Bible-believing Christians be-

lieve that the Bible teaches total

abstinence from alcohol as a bev-
erage. The Bible clearly points out
the consequences of drinking al-
cohol. The Bible also shows how
just one wont hurt goes against
the truth found in Ephesians 5:3,
where the Bible says, Let it not
be once named among you, as
becometh saints. The Bible goes
on to say in Proverbs 20:1, Wine
is a mocker, strong drink is raging:
and whosoever is deceived there-
by is not wise.
As a physician, I have seen the
permanent damage alcohol does
to the human body. Alcohol de-
stroys brain and liver cells and
slowly tears down various other
internal organs. Not only does it
aid in tearing down the physical
aspect of an individual, but it also
tears down the soulical (mind,
will and emotions) as well.
When an individual is under
the influence of alcohol, he is not
capable of making the best deci-
sionor sometimes even a ra-
tional decision. A majority of the
time, divorces and child-abuse
cases are the results of a series of
bad decisions made by an indi-
vidual under the influence of al-
cohol. Fatal accidents caused by
drunk driving are just another
example of the hazards of drink-
ing alcohol.
Despite all the negative conse-
quences associated with alcohol
intake, the medical community has
promoted its use, albeit in mod-
eration, because of some possi-
ble health benefits found in red
wine. This has been difficult to
argue against when you look at
That which was from the begin-
ning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we
have looked upon, and our hands
have handled, of the Word of life;
(For the life was manifested, and
we have seen it, and bear witness,
and shew unto you that eternal life,
which was with the Father, and was
manifested unto us;)
That which we have seen and
heard declare we unto you, that ye
also may have fellowship with us:
and truly our fellowship is with the
Father, and with his Son Jesus
Christ.I John 1:13.
Imagine an aged World War II
veteran sitting in a chair in front
of his house. He has a walking
cane in his hand, and on a pole in
his yard a flag is waving which he
raises every morning. His hands
are now feeble and frail, and they
shake as he holds a handkerchief.
He remembers the sounds of
warthe guns, tanks and machin-
ery. He recalls the price of free-
domthe scenes of men dying,
some of whom were his own bud-
dies. He remembers the adrena-
line rush when the gunfire came
at him.
Years have now passed; and as
he looks around today, he sees
the condition of our nationa ca-
sual, loose and apathetic culture
that is downright dirty and un-
kempt. He watches the news, and
it stirs and angers him inside. It
hurts to see and hear the moral
decline and decay surrounding
him. He wonders, Will this be the
last generation to enjoy freedom?
In 1964, Dr. Louis Arnold found-
ed the church where I am now the
pastor. He is in his late nineties;
hes been preaching for over sev-
enty-five years, and he continues
to preach. Someone once asked
him when he was going to retire.
He replied, I bought four new
ones just the other day.
He recalls the revivals when hun-
dreds and thousands would come
to a gospel tentnot just for one
or two nights, but for one or two
weeks, and sometimes three. He
remembers when Sunday was a
sacred day and alcohol was on the
back streets or under the streets.
He recalls the one-room school-
houses where teachers were born-
again and modest and strict and
firm. He remembers pledging to
the flag of the United States of
America.
John Witnessed the
Downward Spiral of
the Generations
In Johns First Epistle, he is re-
membering, and his heart is
grieved because of a lack of com-
But if there be no resurrection of
the dead.I Cor. 15:13.
The resurrection of the dead is
the chief truth of the Christian
Faith. It is a truth that is startling
when men first hear it, but it is a
truth which lies at the very foun-
dation of the Gospel.
He who takes away the resur-
rection takes away the Gospel
and leaves us no Gospel, or at
best, only a false gospel.
He who takes the resurrection
takes away the Bible and leaves
us but a mere book.
He who takes away the resur-
rection mantles our future with
Egyptian darkness. To take away
the resurrection is to leave man
with no preeminence above the
beast, to have blotted out Pauls
hope in the hope in Christ.
He makes our salvation to rest
on the fact of the resurrection. The
man, therefore, who does not
believe in the resurrection is not
a Christian. Other doctrines are
important; this is essential.
And yet, notwithstanding the
fact that we have no hope except
in the resurrection, there were
some in Pauls day who denied it
and so attempted to sap the very
foundations of the Christians
hope. And these were men who
professed to be Christians! Even
today we have the same strange
inconsistencymen who pretend
to believe the New Testament yet
deny the resurrection. The Sad-
ducee is still in our midst.
In the section of I Corinthians
which we have chosen for expo-
sition (15:1219), Paul shows what
the results would be if there be
no resurrection of the dead.
If there be no resurrection of
the dead, then is Christ not risen
(I Cor. 15:13). This is put most
forcibly. If men deny the possibil-
ity of the resurrection, the instance
of the resurrection of Christ has
not occurred. That means that
the Gospel has come to an end. A
dead Christ is, indeed, a disap-
pointing Christ. Everything hinges
upon the resurrection of the Lord.
Without the resurrection of
Christ, away goes your doctrine
of the incarnation, for surely,
surely, God cannot be holden of
death.
Without the resurrection of
Christ, away goes the doctrine of
Church Bylaws Should
Define Marriage
With the U.S. Supreme Court set to take up gay marriage and po-
tentially legalize it this summer, churches that host wedding cere-
monies or other events for traditional couples should examine their
bylaws and shield themselves from the impact of possible litigation,
says an attorney who specializes in religious liberty issues.
The justices are scheduled in March to hear two cases concerning
gay marriage and by June could either uphold the traditional defini-
tion of marriage or legalize gay marriage in all 50 states. Alliance De-
fending Freedom (ADF)a religious liberty legal organizationis
hoping for the former but preparing churches for the latter, just in
case.
A number of situations could place churches in legal trouble, such
as congregations who would
allow a traditional couple but not a same-sex couple to use their
facility for a wedding ceremony,
allow a traditional couple but not a same-sex couple to take part
in a marriage class or retreat,
terminate an employee involved in a same-sex wedding.
By law, language defining marriage in the biblical sense doesnt
Vol. LXXIX, No. 6 Vol. LXXIX, No. 6 March 15, 2013 March 15, 2013 Dr. Shelton Smith, Editor Dr. Shelton Smith, Editor
(Please turn to p 14)
(Please turn to p 15)
(Please turn to p 2) (Please turn to p 18)
An Independent Christian Publication, Standing for the Verbal Inspiration of the Bible, the Deity of Christ, His Blood Atonement, Salva-
tion by Faith, New Testament Soul Winning and the Premillennial Return of Christ; Opposing Modernism, Worldliness and Formalism.
Good News for Us
Teetotalers
By DR. GEORGE T. CRABB
The Third-Generation Revival
By DR. JEFF FUGATE
Pastor, Clays Mill Road Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky
The Supreme Importance of
the Resurrection
By R. L. MOYER
The Resurrection Is Worthy
of Our Celebration!
For I delivered unto you first of
all that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins accord-
ing to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that
he rose again the third day accord-
ing to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas,
then of the twelve:
After that, he was seen of above
five hundred brethren at once; of
whom the greater part remain unto
this present, but some are fallen
asleep.
After that, he was seen of James;
then of all the apostles.
And last of all he was seen of me
also, as of one born out of due time.
But now is Christ risen from the
dead, and become the firstfruits of
them that slept.I Cor. 15:38, 20.
What an announcement! Now
is Christ risen. What an exciting
turn of events! What a huge deal
this is!
The sting of death is sin; and the
strength of sin is the law.Vs. 56.
They had seen Him crucified
and buried. Now they have seen
Him alive and well. He has in-
deed risen from the dead and
come out of the grave in triumph.
These are the facts! The witness-
es to the details are plentiful, and
their testimony is both unani-
mous and unmistakable.
Just hours earlier, the hordes of
Satans Hell-based minions ap-
plauded His death. The Romans
and the Jews alike were in a cel-
ebratory mood. They had plotted
and concocted a scheme to take
Him down. Thinking themselves
successful when they took His
lifeless body off the cross, they
cautiously sealed the tomb and
posted guards. Soon, however, the
Romans drunken stupors and
the Jews intellectual forums would
be jolted. The news spread rapid-
ly.
So now we, the blood-bought
sons and daughters of the living
God, are standing up to proclaim
His truth with our own witness.
Because He lives, we live; and we
shall do so everlastingly.
As we come to Resurrection
Sunday, lets shake off the ho-
hum of the routine. Lets lift our
voices to testify and to tell the
Good News. This is no time to
run and hide. Now is a good time
to tell the world! The tomb was
only borrowed, and it is empty
now! He is alive and at the Fa-
thers right hand!
If you have not received Him,
by faith do so today!
If you have received Him, then
He is your Saviour (Matt. 1:21)
and your Advocate (I John 2:1, 2).
Amen! Lets unfurl His flag and
celebrate the truth!
I am he that liveth, and was
dead; and, behold, I am alive for
evermore, Amen; and have the keys
of hell and of death.Rev. 1:18.
The One they crucified on that
center cross is alive. When they
rushed to check the tomb and
found it empty, the laughing, the
posturing and the celebration
ended. They were stunned by what
was for them a startling turn of
events.
So many of them, Romans and
Jews, religious and nonreligious,
failed to grasp the truth of what
had unfolded before their eyes.
Lets you and I not miss it. Lets
revisit it often, and this Easter Sun-
day is a good time to do so once
again.
1. Heavenly origination! Noth-
ing catches God by surprise. He
knew the need before there was
a need.
The provision of His Son as the
Saviour is of divine design. No
man would have dreamed it up,
and no man could have accom-
plished it in detail. This is no
earthly scheme. It is a grand plan
of redemption that originated in
Heaven.
2. Heralded in prophecy! For
hundreds of years, the men of
God were given glimpses of the
coming Messiah. They heralded
His message with accuracy and
with authority (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 53).
When the events unfolded in
Bethlehem and Jerusalem, these
prophecies came to full fruition.
3. Initiated in His incarnation
(John 1:14)! When the eternal Son
of God was incarnated (born in
human flesh), those prophecies
took shape in reality. His virgin
birth, miraculous in its nature and
mysterious in its meaning, shook
the world.
4. An historical reality! Men
have for centuries attempted to
tear apart the plan of God. They
dispute its details and debated its
meaning. Given the opportunity,
they clamor loud and long, but
there are obstacles which they
cannot ignore.
Major among these challenges
to such heathen advocates is the
historical reality of the resurrec-
tion. It happened! Love it or loathe
it; receive it or reject it; the fact
remainsit did happen at a spe-
cific time and place in history.
5. The capstone of atonement!
When Jesus cried out from the
cross to announce, It is finished
(John 19:30), He was declaring
that the work which He came to
do had been accomplished. In
three short days when He walked
out of the tomb, it was the crown-
ing achievement, the capstone to
His atonement for us. Not only
did He pay our sin-debt, but He
also lives eternally to be available
to us when we need Him.
6. The Devils defeat! All of the
evil schemes of the satanic plot-
ting were decimated by the res-
urrection. No one need go to Hell.
Wasting ones life in the clutches
of satanic oppression need never
happen again.
Satan, His demons and every-
one who may be in cahoots with
him are defeated. They will thrash
around and yet do whatever
damage they canbut they lost
the war when Jesus came out of
the grave!
7. The price of salvation! The
debt is paid. Sinners under the
sentence of Gods condemnation
and doomed to die may receive
full forgiveness, full salvation and
a full share of the heavenly inher-
itance. The death, burial and res-
urrection of Christ fully funds the
price of our salvation (I Cor.
15:3, 4).
Whoever you are and whatev-
er your station in life, your salva-
tion has been bought for you.
You may receive it if you will.
Sunday at
Faith Baptist Church
Gulfport, Mississippi
Here is an incredible story!
When Dr. Rene Freret was pastor
of Temple Baptist Church in
Gulfport, Mississippi, he decided
to plant another church in his
own city. Dan Carr had gotten
saved and surrendered to preach
at Temple Baptist. Brother Freret
sent him out, ordained him and
sponsored him to start Faith Bap-
tist Church of Gulfport.
Dr. Dan Carr has now served as
pastor at Faith Baptist Church for
28 years. They average 600 a
week. Brother Freret, now the di-
rector of BEAMS, is a member at
Faith.
I preached morning and eve -
ning for Brother Carr on this last
Sunday of February. The place was
very full Sunday morning and
comfortably filled Sunday night.
We saw 16 people saved.
B.E.A.M.S. Bible Ministry
Conference
Founded by Dr. Julian Pope in
1970, the Bible Education and
mean a church wont face a suit or a complaint, but it does mean the
church would be in a much better situation legally, said Erik Stanley,
senior legal counsel for ADF.
BAPTIST PRESS
Fifteen Hundred Abortion Clinic Closures
Since 1991, 660 Remaining
On the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing
abortion, pro-lifers have something to celebrate: the closure of 1,500
abortion clinics over the past 22 years.
In 1991 there were 2,176 surgical abortion clinics nationwide;
today there are 660 and [the number is] falling. Over 1,500 abortion
clinics, 70 percent of the total, have closed their doors for good.
In 2012, an average of seven abortion clinics closed each month.
Abortion has been legal for 40 years this month [January], and 57
million babies have paid with their lives. While the pro-life move-
ment has not ended all abortions yet, it has made some significant
progress, said Ken Brady, president of Planned Childhood Life.
Five statesArkansas, Mississippi, Wyoming, North and South Dako-
tahave only one clinic each.
The city of Chattanooga, Tennessee has no abortion clinic. Pro-lif-
ers closed both clinics 20 years ago. It is the largest city in the nation
without an abortion clinic. For more than half of the 40 years in
which abortion has been legal, there is one city that has been abor-
tion-free.
Chattanooga is an abortion-free city done right. A local doctor
who used to do abortions stated, I think the pro-lifers here have
been very responsible. They have used political, economic and social
pressure to push their agenda, not violence.
Overall abortions are down 25 percent from 1.6 million in 1990 to
1.2 million [annually] since 2005.
Christian Newswire
Recently Released Queen James Purports to
Be First-Ever Gay Bible
A recently released Bible translation based offthe King James
Bible boasts of being the first-ever Gay Bible in the world.
Titled the Queen James Bible, its publishers argued in a statement
that it accurately translates certain verses pertaining to homosexual-
ity, which have been misunderstood by religious conservatives.
The Queen James Bible addresses those controversial verses by
editing them very slightly for interpretive clarity.
The Queen James has a mysterious background. On its official
website, no specific publisher is mentioned, nor are any editors or
translators listed by name. On its Amazon purchase page, the author
is listed as God and the contributor as Jesus Christ. It also only con-
tains two preview pages, the cover and the following page which
simply has the title of the translation in small print.
In an interview with the Christian Post, an unnamed spokesman
said that the translation was the result of the ongoing debate over
same-sex marriage.
ChristianPost.com
EDITORS COMMENTS: The sexual perverts want to pervert the
Scripture to suit their sinful lifestyle. Absolutely shameful!
Humanists Create New Jefferson Bible;
Deliver Copies to Obama, Congress
A national humanist organization has created a new version of the
Jefferson Bible, which attempts to distinguish the good passages
from the bad in several religious texts, and has sent copies of the
book to PresidentObama and members of Congress.
When Thomas Jefferson created The Life and Morals of Jesus of
Nazarethmore commonly known as the Jefferson Biblein 1820,
SWORD OF THE LORD 2 March 15, 2013
Noteworthy News Notes
(Continued from p 1)
(More next page) (Please turn to p 4)
(USPS 531-160) (ISSN 0039-7547)
AMERICAS FOREMOST REVIVAL PUBLICATION
DR. JOHN R. RICE, Founder-Editor 1934-1980
DR. CURTIS HUTSON, Pres.-Editor 1980-1995
DR. SHELTON SMITH, President, Editor
MARLON SMITH, Executive Vice President
GUY KING, Vice President of Publishing Operations
BART WALKER, Treasurer
JIMMY BARRETT, Customer Service Manager
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
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THE SWORD OF THE LORD is published
biweekly in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Periodical postage paid at Murfreesboro,
Tennessee.
Mailing Address:
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224 Bridge Avenue, P. O. Box 1099
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Twitter
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*''& d"e* ',+. Wa$# ."+! G'd, dea) f)"e&d, a&d fa&
+!e f$a%e.
Jesus said, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. So
if I follow, I fish ... and if Im not fishing, Im ... Im ... Oh, my!!!!
J,*+ beca,*e 0',3)e !,)+"&, d'e*&3+ "-e 0',
$"ce&*e +' +!)'. *+'&e* a+ a$$ 0',) f)"e&d* .!'
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A religion of peace should certify itself by its teaching, its tem-
per, its trends, its tasks, its track record, and its tolerance.
Missionary Service (BEAMS) is a
unique Bible production ministry
that is given to helping mission-
aries on the foreign field.
For 24 years, Pastor Rene Freret
served the Temple Baptist Church
in Gulfport, Mississippi. Fifteen
years ago, he resigned the church
to became the full-time director
of BEAMS.
The philosophy of what they do
is simple and to the point. They
specialize in hardback Bibles which
they give to missionaries for their
new converts. Dr. Freret believes
that Scripture portions like John
and Romans are fine for evangel-
istic efforts, but converts need a
full Bible and one that will last a
while. So they do the hard covers
of the entire Bible.
On Monday morning, Brother
Freret took me to breakfast, and
then we went over to their head-
quarters. Their offices, warehouse
and other facilities sit on a five-
acre tract of land. From there they
average shipping about 800 boxes
of Bibles every month. These ship-
ments are going into 130 coun-
tries over the span of a year.
News flash! Starting this month,
the BEAMS workers will begin
putting a copy of the SWORD OF
THE LORD in every one of these
boxes. We are very grateful for
this privilege to work together
with them. Were confident that
this will produce good fruit in the
lives of many folks in all those
countries around the world.
After being at Faith Baptist
Church (the home church of the
BEAMS ministry), I was privileged
to be the opening speaker on Mon-
day night for the National BEAMS
Conference. The other speakers
were Pastor Joe Arthur; Pastor
Johnny Pope; Missionary Tommy
Ashcraft (Mexico); Pastor James
Preston; Missionary Bob Bowen
(Thailand); Pastor Mark Smith; Pas-
tor Caleb Martin; Pastor Aaron
Weido; Pastor Dan Carr, Jr.; Pastor
Jeff Bass; and Pastor Roy Crouch.
On Monday night, the auditori-
um of Faith Baptist Church filled.
Dr. Freret told me that they had a
tremendous week with a total of
68 pastors in attendance.
It was a blessing to be with them
and to see firsthand the great
work that is being done through
the ministry of BEAMS.
Kings Way Baptist Church
Douglasville, Georgia
Spirit of Victory
Conference
The Spirit of Victory Conference
at Kings Way Baptist Church was
a special event put together by
Pastor Bill Wininger to encourage
pastors. He and his people planned
it, promoted it and provided for
it well.
Dr. Kevin Trout and I were the
keynote speakers. I preached Fri-
day night and Saturday morning,
as did Brother Trout. Good food
and gifts for all the pastors were
provided. The tone which Broth-
er Wininger set was truly one of
encouragementtruly, a spirit of
victory.
In times like these times, our
pastors across the land are carry-
ing heavy loads. The pressure is
very real, and their needs are
considerable. Coming to a con-
ference like this one can be a
breath of fresh air for them and
their families. When the confer-
ence ended on Saturday after-
noon, there had been men from
five states in attendance (South
Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennes see,
Georgia, Alabama).
Brother Wininger has announced
that they plan to do this again,
March 78, 2014, and he welcomes
pastors and their wives from all
across the nation to attend.
Lighthouse Baptist Church
Dover (York), Pennsylvania
Spring Bible Conference
What a tremendous three days
we enjoyed at the Lighthouse
Baptist Church in Dover, Pennsyl-
vania. When Dr. Sterling Walsh
came to be their pastor in 2003,
the church was at a very low ebb.
After beginning with 28 people
their first Sunday, they are now
averaging over 300 each Lords
Day. On this Sunday as we began
the conference, attendance was
313.
Although this is their Spring
Bible Conference, the tempera-
tures felt very much like winter.
We finished the conference on
Tuesday night, and the snow
started falling almost immediate-
ly. By Wednesday, an estimated
four to six inches of the white stuff
had fallen in blizzard-like condi-
tions, which canceled both our
flights home.
Brother Walsh was my music
director when I was pastor and
has been our music director for
the National Sword of the Lord
Conference for the past 17 years.
He leads the music program there
at Lighthouse Baptist Church too.
And what a blessing it is. The
music every service is precisely
what church music should be.
The congregational music is vi-
brant and heartwarming. The choir,
special music and the instrumen-
tal offertories are all contributing
strongly. What they are doing
there is living proof that you
dont have to compromise your
music to get the job done. Amen!
Brother Joe Arthur preached
with me Monday and Tuesday.
Every service was a time of bless-
ing. We had a total of 25 pastors
who attended.
Since the snowstorm Saturn
was bearing down upon us,
Brother Arthur and I drove to
Baltimore after the service. The
seventy-five-mile drive was so
much easier before the snow got
on the roads. We spent the night
in a hotel near the airport and
waited to see if and when we
could get a flight home.
This and That
On Tuesday, March 12, Betty is
all set for a major back opera-
tion. We have done all we could
do with other options, and this
last resort is now upon us. They
tell us that they have a good suc-
cess rate doing this procedure, so
we are praying that it will be
what she needs. She has suffered
extreme pain, especially these past
few weeks. We are grateful for
the good gifts of God in todays
medicine, surgeons and such. We
hope to get her relief and get her
up and going again after a time of
recovery.
For all your prayers and con-
cern, we are very appreciative.
Thank you.
Sal!ation$s
Se!enfold
Completeness!
Text: Titus 3:37
1. Past: Salvation provided at the
cross (vss. 4,5).
2. Present: Salvation protected
at the throne (vss. 5,6).
3. Prospect: Salvation perfected
at the rapture (vs. 7).
I. A true confessionvs. 3
(Rom. 10:9)
II. A full revelationvs. 4
(John 3:16)
III. A complete justification
vs. 7 (Rom. 5:1; 3:23, 24)
IV. An entire regeneration
vs. 5 (John 3:7)
V. A divine renewalvs. 5
(Rom. 12:1, 2)
VI. An eternal possession
vs. 7 (Eph. 1:14, 15; I Pet.
1:3, 4)
VII. A complete transforma-
tionvs. 7 (I Cor. 15:5156)
Dr. Melvin Aiken, Tabernacle Baptist
Church, Greenville, South Carolina
A%e)"ca3*
G)ea+&e**
What has made America a great
nation? Surely faith in God, fideli-
ty to His Word, freedom of wor-
ship, democracy of the govern-
ment, sanctity of the home, the
inalienable rights of the individ-
ual. This nation was founded on
such a verse as this:
Blessed is the nation whose God
is the LORD; and the people whom he
hath chosen for his own inheri-
tance.Ps. 33:12.
No Terminal
We have all listened to preach-
ers who lack good terminal facil-
ities. They come in for a landing
three or four times before they
crash-land.
When an Englishman was asked,
Why do you like your minister
and speak so highly of him? the
Britisher replied, When he says,
In conclusion, he doth con-
clude.
E-e)0 B"b$e Te/+
Ta#e* Y', +'
C!)"*+
When asked which was the best
sermon he ever preached, Mr.
Spurgeon answered, My best ser-
mon was the one which had the
most love and the most Christ in
it.
One day, continued Spur-
geon, a young man preached a
showy sermon before the great
Jonathan Edwards. When he had
finished, he asked Mr. Edwards
what he thought of it.
It was a very poor sermon in-
deed, replied Edwards.
A poor sermon! said the as-
tonished young man. It took me
a long time to study it.
Ay, no doubt of it.
Why, then, do you say it was
poor? Did you not think my ex-
planation of the text to be accu-
rate?
Oh, yes, said the old preach-
er, very correct indeed.
Well, then, why do you say it
is a poor sermon? Didnt you think
the metaphors were appropriate
and the arguments conclusive?
Yes, they were very good, as
far as that goes, but still it was a
very poor sermon.
Will you tell me why you
think it was a poor sermon?
Because, said the old minis-
ter, there was no Christ in it.
Well, said the young man,
Christ was not in the text. We are
not to be preaching Christ always;
we must preach what is in the text.
Then dont take a text with-
out Christ in it. But you will find
Christ in every text if you examine
it. Dont you know, young man,
that from every town and every
village and every little hamlet in
England, wherever it may be, there
is a road to London?
Yes, said the young man.
Ah! said the old divine, and
so from every text in Scripture
there is a road to the metropolis
of the Scriptures; that is, Christ.
And, my dear brother, your busi-
ness is, when you get to a text, to
say, Now, what is the road to
Christ? and then preach a sermon,
running along the road toward
the great metropolisChrist.
No, the old clergyman con-
tinued, I have never yet found a
text that had not a plain and di-
rect road to Christ in it; and if
ever I should find one that has no
such road, I will make a road. I
would go over hedge and ditch,
but I would get at my Master; for
a sermon is neither fit for the lord
nor yet for peasant unless there is
a savor of Christ in it.

