THE WORD, OF TR'UTH. MARCH, 1970 Number 2

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1 THE WORD, OF TR'UTH Published Monhly "And ye shall know he ruh, and he ruh shall make you free"-jno Volume 1'4 MARCH, 1970 Number 2 "Of His own will bega He us wih he Word of Truh, ha we migh be a kind of-fir-sf~flreslju(jam~eshl~.-11-e81+).o "F EOR THE' DEFENSEi OF T.HE' GOSPEL ALL PURPORTED QUCKENNG S NOT REAL QUCKENNG n recen years here have been numerous happenings which have been credied o he Holy Spiri. Fresh anoinings are announced, new infillings, and he mos remarkable esimonies of joy, peace, and spiriual expressions. We mus confess ha all of his is quie refreshing in he mids of dull and lifeless religion, and ha we are giving hanks o our Faher for he awakening of such souls, Equally rue, however, we mus acknowledge cerain hings abou hese movemens concern us because hey do no compor wih God's Word. is axiomaic ha anyone filled wih he Spiri will be in harmon; wih His eaching. Paul spoke of "words which he Holy Ghos eacheh" ( Cor. 2 13). The Holy Spiri will never move or conrain one o live in a conradicory fashion o hese words _ we mus undersand his if we are o "ry he spiris, wheher hey be of God" ( Jno. 4 1). have observed in hese insances of he purpored infilling wih he Holy Spiri (heir auheniciy is known of "God he Judge" - Heb. 1223), here are some srikingly similar characerisics and developmens. No all of hem suppor he supposiion of a grea spiriual work, hough hey cerainly give evidence o some renovaing work - someimes, fear, quie unaccepable. realize ha in saying such hings will immediaely incur he indignaion of some ha seek o defend zealously heir convicions - bu we have a righ o bring your convicions and your proclamaions ino quesion if hey do no complimen he Word of God. You mus, herefore, bear wih us while we place hese hings under examinaion. While we are no a all prepared o deny ha such as claim o have been filled wih he Holy Spiri are wrong in heir analysis, we are prepared o affirm ha some of he rais ha are ofen seen in such circles are cerainly no befiing of a Spiri-filled person, o say he very leas. Generally, i seems (a leas in he cases wih which we are familiar), he woman of he house assumes he role of represenaive, ofen becoming he spokesman for he family. A he very leas, hey become very verbose, always having much o say - all of which is no alogeher edifying. This is ineresing in view of he expressed will of he Spiri for he siser's in Chris; "shamefacedness" (no forward or hrusinq oneself ino he prominence), and a "meek and a quie spiri" ( Tim. 29; Pe. 34). Spiriual and physical laziness is soon seen o ake place, mohers are aken ou of he home, children are lef o heir own vaniies, and husbands begin o ea more ou of cans. Such hings are disgraceful for he sains and cause he word of God o be blasphemed (Tius 25; Tim. 6 1). Also, here ofen come's o pass an almos inolerable olerance of sin. No longer is i harshly deal wih, bu i is condoned wih carnal paience and undersanding. The Scripures are generally no primary wih such people, bu grea sock is placed in dreams, visions, leadings, and feeling's, purpored "prophecies" n'" This ssue God-Cenered Preaching - pg. 2 Commenary On Philippians (No. 18) - pg. 6

2 h, 1 The Word of Tru Published monhly by The Church Meeing and Colfax Sree, Gary, ndiana. a 26h Auhor and Edior Given O. Blakely Conribuing Auhor Richard Ebler Circulaion Managers Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Powers Publicaion Office 26h and Colfax S., Gary, ndiana. (Send no correspondence o his address.) Offices 7903 Hendricks Place, Merrillville, nd Address all correspondence o 7903 Hendricks Place, Merrillville, ndiana Sen Free upon reques o all ineresed paries. Business SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAD AT CROWN PONT, NDANA ~ ~,! dealing wih conemporary happenings, ec. The inward sruggles of he believer are also found disdainful, and discussions of such are sudiously avoided. Such is ruly conradicory o he expressions of he aposle's in heir "docrine" (Romans 7). Prayers, among such folk, are heard o be uered o Jesus and o he Holy Spiri, which hings proceed from a very basic ignorance of he facs (John 1623). The Holy Spiri promps us o cry "Abba, Faher" (Rom. 815; Gal. 46). Bu lile of his is known wihin he confines of he fellowships of which now speak. Too, Babylon is virually unknown among hese people, which is equally a cause of grea concern. Their "filling" has ofen made more avid secarians of hem han hey have ever been before. False docrine is imbibed wihou reservaions, and here are no compuncions abou keeping habiual company wih hose ha God haes (Psa. 55; 115; Chron. 