THE FISHERMEN'S NET - - - April, 1999

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Published by New Covenant Ministries

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \_ THE FISHERMEN'S NET \_ \_ "Come, follow me, Jesus said, and \_ \_ I will make you fishers of men." -Mark 1:17 \_ \_ -A Seventh Day Baptist Mid-Continent Association Publication- \_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

I FORGIVE YOU

For a lake effect picture go to http://www.ameliaanneslittlebitofheaven.com/

CONTENTS

From: A.K. Hogg A Request for Silence
The Long Silence by Barry Setterfield
The Word Became Flesh by the editor
Bea Devard and the Plane Dedication for Guyana by David Gates
From: C. Chaney Subject: I Had A Hole In My Heart
The Sabbath Sentinel Is Now Free By Richard Nickles
I forgive you Author Unknown

The Long Silence

by Barry Setterfield

From: A.K. Hogg
Subject: The Long Silence Request
My wife is running an Alpha course in our home and we had read an excerpt from the playlet "The Long Silence". It touched us all and we are trying to find a complete copy of the playlet to read as a group. Would you have any idea as where to locate it.
Sincerely, A.K. Hogg
Editor's note: Is this the one?

At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on the vast plain before God's Throne. Some shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But many other groups talked heatedly, not cringing with shame, but with belligerence.
"Can God judge us? How can He know about suffering?", snapped a pert brunette. She ripped open e sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. "We endured terror ... beating ... torture ... death!"
In another group a young man lowered his collar. "What about this?" he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. "Lynched, for no crime but being black."
In another crowd there was a pregnant schoolgirl with sullen eyes: "Why should I suffer?" she murmured. "It wasn't my fault."
Far out across the plain were thousands of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for all the evil and suffering He had permitted in His world. How lucky God was to live in Heaven, where all was sweetness and light, where there was no weeping and fear, no hunger or hatred, no sickness or sorrow. What did God know of all that human-kind had been forced to endure in this world? After all, God leads a rather sheltered sort of life, they said.
So each of these groups sent forth a leader, especially chosen because they had suffered the most. A Jew, a Black, a person from Hiroshima, a horribly deformed arthritic, a thalidomide child, an AIDS victim. In the centre of the vast plain, these leaders consulted with each other. At last they were ready to present their case, item by item, leader by leader, to God. It was rather pertinent.
Before God could be qualified to be their Judge, He must endure what they had endured. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth as a human being, as a man.
Let him be born of the most despised race, a Jew, in poverty-stricken conditions. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. As a child, let him be forced to flee as a refugee, and live several years in a foreign country. Then give him a work to do, and an ideal to uphold that is so difficult that even his own family will think him out of his mind when he tries to do it. Let him be betrayed by his closest colleague, into the hands of those who hate him. Let him face false charges, be tried by a prejudiced Jury, and convicted by a cowardly judge.
At the last, let him see what it means to be terribly, terribly alone - forsaken of all his friends. Let him be tortured. Then let him die. Let him die the most excruciating, and humiliating death possible, before a taunting, reviling crowd, that not only verified his death but contributed to it.
As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of approval went up from the whole assembled throng. When the last leader had finished pronouncing his part of God's sentence, there was a long silence. No-one uttered another word. Nobody moved.
For suddenly, everybody knew that God had already served His sentence.

The Word Became Flesh

An Editorial

The Word Became Flesh
John 1:1-18; 20:30-31.
John began his gospel with a unique concept- The Word is God and also existed with God right from the beginning. Such is the basis of that mysterous and troubling doctrine of the Trinity- it cannot be explained though many a Christian tries to do so, it can only be accepted by faith. Jesus not only is God, but He also exists separately from God.

By beginning His gospel with the same three words that began the first book of the Bible John also saw this as a parallel to that Old Testament book. In Genesis, chapter one, is the first mention of the Word of God. When God created the heavens and the earth, He only had to speak them into existence. John was inspired to write that "All things were made" by the Word and nothing was made without the Word (verse 3).
The Word of God was more than just what came from the lips of God. The Word exsts as the actual Person of God. When God spoke the words, "Let there be light," the Word actually did the creating of the light. John reasoned that this was because the Word of God also was the actual Light of God.
Why did John refer to Jesus as the Word? It was not just because there was a parallel to the creation in Genesis. The writer of the book of Hebrews brought it out even more clearly- "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds," (Hebrews 1:1-2). Jesus was the Word who made the worlds. He was the Word who spoke through the prophets. Now the Word took on human flesh and spoke as the Son.
John twice wrote, "No man hath seen God at any time" (verse 18 and 1 John 4:12). This seems to contradict Old Testament scriptures. The book of Exodus records that Moses was allowed to see God's "back parts" (Chapter 33:23) because God told Moses, "Thou canst not see my face...and live" (chapter 33:20). Jacob also claimed that he saw "God face to face" and lived (see Genesis 23:30). How do we reconcile these scriptures?
Many Bible scholars believe that it was the preincarnate Jesus as the Word or Spokesman for God who met with the Old Testament saints and not God the Father. Jesus Himself said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). On this basis, John could make the claim that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (verse 14).
It was clearly John's purpose in writing this book to tell believers that, when they put their faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit will also come down as a dove upon them and dwell in them as He did in Christ and the glory and the fullness of both Jesus and God the Father will also dwell in them. (Compare verse 14 with the declaration Paul made in Ephesians 3:19 and Colossians 2:9.)
Just as Jesus has the "fullness of God" dwelling in Him, so also the "fullness of God" dwells in the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus is a true and real personality, the Holy Spirit is certainly more than just an "it." Just as worship directed to Jesus is not idolatry, surely any worship directed to the Holy Spirit is acceptable as well. And God is still ONE!

