1998_01 by Uplook

E DI TO R I A L

ITÕS TIME

If we could see God’s clock, what would it say?

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now has the finest of communication systems—with virtually nothing worth saying. The Eighties and Nineties have fast-forwarded by us, and now we stand at the threshold of a new millennium. Those who dare to look ahead can hardly keep from being overcome with time-sickness. Like motionsickness, it is a violent reaction to the constant unsettling movement of things. “Modern man,” someone observed, “is staggering between Vanity Fair and Armageddon.” So what time is it on God’s clock? U Thant, head of the United Nations in 1969, said he thought the world could only make it another ten years. Obviously we’re living on borrowed time (2 Pet. 3:9). But what time is it? It is time to take sin seriously. “The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Pet. 4:17). As the world’s standards plunge into deeper darkness every day, we must realize the danger—that our own standards, while remaining a respectable distance above the world’s, would make us more like Lot than we care to realize. He thought he was doing a good thing by offering his daughters to the men of the city! It is time to take our responsibility seriously, “high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Rom. 13:11). How much there is left to do! “You cannot kill time without injuring eternity,” wrote Thoreau. It’s no time to faint. It is time to take the Lord and His claims seriously. “Sow to yourselves in righteousness,” cries the Lord, and “reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12). Have we been crying for the rain but have failed to break up the fallow ground, exposing our dry condition to heaven? If we do not love Him as we should, tell Him so. Ask Him to woo you as He said He would do to Israel. After all, His secret name is Love. Paul wrote, “Brethren, the time is short.” Now it’s two thousand years shorter than that. It’s time, all right.

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bviously time is a relative commodity: a half hour in a hammock on a Saturday afternoon is hardly the same as a half hour in the dentist’s chair. We call someone in Europe late on a Saturday night; they are already into the new week. Or we stand under the stars and watch them as they were long ago, not as they are tonight. But more than that, the flow of time itself seems to be speeding up. Like a stream cascading increasingly downward until it pours itself into the ocean of eternity, it seems the rate of descent of our sinful world increases the rapidity of time’s passage. In the early chapters of human history, the patriarchs moved from century to century with hardly a ripple. A 2500 BC camel looked pretty much like a 2000 BC camel. A double-wide, matrimonial-size tent in Abram’s day could have passed for the tent that Moses used 500 years later. With the arrival of world empires, time swept the nations along at an ever increasing rate. Within the span of a few hundred years at most, everything changed. Literature, language, architecture—the tides of conquest brought new cultures. But eventually God would say, “Thus far and no further,” and the proud wave would crash on some enemy’s shore, leaving behind only a few broken remnants of its glorious past. By the time of the dominance of European monarchies on the world stage, everything was replaced during the lifetime of one ruler, perhaps five or six decades. If you know your stuff, you can distinguish a Louis XIV table or an Elizabethan dress or a Victorian novel. Yet even then, societies remained relatively stable. When we think of our own century, each decade marks a world of change. The Roaring Twenties. The Dirty Thirties. The War Years. The Prosperous Fifties and the Baby Boom. The Angry Sixties with venerable institutions swept away in the floodtide of rebellion. The Seventies saw the beginnings of the Information Age, a portent of what lay ahead. Our world (the Global Village)

J. B . N I C H O L S O N, J R . UPLOOK

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UPLOOK

CONTE N T S

UPLOOK Volume 65

January 1998

Number 1

FEATURES RENEW OR BE BLUE Renewal Notice!

FOUND IN AN OLD BOOK Richard Cordle

THE GREAT MYSTERY William. Hoste

THE SEARCH FOR GOD’S DESIGN Jeff Rogers

THE SCOURGE OF SPIRITUAL PRIDE J. B. Nicholson, Jr.

CHURCH TRUTH IN THE DOCK James Martin

CONNECTING THE DOTS Michael Fitzhugh

SPARKS IN KENTUCKY Jim Sparks

TO WHAT CHURCH DO YOU BELONG? J. S. Anderson

A SWEET AROMA John Landis

IS THERE A PATTERN? Dave Dunlap

DEPARTMENTS EDITORIAL WHAT’S GOING ON? FRONT LINES HEROES: John Spreeman BOUQUET OF BLESSING LIVING ASSEMBLIES

2 5 9 11 14 16

(USPS 620-640) Founded in 1927 as Look on the Fields, UPLOOK is published eleven times a year by Uplook Ministries, 813 North Ave., N.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503. US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to UPLOOK, P. O. Box 2041, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-2041 CANADIAN POSTMASTER: Send address changes to UPLOOK, P.O. Box 427, St. Catharines, ON L2R 6V9 ISSN #1055-2642 Printed in USA. © Copyright 1998 Uplook Ministries Periodical postage paid at Grand Rapids, MI. International Publication Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 1064363 UPLOOK magazine is intended to encourage the people of God in fidelity to His Word, fervency in intercessory prayer, labors more abundant, and love to the Lord. Believing in the practical Headship of Christ and the local autonomy of each assembly, this is not intended to be an official organ of any group or federation of local churches. The editor and authors take responsibility for materials published. For any blessing which accrues, to God be the glory. UPLOOK is copyrighted solely for the purpose of maintaining the integrity of the material. It is not intended to limit the proper use of articles contained in the magazine. Please include the words: “UPLOOK magazine, by permission” on photocopies made for personal use. For large quantities or other purposes, contact UPLOOK. Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope with all unsolicited material. News items must be submitted at least two months in advance of issue requested. Selected news items will be carried for two issues (if time permits). The editor reserves the right to determine those items best suited for the magazine. Editorial decisions are final. Photos accepted. Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for photos you wish returned. Website: http:\\www.uplook.org e-mail: uplook@uplook.org

Uplook Ministries is a tax-exempt corporation looking to the Lord to provide for the needs of this ministry. This magazine is sent freely to those who request it, but evidently is not freely produced. Donations should be made payable to “UPLOOK” and sent to:

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UPLOOK

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FA I R WA R N I N G !

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SOME FACTS ABOUT UPLOOK Since its makeover in 1991, the circulation of Uplook has increased from 800 copies per month to more than 8,300. We thank the Lord for this growth and count it a privilege to minister to so many. If you know of someone who would appreciate the 4

magazine, feel free to send us their name and address and we would be pleased to add them to the list. While Uplook is published primarily with the needs of North American Christians in mind, we have subscribers in more than 75 different countries, many of these in the Third World. Uplook Ministries, the publisher of Uplook magazine, is a non-profit organization dedicated to publishing the truth of God’s Word. Through our publishing division, Gospel Folio Press, we produce many books, booklets, gospel tracts, and the Choice Gleanings calendar. We also distribute a large variety of books from other publishers. We are glad to send Uplook to everyone who requests it, without charge. To those who have sent a contribution in the past year, we want to express our appreciation again for your investment in this ministry. Without your support, it would be impossible to publish this magazine. You should have received an acknowledgment of your gift and a receipt for income tax purposes. If you did not receive a receipt, please notify us immediately. Despite the fact that the editor and contributors do not draw a salary and the Uplook Ministries staff who do, are paid less than they could earn elsewhere, the costs associated with producing the magazine are substantial. We receive no subsidies or support from any other organization. The financial resources to produce the UPLOOK

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HOW CAN YOU INVEST IN THIS MINISTRY? Even if you are unable to make a contribution, there are other ways that you can help: 1) Let us know, in advance, of any address changes. While the post office will forward the magazine and notify us of the changed address, they will charge us $0.50 for doing so. Every magazine returned as undeliverable also costs us $0.50 plus the original postage. 2) Consider purchasing your books, tapes, etc. from Uplook Ministries. Virtually any book available in a Christian bookstore can be ordered direct from us. All profits from the sale of our products help to subsidize the ministry. And thank you for your prayers!

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RENEW or BE BLUE

magazine come from the Lord through our readers. Normally we would include a financial statement in this issue of the magazine, but due to extra pressures on our staff because of the Rise Up & Build conference, that was not possible. Anyone desiring a financial statement may request one. Often we are asked what the charge is for an annual subscription. Based on our 1996 financial results, the estimated cost to send eleven issues a year to someone residing in the USA is $18.00, CDN$33.00 for readers residing in Canada, and US$26.00 for readers outside of North America. However, a contribution of any size helps to defray our costs. A gift over and above those amounts helps to provide the magazine for someone else who cannot afford it. Almost half of our subscribers have not sent a contribution in the past four years, if ever. Information on making a donation is contained at the bottom of page 3.

WHAT’S

GOING

ON?

Prime time

New Tribes families on CNN’s Larry King Live We have been following the story of the three New Tribes missionaries who have been held hostage for five years in Colombia. On several occasions Uplook has requested prayer for them and for their families. On Tuesday, December 9, the wives of the missionaries were invited to tell their story on CNN’s Larry King Live. For one hour, the drama caught the attention of viewers all

OCCULT IN PHILIPPINES While the Philippines is a strongly Catholic country, many of its people hold unorthodox views of the spirit world. A 120-member group outside Manila called the Spirit Questors provides occult services to the spiritually hungry across the country. The founder of the group, Antonio Perez, teaches shamanism and psychic powers at Ateneo de Manila University. “I was born a Catholic, I was raised a Catholic, and I’ll die a Catholic,” he said. —Pulse GOOD NEWS…BAD NEWS The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormons, has what they consider both good news and bad news about its worldwide expansion. The good

around the world. King also interviewed the President of Colombia, a news reporter who has been following the story in Colombia and another missionary who was held hostage by guerrillas. Continue to pray for these fellow believers that the Lord will work through such publicity opportunities to secure the release of Mark Rich, Rick Tenenoff, and Dave Mankins.

news is that membership has topped 10 million people, up from 9 million three years ago. About half of those members live in the United States, while the rest live in more than 160 nations. The bad news is that the annual growth rate continues to decline. During the Mormons’ first 117 years, it was 10.8 percent. Over the last three years, it has slowed to 3.6 percent. —Pulse THE SLIPPERY SLOPE On Sunday, November 2, 1997, the New York Times carried an article by Steven Pinker, a professor of psychology at the august Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Pinker argues that killing a newborn infant should not be penalized as harshly as killing an older child. “To UPLOOK

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a biologist, birth is as arbitrary a milestone as any other,” Pinker says. According to Pinker, babies aren’t real people because they don’t have “an ability to reflect upon (themselves) as a continuous locus of consciousness, to form and savor plans for the future, to dread death and to express the choice not to die. Our immature neonates don’t possess these traits any more than mice do.” Other “philosophers” have argued that parents should be able to kill their children “up to the time the (baby) learns how to use certain expressions.” WHAT INFLUENCE? While policymakers in the U.S. struggle with how to respond to persecution in China, American influence may be inevitable in the next decade. Over the last ten years, China has sent around a quarter of a million students to the United States. So far about 100,000 have returned as graduates—and shapers of Chinese society. “The way it will manifest itself will be in the little decisions that people make 10 years from now,” former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger told the Wall Street Journal. “I’m not naive enough to say that we can absorb China, but I am prepared to take a bet that the Chinese will absorb a lot of these Western ideas.” —Pulse BIBLE BASHING IN ISRAEL In a new religious furor in Israel, President Ezer Weizman apologized for hurt feelings but not for the substance of his criticism of the Bible that unleashed a hail of ultraOrthodox fire and brimstone. “I will apologize not for what I said but if I hurt the feelings of any of the citizens,” Weizman said in a bid to squelch the furor caused by his comments that parts of the Bible were 5

WHATÕS GOING ON?

