studying god’s word, rightly divided october 2001studying god’s word, rightly divided october...

The

Berean SearchlightStudying God’s Word, Rightly Divided October 2001

2 Berean Searchlight

INSIDE THIS ISSUEOctober 2001

The Berean Bible Society is an organization for the promotion of Bible study by meansof newspaper series, recorded Bible lessons, and the distribution of Bible study literature.It is a non-profit organization, a work of faith supported by the gifts of Christian friends.

The Berean Searchlight is the official organ of the Berean Bible Society,and is sent free of charge to any who request it.

Editor: Paul M. Sadler

Composition and Layout: Kevin J. Sadler

Printing: United Press Inc., Elk Grove Village, IL

Questions, comments, book orders? You can reach us at:

Berean Bible SocietyN112 W17761 Mequon Road

PO Box 756Germantown, WI 53022

Internet: <www.bereanbiblesociety.org>

E-mail: <[email protected]>

The Berean Searchlight (ISSN 0005-8890), October 2001. Volume 62, Number 7.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Berean Searchlight, N112 W17761 Mequon Road,PO Box 756, Germantown, WI 53022-0756.

Feature ArticlesHolding Forth the Faith with a Clear Conscience

Pastor Paul M. Sadler .............................................. 7

Pauline MissionsPastor Joe Watkins .................................................. 13

“Jesus Loves Us So”Pastor Cornelius R. Stam ........................................ 16

The Right FoundationPastor Ricky Kurth .................................................. 17

DepartmentsFrom Our Mailbag ....................................................... 4

Proving the Sincerity of Your Love ............................. 6

Question Box ................................................................ 12

News and Announcements .......................................... 26

October 2001 3

Dearly Beloved,If there is one constant in life, it’s change. Just

about the time you become comfortable with yourfavorite easy chair, a spring breaks. We tend toresist change because it moves us out of our com-

fort zone into the unknown. I don’t know about you, but I like to haveall my ducks in a row—all swimming in the same direction, organized,neat, serene, picturesque. So when Brother Havard came into my officerecently to let me know he would soon be leaving us, I knew this wasgoing to be a major change for BBS since David had redefined the posi-tion of Executive Administrator. I still have all my ducks, mind you, butthey are somewhat disorganized at the present. A worst case scenariofor a perfectionist!

With David’s military experience and expertise in tae kwon do, whenthe opportunity arose to enter law enforcement, he seized the moment.It was the fulfillment of a life-long goal. Of course, we need moral, up-right individuals in law enforcement, but as we know, this is an evilworld, so please pray for David’s safety and wellbeing. My hat’s off toall those men and women who stand on the frontlines to protect us.

I have often said that David fit the posi-tion here at BBS perfectly. While David isa leader in his own right, we enjoyed a Paul,Timothy type of relationship. I can relatewith Paul, “For I have no man likeminded,who will naturally care for your state.” Infact, from the very first, we were so like-minded we usually knew what the other onewas thinking—scary! Consequently, he’s going to be difficult to replace,but we’re sure the Lord already has someone in mind.

In the meantime, David has agreed to continue helping us with ourcorrespondence at home, as time permits, until we find a replacement.This is greatly appreciated and helped to realign a few of my ducks.So, please be patient with us if there is a temporary delay in respond-ing to your letters and e-mails. And remember us before the throne ofgrace regarding the Lord’s leading in finding a new Executive Admin-istrator. As Pastor Stam used to say, “These types of personnel don’tgrow on trees!”

In Him, with thanks,

Paul M. SadlerPresident

From theEditor to You:


From Our MailbagActs 14:27

From British Columbia, Canada:“We are so thankful for the set of

books we ordered a while back. We haveenjoyed reading the commentaries, whichare so easy to understand when they areexplained in light of rightly dividing theWord. God bless you in your work.”

From Michigan:“May God continue to bless your min-

istry as it epitomizes true evangelismand truly defends the gospel of JesusChrist as revealed in Mystery truth.”

From Colorado:“Thank you for your work in this min-

istry. We know it may be wearisome. Joeand I were blessed by Pastor Sadler’sparticipation in Rocky Mountain GraceCamp this June. His messages on the ar-mor of God have been imprinted on Joe’sheart, so much so that he may be attend-ing BBI in autumn 2002.” (This remindedme of the song we sing at Camp: “RockyMountain Grace Camp, that’s the Campfor me, here is where we hear God’s Wordand learn the Mystery.” Ed.)

From the Philippines:“I’ve finished your authored books,

likewise those of Pastor Stam. In myreading, I’ve highlighted many of thegood principles I’ve gained as a resultof continued studies of your books alongwith my Bible. I’ve learned your balanceddoctrines and practices in all of yourbooks and that’s how you differ fromthose who ignore the rightly dividingprinciple. I was equipped all the moreespecially as I study the Alps of the Paul-ine epistles. I remember you in prayer,thanking God for your obedience andfaithfulness in the gospel of Grace.”

From New York:“Just a short note of praise and

thanksgiving to the Lord for what Hehas done through you for my growth inChrist through your wonderful insightsinto the Word of God. Thank you PastorSadler for your words that have been soencouraging. May God continue to blessyou as you have truly blessed us.”

GOD’S BLESSINGON BBS MINISTRIES

From Michigan:“I just received my August Search-

light and realized it had been a whilesince I have had a part in the ministry.I also want to say I really appreciateall of you who labor so faithfully to helpkeep the truth going out to the Churchand the world, which seems to get darkerevery day according to the evening news.I don’t see how the Lord’s appearing couldbe far off. Pray that we will be lookingfor Him more each day. Keep up the goodwork and may God supply your everyneed through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

From Washington:“So thankful you’re there. It gets

lonely in this vast wilderness of spiri-tual error. Please send a copy of TwoMinutes With the Bible for a friend’sbirthday. She is beginning to see theGrace Message.”

From Missouri:“Please use this towards the Search-

light as we try to reach our friends withthe Mystery message. We so appreci-ate your ministry in proclaiming soundBible doctrine, rightly divided. The gracemessage is such a wonderful truth, andyet most of our friends and family haverejected it and us for proclaiming it. Butwe will continue on, always striving tobe faithful stewards.”

From Tennessee:“I am glad to get your material. It is

such a help. I send my prayers to you.”

From Michigan:“I cannot thank you enough for Pas-

tor Wilson’s article on The Prayer ofJabez. The book has certainly seen a lotof media attention on the television, onthe radio, and in newspapers all acrossthe country. The fact that it is a bestseller is a great example of the state ofthe world today. People are gobbling itup and, sadly, cannot see the importanceof Pauline truth.” (Sadly, the underlyingpremise of the book is a gospel of health,wealth, and prosperity. Paul addressesthis in Galatians 1:6-9. Ed.)

October 2001 5

From Iowa:“We meet weekly for Bible study in

the rightly divided Word and we just fin-ished Pastor Sadler’s book, The Triumphof His Grace. How grateful we are forhis work in writing these wonderfulbooks on God’s Word, rightly divided.Always keeping Berean Bible Societymuch in prayer. Thank you to all whomake the Lord’s work continue on. Itis so much appreciated.”

From Colorado:“I praise the Lord and thank Him for

His Word, rightly divided, and for youat BBS who spread the gospel of Grace.Thank you for the Searchlight also.”

From Kenya, Africa:“I am a pastor in Kenya, Africa. I do

receive monthly magazines of BereanSearchlight. This has been a blessing tomy spiritual life and my pastoral min-istry. The church I pastor has benefitedgreatly with the messages in these mag-azines since 1996. I do use some of theteachings in these magazines to conductBible study lessons. This has enhancedin the church growing spiritually andnumerically. God bless your ministry.”(Brethren, your generosity makes a tes-timony like this possible. Thanks foryour faithfulness! Ed.)

