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Articles from this month's issue of the Berean News |
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Q: How do you hope to grow as a Christian in the coming year? |
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Gerry I hope to grow in all aspects of Christianity, especially to develop a deeper prayer life and to finally read through the Bible in a year. Also, I hope we grow as a church in our new location this year. |
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Donna I know that the Lord is teaching me to let go and allow Him to be in control of all aspects of my life. I expect He will continue to give me experiences along those lines and I hope to be able to say I have grown in this area. |
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Dan I want to learn to rely on God with no questions asked. |
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Charmaine I am planning to do the Bible Challenge - to read through the Bible in a year. Also, I want to work on thinking before I speak and asking myself these questions: "Is this true?" and "Is this kind?" |
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Perspective by Larry Urbaniak Another new year has started. Might this finally be the year in which our Lord Jesus returns to earth? Many of us certainly hope and pray that it will be so. But a group in California has decided to take matters into their own hands and do something about it. They call their effort the Second Coming Project. "Should we wait around passively for some miracle to happen?" they ask. "Didn't God give us brains to use as best we can? Yes, the second coming will happen because WE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN. We have the technology to bring Him back right now, and there is no reason, moral, legal or Biblical, not to take advantage of it." Quite a claim. How do they propose to bring back Jesus? By cloning Jesus, using DNA obtained from a relic of Jesus's body. A spokesman for the group said it is in negotiations with European churches and private individuals to obtain an item associated with Jesus. There is apparently a proliferation of supposed relics of Jesus' body in churches throughout the world. Some claim to have his blood, his hair, or the shroud he was buried in. The Second Coming Project plans to obtain just one cell and then let duplication begin. They even have a young virgin who has volunteered to carry the baby to term. They hope she will go into labor on December 25, this year. Despite the fact that the only known cloning so far has started with DNA from living cells, these people are undaunted. "All you really need is the DNA; you don't necessarily need a live cell." They point to Japanese and Russian efforts to clone woolly mammoths, which have long been extinct. This group has even attempted to justify their efforts with scriptures. They say that Jesus emphasized his blood and body. He said that "it is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell" in Matthew 5:30. This obviously (to them) refers to cloning. And even the Apostle Paul dropped a hint when he said in Ephesians 1:7 that "We have redemption through his blood." We, as Christians, await the return of our Lord. But it seems as if this supposedly well-intentioned group has a major concept wrong. "We need Jesus in the flesh to save the world from sin," they say. They seem to completely miss the point that Jesus has already done that. His death has already paid the price for sin. His resurrection has validated the fact that God accepted the sacrifice of His son. We are saved. We need only accept the reality of this fact. Make no mistake about it: Jesus is coming again. He is coming himself -- not as a clone. He is coming to claim and resurrect first all those who will be his bride. This will set in motion the most awesome set of events ever. But no one, not the Second Coming Project folks, not any religious leader (past or present) can control, predict, or influence when Jesus will come again. We can only be ready. Are we? |
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Viewpoints by Jim Dalesandro Did you know that January is named after the Roman god Janus? An ancient Roman coin pictures the god as having two heads, one looks back to yesterday and the other looks forward to tomorrow. January 1st is the start of a new year, the day the world closes its books on the old year and starts the new. It is a time to review what's been done, the profits and losses, the mistakes and accomplishments and a time to consider new directions. New Years is a time to "start over." The world looks at this transition between years materialistically. If not enough money is made, sometimes jobs are lost or sometimes companies close. Stock holdings are analyzed and evaluated, and losing equities are sold to minimize losses and perpetuate further gain. We, as Christians, often do the same thing. We review the last year in terms of what we have accomplished in the Lord's work. Did we faithfully read the Bible? Did we go to church services regularly? Did we visit friends that were sick or share the gospel with others? Sometimes we remember our sins and shortcomings and pray that they are forgiven. We can be trapped into an almost materialistic way of considering what we have done for the Lord. And then we resolve to do even more in the coming year. This year, let us remember how the Lord loves us. Let us consider where we are and how we, as New Creatures, stand before Him. Let our New Year's song be that of David's in Psalms 103: "Praise the Lord, o my soul, all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who hear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who hear him, and his righteousness with their children's children -- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. The Lord has established his throne in heaven , and his kingdom rules over all. Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, o my soul." We may be tempted to look at this past year in terms of what we have accomplished for the Lord rather that what the Lord has accomplished in and through us. Let our New Year's resolution be from the words of Paul, "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). |