BIBLES FOR REFUGEES Burmese Christians, now living as refugees in Thailand, are asking for the Word of God. The Bible League reports nearly half of the 25,000 residents of the Maela Refugee Camp in Thailand are believers. Among this number, however, fewer than 1,000 have the Scriptures available to them. —The Bible League REPRESSED IN UZBEKISTAN The Helsinki Commission has dubbed Uzbekistan as Central Asia’s most repressive country. They receive consistent reports of continuing violations of religious liberty. Most of the groups that run into trouble are those using the indigenous Uzbek language, and are reaching out in traditionally Islamic areas. A number of churches have experienced harassment. It sounds like they’re living in the old Soviet Union: infiltration by security forces, phone calls in the middle of the night, threats that they will be killed and thrown in the river—and this by the government officials. Officials have confiscated nearly 25,000 New Testaments, and instigated an investigation that may halt the work of many mission groups. —Helsinki Commission INVITE BY NORTH KOREA In an unprecedented move, North Koreans are inviting Christians to help them through the upcoming winter. The Southern Baptist Mission Board is looking forward to supplying coats for the children there. They put out a call for 180,000 coats, which they hoped would be delivered by Christmas day. 6

Famine is reportedly wide-spread in North Korea. This is another open door for ministry in that atheistic country. —Southern Baptist IMB BIBLE SALES IN BRAZIL Bible sales are going up in Brazil. According to the Brazilian Bible Society, sales increased 34% over the last year! Officials say three million Bibles were purchased. Most of the increase came as a result of large purchases made by the International Gideon Society and churches that specialize in handing out free Bibles as a way to lead the lost to Christ. —Brazilian Bible Society TERROR ON THE NILE At an ancient temple in Luxor, Egypt, the same militant Islamic group that assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981 launched a vicious and deadly attack on foreign tourists. Fifty-eight people, most of them Swiss, were cut with knives and riddled with bullets as the attackers killed wantonly in a 45-minute rampage, leaving centuries-old sandstone pillars splattered with blood. The terrorists promised to suspend further attacks if Egypt releases jailed comrades. Also demanded: Release their spiritual leader, Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, who’s serving a life sentence in the United States for conspiring to blow up the World Trade Center. —World REACHED THROUGH WWW With all the publicity about the negative impact of the Worldwide Web, it is encouraging to come across reports that point out that the web isn’t all bad. Campus Crusade for Christ has a web page about Christ that registers close to 300 visitors every day. The evangelistic page covers details of Christ’s death and resurrection, as well as arguments for His divinity. —Campus Crusade for Christ UPLOOK

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GETTING COLDER IN AK Valley Hospital, near Anchorage, Alaska, put an abortion policy in place in 1992 when pro-lifers formed a majority on the board. Abortions were banned except in cases of rape, incest, threat to the life of the mother or severe fetal deformity. Recently, that policy was overturned by Alaska’s Supreme Court. Since the institution is considered “quasi-public,” it is subject to the limitations of the state constitution. This means that they may not limit the availability of abortion. James Bopp, attorney for the hospital said, “The Alaska Supreme Court has made a decision that’s unprecedented…to interpret the Alaska constitution to create a coercive right to abortion. BOB JONES GRADUATES Bob Jones, Jr., chancellor and chairman of Bob Jones University which his father founded, died Nov. 12, after being diagnosed with abdominal cancer in September. He was 86. Jones became acting president in 1932 and president in 1947. In 1971 he was succeeded by his son, Bob III and was named chancellor. The controversy that erupted when the school severed its relations with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association marked a major split between fundamentalists and evangelicals.

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“not very nice” and “not worth reading.” Weizman, the ceremonial leader with a gift for putting his foot in his mouth, made the remarks at a seminar aimed at bridging the acrimonious divide between religious and secular Jews.

TREASURER

FINDS TREASURE

Found in an old Book

“But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”

RICHARD CORDLE

ver two years ago, I began a Bible study in our home with some of our closest friends. I was the music director in a large denominational church at the time, of which I was one of six founding members some ten years earlier. Growing from six members to eight hundred was no small feat. Over the years, my wife and I had served in nearly every capacity: finance committee, nominating committee, deacon, Sunday School teacher, outreach…whatever was needed. The home Bible study grew out of a desire to get more spiritual food than a Sunday morning sermon and our church “busyness” had offered. At this same time, I met a fellow on the Internet—a Christian some 1,200 miles away in Kansas who was as enthralled with e-mail capability as I was! We established an immediate “online friendship” and within a few letters, had challenged one another to read through the Bible together. The sharing of God’s truths we enjoyed during that next year was phenomenal, and the Lord began to open my eyes to things I had often questioned but never confronted. Our study of 2 Timothy in our home was such a blessing to our small group that I decided to offer the study at our church on another night. The group there grew to over 50 attendees! While the study was

incredibly rewarding, something was very unsettling about it all. It was obvious to me that people were excited about growing in the knowledge of the Lord and His Word, as was I, but the fact that there were so many things that were not being practiced in the church according to scripture began to gnaw at me. Over and over our discussions in the study would center around this issue. Then the study would end, and everyone departed feeling good about having discussed it, yet never seemingly moved to do anything about it. We would discuss how we were to “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” yet there was little evidence that we believed what we were learning, enough to change our actions. The 2 Timothy study ended and we plunged into Romans...and my e-mail buddy and I were now discussing deep theological issues. I began to share some of my concerns with this objective friend, who always steered me back to Scripture for answers! The interesting thing in all of this was the apparent thriving success of my ministry and our church. I say apparent, because in terms of numbers and emotions it was THE place to be. The music was exciting, our community “following” for special UPLOOK

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programs was incredible...and the feel-good atmosphere was all anyone could ask for …except…I…was… miserable! Months of study, searching, and struggling ensued… until I finally yielded to the truth—it was not “success” that brought deep, abiding joy and peace to the soul…rather, it was a life lived in obedience to the Holy Word of God! Time and space constrain me from sharing all that has since happened. Suffice it to say, however, that once the decision was made to obey God, the rest came easy! “The rest” you ask? Things like leaving a large congregation where I was a well-

Richard Cordle 7

FOUND IN AN OLD BOOK known, well-respected elected official in the community with a large following…things like coping with losing every close friend we thought we had because they could not “do what we had done”…things like forgoing an extra monthly income that helped pay the college tuition bills…things like struggling with our

brothers and sisters one could ever hope to find. Oh, and one other thing I forgot to mention…God also spoke to two other couples during the course of our Bible studies who became equally convicted and decided to follow the Lord in obedience to His Word. They have become not only our best friends…but our family

So often these past few months I have looked back on my forty-two years with regret that I have not progressed further for the Lord. And yet, what He has taken me through, what He has allowed me to experience has deepened my commitment to Him in a way that perhaps might not have happened otherwise.

ÒMy grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.Ó

through all of this! I am so inexpressibly grateful to the Lord and humbled by how He has worked through this experience. I have grown to love His Word immeasurably and to appreciate that it ALL is important and relevant to our lives. And I praise Him for leading me to an assembly ordered on the New Testament principles of gathering, where the truth is unashamedly taught, where Christ is the center of all, and where my family and I can grow in the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord. I cannot say that the price for this experience has not been costly, but I can say that God’s grace truly has been more than sufficient! It is His strength that has brought us through! UPLOOK

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None of us ever fully arrives at where we need to be for the Lord, and we can never complete the task of figuring it all out this side of heaven. And I am convinced that the joy and peace that comes from making our life’s journey one that is yielded to and led by our Lord Jesus Christ is known by precious few. Our challenge in the New Testament assembly is to boldly share what we know with those who are seeking the Lord…and encourage others to search out the scriptures as the only standard by which we are to live every area of our lives. Only then can we hope to seek Him with all our heart and our soul…and truly find Him!

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children who thought we were already serving God correctly…and little things like continuing to hear rumors and speculations about why we left the church and what we were currently “doing.” I failed to mention that my e-mail friend is an elder in a Wichita, KS assembly. And I failed to mention that there is a local assembly less than four miles from my home in Richmond, VA (I had never even heard of a New Testament assembly!) Coincidences? Not a chance! The sovereign hand of an Almighty God? Most definitely! Through the Holy Spirit’s convicting power and my friend’s influence, my family and I now worship at Grace Gospel Chapel with some of the dearest Christian

FRONT

LINES

WORD ALIVE WEEKEND As a result of the help received at four Word Alive Weekends last January to April, four more Word Alive Weekends have been planned, sponsored by assemblies in Winnipeg, MB. The dates, speakers and topics are as follows: • Jan. 23-25, Dr. James Murphy The Centrality of Christ • Feb. 27-Mar. 1, James McCarthy Catholicism & Evangelism • March 27-29, J. B. Nicholson, Jr. Getting to Know Our Father • April 24-26, not yet finalized For more information, contact Ron Hampton Phone/fax: (204) 669-1694 rhampton@mb.sympatico.ca SE WORKERS’ CONFERENCE The 1998 Southeastern Workers’ Conference is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 17 and 18, 1998 at the Gospel Chapel in Nashville, TN. Speakers include: Clayton Davis, Ingemar DeRidder, J. B. Nicholson, Jr., Frank Perry, Carroll Van Ryn and Elliott Van Ryn. Some home accommodations are available for the men. Register and request accommodations by contacting Mr. Leslie George, Registrar 141 Neese Dr. Nashville, TN 37211 Phone: (615) 331-9949. If any questions about the conference, call Warren Hylton, conference secretary, at (706) 868-8252. 11TH WINTER CONFERENCE The 11th annual winter conference will be held at Galilean Bible Camp (ON) on Feb. 27-Mar. 1, 1998. Lord willing, Jack Baker (ON) will be speaking. For information: James Martin 1761 Rutherglen Cr. Sudbury, ON P3A 2K4 e-mail: jrm@sympatico.ca