192). Churches ha perpera e such dogmas as may be appropriaely called "damnable heresies" ( Pe ) are aended by hese people as well suppored by hem, while all he while heir sequesering eachings are unopposed. Now, while his may be called spiriualiy by some, i is called quie anoher hing by hose whose hear has been enrapured wih he ruh. The commandmen of he Lord is o "come ye ou from among hem", "from such urn away", "avoid hem", ec. ( Cor. 617; Rev. 184; Tim. 35; Rom ). There is nohing ha can excuse disobedience o hese commandmens - hey sand as he will of our God! We do no wish o cas an undue reflecion upon he legiimacy of he spiriual experiences of which hese brehren speak. Bu a bes hey are bu a beginning, no he acme of involvemen wih God. Our objecion is ha such people are augh by sophiss ha his is he pinnacle of experience, he mounain peak of blessing. Wih such eaching as a foundaion, such people proceed wih full confidence ha wha has happened o hem is o be rused - no he Living God Himself! Thus hey are unwiingly hrown upon heir own naural mind, all he while persuaded of "God's leading." n such a case, spiriual simplcry ses in, Page 2 robbing he soul of he morsels of grace ha are So necessary o spiriual advancemen. We have seen several well beloved brehren, capivaed by his enamormen, become spiriual idios, unable o discern he rue hings of he Kingdom. The grea and enlivening eachings of Scripure are minimized, salvaion is considered secondary, and a virual complee loss of spiriual perspecive is experienced. We make no apologies for he fac of our animosiy oward such resuls. The Lord has augh us o love Zion, he ciy of he living God (Heb ff), and when we see he consiuens of ha Kingdom se back by mundane caegorizaions of Scripure and merely human conceps of experience we become indignan. When flesh and blood begins o inerpre he exciaions of man's spiri - he drawing oward glory, he expressions of one ha has been ouched by God _. grea and devasaing resuls ake place. Our only re-coursemus be o he Scripures, where holy men of old have recorded and inerpreed for us legiimae spiriual experiences. f, in our recourse here, we find conradicions - flagran conradicions - we are forced o deny he validiy of he experience ha is purpored. f some of our brehren are angered a ha, le hem raher rejoice ha his will guaranee he recepion of and rejoicing in of all ruly auhenic blessings from God. We do no wan he mere inerpreaions of decepive hears for confirmaion (Jer. 179), bu he libery which permis us o search he Scripures o see wheher hese hings be so (Acs 17 11). f he fruiage of your experience is no he fruiage of he Holy Spiri, hen a more rue quickening mus be experienced! God-Cenered Preaching The subjec of God is an inriguing one - one ha ranscends all naural undersanding. n discussing he maer, he Holy Spiri winessed, "Grea is he mysery of godliness" ( Tim. 3 16). There is no quesion bu ha he greaes confusion in Chrrsendom is found in his sphere God Himself. Saan has managed o diver he vas majoriy of Proesanism from he Lord Himself o a variey of emphases - none of which bring righeousness nor peace..nor joy in he Holy Ghos (Rom ). Men's hears are o be enrapured wih he Lord Himself; i is He ha is o ravish heir affecion and analize heir minds. is in ques of his aim ha wrie. The Godhead is much misundersood. Under he presen dominaion of Babylon, for insance, God he Faher has been almos oally obscured. Lile is said of Him, of His glorious aribues, and of His eernal purpose (Eph. 311). The whole deplorable condiion evidences ha he conemporary church has been compleely oblivious o he maer of redempion and is rue impor. Truhfully, am zealous o recapure he ruh of Godcenered preaching; of he proclamaion of "he God and Faher of our Lord Jesus Chris" ( Cor. 13). is eviden in he Scripures ha Jesus Chris came o reveal he Faher; o unold o men His grea Person, and o give His life a ransom for many ha we migh gain rue and living access o GOd. The whole of redempion is cen-

3 ered in his; we now have, in Chris Jesus, access o God; "By Whom we also have access by faih ino his grace wherein we sand and rejoice in hope of he glory of God" (Rom. 52)); "For hrough Him we boh have access by one Spiri uno he Faher" (Eph. 218); "n whom we have boldness and access wih confidence by he faih of Him" (Eph. 3 12); "For he Law made nohing perfec, bu he bringing in of a beer hope did, by he which we draw nigh uno God" (Heb. 719); "Having herefore, brehren, boldness o ener ino he holies by he blood of Jesus" (Heb ) ; "Draw nigh uno God" (Js. 48); "And if ye call on he Faher, who wihou respec of persons judgeh according o every man's work, pass he ime of your sojourning here in fear" ( Pe. 1 17); "For Chris also hah suffered for sins, he Jus for he unjus, ha He migh bring us o God... " ( Pe. 218), ec. n he preaching of he Gospel, a pre-eminen - THE pre-eminen posiion - is reserved for he Faher Himself as expressed "in he face of Chris Jesus" ( Cor. 46). "The word which GOD sen uno he children of srael, preaching peace by Jesus Chris (He is Lord of all)" (Acs 1036); "And we declare uno you glad idings, how ha he promise which was made uno he fahers, GOD HATH FULFLLED he same uno us heir children, in ha HE HATH RASED up Jesus again" (Acs ); "And now, brehren, commend you o GOD, and o he word of HS grace... " (Acs 2032); "For am no ashamed of he Gospel of Chris