrived, they removed 55-year-old Clifford Helm from his pickup and 38-year-old Jeffrey Schrock from his truck. Others quickly worked with hydraulic jaws capable of opening sheets of steel like aluminum cans to carefully extricate the five children.
As a second MedStar helicopter waited on the ground on the chance that any of the children could be saved, a rising fear grew with each tense minute, said District 4 Deputy Chief Dave Phillips.

"In the vehicle, we were fairly certain that we knew what we had. We knew we had five kids," Phillips said. "As each was confirmed deceased on the scene -- as it continued to grow until there were five yellow sheets -- that added the layers of emotion and stress. You could see people realize the immensity of the incident."

Phillips arrived at the crash site just minutes after the accident, in which Helm's northbound 1999 Ford pickup left the roadway, crossed the median and continued the wrong way in the southbound lanes before smashing into the front of the 1986 Ford F-250 pickup carrying Schrock and his five children: 12-year-old Carmen, 10-year-old Jana, 8-year-old Carinna, 5-year-old Jerryl and 2-year-old Craig.

"This one, you could just tell by the dispatcher that this was a critical call," Phillips said. "One of the first things I did with the incident commander was to try to get a good count of how many people we were dealing with."

After securing the crash scene and helping the medical examiner photograph and load the children's bodies, Phillips and Helmer had emergency crews gather in a circle to talk about the crash and what they had seen. Phillips also let them know they would have a debriefing session with counselors to help cope with the range of emotions caused by witnessing the carnage.
"You do your job when you are at the scene," said Helmer, a 50-year-old volunteer. "But afterwards, you think about it. I very much hope I never see my grandson under one of those blankets." [Spokesman-Review; 11/8]

A friend who attended the funeral told me this evening that at the wreck site (about three miles from the funeral site and on the way to the cemetary) somebody had put up two flower arrangements with a sign (?) between them saying "Forgiveness." [Mark Roth]

Yesterday on her way home from the funeral, my wife (and those with whom she was traveling) stopped at a KFC in Spokane. A stranger walked up to them and asked them if they'd been at the funeral. She then said, "I'm so, so sorry." [Mark Roth]

Schrock Family Update

2005-11-08T00:10:00.000-05:00

Hundreds of friends, relatives and fellow Mennonites traveled from as far as Mexico, Canada and the East Coast for Sunday's viewing of the five Schrock children who were killed last week in a traffic accident. The viewing was held at Pine Grove Mennonite Church near Chewelah, Wash.

Woman forgives driver in crash that killed her children

Carolyn Schrock, the Chewelah woman whose five children were killed in a collision Tuesday, has forgiven the driver of the pickup truck that smashed head-on into her family after swerving into oncoming traffic, and wants others to do the same.

A spokesman for the Schrock family, Daniel Hertzler, provided copies of a prepared statement Sunday, along with a photo of Schrock meeting with pickup truck driver Clifford Helm, 55, in a hospital room at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. The statement says the two families have met twice, once Friday night and again Saturday morning.

Here is the text of the statement:
"Today we stand, as it were, in a great chasm of sorrow that is bridged by your love here today. Thank you.

"There is also another family who is sorrowing today; perhaps from a different perspective, but their chasm is great, too.

"We met the Helm family on Friday afternoon and again on Saturday morning, and had a meaningful time. It was as if we were seeing into Sandy and Cliff's souls. We saw their acceptance of proffered forgiveness and their expression of release from the thing that held them. It is a very special memory.

"There were some hard things said of the Helm family that were not from us. We feel and pray for them. Love builds bridges. Hate digs graves. May the seeds of love and forgiveness that have been planted this day grow and the leaves be for our healing."

Hertzler provided no details beyond those contained in the statement, which is signed by someone calling himself "Grandpa Birky."

Schrock's husband, Jeffrey B. Schrock, 38, is recovering from severe injuries he suffered in the collision near U.S. Highway 395 and Hatch Road. He was driving with their children to Spokane to meet Carolyn Schrock, who had traveled to town earlier in the day, when Helm's northbound pickup careened through the median and into the highway's southbound lanes. Cause of the accident remains under investigation.

From staff reports, November 7, 2005

Schrock Obituary

2005-11-06T23:30:00.000-05:00

SCHROCK, Carmen Joy, 12; Jana Louise, 10; Carrine Jean, 8; Jerryl Burdette, 4; and Craig Alan, 2.

Carmen Joy Schrock was born April 30, 1993 in Lebanon, Oregon.

Jana Louise Schrock was born March 23, 1995 in Lebanon, Oregon.

Carrina Jean Schrock was born October 7, 1997 in Chewelah, Washington.

Jerryl Burdette Schrock was born November 26, 2000, in Chewelah, Washington.

Craig Alan Schrock was born December 22, 2002 in Chewelah, Washington.

They all died in Spokane, Washington, November 1, 2005 in a traffic accident. They were born to Jeffrey and Carolyn (Birky) Schrock, who survive. Their ages at the time of their death were: Carmen 12 years, 6 months; Jana 10 years, 7 months; Carrina 8 years; Jerryl 4 years and 11 months; and Craig 2 years, 10 months.

The family moved from Halsey, Oregon to Chewelah, Washington in 1996 to assist in the church work of the Pine Grove Mennonite Church of Valley, Washington.Carmen, Jana, and Carrina were three of eight students in the Pine Grove Mennonite School. They were in grades 7, 5, and 2 respectively. They enjoyed school life and applied themselves well. Jerryl and Craig were normal, active, busy boys at home. All five children were open and friendly to friends and strangers alike and will be greatly missed by the family, church, and community.

Beside their parents they are survived by maternal grandparents Ernest and Louise (Bear) Birky and great-grandparents Elden and Priscilla Birky all of Halsey, Oregon; and paternal grandparents Jason and Ruth Schrock of Halsey, Oregon and great-grandmother Mildred Kropf of Harrisburg, Oregon; and numerous uncles, aunts and cousins. They were preceded in death by their grandmother Marilyn (Kropf) Schrock, great-grandparents Clarence and Mary (Brunk) Bear and great-uncle Gaylord Bear.

The family wishes to express deep gratitude for the immense outpouring of love, prayers and consolation that we have received from so many relatives, friends and neighbors from near and far. Our hearts have been especially touched by the concern and sympathy expressed by the Spokane and Chewelah communities.

Visitation for family and friends will start at 4:00 P.M. Sunday at the Pine Grove Mennonite Church located in West Jump Off Road in Valley, WA.

The funeral service will be at 10:00 A.M., Monday, November 7, 2005 in Spokane at the Calvary Chapel, 511 West Hastings directed by the LAUER FUNERAL HOME in Deer Park, WA., followed with interment in the Pine Grove Mennonite Church Cemetery in Valley, WA.

Trust funds have been set-up at the American West Bank and the Bank of America, under Jeffrey B. Schrock's name.
You can donate money in care of: Jeff Schrock Fund, Pine Grove Mennonite Church, 2784 A. Clarke Rd, Chewelah, WA 99109

Memorial Planned for Schrock Children

2005-11-04T00:40:00.000-05:00

This is an update on the Schrock family and the current plans for a memorial for the children that perished in a traffic accident in Washington state.

Community preparing memorial for crash victims
05:48 PM PST on Thursday, November 3, 2005

Rob Kauder / KREM.com

SPOKANE - Friends and family of five children killed in a head-on collision Tuesday night north of Spokane have begun preparing services to reflect on the lives of Carmen, Jana, Corrina, Jerrill and Creig Schrock.

The five children were killed in a head-on collision Tuesday afternoon along Highway 395 near Hatch Road north of Spokane. According to investigators, a truck driven by 55-year-old Cliff Helm of Deer Park crossed the centerline and slammed head-on into a truck driven by the children's father, 38-year-old Jeffrey Schrock of Chewelah.

The family will be holding a viewing of the children on Sunday at 4 pm at the Pine Grove Mennonite Church. On Monday funeral services for the children will be held at 10 am at the Calvary Chapel of Spokane, located at 511 West Hastings.

Following the services the funeral procession will drive to the Pine Grove Mennonite Chirch where the Schrock children will be the first to be buried in the church's new cemetary.
Family friends Dan and Ruth Hertzler remember the oldest of the children, Carmen, as being open, friendly and loved to sing. Her sister Jana was very studious; a good student who loved attending school and reading.

While Jana was quiet her younger sister Corrina, the middle child in the family, was considered very active and outgoing; “if you ever read ‘Winnie the Pooh’, she's Tigger."
Jerrill was a year away from beginning school and was just as friendly and outgoing as his sister Corina. He loved playing with his two-year-old brother Creig who was outgoing and loved jellybeans.

The children's father, Jeff Schrock, is recovering at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where he is listed in serious condition. His wife Carolyn is pregnant and is expecting the family's sixth child in six weeks.

Schrock Memorial Fund
You can donate money in care of:Jeff Schrock Fund, Pine Grove Mennonite Church, 2784 A. Clarke Rd, Chewelah, WA 99109

Please Pray for the Schrock Family

2005-11-03T21:45:00.000-05:00

To all of my readers, I ask you to pray for Jeff and Carolyn Schrock who recently lost their 5 children in a wreck that almost took Jeff too. I am posting the local article as we received it by e-mail.

Five children die, father badly injured in north Spokane crash
11/02/2005
Associated Press
Two pickup trucks collided head-on in the city's northern outskirts, leaving five young children from a Mennonite family dead and their father badly injured, authorities said.
Jeffrey B. Schrock and his children were in the extended cab of a southbound 1986 Ford F250 when it collided with a northbound 1999 Ford F250 which had crossed a grassy median and entered the southbound lanes of U.S. 395 about 4:20 p.m. Tuesday, according to a Washington State Patrol report.
Carmen Joy Schrock, 12; Jana Louise Schrock, 10; Corina Jean Schrock, 8; Jerrill Burdiette Schrock, 5, and Creig Allen Schrock, 2 were pronounced dead at the scene.
"This may go down as the worst crash" in the Spokane area, patrol trooper Jeffrey M. Sevigney told The Spokesman-Review newspaper. "Nobody could remember one, at least in this area, in recent times that's been this bad."
Schrock, 38, co-owner of a furniture store in Chewelah, and Clifford L. Helm, 55, of Deer Park, driver of the newer pickup, were rushed to Sacred Heart Medical Center. Schrock was in serious condition early Wednesday after initially being listed as critical and Helm was in satisfactory condition, both after undergoing surgery.
Evening rush-hour traffic was detoured around the crash scene just north of North Hatch Road. Northbound lanes were reopened about 8:45 p.m. but southbound lanes remained closed a longer time.
Ralph Hooley, another member of the 12-family Mennonite community in Chewelah, about 45 miles north of Spokane, told the newspaper the family was going to meet Schrock's pregnant wife Carolyn, the children's mother and the other store co-owner, who had gone shopping in Spokane.
The crash shook windows in the area and horrified passers-by who tried to render aid.
"I thought it was like an earthquake," said Jayme Marquardt, who lives nearby.
"There were about 30 people all standing around with their jaws touching the ground," said Caleb Gilbert, a motorist who stopped soon after the crash.
Gilbert said two of the children still had pulses when he reached the Schrocks' pickup, including a girl who was conscious but struggling to breathe. He said he pulled a body off her, but she died soon afterward.
Cause of the crash remained undetermined. Sevigney said there was no immediate indication drugs or alcohol were involved.
"We're going to spare no expense in conducting an investigation," patrol Lt. Steven G. Turcott said.
According to an article in The Spokesman-Review in 1997, the Schrocks opened North Country Furniture after they and two other Mennonite families moved to Chewelah from Tangent, Ore.
"He has a shop there at his house where he makes furniture — tables and chairs and things like that," Hooley said.

Please pray for Mr. Helm and his family too.

On the Issue of Salvation in Christ

2005-09-27T22:15:00.000-05:00

The following is a personal statement of how I deal with all persons that profess salvation from sin by belief in Almighty God and His Son Jesus Christ. I do not claim to know the mind of God, or fully understand the grace He offers to mankind in the suffering and death of His Son for sin. However, I can read, study, and meditate on the Word of God and I have come to understand enough that I desire to know more and more as God’s Spirit leads me into more knowledge of His Word each day. I also read as much as I can of the writings on Church history, but prefer to absorb God’s Word primarily. As I write this I am acutely aware of my limitations, but I seek to be conformed into the image of Christ and I desire to learn to love all mankind as Christ does, and myself as little as possible. Please bear with me and my ramblings.

The subject of salvation through Jesus Christ, and its attending theology, is an endlessly discussed topic within our Christian circles. A commonly held view today is the Reformed Theology that is based on John Calvin’s interpretation of God's Word as to how salvation is accomplished and is published in his “Institutes.” Another major view is the Arminian view, authored by Jacob Arminius that disputes this interpretation of Calvin. Martin Luther was another reformer, one of the oldest reformers, along with Hulderich Zwingli and another movement that came out of Zwingli’s group called the Anabaptists, or Swiss Brethren. The Reformation churches broke from the Roman Catholic Church from which the Greek Orthodox Church was an earlier split within the original Catholic theology. These Catholic theologies stood between the first century church and the Reformation period in which the Calvinistic, Lutheran, and Arminian theologies had their birth. All of these varying systems of theology basically hold Jesus Christ, as the Son of God and Savior to lost mankind, to be central to their theologies. Beyond this, there is much disagreement. Many views over the years have been expressed, much discussion carried on, and unfortunately, much rejection of one another as Christians due to the different interpretations of God's Word.

Obviously I am not an expert on ancient Church history and the point to this simplistic and brief ramble into the subject is to acknowledge that since Jesus Christ left this world, after His Resurrection and Ascension, man has gone through much in order to interpret God’s Word over the centuries and form a Biblical theology. The Reformation period brought about the greatest changes and with them literally war and death between proponents of one theology or the other.

