CLC Lutheran Mission History

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B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER # 104

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

Please announce to the host pastor for the conference so that he knows about hotel rooms.
September - Joint English Conference at Nellore - Pastor Moses
October - Joint East African Conference at Arusha - Pastor Jeremiah

AUDIT -Just a loving reminder. Please have your accounts in order so that I can audit what the CLC has sent you. When I am with you I will go over the records.

September - India
October - November - East Africa
January - West Africa

BIBLE QUESTIONS -part 7

The Sun Standing Still

In Josh. 10:12-14 we have Joshua commanding the sun to stand still. And truly "there has been no day like it before or since." The Lord listened to Joshua and granted his 'command' so there would be a total defeat of the Amorites. It is a lot easier to defeat the enemy army in daylight than in darkness when the enemy could sneak away. "The sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day." There are those who say this is impossible. Of course with God nothing is impossible. We think how He created everything out of nothing by the power of His Word. There are those who say that the sun could not stand still as the earth revolves around the sun. But the language used is the language in which people spoke as even today we say the 'sun set' or there is 'sundown'. Each of these expressions is simply the language of people as they see things. By God's power the sun remained visible for nearly a whole day.

The Shadow on the Sundial of Ahaz

This story is found in 2 Kings 20:8-11 and Is. 38:7-8. Simply put the sundial shadow went in the opposite direction, going ten degrees backward. The God who brought light out of darkness and had light in heaven before there was a sun, moon and stars is certainly ableto do such a minor thing as have a small shadow go backwards. It was given as a sign for the sick king that God would give him good health again and fifteen more years of life. For any who would doubt this miracle, it is simply a matter of our God being the God who is operating in time for His people. In this case to a faithful king a little miracle is given to point out how God can and will give more living time to serve Him.

The Witch of Endor

Did she or did she not call up the real Samuel from the dead? In l Sam. 28:5-20 we see King Saul going to inquire of the witch. No longer trusting in God and no longer being answered by God, Saul turns to one he had previously condemned to death. The woman is consorting with evil spirits and getting them to help her to fool people or to lead them astray. It would seem that God brought the real Samuel to the scene, the woman cried out with a loud voice; ...Why have you deceived me? You are Saul." v.12 The real Samuel discloses to the despondent Saul his doom as prophesied. It is God alone who can bring people back from the dead. Think of on the Mount of Transfiguration when Moses and Elijah appeared. Here there was no question in Saul's mind that Samuel had appeared. It was not by the power of the devil or any of his evil spirits as they provide lying wonders whereas this spirit spoke the truth as it had been spoken before.

Homiletics part 6

A Christian is a Butterfly

in the State of a Caterpillar

Justification is instantaneous; sanctification is a long growth. Justification is the act of god whereby He takes a man who is dead in trespasses and sins and says, "I create within you the new life of Christ and now I look upon you and see you just as perfect as I see the Lord Jesus."

Justification is the act of god whereby he declares an ungodly man to be perfect while he is still ungodly. It is as extraordinary a thing as if you were able to say that the caterpillar is really a beautiful butterly. "Oh," you say, "but it isn't! It still looks like a caterpillar." Well, that is exactly what God does with us. He comes to us in our "caterpillar status" and declares us to be "butterflies."

In reality, that is what happens in nature, too; that caterpillar does become a butterly. Fod God has given us this remarkable picture of metamorphosis--that which goes into the cocoon as a worm comes out as a butterly, for it lives part of its life in one state and part in another. We call this process metamorphosis. It is very interesting to note the Greek word used in romans 12:2: "Be not conformed to this word, but be ye transformed (metamorphosed) by the renewing of your mind."

Prayer of a Husband and a Wife

Keep us, O Lord, from pettiness.

Let us be thoughtul in word and deed.

Help us to put away pretense and face each other in deep trust without fear or self-pity.

Help us to guard against fault-finding, and be quick to discover the best in each other and in every situation.

Guard us from ill temper and hasty judgment; encourage us to take time for all things, to grow calm, serene and gentle.

Help us to be generous with kind words and compliments.

Teach us never to ignore, never to hurt, never to take each other for granted.

Engrave charity and compassion on our hearts.

Pastor Koenig

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A Good Time Was Had By All

This might be a good way to describe the 7th Joint Pastoral Conference of the BELC and CLCI held recently in Nellore, AP, India. A little over forty pastors attended the three day meeting. Twenty essays were delivered. To give you an idea of the study of God's Word that was carried out following are some highlights. The essays ranged in length from one page to 27. All the men mentioned below were pastors.