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES The Christians that meet at Queen St. Bible Chapel in Sault Ste. Marie, ON, have planned a series of monthly in-depth Bible studies. The studies run from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM Feb. 14 J. B. Nicholson 7 Signs in John’s Gospel Mar. 14 Arnot McIntee Things to Come Apr. 10-11 Randy Amos The Resurrection Phone Peter Aceti at (705) 9426967 or Joe Reese at (705) 946-0289 for details. TEACHING AT GALILEE A series of Bible teaching seminars for believers 18 years of age and older is planned to be held at Camp Galilee in Renfrew, ON. The presentations will be a help in various aspects of assembly life. D.V., Willie Burnett will present “Preparation for Teaching;” Bettine McCullough will address the women on “Sisters, Their Conduct and Service;” and Brian Gunning will discuss “Assembly Life and Issues.” Couples and singles are welcome. A children’s program will run during the seminar sessions. Camp begins on Mar. 15, with supper; and closes with lunch on Mar. 18. Conference fees are: $120 for singles, $195 for couples, $50 for children (6-13 years), and no charge for children under 5. Contact: Jim and Elizabeth Paul Phone: (613) 829-1292 Fax: (613) 829-1524 jimpaul@cyberus.ca A SPRING CONFERENCE The saints at the New Hartford Assembly in New Hartford, IA, cordially invite you to their spring conference to be held, Lord willing, Mar. 20-22, 1998. Speakers expected are Doug Kazen (WA) and Harold UPLOOK

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Summers (BC). For more info., call: Edward Behrends (319) 983-2248 A WEEKEND IN THE WORD Rex Trogdon (Charlotte, NC) is the scheduled speaker for a Weekend in the Word conference to be held Apr. 3-5, in Lancaster, PA. This conference, designed for adults of all ages, will be held in the Bird-InHand Inn, a deluxe conference facility in the heart of Amish country. The cost for the weekend, including meals and accommodations is $115 per person. For more information: Mark Kolchin P. O. Box 305 Lanoka Harbor, NJ 08734 E-mail honeyrock@juno.com EASTER IN TORONTO A Bible conference sponsored by seven Toronto and area assemblies will be held at Martingrove Collegiate (Martingrove Rd. and Eglinton Ave. W., Toronto) on Apr. 10-11, 1998. Invited speakers are William MacDonald, Joe Reese, and James Cochrane. The meeting times both days are 2:30 PM and 6:30 PM with supper served at 4:30. A special young people’s meeting is scheduled for April 10 at 8 PM with Joe Reese. For further information, contact: William Payne (905) 271-2813 MISSIONARY BREAKFAST A Southern Ontario Missionary Breakfast is planned for Saturday, April 25 at 8:30 AM at the White Oaks Inn, St. Catharines, ON. (The conference has been held in the Ramada Parkway Inn in the past but due to another function they are unable to accommodate us.) Tickets are $12.00 per person and can be purchased from: H. W. Allison 9

FRONT LINES

ONT. WORKERS’ CONFER Plan to attend the sixth annual Ontario Elders’ and Workers’ Conference, May 5-7, D.V. The conference will be hosted by the Scottlea assembly with other assemblies from the St. Catharines, ON, area joining in providing lodging and meals. The theme: “Things Which Must Shortly Come to Pass.” Paul Grieve (South Africa) and Randy Amos (NY) will give morning and evening sessions. Boushra Mikhael, J. Boyd Nicholson, Sr., and Ernie Sarlo will take plenary sessions. BIBLELANDS TOUR Randy Amos (NY) and Mark Kolchin (NJ) will be conducting a 13-day Bible Lands Study Tour. The trip is scheduled, Lord willing, for May 11-23, 1998. The tour will include two days of visiting ancient sites in Rome, three days in Egypt, and eight days in Israel. Contact: Mark Kolchin P. O. Box 315 Lanoka Harbor, NJ 08734 e-mail: honeyrock@juno.com TnT TEAMS IRELAND 1998 Teach & Testify (TnT) teams are again being planned to travel to Ireland this summer to encourage existing Irish assemblies with ministry and evangelism. The dates for this year’s teams are May 25-June 18. There will be a three-day orientation and training program, followed by 17 days involved in ministry and evangelism with each team being hosted by a different Irish assembly. The teams’ time in Ireland will finish with a three-day sight-seeing trip. Contact: 10

Ron Hampton 614 Greene Ave. Winnipeg, MB Canada R2K 0M6 Phone/fax: (204) 669-1694 rhampton@mb.sympatico.ca NEW WORK IN IOWA Several students attending the University of Iowa are meeting on Tuesday evenings for prayer and Bible study. All have a strong assembly background, practicing New Testament principles. They are desirous of contacting more students and families in the Iowa City area, with the possibility of starting a new work in Iowa City. Contact: Dave Arbogast (319) 351-4601 DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE An assembly of Christians, Gateway Bible Chapel, from the Clinton IA/Fulton, IL area (across the Mississippi River from each other) began breaking bread four years ago. Now about 45 people are meeting in a rented high school in Fulton, IL. Contact: Abe Chacko 1116 Valley View Dr. Fulton, IL 61252 (815) 589-2192 or Jim Fullan 1910 N. 5th St. Clinton, IA 52732 (319) 242-4597 COMMENDATION William and Barbara Gustafson The elders of Bethany Chapel, Augusta, GA, commend Bill and Barb Gustafson to full-time work among assemblies of Christians. Their ministry area is that of teaching, Christian camp work, preaching, and youth work. Their address is: 631 Cherokee Dr. Waynesboro, GA 30830-1622 MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY Opportunities for full-time minUPLOOK

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istry are available at Victory Christian School. Now in their 23rd year of service, the school is a ministry of the Bible Chapel in Saint Louis. A college degree and experience working with young people are preferred; certification or a teaching degree are not necessarily required. Openings for the 98/99 school year are in the elementary school, the high school, and in administration. Contact: Stan Vaniger Victory Christian School 10255 Musick Rd. Saint Louis, MO 63123-5064 Phone: (314) 849-3425 (day) or (314) 752-3778 (evening) A FRIEND TO MISSIONARIES The Amicus Retreat Center for Missionaries is now open near Peterborough, ON. The ministry was founded by the late Claude Loney in 1994 to provide a place for missionaries on furlough to come for rest and encouragement. Contact: Amicus Ministries International PO Box 1503 Peterborough, ON K9J 7H7 Phone: (800) 732-2796 Fax: (705) 742-1208 amicusadmoff@compuserve.com AT HOME Dr. David L. Clifford At the age of 86 on November 24. Dr. Clifford was predeceased by his wife, Winnifred 19 months earlier. Dr. Clifford was born into a Christian family and at an early age made a commitment to follow the Lord. He started preaching at the age of 16, and left a promising career as an architect to join the Pilgrim Preachers in tent evangelism. Following a visit to America, he was impressed by a project teaching young people the Bible, together with practical teaching for mission work. He founded Moorlands Bible College and other Bible colleges in Bermuda and the Bahamas.

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3199 Sovereign Rd. Burlington ON L7M 2W1 Phone: (905) 336-8101 Fax: (905) 336-2881 E-mail: hw.allison@sympatico.ca Maps to White Oaks Inn will be on the back of the tickets.

H ERO ES

JOHN SPREEMAN

A cold reception in Quebec. The beginning of the long thaw. t was on the evening of March 18, 1933, after some interested readers of our tracts invited us for a “mission” among them, that Noah Gratton and I took the train from Montreal on the long, slow journey to the little station at Albanel, in the province of Quebec. It was Patrick St. Gelais who met us with a cutter and drove us the six miles or so to his parents’ home, the warmth of which—in a double sense—was much appreciated after facing a bitter cold north-wester’ with only our city hats to protect our heads and ears. We were now to learn many things of which we had been entirely ignorant—among which was the squabble there had been in the parish a year previously over the placing of a church which was to replace the combined schoolhouse and chapel they had used till then. The group that invited us had the key still in their hands. To our surprise, we were offered the use of this building for meetings the next day. We accepted, but admit to strange and mixed feelings on finding ourselves in a building in which were still some statues and other marks of Rome. At our morning meeting I think there were about 40 people present, but fewer in the evening. No doubt many were disappointed that we wore no robe nor clerical collar; also our limited ability in French would not have left a favorable impression. The Lord was going to work, however— the Adversary also. The bishop was at once advised of our using the chapel there and within a day or so a plainly written letter was received from him forbidding any further use of that building for “communistic” or other kind of meeting. In the absence of Pierre Doucet, the mayor, away on a trapping and trading expedition (on whose property this “school-chapel” had been built), it was considered best to refrain from any more meetings there until his return. We therefore spoke with the people in their homes, especially the St. Gelais and Doucet homes, where many would

stop to meet these ministres who had recently arrived. One evening, we had a rather special visit of a neighbor cheesemaker, accompanied by a tall, well-dressed man, a stranger to everyone there. He introduced himself as a cousin of the other and desired to meet and hear the two young men who had come among the folk there. He asked us many questions as to our activities and teaching to which we replied frankly, quoting Scriptures also. We even sang some hymns while they were there—which he professedly found interesting, and before they left, we knelt together and prayed. After they had left, I paced the floor for a while, saying to the others, “That is no ordinary person—he could even be a priest in disguise. Anyway he had some definite purpose in coming to question us. Perhaps we’ll learn more about him later.” Shortly afterwards the cheesemaker admitted that this supposed cousin was in fact a Provincial detective who had come on the insistence of the parish priest at Albanel who was sure we were communists. He quite expected, we were informed, that we would be arrested by this detective. On the contrary, the detective said that we “hadn’t said one word out of place” and that nothing could be done against us. In the midst of many such experiences, God was working. Madame Doucet, a devout Romanist, found it ridiculous that we should state that a person had to be born again. She wanted to find out just what kind of men we were; with this in view, she got the school teacher to invite us both to speak with her at the school one afternoon after classes had been dismissed. I recall clearly our visit with the teacher. We spoke plainly to her about the need of being saved; of having forgiveness of sins; of being born again while still on this side of death. She stated quite openly that she had sinned all her life. To this I replied that unless she repented and obtained the pardon and deliverance from her sins in this life, her soul would be lost in hell for all eternity, and all