As the author of this blog, I would rather not become excessively mired in the discussion of which theology is right and which is wrong. That discussion has raged for over 450 years since the Reformation alone, and has not been settled. Even within each theological system adherents argue among themselves as much as they do with those who hold opposing views. I would rather seek to discuss the call of God to all of lost mankind and His offer of Grace by the witnessing of the good news of salvation to sinners through Jesus Christ, to repentance, confession, and obedience to the commands of God as contained in His Word, the Bible. Obviously there are many better trained and smarter individuals within Christendom than myself, which can methodically explain just how God thinks and then interpret God’s Word better than I can. My offering of this gospel is to simply reach a balance by comparing Scripture with Scripture in as literal an interpretation as possible; trusting in the Spirit of God to provide the wisdom and guidance.

In my belief, the greatest teaching of Jesus Christ is that we Christians, we who profess faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, are to be known by our love for all mankind and especially towards one another as fellow servants of Christ. However, we Christians are quick to condemn each other as un-Christian and heretics when our interpretations differ, and this is confusing to me in light of Christ’s command to love one another. See Mark 9:36-40, John 13:34-35, and I Corinthians 13. This lack of love towards one another ought not to be a part of the reality of Christianity.

My foremost view of the teachings of Christ is one of love and acceptance of all people that profess faith in Christ; allowing them to serve and live before their Lord and God as the Word of God speaks to them. I see the call of love in Christ as the ultimate form of obedience to all who embrace Christ and who live in faithful obedience to His teachings and those drawn from the New Testament epistles; this obedience, or its lack, will cause them stand or fall before their Master as proof of or lack of true faith. In any disagreement with other believers I am taught by God’s Word that I may not judge their position as to whether they are saved or not; it is not my job; that authority is God’s and by His direction through the ordained leaders of a particular fellowship or denomination. I do realize that fellowships or denominations must form a system of beliefs and practices for its members that are based on the Word of God, and the members should live and worship within that system or to seek one in which they can support the fellowship and worship of God. The correctness of their choice is also between them and God.

Therefore, if a person finds the Catholic confession, a Protestant confession, or any other variation of Christian confession their choice of worship and fellowship, I will not condemn them. However, when brought into a discussion I may not agree with their choice and may discuss any differences in certain practices and interpretations on occasion, but I will not condemn the other person in their belief, they are God’s servant and they stand or fall before Him. And while we may not fully commune or worship together in harmony of belief, we do worship the same Father and Saviour and stand or fall before Him. (Mk. 9:38-40; Ro. 14:4 )

I do realize that issues of what may be considered right and wrong in the practice of daily living by various Christian belief systems will cause disagreements in our individual or corporate Christian stances, but again I leave these issues of disagreement to ultimately be between the holder of such and Christ, their Lord, along with my prayers concerning their involvements and choices in life that I cannot support. While we are called to rebuke sin, it is to be done primarily within our own life first, then within our particular fellowships, and always done in Christian love considering our own weaknesses. In like manner we also deal with those we witness to while sharing the Gospel.

This blog is open to all that seek to know or who already serve our Lord Jesus Christ and desire to discuss God’s Word and its call to repentance from sin, confession of faith in the existence of God and His gift of the atoning work of Christ on the cross of Calvary, and obedience to the Lordship of Christ and God’s Word. Issues of the day are also on the table for discussion; however, earthly, nationalistic governmental politics are quite low in priority in my opinion. All I ask for is respectful and courteous discussion, along with Christian forbearance, when agreement is not possible. The theology of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ by the Grace of Almighty God is offered to “whosoever believeth in Him (Jesus Christ) should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Belief in Jesus Christ is demonstrated by a renewed mind, through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit unto obedience to the whole counsel of God’s Word, which indicates the reality of true faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the redeemed sinner. (Ro. 12:1-2) (James 2:14-36) (Eph. 2:10)

In full disclosure to all readers, I believe in, serve, and worship Almighty God through the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, with the aid and strength of the Holy Spirit, within the Conservative Mennonite Church, Southeastern Mennonite Conference. I support our Statement of Faith and our Rules and Discipline as they have been drawn from God’s Word to aid me in practical Christian living before God. I am prepared to share a copy of this Statement of Faith and Rules and Discipline to anyone interested, and can do this by e-mail. May God grant to each believer His ever constant mercy, love, and grace as we faithfully, in full obedience, serve Him each day that He graciously grants to each of us.

God’s Remedy for Apostasy

2005-09-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

I am posting an article that I wrote a few years ago for a evening program at our church that was eventually published in our conference publication, "LIFE LINES." Apostasy is not a pleasant subject, but one that can overcome the believer due to certain conditions that develop within our lives. The New Testament is replete with warnings to all believers to stay focused on God's Word and its application in life. I acknowledge that there are many that do not believe that a believer can fail of the grace of God, but the Word plainly shows that this is a real possibility. Not to say that God fails, but we allow ourselves to fail in our lack of due diligence. Our Lord Jesus Christ spent many of His morning hours and late nights in communion with the Father, and since He is our example, we must also give heed to our prayer life and daily meditation on God's Word. I offer this considering myself and my own weaknesses of the flesh and I daily need the reminder to take up my cross and follow my Lord. May He receive all the glory.

God’s Remedy for Apostasy

“Surely it couldn’t happen to me. I’ll never turn away from God, never return to the world, never grow cold in my love for the Lord, and never leave the fellowship of the church.” That is most likely what most people who have fallen from grace have thought. God’s Word highlights the subtleness of apostasy when it says, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). It confirms the reality of apostasy in passages such as I Timothy 4:13; Matthew 24:11-12; II Timothy 3:1-5 and 4:3-4; and the Book of Jude.

The threat of apostasy is evidenced in the church when we see a lack of concern for using the Bible in decision making; using human logic as authority for making changes in our life and not the authority of God’s Word; the lack of desire on the part of professing Christians for fellowship with the saints, for the things of God, for study in His Word, and for outreach to the world of lost souls around us. Also evident is the carelessness on the part of leaders, both in families and in the church, in teaching doctrine and giving the living example to those around them that Christ demands.

Spiritual blindness produces apostasy that leads to living selfish, fleshly, lives and doing evil deeds with a carnal mentality in rejection of God’s commands in His Word. This leads to eventual rejection by God and loss of salvation.

Preventing Apostasy
Knowing these things, what can we do to prevent apostasy in our lives?

A believer must make the fundamental beginning to determine within his heart that he will seek and develop a deep love for God and His Word.

This love must include a strong desire to know the Scriptures. “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it” (Psalm 119:140) “My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times” (Psalm 119:20). “I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments” (Psalm 119:131).

Do you long for an opportunity to spend time with God’s Word? Or are you engrossed in other pursuits or interests in life? Although there is nothing wrong with hobbies, jobs, or other aspects of family life, but our individual desires must be restrained in these areas so that we may learn to allow the Spirit to guide us into a greater love of God’s Word.

Along with this we must allow time daily to pursue our love of God’s Word. In Joshua 1:8 we read, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night.” Psalm 1:2 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Can we be any less diligent than Joshua or David? Joshua heeded God’s instruction in his life, and God was with him in the conquest of Canaan.

David suffered when he sinned, but found wonderful forgiveness from God when he returned to God’s Law. His failure brought much suffering to his family. Yet David was a “man after God’s own heart” (I Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).

We are no stronger in our own strength than David. David sinned, even thought he loved God’s Word, when he let his lustful nature lead him astray. We can also allow our lives to be overcome by sin if we are not diligent in our study and practice of God’s Word.

Joseph is another example of one who honored his God even when he was a slave, a prisoner, and the ruler of Egypt.

Daniel expressed his love for God when he “purposed in his heart” to follow God’s Law. Daniel’s favor with God is shown in his position as a leading advisor to Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus; some of the world’s greatest kings.

As Paul admonished Timothy, so we must give attention to “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (II Timothy 2:15).

Secondly, we must acknowledge the presence and purpose of Satan and his followers. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful” (Psalm 1:1). “Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them” (Proverbs 24:1). “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers....” (II Corinthians 6:14). “Enter thou not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men” (Proverbs 4:14).

These verses stand as a warning to us about Satan’s servants. We need to be aware that Satan goes about as a lion to devour those he can, and that he is the very enemy of God. Satan’s desire is to crush as many souls as he can; especially those who profess to follow Christ.

To combat this we must put on the armor of God. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand....having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness,...your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace,....taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked,...take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:11-17). Paul realized the importance of being prepared to resist the devil to prevent apostasy. The unprepared will be unable to cope with Satan and his followers.

Without truth, righteousness, a prepared Gospel of Peace, and a ready shield of faith, we are not ready to meet the enemy. Without Biblical understanding we cannot wield the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God!

Thirdly, we must readily confess our sins. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Do we harbor sins in our lives? Making room in our lives for sinful living will lead us into apostasy. Sin exacts a horrible price. “For the wages of sin is death....” (Romans 6:23). This is apostasy in its final form.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). These verses answer our problem of sin with God. God has prepared everything for us; all we need to do is to confess and forsake our sins (Proverbs 28: 13).

Fourthly, we must willingly accept the help and direction of the brotherhood. Hebrews 3:13 says, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” “Obey them that have rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17) We are further encouraged, “And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation...” (Hebrews 13:22).

We cannot live unto ourselves. Each one of us is important to God and fills a valuable place as a member in Christ’s church. We ought to have our brother’s and sister’s best interest ahead of our own. We are a church of servants, serving Christ and one another.

Fifthly, we must “ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established” (Proverbs 4:26). Where are we going in life? What are our plans? Have we sought the counsel of God’s Word and of our brethren in Christ? Is our pattern the Lord, His Word, and His example of life?

To avoid apostasy, we must be established in Christ and His way before our way is right. This is an ongoing, life-long exercise that takes our constant awareness. We must seek, by the help of the Holy Spirit, to grow in grace daily. Our goal, then, is to be more and more like the Master.

Moses told the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days.....”

Let us say as the psalmist, “Order my steps in thy word; and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” In doing this, we can prevent the error of apostasy from encroaching into our lives. Each individual is responsible in this, that our collective body may be the pure and spotless bride of Christ.

May the Father help us as we look unto Him for strength, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

(This article was published in the “Life Lines” of the Southeastern Mennonite and South Atlantic Conferences at Christian Light Publishing, 1066 Chicago Ave. Harrisonburg, Va. 22810 in the Sept.-Oct. 1993 issue.)

Sharing the Gold of Another

2005-08-30T19:34:00.000-05:00

I had a brother in Christ pass on to me a newsletter from a Mennonite bible school in Pennsylvania that contained an article that I found addresses a current need in my denomination quite well. I wrote the author and received his permission to publish the article in its entirety. Although written to Mennonites in particular and except for their specific history being cited, I think that you could just leave off the Mennonite name and the spirit of this article could apply to most, if not all, Christian denominations; therefore, while being addressed especially to Mennonites, I offer it to all Christians; its message is for any Christian trapped in a huddle of inactivity in following our Lord's command to "Go ye therefore" and spread His gospel to the World.

The school is Sharon Mennonite Bible Institute located in Harrisonville, PA.

Mennonite Vision for the Twenty-first Century
By Val Yoder

Historically, Anabaptists have been given two labels. During the Reformation, our spiritual ancestors were called “the radicals.” They were a pro-active group on the cutting edge of a determined effort to bring the church back to her biblical foundation in Acts. They initiated discussion, evangelism, and took Christ’s command to “Go ye therefore and teach all nations” literally. The ambition and intensity of this time not only earned them the title “radical” but also ignited the fires of persecution and wrathful animosity against their simple faith.

Years later, some of the heat of religious hatred toward them dissipated. As the next generation reflected on the cruelty and brutality upon their forefathers and found places of political refuge, they developed a maintenance mode of church life. There was a concerted effort to preserve that which forefathers had died for. “Hold fast to the faith” become the theme. In their places of refuge from the intolerant magistrates of Europe they became known as the “quiet in the land.”

Both titles (the “radicals” and the “quiet of the land”) are essential, and represent two callings of church life. The church is called to be pro-active while maintaining the faith. As a contemporary Anabaptist, I am grateful for a heritage that has done well in maintaining biblical application while most other denominations have compromised to the point of invisibility. I recall going to Sunday School as a child in a mission church where Lutheran ladies would not attend church unless they were veiled, usually with a stylish hat. Walter Beachy reports that in his grandmother’s day the Amish and Methodist ladies looked nearly the same from across the street. It was only with a closer look that you would see the frills and extra lace not worn by the Amish. “Holding fast” in our churches has visibly preserved a biblical obedience that has been lost in most denominations.

As important as maintenance is, it must actively cooperate with passionate action. If our “holding fast” is not coupled with “Go ye therefore,” Anabaptism will become extinct except as a quaint reminder of western culture’s past.

Honest questioning forces us to ask, “Where are we in these “holding” and “going” endeavors? A couple of years ago a teacher at SMBI’s Ministers Week asked a group of forty to fifty pastors, “How many of your churches have five or more members from non-Mennonite backgrounds?” Only one pastor raised his hand. Would this indicate which side of the continuum we are on? When churches grow only due to church hopping and child birth, we are in a maintenance mode. When churches divide because of dissension rather than evangelism, we are in a maintenance mode. If marriage and material things primarily characterize the future vision of our people, we are in a maintenance mode.

These factors do not suggest pro-activity! Marriage and material things are the tools to something far bigger! We are in warfare. No truce has been called between the kingdoms of man and the Kingdom of God. One pastor questioned Luke Kuepfer, “Is it safe to send young people to China?” He assured the pastor that, “No, it is not safe!” But, we are not here to be safe. We are here to be dangerous!!! Even the gates of hell should not be able to withstand us! If we are concerned primarily about safety we are stuck in the maintenance mode. Was it safe for Felix Mantz to face the city council? Is it safe for the underground Chinese church to take the gospel back to Jerusalem? Was it safe for the Ten Boom family to hide Jews? Was it safe for Stephen to preach to the high priest? Was it safe for Pablo Yoder to stay in Waslala?

