NOTE FROM LES

Dear Friends, The past three months have been what we intended them to be-- a chance to rest and get back to 100% health condition. In that time we have not traveled at all except to our Oklahoma classes and tapings. But beginning April 1st our calendar is once again beginning to fill up.

April kicks in with participation in the Tulsa Prophecy Conference April 2nd through the 4th and then a weekend in the Toledo, Ohio area April 25 and 26. Several other trips are still in the planning stage but will include our annual time in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Our all day Saturday seminar will be at North Heights Lutheran once again followed by the Sunday services at Bethesda Church (August 23rd - 24th) and then the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (August 25th - 27th) retreat at Osceola, Wisconsin. From there we will drive up to Superior for a couple of days with our son Todd, Kim and the grandkids. On our way back south we will stop in southwestern Wisconsin for a weekend with the Grace Bible Church in Lancaster. From there we will go down to Iowa City and spend a couple of days with my brother Harley and his wife and then home to Oklahoma.

We always appreciate being remembered in your prayers but especially so when we are on the road traveling. Thank you again for every prayer that is in our behalf.

The following was reprinted with permission by Dallas Theological Seminary.

Volume 7 of Lewis Sperry Chafer's 8 volume "Systematic Theology"

GOSPEL

The word 'euaggelion' means 'good news' and was fully appreciated when all the news of the day had to be carried by couriers. To bear good news was a high honor. Four different messages of good news have been rightly identified and set forth by Dr. C. I. Scofield:

Quote:
(1) The Gospel of the kingdom. This is the good news that God purposes to set up on the earth, in fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:16 …), a kingdom, political, spiritual, Israelitish, universal, over which God's Son, David's heir, shall be King, and which shall be, for one thousand years, the manifestation of the righteousness of God in human affairs. Two preaching's of this Gospel are mentioned, one past, beginning with the ministry of John the Baptist, continued by our Lord and His disciples, and ending with the Jewish rejection of the King. The other is yet future (Matt. 24:14), during the great tribulation, and immediately preceding the coming of the King in glory.

(2) The Gospel of the grace of God. This is the good news that Jesus Christ, the rejected King, has died on the cross for the sins of the world, that He was raised from the dead for our justification, and that by Him all that believe are justified from all things. This form of the Gospel is described in many ways. It is the Gospel "of God" (Rom. 1:1) because it originates in His love; "of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:14) because it flows from His sacrifice, and because He is the alone Object of Gospel faith; of "the grace of God" (Acts 20:24) because it saves those whom the law curses; of "the glory" (1 Tim. 1:11; 2 Cor. 4:4) because it concerns Him who is in the glory, and who is bringing the many sons to glory (Heb. 2:10); of "our salvation" (Eph. 1:13) because it is the "power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom. 1:16); of "the uncircumcision" (Gal. 2:7) because it saves wholly apart from forms and ordinances; of "peace" (Eph. 6:15) because through Christ it makes peace between the sinner and God, and imparts inward peace.

(3) The everlasting Gospel (Rev. 14:6). This is to be preached to the earth-dwellers at the very end of the great tribulation and immediately preceding the judgment of the nations (Matt. 25:31 …). It is neither the Gospel of the kingdom, nor of grace. Though its burden is judgment, not salvation, it is good news to Israel and to those who, during the tribulation, have been saved (Rev. 7:9-14; Luke 21:28; Ps. 96:11-13; Isa. 35:4-10).

(4) That which Paul calls, "my Gospel" (Rom. 2:16 …). This is the Gospel of the grace of God in its fullest development, but includes the revelation of the result of that Gospel in the out calling of the church, her relationships, position, privileges, and responsibility. It is the distinctive truth of Ephesians and Colossians, but interpenetrates all of Paul's writings.

There is "another Gospel" (Gal. 1:6; 2 Cor. 11:4) "which is not another," but a perversion of the Gospel of the grace of God, against which we are warned. It has had many seductive forms, but the test is one-it invariably denies the sufficiency of grace alone to save, keep, and perfect, and mingles with grace some kind of human merit. In Galatia it was law, in Colosse fanaticism (Col. 2:18, etc.). In any form its teachers lie under the awful anathema of God.- Scofield Reference Bible, p. 1343

Strong objection is offered by Covenant theologians to a distinction between the Gospel of the Kingdom as preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Disciples, and the Pauline Gospel of the Grace of God. One Covenant theologian states that to make such a distinction is "unfortunate," and "dangerous." He with others contends that the Kingdom Gospel is identical with the Gospel of divine Grace. Here nevertheless will arise an absurdity which does not deter this type of theologian, namely, that men could preach the Pauline Grace Gospel based as it is on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ when they did not believe Christ would die or be raised again (Lu. 18:31-34) (VII:176).

