"Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them." Psalm 106:23.

The children of Israel had turned away from God to worship the golden calf saying, "These are the gods that brought us out of Egypt." The Lord's anger was kindled as He called them a stiffnecked people. He told Moses to "...let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them." Exodus 32:10.

What did Moses do? He stood in the breach.

What did God do? "And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people." Exodus 32:14.

Again the children of Israel provoked God to anger by committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab and sacrificing to their gods. (Numbers 25:1-8.) The anger of the Lord was kindled insomuch that twenty-four thousand people perished. Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, took a javelin, went into a tent and slew a Midianitish woman and a man of Israel (Simeonite) who had defied the commandments by committing whoredom. When Phinehas had done this, the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

To stand in the breach sometimes requires severe judgment against the offenders. This is not a position of glory, but one that the Lord Himself will reward. He was so well pleased with Phinehas, who had turned away His wrath from the children of Israel, that He said He would give unto him His covenant of peace and to his seed after him because he was zealous for his God, and had made an atonement for the children of Israel.

In Ezekiel 13:5, the Lord is speaking of some foolish prophets who failed to stand in the gap. "Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle." He said they were like foxes in the desert. They had cunningly prophesied lies neglecting the house of Israel.

Another example which proves how important it is for one to stand in the breach is found in Ezekiel 22:30-31. "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap (breach) before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them;..." By this scripture we are convinced that had there been someone qualified to stand in the gap the fury of the Lord would have been stayed.

Today it is just He same. Many ills would not occur if individuals whom the Lord had designated to stand in the breach had been faithful. On the other hand, the mercy of the Lord has been extended because of faithful ones who stood in the gap. Are you willing to stand in the breach?

OK-Dear Bro. Wayne: I am sorry I didn't get to attend more of the Guthrie Assembly Meeting because of my dear sister, Alta Bock, being sick, but I am thankful I was able to attend as much as I did.

I was sorry to hear of Sis. Melissa Linch's passing. Our God is still in control. The Lord is blessing our congregation here, and we are so grateful for our dear pastor and family.

I trust all are well and much encouraged. I surely appreciate the Faith and Victory paper.

In Christian love, -Sis. Frances Perkins

NC-Hello, Bro. Wayne and family: I want to renew my Faith and Victory subscription. I enjoy the paper very much. It has been much help to me and I read it over and over.

Bro. Wayne, I want to thank you and all the good people up there for all the prayers you prayed for me and my family in the passing of our mother, Sis. Rhoda Blevins. I also thank you for your support in my sickness. Please pray that I will get close to God. I want to see my sweet mother again. May God bless you all real good,

-Sis. Faye Minton

OK-As a backslidden sinner I have been very fortunate to have the prayers of so many wonderful saints on my behalf. On Friday night (1-12-99), at a revival, I accepted God into my heart once again. I can't begin to describe the feeling of having God put a burden on my soul to become saved. There is a song in the Evening Light Songs song book called, "Have You Counted the Cost?" I was sure I had "bartered my hope of eternity's morn for a moment of joy." I thought I had crossed the line of no return. But the Lord told me, "Phil, it's late. If you don't come to Me, you will perish." Dear friends, I couldn't believe that God still wanted me in His fold. Praise God for His infinite mercy.

I ask for your prayers for several unspoken requests, as I have family living as I was.

Thank you for persevering in publishing the Faith and Victory as I am always in need of an uplifting message and encouragement.

Please keep me in your prayers as I struggle to keep Satan at bay. I know he will now redouble his efforts to destroy my soul. Praise be to God, for without Him I am nothing.

-Bro. Phil Washburn MO-Greetings to all on this lovely winter day, which the Lord has given us to enjoy. I am striving to follow the great Shepherd-He offers every soul a key to the home in heaven He has gone to prepare. And He gives us a straight path to follow. We cannot try a shortcut (a detour).

I want to be sure of my salvation.

Love for souls, -Sis. Doris Bowers

OR-Dear Bro. Wayne and all at the Print Shop: We trust this will find all there enjoying the gift of salvation provided by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We can never in this world be able to comprehend the fullness of the love that was manifested by the crucifixion of Jesus in bearing the sins of the whole world.

