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Search Past Issues Subscribe to F&V March 2001 In This Issue: GETHSEMANE Question & Answer With Ostis Wilson Rally Together Letters From The Readers Reports From the Mission Field Editorials & Prayer Requests GETHSEMANE Charles Ludwig A visitor to the Holy Land is generally a little disappointed as he visits the spots made famous by the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The reason for this disappointment is that shrines have been built over many of the traditional places, making it difficult to imagine the scene just as it was when Jesus was there in the flesh. At the end of the narrow road that leads in winding curves up to Bethlehem one does not see an ancient stable where Mary and Joseph heard Jesusı first cries; instead he sees an elaborate building known as the Church of the Nativity. Here one is told that the pillars of the building were salvaged from the temple in Jerusalem by the order of Queen Helena. And the guide points out an elaborate altar covered with gold and silver candlesticks which he says are lit perpetually. Then with a hushed voice and in his best professional manner he calls attention to a large silver star shining from the floor and exclaims, ³That is the exact spot where Christ was born!² At the end of the Via Dolorosa, over which Jesus stumbled some twenty centuries ago with a heavy cross over his shoulders, the visitor is again confronted with a large building ‹ the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This elaborate structure is a vast jungle of gold, silver, polished marble, flickering candles, breath-taking chandeliers and elaborate mosaics. No expense was spared to make the place lovely, inspiring, unforgettable. But again one is disappointed by all this gold, silver and marble. It just does not blend in with oneıs idea of the old rugged cross and Easter morning. Many would much prefer the place to be just as it was when the cross became crimson with the lifeblood of the One who died for our sins. It would be a wonderful thing if all these shrines could be removed. The historic sites would be much more authentic, and the salvaged gold and silver would support an army of missionaries! There is, however, one lovely place in the Holy Land. Its beauty has not been ruined by man-made walls, red-tiled roofs, polished marble and hammered gold. And this place is the incomparably lovely Garden of Gethsemane. This hallowed spot with its eight ancient olive trees is now tended by Franciscan friars. These men can be seen almost any day as, dressed in their long, brown habits and armed with baskets or rakes, they work in the garden. Their job is one that a tense, high-strung person might well envy! After one has meditated and prayed in the shadow of one of these gnarled trees‹some people believe they date back to the Middle Ages, and some imaginative souls even believe their history extends back to the days of Jesus‹he asks himself why the Garden was not ruined by shrines as were so many of the other places. According to tradition, Gethsemane was identified by the chief shrine-maker, Queen Helena, in A. D. 326. Why did she not cover it with a large building? It could have been done easily. I am sure that there are many logical answers to this question, but I am going to take the liberty of setting forth the answer that satisfies me. The Church of the Nativity was built over the stable where the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus. This virgin birth of Christ is a fact that causes us to rejoice. It moves us. It stirs us. And it causes us to bow our heads in worship. But this experience is one that none of us can really feel, for no one else was ever born of a virgin and no one else ever will be. We acknowledge it and are grateful for it, but we cannot share it. We can only know about it from afar. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built, many think, over Calvary, where Jesus died for us. The cross means everything to those who follow him. With tear-dimmed eyes we sing ³The Old Rugged Cross,² ³Beneath the Cross of Jesus,² and ³When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.² But in a very real sense we cannot feel the pain of the cross because it is unlikely that any of us will ever be crucified on one. We love the cross. We are saved because of the cross. We bow at the foot of the cross. The greatest saints, however, including John and Mary who were present at the actual Crucifixion, have not even seen, let alone felt, the darkest moments of the cross. Yes, I know library shelves are filled with the histories of Christians who were burned at the stake, pulled apart on the rack, or tortured to death in a thousand other ways. But none of them, as they faced the final agony of death, has ever cried out in more anguish than did Jesus: ³My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me, leaving Me helpless, forsaking and failing Me and My need? The most spiritual saint can see the Cross only in dim outline. Its complete meaning will always be beyond man. But when we consider the tragic and glorious hours of Gethsemane, in a very small measure, perhaps, we can understand, for almost every Christian has had his knees soiled on the damp grass of a minor Gethsemane. More people than any of us imagine have their names scrawled in the tattered register of Heartbreak Hotel. No, Queen Helena did not build a church or shrine over Gethsemane. That little garden on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives was much too sacred for that! It came within her personal experiences! Where your Gethsemane is, I do not know. It may be at a classroom desk, behind a pulpit, on the mission field, in a prison cell, in front of a sink piled high with dishes, or between the white sheets of a hospital bed. I do not know where your place of testing is. But I do know that if you are a sincere Christian you will have such a place sooner or later. But before we consider your Gethsemane, where you wrestle with your temptation and where your heart nearly breaks, we must consider the one that was faced by our elder brother, Jesus Christ. In the quietness of the Upper Room Jesus had girded Himself and washed the disciplesı feet. He had had the Last Supper and instituted communion. He had seen the face of Judas harden and had watched him go out into the night. Then, after they had sung an hymn, He led the eleven down the stone steps and out onto the ancient streets of Jerusalem. A full paschal moon lighted the sky, and there was the sound of many pilgrims as they gathered into the holy city for the Passover. Jesus led His followers by the lower pool and out through the fountain gate. Then He turned left and followed a path that hugged the walls of the city. At last the Temple came into view. Solomonıs porch was brilliantly lighted. They could see the huge, golden grapevine that adorned the massive gates. Here Jesus stopped and gave them a parable. John has recorded it for us in the fifteenth chapter of his Gospel: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.