1990 Issue 9
John Calvin (Jean Cauvin) was born on July 10, 1509, at Noyon in Picardy, France. He was the second of five children of Gerard Cauvin, a man of some means, who was the secretary of the Bishop of Noyon. Thus, he was able to obtain certain benefices for his son. For example, young John became a chaplain at the age of twelve, an office which he later exchanged for a higher paying position. Before Calvin was a teenager, the Reformation in Germany, under Martin Luther (1483-1546), was already in full swing. Therefore, Calvin is properly referred to as a second generation Reformer.
For those of us serving in Churches where the Scriptural mandate of reconstruction is denied and often militantly opposed, the Appalachian Conference to Rebuild America is a pleasant day out of the trenches. The good Biblical teaching and exhortations, interwoven with browsing among the numerous book tables and renewing the bonds of Christian fellowship may be the only "R & R" many of God's salt and light experience during the year.
The Friday night Home School Workshop featured Robert L. Goette, a Phd. Chemist and member of the Associates for Biblical Research. Dr. Goette's topic was teaching children science from a Biblical, Creation oriented perspective. Among other things, he discussed Mt. St Helens and time, and the significance of the Grand Canyon to a Creationist.
A book recently published by Still Waters entitled Hal Lindsey & The Restoration of the Jews contains your excellent 45 page introduction called The Reformed Faith and the Jews. This book was written to counter Lindsey's false statements in The Road to Holocaust which tried to equate the Christian Reconstruction Movement with anti-Semitism. You point out that just the opposite is true and in fact, the Reformed Faith and Christian reconstructionists in particular employ the "system of prophetic interpretation that has historically furnished the Biblical basis for the most glorious future imaginable for the Jews!" Would you comment on that point?
Hal Lindsey & The Restoration of the Jews, by Steve Schlissel and David Brown. Still Waters Revival Books 12810-126 St. Edmonton, AB Canada TSL-071, 1990 200 pp. $9.95 (USA) 11.95 (Canada). Reviewed by Byron Snapp.
When was the last time you prayed for the conversion of the Jews? When do you last consider their restoration to their land as being a Scriptural principle? After all isn't such a belief only for those who are premillenial?
I heard your step down the hall today and my heart skipped a beat. Your Dad has been in Virginia preaching all week and so I knew it wasn't him, but it was his tread, his step that I heard. Have you unconsciously imitated your father's way of walking or is it maybe that you are structured like him and so have inherited his natural gait as your own? I'm not sure, but I know that you are so like him and it gives me great joy. But bringing joy to others is a specialty of yours. This has been true of you the moment you were born (you entered the world quietly and in as dignified a manner as possible). I was only in labor with you for a little over two hours. You never have wanted to cause trouble for me!
God, family, and property are inseparably linked. Marxism sees the link and works to destroy it. Ultimately, Marxism will fail in its quest for it foolishly opposes the order of the Almighty triune Creator-Redeemer God. The importance of the link between family and property can be measured by the fact that four of the ten commandments protect family and property. These are the fifth, the seventh against adultery, the eighth against theft, and the tenth against covetousness. Interestingly, none of the commandments protects the State. Apart from the prescription for pure worship of the true God the Church does not enjoy any protection from the Decalogue either. One would have to look elsewhere in Scripture for the establishment and maintenance of the State and the Church as God-given institutions in society. The emphasis on the family and property in the Law of God makes it clear that the family is the basic unit of society. This is God's order and any teaching or philosophy or ideology that kicks against it will meet with ruin.
How does one set about to write Christian music? For me it was a challenge of sorts having had no formal training in this area. On the other hand, much of it flowed without effort, really quite spontaneously, from a heart that was bursting to say something memorable and impressive to children and adults to build them up in the faith.
For years I tried to write songs with very little success. Then eight years ago my husband Wayne suggested that I try writing songs to accompany the children's and Shorter Catechisms. I know now that God was leading him in this and had much in store for me to do! There is such a strong sense of this music being a special calling from God and not just something I came up with on my own. When we are gifted by God in any area - be it music, art, preaching, teaching, hospitality, etc. - our sinful pride will rouse its ugly head to some degree at some point, and we need to be on guard and never let this pride cause us to fall. All that we can accomplish in life is by His grace alone and our highest goal and greatest joy should be to bring Him glory in all that we do.
