Editorial
have to
confess
that people who go
around saying, 'God told
me this, and God told me that,' raise
my hackles. I accept that God does
speak to people, but I have also discovered that many who claim to
have a special connection with him,
make such claims in order to boost
their low self-esteem, to exalt themselves, or to manipulate others.
Recently, a certain charismatic
preacher in the States told his congregation that God instructed him to divorce his wife of many years and marry
a younger woman who was better
suited for the work of assisting him
with his ministry. The really sad thing
about this particular case, is that most
of his congregation accepted what he
told them and still support his ministry. A few saw through him and walked
out, but the majority stayed.
Oral Roberts, a very gifted evangelist, who was deeply in debt because
of three skyscrapers he had built 'w ith
the encourageme nt of a nine-hundred
foot Jesus' , stated in March 1986, that
he had heard fro m God and was told
that his ministry on earth would be
over and he would be 'called home' if
he didn ' t raise eight million dollars
by March 3 1, 1987. This was not the
I
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first time that Roberts had made such a
claim. Eighteen months earlier, he had
written to hi s supporters, te lling them
that God would take his life un less he
raised eight mi llion do ll ars by Ju ly
1985. It's enough to put a person completely off anyone who claims that God
has spoken to them . The danger, of
course, is in allowing the pendu lum to
swing from one extreme to another, for
as Dr Ford has told us many times,
'Where the counterfeit abounds, the
true will be found.' What a terrible thing
it would be if we shut our ears to God's
voice because of all the counterfe its.
Either way, the devil wins.
There are numerous examples in
Scripture where God did speak directly
to individuals. The Lord spoke directly
to Samuel Lo give him in fo rmation that
was not available in the books of Moses
(I Sam. 9: 15- 10-6). The Lord gave a
unique message of great support and
encouragement to King Jehoshaphat
and the people of Judah in a time of
national crisis (2 Chronicles 20). The
Lord spoke to Philip and told him what
to do in order to meet up with a man
who would become an evangeli st for
Jesus in Upper Nubia (Acts 8:26-40).
And, through the Apostle Paul,
the Lord gave a message of encouragement to a storm-tossed shipload of exhausted and seas ick peo pl e (Acts
27:2 1-26). What about today? Does
God speak to us today? And if he does,
how would we know his voice from all
the other voices that clamour for our
atte ntion ?
That is the subject of th is issue
of the GNU magazine.
At the comm ence ment of another year of grace it wo uld be appropriate for me to remind our readers that
the articles and Discussion Point replies, which you will read in th is magazine, are not printed to make you believe as the authors do; they are printed
to challenge you to get out your Bible
to 'see if these things are so.' God forbid that any GNU reader should be like
the tumbleweed that bowls along before whichever wind is blowing at the
time. It is our heart's desire that all our
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own decisions as to its veracity. We are
responsible for what we write; yo u are
responsible fo r what yo u do with what
we write.
If we a ll be li eved the sa me
there'd be no spiritual growth . Jesus,
Paul and Luther, were able to challenge
the popular beliefs of their times because they saw matters differently from
others. Most turned their backs on what
they had to say, but those who accepted
the truths they offered made up teams
that changed the world for the better.
So we challenge you, in 2006, to test
what is written within these pages ,
ditch what doesn' t square with Scripture, hold fast to what does, and act
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January 2006
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HEARIN
GOD'S
VOICE
Ritchie Way
twas winter time in Jerusalem and
Jesus was walking through Solomon's
Colonnade in the Temple when he was
accosted by a group of Jews who demanded that he tell them clearly
whether or not he was the Messiah. 'How long
will you keep us in suspense?' they challenged.
'Ifyou are the Christ, tell us plainly.' Jesus answered, 'I did tell you, but you do not believe.
The miracles I do in my Father's name speak
for me, but you do not believe, because you are
not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice.'
(John 10:22-27).
What did Jesus' sheep hear that the accosting Jews failed to hear? They 'heard' the testimony of Jesus' miracles. Anyone could claim to
be the promised Messiah, but only God in the flesh
could demonstrate it by giving sight to the blind,
hearing to the deaf, legs to the lame and life to
the dead. Only God himself, could tum water to
wine, feed more than ten thousand people with a
handful of buns and small fish, walk on water,
and stop a storm in mid fury. These miracles provided indisputable evidence that Jesus was the
promised Messiah.
Hearing God's voice, therefore, involves
more than just hearing words. Words are only one
way that God has of communicating with us. Now
if Jesus' miracles 'spoke' for him, what other
'voices' might Jesus use to speak for him?
Hearing God's Voice in the Bible
We know that Scripture speaks for the Lord.
In fact, it speaks so clearly, the Bible is called
'the Word of God' (Eph. 6: 17). Yet many people
can read the Bible without hearing God's voice at
.
all; to them it is just an ancient religious bookthe product of spiritual evolution. But to multitudes of others, it is the voice of God speaking to
their hearts. They see patterns of progressive revelation in God's Word that can only be explained
by the hand of God. To them, God's Word is inspired. There will always be a division of opinions about what God has to say to us, for there
will be some who will claim it is nothing more
than thunder, while others will declare that it is
the voice of an angel (John 12:29). What you hear
will depend on whether your ear is open to God's
voice or not.
There is a place for reading the Bible in its
historical and cultural setting, but to hear God's
Word speaking to me as an individual, I need to
read it as a personal message to me. I need to read
it with my heart open to what the Spirit has to say
to me . If I read it as Jesus' message to his disciples or the Pharisees, or Paul's message to a particular church, I will miss the Bible's most important message of all-what God has to say to me as
a person. I hear God's voice when I allow the word
of God to judge the thoughts and attitudes of my
heart (Heb. 4: 12).