for i is THE POWER OF GOD uno salvaion... " (Rom. 1 16); "For he preaching of he cross is o hem ha perish foolishness, bu uno us ha are saved, i is THE POWER OF GOD" ( Cor. 118). See he cenraliy of God in ha preaching! Bu furher, Chris Himself is pre-eminenly he revelaion of he Faher; "God hah shined ino our hears wih he ligh of he glory of he knowledge of he glory of God in he face of Chris Jesus" ( Cor. 46); "Who (Chris) is he MAGE OF THE NVSBLE GOD" (Col. 115); "For i PLEASED THE FATHER ha in Him should all fullness dwell" (Col 1 19) ; "Who (Chris) being he brighness of HS GLORY, and he EXPRESS MAGE OF HS PER- SON... " (Heb. 13). We dare no view our Lord Jesus Chris wihou keeping hese hings in mind; else we will miss His minisry o our spiris. We were esranged from God, and he whole purpose of our salvaion is o bring us back o Him. To his end our Lord died and rose again, praise His holy name! n his whole economy, i is he glory of God ha is he aim; "For all hings are for your sakes, ha he abundan grace migh hrough he hanksgiving of many redound TO THE GLORY OF GOD" ( Cor. 4 15); "Being filled wih he fruis of righeousness, which are by Jesus Chris, UNTO THE GLORY AND THE PRASE OF GOD" (Phil. 1 11); "And ha every ongue should confess ha Jesus Chris is Lord, TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER" (Phil. 211). ake grea cauion a his ime o emphasize ha his is no inended o be a minimizaion of our Lord Jesus - God forbid such blasphemy! is raher a sancified effor o se forh he ruh of Chris, ha He is he Lord's anoined; he one sen by God, he Lamb of God, he Bread of God, and he Word ha was he beginning wih God,-made flesh and dwelling among us as he "only begoen of he Faher, full of grace and ruh." The mperaive of God-Cenered Preaching Our Lord and Savior Himself se he example for us, always drawing aenion o he Faher and His "docrine"; "My docrine is no mine, bu His ha sen Me" (John 616); "My mea is o do he will of Him ha sen me, and o finish His work" (Jno. 434); "The Son can do nohing of Himself, bu wha He seeh THE FATHER do for whasoever hings He doeh, hese also doeh he Son likewise" (Jno. 519); " am he rue Vine, MY FATHER is he husbandman" (John 15 1);... "All hings ha have HEARD OF MY FATHER have made known uno you" (John 1515), ec. By His own confession He spoke no ou from Himself, bu "as my Faher hah augh me speak" (John 828; 1410). Over 60 imes in he Gospels he phrase "MY FATHER" is used of our Lord, drawing aenion o His pre-eminence in he unseen world. Conrary o carnal appearances, his does no obviae he Lord Jesus Chris, nor does i bring reproach upon His grea Name by casing Him in a lesser role. God forbid ha such an erroneous impression should be creaed in he sains! Raher, he proclamaion of he Faher permis our Savior o execue His office properly; for He ruly is he means "o he Faher" (John 146) - ha is wha redempion is all abou. Those ha fail o make God he Faher pre-eminen in preaching rob our Lord Jesus of His minisry, and render effecual growh impossible. f here is no conscious relaionship wih he Faher realized, hen all religious quess have been in vain, for ha is he aim of he whole maer! Le none despise his emphasis; i was inroduced o us of our Lord Himself, and was mainained by His holy Aposles. Chris Jesus is our High Pries uno God; He is our Media or and nercessor wih God; He is he Good Shepherd o lead us o God; he Bread of God in order o our ulimae living uniy wih he Faher; He is he Vine which he Faher bends, ogeher wih is associaive branches; He is he Covenan which he Faher hah given o he peeple ; He is he Lamb of God, he Wisdom of God, and he Righeousness of God, as well as he Power of God and he image of God. The Spiri consrains us o cry "Abba Faher", i is hrough Chris ha we "come o he Faher", and our fellowship is "wih he Faher and HS Son, Jesus Chris" ( John 13). was "God" ha "spake in imes pas uno he fahers by he prophes", and i is ha same God ha now speaks "o us hrough His Son Chris Jesus, who HE HATH APPONTED Heir of all hings, hrough Whom also HE MADE he worlds" (Heb ). Le us never lose Sigh of his glorious ruh. is invigoraing o he spiri, liberaing o he conscience, and honoring o he effecual work of our Redeemer, Chris Jesus! Misaken Emphases Produce Unsound Adherens. f he improper member of he Godhead is emphasized, here will come a cerain unsoundness ino he lives of believers. This is demonsraed all Page 3