² John 15:5. After finishing the parable, Christ applied it so that it could be completely understood, and then He and His disciples continued on their journey. They passed the historic tomb of Absalom, crossed the stone bridge that arched the brook Kidron, and trudged on until they came to the Garden of Gethsemane. Here Jesus stopped and asked eight of His disciples to wait on the outside. Then he took Peter, James, and John, and entered the place where He was to fight the greatest battle of all time. Thomas was a faithful disciple. When the other disciples were afraid to go into Judea for fear of the Jews, he said, ³Let us also go, that we may die with him.² John 11:16. Jesus did not allow Thomas to enter the Garden of Gethsemane! Matthew was a faithful disciple. He followed Jesus at the first call. He arranged a great feast for the Master and introduced Him to many of his publican friends. His record is clear. Jesus did not allow Matthew to enter the Garden of Gethsemane! Nathaniel was a faithful disciple. His record is clear. When Jesus saw him He exclaimed, ³Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!² (John 1:47.) But Jesus did not allow Nathaniel to enter the Garden of Gethsemane! Peter, James, and John were allowed to enter, but even though they had been present at the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairusı daughter, and many other sacred experiences, Jesus did not allow them to go as far into the Garden of Gethsemane as He went! O you with the broken heart! O you with the vicious temptations! O you with agony of soul! O you with apparently unanswered prayers! You are fortunate, blessed, privileged! The depths of Gethsemane can only be entered by Godıs choice saints! This is so because those who enter Gethsemane are trusted souls. The salvation of everyone who has ever lived or who ever will live depends on the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. But God, knowing this and believing in Jesus, took risks with that salvation. Suppose Jesus had yielded to temptation when He was tempted in the wilderness! Such a thought makes me dizzy‹it takes my breath away! Had He yielded, there would be no salvation for anyone. But He did not yield! Now there are certain things in the Kingdom that no one else can do as well as you. Everyone can influence someone more effectively than anyone else. If you falter and fail in your Gethsemane, there are certain things that just will not be done. Imagine, then, the faith that God has in you to allow you to go through an avenue of severe trial. Instead of bemoaning the fact that you have been following the trail of tears, you should thank the Lord for the confidence He has in you. He knows you can take it. Because He believes in you He is willing to take certain risks! Those who have the unique opportunity of being trusted with great suffering, great temptations, and great sorrows have a unique pulpit from which to preach‹a pulpit that even death cannot silence. But someone may say, ³All of this sounds very cheerful and heroic, but there is no cheer for me. My Gethsemane is much, much too bitter for that. I donıt think I can stand it any more. The pain is too intense. The enemy is too near. I think Iıll be forced to give up.² Yes, there are bitter Gethsemanes through which many Christians are privileged to pass. And some of them are so bitter they cause the imagination to reel. But even so Jesus led the way through every type of sorrow, and He will lead us and support us when the going is rough. We must always remember that His Gethsemane was far more bitter than any we will ever face. Mark gives us a graphic account of what happened on that trying Thursday night. We look at it as translated by J. B. Phillips (Mark 14:33-36): ³He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be horror-stricken and desperately depressed. ³ŒMy heart is nearly breaking,ı He told them. ŒStay here and watch for Me.ı ³Then He walked forward a little way and flung Himself on the ground, praying that if it were possible, He might not have to face the ordeal. ³ŒDear Father,ı He said, Œall things are possible to you. Please‹let me not have to drink this cup! Yet it is not what I want but what You want.ı² When you remember that these words were the words of the Son of God who helped form the planets, who is clothed in glory and honor, who knew no sin, and who was from the beginning, you know it was a bitter experience indeed. Most of us find ourselves suddenly thrust into a Gethsemane. All at once, without warning, the day of decision and struggle is upon us. And because it comes as a surprise we do not suffer the gnawing agonies of anticipation. But this was not true with Jesus Christ. As ³...the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world² (Revelation 13:8), He felt the agony of Gethsemane and Calvary from the very beginning. From the time iron was formed in the mountains and valleys He knew that one day bits of it would be fashioned into square-headed nails that would be driven through His hands and feet. That night when Christ crossed the brook Kidron, He crossed it at the place where His royal ancestor David had crossed nearly a thousand years before. On that occasion David was barefoot and in sackcloth, and was fleeing from His son Absalom. In the cup Jesus took that night were all the sins of David, all the sins of Absalom, and all the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, all the sins of the ancient world, all the sins of the Dark Ages, all the sins of the modern world, and all the sins of the ages to come. Jesus Christ who never sinned and who loathes sin, was to become sin for us. Or as Paul expressed it to the Corinthians, ³For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.