THe NO'" .""" '0'"' eo"" 'u, " ." "M. ",'" Th' ,,",0 penTeCOfTal evanGel JANUARY 9, 1972 I TEN CENTS

Bring your empty earthen vessels, Clean through Jesus' precious blood, Come, ye needy, one and all; And in human consecration Wait before the throne of God Till the Holy Ghost shall fall.

- M RS. c. H . M ORRIS '

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* Hope Publ,sn,na Company "'~"O Dr p ... m,u,o<

It is time to shake off all lethargy , arise from the bed o f compl acency, and "call u thy God, if so be th at God w ill th ink upon us, that we perish not. "

A call to sleeping Jonahs By C HARLES W. H. SCOTT

J O;\"AH 1t ,\I) BEE.'" (' ,\I.LEI) of Cod to go to Nin('veh , to cry out against the sin of that great city, and to warn its inhabitants of the judgment which was coming. I lis message was to be a (;ali to repentance.

\ Vhen he r(:(."(:ived this assignnh:nt , howev(:r, hoc was not too sur(' he wanted to acccpt it. To go to a pagan peopl e and warn them of judgment and oner the mercy of" Jehovah was hard lor a Il ebrew prophet to do. Instead of obeying, he decided to run away from his Cod-given assignment.

It is possible that , like some modern Jonahs , he d t:cided to put out a flet.'Ce to sec If God rcally wankd him to go to Nineveh. Perhaps it was to T ars hi sh that Cod intended him to go! At any rak, he would go to Joppa , the seaport. If tl\(; re was a ship sailing for Tars hish with one stateroom left , he would ,weept that as the Lord"s will lor him!

;\s he arriv('d in Joppa. he hurried to the waterfront an d found one ship taking its last load of cargo on board. l Ie learned this ship was sailing lor Tarshish wit hin thl' hou r and there was room for one more passeng~r.

I can in1<lgine Jonah, deep in the hold of the ship, rest ing on a bag of straw as the gentle swaying of the sh ip soot hed hi s weary body. And <IS he relaxed he may have thought, " \ Vhat a perfect dovetailing of circumstances. \Vhat remarkable tim ing. Certainly I must have been mistaken about going to Nineveh. Cod must have meant for me to go to Tarshish all th e time: o th erwise, He would not have had this ship ready to leave, just as I arrived in Joppa:' T hen sweet slum ber carried him off into ob livion.

\Vhile he slept, th e Lord sen t a great wind over

2

t il e sea. It blew up 11 migh t)' tcmpes t which inc reased in in tensity until the sailors, filled with fear. began to cry unto their gods .

At this point the captain of the vessel fo und Jonah, fast asleep, unaware of the situation which he had c reated. With stinging words the captain aroused the propht:! from his slumher and reproachfully as ked the question, "" \ Vhat meanest thou, 0 sleeper? Arise, call upon thy Cod. if so he that God will think upon us, that we peri sh not" (Jonah 1:6).

T HE C ,\PT ,\I"'S IIE I' IIOOF , d irccted to Jonah . could well he addressed to many in Oll r generation . Western c ivilization faces its darke:.; t hour. Strife continues in Southeast Asia, India , the :-'I iddlc East, and no one knows what momcnt the world will be plunged in to a holocaust of war. Fear grips the hearts of world leaders as China tests its atomic bombs. and th e th reat of intercontinental ballistic missiles is heralded by man-made satelli tes orbiti ng the plant:! earth a t 18,000 miles an hou r, passing over our land regularly. New weapons o/" des truction threa ten thc very existence of c ivilization. In spi te of this, our generation sleeps on , like Jonah. blithely igno ring the (bnger.

As world tem pests inc rease. involving moral , econom ic, and politica l storms, I he111" the Captain of Our salvation saying to the slceping Church, "\ Vhat mcanest thOll, 0 sleeper? Arise and call upon thy God. if so be th at God will think upon yOIl, that you perish not'" It is t ime for thc Church to shake oIT her leth argy and negk'Ct to arise from her sleep of indillerence ilnd com placen t smugness , and call

THE PENTECOSTAL EVANGEL

U I)()11 tht, I,o rd lor a r .... \i\al of right l'Ou:-.nl'!>!> . \Ve would do wel l to ta ke our place at tht'

alta r of prayer wi th I k Zt'ki ah and Israel and confes!> as tllt'v did that "th i' da \ i, a dav of troub ll', and of rehuh:, and of blasph<.'m ;'" (b aia h ' 37:3). Wt' would do \\'l,1I to "call ,t !>oi(,trl n . t~!> e l1)b l y : gather till' pl'Ople, sanctify the congl't..'gation. a~scmhl e tltl' elders. ga ther the ehildrell , and those that suek the hre L'its . . . . Ld thl' pri l'!>b, the ministe rs of the Lord. weep Iwt w(.'(.·n tht' po rch and the a ltar. :tnd let them sa y. Span ' th y Pl'Ople. 0 L..o rd. and give not thi ne herit age to I'epro;t(;h, that thl' hcathen shoul d rulc over them" (Jod :2 : 105- 17).

On ly the l lo ly Spirit 1ll0Vi ll ~ upon uS in tli,vin t' IXlWt' r can arousl' frolll thl' pa ralyz ing ind illl'rt'nee whieh caUSt'S OUI' prayer tnl'l'Ii ng.'i to be lorgott en. our Sunday t:vcning cvan~di sti e scrv ices to he nl'g l e~kd . su that wc IlL'{;u tne a Sunda y mu rnin g d llneh. II this conditi oll eontillU L'S, thc dwreh will Ilnd it sdf bugged down in the wildcl'll ess uf indh:ctivcnl'SS. p n.:at:hillg abou t a God of d yn,unit e, but li ving Ill'\ .. '{; racker livl's whil L' the dev il laughs at our frustrations.

It is only as sIt'eping Jonahs awake and ca ll ulXl n their God wit h a ll tilt' intL'nsil y of their souls that the men and WOIllL'1l and youth of our day will be turned to seek thl' Ih il;\!; Cod . \ \ay God help liS as Penh;(;ostal pl.'Oplt · to awake and ca ll upon aliI' God un til we are fi ll ed all cw wit h tht, Iioly Spi rit and enabled to injl.d the pen icill in of holin<.'Ss into the b lood stream of the chureh . \Ve need to neut ralize thc toxins of sin which arl' sapping the strength and causing spirit ual dd'eat to many whose lives once bu rned with a hol y Ii:' rvor for God .

\ VIU LI-: WE u v~~ in a ti ml' of threateni ng judgment whieh coul d fall at an y momen t. I am remintkd that the Scriptures abound in instann .'S where God pos tponed judgment whell \> l.'O ple repcnted and sought the Lo rd. Confession of sin and persona l faults is a fo rgotten p rad ieL' among many of us, eVtn though the teaehings of tilt' l3 ihl e cnjo in it upon the Christi an . WIlt:n Dani el eon l'essed the sins of his pc..'Op le, the land was restored. \Vhen Isaiah t:onfessed his own sho rtcomings, he was cleansed by a living coal fro lll off the altar of Cod. When David confL'Ssed his transgress ion, he was forgiven .

A confession meeting i}1 many of our churchc..'S would prepare the way for Cod to move among us . \Iany of liS, like the chu rch of Eph (.'Sus (HevcIation 2:1-7), have let our love grow cool. Even though they abounded in works, in labor, in yat ien~e, in high standards and even endured sunering lo r Chri st sti ll He said to the Ephesians, "I have some\~ llat against thee, b<.'Cause thou hast left thy first love." The Laod icean characteristic is ever a prevailing danger to the church today; it is easy to all ow worl dly cares to smother the intcnse love which Cod looks fo r in His church .

Lack of tears might be the bas is lo r anotllt:r confession meetin g among us . Paul said to the Ephesian elders, "Fo r three and <l half years. I h;tve not ceased to wa rn you d ay and ni ght with tears Tea rs exp ress concern . Oll r a/tars will never be stained with the tears of sinners weeping their way

( COflt inlled 011 1)(If.!.e 11 )

JAN UARV 9 . 197 2

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Wil E ' YO U TlU ," ", of Impact '72, th in k IIrst of persollal spiri tual power. For Impact 'i2 is more tha n ;1 united L'vangelistic out reach or a chu rch-widl' l'lIlphasi!> on spiritual life ,

Impact '7:2, fourth year in the Assemblies of Co d Five-\'<.'ar Plan of Ad vance, highlights the Biblical c~tl)mand , " Be filled with the Spirit." And that must have, firs t of a ll , a personal appl ication and fulfillmcn t.

PL'rvading our l\ lovement now is an intense hungt:.:r, a heart -longing to sec even g reat er evid cn<.:c.."S of Cod 's prL'sence and power among us. So Id us seek Cod toget her. li e will satisfy that hunger!

\ Ve feel this is the time to st ress aga in the pOwer of the Iioly Spi ri t-that Pentccosta l JXlwcr that puts th L' plus in Christian livi ng.

\V~; ~~XPf;CI' TO SEE :'UlIACLES in Impact 'i2--miracl cs of div ine hea ling. miracles of the Holy Spirit baptism. miracles of the gifts of the Spiri t in ou r assembli (.'S and the fruit of the Spirit in our li veS . And we ex pc..-ct to see the mi racl es of men transfomlcd by the grat:e and power of Cod.

Qur Lo rd is movi ng among His Chu rch in a way we would have thought imlXlss ib le it few years ago . \Ve rcjoi <.:c with all who discO\'l~ r the joy and po we r and fr<.'edolll and love of the Spi rit -filled lifc. And wc want to cont inue to be a vibrant, vita l part of what Cod is dO ing.

50 "be fi ll ed wi th the Spi rit" becomes to a ll of us a vcry personal chall enge .

There'll be a st rong emphasis on pra}'e r in Impaet '72--be(.'ausc we recogni ze the importance of thi s Cod -given mt:,U1 S of commun icat ion .

And a highlight of the year wi ll be the Council on Spiri tua l Li fe in \ lin neaIXllis, August 1·1- 16.

OF COU I1S);, we e:tnnot allow spiritual li fe to be in t roverted . \Ve must conti nue and expand the outreach to the unconverted with which Impact has beeo me svnonylllous. ~ I ass i ve, systematic eno rts to reach it (..'ommun ity wit h th c gospel will be expanded in Impact '72. \Ve have our Sights set on an Impat:t in each s(..'CI ion of the U.5.-the poss ib il ity of over 500 (.'Oncent rat f..·d effo rts! And nex t yea r we ho pe to see an Impaet sponso red by every Assembli es of Cod church .

Thus Impact '72 is a united evangeli stic th rllSt. It is a ehurch·wide cmphas is on spiri tual life. But Ilrst of all it is a plea to Cod for persona l spiritual power-for the mantl e of His Spiri t to rest upon each of us so that through ou r Cod we mav do exploits ,

BE F ILLED WITH THE SPIR IT

ASSEMBUES OF GOD

Ed itorial Comment

Blessed Quietness NOTHING I S ;'1.10111:: XE£DED--nor harder to tnaintain ­

than II quiet spirit. Yet we call have it if we turn as ide each day to be alone for II time with Cod and lli s Word.

'"\Vhcn he giveth qui etness, who then c:an make trouble?" said E li hu Uob 34:29). Oh, what calmness and security comes into ou r spirit when we sing the old favo rite, "Blessed quietness, holy qu ietness, what ass u r~Hlcc in my soul ... ," but it is not enough to sing it at church. We need that experience each day. We need Cod to speak peace within us when life's storms rage about LIS.

Therefort: the habit of d ail y d evotions is of prime importance. Have yOll developed the habit? '-lave you been spending some time wit h your Lo rd each day in th is new year? Nothing else can add str(;ngth, peace, and joy to your life li ke this daily habit.

We need to read Cod's Word and meditate upon it in order that we might partake of the div ine natu re. If we live en tirely in the atmosph(;re of this present wo rld, we cannot hel p but be fashioned by its spiri t and standards, When we shut ourselves away from the bustl e and babble to breathe the pure air of heaven, Cod is ab le to teach us something of the powers of the world to come.

Jesus told us to pray in secret. "When thou prayest ," He said, "(;nt er into thy doset." Find a closed place where the cares of life arc shut out. It may be difficul t. Public worship seems eas ier, We are I~uoyed up by the presence and prayers of others. But it is in the s(.'Cret place that we learn to stand alone and to d raw spiri tual refreshment from the deep wells of Cod.

[n your qui et limes, let Cod speak to you from His Wo rd. What a wonderful Book it is! As som(.-'()ne has said : "YOll cannot read it exhausti vely, No matt er how oftcn you read it, it always seems that you have not qu ite read it to the end, or that you have forgotten, or have L'I iled to understand someth ing. You reread- and the same thi ng happens again and again, times withou t number. It is like the midnight sky; thc longer YOll gaze at it, the greater the multitude of the stars,"

Never penni! any habit in you r life to become mo re regu lar than your acts of devoti on to God, Not even eating. Most of us eat more than we need bu t few overdo in the matt er of prayer and Bible reading, If you arc too busy to pray, you are too busy. Cut something out of your schedule, if necessary.

Do not allow even gospel work to crowd out p rayer. It is possible to become so busy in Christi an service that you lose the wonder of spiritual life in Chri st . Your testimony grows hollow. Your service becomes barren.

Daily devotions are vit al, even if they last only ten or fifteen minutes a day. What is needed is a qui et period long enough to forget ti me and catch a glimpse of eterni ty.

Fix your heal1 on Cod . vVarm it b y reading His great and precious promises . Meditate on His goodness, His mercy, His love for you unti l your hea rt is aglow and yOllr mi nd is praising Him.

There is a time to pray and there is a time to listen . Don't do all the talking . Let Cod put His thoughts into you. Hemcmber that communion with God is like a two-way rad io. After you have unburdened your heart in prayer, keep still long enough for Hi m to tal k to you . He will answer, and He will reveal His will ; and the regular spiritual exercise of private devot ions will develop in you the faith and obedience you need to be a success fu l Chri sti an.

-r.C.C.

4

THe January 9, 19 72

penreCOJTal eVanGel Number 3009

Offici al Voice 01 the Aasemblies ot God 1445 Boonvil le, Springfi eld , Mo. 65802

T. E. Gannon. Executive Difec/of ROBERT C. CUNNI NG HA M, Edi tor R. G. Champion, Managing Editor Norman Pearsall , Art Editor Wm , G. Eastlake. Circulation M anager Dep artmental Editors GeneT/II Neu:s-Juleen Turnage; Fareisli .\liss ions-David K. Irwin ; Horne Missions­Ruth Lyon , fuulio-K S, C(lidwell ; &lucu· lion-Verna B. F lower; SUfld,,!! Sc/IOcn­Clenroy Shedd ; M en's Fellowship-Wildon Colbaugh ; Womcn's "f issionllr!! Cou nci/­Angeline Tucker.

Editoria l Policy Board T. E. Gannon (ch(linllan), E. W. Bethany, N. D. D (lvidson, Richard Dortch, Joseph H. FlOwer, J(lmes Hamill, 1'. E. Lowenberg, D. Ii. McLaughlin, R. I-I. Wead.

Executive Pres bytery, Assemblies of Go d Gcnerlli Supcrinleude'II-T. F. ZimnH_'nnan; II ssis /a nl J.:cw!wl superintendcul--C. R. C arl· son; gencral secrel<lr [l-Bartletl Peterson; gcneral fre«S"'CT-;\ 1, J3. Nl.'Izd; ereculive director of foreigu missions-J. Philip I-logan; uonrcsidenl creClj/ivc presbylers-E . W. Beth. any, N. D. Davidson, Bichtlrd Dortch. Joseph R. Flower, James Hamill, P. E. Lowenberg. D. H. ;\IcL(lughlin, and 1\. H . Wead.