4 ...! BABBLNGS FROM BABYLON1S BULLETNS BABBLE ~2 "A 'Name Tha Bus Cones' is now in progress and, will coninue unil January 25h. There will be five winners - one in each age group (pre-school, grades, 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12). Then he winners will com~ pee for he grand prize on February 1, Don' forge o place your enry in he box under he balcony. Cones closes a 900 P.M., January 25h.", Taken from ~ THE CHRSTAN CHRONCLE + ~ BABBLE ~3 "Due o he building program, he decision o elec a differen Chairman of Elders every year, has been suspended for one year only, and _. has been asked o coninue in his office for he presen year." Taken from THE LAMPLGHTER. BABBLE ~4 "f we leave he Norh Vienamese wih he impression ha we are divided, i will 1. Lenghen he war. 2. ncrease American losses. 3. Resul in weak peace ha could lead o laer larger wars. 4. Encourage fuure harassmen by oher naions." Taken from THE HARVESTER... abou us in Babylon. For insance, Spiri-cenered preaching leads ulima.ely o' subjeciveism. limis knowledge o conscious saes and elemens, claiming ha he supreme good is some subjecive experience or feeling. Thus do many Babylonians speak of heir experiences more han of God; of he sensaions of heir body more han he sensaions of heir hear and spiri. ndividual feelings become he ulimae crierion, and whole lives are hung upon he flimsiness of moral moods and frames. Men's experiences become primary, and he Word of he Lord becomes secondary. n every place where his emphasis is made, here is gross ignorance concerning he ruh of God. The Holy Spiri becomes he objec of prayers and songs, which pracice ough o be eliminaed. H~ is he unobrusive member of he Godhead - he silen Worker, as i were. He does no draw aenion o Himself, and is no o be he subjec of preaching. We do no read of he Gospel of he Spiri; or he hope of he Spiri; or he Spiri so loving he world; or of he Spiri sending he Son; or of men preaching he Spiri. These are all conceps ha have arisen wih he adven of human philosophy, and hus we repudiae hem for he disgrace ha hey are. They have fosered no spiriualiy, bu have only hrus men ino heir soul (animal life in conradisincion o he spiri) for inerpreaions. Thus, many professed Chrisians are nohing more han modified hippies and heahens because hey are moivaed by heir soul, and no by heir spiri as i is brough ino conac wih he Living God. Page 4 Jesus-cenered preaching can, and ofen does, lead o humanism. is here ha some eyebrows are raised, bu le hem be paien, for we know whereof we speak. This is he ype of preaching ha ceners upon disincively human ineress and ideals. makes my exisence primary, and human ineress pre-eminen. "Relevancy" is he word ha comes ino focus here, as men speak of Jesus solving our problems, being a Friend in rouble, ec., ec. All of his sounds fine o he carnal ear, bu i has a srange ring o he ear of he one ha has ruly sa a he fee of Chris Jesus he Lord. You do no read in he Scripures such praling as "Jesus will be your helper on he job; Chris undersands all of your problems; Jesus will s110wyou each day wha you are o do; Chris can help you wih your decsions, ec. These are words for Simpleons, no for hose ha are of full age, who by reason of use have heir senses exercised o discern good and evil (Heb. 514). Our Lord Jesus is insrumenal in he overhrow Df sin in our lives; in he defea of ha evil One ha walks abou as a roarng ion, seeking whom he may devour ( Pe. 58). Away-wih hese palry offerings of sophisry - we wan none of hem. Wha of my preparaion for deah, o face he Judgemen sea; o rid my, self of hese cleaving sins - ha is where Chris assumes a vial role, for hese all have o do wih preparing o mee God. As for undersanding, i is wrien ha Chris is able o be ouched wih he feelings of our infirmiies (Heb. 4 15), which infirmiies have o do wih our wreched procliviy oward sin - empaion (Heb. 218). Tha is where he believer suffers. Bu, have drifed from he poin which seek o here make; namely ha Jesus- cenered preaching leads o humanism. Chris is here seen as a super-human raher han a humbled GOod.The WQrd of GOodviews Him as "GOod made manifes in he flesh" ( Tim. 3 16); as one ha "humbled Himself", divesing Himself of His glory in order o' he redempion Qf a fallen race (Phil. 2). Le all men discard ha noion ha Jesus is like a Greek myhological characer; some sor or super-human being. He is GOodamongs us (Jno. 114); Deiy brough down, no man inflaed o' some exraordinary degree. Well, we hear a lo abou Jesus hese days; His Name is used hroughou he counry in churches of divers sors. suppose ha some believe we should rejoice in his; and, indeed, when Chris is preached, we do rejoice in i. Bu wha does i mean for Chris o be preached? s He no GOod'sChris? God's anoined One! Tha is when we preach Chris; when we se Him forh as he propiaon or our sins, as he Lamb of GOod, as he SOonof GOod, as he Power and Righeousness of GOod.He ha was revealed of he Faher o' ake away our sins and bring an end o he works of he Devil! Leave he Faher ou of he picure and Chris means no.hing - absoluely nohing! n boh of hese emphases - he Spiri, and Jesus - man becomes he chief cener-poin. Bu he whole purpose Qf our Lord Jesus is o elevae us above man, above he earhly order, o he Holy and nfinle GOod! GOod'sCenraliy Proclaimed n The Scripures How did he Aposles preach? Where did hey place heir emphasis? How did hey proclaim