From South Dakota:“Thank you all at Berean Bible Soci-

ety for bringing forth God’s Word, rightlydivided.”

From Singapore:“Greetings from the Grace Believers

in Singapore. We hope that you and yourstaff are well and Pastor Stam too. Youmay be interested to know that I use thearticles in the Searchlight to teach twoBible classes that I hold on a regularbasis, and those attending find that theyare able to rightly divide the Word justby going through these articles. Pleasekeep up the good work.”

From Illinois:“After reading the different com-

ments about Things That Differ, I wasso stirred I feel the need to read it.Would you send me a copy?”

From Pennsylvania:“Thank you very much for the book,

Paul, His Apostleship and Message. Ifinished it last night and it was a bless-ing. Among other things, it cleared upfor me the issue of whether Peter andthe apostles made a mistake in appoint-ing Matthias to take Judas’ place amongthe twelve. After reading Stam’s book Iam convinced that it was not a mistake.I am grateful to God the way He intro-duced me to your ministry. Also, I amgrateful to C. R. Stam’s works in rightlydividing the Word of truth. May Godbless you all who are involved in theSociety’s ministry.” (We find it amazinghow most Acts 2 dispensationalists be-lieve Peter to be out of the will of Godat nearly every turn in the early Actsrecord, when he was under the completecontrol of the Holy Spirit. Ed.)

From North Carolina:“I love the Searchlight publication I

receive and look forward to receiving it.Enclosed is $.... to help with the work.”

From Florida:“We enjoyed the article Sense and

Nonsense by Pastor Havard. I believe thetheologians referred to should be namedso we who have not heard their teach-ing can avoid them and warn others.Sad. Thanks for the Searchlights.”

From Colorado:“Just got my Income Tax relief check.

I am using the entire check to send con-tributions to those organizations pro-claiming God’s wonderful grace messageof which you are number one. I prayall Christians would do likewise.” (Nowhere’s an idea we hope spreads likewildfire! Ed.)

“These [Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, inthat they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searchedthe Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” —Acts 17:11


Proving the Sincerity of Your LoveA Fellow Soldier of the Cross

Paul challenged the Corinthians accordingly, “Therefore, as ye aboundin every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence,and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also [that is, thegrace of giving]. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of theforwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.”

The cost of doing business these days continues to spiral out of con-trol. While we have always sought to emphasize the spiritual side of theLord’s work, there is also a business end. Lately we’ve been inundatedwith a steady stream of price increases for goods and services. By far,the most dramatic being in postage and printing costs. We are very, very,grateful, though, to our Heavenly Father for His faithfulness in supplyingall of our needs.

As with most Christian organizations, the financial burden is usuallycarried by a small percentage of the overall number. However, like theveterans of foreign wars, the numbers of these soldiers of the Cross, whogive sacrificially so others might hear Paul’s gospel, are slowly dimin-ishing. With more and more of these veterans being called home, theLord may well be calling you to step forward to fill their shoes. Thequestion is, will you take advantage of this opportunity to the praise ofHis glory?

Of course, we are not referring to those dear saints who are on fixedincomes, barely able to make ends meet. Rather, we have those in mindthat are in a position to help, but assume the needs of the Lord’s work arebeing supplied. God indeed has been gracious, but always remember, Heuses those who are willing vessels through whom He might channel Hisblessings. If you are not currently a donor to the ministries of the BereanBible Society, will you prayerfully consider giving a regular monthlydonation of $25, $50, or $100, as the Lord has prospered you? It wouldbe a tribute to those who are now gone who made it possible for you toenjoy more fully the riches of His grace.

Then there’s the future! Don’t forget to include BBS when you prepareyour will. This is one way to ensure that your legacy will be used for thefurtherance of the gospel of the grace of God. If you would like moreinformation along this line, we will be glad to help by sending you ourbrochure, To Prove the Sincerity of Your Love. This little booklet suggestsseven different ways to invest in the Lord’s work. Simply drop us yourrequest and we’ll be happy to send you a copy free of charge.

May the Lord bless you and yours as we labor together to make knownthe wonders of His matchless grace.

Holding Forth the Faithwith a Clear ConscienceHolding Forth the Faithwith a Clear Conscience

By Paul M. Sadler

“Holding faith, and a good con-science; which some having putaway concerning faith have madeshipwreck.”

—I Timothy 1:19

The Civil War was a dark chap-ter in the history of America.

Thankfully, we have lived to see theabolition of slavery with its vari-ous forms of cruelty. But few real-ize that the underlying issue of theconflict was states’ rights, whichhas never fully been resolved tothis day.

Several years ago, our familyvisited Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.Needless to say, it was a memorableexperience. The Battle of Gettysburgwas one of the defining momentsof the Civil War. As we stood onCemetery Ridge, it wasn’t difficultto envision the battle that tookplace there on July 3, 1863. GeneralLee’s strategy was to attack theUnion Army head-on and split it intotwo parts. It was called “Pickett’sCharge.” The idea, of course, wasto divide and conquer.

Envision for a moment over12,000 Confederate soldiers, withguns in hand, yelling at the top oftheir lungs, charging toward you.The initial wave of soldiers covered

an area nearly one mile wide. Itwould be enough to make a strongman tremble. As we know, the Northwas triumphant that fateful day, butscores of good men lost their livesin the cause. Lieutenant GeneralJohn B. Gordon of the South statedafter the war that he believed, “Itwas the providence of God that theNorth won for had the South beenvictorious, the nation would havebeen fragmented.”

THE IMAGES OF CONFLICTPerhaps the most touching mo-

ment of the visit came when we vis-ited the National Cemetery wherePresident Abraham Lincoln deliv-ered the Gettysbury Address. Therewere 15,000 present the day hespoke these memorable words:

“Now we are engaged in a greatCivil War, testing whether that na-tion, or any nation so conceived andso dedicated, can long endure. Weare met on a great battlefield of thatwar. We have come to dedicate a por-tion of that field as a final restingplace for those who here gave theirlives that that nation might live. Itis altogether fitting and proper thatwe should do this. But, in a largersense, we cannot dedicate, we can-not consecrate, we cannot hallowthis ground. The brave men, livingand dead, who struggled here, haveconsecrated it far above our poorpower to add or detract.”

Brethren, we too, are engaged ina great conflict—a conflict betweengood and evil, between righteousnessand unrighteousness. The heavenlyground upon which we stand has


“You can be certainthat any time we’rediscouraged we’vetaken our eyes off

of the Lord.”

been hallowed by the precious bloodof Christ. Furthermore, it is con-secrated by the sacrifices of thosecourageous soldiers of the Cross,both living and dead, “far aboveour poor power to add or detract.”Therefore, when the battle grows in-tense, let us not draw back as somehave done. I personally believe thiswas the intent of Paul’s words toTimothy, “Holding faith, and a goodconscience.” In other words, standfast, don’t be discouraged, nevergive up the fight, always do what’smorally right!

“This charge I commit unto thee,son Timothy, according to the proph-ecies which went before on thee,that thou by them mightest war agood warfare; holding faith, and agood conscience; which some hav-ing put away concerning faith havemade shipwreck” (I Tim. 1:18,19).

The use of the term “son” by theapostle is a clear indication of hisaffection for Timothy. Although Tim-othy’s heart had been cultivated byhis mother and grandmother, it wasPaul who led him to Christ and nur-tured him in the faith. We mighthave ten thousand instructors, butwe normally only have one spiri-tual father who will naturally carefor our spiritual welfare. This wasthe case with Paul and Timothy.Paul had become a spiritual fatherto this young man.