Weekly Subscription Rates Single "ubscriJl/ion: U.S., its ]'.ossessions, and U.S. servicemen abroad: 5,1 a year; 57.50 two years, In troductory offer: six months for 82. Can:.da and PUAS <.'()un trics: $5.75 a yC(lr; 5 II two years. Foreign; 86.50 a year; 512.50 two ),<,:'rs. Bundle subscripliou (m inimum of fivc sub· script ions. all mail.:d to one addr<.'Ss; prices quotcd arc for each subscript ion); U.s.; 95<: for 13 wecks; $3.70 a year. C(\IJada and PUAS count rieS: Sl. 15 for 13 weeks; S4 .50 ,I year. Forcign: $1.25 for 13 weeks: $4 .9 0 a year. Internationat Edition Subscrib ers outside thc U.S . only may receive the Intern(ltional Edition (one copy a monlh ) for 51 a year, po~tpai d.

o 1972 b!l Ihe Gcnerul Council of Ihe Assem­blies of Qui. Printcd in U.S .A . St..:.:ond·cJ(lSS pos tage 1);lid ill SI)ringficld, Missouri.

WE BELIEVE . ..

. .. the Bihle is the inspired :. nd vnll· IIlf" U,ble (I"d aUlhurit"tivc' \Vord of CO(,

· II'en: 's (HI<' God, ..ternally exblent ill thrc,' per><",~; C ud Ilw F.,t),er. God thl' SUIl. ""d C od Ihe Holy Ch"~L

· ,in th" dci t} of Hur L"rd Je~u> Christ, in H i~ \'i,.~ill birth. in H, s ,i"les, lir,·. ill lI is onir"d,-" in IIi, \'icarlOu~ .lIId ;. tuninJ.( de(lth. in I-Ii , Ix,<I,I)' rt·surrl·d'o". in Hi , .,sce",io" to tl ... no:ht h.,,,d "r th,· Father. and H is pl'r,,,n,,1 futurc return to this ,,(lfth in pOWl'r ""d glory 10 ruk" thuus,lIld years.

· ., in tl'l' 13 10 ., ('(1 H"I' .. --th .. Ihpture or the Church "I Christ ', co"lin;:.

· .. tI,c ""Iy me,"" of hci"l< clt-anscd fr<)1n ,in. i, throu;:h rellt:,., I;mce and f"ith in the preCHJu. hl""d ofCI,n<t .

. .. r,·gener.,""" Ill' th .. · Hoh Sp,,.it i. ab.olutd, n.enti.oI (,,,. per_,o" .• [ •. ,I,'alion

.. ,th,: r,·delllpti\'e wurk "f Clor"1 on t h" ('ro, ' I'",,,id,,, hl,alm.: of th .. hUnl(ln hod, 'n .",~\\' .. r to bl'li",in;: pr.,)',·r.

.:. tl", b"pti>1" 01 Ihl' Holy Spirit, ae· ('onli"l;: 10 A('I. 2: ,1. ,s ).!i'·en to hcliel't:TS who (lsk for it.

... '" the .:mClifyin;: l~lw"r of the H oly Spiril hy who~e ind"'ellin;: the Chri.t ian is en(lbl"d tn live" holy lif .. ·.

· .. '" the ",sur",etiu" of bolh th" sa"ed and the lost. the One to everlasting life "n<l the other to everlasting d;""na tion.

T HE PE NTECOSTAL EVANG EL

GOD'S EXUBERfiNT

SERYfiNTS By ZELMA ARGU E

LOOK .... T 0'\\11)1 Dancing! Shouting! Singing and playing the ha rp! Such an tics for a king!

His wife !\ \ichal did not app rove of his exuberance. She despised him for stich a display, but Oilvid defended his behavior by saying, " It was before the Lo rd" (2 Samuel 6:2 1).

:-" l ichal's fathe r, King Saul, would not have behaved in so undignified a manner: but Dav id reminded her that th e Lord had chosen him in prefe rence to Saul to be rul er over His Pl:ople. "Therefore will I pla y befo re the Lord:' he sa id , "and I will yet be more vil e," So David "danced before the Lord with all his might."

David and all th e p<,"Oplc "brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting. and wit h the sou nd of th e tnllnpet. " Joyous David! Exuberan t Dav id! Wholehea rt ed David!

[ was deepl y sti rred by C. :\-1. Ward's booklet on Group Tllempy. In it he shows th e va lue of the ways in which we worshiped Cod in the ea rl y days of th e Pentt..'Costal revival. I-I c talks without apo logy of th e tcstimony meetings. the shoutin g. the danci ng in th e Spi rit , <Ind shows that even the prostrations arc now admitted by psychiatrists to have therapeutic va lue. Though the manifestations seemed st range to some, they had wonderful va lue in releasing, in stimulating, in healing.

Dav id had humble beginnings. God called him from following his fath er's sheep to be n ll er over Israel. Similarly our ch urches had hu mble beginnings; brush arbo rs; storefront buildings; canvas tabernacles with carpets of sawdust. Ilave we forgott en? But also. like Dav id , we had e.xuberance in the Spirit.

If now we have better facilities. comfortable buildings, ca lveted floors . fine organs and choirs:, shou ld we not sea rch our hearts and see if we have the o rigi nal exuberance. the joyful en thusiasm, the shouts of victo ry we had in earl ier ti mes?

God's servants were exuberant in New Testament times, At th e temple gate Peter faced a lame man who asked an a lms. Peter sa id to him, "Silver and gold have I nOJ1e; but such as I have give 1 thee; In th e nrun e of Jesus C hrist of Naza reth rise up and wa lk" (Acts 3;6). And he too k the man by the hand and lifted him up-and the man leaped up, and stood , and walked, and en te red into the temple. "walking, and leaping, and praising God. And a ll the pl.'Ople

JANUARY 9. 1972

saw him walking and praising God." Similar exuberance was evident in Paul's ministry.

T here was a c ripple at L)lstra who had never wal ked. Paul said to him. "Stand upright on th y feet." An d the man "lcapt."d and walked" (Acts 14,10).

Exubcr:l.Ilt! Exultant! Exci ted! ] believe it was Paul Hader who used to sa)' ... ] don't care how hi gh you jum p, as long as you walk straight when you come down."

It is our privilege to give expression to the joy of the Lord. :\ Iary said. "~ I y spirit hath rejoi ced in God my Saviour." Singing. Shouting. Giving thanks. It is the Bible wa y.

Ou r rejoicing docs not depend on dn.:umstances. \Vh en they werc thrown in jail. Paul and Silas praised the Lo rd. Even at midnight thcy "prayed. and sang praises unto God" (Ads [6:25), T he prisoners hea rd th em, but this was no deterrent. Cod heard them too-and sent an earthquake to break their bonds.

God is pleased when His servants arc exuberant. He wants men's spirits to be free. like David·s. to praise Him without restrai nt. There are always those, like 1\ lich31, who dccry a display of emotion: but they are the losers. "' :\ Iicha l the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of he r death:' Barrenness is a sad price to pay lor q uenching the Spir it ! T hey brought the ark of th e Lord into tht: c it y. and worshiped, and all the people rejOiced- and th e Lord gave them rest round about from all th tdr enemies.

David exhorts us , '·Let every thing that hath breath pra ise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord."' Pau l admonishes us to be thankful and to be exercised with "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (ColOSSians 3, 16).

Hejoice in the Lo rd always. Glorify lI im in exuberance of spi rit. Exal t His won d erful name. Exult in the victories He can bes tow. Express the joy that is withi n.

It's coming, it 's coming, Tile ark is coming up the road;

When David danced before the Lord, The ark was coming up the road.

His wife despised him in her heart , But the (lrk W(lS comi'lg up the road.

5

Brother and Sister Ctark

Five executive presbyters cited at appreciation dinner

executives h SPH INC FI ELO, :"'10. - :\ meeting unique in the annals of the Assemblies of Cod took place here November 16. It was lin appreciation dinner to

6

ei ation dinner.

Changing 01 the Guar.d," and charm to the appre-

Chas. W. H. Scott listens to words 01 appreciation I rom Everett D. Cooley on behall 01 the Michigan District.

, ,

.. . worthy of double honor" was the appropriate banner over the head tabte al which th e honorees salon either side 01 Brother and Sister Zimmerman.

honor five retiring members of the Executive Presbytery. Never before had so many ex(.'eutives retired from ofl"ice at one time.

The five men served an aggregate of ·16 years on the Assemblies' top executive body. Chas. W. H. Scott served 18 ye;lrs (including 14 as an assistant general superintendent ), Kermit Heneau 12 years (including two as an a.<;sistant general super­intendent ), T. E. Cannon six years (as an assistant general superinten­dent ), C. W. Hardcastle Sr. eight years, and E. M. Clark two yea rs.

\ 'Iore than 200 friends were pre,<;ent to hono r them.

Thos. F. Zimmerman, general su­perintendent , presided at the dinner. He presented a plaque and a sum of money to each honoree, pointing out that all five were "'elders that rule well" and therefore they were indeed "counted worthy of double honor" (1 Timothy 5: 17).

Special tribute was paid to Brother and Sister Scott on beha lf of the Michigan District. Everett O. Cooley, fanner district superintendent, spoke at length conceming the outstanding

TH E PENTECOSTAL EVANGEL

, \

"

Fo llowing the including two new members. posed lor this picture. In t he Ironl row are G. Raymond Carlson. . E. . T. F. Zimmerman . Kermit Reneau, and ChI'S . W. H. Scott. Standing are N. D. Davidson , Paul Lowenberg . Dwight McLaughlin, Roy Wead, Philip Hogan , E. M. Clark, Bartlett Pete rson, Richard Dortch. M. B. Netzel . G. W. Hardcastle Sr .. Edgar Bethany. James Hamill. and Jos eph Flower.

work they did in ~Ii chig;\n <I!'; pasto rs and leaders. Brother Scott was a dis ­trict presbyter seven years and d istric;t superintcncit:nt J2 yea rs.

Brother Scott an nounced that al­though he is retiring from c:.;ecu ti ve duties he expL"Cts to keep busy in gospel ministry. I-I e will make his home in Sun City, Arizona, alld work out from there serving wherever his help is desired by pastors and churches.

All the ot he r honorees likewise will continue to be busily cngaged in God's service.

JANUARY 9. 1972

Kermit H(;!neau is dist rict super­intendent of the South Texas District , <I post he held some years ago and 10 which he was reelected in 1971 .

T. E. Gannon is remaining in Springfield at th e request of the General Counc il to assist the officers during the two-year pe riod of transi ­tion to <l ncw organizational structure at the general hcadquarters.

G. W. Hardcastl e Sf. is a member of the ministerial staO' at Evangel Temple, Fort Smi th , Arkansas.

E. :'vl. Clark is pn,.'sidenl of No rth

Cent ral l3i b le College, :-"I inncapol is, ;>. Iinnesota.

All members of th e Execut ive Presbytery att ended thc apprt,'c iation dinncr, including Jame...: Hamill and Iliehard Do rtch who were el ected to office last August.

Others present included pastors, evangelist s, mi ss ionaries , and ;l num­ber of general presbyters and former executives. !\ mong the gucsts were the E. S, Williamses , the G. F. Lewise.~ , th e Noel Pe rkins, Ali cc Heynolds Flower, Bulh Steelberg Ca rtcr, and Victor C. Grcisen, d

7

HAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR CITIES to a great cxtcnt is shaping thc destiny of this nation. For this rcason the urban scene commands the attention of sociologists, psychologists, politicians, business, and industry.

The urban scene is a constant focus of the news media, for it is there that the bizarrc, the horrid, the unlL~ual , and the pathetic occur. What would reporting be without the demonstrations, riots, class struggles, and corruptions of thc big citi es!

Because of thc peculi ar influencc of the cities upon the concern and conscience of the nation, the church

What are we gomg to do about

? How are we

going to reach the blacks who live there?

By THURMAN L. FArSON

All address give'l at tile Pelltecastal EtxmgdislII Confe rence

spolISored by the PClltccoswl Fellowship of North America

ill Des !dOilies, Iowa

is forced to define itself in tenns of urban evangelism. The question emerging in the hearts of countless church leaders is, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

First let me say I am here as a preacher of thc gospel and as a brother in Christ. My remarks will be tinted with Christian conviction and gospel priority. Th is does not mean I will gloss over actualities or ob­scure present problems. Having pastored in Harlem, New York, and on the southside of Chicago, I havc had some exposure to the problems, some consciousness of the patterns of privation, and some experience of the difficulties faced by blacks.

An estimated 14 million blacks reside in our urban areas. The decay of the citics affects these people greatly. The inequities in education, the inadequacies in hous­ing, the insufficiencies in jobs, and the general economic and social blight are the constant experience of black Americans.

Most of us are aware of the gap between the ad­vantaged and the disadvantaged, the affluent and the culturally deprived, the favored majority and the un­favored minorities. The seething discontent and the constant confrontations in our cities appear as hand­writi ng on the wall, reminding us of an imbalance in social justice, of inequities in our present system of democracy, and of stroqg prejudices in this nation.

I am not here to present an in-dcpth paper on thc social ills of the hour. I am neither qualified for it by training nor called to it by vocation. But I am affected to some degree by the problems and must adopt a scriptural stance that "all unrighteousness is sin"-be it prejudice or adultery-and that the righteous Lord loves righteousness .

I BELlEVE the biggest problem facing the church in this hour is to rediscover and maintain its identity. The Lord gave certain distinctivcs to the church. She is called in Scripture "the pillar and ground of the truth," "an habitation of God through the Spirit," "the bride of Christ," "the salt of the carth," and "the li ght of the world ." 'What she is said to be to a large extcnt dictates what she is supposed to do. She is to preach the truth, reveal the presence of God, maintain her engagement to Christ, retard corruption, and dispel the darkness wherevcr she encounters it.

However, there is an increasing pressure upon the church to abandon these priorities and adopt the socia l ideals desired for this nation and the world. \:Ve arc constantly told how we must adjust our concepts in the light of the prcsent developments. Certain groups have made it plain that the church must serve the revolution. But I am more interested in how the church will serve the Lord in this last-day revival. I am more concerned with how shc will glori fy the Saviour and express His attributes. I am more concem ed with how well she will fare in earnestly contending for the fai th once delivered to the saints .

The issues of yesterday are not the same today, nor will they be the same tomorrow. The particular goals of one nation or people change with the cir­cumstances and the priorities of the moment. But the biggest issues will always be constant: the problem of sin in the hu man heart, the alienation of men from God, and the expressions of unrighteousness in word, thought,

THE PENTECOSTAL E VANGE L

and deed. Solomon declared : "Keep thy heart with all diligence; fo r out of it are the issues of lifc" ( Prov­erbs 4:23). The isslles of li fe arc bigger than the issues of the moment, for they will have the greate r cons('­qucnccs both now and eterna1ly.

The greatest ques tions in the human heart can b<-' condensed into three categories: "" 'here did I COIll(,

from? Why am I here? \\'here am I goill t!;? These arc penetrating questions, going deeper than the issues of the moment, more important than "\Vhy Yietna mr more complicat<,'d than the race issue, of greater sip:ni fi­c:ance than the draft.

'1'111::1\1'; liAS ALWAYS Il£ E:-.' the danger of a conflict of in­h:rest for the church in her involvement in the things of this world. The child of God is a unique individual. lie is conscious of two worlds- experiencing the POW('I

of the world to come and yet residing in the world that now is. lie is faced with a dual responsibility, being a citizen of both. In his relationship with men he must ever be obedient to God.