As important as the maintenance mode is, it will never be compelling by itself! Where there is no “Go ye therefore,” there will be no significant or biblical “Holding fast.” Oh, that once again we would be worthy of the title “Radical!” God calls us to maintenance, but He also calls us to trail blazing, to adventure, to battle, to escapades, and to risk for the sake of building the Kingdom of God! The greatest challenge facing the contemporary conservative Mennonite church is the provision of “Go ye therefore” examples for young Anabaptists today to model their lives after and to guide them in the conquests of the Kingdom.

The conservative Mennonite church must continue to raise up men and women like Irvin and Susan Schantz who left home and family to travel to the frigid northern regions to plant churches where no Anabaptist had ever traveled. Their bread was spread with lard in their primitive home while they labored to plant churches in northern Minnesota and northwestern Ontario.

We need men like John and Joseph Overholt whose busy mission schedule found them boarding commercial airlines in their barn attire in order to catch a flight to ministry locations and then changing to street clothes in the confinement of the airplane restroom. Their ministry in New York City still inspires fervent memories in many who accompanied them.

We need homes like that of Count Zinzendorf whose house became a training facility for missionaries. The prayer closet of their home was filled twenty-four hours a day with prayer warriors for two hundred years! That community of people sent out more missionaries in twenty tears than all of the rest of European Christianity did in 200 years.

The conservative Mennonite Church has the resources and willingness in its young people. In the early eighties, young people left SMBI on weekends and term breaks for the cellars of New York City to encourage and assist the church planters that labored there. They slept on tables and the floor while rats walked on the pipes above them. In the early part of this decade young men crept past enemy soldiers in Myanmar, stepping gingerly around land mines to take food to people groups marked for genocide. There is a whole arm of Kingdom soldiers in our churches who are willing to go into battle with weapons not made with hands. They need to be called forth by the church and sent into action.

What is the challenge facing Anabaptism in 2005?
1. We must get our eyesight off retirement! If middle-aged Anabaptists primarily dream of retiring in some vacationland city of the south, they will live out a life style that will not reflect a compelling vision to the next generation! We will lose that generation to the worldly value system that has already captured us.

2. We must embrace the commitment of the persecuted church. Martyr’s Mirror should be a regular part of our educational history requirements. The underground church in China should become our mentor. Our love for Jesus must mean that what we live for is also worth dying for. The Chinese church is committed to sending their best workers, the most experienced, the best equipped. Ten years of experience in leadership is desired for those that are sent out. What does that imply about the way that we tend to pull experienced missionaries back from the mission field to pastor our home churches?

While we question if it is safe to go into closed access countries, our Chinese brothers and sisters expect persecution. Of the first thirty-nine missionaries sent out in the “Back to Jerusalem” mission effort, thirty-six were arrested and sent back home. The Chinese church rejoiced that three made it through, undeterred, the others tried again as soon as they were released from jail. They train their workers to cross cultural barriers, to target specific groups. And to witness in all situations; on trains, buses, police cars, even on their way to execution. These workers are spiritual suicide bombers. They know they need to go, but they don’t know if they will come back. They are trained how to get out of their handcuffs in thirty seconds and how to jump from second story windows without getting hurt.

3. We must rekindle the fire of conquest in young men. The God-given drive for conquest in young men has been sedated into sports endeavors; shooting the biggest buck or hitting the most home runs. When our teaching of non-resistance is not coupled with conquest for the Kingdom, we will raise a generation of wimps; yellow soldiers who prefer coffee time to war time. Assuredly, our weapons are not carnal, but neither are they non-existent. They are MIGHTY, to the pulling down of strong holds!!!

Middle-aged American Anabaptists must capture a vision for Kingdom building that calls forth the wisdom of the aged and the daring of the young. This vision must include both the maintenance of faith, and the pro-active aggression of works. Our challenge involves “Holding Fast” while we “Go therefore.”

Published in the Quarterly Newsletter of Sharon Mennonite Bible Institute, “the MONITOR,” Vol. 27, No. 3 August 2005.
E-mail smbi1@juno.com
Telephone for office: 717-485-4341, fax 717-485-0641
Address: SMBI, 7304 Lincoln Hwy., Harrisonville, PA 17228

Christian Service and Identity

2005-08-20T13:30:00.000-05:00

I have been reading in John’s gospel chapter 13 on the lesson Jesus gives, by personal example, of service and humility to His disciples and, by extension, to us. Let us read some of the passage as John relates the incident:

John 13
1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. (KJV)

Travel was a rather dirty experience in Jesus’ day, for travel was mostly by foot on dusty or muddy pathways. It was the custom of those days to wash one’s feet as they entered a home, and for those that entertained travelers and guests in their homes to provide someone, usually a family servant or household member, to wash the feet of those entering their home. Apparently a servant was not provided in the use of this upper room that the disciples procured at Jesus’ instructions. The disciples came to the supper without washing their feet or assisting one another in doing so. Apparently they took their places at the meal in this condition. This task was one they should have taken care of themselves, a task they uncharacteristically overlooked.

At some point during or after the meal or its preparation, Jesus rises and while the disciples are in conversation, and He removes His outer garments, takes a towel that was obviously provided for this purpose and girds it around His body to keep it handy. Taking a basin filled with water the Lord begins to go to each disciple and to wash their feet and dry them with the towel around His waist. This is a beautiful picture of how humility and service to one another operates. Jesus gave no overtures or said a word to anyone, He just rose to meet a need of those that He loved and served them in a quiet humble manner.

There is so much in this passage that one could discuss and maybe I will later, but for now I want us to concentrate on the example our Lord gave to these men, and to us, in His humble service. They had overlooked a common need in their haste to eat the Passover meal, either out of forgetfulness or out of some kind of pride, it is not really important to know the reason in order to see the lesson of our Lord Jesus to the disciples and us. Jesus used the opportunity to teach His chosen disciples a lesson in how they were to see themselves and each other as members of Christ’s body, the Church. Jesus said, “Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” Our Lord performs a simple action, which gives to us a great a lesson. We are to operate on a much different level compared to our natural human inclinations in our relationships with one another; we are to serve one another just as Christ has shown us in His example, no matter how common the need. If we can stoop and wash our brother’s or sister’s feet, or perform some other personal service, then we are showing the love of Christ to one another.

Now it may not be that we need to actually wash one another’s feet, but are we ready to offer a service just as humble; to make an offering to Christ in quietly serving one another, doing as He did, and doing it without overture or comment, and to do it as if we were doing it to Jesus personally. Remember, Jesus also said in Matthew 25:40, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” And in Matthew 10:42, “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” Jesus reinforces this in John 13:33-35, “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” No matter the need, a cup of cold water, caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, or sheltering the homeless, no matter who or where they are they are, but especially loving service to our brethren in Christ, is doing Christ’s work now. It should also be the mark of our identity to the rest of the world. We are to love one another as we love our God and Lord.

For the record I realize that many commentators on this Scripture passage point out in their opinions that Jesus was in no way setting up a religious practice to be followed in the same manner as communion or baptism. I happen to belong to a Christian faith that does see a literal purpose in practicing the ordinance of feetwashing as a part of the communion service due to the inclusion of both teachings following together in this chapter. However, my intention here is not to just encourage the concept as a religious practice, but that you should practice the concept in reality in daily living; for this kind of active love is a command of Christ to His followers. Christ did say that as He washed the disciple’s feet so they should wash one another’s feet, so a literal translation indicates a practice among believers should be instituted. The important aspect is that we practice the command in daily life as believers.

There is much more in this passage and in the rest of the chapter, but I thought that it would be a good point to meditate on for now, and it poses a great challenge to each of us in our living for and serving God’s Kingdom here and now. May we so glorify our God and Lord in our service with the example of our love toward one another.

Home Schooling vs. Public Schooling

2005-07-25T23:56:00.000-05:00

This post is opening up a discussion on a topic that pertains to one of our many Christian positions that vary within our life and practice as Christians. While I usually prefer to directly discuss God's Word here, it has become obvious that other issues need to be discussed and thus we enter into the domain of opinions.

I was reading the news and came upon a link about home schooling at the NEA website. I was curious and went there and it was quite an eye opener as to the views expressed. Here is the title of the article, and link, with an excerpt:

Home Schools Run By Well-Meaning Amateurs
Schools With Good Teachers Are Best-Suited to Shape Young Minds
By Dave Arnold
http://www.nea.org/espcolumns/dv040220.html

Excerpt:
“There are few homeowners who can tackle every aspect of home repair. A few of us might know carpentry, plumbing and, let’s say, cementing. Others may know about electrical work, tiling and roofing. But hardly anyone can do it all.

Same goes for cars. Not many people have the skills and knowledge to perform all repairs on the family car. Even if they do, they probably don’t own the proper tools. Heck, some people have their hands full just knowing how to drive.

So, why would some parents assume they know enough about every academic subject to home-school their children? You would think that they might leave this -- the shaping of their children’s minds, careers, and futures -- to trained professionals. That is, to those who have worked steadily at their profession for 10, 20, 30 years! Teachers!”

“(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois.)
[Disclaimer at the bottom of the article:]
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.”

I took my children out of public school and put them into a Church run school because of the public school programs were aimed at “shaping the minds” of the children in a direction that I, as a Christian, did not approve. While I agree that we do shape the minds of our children as we teach them; the direction that the public school was taking their minds was too far into the world’s manner of thinking for me to accept. As a Christian, my beliefs and how they were to be lived out did not mesh with the public school’s direction to say the least.

The teachers of our Church School may not be certified by our state, but they are trained in the use of the curriculum that the school adopted. This curriculum was designed for a student to use in our school setting or in a home school setting. Some of the students work at home some days and at the school other days. The teachers organize the work for each grade level, assist the students as they proceed through the various subjects at their own pace, keep records documenting the students’ progress, and administer all tests along the way. It has worked well for the last 15 or so years and the Christian ethics of life we prefer to teach our children has also been met. While we do encourage our teachers to garner as much teaching education as they can in order to stay up to date and better prepared to teach within the church schools we have operating; our current system does work well, and those of our students that take the GED tests do very well. Having participated as a substitute teacher in our school, I know first hand that the curriculum used is well thought out and flows well through the subject at each grade level. I also realized that after 35+ years since I graduated from high school much of what they are learning is as challenging to me as to them.

I could go on and give my view of this article and the problems that I see stated in it by its author, however, I would like to use his article as a springboard into discussion on this subject if my readership is so inclined. All opinions are welcome, I only ask for respect to be accorded to all views in discussing this subject.

Fellowship or Friendship

2005-06-30T22:50:00.000-05:00

According to the Greek thinker, Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), there are three kinds of friendship: friendships based on usefulness and advantage; friendships based on pleasure; and friendships based on goodness and virtue. The first two do not necessarily involve people who feel affection for one another, and are not always formed around a common vision of virtue and a good life that sustains, fosters, and strengthens each friend in his commitment and progress in living well.

Aristotle lacked one very important aspect in his formulation as he tried to seek friendship within the city-states of Greece. He did not personally know Jehovah God or His Son Jesus Christ. However, this does not negate the truth of what he thought about friendship. All truth is from God, so we can use Aristotle’s premise as it does help us understand friendship in the sense of ‘koinonia’, the Greek word for fellowship.

“Koinonia” expresses the idea of holding something in common and is most often translated “fellowship”. New Testament fellowship is a means for developing commitment to the Kingdom of God and faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, and for advancing the spread of Gospel. We are friends with one another as we hold Christ in common. Fellowship is then built on friendship that is centered on holding in common a joint commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We Christians identify mostly with friendship based on fellowship. But the other kinds of friendship may apply in some of our associations. We draw closer to those who strengthen our search for goodness and virtue. Naturally, we do have acquaintances that may not fall into this category, and though we do count them as our friends, it is in a different way than we do with our Christian brethren. However, these associations are important, for they form a large part of the field of harvest in which we are to work for Christ.

In our ongoing fellowship with one another, we endeavor to raise each other to a higher spiritual level in Christ. Our fellowship is primarily built around the knowledge and acceptance of Christ and enhanced by our normal earthly interests. Just as important is the raising of the spiritual level of our friendships to a higher spiritual level over time. Friendships, with their inherent common interests, can be an effective way of reaching the goal of bringing our unchurched friends into the kingdom of God, and establishing them within our fellowship.

Our New Testament fellowship should be guided by a clear conception of a sanctified life formed by the virtues contained in the Word of God. It must include a clear understanding of how to grow in that sanctified life. It should enable us to spread and defend that life among unbelievers. And it should allow the Word to protect us from being conformed to the godless ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. The mutual stimulation of Christian minds will better enable us to proclaim and defend the Gospel and the Christian worldview it develops.

As we consciously strive to develop our fellowship in Christ, our gatherings should center on a study of the Word of God. We should absorb the Word as we let the Holy Spirit guide us. Then we should use the Word to evangelize others within the spheres of our influence. And we should be prepared to give a defense of the Gospel as we penetrate the pagan culture around us.

Our fellowship should prepare and enable us to share the Word with our friends of similar vocation as we come together in groups for study. It should help us to penetrate their professions with the Gospel and its worldview.

While pleasant conversations with our friends and family are part of our fellowship, we must not let them be the totality of our fellowship. Our fellowship often is filled with too much trite conversation which has no clear goal or purpose. Too often we allow the everyday topics more importance than spiritual topics. When we do meet to study, the focus is usually too denominationally centered or on self-helps just for our human natures. Although these are important, they usually are not driven to better help spread the kingdom of God through the Gospel of His Son.
Self-improvement is good and has its place, as does a normal conversation, but our commission, the purpose of our fellowship, is to evangelize the world for Christ. Even our self-helps are to be aimed in this direction that we may enter more deeply into the spiritual life of the kingdom of God, developing a more articulate and effective ministry in the spreading of the Gospel within our circles of influence.

Finally, the question is not fellowship or friendship, nor is it fellowship and friendship. It is our fellowship that is centered on Jesus Christ, with a desire to bring all our friendships into fellowship with Christ.
...................................................................................
The above article is one that I wrote and was published in the March-April 2005 issue of "Life Lines" a publication of the Southeastern Mennonite Conference in conjunction with the South Atlantic Mennonite Conference at Christian Light Publications, 1006 Chicago Ave, Harrisonburg Va. 22802.