As we examine the record, welearn that the battle was so intenseat Ephesus that Timothy had ap-parently become discouraged. Prob-ably every child of God at one timeor another has suffered from dis-couragement. This is another oneof those things that fall under thecategory of: it’s not a matter of “if,”but “when.”

You can be certain that any timewe’re discouraged we’ve taken our

eyes off of the Lord. We begin todwell on the circumstances aroundus. Since that’s enough to depressanyone, we try to deal with thingsin our own way. It usually goes some-thing like this, “Step aside, I’m tak-ing charge!” Of course, the harderwe try to control things, the morecomplicated they become until wecome to the end of ourselves. Thenthe lamentation is heard through-out the realm, “Nobody knows thetrouble I’ve seen!”

This is where Timothy was; hewas ready to throw in the towel, asit were. While the counsel of manytoday would be to visit a psycholo-gist, Paul always sought a biblicalsolution when dealing with theLord’s people. He encourages hisyoung friend by reminding him ofhis spiritual roots. Timothy had beencalled of God. You see, he had lostsight of that. Paul effectively drawshis attention back to the things ofthe Lord.

Son, remember those “prophecieswhich went before on thee.” Notice,“on thee,” that is, Timothy. Clearlythe prophets of grace, most of whomwere probably with the Lord by thislate date, had confirmed his callingof God. They apparently foretoldwhat great things would be accom-plished through this young man’sministry to the glory of God.

In essence, the apostle is sayingto his young friend, “Timothy don’tdwell on the circumstances, evil asthey may be. Get your eyes back on

October 2001 9

the goal, the prize of the high call-ing of God in Christ Jesus. Why areyou so astonished that ungodly menare opposing and threatening you,it’s part of the territory, my son?Beloved, you must never forget youare called of Him and entrustedwith that precious deposit. If Godbe for you, who shall be againstyou?” Thankfully, we know Timothyrecovered from this temporary set-back because a year later he is stillfaithfully serving the Lord whenPaul writes to him a second time(II Tim. 1:1,2).

FIGHTING THE GOODFIGHT OF THE FAITH

With the apostle well along inyears and facing a possible deathsentence at Rome, Satan was turn-ing up the heat on Paul’s compan-ions. He knew the torch of gracewould soon pass to them after theapostle’s death. One by one they de-parted from the apostle leaving theChurch without field commanders,which eventually resulted in the re-ligious confusion of the Dark Ages(II Tim. 1:15; 4:10,16).

But Timothy stood fast in thegrace that is in Christ Jesus. It couldwell be that the prophets predictedhe would be the lone voice after theapostle’s death to proclaim the mes-sage of grace in its purity. Churchhistory bears out that after Timo-thy’s martyrdom, Paul’s gospel wascompromised by the traditions andcommandments of men. Sadly, it wasdiminished to a mere flicker of lightuntil the Protestant Reformation.

For years Paul had been prepar-ing Timothy for the inevitable—hisdeparture to be with Christ. So whenTimothy received word that theapostle would soon be executed inRome, it came as little surprise. Af-ter Paul recovered from the initial

shock that the ruling had goneagainst him, he writes to Timothythese touching words:

“For I am now ready to be offered,and the time of my departure is athand. I have fought a good fight, Ihave finished my course, I have keptthe faith” (II Tim. 4:6,7).

Paul was a “ready” servant of theLord. He was ready to visit Rometo minister the Word. Here, speak-ing of his impending death, he wasready to be offered, which is a subtlereference to the Old Testament li-bation. The libation, or drink offer-ing, was poured over the sacrifice asan additional act of worship (Num.28:10-14). The apostle wanted theend of his life to be looked upon asa testimony, one final act of wor-ship, something over and above. Inour case, we will probably face somesort of terminal illness, but may ourdesire be that of Paul’s, to glorifyGod with our last breath.

For “the time of my departure isat hand.” The word “departure” isa nautical term that has the ideato loose the ship from the mooringand set sail. As far as Paul was con-cerned, he was ready to set sail to bewith Christ, which is far better. Theapostle could also confidently say,“I have fought a good fight...I havekept the faith.” In addition to sum-marizing his lifelong ministry forthe Lord, Paul meant this as a wordof encouragement for Timothy thathe should strive to do the same. Itwas his prayer that Timothy wouldbe able to say this at the end ofhis life. Paul didn’t want his youngfriend to have any regrets.

“That thou by them mightest wara good warfare.” There are manygood and noble battles being foughttoday; the battle over abortion, stemcell research, religious liberty, etc.While Christians should stand up


and be numbered on these issues,the Church will never turn the tideof this world system. In fact, oppo-sition against Christian values willgrow worse and worse as we ap-proach the Rapture. The answeris not reformation. We will neverconform the world to our way ofthinking. Rather those who opposethe truth need to be transformedby the gospel.

So then, the only fight that pro-duces lasting results is the goodfight of the faith. You see, until thelost are saved and come into aknowledge of the truth, there is nohope for change. In regard to theChurch, until it submits itself to“the faith,” Paul’s special revela-tion, it will continue to flounder ina quagmire of confusion. This iswhy it’s essential that we stand inthe defense and confirmation ofPaul’s gospel. Those who under-stand Paul’s distinctive apostleshipand message are the last bastionsof hope for the members of theBody of Christ who are fighting thewrong battle.

What battle are we to be fight-ing? Clearly, it’s to make all mensee what is the fellowship of theMystery—the special revelation thatwas committed to Paul concerningChrist. Interestingly there are twomajor revelations of Jesus Christ.

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ,which God gave unto him, to showunto his servants things which must

shortly come to pass; and He sentand signified it by His angel untoHis servant John” (Rev. 1:1).

The Greek word that stands be-hind the English term “revelation”in this passage is apokalupsis,which means the unveiling. In thiscontext, it has to do with the rev-elation of Jesus Christ accordingto Prophecy. The Book of Revela-tion is merely an extension of theearthly ministry of Christ, whichconfirms that Christ will one dayreturn in power and great glory todestroy the kingdoms of this worldand establish His kingdom of righ-teousness for one thousand years(Matt. 24:14,29-31 cf. Rev. 11:15;19:11-16; 20:5-7). The good fight ofthe faith in the coming day of theLord will be to stand in defense ofthe kingdom gospel. This is the ba-sis for the fulfillment of the GreatCommission.

“But I certify you, brethren, thatthe gospel which was preached ofme is not after man. For I neitherreceived it of man, neither was Itaught it, but by the revelation ofJesus Christ” (Gal. 1:11,12).

The Greek word that stands be-hind the English term “revela-tion” here in Galatians 1:12 is alsoapokalupsis. In this context, how-ever, it has to do with the revela-tion of Jesus Christ according to theMystery. Paul received the unveil-ing of Jesus Christ in grace. Thisis the heavenly ministry of Christconcerning the Body of Christ, whichwas kept secret from ages and gen-erations past. The apostle says, “Butwhen it pleased God, who sepa-rated me from my mother’s womb,and called me by His grace.” Thisspecial revelation came throughPaul; he was God’s divinely chosenapostle to make known the mani-fold riches of His grace.

“We will never conformthe world to our way ofthinking. Rather thosewho oppose the truth

need to be transformedby the gospel.”