I do not know anything America
needs more today than men and
women on fire with the fire of
Heavennot great men, but true,
honest persons God can use.
Dwight L. Moody

An organized effort is under-
way worldwide orchestrated by a
powerful Islamic political body to
criminalize speech that offends
Muslims. As much as that may
sound like some fantastic conspir-
acy theory, these Muslim leaders
broadcast their groups every move
on their websiteyet Americas
ruling elites refuse to listen.
From the orchestrated outrage
surrounding the Muhammad car-
toons in 2006 to the trial of Dutch
lawmaker Geert Wilders in Am -
sterdam for speaking the truth
about Islamic jihadis, these slan-
der campaigns are calibrated
against issues like Koran-burning
or the Muhammad cartoons to
dupe elites in the West into sup-
port for Islamic standards of free
speech against their own inter-
est. And its working.
Connie Hair, HumanEventsDaily.com
T!e Sc'(e 'f
P)a0e)
While Gods ear is universal, it
is also endlessly discriminating.
Some petitions, because of their
nature or because of the life of the
petitioner, are never answered.
Prayer as an exercise, however,
covers all persons, places and
particulars. Prayer is a shortcut to
the heart of God.
We can pray with all prayer
with all perseverance and suppli-
cation for all saints (Eph. 6:18). It
is always safe to intercede for
others. None is too poor to offer
such a gift, and none is so wealthy
that he can give a richer. Think of
this wide range. We can
pray for all men (I Tim. 2:1);
pray about all things (John
15:16; Rom. 8:32);
pray for all saints (Eph. 6:18;
John 17:21);
pray for Israel (Rom. 10:1);
pray for Gentiles (Luke 10:2);
pray for rulers (I Tim. 2:2);
pray for ministers (Eph. 6:19);
pray for conversions (I Tim.
2:1, 4);
pray for personal enemies
(Luke 6:28);
pray for pardon after discov-
ered sin (I John 1:9);
pray for sick disciples (Jas.
5:16);
pray that the Spirit can show
us how to pray (Rom. 8:26).
Let us endeavor to discover how
prayer, in its scope, covers the
personal, social, material, natural,
spiritual, ecclesiastical, and na-
tional realms. The words noth-
ing and every thing (Phil. 4:6)
are absolutely all-embracing and
all-inclusive in their scope (Matt.
21:22; John 14:14). Beyond these
realms we cannot go. Prayers are
related to all that we can see in
the world around us.
Herbert Lockyer

The LORD said unto him, What is
that in thine hand? And he said, A
rod.Exod. 4:2.
It was probably only a shep-
herds crook. What a history, how-
ever, awaited it! It was to be
stretched out over the Red Sea,
pointing a pathway through its
depths; to smite the flinty rock;
to win victory over the hosts of
Amalek; to be known as the rod
of God.
When God wants an imple-
ment for His service, He does not
choose the golden scepter, but a
shepherds crook. He takes the
weakest and meanest thing He
can finda rams horn, a cake of
barley meal, an oxgoad, an earth-
en pitcher, a shepherds sling.A
rod with God behind it is mighti-
er than the vastest army.
F. B. Meyer from Thoughts From My
Library by D. L. Moody
SWORD OF THE LORD 3 March 15, 2013
Editors Notes
(Continued from p 2)
Why call a doctor? Why be sick?
Because I have a corruptible body.
Yet I am confidently expecting a
body someday that will never be
sicka resurrection body. But if
Jonah was not in the whales
belly three days, I will be disap-
pointed.
The Little Word As
As John bought a sack of flour,
so Henry bought a loaf of bread.
Now if it is proven that John did
not buy the flour, then Henry did
not buy the bread, for Henry did
as and so as John did. What
Henry did depends on what John
did, so to prove the flour was not
bought also proves the bread was
not bought, for the truth of
Henrys action depends on the
truth of Johns action.
As Jonas was three days and
three nights in the whales belly;
so shall the Son of man be three
days and three nights in the heart
of the earth (Matt. 12:40). Now if
it be proved that the Book of Jo-
nah is not true, then Christs res-
urrection is not true, for Christ
did as and so as Jonah, and the
resurrection stands or falls on the
truth of Jonah.
Jonah and Jesus
What Christ did depends on
what Jonah did, and so to prove
Jonah was not in the whales belly
is also proving that Christ was not
in the heart of the earth. Now it is
the resurrection of Christ that
gives me a living hope of my res-
urrection. In fact, my resurrection
body absolutely depends on
whether or not Christ arose. If
Christ be not raised, I am yet in
my sins, and all dead Christians are
perished. But now is Christ risen
from the dead (I Cor. 15).
To the average Christian, the
endorsement of Christ in Mat-
thew 12 is enough. But there are
some who say it is not reasonable.
However, I believe it is in perfect
accordance with God to send to
Nineveh a prophet in the way they
were looking for him.
A Fish Was the Key
Christ must go through Samaria
because there was to be a woman
at Jacobs well and that woman
was the key to a city. Christ knew
hearts, and He knew the key that
would unlock themand the key
to the city of Sychar was a certain
woman. Convert that woman, and
the whole city was open.
The key to Nineveh was a fish.
Unlock Nineveh with a fish, and
the way was open for the conver-
sion of the whole city.
Nineveh worshiped Dagon, a
god who was part fish and part
man. They thought he founded
their nation and sent a messenger
from the sea from time to time.
Jonah was told to go to Nineveh,
but he was like many today. They
will only allow God to save those
in their own denomination. Jonah
would have God save only Israel.
So Jonah was sent to school in
the belly of the great fish until he
was willing to admit that God was
the Author and Finisher of salva-
tion and could give it to whom
He would.
The very moment Jonah said,
Salvation is of the LORD, he re-
ceived his diploma, and God
spake to the fish before Jonah had
time to say more.
Doubtless some people along
the bank saw the tail of a great
fish lashing the water into a foam.
They were surprised to see it
throw something on the bank and
then disappear again into deep
water.
Their surprise would know no
bounds when the object began
to move and a man stood up and
began to ask about Nineveh.
Doubtless some set out for Nin-
eveh and published the tidings
that their god had sent the mes-
senger and he was coming.
When Jonah arrived, the city
was unlocked for his message, its
inhabitants turned to the true God,
and a mighty revival swept Nin-
eveh, from the king to the lowest
subject. The revival was a greater
miracle than Jonahs being kept
in the fishs belly.
Some people think it impossi-
ble for God to make a submarine
to keep one man alive underwa-
ter, but men make submarines that
can keep a dozen men alive un-
derwater.
The men of Nineve shall rise up in
the judgment with this generation,
and shall condemn it: for they re-
pented at the preaching of Jonas;
and, behold, a greater than Jonas is
here.Luke 11:32.
The men of Nineveh will con-
demn Israel, for they were look-
ing for a messenger from their
god out of the sea. A messenger
from the true God came, and they
accepted him. Israel was looking
for a messenger from God out of
Bethlehem. He came, and they
rejected Him.
Christs Resurrection Warns
of Coming Judgment
Just outside Jerusalem a man
was buried. A great stone was
placed against the door of the
tomb. The greatest government
placed its seal over that stone. All
the armies of the world were be-
hind the watchmen. But the third
day the grave was empty. A few
days later men were preaching
the resurrection of Christ.
Why did they not show the
body if He did not arise? Christ
was three days in the heart of the
earth. Jonah was three days in
the belly of the great fish. Christ
arose from the dead, and the
very event is given to assure men
of a judgment (Acts 17:31).
Happy is that person who has
the faith of a little child to believe
what the Bible says, all reason-
ings to the contrary.
For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting
life.John 3:16.
Marvel not at this: for the hour is
coming, in the which all that are in
the graves shall hear his voice, And
shall come forth.John 5:28, 29.
We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, In a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incor-
ruptible, and we shall be changed.
I Cor. 15:51, 52. S
SWORD OF THE LORD 4 March 15, 2013
(Please turn to p 6)
Noteworthy News Notes
(Continued from p 2)
Jonah and the Resurrection
by Rev. R. I. Humberd (18931965)
A Sunday school teacher asked
her class on the Sunday before
Easter if they knew what hap-
pened on Easter and why it was
so important. One little girl spoke
up, saying, Easter is when the
whole family gets together and
you eat turkey and sing about the
Pilgrims and all that.
No, thats not it, said the
teacher.
I know what Easter is, a sec-
ond student responded. Easter
is when you get a tree and deco-
rate it and give gifts to everybody
and sing lots of songs.
No, thats not it either,
replied the teacher.
Finally a third student spoke up.
Easter is when Jesus was killed
and put in a tomb and left for
three days.
Ah, thank goodness somebody
knows, the teacher thought to
herself.
But then the student went on.
Then everybody gathers at the
tomb and waits to see if Jesus
comes out. If He sees His shad-
ow, He has to go back inside, and
we have six more weeks of win-
ter.
Some young people (and older
ones too) have some very strange
ideas about Easter. What does it
mean to you?
At Easter, there is a lot of atten-
tion given to rabbits, eggs and
baskets. Like he has done con-
cerning other Christian special
days, Satan has done a good job
of getting our attention off Christ
during Easter by diverting our
thoughts to other things.
Theres nothing wrong with
candy, special gifts and even a
basket; but many do not under-
stand the true meaning of Easter.
Easter eggs, for better or worse,
have become a part of this cele-
bration. But I want to show you
some different types of eggs in
our world.
Some are Eggs-cited. Young
people are excited because school
is out. The young lady who is
planning to be married soon and
that couple expecting their first
child certainly are excited.
Some are Eggs-perts. Teens
are experts on parenting, church
members are experts on how to
be a pastor, and all of us are ex-
pert politicians who could easily
solve all of our nations woes if
given the opportunity.
Theres the Eggs-ception.
Be sure your sin will find you
out (Num. 32:23) does not apply
to this person. Neither does the
principle of sowing and reaping
(Gal. 6:7). This person is the ex-
ception to the rule.
Some are Eggs-travagant.
This individual has to have the
biggest, the best and the latest.
He or she is very fashion- and
style-conscious.
A few are Eggs-emplary. This
guy is a model citizen. Hes a good
son, a good student and a good
servant.
Watch out for the Eggs-plo-
sive ones. This teen has a very
bad temper. He is a hothead. He
has a very short fuse. It doesnt
take much to set him off.
Have you ever met the Eggs-
trovert? This never-met-a-
stranger person is extremely out-
going. He is the life of the party.
Some are Eggs-pectant.
Things have been tough, but this
individual is expecting a blessing.
He is anticipating that God will
step in and do great things.
Then theres the Eggs-tremist.
He tends to have trouble with
balance in his life. Its either too
much or too little of everything.
Are you one to Eggs-agger-
ate? This teen tends to stretch
the truth, gossip and backbite. The
Bible calls exaggeration lying.
Thank God for those who are
Eggs-traordinary. These are the
second-mile Christians. They
always go above and beyond the
call of duty. They are the ones
that can always be depended on.
Many today are Eggs-haust-
ed. Too many of us are worn
out, tired and at the end of their
rope. Many seem ready to give out
and feel like giving in and giving
up.
Whatever your current situa-
tion is, please do not make the
mistake of being Egg-norant of
the real importance of this time
of the year.
Resurrection Day, or Easter as it
is known to most, is the most im-
portant Christian celebration of
all. Easter is the big event on which
everything else rises or falls.
The cradle and the cross are of
little value without the resurrec-
tion.
The cradle minus the cross and
the resurrection equals sentimen-
tality over a precious little Baby
born in humble circumstances.
The cradle plus the cross minus
the resurrection equals cruelty of
a Father who would allow His
Son to die for no real reason.
But the cradle plus the cross
plus the resurrection equals sal-
vation.
Belief in the resurrection is
necessary for salvation. Romans
10:9 is clear: That if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be
saved.
Because there is an empty
tomb, our empty lives can be
filled with strength for today
and bright hope for tomorrow.
The songwriter summed it up
in these few words:
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph oer His
foes.
He arose a Victor oer the dark
domain,
And He lives forever with His
saints to reign.
He arose; He arose
Hallelujah, Christ arose!
Robert Lowry
S
he did so by extracting the moral teachings and nonmiraculous activ-
ities of Jesus Christ from the four New Testament Gospels. Following
in Jeffersons footsteps, the American Humanist Association (AHA)
has created A Jefferson Bible for the Twenty-first Century by decid-
ing which religious passages are or are not worthy of ones attention.
The book, published by the Humanist Press of the AHA, includes
Jeffersons edition of the Bible as well as edited versions of the Book
of Mormon, the Hebrew Bible, the Quran, the Buddhist Sutras and
the Bhagavad Gita.
Jeffersons book was never intended to be published, according to
the website of the Smithsonian National Museum of American Histo-
ry, but was meant for his own personal use and reflection. Only a few
of his closest friends even knew it existed prior to his death in 1826.
Jeff Schapiro for ChristianPost.com
EDITORS COMMENTS: There seems to be no limit to which
men will go to twist things, including the Bible, to authenticate
themselves, their preferences and their behavior! Some of these
people know that they must disenfranchise the Bible in order to
get people to go with them where they want to go.
Environmentalists Promote Legal Rights for
Plants, Nature
The environmental movement is growing increasingly radical and
antihuman.
Taking a beat from the animal rights movement, we have seen in-
creasing advocacy for human-stifling agendas such as nature rights
(now the law of two countries and nearly 30 U.S. municipalities),
plant dignity (in Switzerlands constitution), river personhood
(recently enacted in New Zealand) and ecocide, which would make
any and all large-scale human uses of the land and exploitation of re-
sources a crime against peace akin to genocide and ethnic cleans-
ing.
These are not promoted in odd Internet sites, but rather are dis-
cussed earnestly and with great respect in such liberal outlets as the
New York Times.
Writing in the New York Times recently, Michael Marder, author of
the forthcoming Plant-Thinking: A Philosophy of Vegetal Life, calls for
plant liberation. Plant stress, Marder points out, does not reach the
same intensity, nor does it express itself in the same ways, as animal
suffering. This fact, he adds, should be reflected in our practical
ethics.
Plant rights, nature rights, etc., are inimical to our thriving and
liberty because they undermine human exceptionalism and treat
rights as things that are ubiquitous and common. I mean, if every-
thing has rights, really nothing does.
Wesley J. Smith for LifeNews.com
EDITORS COMMENTS: As ridiculous as this seems, these clowns
are serious. You can expect to hear more of this over the coming
months and years as they are starting to publicize their philosophy.
A& Ea*0 1E*-($a&a+"'&2
'f Ea*+e)
H'. Ma&0 ') H'. M,c!?
My friends, it is not how long we live that counts, but how
well we live and how usefully. A man who lives to eighty years
and accomplishes nothing for God or humanity might better
have never lived at all. Methuselah lived 969 years, and what
did it amount to? In all those more than nine centuries, he did
not accomplish anything which seemed worth record. Paul
lived only a little more than sixty, but how many Methuselahs
would it take to make one Paul? Who would not rather have
Pauls sixty years than Methuselahs 969?
Robert MCheyne died shortly before his thirtieth birthday,
and John Summerfield at twenty-seven years of age; but nei-
ther earth nor Heaven will ever hear the end of their useful-
ness.
Longevity! Why, an elephant can beat you at that, for it lives
150 to 200 years. Gray hairs are the blossoms of the tree of life
if found in the way of righteousness, but the frosts of the sec-
ond death if found in the way of sin.
T. DeWitt Talmage

In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgive-

ness of sins.Col. 1:14.
I once saw the sweetest sighta weary little child falling
asleep upon the grass with a posy of flowers in its hand. By de-
grees the little fingers relaxed their hold, the little head
drooped gently, the little eyelids closed, and the child slept.
God grant that when I fall into my last sleep, my poor fingers
may have in them some posy, some sweet flowers! Is there
anything in my little garden that I may hold in my hand when I
come to die? Righteousness? Ah! That is a poor weed at its best.
Genius? What will that do for me in that sublime hour when
the babe and the suckling have more knowledge of the things
of God than the very wisest of this world?
Great riches? Even the man of the world will laugh at you if
you propose to hold those in your hand in the hour of death.
But there grows sometimes in the deep, shadowed part of a
mans heart the sweetest flowerlowliness toward God; and
another flowerhumbleness toward man. But even that does
not make a handful.
When a man is sinking to his last sleep, let him turn to the
fullness of God. Then gathers he, if he be wise, the flower of
forgiveness, the great passion-flower of Gods love, the crown of
thorns, the blood-red rose, and the amaranth of the Eternal Realm.
G. Dawson

Two very close-mouthed senior adults who lived as neigh-

bors met each other every morning for twenty years in the vil-
lage store without ever speaking to each other.
One day, Mr. Perkins turned down the street when he went
out, instead of up the street as usual.
Where are you going? asked his startled neighbor.
None of your business, snapped Perkins. And I wouldnt
tell you that much if you werent such an old friend.

