The Test of Christian Fellowship

Our speaker during Family Bible Hour was Greg Carlson, Chairman, Department of Christian Ministries at Trinity International University. He is pictured with his lovely wife, Donna. Professor Carlson's message was based on 1 John 1:5 through 1 John 2: 11 --

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
 ⁶If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
 ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
 ⁸If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
 ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
 ¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 John 2
 ¹My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
 ²And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
 ³And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
 ⁴He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
 ⁵But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
 ⁶He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
 ⁷Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
 ⁸Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
 ⁹He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
 ¹⁰He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
 ¹¹But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Prof Carlson's message discusses tests of fellowship as Christians figure out truth; and how to tell if a person is spiritually "dangerous".  As a quick summary, the three tests are ---

• What a person says about sin (1 John 1:5 -1 John 2:2)
• The test of obedience (1 John 2:3-6)
• The test of love (1 John 2:7-11)

Professor Carlson's message, in full and in context, is available on DVD. Please see Romy

Till we meet again!

It is with genuine fondness that we bid the Sauseda Family farewell as they prepare for their move to Colorado.  God bless the Saucedas!

1 Kings 11

Our speaker during Family Bible Hour was Mr Dick Sanders. His message was based on several verses from 1 King 11,12, and 13. Here are some portions:

1 Kings 11

²⁸And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.

 ²⁹And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
 ³⁰And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
 ³¹And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee...
³⁷And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.
 ³⁸And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.
 ³⁹And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever...

1 Kings 13

 ¹And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
 ²And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
 ³And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
 ⁴And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
 ⁵The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
 ⁶And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
 ⁷And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
 ⁸And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
 ⁹For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.
 ¹⁰So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel...

Through these passages we learn that God is interested in people getting the message. Not only is He interested in people getting the message, He is also interested in obedience to His Word. The true test of one's love for God is  obedience to Him. Do we believe what God says or are we listening more to what we think is right? As in the young prophet in chapter 13, we should not let the disobedience of others cause us to be disobedient. It may lead to dire consequences! Like the Apostle Paul, we want to finish well --

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,

 I have kept the faith -- 2 Timothy 4:7

Mr Sanders' message, in full and in context, is available on DVD. Please see Romy.

We welcome the rest of the Sanders Clan!

Brad