Because of her peculiar nature the church must .ll­ways d istinguish betwecn earthly citizenship and heav­enly discipk'ship. Some things arc definitely at variance when considered in the light of the church's first ob­ligation to her Lord. Some things arc definitely im­portant in the temporal and yet not necessarily ex­pedient for advancing the spiritual.

A writer stated recently in Christi<lIIity Today: ··There will be a not iceable tension between the spiritual church and the secular culture." I believe we will need to recall the bcginning of the church at Pente· cos t as recordcd in Acts 2: "There came a sound from heaven." The church is Goer s institution, or morc ac· curately God's creation, called into being by H is decree and power, motivated by I lis will and purposc. Th is thing started with a sound from heaven; let it not be cont rolled now by sounds from earth.

Am I advocating tolal noninvolvemcnt in the con­cerns of the present socicty? No. But I advocate re­taining the higher priorities and the particular purposes for which we have been called. We must define the lincs of demarcation and place our emphasis according to our ca lling. We will never be able entirely to please the world at large, Jesus sa id to those of His day in a parable, "\Ve have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mounled unto you, and ye have not lamented." It will be equally difficult in this hour to gain a perfect approval from men as we seck to serve God in this world.

As WE A!'\ALYZ I~ the urban situation from a gospel stand­point, 1 beli eve we are compel led by spiritual eOIn'ic­tions to maintain a Bible-centercd emphasis . l believe the urban man is as sensitive to his spiritual needs as he is toward his temporal needs. \ Vitness the paeked churches in any blaek community on any Sunday morn­ing. There is a traditiona l concern for spiritual well­being ingrained in the hearts of blacks from the days of slavery when God was our only refuge. The urba n man will listen to the gospel, and the gospel is still the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

However, I firmly believe the church must show an

JANUARY 9. 197 2

understand in ~ of the particu lar needs of the u rban man. \Ve mll.~t respect his desire for socia l aeh ie\'emen t, be sympathetic toward his demand for change, and help him in e"ery way compatible wi th ~ospd princi ples whi le we maintain hh spiritual w('lfare as til{' highest p riority.

I S!; PPoSt-: I cou ld be called a moderate from a political standpoint. The Scriptures teach us: "Let your modera­tion be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand" ( Phil ippians 4:5). If there was ever a ti me for the church to have a tempera tc viewpoint, it is today. The course of the ent ire world needs to be criticall y and ca refully an:llyzed in the light of the Great Commiss ion and the soon coming of the Lord .

The world demands what they call "contemporary relevancc: ' If 1 understand the word COllt emporary, it mea ns "to happen along with ," and the word relevance means "to have :l defi nite re la tion~ hip or bea ring upon the matters at haneL" 1 belicve thc gospel -preaching ("hurch mcets this standard of contcmporal), relevanct·. God's purposes ha ve always run parallel with the events of history, and I lis workings havc always had a (kf­inite bearing upon the matters at hand.

Aga in divine purposes arc pinpointed by the happen. ings of eontcmporar}' hi story. John the Bapt ist preached I epentanee during the reign of Tiberias Caesar. The apostles declared that Jesus was Lord in every con­ceivable situ;ltion, refUSing to allow thc pressures of a degenerat e world to change their concept of a divi n!.' miss ion.

When faCing execution for maintaining gospel pri ­orities in spite of society's disapproval, Paul told Timoth y to "preach the word." I Ie reminded Timothy tha t "no man that warreth entanglcth himself in the affairs of this life; that ilC' might please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." The Great Commiss ion has never bcen revoked. The Lord Jesus said that "thi s gospel of the kingdom shall bc preached in all the wodel for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." The church is running on a schedule regulatcd by hcaven's clock and must be about the Father's business. This constraint is placed upon us in the suburbs and cities, on other continent s, and in the isles of the sea.

~lay it be said of us that u;e w eached Christ during the Nixon administration while ). Iao was ruler of China and Brezhnev party leader in Hussia.

)'lay it be said of us that at the time of the riots and demonstrations in our cities and during th t: student revolution, we rcasoned of temperance, of righteousness, and of judgment to come.

)'Iay it be said of us that in the age of frce love, LSD, and the IS-yea r-old vote, we were found calling men to repenta nce and looking for the soon rcturn of the Lord.

Although we arc found in the midst of secular his ­tory, we must make spiritual history for the glo!"y of God.

l feel urban evangelism is just doi ng what God has ca lled us to do in a different set of ci rcumstances. \ Ve arc still to hold forth the Word of life in the midst of all the pass ing events of history, for it is not I lis will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 6

9

:;'~ :J' ANSWERED BY ERNEST S. WILLIAM S

At prese11t I am attending a church where the leaders say "These sigJlS slwll !of{ov; them that !)clieve" ( Mark 16 :17) is not in the Creek text . Gall YO Il help me cOIlcerning this?

1 will let the Scofield Bible answer: "The passage from verse 9 to the end is not found in the two most ancient manuscripts, th e Sina itic and the Vatican, and others have it in partial omissions and variations. But it is quoted by ircnacus and Hippolytus in the second or th ird century."

What do yOIl think of using t.he church piano for givi llg music lessolls if there are flO facilities at homer

It seems to me th at if the church can contribute to the benefit of its youth in this way, without showing irreverence for the house of th e Lord, it might be permitted.

The Bible says, "1/e that hath my commandments, and keepeth th em, he it is that lovetJ, me" (John 14 :21). Is this suffiCien t proof that we love Jeslls?

This would be a good proof if we keep I-lis command­ments without re luctance. To keep H is commandments ~imp ly because the' Bible says we must, would not be keeping them through love: hut if we love Christ W t,)

will obey His Word.

Are there Scripture verses that support th e doct,rille of etemal security?

There arc a number of such. Christ came to save us for eternity nnd said that whosoever believeth in him "should not perish, but have everlasti ng life" (John 3:15, 16 ) . 1-le said, "They shall never perish, ncither shall nny man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28 ).

Every Christian believer is secure as long as he con­tinues to love the Lord; even his infirmities are atoned for. But he is required to cOlltillue to believe; this is the meaning of ·'believeth."

There are a number of verses that exhort to faith­fulness. "For we arc made paltakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end" ( Hebrews 3: 14 ) . "Take heed , brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living Cod" ( Hebrews 3: 12).

I t is ullcollditiollal etemal security that we caution against- a belief that, having been saved. no matter what kind of life we live, we cannot be lost. It is possible for one who once was saved to be lost. "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteous­ness, than , after they have known it, to .turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them" ( 2 Peter 2:21).

Re:nember this: Christ gave H is life to save you and He never ceases to love you. "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" ( Philippians 1:6 ). If you love the Lord Jesus and live for Him, your security is assured . a 10

!JOlly resources

for tiy'nomic living By E. l. LANGSTON

Tm: NEW YEAH is full of glorious pos­sibiliti es, among them the possibility of enjoying a life of unbroken fellowship wi th Cod. Our gracious H eaven­ly Father has promised to all in Christ Jesus, without except ion-

A life of alJiciillg peace. "Peace I leave with you, my peace 1 give unto you" (John 14:27 ). "The peace of Cod, which p3sseth all understanding" ( Philippians 4:7 ) . Is this your normal experience? If not, why not?

;\ life of habitual victory over sill . "Thanks be unto Cod , which always causeth us to triumph in Christ" (2 Corinthians 2: 14 ). Has that been your experience? Can you say, "Hitherto I have always enjoyed triumph in Christ"?

A life of ullbroken fellows/lip. "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jeslls Christ" ( 1 John ),3 ).

A life of divine (Illd supematrlral pou;er. "T-Ie that believeth on me, the works that T do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father" (John 14:12 ) . "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Chost is come upon yon" ( Acts 1:8). Is that power manifest in you?

A life of winsome holiness. "Who is like unto thee, a Lord , among the l;ods? Who is like thee, gloriOUS in holiness" (Exodus 15:11 ). "The One who called you is holy; like him, be holy in all your behaviour, because Scripture says, You shall be holy, for T am holy." ( 1 Peter U5, )6, NEB ) .

ARE TrrESE EXPERl.ENCr::S really possible? Does Cod demand of us someth ing which is impossible for us to perform? Surely it is incredible that God gives such promises and commands and will not at the same time give the power to fulfill them!

There is one ke}' word in these promises which, if properly understood, will enable us to enter into this fullness of blessing. It is found in 1 John 1:3: "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." The word fellowship, koinonia in the Creek means "sharing together with." It indicates the intimate relationship with God into which we have been brought; 3nd it is in this relationship that un­limited resources of divine grace are placed at our dis­posal.

This is what we all need as we face the demands and responsibilities of the new year-a consciousness of Ull-

THE PENTECOSTAL EVANGEL

brokcn fellowship with God. thc ciw'r of e\'cry good and perfect gi ft. li e is able and willing to supply all we need for a daily life which complies with the divine standard.

Cod has offered us His grace, !l is resources and bless­ing, so we might live a truly Christian life. But this offer is conditional, If we would experience the realit) of unbroken fellowship with I I illl, we mu!.t obey J 1 i ~ req uirements as revealed in " is \\'ord. The first of th('$(' is that we sllbmit our lh'es unreservedl\' to Ilim so Iii" lordship might be acknowledged, We n;ust \'idd all w(' arc and have to II im. .

This means we must be whokhearted and singlt'­mi nded in our loyalty. \ Vt.' must recognize that we bc­long to !l im and owe !l im absolute obedience. We mu~t scek to do !l is will in all its practical express ion. W e arc not ou r own for we have been bought with a p ric!'.

SHOU LD W E F,\ IL 1:-..' o a Elll E:-"-CE and grieve the Spirit of God so that the dove of peace fl ies from otlr hearts. immed i<lte and honest confession of that will at onc(.' restore peace, "If we con fess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us ou r sins. and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" ( I John J :9 ) .

Our supreme concern should not be to be happy in enjoying God's blessings. but to uplift and glorif)' Christ. Just as our Lord in the days of His flcsh glori­fied J-I is Father in heaven. so we-ind wel t bv the samf' Holy Spirit- are to glorify thc Lord Jcsu;. We arC', moreover, to be the channels of l lis blessing to others. "All power is givcn unto me," Jesus said , "As my Father hath sent me, evcn so send I you,"

It is elca r that the gifts of God by which these great

A call to sleeping Jonahs ( Collt i ll lled f rom page 3)

Ih rough 10 God 1I/11il the y are fi rsl bathed wilh Ihe l eaf S of Ihe S(l inls weeping over Ihe efrillg oll es alld brillg illg Ihem ill looe to Christ. "li e that goeth rorth and weepeth , bearing precious seed, shall doubtl ess come again with rejoicing. bringing his sheaves wi th him,"

~ I an y of God's child ren have al ienated affections. Paul said, "Set your aO'cction on things above, not on things on the earth" (Co lOSS ians 3 :2). Esau los t his b irth right when he su rrendered the spiritual fo l' the material , the etern al for the temporal , the invis ib le for things he could see, smell , and taste. Spi ritual inertia has produced saints with a negative outlook­sain ts who arc conscious of the needs, but do nothing about them.

It is time for the church to rebu ild her altars of p rayer. Th is is an individual matter. It beg ins with the reconstruction of ou r private altars and ou r fam il y altars, as well as the church altar. Let us not be guilty of merely talki ng abou t p rayer without actuall y entering into the fellowshi p of prayer. Only prayer can ehange the situat ion.

Let us accept the chall enge of the Captain of our salvation to shake off al l lethargy and sp irit ual ind ifference; for it is time, 0 sleeping Christi an, -- to arise and call upon thy God , if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not:' a J AN UARY 9 . 1972

purposes for our li\'cs can be fulfilled arc all included in th (' on(' didn(' gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, Ill' will conw to abkh' in us as we open our hearts to lI im and Ii (' will write God's laws in our hea rts and enablc us to obey thel11. lie will be the inspiration of ('\'('fy p;ood word and work so that our li\'es sha ll show forth thC' prai!.C' of H im whosC' we arC' and whom we <,('n-e, \\'her('\('r WC' ~o. our Jivcs shall IX' a bright out­,hining of thc ~Ior>, of God \\'ho dwells within.

This is the gloriOllS possibility. The provision fo r godly living is available. \\'ill you rccC'i\'c it? Will you con1(' to tl)(' Lord and acknowled"e vour ne('d of llis o , aid! \\'i11 you hand over, here and now. all you have and arc to the Lord thc Il oly Spirit? \\ 'ill ),011 renounce your right to order and (!i red vou r life and affairs and placc your~('lf unrest'ITedly into the hands of the' 1101), Spirit ?

I f yOlL will, you may know each day "the grace of our Lord Jeslls Christ. and the lo\'e of Cod. and the ft.:lIowship of the lIoly Ghost." - TiI(' Life of FaUll

ASSEMBLIES IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND GREAT BRITAIN FEATURED IN LATEST WORLD PENTECOST ISSUE

I I,"'E VOL' s££" the latest issut.: of \ Vorld Pell l(!cost? If not. we recom mend that you subscribe so you and your friends may benefit from this excellen t q uarterl y magazine au thorized by the \\'orl d Pent<.-coslal Confc l'­en(;e.

Not onlv arc the Pentecostal Ass(;mbli cs in Newfou ndland and the Bu tish Assembli es of God f< 'aturcd in major articles; there are slori t.:s from Pana ma, Switz(;rb nd. Austral ia. ;lnd Fiji also. together wit h the following it{'m~:

Ullbalanced Priorities (ed itorial) The Fire of Cod ill Scotlan d Jeri/salem lind Prophecy Eli"l P(:IltecOS/(l1 Chl/fch (Great Brita in) Societ y for Pentecostal St lu /ics The 1I0ly Spiri t i ll Personal Experience Iloward Ca rler-ll Pioneer j . SelsOI1 Parr-Sixty Years in Pellt ecost The Communion of the 1I0ly Spirit

The next issue (the firs t of four to he puh­lished in 1972) will contain articles on the West Ind ies. Congo. New Zea land , Homan ia. Canada. Korea, ete,

The p rice is 82 a year, $5 for three years, plus 2.5 cents postage (payable in advance). Send your order to Percy S. Brewster, Ed itor. clo The City Temple, Cardiff, Wales, Bri tain.

(Orders mai led to the Assemblies of God Public Helations Office, 144,5 Boonv ille, Spring­fi eld, ~ Iissou ri 65802, will be forwarded , Pay­ment must accompany the order. Since the magazine is mai led from Britain . kindl y allow two months for deli very.)

11

Sp/iltua/ rn/7F-UIUnl

Sunday School Lesson for j allt/ary 16, 1972

By J . BA SHFORD BISHOP

GE"ESIS 35: 1-15

GOD'S RENEWED CALL (v. 1)

1. A dioilleirl initiated ca/{. Cod 's call came when Jacob and his famil)' were most undeserving. (Sec Gen­esis 34:1 -3 1. ) God evcr seeks to bring !l is peop le into the center of His will. We speak of seeki ng Cod, yet He is al ways seekin g us. \Ve do not choose Him. '-Ie chooses us! ( Sec John 15 :16: Ephes ians 1:4; 2 Timoth y 109. )

2. A call to communiOIl. "Ari se, go up to BetheL" Bethel means "house of God"- a place of fellowship with God. At Bethel God first revea led Himself to Jacob, and there Jacob made a vow to Cod conditioned upon I-lis faithfulness. Now Cod had made good His promises to Jacob, but Jacob had not fulfill ed his part of the bar­gain,

"Dwell there and make there an alta r," The Old Testament approach to God was th rough an altar of <;acrifice. Jesus has become both. Every sinner and Chris-

'2

IF WE CONFESS OUR 5INS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AND TO CLEANSE US FROM All UNRI6HTEDU5NESS.

tian who approaches God, acknowledging Chr ist as his sacrificial substit ute, is nccepted of God. And acccp­tance is on that ground alone. JACOB 'S RE NEWED CONSEC RATIO N ( ....... 2-8)

1. Jacob's prompt olJcdiel1 ce. Il is fo rt hright obed ience and conduct are a striki ng contrast to his former weak­ness and lack of rcsolution. I n prepa ring to return to Bethel, Jacob, by his act ions, illustratcd the prerequisites to rcvival and God's bless ing,

Strange gods must be put away. Cleansi ng must fol­low. ( See 1 John 1:7; Psalm 51:10: Ephes ians 5:26. ) Ch rist's precious blood, to which a ll the sacrifi cial blood shed in the Old Tes tament pointed , and the "washi ng of water by the \Vord" arc the cleansing agents for sin­ners and sa ints.

