THE PROMISED SEED OF ABRAHAM

"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee outof thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I mil shew thee: AndI 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 cursehim that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12: 1-3).

The promise that God made to Abraham was repeated to Isaac, the promised son of Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 26: 4), It was repeated to Jacob the chosen son of Isaac (Gen. 28: 3, 4; 13, 14). The same promise was made to Judah by Jacob (Gen. 49: 8-12; Heb. 7: 14). Finally, the promised seed was made tothe house of David, the tribe of Judah, the son ofJacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah. Matthew 1: 17 tells us that there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, and this is the line of the promise seed.

The Holy Spirit by prophecy and fulfillment tells uswho the promised seed is in whom all families of theearth would be blessed. Nathan the prophet toldDavid, "and when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shaltsleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee,which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I willestablish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever" (2 Sam. 7: 12-13).

The prophecy said that David's seed would "buildan house for my name" alter David's death. The church is called the house of God (1 Tim. 3: 15). AndGod would establish the throne of his kingdom forever. David's seed would be seated on the throne to reign until the last enemy was destroyed (1 Cor.

15: 24-26). This refers to the same people and the fulfillment is at the same time and the same place.The church and the kingdom refer to the same people.

Jesus Christ is that PROMISED SEED of prophecy to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and to the houseof David. The New Testament tells us so (Rom. 1: 3;Gal. 4: 16). The fact that he was the son of David wasnot disputed while Christ lived (Matt. 22: 41-46).

This was a promise God made to Abraham, andrepeated to Isaac, Jacob, and to Judah and to thehouse of David, that the promised seed in this line would bless all nations of the earth, and this seedwould sit upon the throne of his father David and rulein his kingdom forever. This one seed is Christ (Gal.

4: 16). God has but one nation of people, and they arein this seed who is Christ. "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3: 29). This refers to the people of God. The church is that one body of people in Christ who are referred to as "Abraham's seed, and heirs according tothe promise. "

The authority of Christ is complete (Matt. 28: 18).He is "the head over all things to the church, which ishis body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all (Eph.

1: 22, 23). Moses said Christ would be a prophet—alaw giver—like he was, and all who did not hear himwould be destroyed from among the people (Acts 3: 22,23). All the prophets from Samuel and those who spoke afterward foretold of this (vs. 24).

God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees, andmade the promise that "in thee shall all families of theearth be blessed" (Gen. 12: 3). He promised him a land for his seed (Gen. 12: 3, 7; 13: 15; 22: 18). "And he gave him none inheritance in it, no not so much as toset his foot on: yet he promised that he would give itto him for a possession, and to his seed after him, whenas yet he had no child" (Acts 7: 5). His faith in the promise of God caused Abraham to act as if he had children (cf. Rom. 4: 16-22).

Christ died to redeem us from all iniquity and topurify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of goodworks (Titus 2: 14). This "peculiar" people are all thosepurified unto him as his own possession. They are hispeople, all of his people. They are a "chosen generation"

— an elect race. They are built up a spiritual house onthe elect foundation, Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2: 4-9). Theyare called a "royal priesthood." Christ is High Priestand every saint a priest, composing a royal or kinglypriesthood. They are called a "holy nation," who werenot a people, but now are the people of God. (1 Pet. 2: 9).

EDITORIAL STEW

Here is my annual mixture of bits and pieces, nonelong enough for a full-fledged editorial, but all of themthings I want to say.

Potlucks and Shorts

Over the years it has been a joy to get together withother Christians on Sunday afternoons during a gospelmeeting, or on other occasions, to share good food, laughtogether, and generally just have a good time. I believethat early Christians had such occasions for they "broke bread from house to house" and "ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart" (Acts 2: 46). Our Lordenjoyed being in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarusas well as other social gatherings.

But I have come to look upon some of these with lessenthusiasm than in the past. Such occasions often become painful reminders of how some of the Lord's peopleare being fashioned after this world. More and more areshowing up in shorts or other casual attire which are not decent. At one place, after a sermon on "Modesty" one ofthe Bible class teachers appeared at a potluck in shorts.He was joined by another man in the same sort of attire.For the benefit of those among us who now speak of "long shorts" and "short shorts," I believe we would have to say these were of the "short" variety of "shorts." What iseven of more concern is the fact that such folks seem to have no trace of blush nor give any indication that theyhave any idea this might be out of place. Brethren, "weare drifting. "

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Evolution and the Mississippi River

Mark Twain was a steamboat pilot on the Mississippifor a time and in his book "LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI" commented on how much the river had been shortened by cutoffs in his lifetime.

