MORNING STAR is produced and published monthly, by a staff of
born again believers in Jesus, located across the United States
of America. Correspondence to MORNING STAR may be sent via the
U.S. Postal Service or one of several computer networks.

POSTAL ADDRESS: 
Morning Star
P.O. Box 7755
Nashua NH, 03060-7755

ELECTRONIC MAIL LINKS:
AOL/PC LINK/PROMENADE E-Mail (DOS Files): MStarDOS 
AOL E-Mail (MAC Files): MStarMAC 
GENIE Network E-Mail: J.Jones93 
COMPUSERVE Network E-Mail: 73710,2524 
DELPHI Network E-Mail: Derr1ck
(Note on Delphi name: It is a number "1" between the "r" and "c") 

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MORNING STAR STAFF:

EDITOR IN CHIEF 
Toby Trudel - Nashua, NH

SENIOR EDITOR - Biblical Department 
Geoffrey Kragen - Roseville, CA

SENIOR EDITOR - Christian Life Department 
Teresa Giordanengo - Canonsburg, PA

SENIOR LITERARY EDITOR 
Al Murillo III - El Paso, TX

SENIOR PUBLISHER - DOS Version 
Steve Paulovich - Derry, NH

STAFF EDITOR 
Wayne Eisenberg - Wynnewood, PA 

DIRECTOR OF NETWORK DISTRIBUTION (GENIE and COMPUSERVE)
Jeffrey Jones - Bakersfield, CA

DIRECTOR OF NETWORK DISTRIBUTION (DELPHI) 
Derrick Shipman - Greenville, SC

BBS DISTRIBUTION MANAGERS 
Danny O. Dennis - Opelika, AL 
Jack Lavallet III - Alpharetta, GA 
Walter H Bauer Jr. - Sugar Land, TX 
Bruce Derouen - Beaumont TX
Letters
From the Editor-In-Chief
Letter from the Editor by Toby Trudel
Welcome to the premier issue of MORNING STAR, a computer network
based Christian magazine. This publication is unique, in that
it emerged from the ideas of several born again believers in
Jesus, who came to know of each other through a computer network
link. This entire publication was created over such a network. 
The transfer of text, formatting, publication, distribution and
all staff meetings, were done over the telephone lines, using
modems and home based computers. The senior staff members at
the time of this publication reside in California, New
Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas. None of
these people have ever met face to face, with the exception of
the two New Hampshire brothers that the Lord was wise enough to
place only twenty miles apart, though they first met over the
network. Literary contributions for this, (and future), issues
have come from Christians across the country representing over
twenty states. This wonderful group of brothers and sisters in
the Lord, encompasses several denominations including;
Assemblies of God, Baptist, Evangelical-Free, Presbyterian and
Messianic Jewish congregations.

Although believers from a number of denominations are involved
with this work, MORNING STAR is not an "ecumenical" publication.
This magazine ministry is based solely on the born again Gospel
of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible. We do not compromise one
"jot or tittle" on what the Word of God has to say. Our Mission
Statement which is found at the beginning of every issue,
explains our purpose and outlook. Every issue of MORNING STAR
will consist of five major sections; Letters to the magazine, a
Feature Area, a Biblical Department, a Christian Life
Department, and a Resource Department.

The LETTERS AREA, which you are now in, is being used in this
issue solely for this introductory column. In the future, it
will be made up of an editorial commentary, letters from
readers, and replies.

The FEATURES AREA, is a collection of short articles from people
across the country, often having to do with a particular theme. 
(This month's theme is "witnessing")

The BIBLICAL DEPARTMENT, overseen by Pastor Geoffrey Kragen of
Roseville, California, is a combination of regular columns and
special articles. The columns you will see on a regular basis
include:

"New in Christ" ... looks at the basics of Biblical Christian
teaching. "Bible Study" ... will take a close look at specific
teachings, verses, chapters and books of the Bible. "Witnessing"
... features articles from believers who have expertise in
bringing the Gospel to specific groups of people. "Messianic
Studies" ... will help direct all of us back to the Jewishness
of Jesus and the Bible. It will also include a testimony from a
Jewish believer in Yeshua, (Jesus name in Hebrew!), in every
issue. "Bible Quiz" ... will get us all looking in the Bible, to
see how good we really know the Word. "CFI Report" ... direct
reports from "Christian Friends of Israel" in Jerusalem, on
events in Israel, and those around the world which affect the
land and people of our Lord. (The Editor in Chief of MORNING
STAR is also a U.S. distributor of CFI material.)

Our CHRISTIAN LIFE DEPARTMENT, headed by Ms. Teresa Giordanengo
of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, is made up of unique feature
articles concerning people, churches and ministries as well as
these regular columns:

"Education" ... interviews, articles and ideas concerning the
Christian Education scene. "Music Column" ... stories and
articles related to Christian song. "Teens" ... reports,
testimonies and articles from the under-20 believers. "Prayer
and Praise" ... requests and reports from around the world
"Testimony" ... is where we profile our "gentile" testimonies.
"Ministry Profile" ... will give an in depth look at a unique
ministry.

Lastly, our RESOURCE AREA, will be a collection of helpful
information for the believer, including;

1. Lists of names, descriptions and addresses of worthy
ministries and magazines. 2. Sources of Bible study aids and
books. 3. Book and Software review column. 4. Christian Newsdesk.

A unique feature of MORNING STAR, is the MSTAR program which comes
with every DOS version of the magazine. MSTAR was developed by 
our Senior Publisher, Steve Paulovich of Derry, New Hampshire.
It enables MORNING STAR to be read by any DOS based computer. 
We also publish a Macintosh version of MORNING STAR in Hypercard 
version 1.2.5. We selected version 1.2.5 deliberately in order to 
make it accessible to as many Macintosh users as possible.

Anyone who wants MORNING STAR for themselves or a friend, but
does not have access to one of the networks we upload it onto,
can still receive it. Disk versions in both 3.5 or 5.25 size
for DOS based computers as well as the Hypercard version are
available at a low subscription rate. The subscription form for
all of these is on the last page of each issue.

At the time of this publication, MORNING STAR is being uploaded
onto the Quantum Services Network, (America Online, PC Link,
Promenade), as well as onto the Compuserve, Genie and Delphi
Networks, making it available to about two million people. If
you like what we are doing with this ministry, and are a member
of another network, and would like to be a distributor, please
contact us at any of our mailing addresses. MORNING STAR is
also being uploaded onto Christian electronic bulletin boards
across the United States. Here too, if you feel directed to be
part of this ministry and can make a monthly commitment to
upload onto a local electronic bulletin board, get in touch with
us!

Plans are presently being made to make MORNING STAR available in
Canada, England, France, Israel and the Phillipines. Needless
to say, this is a big undertaking, and we ask you to keep us in
prayer as we go forward. We hope you find this magazine a
pleasant and useful reading experience, and that you tell others
about it.

MORNING STAR accepts literary contributions from the body of
Christ wherever they may live. We are always looking for
articles, stories, poems, testimonies, Bible teachings, and
other material. If you have an original work, please send it
in! We cannot, however, reproduce copywritten material without
verifiable written permission. We are open to ideas and
suggestions as well. If you can help us improve this computer
magazine, please contact us!

On behalf of the entire MORNING STAR staff, I thank you all for
your interest in this ministry.

In service to Jesus the Messiah,

Toby Trudel Editor in Chief of MORNING STAR

Features
Death Takes, On a Holiday
Death Takes, On a Holiday by David J.Beiswenger
It was last Father's day when my friend David, 37, climbed into
his Pitt's biplane and headed out for the practice area. He was
a competitive acrobatic pilot and needed to work on part of his
routine. He'd been out about twenty minutes on this lazy Sunday
afternoon doing his usual assortment of loops, rolls, and
hammerheads. At about eight minutes after 5 p.m., during a
maneuver, he lost control of his elevator (a part of the tail
that makes the plane go up and down) and came crashing down into
the bank of a small river in a grassy field. A scene that, a
moment before was serene, was suddenly filled with explosive
violence, and then silence.

The plane came down nearly vertical. Witnesses said that in the
last few seconds David tried to right the craft using the trim
tab (a device that exercises some control over the elevators)
but it was too little, too late. He was wearing a parachute as
required by law, but was too low to the ground to use it. It
was estimated that he hit the ground at well over 100 m.p.h. and
was killed instantly. A fifty-cent part is suspected as the
culprit that took away his life.

I work at the airport that David flew out of. I was not on the
day of his accident. David had often come into my office and
talked with me about flying. We talked about death, as all
pilots do. Several times, we even discussed stunt pilots who
had ridden their planes to the ground instead of bailing out,
trying to save their crafts and losing their lives in the
process. He joked about one pilot who bailed out of a bad
situation only to have the pilotless plane right itself and fly
on for miles before striking the ground. It was funny at the
time. David assured me he'd bail out if he ever had to.

Of all the things we talked about, God was not one of them. I
told David that I wanted to fly for a missions organization
somewhere, but it came out like, "I want to be a bush pilot." 
To this his only reply was, "Really?" There were always more
interesting things for us to talk about. Besides, I didn't want
him to think I was a fanatic, or a weirdo.

I can't say for sure where Dave is right now. I can say that I
would rather be sure. Could I have reached him? I don't know. 
It wasn't a priority. There was plenty of time. Death was far
away for both of us. (So we thought.) Had I known what was to
happen that day, I would have been at his side right up until
the last moment, sharing, praying, pleading. But that's just
it. The time I spent with him WAS the last moment.

It is a difficult balance that must be struck when witnessing to
someone. Too much is often just as bad as not enough. I don't
claim to be an expert, but I have learned one thing. You never
know when it will be too late. I look at people now as if today
was their last day. In a way that keeps David's memory alive for
me. As for my friend, I can only say that I hope I'll see him
someday. As for me, it has been a baptism of blood; the blood
of a friend.
Be Thou an Example
Be Thou and Example by Derrick Shipman
"When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut." "When I grow up, I
want to be a fireman." "When I finish school, I plan to be a
programmer for a large corporation." These are some typical
statements we may hear from any young person that we talk to. I
still consider myself a young person (at 27 years of age) and I
have many plans for the future also. I talk to my friends from
school and they tell me things like, "When I finish school, I
plan to be a missionary to Africa," or, "When I finish school, I
plan to start a church." God reveals to us His plans for our
lives when He sees fit. We need not get in a hurry about
planning our lives, for God has a plan for each of us and will
reveal it in His time.

"How do I find God's will for my life?" That certainly seems to
be a difficult question at times. One of the most profound, yet
simple, statements that I have ever heard regarding the subject
was made by a teacher in college. He said, "God's will for your
life is not future, it is now." Though God has a future plan
for our lives, He has laid-out what his will for our lives is in
His Word. As young people, we tend to think of what we will do
in the future and do not think about what we can be doing right
now.

David was just a young person when he slew Goliath. He visited
his brothers who were gone to battle and heard the Philistines
mocking Israel and her God. All of the soldiers were afraid of
big, bad Goliath. David took the challenge, and God used him in
a mighty way! Don't think that because you are a young person
God cannot use you for His work.

Right now, near my home town, there is a youth revival going on
and many people are coming to know Christ as a result of the
labor of an 18-year-old preacher. The revival was scheduled to
go for a week, but has now been extended to two weeks because
God is moving in that church.

Paul wrote to Timothy, who was a young preacher himself, and
said, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of
the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit,
in faith, in purity. Until I come, give attendance to reading,
to exhortation, to doctrine" (I Timothy 4:12-13). When we read
this, if we aren't careful, we might say, "Well, no one is
supposed to despise my youth!" This is true, but it is OUR
responsibility to not let them despise our youth! Paul said,
"Timothy, don't let them despise your youth," so the
responsibility fell upon Timothy. 

"Well, how am I supposed to do that?" By being an EXAMPLE! 
Make your life an example for older people to follow. Live your
life as a young person in such a way that everyone can see
Christ in you. Be an example in what you say (in word), in what
you talk about (in conversation), in the love you show to others
(in charity), in your attitude (in spirit), in your faith in God
and His Word, and in purity. A young person should keep himself
from the sin of this world and not partake in things just
because others do. The world should be able to look at the way
you live your life, to look at the way you dress, and to listen
to the things you say and be able to tell you are a Christian! 
Paul told Timothy to read his Bible, to lift up the brethren,
and to make sure his doctrine was right until he was able to see
him again.

We, as young people, should be like Timothy and be an example to
those around us. We should do God's will for our lives NOW by
being a witness for Him and studying his Word, and by praying to
Him about what else He would have us do.
The Joys and Frustrations of Witnessing
The Joys and Frustrations of Witnessing by Jerry E. Sullivan
Call me a victim of the Television Age. While I don't mind
working hard at accomplishing a goal, I like my results to come
easily in a nice, neat, thirty-minute package. Witnessing just
does not fit into that category.