All's Well That Begins Well

2005-06-21T22:41:00.000-05:00

The wedding of Lezlie and Vernon went on without any major hitches. Friday before the wedding was the longest day starting early and ending late. Setting up was accomplished with the help of several cousins, friends, and other family members. The food was prepared by three of L's aunts and our very helpful Deacon's wife. We really appreciate the help so many lent in getting all of the 45+ tables and over 350 chairs in place, food prepared and errands run. Rehearsal supper was at our little church basement, and rehearsal back in the Baptist church, fortunately both were not to far distant from one another. Rehearsal was too long, but what wedding rehearsal isn't. Daughter was somewhat stressed, but what new bride isn't. All went to bed late and up early for a 10:30 AM wedding, which meant be there at 8:00 for preliminaries and last minute adjustments.

We used a large, new Baptist church since our little church would not handle the long list of expected guests, nor did we have enough fellowship hall at our country church. I think we had between 250 and 300 people attend the wedding. Some came from PA, MO, GA, MD, NC, IN, MI, FL, SC, OH, and of course Va. We were blessed that so many took the time to come and witness the union of our children in marriage. We also appreciate the helpful Christian friends at Grace Baptist Church for their kindness and assistance and the use of their beautiful church.

The wedding ceremony went off as planned and so did the reception after. Lezlie and Vernon left for the mountains of TN for a week of honeymooning, and the clean-up was accomplished in record time, compared to the set-up time, making the day a short one indeed. Many thanks to all the servers, family and friends that helped. For another view of this event go here and read Lezlie's brother's thoughts in "Peace After the Storm" and a few others.

Please pray for Lezlie and Vernon as they now begin their life together as one before God in the service of Christ our Savior. Vernon is a medical student and blogs as Md-hopeful, he is on my blogroll.

UPDATE: 6/22/05 Go to tencentsworth blog for pictures of the Bride and Groom, just scroll down until you find them and a few other pics from the wedding. My son just loves his new digital camera so he is the official poster of pictures for the family.

A New Chapter in the Family History

2005-06-12T16:08:00.000-05:00

I do not usually include what is happening within my family on this blog, but a milestone has been reached! My wife and I are about to enter the empty nest phase of our marriage.

Before I started this blog, two of my children, my son who is the oldest child and my oldest daughter, had already married. We are coming to the marriage of the last one, my youngest daughter, on this weekend. She is to marry a fine young fellow who is a medical student from the Augusta, GA area and they will settle near there.

Our family began growing when our son was born just before our third wedding anniversary and he is now 29, so you see that it has been a long time since we had a home to just ourselves. Coupled with this is the fact that all of our children and their spouses are or will be living out of state makes for some major quiet time in the home. That two of them are close together in GA will be handy, six hours away, the drive to the eldest daughter and husband will be twice as far for us since they live in MO.

If the Lord wills, and all proceedings occur according to plan, this wedding will occur on Saturday morning at *gasp* 10:30 AM! I think that since there is an expected turnout of about three hundred and fifty (and maybe a few more) it will be quite a busy week of preparations leading up to a very early Saturday morning to say the least!

I, and my family, do appreciate your prayers for "L & V" and the rest of the family as we make this change. May it all bring glory to God as this new home is established.

It is Discouraging

2005-06-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

This post is an attempt to encourage those of us that profess to be Christians to think about how we speak in our conversations and how we comment on the blogs we visit. I understand that we are still ‘in the flesh’, but that ‘flesh’ is supposed to be crucified with Christ. However, sometimes we find ourselves getting so angry over the unkind or hurtful things someone may say or write that we set aside our profession of Christ momentarily and respond in kind. I understand why some unsaved people write or speak in the crude vernacular of the world. It comes from within one’s heart first, for Jesus says that though evil communication comes verbally out of one’s mouth is first conceived in the heart and that this is what defiles us. Mark 7:18-23. Hopefully we Christians will be sure of the attitudes of our hearts before we make our comments.

I sometimes scan the political blogs and have found it quite discouraging to read the very non-Christian comments about persons and ideologies as well as comments to other commentators which are being made by professing Christians. I have found it shocking to read the crude language and hypocritical attitudes that some Christians respond with. Now I realize that some, not all, of these non-Christian people do say and write their comments with crude statements to make their opponents angry, the purpose is designed to cause opponents to fail in their argument by succumbing to their anger. We ought never to allow this to happen, however, when it does, it brings great harm to the gospel of Christ and our personal testimony. It also violates the Golden Rule, to do unto others as you would have them unto you. It emboldens our adversary to blaspheme God and gives place or advantage to Satan to accuse us before God. Eph. 4:27 Read all of Ephesians, especially chapter 4.

I wonder if we Christians are beginning to lose sight of the fact that we are to bring light into our conversations and to be a preserving influence, like salt, in all that our Lord would have us engage in. If we feel the call to enter into the political debates or seek political office should not the goal be to exemplify all the Christian ideals of God’s Word? The Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5-7, teaches us not to use such ‘worldly’ attitudes and unredeemed language to respond to critics or opponents of our Christian beliefs. Without allowing God’s Holy Spirit to guide us we cannot control our speech, Jas 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Read all of the Epistle of James, it is so practical in its guidance of Christian living.

Judgment must start at the house of God, for God has said, “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (Leviticus 20:7; I Peter 1:15&16) What is being holy all about? Does it not apply to speech and to the writing of our thoughts as well as in all of our living before God and man? Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote in this passage of God’s Word:
Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

These passages are a call for us to live holy before God and man. Our calling is to witness for Christ while having a life adorned with the Grace of God and to extend His Love and Mercy to all men, to those that disagree with us, but especially to our enemies. May God grant to us forgiveness and pardon for our weaknesses shown by our anger as we repent of it and yield to God’s commands as taught in His Word.

Is It Time For a Change?

2005-06-05T17:16:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers: I have a request to make. While I want to primarily run a blog as a witness for Christ, I have realized that more folks want/need to voice their concerns about current issues that face us all in living for God each day within a pluralistic society. I seem to spend a lot of my time on other blogs in discussions on these issues and thought may be I should include more on current issues here along side lessons on God's Word.

I have wanted this blog to meet spiritual needs by encouraging people in God's Word, but I also see this need of seeking answers to questions raised by daily issues in life too. I have even shared some of these that concerned me in the recent past. While I have great respect for the many Christian blogs on the internet, I wanted something somewhat different since those out there were covering many of these other issues.

I have said that I wanted to avoid personal opinion here, mine or others, concerning the Word of God, but I am finding this hard to do with so much opinion in life. I also confess to a bit of writer's block recently on which Scripture passages to use, it is as if the Holy Spirit has closed my thinking and I wonder if He is trying to get me to include something else.

So, what are your thoughts as to the direction to take this blog, is it to change, do I to add more opinion and sharing of issues we face daily?

Pray, think, and then comment your thoughts, I thank you for your help.

Modesty in Christians

2005-05-21T21:15:00.000-05:00

Here is another interesting topic for Christians to consider in their manner of life. It especially applies to the youth of our churches, but is important to all Christians young or old.

Go here and read the second short post on May 20, 2005 and enter the discussion. Once again, you may comment there or here. Issues like this are used to strengthen us in our Christian life.

May God lead us in this discussion.

Update: I notice that Darin has re titled his post Purity and plans one on modesty later. I think both are related, although purity is deeper in that it is something at the core of our being with modesty being the visual part that we show others as to the state of our purity.

Christian Ethics

2005-05-18T13:25:00.000-05:00

I am entering another delicate issue for your discussion, it is birth control, and I realize that it is a very personal issue for all people and especially Christians. This got started on the blog of another on my blog roll, the By-log, and you can use the link or just go here. The post is under the date of Thursday May 12, 2005. Byran is a student at Sharon Mennonite Bible Institute at present, and has many thoughts for his generation and us older ones to think about, and deals with daily life as a student or where he happens to be at any moment. Good reading and stuff to think on.

Once again you can post your comments there or here, it is your choice. May God lead you into His will in this matter and solidify your position as you read and ponder. May God bless us with this discussion.

Christian Singing and Music

2005-05-18T13:05:00.000-05:00

I was over at a friend's blog and realized that an issue of what Christian music is and how it should differ from the world. His blog is here and on my blog roll as Darin's blog. The post is titled, Friday, May 06, 2005, in case it has faded into his archives. His post asks the question; the comments are the 'meat' of the discussion. Rather than try to reconstruct it all here, just go there and bring your comments here or leave them there, although the thread is running out there and headed for archives.

I usually have attempted to stay away from opinion on this blog, but it is becoming apparent that I may have to entertain some in order to have a more inclusive blog. Let us do this in an orderly manner is all that I ask of our discourse.

May God lead us into a worthy discussion.

Love One Another

2005-05-04T23:54:00.000-05:00

I want to make a suggestion to my readers; go to this site and read it well. A hat tip to ChristeG for bringing it to my attention. The concept here is that the world will know a Christian by how they love one another. ChristeG has some thoughts too.

Read and learn, yours in Christ, Truthseeker.

How to Live in Christ

2005-04-23T22:58:00.000-05:00

I was reading a book by Ravi Zacharais titled 'The Real Face of Atheism' and had my thinking arrested by a concept that I found illuminating, because I have been trying to put this thought into words. Ravi said this on page 145, "The naturalist has no intelligent cause to look to, no moral law to point to, no essential meaning to cling to, and finally, no hope to look forward to for one's destiny." It is this final part that is the basis of the concept that illuminated my thoughts; man's destiny and how it causes us to live; I will deal here with the life of the believer in Christ.

Ravi states that the resurrection of Christ from the dead is the power that drives the believer's apologetic and is the guarantee of one's destiny. He states that as the linchpin of the Christian's defense of the Christian faith, the resurrection addresses the most painful part of man's struggle, the agony of death, that experience that separates all of us from everything we desire and love. Although Ravi is thinking here of apologetics for the Christian faith, I saw a concept that helps me understand better how to live as a Christian as well as defend the faith. It is the resurrection of Christ from the dead, that guarantee of destiny to the Christian, that should guide us in life here in this world.

Look at the disciples after the death of Christ and His burial. They were fearful and in hiding. The suffering and death of Jesus did not register with them for the gift that it was, nor did it empower them. Like the two on the road to Emmaus, their dream had been shattered, their hopes of a restoration of the kingdom was gone. The response of the two going to Emmaus to the One that joined them on that road was, ' We trusted that it had been he which would have redeemed Israel'. It took the explanation of Jesus to awaken their hope and send them back to Jerusalem with the message, 'The Lord is risen indeed'.

Like many Christians, I have tended to focus on the cross of Christ and His shed blood for the remission of sins to provide me with the earnestness to serve Christ in the work of the kingdom of God. It is as if I am seeking a way to thank God and/or Jesus for this saving action of love, in doing so we want to serve Him as if we could repay Him. This should not be the basis for the concept of our service, for we can not repay God or Christ in anyway. See Luke 17:10.

The suffering and death of Jesus was necessary first. He is the sacrifice for sin. He willingly offered Himself as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. However, without the resurrection, there is no power. This is what the disciples did not see coming, even though Jesus told them many times before it actually happened. Paul says that without the resurrection we are without hope and still in our sins. In raising up Jesus, God took the death and shed blood of His Son and transformed it into the greatest power the world has ever known, the power to remove the enmity between man and God, man's sin, and to provide a destiny for a believer in Christ to live eternally with God in heaven.

Eternity in heaven with God should be the motivating factor in our service to God, and it is this resurrected life that enables us to function as true believers in this world. We were dead in our sinful condition until the preaching of the gospel awakened us to our condition of spiritual death because of sin. We learned from the Word of God that we had no hope within ourselves or any other source, even the Law of God from the Old Testament. The Word further taught us that the only way to God was through the finished work of Jesus Christ, provided on the cross of Calvary, and empowered by the resurrection. A finished work that God predetermined, before the creation of the world, would provide the abiding place for all believers to live eternally in heaven. If the resurrected life resides within us we are transformed in our minds and we have a new spiritual 'heart'; we have been made new in Christ.

So here is my concept spelled out. Because of the resurrection, it is the conquered grave that should give our life and message impetus. Physical death and its accompanying agony that confronts us all has been defeated. We can live the resurrected life here because of Christ's finished work. To die is only to enter into a valley of the shadow of death, not the pit, grave, or sheol of the Old Testament. We walk as did Enoch, in faith and with God leading us from this life into the next, with death only a shadow that we pass through.

Ravi says this on page 147, "Paul was too much of a thinker to construct his life on an uncertain foundation of credulity. {--} It was the knowledge and conviction that Christ had truly broken the chains of death and conquered the grave that gave Paul his hope. It impelled him from within and became the compelling and enduring feature of his proclamation. He feared no man or power because he knew Him, Whom to know is life eternal. Paul stood in a unique position to the other disciples. They all knew Jesus in the chronological sequence of His birth, life, death, and resurrection. Paul encountered Him in the logical sequence of His resurrection, death, life, and birth. Through the keyhole of the resurrection, he argued backwards in time; for through it he saw the authentication of Christ's message, the explanation of His death, the meaning of His life, and the prophetic fulfillment of His birth. God indeed had spoken and the authenticity of His message was demonstrated with His power over death."

It is this authentic message of God that, through Christ, He has power over death, which should be what guides us to live for Christ in this life. No fear of man or earthly power, no fear of illness, physical weakness, whether due to age or accident is a concern to the believer, because God has defeated death, removed the sting, and made it a veil that we pass through to be with Him forever. This earthly life looses its appeal as the consummate existence for the believer in God and His Son. All we do in this life is to be with this view of eternity before us, our decisions, our plans, our dreams, our education, our families, our business, our pleasure, our suffering, our rejoicing, everything about our life is to be seasoned by the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of our own bodily resurrection in the last days. This crucified, yet resurrected, life we live for Christ, is by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. In this resurrection power we truly live, now and forever.

May the Holy Spirit teach us to live this victorious resurrected life to the glory and praise of God.