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A Daughter's Heart by Mary Dobbs Recently, I was reading an article in the Reader's Digest entitled, "The Christmas Crossing," which gave an account of George Washington and his men crossing the Delaware in December 1776. He and about 2400 men with few provisions and no blankets made a surprise attack on the Hessians, who were among the finest fighters in the world, and took them prisoners. During the harrowing trek to Trenton, which was nine miles through freezing wind and hail, none of the men complained, in spite of the fact that many were without shoes. Some of them had tied old rags around their feet, and others were barefoot. As they moved southward, bloody footprints stained the snow. When I read this, I recalled the story my father told us about when we lived in Poland and the Bolsheviks overtook our village. There was no food, so he went to the next town during a cold winter night to look for some. While there, he was captured, questioned, and punished by being made to stand barefoot on icy ground. Before he died in 1992, at the age of 91, I was able to thank him for all the sacrifices he and my mother made to come to this country after World War II and seek a better life. Now I can look back and thankfully say that our Heavenly Father led them all the way. Through all the hardships and uncertainties, they put their faith in God. They were both in their late forties, had very few possessions, and didn't speak English, but they decided to join my uncle, Mike Gmiterek, and his family, in Chicago. Seeing the movie, "Titanic" reminded me how my family made that voyage across the Atlantic in mid-December. The trip took two weeks, and what a trip it was! My mother and sister Sophie were seasick the whole time. My father, brothers and I fared pretty well, spending a lot of time on the deck and eating fruit cocktail. We sailed through some pretty bad storms, I recall, and the Lord kept us safe. I remember coming into New York Harbor and seeing the welcoming Statue of Liberty. From New York, we took a train to Chicago. What a blessing to have Polish Bible Students pick us up, along with my uncle! My uncle found an apartment for us. My father was able to find factory work, and we began to settle in, in this new land. Adjusting to school, work, and the customs was hard, but the love and support we received from the Bible Students was truly a gift from above. God touched their hearts and they willingly gave, even furniture and clothing. I cherish childhood memories of all the struggles we endured and the support we received from the brethren. It reminds me of the scripture, "If you've done it unto the least of these my brethren, you've done it unto me." I pray and ask my Heavenly Father that he would grant me a thankful and giving heart, always willing to help others. My parents were always reaching out to help, especially those less fortunate, remembering the many blessings they had received in their lifetime. My hope is that when I see my parents again in God's kingdom, we'll thank God together for his goodness and mercy! |
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Roy's Reflections by Roy R. Boswell I was born in 1936 when cars still had American names and running boards and before they had air conditioning, automatic transmissions, radial tires, cruise control, power steering, power brakes, and electric turn signals. Thinking about the milestone of turning 65 on January 3rd, I sat down for a while and contemplated the changes that had taken place during those years. I was overwhelmed. I came away from the experience feeling like an antique. I was reminded again and again of the prophecy in Daniel 12:4 that says that in the end times men will move about quickly and knowledge will increase. I made a long list of all the inventions that have become commonplace in my lifetime. The most significant technological developments I could think of were television, nuclear power, the computer, and space travel. The first television set I remember seeing was in 1952. A radio store near our home set up a large display with a few Muntz 9" black & white TV sets, and people paid twenty-five cents to sit and watch the Republican National Convention. We mainly saw "snow" as the picture drifted in and out. Equally significant to me were the societal developments I could think of during the past 65 years. When I was born: - Abortionists were sent to prison. - Pregnancy out of wedlock was thought of as scandalous. - Pornography was despised as a sickness. - Marriage was sacred. Living together was taboo. Divorce was extremely rare. - Homemaking was honored and mothers in their homes provided day care. - Child abuse was almost unheard of. - Ladies always dressed modestly. - "Damn" was considered flagrant language in a movie. - Houses and autos were rarely locked. - A man's word was his honor. - Drugs were something you bought at a pharmacy. - Alcoholism was considered a sin, not a disease. - Popular music was devoid of demonic beats and words. - Eastern religion was still in the East. - Public school students prayed in their classes, and creation could still be taught as an alternative to evolution. - High School graduates could read their diplomas and teachers were respected. - The Ten Commandments were still legal and could be displayed anywhere. - The laws of the land were obeyed, and those who broke the law served their full sentence. - Church attendance was a very high priority in most families. - Our governments local, state, and national still promoted Judeo-Christian values rather than lotteries, horse racing, and casino gambling. - Christian teaching focused on sacrificing for Christ rather than espousing materialistic success. - Governmental authority was respected. Police were held in high esteem. - Social security was a job. Living on welfare was embarrassing and not a way of life. As the Virginia Slim cigarette commercial once put it, "We've come a long way, baby!" Yes, we have, and most of it has been in the wrong direction. Like the ancient nation of Judah, we have been blessed like no other nation. But also like Judah, we have taken pride in our blessings and have turned our back on the One who provided the blessings. Instead of being thankful for the abundance of blessings God has bestowed, we have become a proud, arrogant and carnal nation wallowing in materialism and indulging in the pursuit of pleasure. In the process we have become the prime moral polluters of planet Earth. Everywhere you look in the world you find the influence of our wanton immortality. All you have to do is flip on a TV set, and whether you are in Africa, Latin America, Asia or Europe, you will see the most violent and immoral American movies and television programs. Like Judah of old, the wrath of God is hanging over our nation. I believe God is warning this nation to change it's ways through natural signs like the eruption of Mount St. Helens and other volcanoes, the severe droughts in some areas, the floods and devastating earthquakes in other areas. The unexplainable mass killings in our schools and work places; the bombing of airplanes and pubic buildings; has our society gone mad? But like the citizens of Judah, we have become spiritually numb. We ignore the signs and disregard the prophetic messages of the bible. We listen instead to pillow prophets who speak peace and urge us to seek the good life of health, wealth and power. We even pat ourselves on the back by reminding our critics that we are a "Christian nation." What a blasphemy it is to call ourselves a Christian nation! We are anything but Christ-like as we export our gross immorality to the rest of the world and murder our babies here at home at the incredible rate of more than two or three million a year. If we do not repent and change our ways as a nation, the wrath of God is going to be poured out upon us, and it will be severe, for those to whom much is given, much is expected. The challenge of the new year is for all of us who profess Christ to get on our knees and seek God in prayer, asking forgiveness for our nations wicked ways so that He will heal our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14) MAY GOD BLESS OUR NEW YEAR! |
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