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CHURCH OF GOD

Evangel AUGUST 2014

ALPHA and OMEGA

I AM

The God Who HEARS

NAMES OF GOD The RESURRECTION and the LIFE

Our RIGHTEOUSNESS

Our HEALER

The Lord Is PEACE

The One Who SEES

Contents

august 2014

volume 104 n issue 8

A VARIETY OF NAMES FOR GOD appear in Scripture. The names that identify God were not simply given to Him by His people; they were divinely revealed. His names embody facets of His own disclosure of Himself. Each of the names makes manifest certain aspects of God’s character and power. But no one of the divine names alone is adequate to express God’s greatness. If the heavens cannot contain Him, how can one name describe Him? God’s name is protected with the commandment, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Ex. 20:7). God is to be held in respect and reverence, and so are His names, since they reveal His character.—French L. Arrington

names of god 10 The God Who Hears by S. D. L. Jenkins Expanding our understanding of prayer 12 “I AM Has Sent Me to You” by James E. Cossey Abandoning fear and intimidation 14 The Lord Is Peace by Kathy Sanders A lesson from Gideon’s altar



16 The One Who Sees by Kashif Andrew Graham No place to hide 21 “Because I Said So!” by Holly G. Rogers That is reason enough. 22 Davey and Lazarus by Darren Schalk The resurrection and the life columns 24 “The Lord Who Heals” by John Sweet 5 In Covenant, Mark L. Williams Embracing abused children 7 On My Mind, Lance Colkmire 26 He Is In Control by Michael Knight The Alpha and Omega

34 Where Are They Now? David Roebuck

departments 28 Trading In Our Filthy Rags 4 Ministry Snapshot by Tom George 6 By the Numbers “The Lord Our Righteousness” 8 Currents 17 GlobalConnect 29 How My Mom Found Christ 30 Viewpoints by Vicki Maheu Covered by His righteousness 32 People and Events

EVANGEL • aug 2014

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PUBLICATIONS MINISTRIES DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR M. Thomas Propes DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Terry Hart ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Raymond Hodge

MINISTRY SNAPSHOT Men and Women of Action team from South Carolina painting the Knoxville, Iowa, Church of God

MANAGING EDITOR Lance Colkmire CENTRAL DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Robert McCall CFO Wayne Walston PRINTING DIRECTOR Mike Burnett

EVANGEL STAFF EDITOR Lance Colkmire EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Elaine McDavid COPY EDITOR Esther Metaxas GRAPHIC DESIGNER Bob Fisher

EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATIONS BOARD Stephen Darnell, Les Higgins, Ray E. Hurt, Cheryl Johns, David Nitz , Tony Cooper, Antonio Richardson

INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Mark L. Williams, David M. Griffis, J. David Stephens, Wallace J. Sibley, M. Thomas Propes

If you have a ministry photo to be considered for this page, send it to [email protected].

Church of God DECLARATION OF FAITH WE BELIEVE: 1. In the verbal inspiration of the Bible. 2. In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

CHURCH OF GOD congregations meet throughout the United States and in more than 180 other countries. To find a church and times of services near you, access the church website, www.churchofgod.org, or fax your request to 423-478-7616.

3. That Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor.

Publication of material in the Evangel does not necessarily imply endorsement of the Church of God.

5. That justification, regeneration, and the new birth are wrought by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.

The Church of God Evangel (ISSN 0745-6778) is edited and published monthly. n Church of God Publish­ing House, 1080 Montgomery Ave., P.O. Box 2250, Cleveland, TN 37320-2250 n Subscription rates: Single subscription per year $17, Canada $24, Bundle of 15 per month $17, Canada $28, Bundle of 5 per month $7.50, Canada $11.25 n Single copy $1.50 n Periodical postage paid at Cleveland, TN 37311 and at additional mailing offices n ©2014 Church of God Publications n All rights reserved n POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Evangel, P.O. Box 2250, Cleveland, TN 37320-2250. (USPS 112-240)

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MEMBER OF THE EVANGELICAL PRESS ASSOCIATION AND THE INTERNATIONAL PENTECOSTAL PRESS EVANGEL • aug 2014 ASSOCIATION

4. That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that repentance is commanded of God for all and necessary for forgiveness of sins. 6. In sanctification subsequent to the new birth, through faith in the blood of Christ; through the Word, and by the Holy Ghost. 7. Holiness to be God’s standard of living for His people. 8. In the baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to a clean heart. 9. In speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and that it is the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Ghost. 10. In water baptism by immersion, and all who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 11. Divine healing is provided for all in the Atonement. 12. In the Lord’s Supper and washing of the saints’ feet. 13. In the premillennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the righteous dead and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years. 14. In the bodily resurrection; eternal life for the righteous, and eternal punishment for the wicked.

IN COVENANT mark l. williams general overseer

OUR INDESCRIBABLE GOD

N

OWHERE IN SCRIPTURE do we find a writer that tried to prove the existence of God. As far as the Bible is concerned, the existence of God is an indisputable fact. The opening phrase of Genesis, “In the beginning God,” sets forth the basic assumption of the Bible—God is. The fact of a “living God” (Ps. 42:2; Rev. 7:2) is so indelibly impressed on virtually every page of the Bible that to consent to its teaching is to brand atheism a sheer heresy. That God exists is evidenced in nature: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Ps. 19:1 NKJV). “His eternal power and divine nature” can be seen in the things He has made (Rom. 1:20 NASB). The design, harmony, and purpose of the universe offer a glimpse of the wisdom and intelligence of a sovereign Creator. Man—made in God’s image, positioned “a little lower than the angels” and “crowned . . . with glory and honor” (Ps. 8:5 NKJV) reflects “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). Although evidence can be seen and arguments made for the existence of God, “the depths of God” and “the limits of the Almighty” are higher than the heights above and deeper than the depths below (Job 11:7-8 NASB). His judgments are “unsearchable” and His “paths beyond tracing out” (Rom. 11:33 NIV). Nature alone cannot reveal the depths of His riches or the height of His love. Thus, God has chosen to more completely reveal Himself through His spoken word, the written Word, and ultimately through the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, we come to understand that God is personal. More than mere energy, a blind force, or the sum total of all that is, God is a Spirit who

speaks, loves, reveals, and longs to have fellowship with His creation. He is not like an idol, with hands that cannot reach or eyes that cannot see (Ps. 115:4-8). “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12 NKJV). God invites us to call upon Him and promises to answer us with “great and unsearchable things [we] do not know” (Jer. 33:3 NIV). God is infinite in His existence. He is eternal—the God who is, was, and is to come. Men and angels are immortal, but only God is eternal. Men and women have a past, a present, and a future; but with God, the past and the future are now! He is the great “I AM,” the absolute present tense. God is also immutable and unchanging. He is unaffected by the changes of space and time, for He exceeds both to the infinite degree. He neither increases nor decreases. He is not subject to development or self-evolution. God cannot be wiser or holier. He cannot be more or less righteous. He cannot be less or more merciful. God is absolutely above all laws that govern time and change. He is unchanging in His Word and His will. In Malachi 3:6, He declares, “I am the Lord, I change not.” God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present. There are no bounds or limits to His knowledge, presence, or power. While the devil has power, he is far from almighty. Only God reigns supreme. He is glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, and performs wonders (Ex. 15:11). He remains the “great King above all gods” (Ps. 95:3). John Piper said, “It is about the greatness of God, not the significance of man. God made man small and the universe big to say something about Himself.”

God reveals Himself through His spoken word, the written Word, and ultimately through the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ.

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BY THE NUMBERS

STAY-AT-HOME DADS INCREASING WHILE MOST stay-at-home parents are mothers, fathers represent a growing share of all at-home parents—16% in 2012, up from 10% in 1989—according to a new Pew Research Center report. Roughly a quarter of these stay-at-home fathers (23%) report they are home mainly because they cannot find a job. Nearly as many (21%) say the main reason they are home is to care for their home or family. This represents a fourfold increase from 1989, when only 5% of stay-at-home fathers said they were home primarily to care for family. Still, the largest share of stay-at-home fathers (35%) is at home due to illness or disability. This is in sharp contrast to stay-at-home mothers, most of whom (73%) report that they are home specifically to care for their home or family; just 11% are home due to their own illness or disability. A rise in the number of stay-athome fathers is occurring side-by-side with another important parenting trend of the past half century: a rising share of fathers who don’t live with their children at all. About 16% of fathers with young children live apart from all of their children.

SEVEN CHARITIES IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE

According to CharityNavigator.org, the seven charities below are in the deepest financial trouble. While these charities may not be facing bankruptcy, their fundamental insolvency puts these charities in a very dangerous position. 1. Florida Grand Opera..........................................$-10,249,844 2. Hale House Centers...........................................$-10,039,105 3. Peninsula Jewish Community Center...............$-6,261,684 4. Child Welfare League of America.....................$-4,523,435 5. Teen Mania Ministries.......................................$-4,166,875 6. Agape Villages...................................................$-3,956,096 7. Virginia Opera....................................................$-3,375,478

Public Differs on Importance of Stay-at-Home Moms and Stayat-Home Dads

Percentage saying children are . . . Just as well off if mother works

Better off with mother at home

34%

61%

Just as well off if father works

Better off with father at home Depends

76%

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EVANGEL • aug 2014

Depends

8%

13%

11%

AN OVERWEIGHT WORLD SOME 2.1 BILLION people around the world—29% of the global population—is “overweight” or “obese,” according to a study said to be the most comprehensive to date. Researchers said the prevalence of obesity has increased since 1980, including in developing countries. In Tonga, for example, more than half of men and women are obese.—World

ON MY MIND lance colkmire editor

KNOWING GOD BY NAME

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LEASE DON’T call me “buddy” or “doc” or some other generic name. Too impersonal—makes me feel like a number. Call me Lance—that’s my name. Sure, my name has been misused. As a boy, how many times did I hear “Looks like Lance has ants in his pants”? Yet I liked my name. In Bible times, children had only their “given” name. This name was often related to circumstances regarding the child’s birth, or characteristics the parents hoped for, or a particular physical trait. Consider these examples: • Adam means “of the earth”; Eve means “mother of life.” • Moses, meaning “drawn out” or “brought forth,” was named by Pharaoh’s daughter after her maid plucked him out of the Nile River (Ex. 2:10). • Esau means “hairy,” which described his appearance (Gen. 25:25). • Esau’s twin was named Jacob because he was “holding the heel” of his brother at their birth (see v. 26). This name was also prophetic, for Jacob eventually took hold of Esau’s birthright. In the 12th century, the church decided only children named after saints and martyrs could be baptized (to end the practice of people naming babies after pagan gods and entities). Countless women were thus named Mary, Catherine, Elizabeth, or Ann. Men were most commonly named John, James, William, Charles, or George. My father, Abram Garfield Colkmire, had a biblical name (Abram) and two names of a president (James Abram Garfield). Abram means “exalted father,” and my dad, quiet man that he was, exalted the heavenly Father through his devotion to God, his family, his church, and his work. The biblical Abram was renamed Abraham (“father of a multitude”) by the Lord himself. When Abraham and Sarah were

given a miracle son in their old age, they named him Isaac (“laughter”), as directed by the Lord. Years later, the Lord tested Abraham’s devotion by commanding him to sacrifice his only son on Mount Moriah. Just as Abraham readied the deathblow, the Lord’s angel told him, in essence, “Father of a Multitude, do not lay your hand on Laughter” (see Gen. 22:11-12). At that moment, Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket, and he “offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son” (v. 13 NKJV). The Lord had revealed Himself as Jehovah-Jireh, meaning “The Lord Will Provide.” Now it was Abraham’s turn to name something. He “called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide” (v. 14 NKJV).

