++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #12
July 5, 2003

I Cor. 16:9  For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many
adversaries.

HERMENEUTICS  (continued)
Outline and Notes for Hermeneutics on the Fifteen "Principles of Interpretation"
Principle #2
God has given us the Holy Scriptures so that we may all hear in our own languages the wonderful words and works of God.  He uses our human language and terms to reveal to us His will.  He speaks to us as a loving Father does to His dear children.

At times the imagery is rich with 'streets of gold' and 'gates of pearl'.  In this use of precious gold and pearls, the Lord in Revelation would have us treasure Heaven and look forward to our eternal life there.

God also speaks to us anthropomorphically, that is He discribes Himself in Human terms. The 'face of God' and the 'arm of the Lord' are two such terms.  God is a Spirit and  has no face.  We mean by this term that God knows all and sees all. The 'arm of the Lord' describes His great strength and even in certain passages refers to Jesus who  won the victory for us through His great power and might. 

The Holy Spirit used the language of the different writers.  Amos was a farmer and  livestock man.  When he describes Israel as a 'stubborn heifer', it is the Holy Spirit  using the human language of the writer.  Illustrations and idioms of the times of the writer are freely used.

-----------------------

SINGULAR TEACHINGS
Rapture - There are Christians who teach a rapture, this is that Christians depart  this earth before the judgment. They try to use Matt. 24:40-41 to show this.  In those verses it is stated "one is taken and one is left."  The context of that is in v. 36 "that day" the judgment day.  At the end God separates the sheep from the goats, Matt. 25:32, Matt. 24:40-41 is simply briefly what our Lord explains in detail in Matt. 25:31-45.  First He gathers the sheep to His right, "one is taken", there is a separation.  Then He gathers the others, that is the others described as "one is taken" and one is left.

-----------------

Missionary Koenig asks your prayers for safe travels and God-pleasing visits as He goes to the following areas.
July 15-Oct. 16th - with the BELC and CLCI in India
Oct. 17-Oct. 29th - with the ELCC in Congo
Oct. 29-Nov. 15th - with the ECLC and LCEA in Kenya
Nov. 29           - a couple days in Togo and Ghana
After that, arrive back in Nigeria for several months.

In Christian love,  Pastor Koenig

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #13
July 11, 2003

I Cor. 16:9 For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

PRAYER ALERT - Pastor Gideon (Denu, Ghana) needs our prayers.  Pastor Stewart, who visited him recently, reports that Gideon's wife has bone cancer and that the bottom  half of her rib cage is eaten away.  Pray that God would heal her or take her to be  with Him without more pain.  Pray for Gideon and his little son, that if God takes her home that He would strengthn Gideon to carry on with His work in joy of knowing his wife is in the bliss of heaven.

THE ELCC (CONGO)
Pastor Muzakuza reports on training of his pastors.  He has set up two training periods for his men.  1. There are 50 lessons for pastors which includes, "Good and Humble Servants", the rule of life for leaders of the Church (I Tim. 3). It was started in Feb. 2, 2003 and will go until Nov. 2003 (for eleven months).  The length of time in the study is required as they only meet on Sunday between 2:30 to 4:30.  At this time the ones close to Lubumbashi are coming, although Pastor Muzakuza hopes to have classes for those farther away.  A second session, prayerfully for those farther away, will start in Feb. 2004.  This is an area in which the CLC hopes to assist.   2. A second training is for catechists to teach the Christians where there are not the leaders. This training was started on Feb. 15, 2003 to last for four months.  It helps especially those nearer to Lubumbashi.  Pray for the Word to work on the hearts of the leaders and pastors that they teach and preach faithfully the whole counsel of God's Word.

BELC CATECHISM EXAMS - Pastor Paul reports on four of the five districts that written examinations were held on June 16th for 35 of the preachers, with 32 passing.  On June 30th oral examinations were conducted for 36 of the preachers with all but three passing. The failed students will have re-examinations.  This took place at Nagalapuram. (The fifth district under Pastor Moses at Nellore also has examinations.) Pastor Paul's evaluation of this last year's work is that it has several benefits.  The students learned our doctrines fairly and gained a good knowledge of scriptural truths and fundamental principles.  The doctrines are also presented with a view to practicability.  It is also useful for the tutors in that they had to prepare papers deeply  before giving instructions.  All gain better understanding.

HERMENEUTICS - continued
The Bible Uses Various Literary Forms - Principle #3
There are poetical books of the Old Testament.  In these, a type of poetry called Hebrew  parallelism is used.  The same  thing is repeated in the same way or a little differently  or in the exact opposite way.  In Is. 1:18 we find this with "sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;...red like crimson, they shall become as wool."

In the Old Testament we have many historical sections in which the Lord has narrated for  us what occured at a certain time.  He does not necessarily condone or condemn actions by  interrupting in the narration.   Some have condoned polygamy by misinterpreting Scripture in saying David and Solomon did it, so we may also.  A teaching passage should say to us to do or not to do.  On one man having one wife  I Cor. 7:2 is clear.

There are portions of Scripture such as the epistles which are didactic or teaching sections which tell us God's will for us.  These we call instuctional or exhortations.

There are also many figurative portions of the Bible.  The Lord's parables are some examples.  The prophetic books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Zechariah have large sections of symbolic or figurative language.

There are other portions of Scripture which we must take literally, as in the Creation account, since the sense there is literal.

We should understand which type of literary form is used to better understand what the message is from God.