² (II Corinthians 5:21.) But now let us get a picture of Jesus in the Garden. We see Him at the rocklike base of an olive tree. The moon is shining through the leaves lighting up His face on which we see deep lines of anxiety, pain, and care. For a while He prays on his knees, and then He flings His whole body on the ground. There is the smell of burning grapevines and rancid olive oil in the air. The smell of the olive oil comes from a nearby olive press. We can see the huge circular stone that stands on end in the hollow of a larger stone. The upper stone is pierced by a long pole, and this pole is the means for turning the upper stone and crushing the olives. This very night Christ Himself is to become like the crushed olives in the press. Even now Judas is at the Temple gathering the rabble who will turn the stone that will squeeze the life out of His body. Peter, James, and John‹their heads on the root of an olive tree about one hundred feet away‹are at rest. To the left Christ can see the dancing flames from the lights on Solomonıs porch, and on either side He can see the lights in the homes of those preparing for the Passover. All at once the Roman bugle sounds, the signal for the change of the watch on the Tower of Antonia. Then the three weary disciples hear the voice of Jesus coming through the crisp morning air as He prays, ³Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.² (Mark 14:36.) The Master continues on in prayer, but Peter, James, and John just cannot keep their eyes open. It has been a long day. They have been up since early morning. Jesus has taught them many things and their bodies are tired from learning. Soon their eyes close again and they fall into heavy sleep. The next thing they know, Jesus is shaking them awake. He rebukes them mildly and asks of Peter, ³Sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?² (Mark 14:37.) He then returns to His place of prayer and starts His supplication with His previous petition. There is a sob in His voice. He sounds much as He sounded when He prayed at the grave of Lazarus. Only this time there is no apparent result! One would think that through this prayer the whole situation would have been changed‹that Christ would have been allowed to escape the cross. His prayers had healed lepers, fed multitudes, raised the dead, calmed the seas, healed the blind, and opened the ears of the deaf. But this time there were no such answers! It seemed His prayers were in vain. After praying for a long time, Christ returned to the three disciples and again found them asleep. He shook them awake and returned to His chosen place and repeated His prayer. At this time, according to Luke, His agony was so great that ³there appeared unto him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.² (22:43-44.) When we feel that our prayers are being answered the way we want them answered, they become to the soul what marching feet, beating drums, and waving flags are to the spirit. But how do we act when we do not get our way‹when our prayers do not seem to get through? Jesus has a lesson for us here! We dare not miss it! The chorus of one wonderful song goes like this: For it moveth the Arm that moveth the worlds, Thereıs a wonderful power in prayer. It is very true that Godıs arm has been moved and that it will be moved again and again. Abraham moved it. Moses moved it. Jesus moved it. Paul moved it. And we can move it! But our greatest moments of victory are not when we move God, but when He moves us! Godıs will was not changed in Gethsemane even though He was addressed by His own dear Son. He sent an angel to help Him, and He listened to His prayers, but He did not agree that He should escape the cross! And because Jesus was obedient and prayed ³Thy will be done,² we have salvation. Would it not be a wonderful thing if we would exercise more effort trying to fit into Godıs plans rather than trying to get Him to fit into our neat little schemes? Of course, it is true that Jesus taught us to pray with importunity. He gave us the sublime parable of the woman and the judge. There are times we should pray like that! Nevertheless, we should long for the fulfillment of His will, not ours. If in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus had prayed, ³Father, I insist! I must have my way,² He could have, as He reminded Peter at the time of His arrest, asked and received more than twelve legions of angels to deliver Him. That would have been seventy-two thousand angels, and there is no doubt but what they could have delivered Him and destroyed His enemies. But had Jesus prayed such a prayer, there would be no example of a great victory in a difficult Gethsemane. No one should be afraid of the will of God. It is always...always for our very best interests! Question & Answer Ostis Wilson QUESTION: Several questions have come in regarding sanctification: the need of this experience, the process of it, what it is and what it does, how it is done, what the conditions are for it, and when and how it is obtained, etc. ANSWER: The apostle Paul said in Romans 7:13, ³...But sin, that it might appear sin,...² It took an operation of the Holy Spirit in the heart to cause this to happen. Then we see in sin that which we had never seen in it before. We see sin in its true colors; defiling, deforming, breaking righteous laws, affronting an awful majesty, and profaning a sovereign crown by casting it to the ground. We see sin in its consequences with death at its heels. ³The wages of sin is death,...² (Romans 6:23); and ³...The soul that sinneth, it shall die.² (Ezekiel 18:4.) Thus sin revives and we die, or lose our innocence before God in which we have lived up until then, and become guilty before Him and condemned in our conscience. There is nothing about which the natural man is more blind than inherent corruption, concerning which the understanding is altogether in the dark until the Holy Spirit by the Word of God‹the gospel of Christ‹reveals it and makes it known. Now, let us return to Romans 5:12 and look at it a little further. It is said in the Scripture, ³...so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.² There would surely be no question in any of our minds about all dying. All our ancestors have died and gone on and we see people around us dying every day, and we all accept the fact that we will die. But in the text the fact that all die is predicated on the fact that all have sinned. Why can we not as readily accept that statement as the one preceding it? Notwithstanding, there may be some question in the minds of some as to how this could be and whether it includes children (before the age of accountability), etc. I feel it the safest policy to accept the statement as it is in Godıs Word whether we may be able to explain every feature of it or not, and especially when a statement that we all do accept without question is predicated upon this statement. It is my persuasion that small children do sin. They do unrighteous things and ³All unrighteousness is sin:...