A Good Link to Read and Advice on Debating Issues

2005-04-20T13:37:00.000-05:00

I have been lead to a link on the blog Stolen Thunder that I think all seekers and Christians should read. It is a response to a reader’s questions on why this person thinks God hates them. This is a good explanation on this subject and I encourage my readers to study this and consider what is said very carefully.

I have been reading much material from various sources in order to address issues and the use of Scripture that impact on the salvation of man. There is much disagreement in this area of interpretation of Scripture and the development of doctrine. There is also much information that manages to form agreement within these various interpretations and the doctrines that are formed. While I personally have an understanding of interpretation and doctrine that I consider Scriptural and inline with the faith that I live within, I do try to be charitable to differing views, seeking only to avoid outright heresy. While doing this I seek to learn from and understand other views, especially with a desire to strengthen my understanding of Scripture. I learned in my reading, from John Wesley, that when one is discussing doctrine and interpretation of Scripture, Wesley directs a Christian to use Christian charity towards differing interpretations and doctrine derived by others from the Scriptures. Debate should never use attacks on the person, only on the evidence of their argument, and only in a respectful and charitable manner. We must be careful of using labels to position others in a box that belittles them as persons. Crude language is definitely not to be used or tolerated. Help me with your comments or questions. I may use more of what I have learned in my searches among the Christian blogosphere in later posts.

May God use all of this information to His Glory and for our good, your friend in Christ, Truthseeker.

Apology For Absence

2005-04-11T21:20:00.000-05:00

This is an apology for not being up to date with my posts since the death of John Paul II. I have been in a state of writers block and have been searching the Word of God for inspiration and guidance as what to write. I do not like to ramble and would rather have some continuity in what I post so that the material can lead rather than jerk the reader from topic to topic.

The latest tragic issue concerning Terri Schiavo and the quite normal passing of John Paul II in the midst of Easter have been a drain on me mentally and emotionally. As a Christian I cannot passively dismiss wrong when I am aware of it and can speak about it; thus my interest and passion for Terri and her family. In her death, God has answered all the prayers offered for Terri, and I pray that her family can find closure and continue to live with her memory and go on with their lives. With the passing of John Paul II there is a sense of loss, but in the normal way of life for one suffering with Parkinson Disease in their advanced years. Yet the loss is felt because of the simple goodness he represented to the world as a voice for peace and love in the name of Christ.

So, please be patient with me and I will, God willing, get something posted soon. In the meantime I encourage all to be reading as much of the Word of God as you can. Although I have been reading it for over 33 years, it still admonishes me and delightfully surprises me every time I read and meditate on it. God's blessings on all that seek Him and serve Him. Yours in Christ, Truthseeker.

Pray for John Paul II

2005-04-02T02:28:00.000-05:00

With all the concern for Terri Schiavo I forgot to ask you to pray for Pope John Paul II. I realize that some Protestants and Evangelicals have issues with the Catholic Church on matters of doctrine and practice, however, I think that in the spirit of Christian love we can pray for this man who has stood for peace and justice in the world in such an uncompromising faith in God as the Vicar of Christ in Rome. He is suffering the ravages of Parkinson's Disease and from an infection that has affected his breathing and speech, yet he continues to hang on and do what he can for the flock of Christ that he has been entrusted to guide.

The suffering of John Paul II and Terri Schiavo are linked in some way at this time of Easter as we remember the sufferings of Jesus Christ. The personal suffering of these two people, at this time, remind me of how Christ suffered for all mankind to free man from sin and its wages. Though they are mortals and many others are also suffering at this time, they have become a public reminder that this is not our eternal home and that Jesus Christ makes it possible for us all to enter the blessed eternity with God. We Christians are to pray for one another, and Christ said that all who claim Him and serve Him are with us and not against us in the work of building the kingdom of God. All of this is a mystery and the work of God, surpassing the understanding of we mere mortals.

Our Father, who art in heaven, we hallow thy name, for You art Holy. Father, we ask that you grant grace to John Paul II as he suffers in his flesh at this time. We thank You for Your servant and his work in his capacity in leading the Catholic Church in Rome and around the world. May Your will be done in the life of John Paul II, whether healing or in coming home to you, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

Terri Schiavo, Rest in Peace

2005-03-31T18:05:00.000-05:00

To my readers, I want to say thank you for praying for Terri Schiavo, her parents, brother, sister, and the rest of her family. God’s will has become a reality for this part of the tragic drama of Terri's life and she entered into eternity this morning. You can read about it here.

Your continued prayers are requested for the family and in the ongoing need to answer the many difficult and life altering questions and issues that this tragic drama has brought to the attention of the public. Once again we must seek God’s will in the many debates that will follow.

Holy Father, we trust to You the care of Terri. We ask that You grant to Terri’s family the grace they need to re-enter life without her physical presence. Give them Your peace and guide them with the light of Your grace. We also seek Your guidance in the future debate on the issues that have been generated by this life of sorrow and tragedy, may Your will be done. We pray for these blessings in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Easter, a Beginning of Real Life

2005-03-26T13:45:00.000-05:00

“THE LORD IS RISEN.”

“THE LORD IS RISEN, INDEED.”

So goes the common greeting of Christian to Christian over the centuries. This foundational truth is what Christianity is built upon. As the plan of God unfolded over the centuries, a central component of God's plan of redemption is the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead, and is the power of the gospel, as presented by Jesus, while He walked among men. Jesus made the Atonement possible by suffering death for all sinners on the cross, and God the Father manifested His acceptance of that sacrifice in raising Jesus bodily from the grave. The sacrifice for sin empowered by the resurrection of Jesus Christ brings forth the fullness of the salvation plan of God for man.

This celebration of Easter is, for the Christian, the pinnacle of what was started in the Christmas event as known to us from two of the Gospels of Jesus Christ. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke, give to us the account of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in Bethlehem of Judea. They, along with the Gospels of Mark and John, go on to illustrate the life of Jesus and His teachings, ending with His trial, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. Each Gospel focuses on the life of Jesus with slight variations in theme, but with overall harmony in the telling of His life and teachings. The climax of each is the account of the Passion of Jesus Christ and the glorious resurrection of His body from the grave by the power of God in what we refer to as Easter. The Gospel of John focuses mainly in the last week of the life of Christ, and gives us a dramatic view into the last night and day of the life of Jesus. It is the Apostle John who wrote in his Gospel the theme of all of the Gospels in John 20:31, But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (KJV)

There was an episode earlier in Jesus’ life that gives impetus to this statement made in John 20:31. In John 11:23-27 there is a conversation between Jesus and Martha, the sister of Lazarus, after the death and burial of Lazarus, Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. (KJV) Notice what is said in this conversation; Jesus announces to Martha that her brother will rise again, and she confesses her belief in the resurrection of the ‘last day’ when God will bring time to an end. Jesus then asserts that He is the Resurrection and the Life. This is what Easter is all about; Easter is life for the believer now, who was dead in trespasses and sins, and a future of eternal life for those that die as believers. Jesus pointed out that ‘he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live’. This is the promise of Easter, life in abundance now and eternally through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Upon hearing this, observe that Martha then makes the connection between Jesus’ pronouncements of who He is by confessing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Also note that Jesus said that He is the Resurrection now and this was days before the actual event of that resurrection. The Gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s plan of Redemption come together in this resurrection of the body of Jesus Christ by the power of God as it had been planned from the foundation of the world.

It is the power of the resurrection that brings true living into daily life and hope into the physical death of man, for Christ says, ‘whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die’; physical death, for the believer, is but a passage through the shadow of death, and not eternal death. Let us consider a passage from 1Corintians 15:12-20 concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. (KJV) Paul explains for us the importance of this resurrection of Christ. Without the reality of the resurrection from the dead there is no power in the sacrifice of Christ, because He also is not raised. If Christ be not raised from the dead, then our sins are not forgiven and we express a vain faith in Christ. There is no power in our life if Christ be not raised. If we enjoy hope in Christ only while we live, we are found to be miserable creatures with no hope; for all who die are cut off from Christ. However, the power is there, for Christ is risen indeed and is the first to be resurrected from the dead by the power of God giving hope to those who die in Christ. Listen to the message of Paul to the Philippians in chapter 3:8-10, Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (NKJV) It is through this power of God in the resurrection of Jesus Christ that we have our hope of salvation.

Easter is the hope of eternal salvation through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, established by the power of God in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1Corinthians 1:23-24 says, But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (KJV)

May you rejoice in this most blessed event in the history of mankind, and may you know the true salvation and the power of the resurrection that it springs from, and enter joyously into the beginning of Real Life that we call Easter.

My Questions About Terri Schiavo's Life

2005-03-22T23:20:00.000-05:00

This post is my 'opinion' on this tragic affair concerning Terri Schiavo. I do have my opinions, hopefully they are based on scriptural principles. I know not all will agree with me, that is normal in life, and I accept it. You are welcome to share your thoughts, but I ask that you not use vindictive accusations that cannot be proven, they serve no purpose but to add to the grief and suffering all are feeling in this affair. My thoughts follow.

This on going drama with Terri Schiavo has been extremely agonizing to me. I wasn't aware of this disturbing event until I started this blog. As I started reading other blogs the story came out and I couldn't believe what I was reading. I continued to search the internet for more information and I came to realize that there must be more here than meets the mind at first thought.

The information shows a man, Michael Schiavo, the husband of Terri Schiavo, who is the guardian of Terri on the basis of his role as husband and that is as it should be. This man brought suit in a medical malpractice charge concerning his wife's medical treatment and resultant condition, and said he needed the money for her therapy and care. He won, and then placed Terri in a hospice, not a hospital, and began seeking to 'allow her to die' as she had told him that would be her desire if she was ever in a diminished mental state. He said that she told him this in the past, before her collaspe. What I don't understand is this conflict in action and statement by Mr. Schiavo. I wonder what happened to the money, has it been spent on Terri's needs? Why a hospice instead of a hospital? Treatment is not performed in a hospice, it is a place of comfort for someone dying. Along with this is the question of the lack of further medical tests over these 15 years, but since Terri is in a hospice this would not be the course of care as it is not equipted to perform such tests or to provide therapy that she needs.

There are other disturbing pieces of information. Why has Mr. Schiavo taken a mistress and fathered children by her when he is married to Terri. I realize 15 years is a long time for someone to live celibate, but marriage is for life and 'for better or worse' and many people have been celibate for longer in caring for a disabled mate. At least he could have sought a divorce and let her parents assume her care, which they desire. In today's view of marriage, which is more based on the idea of 'physical love' and how the relationship 'meets MY needs', any partner that is convinced in their mind that a state of incompatibility exists in a marriage can sue for divorce. Why has not Mr. Schiavo done this if he truely loves this mistress of his and their children, and left Terri to the care of her parents? Why is not Mr. Schiavo just walking away from this situation and rebuilding his live apart from Terri? His answer is that he wants to make sure that Terri get's her wishes carried out and is allowed to die, since she told him that she would not want to live in a state of mental disability where she could not be in control. He is either the most misunderstood man in the world today or he is afraid of something concerning the circumstances surrounding his wife's condition. The sad and tragic part of all of this is that he has gotten his request granted by a Florida judge and has had Terri's feeding tube removed so that she can die. Terri is to die of starvation and dehydration. Hunger and thirst is to be her mode of death, sanctioned by the State of Florida's judicial court. I wonder if this would be acceptable method of execution in the Florida penitentiary in Stark, Florida, for condemned felons instead of lethal injection? Lots of questions.

This grim tragedy has a lot of unanswered questions and I cannot answer any of them, but I know that God does know the answers. I am convinced of one thing in my heart, killing Terri is not the RIGHT of the state or of any man, she has not been accused of anything worthy of death other than in their vies she is mentally damaged. I am also convinced there is another agenda at play here that is plainly parallel to what happened in Germany in the 30's and 40's; the establishment for a precedent for the euthanization of those whose quality of life is judged to be below a certain level of acceptance to society. This started with the killing of the mentally ill, then the disabled, then the gypsies, and finally the Jews. Society does not have this right! Some will say that this will not happen in the USA, but I want to remind everyone that when the RIGHT to an abortion was passed by the action of the Supreme Court in Roe v Wade it was said then that it would not be a common activity in our society for any woman to seek an abortion. I ask you, what has history shown us? Is abortion common? Now if euthanasia is allowed by this precedent, will it not follow the same path, maybe, maybe not? More questions, we need more answers.

What ever happens in this agonizing tragedy will be within God's will and for His purposes. This I believe compeletly. The Word of God says He uses even the wrath of man for His purposes. Faith in God demands that we trust Him in the times of life that we do not understand, just like we do in everyday life. The 'why' of such instances may cause us to question God, this is human. We are limited by our humanity and our finite minds and will not understand the infinite mind of God. God sees the end from the beginning in all situations, He sees this situation clearly. He knows the truth and will bring justice at His time, in His way, and for His purpose. His grace is sufficient for us each day, and is renewed daily as we trust in Him. I have given this tragic situation to God, for I cannot personally say I know what should be done. I know what I want to happen, I want Terri to live and get the medical care she needs and be allowed to be with her parents. I pray that God will grant this, but as Jesus prayed, I must pray, 'not my will, but thine be done'; God sees and knows what is best for Terri. I accept this, but I will deeply grieve if she dies in this horrible way under the auspices of the State of Florida.

Terri's ordeal is reinforcing within me some important lessons in life. God is using her to help me better see the importance of the needs of others around me. He is using this experience to remind me of the importance of all life; the unborn to the dying, and all in between. Call it a wake up call for me. How it affects your life is between you and God. I can only speak for myself. All I can ask for is mercy from God on all involved and grace with justice for Terri. May this be His will.

Our Father in Heaven, we hallow Thy Name. We pray that You will be close to Terri, her parents, and family. Grant them the grace to bear up under the strain of this awful tragedy. We pray that if it be not against Your will that Terri will survive and get the care and therapy she needs to live. Grant to us the grace to be faithful in praying for Terri and her family during this agonizing drama, and to hold firm in our trust in You, the giver of life. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, who suffered death for us and rose in glorious power for our salvation. Amen.