October 2001 11

The good fight of the faith todaythen is to stand in defense of thegospel of the grace of God. This isthe basis for the fulfillment of thecommission of reconciliation. Atthe Judgment Seat of Christ, theCommander in Chief is not going tohand out honors to those who weredefending the wrong commission.Which commission are you defend-ing? Our marching orders are clear.God will not hold us blameless ifwe disobey the commands of Christset forth in the manual of gracefound in Paul’s epistles (Acts 20:24cf. I Cor. 14:37).

MINISTERING THE GOSPELWITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE

“Holding faith, and a good con-science; which some having putaway concerning faith have madeshipwreck” (I Tim. 1:19).

It is essential to minister theWord with a good conscience. Ap-parently there were those in Paul’sday that were careless in this regard,which greatly hampered their minis-try. Conscience simply means “withknowledge.” When Adam and Eveate of the forbidden fruit, “they knewthat they were naked” and sinnedagainst God. The moment they par-took of the forbidden fruit their con-sciences were activated, for we aretold that they knew the differencebetween good and evil (Gen. 3:5-7).

Those who lived under the dis-pensation of conscience were to doall known good and abstain from allknown evil. While we are no longerliving under the regulations of thatdispensation, God has never re-scinded man’s conscience. It’s stillalive and well in each of us. Lutheronce said, “It’s a dangerous thingto disobey your conscience.”

Our conscience is an early warn-ing system that warns us against

wrongdoing. We might liken it to arailroad crossing. When danger isapproaching, in the form of a com-ing train, red lights begin flashingas the gates come down. But therailroad warning system is power-less to stop you from going aroundthe gates and putting yourself inharm’s way. In a northwest sub-urb of Milwaukee, a car full of teen-agers on their way to school onemorning thought they could ignorethe flashing lights and beat the on-coming train at the crossing. Theywere wrong, dead wrong! Objectsapproaching perpendicular to oneanother are always traveling fasterthan they appear to be. In otherwords, it’s much more difficult tojudge distance accurately.

In like manner, the consciencehas the ability to warn us of dan-ger, but it, too, is powerless to keepus from sinning. If we fail to heedthe warning and sin, we do so of ourown volition. There are several con-sequences for disobeying the con-science, the primary one being guilt.The message Paul was sending toTimothy was this, always do thatwhich is right in the Lord’s work.He was to abstain even from theappearance of evil for the sake ofthe gospel and his conscience.

We recently saw a news maga-zine that did an undercover cam-era investigation of a well-knownnational ministry. Apparently thetele-evangelist pledged he would


Question Box“ ‘Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall

declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shalltry every man’s work of what sort it is’ (I Cor. 3:13). Pastor,what does the ‘fire’ represent in this passage?”

Throughout the Scriptures, “fire” often symbolizes the Wordof God. For example, Jeremiah was having a rough time of it;as a result, there came a point in his life when he said to him-self, “That’s it, I’ve had it, I can’t handle this criticism frommy countrymen any longer. I will never speak again the nameof the Lord.” Then the prophet added, “But His Word was inmine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I wasweary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (Jer. 20:9 cf. Rev.1:13-15).

At the Judgment Seat of Christ,the members of the Body of Christare going to be judged by the Wordof God. Our Christian life will comeunder the scrutiny of the wholecounsel of God, with special em-phasis on Paul’s epistles. It is herealone that we have the commands of Christ for the administra-tion of Grace. Every man’s work will be compared with thepattern of the Pauline revelation. Believers will either be re-warded or suffer loss based upon how closely they adhered toPaul’s God-given apostleship and message (Rom. 11:13; 16:25;I Cor. 3:10,11; 14:37). —Pastor Sadler

pray over each and every letter hereceived from those who had sickloved ones—God was waiting toheal them!!! He encouraged theLord’s people to send their requests,and handkerchiefs, along with agenerous gift. The following week,what the undercover investigationrecorded was the staff removing thechecks from the envelopes and dis-carding the letters without evenreading them, let alone praying foreach request. The answer to thehealth, wealth and prosperity gos-pels of our day is Paul’s gospel.

Brethren, here at the BereanBible Society every letter is read andevery request honored. Whether it’sregarding a question, information,prayer request, or simply a bookorder. We also issue a receipt andacknowledgement for every donation.Of course, this doesn’t mean thatthings don’t occasionally fall throughthe cracks, but I think you’ll find ourstaff to be very conscientious. Weare strong believers in accountabil-ity in the Lord’s work. Thus, it isour earnest desire to hold forth thefaith with a clear conscience!

October 2001 13

Pauline MissionsPauline MissionsBy Pastor Joe Watkins

Our good friend, Joe Watkins, has been preaching the gospel of the grace of Godlonger than anyone can remember. Pastor & Mrs. (Pauline) Watkins served asmissionaries for over thirty years in the Philippines, establishing local assem-blies the Pauline way. The fruits of this ministry are nothing short of amazing!But Brother Watkines would be the first to say, “To God be the glory, greatthings He hath done.” Joe is currently the Executive Director of Things toCome Mission. —Ed.

“Those things which ye have bothlearned and received, and heard,and seen in me, do: and the God ofPeace shall be with you.”

—Phil. 4:9

“METHOD!” answers the ques-tion: “How?” How did Paul accom-plish in 15 years what has not beenduplicated in the last 2000 years?He was the one who took the gos-pel of Grace from Antioch (Acts 13)halfway across Europe to Rome, thecapital of the world at that time.We have the same God, the sameMessage, the same Holy Spirit, andmuch better facilities. Certainlythe opposition in the time of Paulwas greater than today. Wasn’t hehindered at every turn and evenimprisoned at the peak of his min-istry? His persecution was “abovemeasure.”

Roland Allen, in his book “Mis-sionary Methods, St. Paul’s or Ours,”challenges us to reconsider mis-sionary methods in the light of theearly church and to contrast theoutcome of the last 150 years withSt. Paul’s decade of work in Greeceand Asia Minor. Have we produced,with all our modern means andmethods, in 150 years what Paulproduced with his methods in 15years? If the answer is “No,” thenwe should change over to Paul’smethods which are actually simple,

and a few hours of study wouldstart us on the right road.

OBJECTIVES1. EvangelismFor a moment, think about objec-

tives because they are vitally relatedto methods. Paul’s first objective wasevangelism (Acts 26:16-19). Theone goal constantly before Paul was,“Evangelize the world.” If we aregoing to follow Paul, this same driv-ing goal must constrain us, and noth-ing must deter us from the goal ofevangelism.

2. Establishing the Local Church:Paul was careful to gather new

converts into a local assembly, “achurch in a house” (Rom. 16:5).Paul did not tell his converts to at-tend the church of their choice. Ibelieve Paul’s ultimate objectivewas to establish a local assembly.Evangelism wasn’t complete untila church was established and theconverts were attending a localchurch established by Paul. I be-lieve Paul sets a pattern for us inActs 14:21-23.

METHODS1. Training Church Leaders and

Church Planters—II Tim. 2:1-3:Paul’s training of church leaders

was done in the church. He nevertook pastors out of a church and


trained them in a foreign place, buthe selected those in the church whowere already leaders and trainedthem, laying hands on them.

From each church he selectedother men and women to leave thechurch and follow him in churchplanting. Acts 16 tells of the call ofTimothy. Acts 20:4 lists a numberof men from various churches whoaccompanied Paul.

He trained church leaders in thechurch and he trained field workersin the field. “On the job training”was used by Paul. Just now, menare beginning to realize the effec-tiveness of this method after all. Wesee more and more Grace churchesstarting Bible schools to train theirown people for ministry.