² (I John 5:17.) Very small children do things that are not right. They do things that they could not do and remain in innocency before God if they were older and more mature in judgment. They deceive their parents, fuss and fight over their toys, strike each other, bite, scratch, and pull hair when another child has a toy they want. They throw temper tantrums when they canıt have their own way and do many other things that are not right and are therefore sin in the strictest sense of the word. All of this indicates something in that childıs nature that is selfish. It also indicates something in the childıs nature to want his own way and to rebel when he canıt have it. The question has been asked, ³What makes a child cry?² Ordinary crying could be for many ordinary causes. But when a child throws a temper tantrum because he cannot have his or her own way, that goes deeper and indicates that something is in his nature to want his own way. His actions show rebellion inside of him against not being able to have his own way. I have seen some really small children throw themselves on the floor, scream, yell and cry because they could not have something done their own way. You may say, ³My child doesnıt have those kind of spells. I just wonıt allow it and he knows just what he would get for trying something like that.² Well, that is really wonderful and you ought not to allow your child to act that way. But if you have your child under better control than that, it does not mean that he does not have the same thing in his nature as the child who does act that way. To Be Continued Next Month! Rally Together Evodna Marler Think back to the latest most prominent news. What was it? Was it of the 168 whose lives were snuffed out suddenly in the Oklahoma City federal building bombing, or the ten killed in a plane crash on their return from a sports game, or the race car driver whose love for the races drove him to his death as he was madly rushing to win another trophy and fame? Since most all were taken quickly without time to prepare for death, it saddens our hearts too. Thousands have expressed concern over these deaths. What is it that creates a nation to rally to the occasion and bond in grief, sacrificing to show their sympathy and togetherness? Would you not say it is a common interest? In the memorial honoring the ten persons who recently died in a plane crash, it was strongly emphasized of the dedication, comradeship, closeness and fun enjoyed by these athletes and their associates. Their main bond being a love of the same common interest‹sports. If strangers can give such an outpouring of respect and love to those they donıt know and are only bound by temporal interests, so much more should we, the church, rally behind one another with intensity. More than ever let us unite in a bond that will uplift, encourage and strengthen the brethren. Instead of believing every bad deed spoken of, and condemning and being critical of oneıs misunderstood actions, let us get behind that person with our prayers and encouragement. Bro. Ostis Wilson used to exhort us concerning gossip, to just let it die. A great idea! Let us not wait until someone leaves our midst to appreciate and love them. As was prayed in the closing of the memorial service for the 10 plane crash victims‹³We embrace and support them with our actions and our prayers.² Can we do less to those with whom we are joined into one common interest through the faith, love and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ? May God help us. Letters Readers TN‹Greetings to all the saints far and near: I awakened this morning (February 2, 2001) with a heart full of praise and thanksgiving to our God. He has a name above all names. Praise His holy name! I feel led of the Lord to describe the afflictions that are on my body and what God is doing for me in spite of them. With Godıs help I will try to make it as clear as I can. I am losing the function of my kidneys. Therefore that is causing me to swell from my head to my feet. Sometimes I look in the mirror, but oh! praise God for His blessings on me. Iım thankful I am alive and can praise His name. I have high blood pressure because of my kidney loss. Please pray for that. I have diabetes, but thanks be to God, with the changing of my eating habits my blood sugar is better. I have cataracts on my eyes, but praise God for a wife, one who loves and takes good care of me. From my knees to my toes I am in pain. There are no nerve endings in the bottom of my feet, so from my knees to my toes I am numb. But I am thankful that I can walk. Many times it is hard getting in and out of vehicles, but by Godıs grace I can. I have learned to praise God with a heart of love and gratitude. I am so thankful for His mercy unto me. I see Jesus in all that is happening to me. If God heals me I am a winner, and if He doesnıt, I am a winner. Praise His name! At this time I would like to thank all of the saints for their phone calls, cards, letters, and most of all, your prayers and encouragement. Continue to pray for me. ‹Bro. Jimmie McDonald (Update: Since the writing of this testimony, Bro. Jimmie McDonald has become bedridden, but he is still praising God. Remember him in prayer.) OK‹I am thankful for the family of God. Godıs Word is a blessing. It was sent to deliver us from evil and the forces of darkness. I have no desire to sin. I covet the saintsı prayers that I may always love as Jesus loves.... May the blood of Jesus continue to cleanse and perfect us. ‹Sis. Leoma Duvall CT‹Dear Bro. Wayne: I hope this note finds you in good health, as well as those who labor with you in our Lordıs service.... Please send a one yearıs Faith and Victory subscription to Mr. Tony DiDio. Tony is a brother in the Lord who is 88 years old now. He is the brother of the late Sammy DiDio who went to be with our Lord a few years back. Sammy, who labored with the Church of God in Louisiana also brought me a message and a tract in 1954 to make me look into the Word. I was saved and still thank our Lord for using him. Bro. and Sis. Ray Key came down from Louisiana to baptize me at that same time in Beardsley Park. I am now still healthy and my wife is also. I am 71 years old now, and my wife, Harriet, is 62. We are so thankful for all the Lord is still doing in our lives. I really enjoy the messages and poems in the Faith and Victory. Yours in Jesusı service, ‹Tom Stoliker NE‹Dear Bro. Wayne, Sis. Mary and co-workers: It has been quite some time since I have sent in a testimony, but I want you to know that I am still living by faith and my trust is still in the Lord. I have had six strokes since October of 1998. Three of them have been major and three have been minor. My left side has been affected each time from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. But the Lord has blessed me so much after each one, and I could never praise Him enough.... I have a numbness in my