In the cassette message we heard yesterday, the temple that Solomon built for God to dwell in was used as a type for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our bodies. As I considered and read about it, the fact that everything was prepared beforehand so that there was no sound of hammer or saw during construction made me think of the preparation of sinners for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. There is much "hewing and sawing" necessary for a sinner to realize his lost condition and bring him to a state of justification, but the sanctification and indwelling of the Holy Spirit is without noise or confusion....

With love and prayers,

-Bro. Bill and Sis. Ruby Fern Busch MO-Dear Bro. Wayne: Greetings to you all at the Print Shop. I hope all is going well with you.

The reason I haven't written sooner is that I fell on the kitchen floor and hurt myself and haven't been able until now to write.

I trusted in God and He has brought me to where I am completely well. I was sore all over but I didn't have any broken bones....

Remember my oldest sister, Grace Norton, in prayer. She has been sick but is some better. She is 87 years old.

Will close with love and prayers, -Sis. Hallie Pinkerton MO-Dear Bro. Wayne: Greetings in Jesus' dear name.... I trust all is going well there, and that the new Print Shop is progressing. I remember the work continually in my prayers.

I enjoyed what little of the Guthrie, OK, Assembly Meeting I got to attend. It was a great uplift to my soul. I have heard that the rest of the meeting was also very good.

It was a good thing I came to Guthrie on the first weekend, because on the last weekend we had a very severe winter storm here-the worst in two decades, they said. We were without electricity for nearly 48 hours. I understand that some were without nearly a week. Temperatures were very frigid, and without electricity I wasn't able to have any heat in my house, as my wood furnace requires a blower to circulate the air. Fortunately, Mom and Dad have gas heat, so I was able to stay there until the electricity came back on. Several of my water pipes froze and burst, and when I finally did get heat back in the house, I had an awful mess to deal with. It took about a week to get things back in order again. We don't stop very often to think about how much electricity means to our lives until we are without it for a little while!...

Yours in Christian love, -Bro. Harlan Sorrell TX-I would like to say thank you to a very special person. I call her "Granny." You know her as Sister Ruth Shehee. As I read the article "Pressure in Pursuit" in the most recent edition of Faith and Victory, I too was reminded of times traveling down life's highway when truckloads of worry, fear, pressures and problems were gaining on me and oftentimes overtaking me. However, I always knew that someone was standing in the gap and interceding on my behalf with our precious Lord. That was Sis. Ruth Shehee.

Whenever any family member needed help, we may not have been saved, but we always knew who to get to first to start the saints praying for us. We would say it is Granny who has a direct line to God.

My early memories as a child are of sitting on the front row with Granny at the Church of God in Bakersfield, and then camp meetings in Pacoima, CA. I could always count on someone to request the hymn, "Be Ready When He Comes." Some 35 years later Granny is still faithful in serving God. One by one she is succeeding in reaching her family for Christ. As I learn more about God's Word and experience His grace, mercy, healing touch and forgiveness, I now understand why she is always so relentless and tireless in her efforts to help us be saved.

I close with a favorite scripture to both of us-Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

We thank and love you, Your granddaughter, -Stephanie Olesh MI-Dear Bro. Wayne and dear Sis. Mary: Greetings in Jesus' name. May many of God's richest blessings flow upon all of you dear ones who are faithful in the Lord's work, which is very important for the lost souls out in this world of sin. The Faith and Victory paper is so wonderful to read. It can touch hearts when they read of how dear saints get healed when they are sick. They will know there is a healing God in heaven. I enjoy all that I read of the dear saints' healings. It is a real wonderful thrill to my soul. Praise be to our dear, precious Jesus, and the dear Father in heaven who watches over us.

I thank you for putting me on the prayer request list. I pray for all of the others on the list and ask our dear Jesus to heal all of us and make us well. I thank all of you who pray for me. I still need a healing touch and I am looking forward to it. Psalm 31:24 says, "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." Isaiah 49:13 says, "For the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted." What a great and wonderful God we have. I am so glad He loves and cares for us. Won't it be wonderful when He calls us to live in heaven with Him forever?