PERSONAL UPLOOK

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JOHN SPREEMAN the prayers of all the priests in her church would not budge her one inch. I also reminded her of Felix who had put off salvation till a more convenient season and warned her against doing this; she didn’t know how soon she might be called into eternity. She was visibly shaken as we spoke thus with her, and upon her return to her house, when Mme. Doucet asked her how she had found us, she replied, while pacing the floor and ringing her hands, “Oh, it was awfully disturbing and alarming, the way they spoke to me.” We didn’t realize at that time that she then had only about 9 months to live, and what a shock it was to us to then get the news that Mlle. Jeanne Aubé had left this world after a sickness of only some days—possibly meningitis. She was only about 23 years of age. One little ray of hope concerning her is that not long before her death she had called on Mme. Doucet to get another New Testament to replace the one she had lost or discarded. As for Mme. Doucet, what was her dismay when, not long after having ridiculed the idea of being born again, she found this very statement from John 3 quoted in her own massbook. “Our priests have never told us this,” she said. “These two young men are telling us the truth after all! I’ve never been born again and therefore cannot hope to enter the kingdom of God.” For three days she was in deep distress, frequently pleading with God to grant her this “new birth,” and then the same Holy Spirit who had awakened her also enlightened her and filled her heart with peace and joy. We could see this in her countenance the next time we went to her home. After a while, hardly knowing just how to break the news to us, she came out with something like “I’m just like you are now!” and then gave us more details of her conversion as we talked with her. For about three weeks we had nightly cottage meetings in the St. Gelais home, besides visits here and there. Several were saved. By this time, Mme. Doucet was speaking of Christ to everyone she met, and their son Edgard was also witnessing frequently to others. Satan had to interfere now, using his ready agents, the priests, who were constantly after Mr. Doucet to use his influence as mayor, to get us out of the place. After a weekend fishing with a group including a priest, he had been convinced that his wife and others were becoming mentally unbalanced by our religion, and that we were using some magical influence on them, even putting drugs into their glasses. Mr. Doucet came therefore to see us at the St. Gelais home, and—quite excited, if not outright angry—he told us plainly that we were not to go to his home anymore. In our distress, we went out into the fields and into a little gully to be alone with God. On opening my Bible, I read “He looketh on the earth, and it 12

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trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke” (Isa. 104:32). It struck me that Mr. Doucet, being a prominent and influential person in the municipality, was comparable to one of these hills and that God would only need to look on or touch him and he would wither up. On the Saturday afternoon of that same week, we had the visit of Mr. Joseph Paré, with whom we had spoken before in the Doucet home. He pretended to have several questions which he’d feel more free to ask us in his settler’s home back 2 or 3 miles in the bush and asked us if we would go there that evening. We had little if any suspicion of foul play intended and looking for opportunities to present the gospel to anyone ready to listen, we agreed to go. It was now Saturday, August 26. The evenings were already getting a bit cool, and mention was made of taking our fall coats with us for the drive in a buggy. Before leaving, Mme. St. Gelais queried, “Are you not afraid they might do you some harm tonight back there in the bush?” “Surely they don’t mean to do anything like that!” and then added rather jokingly, “but should they do so, it might be better if we didn’t have our coats with us; we could run faster without them.” On arrival there, Mr. Paré played the real Judas, welcoming us with a smile; taking our hats and coats and giving us chairs beside the table. We couldn’t help but notice that things didn’t seem quite normal. Neither his wife nor children were present—only men and lads of varying ages who became increasingly restless as the hour advanced. After considerable coming in and going out by most of those present (who were also frequently whispering among themselves), we heard outside the motor of what later proved to be that of a truck. Suddenly the door opened and in rushed a gang of howling, half-drunk men, their faces painted all colors and looking more like demons than men. At the same time, the men who had remained inside jumped up and joining the others, rushed on us both, seizing us by the arms. Calling to one another to search us well, they stuck their hands into our pockets. (Evidently the priests had told them that we’d likely have revolvers on us—being wicked men, they should take no chances with us.) Having found no weapons, they then hollered loudly while holding on to us firmly: “Out with them now— we’ve got them in our hands—it’s long enough they’ve been around here causing trouble! Now we’re going to get rid of them! We’re Catholics here and we’ll always remain Catholics—out with them.” We were bundled outside and heaved like animals onto the waiting truck—hired it seems by the stillbeguiled dear Mr. Doucet. Noah felt that he’d never see his wife and children again, while I was fearing that they

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JOHN SPREEMAN meant to take us to the village of Girardville and after making a public spectacle of us, throw us into the river. My fears regarding this were relieved, however, when they didn’t turn in that direction. As we arrived near the corner where the Doucet home was, we thought to call out and let them know that we were on that truck, but at once our mouths were covered by hands coming from all sides. Our kidnappers, though, were loudly jubilant as they drove past the cheese factory and the St. Gelais home a little further down the road. Having reached Albanel, a stop was made near the RC church where some men went to advise the priest—one of the main pushers of this whole thing—that they had their prey and ask what they should do with them now. While they were in there, Noah and I had a plain talk with the others, some of whom couldn’t hide their shame for the part they were taking in this criminal act. When the men returned, the conversation went like this: “We have two propositions to offer you; on the condition that you take the first train away from here, we’ll drive you down as far as St. Félicien and leave you in a hotel overnight there, but you must never come back again. Tonight we’re treating you like gentlemen, but if you come back again, we’ll use our clubs on you.” “What’s your other proposition?” They wouldn’t tell us. “Well, there are no police at St. Félicien; you’ll need to take us on to Roberval, for don’t forget that you’re taking the law into your own hands tonight.” They laughed at that. “We’ve got the best law on our side—the priest and the mayor,” they replied. We were shortly off again on the remaining 18-20 miles to St. Félicien where, having awakened the town constable (for it was now about 11 PM) he came with them to the truck. Addressing him, we said, “These men have taken us by force and brought us here, and if you’re the police in this town, it’s you, sir, who is responsible for our presence here from now on.” And when he hesitated following us with several of our abductors to the hotel, we said again to him, “Oh yes, you must come and have knowledge of everything that takes place, for don’t forget, it’s you who are now responsible for us from now on.” He rather sheepishly concurred and we were led, like prisoners of war, by these men—still with their painted faces—right along the main street. While several kept

guard over us, two or three others, having negotiated with a little aging Monsieur Coudé, proprietor of the small hotel, came out and told us we could go in. They refused to leave until we had gone upstairs into our allotted room, which, as it had no lock on the door, we pushed the bed up against it before getting in, and after some time, we got a measure of sleep. After awaking, we let the St. Gelais family know by phone where we were. After a meal, we found a man ready to drive us back to Girardsville—a brother of Mr. St. Gelais whom we had only met a few days previously. A group of the saved and interested ones gave us a warm reception back—as from the dead. What to do now? For myself, having no doubt a good supply of “fighting blood” in me and still unmarried— I was ready to stay on and see this thing through, but the conviction of the others was that it might be wiser to withdraw for a while and allow the storm to calm down. We thus returned to St. Felicien and took the train the next day back to Montreal. During that winter Mr. Doucet was saved while trapping in the bush, having learned they were lies that had been told against us and having regretted his part in the abduction. In the late winter, dear Mme. Doucet, anxious to obey the Lord in baptism, came to Montreal by train for this purpose. By early June, we returned to Girardville and were met at the train by Mr. and Mme. Doucet. The next day several priests sent a petition around the parish, demanding the adoption of a resolution to expel from the municipality the “pretended Spreeman and his consort.” Although nearly all the councilors turned down the idea, one of them, a bitter fanatic, and his backers, threatened to take the matter into their own hands, gather a gang from several parishes, and bundle us out. In this tense atmosphere we had a few baptisms, our first there. Later on a small assembly was established; a dissident school municipality had to be legally formed and then a school built. Then what a problem it was regarding burying the bodies of the first ones to pass away among us. We finally managed to establish a cemetery of our own. Quite a book could be written if all details of those early years were to be related. But by God’s grace an assembly was established there, which is still functioning. To the Lord belongs all the praise.

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THEY LAUGHED AT THAT. ÒWEÕVE GOT THE BEST LAW ON OUR SIDE ÑTHE PRIEST AND THE MAYOR,Ó THEY REPLIED.

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BOUQUET

BLESSING

THERE IS ONE BODY

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit CHRISTIAN UNITY

When someone suggested to George Whitfield that he ought to form a new sect, he replied: Let sects and names and parties fall, And Christ alone be Lord of all.

Let party names no more The Christian world o’erspread; Gentile and Jew, and bond and free, Are one in Christ their head.

Robert Ferguson entered a Glasgow train car which was fairly well filled. Having difficulty in finding a seat, a gentleman at the front of the car beckoned him to take a space next to him, remarking as Robert sat down, “Man, you have a typical Scottish face.” “So I should,” he replied. ‘I’m a double-born Scot, having been born twice, the first time in Penpont and the second time at my own fireside in Glasgow.” Then he added, “And I’m going to spend eternity with a people gathered out of ‘every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,’ all redeemed to God by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Let envy and ill-will Be banished far away, And all in Christian bonds unite, Who the same Lord obey. Among the saints on earth, Let mutual love be found; Heirs of the same inheritance, With mutual blessings crown’d. Thus will the church below Resemble that above; Where streams of pleasure ever flow, And every heart is love. —BEDDOM

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1 Cor. 1:10

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into One Body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free. 1 Cor. 12:13

Don’t call yourselves Lutherans. Who is Luther but a miserable bag of dust and ashes? Call yourselves ‘Christians’ after Him who died for you! —Martin Luther If it was wrong for the believers at Corinth to take sectarian names, it surely cannot be right for believers to do so now. 14

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one. John 17:20-22 UPLOOK

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CLASSIC

The great mystery

We know who did it. Only God could have or would have. But why? WILLIAM HOSTE

his great mystery was officially, though not exclusively, revealed in Ephesians (chs. 2 and 3; see also Rom. 16 and Col. 2). In this epistle, the Church is mentioned nine times, and in each case in a special connection. AN ETERNAL PURPOSE UNFOLDED “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church” (5:32). This “in other ages,” as we have seen, “was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit” (3:5). The Church is to occupy towards Christ the double relation of Body to manifest the perfections and excellencies of the Head, and of the Bride, to enter into and enjoy the affections and purposes of the Bridegroom.

it, even as the Lord the Church” (5:29). The word translated “nourisheth” is used in 6:4 of a father “bringing up” his children; and that rendered “cherisheth” is found in 1 Thessalonians 2:7 of a nurse who brings up her own children. Here we see the Lord’s present affections and unceasing activities on behalf of His own. A PRESENT RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHED “The husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church, and He is the Saviour of the body” (5:23). This shows us the intimate dependence of the Church on Christ. A PRESENT RESPONSIBILITY INCURRED “The Church is subject unto Christ” (5:24). That is, placed in a relation of subjection, as the wife to her husband, and therefore ought to be subject as also the wife.