5 Chris? How hank God for he Scripures, given of God for our learning upon whom he ends of he world are come! No need o speculae on hese quesions; o he word and o he esimony; le hem speak for hemselves. is declared ha God placed us "in Chris" ( Cor. 130), ha He "anoins us " ( Cor. 121), and He "buil all hings" (Heb. 3 4), and He makes us "sand" (Rom. 144). Furher, He has "called us ino he fellowship of His dear Son" (1 Cor. 1 9), is he "Auhor of peace in all he churches" (1 Cor ; Tim. 1 2), and "makes all grace o abound ( Cor. 98). Faih comes from Him (Eph. 623); gifs come from Him (James 1 17), and we are o "behold wha manner of love he Faher hah besowed upon us, ha we should be called he sons of God" (1 John 31). The Faher hah eleced His people ( Pe. 12), sancified hem (Jude 1), and "shined ino heir hears wih he ligh of he glory of he knowledge of God in he face of Chris Jesus" ( Cor. 4 6). When he Holy Spiri comes ino our hears, He consrains us o cry "Abba Faher" (Rom. 815; Gal. 46). We are kings and priess "o God" (Rev. 16), and bow our knees o Him (Eph. 314). Jesus is our Advocae "wih he Faher" ( John 21), and we "give hanks o he Faher" (Col. 13, 12). How abundan are he Scripures wih morsels of mea here! Our sufficiency is "of God" ( Cor. 35); our righeousness is "he righeousness of God" (Phil. 39); i is He ha will "no suffer us o be emped above ha which we are able o bear, bu will wih he empaion make a way of escape ha ye may be able o bear i" ( Cor ); Chris delivered us from "his presen evil world according o he will of God. and our Faher" (Gal. 1 4), and he promises are aply called "he promises of God" ( Cor. 1 20). n our regeneraion, we "live uno God" (Rom. 6 11), bring forh "frui uno God" (Rom. 7 4), yield our bodies "a living sacrifice uno God" (Rom. 12 1), and yield ourselves "o God" as hose ha are alive from he dead (Rom. 613). Do no fail o see he Faher in all of hese hings - see ha He is preeminen; ha he whole purpose of salvaion in Chris is o bring us clean and pure o he Faher for fellowship and glory. The Tesimony Of These Things n Ephesians could no leave his heme wihou going o one of my favorie passages of Scripure. Here i was ha he Lord firs opened up Himself o me, and sill He speaks abundanly o my hear ou of his book. The firs wo chapers will suffice o show he ruh am proclaiming here. How wan you o see i! is he pre-eminence of he Faher. See in hese chapers how Paul's preaching was God-cenered. Now do no misconsrue ha phrase; 1 do no mean o imply ha He did no preach Chris - such a foolish conclusion ha would be! Bu his preaching ended in God; ha was he aim of i all! His preaching was like Chris- - mean o bring us o God. Observe he following phrases in ha segmen of Scripure o which have referred; "he will of God" (11); "God our Faher" (12); "who (God) hah blessed us wih all spiriual blessings" (1 3); "He (God) hah chosen us in Him (Chris) "(14); "ha we should be holy and blameless before Him (God) in love" (14b); having predesinaed us", "o Himself", "according o he good pleasure of His will" (1 5); "he praise of he glory of His grace", "He hah made us acceped in he Beloved" (1 6); "he riches of His grace" (1 7); "He hah abounded oward us in all wisdom and prudence" (1 8); "having made known un o us he mysery of His will", "His good pleasure", "He hah purposed in Himself "(19); "He migh gaher ogeher ino one" (1 10) "he purpose of Him", "workeh all hings", "he counsel of His own will" (1 11); "he praise of His glory" (1 12); "he God of our Lord Jesus Chris", "he Faher of glory may give uno you he spir of wisdom and of revelaion..." (1 17) ; "he hope of His calling"; "he riches of he glory of His inheriance in he sains", (118); "His power o us ward who believe", "he working of His mighy power" (119); "He wrough in Chris", "when He raised Him and from dead, and se Him a His own righ hand in he heavenly places" (1 20); "He hah pu all hings under His fee", "gave Him (Chris) o be head over all hings o he church" (121); "you hah He quickened" (21); "Bu God, who is rich in mercy", "His grea love", "He hah loved us" (24); "He hah quickened us ogeher wih Him" (25); "He hah raised us up ogeher" (26); "He migh show he exceeding riches of His grace", "His kindness" (27); "he gif of God" (28); "We are His workmanship" (210); "God hah before ordained" (210b); "ha He (Chris) migh reconcile boh uno God" (2 16); "Through Him we boh have access by one Spiri o he Faher" (2 18); "he household of God" (2 19); "an habiaion of God hrough he Spiri" (Eph. 222), ec., ec., Brehren, here are hundreds of passages jus like ha in he Scripures; passages ha have had heir glory and he luserous beauy hidden by he vaniies of earhly wisdom. 0, o uncover hem once again, ha he face of God migh shine hrough; ha he rue minisry of our precious Savior migh be realized. The Faher has reserved he pre-eminen place in he Kingdom for Himself - none ough o be offended a ha; Jesus was no! He gladly acknowledged He came o do His Faher's will; ough no we o acknowledge... SPECAL NOTCE TO THOSE RECEVNG TAPES We recenly discovered ha we had received a bad lo of recording apes. Afer examining our re- cording faciliies, i was found ha he apes hemselves were defecive. occurred o us ha i was possible ha some of our readers received sub-qualiy apes - fuzzy and irraic recordings, ec. f you are such a one, please reurn he ape o us immediaely. We will replace i wih a flawless recording. When reurning he ape, make sure he defec is in he ape iself, and no in your ape recorder. Forward o; BRC THER JERRY WLSON Tape Minisry Hendricks Place ; Merrillville, ndiana D "... Page 5