"Therefore, the Mississippi between Cairo and NewOrleans was twelve hundred and fifteen miles long onehundred and seventy-six years ago. It was eleven hundred and eighty after the cutoff of 1722. It was onethousand and forty after the American Bend cutoff. Ithas lost sixty-seven miles since. Consequently its lengthis only nine hundred and seventy-three miles at present.

Now, if I wanted to be one of those ponderous scientific people, and 'let on' to prove what had occurred in theremote past by what had occurred in a given time in therecent past, or what will occur in the far future by whathas occurred in late years, what an opportunity is here!

Geology never had such a chance, nor such exact data toargue from! Nor 'development of species, ' either! Glacial epochs are great things, but they are vague-vague.Please observe:

In the space of one hundred and seventy-six years theLower Mississippi has shortened itself two hundred andforty-two miles. That is an average of a trifle over one mile and a third per year. Therefore, any calm person,who is not blind or idiotic, can see that in the Old Oolitic Silurian Period, just a million years ago next November,The Lower Mississippi River was upwards of one millionthree hundred thousand miles long, and stuck out overthe Gulf of Mexico like a fishing rod. And by the sametoken any person can see that seven hundred and forty-two years from now the Lower Mississippi will be only amile and three quarters long, and Cairo and new Orleans will have joined their streets together, and beplodding comfortably along under a single mayor and amutual board of aldermen. There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns ofconjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact"(Mark Twain, LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI, p. 120).

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Gathered Together Praying

It was a sad time for the church in Jerusalem. The wicked Herod had vexed certain of the church and had James, the brother of John, killed with a sword. Peterhad been arrested and imprisoned. What would becomeof him the brethren did not know, but they knew whereto take their cares. They called a prayer meeting at the house of John Mark's mother. When Peter was released and came to join with the disciples he found many"gathered together praying" (Acts 12: 12). Men oughtalways to pray and not to faint. Prayers should bewithout ceasing knowing that the effectual ferventprayers of righteous people avail much.

In that context I exhort our readers to earnestly prayfor Phyllis Key, wife of David Key, who operates Religious Supply Center. Phyllis is battling a malignancy ofthe liver. She is truly one of God's noble women. Whilethis is under way, their niece, Leah Key, daughter ofCharles and Annetta Key of the Hebron Lane congregation, is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. She willsoon undergo bone marrow transplant. She is a devoutyoung woman with a radiant personality.

Also, I learned this morning (October 17) that Julian

R. Snell, long-time friend and author of a column in thispaper, has suffered a heart attack and is in ParkviewHospital in Nashville, Tennessee. He preaches for the Downtown church in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. At present it is expected that by-pass surgery will be necessary.

I am sure there are many who stand in need of the prayers of the righteous. I just wanted to make theseknown to you and ask you to speak with the Almightyabout it in your private chambers and when you gatherwith others to pray.

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Thanks to Donnie V. Rader

Faithful friends are truly a blessing from the Lord.That is where you turn for help in times of trouble. I am much indebted to brother Rader for his able work the past few months. What started out to be a three month'swork through the summer, turned into a much longerperiod of editorial work for him. He has done his workwell and all who read and hold an interest in the work of this paper are in his debt for his devoted service. I ammending from back surgery though still under somerestrictions and limitations for a few weeks yet. Still, Ihope to edit the January issue and be back at my post forawhile to come.

In January we will begin a series of five articles byDonnie V. Rader reviewing the book, Rethinking Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage, by Jerry F. Bassett. Thisbook is well-written and is being widely circulated. Webelieve error is taught in this book and have askedbrother Rader to write this review. Watch for it.

Religious Supply Center

Once again it is my privilege to recommend to ourreaders the supplies and services of Religious SupplyCenter 4001 Preston Hwy., Louisville, KY 40213. This isa major book store with a large inventory of religiousbooks, tracts, classroom maps, film strips, projectors,Bible class materials, books for children, communionsupplies and Bible in different translations and price ranges. Their service is both friendly and efficient.Though the paper and the book store are two entirelyseparate businesses, our business relationship has beenmost pleasant from the first day until now. Why don't you "give them the business"!

PHILIPPIANS 2: 5-8

Perhaps this is the main text upon which a discussionof the nature of Christ while He was upon earth hinges.It is believed by some that the phrase in verse 7 of the passage, "but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant," means that Jesus gave up His deity or Hisdivine attributes and became only a man when He cameto earth — that He was divested of His nature.