New garments must be put on. No man can approach God and commune with Him wea ring robes of sclf­rightcousness. The prophet Zechariah call ed them "riJth y gflflllents." They must be exchanged for robes of divine righteousness ( Isa iah 61 : ] 0; Hevelation 7: 14 ) . Paul sa id we "put on the Lorcl Jes lls Chri st."

2. Jacob's influence UpOIl others. The response of Jacob's household was as wholehearted as his own, Thank God that zeal for God can bc contagiolls. The presence and bless ing of God so accompanied Jacob that enemies who ordinarily would have pursued thcm were afraid of them! GOO 'S COVENANT RENEWED ( ....... 9-1 5)

God appea red to Jacob again. Previousl), He met with him at Bethel ( 28 :17 ) . at his Uncle Laban's in Padan-aram ( Vy, 11-13 ) , and at Peniel ( vv. 24-31 ) . Conversion is not Ollr spiritual destination but is in­tended to begin a journey , with continual and ever­deenening revelations of God. ( Sec Acts 26: 16. )

The promises of the renewed covenant contained: 1. Blessing. The record continues, "And blessed h im."

Complete obedience to Goel will always result in bless­ing.

2. Trallsformation . "Thy name shall not be called an y more Jacob, but IsraeL" The change of name indicated the change of nature. No more was Jacob to be a sup­planter and deceiver, but a prince having power with God and spiritual influence upon others. It is the pur­pose of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit to transform the child of God until he becomes the vcry opposite of what he was by nature!

3. Fruit-fll/ness. "Be fruitful and multiply." Christ was to come through the lineage of Jacob and Israel. So Cod intends that Christ shall be .revealed through every Christi an, making him a witness and a blessing.

4. A nation, a land, and kill gs. From the descendants of Jacob the nation of Israel would rise. This nation would be given the land promised to Abraham. From Jacob would come a line of kings: Saul, David , Solomon and his dynasty- and eventually Christ. Jesus Christ as the only living descendant of David is now King de iure; that is, by right. One day He shall become King de facto; that is, King in fact-a Kin g who shall establish H is kingdom of righteousness and reign eternall y!

Thus ended another chapter in Jacob's life. It il­lustrates Goel's amazing grace, limitless love, inexorable justice, transforming power, and abiding faithfulness!

TH E PEN T EC OSTA L E V ANGEL

~lhe ,

rl doX' church in lown By JEANNE NEWLIN

FOil W EEKS W F. 1[ ,\ 0 ))111 \'£:\ BY a dingy. brown building on one of the busiest streets of our city . outraged at the words, 'The \Vay. The Truth , nnd The Life," scrawled in huge white letters over the doors.

Barc-chested, long- haired boys in faded jeans lounged :lgainst the building cha tting with bare- footed gi rl s. Everything seemed to indicate a hangout for pot-s mok­ing hippies hiding behind Christ's words.

"How dare 'they' <tllaw this! " \\"C sputtered. "\Vhcrc arc the police? Where arc th e mini sters?"

F inally, one clark drizzly evening, furious and CuriOllS,

we parked in an inconspicuous driveway nea rby to watch. A tall , blond , bearded boy idled past softl y strumming his guitar. A brown wooden cross st rung on a leather thong rested against his chest.

Soon three grotesq ue-looking boys carrying guitars <1 nd drums shuffled by, followed by two girls in bright red halters and shorts.

\ Ve watched the incongruous process ion slip through the open doors of the barnlike bui lding and disappear. Then my Sunday school teacher husb:md exploded; "Let's sec what's going on in there!"

\,Ve were greeted by the ear-splitting sound of wildly throbbing guitars and drums. :\ hundred or so young people were sitting on the bare cement floor. A huge wooden cross hung over the bandstand.

Not a puff of smoke clouded the air. I glanced over the shoulder of one of the g irls and

saw that the book she held in her lap was Good Net/;s for Modem Man! Looking around , I was amazed to see that each teen-ager carried a Bib le of some sort.

The music stopped suddenly. A young couple stepped from the crowd and shouted into the mike : "Let's wor­ship God!"

The crowd stood, the mu~ic played, hands clapped. feet tapped, and the rafters shook Faces werc radiant <1S th e you ng people responded with their whole bcings to the words of the song. There was a vitalit}" a con­tagion, in the air. Soon we found our establishment toes tapping too. A wondering but welcome awarenes.~ was flooding into our hearts.

Silence settled again as a young minister stepped to the mike. H is jeans and sport shirt seemed to comple­ment thc surroundings. AI! heads bowed as he rcvercnt­ly prayed that the Holy Spiri t would fill the hearts and minds of all these young pcople and grant them the peace and guidance they needed in their troubled lives.

And troubled li ves they werc. Following the service we talked with many of them. Some had lived such dis­solute lives their faces and bodies already appcared ravaged and old. Some had been confused and lonely. The male soloist had been a pusher. !,.,lany were fighting the drug habit, and some had been healed of their ad-

JANUARY 9. 1972

d iction. All of them radia ted a lovc and friend lincss wc'd rarely seen before.

\ Ve wondered how this unorth odox chu rch had comc into bei ng. An inquiry or two led us to II;e mi nister and his lovely wi fe. We introduced ourseh 'cs and asked what had inspired such a ga thering.

The young mother poi nted to her d aughter who was gail y laughi ng and skipping around the floor. She ap· peared to bc six or seven.

"Shc started it al l." she said and she glanced softly up at her husband. '",Vhen she was about a yea r and a half aiel she came clown with enccphalitis . The doctors had done all they cou ld but fina ll y told us thcy couldn't save her. ~ I y mother left the hos pital room while the doctors wcre talking to us. 1 thought shc could n't bear thcir verdi ct and had left to go home, but she had left to pray. In a few minutes she camc back to the room, put her hands on our daughter's head, and within min­utcs she was sitting up in bed. cudd ling her teddy bear."

Hcr husband went on with the story. "We wcre not religiOUS pcoplc. Our thoughts had al ­

ways been about ourselvcs-my job. our home, ou r friends and fun- until that dav when God literally healed our daughter before our ~yes . From then on wc fclt " 'c werc called to serve H im. So with our faith , Ollr Bibles, and a handful of friend s who knew of our ex­periences, wc started a study and prayer group in our home.

"Before we knew it. onc pcrson brought another, and hc in turn another- until wc wcre forced to look for a larger place to meet. "

I-Ie stopped talking and looked with wonder at his golden-haired bouncing daughter- then back at the grcat cross . Thcn with a sweep of hi s arm, he said: '"This is anothcr miracle-thi s building, these kids. Thc state owns the building and is letting us usc it. Kids have comc to us from cvcry corner of the city, from every denomination, and from every kind of home. All we do is tell them of thc God of love who sent His Son to forgive US, heal us, and direct our Iivcs."

We humbly and gratefully shook their hands, and quietly followed the congregation into the open ai r.

Th is must have been the way it was when Christ first taught. No great cathcdral , no organ peals, no fancy dress-only people. People who needed Him, and some who would become His disciples.

The young man with the handmade cross swinging on his bare chest walked by, looking for all the world as though he'd walked right out of th c pages of our Bibli­cal past. Another Peter? Another Paul? Hope swellcd as we madc our wa\' back to the car, con[ident that many of these "stone~," rejected by church and society, would become thc cornerstones of a renewed Christian­ity. &

13

14

lives on.

By BETTY HANEY Foumler of Koreon Dcaf MissiotlS

TilE CO:-'-CI\EGAnO~ sa t in rapt attention, oblivious to the impinging sounds of the noisy city as they listened to Pnstor Chey proelnim the good news. The reason the noises didn't bother them? This was a group of deaf persons hearing the gospel through the hands of Chey Sung ~\'I an.

Chey is an example of the dedicntcd national pastors and workers serving God in many lands throughout the world,

In February 1960 special evangelistic services were held for the deaf in an Assemblies of God church in Pusan, Korca, During those services 35 deaf persons accepted Jesus Christ.

How was it possible for them to accept salvation so rcadil)' though they had never before personally heard the gospel? One of the deaf individuals declared: "We watched the members of Our families and friends who accepted Christ, and we saw the change in their lives and the great joy they have, We desired this experience, but did not know exactl y what sa lvation was or how to accept it. Then the message was made clear to us through sign language,"

This nucleus of 35 Christians needed a church and a pastor, but 300 miles separated them from the only missionary to the deaf, Then Chey Sung Man, a local Assemblies of Cod pastor, visited the service. He had wanted to visit a "silcnt" Pentecostal church for some time. Chey was a Spirit-filled, dynamic young minister who enjoyed his pastorate. He had a vision of reaching hundreds of Koreans with the gospel and building many churches throughout Korea, Yet the tug in his heart that altcred the course of his life's work-a burden to reach the deaf of Pusan-budded and enlarged to in­clude some 150,000 deaf in Korea.

Friends and colleagues discouraged him. What would ministry to a silent cougregation be like? However, Chey obcyed the voice of God. Setting aside his per­sonal plans and desires, he began learning the Korean sign language. Next, he started a weckly Bible study class for the deaf at his church.

Though he .had no promise of financial support, hc felt the burden to preach the gospel to the deaf burning in his heart. Chey lcft his pastorate in 1961 and began full-time ministry to the deaf.

During one month he ministered to 573 dcaf in var­ious elasses and gospel services. Twenty-one deaf came forward for salvation. But this was only a preview of what 10 fruitful years of his ministry of love would mean to deaf Koreans,

Chcy Sung Man's vision took him to many cities in the southem part of South Korea, He ministcred to deaf people in open-air meetings, thatchcd roof huts, schools, homes, rented buildings, and stately churches.

By 1962 deaf churches were opened in 10 cities throughout the Republic of Korea. Tn 1963 Chey ac­cepted the responsibilities as national director of the Korean Assemblies of God deaf work and joined the faculty of the Assemblies of Cod Bible school in Scoul. Through his sign language classes he transmitted to ministerial studen ts the challenge of reaching the deaf of Korea. Other ordained and licensed ministers fol. lowed the cxample of this pionecr effort and are "s ign­ing" the gospel message to silent congregations through­out South Korea,

THE PENTECOSTAL EVANGEL

The work grew so rapidly that 24 hours a day never seemed enough for the many ph3ses of ehey's work­correspondence courses for Jay workers. training sem­inars, vacation llible .~chools in 10 cities. 3nd a summer camp for the dC3f.

Using his Speed-the-Light bicycle. Chey Sung :'<.lan di stributed clothing and food sent by deaf churches in Amcric3, helped find em ployment for his deaf friends, 3ssisted de3f orph3ns, and helped secure mcdical care for the needy deaf. J Ie distributed Bibles 3nd owr .~O,OOO tracts printed especia!\y fo r the Korean deaf by Light-for-the-Lost. li e carri cd out pastoral duties fo r many deaf congregat ions.

As the eldest son, and in accordance with Korcan cllstom, Chey kn ew that his wi fe would be chosen for him by his parents . Those im'olved in deaf work were apprehensive. (or they rea lized his wifc must love and understand thc de3f people as he did . nut in a short time it was eviden t this marriage was ordered and blessed by God.

:'<.Irs. Che), worked, praycd, and lovingly sacrificed for the deaf. Their home ( which incl uded four chil­dren ) W3S always open to the dea f. The Cheys were deeply loved and respected by the Korean deaf who would come, share a mC3l, and pour out their problems and heartachcs to Pnstur 3nd ~Irs. Clwy. They always received help and lOVing counsel.

Qn December 15, 1970, a fire destroyed Chey Sung i\4an's home. IT is wife, two sons. and adopled daughter di ed 'in the flames. For 10 days Chey and his baby daughter lay in 3 hospita l severely burned.

Although he was in intense pain 3nd kn ew de:lth was ncar, his last hours were spent in sharing plans for the Korean deaf work.

On Christmas morning 1970, Brother Chey went to be with the Lord. His Imb~1 daughter died the next d:l)'.

Loss of the Chey family left a great vac3ncy in Korea. T heir deaths were a great blow to Korea, the deaf peo­ple and to all who kn ew and loved them.

1\'lany other persons, Korean and American, have an integral part in the successful Korean deaf work toda y because of the obedience and dedica tion of thi s faith­ful disciple of Christ. Chey Sung Man I1nde a lasting contribution to God's work by sacrificing and giving himself completely to Cod.

Hc lived only 36 years, yet he accomplished a work for cternity. Though his years of service were short, the impact of his life is still felt. The individuals to whom he brought light and love will keep alive the vision and heartfelt concern for the thousands of sil ent listeners who found Christ through the hands of Pastor Chey. Those whose li ves wcre saddened by his death will never forget this man of Cod \\"ho died as cour3geously and unselfishly as he lived. ~

Special Offerings for FOREIGN MISSIONS

may be sent to Assemblies of God, Foreign Missions Dept.

1445 Boonville Ave., Springfield, Mo. 65802

JA NUARY 9. 1972

--l ~

TOP: Pastor Chey Sung Man and Belly Haney. ABOVE : Korean deaf children working on handcraft during VBS.

15

-.: SPITE OF 'dUCII-I'UBLICIZED advances, there nre appro~dmatC'ly 100,000,000 mOre illiterates no\\' thnn 20 y('nr~ :'\go! This astounding rca lity is because' the population is growin~ fastC'r thnn the economic means to educa te ('vcryon(' or to C'xknd ;ldequatC' school syskms into r('mote areas. Jlliter:H:)' is highest by far in the plac('s wh('re. povnty. hungl.'r. and disease arc most prevalent.

But this is not an insurmountable problem in reaching people wi th the gospel, for transistor radios have en tered homes where newspapers and books ha ve not. There arc now over 600,000,000 radios in the world, with new ones being purchased every day. Old folks and young listen avidly, seeking new information as much as enter­tninment. They wan t to stud y and improve their mental and physical state. Those who cannot read and write depend more on thei r radios than the educated.

The printed word, for example, would mean little to the jungle tribe of the Jivaro Indians in Ecuador. Only some young ones know how to read. But if they can hear by radio, they can learn of Christ. The J ivaros don't have to depend on paper and books to help them remember. They don't forget what they hear.

In the underdeveloped countries radio is fast becom­ing more than a status symbol. It is a household neces­sity. n adio is needed and used more than running water.

These listeners are people of all ages and occupations, often with physical handicaps and other problems. They have changing temperaments and tastes. Yet all need to know the love of Jesus Christ. And with this belief at the heart of its inception, Hevivaltime has been wit­nessing via radio for more than 18 years.

Often thi s full-gospel broadcast has been instrumental in opening the door for miss ionaries to establish an As­semblies of God work in a foreign field . Veteran mis­sionary Lawrence Larson saw this happen in the South Pacific.