QUESTION: Please explain and discuss Isaiah 66:17. ANSWER: Isaiah 66:17 reads thus: "They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord."

We must remember that the history of the human race presented a pretty dark and ugly picture until Christ came into the world and they that sat in darkness saw great light. (Matthew 4:16.) Nearly all the world was steeped in pagan, heathen, idolatrous darkness. God had gathered out a small nation of people (Israel) which were the "fewest of all people" (Deuteronomy 7:7), for Himself, and the remainder of the world's peoples were in this dreadful condition. But a prophecy of hope for all these poor benighted souls appears in the latter part of Isaiah 66:19 where it says, "...They shall declare my glory among the Gentiles." The Gentiles were all the people of the earth except the Jews (Israel), whom God had chosen out of the nations to be His own peculiar people, to reveal His glory through them. But the long-range importance of this prophecy was Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whom God sent forth into the world to manifest His glory unto all the peoples of the world.

Now with this little introduction to the subject, let us return to Isaiah 66:17, the principal text for the discussion. This verse has to do with the sacrifices and worship of the heathen idolators and their system of worship, which was quite elaborate. They "sanctified" and "purified" themselves-the same things that God did for His people in their sacrifices and worship-to sanctify and purify them. But these people offered abominable sacrifices on their altars (swine's flesh and the mouse) and ate these things, all of which God had declared to be an abomination and forbidden. (Leviticus 11:1-44.) They had groves planted in the high places and altars set up among the trees, and apparently offered sacrifices to different gods upon these separate altars. The text says, "...behind one tree in the midst,..." The margin says "one tree after another." I think this would describe it better because there were always groves where the heathen worshipped and offered their sacrifices. The Lord said at the close of this verse that all their abominable sacrifices, and the abominable things they ate, and they themselves would all be consumed together in God's wrath. They set up their worship system pretty much like God's, with altars and sacrifices, and sought to accomplish the same results that God did in His people. But the sad and yet glorious fact is, that the kinds of sacrifices and worship which the true God prescribed had the effect upon the true worshiper of exalting him to a higher plane of living and more like God, while the heathen's sacrifices and worship had the effect of transferring his own corrupt nature to his god because there was no life nor essence in his god to exalt and lift him up. So he sank to a lower plane of corruption than before. Someone (an atheist, I suppose) has said that God never created man in His own image as Christians believe; but man created a god after his own likeness and in his image. I accept this to be pretty much true of the heathen pagan, and in a measure of religionists in our day who have no exalted idea of Christlikeness in Christian lives.

Now I will refer to a few other texts which describe the way of the heathen to confirm what I have already said. In Isaiah 65:1-7 God described the condition of the Gentiles (pagans). In verse 3 He said they continually provoked Him to anger to His face; they sacrificed in gardens (Isaiah 66:17 says they sanctified and purified themselves in the gardens), they burned incense upon altars of brick (whereas God required that His altars be built of whole stones, Deuteronomy 27:6), they ate swine's flesh and broth (or pieces-margin) of abominable things in their vessels (which God forbade in Leviticus 11), and they said, "Don't come near me, stand by thyself; for I am holier than thou." (Isaiah 65:4-5.) God said these were smoke in His nostrils, a fire that burned all the day. Yet He extended His arms to them and offered them salvation.

In Deuteronomy 7, God instructed the Israelites that when they entered into the Canaan land they should utterly destroy the people that were there (verse two) and make no covenant with them. They were to destroy their altars, break down their images and burn them with fire, and cut down their groves. (verse five.) He said the reason for this was that the Israelites were a holy people unto the Lord their God (verse six) and the people of the land were not acceptable to Him, neither were their altars, their sacrifices, their groves, nor their worship. God still requires that same separateness today between the people who worship Him in spirit and in truth and the formal religionists who teach for doctrines the commandments of men and thus worship Him in form only.