The Lord God wants to reveal Himself to us in ever-deepening ways. Throughout the Bible, the Lord God continually reveals His identity, character, and abilities through scores of names—from Eternal Creator in Genesis to Everlasting King in Revelation. As we enter and continue in relationship with Him, He will reveal Himself to us in everdeepening ways. • At age 10, I asked Jesus to forgive me of sins, and I met Him as “the Savior” (1 Tim. 4:10). • Months later, when I feared for my life, I discovered He is “the God of peace” (1 Thess. 5:23). • At age 13, I experienced Christ as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11). • During the temptations of my teen years, I found Him to be “the way of escape” (1 Cor. 10:13 NKJV). • As a young man, I discovered Him to be the One who calls people for specific purposes (Rom. 11:29).

• When I married Sharon, I experienced God as the heavenly Father who gives “good things to those who ask Him” (Matt. 7:11 NKJV). • When I have failed God, Christ has been my “Advocate with the Father” (1 John 2:1 NKJV). • During the deaths of family members and friends, He has been my “Wonderful Counselor” (Isa. 9:6 NIV). • When I minister the gospel through spoken or written words, I know Him as the Anointed One (Luke 4:18) who anoints me for His service (Ps. 23:5). • In my ongoing ministry to children who have been abused, abandoned, and neglected, I am continually reminded that God is “father of the fatherless” (68:5). My list could go on and on, yet I hardly have begun to know who God is. A. W. Tozer said: “The divine attributes are what we know to be true of God. He does not possess them as qualities; they are how God is as He reveals Himself to His creatures. Love, for instance, is not something God has and which may grow or diminish or cease to be. His love is the way God is, and when He loves, He is simply being Himself.” Our unfathomable God demands and deserves our unconditional surrender to His unending love. He calls us by name, longing for us to draw ever closer to Him.

Four ways to contact the editor: • [email protected] • 423-478-7592 • Church of God Evangel on Facebook • Box 2250, Cleveland, TN 37320-2250

EVANGEL • aug 2014

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CURRENTS The purpose of CURRENTS is to inform readers of trends and events influencing the culture.

stopping the mideast silence n CATHOLIC, Protestant, and Orthodox

leaders have joined forces to call for an end to the silence over persecuted Christian communities in Egypt, Iraq, and Syria. “What we are seeing here is ecumenical cleansing,” said Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, who called the region “the unsafest place in the world for Christians. It’s an ecumenical cleansing that is forcing people who are Christians, by whatever label, out of countries where their roots are from the beginning.” Anderson and others were joined on Capitol Hill by the co-chairs of the Religious Minorities in the Middle East Caucus, Reps. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), who have pushed for the

appointment of a special envoy focused on Middle East religious minorities. More than 180 clergy, seminary professors, authors, and activists have signed a “pledge of solidarity and call to action” that advocates for the special envoy in addition to a regional review of U.S. foreign aid to ensure recipients uphold principles of pluralism and religious freedom. They also seek assurance that religious minorities receive fair access to U.S. refugee assistance. “The current trajectory, marked by political violence and, in the cases of Iraq and Syria, full-blown war, risks a Middle East largely emptied of the millennia-old presence of Christians,” reads the statement, citing cases of executed Christians, View over the Iraqi city of Erbil, home to many churches

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demolished churches, kidnapped clergy, and forced conversions. Andrew White, a chaplain at St. George’s Anglican Church in Baghdad, said the people he sees at a church-related clinic wonder if Christians in the West have forgotten them. He said the number of Christians in Iraq has dropped from a high of 1.5 million to about 200,000. Members of his congregation are leaving, and he has personally been shot at and kidnapped and had to rebuild his church after a bombing. “So many have gone. All the time they leave—and I confess—I cry because my loved ones are leaving,’’ he said. “I used to say, ‘I’m not leaving you. Don’t you leave me.’ I can’t say that anymore because I know if my loved ones stay, they might be killed. I know that if my loved ones remain, the chance of them surviving is very little.” Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl said that if people wonder how atrocities like this violence and persecution can be occurring, it is because others are silent. “If history has any lesson to teach us about silence, it’s not a good one,” he said, urging both the churches and lawmakers to take action to protect the religious freedom of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America said, “It is not an exaggeration to state that today Christians in the Middle East are experiencing one of the darkest days since the persecutions during the early years of Christianity.” Jerry Johnson, president of the National Religious Broadcasters, held up his phone and played a clip of Egyptian television’s coverage of a Christian who was beheaded. “They should not have their head cut off, they should not be stoned, their houses and their churches should not be burned,” he said, “and when they are, we must speak up and tell these stories.”—RNS

controversy over jerusalem beach n THE CREATION of a temporary artifi-

cial beach in Jerusalem—a landlocked city located atop a mountain—has outraged many ultra-Orthodox Jews in this holy city. Several ultra-Orthodox rabbis lodged a complaint with the Jerusalem City Council, charging that the beach will encourage unseemly behavior and desecration of the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat). The city issued a permit for the private initiative but provided no funding. The whimsical “beach” is built at the First Station—a restored train-station complex that, unlike most of West Jerusalem, boasts restaurants and activities that are open on the Sabbath. The recreational site consists of tons of white sand, beach chairs,

Jerusalem’s artificial beach

a lifeguard’s station, and a watermelon stand. A surfing simulator will open soon. The outcry over the beach—which officially opened on Sunday, June 15, but was already attracting many people, including some modern-Orthodox Jewish families—is just one of the many battles the ultra-Orthodox community has waged in recent years over the issue of Shabbat closures and the sanctity of Jerusalem. An article in the ultra-Orthodox newspaper Yated Ne’eman dubbed the beach a “scandal” and accused the municipality of opening a huge complex “for Shabbat-

violators and terrible deeds.” The First Station, it said, is part of “a long chain of persecution and harassment of all things sacred” by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. Barkat, who is secular, has tried to strike a balance between the religious and cultural needs of the city’s diverse residents. Watching her children play in the sand, Chava Gardner, a modern-Orthodox Jerusalemite, said, “I have no problem with the ‘beach’ here in Jerusalem, and maybe it will actually discourage some people from driving to Tel Aviv and breaking Shabbat in the process.”

christian publishers telling animal stories n EVER SINCE author John Grogan

scored a megahit with 2005’s Marley & Me, publishers of all stripes have been looking for the next chart-topping, boo-hooing, man-and-his-dog story. Nowhere has this been truer than in religion publishing, where books such as Heavenly Humor for the Dog Lover’s Soul, The Dog That Talked to God, and Four Paws From Heaven have been good sellers for their various Christian publishers. These books look beyond the earthly relationships between people and their pets to the religious and spiritual lessons the four-footed can teach. “These books are about life and relationships, and that draws people in,” said Sheila Waldman, president of relationships at tiny Tristan Publishing, which has released My Boy, Ben: A Story of Love, Loss and Grace by tennis pro David Wheaton, about his yellow labrador. “They are timeless and universal.” They are also potentially big moneymakers. Americans spend more than $60 billion on their pets annually, according to the U.S Department of Labor.

“As a business, it just makes sense to publish books with great stories about people connecting with animals,” said Kim Moore, senior editor at Harvest House, an evangelical Christian publisher whose 2006 release Four Paws From Heaven sold 125,000 copies. Harvest House is moving beyond paws to hooves with Great Horse Stories: Humor and Wisdom From Our Majestic Friends, by Rebecca E. Ondov—a book about horses who help people. “The Bible says God is loving towards all He made, and there is something about connecting with God when you care for your pets in the way He cares for us,’’ Moore said. “It gives us a glimpse into who God is and how we can relate to Him.” Lynn Garrett, senior religion editor for Publishers Weekly, a trade magazine, said books about animals and their humans have been a publishing mainstay since the 1960’s Travels With Charley, by John Steinbeck. “Now we are seeing them in the religion category because, I think,

there definitely can be a spiritual aspect to our relationships with animals,” she said. As for the shift beyond dogs, “that makes sense, since there are successful programs using horses for therapy—for veterans with PTSD, for disabled kids and prisoners,” she said. “That’s just another animal people can have a spiritual bond with.” That has been the experience at Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, which has released The Cat on My Lap: Stories of the Cats We Love, by Callie Smith Grant. Grant is the pen name of Revell executive editor Lonnie Hull DuPont, who has been writing spiritually inspiring animal books since 2007. “There was resistance in the market for a while” to religion titles involving animals, she said. “But now people don’t feel silly to admit they love their animals and are grateful for them.” She expects to see more religion books on working animals, perhaps cancer- sniffing dogs or therapy horses, and said even birds are not out of the question. “They are not cozy or furry and we can’t ride them, but the Bible is full of them.” EVANGEL • aug 2014

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T

HE ANCIENT ISRAELITES were formed by their songs to recognize God as the One who hears their prayers, supplications, and cries, and were exhorted to put this recognition to the test through prayer. In the New Testament, the disciples never ask whether God hears. Such a belief is already entrenched in their mind-set. However, they do ask Jesus how to pray. The Gospels portray Jesus both as a person who prays often and extensively, and as a teacher who criticizes the prayers of Pharisees as hypocritical and ineffectual. Jesus is, therefore, both model and critic, and His disciples want to pray in ways that conform to Him and also keep them from falling under His critique. While we have heard it said, “Everyone knows how to pray, so just do it,” we can follow the disciples’ example and seek instruction. This was brought home to me in March 2008 at the Society for Pentecostal Studies conference. The presidential address by David Daniels was on the “Sounds of Pentecost,” wherein he argued that Pentecostal services were distinctive not only because of the theology preached, but because of the sounds heard during the meetings.

by s. D. L. Jenkins

the god who hears “O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come” (Ps. 65:2 NKJV). Daniels played a recording of a Pentecostal at prayer. There was something familiar about the earnestness of the man’s tone, the rhythm of his speech, and the trust of his declarations. But what really transported me back into time, enabling me to imagine being a kid again at the Canton Temple Church of God, was the audacious, bold manner of address to God. There was no tempered emotionalism, no pious intonation of voice. This man roared at God in a manner akin to what Lee University’s Rickie Moore called “raw prayer” that “speaks straight to God.” 10

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Such prayer to the God who hears brought a smile to my face. Then a tear came to my eye, so to speak, as I asked myself, Why did this recording “take me back” rather than remind me of “now”? I have spent the last few years reflecting on that presentation and my response to that recording. I certainly would not advocate a return to something just because of nostalgia, nor would I assume that such “roaring” was a sign of a time when the church was more attuned to God than now. Perhaps that Pentecostal

forbearer believed similarly to the Israelite psalmists before him—namely, that confessing God hears entails a belief that God acts, too. The two are sides of the same coin. I suspect this is the import of Elijah’s scorn of the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel: the inaction of Baal means Baal is a deity that cannot hear, and therefore is no god at all. Understanding God as the hearing-acting God, however, can lead to an exhausting prayer life and a frustrated life of discipleship, the quality of both determined by

the success one has at getting God to adopt one’s action plan. If prayer to the God who hears and acts always seems like making a case for action, then there is hardly any relationship to God beyond that of lawyer to judge or middle-management to the CEO. Our time and energy is used up trying to hone a good argument—that God is simply the supplier of needs, and prayer gets reduced to petition and intercession. The solution to this challenge, I believe, is not capitulating to the doctrine of divine sovereignty, where we simply wait for God’s will to transpire—as if it were some abstract plan disconnected from our personal histories of desire, trouble, mission, and active cooperation. Rather, while believing God will hear and act, we need additional categories of prayer. Two things happened during the 2011-12 academic year that helped crystallize this idea for me. The first was praying every morning with a group of male students at Lee University. How could we four pray every morning without it becoming inanely repetitious? The second was during a “Theology of Prayer” graduate class I taught at Lee. In that class, we read books, essays, devotionals, and treatises on prayer that spanned 1,800 years. Out of these two experiences, a liturgy of prayer developed that forms the structure of my own prayers and that of those students I still pray with every morning. This liturgy of prayer follows a precise pattern of prayer-forms (confession, adoration, lament, thanksgiving, petition and intercession, and benediction with blessing). Confession puts us in our proper position before God; that is, a fallible creature before the infallibly holy Creator. However, we only begin here because to tarry in confession too long would necessarily bring despondency. Adoration opens us beyond our insufficiencies to the superabundance of divine love and gives us the opportunity to declare to God and to one another God’s greatness.