The annual conference of the Assemblies of Cod of Tonga in October 1971 expressed appreciation to niver­view Gardens Assembly, St. Louis, i'"rissouri , for their financial support of the Hevivaltime broadcast in Tonga. Brother Lawrence Larson wrote to the church:

"The work in Tonga is now five years old. These five years have brought nine churches and 53 preaching points into existence. The Lord has been good to save many souls .

"\Vc want to express our si ncere appreciation on behalf of ministers and believers throughout Tonga for your tremendous contribution to the development of our work here. Your full support of Revivall.ime is a tremendous blessing to everyone in Tonga. It feeds our ministers on a regular basis and encourages them and the beli evers in their ministries for the Lord.

''This program also helps us reach into new areas continually."

Now a special format of Revivaltime has been de­veloped for release on all stations outside of the United States. The ncw 28-minute format does not ask listeners to write in and makes no mention of an offering. Scripts afC carefully edi ted to avoid sta temen ts that migh t be miSinterpreted by those listening outside of the United States. The overseas format is a straight gospel service from beginning to end, almost identical to what you hear when you tunc in Heo;valtime in your home. And it is possible for our missionaries to add a two-minute conclusion suited to the region hearing the broadcast.

For a number of years now Heviva/time has bcen used by some of our Assemblies of Cod missionaries with a very viv id impact. With 95 weekly releases outside of the U.S. Reoiva/t.ime is an effective tool for our mission­aries in reaching our world for Christ. <fP

THE PENTECOSTAL EVANGEL

\

01 the listed requests created an atmosphere 01 Pr ayermeeting anchor service at Central Assembly 01 God, Springlield, Mo. This was one 01 the 1,770 participating prayer groups . The annual worldwide prayer ellort is cosponsored by the WMC 's, the Men 's Dep artment, and the Radio Department ,

service. The entire spectrum in time to be included in the November 21

!~~~~;-,i~~~~=;w~e~,~e~4~S~A~,~semblies 01 God ministers whO attended Ihe human su ller ing and need is represented in the 62 ,240 p,rayer requests which arrived

World Prayermeeling Day.

The World Prayermeeting Scripture theme, " Pray One lor Anol her," James 5: 16, became a reality lor these young men at the anchor service. A tol al o f 85.449 persons were enlisted to part icipate as intercessors . II as a gianl

1971 Hevivalilme world prayermeellnu 85,449 intercessors 1,770 groups praying for 62,240 prayer requests

17

WAfCs reach every area of the Fellowship' By L. O. WALD ON / Louisiona /)iHrir/ SlIfJ('rinlcndcnl

As " PASTOR 1 was interested in the work of the Women's :-' Iissionary Council because of its con­tribution to the loeni cbmch. Out recently when the district officers toured the sta te, I got a full-orbed vicw of a ministry that rcaches into every area of the Fellow­ship. Even the organizational structure works toward contributing to the total outreach of the church.

On the district level , \V.\IC executive officers plan ahead by taking a good look at the anticipated needs of missionaries on furlough , outfits for the newly ap­pointed, helps for new-field works, possibilities of evangelism outreach, and expansion of the auxiliary programs-projects and events that concern the entir~ membership,

In each of Louisiana's 14 sections is a W~fC repre­sentative who coordinates the activities of WMCs and Ys. A sect ional ~ f issionel tes leader promotes activities of the auxiliary for Junior and Sen ior !\lissionettes, Prirns, and Daisies, involving girls five through 15.

Local W\le groups implement directions they re­ceive from district and sectional leaders, and the work goes on.

The \v~fC organizational structure ma kes place for involvement; involvement generates en thusiasm: en­thusiasm produces accomplishment. YOli should sec the reaction in tlK' semiannual rall ies when \v~ICs from a small or pioneer church ma lch coin-collection totals with an older, established group!

W:\IC coin collections provide a major part of the missionaries' household furnishings. Chri stmas gifts of $23 per person and birthda}' prcscnt.~ of SlO each arc

The Waldon's joi n the Melvin Surfaces in visiting homes in an American Indian village ne ar Elton , La.

18

i satisfaction at i a part in WMC care 01 the missionary as he presents supplies from the district WMC treasure room to Stephen Vandermerwe, South Africa. Mrs. Waldon (second from left), dist rict WMC president, and Mrs. C. E. Peak, di strict WMC sec retary, select other items.

given to district-affiliated missionar ies. ~1 issionettes give like amounts to home missionaries,

superannuated ministers, and the widows of aged min­isters for their birthdays and Christmas. W~'I Cs give $100 to each of the district-adopted for­

eign missions families when they return from the field. The money says, "\Velcome home," and makes it possible fo r the mission.:l.l'Y to have something he needs or has been longing for.

Also when missionaries arrive in the States for fur­lough, they need housekeeping equipment. The district WMC president invites them to visit the WMC Treasure Boom where there is a suppl y of household items con­tributed by groups throughout the state. Eacb famil }' is free to cboose needed items. What quick shoppin g! \Vhat economy!

Home missionaries under appointment also share the benefits of the commissary.

T he varied ministries of the \Vomen's Missionary Couneil are so far -reaching that we urge pastors to attend the sectional and district \VMe events. Then they will be able to give direction to the women of their congregations so that all WMCs may have opportunity to make a maximum contribution to the total ministry of the church, G

THE PENTECOSTAL E V ANGE L

For Missionettes

l1ew year­new program

By CHARLOTTE SCHUMITSCH M issiollf:ttes Coordinator

TUE 16TH IlIHTIIJ)A Y is something very special. Often it is celebrated with a party and gifts.

Thc 16th annivcrsary of the .\Iissionettes program is also vcry special. With it comes the introduction of a new program called "Daisies."

Th is month begins another year for more than 85,000 girls around the world who proudly call them­selves Missionettes. How the program has grown since the end of 1956, the first yea r for !\'iissionettes, whcn about 3,200 g irls belonged! There are now over 7,500 active elubs.

How can one account for thi s phenomenal growth? There arc many reasons, but foremost is this: the pro­gram is Christ-centered.

Missionettcs is gradcd according to age and geared to the interests of girls. It is pledged to win girls to Christ and was originated to train them in effective Christian living. It has been deSigned to help prepare them for Christian leadership and aimed to direct them in world ­wide mission acti vity.

Though 1",t issioncttes had a meager beginning, it has consistently grown through the years, always stri vi ng to meet the current need.

The first requests came fo r a elub program for girls 12 through 17 years of age. These were called .\Iis­sionettes. In 1960 the Junior ]\'Iissionettcs made thei r appearance. These girls from nine through 11 years were eager to belong. Materials were ordered as fast as they could be prepared. T he girls J:2 and over were named Senior .\·fissionettes.

Then in 1968 an entirely new program was introduced for Prims ( Primary 11 issionettes) who are six through eight years old. In four years this program too has grown remarkably. Of the 85,000 !\'Iissionettes, more than 15,000 are Prims .

Prims enjoy meetings where they hear Bible and character-building stories, learn Bible verses and songs, and participate in interesting handwork and games suited to their age level. Their social times and the vis­its to nursing homes or private homcs to cheer the ill and aged are very important to these little g irls.

'\-Irs. Mary Jane Flower, \Vomen's .\Iissiona ry Counci l president of the New York District, recentl y told how Sharron Wood of Plattsburgh, New York, was killed on October 15 whil e walking beside the road. Sharron's Prims club was organized bst '\.f ay with 10 girls. Her mother ass isted the sponsor with the club.

JANUARY 9. 1972

Charlotte Schumitsch , national Missionettes coordlnalor, and Mildred Smuland, national WMC secretary, look over the new handbook lor Daisies sponsors, " Daisies Tell ," and pre­pare to sign the lirst charter certificate lor a Daisie s club.

Sharron was laid to rest wearing her Prims uniform, her beanie with the helper's badge, and her Bible. Only eternity will reveal how much of an impact Prims had on this girl, but no doubt it was great.

And now a new addition to the .\Iissionettes-Daisies -is introduced. Daisies has been provided for five· and six-year-old girls. The author of the program is .\Irs. Gwen English, .\Iissioncttes director of the Northern California-Ncvad:l District. Since most six-ye:lr-olds cannot read when they begin first grade, the program has becn designed so that girls do not have to be able to read.

The sponsor will have her own manual and each girl a handwork packet-to cut, color, and paste. Uniform for the gi rls will be a yellow A-line dress with white Peter Pan collar to which will be attached a Swiss­embroidered daisy. Sponsors will wear a yellow A-line skirt, tailored white blollsc, and cardigan-type jacket to match the skirt. Th e}' too will have their own badge to attach to the uniform. ( All items and fabric arc avail­able from the Gospcl Publishing House.)

Charter certificates and individual membership cards arc available from the National W.\ IC Department for all age levels of .\ I issionettcs.

Had it not been for women and older girls Willing to sa.crifice some of their personal time, there would not be one .\I issionettes elub in c:dstencc today. The chal. lenge to work with children is greater than eveI'. Now is the time to rea.ch them with the gospel before the things of the world get a strong hold. Sponsors are still needed. Happiness is sen'ing as a .\Iissionettes sponsor.

19

The Assembl ies of God is meeting the cha llenge of De Soto County's mushrooming population.

From pasture to

• city By F. L. LANGLEY / Mis$ is~ ifllJi Di~ trict Superintendent ,

T iff: CRF.AT IN FLUX of people forecast for the South has begun in the north em most part of Mis­sissippi, Dc Soto County. Farmland is rapidly changing into cities. During the last 10 yea rs De Soto County had a 35 percen t increase in population, making it the fast­est growing area in Miss issippi.

~ f emphis, Tennessee, has grown so that it extends to the state line. The population is overflowing into the J\ l iss issippi communities of Southaven, Olive Branch, I lorn Lake, De Soto Village, Walls. and Hernando. In fact , th is population growth is eviden t in nearl y every city, town, and rural area in the north. It is forecast that De Soto County will soon be the largest populated area in }' Iiss issippi. During 1969 it was the second larg· est school d istrict in the state. It was fully integrated in 1970 witho ut a single incidcnt.

Unt il 1964, when J.,.1. B. Carlton was moved by the " oly Spirit to come from North Little Rock, Ark. , to Southaven, )'·liss., the Assemblies of God did not have an}' work for a radius of 70 miles down into north l\ l ississippi. Since that t ime, through an all·out effort of the i\'!iss issippi District Council and its constituenc}, involving bond sa les, the Southaven Church was built.

According to Distr ict Superintendent F. L. Langley, the assembly in Southaven, Miss., is the spri ngboard lor pioneering more churches In De Soto County.

20

Also, two home miss ions works have been started in l'loll }' Springs and Olive Branch, which arc progress ing steadi ly.

Under the d istrict's direction, Southaven Assembly was completed and had its first service in May 1966, because no suitable meeting place could be rented. Al­though still in its infancy, this church has sent out three preachers and five others are preparing for the min is­try.

During the past year Southaven Assembly had an average attendance of 1oo-a 28 percent increase-and has outgrown its facilities . It is one of the district's lead­ing churches in missionary giving.

With such rapid growth in the county, similar oppor· tunities exist for others to pioneer and build churches. The springboard for this action, as God has ordained, is the Southaven church.

Recently, our d istrict officials located property ( 1 1.t~ acres) in a new subd ivision, De Soto Village, which is about two miles from Southaven. It wil l cost $21,000 and has sidewalks, water, and sewer. A small down pay­ment is holding property in Hernando, the De Soto County seat.

Therefore, workers conducted an Action Crusade in the Southaven First Assembly October 18·20 prior to an Impact Crusade. Two churches participated, and at­tendance was excellent. Every house was contacted. Souls were saved, and funds provided toward beginning the De Soto Village and Hernando missions.

But there is so much to be done. If you were to drive down U.S. Highway 51 and Interstate 55 for nearly 100 miles to Winona, you would find no Assemblies of God churches. The Mississippi harves t is great. As our constitutency shares the burden by giving and praying, we will be able to continue planting new Assemblies of God churches in these northern Mississippi counties.

Special Olferings for

HOME MISSIONS should be sent 10:

ASSEMBLIES OF GOD HOME MISSIONS DEPARTMENT

1445 Boonville Ave., Springfield, Mo. 65802

T HE P ENTECOSTAL E VANG EL

LEFT: Mr. and Mrs. Avil Lampley and Kalhy served as inler­esting "Indian" hosts for the Racine , Wis., missions convention. ABOVE: Lloyd Couch. minister to the deal in Chicago. was speaker at the convention on Home Mi ssions night.

Mis.~inn.~ ~ '17 '/R'I7fin'17 fenlllrA.

AHHAYED 1:\: A"lEflICA"" I"DlA~ CAHB, a family of the Bacinc, Wis ., Assembly of God served as hosts for opcn house prior to the five· day missions con­vention last October. Greeting and informing vi sitors concerning convention activitics, these friendly and help. ful "Indians" created considerable intcrest.

Pastor James Hyllberg invited the Lloyd Couches, ministers to the deaf in Chicago, to speak for the home miSSions night service. The family also presented songs in sign language and with voice. Brother Couch "signed" as he brought the inspiring mcssage, p resent­ing the challenge of deaf ministry.

The church aimed, through th is emphasis, to reach the deaf in thei r area. They sent spec ial invitations to 30 deaf people. One lay worker in the church has a special burden fo r the deaf.

At the home missions booth in the exhibit area, another "Indian" sat before a campfire in front of a tee­pee. Indian-made items placed aroilnd the room and Indian food served at a fellowship dinner on home mis­sions night added to the general home mission atmo· sphere.

The home missions display included posters pro­moting all phases of home missions and literature sup­plied by the National I·lome !\.[issions Department.

Conventions also offer an excellent opportunity to promote a nearby pioneer church project. The pioneer pastor may share briefly his burden and present the challenge of his ministry. The Home ~1 issions Depart­ment is always happ~' to recommend convention speak­ers, should any church desi re this help.

Some churches, like the Hacine assembly, emphas ize one or two of the Home :\'fi ssions Department's Special Ministries in thei r conventions, while others fea ture all nine. ( A script for presenting Special Ministries is available from the department. )

Presently more than 300 appOinted home missionaries minister to Eskimos and Aleu ts, American Indians, for-

JANUARY 9 . 1972

cign.l anguage groups ( includi ng special ou treaches to American Chinese, Japanesc, and Gypsies ), somc of the native I fawaii ans, the Jews, the deaf, the bl ind , and to prob!em youth through Tecn Challcnge. Th irty-two As­sembli es of God chaplains work full time or part t ime with prisoners in fed era! 'and state institutions.

The U. S. Virgin lslands represen t our ncwest miss ion field. Tents are especbl ly needed there to launch new works and to house new congregations wh ilc chnrch buildings arc being built.

Special ministries are maintained through contri ­butions of churches, church groups, and individuals. Of­ferings for individual Special !\ Iinistl'y fields or for the Special .\l illistries FUlld receive World ~ I inistri es credit.

Thi s poster was part of the Home Missions exhibit at the mis· sions convention conducted by the Raci ne. Wis .•

21

JESUS CHRIST THE SAME YESTERDAY , AND TODAY, AN D FOREVER (HEBREWS 13:8)

GALLBLADDER HEALED Fon ABOUT A YEAH I had suffered much

from gall bladder tt'Ollhlc. 1 had s('vcrc pains whenever 1 ate certain foods.

On .'larch 23. [gil , during the first night of special meetings in Ollr church with E van­gelist William Caldwell of Tulsa, I listened to the message of faith. I then went forward for prayer and received nn instantaneous healing.

Before 1 was prayed for, even when 1 was careful to avoid cer­tain foods, I would still get such severe attacks of pain 1 could hardly mOve. Now 1 can cat any kind of food, and I really feel like

d oi ng my housework again. Cod is so goodl-'\1rs. Doris Stabley, Hed Lion, Pa.