What do you believe is the reason for your long life, Uncle
Ebenezer? asked the reporter on Uncle Ebenezers 102nd
birthday.
Uncle Ebenezer thought for a moment or two, then, Well, I
guess its because I was born a long time back, he said reflec-
tively.
T!e J,*+"ce 'f +!e Peace A&*.e)* +!e Acc,*e)
On June 9, 1742, John Wesley made an interesting entry in his
journal. He told of riding to a neighboring town to wait for a
justice of the peace, whom he called a man of candor and un-
derstanding. The magistrate was to hear the complaints of some
angry citizens who had brought to him a whole wagonload of
these new hereticsprobably some of Wesleys converts.
When the justice asked what they had done, one of the ac-
cusers replied, Why, they pretended to be better than other
people; and besides, they prayed from morning to night.
But have they done nothing else?
Yes sir, said an old man. They have converted my wife. Till
she went among them, she had such a sharp tongue! And now
she is as quiet as a lamb.
Carry them back, carry them back, replied the justice, and
let them convert all the scolds in town. S
Moodys First Visit to London
a Great Success
Do you remember the story of
Moodys first visit to London? He
was unknown in that city and
scarcely heard of in that land. He
had not been invited over by any-
body but after arriving was asked
to preach for a certain church,
which he did.
The church seemed cold, and the
service, almost meaningless, but
he announced that he would
preach again that night.
When he returned in the eve -
ning the whole atmosphere was
changed, and the crowd was great-
ly increased. At the close of the
service he gave an invitation to
those who wanted to be saved,
and a veritable crowd responded.
He left the next day for Dublin,
Ireland, but shortly was called to
return to the same church. The call
was attended by the statement
that the whole community was
aroused.
He went back to see a work of
grace in which hundreds found
the Lord and to learn the secret
of the same.
An invalid woman who could
not even get to the church had
been praying for weeks for the
outpouring of the Spirit. Yes, for
months she had assiduously
sought the throne of grace.
One day when reading a paper
she saw an account of Moodys
meetings in America. She began
to plead with God to send that
man to her church but did not
know that God had answered the
prayer until her sister returned
from the service and announced
that Moody had been the preach-
er. Then she sought the Lord as
never before, pleading with Him
(now that He had sent the man in
answer to her prayer) that He
would pour out His Spirit upon
the people. That night the great
revival began.
W. B. Riley
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SWORD OF THE LORD 5 March 15, 2013
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He that spareth his rod hateth
his son: but he that loveth him
chasteneth him betimes (Prov.
13:24). A new Christian reading
this verse for the first time would
probably do a double take. He
might think, Love is demonstrat-
ed by spanking my child? How
can that be?
To their great sorrow, many par-
ents have found out too late that
love is indeed demonstrated to the
utmost by parents who require
obedience from their children. If
we would listen to what God says
instead of the words of some
child psychologist, we would be a
lot better off.
I know and understand fully
what it is to spank a child to tears
when you love that child more
than anything else in the world.
But the Bible says, Chasten thy
son while there is hope, and let
not thy soul spare for his crying
(19:18).
Notice that this verse says,
while there is hope. This indi-
cates that a time will come when
there is no hope of gaining con-
trol of your children. This control
must begin from day one, when
Mom and Dad agree to discipline
their children in a biblical man-
ner. It is far too late to begin obe-
dience training at the age of four
or five years.
Usually the first command to
our children is no. Training at
this stage may be nothing more
than a light slap on the hand. But
as the months go by and under-
standing increases, so must the
level of discipline.
Doctors and schoolteachers talk
a lot about ADD (attention deficit
disorder). Most of it is very likely
nothing more than LOD (lack of
discipline). Children should be
taught to obey all of their author-
itarian figures, and this includes
the schoolteacher.
We can train our children to
obey us on the first command in
a normal tone of voice, or we can
train them to obey on the tenth
command when we are shouting
at them. It is all up to the parent.
If control and obedience are
gained at an early age, it will last
a lifetime. It always amazed my
wife and me how a good paddling
would restore order and happi-
ness to our children when they
were in a fussy and irritable mood.
Foolishness is bound in the heart
of a child; but the rod of correc-
tion shall drive it far from him
(22:15).
Most of us have seen a public
display of a 30- or 40-pound child
holding a 200-pound father hos -
tage while mom wrings her hands
in despair. Neither knows what
to do as the child screams to get
his or her way. Bystanders roll their
eyes and pretend not to notice.
There is absolutely no need for
this type of behavior if control is
gained at an early age. Discipline
should never be directed to the
face or head and never be done
in public. Find a private restroom
if discipline is required in public.
The degree of punishment must
fit the offense. The childs will to
disobey must be broken, but we
should never break his willingness
to be an accepted part of the
family.
Love should be demonstrated
daily but especially after punish-
ment when the childs composure
is regained, his punishment is ac-
cepted, and our prayers are shared.
There is never any need to bruise
a child. A wooden paddle applied
carefully and properly on the bot-
tom stings considerably and gets
the job done.
Besides using biblical principles
to discipline our children, we must
also use good common sense. We
must be very careful not to ad-
minister discipline when we are
angry. We do not want to do some-
thing that is unreasonable or in
any way abusive. You will never
regret the right discipline done
properly, so be sure you handle
this correctly.
As the Bible is taught and com-
prehended by our children, they
will understand the need for dis-
cipline. Lets do it Gods way and
have a loving, happy, peaceful
home. S
D). C,)+"* H,+*'& Te$$*
M0 F")*+
S',$-W"&&"&
E/(e)"e&ce
I was reared in a nonaggressive
church. I do not recall ever hear-
ing the words soul winning or
soul winner. We did not have a
visitation program, and I never
heard anything about missions or
missionaries.
It may be difficult for the read-
er to believe that I could have been
saved in that kind of a church;
however, I did accept Christ when
I was eleven years old. I should
say, though, that I did not know
the basis of assurance. I was
twenty-four years old before I
really had the assurance of salva-
tionbased upon the written
Word in I John 5:13.
The Lord gave me the burden
to preach in that same environ-
ment. Of course, since I knew
nothing else, I was that kind of
preacher for six years. After I had
preached a year, I took my first
church, which was the Forrest Hills
Baptist Church in Decatur, Geor-
gia.
When I became the pastor, we
had only twelve active members.
For the first five years, we didnt
have a visitation program. I didnt
know what one was. I never used
the words soul winning or soul
winner, and very few people were
saved in our services.
The reader may find this hard
to believe, but for nearly six
years, I never led a soul to Christ
as the pastor. Now some people
were saved in the services, but I
had never gone visiting with the
express purpose of leading a soul
to Christ. Nor had I ever witnessed
to anyone other than the preach-
ing I did from the platform.
After I attended the Sword Con-
ference in 1961, I concluded that
I was not even a good Christian,
much less a preacher. I thought
of resigning the tiny church and
finding a good, soul-winning
church where I could learn under
a good pastor. But somehow the
dear Lord would not let me re-
sign. I was so burdened over my
negligence that I made up my
mind that I would try to be a soul
winner.
On the Saturday after the con-
ference, I went soul winning for
my first time. I visited a family who
had been visiting our church.
When they came to the door, I
said, Gene, I want you to do
something for me.
What is it? he asked.
I said, I want you to forgive
me for my negligence. You have
visited our church for several
weeks, and I should have come
before now to take the Bible and
show you how to be saved. Will
you forgive me?
Of course, he replied. I
looked at his wife and teenage
son and asked if they would for-
give me, and they agreed. Then I
asked if I could take the Bible
and show them how to be saved.
They all agreed. As they sat there
on the couch, I knelt in front of
them with the coffee table sepa-
rating us.
Taking the Bible and following
the instructions I had received at
the conference, I began in the
Book of Romans and presented
the plan of salvation. Then I re-
viewed, making sure that they
understood that they were sin-
ners. I explained that, as sinners,
they owed the sin debt and that
Jesus Christ died to pay the debt
they owed.
When I was sure they under-
stood, I asked if we could pray.
Still following the instructions I
received at the conference, I
prayed a brief prayer.
Stopping in the middle of the
prayer, I asked, Gene, will you
accept Jesus Christ as your Sav-
iour?
After a brief pause, he answered,
Yes, I will.
I was so nervous that my mouth
was dry. I stuttered, Uh-uh, do
you mean right now?
Right now, he said.
With that, I asked his wife, Will
you trust Christ?
Yes, she replied.
And again I stuttered and asked,
Do you mean right now too?
Yes.
Then I asked the teenage son if
he would accept Christ.
Yes, sir, he said.
I suppose you mean right now
too, dont you?
Yes sir.
Then I led them in a brief sin-
ners prayer. I was so excited that
I wanted to shout. I breathed a
silent prayer, Dear Lord, dont let
me shout in the house; I will
scare these people to death. I can
shout when I get back to the car.
After they trusted Christ as
Saviour, I took the Bible and gave
them some assurance verses. I
asked them to promise me that
they would come to church the
following day and come forward
to be baptized and to join the
church. When I left the house, I
could hardly wait for the next day.
Early the next morning, I was
so excited about going to preach
in that little church, because I knew
I had some converts coming
down the aisle. When I stepped
up to preach that morning, there
were only a handful of people
present. But there were Gene and
his family, and I knew I had three
coming when I gave the invita-
tion.
I preached with more excite-
ment than before. I was a happy
young preacher. When I gave the
invitation, here came Gene and
his wife and son to join the church
and to be baptized.
To God be the glory, there has
not been a week that has gone by
since 1961 when I havent led
souls to Christ.
There is a first time for every-
thing. Perhaps you too have never
tried to lead a soul to Christ. Why
dont you try it? It may do for you
what it did for me. It started a fire
burning in my heart that has never
gone out, and I pray to God that
it never will. S
Evolution IS UNscientific!
[Richard Dawkins, famous atheist, says,] The theory of evolution
by cumulative natural selection is the only theory we know of that is
in principle capable of explaining the existence of organized com-
plexity.
Biology studies organisms. It can also explain how organisms got
that way, but studying organisms does not require explaining how
they got that way, and the theory of evolution is bad science.
Evolutionists cannot demonstrate that three critical points are even
possible, let alone that they actually happened:
No one has demonstrated that life can be created from nonlife.
(Reports of artificial DNA do not alter this fact. Life is still required.)
No one has demonstrated that a new sexual species can be cre-
ated. (Since the definition of species is contested, for my purposes
I define it as an organism that can breed with its own kind and pro-
duce fertile offspring, but cannot breed with its ancestors.)
Evolutionists theorize the human brain evolved from lower
forms. Over 50 years into the age of computers, machines can crunch
numbers far better and faster than humans, recognize and use lan-
guage and tools, and beat us in chess. Yet science has yet to build
even a rudimentary computer that can contemplate its own exis-
tence, the hallmark of the human brain. (Contemplating your exis-
tence is best understood as imagining what will remain after your
death.)
And no animal, no matter how intelligent, can do this either.
Ask anyone who espouses evolution if these three points are not
true.
If evolution is unscientific, why teach it? Because no Creator means
no God. In other words, evolution taught without a possible alterna-
tive is atheism.
Now atheism rests on an article of faith, i.e., a strong belief that
cannot be proven but is nonetheless believed. Therefore, atheism is
a religion.
And it is illegal to teach religion in the public schools.
Christian Newswire/Tom Ritter (taught academic physics and chemistry
for over a decade in a Pennsylvania public high school)
Imprisoned Pastor in Iran Tortured, As Plea to
Free Him Continues
American pastor Saeed Abedini is reportedly being tortured in an
Iranian prison as an appeal against his eight-year sentence is being
filed.
[Abedini] was arrested in September 2012 during one of his many
visits to his place of birth while working on an orphanage and has
been imprisoned ever since.
After what was described as a sham trial, the Islamic Revolution-
ary Court in Tehran deemed Abedini guilty of threatening the na-
tional security of Iran for helping underground Christian churches in
SWORD OF THE LORD 6 March 15, 2013
(More next page)
Noteworthy News Notes
(Continued from p 4)
S$"e$#e 'aid: .U#'$!ici(ed ad*ice i'
'e!d$" heeded a#d $f(e# 'c$&#ed,/ b)(
(he Bib!e 'a,', .A +i'e "a# +i!! hea&, a#d
+i!! i#c&ea'e !ea&#i#g/ (P&$*. 1:5).
Soul Winning
With
DR. SMITH
Teaching Scriptural
Soul Winning
Illustrated With Real
Life Experiences
The Things We Cant Afford
We can' afford o #in he gain
Tha means anoher's loss;
We can' afford o miss he cro#n
B% s!mbling a he cross.
We can' afford he heedless jes
Tha robs !s of a friend;
We can' afford he la!gh ha
finds
In bier ears is end.
We can' afford o pla% #ih fire
Or emp a serpen's bie;
We can' afford o hink ha sin
Brings an% r!e deligh.
We can' afford #ih serio!s heed
To rea he c%nic's sneer;
We can' afford o #ise men's
#ords
To !rn a careless ear.
We can' afford o feed he flame
And make i fiercer b!rn;
We can' afford o hae, o gi"e
Like hared in re!rn.
We can' afford o lose o!r so!ls
For his #orld's fleeing breah;
We can' afford o barer life
In mad e$change for deah.
B! blind o good are #e apar
From Thee, all-seeing Lord;
Oh, gran !s ligh ha #e ma%
kno#
The hings #e can' afford.
&Anon%mo!s
his home country in 2000, the same year he converted from Islam to
Christianity.
Stoyan Zaimov for ChristianPost.com
Boy Scouts Delay Decision Until May
The Boy Scouts of America decided to delay its anticipated vote on
allowing openly gay people to serve as team leaders of troops until
May.
After careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the
Scouting family, along with comments from those outside the organ-
ization, the volunteer officers of the Boy Scouts of Americas Nation-
al Executive Board concluded that due to the complexity of this issue,
the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its mem-
bership policy, the group said.
To that end, the National Executive Board directed its committees
to further engage representatives of Scoutings membership and lis-
ten to their perspectives and concerns. This will assist the officers
work on a resolution on membership standards. The approximately
1,400 voting members of the National Council will take action on the
resolution at the National Annual Meeting in May 2013.
Stoyan Zaimov for ChristianPost.com
EDITORS COMMENTS: Several large corporations who are
donors to the Boy Scouts of America budget put on the pressure to
admit homosexuals or lose the funding. When the word leaked out
that they were planning to cave to the pressure, their clientele re-
acted with pressure of their own. As much as half of the roughly 2.8
million BSA membership comes from church-sponsored troops.
So the BSA are caught in a bind between their donors and their
clientele. This is a classic case of the trauma that comes when you
start making such decisions based on the budget (money) instead
of your beliefs (convictions).
Homosexuals Attack on Boy Scouts
They have secret files (here in Canada) as they do down there (in
the U.S.) of guys that had abused kids that they hadnt reported.
There were investigations into the abuse of boys, which never really
produced anything in Canada.Brian Rushfeldt, president, Canada
Family Action.
David Watkins, a former Boy Scout leader, has been charged with
sodomizing a boy under 13 years of age in his troop.
The news broke on the same week as the Boy Scouts of Americas
(BSA) decision on whether or not to continue their long-standing ban
on homosexuals.
In the BSA, homosexual child sex abuse happens all too often.
There have been over 2,000 cases of abuse.
If such crimes have already come to the light in the Boy Scouts, one
must ask why the radical homosexual lobby is determined to force
the BSA to allow homosexuals to infiltrate their organization.
Once again, the radicals used totalitarian means in an attempt to
bully the BSA into submission.
Clearly, they are using the guise of a victim status to attack and
undermine the moral foundations of the BSA.
In 1998, Canadian Scouts (CS) decided to allow females, atheists,
agnostics, homosexuals, bisexuals, and transsexuals to join the CS. In
1999, they approved the establishment of an all-homosexual troop,
which now marches in Canadas gay pride parades. Within five
years, scouting membership dropped over 50 percent. Many scout-
ing camps and offices were closed, and staff was laid off.
As one would expect when the doors to sinful behavior are swung
open, sex abuse by leaders in scouting is another tragic conse-
quence. Boys who become scouts to receive a healthy, moral up-
bringing are instead becoming lifetime victims of criminals who prey
on children.
Even worse is the lack of justice these young boys receive. Cana-
das epidemic of child sex abuse is largely swept under the rug to
protect pederasts.
Brian Rushfeldt, president of Canada Family Action, stated, The
notion that we need to protect homosexuals more than we need to
protect childrenhas been a disturbing trend.
It is time to wake up, America, and heed Canadas warnings before
its too late.
Bradlee Dean for ConservativeActionAlerts.com
Federal Lawsuits Pile Up Against
Obamacare Mandate
There are now 45 separate lawsuits challenging the HHS mandate,
which is a regulation under the Affordable Care Act (aka Oba-
macare).
Americans should be free to honor God and live according to
their consciences no matter where they are. A persons faith convic-
tions dont disappear the moment he or she steps outside of a church
building, said ADF [Alliance Defending Freedom] Senior Counsel
Michael J. Norton, a former U.S. attorney. This lawsuit puts a glaring
light on the fact that the Obama administration just doesnt under-
stand what religious freedom really is. All Americans have a God-
given freedom to live and do business according to their faith, and
the First Amendment has always protected that.
ADF describes the mandate as one that forces employers, regard-
less of their religious or moral convictions, to provide insurance cov-
erage for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization and contraception
under threat of heavy penalties.
Alex Murashko for ChristianPost.com
That Was Faithfulness
In I Corinthians 4:2 our Lord
teaches us that it is required in
stewards, that a man be found
faithful.
The Word does not say we are
required to be successful, glam-
orous, popular, handsome, beau-
tiful, appealing, imposing in per-
sonality, well liked or well known;
it says that we are required to be
faithful. A lot of us could never
reach the requirements if they
were the former things. But we
all can be faithful!

A shepherd came to the city of

Edinburgh from the country. He
had his small obedient dog with
him.
While there, the shepherd died
and was buried. That little dog lay
upon its masters gravenot for
a day, a week or a month, but for
twelve years.
Every day at one oclock a gun
was fired in the castle of Edin-
burgh. When the gun was fired, the
dog would run to the local baker
who gave him food and water.
Then back to the grave he would
go. This continued for twelve years
and ended only when the dog
died. That was faithfulness!

The owner threw a goose, which

had been run over and crushed
by a car, into an oil drum. For seven
years the gander, that gooses
mate, never went more than ten
feet away from that oil drum. Yes,
that gander kept watch by the
drum till it died. That was seven
full years. That was faithfulness!

George Mueller prayed for

fifty-two years for a certain man
to come to Christ. A pastor visited
an elderly man twenty-one times
before being admitted, but then
he befriended the man and led
him to Christ. That was faithful-
ness!

A Welsh postman had the

British Empire Medal conferred
upon him by Queen Elizabeth; he
had not missed a days service in
forty-three years. That was faith-
fulness!

A Minneapolis man retired as a

high school teacher without hav-
ing missed a single day on the job
for forty-three years. That was
faithfulness!

Paul Ehrlick, the chemist, per-

formed 605 unsuccessful experi-
ments; the 606th was a success!
That was faithfulness!

Thomas Edison made 18,000

experiments before he perfected
the arc light. At another time after
fifty failures on a project, he said,
I have found the fiftieth way it
cannot be done! That was faith-
fulness!

During the Korean War a man

buried himself in the muck and
mud of a pigsty (except for his nose
and mouth so he could breathe)
for eight days and nights, rather
than betray his buddies and sur-
render to the enemy. That was
faithfulness!