Lament, which follows the style of many of the Psalms, is complaint to God because of the unjust condition of the world and God’s unresponsiveness. This third form is never to stand alone; otherwise, we would fall into cynicism. It is to be surrounded by both adoration and the fourth form, thanksgiving, whereby we express gratitude for what God has already done and is doing.

While believing God will hear and act, we need additional categories of prayer. Such grateful recognition naturally leads to the fifth prayer-form, petition and intercession, which involves requesting God to do new things and meet new needs. The benediction recapitulates the themes of the prayer session. It also pronounces God’s blessings for the day and requests that we might leave the place of prayer under the power and with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

What would make this pattern a Pentecostal liturgy of prayer? While one prayer partner offers the respective prayer form, the others are invited to quietly and simultaneously pray in the Spirit. The incorporation of various prayer-forms during prayer sessions enables Pentecostals to strive with God while also recognizing His action toward us in ways that are not reduced to meeting petitions. The God who hears, then, is the God . . . • who acts in forgiveness and mercy to the confessors • whose magnificence and extravagance is recognized through worship • who responds with comfort and strength in the time of trouble • whose bountiful gifts are recounted by thanksgiving • who is implored to intervene with petitions • whose presence is requested to be with us in our lives • who speaks to us and through us while praying in the Spirit. S. D. L. Jenkins, Ph.D., is chair of the Department of Theology for Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. djenkins@leeuniversity .edu

VOODOO FAILS A voodoo priest in Haiti had 14 wives and 58 children. Fifteen of the children became sick. The priest tried all his voodoo charms, rituals, and ceremonies, but the children did not get better. Realizing he did not have the solution, he went to our local Church of God pastor, Edouard Joseph, and asked for prayer. Brother Joseph prayed, and the children were all healed and they accepted the Lord. The voodoo priest had to confess the power of God. What a testimony of God’s sovereignty!—Lloyd Frazier (from True Stories of God at Work, by Douglas LeRoy)

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no need for fear or intimidation

It was from this understanding of God that the writer to the Hebrews said, “He who comes to God must believe that He is” (11:6), and “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (13:8). By calling Himself I AM, God announces to us His eternality. He was not created; He has no beginning, and He has no progenitor. The triune God existed before the mountains were born, and His existence spans “from everlasting to everlasting” (Ps. 90:2). As mortals, our time is chronological and linear, but God is timeless. He is not I WAS, nor is He I WILL BE. He is God of the ever-present now—I AM.

by james e. cossey

“I am has sent me to you”

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IGHTY-YEAR-OLD Moses is tending sheep in the Midian desert, where he has been living since killing an Egyptian four decades earlier. On the backside of nowhere, Moses sees something extraordinary—a bush on fire but not being burned up.

“When I . . . say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Ex. 3:13).*

God calls to Moses from the midst of that fiery bush, refers to the hot desert floor as “holy ground,” and calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage.

The name I AM is related to the Hebrew verb meaning “to be,” and it speaks of the absolute existence of God. God exists . . . period. No debate; no defense. This name takes us back to words written by this same Moses, who simply pronounced, “In the beginning God . . . ” (Gen. 1:1), and to the profound message of the apostle John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Aware that idolatry and superstition were the norm, and knowing that many believed in regional and local gods, Moses does the unthinkable—he asks Almighty God to identify Himself.

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God replies, “I AM WHO I AM. . . . Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’’’ (v. 14).

The name I AM also signifies God’s allsufficiency. To arrogant Israel, God said, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness” (Ps. 50:12). David proclaimed, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (24:1). The prophet Isaiah also declared the Lord’s self-sufficiency: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable” (40:28). Since God is self-sufficient, He has no lack, no want, and no need. Jesus boldly identified Himself with I AM of the Old Testament, thus announcing His deity. As the second person of the Trinity, Jesus set all of Judaism on its heels when He declared, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). They fully grasped He was declaring Himself to be God, and thus, according to their law, a blasphemer, so “they took up stones to throw at Him” (v. 59). The apostle John identified Jesus with I AM when he stated that Jesus (the Word) was with God in the beginning. He further proclaimed that not only was He with God, but He was God (1:1); all created things were made by Him (v. 3); and that He was the revelation of that I AM whom no one had seen (v. 18).

Jesus identified Himself with I AM in response to an inquiry from Philip, who said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us” (John 14:8). The response of Christ was to ask why the disciples had not already beheld the Father through the Son. “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (v. 9), said Jesus to Philip. “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me [and] the words that I speak to you I do not speak of My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works” (v. 10). No less than eight times, Jesus introduced Himself with the words I AM. He proclaimed, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25), “I am the bread of life” (6:35), “I am the door” (10:7), “I am the good shepherd” (v. 11), “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (14:6), and “I am the true vine” (15:1). Most astonishing of all, the resurrected Christ declared, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End . . . who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8). As believers in Christ, we have been called to serve the ever-present, all-sufficient I AM. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5), and He has assured us that He will supply our needs (Phil. 4:19).



From Pity Party to Faith “Chronic lymphocytic leukemia,” said the hematologist with a slight frown.

You could have heard a pin drop!

“But,” he continued, “I cannot give a prognosis until we draw more blood, and do more tests. I’ll see you again in three weeks.” My pity party began. I was 57 years old, a new grandfather, and administrative bishop of a sizable state. I read all I could about CLL by day, and laid awake weeping by night. Doubts warred against my faith. In the middle of one of my midnight sob sessions, Myrlene (my godly wife) rolled over in bed, laid her hands on my head, prayed in the Spirit, and commanded, “Go to sleep! You’re going to be fine.” The comforting presence of I AM filled the room, and I went to sleep to awaken later quoting “I will not die but live, and proclaim what the Lord has done” (Ps. 118:17 NIV). For days, I found myself shouting that Scripture passage: On one occasion, driving past a cemetery, I rolled down the window and shouted, “I shall not die but live, and proclaim what the Lord has done!” Upon my return to the hematologist, his diagnosis was completely reversed. “You do not have CLL, and you do not have lymphoma,” he said, with a look of personal disappointment. The discovery was a benign (non-cancerous) lymphocytosis (irregular blood count). That was in December 2005. I saw a hematologist regularly until 2009, when the specialist said, “I don’t ever need to see you again. Have a great life!” Was I divinely healed, or was the first diagnosis wrong? I don’t know. But I do know God answered prayer, and He is not the great “I WAS,” nor is He the great “I WILL BE.” He is the great “I AM!”—James E. Cossey

As Moses was called to liberate the people of Israel, so we are called to proclaim liberty to those who are spiritually captive (Luke 4:18). Our message is unlike the message of any other religion or so-called faith. We are called to go and proclaim the gospel, making disciples for Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-20). Do not be afraid. Do not be intimidated. When they ask who sent you, say, “I AM has sent me to you.” *Scriptures are from the New King James Version. James E. Cossey is administrative assistant of USA Missions. [email protected]

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by kathy sanders

the lord is peace “So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace” (Judg. 6:24 NKJV).

B

EING AN ONLY daughter, my mother and I were very close. She was my hero, model, teacher, and best friend. For years, I was anxious about how I would respond when she passed away. After graduating from Lee College and marrying, I never lived near Mother again but stayed closely connected through visits, letters, and phone calls. I often tried to envision that painful scene of her dying. Would it be an instant passing where I would have to fly home immediately? If so, how would I be able to contain my overwhelming grief sitting beside a stranger? Or, would I have to drive many hours with tear-filled eyes?

In 1994, my husband was on a 10-day fishing trip, so I went to spend that time with Mother. A year earlier, we had put her in a wonderful nursing home due to having both legs amputated because of diabetes. During my visit, she became dehydrated and was hospitalized to receive fluids. This did not deter the wonderful all-day visits we were having. We joked and laughed. We cried. We prayed and shared. Two nights before I was to go home, I left her resting and went to her house, where I was staying. It had been another good day. Shortly after arriving, the doctor called stating they had put Mother in ICU because she was short of breath.

As I got back into the car to return to the hospital, suddenly the presence of the Lord surrounded me, and He said to my spirit, “Do not be dismayed; be at peace, because I have just brought your mother to her eternal rest.” Tears filled my eyes but, unbelievably, my heart was not troubled. The doctor met me at the door of the ICU sympathetically shaking her head. She was surprised when I smiled at her and said peacefully, “I know.” Were there more tears? Of course! Was there emptiness? Definitely! However, was there a peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7 NKJV)? Without a doubt! Gideon’s Altar Israel was in a very dark hour of her history because they “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (Judg. 6:1 NKJV). The people suffered many military defeats because they had turned their backs on God, corrupting themselves with idolatries and other abominations. The Israelites were under severe oppression by the Midianites, who invaded their land, took their food, destroyed their crops, killed their livestock, and forced them to hide in caves. Israel cried out for deliverance.

“For years, I was anxious about how I would respond when my mother passed away.”

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A fearful Israelite named Gideon was threshing wheat in the secrecy of a winepress when the angel of Jehovah appeared to him with a revelation. Even though Gideon said “my family is poor . . . and I am the least,” the Lord was placing a call on his life (vv. 13-15). Realizing he had seen the angel of the Lord face-to-face, Gideon became fearful of his life. However, the angel said, “‘Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.’

So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace” (vv. 23-24 NKJV). Gideon did not build an altar of sacrifice but one that would become a testimony of God’s promise to give victory to Israel through Gideon. Gideon’s peace was found in the person and the word of Jehovah-shalom. Perfect Peace The word peace, used some 170 times in the Scriptures in its various forms, encompasses the idea of a restored wholeness and unity of relationship between a person and God. Isaiah revealed God’s promise, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (26:3 NKJV). Jehovah in His own person is perfect peace. He could never give peace to us if He was not perfect in peace. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11 NKJV). The Lord-Is-Peace gives peace to those in covenant relationship with Him. This relationship with God comes through His Son, Jesus Christ. When Adam and Eve sinned, fear gripped their heart. The relationship between God and humanity was broken. Satan had stolen the gift of peace from them, yet God longed for our restoration. Isaiah prophesied the “Prince of Peace” would become our Jehovah-shalom (9:6). He would restore that relationship for us. The apostle Paul said, “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). By His own precious blood, Jesus is able to reconcile our sinful nature to God if we ask for forgiveness. The Lord said, “There is no peace . . . for the wicked” (Isa. 57:21). Jesus is the only source of lasting peace. He told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27 NKJV). Having served the Lord many years, I have called on His many names literally thousands of times. I have called on Him as my Healer . . . Provider . . . Shepherd . . . Righteousness . . . Banner . . . and Peace. I can still feel His peace that hovered over me that night on the way to the hospital, and His peace ushered Mother through the valley of death to her eternal home. Is the Lord your peace? There is no true peace outside of Jesus Christ. His peace can be yours today. Kathy Sanders is a writer and speaker who lives in Deland, Florida, with her husband, Ray H. Sanders. kathysanders ministries.com EVANGEL • aug 2014

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by kashif andrew graham

“the one who sees”

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God found me hiding in the school library.