Terri Schiavo Needs Our Faithfulness in Prayer

2005-03-21T07:50:00.000-05:00

To my readers,
The battle is engaged for real in Terri's life. The authorities have had the feeding tube removed, not just left unused. They want to be sure that she cannot be fed. There is also an order that she may not be fed by mouth.

While I never give up in these arenas of spiritual battle, I know some may. Now is the time to fast and pray the hardest and in earnest. As Churchill said in a commencement address, 'Never give up, never, never, never.' As Christians we should never give up, for God is in this and His Will will be done, and if Terri dies, I believe God will have the best for her in His eternal plan.

Now for those who want more information go here and follow the post and information in the comments. There are other links in former posts I have left that are still active. However, pray, hold firm in commitment and resolve.

The battle is to the Lord for He is ever faithful. Let us all be faithful.

Holy God, we humbly ask that you hold Terri in your loving arms and ease her suffering. We also ask that you embrace her parents and comfort them in their grief as only You can do. May you show Yourself strong in this great tragedy. Teach us Lord to look to you for our strength and give us the grace to be stronger in faith through this experience. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.

Update: 2/21/05 Bill passed Congress dispite attempts to stall and stop its passing and President Bush signed in the early hours this morning. Pray that, if it is God's will, this bill will hold up to judicial review. Prayer is still the strongest avenue and we must be faithful in this battle for life.

Terri Schiavo Needs Prayer Now

2005-03-15T01:56:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers,
This week is crucial in the life of Terri Schiavo. The courts stay runs out this Friday, March 18, and though there are many different routes being pursued to save Terri from death by starvation and dehydration, I want to encourage everyone to be praying that God’s will be done in this ordeal that she and her parents are going through. Pray that this miscarriage of justice may be circumvented and that others who find themselves in this situation in the future will not have to fight to remain alive. There will be a very dangerous precedent set in this case that may be used in the future to take the life of those who are defenseless in their silence due to a diminished mental capacity. Some will argue that this will not happen, but it will be the same excuse given by those that said abortion would not be a common practice once legalized. History has shown us how this was not true. Life is a gift from God, let us kneel before Him and plead for Terri’s life.

There are new laws being debated in Florida and the US Congress, and we need to pray that they will find a way for this death sentence to be lifted. Pray for these lawmakers in their deliberations that they will see this tragedy that is unfolding and correct the path it is taking our nation. For more information you can go here, here, and here. You can also ‘google’ ‘Terri Schiavo’ and get even more information.

Father God in heaven, we pray for Terri and her parents and their needs at this moment. Father, if it be not against your will, we pray that you will save the life of Terri Schiavo and grant that she might be placed in the care of her parents or others who will take care of and seek therapy for her. Father, guide the lawmakers as they seek legal ways to stop this tragedy from going further. We thank you Father, for your love and mercy, and we ask these petitions in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Broken Before God

2005-03-13T22:47:00.000-05:00

This is not going to be easy to write. Have you ever been at the end of your rope and no knot to hold onto? I do not mean that in a trite way. I mean that mainly in a spiritual way, but as a product of the physical and spiritual occurrences within your life. Have you ever had the events of your life bring you to a point of seeming total despair by the struggles, pain, and suffering life faces, with absolutely no vision for recovery? Have you felt like you were broken? I ask you this whether you are one seeking God or if you profess to be a Christian. The scriptures are full of believers and seekers that were in this situation. The Psalms and history of the people of God in the Old Testament testify to this reality. My past posts on pain also mention some of these passages. In Psalms 34:18 it says, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” And in Psalms 51:17 it says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Read all of Psalms 34, it has been a help to me.

I am sure that many of us have had conditions or occurrences of grief or loss that produce suffering and pain in our life. Life has a way of kicking us in the gut and then kicking us once we are down. Most of the time others counsel us to just get up and get to work and everything will work out. We are told to stop feeling sorry for ourselves, that only the strongest survive, or that the Lord helps those who help themselves. Well, I am of the conviction that while these challenges may have some merit, they are not the answers in every case. I am of the conviction that while many times the struggles, suffering, and pain we face are due to our own failures, and that we should repent of them; other instances of struggles, suffering, and pain are due to conditions or occurrences that are not in our control. I further believe that regardless of either situation, God knows the truth of the situation, and while He may let us ‘do our own thing’ or allows these other painful conditions or occurrences of life to exist, they are only to bring us to a place of brokenness in our life that He might strengthening us for His purpose as Christians or to bring us to Christ for salvation. In all of these various conditions or occurrences God is teaching us to seek more faith with these situations, that we may trust in Him foremost and trust less within ourselves and our abilities.

Now to many of us that can sound cruel of God. Why would a loving God allow this struggling, suffering, and pain to happen? Especially if the factors involved are not our fault. (See James 1:2-5) It happens because He loves us and wants the best for us. Ask yourself this, when do I most often learn anything in life that is of lasting spiritual value? Is it when everything goes well and I am happy or in the times of struggle, suffering, and pain? We can learn, if we are truly focused on God, when we are happy and life is going well, but if we are truthful about life, we learn life’s greatest lessons during the times of struggle, suffering, and in pain more often than during those times of happiness. (I also find that we have a greater tendency to question God’s love at these times, and not when everything is going well.) You and I will always prefer to be on the mountain top with Jesus and feel His peace, and see Him in all His glory, as did Peter, James, and John, however, like them, we must go down the mountain and live in the valley of everyday life and still see the glorified Christ in our daily lives; for this valley is where we must live for and serve God the majority of our lives. Despite the seeming cruelty of God at these times, He is showing His greatest love to us.

Consider this example. Our life is like unrefined gold ore, until gold ore goes into the furnace it is only a lump of mineral with some value, but really of no use other than as a pretty rock. Once gold ore has gone through the furnace the beauty, usefulness, and greater value becomes apparent. Sometimes the refiner takes the gold and refines it again and again to make of more value. We start out like that valuable, impure, unrefined gold ore to God. He wants to refine us in His furnace of life with its heat of struggle, pain, and suffering. It is a work of love on God’s part, at first to save us from our sin and to make us useful to Him. In that furnace God separates us from the impurities of the flesh that we are bonded to just like the bonded impurities gold ore has in its natural state. The heat of the furnace causes those impurities to burn off or fall away and the pure gold to flow into a mold as something beautiful and useful. Similarly in areas where we are not responsible for the grief, God is using His furnace of life’s troubles to bring the fineness of the gold of our life to a higher level. We must allow God to refine us.

I want to testify that these thoughts are not just the ramblings of theology by a believer in Jesus Christ. I know first hand that they are true. I am in the furnace of God’s refining love. The occurrences in my life of the past several years have slowly begun to burn away the excess of the flesh life and are melting the pride of life that I have lived with most of my life. And it hurts, oh does it hurt, I feel so weak, so ashamed, and useless. In anger at myself I strike out at those who love me most, including God. I feel all the self pity and self loathing that comes from this process. I hate this darkness I am in and I crave the light of God’s grace. But, I know God is at work, that He loves me, that my family loves me, that my brethren in Christ love me, but the process is not over and I have learned to say as Job said in his trial, though He slays me, I will trust in Him, and as Jonah learned in his darkness, to obey God. I also know that when He is through, I will be a vessel fit for the Master’s use.

Jesus knows darkness, suffering, and pain, though He deserved none of them as you or I do. He endured all of them for you and me. In the garden of Gethsemane, in an unjust trial, and on the Cross of Calvary, He struggled with the pain, suffering, and darkness for you and me. He did this in love to provide a way of salvation for us from the sin that separates us from God. Jesus provided a perfect sacrifice in which He broke down the wall of separation between God and us, caused by our sin. He made it possible for us to be free from our sin by providing a true Atonement for sin and we can have redemption from sin by faith in this finished work of Christ on the Cross and in the power of the Resurrection of Christ from the dead.

In this new birth we find ourselves transformed by the renewing of our minds. We crucify the old man’s fleshly way of thinking. We then become the workmanship of Christ, created unto good works that were ordained from the foundation of the world for us to walk in, as a new man in Christ, and by which we bring glory to God. And when we lose sight of all this, God is faithful to put His children in the refining furnace of His love to burn off and separate from us the dross of life that separates us from Him. When some grievous situation overtakes us, God is faithful and will use our suffering to make us stronger and purer. I know, for I am there.

For those who suffer in God’s furnace, may the light of His grace come soon to truly lighten the pain and lift the darkness of your soul for your good and His glory. For you who seek to know God may His Spirit come to your aid. May God be ever closer to you and strengthen you in faith that you may truly be one with Him through Christ, yielded and prepared for the Master’s use. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Why I Blog

2005-03-06T17:25:00.000-05:00

I have wanted to find a way to witness for Jesus Christ that I was 'comfortable' with for sometime. While I am able to talk with people, it is a problem for me to remember the scripture I need at times and I usually do not have my Bible at hand. Blogging is a great way to order your thoughts on a subject and align them with what the Bible says. Saying what the Bible teaches is my goal, as I have said in past posts. I try to avoid what my church believes and teaches, instead, attempting to allow the Holy Spirit to lead the comments I write. I hope that I have been true to this goal and that it is helpful to you readers. However, I do encourage my readers to visit the link to Anabaptist Mennonites that I have on my home page. It is a very informative source for doctrine of my church, and I do support my church; please check it out for a lot of insight into how we apply the principles of the Bible in daily life. You will learn a lot more there faster than the plodding pace I use! However, please come back when you can!

On the last post I asked the question, Why Blog, to draw some comments from my readers. This was in response to a disscussion I read on another blog; the link is in that blog. The response was good. I appreciate what was said. JV commented that a blog is basicly an extension of our personality. Most blogs are just this and I enjoy reading about what is going on in each life which they represent, especially the comments that are given in response. In my case I try to limit my 'personality' in this blog by giving it to God for His glory; to be a testimony of His grace and mercy given to bring man to salvation. I want to refrain to offer the 'opinions of men' in the exposition of the Word of God. This is to let the Holy Spirit speak and draw the seeking soul into Word's truth and work His work in their hearts. This is to prevent any unproductive arguments or discussions on various church doctrines. However, I realize that we are people with opinions of what the Word says as pointed out in the comments I have received; so, if you need to discuss such opinions I will do that if it doesn't occupy too much time or go to far from the stated objective of this blog. Also, I have links to many of the bloggers in my life and hope you will seek them out for their input into life, they are instructive as well as entertaining. Enjoy!

Since I have learned to use a computer, which is going on only one year in July this year, I have been using it to study God's Word with the aid of Power Bible CD. This digital concordance is a blessing to me. It has opened up the Word of God so much and helped me to vastly improve my cross referencing of scripture verses for a better understanding into the mysteries of God. I suggest that my readers obtain one of these. It is inexpensive compared to many other programs out there ($20.00 + shipping) and if you pay a small copyright fee you get a code to open up several other popular Bible versions, the NIV among them, but it has a lot of versions other than the KJV included as is. It is available here so go get it!

I might mention that our church has a policy of accountability in using all electronic media for only spiritual, educational, e-mail between families, or business reasons. We sign a pledge card that we are open to all inquiries by any brotherhood member on our use, especially involving use of the internet. This is to help keep us pure by not indescriminately going into impure sites on the web. I have a policy of not surfing the internet, but only using sites that come to me through reliable sources; this can be from existing sites I frequently use, by word of mouth, from commenters on my posts, or in other media I trust. While I want this site to gain readership, I have descided to not use the various web advertising sites to promote this site. I pray for God to send the ones He wants to come here to read the posts and for referrals from them to their friends and through 'Google' type searches. (I ran into this blog searching for information on Terri Schaivo, nice to have that coverage!)

OK, this is enough on blogging. I want to return to my main reason for this blog; witnessing Christ. In closing, please comment on any subject you are struggling with along with comments on what I post here, all sincere requests are appreciated.

As I have asked in the last posts, I ask, nay I beg you all to continue to pray for Terri Schaivo. If a way to prevent it is not forth coming, she will be condemned to die by starvation starting March 18 when the current stay runs out. Pray for her that she survives this legalized murder; pray for her husband that God will change his heart or the courts will remove him from his role as caretaker of Terri and that her parents will be appointed caretakers. Also pray for the Judge that has made this terrible discision to allow Terri's death by the request of her husband, Michael, and that he will change his order. Pray for Gov. Jeb Bush and others that are trying to find a legal way to stop this atrocity from happening. Go to my post on Praying for Terri or google 'Terri Schaivo' for more information, but pray, pray, pray all you can, I have a conviction that prayer will help change this miscarriage of justice.

Lord God, I pray that you will stop this death sentence on your daughter Terri Schaivo. May you work your will in her behalf. Enfold her in your love and strengthen her parents in this struggle. If it be your will, change her husband's heart and that of the judge that she may be saved from the agonizing suffering of death by starvation. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ who suffered and died for us all. Amen.

Your servant in Christ, Truthseeker.

Why Blog?

2005-03-01T15:00:00.000-05:00

I ran into a wonderful slice of life while rambling among the bloggers I know and visit regularly. You can start here and see the Feb. 27, 2005 post and follow his links for the discussion. It made me think about my blog and why it is here. There are so many out there and it seems to be a selfish attempt at bringing attention to oneself. I guess it is just a phenomena of the times; like the invention of the printing press.

My stated reason for this blog is apparent and while this post is not directly aligned with that goal, I think that it is worthy of discussion. I do not consider myself an intellectual by any stretch. I just want to bring the simple (?) gospel of Christ to mankind and it seemed that this media was a good vehicle to do so. I have stated that this goal is to be reached without the 'opinions of men', myself included. Go to the link and read what transpired there, don't forget the comments, for that is where the subject grew. Call this a break to use our minds to see why we do what we do in our lives. Give me your thoughts for I think that this is important to extend the conversation from these blogs and their comments. Let me know what you think may help to reach the goal of this blog.

In the meantime we must not forget to pray for those that cannot speak. Please keep praying for Terri Schaivo. The current stay will run out March 18 or thereabouts, so let us not slacken our efforts on her behalf. Terri's case may be the precedent that brings euthanasia into our lives by law. Abortion is evil enough, let's not compound that sin with killing our elderly or mentally impaired people. See my post for more information by following the links; also you can google 'pray for Terri Schaivo'. May God bless and save us all.