( Endorse(l by Pastor RO/Jer f If . Shipp, PelltecQ,<;ia{ l....ightfIOHse, Windsor, Po. )

RECOVERS AFTER SURGERY-DOCTOR CALLS IT A MIRAClE

f\O OXE CA:-I' T ELL ~ IE Cod is dead. He touched me when I lay at death's door.

On }' Iareh 28, 1968, 1 suddenly became nauseated and had severe abdominal pain. After hosp ital tes ts and X ravs the doctor told my husband and Pastor Sehoon-, , over 1 had a 10 percent chance to li ve if he operated ; otherwise I would be dead by the next evening. Our pastor told him we believed in p ra)'er.

The operation revealed I bad many adhes ions. One of them had cu t the bowel in two; I had both gangrene and per itonitis. Two feet of intestine were removed and a drain placed in my side. I was too weak for the doctor to complete the colostomy. He believed there was another obstruction somewhere.

I spent almost three weeks in intensive care. On April 22 the doctor transferred me to a rest home. I-Ie conti nued to hold no hope for me. To prevent vomiti n~ 1 received nomishment through a nose tube.

When I returned home on :\'Iay 17, I could eat soft food but I failed to gain weight.

On my fi rst visit to the doctor he said it was a miracle I was alive, and he planned to wri te up my case for the medical journal. He told me I was one of two patients who bad lived through this kind of sick­ness and the other one didn't have the poison I had.

If God has healed you recently, we invite you to write out your testimony for publication . This can encourage others who need healing to believe and receive the Lord's healing to\I(:h. Please make your testimony as brief as possible, and ask your pastor to sign it. Then mail it to ; The Pentecostal Evangel, 1445 Boom'il\e Ave., Springfi eld, }.'Io. 65802.

22

I told him the Lord had spared m)' life, and he agreed. In Aug ust the doctor p lanned to repair my side.

Instead he discovered an IS-inch blockage. After th is surger), the doctor marveled at my quick recovery. The church had had a 24-hour p rayer chain for me and two others who were ill. I know that is why I did so well.

The repair surgery was completed in January, 1969. Now I can eat most ever)'thing and have gained 29 pounds. After th ree yea rs I remain well and strong.

1 am awed when I thi nk of all Cod has done for me and I am than kfu l for those who prayed . Praise His name foreve r.-~'I rs. Lee Bennett, Port Orchard , Wash.

( Endo rsed vy Pastor F. ]. Schoonover, South Pad,· Assembly, Po rt Orcllard, WasIL, who states : "Sister Bennett is in perfect health . Her blood is JlOW normal. She tJOIticipates i ll church services alld is active for her age." )

HEALED OF EMPHYSEMA AND BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

\ ,VHAT A BU~SS I NG it is to be able to brea the normally aga in, without having to struggle pain­fully for cvery b reath.

For six years r suffered from emphysema and bronchial asthma. I received treatment from physicians in Quincy and Brookline, :Mass ., but I continued to have great difficulty in breathing.

~vl y hea li ng took place whilc our church was in specia l meetings with Evangel ist William Caldwell . At the first service I went forward for p rayer. I explained my problem to Brother Caldwell. He told me that although my condition was incurable by natural means,

READ I! EVERYDAY

CHAPTERS FOR JANUARY 9-15

Su nday-Genesis 27, 28 Monday- Genesis 29, 30 Tuesday-Genesis 31, 32 Wednesday-Genesis 33~36 Thursday-Genesis 37~39 Friday- Genesis 40, 41 Saturday- Genesis 42-44

This Week's Memory Verse "And Pha raoh said unto his servants, Can we lind such a one as this, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?" (Genesis 41 :38) .

Cod would heal me and 1 would be able to breathe normally right away. Then he laid hands on me and prayed. I received an instantaneous healing.

The next day I did things I could not do before. I did three loads of wash, even feather pillows heavy with water, lifting them in and out of the top-loading machines, and 1 walked two flight s of stai rs.

The Lord has blessed me in a wonderful way. He has renewed not only my body, but my spirit also, and I thank }-lim.-:\I rs. Helen ~ 1. Holbrook, East 13raintree, !\ Iass.

( Endorsed IJY Pastor William .\[cPhersoll, Clad Tid­ings Church, Quincy, Mass. )

MI RACLE BABY I IIAVE XEVEH SEEX such a small bit of

humani ty for whom so many prayers have gone up to our Heavenly Father as our little Amy. Amy Oennise, my granddaugh ter, was born September 18, 1970, three 1110nths prematurely.

The doctor claimed thew was no hope for the baby. When she was born, he called in another doctor to take ca re of my daughter-in-law, whil e he worked on the baby wbo weighed only one pound 14 ounces. He fixed up a tiny incubator with hot water bottles, blankets, and oxygen and rushed her to Kansas :\Iedieal Center in Kansas City, 70 miles away.

From the moment Amy was born, prayers started go ing up to heaven in her behrtlf. Members of First Assembly and many nearby dl\!rches continuously prayed for Amy.

Thc doctors continued to give Amy no hope, and .~he lost five ounces during the fi rst few clays of her life. She had respiratory trou ble too and occasional I)' stopped breathing-sometimes seven ti mes a day- and had pncumonia three times .

We kcpt praying for Cod to have II is will with Amy, and there were churches as far away as California pray­ing for her. Even the nurses earing for her said , "\Vc're praying for her. " Our friends and neighbors kept our phone ringi ng and nearly always sa id , '" \Ve're pra~l i ng for her."

Cod bea rd and answered our prayers, and on De­cember 2 my son and his wife joyously brought six­pound Amy home from the hospital. But our troubles were not over. On New Year's Eve she stopped breath­ing and they rushed her to the hospital. She had pneumonia again.

Cod answered prayers again for Amy and on January 15, they brought hcr home.

Sinee January, Amy has gained weight ;md is perfect in every way. \ Ve have 11 other grandchildren and we love everyone of them dearly, and we thank Cod for them all, but Amy is our miracle baby.

Amy's mother rededicated her life to Cod while Amy was still in the hospital , and we havc all been d rawn closer to Him. We give Cod all the praise and glory! -~·Ir s . Clifford Griffin, Ottawa, Kans.

( Endorsecl by Pastor Raymond W. Raley, First As­sembly, Onawa, Kans.)

JANUARY 9. 1972

o IOII(

h( II III ~ i 11

tool a J'( Id I 10.,1' at \()I

• •

\ d

You know our world is rap idly chang ing. But d id you realize that these changes might have turned a once­good investment into a second-rate one? That's why you should take inventory of your investments to be sure they meet your present needs and plans.

Consider Church Extension Loan for your invest­ments. It offers the versatility you have come to expect from good in vestments-six-year and two-year certifi­cates and passbook-type sa vings are ava i lable. It offers safe ty and security , for it is backed by the General Council of the Assemblies o f God.

Its in te rest rates are right up there: 6 percent on six· year certificates , 5V2 percent on two-year certificates: 5 percent on passbook-type savings (curren t ra tes ).

Your transactions are handled with utmost privacy and courtesy. You use the U.S. mails-so there is no standing in line, no hunting for a parking place.

But GEL offers something far more important. The money you invest is loaned to churches for building or remodeling programs. So your money does more than work for you: it also helps bu ild the kingdom of God.

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1-9-72 Signalure(s) -----Name(s)

Address

State Zip

CH 1445 BOO NVILLE. SPRINGFIELD. MO. 65802

eVanGeLeTTeRf READERS WR ITE THE EDI TORS

' Evangel' as Ch ris tmas card When I rcad ahou! the new

Chrisbllns EoorlJ!ci in color, I decided to usc it (IS n Christ­mas card this ) 'C(lT, so I ordered 100 to send to my friends.

We have enjoyed the E~Il ­gel so many years. It is a WOIl­

dcrful inspirntion to read the nrticles on healing, the II01y Spirit, and salvntion.

Occupyi ng

}' I I\ ~. J. II. DIl .... !)"

F/oridtl

I llJ)prcci:ttcd the letter writ· ten by Mrs. L. W. Moore ( Oc­tober 17 Evallgel) r<:~nrd in J( Joh n }.lcCandlish Phillips' fine MUcic which aPI>carcd in the August 15 £~allgcl .

I too have fclt for n lon~ time that Christ meant for lI is people to occupy morc thnn a church pcw. May I share wit h you a thought on that word occupy?

I was a combat infantryman in the Southwest Paci fi c in World War II. When we finall y defeated the foc, we went up to Japan to OCCUPII. We d id just that l We had the "~ower and we had the all/flo rit ll bought with the blood of O\1r fi ghting men who gave their livcs durin/{ the campaign. We occu1'ied!

A batt le-scarred soldier of the cross has said, ·'Saton has no power whatsocver since Calvary e.~cept that which he has usurped through ignorance on the pa rt of the church ."'

Isaiah 59: 19 says, " When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." So it has been and so shnll it be again!

J OII :': V. SI'I\ACU': Idallo

Ch ristian ghettos must gol To ml\.~imize the impact of

Christ upon the body politic and society at large, I propose the Pentecostal Ecallgel be made available at newscounlers in drug stores, comer groceries, bus stations, and airports all over the nntion.

Yours is n very eye-appeal­ing, well-wri tten, up- to-date publicat ion that knows what people arc doing and saying and what their needs arc. YOII preach the gospel with punch and power. Christ is glOrified .

Let's begin with what we have, where we arc. But lef s begin. I agree with ~ l cCandlish Phillips ( Aug. 15 Evangel), the Christian ghetto must go.

24

MilS. B c m CASEY

Was/ling/on

Slaying the demon T he news item, "Alcohol, Dru~

Education Stressed" (September 28 Evtm gel), should really chal­lenge Assemblies of Cod womcn to enlist in the great educational program of the Women's Chris· tinn Temperance Union. We need to slay this demon of d rink before it sla)'s our homes of rightcoumess and moralit)' .

We of WCTU have a slogan, "The liquor would destroy the church if it could, but the church could destroy the liquor traffic if it would! "

M ilS. L ETA N F.SS L Il/iuois

Disli kes TV Guidelines The article "TV Guidelin e.~

for the Christian" ( Nov. 1'1 "~va'igel ) is out of place in the Perl/ecostal Evangel. To me it is degrading to Bible holiness.

H going to the picture shows yesterday was wrong and de­grad ing to Christianity. I for one feci that T V is just as bad if not worse today.

R o y L . I·I M,! ,\! In. Oklahoma

'Evangel' helps prisone r I really apprcciate the Evau­

gel. but especially enjoyed the Nov. 14 issue on prison minis­try. As an inmate at Att ica Prison I am very fortunate to know Christ as my personal Snviour.

In the Evangel Ncws Digest of that issue you had an item about Billy Craham considering a tour of prisons for ministry. I hope our faCility can be in­cluded in his tour. We could certainly use the ministry of Cod's Word here.

K E:>:>£TII BAIlI\ACLOI]CII 511. Nel(} York

Blessing In jail I can't thank Cod enough for

His bleSSings bestowed on me while reading the Ecangrl. I starte<1 recei ving it while in jail. I have been hcre over ni ne months and will be released in thrcc weeks.

J will be working at Teen Challenge in Chicago when fm released . I was saved there in April 1970, but had a drug viola­tion hanging over my head. I wasn't sentenced until December 1970, so I was able to attend Dible school for one semester and will be returning to com­p lete Illy course of study in the sp ring.

LIkes Council sermons Thank you for making it pos­

sible for those who were not privileged to attend the 34th General Council in Kansas City to en.iOY the inspired Council messages through the pages of the Evangel.

I ordered 25 extra copies of the October International issue with the color photo of the crowds at Ceneral Council to send to friends and relatives.

~ I RS . I DA C I\AIIA ,\1 KO/lsas

j ust a word of thanks for bring­ing the readers of the Evangel the messages delivered at the 34 th Ceneral Council. Ilow won­derful they are, and how tholl~htful of you.

Il,uuIIs o:> II . 1I0LTO:-'­

Cali/om ra

Is ou r churc h phony? It was inspiring to read, ··llow

For Should Christians Co in Criticizing the Church?" ( Oct. 31 Evangel). It was timely!

However, the art icle by James L. Slcn17. , .. Learn to Love Them'· ( I'ov. 14 Evangel) re­q uires qualifi cation. In the first paragraph it mentions "the phoniness of the cll\l rch . ... " Should not that statement have been backed up by sa)'ing what church the author had in mind? It may have been clear in his mind, but a reader searching for stones to hurl at the institu­tional church as a whole finds some am mo hcrc.

ls our Assemblics of God fel­lowship phony? I think not. And I don't believe the author feels that way cHllcr.

PASTo n LE:-: SCII '\!Avr Z

Idaho

Spiritual uplift \ Vhile we watched a parade

October 2, a young llIall gave us some reading mnterial, including The Pentecostal Evangel .

I have read every word in it. The stories arc wonderful wit­nesses of what can happen to tllOSC who believe in Christ .

My husband and 1 belong to the Christian Church and believe and have faith in Christ. r just wanted to let you know that reading ),our maga1. iTle has given me such a spiritual uplift today. Thanks for the fine work you are doing.

Mns. DAu : Na sa:.:

I look forward to reading the Evallgel each week. Surely it has been spiritual food for my sou!.

MilS. E. \ V. M O:>TCQ,\IER Y

Texas

Evangel witness I've discovered it 's very easy

to usc the E!;(mgcl and Good News /or Modem Ma n in wit­nessing to others. There is al­ways at least one article in the Evangel relevant to some in­dividuai"s need. The article to the unconverted (usually on the back page) has been a key factor in many cases of witness­ing.

One afternoon I contacted a young couple in thei r home and because of very young ch ildren I was not able to do a great deal of witnesSing. But whcn I left an Er.;Q/l gel with the stcps of salvation outlined so well, I knew the witness wo\z ld con­tinue whether I did thc talking or not.

C AI L\fEL F IELD Calilomia

Evangel Number 3001 Please send me 12 copies of

the November 1'.1 issue of Tile I'entecoltal Evangel if you have thcm. and send me the bill.

I think it is the richest and best issue I have ever read.

God bless all who made it so good.

Praise c ard

D. LEE S,\UTU Alabama

Were the EVaflgcl a sceular magazine this would be an ap­plause card . Under the circum­stances it is a praise card. I'm thank ful Cod led you to p rint the cditorial "Sermon 011 a Stamp" ( Nov. 14) in which you spoke out against the sad turn from d ivine healing to de­pending on medicine, and the resul tant tragcdies in d rug abuse.

The trend away from divine healing is most noticeable when people turn from God's best and sett le fo r the expedient or the con\·cnient. There are always regrettable consequcnces. Our church has a charismatic heal­ing service once a month now and God has wrought marvelous results.

:\Ins. J A:>E PARK EII

Cali/omia

Appreciates Evangel It is always a pleasure to read

The Pentecostal Ecange/ . I enjoy readzng tbe news of revivals among the churches throughout the country, and the edi torials are always so clcarcut , to the point, and Biblical.

The Ecangcl has always meant more to me than other religiOUS magazincs . I can remember when people carried it along with their Bibles. It was almost a "must."

C EOIIC£ A. W Ac:':En Nevada

TH E P ENTECOSTA L. E V ANGEL.

,

neW,l°DIGeJT FROM EVANGELICAL PRESS NEWS SERVICE, CORRESPONDENCE, PERIODICALS. PRESS REPOATS

'ABORTION IS MUROER ANO GOO Will PUNISH OFFENDERS: COLUMNIST-PASTOR DECLARES LA , PUENTE, CAlIF.-A Baptist pasto r here, writing In his col­umn lor a iocal newspaper, says multiplied thousands of babies have been mdrdered through legalized abortion and God will judge those responsible.