6 he same? 0, le he sains of he mos High resore he Faher o His righful posiion in heir hears; prayers, supplicaions, hanksgivings, praises, and adoraions; worslup, psalms, hymns, and spiriual songs - le hem all arise o he "Faher of lighs" hrough Chris Jesus he Lord and by he Spiri. Tha is wha is comely for he people of God! Le God be "all in all", as He is now declared o be (Eph. 46), and as He shall ulimaely be manifesed o be ( Cor. 1528). Amen. Commenary On Philippians By Richard W. Ebler Chaper Two (con.) (vs. 3, 4) "Le nohing be done hrough srife or vainglory; bu in lowliness of mind le each eseem oher beer han hemselves. Look no every man on his own hings, bu every man also on he hings of ohers." n he preceding verse Paul has exhored he brehren a Philippi o uniy. Now in verse hree he idenifies he causes of division (1) Srife (facion, pary-spiri, see ASV) and (2) Vain-glory (fleshly pride). Broher Calvin says, "These are wo mos dangerous pess for disurbing he peace of he Church. 'Srife' is aroused when everyone wans o guard obsinaely his own opinion; and when i has once begun o rage i rushes headlong along he road i has enered on. 'Vain_glory' ickles men's minds, so ha everyone is delighed wih his own invenions. Hence he only way of guarding agains dissensions is when we avoid srifes by deliberaing and.acing peacefully... " "Srife" is lised as one of he works of he flesh in Galaians 5 20, while our ex exhors us o le nohing be done hrough srife or vain-glory. Therefore we see his as an example of how no provision whasoever is made for he flesh o express iself among he sains. God permis no flesh o glory in his presence; indeed, once he naure of God and he naure of flesh is ruly discerned, i is easy o see why. By he erm "flesh" we refer o everyhing naural abou man. is everyhing ha came from he womb "Tha which is born of he flesh is flesh" (John 36). is human naure apar from God's Spiri. includes he hear, mind, and body, and i is se agains he rue and living God. loves sin, self, pleasure, false gods, and a hos of oher vaniies and deceis. haes he rue God and His eernal word of ruh, ye srangely loves o counerfei rue religion, even as Jannes and Jambres wihsood Moses by duplicaing he works of God up o a poin ( Tim. 38). Thus religious flesh, ie., flesh in he church, is he mos suble and damning of all. n Galaians 526 we read, "Le us no be desirous of vain glory, provoking one anoher, envying one anoher." The glory of he flesh is vain glory because of is ephemeral and godless naure. The prophe saiah compares i o he flower of grass which wihers and perishes (saiah ). To his he Holy Spiri conrass he hings of God which have "eernal glory". Ye flesh wans glory for iself. The fleshly mind sis Page 6 in he emple of God, our bodies, declaring ha i is God and here is none else, opposing and exaling iself above all ha is called God ( Thess. 23, 4). Flesh desires worship and glory as much as Saan who uses flesh as his domain of operaion. Flesh desires glory so much ha i even glories in is shame, ie., in ha which i should be ashamed of, such as nakedness (Gen. 37, Ex. 3225, Phil. 319). Flesh has a way of provoking flesh. When one desires vain glory he disease can spread. Jus as hared ends o provoke hared, so pride can end o provoke pride. Then we are found "provoking one anoher, envying one anoher." Even if ohers do hings hrough srife we mus no come down o heir level and srive wih hem in our own flesh. Vicory over carnaliy wihin any individual or wihin any assembly is largely obained by simply ignoring i and rising in he Spiri o he heavenly realm where flesh canno come. This is vicory by indirecion. f we ry o aack flesh direcly in he srengh of our own flesh we shall soon become like un o hem. "The beginning of srife is as when one leeh ou waer herefore leave off conenion, before i be meddled wih" (Prov. 1714). Emulae Elijah who refused o come down from his mounain o do bale in he flesh wih his enemy ( Kings 19-12). We also are o eseem ohers beer han ourselves. f i is asked how his can be done when here are obviously going o be differences in levels of grace and growh represened in any assembly he answer is easy. This is possible when we have a righ esimae of God's gifs and our own infirmiies. "For however anyone may possess ousanding endowmens, he ough o consider ha hey have no been conferred upon him ha he migh be self-complacen, ha he migh exal himself or even eseem himself. Le him insead employ himself in correcing and deecing his fauls, and he will have abundan cause for humiliy. n ohers, on he oher hand, he will regard wih honour whaever here is of excellence, and will in love bury heir fauls. The man who will observe his rule, will have no difficuly in preferring ohers before