T WAS THE MIDDLE of the night, and I wanted to die. I was in the eighth grade at a small junior high school in Nowhere-ville, New York. I felt ostracized from the rest of my peers after what should have been a private incident became public. Let me explain. An audacious student had been making repeated, uncomfortable, and inappropriate advances toward me. After what seemed like months of immoral suggestions, I decided that maybe I should respond. I had already been feeling low, alone, and had been the victim of bullying for many years. He seemed to be giving me the only “friendly” attention from my male peers. I sent him a fatal text message. Following the message came a slew of phone calls . . . and then, I couldn’t control it. Gossip ran through the student body before I could get my loafers on. I was toast. School administrators began questioning me, one with the desire to put me at the forefront of her new proLGBT campaign. I give God the glory for a praying mother and an observant father. Amid this bitter history, God plunged a sweet tree into my waters. God saw. God also saw Hagar, who was handled like an object so her mistress, Sarai, could build a family. When barren Sarai learned Hagar was pregnant, she despised her and treated her harshly. Hagar ran to the desert to escape, and the angel of the Lord came to help her (Gen. 16:1-7). The angel comforted Hagar with a promise from the Lord: “I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count” (v. 10 NIV). God met Hagar where she was. 16

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In my situation, after gossip flooded throughout the student body, I hid in the library. I spent my lunch hours there, and took every other opportunity to conceal myself behind mountains of books. One of the librarians commented that it was like my sanctuary. I guess that’s why I’m a writer. As He did for Hagar, God met me where I was. In the midst of brokenness, a gay complex, and suicidal thoughts, God began to work. How? He began to show me who I was. Old friends melted off, and I went through a season of solitude. Where I used to secretly struggle with homosexual thoughts, I began to seek counsel and open myself for accountability to what I was viewing on the Internet and other

media sources. I knew God had seen my struggle because He sent people to prophesy to me about what I was going through. As I continued to pray, I found myself in a place of deliverance. No, I did not magically arrive there; it took many seasons of prayer before I could finally break free. But “if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36 NKJV). God told Hagar who she was. Though she had been rejected, God loved her and gave her a sure word of prophecy. How did Hagar respond? “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-WhoSees” (Gen. 16:13 NKJV). Kashif Andrew Graham is a 2014 graduate of Lehman College in New York City.

TIM HILL Director

Every Tribe and Nation

JOHN CHILDERS Assistant Director

CHURCH OF GOD

WORLD MISSIONS

FUSING TODAY’S DREAMS WITH TOMORROW’S POTENTIAL.

From the Director

Global Connect August 2014

The missions theme of the 2014 General Assembly—“The Finish Challenge”—continues to burn in the hearts of God’s people as they make their way home and set their priorities for the coming months. World Missions should not be thought of as the only task of the church; there is much a pastor and the members of the church must accomplish to produce disciples, evangelize their area, and perform ministry in their community. But Missions must absolutely be included on the agenda, especially now that we understand it is possible to complete the Great Commission in our day. Among the more than 6,500 people groups around the world where churches do not exist, many are now being engaged by one of the scores of denominations focusing on the lastdays task. Only 3,100 of the groups are thought to be completely unengaged, i.e., no one is trying to reach them. That means among the more than 6,300 Church of God congregations in the United States only, there are at least two churches to every unengaged group. Admittedly, some of the areas are difficult to penetrate, but because it is hard does not mean it is impossible.

WORLD MISSIONS LEADERSHIP Tim Hill, Director John Childers, Assistant Director Dee Raff, Missions Administrator

EDITOR Bill George DESIGN EDITOR Brandon Spell MEDIA TEAM Janet Polen Price, Team Leader; Brandon Spell, Judy Pyeatt, Susana Gongora

And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slain, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

God’s great desire is to receive into heaven people from every tribe and language and people and nation. Let’s accept His mandate as our high priority. Let’s finish the task. Tim Hill Director

» visit us ONLINE

GlobalConnect updates on video—different content than the written pages—are available by Internet weekly in a brief three- to five-minute format, each with a personal message from the Word by Director Tim Hill. Visit www. cogwm.org, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the “globalConnect” icon. global

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Core Convictions for Unreached People Groups People groups (ethnic groups) exist. The world is divided into groups of people who speak the same language, share the same culture, and identify with each other as “our people.” A people group is the largest collection of people within which the gospel can spread as a church planting movement without encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance. Every people group needs to hear the gospel. Between 6,500 and 7,000 people groups have no Christians among them, or so few (less than 4 percent) that there are not enough to effectively evangelize the group. They will not hear the gospel unless a missionary is sent to David Ramirez speaking at SEMILA.

them. People groups need to be targeted. Strategic plans must be made to ensure that a missionary contacts every group to share the message that Jesus was slain to redeem people, and to offer each person an opportunity to respond to His invitation to abundant, eternal life. The task of world evangelization can be finished. Jesus gave His Great Commission with the expectation that it could be accomplished. The resources of people, travel, communications, open boundaries, border-less technology, and financial support make it possible for all to receive the gospel. Young people will fulfill a critical role. The impactful changes that have been made in each generation have been driven by young people. God is calling an army of youth in the last days to take His Word to the ends of the earth. Jesus promises His Second Coming. “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations [Greek, ethne, people groups], and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:17). 18

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Sharpening the Saw One of the tasks of missionaries is to keep themselves and those who work with them updated in the practices of ministry. Dr. David Ramírez, field director of Latin America, recently traveled to the Latin American Intercultural Seminary (SEMILA) in Riobamba, Ecuador, to lead a conference for pastors on counseling. In addition to equipping the pastors themselves, Ramírez focused on helping them train key lay men and women to provide better pastoral care to their people. The Church of God in Latin America has embraced a plan of action called “20/20 6R.” The 20/20 aspect identifies their plans to double the church membership by the year 2020. With an aggressive program of church planting and the implementation of the “6R”

purposes, they are well on their way to achieving their goals. The six Rs are: Renew the vision; Restore hope by planting churches and ministering to communities; Revitalize churches so they will be agents of transformation; Reeducate the church to be pertinent and relevant today; Reflect the glory of God in conduct and practice; and Respond in action, according to set priorities. The Riobamba conference addressed the “Revitalize” and “Reeducate” purposes. Once new converts are made, they need to be cared for; teaching pastors and laity the skills of counseling will help the church achieve that goal. Nestor Duque, a graduate of the Pentecostal Theological Seminary, is president of SEMILA.

In Kenya

Fish and Bible Colleges What do fish ponds and Bible colleges have in common? At Discipleship College in Kenya, Africa, a collection of fish ponds will produce income that will help fund the operation of the school. One pond is already in operation and has several hundred fish growing toward maturity. Kenya’s national fisheries department, wishing to encourage the availability of fish for the population, donated the fingerlings. The pond did not have proper management, and no income has come from it until now; however, with the addition of a new staff member, plans are being made for a substantial upgrade with several new ponds planned. Mike Goodwin, a new missionary from Florida, arrived recently, and one of his tasks is the development of this new income source. As a missionary,

Mike raises his own support. When he counseled with the fisheries personnel and learned that the fish would do better if the pond was covered by a greenhouse, he used part of his own support funds to help buy supplies to erect the greenhouse. Mike visited another fish operation—similar to what Discipleship’s will be like when it is up and running—and learned that only one pond produced about $25,000 per year. Discipleship College is one of the foremost schools in Africa. Under its president, Gene Mills, it is making advances in cooperation with the nation’s accrediting association that will

Mike Goodwin holding two fish from one of Discipleship College’s fish ponds.

characterize it as Discipleship University in the coming few years. Donations to the fish project may be sent to World Missions, P.O. Box 8016, Cleveland, TN 37320-8016, designated for Project 101-7001-26.

A Buffalo Brings 200 People to the Church? Remarkable—almost unbelievable— growth of the Christian population in Asia has marked the last century. In 1900, 22 million people claimed to be followers of Christ; a hundred years later that figure had spiraled to nearly 370 million, impressive until it is viewed in percentages of the total Asian population. In those terms, the church has advanced from 2.3 percent in 1900 to 8.8 percent in 2000. There is still a lot of work to do.

K.P. Joseph, a notable leader in India, works as a missionary among unreached people groups (UPGs) in Rajasthan, a largely non-Christian state that shares the border with Pakistan. India is the country with the most unreached people groups in the world, and during his time in Rajasthan, Joseph has worked with 15 different people groups. Overseer Joseph, a church planter, already has 22 churches in operation and about 50 children’s clubs. When he and his helpers enter an area, they first start a children’s club, which is an after-school tutoring program. In the normal course of events, parents learn that the visitors are offering a valuable ministry to their

children, and the clubs often morph into churches. Through the initiative of Rose Heights Church in Texas, Joseph can also provide an interest-free loan to a family to buy a water buffalo. The owner works the animal and sells its milk to provide for his family and to pay back the loan over a three-year period. During this time, Joseph and his team stay in touch with the family, and it often happens that a church develops from the relationship. The missionary tells of one case where one buffalo was responsible over a period of time for bringing more than 200 people to the church. The challenge of more than 2,000 UPGs in India, including 133 groups that number more than a million, confronts the church. Pray for K.P. Joseph and other UPG outreach efforts.

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What’s Happening in Missions Spain Plans are currently in process for an evangelization project at the national level. Each of the 50 provinces in the country will have an evangelistic event, with all projects based in Madrid. The goal is to involve approximately 200 churches and gather at least 500 people, especially focusing on non-believers. Also, for the first time, the Church of God in Spain will be joining forces nationwide, including Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands, with people at each place preaching the gospel simultaneously.

Chile Trying to recover from a family tragedy, the eldest of eight sisters contacted a Church of God member in Santiago. Weekly Bible studies were started to assist the family in the healing power of Jesus Christ. As a result, Sunday morning services have begun in the city of Rancagua, 50 miles south of Santiago, inspiring the planting of a new church.

India Ramesh Daniel oversees the ministry in several regions in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. A graduate of the Ministerial Internship Program, Daniel has worked tirelessly since 1997 to spread the gospel. By the end of this year, he hopes to reach 10,000 people and to disciple 100 believers. Daniel says the MIP helped him exercise his faith and trust in God to accomplish impossible things for the Kingdom.

Czech Republic Every six months, Church Planting University holds intensives, one in the Balkans and one in Central Europe, for the purpose of educating regional churches that want to plant a church. The goal of each intensive is to teach practical skills needed for working in a church setting, including those interested in working with children and youth. One workshop featured how to listen to those in the church congregation. The closing of the CPU intensive is a time of worship, led by young people who are learning to be worship leaders.