Are you not glad that Jesus was

faithful in dying for us and that
He now lives and is faithful to
care for us? God grant us grace to
be faithful! S
by Dr. John R. Rice
D' Y', K&'. A&0
G)',( T!a+ D'e*
N'+ Be$"e-e "&
+!e T)"&"+0?
The Christian Science teaching
is that the theory of three per-
sons in one God (that is, a per-
sonal Trinity or Tri-unity) suggests
polytheism rather than the one
ever present I am (Science and
Health, 256:911).
Spiritualism says, The doctrine
of the trinity seems to have no
adherents in advanced circles of
the spirit world. The divinity of
Christ as a coequal with the Father
is universally denied. They do not
believe in the Trinity of the God-
head.
Jehovahs Witnesses say, Only
Jehovah is from everlasting to ever-
lasting (Make Sure of All Things.
p. 486). Elohim is the plural of
majesty. It does not mean that he
is mysteriously a trinity (New
Heaven and New Earth, p. 36). Je-
hovahs Witnesses do not believe
in the Trinity of the Godhead.
Armstrongism says, At the
pres ent time there are only two
beings in the God family: 1) God
the Father, Father of Jesus Christ;
2) God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, the One who became Jesus
Christ, God the Son (The God
Family in Tomorrows World. May
1971).
The Jesus Only denomination
rejects the doctrine of the Trinity
and baptizes only in the name of
Jesus Christ. They insist there is
no God but Jesus, that Jesus did
not have a Father in Heaven, and
that there is no Holy Spirit sepa-
rate from Jesus.
Practically all cults teach that
there is no triune Godhead.
It is easy to see from the Bible
that there are three Persons in
the God head. In John 14:16,
Jesus said, And I will pray the Fa-
ther, and he shall give you an-
other Comforter, that he may
abide with you for ever.
Jesus (one Person) prays to the
Father (another Person), and the
Father sends the Comforter (an-
other Person); yet all three are of
one mind and of one principle and
are not to be separated as if one
were without the others or against
the others.
The Trinity simply means that
we have one God in three Per-
sonsGod the Father, God the
Son, God the Holy Spirit. The three
are one in the sense that They are
always perfectly agreed. One
knows what the other knows; one
wants what the other wants.
Dr. Walter Wilson illustrated
the Holy Trinity in this way:
There is one firm but three
officersthe president, vice
president and treasurer. There
are not three firms but just one
firm with one bank account,
one character, one advertising
program, one building housing
the firm, etc. Each officer,
however, is an executive sepa-
rate from the other two. Those
who call to see the firm may
see any one of the three per-
sons, for all three work in unity
and harmony. The work each
one does reveals that they are
three distinct persons.
The Father sent the Son to
be the Saviour of the world
(I John 4:14). The Father who
sent the Son is a separate Per-
son. If I depart, I will send him
[the Spirit] unto you (John
16:7). The Son who sent and
the Spirit who came are differ-
ent Persons. The Father sent
the Son to die; the Son went to
the cross and died; the Spirit
reveals Him to our hearts: He
shall glorify me (vs. 14). The
Father loved (John 3:16), the
Son died (Rom. 5:6), and the
Spirit convicts and teaches
(John 16:814).
This is what we at the Sword of
the Lord believe concerning the
Trinity of the Godhead. All sound,
fundamental religions teach that
there is a triune God. S
SWORD OF THE LORD 7 March 15, 2013
(More next page)
Noteworthy News Notes
(Continued from p 6)
WITWESTAC
is looking for one person in every city of the
USA to send out a salvation tract, form letter &
a local church to attend to all of the survivors of
the obituaries in your city. If interested, send for
free packet to explain how. W. P. Ostermayer,
7936 Appleby Rd., Harrisburg, PA 17112.
Phone: 717-469-2582.
Would you like to know
more about Roman
Cath olic doctrine
and be able to witness
more effectively to
Roman Catholics?
The CONVERSION CENTER
would like to help you. Write for a current
catalogue and free sample tracts to:
P. O. Box 384 Hagerstown, MD 21741
Phone: 1-301-790-2593
www.theconversioncenter.com
THE CONVERSION
CENTER, INC.
Try MediShare where Christians are
saving 20-30% in their healthcare
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medical bills! Avoid the insurance bu-
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For free information
Call: (800)PSALM23 (800)772-5623
or visit www.medi-share.org.
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Vigilance Required
A niqe, elderl# man
once said: %I ha!e e!er# da#
t"o eagles to tame, t"o hares
to keep from rnning a"a#,
t"o ha"ks to manage, a ser-
pent to control, and a lion to
chain.&
%Yo are joking,& said his
friend.
%Indeed I am not,& an-
s"ered the old man. %The
t"o eagles are m# t"o e#es,
"hich I ha!e diligentl# to
gard lest the# shold lead
me to harm. The t"o hares
are m# t"o feet, "hich I ha!e
to hold back lest the# shold
rn after some e!il objects.
The t"o ha"ks are m# t"o
hands, "hich I ha!e to train
for good "ork. The serpent is
m# tonge, "hich I ha!e to
keep in as "ith a bridle. And
the lion is m# heart, "ith
"hich I ha!e continall# to
strggle to keep it free from
e!il "a#s.&
Sales Booming for Baker Who Sticks to His
Christian Faith
Customers who want to show support for religious freedom have
been ringing up sales at the Sweet Cakes bakery in Gresham, [Ore-
gon] where owner Aaron Klein refused to make a wedding cake for
a same-sex couple.
Klein told KGW-TV that hes sticking by his decision despite the
complaint by a lesbian couple to the state that could bring him a
$50,000 fine.
Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian says people who
open their store to the public cant discriminate when customers
come in to buy their goods.
Klein told the Oregonian he sells cakes to customers of all sexual
orientations, but same-sex marriage goes against his Christian faith.
OneNewsNow.com
New Invention Could Help Reduce Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome, also known as crib death, is re-
sponsible for the deaths of 7,000 infants a year. Now a new invention
has been made that might drastically reduce this number.
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microin-
tegration IZM in Berlin have developed a circuit board made of
polyurethane which can be put inside a babys clothes and monitor
plagued the Roman Church in
recent years.
During this time of transition, it
is important for fundamental,
born-again Christians once again
to articulate clearly why we believe
there is no hope in the pope.
Several thoughts quickly come to
mind.
First, Bible-believing Christians
have always recognized that they
have one spiritual Father. Though
we often refer to converts as our
sons in the faith (I Tim. 1:2; Titus
1:4), we never allow converts to
refer to us as their father.
Jesus explicitly said that we
should call no spiritual leader on
earth our father (Matt. 23:9). The
W!' I* T),$0
T!e H'$0 Fa+!e)?
When the head of the Roman
Catholic Church recently an-
nounced that he would vacate his
position at the end of February,
millions of Roman Catholics world-
wide once again turned their at-
tention to the Vatican, wonder-
ing whom the college of cardinals
would choose to be the next man
to possess arguably the most ec-
clesiastical authority in the world.
Many Catholics here in Rhode
Island are hopeful that the choice
will be an American bishop from
Boston who has taken a hard line
against the sexual abuse that has
Lord made it clear that the Holy
Father is in Heaven (John 17:11),
not in the Vatican.
Second, Christians should never
view human intermediaries as their
link to God. The Bible is clear that
there is one God, and one medi-
ator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus (I Tim. 2:5).
The answer to Jobs request for
a daysman (Job 9:33) was found
in the Person of Christ. He alone
is the Umpire who is able to set-
tle the dispute between a holy
God and sinful man. He is able to
do this because He alone is both
fully God and fully Man. No other
human is capable or competent
enough to assume this position.
Third, we must vehemently re-
ject the idea that any merit with
God can be secured by means of
canonized saints or ecclesiastical
sacraments. Saints, by Bible defi-
nition, are not those who have
been canonized by ecclesiastical
councils after they died, but those
who have been called such by God
while they are still living. God even
refers to the rascals in the church
at Corinth as saints (I Cor. 1:2).
Grace demands that human ef-
fort such as penance, baptism or
holy communion cannot commu-
nicate divine favor. Any work
added to grace annuls grace
(Rom. 11:6).
The Bible is clear that we are
saved by grace alone through faith
alone (Eph. 2:8, 9). And here is the
rub. The official position of the
Cath olic Church for years has been
that men are saved by faith, but
not faith alone. It is taught that the
cross is sufficient to deal with orig-
inal sin, but that acts of daily de-
filement must be atoned through
penance and other sacramental
means. The Bible, however, is clear
that the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses from all sin (I John 1:7).
This was the catastrophic error
of Jack Van Impe when he em-
braced the papacy years ago,
claiming that Pope John Paul II was
one of the greatest Christians alive.
The pope, while acknowledg-
ing certain fundamental tenets of
Christianity such as the deity of
Christ and the virgin birth, believes
that these truths become effica-
cious, in part, through human merit.
This puts the Vatican at distinct
odds with historic, orthodox Chris-
tianity and limits the bounds of
fellowship that evangelicals can
have with the Catholic Church.
While the Catholic Church is
searching for a new head, we
should, as Bible-believing Chris-
tians, seize this opportunity to
communicate effectively that
Christ alone is the Head of any
true church. May we draw the line
clearly yet compassionately, so that
men will turn from trust in eccle-
siastical figures to trust in the
Everlasting Father (Isa. 9:6). The
Gospel needs to be articulated
clearly for such a time as this. S
Ma"&+a"&"&
Y',) B,*e*
Sometimes I get so focused on
the work I am doing that I allow
a little detail to escape my atten-
tion. Certainly we all do this some-
times. Bus workers have so many
things to think about that it is easy
to ignore or forget some little
matters, yet it is often these de-
tails that make a huge difference
in the success of our routes.
One day a visitor came to see
Michelangelo in his studio in Flo-
rence. The visitor commented, I
cant see that you have made any
progress since I was here last time.
Michelangelo answered, Oh,
yes, I have made much progress.
Look carefully, and you will see that
I have retouched this part and I
have polished that part.
Yes, said the visitor, but those
are all trifles.
Michelangelo replied, Trifles
make perfection, and perfection
is no trifle.
Today I want to encourage us
to look at the trifles or little things
on our buses and make sure we
are doing all we can to keep our
buses maintained the way we
should.
Buses can get dirty or fall into
disrepair quickly, and at times we
can get so caught up in the work
that we forget some of these lit-
tle details. So maybe this is a good
time to be reminded of a few im-
portant details or, as Michelange-
los visitor called them, trifles.
1. Keep the buses and vans
clean. We need to think like a
mother would think. A little TLC
never hurts. Make certain to wipe
the seats and handles each week,
pick up the trash, sweep the floors,
clean the windows, and so on.
Make sure you keep a cleaning box
on the bus.
It wouldnt hurt to mop the
floors regularly as well. We have
all heard that cleanliness is next
to godliness. Well, it certainly is a
part of creating the right environ-
ment to teach godliness to our
riders.
2. Keep the buses sanitized. It
is a good idea to keep some dis-
infectant wipes on the bus to make
sure that things are not only clean
but also well sanitized.
You should make sure also to
have something to clean up po-
tential accidents kids have from
time to time. A couple of brown
lunch bags can be useful when a
child feels the need to throw up.
Remember that cleanliness deals
with more than just what we can
see.
3. Keep the buses attractive. A
used bus may not look as nice as
a new one, but we should do all
we can to make our bus look as
good as possible. A little touch-
up with paint here or a little up-
holstery repair there can make a
big difference in the pride riders
and workers will have in your
bus. Make the bus look as nice as
you can.
4. Keep the buses repaired.
Preventive maintenance is always
best. Take a few minutes to make
sure the oil and other fluid levels
are good, the tires are not worn
out, the brakes are safe, all flashers
and lights both inside and out-
side are operating properly, seats
are bolted down, cushions are not
loose, doors open and shut prop-
erly, entryways are safe, the emer-
gency door is not blocked, etc.
Guard the special lives that will
ride that bus by being aware of
the condition of your bus. Do not
leave it to a mechanic to be the
only one who is aware of the shape
its in. You make certain all is in
good repair too. Report any prob-
lems immediately so they can be
looked at and repaired.
5. Keep the buses safe. Are
there any sharp edges where pro-
tective foam padding has worn
off, thus placing a child in danger
of being injured? Are the steps
safe? Are the guardrails secure?
We must not neglect or forget
any of these things. Make sure to
have a first-aid kit with you as
well, and check it weekly to make
sure all the supplies are there
and do not forget to keep your
workers aware of safety measures.
Also, be sure you have an up-to-
date fire extinguisher and that
you know how to operate it if it is
needed.
6. Keep the buses fun. Make
sure there are posters with fun
colors and things that make it
more than just a bus when the
riders get on. Make it a rolling
classroom where they can learn
the things of the Lord in an excit-
ing atmosphere. Use streamers,
balloons, posters, and other such
things to make the bus a fun place.
7. Keep the buses ready. Be-
fore that bus goes on the road,
think of everything you may need
in order to make it a successful
Sunday.
Have a checklist of all the items
you need for all the points listed
above. Go through the list care-
fully and be sure you are always
prepared.
Proper preparation is a sign of
love and care. It also prevents prob-
lems that could hinder the work of
God in the hearts of your riders.
We can all get comfortable in
our environment, and that can
sometimes lead to carelessness.
The longer we go without having
problems, the less likely we are
to prepare properly for them.
Treat each Sunday with the same
seriousness that you would show
if the riders on that route were
your own children and family. Bus
worker, dont neglect the trifles;
and even as we work on these lit-
tle thingslets keep those buses
rolling!
If I can be of help to you in any
way, please let me know at pas
torfugate@msn.com. And please
share with me any stories of suc-
cess you have had so that I can
share them with others. S
SWORD OF THE LORD 8 March 15, 2013
(Please turn to p 10)
Noteworthy News Notes
(Continued from p 7)
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E-e)0'&e
It is a sad reality that no matter
how hard you try, there are some
people you will not be able to
help.
Seeds were sown in four types
of ground in Matthew 13; in only
one type of soil did it produce
fruit. Though appointed directly
by Christ, one of the twelve disci-
ples was filled with the Devil.
Solomons son Rehoboam did
not heed the wisdom of his own
father. The Scripture warns us to
be on our guard for certain peo-
ple, when it states, From such
turn away (II Tim. 3:5).
Not all believers remain faith-
ful. John Mark is an example of
one who turned back. A certain
ruler in Luke 18 was sorrowful
because he didnt want to give up
his riches. Only one of the healed
lepers came back to thank Jesus
for healing his leprosy. In addi-
tion, when Paul preached at Mars
hill in Athens, Greece, none were
converted.
The reality of the ministry is that
not all people will follow your
teaching, preaching and advice.
Some will plainly reject the truth,
and others will turn away from
the truth.
When I was a young preacher, I
thought I could help everyone. I
knew I had the truth, and I be-
lieved I possessed some commu-
nication skills. As a result, I was
confident I would help everyone
I met and everyone I met would
respond positively to my min-
istry.
After only a few months, I had
to accept the fact that I could not
help everyone. There were peo-
ple who turned away from Christ
and would not accept the Lords
help. Not everyone responded
positively to the ministry of Jesus
Christ. If Jesus could not help
everyone, who was I to think I
could help everyone?
I had to face this reality and
recognize that there were some
people who would not respond
to my leadership and counsel.
This was a sad day of enlighten-
ment, but it helped me to under-
stand my limitations and the re-
ality of the ministry.
A young preacher must keep in
mind that not everyone is open
to following the clear teaching of
the Word of God. When members
from a neighboring church visit
your church, remember that they
are visiting you because they are
not happy with their church. The
problem most often is with them
and not their pastor or church.
Frequently people leave a church
because they do not want to fol-
low the Bible. If people speak
badly of a prior ministry of which
they were a part, eventually they
will probably speak badly about
your ministry. Every visitor should
be welcomed in a new church,
but it is important to monitor vis-
itors from other ministries cau-
tiously. Quite often these people
bring their problems with them.
At first they seem solid, and their
tale of woe often relates inade-
quacies of their former pastor or
leaders in their old church. Some-
times there are legitimate reasons
for people to leave a church and
look for another, but most often
their behavior is unjustified.
Preparing a proper protocol of
dealing with visitors from anoth-
er church is important. As a gen-
eral rule, if someone visits two
times, it may warrant a call to their
pastor or former pastor. Usually a
whole new perspective is given
by the former pastor.
I encourage new church planters
to meet with neighboring min-
istries at the outset and make clear
the biblical protocol of dealing
with the issues of church hopping
and transferring from one church
to another. Maintaining a good
rapport with neighboring pastors
is more important than receiving
a disgruntled member into your
church family.
An additional potential prob-
lem is that if several people come
from a single ministry in your area,
your church could take on the
spirit of those folks. If their spirit
is not right, it could eventually
create a bad spirit in your church.
Also, these new folks could dom-
inate the new church and influ-
ence the churchs vision for the
future.
Receiving one member upon
the recommendation of the for-
mer pastor is much safer and far
different from receiving several
members from a nearby ministry
without the blessing of the for-
mer pastor. If people will not fol-
low the counsel they receive, it is
impossible for anyone to help
them.
Someone said, The ministry
would be fine except for the peo-
ple. But the ministry is the peo-
ple, and working with various kinds
of people is an important aspect
of church planting. As much as
you try, you will never be able to
help some people. It is best to
leave some people alone and go
on to those who will respond. S
T!e S("&d$0 V"&e
He bringeth forth fruit unto him-
self.Hosea 10:1.
In his early teens, Ruther Ford
had read, No man is an island
entire of itself. From that day
forth, he decided that one day he
would prove that it was possible
to live as if he were on an island.
He put every penny he earned
into building a castle on top of a
mountain. At the age of fifty-four,
he completed the structure, quit
his job, and planned to live the
rest of his life in complete soli-
tude.
The perimeter of his property
was posted with No Trespassing
signs. To further insure that his
privacy would not be interrupt-
ed, he bought an English Mastiff,
which he named Mastiff. This dog
was a real beauty and had quite
an intimidating appearance.
one of his trees would be touched.
The fumes from the construc-
tion equipment made the air
stagnant. Chain saws were deaf-
ening, and falling trees added dust
to the haze surrounding his cas-
tle. Ruther Ford was sure that the
only ones who were benefiting
from this road were the stores
that sold binoculars, because it
seemed as if every member of
the construction crew had a pair
so they could get a closer view of
his castle and watch as he and
Mastiff paced back and forth
across the second-floor hall porch
as they watched the goings-on
below.
The 9-1-1 Call
One day Brad, the construction
foreman, got an uneasy feeling as
he looked through his binoculars
at the castle. The dog was on the
porch, but he was sitting instead
of pacing; the man was nowhere
in sight. Brad climbed atop a huge
boulder and adjusted his glasses,
but he saw nothing out of place.
He turned to leave, but a nagging
feeling that something was amiss
grew stronger. Finally, he climbed
a tall tree next to the boulder. It
was then that he saw the man
lying on his back on the porch.
Brad immediately put in a 9-1-
1 call and told the dispatcher that
the man appeared to be uncon-
scious.
Have you examined him?
Cant. The drawbridge is on the
other side of the moat surround-
ing the castle.
media, and they arrived minutes
after the police did. It was quite a
parade! Unfortunatelyor per-
haps fortunatelyRuther Ford
was unaware of the attention he
had generated.
The firemen held a quick meet-
ing and then backed their new
hook-and-ladder truck up to the
lip of the moat and extended the
ladder across it. Four firemen
carrying two extension ladders
walked across it. Two medics and
Brad followed close behind. The
foreman had warned them about
the dog, so when they reached the
castle, they placed one ladder at
each end of the porch. Two of the
firemen made their way slowly to
the top.
Mastiffs low, menacing growl
warned them that that was as
close as they were going to get to
his master.
He looks mighty hungry, one
of the firemen said.
Uh-huh, answered the other
as they climbed back down to
ground level to plan a new strat-
egy to reach the man without be-
coming the dogs midmorning
snack.
* * * * *
Ruther Ford gave nothing to
others, wanted nothing from oth-
ers, and pushed others away; but
his life was about to become very
interesting.
Read the next issue of the
SWORD OF THE LORD to learn
how the prowling and growling of
the grouching king of the castle
could neither intimidate the de-
termined foreman nor dissuade
him from trying to turn a weak,
spindly vine into a strong, leafy,
fruit-producing child of God.
Have a great day, and dont for-
get to thank the One who gave it
to you! S
SWORD OF THE LORD 9 March 15, 2013
Pastor, Central Baptist Church,
Southington, Connecticut
After telling his patient to stick
out her tongue, the doctor began
writing out the prescription. When
he had nished, he turned to her
and said, There, that will do.
But, doctor, she protested, you
didnt even look at my tongue.
Didnt need to, the doctor
replied. Just wanted to keep you
quiet while I wrote the prescription.
Mastiff had a massive body. He
stood slightly over 30 inches high
at the shoulders and weighed 250
pounds. His body was covered in
short apricot-fawn-colored hair;
but his muzzle, ears, nose and the
area around his eyes were black
and made him look even more
menacing.
Ruther Ford had his dream.
Five years later, however, his pri-
vacy was not only invaded, but his
castle became the most talked-
about structure in the state.
The Right of Way
He knew that the state had a
right of way at the bottom of the
mountain, but the planned road
had been shelved years before he
bought the property. It seemed
unlikely that coming up with the
revenue needed to build it would
ever become a reality.
Ruther Ford was wrong.
He decided he would fight city
hall. It was a short battle, because
the road was several hundred yards
below his property line and not
Say again, the dispatcher said.
The man lives in a castle, Brad
said slowly. Its surrounded by a
moata big ditchand the
drawbridge is on the owners side
of the moat.
The dispatcher immediately
dispatched an ambulance and the
police. Those who were monitor-
ing police scanners alerted the
Servant or Fame?
G. Campbell Morgan was called by
the Lord from school teaching to the
ministry. As he responded to the Lords
leading in his life and made his decision,
he fell on his knees to pray. In the inner
recesses of his mind the thought came
as clearly as if it had been an actual
voice: Which do you want to bea
servant of Mine or a great preacher?
Morgan wanted to be a great
preacher, of course! But why could he
not be both?
A spiritual struggle ensued until it
was impressed on him that God might
want him to minister unknown and in
an obscure place. Then he cried to God
that his greatest wish was to be a ser-
vant of His.
The Lord made Him a great preach -
er as well as His humble servant.
If we are to be acceptable to Him, it
is necessary that our highest wish shall
be in conformity to Gods will, whether
our course leads to obscurity and trial
or to prestige and blessing.
THE DEITY OF CHRIST
Does the Lord Jesus possess
deity? Is He God? The Bible un-
mistakably ascribes fullest deity
to our blessed Lord because He
is God. And the Word was God
(John 1:1).
Christ did not acquire deity, as
some teach. He did not, at a point
in time, begin to be God. Jesus
possesses fullest deity inherently.
Deity inheres within the glorious
Person of the Son of God. There
was never a time when Jesus was
not, as to His essential nature,
deity.
Testimony of the Father
But unto the Son he saith, Thy
throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a
sceptre of righteousness is the scep-
tre of thy kingdom.Heb. 1:8.
The theme of the Epistle to the
Hebrews is the superiority of the
Son. He is greater than the proph -
ets, greater than the angels, greater
than Aaron and Joshua. He is
greater than the great lawgiver,
Moses.
He is greater because He is not
a creature as they; He is God
eternal, uncreated, uncaused.
Being addressed by the Father by
the lofty title, O God, is an as-
sertion of the deity of the Son.
Testimony of John
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God.John 1:1.
This verse teaches three great
truths about the Person of Christ:
1. Christs eternity of being
In the beginning was the Word;
2. Christs distinct personali-
tyand the Word was with
God; and
3. Christs deityand the
Word was God.
This verse proves the deity of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Testimony of Paul
The apostle Paul had no doubt
about the deity of Christ. He most
certainly believed in the deity of
his Saviour. Paul refers to Jesus as
Lord in Acts 9:5 and 6.
In Titus 2:13, Jesus is called the
great God.
In I Timothy 3:16, Jesus is de-
clared to be God manifest in the
flesh.
In Colossians 1:15, Jesus is said
to be the image of the invisible
God.
All of these verses teach the
deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Testimony of Peter
Simon Peter, a servant and an
apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that
have obtained like precious faith with
us through the righteousness of God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
II Pet. 1:1.
The words The righteousness
of God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ are in a construction that
refers to one and the same per-
the breathing of the infant. If the child stops breathing, the device
alerts parents, who can then render first aid and save the baby before
it is too late.
This intervention can be vital, because a child can only go four to
five minutes without oxygen before brain damage and then death
occur. The new invention gives those few critical minutes that would
make the difference between life or death for the child.
The circuit board can be sewn onto a babys romper suit. It is made
of polyurethane, which is both easy and cheap to produce.
According to Manuel Secker, a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute
for Reliability and Microintegration IZM, The circuit board we have
developed can be manufactured using routine industrial processes,
meaning a high throughput and, consequently, good cost efficiency.
This means that the device will be affordable and within the reach
of most families.
Sarah Terzo for LifeNews.com
Experts Refuse to Join Obama Administrations
IPAB Death Panel
Apparently, serving on a government death panel isnt exactly
topping peoples bucket lists.
The Washington Post explained that Obamacares 15-member
rationing panel has hit a bit of a snag: no one wants to join it. The
Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) was one of the most
controversial parts of the presidents legislationmainly because it
puts 15 unelected strangers in charge of health decisions for most
Americans.
In the name of cost-certainty, IPAB would have the authority to
limit which specialists you see, what treatments are available, and in
some cases, whether youre eligible for care at all.
Unfortunately for Americans, the next best thing to IPAB is just as
frightening. If the panel remains unfilledand Congress doesnt find
an alternativethe power would transfer over to HHS Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius, who would have the authority to implement her
own cost-cutting measures without any accountability whatsoever.
Tony Perkins for LifeNews.com
Two Children to Be Tried for Insulting Islam in
Egypt As Anti-Christian Hostility Escalates
Among files on arrested converts from Islam, kidnapped Christian
girls and beaten monks piling up on the desk of a noted lawyer in
Egypt, on top is the case of two boys about to be tried for allegedly
showing contempt for Islam.
son. That person is Jesus.
Testimony of Thomas
Thomas is known as the doubt-
ing disciple. He finally exclaimed,
My Lord and my God (John
20:28). Thomas believed in the
deity of Jesus.
DIVINE TITLES IN REFERENCE
TO CHRIST
Divine titles are used in refer-
ence to our Lord Jesus. These ti-
tles belong to God, proving the
deity of Jesus.
Immanuel
Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall
call his name Immanuel.Isa. 7:14.
The name Immanuel means
God with us. Matthew 1:23
records the fulfillment of Isaiahs
prophecy and applies the title to
Christ: Behold, a virgin shall be
with child, and shall bring forth a
son, and they shall call his name
Emmanuel, which being inter-
preted is, God with us.
God
Whose are the fathers, and of
whom as concerning the flesh Christ
came, who is over all, God blessed
for ever.Rom. 9:5.
He is called God blessed for
ever because Jesus possesses full -
est deity. Since Jesus is God, He is
fully qualified to be our Saviour.
The First and the Last
Shut out from the world and
shut in to God on a tiny rugged
isle in the Aegean Sea, John, the
beloved disciple, faithful to his
Saviour, finished up a brilliant ca-
reer of devotion and service to
his wonderful Lord by closing the
canon of Holy Scriptures with
the glorious Book of Revelation.
John knew beyond doubt that
Jesus was God.
And when I saw him, I fell at his
feet as dead. And he laid his right
hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear
not; I am the first and the last.
1:17.
Isaiah 44:6 expresses the same
truth about the deity of Christ.
Thus saith the LORD the King of
Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of
hosts; I am the first, and I am the
last; and beside me there is no God.
These terms first and last
are an attestation of Christs deity,
because such designations belong
only to God.
Alpha and Omega
The first and last letters of the
Greek alphabet are alpha and
omega respectively. John em-
ploys these letters to teach that
Jesus is the eternal One, the be-
ginning and the end of all things,
without beginning or end.
Because Jesus is Alpha and
Omega, He is eternal, before and
after all things. Because He is eter-
nal, He is necessarily God; and
because He is God, He possesses
deity.
Therefore, we ought to trust Him,
serve Him, seek to please Him
day by day in all that we doour
Saviour is most worthy of all our
best. Is it not wonderful to have a
Saviour who can authoritatively
assert, I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end, the
first and the last (Rev. 22:13)?
The Lord of Glory
Which none of the princes of this
world knew: for had they known it,
they would not have crucified the
Lord of glory.I Cor. 2:8.
Because Jesus is the Lord of
Glory, we can have the glory of
the Lord in our souls by taking
Christ as our personal Saviour.
The Everlasting Father
his name shall be calledThe
everlasting Father.Isa. 9:6.
Such a lofty title could not apply
to one less than God.
DIVINE WORKS
Another source of proof for the
deity of Christ is that He per-
formed divine works.
He Created All Things
All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made
that was made.John 1:3.
For by him were all things creat-
ed, that are in heaven, and that are
in earth, visible and invisible, whether
they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things
were created by him, and for him.
Col. 1:16.
The Hebrew and Greek words
for to create mean to cause to
exist, to originate, to bring into
being. Since only God can cre-
ate, Jesus is therefore God.
He Preserves All Things
The Lord Jesus upholds the uni-
verse by His matchless power.
And he is before all things, and by
him all things consist.Vs. 17.
The words he is emphasize
Christs personality and preexis-
tence. The word consist means
to cohere, to hold together.
This means that Christ causes all
things to hold together in all of
the universe. From the tiny blade
of grass to the giant forest trees,
from rocks to mountains, from
one-celled beings to elephants,
the Lord Jesus holds all things to-
gether.
Because all things cohere in
Christ, He keeps the world an or-
derly cosmos. Were it not for the
preserving power of the Lord
Jesus, the world in a moment
would become a disorderly chaos.
Were it not for Christs preserv-
ing might, the moon might turn
into fishing worms, and the sun
into lightning bugs.
The Lord Jesus preserves all
things. He is in Creation, but dis-
tinct from the world. Because
Christ preserves all things, He is
indeed God.
He Redeems
In whom we have redemption
through his blood, even the forgive-
ness of sins.Vs. 14.
No one but God can redeem.
In view of the fact that Christ re-
deems, He must possess deity.
He Forgives
Jesus proves His deity by for-
giving sins.
And, behold, men brought in a bed
a man which was taken with a palsy:
and they sought means to bring him
in, and to lay him before him.
And when they could not find by
what way they might bring him in
because of the multitude, they went
upon the housetop, and let him
down through the tiling with his
couch into the midst before Jesus.
And when he saw their faith, he
said unto him, Man, thy sins are for-
given thee.
And the scribes and the Phar-
isees began to reason, saying, Who is
this which speaketh blasphemies?
Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
But when Jesus perceived their
thoughts, he answering said unto
them, What reason ye in your hearts?
Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins
be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up
and walk?
But that ye may know that the
Son of man hath power upon earth
to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick
of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise,
and take up thy couch, and go into
thine house.
And immediately he rose up be-
fore them, and took up that whereon
he lay, and departed to his own house,
glorifying God.Luke 5:1825.
The Pharisees did not realize
that they were asserting Christs
deity when they remarked, Who
can forgive sins, but God? The
Lord Jesus demonstrated openly
not only that He could heal the
sick, but also that He could for-
give sins as well. Since only God
can forgive sins, Christ is God.
He Cast Out Demons
There was in their synagogue a
man with an unclean spirit; and he
cried out,
Saying, Let us alone; what have we
to do with thee, thou Jesus of Naza -
reth? art thou come to destroy us? I
know thee who thou art, the Holy
One of God.
And Jesus rebuked him, saying,
Hold thy peace, and come out of
him.
And when the unclean spirit had
torn him, and cried with a loud voice,
he came out of him.
And they were all amazed, inso-
much that they questioned among
themselves, saying, What thing is this?
what new doctrine is this? for with
authority commandeth he even the
unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
And immediately his fame spread
abroad throughout all the region
round about Galilee.Mark
1:2328.
These verses are a demonstra-
tion of the omnipotence of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible teach-
es that the strongest men or the
mightiest angels do not match
the Devils power (Acts 19:1317;
Jude 9). But the Lord Jesus rebuked
the unclean demon and caused
him to come out of the man.
By so authoritatively ordering
the unclean spirit, Jesus manifest-
ed His power and deity.
He Quieted a Storm
And there arose a great storm of
wind, and the waves beat into the
ship, so that it was now full.
And he was in the hinder part of
the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they
awake him, and say unto him, Mas-
ter, carest thou not that we perish?
And he arose, and rebuked the
wind, and said unto the sea, Peace,
be still. And the wind ceased, and
there was a great calm.
And he said unto them, Why are
ye so fearful? how is it that ye have
no faith?
And they feared exceedingly, and
said one to another, What manner of
man is this, that even the wind and
the sea obey him?Mark 4:3741.
Notice the contrast. There was
a great storm, and there was a
great calm. The difference between
a great storm and a great calm is
the authoritative voice of the Lord
Jesus who spoke peace.
Jesus spoke to the raging sea,
and it stopped its roaring, obey-
ing the Masters command. The
wind ceased to churn the sea at
the Masters command. Because
the elements were subject to Jesus
command, His deity is manifested.
As our Lord spoke long ages past
to the boisterous sea and there
was a great calm, so He speaks to
our hearts, and we have peace in
our souls.
What Jesus does tells us who
He isHe is God! S
SWORD OF THE LORD 10 March 15, 2013
(Please turn to p 15)
Noteworthy News Notes
(Continued from p 8)
T!e S,"+ab$e Sa-"',)
Pa)+ II
by Kenneth Wuest
Five Minutes
After...
It may be in a moment, or
after many years of waiting,
but soon I shall stand before
the Lordperhaps even be-
fore 2013 is over. Then in an
instant all things will appear
in a new perspective.
The things I thought impor-
tanttomorrows task, my
success or failure as viewed by
otherswill matter not at all.
And the things to which I
gave so little thoughta Chris-
tiantestimony to my neighbor
or postman or paperboy or the
nurses who attend me at the
hospital, or earnest prayer for
the Lords work at home and
abroad, or the confessing and
forsaking of my sinsall will
stand then as real and endur-
ing.
Five minutes after Im in
Heaven, Ill be overwhelmed
by the truth Ive known but
somehow never grasped. Ill
realize then that its what I
did for Christ that will count.
Ill sense that it was not just
how much I gave that mat-
tered, but how I gave and how
much I withheld.
In Heaven Ill wish with all
my heart that I could reclaim
a thousandth part of the time
that Ive let slip through my
fingers, that I could call back
those countless conversations
which could have glorified my
Lord but didnt.
Five minutes after Im in
Heaven, I believe Ill wish with
all my heart that I had read
the Word of God more faith-
fully and waited on Him in
prayerthat I might have
known Him here on earth as
He wanted me to know Him.
A thousand thoughts will
press upon me; and though
overwhelmed by the grace
which admits me to my heav-
enly home, Ill wonder at my
aimless earthly life and wish
if one may wish in Heaven
that I had served Him, oh, so
much better.
Eternity is but a breath
away. Soon we shall be in the
presence of the Lord we served
so poorly here.
There may yet be a little
time. God help us to live now
in the light of that real tomor-
row.
Released From Promise?
A man knelt with his pastor and com-
mitted himself to God to give a certain
percent of his income as long as he lived.
From his first weeks pay he gave $1 to
the Lord. Soon his weekly offering had
increased to $10. As time went on, he
continued to prosper. Before long he was
giving $100 a week, then $200 and, in
time, $500 a week.
Finally he called the pastor. Please
come and see me, he said. Its urgent!
When the minister arrived, the host
said, You remember that promise I made
to God years ago? How can I get released?
When I made the promise, all I had to
give was a dollar, but now its $500. I cant
afford to give away money like that!
The wise old pastor looked at his friend
and said, Im afraid you cannot get a re-
lease from the promise, but there is some-
thing we can do. We can kneel down and
ask God to shrink your income so that
you can afford to give a dollar again.
The Lord Sent It!
Years ago an elderly lady had no money
to buy food. She prayed, Dear Lord, please
send me a side of bacon and a sack of corn-
meal. Over and over again she prayed the
same prayer aloud.
One of the towns unscrupulous citizens
decided to play a trick on her. He dropped
a side of bacon and a sack of cornmeal
down her chimney. It landed in front of her
as she knelt in prayer.
Jumping to her feet, she exclaimed, O
Lord! You have answered my prayer! Then
she went all over town telling everyone the
good news.
This was too much for the scoun drel
who dropped the food down her chimney.
He ridiculed her publicly and told her that
God did not answer her prayer; he did.
The woman replied, Well, the Devil may
have brought it, but it was the Lord who
sent it!
God answers prayers in many ways.
The Paper Pulpit
SWORD OF THE LORD 11 March 15, 2013
Update on Obamacare Chaos
If the bills 2,700 pages were too much for Congress to
read, whos going to bother wading through the 13,000
pages of regulations from last December alone? Accord-
ing to most experts, those 26 reams of rules dont even
touch on the nuts and bolts of a system that Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius wants up and running by next year.
All of the regulations that President Obama had bottled
up before the election are now gushing from Health and
Human Services faster than the states, businesses and
healthcare industry can process them. For now, its all a
chaotic maze of bureaucracy and secrecy that has people
questioning the systems chance of success. No one
knows where the current magical mystery tour is head-
ed, the Wall Street Journal warns, especially not HHS.
The healthcare community is desperately trying to get
answers from HHSto no avail. There is an urgent need
for more regulatory clarity, pleaded Dan Durham of Amer-
icas Health Insurance Plans at a special House hearing.
Of course, its no wonder everyone is confused. One
simple ruledefining a full-time employeetook HHS
18 pages to explain. Multiply that by 13,000 sheets of reg-
ulations (and climbing), and its absolute bedlam.
Tony Perkins, Family Research Council
Answers to Puzzle
C A B A A A B E L A A K I
A D A M A C U R E S A I D
S A K E A C R E E P A C O
T R E A S O N A S I C K L
A A A S O R T A A D U E A
A S O U N D A A H E R D M
S T I R S A S W A R E A O
T A L E A S E A L S A B U
A T E A D I E S T A B E S
R E D O U N D A A F A R E
A A A W E N A A S O R E A
A S E N S E S A T R E A D
W A V E A T H R E E A V I
S S
L E
A T
Y A
A A
E N
N E
D S
E T
D A
A A
E R
L E
O M E R A H O U R S A E A
T E N S A A T E N T A A L
S E
E D
SWORD OF THE LORD 12 March 15, 2013
Te Abundant Single Life
Joanna Jackson
Reg. $12.95 Sale $9.71
159 pgs / Paperback / PB8237
Te abundant life is readily available for every saved individ-
ual, not just those who are married. Jesus promised in John
10:10, I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly. Even though we recognize
that God works for our good and that He makes no mis-
takes, many times Christian singles are made to feel that they
are mistakes. Tis idea couldnt be farther from the truth. If
you are a single woman looking for worth and purpose in a
couples world, this book will help you discover both without
compromising biblical convictions. If you are married, this
book will give you a new understanding of what being single
is like. If you are a leader in any ministry, it will help you
care biblically for those who may struggle with being single.
Te Blessings of Obedience
Andrew Murray
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112 pgs / Paperback / WH8842
We live in a society that is constantly battling the system,
fghting for what we want. Were primarily concerned with
how the rules inconvenience us, and were looking to see
what we can get away with. Obedience is much more than
following rules; its a state of the heart. By missing this truth,
we miss the power of complete obedience. Discover how
obedience to Gods plan will put you in the center of His will.
Do You Mind If
Your Kids Dont?
Bill Rice III
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205 pgs / Paperback / BR0008
In Do You Mind If Your Kids Dont? Evangelist Bill
Rice III encourages every parent to believe Gods
promises and to live by them. Parents can still rear
godly, obedient children when they decide to follow
Gods way. Tis book gives helpful, straightforward
teaching on everyday issues that parents face within
the home. It will challenge your thinking and give you
the tools you need to train your children.
Te Dog Who Ate
the Watermelon
Bob Byers
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106 pgs / Paperback / PB8183
A delightful book of childrens stories with biblical
applications, this book is a perfect companion for a
young family wishing to start the healthy habit of
family devotions. Te Dog Who Ate the Watermelon is
a compilation of tales that will capture childrens at-
tention and bring biblical truths down to a level they
can comprehend!
Te Face of Jesus
Oliver B. Greene
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147 pgs / Hardback / GH0015
Troughout Scripture, those whove seen Jesus are
rarely the same! When we see Christ for who He truly
is, we will be altered! Its time, Christian, to turn your
eyes upon Jesus! From the halls of the past comes the
echoing cry of Oliver B. Greene to look to Christ with
a centered focus weve never had before! Open your
eyes to our beautiful Saviour with these convicting
sermons.