First, to determine what Jesus gave up when Hedescended to earth, we must consider the context of thisentire passage. The thought of these verses is introduced by Paul when he urged his readers to be of "one mind" (of the same mind), "doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself (Phil. 2: 3-5). Thekey word is HUMILITY. These first few verses introduce what follows. Nothing was to be done "throughfaction or vainglory" (vs. 3), "but in lowliness of mind"(vs. 4). The emphasis in these verses is an attitude ordisposition of HUMILITY. When this is realized, whatfollows is much easier understood. Christ serves as the example of humility; "Have this mind in you, which wasalso in Christ Jesus" (vs. 5). What was the mind ofChrist? Obviously, it was humility. He serves as our perfect example (1 Pet. 2: 21-23). Paul now proceeds toshow HOW Jesus humbled Himself.

The humility of Christ is seen in the fact that "existing in the form of God, counted not the being on anequality with God, a thing to be grasped" (vs. 6). The word "form" (Gr. morphe) relates to one's appearance — his visage. "In his preincarnate state Christ possessedthe attributes of God, and so appeared to those in heavenwho saw him" (A. T. Robertson, op cit, Vol.. 4, p. 444).Jesus took the "form" (Gr. morphe) of a servant. He was still God but now He has the appearance, the characteristics of a man — a servant is no different in nature from a king, but his role is different. So it was with Jesus. Therole of Jesus changed, but not His nature. While withGod before His incarnation, Jesus did not count Hisequality with God as "a thing to be grasped." The word"grasped" (ASV) is from the Greek word harpagmos,"robbery" (KJV). Jesus did not regard the visage of His role as something to be "grasped." J. B. Lightfoot comments that He "did not regard it as a prize, a treasure tobe clutched and retained at all hazards" (St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, p. 111). So, Jesus was willingto give up His heavenly appearance and role of splendor and glory to take upon Himself the appearance and roleof a servant. Thus His mind (attitude), disposition ofhumility, is clearly illustrated to Paul's readers.

Christ Jesus "emptied himself (vs. 7). The word "emptied" is the Greek word ekenose, first aorist active indicative of kenoo, a verb from kenos, "empty." The kenosis, the doctrine that concerns the emptying ofChrist has been a subject of debate among theologiansfor years. Of what did Jesus empty Himself? A consideration of the context in which "he emptied himself hasalready shed light upon the question (see preceding paragraph). Also, some other passages which we believeto be parallel, supply us with additional help. His humiliation is set forth in 2 Corinthians 8: 9, where Paulwrites: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he becamepoor, that ye through his poverty might become rich." Hebecame poor; He condescended, lived among men andwas deprived of an earthly home while He ministered here (Lk. 9: 58). Although this was a contrast in roles, Heretained His deity and divinity. Jesus prayed in John

17: 5: "And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine ownself with the glory which I had with thee before the worldwas." These passages are good commentaries on how Jesus emptied Himself (Phil. 2: 7). Of what did Jesusempty Himself? He emptied Himself of riches and glory.Arndt and Gingrich give as the meaning of kenoo, "make empty" in verse 7: "he emptied himself, divested himself of his privileges (op. cit. p. 429).

Some in-depth commentaries provide additional information upon our subject at hand. J. B. Lightfootstates:" 'He divested Himself, ' not of His divine nature, for this was impossible, but 'of the glories and theprerogatives of Deity. This He did by taking upon Himthe form of a servant'" (Epistle to the Philippians, p.112).

Benjamin B. Warfield wrote the following on thistext: "So far is Paul from intimating, therefore, that OurLord laid aside His Deity in entering upon His life onearth, that he rather asserts that He retained His Deitythroughout His life on earth, and in the whole course ofHis humiliation, up to death itself, was consciously everexercising self-abnegation, living a life which did not bynature belong to Him, which stood in fact in directcontradiction to the life which was naturally His. It isthis underlying implication which determines the wholechoice of the language in which Our Lord's earthly life isdescribed. It is because it is kept in mind that He still was 'in the form of God, ' that is, that He still had inpossession all that body of characterizing qualities bywhich God is made God, for example, that He is said to have been made, not man, but' in the likeness of man, ' to have been found, not man, but 'in fashion as a man';and that the wonder of His servant-hood and obedience,the mark of servant-hood, is thought of as so great.Though He was truly man, He was much more than man; and Paul would not have his readers imagine thatHe had become merely man. In other words, Paul doesnot teach that our Lord was once God but had become instead man; he teaches that though He was God, He had become also man: ("The Person of Christ," Interna

tional Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 2339).