Pain Re-visited

2005-02-27T04:37:00.000-05:00

I appreciate what Darin said in comments on my post on God identifying with our pain and suffering. In this life we never leave the process of polishing that God is doing in our lives. We do not always escape pain or suffering as children of God, however, we understand better the why of our suffering and pain. We identify with our Lord in suffering, He is our example in all things concerning life. Peter says in 1Peter 2:19, "For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:". Is it not obvious that we may suffer in life as did Christ? We should not come to God, through Christ, just to be relieved of pain and suffering, but to escape the penalty for sin that separates us from God. Sin will be with us in this world until Christ returns, for not all people will yield to the gospel and those that do are not always without sins. The effects of sin in the world will continue to cause pain and suffering in man's experience.

The cause of pain and suffering is sin, this is why Jesus came into man's life, in the flesh as a man, in order to show us the way of salvation. God, through Christ, dwelt among us and experienced the flesh life, as a perfect man, to teach us how man should live by belief in God and how to be obedient to God's Word. He then became the offering for sin that we needed. Sin is forgiven when we yield to God's love, through belief in Christ and then are obedient to His Word.

As the realization of this becomes clear, we should see that even as a believer we may still suffer for the sin of our previous lifestyle. The effects of sin, in the life and body, can cause us pain and suffering for the rest of our life. God may remove the effects of sin in our life and He may not; He will forgive our sins and may heal their effects. God's love for us is to teach us through all experiences of life and that includes the part of our life before we came to Christ. Think of a convert to Christ who was an alcoholic or illegal drug user prior to salvation. God may heal the effects of the use and abuse of these substances in the new converts body or may not depending on how He sees it working for good in that believer's life. The important thing here is that the believer is saved and will see God in eternity! Our life here, whether short or long, is not the important aspect of salvation. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, "2Co 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him."

So, pain and suffering are with us in life and will continue in its many forms as long as we live on this side of eternity. However, as Christians we see through pain and suffering with the eyes of faith fixed on Christ. Read chapter 11 of Hebrews to see faith in operation in the lives of believers and how suffering and pain was experienced by all. Also read the Acts of the Apostles for more insight. May the glory be to God!

Now I want you to give me some input on how I am using this blog. I want this forum to be a two way street. As an example, I would like to know if discussions of issues in Christian living that may involve interpretation beyond a 'thus saith the Lord quote' are welcome in this blog. I primarily want to be a witness of the gospel of Christ, but to do this without a lot of the opinions of men. I am open to your suggestions as we seek the truth in Christ, from the Word of God. There are also too many variations in the interpretation of God's Word by various Christian faiths to discuss here. I do not want a 'they say' or 'we say' type of interchange. I want deeply for those who do not know Christ to come to the knowledge of Him. I want to support all believers that do know Him served just as fervently.

Also I hope that you will join me and continue to pray for Terri Schaivo. Check the post and the links on it for more information. We are to pray for and defend the weak and defenseless. Euthanasia and abortion are contrary to God's Word. I know that these issues are debated endlessly, but the Word tells me that life is precious to God; He even takes note of the sparrows fall in death. Let us pray for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Yours in Christ, Truthseeker.

Pray for Terri Schiavo

2005-02-22T17:23:00.000-05:00

To my readers, I do not intend to use this blog as a forum for issues other than to witness for Jesus Christ, however, this situation has become too important to ignore. Life is precious and we as Christians are to pray for one another and Terri Schiavo needs our prayers NOW! I am posting links here for you to read what is going on in detail; go there and read and understand the urgency for this prayer need. Briefly, the courts have given her husband permission to remove the feeding tubes so she can die. Her family is willing to take care of her, but her husband wants her off the feeding tubes and for her to die. Pray and fast for this need, please.
Here are the links, http://theanchoress.blogspot.com/ Feb. 22, 2005 post http://allthings2all.blogspot.com/2005/02/terri-schiavo-will-you-help-to-wash.html

Thank you for your help in this need, Truthseeker.

Does God Know our Pain

2005-02-22T00:37:00.000-05:00

Atheists and agnostics make much of the issue of pain and suffering in the world to 'prove' that there is no God. Their claim is that a loving and righteous God would not let 'innocent' people suffer. To them God does not exist, because if He did, He would stop all the suffering and pain of those 'innocent' people. The Word of God says that man's sin is the reason of suffering and pain. Man is not 'innocent'. Consider what James 4:1 says, "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not." With verses like this I have a problem with pain and suffering as a 'proof' that God does not exist, or that man is 'innocent', since people's actions as sinners are the cause of pain and suffering in the first place.

As a Christian, I believe the Word of God in Genesis 3 when it records that Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God's single command of not eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; that their disobedience brought the sin nature into man's experience. We became the problem as the spiritual inheritors of Adam's sin of disobedience; we are sinners after the likeness of Adam, therefore, we bring pain and suffering into the world. Paul wrote in 1Corinthians 15:22a, "For as in Adam all die". Because of Adam's disobedience all mankind will eventually be physically dead and is spiritually dead. Paul states further in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"; and Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:". Simply stated sin is disobedience to God's commandments.

Now that we have a scriptual understanding of why there is pain and suffering in this life and in the world, let us see if God understands this condition man lives under. Does God's Word address this problem of suffering and pain that the atheists and agnostics say 'proves' that God does not exist? The answer is an unequivical, Yes!

God's answer is in the person of His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament's Law of Moses and the problem of sin. God planned for this problem before the creation; it is called the plan of redemption. The Word of God is the history of that plan in action; from Genesis to The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ that plan is detailed. The wonderful reason for this plan is that God loves us! He loves us so much and grieves over our situation as sinners that He gave the single most precious gift He could, His Son on the cross of calvary! Jesus said in Joh 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The only answer to the sin problem in man is a sacrifice of atonement for man's sin acceptable to God. Jesus is the second Adam, the perfect Son of God that brings life into man's deadness due to sin. Let us return to 1Co 15:22, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." See the comparison between Adam and Christ; in Adam man died, in Christ man can live. Paul tells us in Ro 5:19, "For as by one man's disobedience (Adam) many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Christ) shall many be made righteous." Made alive and righteous by God's grace through the obedience of His Son accepting the cross of suffering and death as the perfect sacrifice for man's sin. This is the plan of redemption for man that God planned before the foundation of the world. God felt our suffering and pain, and gave His Son to die for us. Not only that, but God overcame death and raised His Son on the third day. The Resurrection is God conquering sin and with it death on man's behalf.

Now all of this is better told in the Word of God that I have encouraged you to be reading. This is a very brief and no where near an exhaustive study on this subject. Also I want to make this plain; the pain and suffering of man is not over yet, but the sin we carry can be forgiven by faith in God. The plan of redemption is the answer of a loving God for man and his sin problem and the suffering and pain that goes with life. Sin is still raging in this world. Sin is still controlling many people because they will not accept God's Son and His gift of love to man; thus there will still be pain and suffering in the world. Until Jesus returns and removes His Bride, the church, from this world, brings an end to this world, and creates a new world; there will continue to be suffering and pain in this world.

Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Have you let God enter your life and take control by the power of the Holy Spirit, by placing your faith in Christ's redemptive sacrifice? Do you believe in God and His love for you? If you do then you can know peace in this life and for eternity; Jesus said in Joh 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Only in Christ is this peace possible, and with this peace you can face all the pain and suffering that may come in life. Jesus Christ does not promise an easy life for the believer only a life of inner peace that will sustain the believer through all of the suffering and pain in life. (Read John chapter 17 for Christ's prayer to the Father on behalf of the believer.)

I leave you with my prayer that you will believe in Christ and God the Father that sent Him. Tell God that you know you are a sinner and that you repent of your sins. Ask Him to come into your heart and to transform you into the image of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then live for Him in that same power and in the peace of Christ that passes all understanding. I pray that this will be your choice. Lastly I leave an excerpt from a book by John Stott on "The Cross of Christ". Your friend in Christ, Truthseeker.

"We are not to envisage God on a deck chair, but on a cross. The God who allows us to suffer, once suffered Himself in Christ, and continues to suffer with us and for us today... He cries when we cry....
I myself could never believe in God were it not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the One Nietzsche ridiculed as 'God on the Cross.' In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of the Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world. But each time, after a while I have had to turn away. And in my imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wretched, brow bleeding from thorn pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God-forsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside His immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of His. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark - the Cross, which symbolizes divine suffering. The cross of Christ ... is God's only self-justification in such a world as ours."

Krista's Essay

2005-02-19T00:44:00.000-05:00

Krista, my niece, has given me permission to publish her essay that provided the questions in my last post. I find it especially refreshing when young people seek answers for issues in their Christian life. Krista is a senior in Ebenezer Mennonite School and will graduate this spring. Read, think, and learn.

Krista L. Good
Literature
January 20, 2005

A common question discussed and argued among our Mennonite circles is what our responsibility is to missions as wealthy Americans. What is a mission? Where are missions? Can we have missions in our own backyards? Do we have to go to another country to be on a mission field? How do we know if God has called us to be missionaries at home or to be missionaries in a far off country? Are the phrases "Missionaries are needed at home" and "Someone needs to stay home to support other missionaries" legitimate reasons or just excuses?

These questions and more have plagued and hounded me as I have searched for my purpose here in life. Why did God put me where He did? Am I to just live my life here in wealthy America and be grateful for what I have? Or am I to share what I have and know of the gospel to those around me and in far away countries? Christ has called all of us to a life of being witnesses and missionaries no matter where we live. We are to be the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)

Having grown up on a mission field, I believe that everyone would profit greatly from a term of service in a foreign land. It's a life changing experience. It puts a different perspective on life. We sometimes compare what we have or don't have to what others have here in America and can feel really poor. But if only we could see the poverty materially and spiriturally in third world countries! Many people have next to nothing and are searching for help. Are we Christians going to be there for them?

Don't get me wrong. I do believe we have a mission field here at home. But are we sure that God is calling us to forever live here? Many people take Acts 1:8b, "And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth", to say that we are to start our mission field at home and work our way out. That maybe what that verse is saying, but sometimes I wonder if people don't get stuck on the "in Jerusalem" or the at home part and forget to move on. Why do we have such a large concentration of Mennonites in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana? Couldn't at least the Mennonites in America spread out a bit? It seems that with all the Mennonites there are in America, someone would be willing to go on the mission field. But instead Mission Board Members have to work like crazy to find people willing to go to the mission field. While we're enjoying our beautiful homes, nice vehicles, clean clothes, plentiful food, fresh water, indoor plumbing, many souls die everyday without having a chance to hear the Gospel. How can we sit by and simply enjoy all that we have while others are suffering materially and spiritually? What are we doing when the offering plate is passed at church for missions? Are we really doing our job of "supporting the missionaries"? Or are we just dropping in a few dollars and saving the rest to buy a new gun or furniture? How are we living our lives here at home? Are we really "being missionaries at home"?

Hebrews 11:25 says that Moses would rather "suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." Now maybe living here in America isn't sin, but could it become sin if we aren't obeying Christ's Command to witness to the world? Can we be willing to suffer persecution and imprisonment at the hand of Communist leaders in order to encourage believers and to spread the Gospel to the millions of desperate souls in China? Can we be willing to face death in order to reach the millions of lost souls in Muslim countries?

Life is so short here on earth. Let's do what counts for the Kingdom of Heaven. In heaven we won't be rewarded for who has the most guns or who has the nicest furniture or who dresses the best or who drives the nicest vehicle. We will be rewarded for the acts of service we do for Christ and for the persecutions and hardships we endure in His name. (End of Essay)

Well, what do you think of Krista's questions, can you answer them for YOURSELF! I have done much thinking on MY answers since I first read this essay. Though Krista doesn't answer all the questions she asks, she does make us THINK, and that is the important part of this essay. When we have soul piercing questions, such as these, it is God softening our hearts to enable us to respond to the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives in order to accomplish His work. Ponder these questions carefully, let God speak to you, then go to work in His vineyard. Blessings will flow!

Until next time and as God wills, may His peace be with you, Truthseeker.

Who is a Missionary?

2005-02-17T00:28:00.000-05:00

Several questions were asked in an essay by my niece, she starts, "What is a mission? Where are missions? Can we have missions in our own backyards? Do we have to go to another country to be on a mission field? How do we know if God has called us to be missionaries at home or to be missionaries in a far off country? Are the phrases 'Missionaries are needed at home' and
'Someone needs to stay home to support other missionaries' legitimate reasons or just excuses?"

She asks some profound questions doesn't she. Well, I think so. I do not have her permission to publish her entire essay so I will just use her questions to start the thinking process for now. Let's start with what Jesus said to His disciples when He left them to return to the Father.
Mt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Mr 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Lu 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Ac 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

This is called the great commission of the Christian as given by Christ, our Lord and Savior, before He ascended into heaven. It says, GO YE, that is you and me. We are to go into ALL THE WORLD and PREACH THE GOSPEL. We are to start in JERUSALEM move into ALL JUDAEA, SAMARIA, UNTO THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH. Did I leave any place on earth out? In Luke's version we are to preach the name of Christ among ALL NATIONS. We are to preach the good news of salvation; teaching the people of all nations TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER CHRIST HAS COMMANDED US from His Word.

This is what I should have been doing all along, and every Christian as well. I want to do this from now on in my life. I will start in my Jerusalem, where I live. I will use this blog to reach out to my nation and the rest of the world. I trust the Holy Spirit to use me and all I do for Christ on this blog or in my community to achieve this great commission as I have been commanded. I also must be open to any call Christ makes to me to go to a Samaria or to the uttermost part of the earth.

So, what is a mission and where are they? A mission is a place and it is where you are standing right now. Missions are all around us. Yes, even in our backyards! Do we have to go to another country to find our 'mission field'; did Christ call you to go? THEN GO! Only you know if you should go to a 'foriegn' missionary field of service, since God only tells me what I should do, I can not tell you or speak for Him. Let Jesus speak to you in your reading of the Word, your prayers and by the counsel of others if needed. Start witnessing where you are; witness where you go; be willing to be sent and witness there.