Australia World Missions Director Dr. Timothy Hill recently ministered at the first national assembly of the Church of God held in Sydney, where an overwhelming refreshing of the Holy Spirit was experienced by the attendees. The Australian church is now more focused in a direction that will bring greater unity and a greater harvest of souls in this spiritually dry land.

Church Plating University participants practicing counseling skills with each other.

Mexico After much prayer, the ministerial alliance in Nuevo Progreso was given permission to read from the Bible and pray for the city on Monday of each week. The mayor, his assistants, and city workers gather at 8 a.m. in front of the municipal offices. Because of its humilty and obedience to the Lord, Nuevo Progreso remains a quiet and peaceful haven in a troubled land. Nearby cities of Reynosa, Rio Bravo, and Matamoros constantly experience gun battles and conflict between rival gangs and the military. Prayer changes circumstances, and the Monday morning prayer times have proven powerful and effective.

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by holly g. rogers

“because I said so!” W

HEN I WAS growing up, I hated hearing “Because I said so,” which seemed to be every adult’s favorite line.

I was a curious kid, which kept me in trouble. I wanted to know and do everything, and if I was told “No,” I wanted to know why. After one such because-I-said-so lecture, I promised myself never to use this excuse with my children. Throughout my adolescence and into adulthood, it seemed God was just another authority figure refusing to give me real answers. When my prayers seemed unheard or unanswered, why didn’t God just tell me why? I loved God and served Him . . . but sometimes resented Him.

I’ll never forget the day she padded into the kitchen, her favorite teddy bear tucked safely under her arm. In a matterof-fact tone, she looked me in the eyes and said, “Holly, I don’t want to live at your house anymore.”

There are times we walk hard roads as well, wishing we could fast-forward to a happy ending. Facing difficulties with no directional signs in sight can be frustrating . . . but we must not forget that just because we don’t see God working, doesn’t mean He’s not.

This was an important moment. She had come to me with her heart on her sleeve and deserved a real answer to all the unsaid questions: How much longer do I have to be here . . . why can’t I be with my family . . . why can’t I just go home?

In the second chapter of Ruth, we find Ruth elbow-deep in grain in the field of her kinsman Boaz. She had lost the love of her life, the promise of children, the comfort and security of the home she once knew. The future laid out before her was anything but

I wrapped her in my arms and said, “I know you want to go home, and I’m sorry you have to go through this. But I am here for you, and we will get through this together.”

a dream. Everything she saw, heard, and felt said her current road was permanent— there was no evidence that her situation would ever change. Ruth had no way of knowing that she was only days away from “happily ever after.” God had not forsaken her; He was carrying out the plan that had always been in place. All she had to do was stay on the road He had called her to walk.

It wasn’t until I became a mother to my own kids, as well as to a multitude of foster children, that I finally listened to what God had been saying all along. The answer came through a precious 4-year-old who lived with us for a year, and whom we loved as one of our own. She had sandy blonde hair, and when she first joined our family, she did not even know how to smile for a photograph. We have tons of pictures of everyone else smiling beautifully, but there she is with one eye closed, scrunching her nose and baring her teeth. It was precious and heartbreaking at the same time. “Sandy” made it clear she had her own mother and father, and we were not them. She called me by my first name, and when it was time for a visit with her family, she sang and danced around the house in excitement. Her story has a happy ending, for her parents worked hard and she was eventually able to go home, but it was a long road. We hung photos of her family around the house, drew pictures for them, and prayed for them every night—anything we could do to make her time away easier.

I felt like I had just given her a fancy version of “because I said so.” The truth is, that’s exactly what she needed to hear. Her 4-year-old mind could not understand the complexities of her situation, and laying out the plan to get her home would only frustrate her and seem like an eternity. The most loving thing I could say was, “I know this is hard and you don’t understand, but I love you and I am here for you.”

When you feel abandoned, it is normal to be tempted to take things into your own hands. In those moments, remember God will “never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5 NKJV). Why? Because He said so. Holly Rogers lives in Erwin, North Carolina. EVANGEL • aug 2014

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’M THE OLDEST of four boys in my family. Mikey and I are only 11 months apart and then, for some strange and unexplainable reason, when I was 8, my parents got pregnant again. They had identical twin boys when I was 9, Dusty and Davey. My dad, having raised two boys nearly the same age already, learned a few lessons the first time around, and he applied these lessons to the younger two on the second go-round. For instance, when Mikey and I were younger, Dad had taken us fishing together. After a few minutes, he was plucking hooks out of arms and untangling fishing line from necks. So when the twins came along, he decided to teach them to fish one at a time.

Davey and lazarus by darren schalk

They were only 4 years old, and Dusty had a doctor’s appointment, so Dad decided to take Davey fishing for the first time— alone. They went to the local pond and threw a couple lines in the water. Davey was excited and could hardly contain himself. After a few minutes his bobber disappeared, and he reeled in his first fish. It was unmistakably small, but Davey was ecstatic. Dad pulled the fish from the line and was about to throw it back when he felt Davey tugging on his pant leg. “Dad, Dad, don’t throw him back! Can we keep him? Can we keep him? Pweeeeeeez, can we keep him?” Dad tried to talk Davey out of it, but there was no arguing with an insistent 4-yearold, so they combed the beach and found an old, rusty coffee can, filled it with water, and dropped the little fish in. Dad assumed Davey would forget about it by the end of the trip and they’d be able to leave the fish there. They went back to fishing, but Davey’s attention span didn’t last much longer, and they soon found themselves wading through the water, looking for shells and tiny living creatures. After a while it came time to pack up and leave, and as they

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Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25).

started to walk back to the car, Dad felt the tug on his pant leg again. “Dad, Dad, we forgot my fish, we forgot my fish!” Dad rolled his eyes but made the journey back to pick up the coffee can with Davey’s fish in it. Davey held it gently in the backseat on the way home, making sure no water spilled over the edge. He had a new pet, and he was thrilled. They arrived home later that morning, and we all prepared to attend a church service that evening several hours away. The fish sat on the back porch in the coffee can while we readied ourselves, and Dad thought he might be able to remove the fish before we left the house without Davey knowing. But Dad forgot about the fish, and we left it on the back porch, in the small coffee can, in the hot summer sun, for the entire day. You can only imagine what we came home to later that night. We pulled into the driveway, probably around midnight or so, and Davey’s first order of business was to run up to the porch and check on his fish. In his excitement he beat the family to the porch, and when he reached the old, rusty coffee can, he let out a blood-curdling wail that could only come from the belly of a completely distraught 4-year-old. We all ran up to the porch to see what had caused his emotional pain. As you may have guessed, the fish was belly-up, floating in the can, stone-cold dead. Davey was beside himself. Mom tried to console him, but it was no use. His feelings had been crushed. Then, as quickly as the dam of tears had burst, they stopped, and Davey looked up at Dad in the blackness of the night. A twinkle shone from his eyes. “Dad, you always say that Jesus can do anything, right?” Dad quickly realized this had just turned into a very precarious moment that could forever affect his young son’s faith.

“Uh, yes. I have said that,” he replied. “Well, if Jesus can do anything, He can heal my fish, right?” “Uh . . . well . . . yes . . . I suppose He could do that.” “Then pray for my fish, Dad, so Jesus will heal him.” Dad could think of no response other than to oblige Davey’s request. So as Dad always said, he prayed the best prayer he could pray over a dead fish, and once the prayer was over, Davey was content. He apparently truly believed Jesus would heal his fish.

davey truly believed jesus would heal his fish. Dad (being the ultimate man of faith that he was) thought that once Davey fell asleep, he’d come back out and get rid of the dead fish, hoping Davey would forget about it by morning. But in the bustle of getting everyone in the house off to bed, he completely forgot about Davey’s fish yet again. The next morning, Dad got up early to work on one of our vehicles, but instead of walking out the back door where the dead fish remained in the coffee can, he walked out through the basement door, never giving another thought to the fish. Of course, when Davey woke up, his first thought once again was pertaining to the fate of his fish. He ran out the back door to check on his beloved pet.

Dad was under the car when he heard the back door open and heard little feet pounding the ground, moving quickly in his direction. “Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad . . . He did it! He did it! He did it! He did it! He did it!” Dad slid out from under the car to see Davey, beaming from ear to ear. “Davey, what are you talking about?” he asked. “He did it, Dad! He did it! He healed my fish! Jesus healed my fish!” Once again Dad’s great faith rose up. “Davey, are you still sleepy? Are you sure He healed your fish? Maybe you should check again.” They walked up to the porch together, and there, in the old rusty coffee can, was the fish, alive and well. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I probably wouldn’t believe it to this day. I saw the fish, dead as dead could be the night before, and the next morning, the same fish was alive! Jesus truly had healed the fish! We immediately named the fish Lazarus —and then we had bigger questions to answer, like, “What do you do with a resurrected fish?” We had to go buy a fish tank, rocks, an aerator, fish food, and a few fish friends for our dear Lazarus. He lived for a very long time after that. One time we came home and Lazarus had leapt out of his tank and was flopping around on the living room floor. We picked him up, put him back into the tank, and he lived on. Resurrected fish die hard! If Jesus was willing to resurrect a dead fish to calm the hurt feelings of a 4-year-old boy, how far will He go to calm your emotional hurts and pains? If He will resurrect a dead fish to keep a young boy from crying himself to sleep, what will He do to help you in your hurts and pains? Darren Schalk is curriculum editor for the Church of God of Prophecy and associate editor for OAR, Inc. This article is excerpted from his book Dear God, We Need to Talk (Passio, 2014). Reprinted by permission.

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by john sweet

“the lord who heals” Will we let God use us to help abused children?

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HAT COULD THE words spoken to a group of recently delivered slaves thousands of years ago mean to a child who is facing the traumatic horrors of exploitation and abuse today? “I am the Lord who heals you” (Ex. 15:26 NKJV) was the promise made beside the sweetened waters of Marah

future, gathering every point of disease and brokenness into His beaten body. This makes possible the redemptive encounter when a believing caregiver meets an abused and hopeless child. Together, they step into a prophetic moment. The limits of disease, poverty, brokenness, and emotional pain suddenly cannot stand in the face of the promise.

The stories from caregivers around the world resound with the miraculous hope of the God who heals: Four children had been raised like animals, hoboing from one stop to the next and finally being abandoned. When they were found, it had been three days since they had eaten a bite of food. With distended stomachs, they were weak, sick, and full of parasites. Today they are fed, housed, educated, and above all, loved by the family of God.

The God who transcends time and space reaches from the past and into the future, gathering every point of disease and brokenness into His beaten body.

(“bitterness”) to the fledgling nation of Israel that continues to echo into the lives of hurting people today. All the elements of remedy, repair, and restoration are bound in the promise that is connected to a price: “With his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). The God who transcends time and space reaches from the past and into the 24

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It may occur when a child walks across the threshold of an orphanage or school. Or, it may happen through the embrace of a caregiver by hearing the encouraging words of a counselor. Unseen to the human eye, a cosmic shift occurs. The miracle at Marah and the sufficiency of Christ’s stripes unlock the potential of wholeness and healing in every part of one’s being.

An 11-year-old girl among the refugee camps on the Myanmar/ Thailand border was about to be sold by her uncle into human trafficking to settle a debt. An orphanage director rescued her; today, she is preparing for college. Among the fleeing refugees of Sudan, a 3-year-old baby girl’s legs are broken in an accident. She is tossed aside to die . . . and then rescued. Today she runs joyfully among other children.