Great Preaching on the
Second Coming
Compiled by Curtis Hutson
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244 pgs / Hardback / CB8331
Te alert Christian today wants to know just how the
prophecies set forth in the Bible relate to him and re-
cent developments throughout the world. Tis volume
clears up the confused teaching about the second com-
ing of Christ. We know what God has planned and
what He has promised about Christs coming again and
His reign over the whole earth. Tis is powerful
preaching! It will convict the unsaved and will cer-
tainly stir the hearts of slothful Christians to get busy
in the Masters vineyard, for we know not the day nor
the hour when our Lord will return.
Guided by Grace
Paul Chappell
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212 pgs / Hardback / CB8343
Leadership failureswithin and without the church
have hurt the credibility of leaders everywhere. In ad-
dition to this, our leaders philosophies are many times
skewed and unbiblical, and some leaders have abused
their positions. Tis has cast a harmful shadow over
the responsibilities of true servant leadership in the
local church. Tis book is a rallying call for our spiri-
tual leaders to serve Gods people afer a grace-flled
leadership model. Tese Bible-based truths will change
the way you think, the way you infuence others, and
the way people respond to your leadership.
How Do I Get Tese
Kids to Listen?
Ed Dunlop
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215 pgs / Paperback / PB8392
Tese kids are impossible! If you have ever felt this
way afer working in your childrens or youth ministry,
How Do I Get Tese Kids to Listen? is for you! You will
learn how to gain and hold the attention of todays
children, how to develop caring relationships with
your students, and how to eliminate most of the disci-
pline problems before they can start. You are going to
fnd out for yourself that teaching can be a joyous, re-
warding experience.

























































Morning & Evening
C. H. Spurgeon
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751 pgs / Paperback / WH8749
Charles Spurgeons uplifing messages for each day of
the year will comfort and refresh you in your walk
with God. Spending time with God at the start and
the close of each day will bring a new joy in your life.
Supplemented by key verses of Scripture, these devo-
tional passages will help you experience Gods free
favor, obtain victory through Christ, and receive help
through every trial.


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Te Pulling Down of
Strongholds
Dr. R. B. Ouellette
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158 pgs / Hardback / CB8677
In warfare, when your enemy has established a stronghold,
your chances for success are greatly diminished. Forces
must be concentrated to remove the stronghold before sig-
nifcant advancement can be expected. So it is in the Chris-
tian life. To the extent that the Devil has succeeded in
setting up strongholds in your mind, you will fall short of
accomplishing all that God wants you to do. Strongholds
identifed are Being Unteachable, Being Unforgiving, Being
Unhappy, Being Unbelieving, and Being Unclean. Tese
detailed studies will enable you to determine whether or
not such satanic strongholds exist in you and will give you
guidance on how to destroy them so that you may bear
much fruit in your Christian life.



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Sword Lapel Pin
PR1004
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Show your support for the Sword of the Lord with this
gold, clutch-back lapel pin which has been our most ofen
requested lapel pin for years and years. Pin measures 1
x .


Blue Flexsof
H Pink Flexsof
M






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A Cup of New Wine
Dr. Raymond Barber
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116 pgs / Hardback / CB8149
An alabaster box, thirty pieces of silver, a lonely mid-
night garden, a wooden crosspiece in stark isolation
against a dark sky, and an empty tombstriking im-
ages from the last week of Jesus life on earth. Dr. Bar-
ber presents a series of sermons for Easter identifying
challenging truths from simple articles in the story of
Jesus fnal days. Youll be taken on a vivid journey
from Bethany to Jerusalem, pausing to examine the de-
tails on this trail of sorrow. View afresh and anew the
tender portraits of Gethsemane, Calvary and the gar-
den tomb. Tis will be a magnifcent resource for your
own family devotions, Sunday school lessons or pulpit
preaching.



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Presentation page for
p
24 full-color illustrations
Big, easy to read
1
Words of Christ in red
Harmony of the Gospels
Miracles of the Old and
N
Parables of the Old and
N
Old Testament Prophe
c


SWORD OF THE LORD 13 March 15, 2013
































































Gods Perfect Book
David Sorenson
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232 pgs / Paperback / NS3844
Gods Perfect Book presents a biblical development of the
doctrines of inspiration and preservation. Te fnal section
of the book presents the unmistakable pattern of Gnostic
alterations of the modern Critical Text on which virtually
all modern Bible versions are based. Tis book gives a pow-
erful defense of the King James Version and how it is the in-
errant, infallible Word of God in the English language.













































How to Get
Tings From God
Dr. John R. Rice
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54 pgs / Paperback / PB8366
Tis is a primer on prayer. It is intended to teach
Christians how to pray, what to pray for, and why they
should expect answers to their prayers. Here are four
chapters taken from Dr. Rices larger book, Prayer
Asking and Receiving, which is a bestseller on the sub-
ject of prayer.
Ira Sankey: Singing
the Gospel
Kelley Deegan Bruss
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149 pgs / Paperback / BJ2107
Christian biographies preserve the legacy of departed
saints for the readers of today, and this biography of
Ira Sankey is a great example of that. Written for
young people, this book will introduce them to this
outstanding Christian. As part of D. L. Moodys min-
istry team, Ira Sankey sang the Gospel to thousands of
men and women. Te books charming illustrations
and clear, large print make it an excellent gif.
Man and His
Relationship to God
Oliver B. Greene
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204 pgs / Hardback / GH0008
One sinful habit nearly as old as the human race itself
is worry. You know you shouldnt do itit steals your
joy, overshadows your spirit, and can physically afect
you! Yet time and time again you return to the same
rut in your thinking and fall back once more into
mental bondage! In this collection of sermons,
Oliver B. Greene shows us how worry is the antithesis
of faith and how we can face the world without fear,
totally confdent of our position with the Creator,
Author and Controller of the universe!
Matthew Henrys
Concise Commentary
on the Bible
Matthew Henry
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1,331 pgs / Hardback / TN1247
Sharp points, profound analogies, pastoral commen-
tary, and keen interpretation of the Scripture ofer a
wealth of incomparable biblical exposition. Tis com-
mentarya wellspring of biblical knowledge, charac-
ter study, historical record, and textual accuracyis
fed by Henrys combination of rare devotional
thought and inspiring practical application. Tis re-
designed, one-volume edition ofers an exclusive fea-
ture: Matthew Henrys own study outlines in todays
language, perfect for developing lessons and sermons
and for highlighting the organization of each book
and chapter.












Te Power of Pentecost
Dr. John R. Rice
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396 pgs / Paperback / PB8653
Tis may be the most exhaustive and complete Bible study
on the question of the fullness of the Spirit written in mod-
ern times. It is a vigorous scriptural analysis of the meaning
of Pentecost. Basing every conclusion on the Scriptures and
harmonizing perfectly all of the verses that bear on this mat-
ter, this is a thoroughly satisfying analysis of the tongues
matter as well. Topics include Te Lost Secret of God's
Power, Misunderstood Pentecost, Spirit- Filling Empowers
Witnessing, Speaking With Tongues, How to Be Filled With
the Spirit, Te Biblical Dynamics of a New Testament
Church, and Te Keys to Successful Ministry.

















Sermons on Women
of the Bible
Charles H. Spurgeon
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374 pgs / Hardback / HP6284
Tis volume features sermons on more than twenty women
of the Old and New Testamentsthe pious, the faithful, the
notorious, the broken. Here you will discover that women
such as Esther, Sarah, Rahab, Hannah, Mary, and the
Samaritan woman are much like you in their desire for
faith, their relationship struggles, their daily pressures and
doubts, and their growing trust in a loving God. Gently up-
dated for the modern reader, Spurgeons words are as pow-
erful today as they were more than a century ago.
Sharing Christ
With Children!
Abb Tomas
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239 pgs / Paperback / AT3990
Te purpose of this book is to stir your heart toward giving children
the option of hearing and believing the Holy Scriptures. We must be
both aggressive and careful. Not every child has to be saved in fve
minutes or less. This in-depth study covers everything from
the challenge of getting children under the sound of the
Gospel to the techniques of clear presentation. It includes
word studies of great salvation verses, invitation ideas for
large and small groups, principles of counseling, and ways
to avoid confusing children.
Singing in Signs: Hymns &
Choruses for the Deaf
Cathy Rice
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161 pgs / Paperback / BR9066
Deaf people have a thought pattern of their own, and a
good interpreter is one who is continually learning to
think deaf. When interpreting hymns and choruses, the
interpreter must rapidly think of how to change certain
words so the deaf audience will understand and, at the
same time, maintain a musical rhythm. Tis book will en-
able the interpreter to learn the sign language version of
familiar hymns and choruses. To learn their favorite
hymns or choruses, the deaf can use this book at home. If
you are deaf, we hope this hymnbook will help you as you
make melody in your heart to the Lord.






KJB Kids Bible
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HP6382 Blue Flexsof
HP6383 Pink Flexsof
Measures 5 x 8 x 1
Tis special-edition Bible will equip readers aged 812 to
start digging into the Scriptures. It contains the complete
Old and New Testaments, plus a long list of extras that
will deepen your understanding of the Word of God.
Books of the
Bible Bookmark
CT0264
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Tis bookmark is a fun way to be reminded of the books
of the Bible. Each book is in its own separate color block
making it easy to read. It is an excellent item for the youth
as they are learning the books of the Bible and is also
wonderful for the adults as a refresher. Te back of the
bookmark contains Scripture references on the topics of
Gods love, sin and eternity. Featured Scripture is taken
from II Timothy 3:16 (KJB). Bookmark is laminated front
and back on 14-pt. cardstock paper and measures 3 x 7.
