I should have known that, especially considering my own personal
story. People witnessed to me for the better part of ten years
before I decided to take the "Nestea Plunge." "Save your
breath," I would say. "I don't need it. After all, I'm
Catholic." Jesus finally reached me in 1988 through a wonderful
creature named Sharon Witkowski. There was something different
in the way she presented The Word that made me wake up and
listen. I listened so well, in fact, that we married just over
nine months after I first asked her out.

Witnessing is something that must be worked at and strived for. 
A lot of people invested a lot of time to get me to this point
in my Christian life. I am truly thankful for them because they
saw something in me, worth saving, that I, at the time, did not
see in myself.

Even after I said that I was born again, I found that it took a
publicly pronounced conviction in Christ in order to chase Satan
away from my heart. It was only then that I truly began to
"feel" Christian. Realizing how difficult it was to convict me,
I suppose it should have come as no surprise that I would
experience similar difficulty in trying to witness to others.

One particular source of frustration for me is an individual who
I call "Randy." My friendship with him goes back almost ten
years. We were stationed together in the 101st Airborne
Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. After I was born again in
1988, one of the first things I did was to write Randy and
witness. I knew what would be going through his mind, as we
were cut from a similar cloth: "Jerry's turned into a holy
roller," he would think.

From that point on, continuing in some form to today, Randy has
treated me differently. He has taken the viewpoint that I am
not the person he previously knew, and therefore
"unapproachable." In a sense, he is right: I am a changed man.
I have explained to him that I'm by no means unapproachable,
but I now have a new dimension that previously did not exist. I
tried all of the conventional methods, such as the assembly and
mailing of a variety of Christian literature, but if Randy ever
looked at it, I'll probably never know. I have personally
written volumes to him, and rare is the time that he even
comments on it. We were artillery officers in the Active Army
(we're both Reservists today), so I decided it was time to roll
out my Christian cannons. I tried to compare his life to mine,
narrowing the time frame to when I became a true Christian, at
Thanksgiving of 1988 in Sonthofen, Germany.

We have each had our fair share of adversity in our lives, even
in that short time. Neither of us were selected for promotion
to major on Active Duty. While Randy took it as a cruel stroke
of bad luck, I viewed it as the course Jesus wants me to take,
because His plan for me involves something better than the Army.
This particular leap of faith was exceedingly hard to make, as
we both had eleven years of our earthly lives invested in the
Active Army. It would have been easy to feel betrayed, as Randy
continues to feel, but I had to put a Christian emphasis on my
own travail, as I had asked Christ repeatedly to direct me to
those things that would fulfill His perfect plan for me and my
family. If I did not get selected, as I had fervently hoped,
then it could only be because Christ has something else,
something better in store.

Randy has not yet grasped that Christ makes his presence known
through His believers here on Earth and the wonders His Father
created. I have pointed to the multitude of blessings that the
Lord has bestowed upon me since becoming born-again; a beautiful
wife, two beautiful children, a decent job that allows us to
live comfortably, a Master's Degree from Boston University, a
scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Cincinnati. I
tried to tell Randy that these are not the result of "luck" or
"coincidence," but rather because of a higher plan devised by
Jesus with a loftier purpose in mind.

The message has yet to sink in on him. But that doesn't mean I
have given up. Quite the contrary, I continue to witness to
him. It's not because I thrive on rejection, but because in so
doing, I reinforce and strengthen the faith that brought me to
Christ to begin with. I remind myself of just how much love
Jesus has blessed us all with. Randy may look forward to a
lifetime of "nagging."
God's Time Bank
God's Time Bank by Terri Giordanengo
Imagine you had a bank that credited your account each morning
with $86,400. This bank, however, would not carry over your
balance from day to day.  It would not allow you to keep any
cash in your account at closing time.  Every evening, this bank
would cancel whatever part of the account you failed to use
during the day. What would you do in such a situation? 
Wouldn't you withdraw and invest every penny of what you were
credited with each morning?

Well, we all have such a bank! It's name is "Time."  Every
morning God credits us with 86,400 seconds. Every night God 
rules off, as lost forever, whatever time we have failed to
invest to good purpose. He carries over no balances until the
following day.  He allows no overdrafts. Each day He opens a
new account with us.  Each night He discards the unused seconds
of the day. If we fail to use the day's "deposits," the loss is
ours. There is no going back to withdraw from yesterday. 
There is also no drawing against "tomorrow's account." We must
live in the present, on today's deposits.  We should invest it
wisely, by spending some of it each day telling someone about
God's love and forgiveness through Jesus.
College Devotions
College Devotions by Joe Sewell
Colossians 2:12; 3:1-4          Terrible to Terrific

THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 
(2 Cor. 5:17 NIV)

Our college Christian group had a time during meetings in which
we would go around the room, saying first the names of those who
preceded us in the circle, then our own. We did this as a means
of learning everyone's name. No one wanted to be the last
person in the chain, having to remember all thirty or so names
of everyone there. The technique WAS effective, though.

One evening we decided to add a new twist. Each person would
think of an adjective describing himself that began with his or
her first initial. One of the girls, the unsaved sister of a
regular member, decided to use the word "terrible" to form 
"Terrible Theresa." This saddened me, but even sadder was that
everyone else went along with it. Soon I was the one giving
the list of names. Hoping the others after me would follow my
lead, I decided to call her "Terrific Theresa," adding, "no one
is terrible in God's sight.

A few weeks later, Theresa accepted the Lord into her life. I
saw her one day, wearing a T-shirt that bore the word
"Terrific!" emblazoned across it's front. Since then she has,
with God's help, lived up to that adjective.

PRAYER: Father, help us to remember that everyone, including 
ourselves, is terrific to You. Amen.

=================================================================

Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16; Luke 24:46-47
Campus Observations

THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "All the world" (Mark 16:15) includes where
you are!

You hear a lot of strange things while walking around a college
campus ... "The quantum number is one over r squared, except in
this case when it's one over r." ... "The system's down again! 
I won't be able to get that darn matrix program done!" ... "I
bombed on that fluids quiz. And I pulled an all-nighter on it,
too!"

Technical terms combine with light banter in such an academic
environment. Few talk about God and His love. The people study,
the people work. Books are carried, papers are written and
graded. Tests are crammed for. Few study about God and His love.

"I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day; the
night cometh, when no man can work." (John 9:4 KJV)

PRAYER: Father, forgive us for not proclaiming You. Increase
our boldness, that we may tell the people that You care. In
Jesus' name. Amen.

=================================================================

Acts 5:34-41                Worthy to Suffer Shame

THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "And they departed ... rejoicing that they
were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name." (Acts 5:41
KJV)

How many times have we wanted to share our faith with friends,
but stopped because we were afraid of what they might think of
us? I know I have missed many opportunities to witness because
of "shame-o-phobia."

The apostles were brought before the council because they taught
the love of Jesus. Did they say, "Uh, we didn't mean that. 
We'll stop," just because they were afraid of public ridicule? 
NO! They were PROUD to be "counted worthy to suffer shame for
His name. And DAILY they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus
Christ." (Acts 5:41-42)

PRAYER: Lord, may we be proud, not fearful, to suffer shame for
Your Name. Amen.

Biblical Department
New In Christ
New In Christ
"New in Christ" is a regular MORNING STAR column written
primarily for people who wish to learn more about the basic
teachings of Biblical Christianity. The first two issues will
contain articles on what it means to be "born again" into a
saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Beginning with the third
issue, the "New in Christ" column will address such topics as
the Accuracy of the Bible, the Believer and the Holy Spirit,
Christian Lifestyle, Satan and demonic forces, and others. The
editorial staff at MORNING STAR encourages all readers to freely
use this information to help new Christians grow in their walk
with the Lord.

=================================================================

One of the most shocking truths a person finds as they begin to
seriously read the Bible is that no one who sins can get into
Heaven. Not one of us! (1st Corinthians 6:9) The Bible also
states that if you try to live by God's laws yet break just one
of them, you are as guilty as if you broke them all. (James
2:10) Now don't think that anyone has ever gotten off the hook
by never sinning, for the Bible also says that we have all
sinned. (Romans 3:23) This seems to cause quite a problem for
us, as the price we have to pay for sin is death. (Romans 6:23) 
Not just physical death, but spiritual death, which is
separation from God forever, in a very real place called Hell.

The Bible also informs us that there is nothing we can do on our
own to pay the penalty for sin, or to escape God's judgment. 
God laid down the law that the wage of sin is death. All
individuals have sinned and therefore face death, and God cannot
change His rules. If He did, He would be going back on His
Word, and this, He will not do. (Titus 1:2) The debt of our sin
(death) still has to be paid, or we cannot get into heaven. No
human, man nor woman, can pay the bill for anyone else, after
all, being debtors ourselves, we cannot pay off each others
debts.

Our good deeds cannot pay the debt either. The Bible says such
attempts are like offering filthy rags before God. (Isaiah 64:6)
 What chance do we have then?  Fortunately, God loves us enough
that He gives us one opportunity to escape our unpleasant
destiny. This is where Jesus comes into the picture. He came
to earth, born by a miracle of God to a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14,
Matthew 1:18-23) As such, he did not inherit the sin nature,
which is passed down from one human generation to the next. 
Jesus lived His entire life without sinning, and so, became the
only person in history qualified to die and pay the debt of our
sin. He died an agonizing death by crucifixion, then came back
to life after being buried for three days, as He said He would
do, to prove He is God, and show that there is life after death.

A lot of people have heard much of this teaching at some point
in their lives but never understood how it applies to them
personally. Many grew up with the rules and ceremonies of a
religion which had little or nothing to do with Jesus dying on
the cross for their sins. Just what is the connection between
what Jesus did in the first century, and people do today in
1991? Did Christ die so that everyone automatically goes to
heaven? Or, is there something specific we must do individually
in order for this payment of debt to apply to us?

Looking in the Bible, you will find that although Christ died so
we could get to heaven, Scripture does not say that everyone has
a free ride regardless of what they do with their lives. Jesus
Himself told us what the condition was that we must meet in
order to get into heaven. In fact, he was emphatic about it
being the ONLY way to get in! In the Gospel of John, chapter 3,
verse 3, he made it clear when He said, "Verily, verily, I say
unto thee. Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom
of God".

Many who have read the New Testament don't realize the great
significance of these words spoken by Christ. This is why Jesus
said so few people find the way to heaven. (Matthew 7:14) Here
is the answer to the single, most-important question in life! 
(How do I get to heaven?) But what did Jesus mean by the words
"born again"? The answer to this question is found in the New
Testament. According to God's Word, to be "born again," a
person must;

1. Understand that he/she is a sinner who needs a Saviour 2. 
Repent (agree to turn from) all sin 3. Accept Jesus Christ as
his/her personal Savior and Lord of his/her life.

God says if you do this for real, with all your heart (as you
cannot fool Him) you will end up living in heaven forever. 
"...if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved" (Romans 10:9). If you do not accept God's "born again"
way to heaven, you will still live forever, only not in Heaven. 
This then conversely answers the important question, "How do I
get to Hell?" The answer is, you don't have to do a thing, just
go on with life as is and you automatically qualify!

To "repent" however, does not mean simply asking for forgiveness
for certain bad things you have done. Asking for forgiveness is
only part of repentance. True repentance means turning from
sin. And the desire for this turning is the product of becoming
a believer. This means ALL sin! Not what you or someone else
thinks is sin, but what God says is sin in His Word. (Colossians
2:8, 1st Timothy 6:3, 1st Corinthians 3:9 & 4:3,4) This will
most likely result in a dramatic change in lifestyle for many
people, and will be noticed, (as well as criticized), by those
who know you. (1st Peter 4:4)

If someone thinks repentance is some type of half hearted effort
to "try and be a better person," "turn over a new leaf," or
"change a few bad habits," they are mistaken! It doesn't matter
how committed you are to such concepts. (Romans 10:2,3) The
Bible teaches repentance involves a 100-percent turning from all
sin, as God defines it, whether you "agree" with it or not. You
have to surrender your will to God. This is what Jesus taught
concerning "dying to one's self." (Matthew 16:24)

The New Testament letters explain clearly how your old self dies
to your old values, beliefs, thought patterns and behaviors. 
You are reborn into a brand-new life empowered to follow all of
God's teachings. (And only His!) Although this isn't a
complicated process, IT IS a huge step for anyone that is
serious about it. Jesus said a person should take a good look
at those things in his or her life that contradict with God's
Word. He compared it to a general reviewing of all the facts
before deciding to enter a battle. (Luke 14:27-33)

If a person says he or she can repent but refuses to read what
the Bible says about sin, or justifies sin by saying it doesn't
apply in this day and age, they are in opposition to what the
Lord has to say, and there is real doubt as to whether or not
they have accepted the gift of salvation.