The comments of R. C. H. Lenski on the Philippianspassage are also noteworthy: "All grades of Kenoticismare answered by the fact of the immutability of God, ofthe one essence which is identical in the Father, in theSon, and in the Holy Spirit. All Kenoticism which subtracts attributes from God reduces deity to the nature ofcreatures. From a creature an attribute may be withdrawn and still leave the creature. To withdraw even one attribute from God is to destroy God. The God, forinstance, who is no longer omnipotent, is no longer God.The revelation of Scripture regarding God is the truththat his every attribute is his essence or being itselfwhich reveals one side of that being. All that we call attributes of God is not a plurality, is not divisible in itsreality, but is the one unity — God... A Jesus who isdevoid of one attribute of deity is no more the Son of God than a Jesus who had only one nature while He lived onearth, was not at all the logos, was only Joseph's natural son" (The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, pgs. 772=73).

Supplemental to Lenski's statements are the comments of Colin Brown, editor of The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. "If Christ be divested of essential divine attributes, it is difficult tosee how the doctrine of his divinity could still bemaintained... it would make him, as the Arians believed, something less than God, but more than man"(Vol. 1, p. 549). Then he concludes: "Neither the gospelsnor Phil. 2 present the picture of the abandonment ofany divine attributes. They do, however, show Jesusclearly accepting the status and role of a servant (Phil.

2: 7; Mk. 10: 45; Lk. 22: 27; Jno. 13: 4-16; 15: 20; Matt. 10: 24). The motive or guiding principle in allJesus' actions was love, humility and obedience to theFather, as Phil. 2 shows:" (Ibid. p. 549). We believe these com-ments well summarize the meaning of Philippians 2: 5-8.

Neither does Philippians 2: 5-8 nor any other scripture teach that Jesus was divested of His deity or Hisdivine attributes and became only a man when He cameto earth. His role was different, but His nature remainedthe same. A principle of biblical hermeneutics is that a passage must be interpreted in harmony with otherscriptures; thus the Bible becomes its own interpreter.In the article that follows, we shall examine otherpassages which deal with the nature of Christ.

DEAR SANTA

Dear Santa,I hope this letter gets to you before you have made all your plans for your Christmas eve visit in our homes.

Though I am not one to complain, I do feel that attimes you get a little carried away with your spirit ofgiving. Don't get me wrong, what you have given to me,my family and friends is greatly appreciated — at leaston my part. However, don't you think that in the lastfew years you have overdone things just a bit? I havewondered if it would be better for some of these children if they were given a little less.

One of the things that prompts me to write this letteris watching my children and others open gifts duringthe Christmas season. I have observed children opening presents you have left for them in the homes ofgrandparents, aunts and uncles and friends as well asthose you left in their own homes. All of this add up. Ihave been bothered as I watched children open one giftand cast it aside, without knowing what it was, so theycould tear into another present. They sit in a maze ofpaper, ribbons, boxes, toys and candy having no ideawhat all they have been given.

I fear that what you are doing could lead the children of today to materialism or at least the spirit of ingratitude. Those of us who love God and his word want our children to set their affections on things above (Col. 3: 2) and not think that life consist of our possessions (Luke 12: 15). I want my children to be thankful forwhat they have (Eph. 5: 20). I pray that I can help teach them to be content, even if all they have are the basicnecessities of life (1 Tim. 6: 8). I hope they never reachthe point that they expect more and more to be given tothem.

Surely, you are old enough to understand that itdoesn't take much to make children happy. In reality itis not an abundance of toys and things that satisfiesthem. Many children have as much fun with the boxesyou bring the toys in as they do the expensive toysthemselves.

Maybe you have forgotten what you used to bringthose of my parent's generation. It wasn't much, butthey were excited. You gave them an apple or orange,some stick candy and, on a big Christmas, one toy. Yet,they were happy. For them, that was a big celebration.When my generation came along you felt we had to havefar more than our parents had. I remember on some of the best years you brought things that came from yardsales, yet repaired, cleaned and painted to look like new.I also remember some gifts being hand made. What wehad on Christmas day we thought was a lot—and it was.

For some reason, however, you think that my children and others of their generation must have more than wereceived — which is far more than their grandparentsever got. I wonder what you will be bringing theirchildren. If it continues to increase, I image you will need a bigger sleigh and more reindeer.

Yes, I want my children and others to have plenty, Yet,I begin to worry a little when new toys are quicklyforgotten because they are lost in a mass of playthings inthe toy box or because they are soon replaced by anothernew toy.

Presents are like money. The more we have the less weappreciate them. Those with less seem to enjoy whatlittle they have more than those with a lot. One writersaid that our children are a lot like our stomachs. Theydon't need all that we can afford to give them.

This may be too late to help much this year. If so, thinkabout my warning. Maybe by the next year you can dobetter. Please don't ruin the children by flooding themwith material things.