AN ETERNAL LOVE REVEALED

A PRESENT SERVICE UNFOLDED

“Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it” (5:25), leading on to cleansing, a single act; and sanctification, a continuous process in the case of each member of that Church, and so the whole depth of the love of Christ can only be fathomed by His death on Calvary. “He gave Himself.”

“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God.” This explains one phase of our service here. The Church is an object lesson to the elect angels (3:10).

A PRESENT MINISTRY PERFORMED “No man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth

A PRESENT PRIVILEGE PREPARED “He hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be Head over all things to the Church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him that filleth UPLOOK

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The Church isÉnot an earthly association but a heavenly fellowship

all in all” (1:22-23). This is not merely that Christ is the Head of the Church, but the Head over all things to the Church. That is, He heads up all things for the benefit and blessing of the Church. “All things are ours,” because all things are His. A FUTURE CONSUMMATION AWAITED “That He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish” (5:27). The Lord God presented Eve to Adam. Christ will present His Church to Himself is only one more incidental proof of His Deity. AN ETERNAL MINISTRY REVEALED “Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end” (3:21). Therefore the peculiar position of the Church is not temporal merely, nor only lasting during the millennium, but is eternal. The differences between the Church, Israel, and the saved from among the nations will never disappear. It will be clearly seen from the above that the Church is not a dead organization, but a living organism; not a material edifice, but a spiritual building; not an earthly association, but a heavenly fellowship.

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IT’S A

LIVING ASSEMBLIES

THE FINAL CHECK LIST Before you leave your assembly

hat’s it. You’ve decided to leave your assemment or anger is not characteristic of the Lord’s way. It is bly. The elders will not listen. The Christians one thing to leave in happy fellowship with a view to are too worldly. The problems are not solved. helping another assembly. It is quite another to leave full This time you are really going to do it. of fault-finding. Where will I go? To move without His You are not the first Christian to think this way. There guidance could cause a problem in the assembly I go to, are times of discouragement and frustration that lead us as well as the one I leave. Be sure the Lord is in this. to the possibility of leaving our assembly in search of a 5. Are your intentions to leave a symptom of your own better situation. But before you make the final break, spiritual condition? Asaph, in Psalm 73 describes an here is a checklist to consider. experience that is not unknown to us. He was discour1. Have you considered that you will wound the body? aged. The wicked appeared to prosper while the godly When a believer leaves for unhappy reasons, an amputasuffered. But in his despair, he knew that to speak about tion takes place. The Christians are saddened and hurt his complaint would only discourage others. So he waitwhen one breaks fellowship. We are ed on God and eventually saw the whole “members one of another.” There may be a picture. He concludes: “It is good for me The problem with carnal pleasure of finally “showing them” to draw near to God: I have put my trust in by leaving, but we step into dangerous ter- leaving your assembly the Lord God, that I may declare all Thy ritory. The stumbling of another is taken as and going to another works” (v. 28). Sometimes in life it is best a direct attack on the Lord (1 Cor. 8:12). to keep silent. Acting impetuously may is this: you’ll meet a 2. Will your family survive? We cannot trigger events we never intended. Consider act independently. Our children are watchwaiting before leaving your assembly. familiar person in ing us. They know more than we give them 6. Have you considered there is more to the new place. credit for. Will my spouse and children be encouraged about than to be discouradjust to a new fellowship? Do they need aged about? We are living in a day with It’s you. to be exposed to difficulties this way? great opportunities. Young people around Young people develop friendships in an us are hungry for the Word of God and livassembly that stand them in good stead during formative ing for Him. The gospel is still “the power of God” and years. When the world is more than happy to embrace people need to hear it. Assemblies need men and women them and offer them a false fellowship, we cannot afford who will be there to build through good times and times to put their assembly fellowship in jeopardy. of crises. The only time to give up is never. 3. Your influence and gift will no longer benefit the There was never an assembly with as many problems assembly. Read again these words, “But now has God set as Corinth. Yet Paul never encouraged anyone to leave. the members every one of them in the body, as it has With love and determination, he faithfully corrected them pleased Him” (1 Cor. 12:18). Your influence and gift may with a view to moving forward. Let us be men and be the very thing the Lord wants to use in your assembly. women of that character. It may be you have accurately identified areas requiring There may be times when the Lord moves His people change. But things do not change overnight. Perhaps around. There may even be situations that are hopeless. your ministry to date has been equipping the saints in But these are not common. It is time for us to drop the ways you can’t see yet. Now is not the time to quit. critical spirit. Stop complaining. Turn that energy into 4. Is the Lord really leading you this way? There are positive actions. Encourage the elders. Befriend the times when the Lord has led believers from one assembly young people. Visit the elderly. Be a spiritual believer. to another. But you want to be sure this is the case. Contribute to the health of the assembly and see how Leaving your assembly out of frustration, discouragesoon change comes to the assembly (and you)!

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BRIAN UPLOOK

GUNNING

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T ROPHY

O F

G R AC E

The search for GodÕs design

Jeff had received so much in salvation, but he knew he was missing a key piece in the puzzle of life. If the Church was Christ’s, how did He want it to function? JEFF ROGERS

n September of 1978, I was nineteen but it seemed I was going on forty. I had lived my young life in debauchery. No sin was too great to attempt. Yet God had divine intentions for me, intentions of grace and love. I went to a local Baptist church on September 2, 1978, where I heard a message on the new birth; having the chance to begin life anew, with no stains on the record of our lives. I was spell-bound. Many times I had dreamed of such a chance. At that service, wanting desperately to be freed from sin and its bondage, I trusted Christ as my Saviour. With all my heart I turned from sin to God. Immediately the

Lord began to dramatically change me. Within two weeks I was going to the local county jail, trying to win souls, and telling folks on the sidewalk about Christ. Folks at church began to tell me I was “called to preach.” While I really wanted to serve the Lord, this troubled me. I felt many were saying this due to the somewhat spectacular nature of my conversion from an awful life of sin. Nevertheless, in 1981, being firmly convinced God had indeed called me to preach, my wife and I left for Bob Jones University, where I enrolled as a ministerial student. In 1987, ordained into the ministry at our church, I sold my business. We left for Kankakee, IL, where we planted an independent, fundamental Baptist church.

THE ROGERS FAMILY UPLOOK

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Many things deeply troubled me about what I had been taught was “the ministry,” commonly known as the pastorate. For one, I could not see this in the Bible. In 1989, I resigned this pulpit with the church owning a building, having grown well and in general, thriving. I began to travel, preaching at independent, fundamental Baptist churches throughout the state of Illinois, into Wisconsin, and as far as South Carolina. This continued for the next six years, all the while with me searching for New Testament truth regarding the church and the ministry. Eventually I decided to stop this itinerant ministry. I truly felt I should not be doing it without being firmly established in my conscience in the matter. I began to search the Internet for Bible study related sites. There was no one at church or peers in the ministry in whom I could confide my feelings; I feared the impression of weakness and indecision, eventually questioning my salvation. It was a grievously trying time for me. Ultimately, the Lord led me to the Internet site of Jamie Martin. At this site I found solid, doctrinally trustworthy material, which eased my fears about expressing concerns to him, concerns not only about the ministry but our current church situation as well. I reasoned that he was hundreds of miles from me and couldn’t know anyone I know. For the first time in my Christian life I was faced by someone who would and could successfully challenge views I held, all in a helpful, constructive way. I began to search 17

THE SEARCH FOR GODÕS DESIGN

only led to a feeble sort of living in grace. Although I had been known as “Pastor Rogers.” I was no leader, for, in reality I was not allowing myself to be led by the good hand of the Lord Jesus. I now am beginning to understand some New Testament truths and principles and the impact of either their neglect or acceptance. It has been dif-

ficult to maintain a dignified silence. I have at times wanted to go to every believer I’ve ever known in the systems of Christendom, telling them to repent and return to Christ in fullness of blessing. But again, who should lead, me or Him? My desire for good, or His will? May God grant all of His own more light and grace.

The Scourge of

SPIRITUAL PRIDE ❦❦❦ Obviously it is necessary in an issue like this to raise to all a solemn warning against spiritual pride. It is the worst of all prides for it masquerades as its nemesis, humility. How the Lord hated it, for it hid from men their true selves, and so robbed them of enjoying His grace. The gospel leaves nothing for pride: we were prodigals, rebels, sinners at best.What we have now only came to us because He became poor. The Church—as our Lord designed it—is death to spiritual pride. Its leaders are bond-slaves; its emblems are bread, wine, and a watery grave (all pictures of death). Its watchword is, “Not I, but Christ”; its instrument is a cross; its message to the world but weakness and folly; and its Commander was a carpenter by trade. All that the Church knows has come by revelation, not intellectual prowess. All that it does, it accomplishes by gifts (the very name giving evidence that there is no room for pride). In much weakness we carry on. All that we possess is simply held in trust as a stewardship. And our everlasting song will begin, “Thou art worthy, O Lord.” We should not, however, confuse pride with true gratitude. Pride takes credit for the discovery; gratitude gives the Lord all the glory—and enjoys His gifts to the full. —The Editor

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the Scriptures with a voracious appetite, searching diligently for all truth regarding the church. Soon, coupled with helpful literature from Jamie and from brethren nearby whom God had wonderfully brought into the scenario, I could plainly see that God wanted our family away from the system we had always known and loved as “church.” I wrote a letter to our pastor and the deacon board, stating clearly our intentions to leave the church and what we had come to see as a “system.” Our move was not kindly received, much misinformation and some hurtful half-truths being told regarding our departure. Our girls were stunned when I told them the day after I delivered the letter to the pastor and deacons. I remember thinking, “What have I done?!” On that first Lord’s day, I wondered what we would do; should I get a sermon out of the files? I left the issue with God. We met in our home in humble simplicity and sincere dependence on the grace of God for help for several months. Ultimately, the group of brethren with whom we now fellowship began to loom large in our spirits as being those with whom the Lord would have us unite in fellowship. For over one year now, we have met with the brethren in Villa Grove, Illinois. We have sweet, precious meetings, dear and fulfilling. We lack the trappings and outward structure of an organized, systematized church. We have no pastor; meeting simply around the Lord Jesus. Often meetings on the Lord’s day will last around twelve hours, in glorious worship, singing, teaching, and fellowship. Before the Father could lead my family in this direction, I had to be willing to be led. When I was willing, He led us into a greater knowledge of His presence. For nearly 20 years of Christian living I had insisted on my way, based on my understanding. It