2. Correction & Further Training:When a local church fell into er-

ror, Paul did several things: (1) wroteletters (2) sent a fellow evangelistto the church (3) went himself (4)prayed constantly for the church.This is also how he gave further train-ing to the leaders in the churches.Missions is a GOING business. Wego to the lost, not asking or wait-ing for them to come to us. We goto the churches to teach and train,not asking the church to come tous. We go with the evangelists totrain them, not sending them outto train themselves.

3. Message:Paul, in every church, empha-

sized the truth that was revealedto him by the Lord Jesus Christ. Ithink Scofield summed up the im-portance of Paul’s message when hesaid: “In his writings alone we findthe doctrine, position, walk anddestiny of the Church.” The churchis not only established for fellow-ship and worship, but also forteaching and training members inthe message that Paul revealed to

the Gentiles (Eph. 3:1-10; Rom.11:13).

In 1958, Things to Come Missionbegan its ministry in the Republicof the Philippines. The first thingwe did was to establish objectivesfor the ministry. We also felt theobjectives we set for the Philippineministry would be used later in othercountries.

The objective would be the sameas the Apostle Paul’s—establishlocal churches. In order to accom-plish this objective we also followedPaul in method. The first methodwas evangelism. The converts fromevangelism would be brought to-gether into a local church. In thePhilippine ministry several meth-ods were used to evangelize: radiobroadcasts on local stations, liter-ature (gospel tracts, Bible Corre-spondence Courses, and books), andopen-air evangelistic meetings.

The second method was train-ing of the national leaders. Thusthe Bible Schools were established,church-related training centerswere established to train elders,the TEE program was set up, andspecial seminars are held annuallythroughout the Philippines for ourchurches.

As the ministry grew, we saw theneed for establishing a youth depart-ment. This department is respon-sible to train and equip the youthin the local churches. The youth de-partment has developed into a large

“Paul’s objective andmethods work in the

21st century. We mustcontinue following Paul

in doctrine, and practice.”

October 2001 15

Missionary Journey to the Philippines

ministry from which they regularlysend out evangelistic teams to holdmeetings.

The ministry in the Philippineshas grown to over 500 Grace church-es; all committed to teaching the spe-cial message revealed to and throughPaul. There are now Filipino mis-sionaries serving the Lord in Kenya,Indonesia, and Brazil. There arefive resident-type Bible Schools inthe Philippines, with many studentspreparing for the ministry. To fur-ther train our pastors, a two-weekintensive postgraduate school isheld every year or so.

The objectives that were estab-lished in the Philippines have alsobecome the objectives for TCM’sministries in Kenya, South Africa,Indonesia, and Brazil. In each coun-try there are a number of churchesestablished and ongoing trainingprograms.

Paul’s objective and methodswork in the 21st century. We mustcontinue following Paul in doctrine,and practice.

“Be ye followers of me, even as Ialso am of Christ” (I Cor. 11:1).

“Wherefore I beseech you, be yefollowers of me” (I Cor. 4:16).

Missionary Journey to the PhilippinesThings to Come Mission has invited the Berean

Bible Society to join them for a two weekministering tour in the Philippines

March 16-31, 2002

The cities where meetings are being arranged are:Manila, Cebu, Clarin, Ozamiz.

Guest Speakers:Joe Watkins, Executive Director of Things to Come Mission

Paul M. Sadler, President of the Berean Bible Society

The tour will also include:• The Commencement Exercise at the

International Grace Bible Instituteon March 24th

• A Local Church Dedication in Ozamiz• The Annual Youth Conference for the

Island of Luzon on March 28th-30th

For additional information, please contact: Pastor Joe Watkins,Things to Come Mission, 2200 English Ave., Indianapolis, Indiana46201, or e-mail: <[email protected]>, phone: (317) 262-8806.

Have you Prayed for Your Missionaries Today?


“Jesus Loves Us So”“Jesus Loves Us So”By Cornelius R. Stam

There is much in the Holy Scrip-tures that the best and wisest

among us do not yet understand.In fact, the best and wisest of ushave only begun to grasp the truthscontained in that blessed Book.

Among these, bless God! arethose which we cannot understandbecause they are too wonderful forus mortals to comprehend.

It was concerning such truthsthat David exclaimed:

“Such knowledge is too wonder-ful for me; it is high; I cannot attainunto it” (Psa. 139:6).

Far more has been revealed to usthan David ever dreamed of, and wehave graciously been given divinehelp to understand truths then un-known. But still God has kept farahead of us with His revelations ofblessing, and there are precious pas-sages, especially in the Pauline epis-tles, which we will never fully graspin this life, simply because they are“too wonderful” and “high” for us tofully comprehend. We can believethem, however, and rejoice in them.

Thus we believe and rejoice in theglorious revelation of our position inChrist in the heavenlies, though weare only beginning to understandthis precious “mystery.” Thus, too,we rejoice in “the love of Christ, whichpasseth knowledge” (Eph. 3:19) and“the peace of God, which passeth allunderstanding” (Phil. 4:7).

One such passage which has al-ways gripped this writer, yet hasleft him ever again overcome withwonder, is II Corinthians 5:21:

“For He [God] hath made Him[Christ] to be sin for us, who knewno sin; that we might be made therighteousness of God in Him.”

Again and again, as the writerhas pondered over this verse, hehas responded: “Can it be! He madesin that I might be made, not merelyrighteous, but ‘the righteousness ofGod in Him’! Lord, I cannot take thisin. It is too wonderful for this poorsinful heart to fully grasp. Yet I dobelieve it and rejoice over it ‘withjoy unspeakable and full of glory.’”

But there is another kind of pas-sage which in another way is equallyhard, for this writer at least, to graspin its fulness. One example of thiskind of passage is Ephesians 4:30:

“And grieve not the Holy Spiritof God, whereby ye are sealed untothe day of redemption.”

Again I ask: “Can it be! GODgrieved!” How it can be that eter-nal and almighty God can be grievedover anything that I, a poor speckof sinful dust, might do, is morethan I can grasp. It overwhelmsme that He is so deeply concernedabout me.

Yet I know that it is so, for asfar back as Genesis 6:5,6 I read astriking statement about our sov-ereign God:

“And God saw that the wicked-ness of man was great in the earth,and that every imagination of thethoughts of his heart was only evilcontinually.

“And it repented the Lord that Hehad made man on the earth, and itgrieved Him at His heart.”

If, then, a sovereign God wasgrieved over the wickedness of theante-deluvian race, how He must begrieved when I, His son in Christ,fail Him!

While as yet we are unable to com-prehend all this, such passages as

October 2001 17

The Right Foundation

Ephesians 4:30 can bring us untoldblessing if we simply believe them.

Surely this passage teaches usthat God loves us deeply. Indeed,He has scarcely besought us notto grieve His Holy Spirit when, al-most in the same breath, He assuresus that the Holy Spirit has sealedand does seal us unto the day ofredemption.

And is not this the reason for theexhortation? He says, as it were:“Do not grieve the Spirit, who lovesyou; who loves you so that regard-less of your faithfulness or failureHe continues to keep you safe inHis care.”

It is well that so many children’ssongs emphasize the fact that Jesusloves them, for it is this that is mostapt to draw from them a responseof faith and love while they are stillyoung.

Perhaps the greatest hymn everwritten was that wonderful chil-dren’s hymn:

“Jesus loves me, this I know,For the Bible tells me so.”

We, their elders who have cometo know the Lord Jesus Christ,should sing these words with greaterjoy and deeper gratitude than they.There it is again! Let us not grieveHim—for He loves us so.