God is very clear that we are not to be unwise but to be aware
of what He expects of us. (Ephesians 5:17) Jesus told the
religious leaders of His day that their teachings were in error
due to their lack of knowledge of God's Word. (Mark 12:24) He
also stated that the Word of God never changes, to even the
slightest degree (Matthew 5:18), and that heaven and earth may
pass away, but His Word never would. (Matthew 24:35) The Bible
tells us that Christ and the Word of God are one and the same,
and that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews
13:8, John 1:1) God the Father never changes to any degree
either. (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17) There is no "gray area" with
respect to God's Word changing with the times. The Bible says
it does not!
Bible Study
Bible Study
There is much confusion in the world today over exactly what to
believe about Jesus Christ. Some groups, like the Mormons,
believe that Jesus was God's first-born spirit child. Though
they teach that He was a preexistant spirit, they believe that
about everyone. Others, such as the Jehovah Witnesses, say
Jesus is, "a god, but not the Almighty God, who is Jehovah".
(Let God Be True, p.33) They believe Jesus is "a created
individual ... the second greatest personage of the universe". 
(Make Sure of All Things, p. 207). The Unification Church, (Sun
Yung Moon's Moonies), teach that Jesus' value is no greater than
that of any other man, stating, "It is plain that Jesus is not
God Himself" (Divine Priciple p.255) The WAY International
teaches, "Jesus Christ's existence began when he was conceived
by God's creating the soul-life of Jesus in Mary. (The Word's
Way, Vol. 3 pp. 26,27) Islam teaches that "Jesus ... was only a
messenger of Allah". (Surah 4:171, the Koran). The Unitarians
teach that Christ was sent to earth as a great moral teacher
rather than as a mediator. New Age thinkers look upon him as a
"guide to self actualization".

There are many other opinions besides these, including those who
believe that Jesus Christ is in fact God. Despite all the
"wonderful" titles these groups have given Him, one thing is for
sure. They can't all be right. Rather than philosophize to no
avail, let's examine the main source of information on Jesus,
the Bible.

The first place to look is in the Tanakh (the Old Testament)
which Jesus claimed as the source of evidence for His being the
promised Messiah. (Luke 24:27, John 5:39) In the Tanakh it is
written that the coming Messiah (Jesus) would be called "Mighty
God". (Isaiah 9:6) This is the same term and grammar used in
Isaiah 10:21, where it is written that the remnant of Jacob
shall return to "the Mighty God". We certainly don't have "two
Gods" according to Isaiah who wrote both these passages. (Isaiah
45:22) The Jehovah whom Isaiah and his people worshipped and
the Son-Child who would be born and called "Mighty God" are the
same. Look also at Proverbs 30:4 which asks the question
concerning God; "... what is His name, and what is His SON'S
NAME?"

Another key verse in Isaiah is 7:14: "Behold, the virgin shall
conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel". The
word "Immanuel" literally means "God with us", not any ordinary
man. This is confirmed in the New Testament in Matthew 1:21-23.

In Micah 5:2 it says; "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you
are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall
come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings
forth have been from old, from everlasting."

Micah here states clearly not only Christ's future birthplace,
but that this "ruler in Israel" has shared the counsels of God
from eternity past. If only God has existed from eternity past,
and the Messiah (Jesus) existed with Him, then Jesus has to be
God.

In the great crucifixion passage of Zechariah 12:10, Jehovah
Himself says; "When they look UPON ME whom they have pierced." 
The New Testament writers made sure to remind us of this
important passage and that it applies to none other than Jesus. 
(John 19:37, Revelation 1:7)

The New Testament bears record of Christ's being God.
The Gospel of John clearly sets the record straight.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All
things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made
that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of
men." (John 1:1-4)

In verse 1, as well as in John 1:14, 1st John 1:1, and
Revelation 19:13, the designation "Word" (Logos), refers
specifically to Jesus. John is clearly referring to Jesus in
verse 1, as is seen in verse 14.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us". (Isaiah 7:14
again) The term "In the beginning", to all in John's day
familiar with the scriptures, is a clear allusion to what we now
call the book of Genesis. This was commonly referred to in
those days as "In the beginning". Any reader of John's Gospel
would automatically think of the creation record and its
assumption of God's eternality. John writes, "The Word was with
God". This establishes Jesus as a distinct entity who had since
"the beginning" had fellowship with God the Father. John then
states; "The Word was God". This is a definite statement of
Jesus' deity. Jesus is not "a god" as some suggest. The term
God (theos) appears here without the definite article "the" It
appears this way 282 times in the New Testament, so there is no
grammatical confusion here. Also, if John had used "the God"
with reference to Christ, he would have made Him alone to be
God, omitting the Father.

John goes on to say, "All things were made through Him". This
fact of Jesus being the creator is verified in these other New
Testament verses:

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature: For by Him were all things, that are in heaven, and
that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: ALL THINGS
WERE CREATED BY HIM, and for him: And he is before all things"
 (Colossians 1:15-17)

"Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath
appointed heir of all things, BY WHOM ALSO HE MADE THE WORLDS; 
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of
his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right
hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:2,3)

"And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of
the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands." 
(Hebrews 1:10)

So the New Testament tells us Jesus created everything. But it
is GOD who created everything according to the Old Testament!

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
(Genesis 1:1)

How can this be? Notice that the God of Genesis refers to
Himself in the plural in Hebrew: 

"Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness." (Genesis 1:26)
"And the Lord God said, behold the man is become as one of US." 
(Genesis 3:22)

"Go to, let US go down, and their confound their language ..." 
(Genesis 11:7)

John is not the only one who believed Christ to be God. Paul
was explicit in his belief:

"Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh
Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." 
(Romans 9:5)

There is no need to explain this verse for the grammar is
simple. Paul says Christ is God. Paul had much more to say on
the subject of Jesus being God:

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal
with God:" (Philippians 2:5,6)  The word "FORM" in the first
sentence is "morphe" in the Greek and means the nature or
essence, not in the abstract, but as actually subsisting in the
individual, and retained as long as the individual itself
exisits. The word "FASHION" is "schema" in the Greek and refers
only to that which shows outward and appeals to the senses. 
Paul is clearly stating that Jesus had always existed as God in
His essential nature. He voluntarily put this aside to become
the God-man, (Immanuel) the humble servant, obedient to death. 

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And
that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10,11)

This passage clearly indicates a worship of Jesus by all. God
does NOT allow anyone other than Him to be worshipped according
to the first commandment. (Also stated in Matthew 4:10)

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God
was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of
angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world,
received up into glory." (1st Timothy 3:16)

The reference to "God manifest in the Flesh", (Immanuel), is to
Jesus. He alone did what the remainder of the verse said He did.

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13)

The literal translation of this sentence indicates that Paul is
referring to only one person here: God the Son.

The Gospels give other proof that Christ was God. He had powers
that only God could possess:

"But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, BECAUSE HE KNEW ALL
MEN, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew
what was in man." (John 2:24,25) ... "Now are we sure that THOU
KNOWEST ALL THINGS, and needest not that any man should ask
thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God." 
(John 16:30)

Jesus Himself let it be known that He believed Himself to be
God. He clearly acknowledged Thomas in the affirmative when he
expressed his belief that Christ was God:

"And Thomas answered and said unto him, MY LORD AND MY GOD. 
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou
hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have
believed." (John 20:28,29)

Christ not only accepted this worship of Thomas, He also
accepted the worship of many other people as is stated in
Matthew 8:2, 9:18, 14:33, 15:25, 20:20, 28:9,17, Mark 5:6, and
John 9:38. Yet only God is to be worshipped as such. (Exodus
20:1-4, Deuteronomy 5:6-9) No man is to accept worship, (Acts
14:15), nor any angels, (Revelation 22:8,9)

Jesus not only accepted worship but put His words on a par with
those of God: "You have heard that it was said to men of
old,... But I say unto you ..." (Matthew 5:21,22) He claimed
all authority under heaven. (Matthew 28:18,19) He added to the
Ten Commandments, (John 13:34) He claimed that not one jot or
tittle would pass from the Law, (Matthew 5:18), and put His
words on that level when He said, "Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will not pass away" (Matthew 24:35) 
Speaking of those who reject Him, He said that HIS WORD would be
their judge on the last day. (John 12:48) In view of these
statements it is obvious that Christ gave His word the same
authority as God's. 

The reason some of the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Him was
clearly due to His blaspheming claims to be God. Christ claimed
the authority to forgive sins, (Mark 2:10) which in Judaism was
only God's right and ability. It would NOT have offended the
Jews if Christ claimed to be "A HUMAN son of God". This was
within the realm of Jewish thinking. Rather, the Bible shows
that these religious leaders wanted Him dead for His claims of
BEING GOD. When Jesus spoke to these men He referred to God
specifically as, "My Father", not "Our Father". He claimed the
ability to grant eternal life and said He and HIS FATHER WERE
ONE. The religious leaders knew exactly what He meant. Jesus
claimed to be God.

"Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not
only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his
Father, MAKING HIMSELF EQUAL WITH GOD." (John 5:18)

"Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and ye believed not: the
works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 
But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said
unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they
follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man
is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I AND MY FATHER
ARE ONE.' Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 
Jesus answered them, 'Many good works have I shewed you from my
Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?' The Jews
answered him, saying, 'For a good work we stone thee not; BUT
FOR BLASPHEMY; AND BECAUSE THAT THOU BEING A MAN MAKEST THYSELF
GOD." (John 10:25-33)

NOTE: This study will be continued in issue #2, God (Christ)
willing!
Witnessing Column
I was Sick and You Visited Me by J.C. Trudel
Every month the WITNESSING column will highlight some aspect of
bringing forth the Gospel of Jesus to a particular group of
people. In this issue, we feature some practical tips on how to
minister and witness to those who are sick, especially in
hospitals and nursing homes. This article was submitted by Mr.
J.C. Trudel of Naples Florida, who, along with his wife Mae,
served in the sick visitation ministry of their Assemblies of
God church for many years. Mr. Trudel also served as a deacon
at Christian Bible Church in Nashua, NH, during the 1980's.

I WAS SICK AND YOU VISITED ME

The title of this article is the positive side of the words of
Jesus concerning our duties toward the sick. The negative side
is shown in Matthew 25:41,43,45. I am sure that anyone reading
the condemnation of those who have not visited the sick, among
other things, will get somewhat worried about their lack of
concern for others. Some will say, I have nothing to worry
about, I visited my relatives in the hospital when they were
sick. They should read Luke 6:32 where Jesus says, "If you love
them who love you, what thank have you? for sinners also love
those that love them."

Surely, Jesus did not mean that everyone should go to the
hospital every day, as this would imply chaos, many angry
nurses, and a lack of needed oxygen for the patients. What
Jesus meant was; when you know of a need that you are in a
position to help with, do not look the other way, pretending it
is not there, like the priest and the Levite of the parable of
the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37.

Many people do not visit the sick, feeling inadequate, not
knowing what to say, what to do or not to do. What follows are
suggestions gathered from years of visiting the sick in the Name
of our Lord Jesus-Christ. They are not listed in their order of
importance, but they should help you in doing one of the
greatest of Christian duties.

1. We visit the sick as representative of the Lord Jesus Christ,
 who would visit the sick if He were here among us.

2. While visiting the sick appears to some as a social activity,
 to those who follow Christ, it is a work of love, compassion,
and mercy. It is a very spiritual thing, and the purpose of the
visit is to pray for them, to lift them up, and, very often, to
bring them closer to God.

3. As is the case with any spiritual endeavor, one should
prepare for the visit by praying, asking for the strenght,
wisdom, and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

4. Every patient is different from the other, in character, in
their level of faith, in their natural ability to deal with
life's unexpected problems, so we need help from above in many
ways.

5. As we go visit in the name of Jesus, we bring His peace, His
promises, His faithfulness, and numerous other things, but we
must never make statements that will bring the sick outside of
God's perfect will.

6. Some patients may be very bitter at first, and may even
ridicule you for coming in the name of One who allows people to
suffer. It may get you very upset or even angry. If you are,
do not reply unkindly, or show what you feel under any
condition. Just wish them well and go on to another patient. 
Do not feel that you have failed, but do report to the
responsible pastor or sick visitation coordinator for advice 
and support. Above all, be sure to pray.