In Behar, India, a pastor rescues a legally blind boy who was tortured and abused because of his disability. Today, he is preparing to graduate high school and dreams of becoming a pastor. The God who heals manifests Himself every day in Church of God children’s centers around the world. Missionary workers reach out to children who are in the midst of abuse and exploitation. After a child is rescued, a process of healing begins. Healing for those who have faced abuse and loss is a journey our caregivers lovingly share.

As the child begins to open up to caregivers, the workers recognize the two major emotions the Bible speaks about that have a negative impact on our lives: fear and anger. 1. When there is a lack of, or errant, information given to the child during early development, the lens through which they see the world becomes clouded with fear. When a child has suffered traumatic abuse, the resulting psychological wounds cloud their world with anger. Identifying areas of woundedness and fear give the caregiver a glimpse behind the resulting behavior to see the root causes. 2. As the caregiver lovingly responds to the fear, anger, and woundedness by providing loving parental attention and godly encouragement, something amazing begins to happen. Some children desperately need firm redirection; others need encouragement to make healthy choices. All of them need someone to care for them and believe in them. Caregivers believe that their support and encouragement will make a difference. 3. With every child, there will arise those teachable moments when a child is particularly open to receiving instruction. The caregiver has the opportunity to open the Bible and share principles of life that can lead to personal and spiritual growth. Teaching the child how to grow and mature as a Christian, and the vital need for the ability to forgive and release the past, gives the child a foundation on which to develop as an adult. 4. With every life principle, there is the need for a healthy and nurturing environment for the child to live out the new skills and elements of faith. For many of us, it was a godly family and loving local church. It is never a onceand-done affair. With a child, there will always be points of loving correction and godly encouragement to draw the child toward his or her full potential. 5. One of the missing elements in many children who do not have appropriate parental care is the lack of celebration or praise. They may never have celebrated a holiday, birthday, or accomplishment. It is a remarkable moment when you see the initiation of a smile that lights up the eyes with confidence as a child realizes a sense of accomplishment. The God who heals is often manifested through loving caregivers, counselors, mentors, and pastors. His voice calls them out of their brokenness and pain toward a life of hope and fulfillment. The God who heals often uses our hands to touch and our feet to walk along with the hurting on the journey toward wholeness. John Sweet, D.Min., is field consultant to orphanages with Church of God World Missions. [email protected]

Melissa’s Miraculous Healing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” has always been one of my favorite songs. The faithfulness of God was proven to me in 1976 when I was in a car accident and was not expected to live. A driver who went into a diabetic coma while driving crashed into my car. Rescue workers had to extract me from the car and take me to a local hospital. The doctor told my husband, Ryan, I had, at best, a 50 percent chance to survive. If I did live, I would be paralyzed on the left side of my body and would have serious eye damage. My femur (thigh bone) was shattered into over a hundred pieces. The doctor said it would take two to five years to repair it; and if I ever walked again, there would be a noticeable limp. He told Ryan that his main concern was that I lived! My family and many members of our church gathered in the ICU waiting room. They joined hands and began to pray, for they believed “by His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5 NKJV). While they were praying, the doctor came in and asked to talk to my husband. He explained that while they were doing an extensive test, the left side of my body began to move! The doctor said I was coming out of the coma and I would live! God had answered their prayers! When I was too weak to pray for myself, someone was praying for me! The doctor told Ryan my leg would require surgery. He explained that he would place a rod in the area where the bone had been shattered. Ryan told him to do whatever was necessary and he knew God would complete the healing. We were expecting the surgery on the next day, but the doctor said he was going to wait a day. He continued to postpone the surgery for a week. Finally, Ryan asked him why the delay. The doctor showed my husband the X-rays of the femur on the day of the wreck, and the X-rays of the bone a week later. God was bringing every piece of the bone back together! Ryan began to praise the Lord, but the doctor said he did not believe God had done it. Instead, the doctor explained that at times the body decides to re-create itself. Ryan told him the great Creator was taking care of me, and if He chose to re-create, He could! The doctor did not know how to reply. Four months after the accident, I walked into the doctor’s office even though I was not supposed to be able to walk for two to five years. God had brought every piece of the shattered femur back together without surgery, and the doctor said that it was stronger than before the wreck! He looked at Ryan and said, “Your God has done the work, but you will have to pay me for it.” Ryan responded, “You will get the pay, but God will get the glory!” It has been 25 years since the accident, and I have never had any problems from it. There is no limp or pain! To God be all the glory for His faithfulness! —Excerpted from Encountering the Holy Spirit, by French L. Arrington

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by michael knight

he is in control Ruins of the Basilica of Saint John

“The Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 21:6 NIV).

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T HAD BEEN RAINING all day in Seluck, Turkey. The clouds were scattered consistently along the dark tapestry beneath the sloping hills of Ayasoluk, near the ancient ruins of Ephesus. As the rain receded, my emotions were like the tossing of the nearby sea of Ionia. For the second time this year, I was with archaeologists and professors of ancient church history leading me through ruins from the first 300 years of the Christian church. I was in a midlife crisis, looking for some answers for “my” troubling world. I never imagined I would be alive to see the world in such a troubling position or the Christian church in such a persecuted posture. As the sun began to break through the clouds, I stood over the remains of the baptismal tank in the Basilica of Saint John, just a few feet from his grave site. John died a martyr, and now Christians living in the Middle East are facing severe persecution. During the past three years, I have eaten many dinners with members of the persecuted church—the underground heroes of faith. To my surprise, I have found them to be just like you and me. They are not superstars or superheroes. No, they fear 26

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death, and are often troubled for their family’s safety. They lament the loss of jobs due to their faith in Christ, and they bleed when touched by the sword. Ironically, in the midst of their trouble, they possess an uncommon strength to believe God is in control. Yet, I sometimes struggle with this issue even as I preach the gospel without fear of persecution. However, even my “peaceful” world is a troubling place where the lukewarm church is masquerading as a warring army . . . the boldness of sin penetrates family systems . . . we witness child abductions, violence against the weak, and cruelty toward the elderly. The unkindness of men propelled my spirit to ask, God, where are You, and why don’t You do something? Have You left this world? Are You simply watching us from afar? I pleaded for God to “get involved” in my life and in this world, for it can seem like man is in control of history instead of God. As I was pouring my heart out to God, I noticed a rainbow forming directly over the church. To my surprise, it was a double rainbow. It seemed to begin at the baptismal tank and flowed like paint strokes over the skies that covered the apostle’s tomb.

There, near the burial place of the writer of the Book of Revelation, I began to understand the peace of Christ in a troubled world and the impact of Jesus’ declaration, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” The Name ‘I AM’ When you call someone by name, you attract his or her attention. In the Mediterranean world, names tell you about a person’s identity, beliefs, and character. Emanuel Swedenborg said the divine name of “I AM,” revealed in the Old Testament, signifies “the being and coming forth of all things in the universe.” Life starts with God. In John’s Gospel, Jesus said, “I am . . . • “the bread of life” (6:35) • “the light of the world” (8:12) • “the door” (10:9) • “the good shepherd” (10:11) • “the resurrection and the life” (11:25) • “the way, the truth, and the life” (14:6) • “the vine” (15:1). I have grown to realize during my troubled days that Jesus is the sustenance I need to live. He is the light that shines

in my dark hours, and the doorway to a conversation with God. He is kind, caring, and protecting like a good shepherd. He renews my life because He is truth and life. Without Him, I would not bear fruit, but would die. Through Him, I will live forever. The Alpha and the Omega You probably know alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, and omega is the last. However, when Christ calls Himself “the Alpha and the Omega,” what does it mean to those of us who seek an answer for our troubled times? Christ is lifting up two opposites to emphasize the totality of all that lies in between. He is expressing His sovereignty over human history. He will bring it to an end by salvation and judgment. God is the beginning and the end of all things. He

transcends time and therefore guides the entire course of history. Vladimir Putin and Barrack Obama can do nothing unless God allows it. “Alpha and Omega” is Christ’s double signature declaring that God’s presence surrounds your beginning, middle, and end. Nothing that has happened or will happen can change that fact. Take heart. Be encouraged today. Christ stands alone as the Creator and Ruler of everything. Nothing you will face is outside the realm of His retina. As the Alpha and the Omega . . . • Christ controls not only the beginning but also the outcome. He will bless you in due time. • Christ is never caught by surprise. He is in control of your enemies and

Pervasive Persecution NORTH KOREA Amnesty International has called on North Korean authorities to release all those detained solely for their religious beliefs, following reports that an American tourist was arrested after he left a Bible at a hotel. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the man was detained when he tried to leave the country. “Leaving behind a Bible in a hotel room, whether by accident or by design, should never amount to a criminal offense,” said Roseann Rife, East Asia research director at Amnesty International, in a June 6 statement. Reports of the latest arrest came days after a South Korean missionary, Kim Jong-uk, was sentenced to hard labor for life for allegedly spying and setting up an underground church. PAKISTAN A Pakistani Muslim group says that every year, between 100 to 700 Christian women, “usually between the ages of 12 and 25 are abducted, converted to Islam, and married to the abductor or third party.” The Movement for Solidarity and Peace (MSP) says in most of these abduction cases, the parents of Christian victims file a police report. In response, the abductor’s relatives or friends file another police complaint on behalf of the abducted Christian woman, claiming that she wilfully married and converted to Islam, and that her parents are now “harassing” her unlawfully. The report notes that after abduction, these Christian women are subjected to “sexual violence, rape, forced prostitution, human trafficking and sale, or other domestic abuse.” When asked to testify

your friends. His name encompasses all of history; therefore, He is faithful throughout all time. • Christ controls not only the beginning and the end, but everything in between. As I rested against the column of the ancient remains of Saint John’s baptismal pool, I could not help but sense that God is in control. His names recorded by John were screaming the fact that He is sovereign. On that day, my head let my heart take over in the territory of the unknown as I smiled at the internal realization that the Alpha and the Omega is faithful in the beginning, the middle, and the end. Amen. Michael Knight is lead pastor of Covenant Community Church in Madisonville, Kentucky. covenantcc.net

if they were abducted, these women (and sometimes children) give a statement in favor of their captors for fear of threats to their life, and those of their family. Backing up MSP’s research, the respected national Pakistani daily paper Dawn has presented an investigation of such an incident. Similarly, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom 2014 report also alludes to forced conversion of women in Pakistan and notes abduction of a 14-year-old Christian who was forcibly converted to Islam and then given in marriage to her captor. UKRAINE In late May, the Sails of Hope orphanage in Slavyansk, Ukraine, was shelled when pro-Russian separatists took up positions on the property and fired at Ukrainian troops, drawing return fire that seriously damaged the buildings. Anticipating the possibility of violence, administrators had evacuated the chilThe damaged Sails of Hope orphanage dren to another city one week earlier. Sails of Hope is one of five orphanages administered by the Church of God in Ukraine, according to Faith News Network. It is supported from the United States by Serving Orphans Worldwide (SOW), a sister agency to Church of God World Missions that assists 43 homes for children in 27 countries.

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by tom george

trading in our filthy rags

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“The Lord Our Righteousness”

HE EXPRESSION “The Lord Our Righteousness” is found only in two verses in the Bible. Both are in the Book of Jeremiah:

• “In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (23:6).* • “In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (33:16).

In the Old Testament, righteousness often was associated with deeds. “Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us” (Deut. 6:25). However, under the new covenant, righteousness is associated with a relationship with the Lord.

We discovered the truth of Paul’s words: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5). We had no works of righteousness, but that night we “became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Heb. 11:7).