The Right FoundationBy Pastor Ricky Kurth

The following message was delivered by Pastor Ricky Kurth during the SeniorTeen week at Northern Grace Youth Camp last summer. As you may know,Brother Kurth was our typesetter here at BBS before he assumed the pastor-ate of the Faith Bible Church in Steger, Illinois. —Ed.

In 1993, construction began onthe Petronas Towers in Kuala

Lumpur, Malaysia. Destined to be-come the world’s tallest buildings,a solid foundation for these twintowers was absolutely critical. Sowhen test-drilling revealed bed-rock beneath the proposed site forone of the towers, but not for theother, the site was moved 150 feet.One engineer said: “With eachbuilding containing two millionsquare feet of office space, a poorfoundation would have resultedin ‘The Leaning Tower of KualaLumpur!’ ”

While a solid foundation is cru-cial for buildings, it is far more im-portant that your spiritual life befounded upon a firm foundation.The Lord Jesus Christ proposed a

site for your life’s foundation inLuke 6:47,48:

“Whosoever cometh to me, andheareth my sayings, and doeth them,I will shew you to whom he is like;

“He is like a man which built anhouse, and digged deep, and laid thefoundation on a rock; and when theflood arose, the stream beat vehe-mently upon that house, and couldnot shake it; for it was founded upona rock.”

The particular flood that ourLord had in mind is the Antichrist(Isa. 59:19), the coming world leaderthat will plunge the earth into sevenyears of what the Bible calls “greattribulation” (Matt. 24:21). While youmay not live to see the Antichristcome, there is still much we canlearn from our Lord’s words here.


You see, a flood is a deceptive kindof danger. In rain-starved desertareas such as the one in which ourLord lived, a flood starts out look-ing like a blessing! The rain falls,the river begins to rise, and every-one rejoices. And so it will be whenthe Antichrist appears. He will be-gin his career looking like a bless-ing to the people of Israel. He willrebuild their temple and re-instatethe ancient sacrificial system of theirreligion. But when he turns on themhalfway through the week of sevenyears (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15,16),Israel will learn too late that theman they thought to be a blessingwas actually a terrible curse.

Most of the perils that youngpeople face these days are simi-larly deceptive. Drugs and alcoholstart out looking like an enjoyableblessing, but untold millions havelearned the hard way that the Bibleis true when it says of alcohol, “atthe last, it biteth like a serpent, andstingeth like an adder” (Prov. 23:29-35). Likewise, pre-marital sex al-lures young people with seductivepromises of excitement and plea-sure, but in the end lives are ru-ined and regrets are too numerousto number.

Young person, you can avoidthese and all the other dangerouspitfalls of life by building your lifeon the Lord Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you are thinking thatyou already have a firm foundationin life. Your music, the education youare receiving, your friends; maybeyou’ve built your life on your rela-tionship with a boyfriend or a girl-friend. These things might seem tooffer a solid foundation for your life,but I can assure you on the author-ity of God’s Word that they are notsolid enough! When the hard timescome, and the bottom drops out of

your life, you will need the LordJesus Christ.

Just for a moment, I’d like youto compare the reliability of yourfoundation to the foundation ofChrist enjoyed by the Apostle Paul.In Acts 16, Paul and his friend Silaswere falsely accused (v. 20,21),beaten (v. 22,23) and imprisoned(v. 24). A severe test for anyone’sspiritual foundation! Let’s see howPaul held up:

“And at midnight Paul and Silasprayed, and sang praises unto God:and the prisoners heard them” (v. 25).

Could your spiritual foundationwithstand harsh treatment suchas this? Maybe. But would yourfoundation also enable you to singpraises to God after receiving suchbrutal injustice? If not, maybe it’stime to consider a new foundation.Let’s read on:

“And suddenly there was a greatearthquake, so that the foundationsof the prison were shaken; and im-mediately all the doors were opened,and every one’s bands were loosed”(v. 26).

We’ve been talking about theneed to build your life on the rightfoundation. How symbolic then toread here that “the foundations ofthe prison were shaken.” Over time,the prisoners incarcerated there hadcome to trust in those prison walls.Sure, the bars and locks meant thatthey weren’t able to come and goas they pleased, but incarcerationalso meant they had food, clothing,and shelter. And those walls alsorepresented the massive power ofthe Roman empire protecting themfrom the outside world and worsecut-throats than themselves! Theirfoundation in life seemed sure andstedfast, and they didn’t think any-thing could shake it—until now!Now as the walls shook violently,

October 2001 19

they knew that even the awesomepower of Rome couldn’t protect themfrom everything! And so, while itwas Paul and Silas who had beenbeaten and bloodied unjustly, whenthe earthquake came it was theprisoners who were shaken to theirvery foundation! So shaken thateven though “every one’s bandswere loosed,” not an inmate daredrun away (v. 28).

Young person, as sure as youmay be of your foundation, thereare earthquakes that lie ahead inlife that will rock your world. Areyou, like the prisoners, trustingsome earthly foundation? If so, thetime to establish your life firmly onthe Lord Jesus Christis now.

But before the storyends, we find that theprisoners weren’t theonly ones shaken tothe foundation by thisearthquake:

“And the keeper ofthe prison awaking outof his sleep, and seeingthe prison doors open,he drew out his sword,and would have killed himself, sup-posing that the prisoners had beenfled” (v. 27).

Now our focus shifts to the jailor.Only an hour ago, his world wasrock-solid and secure. But a Ro-man prison-keeper was responsi-ble for his inmates with his life.Thinking that all his prisoners wereescaped, this jailor was about tochoose a quick death over the slow,torturous, excruciating executionto which Rome was sure to con-demn him.

How about you? Does a recentearthquake in your life have youthinking that a quick death is pref-erable to the long, slow, torturous

existence that can only lie aheadfor someone like you? Suicide isvery common among young people,but suicide is no answer! If you,like the jailor, are thinking of tak-ing your life because of your manytroubles, you need a new foundation!Fortunately for the jailor, Paul wasthere to offer him one:

“But Paul cried with a loud voice,saying, Do thyself no harm; for weare all here.

“Then he called for a light, andsprang in, and came trembling, andfell down before Paul and Silas”(v. 28,29).

After Paul assured the jailor thatnone of his captives had escaped,

and thus talked himout of his deadly deci-sion, this shaken manhad a question for theapostles:

“Sirs, what must Ido to be saved?” (v. 30).

The songs of praisethat Paul and Silashad been singing thatnight had obviouslypraised God for thewonderful security of

being saved, and now the jailor wantsto switch his foundation in life to theLord Jesus Christ! How about you?Are you ready for a new founda-tion? If so, it’s as simple as can be.The apostles answered the jailor’squestion in the very next verse:

“And they said, Believe on theLord Jesus Christ, and thou shaltbe saved...” (v. 31).

Now don’t be afraid of that word“saved.” The Bible uses this wordover and over again. Hymn writerJohn Newton used it when he wrotethat most beloved of all Christianhymns, “Amazing Grace, how sweetthe sound that saved a wretch likeme.” Perhaps you’ve even sung that

“...the timeto establish

your life firmlyon the LordJesus Christ

is now.”


hymn yourself. But are you saved?You can be!

If you are wondering how to besaved, notice that Paul didn’t tellthe jailor: “Believe on the Lord andtry to be good.” Nor did he tell him,“Believe on the Lord and learn tobe religious.” He simply said, “Be-lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ—and thou shalt be saved.” That’sit? That’s it! That’s all? That’s all!The jailor found that it was justthat easy to switch to Paul’s foun-dation on that fateful day so longago, and it is just as easy to switchto Paul’s foundation today. All youhave to do is believe.