Large Print Tinline
Reference Bible
HP6463 (Black Genuine Leather Only)
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Measures 6 x 9 x 1
Heres the perfect Bible for those who want a feature-
packed edition that wont break the budget. It fts comfort-
ably in the hand with a one-inch-wide spine and has clear,
large type. Features include presentation page, 10-point
type, cross-references, concordance, Harmony of the
Gospels, Miracles of the Old and New Testaments, Parables
of the Old and New Testaments, Old Testament prophecies
of the Passion, full-color maps, and words of Christ in red.
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Te Sword of the Lord obtained a small collection of
framed antique Bible pages from the early 17th century.
Tese pages are all originalnot reproductions! (Circa
1620)
Beautifully matted, framed and ready to hang, this breath-
taking piece of Bible history makes an exquisite addition to
your church foyer or can be treasured by future generations
when displayed in your home.
Each framed page comes with its own certifcate of authen-
ticity mounted on the back.
Demonology
Dr. Curtis Hutson
11 Audio CDs / AD00417CD
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cerning our enemy, concluding with his encouraging
sermon Resisting the Devil. Other sermons in this
album include Te Study of Satan, Demons Are for
Real, Te Origin and Character of Demons, Demon
Possession and Expulsion of Demons From the
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Presentation page for
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24 full-color illustrations
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Wolves at
Israels Door
by Ed Vitagliano
In modern times, the nation of
Israel has never existed far from
conflict. Since being founded as a
nation in 1948, Israel has survived
a handful of wars and uprisings
as well as numerous terrorist at-
tacks.
Those may pale in comparison
to what the nation faces in the
months to come, however. Loom-
ing ahead is the deadliest men-
ace Israel has ever faceda viru-
lently anti-Israeli regime in Iran
that is also on the verge of be-
coming a nuclear-armed one.
The hatred for Israel on the part
of Iranian leaders runs deep. In
2005, Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad infamously said Is-
rael must be wiped off the map.
This past February, the supreme
leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei,
called the nation of Israel a can-
cerous tumor that should be cut
and will be cut, promising that
the nation of Iran will endorse
andhelp any nation that fights
against Israel.
And in May, Major General
Hassan Firouzabadi of Iran, chief
of staff of the armed forces,
promised that Iran will remain
motivated by this desirethe
full annihilation of Israel.
With Irans development of a
nuclear weapon imminent, of
course, that goal suddenly be-
comes achievable. Even though
military experts believe that Israel
has a sizeable nuclear arsenal of
its own, some Iranian leaders are
willing to trade nuclear blows
with their enemy, since Israel as a
state occupies such a small parcel
of real estateoften character-
ized as being no bigger than New
Jersey.
In 2001, Akbar Rafsanjani, the
former president of Iran, argued
that if an Islamic nation ever de-
veloped a nuclear weapon, it
this topic from a purely scientific
standpoint.
However, I recently ran across
a scientific study that demon-
strated that the health benefit
found in red wine is not from the
alcohol or any of its parts but from
a component of the grape. The
following is a summary of that
study.
Red wine has been associat-
ed with heart-health benefits.
But what if you dont drink al-
cohol? Researchers have dis-
covered that the benefits they
thought were only in red wine
containing alcohol are found
also in nonalcoholic grape juice.
A new study suggests that an-
tioxidants, called polyphenols,
in red wine may help lower
blood pressure in men with high
cardiovascular riskbut only
when they are consumed in
nonalcoholic grape juice.
In the study, 67 men, ages 55
to 75, drank about nine ounces
of nonalcoholic grape juice
every day for four weeks, re-
sulting in a drop in their systolic
blood pressure (the top num-
ber) by about six mm Hg and
their diastolic pressure by two
mm Hgwhich translates to a
14 to 20 percent lower risk of
heart disease and stroke.
When they drank red wine
with alcohol, however, they saw
no significant drop in blood
pressure. The researchers think
the alcohol in red wine actual-
ly counteracts the polyphenols
benefits. There are no medical
benefits associated with alcohol
consumption that cannot be
obtained through simply drink-
ing grape juice.
This study demonstrated to me
that the health benefit can be en-
joyed by all, by drinking grape
juice, without the danger of alco-
hol. It is the polyphenols antiox-
idant qualities that generate the
health benefit, and these are
available in nonalcoholic grape
juice.
Once again I can instruct my
patients that according to the
Scriptures and science, we should
abstain from alcohol as a bever-
age; and in so doing we are not
jeopardizing our physical health:
we are actually enhancing it! S
(Dr. George Crabb is a practicing
physician who serves as an advisor
to Reformers Unanimous Interna-
tional, Rockford, Illinois.)
should be used against Israel. The
use of even one nuclear bomb in-
side Israel will destroy everything,
he said. However, it will only harm
the Islamic world. It is not irra-
tional to contemplate such an
eventuality.
Why this malicious hatred of
Israel? The explanation is fairly
simple. Islamic doctrine teaches
that once a land has become a
part of dar al-Islamthe house
of Islamit may never leave.
In the seventh century, Muslim
forces took the land of the Jews
by war; they lost it during the
Crusades, then reconquered it in
the twelfth century.
Western powers didnt control
the Holy Land again for another
eight centuries. And following the
horrors of the Holocaust during
World War II, the Jews were grant-
ed their ancestral land once more,
and the nation of Israel was es-
tablished by the United Nations.
This became a scandal to Mus-
lims. How could they allow the
existence of Israel as a sovereign,
non-Islamic state on land once a
part of dar al-Islam?
This scandal of Israels existence
explainsin part, at leastwhy
many Muslims hate the nations of
the West. Those nations are re-
sponsible for the creation of the
Jewish state.
Ahmadinejad has referred to
Israelis as the usurper Zionists
who have been occupying those
territories for the last sixty to sev-
enty years, with the support and
force of the Westerners.
He said he looks forward to the
day when there will be no trace
of the Americans and Zionists in
the land that he claims belongs
to Palestinian Muslims.
Israel is certainly taking such
SWORD OF THE LORD 14 March 15, 2013
Good News for Us
(Continued from p 1)
April 2527
National Sword Ladies Jubilee
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
July 2226
National Sword Conference
Walkertown, North Carolina
October 1719
East Coast Sword Ladies Jubilee
Hagerstown, Maryland
Cant Miss Events for 2013
statements to heart, but what
about the West?
A Wall Street Journal editorial
in September warned, The trag-
ic lesson of history is that some-
times barbarians mean what they
say. Sometimes regimes do want to
eliminate entire nations or races,
and they will do so if they have
the means and opportunity and
face a timorous or disbelieving
world.
Used with permission. American
Family Association Journal
Oh that my words were now
written!That they were graven
with an iron pen and lead in the
rock for ever! For I know that my
redeemer liveth, and that he
shall stand at the latter day
upon the earth.
Job 19:2325
Attorney Karam Gabriel said anti-Christian hostilitiesare getting
worse as the two boys are to be tried in a court in Beni Suefthe
same city where a mother and her seven children were convicted
[recently] for reconverting to Christianityfor showing contempt to
Islamic religions and insulting the Quran.
The accusation against Nabil Naji Rizq and Mina Atallahwho
were 10 and 9 years old respectively at the time of their arrest in late
September, of insulting the Quran made headlines throughout the
country after a man saw them playing in rubbish that he claimed in-
cluded pages from the Quran. Accusing them of tearing pages of
Islams holy bookhe filed a report that led to the arrest of the two
children.
ChristianPost.com
Canadas Abortion Record After
Twenty-five Years!
For 25 years, the abortion debate has been couched in the lan-
guage of womens rightsignoring the tragic reality that over 2.2 mil-
lion unborn children have been aborted in Canada since the 1988
Morgentaler decision, [LifeCanada] says.
LifeNews.com
Networks Censor Word Life From
March for Life Coverage
Thinking of learning a new language? Try Englishbroadcast media
style. Specifically, try abortion-reporting speaka tongue as notable
for the words it doesnt use as those it does.
In the past 10 years, 91 percent of ABC, NBC and CBS anchor re-
ports on the March for Life and Roe v. Wade failed to mention the
word life.
In 22 reports, life was used just twice.
The other 20 reports employed a variety of alternate descriptions
for the March for Life and pro-life activists. The March and counter-
demonstrations were rallies sponsored by both opponents and sup-
porters of Roe v. Wade, according to NBCs Brian Williams.The
marchers were opponentsand anti-abortion activistsrather
than pro-lifers or pro-life marchers, as they self-describe.
A recent interview by NBCs Andrea Mitchell illustrated the life
language prejudice pervading broadcast media. When Republican
strategist Juleanna Glover identified herself as deeply pro-life in an
interview, Mitchell interrupted, Well, what I would call anti-abor-
tion, and added, to use the term that I think is more value neutral.
And the bias is institutionalized. Journalists should Use anti-abor-
tion instead of pro-life and abortion rights instead of pro-abortion or
pro-choice, according to the Associated Press Stylebooks 44th edition.
Katie Yoder for LifeNews.com
IRS Spokesman to Georgia Churches: Beware
of Tax Scam Artists This Season
Citing a troubling history of tax scam artists preying on the trust of
particularly black community churches in the southeastern United
States, an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) official is urging pastors and
their congregations to maintain a vigilant watch for these scam artists
during tax season.
In a recent release from Mark Green, IRS media relations officer
for Georgia, he noted that fliers and advertisements for free money
from the IRS, suggesting that taxpayers can file with little or no doc-
umentation, have been appearing in community churches around
the country.
Promoters are targeting church congregations, exploiting their
good intentions and credibility. These schemes also often spread by
word of mouth among unsuspecting and well-intentioned people
telling their friends and relatives, noted Green in a statement.
He explained that the scammers tend to target the pastors of these
community churches first to get them interested, and once they have
their confidence, they would have access and the trust of the congre-
gants.
Just last December, an alleged scammer tried baiting a small
church inGeorgia with promises of free stimulus money. Had it
not been for the pastors suspicion, in this case, sensitive data be-
longing to several hundred people would have been seriously com-
promised.
According to Annette Bankstonthe forms they were provided
asked for sensitive information such as telephone, drivers license
and social security numbers. They even requested checking account
information. She noted that although she is a naturally suspicious in-
dividual, the presentation of the claim was so compelling she ignored
that instinct.
In her excitement about the prospect of free stimulus money, she
decided to introduce the idea to her pastor.
On hearing about the deal, her pastorchose to call the IRS just to
confirm it was true.
Leonardo Blair for ChristianPost.com
Catholic and Protestant Churches Sign
Baptism Agreement
Leaders representing the Roman Catholic Church and some Amer-
ican Protestant denominations have signed an agreement in Texas to
recognize each others baptisms.
After about six years of dialogue, the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, the Reformed Church in America, Presbyterian
passion on the part of Christians
who are just three generations
from Jesus Himself. The church
had lost its fervor, its passion and
its stand. It was nothing like the
first generation of Christians who
had served Christ to their death
and had actually turned the
world up side down with the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Toward the close of the first
century, there were already three
major heresies that had made
their way into the church.
There was a denial of the deity
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There were those that denied
the humanity of Christ, saying that
He was just a phantom, a ghost, a
spirit, or a movement.
There was a third heresy that
thought that Jesus was just a man
who did great things because He
was visited of God, but then God
had left Him and gone back to
Heaven, leaving Jesus just a com-
mon man.
John knew better than this be-
cause he had been with Jesus. He
had heard Him preach and teach;
he had seen Him heal and feed
the multitudes.
There is no doubt that John
was close by when Jesus went to
the well in Samaria where He was
tired and thirsty, and he saw the
humanity of Jesus. Then Jesus told
a woman, a complete stranger,
about her guilty past, thus reveal-
ing His supernatural insight and
showing that He was not just a
man but God in the flesh. John
witnessed the deity of the Lord
Jesus.
Mark 4 records the story of
Jesus being in Simons boat. John
saw His humanity when He was
weary and tired and He lay down
to rest. Then when the wind began
to blow and the waves began to
rise and fear filled their hearts,
they woke Jesus; and he arose,
and rebuked the wind, and said
unto the sea, Peace, be still. And
the wind ceased, and there was a
great calm (vs. 39)thus reveal-
ing that He was not just a man.
He was God in the flesh.
Jesus had come to Bethany and
was told that Lazarus had died.
Jesus stood at the tomb and said,
Lazarus, come forth (John 11:43).
John didnt just hear about it; he
saw it with his own eyes.
John was stirred when this
third generation said that Jesus
was just a man or that He was
just a ghost. John had seen the
power of God in Jesus. In Jesus
John saw God in the flesh.
John had lived through a very
turbulent century politically as far
as Rome was concerned. Of the
twelve Caesars, only two had died
natural deaths. Nero had launched
the Roman Empire with the three-
hundred-year persecution of the
church.
As time went along, the perse-
cution of the church and Chris-
tians was just awful. They werent
writing hate-crime bills. They were
putting Christians to death sim-
ply for preaching that Jesus died,
was buried and rose again the
third day, and for telling people
that if they would place their faith
and trust in Him, they could have
eternal life. They died a martyrs
death for preaching that message.
John lived through the begin-
ning of this persecution, and he
saw the church flourish in spite
of the persecution because it was
fueled by the power of the Holy
Spirit and it was led and built by
men who were willing to die for
the cause of Christ.
John watched the second gen-
eration come along and lose
some of their zeal and passion.
Then the third generation slipped
further into the coldness and dead-
ness of a backslidden condition.
Can you see John, now an old
man, as he speaks to his children?
I write unto you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven you
for his names sake.
I write unto you, fathers, because
ye have known him that is from the
beginning. I write unto you, young
men, because ye have overcome the
wicked one. I write unto you, little
children, because ye have known the
Father.
I have written unto you, fathers,
because ye have known him that is
from the beginning. I have written
unto you, young men, because ye are
strong, and the word of God abideth
in you, and ye have overcome the
wicked one.I John 2:1214.
Listen to the aged man as he
writes to the younger generation.
Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. If any
man love the world, the love of the
Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the
lust of the flesh, and the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life, is not of
the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and
the lust thereof: but he that doeth the
will of God abideth for ever.Vss.
1517.
Progression Produces
Digression From
the Truth
The world looks at this succes-
sion of generations as a progres-
sive movement, but I dont see
anything progressing. Obviously,
a digression is found in this sec-
ond and third generation of
Christians.
The first generation is motivated
by conviction. They have grasped
the truths that have not only saved
them but have literally changed
fell back in amazement when
they saw the angels and heard
the message: He is not here: for
he is risen, as he said.
We could picture them run-
ning quickly to tell the disciples.
Mary, weeping, rejoiced to be-
lieve the angels message. Some-
where there among the flowers,
Jesus had appeared to Mary
Magdalene also; and she had
fallen at the feet of her risen
Saviour. Then later to this tomb
Peter and John had come run-
ning and discovered for them-
selves that Jesus was alive!
As we left the garden each
year, our hearts were filled with
joynot just because we had
seen the place where Jesus lay,
but because we had the living
presence of Jesus in our hearts
every day!
Christ the Lord is risn today,
Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say:
Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high,
Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavns, and earth reply:
Alleluia!
Charles Wesley
the mountain Joseph had had a
new tomb hewn for himself and
his family. We could picture the
devoted women who loved Jesus
standing nearby, weeping as they
saw Jesus placed in the tomb
and the huge stone rolled over
the entrance. By nightfall a group
of soldiers stood on guard with
spears gleaming in the moon-
light, sent there by request of
the Jewish leaders.
As we looked into the empty
tomb from a small enclosure out-
side, we found great joy in pic-
turing what happened on that
exciting Sundaythe first Easter.
As the first light began to ap-
pear in the East, suddenly a
tremor shook the earth, and an-
gelic beings appeared and rolled
back the stone. The soldiers fell
to the ground as if dead; and
from that tomb stepped Jesus,
leaving the graveclothes behind
as a symbol of His victory over
death!
No wonder the women couldnt
believe their eyes as they puz-
zled over the empty tomb, then
Memories of the
Garden Tomb
by Dr. Viola Walden
Of our various experiences on
our many Holy Land trips, one
of the sweetest of all was the
Garden Tomb.
Ornate churches filled with
statues, candles and robed priests
have been built over many bibli-
cal places important to Chris-
tians; and in that atmosphere it
was hard to feel that we were
walking in the steps of Jesus. But
in the quietness of the Garden
Tomb we found it easy to pic-
ture the scenes of Jesus death,
burial and resurrection.
The garden itself is now sur-
rounded by a high wall. From
one section we could look up at
the rugged hill with various caves
on the face of it, believed by
many to be Calvary, the place of
a skull.
As the shadows began to
lengthen, in our imagination we
saw the outlines of three cross-
es. It was about that time of day
when the friends of Jesus
Joseph of Arimathea and Nico -
demusforgot their cowardice
and boldly asked Pilate for the
body of the Saviour. Tenderly
they drew the spikes from His
hands and feet, washed the blood
from His wounds and wrapped
the body in clean, white burial
clothes.
Perhaps twilight was falling as
they carried Him into the lovely
garden. Here out of the side of
SWORD OF THE LORD 15 March 15, 2013
Third-Generation
(Continued from p 1)
(More next page)
(Please turn to p 17)
Noteworthy News Notes
(Continued from p 10)
An Expos of
Dierich
Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (19061945)
was a neoorthodox German the-
ologian, pastor, preacher, radio
broadcaster and prolific writer in
the 1930s and early 1940s, during
the rise, rule and downfall of
Adolph Hitler. He was greatly fas-
cinated with neoorthodox thought,
theology and terminology; and
was greatly influenced by the
major theologian of neoorthodoxy,
Karl Barth (18861968).
Bonhoeffers writings are cred-
ited with helping to father the
Death of God theology which
was popularized by the Anglican
Bishop John A. T. Robinson in the
decade of the 1960s. Bonhoeffer
was in reality a practical atheist
and a religious humanist who de-
nied virtually every cardinal doc-
trine of the historic Christian faith.
1
Bonhoeffer readily acknowl-
edged the debt he owes to liber-
al theology. Declaring that it was
impossible to know the objective
truth about Christs real nature and
essence, Bonhoeffer proclaimed
that God was dead.
Moreover, Bonhoeffer believed
that the true Christian was the con-
fessing believer who totally im-
mersed his life in the secular world,
becoming a secular Christian. Re-
jecting the objective unalterable
moral standards of the Bible,
Bonhoeffer proclaimed a situation-
al ethicthat right and wrong are
determined solely by the loving
obligations of the moment.
2
The son of a Berlin professor of
psychiatry, Bonhoeffer studied
theology at Tubingen, Berlin, and
at Union Theological Seminary in
New York City. When Hitler came
to power in 1933, Bonhoeffer, stu-
dent chaplain and lecturer at the
University of Berlin, joined the anti-
Nazi pastors in the German church
struggle.
In 1935, he was appointed head
of the Finkenwalde Confessing
Church Seminary, which was closed
by the government in 1937.
In 1939, Bonhoeffer rejected the
possibility of a job in America safe
from the impending European
war. He was convinced that he had
to face the difficulties ahead with
the Christians in Germany.
Back in Germany during World
War II, Bonhoeffer was forbidden
to preach or to publish. Though
claiming to be a disciple of Gand-
hi and his credo of nonviolence,
Bonhoeffer worked as a double
agent in the anti-Nazi resistance
movement and in the German
military office and eventually
joined the wartime conspiracy to
assassinate Hitler.
His arrest in 1943, however,
arose from his direct involve-
ment in smuggling fourteen Jews
to Switzerland. He was hanged
by the Nazis at Flossenburg on
April 9, 1945. Although only 39
when executed, Bonhoeffer left a
rich legacy of books.
Even though Bonhoeffer pre-
sented his own strain of neoortho-
dox existentialism, many evan-
gelicals have been taken in by his
warmhearted piety and by his
high-sounding devotion to Christ
and call to suffer for His sake.
His religious terminology may
appear to be evangelical, but its
substance was existential. Yet there
are those today who continue to
present Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a
genuine Christian hero (e.g., Don
Matzata, Chuck Colson, and the
editorial board of Christianity
Today).
Grand Rapids Baptist College
(GARBCnow Cornerstone Col-
lege) scheduled a play in the fall
of 1991 which extolled Bonhoef-
fers memory. And Dr. John F.
MacArthur, Jr., has used quotes
from Bonhoeffer to expound on
the nature of true Christian fel-
lowship.
3
All such accolades to Bonhoef-
fer are clearly unwarranted. The
following is a summary of beliefs
and influence of Dietrich Bonhoef -
fer as taken from some of the
over fourteen books and docu-
ments attributed to him:
1. He believed that God is
teaching us that we must live as
men who can get along very well
without Him. The God who is with
us is the God who forsakes us.
Bonhoeffer also believed that the
concept of God as a Supreme
Being, absolute in power and
goodness was a spurious con-
ception of transcendence, and
that God as a working hypothesis
in morals, politics and science
should be dropped or as far as
possible eliminated.
4
2. He believed that mankind
had become of age and no longer
needed religion, which was only
a deceptive garment of true faith.
He suggested the need for a re-
ligionless Christianity. To Bonhoef -
fer, the Christian is identified not
by his beliefs, but by action, by
his participation in the suffering
of God in the life of the world.
5
Thus, Bonhoeffers final writings
have given impulse to Marxist the-
ologians sponsoring liberation
theology and to others wishing
to promote a worldly social gospel.
3. He refused to discuss the
origin of Christ, His relationship
to the Father, His two natures, or
even the relationship of the two
natures. Bonhoeffer was adamant
in his belief that it was impossible
to know the objective truth about
the real essence of Christs being-
nature.
6
4. He questioned the virgin birth
and, in reality, denied it.
7
5. He denied the deity of Christ.
He advocated that Jesus Christ
today is not a real person and
being, but a corporate pres-
ence.
8
6. He denied the sinlessness of
Christs human nature and fur-
ther questioned the sinlessness
of His earthly behavior.
9
7. He believed that Christ exists
in three revelatory formsas
Word, as sacrament and as church.
From asserting that Christ is the
church, he followed that all per-
sons in the church are identical
with Christ.
10
This amounts to
pantheism!
8. He believed that Christianity
is not exclusive, i.e., that Christ is
not the only way to God.
11
9. He was a prominent figure in
the early ecumenical movement,
as evidenced through his associ-
ations with the World Alliance for
International Friendship (a fore-
runner of the apostate World
Council of Churches [WCC]),
Union Theological Seminary, and
Visser t Hooft (who later became
the first General Secretary of the
WCC).
12
Bonhoeffer also reached out to
Roman Catholics, prefiguring the
broader ecumenism that blos-
somed after Vatican II in the mid-
1960s.
10. He was a practical evolu-
tionist
13
and believed that the
Book of Genesis was scientifical-
ly naive and full of myths.
14
11. He adhered to neoortho-
dox theology and terminology
concerning salvation,
15
was a
sacramentalist,
16
believed in re-
generational infant baptism
17
as
well as adult baptismal regenera-
tion, equated church membership
with salvation,
18
and denied a
personal/individualistic salvation.
19
12. He placed little or no value
on the Old Testament: The faith
of the Old Testament is not a re-
ligion of salvation.
20
13. He denied the verbal-plenary
inspiration of Scripture, believing
that the Bible was only a witness
to the Word of God and becomes
the Word of God only when it
speaks to an individual; other-
wise, it was simply the word of
men.
21
To Bonhoeffer, the Bible was
meant to be expounded as a wit-
ness, not as a Book of wisdom, a
teaching Book, a Book of eternal
truth.
22
He also believed in the value of
higher criticism/historical criticism,
which is a denial of the inerrancy
and authenticity of the Bible.
23
14. He had no faith in the phys-
ical resurrection of Christ. Bon-
hoeffer believed the historicity
of the resurrection was in the
realm of ambiguity, and that it
was one of the mythological el-
ements of Christianity that must
be interpreted in such a way as
not to make religion a precondi-
tion of faith.
He also believed that belief in
the resurrection is not the solu-
tion of the problem of death, and
that such things as miracles and
the ascension of Christ were
mythological conceptions as
well.
24
Dr. G. Archer Weniger declared,
If there is wholesome food in a
garbage can, then one can find
some good things in Bonhoeffer;
but if it be dangerous to expect to
find nourishment in a garbage can,
then Bonhoeffer must be totally
rejected and repudiated as blas-
phemy. It is worse than garbage.
25
(This material was prepared by Biblical
Discernment Ministries based on mate-
rial from Fundamentalist Digest, Chris-
tian News, Bibliotheca Sacra, and Bon-
hoeffer and King. Specific bibliographic
sources are available upon request.)
1
Bethge, Eberhard, ed. Letters and
Papers From Prison (New York:
Macmillan Co., 1972), 912.
2
Ibid., 912, 378; Bonhoeffer, Dietrich.
Ethics, 38, 186; Bonhoeffer, Dietrich.
No Rusty Swords, 44, 45.
3
MacArthur, John. The Riches and
Responsibilities of Fellowship, The
Masters Current, Winter 1994, 2.
4
Bethge (SCM Press edition. Great
Britain: Fontana Books, 1953), 122,
164, 360.
5
Ibid., 163.
6
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Christ the
Center, 30,88,100101.
7
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of
Discipleship, 215.
8
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Testimony to
Freedom, 75, 76; Christ the Center,
58.
9
Ibid., 108109.
10
Ibid., Christ the Center, 58; The
Cost of Discipleship, 217.
11
Bonhoeffer, Testimony to Freedom,
55, 56.
12
Ibid., 22, 212, 568.
13
Bonhoeffer, No Rusty Swords, 143.
14
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Creation and
Fall: A Theological Interpretation of
Genesis 13.
15
Bonhoeffer, Testimony to Freedom,
130.
16
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together,
122; The Way to Freedom, 115, 153.
17
Bethge (Macmillan), 142,143.
18
Bonhoeffer, The Way to Freedom,
151, 93.
19
Bethge (Macmillan), 156.
20
Bethge (SCM Press), 112.
21
Bonhoeffer, Testimony to Freedom,
9, 104; Sanctorum Communio, 161.
22
Bonhoeffer, No Rusty Swords, 118.
23
Bonhoeffer, Christ the Center,
7374.
24
Ibid., 112; Bethge (SCM Press), 93,
94, 110.
25
FBF Information Bulletin, May 1977,
12.
and they sold out the truths as
soon as a trade was offered. Rather
than preaching against the movie
house, they rented the movie
house so their church could go
see so-called Christian movies.
The music went from being a per-
formance to being just impure,
worldly and sinful music.
Today, that great auditorium
that was used by the man of God
who preached with fire and pas-
sion has been reduced yet once
again to fit the dwindling crowd
of followers.
It is a shame that much of my
generation, a third generation that
had the opportunity and privilege
to get a good and godly Christian
education and learn from the best
and grow up in a good environ-
ment, has lost its passion today.
This third generation needs a re-
vival of fire and passion like the
first generation had!
I watched my father get up early
in the morning and run a paper
route so he could pay a school-
teacher to give me a Christian
education. We didnt have the
money to hire a builder to build a
Christian school, so we built most
of it ourselves.
We stood on that concrete floor
church. The pastor was a man of
great conviction and passion. No
one wondered what he believed,
where he stood, or what kind of
man he was.
He was a man of tremendous
passion, and you knew from his
thunderous voice and his power-
ful preaching that he was no com-
promiser. The church was a soul-
winning station, the building was
filled, and the preaching was
strong. The singing was not a per-
formance; it was Spirit-filled
singing.
By the way, when someone says
to me, People dont like those
old hymns, I answer, Saved
people still like them.
This church moved into its sec-
ond generation. These members
had been trained and educated
and taught and given the very
best that this church had to give.
Their fathers were glad to give
them their education, but that
second generation went from
having conviction and passion to
having just belief.
They preached in a monotone
manner with more polish. The
church became a little more for-
mal, and a few performances be -
gan to take place.
Then came the third generation,
The men with whom he had
served had died a martyrs death,
and he wrote to the third gener-
ation to plead with them and
warn them that if they didnt re-
turn to the truths of their fathers,
they would lose their freedom.
Worse than that, their children
would not know the joy of salva-
tion.
Todays Third Generation
Im not yet an old man, but al-
ready I have seen in America
what John saw going on around
him. It seems as if I came in at the
end of that generation of fight-
ers. My dad preached for Lester
Roloff. I was saved when I was
five years old. My first airplane
ride was with Lester Roloff, and it
was in that plane that I received
the assurance of my salvation!
I remember the fire and the
fight and the passion of that gen-
eration. I remember something
different about them. And in his
dying days, John writes under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit to
the third generation to get the fire
and passion back for the truth
once delivered.
Ill not name this church, but it
was once one of the greatest
churches in America. It was a thriv-
ing, soul-winning, bus-running
the first generations convictions
to the second generations beliefs
to the third generations opin-
ions.
This third generation began to
trade these truths for accept-
ance. They were nostalgic about
these truths, but they were not
willing to lose anything for them.
These things seemed to them as
old-fashioned as an old wooden
cracker barrel seems to us today.
The third generation began to
make excuses for the fire and
passion of their fathers and fore-
fathers. They said, Well, Grand-
pa didnt have a good education.
He was excited about what he
did, but he lacked understanding,
and he was ignorant about a few
things.
Then they brought in the opin-
ions of the other side and placed
them beside their opinions. They
allowed their children to make
their own choices as to what di-
rection they wanted to go, and
most of them chose the wrong
direction.
It was to this third generation
that John wrote to stir them to a
revival of passion and commit-
ment to the truths that were
once delivered to the saints, the