It is in Christ and through Him alone that we obtain righteousness before God. The apostle Peter said we “have obtained like

Although our righteousness is inadequate, we have the promise of receiving the righteousness that comes through faith in The Lord Our Righteousness. “You are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).

Both of these verses refer to the reign of Jesus Christ when He returns to the earth as “Lord of lords and King of kings” (Rev. 17:14). At that time, the Jewish people will be gathered from all the countries where they have been scattered and once again dwell in their own land.

The Lord Jesus Christ “bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24).

The beginning of this reality was seen in May 1948, when the nation of Israel was reborn in their ancient homeland. It will be completed when the Jewish people “in their own land shall dwell safely under a ‘Christ-ocracy,’ far more privileged than the old theocracy” (Jamieson, Faucett, and Brown Commentary).

precious faith . . . by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ . . . as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:1, 3).

The Lord Our Righteousness

The Bible sets forth the inadequacy of our righteousness: “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10). “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6).

The Jewish people can look forward to a time when they will dwell in peace and safety in their homeland during the reign of the Messiah . . . but how does this apply to Christians? Although Jeremiah 23:6 and 33:16 are promises to God’s chosen people, Christ is also “The Lord Our Righteousness” to Gentiles who accept Him. The apostle Paul declared, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). 28

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The Promise of Righteousness

The Lord My Righteousness I first attended a Pentecostal church more than 52 years ago, shortly before Wilma and I married. Six weeks after our wedding, I attended my second Pentecostal service on Valentine’s Day 1962. That night, kneeling side by side in the altar, Wilma and I accepted the Lord’s righteousness into our lives.

His obedience unto death is the justifying righteousness of believers, and their title to heavenly happiness. . . . “The Lord Our Righteousness” is a sweet name to a convinced sinner; to one that has felt the guilt of sin in his conscience; seen his need of that righteousness, and the worth of it (Matthew Henry Commentary).

Yes, Jesus Christ our Savior, the Lord of lords and King of kings, is The Lord Our Righteousness—not only to the Jewish nation, “but as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). *All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Dr. Tom George, an ordained bishop, has served as a pastor, state youth and Christian discipleship director, and state overseer. Now semiretired, he stays busy preaching, writing, and editing books and magazines.

My mom pursed her lips, furrowed her brow, and pulled her blankets up around her. “Well, I’m tired,” she said. “I think I’ll go to sleep now.” “Yeah, me too,” I said, hiding my disappointment. Why wasn’t she ready to accept Christ? Maybe she would never be ready. I went to bed feeling frustrated. The next morning, Mom called me into her room. by vicki maheu

how my mom found christ

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Y MOM WAS TRAPPED in a prison of alcoholism. I knew she couldn’t escape alone, because I had spent time in that same prison. However, Jesus had set me free from drugs and alcohol, and I had confidence knowing I would spend eternity in heaven. With my newfound assurance and freedom, I was determined to help my mom receive Christ. I joined a Bible study at my church so I could learn the “right way” to share the gospel with her. I learned how to present the salvation message using five Bible verses and a little dialogue. I tried this with my mom, who let me know she was not interested. I tried to explain how full life could be with Christ at the center, but I could not get through to her. After months of trying to make her see, I gave up. I told God, “If You want her saved, then it’s up to You! I can’t make her understand!” A few days later, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. She promised God, “If You give me one more chance, I’ll stop drinking and start going to church.” But she still didn’t ask Christ to forgive her and make her whole. She focused on what she would do for God instead of what He had already done for her.

One night we were both having trouble sleeping, so we stayed up late talking. I silently prayed, “Lord, if You want to use me tonight to share the gospel with my mom, please put the right words in my mouth.”

“Vicki, guess what! . . . After you went to bed last night, I asked Jesus to come into my heart.” I felt like leaping into the air and shouting, “Hallelujah!” My mom’s life changed dramatically. Before, she had been so unhappy, spending most of her time in a drunken stupor. Now the fragments of her life started coming together, and she was at peace.

Then I explained again how none of us can earn our salvation, but how the death of Christ paid our debt for us. All we can do is accept this gift as the payment for our sins.

Meanwhile, she underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, followed by a year of chemotherapy “just in case.”

She looked thoughtful. She said, “Vicki, there is one thing I have never understood. Why did God make Jesus die?”

Mom began living each day to its fullest. She started walking for exercise, soon covering almost five miles most days. She was active in church, enjoyed taking care of her yard, and generally loved life.

“God didn’t cause Jesus’ death; we did,” I explained. “No, I mean, why didn’t God just forgive us automatically? If God is so good and loving, why did He require His Son’s death?” I didn’t know how to answer; I hadn’t been taught this at the Bible study. I felt panicky, but then a quiet voice told me, Just be honest. Tell her you don’t understand it all, then explain what you do understand. Trust Me to guide you for the rest. “Mom, I don’t understand all of the ‘whys,’” I admitted, “but I do know it has always been this way. Blood has always been the only acceptable payment for sin.” I then talked about the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament, and how Jesus became the final sacrifice.

Mom experienced two or three years of good health before it was discovered the chemotherapy she had endured “just in case” had destroyed her bone marrow, causing her to develop leukemia. She fought with all of her heart, but in the end it finally stopped beating. Through my mother’s coming to Christ, I learned the Holy Spirit works through people like me to reveal the gospel to those who are unsaved. God can use anyone or anything to show salvation comes only through His Son, Jesus Christ. I thank God that my mom isn’t trapped anymore—not by alcohol, sickness, or old age. She is forever free. Vicki Maheu lives in Kingston, Washington. EVANGEL • aug 2014

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VIEWPOINTS

From Genesis through Revelation, we read about both literal and spiritual harvests. Talk about this concept. the ministry of the harvest DAVID M. GRIFFIS is first assistant general overseer for the Church of God.



“WHEN THE FRUIT is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come” (Mark 4:29). There are four universal truths about the harvest. These four facts in the natural world also have great meaning in the spiritual realm.  First, the harvest must be planted. Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13 tells us the mission of the sower is to sow, and the seed is the Word of God (v. 23). The laws of nature are immutable. Seed must be sown to germinate and bring forth a fruit-bearing plant.  We are sowers of the Word of the living God. The prophet Isaiah said God’s Word will not return void, but rather will accomplish His purpose (55:11). The sowing of the Word, the planting of the seed—is never, ever in vain. Second, the harvest must be gathered. A harvest not gathered will rot in the ground. Jesus said we should pray for God to send us laborers to help gather the harvest (Matt. 9:38). Gathering is true labor. Sometimes it requires great sacrifice and the exertion of our best abilities, but the harvest must be gathered.  No grander feeling of accomplishment comes than when we have successfully gathered a harvest of souls the Lord has given us. All means and methods must be used to accomplish this. The apostle Paul said, “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:22).  Third, the harvest must be preserved. In the natural world, we make bread from wheat, and jam from fruit. Fruit is canned and freeze-dried. Salt, sugar, and vinegar preserve the food we have harvested. We can only use what we can keep.  It is the same with the souls of men and women. We must make disciples of believers and “preserve” them for God’s heavenly kingdom. In the Great Commission, Jesus said those we win to Christ are to be taught “to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). “Making disciples” is more than just Christian terminology; discipleship is the preserving of the faith and the propagation of the gospel.

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Fourth, the harvest must be used. In the natural world, our bodies are nurtured by the harvest. Without the harvest, we die; our bodies fail for lack of food.  Without a spiritual harvest, the church has no future. The attrition of time takes its toll; we will die for lack of growth. The issue is not, “Do we have to have a harvest?” The issue is, “We die without one!” The good news is, “The fields . . . are white already to harvest” (John 4:35). We have the glorious privilege to reap this harvest in this troubled time. May God grant us the courage to do so!

ready for the coming harvest? ALEX MOSELEY is a campaign strategist, author, and member of South Cleveland (Tennessee) Church of God.

I GREW UP in churches that held revivals regularly. From time to time, an evangelist would come by to deliver a series of sermons that would inevitably climax with a statement like this: “I want to come back here in a few years and see this wall torn down to make room for all of those God is going to bring in.” No one had the heart to tell him there was a road on the other side of that wall, and there was no way the city would ever let us expand in that direction! That being said, are our churches prepared to handle any great increase should one happen in the future? To begin, how do we know there will be an increase? Thousands of ministers preach thousands of sermons weekly, yet church attendance is not growing. Preaching alone will not fill our churches. No matter how much we talk about Jesus and what He means to us, attractive witnessing happens only when we act as Jesus instructs us. In Luke 24, two men walking to Emmaus had traveled some distance with the resurrected Jesus. They heard Jesus talking about Himself in great detail. However, they didn’t recognize who He was until He acted like Jesus in the way He blessed and broke bread. James 2:16 says if we see someone in need of food and clothing and simply tell them to be “warmed and filled” but give them

nothing to remedy their circumstances, it is of no profit. It is the act of feeding and clothing those who cannot take care of themselves that supplies a real witness of who Jesus Christ is. As one who has spent years in the world of politics, I have watched government take over certain responsibilities of the church—things God instructs us to do. We as Christians have often been complicit in this takeover, perhaps feeling as though allowing the government to set up a program absolves us of any responsibility. It does not. Government programs are inefficient, do not bring glory to God, and have become so burdensome they are doomed to collapse. When this happens, the only hope for saving America will be that the church does what the Lord has commanded us to do. Sometime in the not-too-distant future, the church will have the opportunity to reestablish its place in society. There will be a need for basic health care. Children will need to be fed, and widows will need to be cared for. This is not something we can do overnight. Successfully recovering the responsibilities God has given us will require a coordinated effort among congregations to meet community needs. Is your church ready for the coming harvest? If your church were called on today to help feed the poor in your area, could you do so? Should the opportunity arise, could you witness to the sick in the form of health-care assistance? The answer for most churches is no. If we are to be ready, we must begin now. Churches should start small by responding to the needs of their own members. Those good things we do for one another will testify that we are following Christ. We begin small, providing for our own. We build our reserves and manpower to carry out the larger mission when the time comes. Egypt became the richest, most powerful nation on the planet under the guidance of Joseph, because they knew of the coming trouble and prepared for it in advance. Likewise, we can use the wisdom God has given us to see the coming hardships and start living as witnesses for Jesus Christ.

sowing and reaping DAVID C. COOPER is lead pastor of the Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta.

JUST AS GOD has established physical laws, He has established spiritual laws. These too are fixed, absolute, and predictable. The Bible is the law of God.

One of the most interesting of all spiritual laws is that of the harvest. This law applies to every area of life. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Gal. 6:7 NIV). We reap what we sow. It works both positively and negatively. I once read the statement that some people sow their wild oats six days of the week, attend church on Sunday, and pray for a crop failure. But the crop always comes up. We reap the same kind that we sow. Genesis tells us that all things produce after their own kind. If you plant corn, you get a harvest of corn, not wheat. But the issue for us is whether to sow to the flesh or to the Spirit. Did you know that in the United States, one out of every four girls and one out of every seven boys will be sexually abused before 18 years of age? This is the product of a nation sowing to the flesh and reaping a corrupt harvest. We reap in a different season than we sow. There is a time to sow and a time to reap. This is certainly evident in child-rearing. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (NKJV). The raising and harvesting of godly children follows a diligent season of spiritual training. We reap if we persevere. Most of us give up too soon in our life’s pursuits. The majority of divorces in this country happen during the first five years of marriage—giving up too soon! James J. Corbett, former heavyweight boxing champion, when asked what advice he would give to aspiring fighters, said: “Fight one more round! When your arms are so tired you can hardly lift your hands, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round, remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped!” Put the law of harvest to work in your life and reap an abundant harvest.