If you are not sure what it isabout Christ that you must believeto be saved, Acts 16 doesn’t give usany details. Verse 32 says only:

“And they spake unto him theword of the Lord, and to all that werein his house.”

So what was this “word of theLord” that Paul spoke unto them?Well, in his letter to the Corin-thians, Paul explains more fullywhat it is that we must believeabout Christ when he tells us “thatChrist died for our sins accordingto the Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:3). Onthe day they crucified the LordJesus Christ, God the Father placedall the sins of all mankind on ourSavior as He hung on Calvary’sCross. But that doesn’t mean thatall mankind is saved! II Corin-thians 5:21 says:

“For [God] hath made [Christ] tobe sin for us, who knew no sin; thatwe might be made the righteousnessof God in Him.”

2,000 years ago, God placed allyour sins on the Lord Jesus Christ.But it’s only 2,000 years later, whenyou believe on Him, that God takesChrist’s righteousness and places iton you, completing the transaction

that must be completed for the pur-chase of your salvation.

So the only question that remainsis, Do you believe God when He saysthat all of your sins are paid for?Do you trust Him when He saysthat? If you don’t, you’ll just haveto go on trying to save yourself. Bybeing good, or by not being bad. Butthis is something the Bible says youcan never do:

“Not by works of righteousnesswhich we have done, but accordingto His mercy He saved us, by thewashing of regeneration, and renew-ing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5).

You must decide right now totrust Christ as your Savior. To nottrust Him right now is to reject Himright now. And to reject Him meansto spend eternity in the lake of fire:

“But the fearful, and unbelieving,and the abominable, and murder-ers, and whoremongers, and sor-cerers, and idolaters, and all liars,shall have their part in the lakewhich burneth with fire and brim-stone: which is the second death”(Rev. 21:8).

I promise you this. Ten thousandyears from this moment, you willremember this moment. And wheth-er you remember it with joy or witheternal regret depends upon the de-cision you make right now, to receiveor reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

“For other foundation can noman lay than that is laid, which isJesus Christ” (I Cor. 3:11).

“ ‘Believe on the LordJesus Christ—and

thou shalt be saved.’That’s it? That’s it!

That’s all? That’s all!”

October 2001 21

THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAULTHE FOOTSTEPS OF PAULMay 19-30, 2002

For those who have tasted ofthe riches of His grace, what couldbe more advantageous than vis-iting the pearl of the Mediterra-nean, with an opportunity to learnmore about the area of the worldwhere the gospel began to spreadthrough Asia into Europe? As we retrace the footsteps of theApostle Paul, we will be visiting Thessalonica, Berea, Philippi,Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and many other cities where the apos-tle preached and established local assemblies.

In addition to having a Christian tour guide explaining the his-torical significance of each city, Pastor Sadler will be preachingthe gospel of the grace of God. Can you imagine what it wouldbe like to be standing at the ruins of Diana’s temple as you hearPaul’s gospel expounded? It is sure to be:

Educational

Spiritually Enriching

Life Changing

The package price of the tour includes airfares, hotel accom-modations, shuttle service, two meals per day, visas, customfees, entrance fees, taxes, gratuities, etc. For brochures andadditional information, please contact: Robin Cady at the WilcoxWorld Travel and Tours (828) 254-0746 and our tour leaders:Pastor & Mrs. Curt Crist (828) 693-5812. Plan to join us for thisexciting journey to where the heavenly ministry of Christ turnedthe world upside down, or should we say, “right side up!”

Don’t miss this wonderful time of fellowship,which will enrich your study of the life

and times of the Apostle Paul!

The Triumph of His GraceThe Triumph of His GracePreparing Ourselves for the Rapture

By Paul M. Sadler

The Triumph of His Grace is a comprehensive study on the doctrine ofthe pretribulational Rapture of the Church. Midtribulationism, Pre-wrath,Posttribulationism and the Partial Rapture theories are also thoroughlyexamined under the microscope of the Word, rightly divided. This volumecontains charts, outlines, time lines and numerous comparisons to help thereader understand that the Body of Christ will be “delivered from thewrath to come.”

Special Price: $9.00*This volume is also available on audio cassette tape for those who are interested.

4 Tapes with Album—Price: $12.00

THIS OFFER ENDS OCTOBER 31, 2001(Extended 30 days for all foreign orders)

Orders up to $20.00, please add $2.00 for postage and handling.Orders over $20.00, please add 10% for postage and handling.

*Foreign orders must be remitted in U. S. currency!

CLOTHBOUND

SCRIPTUREINDEX

215 PAGES

Autumn Book Specials

THESE OFFERS END OCTOBER 31, 2001(Extended 30 days for all foreign orders)

Orders up to $20.00, please add $2.00 for postage and handling.Orders over $20.00, please add 10% for postage and handling.

*Foreign orders must be remitted in U. S. currency!

Satan in Derisionor The Heart of the Mystery

By C. R. Stam

This volume has mainly to do withthe Mystery revealed through the Apos-tle Paul. Pastor Stam writes: “We willnever cease to praise God for the daywhen the eyes of our understandingwere first opened to the glories of theMystery, that sacred secret which ex-plains so many seeming discrepan-cies, and solves so many needlessproblems.”

CLOTHBOUND190 PAGES

SPECIAL PRICE: $8.00

Divine Election andHuman Responsibility

By C. R. Stam

The contents of this volume werewritten by Brother Stam in the early1940’s when the battle over divineelection was raging. We pray that,with the subject of election againcausing controversy, this book maybe used for the salvation of many, aswell as for a clearer understanding ofthe doctrine of Divine Election andHuman Responsibility.

CLOTHBOUND96 PAGES

SPECIAL PRICE: $7.00

Orders: Berean Bible Society, PO Box 756, Germantown, WI 53022

www.bereanbiblesociety.org


Grace Bible Fellowship Conference

Grace Believers’ Conference

Special Meetings in the Heartland

AUTUMN BIBLE CONFERENCESAUTUMN BIBLE CONFERENCES

Grace Believers’ ConferenceDates: October 27-28, 2001

Location: Living Hope Bible ChurchAmerican Legion BuildingMechanicsville, Iowa

Guest Speakers:Ivan Burgener, President of Berean Bible FellowshipKen Lawson, President of Midwest Grace FellowshipEric Anderson, Pastor of Living Hope Bible Church

Others to be announced!

For additional information, please contact:

Pastor Eric Anderson (319) 629-5640

Special Meetings in the HeartlandLocation: Grace Bible Church

7022 Gardner RoadChandler, Indiana

Date: Thursday, November 8, 2001

Speaker: Pastor Paul M. Sadler

For times of services and directions, please contact:

David Wasson (812) 867-0175

Grace Bible Fellowship ConferenceDate: Sunday, October 21, 2001

Location: Holiday Inn, I-68, Exit 43CCumberland, Maryland

For brochures or more information, please write or call: PastorBrent Biller, 108 Pineview Drive, Ridgeley, West Virginia 26753 orphone: (304) 726-4063.

October 2001 25

Are You Receiving the BBI Bulletin?

THE BBI B YLINE

When Berean Bible Institutebegan holding classes in the fallof 1996, we had ample room hereat the Berean Bible Society’s head-quarters building. And we thankGod that the BBS had the extraspace in their building, which wasbrand new at that time, to allowBBI to have a temporary home. Butnow, BBI is in its sixth year andwe are starting to feel “cramped”in our current quarters.