7. Some patients do not wish to talk on the first visit, perhaps
being still in shock from the news of the illness, or the
forthcoming surgery. Do not force them to converse with you.
Just say: "I realize that you must be very tired. I'll just
say a short prayer for you and I'll come again in the very near
future." Do say a short prayer for the patient.

8. The church pastor or the sick visitation ministry coordinator
will, as a rule, make the first visit. Then usually, when
feasable, a woman will visit a female patient, a man will visit
a male patient. An exception would be if the patient expresses
the desire to be visited by a specific person in the ministry. 

9. For the first visit, you should have the permission of the
family (if the patient has one) if they have not contacted you,
as sometimes happens. When you go in that room, the patient
must know that you are going so that they may refuse if they are
too sick. Or, they may want time to cover themselves or get
ready in some other ways. If no one is in the room, ask the
floor nurse if a visit is possible. She may just go into the
room and check, or just tell the patient of your arrival. Always
be nice to the nurses. We all have a desire for privacy, and
those hospital clothes leave much to be desired to cover ailing
bodies, especially if the patient is still under anesthesia or
other medication. If the nurse is not around, knock on the door
first and announce yourself in a gentle tone of voice.

10. Some patients feel that God is unfair to them and will even
express anger at God. It is scripturally ignorant to tell the
patient, as some do, to offer their sufferings to God, hinting
that it will earn them heaven. I usually tell such patients, "I
am sure you are disappointed that this has happened to you, I am
really sorry it did, it is not given to us to understand all
things. Even Jesus told us that the rain would fall on the just
and the unjust., It hurts me to see you suffer like this, I
wish I could share in your sufferings, I'll pray for the Lord to
strenghten you, to heal you, to give you abundantly of His
sufficient grace, that you may be able to be a good example of
faith for His glory. God bless you and touch you in a very
special way."

11. I firmly believe in God's power to heal, but premature
"healed" expressions on our part can be very devastating,
especially with cancer patients who often go through remission
stages. Such statements can only bring discredit on the sick
visitation ministry or on a visitor.

12. We must never tell patients that they are sick because God
wants to get their attention or wants to punish them. If such is
the case, no one knows it better than the patient, and we must
still remind them that God loves them and that He wants us to
seek His help in good times and bad times as well.

13. Some Christians who lose a major organ or part of their body
do feel bitter and incomplete. This is especially true of women
who have had a mastectomy and have a very inconsiderate husband,
as has happened in some cases. We must encourage them, reminding
them that God does not look at our physical appearance, He
looks in our hearts for our love for Him. He knows more than us
that our bodies are only temporary. If you run across such an
inconsiderate husband, do not reproach the man as he may throw
you out and you will not be able to do your duties.

14. Tragically, a child may be born with serious defects, even
missing limbs, which causes a serious crisis. My words to the
parents in such a case were those of our Savior who said: "Let
little children come unto me for heaven is theirs and those like
them." I also add: "Jesus did not say only the children who
are pretty, complete, without defects. He said All little
children, yours included." The Lord had given me those words and
they did His work of compassion and encouraged the troubled
parents.

15. I was often asked to visit patients that were not saved,
some from the church that teaches salvation by works. It was
always quite a challenge as they believed they were saved by
their religion. The Lord helped me lead many to salvation,
some at their eleventh hour. You have to establish a rapport
first and not get spiritual on the first visit because they
have a lifelong training to reject anything told them by anyone
not of their church. If the person is close to death, we go for
it and ask them if they are born-again, if they know Jesus as
their personal Lord and Savior, if they are sure they are going
to heaven. Do not ask them to give up their religion as this
approach will fail. Just tell them that Jesus died for them
and that they must trust him for everything, that they must put
the sins of their life under His blood. Tell them that Jesus is
waiting for them to give their heart and life to Him, and that
in exchange He will give them eternal life. Explain to the
person that they can achieve that with a simple, humble prayer
of faith called the sinner's prayer. It is best that such
patients be visited by one who knows how to present the plan of
salvation. If no one is available, do the best you can.

16. The Lord has never ceased to be in the healing business and
most people you will visit will leave the hospital and shortly
after be completely healed or restored. But sometimes the Lord
will call one of His saints home for reasons known but to Him
at this time. This is when, more than ever, we need the help
of the Holy Spirit. People of faith too often expect an answer
to their prayers according to their own will, and the thought
of being absent from the body and of being with the Lord is not
foremost in many a Christian's mind. I once visited a sick
sister for a year and a half, praying at first for the Lord to
heal her. On and on I prayed, and yet, at some point, the Holy
Spirit told my heart that the time had come to prepare that
sister to go home to the Lord. It is very difficult, and very
sensitive. It is a delicate transition time when we must speak
of God's perfect will and the plan He has for all of us. For a
time, as I always did, I began my visit by asking the Lord and
Giver of life to send His healing virtues upon my sick sister. 
Gradually, I began to speak of a place where there will be no
sorrow, pain, sickness, disease, or even death. I expressed my
own heartfelt and joyful anticipation for that day when our
Savior Jesus will return on the cloud of Glory, or when He will
comes to gather me to Himself if that should come first. Ever so
gently, I brought to her mind the thought of awaiting heavenly
mansions and of everlasting joy. Sometimes I sang a hymn or a
short spiritual song she knew and she sometimes joined in and
when I felt she was getting closer to heaven's door. I reminded
her more and more of her Savior waiting to give her the Divine
embrace and to show her the place He had prepared for her. I was
blessed to be at her side when the monitors stopped showing
signs of life, and yet, for awhile longer, I kept reassuring her
that the Savior had come for her and that she was home at last
ever to rejoice. What a privilege it was for me to escort her
to the treshold of eternity. I felt as if, as I held her hand,
Jesus was holding the other.

17. So much could be said about the spiritual side of sick
visitation, but I must also speak of the social and physical
sides of things. Once again, always knock on the door and
announce yourself by calling the patient's name if no nurse was
around to announce you. Do not speak too loudly in case the
patient should be sleeping. NEVER awaken a sleeping patient. 
18. Do not make your visit too long the first time. Ten minutes
may even be too long. We have to be very sensitive to how the
patient feels. He or she may be polite and not ask you to
leave, but it is easy to understand that if someone just had
surgery, he or she may not want company for too long. If the
patient asks you to stay longer, it's up to you to oblige.

19. When visiting patients, we must remember that we all carry
germs that they and the next patient do not need. So, wash your
hand before and after each patient visit.

20. Do not shake hands with any patient until you are very sure
that the patient does not have a needle in his wrist or hand,
or that the wound from a removed intravenous needle is not
sensitive anymore. If you hurt anyone, you may not be welcomed
on the next visit.

21. Never sit on any patient's bed. When someone just had
surgery, any movement of the bed can be very painful, and if
the bed should fail mechanically, that patient will surely want
to forget you or may get angry and hurt enough to sue you.

22. We must always be careful with our appearance. We must be
well dressed, have fresh breath, and no body odor please! The
patient is already sick, we want the patient to get better, not
feel worse.

23. If possible, we must visit the patient at home once they
leave the hospital. This is done for spiritual and
psychological reasons, and in some cases to provide temporary
assistance. Some churches have what is called a "Manna
Ministry" whose function is to provide a few meals while the
patient regains strength and self-confidence. Sometimes you
may offer to pick up groceries or a prescription. Again, the
rule we followed, if possible, was for a woman to visit a
female patient and a man to visit a male patient. This was done
to avoid any bad comments about someone visiting a patient from
the other sex.

24. Our work does not always end in the hospital or in someone's
home. When someone we visited goes to be with the Lord, there
is no better way to show the love of Christ than by showing up
at the funeral parlor to comfort the survivors, some of whom you
may have met during the hospital visits. They will really
appreciate your sharing in their loss and sorrow, and it may
give you the opportunity to give your testimony and lead some
to Christ.

Visiting the sick is not an art or a science, it is a gift of
God that we use for His glory. It is a talent that is
multiplied each time we visit someone in the Lord's name. It is
something Jesus will remind us of when we see Him face to face
and He tells us, "When I was sick, you visited me."
Messianic Studies
An Introduction to Messianic Judaism by Pastor Geoffrey Kragen
Welcome to the world of Messianic Judaism. It is the intent of
the editors of MORNING STAR to use this column to explore the
world of the Messianic Believer. Like the church at large,
Messianic Judaism is a diverse world. It is made up of numerous
views as to what it means to be a Messianic Jew, who we are,
what we call ourselves and what we believe. This column will be
used to explore this variety, giving the reader a broader
perspective of Messianic Judaism than found elsewhere, exposing
those of us who are Messianic Believers to the wide spectrum of
practice found within the movement. Hopefully we will succeed
in helping our Jewish brothers and sisters to understand why we
follow Yeshua as our savior.

This first article will touch on the diversity within the
Messianic Movement and endeavor to introduce the subject of
Messianic Judaism, what it is and what it believes. The
comments here reflect the views of just one Messianic Believer
and the editors plan on publishing future articles which will
present other positions within the movement.

Let's start by stating the basic tenet of faith which identifies
all Jewish Believers. This is the teaching of Scripture; that
Yeshua (Jesus), being God, is the provider of our salvation:

"Now, brothers, I must remind you of the Good News which I
proclaimed to you, and which you received, and on which you have
taken your stand, and by which you are being saved ... For
among the first things I passed on to you was what I also
received, namely this: the Messiah died for our sins, in
accordance with what the Tanakh (Old Testament) says; and he was
buried; and he was raised on the third day, in accordance with
what the Tanakh says; ..." (1st Corinthians 15:1-4)

Beyond the Gospel message there are some differences between
individuals and groups within the Messianic movement. There is
even disagreement in what we should call ourselves. Arnold
Fruchtenbaum, one of the great writers of the movement, uses the
term Hebrew Christian, a name which is offensive to some Jewish
believers. This name is also used by David Bronstein, founder
of the First Hebrew Christian Church of Chicago, and Arthur W.
Kac, past editor of "The American Hebrew Christian". Moshe
Rosen, of course, uses the term Jew for Jesus. Others prefer
Messianic Jew, or Messianic Believer, feeling (correctly) that
non-believing Jews are offended by the use of the term
"Christian".

The problem of "diversity of view" carries into the area of
Jewish missions as well. One group believes that they are
called to lead the Jew to a saving relationship with their
Savior and then help them integrate into the local church. 
Another group in addition to reaching the Jew for Yeshua wants
to help establish Messianic Fellowships, local churches that are
Jewish in culture, worship and liturgy. Some don't like the
term "church" and use the term "Messianic Synagogue" to describe
their local fellowship. At the other end of the spectrum are
some fellowships which are indistinguishable from the Orthodox
Synagogue except in the accepting of Yeshua as Messiah. There
may even be a strong emphasis on keeping the Law. This type of
group sometimes moves from being truly Messianic to being cultic.

The local Messianic Fellowship may also be diverse in its
members, being made up of individuals from many theological
positions, ranging from Charismatic to Fundamentalist and
anywhere in between. The Fellowship may encompass this wide
range of views within one local body. (It should be noted here
that within many individual Messianic Fellowships there are
often more gentiles than Jews.) The Messianic movement shows as
much diversity, and sometimes disagreement, as Christendom at
large. This is also a blessing however, as the non-believing
Jewish community is as diverse as the Messianic movement. God
can use the many styles of His children to provide a variety of
approaches to reach many different people. 

As we discuss Messianic Judaism it should be noted, regarding
the basic doctrines of the Christian faith, that there is no
difference between the Jewish Believer and the Gentile
Christian. Where there are differences over such issues as
forms of baptism, women's roles in the church, etc., the
disagreements are not between Gentiles and Jews. Both may be
found on either side of such issues.

"Ibn shushan, Israel" (Hebrew Dictionary) says the following: 
"Yehudi Meshikhi (Messianic Jew): one who believes in Jesus as
Messiah of Israel and remains loyal to the State of Israel." 
Even here, by the way, some Messianic believers would have a
problem with the statement of "loyal to the State of Israel".

Essentially, the Messianic believer is a follower of Yeshua. 
He/she is a Jew who has accepted Yeshua's death on the
Execution-stake (cross), burial and resurrection as God's
atonement for sin. The Messianic Jew understands that accepting
Yeshua as savior doesn't mean that he is no longer Jewish, but
to the contrary he is more fulfilled as a Jew than is possible
without this personal relationship to God. This is why some
refer to themselves as Completed Jews. Yeshua is the
fulfillment of all that the Tanakh teaches, and one can't truly
be Jewish if one doesn't follow Him.

"Be assured, then, that it is those who live by trusting and
being faithful who are really children of Avraham." Galatians
3:7

The Messianic Movement is actually the birth place of the
church. Not only was Yeshua Jewish, the descendent of David and
the promised eternal king, but the disciples, the Apostle Paul,
the New Testament writers and the members of the early local
congregations were Jewish. The problem in the early church was
whether or not to let the gentiles in.