right hand, especially in the fingers. I have had this numbness for probably three years or more. If it is the Lordıs will I know He can heal it. I am so thankful that I can still write letters. My eyesight has been affected each time and I have cataracts on both eyes, but my vision doesnıt seem to be much worse than it was a year ago. I am still living with my eldest daughter in Nebraska and getting the best of care. My family is so loving and supportive of me. I want to thank all the saints who have, and still are, praying for me. I deeply appreciate all your concern and prayers. Keep me and my loved ones in your prayers. Christian love, ‹Sis. Violet Sinkhorn CA‹Dear Bro. Wayne: Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus. I hope this finds everyone well and encouraged to press on. I have been meaning to write for quite some time. Somehow I just never took the time to do it. I would like to thank everyone for their prayers. It is so wonderful to know that by sending a prayer request to the Faith and Victory paper many saints will be praying. My oldest son, Mike, was taken from us in August of last year. It has been a loss to his family and many friends. We were praying for a miracle and we got one in the way of his being saved a few weeks before his death. Bro. and Sis. Randel and Bro. Jason and Sis. Sylvia McClendon came from Sacramento to talk and pray with him. We were so thankful for their coming and the Lord working in this. I lost my oldest daughter, Katie, in December of 1997 to cancer. Mike also had cancer, just a different kind. Bro. James and Sis. Charlotte Huskey came several times to be with Katie. She accepted the Lord a few months before she passed away. I have several special requests that need your prayers. I enjoy the Faith and Victory so much. I just wish the saints were a little closer so we could get together. Love to all there. Your work is surely appreciated. Love and prayers, ‹Sis. Doris Pihaylic KS‹Bro. Wayne Murphey: My name is Bro. Eddie Roberts and I am your brother in the Lord. I am incarcerated at the Leavenworth, KS, prison with Bro. Michael Clyburn. We are cell mates. It was through the witness of this good brother, and the example of his sanctified life that I came to the knowledge of the truth. I would like to give my testimony to you to show you that God can use any circumstance to touch a life. When I was nineteen years old I came to prison with six years to serve. I was raised in Pentecostal churches and told that a person had to speak in tongues to have the Holy Spirit. But someone forgot to mention the fruits of the spirit; love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness and faith. (Galatians 5:22.) I was abused as a child, and learned to have hatred for my mother and step-father. I was made to go to church two, three, or four times a week, and I learned to hate church also. I turned to drugs and ran with gangs. As a consequence, I found myself in federal prison at nineteen years of age. I tried to go back to the God of my youth because I knew that I could not change myself. I had started smoking cigarettes at the age of seventeen while in jail. I had been in minor trouble as a juvenile and when I was seventeen I was sent to the state prison for one year. My girlfriend was pregnant with my son at the time. I got out a year later and my girlfriend had another child. Eleven moths later I was in the federal prison. I received counseling from so-called Christians. I was told to ³read and pray.² That was all I had to do to be a Christian. So while I was in for the six years, I read and prayed. I also gambled, smoked, swore, fought, was in a gang, and plotted revenge on my girlfriend who, on top of having two children, was pregnant with a third child which wasnıt mine. In this condition I was released at twenty-five years of age. I went home and got involved in the church which I grew up going to. I met a beautiful girl there and we were married a few months later. I thought I had it all. My beautiful wife and I had a little car and my two children were getting to know me. By this time they were six and seven years old. Not to stretch this out too much, I couldnıt trust God to provide for me and my family, and my wife and I were not getting along. I had a friend who I was in prison with and pretty soon I was hanging with him. I started thinking of ways to get money and I started committing crimes and using drugs. Eleven months to the day of being released from prison I was back with a new charge. I cried and cried to the Lord. At this point I wanted to kill myself, but the Lord had enough truth in me to let me know that was not an answer. I wanted to trust God, but felt He had let me down so many times. I felt I had tried Christianity. I was grieved for my wife because I really loved her though we were not getting along well when I came to jail. I was only facing five years this time so I went to trial. I lost and received nine years. I joined the ranks of the ³professors.² There was one brother everyone talked about. They said, ³He takes it too far.² I talked to him. You know, I wanted to ³help² him. I remember vividly our first conversation. I left feeling I had just gotten clubbed over the head with the Word of God. Well, I decided to take a different approach. I avoided him and started to dislike him just as the others did. He would come around and just Bro. Mikeıs presence would make me hide my cigarette, even to the point of burning myself. He would say, ³Bro. Eddie, you know the Lord doesnıt like you smoking.² One day I got fed up and decided to tell him about Godıs mercy and love and how He ³permitted² me to smoke because He knew I was ³weak.² In expounding I told him the Lord loved all of us professing Christians with our sin and that by the grace of God we were going to go to heaven‹sin and all. I had been taught that we would be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Then and only then, would we be perfect and without sin. Well, Bro. Mike said some very disturbing words to me that day. He said, ³Well, Bro. Eddie, if you can go to heaven smoking cigarettes, and another brother can go swearing, another with homosexuality, another with being dishonest, another in a gang, then who is going to hell?