HOT TOPIC

Church truth in the dock

What’s the verdict? How important is it? Should we just agree to disagree? JAMES MARTIN

nless we’re careful about who’s in the room at the time, the mere mention of New Testament church truth can spark instant and hostile retaliation. “That’s divisive!” “Isn’t it arrogant to think that we’re right and everyone else is wrong?” “Aren’t there more important things to worry about?” In spite of the attitude behind them, those are good questions. Are we divisive? Are we arrogant? Is such truth unimportant? It’s our belief that these truths are important for at least the following five reasons. LESS IMPORTANT TRUTHS ARE NOT UNIMPORTANT TRUTHS To begin with, while the plurality of elders and the autonomy of the local church may not be the most important truths in the Bible, does this mean that they are unimportant? The Lord Jesus pronounced woe upon the Pharisees because they were tithing mint, anise, and cummin while neglecting the “weightier matters of the law” (Mt. 23:23). The opponent of church truth pounces on this verse, saying, “See! Those smaller matters were unimportant compared to the larger truths.” But when we finish reading the verse, the Lord Jesus tells the Pharisees that they ought to have obeyed the weightier matters without leaving the smaller matters undone. Perhaps there are more important truths in the Bible. But surely this doesn’t mean the “less important” truths are frivo-

lous or irrelevant. Surely this doesn’t mean we’re free to ignore anything we deem “less important”! After all, if we are going to start snipping out what we consider to be the unimportant truths about the church, why stop there? Why not also snip out those teachings about Christ or Israel or the family or morals that so many seem to feel are also

unimportant? Eliminating truths about the local church is the thin end of the wedge which, when kicked in all the way, will leave us with no truth at all. ALL SCRIPTURE IS AUTHORITATIVE A second reason why church truth is important is given in 2 Timothy 3:16: all Scripture is inspired by God. This means that all Scripture comes to us from the mouth of God and is therefore backed up by all of the authority of God. Do we really wish to challenge the authority or importance of any message from God? If God chose to include these truths in His Word, who would presume to act as His editor? Instead of secondguessing God’s Word, ought we not to be able to say with the psalmist, “I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right” (Ps 119:128)? ALL SCRIPTURE IS PROFITABLE Thirdly, 2 Timothy 3:16 assures us UPLOOK

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that all Scripture is profitable for doctrine and for practice. If we neglect portions of the Bible, we are doing ourselves a disservice; we are neglecting revelation that God promises is profitable for us. God has graciously revealed to us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3). Why would we ignore any of these things? The Head of the Church loved us too much to

structure the Church arbitrarily. He designed the Church with our best interests at heart. We hurt ourselves when we exchange His plan for one of our own devising. Trading Christ’s design for man’s schemes is no more profitable for us than it was for Israel to forsake the fountain of living waters in order to hew for themselves broken cisterns (Jer. 2:13). SCRIPTURE IS SUFFICIENT Fourthly, 2 Timothy 3:17 tells us that the Scripture is sufficient to “thoroughly furnish [us] unto all good works.” The Scriptures aren’t vague or incomplete; they provide us with all the instruction we need. Christendom’s many departures from the New Testament pattern for the Church are often justified by the 19

CHURCH TRUTH

CHRIST IS THE TRUTH Most importantly, Church truth is important because it is inseparably linked to the person of Christ. The Lord Jesus is “the truth” (Jn. 14:6). As such, all truth reflects His character. Once this is realized, all thought

of “unimportant truth” evaporates. Which aspect of Christ’s character would anyone brand as unimportant? Each aspect of Church truth is tied to the person and work of our glorious Lord. When the Bible teaches us about the autonomy of the local church, we are pointed to Christ as the One walking amid the lamps. If it speaks of elders, we are pointed to Christ as the Chief Shepherd. If head coverings, we’re told of the headship of Christ. If deacons, we’re reminded of the perfect Servant. If the breaking of bread, we’re reminded that it is a time to remember Him. If the priesthood of all believers, He is our great High Priest. The Church is the body; Christ is the head. The Church is the bride; Christ is the bridegroom. The Church is a building; Christ is the foundation. The Church is a flock; Christ is the Shepherd. On and on the list goes. Whatever the area of church truth, it all points to Him. When we forsake a truth about the Church, we are in reality forsaking a truth about the Lord Jesus; we are forsaking a truth that was given to us to teach us about

our Saviour. Why would we want to ignore anything which speaks of the One who loved the Church and gave Himself up for her? Now we would not want to question the motives of any who would seek to deviate from New Testament Church truth; no doubt most of them do so out of a desire to serve the Lord better. But if we truly love the Lord, we’ll serve Him in the way He has requested, not in a way we invent. To obey is still better than sacrifice. New Testament Church truth is important. And while it’s true that we ought not to teach it or practice it proudly, it is also true that we ought not to be ashamed of a desire to take the Word of God seriously. So let’s teach and practice New Testament Church truth, not because it’s our way, but because it’s His way; not because we wish to be proud, but because we wish to submit to His Word rather than writing it off; not because we desire to hold up ourselves, but because we desire to hold up Christ in order that we might know and please Him better.

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claim that “the Bible doesn’t really tell us what the Church is supposed to be like—it just contains a description of the infant Church—the Church was meant to grow and develop.” How can such a claim be reconciled with God’s statement that the Scriptures are complete and sufficient? Did God really leave us without teaching about the Church? When He gives us such detailed teaching about every other aspect of His truth, is it wise to believe that He left us in the dark about His beloved Son’s Bride? The fact is this: if we are willing to look for it, we’ll discover that the Bible contains a great deal of teaching about the functioning of the Church. In fact, it contains enough to “thoroughly furnish [us] unto all good works.” But we must be willing to look for it.

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IT’S ALL T H E R E

Connecting the dots Developing a clear picture of the Church MICHAEL FITZHUGH

hen my children were young, they enjoyed books with pages full of nothing but black dots and numbers. As they connected the dots, an image would begin to appear. They were outlined pictures of simple things in life, yet, these pictures were usually not recognizable until the dots had been properly connected. The same is often true regarding biblical principles concerning the New Testament church. It sometimes takes years for some of us to “connect the dots” of biblical truths in such a way that a clear and accurate picture is recognized. Such was the case for me after more than twenty years in traditional “pastoral ministry.” I could read, understand, and even believe the individual biblical “dots and numbers.” Yet drawing all the lines and making the connections took me awhile. I would like to briefly share with you how I came to understand and practice the truths of the New Testament Church. Shortly after coming to know Christ during my senior year of high school (Dec. 1970), I had the desire to go to school to study the Bible and “learn how to preach.” I knew nothing about spiritual gifts, church government, etc. I just knew I was hungry to learn the Word of God. In the fall of 1971, nine months after being saved, I began attending a well-known Bible institute in Grand

Rapids, MI. There I began to grow spiritually. It was also there that I met and married my dear wife, Nona. I was told that after three years of intense Bible training, I could graduate and be “ordained to the pastoral ministry.” I would then be called “the Reverend Mike Fitzhugh.” Though the title had a nice ring to it, I did not feel I would be ready to assume the leadership of a local church after having been saved for only four years. At the time, I did not realize that such a position was not scriptural. My hesitancy had more to do with my lack of Bible knowledge and lack of spiritual maturity. Not thinking that I

was ready for leading a local church at age 21, I transferred schools and continued to major in Bible and pastoral studies. In three years I completed my degree and was ready, willing, and desirous to be a “pastor.” In 1977, we moved to Wisconsin where for a time I was an “associate pastor,” primarily working in Christian education and with youth in a local church. In the spring of 1979, at age 26, I finally realized my dream: to become the senior pastor of a local church. Now I would be able to study the Word, and teach and preach to my heart’s content (or until I was totally exhausted, whichever came first). I was in a little fellowship UPLOOK

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in north-central Wisconsin, preaching to a group of believers who truly loved the Lord—and loved us as well. Many of them were age sixty or older. How patient they were with such a young greenhorn! I remember arriving at that little Baptist church one day when one of the young people called me by my first name. Immediately, one of the older sisters mildly reprimanded the teen and made it clear that I was to be called “Pastor Mike” or the “Reverend Fitzhugh.” By that time, I didn’t really care for the term

“Reverend,” so I accepted the title of “Pastor” from then on. This little incident would initiate an almost twenty-year study of what the Bible teaches about truths relating to the church. Having been given a little book by William MacDonald called Christ Loved the Church by a college friend in 1976, I began to study more about New Testament Church principles. In that little Baptist church we spent about nine months going over many (but not all) of the principles having to do with leadership and church government, the priesthood of the believer, spiritual gifts, etc. As a result of our study, the men of the church saw that many of their traditions were not in line with the Scriptures. So they revised their church constitution and by-laws to reflect more accurately what the Bible taught, especially in relation to local church leadership. This was very encouraging to me. …From 1982 through January 1997, I continued to study and teach 21

CONNECTING THE DOTS

and fire pastors and teachers, in accord with their own desires and standards for performance. Principles concerning women’s roles in the church. I also came to see that the teaching of God’s Word concerning men’s and women’s roles in the local church are the same today as 2,000 years ago. Men are to lead and speak in the gathered assembly, while women are to “keep silent” (1 Cor. 14:34-35; 1 Tim. 2:11-12). This has nothing to do with superiority vs. inferiority, but with God’s design. The little country church in northern Michigan of which I was pastor from 1983-88, and from 1992-97, had prospered during the last five years. People were being saved. Many were baptized. And Christians were growing as we studied together. For almost a month, I had been involved in an in-depth (and at times agonizing) study of this very important passage. The principles of headship were not new. What was new to me—the visible head covering for the woman, and the uncovered head of the man, as symbols to communicate the truth of headship. Was it for today?…The Spirit would not allow me to come to any other conclusion. In February of 1997, I preached two messages on 1 Corinthians 11:216. What happened? The positives, first. The people went home and dug into the Scriptures. One lady had as her goal “to prove Mike wrong.” But instead, she ended up coming to the same conclusion. In fact, she said that her understanding and practice of the headship principle changed her attitude toward her husband and saved their floundering marriage. In fact, within the next month, at least half of the women began to cover their heads at the meetings. On the other hand, there were negative repercussions. Within a month, fifty percent of the congregation (of 120 persons) left and said they would not be coming back. That was very UPLOOK

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difficult; we had known some of these folks for almost fifteen years. As time went on, over the spring and early summer, additional families left the fellowship. There were many different reasons given. Yet it was clear that we were involved in intense spiritual warfare. Accusations, slander, and harsh criticism flourished. Relationships and long-term friendships were severed. It would seem that the enemy had won a victory. In fact, it would be easy for me to think that I have “crashed and burned,” as one man predicted would happen when all this began last March. In fact, I am typing this article in an office where the shelves are empty, my books are all packed, and we are getting ready to move to another city. Yet I’m reminded of the words in 2 Cor. 4: “…troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken…For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look…at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” I don’t claim to have a perfect understanding of God’s Word, or of the New Testament principles which we have come to know and love. Yet I can say that by the grace of God, the “dots” of biblical truth are being connected, a relatively clear picture has emerged, and now we desire to allow the Holy Spirit to take His infinite palette of supernatural hues and “color” His work of art. Then someday, we will be able to turn the pages and gaze on the most beautiful masterpiece there ever was. Then we will certainly say, “To God be the glory, great things He hath done!”