Jyothi, who is head of the seminary at Nidubrole, gave an essay reminding us of the "Power and Authority of God's Word" which positively pointed out that our God works through His Word. In an essay to point up the errors of "The Rapture and the End Time Theology" he directed us to the clear Word that points up the end as we have it in many passages, especially in 1 Thess. 4:16-17.
D. Paul, who heads the BELC and thank God is recovering from a motorcycle accident, gave us a Gospel study on the "Passion and Death of Christ." He wrote "Jesus Christ suffered and died to lift up the human race from the marsh of sin," and how the Gospel should predominate in our preaching.
Barnabas, who is now married with a child and hardly looks as if he could be that old, gave us a study on "God's Power in Our Weakness." He pointed up the plaintive plea each of us has made, "Does God hate me? Is this why He has given me weaknesses? Why me and not others?" He gave us the solution to this in "My grace is sufficient for you, for my Power is made perfect in weakness..." 2 Cor. 12:9-10.
Isaiah, who teaches at the Nidubrole seminary, asked the question in an essay, "Who is the 'Perfect' Pastor?" Of course, none of us. "These unsettled days in our culture are rich in opportunities for the Gospel of our crucified Lord to shine with fresh and compelling rightness as the darkness of self-absorption fragments families and destroys communities."
Ravi Kumar, who wants to start a new district in the BELC at Naidupeta, gave an essay on "How We Were Transformed from Sinners into the Righteous: Rom. 12:2..."
D.V.Paul, who teaches at the seminary at Nidubrole, reminded us of "The Office of Christ" that it is: prophet, priest and king.
G. Prem Kumar, who is young and married with children, pointed up how important it is that we are "Waiting on God." "In an age of fast food, electronic mail and instant everything, the art of waiting on God is disappearing fast. The modern generation may soon forget the spelling of 'patience.' Even if a preacher may occasionally speak on patience, the trend of the times is such that the congregation will leave the service with the prayer, 'OK Lord, give us patience, but give it right now!'" "We get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it open!" "Waiting on the knees brings us to our journey's end quicker than walking by foot!"
D. Devasahayam pointed up the error of "Once saved, always saved," by giving the Scripture in the essay "Falling Away from Faith."
Deepak, who is doing missionwork in the Andaman Islands, gave us an isagogical study of the "Holy Bible," point up how, "God's Word is the traveller's map, the pilot's compass, the pilgrim's staff, the soldier's sword, and the believer's log."
John Wycliff, who is 71, heading the work in Kakinada and well recovered from heart trouble only a couple months ago, reminded us we are "Saved By Grace Alone!"
Nireekshana, who I have know since he was sixteen, reminded us of that wonderful "Forgiveness". "Forgiveness is this lifeline and guideline that comes to us from the living God--the living God Who delights in forgiving us because of what His Son did for us!...God makes enemies, friends and good friends stronger friends...In order to forgive someone, we must delete from our brain all data relating to the past offense that made us its target. Sort of a spiritual shock therapy."

We also had the following:

Sampath - The "Message of the Cross and the Five Great Invitations"
V. Bijay - "Intimacy with God"
S. Murthasami - "The Call"
S. Santhosh - "Faith Leads to Ministry"
Meshack - "The Lord's Prayer"
V. Victor - "The Good Shepherd"
Rajamani - "Obey God's Word"
K. Johnson - "Who We Are - Who Are You - Really?"

In addition at the conference, reports were heard of the work of the two sister churches and these will appear in BASIC in upcoming letters. How pleasant and how fair it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. Ps. 133:1

A New Man in the Suit

The program committee for a national barber's convention decided a graphic means of demonstrating the effectiveness of their profession. They found a social derelict on skid row with long, dirty hair. His face was unshaven and his clothes were ragged and filthy. His body reeked with odors of cheap liquor and filth.

The barbers cleaned him up. They gave him a bath, shampoo, shave, haircut and manicure. They liberally sprinkled talcum powder on him and added spicy cologne. He was dressed in a new suit and was presented before the convention as a changed man. He certainly looked the part. However, within a week the man was back on skid row, back in the gutter, back in his former pattern of living. The barbers altered his appearance, but their tonsorial services had not changed his inward nature.

Anyone who has the money to spend can put a man in a new suit, but only Christ can put a new man in the suit. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.: Christ alters us from the inside out.

The Human Tiger

A French explorer was crossing Africa from the Zambezi and came into the region of the Barotsi people. He had heard stories about the native king Lewanika, whose greatest delight had been to put to death, by newly invented tortures, those who offended him. He was also known as the "human tiger."

This French officer came to the station where Pastor Coillard was in charge, and the pastor himself, a Frenchman, entertained him kindly. Then came Sunday. The French officer was absolutely without God, but as a matter of politeness he went to church and sat through the service. When he came out he said, "Monsieur Coillard,who was that remarkable looking man sitting next to me, who listened so carefully?" That was King Lewanika, the 'human tiger.' " "Was it?" "Yes."

"Then if that is what Christ can do, I mean to be His."

Pastor Koenig