One last thing: when you make your list or check ittwice you may want to make a note that I've been good this year.

Love,

Donnie

WOMEN AND SONGLEADING

QUESTION: Our preacher's wife occasionallystarts a song on Wednesday evenings. It is usually a new song that we're trying to learn. Some of the brethren feel she is wrong to do so. When confrontedwith our beliefs, she replied that if she is asked tostart it by the songleader, she is not usurpingauthority. Please print your views. Some of the brethren here think it's okay and some do not.

ANSWER: For a woman to begin a song at therequest of the songleader is no different in nature thanfor a woman to answer a question in the auditoriumclass at the request of a male teacher. Both actions are in harmony with God's word. Paul wrote, "But I permitnot a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man,but to be in quietness" (ASV). The Phrase, "nor to havedominion over a man" is a preferable rendition of theKing James Version, "nor to usurp authority over theman." This passage prohibits a woman from teaching over man, thereby exercising authority over him. Merely starting a song under the above described circumstances hardly puts one in the role of domination.

On the other hand if a woman began to take controlof the situation, correcting mistakes, offering suggestions, etc., even though seated, she has seized control,and for all practical purposes, she is in the same positionas if she were standing before the assembly in the place of the male songleader. Let the women be in subjection,as also saith the law (1 Cor. 14: 34).

A woman's deportment and demeanor are to be one ofsubmission and quietness. R. C. H. Lenski states that quietness equals ' "without herself talking, withoutplacing herself on an equality with the men conductingthe service and doing the talking" ' (Commentary onFirst Timothy, p. 562). This same principle would beapplicable to leading the singing.

A man may not grant permission to a woman to do what Paul says, "I permit not." If a man grantingpermission precludes a woman from having dominion over a man, then a woman could preach, lead the publicprayers, teach a class of men, serve as an elder ordeacon, preside at the Lord's table, direct the singing,and never violate Paul's divine injunction in 1 Tim. 2: 12.Paul did not say, "But I permit not a woman to teach, norto have dominion over a man, unless she gets permission." This kind of rationale would permit a wife to rule over her husband in the home providing he gave herpermission.

Obviously, a woman would need permission to begin a song on behalf of the songleader or else she would beout of place. But this is also true of a man who wouldusurp the prerogatives of the songleader. For a woman to have to start a song for a songleader is rare, butsporadically such may be warranted. In the final analysis, she is doing only what God has authorized and thatis —singing. However, it seems to me that a congregation wanting to learn new songs could invite a brotheradept in singing from another congregation and teach them some new songs, rather than always depending ona sister to begin unfamiliar songs.

If a woman starting a song causes dissension, goodjudgment tells us to forgo the practice. Peace is moreimportant than the exercise of a liberty to begin a song.

GOD OWNS IT ALL

My earliest remembrances of Bible class go back to asmall one room church building where we pulled curtains across the back of the auditorium for classrooms. There in humble surroundings I was taught by people who loved the Lord and who loved me. Those earlylessons were most impressive. Lessons about Abrahamand Noah, Daniel and David, were taught in earnestness and made an impact for good upon my young mind.

One of the more memorable lessons that I learned revolved around a song that is seldom heard today. Thesong is entitled, "He's Got The Whole World In HisHands". The message of the song is that God controls itall because He owns it all. That's an important lesson for all of us to learn.

The Lord said, "For every beast of the forest is Mine,the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of themountains, and everything that moves in the field isMine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For theworld is Mine, and all it contains" (Psa. 50: 10-12). Davidsaid, "The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it" (Psa. 24: 1). Indeed,God does have the whole world in His hands.

Is it not true that the one who owns something has theright to control it? Is it not also true that we have norights over that which belongs to someone else; except those rights that the owner might delegate to us? This iswhy the Bible calls us stewards. A steward is a manager,someone who has been put in charge of that whichbelongs to another and who is held accountable for itsproper use. Since God owns it all, everything we are and have belongs to Him. He has the right to control thatwhich is His and delegate such responsibility as Hechooses. Again, He has the whole world, including you and me, in his hands.

OUR BODIES BELONG TO THE LORD. Althoughthis is true in general, there is a special sense in whichthe body of the Christian belongs to the Lord. It is "a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you havefrom God, and that you are not your own? For you havebeen bought with a price..." (1 Cor. 6: 19-20). God lays claim to what belongs to Him and commands thatwe present our "bodies a living and holy sacrifice..." (Rom. 12: 1). We are not free to use our body as we see fit but must subject ourselves to the will of Him whoowns it as one who will be held accountable for its use.