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certain New Testament principles. At the same time I was involved in pastoring churches in Minnesota, California, and Michigan, as well as being involved in a well-known, world-wide Christian radio ministry. During those years, I came to some rather “radical” conclusions. At least they were radical when compared with the traditional, evangelical thinking today. Radical, but biblical! A belief in a plurality of elders. That is, a plurality of godly, spiritually qualified men who lead and feed the flock of God, as opposed to a “professional single man ministry.” The truth that each local church is autonomous. Not merely self-governing (many do that with no regard for Christ as Head) but that each assembly is subject to the only Head of the Church, the Lord Jesus Himself. I came to understand that the church is not a democracy, with congregational business meetings held according to “Roberts Rules of Order.” Instead it is a theocracy, where Christ is Lord. The non-existence in Scripture of a single-man ministry. God does not expect one man (or one man and his associate pastors and secretarial staff) to be responsible for all the ministry that goes on in a local church. How often I felt the burden (as well as the guilt and fatigue) of being expected to be an expert teacher, counselor, visitor, VBS director, youth speaker, evangelist, helper, encourager, etc., as if God had endowed me with all (or at least most) of the spiritual gifts. The great need for a functioning priesthood of Spirit-filled believers who exercise their gifts in ministering to one another in the Body of Christ. This not only eliminates one man ministry, it also leads to a healthy, functioning body, which accomplishes Christ’s work in the world. No professionalism in ministry. God never intended that “ministry” in Christ’s church become a professional career, wherein church boards hire

SPECIAL

REPORT

Sparks in Kentucky Keep praying for this state. God is at work. JIM SPARKS

uring the summer of 1995, I began to have a desire to get closer to the Lord because I realized that, being 43 years old, my time was running out. I also realized that I was probably living in the last days, and that the Lord could come back anytime, so I really wanted my life to count for Him. I began to dig in the Scriptures and to pray that the Lord would help me to have a closer walk with Him and that He would use me in any way He wanted. It seemed as though the Lord kept asking me, “Are you willing to suffer?” I said that I was. (Little did I know how much, even to the point of my life being threatened.) As I continued to study and pray, I became very dissatisfied with…the church that I was attending… Don’t misunderstand. I believe there are many fine Christians in [denominational] churches who love the Lord.…My problem was not so much with the…people, but the… system. I didn’t know why exactly. I just knew something wasn’t right, and question marks kept popping up in my mind. …I finally felt that I would try to start a…church in the town where I lived, and try to run it the “right way,” whatever that was. After getting a commendation from another… church, I rented a store front in town, put up a sign, and began to take my family to it and preach to them. I got out and went door to door, witnessing and inviting people to come to “my”

church. Soon, a few people began to come visit. But, because I was really studying the Word, praying, and committing my service to the Lord, the Lord convicted me that the approach that I was taking was wrong. In January of 1996, I closed up “shop,” and decided that I didn’t know what I was doing. I was determined to know what the Bible had to say about starting a church. Quickly I found out that I wasn’t to start a church, but that the Lord would. So, I began to pray earnestly that the Lord would raise up a “right kind” of church, whatever that was…. I began to assemble with my family only in the Lord’s name in my home on Sundays and God began to bless us, as I began to search His Word concerning what a scriptural

WHEN IRON SHARPENS IRON, EXPECT SOME SPARKS! UPLOOK

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church was. I also began to busy myself preaching the gospel over the radio and through bulk mailings, and waited for the Lord to reveal to me His will…. February through June, 1996, I studied the Scriptures to find out what God’s will was for a New Testament church. I only used a Bible and my computer. From my findings, I wrote a booklet, “The Truth About the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.” I have never written a book before, and this was never intended to be a book, but later developed that way from my study notes. I felt I would put my findings in booklet form so that I could give it to anyone who questioned how I believed and to defend my position concerning the church. After completing the book in June 1996, my wife and I soon became very discouraged because we didn’t know of anyone practicing these NT principles. We thought we were the only ones to believe this way. But, surely there had to be others. Many times, we wondered if we were wrong about the whole thing. But whenever we became discouraged, we would take the book and read it over again. I read it several times, and the Scriptures in it comforted me each time. Yes, they had to be true, even if there were no churches practicing them today. We continued to feel that we were the only ones that believed this way because when we took inventory of all the denominations, we didn’t see anyone out there meeting according to the Scriptures. Some of my closest friends who read the book. told me that they couldn’t disagree, but “why are you the only ones to believe this way? Surely, if you’re right, then there would have to be others.” So we felt like Elijah. We prayed and agonized and wondered how all 23

SPARKS IN KENTUCKY

Since you would know by what name I would be distinguished from others, I will tell you I would be, and hope I am a Christian and choose if God will to count me worthy, to be called a Christian, a believer, or other such name which is approved by the Holy Ghost. JOHN BUNYAN in these precious truths from God’s Word. I also learned the importance of the “breaking of bread,” which is the highlight of their meeting each Lord’s day in the remembrance of the Saviour. My family and I have been so blessed by this meeting which focuses on the Person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was interesting that while writing the book I prayed and asked the Lord to give me a picture of the early Church’s meeting, and I began to get a glimpse from 1 Corinthians 14. I pictured the early saints coming in and quietly sitting down, reading the Scripture, praying, and asking the Holy Spirit to lead in the meeting. Then one by one the men would have liberty to walk up front and lead in Scripture, exhortation, prayer, or in a hymn. A few times, some of my friends came to visit on Sundays at my home and I would tell them how I believed the early church met. And, then we would do it. The only thing that bothered me was the podium I had up front. I didn’t feel it was what the early church had, but I didn’t know what else would be there. When I took my family for the first time to the assembly in Lexington, I was overwhelmed. As I walked in, I saw how the people there were sitting quietly reading their Bibles, praying, and meditating, UPLOOK

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just as we had done in my home. But at the front of the room was the table with the “bread” and the “cup.” I exclaimed to myself, “That’s it! That’s what should be there.” Oh, how excited I was to see the emblems that represented the Lord Jesus Christ as being the center of the meeting. Praise His worthy Name for leading me by the hand into these precious truths. Friend, I am nothing special. The Lord will show His blessed will to any of His children who are looking for the right way to please Him. On January 8, 1997, three families in the Louisville area began to meet in our home on Wednesday nights to learn more about these NT truths concerning the church. On Sundays, we continued to meet with the assembly in Lexington. On February 23, we had our first meeting…to break bread. Four families were present. We then began to look for a building that we could meet in, and soon found one in Mt. Washington, KY. The Lord has blessed our meetings. We have also been reaching out to the community in the Lord’s name with gospel bulk mailings, jail ministry, radio preaching, Emmaus Bible correspondence courses, etc.… I want to say that I am so thankful to the Lord that I have discovered these principles from His Word. They’re in the Bible. You can read them for yourself. They have always been there, but I never could see them before, because my eyes had been clouded by denominationalism. I had always read the Bible with “tinted glasses.” People always told me that I was looking for a “perfect church” and that I would never find it because churches are made up of imperfect people. True, but I was not looking for perfect people, but a perfect pattern—and God has given it to us in the Scriptures.

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this would ever turn out. I remember telling the Lord that even if we never found anyone else that believed this way, my family and I would continue to believe it and practice it in our home on Sundays until His return. This went on for the next three months, until some time in October 1996. God performed a miracle! We went to the library and checked out a book about denominations in America. We were thrilled when we discovered that there was one group of people who refused to call themselves by a denominational name and that they did in fact assemble together exactly as I had studied. Oh, we were so excited! In the book, they were referred to as “Plymouth Brethren,” but it said that they were called this name by outsiders, and that they refused to call themselves by that name or any other man-made name. In the back of the book, we got the name of the man who gave the information to the publisher. With the Lord’s help, we were able to contact him and get information about two “assemblies” of these kinds of believers in Kentucky. One of these assemblies is in Lexington, so we visited there and found them to be practicing exactly as God had shown me from the Scriptures. Not only do they practice the New Testament pattern for a church, but they gave me a directory that listed hundreds of these assemblies of Christians in the U.S. and Canada. …How exciting it was to see that God is still blessing His pattern today as He did when He instituted it 2,000 years ago. God created this pattern for a New Testament church so that it could grow to its fullest potential…. From October 1996 to February 1997, we drove the 70 miles from Louisville to Lexington to meet with these dear brothers and sisters in Christ who practiced these NT principles. There I became more grounded

THE

OTHER

SIDE

To what church do you belong? Having a heart big enough for all God’s people J.S. ANDERSON

s Paul contemplated the unity of all true believers, he burst into a sevenfold exclamation: “One body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one, faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph. 4:4-6). We ought to aim at holding the whole truth revealed to us in the holy Scriptures; but we must never forget that those who have less light, if children of God, belong to one Church. At no time has any local church possessed the whole truth. Yet His Church has existed in every age since the day of Pentecost. The closing epistles show that the earthly testimony of the Church—in the churches— was fast becoming weak and unfaithful, and the history of this failure is unfolded to us in the letters to the seven churches (Rev. 2 & 3). The question of the Church touches our hearts as we remember that tender scripture: “Even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it” (Eph. 5:25). If we are His, we belong to the Church which He loved. What a comforting assurance this is. We are not the objects of a human ecclesiastical union, but of the love of Christ, which led Him to give Himself for His Church (Mt. 16:18), built by Him upon Himself. FOR HIS BODYÕS SAKE But dearer still is the thought of the Church as the Body of Christ.