Read also Exodus 23:24; 34:12-14; Deuteronomy 12:1-4; II Kings 16:4; I Kings 14:22-23, etc.

We see then how God hates idolatry and what an abomination it is to Him. We also see what an elaborate arrangement the heathen made for his place and system-high places, beautiful groves and gardens, etc. It was all so abominable and obnoxious to God that He required every trace and memory of it to be totally obliterated. He even required in Numbers 33:52 that all their pictures be destroyed. Pictures had a strange and powerful fascination to them, so God required that all the pictures that would be a reminder or a suggestion of idolatry to them be destroyed.

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever." John 14:16.

Our world is full of trouble. Since sin came onto the scene, it has always been so. But we were not built for worry. Therefore, there has always been a search for ways to escape anxiety. The ancient Egyptians used to deal in a drug called "nepenthes." It was known as a substance to "lull sorrow for a day." Our society has broadened the spectrum of "comforters" to a whole array of harmful drugs. Hence we have crime and sorrow upon sorrow.

What God meant for us to partake of is the consolation of His Holy Spirit. It soothes the aching breast and calms a fevered mind. It is the ultimate Comforter.

Anodyne is a chemical used as a means of relieving bodily pain. The word, in fact, means "soothing," or "freeing from pain." But anodyne is not guaranteed to live up to its beautiful name. There are times that the hurt is too deep for it to give total relief. The Comforter which God has given, however, can reach the deepest wound of the soul. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27.

Another drug known as an "antispasmodic" is purported to be a remedy for convulsions. Have you ever seen Christian workers who have spasms or convulsions? They do service for Christ now and then, and when they do, it is done like one in a convulsive fit. The antispasmodic remedy for such is the infilling of the Holy Spirit. He will abide with us and produce a continual healthy interest in the work of the Lord.

God's Word proposes great blessings through the Holy Spirit, and the lives of countless Christians ratify it. The Comforter is a priceless gift to us from God-a gift of which we should seek a full portion, and for which we should never lose appreciation.

Since it is human to become accustomed to things of great value and to allow their significance to dim, I pose this question to every child of God-do you have a proper appreciation for the Holy Spirit in your life?

Work on the new Print Shop is progressing. Bro. Earl Benson has been faithfully laboring to finish the concrete work on the loading dock. Bro. Dan Doolittle has been completing the remaining work on the heat and air system and helping to install the ceiling tile and insulation which is on the job site. And Bro. Arlan Campbell is getting together material for the wood trim.

We are continually grateful for the way God is providing for this project of faith, and we thank you who have given of your means so willingly to support it. We are assured that God takes note of your sacrifice and the treasure you are laying up in store as souls are helped through the printed Word. (I Cor. 15:58.)

It was a pleasure for Bro. Joe Fine and myself to visit in the home of Bro. James and Sis. Charlotte Huskey during a recent trip to Ensenada, Mexico. We also appreciated the opportunity to visit again with Bro. Mayarino Escobar and his wife, Sis. Panchita, and others there, as well as saints in the Bakersfield, CA, area. As you will find listed under the camp meeting dates, plans are being made for services to be held in Ensenada on Aug. 4-8.

We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Bro. Ben Tangunan, brother of the native Philippine missionary, Bro. Matias Tangunan. Bro. Ben was well educated in the doctrines of the Bible and was instrumental in teaching other young ministers in the Philippines. Pray for the unhindered continuance of the work on these islands, and for the solace of Bro. Ben's wife and family.

Honduras, C.A. Report January 18, 1999-Dear saints: I would like to report to you that the Lord blessed the recent trip to Honduras, and I would also like to express appreciation for the response to the great needs that were there. The trip turned out to be a totally different trip than we planned due to Hurricane Mitch which caused havoc in Honduras. We are very thankful to the Lord for preserving the lives of the saints, as well as the chapel that is located on the island of Roatan.