NEW  'TEE'
We have started to send correspondence courses to a contact in Pakistan, Sardar Masih. He is now included in the mailing of BASIC.  He has inquired about our teachings as  Lutherans and we are glad to begin to correspond with him.  God bless his studies. 

Pastor D. Koenig

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #14
July 28, 2003

I Cor. 16:9  For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

HERMENEUTICS - continued
Interpretation - Principle #4   Consider the Time and Setting
Every book of the Bible needs to be interpreted in the light of the time in which it was written, the circumstances which brought about the writing, the problems and needs that occasioned it.  If you know to whom, by whom, and for whom the epistle to the Hebrews was written, you have a better understanding of the message of the epistle.

If one understands that a woman with braided hair and such was considered a loose woman, then one understands what Paul is saying to the Corinthians and to us.

When our Lord speaks of new wine in old wineskins, if we understand the method of  keeping wine and that the skins are brittle if old, then the meaning of what He says comes across.  Mt. 9:17

-----------------------

The following is a message received from Pastor Jyothi Benjamin of the CLCI in India.

Dear brother David,
   This is Jyothi. The following are the essays that the CLCI is going to present in the 2003 pastoral conference.
+++How to respond to ban on conversions - Pastor Jyothi Benjamin.
+++The Lord who strikes - Pastor Jyothi Benjamin.
+++The Christian Life - Pastor Nireekshana.
+++God's Spokesman in a Foreign Land (A study on Ezekiel) - Pastor Isaiah.

Dear brother, this following is the report on VBS for BASIC.
VBS:  This very successful event has become an important outreach tool, not only by bringing the message of Jesus to the children but also to many of the parents.  We are very happy to inform you that we have seen God's power in a great way in this year 2003 also through this VBS-03.  He strengthened and encouraged us very much this year also.  For It was a great success to our Lord in gaining the more children to the Christ.  Nearly 1000 children participated in this VBS program and through these children, we hope that we have planted the wonderful Gospel truth in many villages.  This one-week VBS program lives in these lovely children in a great way and given much relief from their Hindu influenced school lessons.  Once again they were reminded by the ways of the Lord to gain the eternal salvation that was earned for them by Jesus Christ only.  It was a great success that with your prayers we made it possible in teaching these  children the love of God and it is true that this love of God is going to spread in many poor Indian villages with the help of these lovely children.  Of course everybody agrees that this is one of the ways in which we can direct children toward Christ.  We thank and praise the Lord for all His enabling grace upon us to conduct this VBS program with a great success.  I must specially mention the wonderful help from women fellowship members, students, youth and the CLCI orphan boys and girls in this regard.  As usual in this program, we also focused our main attention for some special activities like tailoring and embroidery, plastic basket making for girls for their future benefit.  We also focused about special Gospel  evangelical program for youth leadership training to develop creative awareness among youth to understand the Hindu society, problems and also to develop their skills in evangeliam to overcome their problems.  Group discussions about Biblical points to  promote the sense of confidence about their Bible knowledge among the CLCI rural children and also to develop spirit of cooperation to work together.    Last year itself we took some special training program for youth to run vocational Bible schools and training for Sunday School teachers to encourage, to guide, to create and to prepare them in free gospel service with great enthusiasm.  Under this program some high school children had been selected from various CLCI congregations and we gave them some special training in this regard.
   Also we have activities like Bible education programs, Bible quiz programs, Bible written tests, Bible story telling competitions, coloring of biblical pictures, Songs competitions, Sports and Games.  Quite a few Hindu children also participated in this VBS-2003.  Many laid their faith in our Lord Jesus.  Many non-CLCI members were influenced and inspired by these programs  and the Lord's Name was glorified.  Singing songs, learning English hymns and proverbs, coloring of pictures, plays and dramas, acting, music, with all these, the children have been enjoying these programs very much.  Through these children, many new members were also influenced and inspired to rest on the One Who is "Mighty to save."  The Lord's Name was glorified.  All glory, laud and honor to Him alone.  We pray that His blessings may rest upon all the children that have  been contacted through our CLCI's humble and earnest endeavor.  This year's VBS program ended with stirring Gospel procession of Children and Teachers.  We had a few stops for preaching the Word and it was an inspiring time and people of all classes heard the message of salvation.
   VBS material like books, charts, coloring pencils like crayons, sketch pen's, Sunday School material, children songs cassette tapes, picture books were supplied by the beloved members of the respected CLC.  "Although my house is not so with God, yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure.  For this is all my salvation and all my desire; will He not make it increase?" (2 Samuel 23:5)
   Yes!  It is possible for every young child here in this darkened Hindu land to give a similar testimony like that King David!  The Lord has made an everlasting covenant with them.  He will preserve it till He comes back!
   Jyothi Benjamin

------------------

JESUS FILM MINISTRY
   Our brethren in the BELC in India are beginning to now use the projector with all other equipment to go out to the villages in their areas of India to show the film on Jesus, which is based on the Gospel of Luke.  Two young women from the CLC-USA,  Hesper Busse and Megan Owings, came over to India and conducted Bible crafts with children, followed by the showing of the Jesus film.  For ten nights of showings the children have ranged in number from 40 to 130.  Adults also have watched.  We pray for many Hindus to see the film in their own language, Telegu, and that the Holy Spirit  would work through the spoken Word.  Another mission helper besides the two young ladies, Mr. Peter Evensen, was able to help with the technical set-up.

In Him, 
Pastor David Koenig (in India)