Surely this speaks to us of a living union with Christ, of belonging to Him. And it is in this aspect of the Church that He is spoken of as its only Head, “the Head over all things to the Church” (Eph. 1:22) to whom the Church is subject (Eph. 5:24). Human ecclesiastical supremacy has so characterized Church history that we are accustomed to associate mere official dignity and direction with the head of the Church. But it is not so with our Lord. As Head, He nourishes it (Eph. 5:29); and all His ministering is the fruit of His loving care for the members, “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ” (4:12). Man’s instinct has been so perverted by the Fall that his very religion may lead him to attack the Church. “Concerning zeal, persecuting the Church” (Phil. 3:6), wrote Paul. Then the persecutor heard the voice of the Head: “Why persecutest thou Me?” THE WONDER OF HEAVEN! What a Church to belong to! “That now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenlies might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God” (Eph. 3:10); and not only now, but through eternity God will be glorified in her (see Eph. 3:21). So in considering the Church we have to return to Christ. He loved it, and gave Himself for it. The Church is composed of all who have come to God by Him, and to whom He has revealed the Father (Heb. 2:12). I remember what erroneous views I had of the Church in my boyhood, which I passed under several noted UPLOOK

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divines. Some of us gloried in being “free,” others “established,” while others rejoiced in being “independent.” But before long, through the grace of God, I discovered that I was not truly free, spiritually established or really independent. I was fourteen years old, and the minister had a class for preparing the youth of the congregation as members of the church. This preparation, however, only convinced me that I was not a member of the Body of Christ, that I did not belong to Him, and that therefore it was worse than vain for me to join a church. How, then, did I become a member of Christ and belong to His Church? I thought I should do my best, and my love to God became my one aim in life for salvation. But my endeavor proved vain. I found I did not, could not, love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength; my misery increased with the discovery. Then I heard from John 3:16 the saving message of God’s love to me. I believed it, and had the assurance of everlasting life. Now I belonged to Him. But I read that “Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it” (Eph. 5:25). Thus the question of the Church became clear to me. I had not to join it nor do anything to belong to it. As Christ’s I was now in it. It has been a joyful privilege to witness to those under the yoke of Papal unity, or under the burden of any other party Church fellowship, that it is the will of God that every local church should be united in Christ “with all that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:2). 25

A Sweet

AROMA JOHN LANDIS

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We have always grown lilacs in our yard, looking forward each year for their heavenly-scented blossom announcing, ÒSpring is here again!Ó This year, for the first time, I decided to do an oil painting of a bloom from our favorite bush. The painting proved to be quite a challenge, but it also gave me many hours both to study the anatomy of a lilac blossom and to think of this magnificent creation fashioned by our incomparable God. There is no question that many single blossom flowers such as roses, lilies and tulips, to name a few, are also wondrous examples of beauty from the hand of the Creator. However, the lilac blooms differ in that they are complex clusters of many individual blossoms all massed into showy displays of rich corporate beauty. As I painted, I was impressed by how much the local church is like a lilac blossom. Each individual flower is joined to one central stem, each one depends on, and is supplied all its sustenance, from a single source. Further, I saw each individual flower facing outward in the manner of an individual witness to the world. True, some have much more prominent locations than others. There are those high in the sunlight, while others have a place deep in the shadows, almost lost to view. Yet they all make up one integral unit, each one occupying its appointed place. Still more examination revealed widely differing stages of maturity in the members of the cluster. Some blossoms are quite large and completely open, others are smaller with petals not yet fully extended. Then there are those still in the budÑnew Christians, if you will. A few are exposing their faces and opening their mouths for the first time. They are so refreshing. Though the cluster is one complex bloom, I see there are some sub-groupings, distinct in themselves, yet all integral parts of the whole flower cluster. I see in these such things as the Sunday School or young peopleÕs work; perhaps a ladiesÕ class or a missionary support group, each being a part of the whole local church. Perhaps the thought occurring to me which I have meditated on most was the fact that every individual flower, small as it was, carried a bit of distinctive lilac scent. To be sure, by itself, there existed scarcely enough scent to be detectedÑyet, in the aggregate, combined with that of the whole cluster, the cumulative aroma is a sweet smelling savor, very pleasing to me; if to me, then surely to God. P. S. Yes, that really is John Landis’ painting! See his sig. in the corner?

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DA R E TO TH I N K

IS THERE A PATTERN?

Is the New Testament design for every culture and generation? any evangelicals today argue that the form and structure of the church are unimportant. They contend that the debate itself distracts the church from more crucial issues of spiritual life and the evangelistic mission to the lost. Others point out that a variety of churches with many different structures seem to be blessed by God and are growing, vibrant testimonies for Christ. Some oppose even seeking to restore the New Testament pattern. Edwin Hatch, a historian of the early church, writes, “It is given to each generation to revise and reform the present; but it is not given to bring back the past. The attempt to artificially restore an ancient institution is futile. The history of the organization of Christianity has been in reality the history of successive readjustments of her form to altered circumstances.’’1 Others argue that there is insufficient information to know the exact pattern of the New Testament church. A leading British evangelical, Leon Morris, states: “The New Testament evidence is not full enough for us to know exactly the position of the early church. The New Testament simply does not give us the answers.”2 Is the Word of God insufficient? Has the God of incomparable order and design left us to our own design? Is this the perspective of the New Testament? Although there is a seed of truth in these arguments, it would be a serious mistake to render the structure of the local church insignificant. It would be an even greater mistake to introduce a new structure to replace the biblical pattern. Highlighting this danger, G.H. Lang, writes, “Nor is there need, nor can there be a hope, of improving on the Lord’s ordering. He knew perfectly the purposes which His church is to serve on earth, and knew fully the conditions of human affairs amidst which the church must work; and He instituted through His apostles the very best arrangements and methods for doing

the intended work under the given conditions. To assume otherwise is to impute folly to God.’’3 A careful study of the New Testament will convince us that we cannot, and must not, treat the church pattern as merely cosmetic or irrelevant. At the very outset of the New Testament it is striking that the Lord Jesus and the apostles labored to establish only one institution—the local church. Paul stated, “As a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon” (l Cor. 3:10). The local church lies at the heart of God’s program today. Indifference to the doctrine of the church is certainly indifference to the plan of God. The local church matters to God, and it ought to matter to us. Undeniably, the church was intended to be a relentless light-bearer of God’s truth. To this end the Word of God states that an assembly of Christians is “...the house of God…the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). Therefore an assembly must be on guard that absolutely nothing will hide or dim the shining forth of the truth of God. The Lord would not leave the church to her own devices to accomplish this mission. Concerning the permanence of this divine blueprint, author Francis Schaeffer writes, “The church did not sit there as a group of believers with no form. The New Testament form is commanded by God. These norms are not arbitrary—they are God’s form for the institutional, organized church and they are to be present in the twentieth century as well as in any century.’’4 Paul was singularly gifted to expound the principle of an enduring church pattern. On at least five occasions in 1 Corinthians alone, he writes concerning such a principle, which is applicable to all churches in all regions and all cultural backgrounds in every time period: • “...my ways which are in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church” (1 Cor. 4:17).

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IS THERE A PATTERN?

THE BLUEPRINT WAS PRESCRIBED: The qualifications for elders (1 Tim. 3:1-7), the order of worship and ministry of the Word (1 Cor. 1l–14, 1 Tim. 4:6-16), and assembly discipline (1 Cor. 5:9-13), are all prescribed in orderly detail (not just described, as if adherence was optional). Notice Paul’s language in listing the requirements of an elder: “A bishop must be blameless...” (l Tim 3:2; Titus 1:7): concerning financial giving: “Concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches...” (l Cor. 16:1); regarding local church discipline: “We command you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly…” (2 Thess. 3:6). The blueprint of the New Testament church, received through revelation by the apostles, is obligatory, and does not consist of optional principles for the followers of 28

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Jesus Christ. To Titus Paul writes, “These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority” (2:15). THE BLUEPRINT WAS OBEYED: Time and again assemblies in the New Testament are seen practicing the biblical principles taught by the apostles. “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). “I praise you, brethren, that you…keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you” (1 Cor. 11:2). New Testament assemblies were also corrected when they deviated from the order. In Galatians the correction comes concerning the controversy between law and grace; in 1 and 2 Timothy there are warnings concerning false teachers; in 1 Corinthians there is correction concerning moral and doctrinal decay. Paul sums up the principle that would serve as a rudder to steer the church through the theological tempests of the day: “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize the thing that I write to you, that it is the Lord’s commandment” (1 Cor. 14:37, JND). THE BLUEPRINT IS CHRIST-CENTERED: Church order is not bound by culture or time because its source is Christ. Hearts full of competing interests must give way to hearts devoted to Christ. The pattern Christ established best enables the assembly to respond to the guidance of its living Head. There is so much in the religious world that desires to usurp Christ from His rightful place. C.H. Mackintosh writes, “We are too prone to regard the Word of God as insufficient for the most minute details connected with His worship and service. This is a great mistake—a mistake which has proved the fruitful source of evils and errors in the professing church. The Word of God is amply sufficient for everything as regards the order and rule of the assembly.”6 Those who follow this truth find they must bear reproach for their obedience. However, biblical orthodoxy will lead to spiritual blessing. A proper understanding of Christ’s desire for His people will result in obedience to His Word and the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head and gathering Center of the assembly. Endnotes: 1. Edwin Hatch, The Organization of the Early Christian Churches, London, Longmans & Green Co., 1895, pp. 216-218 2. Leon Morris, Ministers of God, London, IVPress, 1964, pp.l 11 3. G.H. Lang, The Churches of God, London, C.J. Thynne & Jarvis, 1934, p. 9 4. Francis Schaeffer, The Church at the End of the 20th Century, Downers Grove, IL, IVPress, 1970, p. 66 5. Tertullian, On Veiling of Virgins, translated by David W. Bereot, Tyler, TX, Scroll Publishing, 1991, p. 138 6. C.H. Mackintosh, Notes on Exodus, NY, Loizeaux Bros., 1972, p. 271

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• “...as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches” (1 Cor 7:17). • “If any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the churches of God” (1 Cor. 11:16). • “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (l Cor. 14:33). • “Let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak...” (1 Cor. 14:34). The apostle drew instruction from one divine blueprint for all that he taught, ordained, and commanded in the churches. In 1 Corinthians 4:17, he states that these things he taught “everywhere in every church.” The New Testament indicates that Paul was directly or indirectly involved in the establishment and development of at least 18 different churches in 12 diverse areas. Thus one divine, cross-cultural, trans-geographical blueprint was used by the apostle, and should be used by us today. Tertullian drew on this principle when he taught that the covering for women was not bound by culture or time. About 160 years after the writing of 1 Corinthians, he comments, “Throughout Greece, and in certain of its barbaric provinces, the majority of churches keep their women covered. So let no one ascribe this custom merely to the gentile customs of the Greeks and barbarians. The Corinthians themselves understood him (the Apostle Paul) to speak in this manner. For to this very day the Corinthians veil their virgins. So, on both sides of the matter, the apostle has written with sufficient clarity, in fact he says quite succinctly, ‘every woman.’ What does ‘every’ mean if it doesn’t mean every class, every order, every condition, and every age?”5 Is there internal biblical evidence that would make the New Testament pattern incumbent on the church today? A review of God’s Word reveals principles which show the timeless constitution of the church:

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