Don Ledbetter cites Exodus 21 :22-25 as proof for his views. The verses declare the person responsible for an unborn child's death should be pun­Ished.

"Gonesls 9:4 slales a scien­tific principle that was nol recognized even In George Washington's time," the pastor writes. " The life of the !lash Is In the blood. If the fetus has flesh or tissue and blood, It has life, and no man had beller tamper with thaI life unless he Is willing to take the punish­men!'''

Other scriptural support cited

were such observations as that personal nouns and pronouns are used to describe the unborn In the Bible, as in the case 01 the virgin Mary and her cousin Elisabeth. Another was God's word to the prophet Jeremiah: '·Belore r lormed thee In the belly I knew thee; and belore thou camest forth out 01 the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" (Jeremiah 1 :5).

"God evident ly looked upon the letus as a human being, especially since this particular human being was already, In God's sight, a prophet to a na­tion," Mr. Ledbetter said.

The course history would have taken II Jeremiah'S mother, or Elisabeth, or the virgin Mary had obtained an abortion would, from the human viewpoint, stagger the imagination, he said.

Billy Graham tells London conlerence

WESTERN CIVILIZATION MUST REGAIN MORAL INTEGRITY TO SURVIVE LONDON-Moral integrity Is the core of every human relation­Ship and Western civilization will not survive another 10 years unless moral and spiritual values are quickly restored, Billy Graham said here.

The American evangelist gave the warning when he addressed the annual conference of the Institute 01 Oirectors-a major agency of 5,000 British Indus­trialists and businessmen-at the huge Albert Hall.

He told the directors, " Moral Integrity Is the core of every human relationship-marital, so­cial, or business. The re is a real danger that man, caught up In a technological fantasy, shall cease to be human."

In this context, he told 01 $5 billion changing hands In the U.S. last year In bribes, pay­oils, and kickbacks. He told of

JANUARY 9, 1972

sweaters labeled "Made In Brit­ain" which were actually made In Philadelphia 01 Japanese yarn, and 01 about $75 million being spent each year lor lake academic deg rees.

"Against such a background 01 lack 01 Integrity," he de­clared, the way 01 life known to Western civilization will not survive another 10 years unless moral and spiritual values are quickly restored."

Putting it another way, he saId that whether we survive as a civilization or not depends entirely on our attitude to God and the moral laws He has In­stilled into the unive rse.

"Can we keep the moral In­tegrity that is the cohesive force of civlllzatlon?" he asked. "Many historians, sociologists, psychologists, and theologians are expressing doubts."

'Religious dimension ' urged in public schools AUSTIN, TEXA5-A three-day meeting on the place of religion in education, sponsored by the Texas Conference of Churches, closed here by reemphasizing the need for a "religiOUS dimen­sion" In public school educa­tion.

Although partlclpants agreed that "problems involved In learning about religion In the public schools have not" been resolved," the Consultation on Religion and Education con­cluded that teaching "about" religion is legal and that new teaching styles will be required to meet "the Increasing ap­petite for re ligious learning."

Or. John Hendrick, chairman 01 the Consultation, told educa­tors, clergy, and students that the "sponsoring commlltee has not encouraged the teaChing of religion for the benefit 01 the churches, but lor the benelit of the students."

Former U. S. Supreme Court Justice Tom C. Clark made it

A T A GLANCE

clear in his keynote address that the Supreme Court '·ac­tively encouraged" the study 01 comparatlvG religions in the public schools, while denying the right 01 these schools to compose or prescribe religious exercises.

Mr. Clark also was critical 01 parents '·who let schools take care 01 religion."

Calling prescribed prayer In public schools " meaningless" he suggested that Instead of rote prayer, the schools teach com­parative religions, history 01 religion, the Bible as literatu re, and similar subjects. "None of these subjects transgresses the prohibition contained in the First Amendment," Mr. Clark added.

Rep. Robert F. Orlnan (0-Mass.) called lor an '·ethlcal dimension in compulsory ed­ucation" and said that schools which am not teaching about religions are not serving their students,

• • • In 1971 the AssemblIes of God Women ·s MIs­sionary Council made 13 grams of S100 each to overseas Sible schools for the purchase of basIc reference books Three grams wen! to SIble schools m Afflca, three in the Far East, five in Latin Ameflca, and two In Europe ... The money comes from canceled postage stamps collected by local WMC groups and marketed by the NatIonal WMC Department.

• • • Some 270 persons in the Bumlngham , Ala ., area accepted ChriSI as IhOlr Saviour during the Impacl .7/ crusade which was conducted by 30 Assemblies of God churches. Nearly 23,000 homes were contacted during the crusade. Crusade coordlnalor Ernest Peury stated the crusade broughl logether ··the greatest number of churches in the area ever to cooperate in a United effof/ oj this kmd,"

• • • Postmaster General Wimon A. Blount recently called on the Ameflcan people 10 bOYCOII all French goods in an effort to force French aulhorilles to lake more ef­fect ive actions againsl the flow of heroin inlO Ihe U.S. Presidenl Nixon promptly announced he did nOI endorse the proposal. (Mr. Blount said an estimaled 80 percent of the heroin which comes into Ihis coumry comes through France. ··We don't grow II . and we don·' manufacture iI, and yet despIte thiS, we have the largest population of heroin addicts in the world," · he declared.)

25

J . ROBERT ASHCROFT

•

IG IPE~ HOUSE AT BETHANY AND HILLCREST

Interest and involvemenl continue 10 Increase each year in open­house days al Bethany Retirement Home (Lakeland, Fla.) and Hillcrest Children 's Home (HoI Springs. Ark), Residents of Ihe homes eagerly await Ihe arrival of guests and plan special aC/lvi/les /0 make Ihelf vlsil a memorable one. Visitors also COn/flbu le /0 Ihe day's excitement by bungmg gilts o f food, dishes, linens, and olher i lems to help stock Ihe homes' commissaries (ph%s 1 and 3). An important pari of open -house aeliv/tlCS al each home is a special chapel service. Visitors and children gMhor In Ihe ne w Chas. W. H. Scott Chapel (photo 2) for the service al Hillcrest . AI/efward, children proudly sho w visitors Ihe buildings and grounds al Ihe home (photo 4 ). A lovely buffel luncheon in Belhany·s dining room (photos 5 and 6) higfllighlS Ihe day·s activities there as guests and visitors enjoy a lime of in formal fello wship . Still , in Ihe mIdst o f Ihe day 's aCl l vit les , the work and ministry of the homes con­tinue as usual. A retired minister ( 7) arrives dur ing open house to take up his residence 81 Bethany. Both homes are supervised by Ihe As­semblies o f God Department o f Benevolences .

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to the lands held sacred by Christian and Jew alike. This unique tour will be directed by an archaeologist and an

experienced traveler and is designed as an educational and inspira­tional experience for those who wish renewal while vis iting Bible lands . The '· Arab-Israel Conflict Historical Review·· will be led by Robert E. Cooley. ·· Makmg David·s Psalms Live·· will be led by J . Robert Ashcroft .

Membership is open to all--ministers . church workers. laymen. college students. College credit is offered .

Accommodations are modern and convenient . T ravel is by swift jets . Price for the total pilgrimage is $799 .

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_ 'O'''''''hU''_

FirsLAssembly now Christian Lile Chu~ch

LONG BEACH CHURCH DEDICATES NEW FACILITIES DURING 50TH YEAR LONG B·EACH. CALI F.-The congregation 01 Christian Life Church here (Iormerly First As· sembly) climaxed 115 50th an· nlversary with Ihe dodlcatlon 01 a new building In November.

The new church, located at the junction 01 the San Diego and Long Beach Freeways, Is o f contemporary design. The exterior Is highlighted by a lad· der·llke cross atop the ski jump-curved roof.

When asked whether the new

name means something different In the liIe of this Pentecostal church, Pasto r Steel berg said: " No, we're still an Assemblies of God church. But some people teel that if a denominational name Is used, they are not wel­come unless they're of that backg round. We decided to get away from that. Since we made the change, people have told us they fell free to come when there was no denominational name

Important matters ••• both for yourself

and for the Lord A CHRISTIAN WILL. The Christian recognI zes that , m mokmg a WIll, he has on OppOr!unlly 10 complete hI S ~tewardshlp , 10 exerci se responSIbIlIty over Ihe lasl o f hIS mo· leriol leSOUrCes, to so feguord hIS dependenlS, and m so domg 10 furl her hIS confession o f faIth, to show hIS gratItude and

:>bcdlence

GIFT ANNUIT Y AGR EEMENT. A Gift AnnUIty Agreemen t enables a Ch"Sllon to make a generous con l .. butlon now and be assured of a fIxed income dUflng hIS lifetIme-on income which

is gua ran teed and docs . nOI fluc tuate

GIFTS OF REAL EST AT E. Gif ts o f property, such as homes, bus,nesses, apartment houses, and farmland can bring substantia l support to the wor k o f the Kmgdom o f God.

LIFE IN COME GIFT AGREEMENT. SImila r 10 the Gift Annuity Ag reemen t, thI S plan has defmlte advan tages for those 10 younger yea rs. The rott! o f return IS "aCTual Income corned" from the investmenl of the gil t It has no rela tIonshIp 10 the age o f Ihe donor.

LIFE IN SURA NCE GIFT. A person can make a sub-stonllol gI ft Ihrough lIfe msuronce. He con gIve on eXlstmg polICy by nommg the AssemblIes o f God the benefICiary o r he can gIve a new polley by OSSlgnmg ownershIp to the Assemblies. PremIums paId on such pol,c,es are dedUCTIble on mcome tax returns

STOCKS AND BONDS . Properly mode, a g ift of Sloc ks and bond:i may well be o f subston l lal profll bolh to the dono r and to the AssemblIes o f God. ElimInation of Ihe copi la l gains tax

TRUSTS.

is a prime advantage of t his form of giVIng .

A trust fund enables the donor to designate how certam funds should be used and by whom they should be admln,s tered

DIVISION OF STEWARDSHIP, ASSEMBLIES OF GOD 1445 BOONVILLE AVE ., SPRINGFIELD, MO. 65802

Pleose send me , wit hout obliga tIon, in forma tIon pertaining 10:

o Wills o Gift Annullles

o Gif ts of Real ESlote

o Life Income Gi ft S

NAME

ADDRESS

___ CITY . STATE

Life Insurance Gifts 0 Stocks and Bonds 0

Trusls 0 lo!l ·7 2

AGE

l iP .

~ .. --~~~~~~ - -ThiS lovely buildmg IS Ihe new home 01 the ChristIan Life Church In Long BeaCh. Calif . The congregation, led by Pas/or Slea/berg, dedicated Ihe churc h In November .

The sanctuary of the new building can seat 1,000. No seat Is more than 60 leet from the pulpit. Stained-glass windows from the former building have been used In the new structu re.

A li brary, nursery facilities, a multipurpose room with fire­place, studies, choir rooms, and classrooms complete the building.

A week of dedication activities featured a variety of speakers, Including William Robertson, supe rintendent of the Southern California District; T. C. Cun-

nlngham, assistant district su­perintendent; Kenneth Haystead, pastor of Bethany Church, AI· hambra; Mrs. Ruth Steel berg Carter, the pastor's mother; Evangelist Gene Martin; and Dennis Bennett, Spirit-filled Episcopal minister from SealUe, Wash.

A highlight of the dedication service was the showing of a documentary IiIm on the con­struction and outreach of Chris­tian Life Church.

The new building Is valued at S930,000.

AIG layman uses 'tape' ministry with shut-ins HAYWARD, CALI F.-Christian concern for the less fortunate, coupled with an interest In re­cording techniques, has led Eugene Pekkonen, a layman at Bethel Temple here, Into an un­usual ministry.

Mr. Pekkonen tape-records Pastor Charles Hembree's ser­mons, the special music, and anything else 01 special Inter­est and delivers these tapes to shut-Ins In their homes. He even supplies a catalog Irom which his " congregation" can make selections.

Mr. Pekkonen Is acutely aware of the special loneliness 01 those who are confined to their homes or Institutions. His wife, who has sulfered a num­ber of strokes during the past 12 years, is bedridden.

Bethel Temple provides the cassette players for Mr. Pek­konen to use In his unique min­Istry.

Some 01 his tapes deal with divine healing, and he reports at least one miraculous healing has taken place as a direct re­sult. He adds to the tape II-

brary as IInances permit. 'The tape ministry Is the most

challenging and the most reo warding task I have under­taken," he says.

A newspaper printer for 20 years, Mr. Pekkonen recently started a Bible study fellow­ship for some 01 his lellow em­ployees. He leels there Is a great need for this type of min­istry also.

Men who work together con­stantly tend to become Impa­tient with each other. Mr. Pek­konen believes they need a quiet time together periodically, "as fellow Christians rather than as lellow workers."

NORMAN, OKLA.-Fourteen were filled with the Holy Spirit and 10 tesWled to delinlte heal­ing for their bodies during a recent revival at First Assembly here. John O. WIlliams of Mo· bile, Ala., VIas evangelist.

Pastor Tom E. Hill reports the meeting was a time of Ire­mendous spiritual biesslng for the congregation.

THE PENT ECOSTAl. E VA NGEL

DUSTIN, OKLA.-Nine were saved, 1 2 fi lled with the Holy Spirit, and a number refi lled during a three-week revival at the Assembly of God here with Evangelist T. l. Li ll ard of Bor­ger, Tex.

Pastor Cecil Chisum repo rts a move of God was espe­cially evidenced among the children and youth. Since the meeling, 11 have been baptized in water.

The services were preceded by a week of cottage prayer meetings which were blessed by definite answe rs 10 prayer.

DYERSBURG, TENN.-First As­sembly here recent ly closed one of the most successful revivals in its history, according to Pas­tor Jerald Ogg. The Cliff Meekses of Houston, Tex., were the e.,.angelists.

At least 27 were saved and 19 filled with the Spirit during the three·week crusade. Scores of first-time visito rs allended.

"Revival fires are still burn­Ing and many souls are finding Christ in our regular services," Pastor Ogg states.

SCRANTON, PA.-Sevenleen people accepted Christ as Sa.,.· iour during a two-week meet­ing at the Italian Assembly here with Evangelist and Mrs. AI· phonse Sutera of Boca Raton, Fla.

Many were rec laimed and a number refil led with the Holy Spirit, accordi ng to Pastor Samuel Schia.,.one. Many mir­acles of healing were witnessed, including four instances where God corrected shortened limbs.

The meetings were high­lighted with praise and prayer, and the gifts of the Spirit were evidenced in every service.

ST .... TE C ITY ASSE :"IB LY DATE

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I Ch;ldr" n's Ikvival 2 A r,,; ,. \Vide Cru,ad" 3 D"ell"r Life Cn""de Due to printing schedule. announcements must reach Tne Penrecostal Evange l six weeks in advance.

(WITH APOLOGIES TO THE PAINT FOLKS ')

Remember the little Dutch lad with the paint brush whose slogan is, "We cover the earth" ? Our American boys and girls

with the BGMC barrels cover it too- with paper and printers ' ink instead of paint. The slogan is a bit different too : The Word

for the World! Assist the youngsters in your church as they join in this expanding literature ministry. This year the national goal is $85,000:

the focus , our In ternat ional Correspondence Insti tute.

FEBRUARY 6 EMPHASIS : GOAL: $85,000

Religion in review By NORMAN e , ROHRER Director. EP News Service

LIKE THE SHIFTING PATTERNS of a kaleidoscope, the events 01 1971 altered the face 01 American soci ety in unprecedented ways . Religious headlines gave top billing to Ihe Jesus revo lut ion, the charismatic movement among Roman Catholics, prayer in public schools and federal aid to private schools.