I want to thank the group that went on this trip for the desire and enthusiasm which they expressed the entire trip. I have been to Honduras several times, and this trip has been the most physically taxing of them all. The missionary group consisted of Bro. John Clements and Bro. Jim Wall who left on Friday, November 27, and returned on December 8. Their preparatory work was very valuable to the success of the trip. By the time the rest of us reached the island, materials for the construction of two houses were on site and construction had already begun.

The rest of the group consisted of Phillip Gellenbeck, his wife, Rosie, their son, Matthew, Galen Kelly, Phillip Bell, Sheldon Robertson, Karen Sallee and Toney Samons. We left on December 1 and arrived back in the States on December 9.

Our first obstacle was the airline's failure to get our baggage and tools to us upon arrival. Our clothes came the next day and the tools the following day. The tools shipped over on the first shipment were put to use and work progressed.

The main group arrived Tuesday evening and began working the next morning. The devastation in the village where we worked caused us to realize that our efforts would only scratch the surface in providing for the needs. We decided to focus on rebuilding two houses for the saints who had lost theirs. That was hard to do, seeing others who were also in need. Not being able to repair everyone's house, we tried to dispense money to buy materials for those who seemed most needy, as far as our money would stretch.

We built the two houses for about $3,000 each. These were very basic structures, 20 X 24 feet, built on posts. The saints were very grateful and helped all they could.

Sis. Rosie and Sis. Karen, along with a couple of the native sisters, did a very good job in bringing lunch every day and cooking meals for us every morning and night. We appreciated their dedication, and particularly appreciated Sis. Karen's bravery in being willing to go knowing that it was not the healthiest of situations.

There were some reports of malaria in the villages where we were, but the Lord was faithful to protect us all, and except for a touch of stomach trouble we all came through well.

We had service with the saints almost every evening, and the sisters had children's meeting every day. The last Sunday we were there we had an "out of order," but blessed, service, and it was very special to us all. We were encouraged by the spiritual progress we saw.

That same Sunday morning we had a baptismal service, and then went to a neighboring village, where we were building the houses, to conduct an open-air meeting. The people had taken benches from a church that had broken apart and partly washed-away and set them up on the beach. They then covered it all with canvas material, and we had another special service. The Lord gave a message on building our lives on shifting sand. In the background was a partially washed away church building built on the sand. One young lady named Margaret, 23 years old, left the service under conviction and later that evening got saved. Thank the Lord!

The last day we set aside to do a little sightseeing and souvenir buying. Some of the boys went out with some of the natives to dive for some sea shells, conchs and lobster. They appreciated the break from work and certainly deserved a little recreation.

All too soon this trip was over. The van hobbled along most of the week but quit again the last day there. Some of the saints in the states had purchased a small '95 Nissan pickup truck to take to Honduras, which will be very useful. The taxes, custom fees and shipping costs for the vehicle are the immediate needs. If you feel burdened to help in this area, please contact Bro. Kimble or myself. We hope to ship it to the island soon.

Finally, the saints in several congregations got a trailer load of clothes, food, etc., and sent it to New Orleans where it was shipped on to Honduras. It was going as we were coming home. Instructions were given to allow them to be a blessing and help to anyone in need, and particularly as an outreach to people other than just the saints. We appreciate those who contributed to these needs.

As of this time we are planning another trip later in the spring. Pray that the Lord will give direction and continue to bless the mission efforts in Honduras.

Yours for His cause, -Bro. Toney Samons From India... February 3, 1999-Dear Bro Wayne Murphey, dear saints in America and other parts of the world: Greetings to all you dear ones again in the precious name of Jesus. Thank you for your letter dated January 7, and the enclosures were noted with much gratitude. May God bless the hands of each donor for the work in India.

Our 34th General Convention ended with many blessings and victories. The climate was good, attendance was good and the messages were very excellent and penetrating. The response was also good. Fourteen young people were baptized.

I have been busy with visiting our congregations. Tomorrow I shall go to Trichur for the monthly meetings there. Last week I was at Kothamangalam. A four-day convention will be conducted there during the third week of February. Persecutions have already started in north India. Freedom for evangelization is getting worse....

Yours in Him, -Bro. John Varghese