The Jerusalem Church originally thought that to follow after
Yeshua one first had to convert to Judaism. In other words the
question wasn't whether or not one could still be Jewish if one
followed Yeshua, it was, "Could the individual still be a
gentile or must they become a proselyte to Jewish practice"?

It is this tension between being a member of the church, which
is made up of Jew and Gentile, and remaining distinctively
Jewish, that is the dynamic that has led to the form of
contemporary Messianic Judaism and in many cases the formation
of Messianic Fellowships. John Bell puts it this way in his
book "How To Be Like The Messiah": 

"What is a Messianic Jewish lifestyle? It is living your life
as a follower and disciple of Messiah Jesus and continuing to
identify with and practice Jewishness. There are many who feel
that this is impossible: theologians, rabbis, ministers, church
groups, Jewish organizations. Even your next-door neighbor
might say, 'You're either Jewish or Christian!'"

The Messianic Jew then is one who in his lifestyle, in his
worship, in his following of Yeshua, continues to live a life
which is Jewish in its culture, style and reality. This means
many things too numerous to detail in this introductory column,
but can mean in the local body the use of Messianic Music,
dance, and emphasis on Tanakh as well as the New Testament. It
almost always means a commitment to the reaching of the
non-believing Jew and a concern for and support of the state of
Israel.

In the practice of the individual this lifestyle can include the
celebration of the Jewish holidays, but from the perspective of
how they were fulfilled by Yeshua. This is especially important
in the celebration of Passover and the emphasis on Yeshua as the
sacrificial lamb, the one whose shed blood is our covering over
the sin in our life, allowing God's judgment to pass over. It
often means bring up children in their Jewish culture, and may
mean having Bar Mizvahs, and Bas Mizvahs from a perspective that
focuses on Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus the Messiah) as savior.

Finally the Messianic Believer is more aware of and concerned
with what Fruchtenbaum calls Messianism, than the average
Gentile Christian. Messianism as defined by Fruchtenbaum
includes three components: The Messianic Program which
essentially encompasses all the teachings of Scripture related
to the restoration of Israel, the establishment of the Messianic
Kingdom, that is Yeshua's rule over the world, and Israel's
central presence in that kingdom.

The second factor is the Messianic Person and relates to a focus
on Yeshua as the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Tanakh. 
There is a special emphasis on the picture of the suffering
Messiah as the provider of the sacrificial offering for the sins
of His people.

Finally, the last factor is the Messianic People. The Hebrew
Believer is concerned with the recognition that Israel is the
Messianic people and will be restored in their relationship to
their God. In the kingdom age the nation of Israel will be the
witness for Messiah to the Gentile Peoples.

In other words, the Messianic Movement is concerned with the
normal concerns of all believers, a faithful walk and a faithful
witness. It also has a more frequently intense concern with
those prophecies of the Tanakh that are yet to be fulfilled,
related to the Messianic Age and the fate of Israel.

Hopefully, what has been written here has provided a taste of
that which is to come, and has given at least a little
understanding of the issues surrounding the world of Messianic
Judaism.
Anee M'Amin
Anee M'Amin by Rob Kirsch
ANEE M'AMIN is Hebrew for "I believe". Every month this column
will feature the testimony of a Jewish believer in Yeshua
(Jesus). This issue's feature story comes from Rob Kirsch, a
Diagnostic Radiologist practicing in the Philadelphia
Pennsylvania area.

=================================================================

I had a stronger Jewish upbringing than most American Jews. My 
parents were, and still are, active in many facets of synagogue
activity, including the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood, and the
Couples' Club, and my father has held the position of director
at the Hebrew school, and also served as president of the
synagogue. Even now, though their synagogue may be slowly dying
due to attrition and the Jewish flight to the suburbs, they
continue to be some of the most faithful members. The synagogue
was Conservative, and our family practice reflected that of most
American Conservative Jews. We had no pork products or
shellfish in the home, did not mix milk and meat, and we
attended services on Friday nights and on all of the holidays.

Personally, I attended Hebrew school for seven years, including
a year or so after I became a Bar Mitzvah. I was still as
observant as my family when I was entering high school, but in
high school, I began to have a somewhat jaundiced view of the
Judaism in which I had been raised. The religious experience I
was raised with seemed to have been more social and political
than truly spiritual, so I investigated other routes to a
spiritual life, none particularly seriously. The thing I got
most seriously involved in was the psychic/paranormal
experience. I would note here that in current, mainstream
American Judaism lots of these things, for example, being
psychic, Zen, New Age philosophy, spiritism, are all somewhat
accepted, though not approved of. Adherence to these belief
systems does not necessarily remove one from Judaism, a point to
note later in this testimony.

When I got to college, I found that EVERYONE at school was under
a tremendous amount of stress. For most of us, the first
semester or so of college was the very first time that school
was at all challenging, not to mention difficult. I witnessed
one of the clearest examples of this one evening at a freshman
physics tutorial as a fellow freshman argued for nearly an hour
over a problem he had worked out incorrectly. His argument was
basically that he couldn't possibly have done it wrong and that
he wasn't interested in what the tutor said was the correct
approach. This person had NEVER before gotten a problem wrong in
school and found it inconceivable, and even devastating, that he
could.

Most of us dealt with the stresses of school in the same ways
that other people our age did, by partying hard on weekends and
using "recreational drugs" or other basically self-destructive
behavior. However, I noticed that there was a small subset of
my peers who were dealing with the stress without being out of
control. They weren't any less stressed, they just obviously
had some sort of inner reserve that sustained them above the
stress. I learned that all of these people were "born-again
Christians". Discounting this as an aberration, I went on with
my life, but these people around me still aroused my curiosity.

In the middle of my sophomore year of college, I met a girl who
happened to be one of these "born-again" types. She provided
the stimulus for me to seriously investigate the story of Yeshua
(Jesus) of Nazareth contained in the Brit Hadashah (New
Covenant). Although she refused to discuss the Good News in any
but the most general terms, the believers living in my dormitory
were quite helpful. After about a month of seriously looking at
the New Covenant scriptures and examining the Hebrew Bible (Old
Covenant), I came to a number of conclusions:

1) The entirety of the Scriptures is self-consistent, despite
that they were written by numerous people over a long period of
time. 2) The Scriptures do indeed talk about a relationship
with God that is broken by disobedience (which is called 'sin')
to Him. 3) God established a route for the expiation of sin for
individuals; through blood sacrifice. No, you don't have to
like it, but it happens to be the way the Creator set things up,
and He writes the rules for Creation as He wishes. 4) The
Hebrew Bible does indeed refer to an INDIVIDUAL who would serve
as the ultimate blood sacrifice, rendering the animal
sacrificial system obsolete and unnecessary (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
 They also give LOTS of information about that Individual(e.g.
Isaiah 7:14, Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Micah 5:2. and many others).
5) Yeshua of Nazareth fits the description given, both in
identity and actions. 6) Yeshua of Nazareth was and is the
promised Messiah of Israel.

About a week or so after making this intellectual
acknowledgement, I mentioned it to an acquaintance who is also
Jewish. Her reaction was complete and outright rejection, not
only of the idea, but also of me for even entertaining it. I
was very upset, but at that moment, I felt the Spirit of God next
to me and within me, giving me comfort. At that point, I truly
became a believer in and follower of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus
the Messiah).

I would not have been able to do this had I not believed, from
the beginning of my faith, that Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah. I
was not and never have been interested in a foreign god. I
retained a commitment and a desire to investigate the interface
between faith in Yeshua and Jewish practice. I continued to
celebrate the Jewish holidays throughout the rest of college,
medical school, and residency, although my wife and I attended a
variety of protestant churches. This has been the major pattern
for Jews who become believers in Yeshua over the past 1500 or so
years. Usually, the Jew who becomes a member of a church that
is overwhelmingly Gentile in composition assimilates into the
community, losing his Jewish identity. If this doesn't happen
to the believer himself, then it almost invariably happens to
his children who are raised in the non-Jewish environment. 
People today who follow this option are usually termed "Hebrew
Christians".

About two years ago, the church we had been attending folded. 
God used this to place us at Congregation Beth Yeshua, a
Messianic Synagogue in Philadelphia. As Messianic Jews, we
follow our faith in Yeshua while maintaining a Jewish lifestyle
and outlook. A friend of ours sums up Messianic Judaism as the
faith that should have arisen from the early church without 1500
years of Hellenistic thought and the theological confusion
brought on by trying to reconcile a coherent religious system
from two fundamentally different world views. This is not a
rejection of gentile Christianity, but an affirmation of the
Jewishness of the faith in Yeshua of Nazareth who is the perfect
sacrifice for all of us, Jew and Gentile alike.

One last point, another realization that I have come to over the
last year or so is that the yearly cycle of Jewish holidays
makes sense ONLY in the context of the Gospel. Just as the
Passover foreshadows and mirrors the atoning Sacrifice on the
Tree, so Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks), the Harvest, foreshadows
and mirrors the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The
third major festival, Succot (the Feast of Tabernacles), which
celebrates the completion of the harvest, points forward to the
great in-gathering that we all look forward to at the End of
Days.

To a Jewish person reading this text, I would encourage you to
put aside any preconceptions of what a Jew must or must not be. 
A Jew is someone who is a member of the people of Israel, a
people with a special relationship with HaShem (the Lord,
literally "the Name"). This special relationship is there for
all of us as individuals, Jew or Gentile, as His free gift. As
it says in the book of the prophet Isaiah, it isn't something we
can force, or achieve, or earn (Isaiah 64:6), but it is
something we have to reach out and accept. If I give you a gift,
you still have to reach out and take it. Reach out and take
God's greatest gift, His Son, the Messiah of Israel, and the
everlasting life He brought.
The WORD for Today
Israel - A Providential People by Geoffrey Kragen and Wayne Eisenberg
What do the following passages have in common?

Now the LORD said to Avram, "Get thee out of thy country, and
from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, to the land that
I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I
will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a
blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him
that despises thee: and in thee shall all the families of the
earth be blessed."  Gen. 12:1-3        

And the LORD said to Avram, "...Lift up now thy eyes, and look
from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and
eastward, and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to
thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever." Gen. 13:14-15

"And I will bring back the captivity of My people of Yisra'el,
and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and
they shall plant vineyards, and drink their wine; they shall
also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant
them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out
of their land which I have given them," says the LORD thy God. 
Amos 9:14-15

Pray for the peace of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem); those who love
you shall prosper.  Psalms 122:6

Brothers, my heart's deepest desire and my prayer to God for
Israel is for their salvation. Romans 10:1


 These verses tell of the rise and future restoration of the
nation of Israel. With the Middle East making up so much of the
news these days, it seems appropriate that we should deal with
the whole issue of what the Bible teaches regarding Israel.
Since Messianic themes will be a basic part of Morning Star,
what better place to start than with Israel and the Christian
Community?

This is the first in a series of articles which are going to
focus on the relationship between the Church and Israel. The
question we will be asking in this segment is: "What is the
Biblical responsibility of the Church, of the Christian, to
Israel and the Jewish people?" By asking this question we are
accepting the teaching of the Bible which speaks of a unique
position for the Jewish people, and therefore, that there is a
proper response from the Christian community.

Since the Jewish people are called "The Chosen People", then on
what basis, or by whose authority are they considered so? It is
not on the basis of their own merits that they are unique. It is
not on the basis of the Church's say-so. It is God's Word and
His authority that has established them as His people and that
has set them apart.

And, behold, the LORD stood above it (the stairway between
heaven and earth) and said, "I am the LORD God of Avraham thy
father, and the God of Yitzchak: the land on which thou liest,
to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be
as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the
west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and
in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be
blessed."  Genesis 28:13-14

Yes, the Church does have Biblically based responsibilities to
the Jewish people, and it is our intent to focus on two specific
ones in this series.

The first responsibility of the Christian community is to
protect and aid the Jewish people. The most obvious place to
start is with the problem of Anti-Semitism. The last place we
would expect to find anti-Semitism would be within the Church,
the body of Messiah. However, throughout history, those calling
themselves Christian, including Nazis, have been major
persecutors of the Jewish people. Today, Christians must not
take any action which will either make them part of this evil or
contribute to an environment that allows this unique form of
racism to grow. 

There are areas in which the church may create an environment
where anti-Semitism can thrive. One is found in those churches
which teach the false doctrine of "Spiritual Israel", also known
as Replacement Theology. This position can sometimes be found
where Reform Theology is taught, though clearly it is not an
essential position within the Reformed Church. The view may
also be disseminated within the Dominion Theological movement
and therefore found in churches of both the Reform and
Charismatic traditions. This isn't to say that all or even many
churches from these traditions either teach this view or are
anti-semetic, it is just that the Reform position, and the
Biblically unsound Dominion Theology, are more likely to fall
into this camp.