Bibles blossomed under the arms o f youlh as a genuine move 01 God 's Spirit rolled across the land, bu t seeds of heresy also lay in Ihe amor­phous Jesus movement. From Broadway's rock opera "Jesus Christ Su perstar" to the garish movie ads announcing in bold lett ers over motorcycles. "The Jesus Tri p," His name was ex­ploited. The top 40 tunes in­c luded " Amazing Grace." "Spi r­it in the Sky," an d. " Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Man from Galil ee." Ho llywood seized the Name fo r com mercial g ai n. but thousands of young peo ple worshiped. They waded into oceans for mass bapt isms , gath­ered in home chu rches for Bible study, and fou nd a way ou t of their drug hang-u ps.

Roman Catholics began mov­ing from a li turg ical to a per­sonal conf rontat ion with Jesus Chris\. It began with an ac­ceptance by Catholic laymen of the vernacul ar in the Mass . resultin g in a new approach to catechetical training which led 10 changed lives radiating the jOy of Jesus Ch rist . Some 4.000 Catholic Pentecostals gathered at Notre Dame to " sing a new song " to a church they be­lieve needs to find renewal th rough the Spirit .

TRENDS This was the year when ve­

nereal disease raced out of control i n the wake of a new sexual freedom. Homosexuals demanded , and received . per­mission to " marry " by " adopt­ing " each other, and to serve as pastors of gay congregations. New abortion laws were termed a " new barbarism. " and the theology of ecology consumed the zeal of i ncreasing numbers of Americans.

The cur tain fell on a decad e of war in Vietnam. America's toll : 54 ,500 GIs dead (45 ,000 ki lled in actual com bat) : 300.-000 wounded : and a mon etary expendi ture that produced fis ­cal chaos.

Some 12.000 people every day ... seven people every min­ute . , . died somewhere in the world 01 197 1 f rom starvation or extreme malnutrition , according to Larry Ward , pres ident of Food for the Hungry. But evangelicals increasing ly added soci al con­cern to their orthodoxy, as seen in the global relie f effor ts 01 NAE 's Wor ld Relief Commission and other agencies .

A Chicago educato r found the average American in 1971 " more confused , .. more f ru s­trated," despi te unprecedented technological advances. TV commercials kicked the smok­ing habit, but ciga rette sales con tinued 10 rise. Crime also was up .

An economic slum p had a beneficial fallou t : more people in the inner ci ty were returning to church . A national opinion poll showed 47 percent of Americans beli eved in llat ion, unemployment, di vision, and big business will destroy the na­tion 's ci vil orde r.

A man ate and dran k on the moon fo r the fi rst time in 1971 when Col. James B. Irwin par­took of communion elements he had stowed in his Apollo 15 spac e su it fo r the mid-year mission.

Gui lt over care for the aged increased . resul ting in better health care and in a suggested " ul tim ate" accommodation: a lethal bedside pill for suffering patients to take if they can stand the pain no longer.

Additional trends: growing scenes of witchcraft and voo­doo , the f i rst microfiche theo­logic al reference l ibrary : alco­holi c d rinks served to 18-year­ol ds in Illi no is : humanistic fu ­ne ral rites introduced for non-Christian mourners .

DENOMINATIONS Along with the disorganized

relig ion of the Jesus people, the o rganized religion of de­nominational Christi an ity flour ­ished .

The 197 1 Yearbook of Ameri­can Churches showed that mem­bershi p in 230 U. S. church bodies rose 35.348 to an all­tim e record of 128,505,084 . The rise did not keep pace w ith the popul at ion rise of 1.1 percent . however. Church ga ins were only ,03 percent .

Nazarenes reached a half­million membership: 10,000 peo­pl e attended the 34th General Counc il of the Assembl ies of God : Mennonites. after reac­tions against the finery of Chi­cago 's Conrad Hil ton Hotel, moved the site of th eir A II ­Mennonite Consu lt ation call ed " Probe '72" to Minn eapolis : a determined group within the Pres byt eri an Chu rch U,S. (Sout h­ern) beg an planning fo r a separate "Continuing Presby­terian Church " wh en its denom­inat ion considered merger with the Uni ted Presbyterian Church U.S.A.

W. A. Criswell , pastor of the Southern Bapt ists' largest con­gregation, said churches of Christ are fac ing the floodt ides wh ich th reaten to engulf them at a time when they have be­come tools of left -wingers who deny bas ic doctrines of faith .

MERGERS Denom inational mergers have

consistently produced splinter g roups instead of healthy sol i­darity , a researcher proved , yet ecumenic al fervor abounded in 1971. A group of 131 congre­gat ions in the South , both black an d white, formally affil i ated with the American Baptist Con­vent ion: a new church organi­zat ion called the United Min­istri es cemented the allegiances 01 the Church of the Brethren . the Un ited Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disci p les of Christ) i n the Pacific North­wes\.

Protestants. Anglicans, and Roman Cathol ics joined in wor­ship to cel ebrate the 454th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. One ecumenical effort, described as the nation 's first. was launched by 16 Roman Catholic and 16 Episcopal par­ishes in Massachusetts. The goal: To improve Anglican­Catholic relations at the parish level.

On other levels, evangelical scholars engaged in dialogue with Jews . .. American Baptists listened to a Roman Catholic Pentecostalist . . . and evangeli ­cals pushed ahead with plans lor their own un ited evangelism thrust called " Key 73."

MISSIONS Some 12.300 students opened

the year in prayer at Inter­Varsity's ninth triennial mis­sionary conference at Urbana,

T HE P E N T ECOSTAL EVANGEL

III . They were in no mood lor status quo . but contend ed lor a new miss ion order .

A new mood of U.S. iso la­tionism cou ld be seen and this was lell by mission anes . Bu t thei r cause 1I0urished in 1971 --despite th e punctuat ions 01 persecu tion .

China : A glimpse behind th e bamboo curtain showed th e struggling church very much alive.

India : Anoth er cut in miS­sion ari es reduced the number of forei gn Chris tian personnel to 2,469. half the 1954 l igure.

Formosa : A Methodist coupl e who desc ribed Nationalist China as a " po lice state" was ousted .

More t ranslat ions were an­nounc ed by Wycli lle: World lit­era ture Cru sade celebrated a quarte r-c entury of labors : and Evangeli sm-in-Depth made no­table gains --especially in Me)(­ico . Missi onary TV made its debut in Ecuador and gospel radio b li tzed closed count ri es.

PUBLISHING Li beral jou rnals decfined.

conservat ive periodicals held steady. and the evange lical book market remained remark­ably healthy . A trio 01 press associations (Catholic Press As­sociation. Associated Church Press . Evangel ical Press Asso­c iation) spent $8.652 lobbying against conl iscatory postal in­c reases that loomed om inously. The issue remained unresolved .

Bible reading increased as edi tions of the Scriptu res abou nded. Ken Tay lor fini shed the paraphrased Living Bible. and Catholics released their lirst ec umenica l edition of the Sc rip­tu res to be granted an imprima­tur Irom Rome. The New Ameri­can Stand ard Bible was re­leased . Psalms for Modern Man (TEV) appeared in paperback from the Ameri can Bible Soci ­ety. Distribution 01 Gideon Bi­bles reached the 100 mi ll ionth mark . Angry cit izens succeeded in closing pornographic book stores. and college editors pushed thei r editor ial freedom to the limit .

CHURCH AND STATE Sentiment 10 keep church

and slate separale ran high in 1971. Severa l churches vo lun­larl ly paid property ta)(es and a survey fou nd most Americans favor ing the removal 01 tax exemptions accorded churches .

Protestants dominated the U.S. Congress with 74.3 per­cent of the membersh ip : 18.3 percent were Calho lics : 2.3 percent Jew ish : and fractional percentages accounted for Ihose of other faiths or none.

Two church -state headli nes dominated the 1971 news: the

J AN UARY 9 . 197 2

unsuccessful l ight lor a Co n­stitution al amendment to allow nondenominat ional prayer 10

pub liC schOOls . and attempts to channel federal · ald 10 private schoo ls . Even att empts to pe r­mit school ch il dren to engage in sil ent prayer were sound ly de­feated in New Jersey and New Yor k lawsuits .

Lobby groups fought hard lor federal aid to private schools but vigorous opposit ion labeled it a Ihreat to relig ious f reedom and scotched the ellorl s.

President Ni xon 's pledge of tax rel ief to paren ts w ith chi l­dren in private schools was branded a political ploy and dis­missed as unworkable .

Americans Uni ted fo r Separa­tion 01 Church and State met the issue squarely with a Ken tucky lawsui t against federal salari es for teachers in parochi al schools.

EDUCATION Christian coll eges said they

were in t rou ble. but no re­trenching coul d be observed.

Bob Jones University. the nation 'S l argest Ch rist ian schoo l. relaxed sl ightly its polici es to ad mi t blacks -but only those who are married.

In the face 01 reali sm con­cerning soaring costs. 10 li be ral arts Christ ian colleges estab­lish ed a consort ium which its members say w ill benefit all and lead eventua lly to an in­ternational Chri st ian university .

Mrs . Madalyn Mu rray O·Hair. the nation'S most popu lar athe­ist . annou nced plans 10 open an atheist univers ity.

RACE Blacks made substant ial gains

ill 1971. Huey Newton. Black Panther Defense Mini ster. su r­prised fr iend and foe by re­turning to the chu rch and an­nounc ing he would henceforth seek to correct evils in soc iety th rough it.

The welcome for the barbed message of b lack Evangel ist Tom Skinn er began wearin g a bit thi n. Moody Bible Institute put his broadcast 011 ils rad io station . chargi ng excessive po li­t ica l invol vement .

Muhammed Kenyatta 01 the Black Economic Development Conference was Ihe lone chu rch-stormer in 1971. He de­manded reparat ions lor blacks after " occupying " an ecumeni­ca l service for peace in Ph il a­delph ia. The congregal ion loud­ly chorused " Nor' when he demanded to be heard . Ken­yatt a left w ithout making a scene.

U.S. churches in 1971 ear­marked more than S2 .2 mill ion for depos its in minority-con­trolled banks through a govern­ment program.

A storm of protest arose when United Presbyterians con trib­uted S10.000 to the Angela DaVIS legal defense lund. but It cooled when black cl ergy­men collectIVely paid it back

According to a Hams Poll . only 16 percen t of American blacks fe lt whi te churches " real ­ly care" abou t achlevlOg raCial equa li ty

PEOPLE Women bl azed new trails in

1971 . Mrs. Marcus Rohlfs was voted preSident ot the Amencan Bapt ist Convention : Lorrain e K POller became the first female Baptist mini ster ordained 10

Rhode ISland. The It rst teen· ager elected an elder In the Unt ted Presby ten an Churc h of Kansas was Kay StOdd ard. 18. Ann Mu ilenberg , 19, was elec ted to a three-year term as elder of the La Joll a (Cali !.) Presbyterian Church . Mrs. Alici a Vereide Davison was named Church­woman of the Year by Relig ious Heritage ot America . Trici a Nixon , a " bi rthr ight Quaker," wedded an Episcopali an in the Whi te House in June.

The " oldest " American died in 1971 -Sylvester Magee, at ag e 130 years . Former Con­g ress man Adam Clayton Powell resign ed as pastor of the Abys­sinian Bapt ist Church of Har· lem. Pat Boone was diSCiplined by ou ster from the Church of Christ for his role in the Charis­matic Movement.

DEATHS Two brill ian t archaeolog ists

- Will iam F. Albrigh t and Nel ­son Glu eck--died in 1971.

J . C. Penney. noted Chris­ti an en trepreneur, died al 95 .

Death also took two well­known Assembli es of God lead ­ers . R. M. Ri9gs, general su­perin lendenl 1953-59, d ied at 75. Marie E. ' Brown. foun der (in 1907) and pasto r of Glad Tidin gs Tabernacle, New York City. di ed at 90.

IN SUMMARY 1971 -what a year l With di­

vin e irony God reached beyond our institutions and programs to sei ze an assortmen t of dis­c iples in un l ikel y clothing and vocabul ary to p reach His name to the lost. Secular people, li ke the heathen sailors on the ship to Tarshi sh, sought out the peop le of God and demanded : " How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your GOd."

People were spiri tually hun­gry . They had a tea r of massi ve forces which they were not able to contro l. The situat ion opened the thinking of many to occult phenomen a. It also gave Chris­tians the opportuni ty to fill that void w ith the true messag e of Bibl ical supernatura lism.

In 1971 the Chapl ain of the

U.S. Senate exclaimed . " Amer­ic a must rem am a great bastion of spin tual power": but Dr. Yu­Tang Daniel Lew, ambassador and senior adviser 0 1 the ousted Nat ion alisl Chmese delegation to the Uni ted NatIOns, warned : " Unl ess the United States de­velops a spi ri tual ideology ­retu rnin g to its historical roots as a nation 'under God' --11 will nOl be able to slop Communtst expansion ."

The blue-brown watery plan et kept spinn ing . Yet anoth er year the Lord de layed His coming , giv ing each a Iresh slate lor a new year.

Not even God can change Ihe past . so the record of 1971 w ill remain forever as it was lived in noble o r Ignoble pu r­sui ts.

31

By PAUL

I WAS T I\\' ING to put a bicycle together. Parts were strung here and there. My wife surveyed the scene and commented, "\Vell, when everything else fails, why don't you read the instructions?"

T am :l. builder. I know that the secret of any suc­cessful building is a proper plan. Somewhere along the line there must be somcone with an idea-an architect­and someone to translate the idea into a set of plans­commonly call ed blueprints.

If these bluepri nts arc followed by the people who arc putting up the building, the project will be a success. If they are not followed, the result can be chaotic.

There is also a Master Architect for li fe. Not only did He conceive, plan, and build the world you and T live in, but He conceived, planned, and built you and me. He planned Our fu ture before we existed. He had his­tory in mind before you and 1 ever had a thought.

This ~1 aster Architect, of course, is God- Crcator of the universe, Creator of man. He has drawn for you and me very detailed plans and specifications. We can find the principles of these plans and specifications in the Bible. If you and I want to have success in building our lives, we must follow these plans and specifications.

Unfortunately, most of us don't operate our lives th is

Pa\11 H. l ohnson is president of a large construction company in Binning lam, Michigan, and chairman of Christian Business Men's Committee International. The article is reprinted from CONTACT, the CBMC monthly.

32

"",,,1%",, . 1)

~ The aster Dian

H. JOHNSON

way. \Ve ignore the manual in which God has given us His wisdom and providence. We go along until some tragedy happens and only then desperately call upon Him.

But if you haven't considered thc plans and specifi ­cations and made Jesus Christ the foundation of )'our li fe, ),our building will end in chaos, in eternal separa­t ion from God.

Many mcn today build on the foundations of educa­tion, technology, materialism, philosophy. They build, in other words, on other foundations than God. But in God's i\·faster Plan, the Biblc, we find that "there can be no other foundation ... [than] Jesus Christ himsel f" (l Corinthians 3: 11 , NEB ). The anI), wa)' to have olcmal life in the future and abundant life right now is by beli eveing in Jesus Christ, accepting His plan for your li fe. Jesus said, "1 am the way; I am the t ruth and I am the life; no one comes to the Father except by me" (John 14,6, NEB ).

God has placed a peculiar vacuum inside us-a vacuum shaped likc God. Nothing satisfies that vacuum except God Himself. You can put money, homes, wea lth, powel', fame, or anything you want into that vacuum, but it doesn't fit. Only God fills it, fits it, and satisfies it.

Won't you accept God's Master Plan for your life? won't you place your faith in Him right now and let him fill the needs in your life? <:$

T H E P EN T ECOSTAL EVANGEL