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PEOPLE AND EVENTS

moving forward in mississippi McCool, MS—In the early 1950s, a few women in this community got together and started prayer services and a Bible class in their homes. Those women were Lillian Hannah, Pearl “Homer” Hannah, Pearl “Simon” Hannah, Creasie Hannah, and Tiny Holman. These meetings went from Alvin E. and Kathy Jackson

house to house each week. The women’s families also attended the meetings. After a few months of meeting together, Alberta Holman Smith moved to the community and began attending. She soon told the others about a sanctified preacher whom she would like to invite to their meetings. They all agreed. Bishop C. C. Daniel, overseer of the black Church of God congregations in Mississippi, along with elders Johnny Davis and George Shaw, visited the McCool gathering. During a meeting held at Crowder’s Farm during this time, Oneder Kirkwood accepted Christ and joined the meetings. The group asked L. D. Hannah to sell them an acre of land for the building of a church. He said he would give the land but not sell it, because he did not think the mission would last long. The land was donated with this condition: When the church ceased operating, the property would go back to him.

fifty years of faithfulness Stinking Creek, TN— Delmus and Rose Bruce are celebrating a milestone seldom heard about today: 50 years of pastoral ministry at one church. The couple has been at Stanfield Church of God since they followed the initial call of God and left the state of Washington. Over these five decades, it is no surprise that they’ve had many opportunities to move on to bigger churches in larger communities. When asked why they never moved, both Pastor Delmus and Rose have a simple yet profound answer: “This is where God wants us to be.”

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Year after year, trial after trial, victory after victory, the two have toiled on their knees in prayer and with their hands at work. Their

McCool Church of God members

The church was formally organized in the late ’50s. The Lord blessed them with a building that the women helped to relocate and reconstruct, since there were few men in the church. The building was purchased for $150. The women pulled out nails, pulled down boards, and then got someone to haul the materials to the new property. The father of Melvin McKinley did carpentry work for the rebuilding. It is believed that his labor was donated. ministry extends beyond the church into the whole community. Most everyone in this region will nod in recognition when the Bruces are mentioned, making comments like these: • “They visited me when my daddy died.” • “Delmus and Rose fed me when I was hungry.” • “They prayed for me when I had nowhere else to turn.” • “The Bruces were kind to me when no one else cared.” The list goes on and on. Delmus and Rose Bruce are celebrating 50 years at Stanfield Church of God, but the seeds they’ve planted in the community will go on as long as time stands.

Bishop C. C. Daniel, Pearl Hannah, and Creasie Hannah served as the church’s first Trustee Board. Lillian Hannah was the church’s first clerk. Bishop Daniel served one year as pastor until George Shaw of West Point, Mississippi, was appointed. Paul Bell, also of West Point, later became the pastor. A while later, James Turnipseed, who was originally from the area, was appointed pastor after moving back from Illinois. The church’s first building fund was established after Pastor Turnipseed donated back $3,000 that was given to him by the church as an appreciation gift. A seed was planted, and it grew. In 1995, the Lord sent Reverend Alvin E. and Kathy Jackson to McCool with a vision to build a new facility. As a result of much fasting and praying, the process soon began. The church was blessed with $25,000 from Church of God state and international offices to help. The Lord provided the church two acres of land to build on, purchased from the late A. M. Veasy for $300. On May 4, 2014, the church celebrated the burning of its mortgage note. Pastor Jackson said, “Today, through hard labor and prayers, we have walked by faith and not by sight to achieve part of our dream and vision.”

For daily news updates about what’s happening in the Church of God and Evangelical world, visit FAITH NEWS NETWORK, at www.faithnews.cc.

Benjamin and Sallie Crumley

CENTURY OF MINISTRY IN ALABAMA Heflin, AL—On August 30, 1914, V. M. Kennedy led the first worship service of the new Crumley’s Chapel Church of God. James Benton Ellis, author of Blazing the Gospel Trail, served as the first pastor. Benjamin and Sallie Otwell Crumley donated 2.5 acres of their land for the construction of the first building, thus the name “Crumley’s Chapel.” Benjamin farmed most of the land surrounding the church, planting many seeds, but the most important seed he ever planted was for this historic congregation. Since then, the congregation has had 30 pastors, four youth pastors, and one children’s pastor. Crumley’s Chapel has the distinction of having the only cemetery in Cleburne County recognized in the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register. There are over 350 graves in the cemetery, with the first burial occurring on June 30, 1919, after Josephine Caroline Garrison Brown was fatally burned in a tragic kitchen fire. Five generations of Crumleys are buried in the cemetery. The church’s annual homecoming and cemetery decoration day, held on the first Sunday in May, draws people from more than 20 states. On May 4, 2014, an inspirational message was delivered by Evangelist Joseph Crumley of Tifton, Georgia, a great-grandson of Benjamin and Sallie Crumley.

“Crumley’s Chapel has grown from its modest beginnings because of the generous and faithful charter members and all of the great men God has sent us as pastors,” said church members Rick and Nikki Crumley Shea. “We have birthed great teachers, lay members, and pastors, many of whom have ascended to leadership in the Church of God.” In conjunction with its centennial, the church published a 65-page historical directory. Contributions came from many sources, including David Roebuck of the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center. The Sheas said, “Pastor Tony Mahathy expresses his gratitude to all who had a part in making this directory a book we are very proud of, and hopes it will be a blessing to everyone who reads it.”

DECEASED MINISTERS

n KELCH, C. Nathan; 70; ordained bishop; Michigan; Darlene Kelch (wife)

n ARNOLD, Kenneth Brown; 84; ordained bishop; Virginia; Dinah Gregory (daughter)

n LEROY, Samuel Pickens; 101; ordained bishop; South Carolina; Thomas LeRoy (son)

n BLAKE, Ronald Lee; 73; ordained bishop; West Virginia; Marcella Blake (wife)

n NOEL, Joseph; 76; exhorter; Virginia; Jean Noel (wife)

n CADDELL, David Glen; 60; ordained bishop; Kentucky; Brenda Caddell (wife) n CALL, Betty Jean; 80; missionary; Florida; Anita Maitland (sister) n COLLINS, Daniel Curtis; 78; exhorter; North Carolina; Ella H. Collins (wife) n DAVIS, Catherine; 73; ordained minister; Maryland; Jane Gurganious (daughter)

n PERRY, Charles D.; 54; exhorter; Kentucky; Ara Perry (daughter) n STANFIELD, W. Doyle; 88; ordained bishop; Tennessee; Shirley Stanfield (wife) n STONE, Tommie Zeno; 89; ordained bishop; Alabama; Patricia Barnett (daughter) n STRICKLAND, Ivey J., Jr.; 80; ordained bishop; South Carolina; Lona Strickland (wife)

n DIAZ, Irene; 65; exhorter; Delaware; Jorge Diaz (husband)

n TOWE, Nathan Bloss; 87; ordained bishop; Ohio; Helen Towe (wife)

n FELETI, Amisone; 64; ordained bishop; Hawaii; Vaelua Feleti (wife)

n TYLER, Richard L., Jr.; 85; ordained bishop; Alabama; Mary Tyler (wife)

n HENRY, Johnny Lynn; 54; ordained minister; Tennessee; Joy Henry (wife)

n VAUGHAN, Carl Russell; 79; ordained bishop; Alabama; Marlene Vaughan (wife)

n INGERSOLL, Herbert Lee; 88; ordained bishop; Colorado; Betty Ingersoll (wife)

n WILKINS, Joseph Dennis; 73; ordained bishop; Virginia; Pat Wilkins (wife)

NEW MINISTERIAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE Tifton, GA—The Church of God in South Georgia is taking a huge step forward in its training of ministers for the 21st century. South Georgia Administrative Bishop Stephen Darnell asked Daniel Tomberlin, chair of the state Ministerial Development Board, to propose a new ministerial training ministry for the region. From their discussions and with input from others, the

region will launch its Ministerial Development Initiative this fall. This initiative will provide seminars where ministers will meet monthly to discuss biblical, doctrinal, and ministerial issues based upon what they are studying in their Certificate in Ministerial Studies (CIMS) courses. The South Georgia leadership believes the initiative will provide opportunities to further develop

skills for ministry and establish stronger bonds of friendship. Bishop Darnell said, “We believe so strongly in the Ministerial Development Initiative that we are providing a 50 percent scholarship toward the CIMS courses for the ministers who participate. . . . They will be better trained to build strong churches and expand the kingdom of God.”—Faith News Network EVANGEL • aug 2014

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? by david g. roebuck

ruth crawford lindsey

experiencing god’s marvelous call

R

UTH CRAWFORD LINDSEY recently recounted her experiences as a missionary to Brazil for a video celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Evangelical Seminary of the Church of God in Goiania. Lindsey was involved in the formation of the ministerial training center from its first class in 1964. Today, many of her former students are pastors, church leaders, and Christian workers throughout the largest nation in South America. Ruth’s early life on a farm in Arkansas was a long way geographically and culturally from Brazil. Yet, even as a young girl going to school and completing her daily chores, God gave her a desire to be a teacher. After graduating from Lee College in 1960, Ruth and three other young women journeyed to Brazil on an oil freighter to serve as missionaries. At that time, the World Missions Board was reluctant to appoint single women to the mission field, but the board did provide each team member with $100 for travel. Only later did the board begin sending $50 a month to support Ruth’s work and eventually appoint her as a missionary with a salary. Ruth helped develop the curriculum and, at one time or another, taught almost every course the fledgling school offered. With a lack of Christian books in Portuguese, she and the other teachers produced their own “textbooks” using a manual typewriter and a stencil machine. Before beginning the Bible school, the women had already started

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an elementary school to teach local children to read and write. Ruth also served as the national overseer’s secretary, conducted Vacation Bible Schools, held evangelistic meetings, helped direct youth camps and retreats, preached whenever there was an opportunity, and helped pioneer a congregation.

In what was essentially the bush country of the Brazilian interior, life was often challenging. Outhouses, scorpions, kerosene lamps, washing clothes by hand, and the precariousness of the local food and water were part of daily life. In 1962, Ruth developed pancreatitis, and despite her prayers, soul-searching, and hospitalization, it appeared she was

dying. Her doctor recommended she write final letters to loved ones before a risky exploratory surgery. Miles away from the hospital, a small Church of God congregation in Anhanguera, Brazil, cried out to the Lord on her behalf. Their rural village had no direct communication with the city, so they prayed until they had peace that God had done the work. According to Ruth, while they were praying, “the Lord came into my hospital room and touched me.” Her surgery was canceled. Today, Ruth takes advantage of email to communicate with former students and financial supporters. Although health has curtailed some activities, she faithfully attends the North Cleveland Church of God and participates in senior adult ministries. She remains a regular visitor to the Lee University campus, where she taught for 27 years after returning from Brazil. Given an opportunity to tell her story in a Lee chapel service, she testified, “I spent 13 happy years in Brazil.” She concluded, “I marvel that God called me—a timid, bashful teenage cottonpicker—to be a missionary. I marvel even more that He anointed me and used me to lead some souls to Christ.” David G. Roebuck, Ph.D., is the Church of God historian and director of the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center on the Lee University campus. [email protected]

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