By Roger Stogsdill

The March-April 2010 issue of Messianic Perspectives, published by CJF Ministries (the organization that occasionally sends us Richard Toviah as guest speaker), has a must-read article on answering criticism of the Bible. The article, The Top 10 Attacks Against the Bible's Historical Reliability—And How to Answer Them, is timely for at least two reasons. First, sundown today, March 29, begins Passover, and this article comes from a Messianic Jewish perspective (a Messianic Jew is a Jew who has accepted Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah). Second, it goes hand in hand with the material we are learning in the Truth Project. Here is a link to the online version of the publication containing the article. Enjoy!

http://media.cjfm.org/pub/paper/pdf/Mar_Apr_2010_paper.pdf

 
 
By By Sammy Mah, President and CEO of World Relief
Reprinted with permission. Hit the link below for the original and to read more.

In the aftermath of the recent cataclysmic earthquake, the Church in Haiti shines brightly. During the first few critical weeks when food was scarce, local churches partnering with World Relief were serving hot meals to up to 15,000 people in the quake-ravaged capital and outlying areas. One church began feeding 6,000 people and keeping records of their names and circumstances before any relief agency had arrived, ensuring that no one was overlooked.

The pastor of another Haitian church prayed, “Lord, it is the time for change in Haiti! We’ve known so much sorrow, so much pain….but I believe this is the time for a big change in our country.”

This could be the Church’s finest hour. The Church in Haiti is uniquely positioned to bring change - to care for the many vulnerable people within and outside its walls, to serve physical, spiritual and emotional needs, and to speak God’s truth that the people of Haiti are made in his image and are dearly loved.

Local churches are vital as they reach out to the community in already established relationships, create distribution channels, and lay a foundation for lasting transformation. In the coming months and years, World Relief will work with local churches to offer psychosocial support, rebuild infrastructure and restore livelihoods. The rebuilding process will be long, but the Body of Christ will endure in faithfulness.

Churches around the world have joined hands with Haiti, giving sacrificially and asking what more they can do. The response has been humbling. We hope and pray this solidarity continues long into the future.
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http://nae.net/images/content/Insight_2010_Spring.pdf
 
 

Ever notice how all the action in the Gospel is from above?  Everything happens from up there to down here.  That ought to tell us something.  Man has always failed – in every age.

Even at the cross, when the crucifixion took place the veil of the temple was “rent in twain – ‘from the top to the bottom.’”  All the action came from above.

While the shepherds kept their flocks on the hillside suddenly there was a bright light, from above.  God gave and man received.  It has always been that way.  God acts; man reacts.  That is why the “Christmas Story” is so glorious.  It is told by God and given to man, “To men of good will”.  Lest we forget, we didn’t even suspect it was coming.  God wrote the agreement (the “covenant”) and we agreed to it.  He did it and we believed it.  Had it been left to us, we wouldn’t even have thought of it.

When I was reading Clarence McCartney’s sermons in preparation for my seminary thesis I ran across McCartney’s description of the Gospel.  It is a story of God coming down from the (Whitehouse to the Log Cabin), not the other way around as we would make it seem by our teaching.  The so-called “New Age” movement teaches that man advances from the log cabin to the Whitehouse, much as Abraham Lincoln did.  But the real Gospel speaks of God coming down and becoming a man, not man ascending to become a god.  How can this great truth be missed in the reading of the Scriptures?

By the way, the latter part of the phrase in the song goes, “Heaven came down – and glory filled my soul”.

Let’s hope so.  Don’t miss the significance of the purpose of His coming down.  To bless and bring glory and joy…