OUR TIME IS THE LORD'S. God is not governed bythe limitations of time like you and me. Time meansnothing to the Him (2 Pet. 3: 8) except as an extension of His patience. But it means a lot to us. Our time islimited (Job 14: 1; Psa. 90: 10; Jas. 4; 14). Since God has given us time, He lays claim to it and commandsus to make the most of it (Eph. 5: 16). Jesus, whilein the flesh, felt bound by the limitations which timeplaced upon Him and said, "We must work the worksof Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night iscoming, when no man can work" (Jn. 9: 4). I am afraidthat many of us are bad stewards of the time which God has entrusted to us. The vast majority of ourtime is spent in the pursuit of material security andtemporal happiness while the work of the kingdom isneglected. My breth-ren, it should not be so!

OUR ABILITIES BELONG TO THE LORD. God has given to us the abilities which we possess (Rom.

12: 6-8). The purpose of the parable of the talents (Matt.

25: 14-30) is to make us aware of the fact that He claimsour abilities for use in His kingdom and holds usaccountable for it. Pity the man who neglects to use hisability in God's service.

OUR MATERIAL POSSESSIONS AND MONEY BELONG TO THE LORD. God "richly supplies us withall things to enjoy" (1 Tim. 6: 17). He claims authorityover the things that we have by instructing us in the use of them (1 Tim. 5: 8; Eph. 4: 28; 1 Cor. 16: 1-2; 1 Tim. 6: 17-19). Our money and the things it can buyare meaningless except for how they can be used toadvance the cause of Jesus Christ.

Many of you, like myself, have been taught these principles from childhood. But knowing that God ownsit all and living with these principles embedded in ourhearts are two different things. It is vital that weunderstand that God has the world in His hands. Onlythen can we begin thinking in terms of "stewardship"rather than "ownership". Only then will we beginthinking in terms of "using" instead of "possessing".Only then will we begin to think about and prepare forthat day in which we shall stand before the Lord andgive an account of our stewardship.

DEATH AND THE PREACHER

The preacher is probably subjected to the vagaries ofdeath more than any other person. Undertakers, medicalpersonnel, and other professionals may have to deal withdeath, but they may not become as closely and emotionally involved as does the preacher.

Generally, the preacher is called before, during, orafter death because the deceased or the family want itthat way. And so, the preacher must not only try tocomfort and support the family, but deal with is own grief.

This writer has stood at the door of death with the dying many times, and tried to look through their eyesand hearts into eternity. I have watched the ravages ofcancer, heart disease, third degree burns, and otherterminal maladies squeeze the last breath out of fleshlybodies, and be reminded, 'There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath hepower in the day of death..." (Eccl. 8: 8).

Sometimes the preacher must try to suppress his own emotions in order to lead grieving loved ones through their own personal tour of Gethsemane. But there havebeen times when I asked myself if I were becominghardened to the atmosphere of death.

In the course of one funeral service, I had three different family members request that I make my remarks asshort as possible, so that they would have time to get backhome and go to work on Monday morning. They plannedthe funeral for Sunday, so that it would not interrupttheir social and secular appointments.

On another occasion, some of the family members werefeuding and not speaking to each other. They agreed tohelp with the singing at the funeral home, but wouldn't goto the cemetery. Before the echo of my "Amen" faded awayat the grave side, the nearest remaining relative allowedthat they had better get home and do the milking. Not one tear did I see shed at that funeral. Like Jehoram, thatpoor soul "departed without being desired" (2 Chron.

21: 20). But at least, the undertaker and I saw to it thathe had a decent burial (Eccl. 6: 3).

But then, I'm called upon to conduct memorial servicesfor a dear friend, or sit before the corpse of such an one,and I'm reminded that you cannot altogether harden yourheart in the presence of death.

But, how does the preacher deal with the death of a dear friend, or one of his own family? The same way he has admonished and exhorted others to deal with it. he practices what he preaches—life is short, death is certain, each must give account of himself unto God, there is hope in Christ and the resurrection, and comfort to befound in God's word.

But now comes the real test of faith. When the doctor tells the preacher that tests show a malignant cancer,and that further tests will determine the extent of the malignancy, what does the preacher do? He does the same thing he has counseled others to do on numerousoccasions —he heads for Gethsemane and prays. And,he has the added consolation of knowing that others willwatch and pray with him, and not fall asleep as did theSavior's disciples (Mt. 26: 40).

