B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #7
B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #7
April 10, 2003
I Cor. 16:9 “a wide door for effective work has opened…and there are many adversaries.”
PRAYER ALERT – As you read this, Bible Institute student at Efa, Patrick Johnny Ekpo, is on a mission exploration trip to the northern part of Nigeria, specifically to Kano, to investigate us doing mission work there. Keep him in your prayers that he is safe and that he gathers information which will help us make a decision where to begin a station in the north beginning, God-willing, next year.
MISSION HELPERS – Periodically from the CLC-USA volunteers come to our sister church overseas to help in various ways. Most recently in January and February four men came to Moshi, Tanzania to help in remodeling a building to be used as a seminary. They sacrificed by coming over and forgoing their work in the USA and being away from their families. They follow the example of our Lord’s sacrifice. Starting July 15th for about three weeks, three or four mission helper volunteers will come to India. They will divide their time between helping with VBS in the BELC and working with the orphans in the CLCI. Our brothers and sisters show in this way, their love for Jesus and for their overseas brothers and sisters in Christ as well as for those not yet in the one true faith. May God continue to move the hearts of our CLC-USA people to volunteer and support this effort. And may God move those who are helped and served to be thankful for this sacrificial work in Christ.
SINGULAR TEACHINGS – PREDESTINATION OR ELECTION We teach that God chose us in Christ before the world was created. This we draw from several passages, but especially from Eph. 1:4-5 “…he chose us in him before the foundation of the world…he destined us in love to be his sons…” Both the Greek words for ‘predestination’ and ‘election’ are in this reference. This does not mean that we may not fall from faith through our own evil, willful rebellion. Peter fell from faith when he denied the Lord. It does mean that we will be in faith when the time comes for our upward call in Christ Jesus. There are those who teach a predestination to both heaven and hell. There is no predestination to hell taught in Scripture. It is the product of man’s reason. Some look at Rom. 9:22-23 and say that there predestination to heaven and hell is taught. That is wrong. The “vessels of wrath made for destruction” just indicates there will be those who go to hell. There will be those who fit the mold. But they are self-made, putting themselves in that condition, self-condemned. The vessels of mercy on the other hand are “prepared beforehand for glory” indicating clearly what we read in Eph. 1. The teaching of predestination/election is of great comfort to Christians, assuring them of God’s work for them in time and eternity that they might be with Him forever. Such great love from God must move us to persevere in the faith and not deny, doubt or fear. His perfect love from eternity is such that on the last day we will be among the sheep who hear the gentle Shepherds voice beckoning us to come and inherit the Kingdom.
MARTIN LUTHER ON MISSIONARY RESPONSIBILITY – “A Christian does not only have the right and the power to teach the Word of God, but he has an obligation to do so, unless he is willing to forfeit his soul and bring upon himself God’s wrath…And when he is in a place where there are no Christians, he needs no other calling but that he is a Christian and inwardly called and anointed by God Himself. He is obligated to preach and teach the Gospel to the erring heathen or non-Christians out of his duty of brotherly love, even though no man has called him”
In Him,
Pastor Koenig