truths that he believed and for
which his brother died.
their lives. They are motivated by
a passion to propagate these
truths to their generation; and
these men of this first generation
are willing to give all, risk all, dare
all, and fight to their deaths for
this faith.
We see a similar situation in the
history of America. It is a moving
reality to learn of the great price
paid by our forefathers, especial-
ly those in that first generation
that did not pay just some little
sum but gave of their fame, their
houses, their wealth, and their
fortunethey gave their all. It was
that generation that first said, Give
me liberty or give me death.
The second generation inherit-
ed these truths, but they softened
them from convictions into be-
liefs. They believed the truths that
had been taught to them by their
fathers; but they debated them,
defended them and talked about
them. The fire and passion was
just not like it had been with their
fathers.
Along came the third genera-
tion, and they changed their be-
liefs into opinions. They went from
SWORD OF THE LORD 16 March 15, 2013
Third-Generation
(Continued from p 15)
(More next page)
every morning in shirts and ties
and blue pants, and we put our
hands over our hearts and said
the Pledges of Allegiance to the
American flag, the Christian flag
and the Word of God!
Oh, how excited were my fa-
ther and that generation that they
were training a generation of
preachers and missionaries and a
generation of men that would have
an education along with the fire
and passion to make a difference
for the cause of Christ!
I remember the letters that were
received in the late 1970s, saying,
Your children are truant. Its ille-
gal for them to go to a Christian
school. If you dont put your chil-
dren in state-run schools, your
children will be taken away and
placed in a home, and you could
be arrested.
Bless God, my daddy was not a
wimpy man. No one was going to
take his children away from him
or his Bible or his guns or anything
else. I remember the battle in 1980
when it went to the Supreme
Court in the State of Kentucky. I
rejoiced in the 50 decision that
gave parents the right to educate
their children according to their
own desire.
Our parents sacrificed and
worked to educate their chil-
dren; but they have received a
generation that has excused the
passion, the fire and the fervency
of that first generation.
They say, Grandpas genera-
tion was sort of ignorant about a
few things. When they held their
Bibles in the air and said, I believe
the Bible is the inspired, preserved,
inerrant, and infallible Word of
God, they really didnt know what
they were talking about.
What a shame to mock these
faithful servants of God!
Ive watched my generation of
fundamentalists work on the face
of fundamentalism and let the
heart of fundamentalism die. There
was a day when we were proud
of our bus riders and our bus
ministry and the souls that were
being saved. Im tired of hearing,
Well, I cant afford it.
Dr. Bobby Robersons church
runs forty buses, and they didnt
start it last week. It was started
way back yonder, and his church
is doing well financially.
Third-Generation Revival
My generation has dismissed
the fire and the fervor and the
passion. We need a stirring again!
We need a third-generation re-
vival!
I am not ashamed of an old-
fashioned daddy who was a
mountain preacher. He preached,
You need to get borned again!
It didnt matter that his words
werent exactly correct; he got a
lot of people borned again!
The first generation had fire
and fervor and passion and got
folks borned again. When they
didnt have a piano, they played
the geetar. They didnt sing from
their diaphragms; they sang from
their hearts. There was a fire and
a fervor and a passion, and its time
we got these back in our genera-
tion.
We need a passion for the
Word of God. Its time to have a
passion about the Word of God,
rather than just a belief or an opin-
ion. I believe God has fulfilled His
promise of preservation and pre-
served His inspired words in His
Word! I believe that with all my
heart. Im not willing to discuss it;
I believe it! Im not willing to
argue about it; I believe it! I want
the passion of the first genera-
tion that stood for Gods Word!
The words of the LORD are pure
words: as silver tried in a furnace of
earth, purified seven times.
Thou shalt keep them, O LORD,
thou shalt preserve them from this
generation for ever.Ps. 12:6, 7.
A man said to me, Can you give
me the definition of the word in-
spiration?
I said, Yes, but first let me ask
you this. Would you define ex-
pired? Then Ill define inspired.
He said that expired meant
died. Then he said, That means
that the spirit came out.
I said, The definition of in-
spired is that the Spirit is still in.
John 6:63 says, The words that I
speak unto you, they are spirit,
and they are life. Thats good
enough for me.
He said, What about the defi-
nition of the word inspiration in
Oxfords Dictionary?
I said, Its strange that Noah
Webster took seventy-five per-
cent of our secular words and
defined them according to the
Word of God, but many preach-
ers today are taking the Bible and
trying to define them with a sec-
ular dictionary. Ill take what God
said about it!
I wont be intimidated by the
intellect. I dont understand every-
thing in the Bible, but that doesnt
hurt my belief, because I believe
Gods Book! Furthermore, I cant
explain everything in the Bible,
but I believe all thats in the Bible.
I dont understand everything
about electricity, but thats not
going to keep me standing around
in the dark until I do.
Im talking about the passion
and fire of the first generation.
Im tired of those who belittle the
first generation, saying that they
were ignorant, uneducated and
unlearned. My grandmother had
a second-grade education, and
she had more sense than all the
intellects I know put together.
We need a passion about our
testimony of salvation. Im glad
to be born again. Im glad to be
saved. Im glad to be stirred up
about being born again.
A preacher of that first genera-
tion said to me, Brother Jeff, you
and my boys wont appreciate your
salvation like I appreciate my sal-
vation. You see, I was saved from
a life of terrible sins. I was a drinker,
a smoker, a gambler, and a whore -
monger. You name the sin, and I
lived there. God saved me from
that, but you boys grew up in
Christian homes and in church
and in a good life. You wont ap-
preciate your salvation like I do.
I thought about that. The Bible
says that the wages of sin is death
(Rom. 6:23) and Hell. The wages
of my sins had condemned me to
the same death and to the same
Hell where he was headed.
Let me tell you that I am as ex-
cited and fired up and have as
much passion about being saved
as that first-generation preacher.
I am not going to let them out-
shout me, outsing me or out-
preach me. Im excited because I
was headed to the same Hell
where they were headed, and Im
as saved as they are saved.
God give us a revival in the third
generation of some old-fashioned
zeal and passion! Im talking about
a passion for a separation from the
world. Im talking about being in
a world where men are men and
women are women. No store is
going to dress my girls like a rock
singer! No store will tell me how
to dress my boys either!
Its easier to stay away from the
wrong people than it is to sepa-
rate from a friend that goes wrong.
We tell our children and our peo-
ple to stay away from the wrong
influences. It is my decision to
decide not to have the wrong
friends, but it is difficult to sepa-
rate from those who are already
my friends when they go wrong.
But wait a minute! Is that not
what we ask a new convert to
do? New converts have their sin-
ning buddies, but once theyre
saved, they are to give up those
friendsalthough most of the
time the sinning buddies will give
up the new converts. I believe we
need some preaching that ex-
pects the same separation from
longtime Christians that it expects
from new converts.
I have a passion about this thing
of separation. Im talking about a
first-generation passion that be-
lieves we ought to smell right,
walk right, talk right, and not have
to wonder whether were looking
at a boy or a girl, a man or a woman.
That World War II veteran re-
members the price that he and
his generation had to pay for
freedom, and then he sees a
long-haired bunch of men who
wont even comb their hair, much
less cut it, walking around him.
God give us the same disgust to-
ward these things in our genera-
tion! Oh, how we need a fervor
and a passion!
We need a passion for serving
God. At the age of thirteen, God
began to work in my life, and
three years later I surrendered to
Him. I took my Scofield Bible out
to a quiet place on the mountain
behind our home.
I would read a page of the
Bible; and then, remembering
the preaching about how we
needed the power of the Holy
Spirit in our lives, Id take my
pen, and Id write, Pray for Gods
power. Id read the next page;
and when I finished it, I would
again write, Pray for Gods power.
I did that with every page, and I
began to hunger for the power of
God.
Ive been a pastor for over
twenty-five years, and Im still hun-
gering and hungry for the power
of God. I dont want to be a pow-
erless preacher. I dont want to
preach a sermon that makes folks
just say, That was nice, or, Oh,
that was needed. I want to preach
in the way of the first-generation
preachers. I dont want to be
Church (USA), the Christian Reformed Church in North America, and
the United Church of Christ signed a document recognizing each
others liturgical rites of baptism.
The five denominations signed the Common Agreement on Mu-
tual Recognition of Baptism, affirming the baptism agreement on
[January 29] at a prayer service held at St. Marys Cathedral in Austin.
Together we affirm that, by the sacrament of baptism, a person is
truly incorporated into the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13 and
27; Ephesians 1:22 and 23), the church. Baptism establishes the bond
of unity existing among all who are part of Christs body and is there-
fore the sacramental basis for our efforts to move toward visible
unity, reads the document.
We rejoice at the common faith we share and affirm in this docu-
ment. We understand that the journey toward full, visible unity de-
pends on openness to the grace of God and humility before the ini-
tiatives of Gods Spirit among us.
The Austin celebration and preceding dialogue were coordinated
through the Christian Churches Together in the USA, an organization
formed in 2001 that focuses on interdenominational Christian unity,
witness and fellowship.
Ruben Armendariz, a PC(USA) associate presbyter, told the Austin
American-Statesman that its a historic moment and were very
much in concert with it.
This ecumenical effort, this mutual recognition of baptism, is part
of our response to Jesus prayer that we may all be one, said Bish-
op Joe Vsquez of the Catholic Diocese of Austin to the Statesman.
Michael Gryboski for ChristianPost.com
EDITORS COMMENTS: When false prophets and false teachers
(II Pet. 2:13) get their heads together, they do unscriptural, un-
wise, unwarranted and therefore unacceptable things like this.
This is the ecumenical movement in full operation.
Christian Shoppers Unwelcome at Mall??
A California legal group is filing suit against a shopping mall for
threatening a Christian who shared his faith with other shoppers.
The lawsuit, filed by the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), alleges that
management and officers at the Visalia Mall threatened and harassed
John Vadnais, a church elder, for sharing his faith. It also claims that
they called the police out to intimidate him.
PJI president Brad Dacus tells OneNewsNow Vadnais was told he
could not talk to strangers about religion.
He asserts, In California, large shopping malls are deemed the
equivalent of public forums. It is both intolerant and illegal for the
Visalia Mall to suppress speech just because its religious.
Vadnais often visited the mall to shop and eat, and he shared his
faith with other shoppers.
PJI won a similar suit in 2010 involving a youth pastor who was ar-
rested for sharing his faith with Roseville Gallaria shoppers who were
willing to listen.
Becky Yeh for OneNewsNow.com
Women in Combat, Panettas Exit Decision
In a newsworthy act of political cowardice, Secretary of Defense
Leon Panetta ran through the Pentagons exit door as he announced
he is striking down the 1994 Combat Exclusion Law. His timing means
his successorwill inherit the task of defending the order to assign
women to front-line military combat.
Of course, Panetta doesnt want to be grilled about his order. Its
lacking in common sense, and it is toadying to the feminist officers
who yearn to be three- and four-star generals based on the feminist
SWORD OF THE LORD 17 March 15, 2013
Third-Generation
(Continued from p 16)
(More next page) (More next page)
Noteworthy News Notes
(Continued from p 15)
Shelton Smith
Sheep and Goats
B. R. Lakin
Who Made God?
April Sermons
Sam Davison
Establish Our Youth
in Sound Doctrine
Joe Arthur
Will Your Boat Float?
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dogma of gender interchangeability and on their desire to force men
into situations to be commanded by feminists.
Panettas order may be illegal or even unconstitutional because the
authority to make such a radical change was specifically granted to
Congress, according to former Defense Department Inspector Gen-
eral Joseph E. Schmitz.
Phyllis Schlafly for ConservativeActionAlerts.com
Catholics Cave Over Anti-Islam Speaker
The nations largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization
[January 31] applauded a decision by the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Worcester, Massachusetts to rescind an invitation to Robert Spencer,
the leader of a designated anti-Islam hate group, to speak at a
Catholic mens conference this March.
The Washington-based Council on American Islamic Relations
(CAIR) said Spencers invitation to speak at the Catholic conference
was rescinded after Muslims in Massachusetts contacted the diocese
to express their concerns about his extremist anti-Islam views.
CAIR
EDITORS COMMENTS: The pressure is being applied to silence
the critics of Islam. Unfortunately there are a lot of naive or just
plain scared people who wimp out when the pressure comes.
IRS: Cheapest Obamacare Plan Will Be
$20,000 per Family
The Internal Revenue Service assumed that under Obamacare the
cheapest health insurance plan available in 2016 for a family will cost
$20,000 for the year.
Under Obamacare, Americans will be required to buy health insur-
ance or pay a penalty to the IRS.
The annual national average bronze plan premium for a family of
five (two adults, three children) is $20,000, the regulation says.
Bronze will be the lowest tier health-insurance plan available under
Obamacareafter Silver, Gold and Platinum. Under the law, the
penalty for not buying health insurance is supposed to be capped at
either the annual average Bronze premium, 2.5 percent of taxable in-
come, or $2,085 per family in 2016.
Matt Cover in ConservativeActionAlerts.com
American Psychological Association Has Been
Captured by Homosexuals
A former president of the American Psychological Association who
worked to declassify homosexuality as a mental illness now says the
organization is run by ultraliberals who support the activist move-
ment and decline open debate on reparative therapy.
Last year, Dr. Nicholas Cummings was interviewed by the National
Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality. He spoke
about submitting and passing the motion in 1975.
I also said that if the APA passes this resolution, it will also vote to
continue research that demonstrates whatever the research demon-
stratesunbiased, open research, he recalls. It was never done.
Yet the standard was paramount that the APA would never take a
public position that was not supported by scientific evidence. Cum-
mings saw the situation begin to change to be political rather than
scientific. Then Cummings says the homosexual activists captured
the APA.
It left an open door for people to rush in and use it for other than
scientific purposes, for political purposes, he says.
Cummings says that leaves behind a biased organization, which
he said, If youll raise $150,000,
Ill match it.
We began to work at the
amount, and we went past it to
$176,000. I was making a hospital
visit when my cell phone rang, and
it was the businessman. He asked
me how we were doing with our
goal, and I told him that wed gone
over the goal.
He said, Well, Ive been pray-
ing about that. Im not going to
give you $150,000.
I was glad I was at the hospital,
because my heart almost flew
out of place.
Then he said, As I prayed this
morning, God spoke to my heart
and said that instead of giving you
$150,000, I was just to go ahead
and give you $1 million and pay
for that first building.
Now I was really glad I was still
at the hospital!
I told our folks that we were
going to have Miracle Sunday so
I could share with them what
God had done for us. I wanted
them to know that God was not
ashamed of my preaching!
I decided some time ago that I
didnt want my children just to
read about what God used to do.
I wanted them to see what God
does today. Dont you hunger to
show that same thing to your
children? Does it satisfy us to
read a book about what God
used to do? We need to have the
passion and zeal to show our kids
today what God does.
When we began to raise money
to build the first building for
Commonwealth Baptist College,
a businessman who had come to
our church asked me, What are
all these people doing here? Is it
Picnic Sunday?
I said, No, theyre getting ready
to run their buses. We dont have
room in our buildings for every-
one to come at the same time, so
we run buses all day long.
He said, Thats amazing. Then
finished working, that it wasnt
just the past generations that had
His blessings and He was not old
and dead. Oh, no! I wanted them
to know that He was still alive
and still working. I was so glad
that my children and all the chil-
dren of the church could see that
God is still working today!
I am proud and thankful for that
World War II soldier and others
who fought for my freedom. Im
not worthy to shine their shoes.
God help this generation of
young preachers who come along
and dismiss the fire and passion
and fervor of the first generation.
Why dont you get on your knees
and get right with God? Why
dont you get back to the Book of
I John?
We need a passion for souls. We
need a passion and a fire again
for souls. The bus ministry was
born out of a passion for souls.
We didnt care if the riders were
upper class, middle class, or had
no class at all, because the com-
mission that we received was to
gointo all the world, and preach
the gospel to every creature
(Mark 16:15).
We didnt get into it because
fuel was cheap and we didnt have
any other way to spend our money.
We got in it because of a passion
for souls.
One Sunday a fellow said to me,
I notice that our buses were way
down today and some of them
had only twenty on them. There
are a lot of empty seats on those
buses. Isnt that a waste of fuel?
I asked him how many empty
seats he had in his car.
A man told me that he wasnt
running very many in his church.
I kept asking him how many, and
he kept hedging. Finally he said,
Fifty.
I said, A preacher like you in a
church the size of yours could
have saved Sodom and Gomor-
rah!
Too many people think their
church is nothing because its not
a megachurch. Dont ever apolo-
gize for having a small church,
but dont ever be satisfied with it.
The goal should be to go out and
win the lost and reach folks for
Christ, and if you can build a
church of fifty, build it. If you can
build a church of a hundred, build
it. If you can build a church of a
thousand, build it.
God give us a passion again for
souls! If you dont have a bus, run
a Volkswagen, a van or anything
you can find. There are boys and
girls without Christ who need
someone to come and reach them
with the Gospel of Christ!
One of my brothers told me
about a boy that he led to Christ
who later got into trouble and had
to go to the detention home. He
got a job there and earned $1.50
a day. He saved his money, and the
first thing he bought was a Bible
from my brother. He apologized
to my brother for getting into trou-
ble again and then thanked my
brother for picking him up and
taking him to church.
Little Kelly Cox was from a bro-
ken home, and she died in a house
fire. She had ridden the bus to
church every Sunday. A school-
teacher attended the funeral, and
she told the bus director who
preached the funeral that she had
had her students make a list of
their one hundred favorite places
to go. Kellys number-one fa-
vorite place was church. Her sec-
ond favorite place in the entire
world was church; the third was
church; in fact, she had written
one hundred times that her fa-
vorite place to go was to church.
This past spring we had a high
day on our buses of 1,531 chil-
dren. Maybe you dont think we
ought to be talking about num-
bers, but they mean just as much
to the Lord as they do to us! I tell
folks that the miracle of these
1,531 children was not just that
we had picked them up; we also
got all of them home to the ad-
dress where they were picked up!
I challenge you for the sake of
the boys and girls who are out
there that nobody cares about
get your buses and vans going.
A sixteen-year-old boy came to
church and apologized to me for
not being in church for several
weeks. He played a trumpet in the
church services, but he had had
to work on Sunday. He started
coming to church when he was
three years old. Every time he
could, he would run away from
his classroom, and theyd always
find him behind the organ where
my wife was playing the organ,
because he loved music.
Today hes wearing a suit, and
he has a Bible in his handall
because a bus captain went by his
house and showed him the Lord
Jesus. He got saved and went to
teen camp and gave his life to
serving God. Brother Dave Smith
sits on our platform, and he also
directs our camp. He was that lit-
tle boy that somebody reached
for Jesus!
We have preachers and mis-
sionaries and servants all over
the world because somebody
had a fire and a passion inside his
soul to win people to Christ.
I went to the funeral of an eld-
erly woman. Her husband was
sitting on the front row with a
handkerchief and his well-worn
Bible in his hands. There were
tears in his eyes as his family sang
an old gospel hymn.
I once heard a story about a
sainted old mother
Who lived out her life here on
earth.
As she lay on her deathbed, her
friends gathered round her,
And these were the last words she
said:
Oh, look what Im trading for a
mansion!
Oh, look what Im leaving behind!
Oh, look Who will be there to
greet me,
When I step in Gods sweet
Paradise!
Ill be leaving behind all my
sorrows,
Ill be leaving behind all my cares,
For Ive traded it all for that
mansion
That Jesus has gone to prepare.
Well, her hands were so feeble,
and her voice was so low,
But she still had a smile on her
face.
She said, I hear singing, and
theyre waiting for me.
As she looked toward Heaven she
said,
Oh, look what Im trading for a
mansion!
Oh, look what Im leaving behind!
Oh, look Who will be there to
greet me,
When I step in Gods sweet
Paradise!
Ill be leaving behind all my
sorrows,
Ill be leaving behind all my cares,
For Ive traded it all for that
mansion
That Jesus has gone to prepare.
Thats how we need to believe
today!
John saw Jesus. He walked with
Him. He touched Him. He saw
the third generation begin to dis-
cuss whether or not He really
was God. He said, He was God!
My eyes have seen Him, and my
ears have heard Him!
Our generation today needs
what John wrote to that third
generation in his daya revival
of passion and zeal and fire and
fervor to serve the Lord! S
the substitutionary and vicarious
sacrifice of Christ, and we are left
under the penalty of sins. The Sav-
iours resurrection is the proof of
sins put away by His sacrifice.
Salvation means to believe in the
death and resurrection of the
Son of God. The Gospel by which
we are saved is declared in
I Corinthians 15:14. That Gospel
declares that Christ died.
The anointed One of God died,
and died not as other menfor
His own sinbut for our sins. It
was not the cross of wood that
killed Christ; it was the cross of
willsyour will, my will up
against the will of God. Christ died
for our sins. And He died ac-
cording to the scripturesthat
is, the Old Testament Scriptures.
It was no sudden act of God to
remedy an unexpected upset of
His plans. That death had been
foretold immediately upon the
entrance of sin into the world.
The serpent was to bruise the
Deliverers heel. Every sacrifice
from Abels down represented the
death of a Substitute as the hope
of the sons of men. The fact of
that death was emphasized by the
burial of Christ. He was buried.
The Saviour might have risen
from the dead without burial, but
proof of His death was strength-
ened by that burial. He partici-
pated in the ordinary lot of mens
death. It was only after a consid-
erable interval in the tomb that
He was raised from the dead.
Athanasius suggested some rea-
sons for the interval of time: Not
on the same day, lest the real
death should be denied; not on
the second day, lest His incorrup-
tion should not be clearly mani-
fested; not later than the third
day, lest the identity of His body
should be questioned, His disci-
ples be kept too long in suspense,
the witnesses of His death be dis-
persed, and the events forgot-
ten.
The resurrection also was ac-
cording to the scriptures. That
SWORD OF THE LORD 18 March 15, 2013
TheResurrection
(Continued from p 1)
Third-Generation
(Continued from p 17)
(Please turn to p 20)
(Please turn to p 20)
Noteworthy News Notes
(Continued from p 17)
It May Be Now or Never
Choose yourself as to which is
the best time. Perhaps it is better
to put off this matter of religion
for ten years. If so, drop the whole
subject now.
Just as a judge in court sets down
a trial for three months ahead and
does not bother himself about the
trial until that day comes, so set
down a day for your conversion,
ten years from now.
If you can keep the world all
these ten years and at the close
of that time can take Christ, will
it not be better than to take Him
now? Decided, then, let it be that
ten years from now you will at-
tend to it. Or if you be in robust
health and your prospects are very
fair, then put it off twenty years.
But I hear someone say, How,
if an accident should take away
my reason before that? How, if my
day of grace should end before
that? How, if the Holy Spirit should
leave my soul before that? How, if
the avalanche of my transgressions
should crush me before that? How,
if I should lift my eyes in Hell be-
fore that?
Oh, I see the point you make.
You mean to say: I think that it
may be now or never. I think you
mean to say that of a million souls
lost, 999,999 are lost through
procrastination.
T. DeWitt Talmage
SWORD OF THE LORD 19 March 15, 2013
resurrection was foretold in the
Old Testament Scriptures: Psalms
2 and 16. It was that resurrection
which vindicated the claims of
the Lord and demonstrated that
He was the seal of the Fathers
approval and acceptance. We re-
peat that the proof of sins put
away by His sacrifice is His resur-
rection.
And if Christ be not risen,
then is our preaching vain (I Cor.
15:14). What we are preaching is
just an idle story. There is no re-
ality to it. How can our preaching
be anything but utterly vain if
the central testimony is false?
Preaching without the resurrection
is vain, literally, empty. There
is nothing in it.
Dr. Leon Tucker illustrates this
from his own experience:
Mr. Moody sent me to preach
in a tent on North Avenue and
Milwaukee. He had several tent
meetings under his direction
at that time. One night he came
into my tent. I was preaching
on the text, When they were
come unto a place called Gol-
gothathey crucified him. I
said, Now, friends, I laid Him
on the cross tonight. Tomor-
row night I will tell you what
happened afterwards.
The next day I went to a
workers conference, and Mr.
Moody saw me. He said, You
are Tucker. You are in tent so-
and-so. Dont go back any-
more; I dont need your kind
of preaching.
What have I done? I preached
Christ and Him crucified.
I know you did, he ex-
claimed, but you left Him on
the cross last night and thought
you would tell them the next
night what happened after-
wards. Dont you know a dead
Christ on a cross never saved
anybody? How do you know
they will come back again?
Dont ever preach on that text
again without saying, God
raised him from the dead.
And your faith is also vain
(I Cor. 15:14). You certainly have
a vain, empty faith if you believe
in a dead man. His death might
demonstrate that He was a true
man, but how can the truest man
save you from his tomb? The death
that proved Him nothing more
than a man would prove Him no
Saviour.
If He were man only, His accus-
ers were right, and He was a blas-
phemer, worthy of death under the
holy law of our holy God. If He
died for His own sins, He certain-
ly could not die for ours. Yes, Paul
is right: If Christ be not risen, the
Gospel is a fable, and we are
reposing our faith in a fallacy.
Our faith is as empty as the
preaching we heard. There is
nothing in it.
Yea, and we are found false
witnesses of God; because we
have testied of God that he
raised up Christ: whom he raised
not up, if so be that the dead rise
not (I Cor. 15:15). If Christ be
not risen from the dead, preach-
ing is not only useless; it is false-
hood. If Christ be not risen from
the dead, the apostles were not
merely empty talkers; they were
positive liars.
The question is, At whose insti-
gation was this false testimony
borne? Did God send forth the
apostles specially accredited by
Him to proclaim a lie? If this is sin
for man under Moses Law, of
what character is our Lord? He is
certainly not worthy of our confi-
dence and trust. Here is the
solemnity of all false doctrine. It
misrepresents God.
Or did the apostles deliberate-
ly go, of their own volition, to pro-
claim a lie? This would put them
into the class of lying prophets of
the old dispensation upon whom
the judgment of God was fulfilled.
False witness in connection with
man is bad, but how much worse
this misrepresentation against God
upon the chiefest of all ques-
tionsthe salvation of men?
The false witness was to be se-
verely dealt with by Moses Law,
but consider the character of the
apostles. Were they dishonest
men? Were they tricksters, serv-
ing worldly interests for their own
gain? Did they seek to please their
audiences? Did they adapt their
story to win the worlds favor?
Did they preach the resurrection
in order to obtain greatness and
wealth?
We know that this was not true.
They gained by their testimony
only contempt and hatred, scourg-
ing and imprisonmentsyes, even
martyrdom. We affirm that they
declared the resurrection of
Christ because they sincerely
and wholeheartedly believed it.
They had seen the risen Christ.
They were not weak-headed en-
thusiasts, preaching an imaginary
resurrection. They were not
brainsick men.
We affirm that the witnesses to
the resurrection of Christ were
honest men and intelligent men.
Was Peter a knave? Was Paul a
rascal? Was John a deceiver? We
have their writings, and to read
them is an instant refutation to
the charge of dishonesty. We be-
lieve that there is not a man in
the world today with the master-
mind of Paul. His testimony to the
resurrection is honest and un-
shakable.
If these apostles were false wit-
nesses, whose testimony is reli-
able? and what is going to happen
to our New Testament? Out go the
Pauline Epistles; out go the Gos -
pels; out go the writings of John
(Gospel, Epistles and the Revela-
tion); out goes the Book of Acts;
in fact, out go all of the books.
For if Christ be not risen, they are
all false, and the New Testament
is nothing but a liea miraculous
lie, indeed, but a lie.
For if the dead rise not, then
is not Christ raised (I Cor. 15:16).
This is manifestly true. The apos-
tles affirmed, however, that Christ
was raised. They testified that He
was put to death. Certainly a man
of plain common sense ought to
know when a man is dead. They
testified that they saw the same
One alive after His burial. Certain-
ly a man of plain common sense
ought to be able to tell whether
another man is alive or not, espe-
cially after he had seen that One
and heard Him and handled Him.
And they have a right to be em-
phatic: Now is Christ risen from
the dead (vs. 20).
How is death known? By the
state of the body. How is life
known? By the state of the body.
How is resurrection known? Only
by the body becoming alive again.
What is death? It is the oppo-
site of life. Life is the result of the
union of the spiritual with the
physical. Death is the undoing of
that bond of union. The dead are
those whose parts are severed.
Resurrection is the reunion of the
sundered spirit (plus soul) and
the body.
Life at first consists of union;
resurrection means reunion. Eli-
sha brought back into the lifeless
body the soul of the son of the
widow of Shunem; our Lord
brought back into the lifeless
body the spirit of the daughter of
Jairus. So the prophetic psalm
declares concerning Christ, Thou
wilt not leave my soul in hell; nei-
ther wilt thou suffer thine Holy
One [body] to see corruption
(16:10). The severed body and
the soul of our Lord were reunit-
ed in resurrection.
The dead do rise; Christ is risen.
And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain (I Cor. 15:17).
The word vain here is not the
same word as that translated vain
in verse 14. Vain there means
empty; vain here means an
overthrow or a frustration. The
nonresurrection of Christ would
nullify or frustrate their faith, for
it would prove the failure of His
purpose to take them out of their
sins. What a wreck of faith is in-