All my life I have preached that preachers are justcommon folks, and no different from anyone else when it comes to moral standards, death, and the judgment.Sure, the specter of death at one's door can instill a sense of urgency as to time and message that may benefit thepreacher as well as the hearers, but really there is nodramatic change in direction or outlook, if the preacherhas been practicing what he has preached to others.Now comes the challenge and opportunity to test hisown faith, and draw upon those resources of strength and hope which are boundless in nature and free to allwho ask (Rom. 10: 12).

Like other common folks, the preacher "himself alsois compassed with infirmity" (Heb. 5: 2), but he has nomonopoly on the privilege of prayer or offering "spiritualsacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2: 5,9). And, I have seen preachers and others who displayedcommendable faith, strength, and attitude when wrestling with the enemy of death.

And, we would be "of all men most miserable" (1 Cor.

15: 19), were it not for the "man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief (Isa. 53: 3), and the hope of theresurrection through Him (Rev. 1: 18).

Let us mark the Savior's footprints as they cross the brook Cedron, and lead into Gethsemane, for we mayneed to take that trail sooner than we think.

Hearken, ye of Adam's race,Rest your soul and slow your pace,Turn aside and cross the brook intoOld Gethsemane on Olive's breast; When the flesh is worn and weak,Entreat the Galilean meek—He'll give you strength to climbYour mountain, and beyond the Pain and tears—eternal rest.

FAMILY REUNIONS

There are several kinds of reunions. Some in the military like to get together every few years with theirwartime buddies. There are also high school and college reunions, usually measured in decades. These are allquite popular and show how people who have beentogether in some common cause or situation like to gettogether and renew old times.

Then there are family reunions. In many largefamilies these are usually annual events. These are verypleasant to be sure and relatives and friends will travellong distances to be together one more time. How wonderful such times can be.

In 1984 Barbara Adams was trying with a sense ofurgency, along with Wilma Adams, to arrange an annual Adams family reunion. She died in March of 1985 with the plans incomplete.

In July of 1990, Wilma Adams, also with a sense ofurgency attempted to set plans in motion for an annualAdams family reunion. She died before the month wasover. Her plans were left behind incomplete.

Thomas Icard, my late brother-in-law, loved theAdams family. Like Barbara and Wilma he adopted thefamily as his very own. Although he did not make any plans for a reunion, he would have loved the idea and would have heartily jointed in to make it a success. He never got such a chance because he died in September of1989. No plans had been completed.

Ironically, however, though unplanned, each of these dear family members provided the occasion for ourfamily to have a total of three reunions. We had our reunion. But, oh what a price to pay!

There is yet another reunion which I want to mention.The Bible speaks of a place called Heaven, where theredeemed of all ages will be gathered together some day.There all our faithful loved ones will see each other again. Not only will we see Jesus, our Lord, but we shall also see our loved ones in Christ as well. What a greatday that will be after resurrection and judgment!

As time grows shorter, as those dearest to us havegone on before, Heaven takes on even greater significance and we begin to yearn earnestly for that Heavenlyreunion. God's family will have a reunion that will lastforever. With Isaiah of old we say "how long" (Isa. 6: 11) and also with the martyred saints under the altar wesay "How long, O Lord, holy and true... ?" (Rev. 6: 10).

We sing a song which says "it won't be very long, "tilthis short life is o'er" but now it seems so far away. Thereis another song which helps us even more which declares"each step I take just leads me closer home." How wonderful that at the end of each and every day God's people are a little closer to that great and gloriousreunion in that city foursquare.

"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I comequickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22: 20).

In December, my wife and I will return to preach inCzechoslovakia. We returned to America the last week in May of this year after having spent just over eightmonths there. As the time for our return draws close, I would like to share some information concerning thework there and make some observations about the work.

At the time of this writing 13 Czechs have beenbaptized. Studies continue with numerous others. A number of the current contacts have been made as a result of the Czech Christians interest in helping spreadthe Word. While this proper and natural manifestationof growth was anticipated, it is still quite heartwarming.

There were some aspects of the work that were quitesurprising. One unpleasant surprise was the proliferation of denominational and cultic influence. Charismatic and ecumenical ideology is very wide-spread. Itruly believe that I spent more time discussing the workof the Holy Spirit than evidences or Catholicism. Also,the Mormons, Adventist, and Jehovah's Witnesses are well organized and typically evangelistic. Institutionalchurches are involved in some efforts there, but, to thispoint, have not been particularly effective, especially inBohemia and Moravia.