The" Spiritual Israel" position maintains that when Israel
rejected Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah, God set her aside and gave
all her promises to the Church while allowing her to keep the
curses. In other words, the Church has replaced Israel as His
unique and treasured people. Not only is this view not taught by
God's Word, it is in direct contradiction to Scripture. (It is
an interpretation which essentially says that God does not mean
what He promises, that He can't be trusted.) The Word makes it
clear that God has not rejected Israel. On the contrary, God has
sworn that Israel is forever the apple of His eye.

Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day, and
the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by
night, who stirs up the sea that its waves roar; the LORD of
hosts is His name: "If those ordinances depart from before me,"
says the LORD, "then the seed of Yisra'el also shall cease from
being a nation before me for ever." Thus says the LORD; "If
heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth
searched out beneath, then I will also cast off all the seed of
Yisra'el for all that they have done," says the LORD God.  
Jeremiah 31:35-37

And Rabbi Sha'ul (Paul) says,

In that case, I say, isn't it that God has repudiated his
people? Heaven forbid! For I myself am a son of Yisra'el, from
the seed of Avraham, of the tribe of Binyamin. God has not
repudiated his people, whom he chose in advance.  Romans 11:1-2a


If anything, Israel has temporarily rejected God, but the day is
coming when she will be restored.

And I will cause the [captives] of Yehuda and the [captives] of
Yisra'el to return, and will build them, as at the first. And I
will cleanse them from all their iniquity .... and I will
pardon all their iniquities, in which they have sinned against
me, and in which they have transgressed against me. And it shall
be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the
nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to
them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and
for all the prosperity that I procure to it.  Jer. 33:7-9


For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God
formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won't
imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that
stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Israel, until the Gentile
world enters in its fullness; and that it is in this way that
all Israel will be saved. As the Tanach says, "Out of Tziyon
will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from
Ya'akov and this will be my covenant with them,... when I take
away their sins."  Jer. 33:7-9


The Church must reject the false teaching of the repudiation of
Israel by God. Instead, we must be true to His Word, noting that
Israel and the Church are separate bodies, though the body of
Messiah, the Church, includes both Jew and Gentile. And God has
a plan for each, which includes the restoration and salvation of
Israel.

If anyone has been taught this way, they must go back to the
Scriptures and remember that God means what He says. We must be
willing to be taught not by men or men's prejudices, but by
God's Word and the Holy Spirit's understanding. We must repent
of this false teaching and reject it when found in others. If
God will not keep His eternal promises to Israel, then how can
you be assured that God will not change His mind regarding
eternal promises to you, such as your salvation? As you come
into a knowledge of the truth, be willing to stand up for it and
show it to others.

We cannot let this false teaching stand, not only for the sake
of Israel, but because it is an insult and a blasphemy to the
integrity of God. The bottom line is this: If replacement
theology is true, then either God is untrustworthy, or He
misleads mankind by deliberately making statements and promises
that He either cannot or will not keep. Brothers and sisters,
do not let false teaching go unchallenged.

(This article will be continued in the next issue.)
Special Studies
He Is Revealed By His First Name by Dr. Charles A. Wootten
Noah Webster once said that "reveal" meant to make something
known that was once unknown or concealed. After the debacle in
the Garden of Eden God began measures to reveal Himself
gradually to mankind. God understood that the mind would no
longer be able to grasp fully His revelation knowledge. God knew
that man needed careful instruction and direction.

All knowledge of God is revealed knowledge. God along reveals
Himself and knowledge about Himself. He lets man know as much as
He wants about Himself and His purpose.

According to the Jewish Publication Society of America's (JPSA)
translation of Psalm 19:1-6a: "The heavens declare the glory of
God, the sky proclaims His handiwork. Day to day makes
utterance, night to night speaks out. There is no utterance,
there are no words, whose sound goes unheard. Their voice
carries throughout the earth, their words to the end of the
world. He placed them in a tent for the sun . . . " 

The Bible begins revealing God and His reality as the
CreatorGod. "For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that
are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are
without excuse (for not worshipping) the Creator, who is blessed
forever. Amen." 

The revelation of God shows His "eternal power and Godhead" in
creation. "You whose splendor is celebrated all over the
heavens!...Your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and
stars that You set in place..." God now reveals Himself through
His Name, Elohim.

In the opening of the Hebrew Scriptures we find, "In the
beginning ELOHIM ..." This name is actually in the plural. The
reason being is to show the plurality, or many facets, of God.
This is the one indivisible, divine essence that exists
eternally as Father and as Son and as Holy Spirit. The Bible,
then, begins His revelation starting with the creation of the
world "by the things that are made."

ELOHIM, as a name, can be used in the singular form. Here it
means the "One Supreme Deity," and is more often than not
rendered as "God." Most English versions of the Bible use the
word "God" than any other form. 

When used in the singular, as a noun, we come to understand the
notion of all that belongs to God. As a noun the revelation of
only one Supreme and True God, as a Person, is clearly
identified. 

Lester Sumrall has expressed the meaning of ELOHIM clearly when
he shows that it means "something (or someone) that is
worshipped." This is the whole purpose of our existence: to
worship Him Who created us. "The sum of the matter, when all is
said and done: Revere God and observe His commandments! For this
applies to all mankind."

We find also an amplification of His Name in the second chapter
of Genesis. He is identified as the Self-existent or Eternal
Creator. This new compound name, JEHOVAH-ELOHIM, shows the
ELOHIM in covenant relationship with His people.

The meaning of JEHOVAH is "underived existence," "HE IS," or "I
AM BECAUSE I AM," the God of Abraham, of grace, and truth, and
love; self-existence, eternity. ELOHIM is God "in nature",
JEHOVAH is God "in grace". This shows why He is to be
worshipped: He is the God of perfection and power, a finishing
God.

As we find Him known by His Name JEHOVAH when he appeared to do
what he had promised, so now we have Him known by that Name when
He had perfected that that He had begun. JEHOVAH-ELOHIM is that
great and incommunicable name of God. This name denotes His
plurality in having His being of Himself, and His giving being
to all things. JEHOVAH-ELOHIM is His revelation now that heaven
and earth are complete.

=================================================================

Dr. Charles A. Wootten 
Whole Counsel Ministries, Inc. 
Matoaca, Virginia
Prayer Guidelines
Guidelines for Corporate Prayer by Lance Lambert & Art Carlson
(Adapted from teachings given by Lance Lambert and Art Carlson. 
Courtesy of Christian Friends of Israel - Jerusalem)

1. Be brief. In Matthew 6:7 Jesus says that the Gentiles
suppose they will be heard for their many words. We haven't
changed much!

2. Speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard. As Paul said
in another context, how can we say Amen if we don't know what is
said?

3. Pray from the heart, don't preach. Avoid sentimentality and
unnatural speech. Sometimes you can tell what group people come
from by listening to them pray because they adopt a particular
style. Be honest; talk to God in a natural way.

4. Keep on the theme. Pray through one subject before
introducing another. Obviously that doesn't mean we have to see
the mountain move into the sea before proceeding to the next
subject, but we do need to give God time to speak concerning the
subject in hand before moving on. When praying aloud, quietly
support the one who is speaking. Don't let your mind wander.

5. Don't take pot shots at the devil. Jude verse 8 tells us
that even the archangel Michael did not dare to bring a
slanderous accusation against the devil, but said, The Lord
rebuke you. We do have authority in Jesus to bind the evil
forces, but this should only be done corporately as a group
under the direction of the leader. One goal of corporate prayer
is to reach a place in unity where we can effectively bind the
enemy.

6. Avoid personal pronouns. When speaking for the group, say We
rather than I. Of course if there is doubt about agreement on
an issue, that should be settled before praying on behalf of all.

7. Good repetition builds the case. Some teaching would
indicate that once a thing is prayed for, it is unbelief to
mention it again. There is need for balance in this. To keep
pleading for something that God has made clear He wants to give
us can be unbelief. On the other hand, true intercession is
speaking into reality that which is yet unseen. That usually
takes time and repetition. We should not assume that what
worked on the last prayer project will work on the next. There
was a different strategy for different cities as Israel took the
land in the Old Testament.

8. Lay aside preconceived ideas. Die to your own imagination. 
Ask for fresh guidance from the Holy Spirit for this prayer
time. We need to cultivate absolute dependence on the Holy
Spirit.

9. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with
praise. (Psalm 100:4) Let the high praises of God be in our
mouths and a two edged sword in our hands. (Psalm 149:6)
Bible Quiz
Bible Quiz
Our Feature Area at the beginning of this issue focused on
witnessing. This quiz follows along the same theme. You will
have to check your own answers, but to make it easy, the
locations are given for you in the answer key. Of course, you
shouldn't peek at it until AFTER you take the quiz!

1. Who witnessed to a man in a chariot?

2. Who sang in jail and witnessed to a jailer?

3. Who was stoned to death as a result of his witnessing? 

4. Who witnessed to a king named Agrippa?

5. Who witnessed in a lion's den?

6. Who witnessed of God's love by sewing for needy people?

7. Who witnessed to his brother saying, "We have found ... the
Christ"?

8. Who witnessed in the wilderness, crying, "Repent"

9. Who described himself as "a witness of the sufferings of
Christ"? 

10. Who witnessed to his friend saying, "We have found him, of
whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write"?

11. Who were two men who were called "gods", and used the
occasion to witness of the living God?

12. Who witnessed to Apollos showing "him the ways of God more
perfectly"?










 ANSWER KEY:

1. (Acts 8:31) 
2. (Acts 16:29-31) 
3. (Acts 7:56-60) 
4. (Acts 26:1-7) 
5. (Daniel 6:22) 
6. (Acts 9:26) 
7. (John 1:40-41) 
8. (Matthew 3:1,2) 
9. (1st Peter 5:1) 
10. (John 1:45) 
11. (Acts 14:12-15) 
12. (Acts 18:24-26)
CFI Reports
Introduction to Christian Friends of Israel
"A FRIEND LOVETH AT ALL TIMES..." (Proverbs 17:17)

Christian friendship and support for the Jewish people and the
nation of Israel have a clear Biblical mandate for this hour of
history. Christians are being called upon to uphold Israel and
her right to exist. Now, more than ever, the Jewish people need
Christians who will not only PRAY for the peace of Jerusalem
(Psalm 122:6) but will openly STAND on their behalf.

We, as Christian Friends of Israel, have an opportunity to stand
with Israel at a time when their friends are few in the
international arena of nations. A time to make amends ... for
the past wrongs of Christianity, especially now, at this most
critical juncture in their history. God has forever promissed
that blessing will follow obedience to His commands and curses
will follow disobedience (Deuteronomy 6:7). Individuals and
groups can rise above their government's responses and actions
in showing compassion and courage by taling a stand, not to bow
to anti-semitism. We vow not to remain silent for Zion's sake. 
(Isaiah 62:1)

According to Joel 3:12,14, a decision will be required of all
nations as to whether they will submit themselves to alignment
with God's purposes for Israel. We believe that God will judge
the nations on the basis of their attitude towards Israel and
the Jewish people. They will determine their own destiny. Here
then, is our message of LOVE and SOLIDARITY with Israel at this
time of regathering and restoration. All rulers and nations who
oppress and persecute them will come to naught. Their glory
will wither, just as the grass withers. But God says "I will
bless those who bless My People" (Genesis 12:3).

We have come together as individuals from the nations of the
world who will stand and be counted as genuine Christian friends
of Israel. We are sounding the trumpet and challenging those
nations who would desire the blessing of God to show their
alliance with Israel.

The inauguration of Christian Friends of Israel was declared in
December 1985. There are now Directors, Representatives and
Distributors for CFI in a number of nations around the world. 
Their efforts are supported by a Coordinating Office in
Jerusalem which receives oversight and guidance from an Israel
Executive Council. You are invited to contact our Jerusalem
Office on your next visit to Israel!

FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES OF CFI

1. As Christians who have received from God a love for Israel
and the Jewish people, we want, in the name of Messiah Jesus, to
bless them. 

2. The early church was Jewish. Christianity sprang from Jewish 
roots and has never ceased to depend upon and be indebted to 
the Jewish people.

3. We believe that the restoration of the Jewish people to the 
Land of Israel is in accordance with the promises contained in 
the Word of God and that God's time to "favor Zion" has begun. 