² Now that was a good question, seeing as almost every sinner man claims to be a Christian. The brotherıs words stayed with me and I went back for more. His Bible memory was astounding. His knowledge and wisdom of the Scriptures was something I had never seen before. I asked Bro. Mike where he got his knowledge of the truth, and he gave me books to read; The Revelation Explained by F. G. Smith, books by Warner, Riggle, Orr and others. I learned how to rightly divide the word of truth. I was amazed at how I could be in ³church² for twenty years and never have heard the truth. I found out that the Holy Spirit sanctified you and gave you power to be free from sin. Bro. Mike and I became fast friends, but I still hadnıt reached sanctification. I was holding hurt from my marriage and worrying about my wife, and I was smoking a lot. I had to give it all over to the Lord and make a faith move and move where Bro. Mike stayed. (This prison is divided into eight units and two of them are non-smoking.) Bro. Mike stayed in a non-smoking unit. I was hesitant about going because I knew I would have to answer to Bro. Mike because he would be looking over my shoulder. I moved and for two days I smoked, literally hiding it from Bro. Mike. Finally I gave in and by faith gave them up and asked the Lord to honor it and send His Spirit to dwell with me so that I would be able to stay free. God is good, brother. I have been sanctified for six months and in that time I havenıt smoked or willfully sinned, not even once, and any mistakes or problems I had, the Lord has helped me to overcome. Pray for the ³professing² Christians here. Bro. Mike and I are reproached and scorned for the name of Christ but we love to suffer for good. It is much more peaceful than suffering for evil. We have a Faith Publishing House library here that probably rivals your own. So we are blessed indeed. We used to hold Bible study daily for some struggling brothers but Satan ³sifted² them as wheat and so we stand alone with Christ now. Pray for them, please. We continue to pray for the Church of God. In Christ, ‹Bro. E. P. Roberts OK‹Dear Bro. Wayne: Greetings to you once again in Jesusı precious name. We are thankful for what He means to us. He is our all and in all. I trust all is going well with all of you there at the Print Shop. My wife is not very well. Please remember her in prayer. Bro. Hyrum Ray is reading out of the book, Godıs Gracious Dealings for our devotion hour in the Golden Rule Home. It is encouraging and inspiring to note how that God blessed the publishing work from the very beginning. We trust He will continue to do so. Your brother in Christ, ‹Bro. T. V. McMillian FL‹Hi: My name is Carla Connor. I have recently started reading the Faith and Victory paper and it has been such a blessing to my soul. I donıt have very much to give, but I desire to do all I can for the Lord.... Could you all please remember me and my husband in prayer? We are newly saved, and the devil has been battling my husband pretty strong. He was laid off of his job today, but we are trusting the Lord no matter what. It is such a blessing to know that there are people all around who are serving God. We love you all very much, ‹The Connors CA‹Dear Bro. Wayne: We send you greetings this new year. In the spring of 2000 I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I have seen a lot of miracles through my mother, Nellie Poulus. Many of you knew her. Her life was a witness to how great God really is. I saw many miracles as a child growing up and as a young person. Believe me, it made a real impact on my life. When you are diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, expecting a miracle on your behalf is different than having the faith God will do it for someone else. As I was meditating about my illness one day the Lord brought to my mind Romans 8:28, ³And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.² After reading that verse I was at peace, knowing that God was in full control. Several people were called for prayer, including the San Bernardino congregation. The next few weeks I spent a lot of time in prayer. A day was set aside for special prayer and anointing with oil. About 25 were able to come. Godıs presence was so strong that there was hardly a dry eye in the group. The prayers were so anointed I felt God had answered prayer. A few weeks later another test for colon cancer was taken. No cancer at all could be found. Praise God! I started telling everybody of Godıs wonderful miracle. God still heals today. I am still witnessing today of Godıs wonderful power. I am in better health than I have been in ten years. Thanks be to God, ‹T. Gus Poulus CA‹I fell two days before Christmas and broke my hip. I broke the whole hip joint and had surgery the Sunday before Christmas. Iım doing very well after one month. I would never have pulled through this if it werenıt for my loving Lord. I felt Him right beside me in all my pain. He said He would never leave me.... I shared this home with Alvin for over forty years, and I am still here, but I miss Alvin. He has been gone ten years now. I am 87 years old as of January 31st. I enjoy the Faith and Victory very much. Your sister in Christ, ‹Helen Whitehouse OK‹Dear Bro. Wayne: I am enjoying the blessings of the Lord and I am thankful for the way the Lord takes care of me at an old age. There is much in the news today of a man who was pardoned by the former president, of sins that should have sent him to prison. I thought of how God had pardoned me of many wrong doings‹forgave and forgot. I was set free. I am enjoying that freedom today. ‹Sis. Pauline Patterson KY‹Dear Brother Wayne and coworkers: Greetings in Jesusı precious name. I am happy to be in the Lordıs army rejoicing in truth. I love Him with all my heart and am determined to press onward. The dear Lord is blessing His work here. We have had another precious soul saved a few weeks ago and are expecting more. God is still working in Zion. We must be faithful to Him and give Him praise for which He is worthy. The more we praise Him the more He will do. I am so happy to be a part of His body. The Word says, ³buy the truth and sell it not.² Many have and are selling out. There is nothing in this world worth losing our souls over. The truth is what saves and sets us free, praise God. I am so happy to be a child of God. I canıt think of living any other way. It is joy going this way. Dear ones, pray for a situation in a school here where two of my grandsons and a little boy attend. A little five-year-old boy came down with spinal meningitis last Tuesday (Feb. 6), so the children in the school have been exposed. I had a call Wednesday evening requesting prayer and another one Thursday. We have many prayer requests which come to us. It seems that our world is in a very sad condition. It seems as if people want His blessings, but do not want to accept Him. Oh, If they only knew what they are missing. I went the way of the world for years and then joined a church and all that went with it, but never had anything except a profession. My name was on a book, but not on Godıs book of life. ³If I had ten thousand lives in which to praise Him, I could not enough my blessed Lord adore.