Bea Devard and the Plane Dedication for Guyana

by David Gates

Sister Devard - our Seventh-day Baptist Sister (right)

After nearly eight months of preparation and reconditioning up in Andrews University Airpark in Berrien Springs, Michigan, the Mission Plane is finally finished. No short note of thanks can satisfactorily express our gratefulness to the Andrews Airpark maintenance crew for all the many long hours they put in to get this plane finished. Special mention goes to Brooks Payne, the Director of Maintenance, for making this possible. Thank you so much Brooks for your zeal and sacrifice for mission aviation!
On Friday, I flew the plane down to our farm in southern Illinois to pick up a fellow mechanic, Leif Aaen. From there we flew over to Elizabethtown, KY to have some radio work done and get the plane Instrument Certified. Many thanks to Roger and staff (and family) at Elizabethtown Flying Service for their part in getting this bird finished and ready for the flight.
Just before sundown on Friday, we landed back on our farm in Illinois in time to receive the Sabbath together, and to thank the Lord for his gracious kindness in providing the resources to get this far. Every step has been one of faith, and God has not failed. We will continue to trust in his care for each step of the future. "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." Prov 3:5,6. How true that promise is.
Early Sabbath morning, Leif and I flew the plane up to Williamson County Airport located near the Marion SDA church. After a wonderful sermon by Pastor Fred Hernandez (Tio Fred) from Puerto Rico, and after a wonderful potluck, our Marion church family all went to the airport for a dedication service. There all the children got their picture taken inside the cockpit. One of our older and regular attendees to church is sister Bea Devard (98 years old) who as a Seventh-day Baptist has been worshiping with us for years. She insisted on having her picture taken next to the plane.
(David Gates, his wife Becky, and four of their five children - Lina, Trina, Carlos, and Kristopher, work together with Becky's parents, sister and family, in a medical aviation program in the jungles of Guyana, South America.)
reprinted from- Plane Dedication and Departure for Guyana.
Editor's Note: Bea Devard was one of my parishioners when I was the Pastor of the Chicago Seventh Day Baptist Church. I lost contact with her after her husband died in 1957 and she moved down to Southern Illinois.

From: C. Chaney

Subject: I Had A Hole In My Heart

First, I just learned that there is Seventh Day Baptists. Searching around in Website, I came across yours. Wanted to let you know I enoyed reading this particular message. Thank you for the inspiration message.

Sabbath Sentinel Is Now Free

By Richard Nickles

I am pleased to announce exciting developments! For more than fifty years, The Bible Sabbath Association has published The Sabbath Sentinel. It has provided a wealth of information of interest to Sabbath-keepers. This magazine has been an invaluable tool in promoting understanding and cooperation among Sabbatarians, and proclaiming the Sabbath Truth. With the Almighty’s guidance, we need to take some steps to carry this work into the next millennium.

Beginning in 1999, we are converting the magazine from a subscription periodical to a FREE publication, and changing to black and white. There are several important reasons why. For one, our subscription base is too small to warrant the costs of color printing.
For another, we believe that a FREE magazine will enlarge our readership, and provide the means for The Bible Sabbath Association to reach out to many more people. I encourage you to send us the names of friends who may be interested in receiving a free subscription to The Sabbath Sentinel.

And, making the magazine free will enable us to offer The Sabbath Sentinel on the Internet. You may read the current issue, and some past issues, on our new BSA web site at http://www.biblesabbath.org. You will also be interested in reading additional material on our web site. If you prefer to read our magazine online instead of on paper, give us your e-mail address (send it to me at giveshare@vcn.com), and we will notify you when the latest issue goes online. (You may decide to have both the paper copy and e-mail notification.)

I FORGIVE YOU

Author Unknown

As I was being dragged down the street, you watched. You mocked me as I was carrying my own cross, that I was to be crucified at Calvary. I forgive you.
You bruised my body and beat me until I bled. You nailed the nail into my right hand. You nailed the nail into my left hand. You nailed the nail into my feet. I forgive you.
You placed the crown of thorns upon my head. I thirst, you offered me vinegar.You cast lots for my clothing. You pierced my side. I forgive you.
You mock me as I hang on the cross. When you wrote; This is the King of the Jews on my body. I forgive you.
Father forgive them; for they know not what they do. The sun darkened and the veil in the temple torn. I cried out Father; into thy hands I commend my spirit. I still forgive you.
I was just a man in human flesh, that the Father sent down to save you from your sins. You think that I do not have feelings, cry, hunger, love, or feel pain, because I am God's son? This was the only way the Father could reach His children, though me. I tried to tell you what the Father expected of you. You ignored me, a few listened, some believed, and some didn't care one way or another. The Father sent me as His Son, so you would not have to perish, but have everlasting life. As a man I knew what I had to do, in order to save you. I could have came down off that cross anytime. Ten thousand Angels I could have called. I chose not to, because you would have still been lost.
The Father has given you one of the most important manuals that you will ever need. This book has lasted though centuries of abuse. Do you ever open it? Have you ever even a verse or one single line out of it? As a man I would be very angry and hurt with you, because of all the pain and agony I went through for you. You still do not read the Father's teachings.
One day, you will stand before the Father. The Angels will open the Book of Life. Will your name be in that book? All these things I ask. How will you answer, with a pure heart, with a heart full of love and devotion or will it be a heart fullof evil? Will it just be empty and dead without the spirit?
All these things will come to pass and I still have forgiven you until the day of judgement. Then, I will not forgive you.
Tears will fall from my eyes because I forgave you and you failed me. There is nothing else I can do, it is up to you.
Reprinted from Amelia Anne's Web Page.

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