himself." Anoher fac ha makes his possible is ha he graces of he Spiri can be poured ou upon any person regardless of heir age, experience, or naural abiliy, for anyone can be given grace o love God. Thus zealous beginners are ofen very refreshing o older veerans in he faih. Also, he possession of naural or spiriual abiliies should humble us when we consider ha hey are gifs from God which bring wih hem grave responsibiliies of sewardship. Furhermore, i is rue ha in a sense each member of he body of Chris is indeed superior o all ohers in some way, for each has been placed in he body wih a special endowmen for he profi of he whole body. f we look mainly upon his gif in graiude o God here will be no schism in he body. Finally, we are old o "Le no man seek his own, bu every man anoher's wealh" ( Cor ). We are able o do his by faih Since i is wrien, "He ha waereh shall be waered also

7 himself" (Prov. 1125). We ough o seek one anoher's spiriual profi above all else and make our decisions in he ligh of his principle "Wha will mos grealy be a blessing o God's people?" Then ha verse will be fulfilled in us, ha hey which love Jerusalem shall prosper (Psa. 1226). David A Sain Of Sensiiviy BY Broher Danny Powers Broher Danny Powers is he broher- inlaw of he edior of THE WORD OF TRUTH, and aends he fellowship a 26h and Colfax. Ofen he gives inroducions o he Lord's day messages, having been endowed of he Lord wih some undersanding of he hings peraining o life and godliness. Broher Danny is 22 years of age, and is he son of Broher and Siser Andrew Powers, circulaion managers for THE WORD. We ask you o pray for Danny, ha his faih migh increase, and ha he migh keep himself pure from he course of his world, ogeher wih is many empaions and lures. n all of he Scripures, here are few of whom more is spoken han our beloved broher David. This is largely aribuable o his loving sense of he Lord's presence (he was very aware of he Lord). This was he reason ha afer he had commied he sin wih Behsheba he confessed ha agains God and God only had he sinned. David said his because of he real relaion ha He had wih he Faher. He knew ha he Lord was no happy wih his acions. He was sensiive o he will of he Faher, and longed o be accepable wih God, and o dwell wih God in heaven. David always ook refuge in he Lord, for he fel ha here was no beer place where man could be a res han wih his Maker. David was known as he man "afer God's own hear". How much beer could we ever wan o be remembered? David so waned o be like he Faher would have had him o be ha he earned a ile as precious as his one. He was sriving o win he hear of God! Cerainly his is a wonderful commenary on a pure sain of God, as well as a good exhoraion o godliness for all hose ha are o come along his same road; ie., o figh he good figh of faih, and always remember ha we are srangers and pilgrims upon he earh, awaiing he reurn of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Chris he Son of God. David was known for many hings, bu his sensiiviy o God was he greaes aribue ha he possessed, in my undersanding. Being very sensiive o God is a mus, for wihou i we shall soon lose conac wih he supreme "power-source" of he sains, he God of he universe. use he erm "Power-Source" because we are a lo like an elecric oohbrush. Jus afer a good charging, we can work up a sorm, bu le us lay around for a while and we are soon dead and useless o anyone. Bu reurning o God we find once again he srengh o figh. Bu in realiy, if we lose e... c o c "... RECORDED TAPES AVALABLE We wan o coninually keep before our readers he access hey have o a' wide variey of recorded ape's - boh sermonic and musical. The prices are lised below. SERMONS (Boh Sides) 1. 7" reels, 1800 fee - $ " reels, 900 fee - $ Cassees, 120 minues - $5.00 RECORDEDMUSC (Boh Sides) 1. 7" reels, 1800 fee, sereo - $ " reels, 1800 fee, monaural - $ " reels, 900 fee, sereo - $ " reels, 900 fee, monaural - $ Send all requess o BROTHERJERRYWLSON Tape Minisry i Hendricks Place Merrillville, ndiana "... e our sensriviy we will no even know if He is around or no. n such a case we grope in he darkness, walking ou on our own undersanding blindly falling over every obsacle. So srive o be like our beloved broher David, lisening when God speaks and remorseful over our ransgressions. Le us ac according o God's wooing, no fighing agains hose inclinaions oward he Lord. Those inclinaions are a sign ha He would have you as a son. Mediae and pray upon hy bed; be pruden.and righeous, knowing ha hese wholesome hings will engender godliness. Remembering David, be sensiive oward he Lord and you shall find Him ha hou desires. A Personal God Our Lord is precious o our hears because we are personally affiliaed wih Him. All who susain his glorious uniy of spiri wih Deiy have come o some measurable degree of undersanding concerning he all sufficiency of God. He who has God has everyhing; he who possesses Him no is absoluely desiue. Whaever naural deficiences we may possess are wonderously me by he sufficiency of our God and Faher and His Son Chris Jesus. n Chris we become he rue possessors of "all hings" ( Cor. 321); Glory o God! This basic ruh of God's all-sufficiency is demonsraed in he prayers of "he swee psalmis of srael" ( Sam. 23 1). Conained herein are refreshing confessions of oal dependency upon "God he Lord" (Psa. 1418); a dependency ha unhesiaingly ascribes every spiriual bulwark and benefi o Him wih whom we have o do. The sains aspiraions, proecion, srengh, and porion are all found o be in he Lord Himself. The following phrases se forh his mos invigoraing ruh. We invie you o examine hem in he Spiri and see if hey are he confessions of your own soul. "My glory" (Psa. 33) "My God" (Psa. 37; 3114) Page 7