² Amen. The last time I wrote I related that we were trying to find a suitable lot on which to build a church building. Praise be to God, we found one and itıs paid for in full. However, that has left us with very little with which to start building. We would like to start building as soon as the winter weather breaks. We are trusting God to provide. The chapel we are in now is not ours and is not available to buy. When the weather is very cold we are unable to have services because we are unable to heat the building. I believe it is over one hundred years old. There are no inside facilities at all. I believe that if we can get the material for a new building it is possible that some of the labor could be done by the brethren in the congregation. We have already had the offer of a licensed plumber to do that phase of the building project. If anyone would feel led of the Lord to help us with this burden, please call Bro. Meredith Hughes at (606) 796-3159, or write to HC 74 Box 642, Vanceburg, KY 41179. Yours in His service, ‹Sister Mary Hughes (Editorıs note: We have had contact with Sis. Mary Hughes for several years, as well as had the privilege to visit the Vanceburg congregation, and can verify that they are zealous for the Lord and worthy of any help which anyone can give them.) Mission Reports From IndiaŠ February 20, 2001‹Dear Bro. Wayne Murphey and dear saints scattered abroad: The terrible earthquake in the north west part of India swallowed the lives of thousands of people in that area. The damages cannot be estimated. We in Kerala State are quite safe. Praise the Lord! We appreciate your prayers for us. The people in India everywhere spend day and night with the fear of more earthquakes. Waves are seen in the wells in different places. In some wells the waves are just like boiling water. Minute earthquakes are going on even in our area also, but no considerable damage. We appreciate your prayers for us. Church activities are moving on fine. All day service at Thrissur on February 4th was a blessed gathering. We will have fasting and prayer meeting at our congregation at Nadukkunnu this Saturday, February 24th, where our eight congregations gather together to attend. Please continue to remember our needs in your prayers. Yours in Him, ‹Bro. John Varghese From Honduras... February 14, 2001‹Dear saints in the U.S.: Greetings from Politilly Bight, Roatan, Honduras! We want to send our love and gratitude to all of you who make this missionary effort possible. All is well; we have been here three weeks and the Lord has blessed wonderfully. We opened the doors to the Guiding Light English School on February 6, 2001. Beginning enrollment was at our maximum capacity of 48 students (part morning students and part afternoon students). About 75% of the students are still attending Spanish school, so we are having to be very flexible with scheduling. We attend 3-3 1/2 hours in the morning and also in the afternoon classes. It makes the day rather long; often not being able to be home until 5:00. Most students are currently studying English, spelling and Bible courses. A few are taking extended courses in other subjects. Many of you have donated readers and we encourage them to read to build their reading skills. We have also had some art supplies given to the school. They are so thrilled with the colorful and creative things they can do. We are requesting that all students attending the school also attend our services at least once a week. Because this missionary project is subsidized by the Church of God in the States, we feel this is a reasonable request. This is exposing them to truth; especially those not in the local congregation. Our staff includes Sis. Judy Trepagnier who will be living in the little mission house. We thank the Meek and Clement families for all their efforts in purchasing and shipping the needed furnishings for her, as well as the school needs. Much of our need was supplied by your donations and we think of you as we use it. May God bless you all. Sis. Judy has been to the training in Honduras to supervise this school. Bro. Keith Fuller has secured the permission to operate it. We are training a local pastor here, Bro. Toney Hamilton, to serve as a helper in the school. He has been unable to get a full-time job so we are paying him a small amount to help Sis. Judy daily. Sis. Judy is very capable and we are so glad to have her in charge; not only for her spiritual stability, but her Spanish/English speaking ability. Our curriculum is being shipped from the mainland as needed. The warehouse staff and supervisors there have been very helpful in getting organized. We have also organized a local school board of three men and two women from the local congregation to help maintain discipline and rules. The people here tend to be very respectful to authority, for which we are thankful. The parents are keeping the school clean, daily. We have a waiting list of approximately 20 other children wanting to enroll. Due to a lack of space and staff, we can only put them on hold until the Lord provides otherwise. Please pray with us about this. My wife and I are currently helping place the children in proper academic positions and organizing as many areas as possible in the six-week period we are here. We hope to return with our daughter, Andrea, on March 6. Sis. Andrea Meek from Loranger, LA arrives tomorrow, the 15th for a two month stay on the island. She will be helping Sis. Judy. We are looking to the Lord to provide additional help after April 15 for the rest of the school year. Many have expressed an interest, but none have made a definite commitment. In addition to this help, Bro. Doug Wall and his two daughters, Sarah and Andrea, have visited with us. The girls have been a real encouragement to Andrea (Samons) and they have befriended lots of local children. Bro. Doug has been a good handy man while here, as well as with visiting and becoming acquainted with the people here. They all leave on the 16th of February. We will miss them. We are planning to begin Adult Classes for English next week. We can only do this one night per week, in order not to overburden the workers here. We have many more on the waiting list besides the 25-30 we feel we can comfortably teach in these classes. We also have another village begging us to come to them and teach them English. We need wisdom and our time multiplied for such a task. One Spanish brother who was saved in our village now lives on the mainland. He visited us recently, asking us to come and start a congregation ³just like this one² there in his native village. As