NOTE FROM LAURA

In my last note, I wrote a little bit about the rapture and how much I was looking forward to it. But I was thinking the other day that in reality it is not so much the rapture we are looking forward to-[other than the thought of leaving this earth sooner than later and not having to experience death]- but rather what we are looking forward to is what occurs after the rapture. After all, the rapture will take place in a split-second so the event in itself will be so rapid in its happening that we will not have time to enjoy it. I think I would have to say that when I am thinking about the rapture and hoping for it, what I am really thinking about is what comes afterward-- that being a glorious eternity in heaven. I have often contemplated about what heaven must be like- especially after being hurt. The Bible says quite a bit about the millennium but is really quite silent about the heaven that we are going to experience. I am absolutely sure this is because our finite, human minds could not begin to comprehend the glory waiting for us and I also think that if we knew what heaven was like, our time on this earth would be almost unbearable. I have often wondered how Paul kept up his earthly vigil after he had his glimpse of glory, and am guessing that there was not a day that went by that he did not wish he could leave this earth and take up his heavenly residence. However, having that glimpse of heaven probably was also a part of his motivation for telling others of how they too could spend their eternity there-- perhaps it is one of the reasons he spread the gospel of grace with such intensity. It makes me wonder why we as believers today are not more adamant in telling others around us about heaven and how easy it is to get there-- simply taking God at his word and believing that his death, burial, and resurrection is all it takes. Totally amazing!

NOTE FROM OFFICE

We always want to remind our faithful supporters and ask that those of you that are new, please write on the memo line of your check or money order what it is to be used for. For payments, please write invoice number, or if unavailable, the word "payment". For orders, please write "send" and the product type and numbers you would like. If the order is too large to fit on the memo line, you may include it on a separate sheet of paper. There is no need for an order form. It is also to your benefit as well as ours if you remember to include your name and address on the letters you send to Les, especially if they contain questions. Sometimes they are separated from the envelope, making it difficult to send the reply. In addition, do not forget to keep us up to date on any address changes. For those of you who still need Year-end statements please call or write to request one.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

We continue to get questions concerning tithing and keeping Saturday Sabbath. It must be the end time deception that we are warned to avoid. When I show clearly from the letters of Paul that we are not under the law but under Grace, I get a response like, "But the Saturday Sabbath goes back to Genesis 2 when God rested."

Abraham gave titles of all in Genesis 14. He began circumcision in Genesis 17. Now, all three of these were incorporated into the Mosaic Law. Consequently, all 3 were set aside when God opened the windows of Grace and set us free from the Law. So, the early church moved the day of rest and worship to the resurrection day. Not the day of the Sun as some foolish arguments try to put it.

When the Church, which is His Body, is complete, God takes it out of the way by calling it up to meet Him in the air, and with the advent of the 7-year Tribulation the law will once again be in effect. Matthew 24:14, Revelation 12:17. Compare Romans 6:14b.

RELEVANT SCRIPTURES:

SABBATH: Romans 14:5 - One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. I Corinthians 16:1 & 2 - Now concerning the collection for the Saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. Colossians 2:16 - Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an Holy day, or of the New moon or of the Sabbath days. Acts 20:7 - And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight.

TITHING: II Corinthians 8:12 - For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. II Corinthians 9:7 - Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Paul never uses the words Sabbath (except in Colossians 2:16, above) or Tithe in any of his Epistles.

HELP!

We have a friend whom has received three books from an author on Oslo Norway and he would like them translated from Norwegian to English. Any Takers? Please call us here at the ministry 1-800-369-7856.

RECIPE CORNER

We had some extra room so we thought we would put in one of Iris's yummy recipes:

"Toffe Bars"

Line a 10" x 14"pan with graham crackers Boil 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup real butter for 4 minutes

Pour over the crackers and cool

Melt 2 - 8 oz Symphony Bars microwave pour over mixture and cut while still warm