4. We believe that Israel (people,land, nation) has a divinely 
ordained and glorious future, and that God has neither rejected
nor replaced his Jewish people. We acknolwedge that the barriers
that exist today between Jews and Christians are largely due
to Christian anti-semitism and Christian persecution of the
Jewish people.

5. We believe in the Jewishness of Jesus and the Jewishness of the
New Testament. 

6. Although we believe the Lord Jesus is both the Messiah of Israel
and Savior of the world, our stand alongside Israel is not
conditional upon her acceptance of our belief.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

1. To express friendship and solidarity with Israel and the
Jewish people throughout the world.

2. To impart an understanding to Christians of their Jewish roots
and of modern Israel. 

3. To eradicate anti-semitism among Christians in its past and 
present forms.

4. To stimulate Christians worldwide to intercede for Israel. 

5. To provide practical support for areas of need within the land 
of Israel. 

6. To assist and pray for the liberation of Jewish people, from 
countries where they are oppressed, who wish to return to Israel.

7. To encourage and pray for the reconciliation of Jew and Arab.

8. To establish fellowship with Christians in Israel.

CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL has a number of programs. These
programs are designed to better educate and inform Christians
about Israel and all her peoples through various modes of
education and practical help. For more detailed information on
any of these programs, write to MORNING STAR.

a) ISRAEL NEWS DIGEST: Monthly publication containing pertinent
and accurate news from Israel. 

b) WATCHMAN'S INTERCESSORY PRAYER LETTER: Monthly letter providing
specific prayer information about Israel, the land and her people. 

c) JERUSALEM WATCHMEN PRAYER GROUPS: Christians in various countries
who desire to meet and pray and intercede on a regular basis for
Israel and her peoples. 

d) SOVIET JEWRY NEWSLETTER: "Let My People Go" is news about Jews 
in the Soviet Union and other lands of oppression. 

e) PROJECT OPEN GATES: At the distribution center in Jerusalem 
assistance is given to new immigrants in the form of clothing, 
medical supplies, toiletries, household goods and furnishings. 

f) PROJECT DOORS OF HOPE: CFI helps both Jewish and Christian Arab 
organizations with practical and tangible needs through this 
organization. 

g) FORSAKE THEM NOT: CFI staff working with Holocaust organizations
to assist needy survivors of the holocaust. 

h) PROJECT LETTERS OF LOVE: A letter writing program that builds 
an expression of love and solidarity flowing into Israel from her
Christian friends around the world. 

i) "MIDDLE EAST UPDATE" CASSETTE TAPE: Excellent and timely update
tape on Israel giving the Biblical perspective and views of the
current situation in the Middle East for the Body of Messiah in
the Nations. The tape is available quarterly. 

j) TEACHING TOOLS: "Tell The Children" pictorial story book for 
Sunday School children and Day Care Center teachers. It explains
the story of the Jewish people to children 6-12. 

k) TOUR GROUPS IN ISRAEL: Contact CFI in Jerusalem. Tel: 384-406. 

l) JERUSALEM CONFERENCES: CFI sponsors educational conferences on 
pertinent and indepth subjects, designed to be thought-provoking,
especially to our Jewish roots and relationship to israel. 

m) PLANT-A-TREE PROGRAM: Through Keren Kayemet Association (Jewish
National Fund) in Israel, CFI is planting a grove of trees to
help physically restore the land. (Leviticus 19:2)

=================================================================

(Reprinted with permission from CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL. 
For CFI's mailing address, turn to the Ministry and Product
Information section in the RESOURCE area of this issue.)

=================================================================

Subsequent issues of MORNING STAR will contain reports from
these various ministries. Shalom!

Christian Life Department
People Profile
No Dry Eye by Teresa Giordanengo
The Pastor of the Central Assembly of God Church in Houston,
Pennsylvania, Rev. Ralph R. Volpe, had a burden on his heart
for the Vietnam Veterans for a long time. He got the idea for an
appreciation service while he was planning a service for the
veterans of the Persian Gulf War. Pastor Volpe said, "I heard
them (Vietnam veterans) say, 'We're glad that you're doing all
of this for them, but no one ever did anything for us when we
came home.' I just got a strong desire to reach out to these
men and to let them know that we do appreciate them. We're going
to apologize. It is never too late to show our appreciation."

Immediately, the search began for all the Vietnam veterans in
the area. Many letters were sent to those who might have access
to names and addresses of these veterans. This information was
not easy to get, but eventually, over 500 letters were sent out
to the veterans in the Houston area. The letter stated that,
"Twenty-plus years is not too late.....to express our sincere
appreciation to YOU and your fellow brave and courageous men who
served the USA in the Vietnam War."

Pastor Volpe asked Evangelist Mac Gober, a speaker at the
Vietnam Veterans' Conference in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to
speak at the service to be held on July 7, 1991. Evangelist
Gober, a Vietnam veteran, was once a bad-to-the-bone biker. 
When he agreed to come to Houston, Pastor Volpe decided to
contact a local Vietnam veteran, Dan McAnany, President of the
local Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club, also known as the
Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club. He searched for Dan McAnany
until he located him and then he invited him and the members of
the motorcycle club, including their families, to attend the
service. Dan had no interest in attending the service under any
circumstances. In the meantime, the church members were praying
day after day for this special service and for Dan and his
friends. They were praying that God would touch the hearts of
these men that they would come and experience for themselves the
Love of God! 

One Sunday morning as Pastor Volpe was speaking to his
congregation, a call came through from Dan McAnany. Pastor
Volpe called Dan immediately after the service. He was very
happy to hear Dan say that he and a few of his friends would
attend the special service. Dan told the Pastor that he had a
new grandson named after himself, Danny William McAnany II,
and as a special favor, he asked Pastor Volpe to dedicate his
grandson at this special service. Pastor Volpe was more than
glad to dedicate this small child to the Lord. At the beginning
of the service, opening greetings on an overhead screen were
displayed. There was a color guard, children bearing American
Flags, patriotic songs, displays, and ribbons. KDKA, an
affiliate of CBS, covered the entire service and televised
portions of it across the nation. About one-thousand, two-
hundred people attended the service. Many adult Sunday school
members were praying for this service in another section of the
building. 

Pastor Volpe welcomed everyone and thanked all the veterans for
attending. "It is not too late to show our appreciation and love
 and I am humbled to see this come to reality. We appreciate all
our veterans," he said.

Participants in the service were the Gold Star Mothers, children
from Central Assembly, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 191 of
Canonsburg and American Legion Post 902 of Houston, as well as
several local, state, and federal government officials. The
service included a roll call remembrance of local veterans who
died in the Vietnam War, recognition of the prisoners of war,
soldiers missing in action, and other acknowledgements. 

Evangelist Mac Gober came home from Vietnam in 1967. He took
off his uniform and trampled on it, joined a motorcycle gang,
and started getting into fights, drugs, and jail. He told the
audience a little about his life and then told how knowing Jesus
Christ as his Lord and Savior changed his whole life around. 

"I was really angered at the way our government was treating our
guys. Nobody even cared that our guys were over there
fighting," Gober said. "I was so mad at my government, at my
country, for turning their backs on our fighting men that I
decided I was going to turn my back on them."

Appreciation was in short supply when the Vietnam veterans were
coming home in the late 1960s, Gober remembered. "It was
nothing like today. I think the American public is trying to go
out of their way to say that we've messed up and we're sorry. 
When we came back. we were treated like slobs." said Gober, who
earned two service medals and three decorations in Vietnam. 
"They were lined up at the airport throwing stuff (at the
returning soldiers). It was just open hostility."

Gober said he grew up in a pretty rough family and was arrested
for the first time at thirteen for selling drugs. After that,
he was in and out of jail until he turned sixteen and dropped
out of school. He convinced his mother to sign a waiver that
allowed him to join the Navy. 

At seventeen, he went through basic training, volunteered to go
to Vietnam and received guerrilla combat training at Camp
Coronado, California. By the time he was eighteen years old, he
was in combat along the Da Nang River. 

"They would take you out and drop you off at 6 p.m., and if you
were still there the next morning, they would pick you up," said
Gober, who later learned karate and trained other soldiers in
hand-to-hand combat. "I saw a lot of my buddies die around me
and knew that I could be next. There were so many times I
thought I wouldn't make it."

Gober suffered combat fatigue and spent several weeks in the Da
Nang hospital before being sent back to his unit. He started
using drugs. After going home, he was a "renegade biker
hoodlum." He grew a long beard and wore long, straggly hair. 
He used the pages of the Bible for paper to roll marijuana
cigarettes. He used and sold drugs and he performed several
illegal abortions. "I didn't care about getting arrested. If you
weren't a biker, I didn't care much about you. Eventually, even
gang members became afraid of me because there wasn't anything I
wouldn't do," Gober said. "I had so many bad habits it was
unreal. My life was a mess."

Gober was almost thirty years old when he was living in San
Diego and running from the police, who wanted him on charges of
selling drugs and attempted murder. That was when someone
handed him a gospel tract. He tried to throw it away, but
several weeks later he found it again and read it. It was
captioned, "Just As I Am." "I read further," Gober said, "and
it said that I should come to Jesus just as I was. I did not
have to change a thing. God would take care of everything. All
I had to do was get honest with myself. That was another word
that jumped out at me. The word honest. I read further where it
said that Christ died for me while I was yet a sinner! Before I
ever cared about God, He cared about me." 

As he was entering the apartment of a drug addict a couple of
weeks later, Gober found another pamphlet on the floor. He
learned that an elderly black woman had brought it to the door,
but the addict had punched her in the face and she had dropped
it. Gober picked it up and read it.

"I thank God for that good-old, saintly, black lady. If it
hadn't been for her, I probably wouldn't be alive today," he
said, adding that the pamphlet weighed on his mind for about two
weeks. "Without understanding, I fell on my knees. I said,
'God, if I keep going the way that I am, I'm not going to live
much longer.'" Gober said his attitude, habits, and life changed
immediately after that night. Seeing him, some of the members
of his motorcycle gang also became Christians. 

Since then, he has appeared on several national television talk
shows, including "The 700 Club." He is now an evangelist and
the president and founder of Canaan Land Boys' Home, which began
as a home for young boys but now offers a one-year residential
rehabilitation program for twenty-four to forty-five-year-old
men, in Autaugaville, Alabama. Many of these men were drug
addicts and convicts.

The only way you can let go and be free is to forgive your
government, forgive the people that wronged you," Gober said to
the Vietnam veterans. "You have to forgive and let the past be
the past. Through God's help, I was able to do that."

Gober told the assembly, "All the veterans want is for you to be
honest with them. The nicest things you could say to the
veterans are, 'I love you. You are welcome,' and, 'You are as
important as I am to this society. We are your friends.'" Gober
continued, "Be yourself. Don't be anyone else. Just be
yourself. That's all we want you to be. Be real. It is not an
accident that you are here today. It was ordained of God (even
if someone had to drag you here). I am glad you are here. God
has a purpose and plan for your life. Your life is not an
accident. Your life is not over. The devil is a liar. God
sees people who are in need and hurting. That is why He sent
His son, Jesus, to die on the cross." 

Gober read from Psalm 40 about how God brought us up out of the
miry clay and set our feet upon a rock and established our
goings. Gober said, "Jesus Christ is coming back someday for
those who are waiting for Him, for the saved, the born-again
Christians. You are either right with God, or you are not right
with God. God is REAL and He loves YOU. We will all stand
before Him someday. You have either accepted Jesus as your
savior, or you haven't. If you are going to be a Christian,
then be one. He loves every one of you as He loves me. He
forgave me of all my sins. He forgave and forgot all about them.
 That is what's nice about God. He forgives and forgets."

Gober gave an altar call and over 100 individuals came forward
to repeat the sinner's prayer and accept Jesus as their Lord and
Savior. Gober directed them to do several things as soon as
possible: 1) Be baptized in water, following Jesus' example.
2) Let their past be past at last, not letting the devil remind
them of anything in their past. 3) Stop giving others permission
to make them feel inferior because they are the only person who
can give others that permission. 4) Find a church, one that
shows the love that this one shows. 5) Start reading the Bible
and praying every day.

Gober said, "No matter what you have done in your life, even in
the lowest times of your life, God loves you. If everyone walked
out on you, Jesus would be coming in the door. We have turned
our back on Him, but He has never turned his back on us.

"I was looking for the real reason why Pastor Volpe had this
special service. I found that Pastor Volpe genuinely loves the
veterans, and because of this, wanted to show his appreciation.
It would be wonderful if other pastors throughout the country
would catch the vision and do something like this for the
Vietnam veterans in their area," Gober said.

At the end of the service, the veterans were given a gift 
package that included a Vietnam keepsake Bible. A twenty-one
gun salute, taps, and a balloon release for those killed in
action took place outdoors. A dinner for the Vietnam veterans
and their families followed the service. 