volved in the denial of the resur-
rection of our Lord! If Christ be not
risen, what object has your faith?
Ye are yet in your sins (I Cor.
15:17). If Christ did not come out
of the grave, He cannot take men
out of their sins. Then we have no
justification. We are unforgiven,
unrenewed. He has not borne
away our sins if He is still in the
tomb. If He is still in the tomb, He
still lies under our sinsbut how
can that be? No, if He is still in
the tomb, He is there an impos-
tor, under His own sins; and our
sins are still on us. In penalty and
power, sin still attaches itself to
us.
Butwe are not in our sins!
These Corinthians were not in
their sins! And such were some
of you: but ye are washed, but ye
are sanctified, but ye are justi-
fied (I Cor. 6:11). We are not in
our sins! That is proof of the res-
urrection of Christ.
Who but a risen, living Christ
could save us from our sins? Mo-
hammed founded a religion and
died and was buried and re-
mained in the tomb. Can Mo-
hammed give deliverance from
sin? NO!
Who but a risen, living Christ
can bestow the Holy Spirit?
Buddha founded a religion and
died and was buried and re-
mained in the tomb. Can Buddha
give deliverance from sin? NO!
Can Confucius? No! They all leave
us in sin and misery.
But where they fail, Christ saves.
Christs resurrection is the seal
of our justification and the spring
of our sanctification, writes
Findlay. How true that is!
Through the resurrection of our
Lord we have not only deliver-
ance from the penalty of sin but
deliverance from the power of
sin also. He was raised again for
our justification (Rom. 4:25)that
is, that we might have a perfect
legal standing; but more than
thatthat we might have a vital
experience of victory over sin
through the power of His resur-
rection.
Christianity is more than a creed;
it is a life. How would you ever
explain a Moody, a Spurgeon, a
Wesley, a McCheyne or any saint,
apart from a risen Christ?
Have you ever seen an unsaved
person dieone conscious of
the fact that he was yet in his
sins? Several years ago we had a
terrible experience in the death
of a man whose last moments
were spent in agony and horror
and who died shrieking, The
Devils after me! The Devils after
me! The Devils got me!
Have you ever seen a saved per-
son dieone conscious of the
fact that he is not in his sins? Just
a few weeks ago the children
gathered round the bedside of a
saintly mother and heard her say,
Oh, I see Jesus! Hes altogether
lovely! The blood of Jesus Christ
has made the way all plain.
wants to represent diversity and bring all underrepresented groups
into psychology.
Charlie Butts for OneNewsNow.com
Arkansas Governor Signs Ban on Abortion
Funding in Obamacare
The governor of Arkansas [February 11] made his state the latest to
cut abortion funding in the controversial Obamacare healthcare leg-
islation that requires states to set up health insurance exchanges and
Americans to purchase health insurance.
Under the new healthcare law, states will be in charge of their own
healthcare exchanges that are available for individuals and small
businesses. The exchange doesnt go into effect until 2014, and states
are filing lawsuits seeking to stop the pro-abortion healthcare bill in
its other pro-abortion provisions entirely, but states are moving now
to exercise their right to opt out of some of the abortion funding.
Governor Mike Beebe has signed into law a ban on abortion cov-
erage in the health insurance exchange. According to an AP report,
the bill would ban insurers participating in the exchange created
under the federal healthcare law from covering most abortions. The
measure, which legislators approved,includes exemptions for rape,
incest and the life of the mother.
With the new law, Arkansas joins Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Indiana,
Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma,
South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia that have all opted out
of having abortion covered in their federally-mandated insurance plans.
Steven Ertelt for LifeNews.com
Book Endorsing Two-Mom Household
Back on School Library Shelves
After being sued late last year by the American Civil Liberties
Union to put the book In Our Mothers House back on the library
shelves of Utah public elementary schools, the Davis School District
caved in to the legal pressure and settled with the homosexual advo-
cacy group to make the book readily available to young students in
the school.
Before and during the lawsuit, school district attorneys argued that
the book violated Utahs sex education law; but when the ACLU and
LGBT community ramped up the pressure, the district folded and
signed a settlement, assuring that if it breaks its promises, any stu-
dent in the districts elementary schools can have the agreement en-
forced by the court.
Author Patricia Polaccos In Our Mothers Houseon elemen-
tary school shelves within the Davis School District [has as] its quest
to normalize homosexual behavior, same-sex marriage and adop-
tion by same-sex couples across the nation.
Michael F. Haverluck for OneNewsNow.com
Packing Heat in Church Increasingly
Allowed in U.S.
NASHVILLE (BP)As gun control takes high priority on Capitol
Hill, state legislatures increasingly are allowing concealed guns in our
most sacred place, the church, either for personal protection or for
worshipers designated as church security personnel.
Arkansas, on February 4, became the eighth state to pass legisla-
tion allowing concealed guns specifically in churches. In a lopsided
bipartisan vote, state legislators voted to allow each church to decide
whether individuals with concealed carry permits could take guns in
church for personal protection.
Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and
Wyoming also have laws allowing concealed guns specifically in
churches, with varied stipulations, including the possession of a
proper permit, training, church approval and congregational aware-
ness, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Ad-
ditionally, about 20 other states allow guns in churches because of
right to carry laws but have not specifically focused on churches in
legislation.
In the past year, at least 75 people were violently killed on church
and faith-based property in the U.S., setting a new national record,
according to Jimmy Meeks, aTexas police officer who conducts
seminars encouraging and training churches properly to arm them-
selves with guns.
EDITORS COMMENTS: When churches are known to be gun
free, it makes them sitting ducks for the criminal element. You
may have a serious problem sometime because one of the good
guys has a gun; but there are many, many problems with a recur-
ring and escalating frequency when the good guys are unarmed.
Hurry Up and Die: Why No Babies Means No
Future for Japan
Taro Aso, Japans finance minister, has only been on the job [since
January], but hes already stirred up enough controversy to last a life-
time.
In January, he made headlines around the world when he told a
panel on social security reforms that the elderly should be permitted
to hurry up and die. That is the kind of comment that both causes
great offense and hits too close to home.
It hits too close to home because [many] of Japans ever more dire
fiscal problems can be traced to the countrys demographics. But the
problem lies at the beginning of life, not the end.
To put Asos comments in context, there are several things you
need to know about Japanese demographics and [their] economic
SWORD OF THE LORD 20 March 15, 2013
TheResurrection
(Continued from p 18)
(More next page) (Please turn to p 22)
Noteworthy News Notes
(Continued from p 18)
The Glories
of Heaven
by William Ford
Heaven is mentioned numer-
ous times in the Bible. Here we
shall enumerate at least seven facts
about it which are clearly em-
phasized.
It Is an Incentive to Prayer
If we have received Jesus as our
Saviour, we are assured that we
have a Father in Heaven. But as
many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the
sons of God (John 1:12). It gives
us the assurance that we have a
family tie in Heaven. Our Father
is there (Eph. 3:14,15).
In Matthew 6, where we are
taught to carry all our earthly care
to God, our Father is mentioned
twelve times.
Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that
we should be called the sons of God:
therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew him not.
Beloved, now are we the sons of
God, and it doth not yet appear what
we shall be: but we know that, when
he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is.I John
3:1, 2.
It Is a Place for
Our Treasures
This worlds goods need not
hold us down to earth. They all
perish. They are like the old-time
air balloonsthe heavier the sand,
the lower they flew. It became
necessary to let out the sand in
order to go higher and higher.
Alas, that we should let the un-
satisfying things of the world keep
us from enjoying the glories above
(Col. 3:2; Heb. 11:810)!
The apostle Paul said to the
Philippian saints, Not because I
desire a gift: but I desire fruit that
may abound to your account
(Phil. 4:17). This will add to our
treasure in that day.
It Offers Reward for Service
Our afflictions will work out a
far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory (II Cor. 4:17).
Blessed are they which are perse-
cuted for righteousness sake: for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall
revile you, and persecute you, and
shall say all manner of evil against
you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:
for great is your reward in heaven: for
so persecuted they the prophets which
were before you.Matt. 5:1012.
Peter says, The trial of your faith,
being much more precious than
of gold that perisheth (I Pet. 1:7).
Even the little children with whom
we patiently labor to bring them
to the knowledge of the Gos -
pelthe apostle Paul says that they
too will be our crown of rejoic-
ing in that day when [He makes
up His] jewels (I Thess. 2:19; Mal.
3:17).
It Compensates Being
Rejected
Those who are in isolation and
in the minority now will be in the
majority then (Luke 6:22, 23).
Our precious Lord says, Fear
not, little flock; for it is your Fa-
thers good pleasure to give you
the kingdom (12:32).
This is not our native land. Satan
is the god of this world. But we
can look forward to the time when
we will be in the majority with
ten thousand times ten thousand
and thousands of thousands, mak-
ing the courts of Heaven ring with
songs of glory (Rev. 5:1114).
Do you have trials? Yes, sent for
your good,
Only to prove you, yet misunderstood.
Blessed are you, if Him you believe;
Countless the blessings you will
receive.
It Comforts Departing Souls
Faith will be turned to sight, and
like Stephen, we shall see the
King (Acts 7:56). Even now we
can say with the apostle Peter,
Whom having not seen, ye love;
in whom, though now ye see him
not, yet believing, ye rejoice with
joy unspeakable and full of glory
(I Pet. 1:8).
We are not as others which
have no hope (I Thess. 4:13). We
will be like Him, for we shall see
Him as He is (I John 3:2).
Listen to His comforting words:
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).
It Is Companion to Our
Blessed Hope
Let us watch and wait. He will
come (I Thess. 1:10).
Even now let my ways, Lord,
Be bright with Thy praise, Lord;
For brief are the days eer Thy
coming again.
The coming of our Lord as the
blessed hope is often heralded
in the Epistles. Come, Lord Jesus;
come quickly.
It Bids Good-bye to the
House of Clay
For we know that if our earthly
house of this tabernacle were dis-
solved, we have a building of God, an
house not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens.
For in this we groan, earnestly
desiring to be clothed upon with our
house which is from heaven.
II Cor. 5:1, 2.
He will change our vile body,
that it may be fashioned like unto
his glorious body (Phil 3:21).
My knowledge of that life is small;
The eye of faith is dim.
It is enough that Christ knows all
And I shall be with Him.
Richard Baxter
They heard her quote:
I have heard the voice of Jesus;
Tell me naught of else beside;
I have seen the face of Jesus,
And my soul is satisfied.
Have you ever seen a saved
person die? That experience proves
the resurrection of Christ. Forgive-
ness of sins is true because Christ
has come up from the dead.
Oh, joyful day! Oh, glorious hour!
When Jesus, by almighty power,
Revived and left the grave;
In all His works behold Him
great
Before, almighty to create,
Almighty now to save.
Then they also which are fall-
en asleep in Christ are perished
(I Cor. 15:18). If Christ be not
risen, then not only are living be-
lievers unsaved, but the dead in
Christ are perished. Indeed, if
Christ be not risen, He is like the
sailor who plunges into the sea to
rescue the man overboard: if the
sailor come not back, both are
lost. If Christ be not risen, we
must go to the grave where sleeps
the body of our loved ones and
chisel on the stone: perished.
Does that mean that our dear
ones whom we have laid aside in
the hope of a glorious resurrec-
tionthat mother of yours, that
baby of mine, that precious and
loved one to whom we said
farewellare perished like the
beast of the field? We fear that it
means something even worse
than that.
Perished does not mean an-
nihilated. It never does in Scrip-
ture. It means that they have gone
into the dissolution of death, the
body to the grave and the spirit
into the spirit statebut the spirit
state of sinners under the wrath
of God.
Perished does not mean an-
nihilated. It does mean to be be-
fore God without a Mediator! We
speak of two classes of the dead:
those who die in Adam, under
the penalty of sin; and those who
die in Christ, forgiven. But if Christ
be not risen, all this is wrong, for
all have died without help, with-
out pardon.
If in life they are yet in their
sins, when they die, they die with
all their sins upon them. If Christ
be not risen from the dead, God
and the future still remain, and
our loved ones (and we too) go
out to meet themGod and the
futureChristless. Then Heaven
is nothing but mocking rhetoric.
What a black picture that is!
How thankful we ought to be for
the clear, satisfactory, conclusive
evidence of Christs resurrection
which we possess. What a relief
to turn to the confident utterance
of Paul, Now is Christ risen.
Pauls language here is the lan-
guage of heart affection. It is im-
possible that our dear saved ones
are perished. These things are not
so. Christ is risen. So we do not
sorrow without hope.
A dear servant of God, a preach-
er of the Gospel, had one son.
That beloved son died at about the
age of thirty. The father mourned,
of course, because of the broken
cords of love. I thought that when
the years rested heavily upon
me, I would have his strong arm
to lean upon; now I am left
alone, he wept.
That man of faith preached his
own sons funeral sermon and laid
his own boy to rest. Those who
were with him at the grave said
that when he turned away from
the burial, the tears were raining
down his cheeks; but with uplift-
ed hoary head he gave a verita-
ble shout of triumph: I am the
resurrection, and the life!
If in this life only we have
hope in Christ, we are of all men
most miserable (I Cor. 15:19). If
our faith is but a hope, a mere
bubble, with no reality to it, with
no substance to it, then we are to
be pitied.
If in this life onlynothing
beyond the fleeting present, noth-
ing in all the endless futurewe
are to be pitied, indeed. We have
believed a lie; our hope in Christ
is fallaciousit must expire in
death.
If in this life onlyyou have
lost your Christ, you have lost your
faith, you have lost your dear ones,
and nothing precious is life.
Most miserable indeed!
If in this life onlythen the
hope that we shall see Christ, the
hope that we shall be with Christ,
the hope that we shall be like
Christ, is only a dreary blank. If
Christ be left to the dishonor of
the grave, what relief can He af-
ford you? You are the victim of a
vain hope and a supreme folly.
If our hope in Christ does not
reach beyond this life, we are
pitiable, for we have toiled and
suffered in hope of future joy and
blessings which are mere delu-
sions. Many a Christian has sur-
rendered some of the pleasures
of the world and has denied him-
self certain enjoyments of life be-
cause they conflict with the souls
deepest interest in Christ.
The pleasures of the world are
not all dead loss. We are not
speaking of immorality and de-
bauchery, of the coarse and base
things. There are some things of
time and hopes of nature that
have, at least, some good in
them. But the child of God has
practiced denial of self in relation
to these and has put them far
from him in his pursuits. Heaven
has been enough for him.
Miserable man; if Christ be not
risen, he has given up earth for
Heaven, and there is no Heaven!
We illustrate this by the state-
ment of a brother in Christ in St.
Louis, who was very fond of mu-
sic. He said to a Christian worker,
The symphony orchestra is play-
ing tonight. How I would enjoy
hearing it!
His friend said, Well, why dont
you go? Im sure that there would
be nothing wrong in that.
Well, replied the man, I have
borne testimony down at the
church that Christ is all-sufficient,
that He wholly satisfies; and I am
afraid that if someone would see
me there, he might think that my
satisfaction in Christ is not com-
plete and that I must go to hear
the orchestra to supply some lack
in Him; therefore, I am going to
wait for my music until I get to
Heaven.
And thenthere is no music
there! Miserable man, pitiable
man, he gave up music here for
music there, and he loses both!
Govett says, The wretchedness
of disappointment is felt in pro-
portion to the greatness of the
hopes held out.
Jesus sets His people against
the worlds current, both in prin-
ciples and conduct, and foretells
to them trouble as the issue, rest-
ing the reasonableness of their
obedience to Him on His requital
beyond the tomb. But if there be
no beyond, His whole system is
folly, and the observers of it are
cheated dupes.
Secularists get at least the
pleasures and profits of time and
may enjoy a good repute. But if
there be a resurrection and a life
beyond the grave, how unhappy
are they who live for time alone
and despise Gods witness of sin
and judgment!
Our hope does lie beyond the
grave, and that hope is sure.
The late Charles Reade, the well-
known writer, wrote his own epi-
taph; and it is remarkable for his
faith in the power of God. The
epitaph is as follows:
Here lie,
By the side of his beloved friend,
the mortal remains of
CHARLES READE,
Dramatist, Novelist and Journalist
His last words to mankind are
on this stone.
I hope for a resurrection,
not from any power in nature,
but from the will of the Lord
God Omnipotent, who made
nature and me. He created man
out of nothing, which nature
could not. He can restore man
from the dust, which nature
cannot. And I hope for holiness
and happiness in a future life,
not for anything I have said or
done in this body, but from the
merits and mediation of Jesus
Christ. He has promised His
intercession for all who seek it,
and He will not break His word;
that intercession, once grant-
ed, cannot be rejected; for He
is God, and His merit infinite.
Him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. If any man
sin, we have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous: And he is the propi-
tiation for our sins.
Make Your Plans Now
for Eternity
R. L. Moyer has presented the
supreme importance of the res-
urrection. It is a vain hope for
someone to think he will live for-
ever on this planet in this body. It
is appointed unto all men to die
(Heb. 9:27), and we see death all
around us.
If this world is all there is, then
the apostle Paul truly describes
us all as most miserable. But God
did not create you and me for
misery. We were made to fellow-
ship with God and enjoy the ben-
efits of His divine love for eternity.
Since we must die here, that re-
quires a resurrection, and that is
exactly what God has promised.
Dont waste the few short years
of this life and then miss Heaven
forever. Receive Christ today while
you still have the opportunity. If
you would like to become a child
of God, sincerely from your heart
pray something like the follow-
ing:
Dear God, Im a sinner
headed for Hell, and I need to
be saved. I cannot save myself,
but I know You can do it for me.
I do believe that Jesus in His
death, burial and resurrection
paid my sin debt and purchased
salvation for me. I believe it,
and right now I submit myself
in full trust to Him. Please, God,
forgive my sin and save me. In
Jesus name I pray. Amen.
If you have at this moment
turned to Christ in faith and re-
ceived Him as Saviour, would you
fill out the decision form and mail
it to me so that I can pray for your
success in your new Christian life?
Decision Form
Dr. Shelton Smith
Sword of the Lord Foundation
P. O. Box 1099
Murfreesboro, TN 37133-1099
editorial@swordofthelord.com
Dear Dr. Smith:
I have read The Supreme Im-
portance of the Resurrection by
R. L. Moyer. I know that death is a
sure fact in my future; and because
of my sin and unbelief, I was not
ready to leave this world. But I
have now turned to the risen Christ
and called upon Him for salva-
tion. I am trusting His promise that
He would receive anyone who
sincerely came to Him and asked
to be saved by His merit alone. I
am fully relying for my salvation
upon His death on the cross and
resurrection from the grave, apart
from any works of my own. I want
to live for Him and ask that you
pray for me in my new Christian
life. Thank you.
Date _________________
Name________________________
Address ______________________
_____________________________
E-Mail _______________________
SWORD OF THE LORD 21 March 15, 2013
TheResurrection
(Continued from p 20)
Crossword
by Emory Ediger
info@biblebasedpuzzles.com
CLUES ACROSS
1 sold for fourscore pieces
of silver, and the fourth part
of a ___ (II Kings 6)
4 Cains brother (Gen. 4)
8 Jesus said unto him, Judas,
betrayest thou the Son of
man with a ___? (Luke 22)
12 Eves husband (Gen. 3)
14 Behold, I cast out devils,
and I do ___ to day (Luke 13)
16 every ___ word that men
shall speak (Matt. 12)
17 ye shall be hated of all men
for my names ___ (Luke 21)
18 All fowls that ___ , going
upon all four (Lev. 11)
19 sue thee at the law, and
take away thy ___ (Matt. 5)
20 Athaliah rent her clothes,
and cried, ___ (II Kings 11)
22 For this cause many are
weak and ___ (I Cor. 11)
24 fire shall try every mans
work of what ___ it is
(I Cor. 3)
25 in ___ time Christ died for
the ungodly (Rom. 5)
26 Praise him with the ___ of
the trumpet (Ps. 150)
28 between me and thee, and
between my ___ (Gen. 13)
32 Thou that art full of ___ , a
tumultuous city (Isa. 22)
33 The oath which he ___ to
our father Abraham (Luke 1)
35 they shall be ___ flesh
(Gen. 2)
36 we spend our years as a
___ that is told (Ps. 90)
37 a book written within and
on the backside, sealed
with seven ___ (Rev. 5)
38 was budded, and brought
forth ___ (Num. 17)
39 joined themselves also unto
Baalpeor, and ___ the sacri-
fices of the dead (Ps. 106)
40 Where thou ___ , will I die
(Ruth 1)
41 Thou hast ___ me behind
and before (Ps. 139)
42 the thanksgiving of many
___ to the glory of God
(II Cor. 4)
44 purple and fine linen, and
___ sumptuously every day
(Luke 16)
45 Blind, or broken, or maimed,
or having a ___ (Lev. 22)
46 and they were ___ afraid
(Luke 2)
47 by reason of use have their
___ exercised (Heb. 5)
50 the ___ of grapes him that
soweth seed (Amos 9)
54 as the ___ breast and as the
right shoulder (Num. 18)
55 within ___ days I will build
another (Mark 14)
57 Wherefore are we counted
as beasts, and reputed ___
in your sight? (Job 18)
58 Now an ___ is the tenth
part of an ephah (Exod. 16)
59 Are there not twelve ___ in
the day? (John 11)
60 take thine ___ , eat, drink,
and be merry (Luke 12)
61 rulers of fifties, and rulers
of ___ (Exod. 18)
62 And he said, Behold, in the
___ (Gen. 18)
63 and ___ him away to
crucify him (Matt. 27)
CLUES DOWN
1 is hewn down, and ___
into the fire (Matt. 7)
2 Hebrew month (Ezra 6)
3 take fine flour, and ___
twelve cakes (Lev. 24)
4 they were all with one ___
in one place (Acts 2)
5 see this great sight, why the
bush is not ___ (Exod. 3)
6 Sir, come down ___ my
child die (John 4)
7 and punish the men that
are settled on their ___
(Zeph. 1)
8 But Jeshurun waxed fat,
and ___ (Deut. 32)
9 we know that an ___ is
nothing in the world
(I Cor. 8)
10 revenger of blood himself
shall ___ the murderer
(Num. 35)
11 who for the joy that was
___ before him (Heb. 12)
13 with what ___ ye mete, it
shall be measured (Matt. 7)
15 whose trust shall be a ___
web (Job 8)
21 Beloved, now are we the
___ of God (I John 3)
23 thy disciples, and they
could not ___ him (Matt. 17)
26 I have learned, in whatso-
ever ___ I am (Phil. 4)
27 one loaf of bread, and one
cake of ___ bread (Exod. 29)
28 impotent folk, of blind,
___ , withered (John 5)
29 the weasel, and the ___ ,
and the tortoise (Lev. 11)
30 on the seventh day God
___ his work (Gen. 2)
31 Doth the eagle mount up
at thy command, and make
her ___ on high? (Job 39)
32 we have seen his ___ in the
east (Matt. 2)
33 between thy ___ and her
seed (Gen. 3)
34 Let there be light: and
there ___ light (Gen. 1)
37 there is not a just man upon
earth, that doeth good, and
___ not (Eccles. 7)
38 neither ___ thy nations any
more (Ezek. 36)
40 Render therefore to all
their ___ (Rom. 13)
41 For many ___ false witness
against him (Mark 14)
43 as they were loosing the
colt, the ___ thereof said
(Luke 19)
44 For every beast of the ___
is mine (Ps. 50)
46 they cast four anchors out
of the ___ (Acts 27)
47 this ___ Jesus, which is
taken up from you (Acts 1)
48 be in health, ___ as thy
soul prospereth (III John 1)
49 archers have sorely grieved
him, and __ at him (Gen. 49)
51 gone down in the sun ___
of Ahaz (Isa. 38)
52 Repent; or ___ I will come
unto thee quickly (Rev. 2)
53 under the shady trees, in the
covert of the ___ (Job 40)
54 now, brethren, I ___ that
through ignorance (Acts 3)
56 ye tithe mint and ___ and
all manner of herbs
(Luke 11)
(After all clues have been
cor rectly answered, the letters
in the circles will spell out a
special message when read in
each row from left to right.)
(Answers on page 11)
impact. First of all, nearly a quarter of Japans population is over 65.
That percentage is projected to rise to nearly 40 percent by 2050.
Also 40 percent of Japanese households today receive cash pay-
ments, virtually all of which go to those over the age of 65. And
households increasingly consist of single elderly persons living and,
increasingly, dying alone; nearly 10 percent of Japanese households
today4.6 million in totalfit this description.
The cost of caring for the elderly is a large part of why Japans debt-
to-GDP ratio is an astounding 229 percent, nearly 2.5 times that of
the United States.
As the economist Herbert Stein famously said, If something can-
not go on forever, it will stop, and Japans borrowing money to care
for a rapidly-aging population cannot go on forever.
Calling elderly patients unable to feed themselves tube people
and saying that the problem wont be solved unless you let them
hurry up and die is not only offensive and cruel, but it also misses an
important point: Japan is getting older because the Japanese have
stopped having children.
Japans fiscal-demographic trap is not the result of some law of na-
tureits the product of culture. For a host of reasons, the Japanese
placed having and rearing children near the bottom of their to do
list.
Japan is only leading the way in this regard. Nineteen countries, in-
cluding Germany and South Korea, have lower fertility rates than
Japan. Singapores rate is 40 percent lower than Japans.
Here in the USA, our worker-to-retiree ratio is projected to be the
same in 2050 as Japans is today.
The economic consequences of declining fertility rates are no se-
cret. Yet telling people they should have more children these days is
only slightly less popular than urging the elderly to hurry up and die.
Eric Metaxas for LifeNews.com
Abortion Worker: It Looks Like a Baby
Much has been written about the emotional trauma that women
go through after their abortions. But what most people dont realize
is that abortion is so inherently evil and destructive that it devastates
everyone involvedthe mother, the fatherand the abortion
provider. The doctors, nurses and other clinic workers are human
and repeatedly seeing the bodies of aborted babies and participating
in their deaths leaves emotional scars.
After giving a graphic description of how to check body parts to
make sure everything is out after an abortion, Dr. Don Sloan, abor-
tionist, says the following: Want to do abortions? Pay the price.
There is an old saying in medicine: If you want to work in the kitchen,
you may have to break an egg. The stove gets hot. Prepare to get
burned.
Regardless of the motive the clinic worker has in being in the abor-
tion business, abortions are hard to deal with. According to one clin-
ic worker interviewed by pro-choice author Wendy Simonds: Youre
going from dealing with people to dealing with what most people
here at the Center consider a real hurdle, to do sterile room, because
you have to deal with the actual abortion tissue. And for some peo-
ple thats really hard. They can be abstractly in favor of abortion
rights, but they sure dont want to see what an 18-week abortion
looks like.
What is so upsetting about the abortion tissue? Pro-choicers
often claim that abortion destroys collections of cells, painlessly end-
ing a pregnancy. But according to another worker in the same clinic:
It looks like a baby. Thats what it looks like to me. Youve never seen
anything else that looks like that. The only other thing youve ever
seen is a baby.You can see a face and hands and ears and eyes and,
you knowfeet and toes.It bothered me really bad the first time.
It is not surprising that Simonds says that clinic workers never look
at the face when processing tissue from abortions.
Sarah Terzo for LifeNews.com
SWORD OF THE LORD 22 March 15, 2013
Noteworthy News Notes
(Continued from p 20)
Products, services and information contained in our classified section are not necessarily endorsed by the Sword of the Lord.
CLASSIFIED ADS
Rate, $1.00 per word; minimum charge, $25. Include name, address,
city, state in word count. Payment to accompany order. No billing on
classified ads. Copy is due four weeks in advance of publication date.
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PRINTING EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
For details contact Mark at: 814-774-0451/814-
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1 2 3 1 1 4 5 6 7 1 1 8 9
12 13 1 14 15 1 16
1 1 1 24 1 1 25 1
1 26 27 1 1 28 29
32 1 33 34 1 35
36 1 37 1 38
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SWORD OF THE LORD 23 March 15, 2013
Write Your Hurts in Sand Carve Your Blessings in Stone
Franklin Road Baptist Church 3148 Franklin Road
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Franklin Road Baptist Church 3148 Franklin Road
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
April 25-27, 2013 April 25-27, 2013
Carve Your Blessings in Stone Write Your Hurts in Sand
DoubleTree Hotel
1850 Old Fort Pkwy.
Murfreesboro, TN
615-895-5555
Full breakfast
Cut-of Mar. 28
*$99 per night
Hampton Inn & Suites
325 N. Thompson Ln.
Murfreesboro, TN
615-890-2424
Hot breakfast
Cut-of Apr. 12
*$109 per night
Holiday Inn Express
165 Chafn Place
Murfreesboro, TN
615-849-9000
Hot breakfast
Cut-of Apr. 4
*$99 per night
Sleep Inn
193 Chafn Place
Murfreesboro, TN
615-396-3000
Hot breakfast
Cut-of Apr. 11
*$69.72 per night
Comfort Suites
226 N. Thompson Ln.
Murfreesboro, TN
615-869-0950
Hot breakfast
Cut-of Apr. 10
*$85 per night
Baymont Inn & Suites
2230 Armory Drive
Murfreesboro, TN
615-896-1172
Hot breakfast
Cut-of Apr. 12
*$84.99 per night
Fairfeld Inn & Suites
175 Chafn Place
Murfreesboro, TN
615-849-1150
Hot breakfast
Cut-of Apr. 12
*$94 per night
Book rooms before cut-of date! *Rates shown do not include tax.
Hotel Information
Tursday, April 25, 2013
5:00 P.M. Registration Opens
6:00 ReceptionChurch Fellowship Hall
6:459:15 Evening Sessions in Auditorium
Friday, April 26, 2013
8:00 A.M. Registration and book tables open
9:00 Opening Session in Auditorium
Saturday, April 27, 2013
8:00 A.M. Registration and book tables open
12:30 P.M. Jubilee ends promptly
Register online at swordofthelord.com or call 1-800-247-9673. Full payment is due with registration. Registration is transferable, but nonrefundable.
Brief Schedule
Dress
Ladies should wear casual dresses or skirts (church dress).
Childcare
No provision is made for infants, small children or nursing mothers.
Teen Workshops
Five special workshops have been scheduled for senior
high young ladies (grades 1012). Tey will meet in a
separate room for their workshops and come together
with the ladies for the general session times.
T
E
E
N
S
! F
ive
S
p
ecial W
o
rk
sh
o
p
s
ju
st fo
r yo
u
!
Bring 10 or
m
ore ladies to
qualify for
Queens Court!
Dr. Shelton Smith
Jubilee Host
Katie and Kay
Betty Smith Francie Taylor Sharon Rabon Dr. Janet Walsh Lori Bohman Lonnie Moore Jane Nofsinger Kay Campbell Barb Austin
Susan Rossi Sherry Camperson Tammy Chisgar Mila Norris Melanie Smith Kay Chandler Gail Moore Elizabeth Kerley
Smith Family Lonnie Moore Melanie Smith Glory Bound Trio
Partial listing of 38 workshops
Stay Out of the Culture Trap!
Draw Me Nearer
Marriage: A Place of Rest
Te Secret to Peace and Contentment
If Tose Who Reach . . . Could Touch
Christian Music Workshop for Teens
Planning to Succeed (Teen)
Dead End or Destination? (Teen)
Preparing for Life Afer Mom and Dad (Teen)
Dandelions & Bitterness
Every Womans Battle
Rearing Daughters to Turn Out Right
Preventing a Prodigal
Soul Winning
Tings I Wish I Knew As a Young Mother
Dont Go Out Without ItYour Testimony
Setting and Polishing Precious Gems
SWORD OF THE LORD 24 March 15, 2013