Yes, missionaries are needed at home, I think we have seen that as the place we start. It is also very important that we support missionaries with our finances as well as our own person and energies. Just DO IT!

Summary: if you and I are CHRISTIANS then we are witnesses of the grace and mercy of God found in Jesus Christ and have been commissioned to go, preach, teach, all nations/people that they might be saved. Ro 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! As the song says, Trust and Obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

God be with all who trust and obey His will in their life, your brother in Christ, Truthseeker.

Rambling Thoughts

2005-02-15T14:15:00.000-05:00

I ran into a neat little verse that I thought I would share, it goes like this: "My knowledge of this life is small, the eye of faith is dim, tis enough that Christ knows all and I shall be with Him." I do not know who wrote or said this, so list it as Anonymous for now, but it says a lot in few words.

Our knowledge of this life is small, we think we know so much, however, in the larger picture we are very limited. Our knowledge is in the physical and though we know a lot, yet we go to the specialists of medicine to cure our ills and find that they just 'practice' their profession with what they know. What they or we know is not always sufficient for a cure or to bring relief to what is plaguing us physically. With all our learning, the knowledge of how we are made will still cause us to wonder as the Psalamist, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." Ps. 139:14. Our Creator made us and knows us from the time of our beginning; for example, we have to learn everything from birth, how to walk, talk, take care of our personal daily needs, and think for ourselves. The beauty here is that God knew us then and now,yet loves us, because He made us, "My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth." Ps. 139:15. The Psalamist goes on to say, "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." Ps. 139:17-18.

We are familiar with the saying, 'Read the manufacturer's instructions before use.' or 'Read the operating instructions before use.' That is what we are doing as we read the Word of God; simply put they are His 'operating instructions' to us His creation. When parents study and know the Bible's warnings and admonitions they can better train and instruct their children and themselves in life. As we grow up and start living on our own, we can continue the process in maintaining the same approach in knowing God's Word, thereby knowing God.

What about the 'spiritual' side of life? How well do we understand the spiritual side of life? Without Christ we can only thrash about striving to understand the 'why' of life, and its purpose of even existing. Once again God knows us, because he made us. In the creation history left to us by Moses, we know that we are spiritual beings as well as physical ones, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Ge. 1:26. Along with this Jesus said, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24. We are made in the image of God, after the likeness of God and Jesus said that God is a Spirit and that we must use the spiritual nature we have to worship Him and by extention to know Him as we study God's Word. This is why I put so much emphasis on reading the Bible, that we might know Him, and then know ourselves as He knows us! Remember, the Bible is God's love letter to us to restore our spiritual connection with Him through the finished work of Christ, the sacrifice once given for man's salvation.

That our 'eye of faith' is dim I think we all can understand. Faith is a gift from God as well as an operation by a believer on the gospel of Christ. Hebrews defines faith, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." He. 11:1&3 The believer is saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ; grace is God's unmerited favor of mercy extended toward us when we believe in the sacrifice Christ made on the cross for our sins. We exercise saving faith when we believe in this act of mercy on God's part of offering His Son. However, sometimes our faith is dim on this side of heaven, so we stumble about as we take our eyes off Jesus and look at the waves as Peter did when Jesus walked on the water. Even when we use our eye of faith it is clouded by the flesh and its care of life that blinds us.

As our high priest, Jesus knows us. He lived the life we live; He understands us and our self inflicted wounds. He also suffered and died for us, and God raised Him from the dead, that we might live with Him forever. He knows our frame that we are dust. Another wonderful thing is that He knows time from beginning to end! All things are known to Him; time is a scroll that He sees constantly. All things are in His power. We can trust Him with the future for it is in His hands. To be with Him will be to know as He knows, everything, since the beginning of time!

OK, I did say that my little saying said a lot! Well so can I when I get started. I hope this has been helpful and thought provoking. Trust in Christ, He is the way, the truth, and the life; the only door to God. Open that door through faith and know Christ as He knows you.

God bless all those that seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. Until next time as God permits, keep reading, praying and sharing. Truthseeker

Just thinking

2005-02-13T21:40:00.000-05:00

I want to encourage all of you out there to keep on reading the Bible and thinking. Dispute what the worldlings think Christians are the best thinkers out there if they are truly in touch with God and obedient to His Word. I want to include some other authors for a variety in reading: C. S. Lewis and Ravi Zacharias. These men prove that one doesn't have to check their brains at the door when they become a Christian. I have put a link on my blog (with help from my son) to help you find Ravi. At his site, for RZIM, you can find many of his books available and other short essays for daily reading in areas of apologetics that help you in witnessing. Once again I will warn that these are just men and their 'opinions' are not on the level of scripture, so use the Word of God to qualify what you read. Ravi also is fond of C.S. Lewis and refers to his writings often. There are also recordings of Ravi's available through the site as well. There is another link for use if you chose. This link is to a site on Anabaptism that will explain the doctrines of the church wherein I worship. This is if you want to know, it is up to you. This blog is mainly conserned with the understanding of God's Word, the Bible, however, the site has a lot of information on Christian living available. As you read keep your Bible open and 'see if these things are true'.

We have been having a week of revival meetings at our church this week and there have been several people responding to the messages. I rejoice that the Word, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is powerful in helping us to escape the sins in our life and enabling us to live a holy life in honor of the sacrifice that was made by Jesus on the cross.

I request your prayers for me as I continue this blog in witnessing for Christ and the Kingdom of God. I feel that it is an awesome responsibility and acknowledge that it is helping me to see the truth as I study the Word with you. I hope to post some short essays in the future for your consideration on various subjects. This is to promote thought and discussion on Christian living in a world that is alien to us spiritually. Keep on praying, reading, and sharing what you learn with your friends and acquaintances. Remember, do not argue about scripture with others, share it; if they reject it, then it is on their conscience and God's Spirit will deal with them. You pray for them; Christianity has had its detractors for over two thousand years and it is still here and a viable power in the life of man. God has promised that His Word will not return to Him without increase in the harvest of souls. You witness; God does the saving!

May God be with all true seekers and believers as they search the Word and witness of the Word, the gospel of Christ. Yours in Christ, Truthseeker.

What to read after the gospels.

2005-02-12T02:49:00.000-05:00

I encouraged you in the reading of the gospels starting with John's gospel in an earlier post. So what's next? Well there is so much in the gospels that we could not exhaust them in a life time, but there is much more to read to aid our understanding of God. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us with all that the Word of God has, so let's go to the three letters of John I, II, and III. John was known as the apostle closest to Jesus when He lived among man. There is a lot of practical insight into Christian living in these letters.

Now for some variety in reading I suggest we add the Pslams and Proverbs to bring some good wisdom into our lives. These are in the Old Testament of the Bible and contain a lot of thoughts that help us understand our emotions and guide us in situations that life sometimes throws at us. (There is a lot of help and advice for our children in Proverbs as well as for us older children.) If you are struggling with suffering, the Book of Job deals with this subject in depth, however it can be confusing at first if you do not keep up with who is speaking, so take notes and pray for help from God.

Concerning the Old Testament (OT for short) it is an important part of God's Word for it is all the history leading up to the coming of Jesus Christ. As we mature in our understanding and start to grasp the significance of the OT then the New Testament (NT) will start to come alive from the prophesies in the OT about Jesus. For example, Isaiah contains many of the prophesies concerning the coming of Jesus. However, take it slow and let the Holy Spirit guide you and comment here for more help. A warning here, discussion of the reading can help, but I have found that sometimes this might confuse us with opinions. Opinions are not necessarily untruthful or truthful, even from me; learn to compare scripture with scripture for confirmation. As I bring this up I want to say that I am human and not infalliable and do not have all the answers, thus my chosen name, Truthseeker. I am also seeking the will of God for my life and need much help form time to time; I want to help and our fellowship as believers and/or seekers is helpful to all of us in our desire to know God and His Son Jesus Christ. Much of what I believe comes from 30+ years of Bible studying and my church affiliation and my insight is formed by this. Pray for truth and rely more on the Holy Spirit and not man.

For now I think we will stop here in this post. May God help you as you study His Word, and may He grant you peace as you seek His face and realize His love. Your friend in Christ, Truthseeker.

A little explanation on this blog.

2005-02-11T02:56:00.000-05:00

Just in case you are wondering why I am posting this blog anonymously. Primarily because I want the interest to be in God and His Word, not in me. There are people out there who know me by the sketchy bio and that is enough. And there are a few in my family and home church that I told that I was doing a blog and supplied the address. The main reason is to promote the Word of God and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to any who want to truly know Him, so I am out of the picture. There is a verse that I always remember in Luke 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. (KJV) I as a servant of Christ am expected to obey all commands given in the Word of God, however, I can never profit God in faithful obedience. I can never repay God for what He did in Christ because of His love for me. Out of love on my part I want to serve Him, because He saved me from my sins and wrote my name in His Book of Life! Praise God for His wonderful works to the children of men! As Job said in Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: (KJV). This is then my reason for not giving my name or other information as to who I am, it is not important, God is the one to know and you and I need to know Him personally. This we can do through Jesus Christ for He told Philip in Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? (KJV). In another place Jesus said, Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one. (KJV), to know Jesus is to know the Father.

I wrote earlier that God manifests himself in three personas, God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. The hard thing for us to grasp is that God is one yet can operate in three separate personas. This is an area of faith; we believe it because God's Word says it plainly to us. All three come together in the creation; in Genesis it says, 'in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth' then it says, 'and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.' Then in John's gospel we read, Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (KJV). The Word here is a name for Christ. And one more from Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (KJV) This is a way I can see and understand the character of God and His three personas which we refer as the Trinity or the Triune God. We can know Him! This is a wonderful thought! Even better, He wants to know us, Jesus said, Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (KJV) Whosoever believes in the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, may have everlasting life, life eternal in the presence of God, forever and ever, it is too marvalous, but then so is God's love for us!

Know Jesus Christ for He can save your immortal soul; I am only a very weak servant of His trying to witness of His great love for you. We will write again if the Lord wills. May God help you to know Him, your friend in Christ, Truthseeker.

Reading God's Word

2005-02-10T09:19:00.000-05:00

I can understand why someone can find the Bible hard to read. We need to realize that the Bible is the Word of God to mankind written by many writers as they were moved to write by the Holy Spirit. God is the author of the Bible, it is His Word to us and He is explaining to us, by using history since the creation, how much He loves us. So you can view the Bible as a long love letter from God to you.

In order to read this wonderful letter of God's love, we need help and God has provided this with the person of the Holy Spirit. Now maybe we should get some titles straight about God before we go any further. There is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and all are one and all agree. In the first book, Genesis God the Father created this world and the universe as we know it and He said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness', Gen.1:26. God's said 'let us' so it was more than one working in the creation, these were the one true God in His three manifestations, and we will start with this Holy Spirit I mentioned above.

The Holy Spirit is a person. He is the guide of all true seekers of God. He does not speak of himself; only of God and of God's Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus promised a 'comforter' to aid the believers after He leaves this world and during the Church age. The Holy Spirit is God and we see God's power manifested through this persona in our life and in the world when God does anything. The Holy Spirit is to be our Guide in life as we understand God's Word.

I recommend that you get a copy of God's Word and start reading. The NIV, NASB, or the NKJV are good starts and they read in our modern way and are true to the original scriptures. However, avoid 'commentary or study' Bibles. Start with just the Word and let God start the process of teaching you with the Holy Spirit's help.

OK, I'll be back soon with more thoughts, be reading and use a note book to write down your thoughts as you go so you can pass them on to this blog for discussion. God be your guide, Truthseeker.

This is so new to me!

2005-02-09T23:06:00.000-05:00

Hello, welcome to my new blog. It is new to me so I guess we shall learn to do this together. Some of you out there are old hands at this, so give an old guy a bit of a break as he learns the ropes. I have recently come into the computer world and entered the internet and this dog is learning many new tricks!

If you have read my background material you are aware that I am a Christian by profession of faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I fully believe that the Bible (KJV, NIV, NKJV, NASB) is the Word of God as delivered to man. I am a member of the Mennonite Church which does not say much to many people, but to those who know of this faith, we are conservative in our doctrine and even have rules and discipline for church membership that call for holy living according to the principles set forth in the Word of God.

Now in this current age it is somewhat 'quaint' to hear someone actually talk in a public forum about their 'faith' in God. This is what I want to do as often as I can. I think there are people out there who are looking for something better than a materialistic, self-centered existance. Many feel that there is a void in their life and that even in the 'success' that they may have reached in life, something is missing. Some even hate their life to the point that they despair of living. And some are asking, 'What is he talking about?" as they read this.

I hope that as we consider what God has to say to mankind in His Word that we may just find a place here to pause and reflect on our lives and allow the Holy Spirit of God to speak through this blog to meet our spiritual needs.

At the outset I want everyone to realize that I am not a minister of the Gospel, meaning licensed in anyway. I am a lay member in my church and only want to reach out to those who want to dialog on spiritual matters or consider questions of eternal importance. I can obtain the help of those more learned if the questions get deeper than I can address. I do not have all the answers, but firmly believe that God's Word does have them. Also, this is not a forum for those who want to 'prove' to me that there is no God. I will not address this type of discussion as it is settled with me and will only drain away the time that I have to spend with those who truly seek a meaningful dialog. If you do not want to believe in God then that is your right, just do not waste your time here.

I am open for questions on spiritual subjects and will offer some items of my own and those of others as time permits, so please comment as often as you want. I look forward to the possibilities we can find in this blog. May God bless all true seekers, yours in Christ, Truthseeker.

Worthy Thinking

2005-02-09T18:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome, I am learning to blog for Jesus Christ. I want to be a witness for His gospel of salvation that sets us free from the sin that so easily besets us all. Come and learn of Christ from the Word of God. I hope to let the Holy Spirit guide us into the Word of God that we may know His will in the salvation of man. Come when you can, stay as long as you can, and comment as you wish.

Until the next post, God bless all true seekers of God, your servant in Christ, Truthseeker.