Many times during the service there were standing ovations for
the Vietnam veterans. Everyone held hands at the end of the
service while a soloist sang "I'm proud to be an American." 
There was no dry eye in the church.
Special Story
Point Man by Bob Ferralli
The following article and testimony is from Bob Ferralli, an
authorized minister of POINT MAN INTERNATIONAL, a Christian
Outreach for Vets by Vets.

The name "Point Man" comes from a term familiar to all veterans.
A Point Man walks several yards ahead of his unit watching for
signs, activity, and boobie traps of the enemy. His purpose is
to find a safe passage through enemy territory, and protect his
friends from unseen attacks. This is basically what we are
trying to do with our ministry, Point Man International. It is
a Christian Outreach for veterans made up of veterans, of which
I am an authorized minister. We are trying to lead veterans
away from Satan and all the dangers and show them how to start a
new life with Jesus Christ. We welcome veterans of any war or
war era, who may have problems. We have a weekly meeting, and
every veteran is treated individually, according to his needs. 
The support of Christians everywhere is needed very much, as we
are battling Satan all the way.

=================================================================

Many people do not understand why Vietnam was different from
other wars. Allow me to present a few facts. We did not have
an incident such as Pearl Harbor to arouse the emotions of the
American people in supporting this Vietnam Action. Vietnam was
the first teenage war. The average age in Vietnam was 18.7
years, while in World War II it was 26 years. The United States
involvement in Vietnam lasted 16 years. It started in 1959 and
ended in 1975. World War II lasted only six years from 1939 to
1945. Vietnam was a political war. It was also the first
televised war. One could sit down after supper and see the
fighting and the horror of war right in their own living room. 
Actually Vietnam was not called a war, but rather a police
action. We were supposed to fight according to rules. We were
taught in boot camp that the Viet Cong were not men but animals
and to kill one wasnUt to bother us.

We had no front lines in Vietnam. The enemy was all around us
and there was no safe place. We had to kill women and children
because the Viet Cong used them against us. It was a guerrilla
war. The majority of the time we were hit by snipers, ambushed,
or caught in boobie traps. Most of the time we never saw the
enemy. We just shot in the direction of the gunfire or noise.
The Viet Cong were fighting for the minds and hearts of their
people, but we were fighting for territory and just to stay
alive.

When we were sent home, it was often as soon as twenty-four
hours after being in combat. We had no time for debriefing or
adjusting. We had no support from the American people back
home, and all the protesting just made the war last longer. We
came home one or two at a time and had no warm welcome. We were
usually met at the airport by protestors. Let me share with you
my own story.

I joined the Marines in January of 1965. After boot camp and
advanced infantry training, I was sent to explosive ordinance
school and became an expert with all types of explosives. After
a thirty-day leave, I was sent to Vietnam by way of Okinawa. My
group made an amphibious landing on the beach outside Chu Lai. 
I spent most of my tour between Chu Lai and the Da Nang area of
Vietnam. While there, I lost many friends and I had to do a
lot of things that were to cause me mental problems for the next
twenty years of my life. I cannot describe in this article the
things that all of us saw or did to anyone who was not actually
there.

After my tour of duty was over, I landed at the Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, airport, just before Thanksgiving of 1966. People
looked at me and treated me like I was some kind of a wild
animal. Mothers grabbed their children by their hands so they
wouldn't get too close to me, and other people just pointed at
me. I couldn't understand this because I was raised to love God
and my country and I had just returned from fighting a war far
from my country. This type of treatment only got worse, not
better. All the war protestors, draft dodgers, and men who went
to Canada were treated like heros, but we were treated like
dirt. I still had about two years left on my four-year
enlistment and spent them at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. I
was discharged in January 1969. That is when all my troubles
began.

I got married just before I was discharged. That marriage
lasted about four years. Neither one of us was ready and it was
nothing but trouble from the first day. I started drinking and
smoking grass more than ever and bought a big Harley Davidson
motorcycle to start riding with a bike gang. All we did was
hang around bars, fight, and drink. After a while, I got tired
of this life and just wanted to be alone. I never talked about
Vietnam and I did not want to answer questions about it either. 

I started dating my present wife in 1973. She was younger than
me and never asked questions about the war. I never told her
anything about Vietnam and felt that what she didn't know
wouldn't hurt her. As it turned out, what she did not know DID
hurt her. I began drinking about a case of beer a day and was
smoking grass all the time. I did this so that I wouldn't think
about Vietnam and so that I could sleep at night. 

We were married in 1977. I thought at this time that my life
would change, but it didn't. I had nightmares and would wake up
lying on the floor or crawling down the hall covered with sweat,
too weak to get up. I would wake up in the middle of the night,
grab one of my guns, and go out in the country and walk around
the woods on patrol. I would have flashbacks while on these
patrols. I would hear machine guns, mortars, and people
screaming in pain.

Almost anything could trigger a flashback, things people said,
certain noises, smells, or different events. Whenever this
happened, I would have to get some beer and get away from people
and go out into the woods as soon as possible. I had loaded
guns hidden all around the house and never left the house
without one or more pistols on me. I would get headaches so bad
it felt like my head was going to explode because I had so much
locked up in my mind and never talked about it. I would have
blackouts and do things, and not remember anything about it. I
could only sleep for about two hours at a time, and was afraid
to even allow myself this, because of the nightmares I would
have. I would go into fits of rage or deep depression for no
reason. I had an anger, hatred and distrust for all people. I
especially hated doctors and attorneys and had a even made a
"hit list" for them.

I always lived life on the edge, doing a lot of dangerous
things, just to see if I would live or die. I didn't have any
friends, and didn't want any because of my experience in
Vietnam. I had made friends over there, and many were killed. 
It hurt too much, and I didn't want to go through it again. I
could not stand people walking or driving close behind me. If
they did, they would pay for it. I couldn't stand to be around
people and often would not speak to my wife and family for days.
 I never answered the telephone, and if I was home alone, I
would take it off the hook. I never wore a watch, because I
didn't care about the time and never planned ahead for anything.
 I just lived one day at a time. Everytime I got angry, I would
punch holes in doors, walls, and windows, not caring where I did
it.

Everytime our children would cry, I had to leave the house
because I would think about the children in Vietnam crying and
things that were done to them. If someone visited at the front
door, I would take off out the back door. I spent a lot of time
sitting out in the woods with a forty-five caliber pistol and a
case of beer thinking about ending it all. I would start to
think about my family and how they would feel, and that would
always change my mind. All of this mental anguish seemed to
cause me a lot of stomach trouble. It was getting worse all the
time. One day I hurt my back and neck at work, which caused me
to be in pain all the more. 

I reached a point where I just couldn't take it anymore. My
marriage was in trouble and my children hardly knew me. They say
you have to be down so far before you can get up. Believe me, I
was down. Just when I thought nothing else could go wrong, I
had a minor operation on my shoulder to remove a small lump. In
doing so, the doctor cut too deep and cut a nerve in half. For
several months my shoulder was in a great deal of pain and the
muscle wasted away. I could only raise my right arm less than
half way. 

Then, in May, 1990, I was diagnosed as having parasites. The
doctor said I'd probably had them since I was in Vietnam, and
this was the reason for all my stomach trouble. Over the span
of twenty years, I had every kind of test done to try and find
the reason for all the pain in my stomach, but no one could
ever help before.

Two days after the doctor told me about the parasites, I came
home and no one was there, so I turned the television on. A show
called the 700 Club was on. I had never watched it before.
Before I could change the channel, Pat Robertson started talking
about Jesus and healing. He said, "There is someone out there
with some kind of an ailment or disease from a tropical country,
that has been giving them trouble for many years." Then he said
that he thought it was parasites of some kind. When he said
that, I got warm all over and didn't know what was going on. 
When my wife got home, I told her about it and she watched the 
700 club again later that day and called and claimed the healing
for me. About a week later, I had the doctor check me again and
he said there wasn't any sign of parasites. (I haven't had any
trouble with my stomach since that day.)

In the meantime, I learned that the 700 club was having a
Vietnam Veterans conference at Virginia Beach, Virginia, the
last weekend of June 1990. There had been two conferences
previously, but I never felt any desire to go. But for some
reason, I felt like going this time. After I got there, I felt
for a moment like changing my mind and leaving, but I decided to
stay. I found out that all the veterans there had the same
problems that I had. Talking to these men was like talking into
a mirror.

There was an altar call on Friday night, and I went forward and
gave my life to Jesus Christ. That is when my life turned
completely around! I left all my troubles at the altar and
walked away a new man in Christ. It was like a thousand pounds
of weight was taken off my shoulders. All the years of anger,
hatred, distrust, along with all my problems and bad habits,
were suddenly gone. I began talking to other veterans and making
friends. It seemed like everything I saw was brighter. I even
found out what it was like to be a husband and father. I felt
like my life had just started all over again, and all my
problems, worries, and bad habits, were gone forever. 

I was still having a lot of pain in my right shoulder and very
little movement. I had a couple of doctors look at it and they
said they would have to do a nerve graft. They wanted to take a
nerve out of my foot and put it in my shoulder. They said if
they didn't do that, my shoulder would just get worse until I
wouldn't be able to use it or my arm at all.

In August, I went to a revival in Pittsburgh, PA. After the
service, I noticed that my shoulder didn't hurt as bad. I went
back again Saturday, and the next day all the pain was gone! I
put off seeing the doctor, who wanted to operate on me, for
about three months. Finally, I went back to him and told him I
was feeling better and could raise my arm above my head with no
pain. He told me that it was impossible for a nerve to grow
back together after it had been cut like mine had. He sent me to
get my nerve retested. The doctor who did the test before and
after my healing couldn't believe it. He said that this was the
first time he ever saw a nerve that was cut in half grow back
together again. I now can use my shoulder and arm with no pain.

It seems like everything is going my way now instead of against
me. Even my neck and back have been getting better too. I
thank the Lord for all he has done for me. I will Praise the
Lord forever!

POINT MAN INTERNATIONAL 820 Wayne Street Washington PA 15301
412/228-5081
Education
An Interview With Clark Stephens by Teresa Giordanengo
Morning Star Senior Editor, Teresa Giordanengo, conducted this
interview with Clark Stephens, the principal of Liberty
Christian School in Huntington Beach, California. The interview
was done via electronic mail over a computer network, as well as
through telephone conversations. Mr. Stephens is married and
has three children, all in school. He has been principal at
Liberty for ten years. His BS degree is from Humboldt State
University in Arcata CA, and his MA degree in Christian School
Administration, is from Biola University, LaMirada, CA. Mr.
Stephens attends the Central Baptist Church in Huntington Beach,
CA.

Teresa: Students may attend Liberty Christian School from
kindergarten through the twelfth grade. How is the student
today different than the last generation and why?

Clark: My experience, along with that of the faculty and others
working with young people, indicates that the problems that
young people are dealing with are increasing at a rapid rate. 
At one time, the greatest problem a teacher had to deal with was
chewing gum in class or talking too much. However, today,
educators are dealing with drugs, violence, premarital sex and
worse. Sometimes these community problems spill over into the
Christian school and must be dealt with as part of the education
process. 

Teresa: What do you feel is the most perplexing problem
teachers face in the classroom today?

Clark: Perhaps it could be termed unrealistic expectations. 
Teachers today are expected to fill the roles of parents,
counselors, psychologists, policemen, and correctors of all
kinds of societal wrongs. While it is true that the teacher
should be a righteous role model, they are not the students'
parents. While it is true that the teacher finds themselves
with ideal opportunities to share God's wisdom with the
students, the teacher cannot be expected to have to deal with
the great emotional problems students deal with today. Parents
must take the major role and depend on the teacher to assist
them. We cannot expect our teachers to do it all. It is not
true that if we could just provide the right kind of
"education," there would not be any evil in our society. 
Whenever we identify a problem in our society, we expect
teachers and education to fix it. That's an unrealistic
expectation. When we, as a society, send students to school who
are ready to learn, then teachers will be more successful in
causing their students to learn.

Teresa: Why are many students today not ready to learn?

Clark: I suppose there are many possible answers to this
question as it depends upon the factors at work with the
particular student. However, many students have life too easy
and do not see a quality education as something worth the
effort. I know of several fairly affluent families who have
children that seem to think the money will always be there for
them. Perhaps they have not been taught to work, because the
good life has come easy for them. Consequently, when a teacher
tries to motivate them to learn, they sometimes do not have the
personal discipline to work hard. Show me a child who has
learned to work, and I'll usually show you a student who can
learn.

Teresa: How has television changed our students today?

Clark: Children used to heavy dos