8 "My King" (Psa. 52; 444) "My Lord" (Psa. 162; 35 23) "My Srengh" (Psa. 181; 314) "My Rock" (Psa. 182; 313) "My Forress' (Psa. 182; 713) "My Deliverer" (Psa ; 4317) "My Buckler" (Psa. 182b) "Horn of my salvaion" (Psa. 182e) "My High Tower" (Psa. 1442) "My Shepherd" (Psa. 231) "My Ligh" (Psa. 271) "My Salvaion" (Psa. 3822) "My Help" (Psa. 3320) "My Trus" (Psa. 715) "My Hope" (Psa. 715) "My Shield" (Psa. 287; 3320) "My Helper" (Psa. 3010) "My Hiding Place" (Psa. 327) "My Srong Habiaion" (Psa. 713) "My Goodness" (Psa. 1442) "My Refuge" (Psa. 912) "My Porion" (Psa. 1425) "God of my life" (Psa. 428) "God of my srengh" (Psa. 432) "God of my mercy" (Psa. 5910, 17) "My Defence" (Psa. 5917; 9422) Acs "Then Peer opened his mouh and said, Of a ruh perceive God is no respecor of persons bu in every naion he ha feareh Him and workeh righeousness is acceped wih Him. The word which God sen uno he children of srael, preaching power by he Holy Ghos (He is available o you). Verily, on he day of Penecos we were all bapized wih he Holy Ghos and began o speak in oher languages as he Spiri gave us uerance. Unjl ha ime we were wihou srengh and unable o do wha he Lord had commanded us. Bu verily, when he Holy Ghos came upon us we began o rejoice and praise GOd. We fel he very power of God surging hrough our bodies. We proclaim uno you Geniles- his glorious experience - for Penecos is an experience in order ha you migh know ha his same gif is for you. is separae from salvaion, a disinc experience of empowermen following oher spiriual hings like salvaion and healing. You need his bapism, bu mus seek i o receive i. The Lord will give you his bapism if you will believe - le go and le God. You have no known abou he Holy Spiri before, and have now viewed Him as a Person. Now we an- nounce His availabiliy o you. The Lord will confirm he filling of he Spiri _ which is he same as he bapism of he Spiri - wih new ongues, as he Spiri gives you uerance. This is he answer o he hungrying of your hear. Afer hese words Cornelius and his whole house fell on heir knees and began o pray for he glorious infilling of he Holy Ghos. As Peer laid his hands upon hem and prayed, hey were gloriously filled and began o speak in oher ongues." To he learned, he above is obviously a spurious quoaion, and no he acual words of Acs The ruh is ha NO emphasis was made of he Holy Spiri in ha memorable discourse o he household of Cornelius. He preached "peace by Jesus Chris", ha Jesus was "anoined" by God, and wen abou "doing good, and healing all ha were oppressed of he devil." He declared ha his Son of God was "slew and hanged on a ree" by His own counrymen, and ha God "raised Him up he hird day and showed Him openly". The people o whom He was manifesed, Peer declared, were "chosen winesses", even hose "who did ea and drink wih Him afer He rose from he dead". Peer hen expounded how ha hey were commanded o "preach o he people" and "esify ha i is He which was ordained of God o be he Judge of he quick and he dead". He furher proclaimed ha "all of he prophes" bore winess o Him, "ha hrough His Name whosoever believeh in Him shall receive remission of sins". Upon he pronouncemen of hese Gospel words, he "Holy Ghos fell on all hem which heard he word", and hey were heard o "speak wih ongues, and magnify God". Then Peer "commanded hem o be bapized in he Name of he Lord". Tha is he rue accoun! Now, we freely acknowledge ha we pervered ha ex in he above pseudo-quoaion. was a complee misrepresenaion of he case - bu no wihou purpose. We pray God ha hose who perpeuae his non.aposolic docrine - almos precisely as i is relaed in he spurious segmen of his aricle - will be equally as swif o admi he purely secarian and ficicious ben of such eaching. Admiedly, a grea porion of denominaional dogma will opple; bu such would serve he purpose of God - le i opple! Pungen Poins is no Deiy ha is inhibied by man, bu man ha is inhibied by Deiy - and well migh we hank God for i (Psa. 7610). No one bu God can see far enough o make unalerable plans. For us, all hings are o be subjec o His will and good pleasure (James 415). The Word has been preached he realiies of he Kingdom have men's consciences. Wheher hey jec i has no real bearing on he in power when been laid upon accep i or recase. Disobedience canno be raionalized; i is wrong, condemned by God. The end of such hings is deah!