From the beginning we knewthat BBI would outgrow the avail-able space here at the BBS build-ing. Of course, growth for the schoolis a good thing as it means thatwe are training more students toprepare themselves for the workof ministry, which is the reasonBBI exists. However, it is also aproblem because finding a newlocation that is suitable to ourneeds, and means, is going to bea monumental challenge. But, ifBerean Bible Institute is goingto fulfill its mission of providingsound dispensational Bible teach-ing and ministry training to helpindividuals prepare themselvesto serve God, we must face this

challenge, believing that God willprovide.

Because BBS has allowed us touse their facilities for minimal re-muneration, BBI has been able tostretch its funds a long ways. So ofcourse, BBI’s eventual move intoother quarters will mean higheroverhead expenses. And the cost ofobtaining a suitable facility of ourown is simply beyond our presentresources.

Believing it to be wise to takeaction before our backs are againstthe wall, the BBI board of directorshas established a building fund.We ask that you would prayerfullyconsider contributing to this fundin order to make it possible forBBI to secure new facilities beforewe are “squeezed” so tight that wecannot function properly. And wewant to thank each one of you whohave faithfully upheld the ministryof Berean Bible Institute throughyour prayers and financial support.You are truly appreciated.

Yours for Christ,Dr. W. Edward BedoreExecutive Director

Included in its contents:Institute Update, Challenging Articles, Updated

Class Schedules & Class Descriptions,“Mail Re-ceived at Box 40,” “The Bulletin Board” and more!

To receive the BBI Bulletin simply write to:Berean Bible Institute, PO Box 40, Germantown,WI 53022 or email: <[email protected]>.

Are You Receiving the BBI Bulletin?

Sent free to anyone anywhere!


THE AUDIO TAPE VERSION of Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians by Pas-tor Sadler is now available. For a limited time we are offering the eighttape set, with album, for the special introductory price of $27.00, postpaid .Once again, our dear Brother Dave Allen is to be commended for his laborof love. Thanks Dave!

HOMEGOING: We just received late word from our dear Brother JohnMcKay that Pastor Lewis Line, associate minister of the Defiance GraceBible Church, was called home to Heaven on August 22, 2001 by meansof a sudden cardiac arrest. This was exactly one month after the Lord tookShirley Smith (beloved wife of Pastor Wilbur Smith) to Glory on July 22,2001. For those in Christ, the old hymn of the faith is so true, “When we allget to heaven, What a day of rejoicing that will be!”

THE GRACE FELLOWSHIP BIBLE CHURCH of Deltona, Florida wouldlike to extend a warm invitation for those who live in the area to join them inworship. The assembly meets every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. at theDeltona Sportsman Club, E. Goucho Circle, Deltona, Florida. For direc-tions, please contact: Pastor George Hunter, P.O. Box 6432, Deltona, FL32728 or phone (904) 761-0882. God’s very best to these dear saints asthey make known the riches of His grace.

SALVATION TRACTS: Our good friend Art Olson has written a “Salva-tion Tract” that we think you will find of interest. If you enjoy handing outtracts as a ministry, you’ll want to be sure to add this to your selection.Simply drop Art your request as to how many you would like and he’ll behappy to send them to you free of charge. Art’s a good example that weare never too old to serve the Lord. Please write: Mr. Arthur Olson, 445 W.Rockwell, Elkhorn, Wisconsin 53121.

IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND, always PRINT the name and addresswhen sending names to be added to the Berean Searchlight mailing list.Also, a percentage of our additions are requests to add a friend or lovedone. Of course, we are more than happy to comply, but please inquire be-fore adding names to the mailing list to make sure they want to receive theSearchlight. Otherwise we receive angry letters wanting to know who sentus their name. Needless to say, we feel obligated to send them your name,which means we both end up in the doghouse. By the way, the staff wantedme to convey their eternal gratitude for your compliance to the above!

*The picture of the lighthouse that appears on the front cover was sentto us by Michael Ortiz of Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico. The lighthouse is locatedin a town called Maunabo on the southeast part of Puerto Rico. The “Faroof Maunabo” is operated by the U. S. Coast Guard.

October 2001 27

PRICE LISTBIBLE STUDY BOOKS BY CORNELIUS R. STAM—FOUNDER

(Clothbound—Gold Stamped)Book Title Retail Wholesale

Acts, (Commentary) Volumes I & II ........................................... 25.00 ........ 18.00Acts, (Commentary) Volumes III & IV (w/Bible Index) ............ 25.00 ........ 18.00Author’s Choice, The .................................................................... 12.50 ........ 9.00Baptism and the Bible ................................................................. 11.00 ........ 8.00I Corinthians (Commentary) ....................................................... 14.00 ........ 10.00II Corinthians (Commentary) ..................................................... 14.00 ........ 10.00Divine Election and Human Responsibility .............................. 11.00 ........ 8.00Galatians (Commentary) ............................................................. 16.50 ........ 12.00Hebrews, Who Wrote It and Why? .............................................. 11.00 ........ 8.00Lord’s Supper and the Bible, The ............................................... 9.50 ........ 7.00Man, His Nature and Destiny ..................................................... 14.00 ........ 10.00Moses and Paul (w/Bible Index) .................................................. 9.50 ........ 7.00Our Great Commission (w/Bible Index) ..................................... 11.00 ........ 8.00Pastoral Epistles (Commentary) ................................................. 14.00 ........ 10.00Paul, His Apostleship and Message (w/Bible Index) ................. 12.50 ........ 9.00Romans (Commentary) ................................................................ 14.00 ........ 10.00Satan In Derision ......................................................................... 12.50 ........ 9.00Sermon on the Mount, The .......................................................... 11.00 ........ 8.00Suggestions for Young Pastors .................................................... 11.00 ........ 8.00I & II Thessalonians (Commentary) ........................................... 12.50 ........ 9.00Things That Differ (w/Bible Index) ............................................. 12.50 ........ 9.00True Spirituality (w/Bible Index) ............................................... 12.50 ........ 9.00Two-Fold Purpose of God, The (w/Bible Index) .......................... 9.50 ........ 7.00Two Minutes With the Bible ....................................................... 14.00 ........ 10.00

(Paperbacks)No Other Doctrine ........................................................................ 7.50 ........ 5.50Present Peril, The ......................................................................... 7.50 ........ 5.50Satan In Derision ......................................................................... 7.50 ........ 5.50Things That Differ (w/Bible Index) ............................................. 9.50 ........ 7.00

WRITINGS BY PAUL M. SADLER—PRESIDENT(Clothbound—Gold Stamped)

Exploring the Unsearchable Riches of Christ (w/Bible Index) ... 14.00 ........ 10.00Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians (w/Bible Index) ....................... 19.50 ........ 14.00Triumph of His Grace, The (w/Bible Index) ............................... 15.00 ........ 11.00Are You Secure? (Booklet) ........................................................... — ........ 1.00Historical Beginning of the Church, The (Booklet) ................... — ........ 3.00Institution of Marriage, The (Booklet) ....................................... — ........ 4.00Supernatural Sign Gifts of the Acts Period, The (Booklet) ....... — ........ 4.00Trials and Temptations (Booklet) ............................................... — ........ 2.00Water Rite, The (Booklet) ............................................................ — ........ 1.00

SPECIAL OFFERSAll 25 Clothbound Books by C. R. Stam,

Plus “The Present Peril,” “No Other Doctrine,”and “Exploring the Unsearchable Riches of Christ” ............ — ...... 175.00

Set of Current Booklets by C. R. Stam ....................................... — ...... 35.00Set by C. R. Stam (Books and Booklets) ..................................... — ...... 210.00Set on Acts by C. R. Stam (w/Bible Index) ................................. — ...... 30.00

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“To look around is to be distressed.To look within is to be depressed.

To look up is to be blessed.”

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