you can see, there is much to be done. In addition to the school, we have done a good bit of visiting and attended a funeral, also. Most all who come to visit this island stay at the little mission house we have rented for about the past eight years. It is a very tiny place, but has been a blessing through the years. We are staying here now; Sis. Judy is lodging at another house while we are here. We feel a need to build a church mission house of increased size on the church property in the near future. We are drawing up plans for this while here, and getting some estimates for this structure. We are asking prayer for direction in this endeavor. We again solicit your prayers and thank you all for your generous support. God is blessing on this little Bay Island and we praise Him. Yours in the work, ‹Bro. Toney Samons And the Honduras Missionary Team From the Philippines: January 23, 2001‹Dear Bro. and Sis. Murphey: Greetings of grace, peace and joy from the Lord to you and your family, and to all the saints there.... I am sad to inform you that Bro. Damoso Ricardo, the elder in Llanera, died last month. His children and the young people there are determined to stand firm with their faith and the truth to serve the Lord. They are also active in teaching the Bible to their relatives and friends. Bro. Joel Ricardo is the pastor there. If you remember I reported to you about my cousin who is an ex-governor of Quirino province. He sustained a broken leg in an accident. Please pray for him. We were a little bit shaken because of what happened to our government. Our President was forced to give up his position and step out from Malacauang Palace because of protest rallies led by Cardinal Jaime Sin of the Roman Catholic Church, and the opposition party. We spent much time with disturbed emotions because we feared it might result in bloodshed or a civil war. Now we have a new revolutionary President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The brothers and sisters are now again eagerly waiting for the camp meeting in April. We are anticipating for a successful camp meeting because of your presence and other brothers and sisters from America. We are earnestly praying for Godıs guidance and to show to us His mighty power. Again, we say thank you so much dear saints. We are praying for you and may God continue to use you as an instrument of His love to the world. ‹Matias S. Tangunan Editorials Wayne Murphey With this issue we begin the 79th year of publishing the Faith and Victory. This longevity is a testimony to Godıs provision and the faithful support of those who love the truth. We have certainly felt humbled over the years by the Lordıs blessings and are grateful for all who have assisted in the publishing work. My wife, Mary, and I, along with Bro. Michael and Sis. René Smith and family and Sis. Grace McMillan, enjoyed the fellowship of the saints in Loranger, LA, and Enterprise, AL, during weekend meetings spent at each place during the month of February. We appreciated the warm hospitality shown us by members of both congregations, and the interest each expressed in the Lordıs work. At the meetings, we shared a song and slide presentation which was first presented at the Faith Publishing House Workerıs Reunion in July, 1998. Reports were also given on the missionary endeavors in the Philippines and West Africa. At this time we are planning to make a return trip to the Philippines for the meeting which is to be held on the newly completed campground near San Jose City. Several saints from the States are interested in accompanying us, and we are looking forward to an outpouring of Godıs Spirit as we gather for fellowship. Although definite dates have not been set for this trip, the general time frame will be April 8-18. Your prayers for the success of this Gospel endeavor would be cherished. We appreciate those who have sent in dates for summer camp meetings. If your congregationıs meeting is not included on the list in this issue, please feel free to relay that information to us as soon as possible. We also thank all who have submitted articles, letters, meeting dates, reports, etc., for publication. We can fully appreciate the time and effort required to put thought into writing. If in the past you have submitted material which has not been published, we trust you will understand there is a process required to compiling the Faith and Victory. Not all submissions will make it into print. We must edit and select material according to space and timeliness. We do our best to share with our readers that which we feel can be a blessing to all. FL‹³I would like to put in a prayer request for Sis. Mattie McIntyre. She has been a good stewardess for the Lord, and at this time is very ill. Also pray for Sis. Lydia Bennett.² ‹Sis. Marilyn Evans LA‹Jack Witte has been diagnosed with cancer. He and his family are looking to God for a miracle. OR‹³Ruby Fern is having a severe shortness of breath and would appreciate prayer.² ‹Bro. Bill Busch KY‹³Pray for an unsaved daughter, Lucinda, who is in the hospital with a serious illness. Also, all of my unsaved family. Pray for my dear parents, Bro. and Sis. Clark, in their afflictions. ³Remember the Lordıs work here at Garrison, KY, and our pastor, Sis. Mary Hughes, in body. We appreciate her very much and all the saints. Keep me in your prayers that I will stay faithful to my precious Savior. I also have some afflictions. ³I know the Lord never fails us. He has brought me through many trials and is doing so daily. Praise His holy name!² ‹Sis. Kay Griffith Standing Prayer Requests Sis. Lydia Bennett Sis. Alscene Breckenridge Bro. Jon Busbee Sis. Mamie Butcher Bro. Nathan Carver Sis. Estelene Cramer Bro. Daniel Davis, Jr. Bro. Dale Doolittle Sis. Elaine Dunn Sis. Eleanor Fingerle Sis. Pearlene Gerald Sis. Esther Gordon Bro. Huey Gordon, Jr. Bro. Ben Harrison Sis. Mary Hughes Sis. Daisy Johnson Sis. Janice Johnston Sis. Earnestine Jordan Sis. Betty Lassché The Lounds sisters Sis. Mattie McIntyre Sis. Bertha Miles Bro. Allan Miller Sis. Virginia Myers Sis. Dollie OıNeall Bro. O. C. Porter Sis. Melba Powell Bro. John Robinson Sis. Rose Samons Sis. Myrtle Savoie Bro. M. Agenemoh Sidi Sis. Violet Sinkhorn Sis. Kay Stover The Mitch Taylor family Bro. Curtis Williams, Sr. Bro. Max Williamson Sis. Esther Wilson Back to Front Page E-Mail Directory Put your name in the directory to receive Faith Publishing Updates. Order God's Gracious Dealings Life Read about the history of Faith Publishing and Fred Pruitt. This is a fascintating study of our heritage. Order now for $24.99. Call1-800-767-1479 or Email jwmfaith@theshop.net. Copyright İ 2001 Faith Publishing Inc All rights reserved.