The intelligence and study habits of the Czechs wasa more pleasant surprise. They are surprisingly wellread in many areas, including philosophy. In an earlystudy with a young man who has since been convertedI was asked to compare and contrast the Genesis flood account with the Epic of Gilgarnesh, an Akkadian flood legend. The studies are often quite lengthy because oftheir enthusiasm. Many are also willing to do a greatdeal of reading between studies. On one occasion, afterhaving asked a young man to read several chapters inMatthew, he replied that he would probably read theentire book. Also, they are critical listeners, ready to challenge what is presented. In addition to manifesting

the attitude of the Bereans (Acts 17; 11), it makes them

less susceptible to the inevitable false teachers.

Since our return I have been contacted by a numberof people who are interested in the work and want mythoughts on the best way they could be involved. Now Iwould like to put in print some of the things I havearticulated in the discussions. I do not claim to have all of the answers. Some of the conclusions that I have reached have resulted from mistakes I have made or helped make. I also hasten to acknowledge that theseobservations are matters of judgment. Also, I am presupposing an interest in only scripturally authorizedactivities in the reader.

I commend the interest that many are expressingfinancially, with words of encouragement and prayer, orin actually planning to go. I hope this interest will be anenduring one. The part of the world under considerationhas a population of around 400 million people. Manyyears of work and many laborers are needed. To thisend, I offer the following thoughts.

In Czechoslovakia the work is in the process of"spreading out." Some of the people who have beenbaptized in Prague are actually from other cities inBohemia and Moravia. Work needs to be done with these people in their home towns. Mike Morrow who hasrecently returned from several months there is planningto return in January to do this. Anyone interested inhelping Mike in this work can contact him through me.Also, anyone planning to go to Czechoslovakia should atleast consider locating in one of these areas.

The type and length of trip that will be profitable hasalso been an area of interest to many. I would like topreface my thoughts on this with a couple of comments.First, as suggested earlier, this is essentially a matter ofjudgment. Also, theoretically, any trip can be of somevalue. With this background accepted, I offer the following.

In most cases, trips of a couple of months or less willbe of limited value. I am led to this conclusion by acombination of considerations. The culture shock is drastic enough that it takes some time to adjust sufficiently to truly communicate with the indigenous population, even those who speak English with some proficiency. Obviously, this time factor lessens the effectiveness of a very short trip. Also, while as a whole the peopleare open and receptive, conversion has been a protracted process. Few have been taught in less than threeor four months. So the question becomes who will "followup" with these folks and when will it occur? We went toPrague initially in part because we thought that we hada pool of contacts waiting to be worked with. Thesecontacts were made during a short trip made earlier inthe year. However, we were able to develop studies withonly a couple of these people and neither was converted.

What about a broad distribution of Bibles and materials? Of course there is value in placing the Truth in the hands of people who have not had previous access to it.However, the tangible results of this have been verylimited. Early in our work in Prague we tried this typeof approach. Even with us living there and giving a localaddress we did not receive even one response from someone we met during a general distribution of literature. Our success came from more personal contact withthe people.

Previously, I stated that this described "most cases."What would cause the exception? One circumstance that creates a different situation is a person having priorcontact with people in a specific area. If a person goesinto an area like this and stays working with thesepeople it may well be profitable. It helps to solve both thecommunication problem and the problem of spendingtoo much time traveling. Also, I believe that it may beworthwhile for a person planning to move to EasternEurope to go first to help them make good decisions.

Questions have also arisen concerning the value oftrips that involve staying only a few months. I wouldpreface my thoughts by acknowledging that ideally,capable men would determine to go to these places for anumber of years to work. Having acknowledged theaxiomatic, what is the value of a shorter stay? I offer twolines of reasoning to vindicate the legitimacy of thisapproach. The first is that the problems I suggested previously concerning short visits can be reasonablyhandled in a stay of a number of months. Also, the workthat has been done thus far has been accomplished withworkers staying a year or less, with the notable exception of the Young's, who have been there just over a year.Most of the doubts about the value of a stay of a year orless come from trying to apply basically valid generalizations about work in Europe to the central and easterncountries. The differences in the situations encountered in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, and thoseencountered in the formerly communist countries aretoo basic for the generalizations to legitimately apply.The people in Czech, Romania, etc. have been deniedaccess to the Truth. Western Europe has not. Establishing credibility is a problem for gospel preachers in many foreign works. However, in the Central and Easterncountries it is not. To this and other comments about short stays I would add that it is easier to be critical ofothers judgment from a comfortable house with no plansto go.

So what is needed in reaching these people? Christians who are willing to sacrifice and go; men and women who will do the work and be supportive of one another;people who are willing and capable of adapting to theculture of the country and respecting and loving the people; churches and individuals are needed that willsacrifice to send and support these people are the answer. (Surely some of the work on the building will wait. )All Christians are needed to offer the prayers and wordsof encouragement necessary to spread the gospel to thispart of the world.