Do you know what the greatest curse in the
Bible is? The greatest curse in the Bible is to commit a sin that can never be forgiven. What is that
sin? According to Matthew 12:31-32, it is hearing
the voice of God's Spirit, but attributing it to something, or someone else. That is blasphemy against
the Spirit- a sin that can never be forgiven, because if you reject God's overtures to you, through
Good News Unlimited
January 2006
3
his Spirit, you have rejected the highest appeal
that can be made to your soul. That's how important it is that we listen carefully to what God has
to say to us-and act upon it. If he speaks to us,
or calls us to repent and we refuse to listen, there
is nothing more that he can do for us. Even though
our choice puts us outside his kingdom, he will
respect it.
Impediments to hearing God's Voice
As in the natural world, so in the spiritual,
there are impediments to hearing God's voice. To
illustrate this, Jesus pictured God's word as a seed
which falls upon many types of ground (Matt.
13:1-23). The minds of some are so hard-like
well-trodden roads-that the seed is unable to take
root there. Other minds are so shallow they are
unable to sustain life when the heat is on. And
some minds are so cluttered with extraneous matters, the seed is choked, so it has no chance to
develop. But there are those whose minds are rich
ploughed soil, which nurtures the seed and produces a harvest.
Note that God's word falls equally upon aJI
types of ground. The problem is not with the sower,
nor with the seed, but with the ground. God gives
his word to all, but it is received differently by
different types.
In my work as a volunteer guide on the island Scientific Reserve of Tiritiri Matangi, I frequently hold up my hand to stop the group I am
guiding and say, 'There's a pair of kokako up
there in the canopy.' I have trained my ear to pick
up the soft communication sounds these rare and
endangered birds make as they move though the
trees. In the same way we can train ourselves to
hear God's voice. Eight times, in the book of Revelation, the Lord challenges us with these
words: 'He who has an ear, let him hear.' But many
spiritually-deaf people not only do not hear God's
voice, they are not really interested in hearing
God's voice.
The first thing we need to do in order to hear
the voice of Jesus is to learn what Jesus' voice
sounds like. For me to be able to identify the
'voice' of the kokako, I had to spend time listening to kokako, not crows. And we are able to distinguish Jesus' voice from other voices (John 10:4)
because we spend time with him in Bible study
and prayer. We know his voice because his Spirit
speaks to us through his Word and providential
leadings; we commune with him at every oppor-
-1-
Good
NC'11 ·1
U11/i111itet!
January 2006
I have discovered that one major impediment to hearing God's voice is my need for security. I sail around, amid the storms of life, in my
'watertight' theological boat, when, unexpectedly
through the tempest, comes the voice of Jesus.
The first shock is that I suddenly discover Jesus
is not in my boat, rather, he is out there in the
raging storm. And the second shock is that he is
calling me to step out of my zone of theological
security and come to him.
tunity: while out walking, driving the car, or lying
awake in the early hours of the morning. We have
a relationship with him which leads us to recoil
from anything that threatens that relationship.
I have discovered that one major impediment
to hearing God's voice is my need for security. I
sail around, amid the storms of life, in my 'watertight' theological boat, when, unexpectedly
through the tempest, comes the voice of Jesus.
The first shock is that I suddenly discover Jesus is
not in my boat, rather, he is out there in the raging
storm. And the second shock is that he is calling
me to step out of my zone of theological security
and come to him.
Now why would any sane person step out of
a good boat onto a stormy sea? There's only one
reason that I can see and that is to be with Jesus.
That is when I ask myself, 'Do I really want to
expose myself to the raging elements to go to
Jesus?' I decide that it is-for what the world can
throw at me- not worthy to be compared with the
privilege of walking with him.
Jesus calls all of us to step out of our comfort zones and come to him, but, unfortunately,
not everyone wants to hear his voice in such circumstances. Some say, 'That's the voice of Jesus
calling me.' Others, who value their comfort and
security more than walking with Jesus, say, 'Nah!
It's only the shrieking of the wind.' +
f ....,,...
.,_ r'(
J
~-~~-_;;.;::> i--"'5
~~·
·- ...
·
·
THE
Dr Desmond Ford
e came of peasant stock, but he
has contributed more to lasting joy and peace than most
aristocrats. He lived in the Seventeenth Century, but his philosophy is more modern than anything that
can be found in today's newspaper. He spent
many years as a soldier, but he has helped millions end the war devastating their personal
life. 'A great awkward fellow who broke everything' (his own description), he has been
responsible for enabling many to walk life's
tightrope and to put together the disparate
fragments of daily experience.
They called him Brother Lawrence when he
entered a Carmelite monastery after the first fifty
years of his life. He served in the kitchen and after
an experience he had in the Black Forest of Germany, that kitchen became to him as the house of
God and the gate of heaven.
It was this way. Walking amid the leafless giants of the woods one day, the thought struck him
that these trees, which now in the winter seemed so
dead, would in a few months be transformed. Death
would give way to life, and barrenness to fertility.
'God is here,' Brother Lawrence whispered to himself. 'God is everywhere.' That truth changed his
life. No longer did he feel the drudgery of his kitchen
work. He did everything as unto God-that God who
was with him in the monastery serving room. Thereafter, he was conscious of no difference between
the hours of prayer and all other hours, for he lived
continually in the presence of the Almighty. One of
the most famous little books ever printed is his, The
Practice of the Presence of God, which has been
read by millions to their great profit.
The Testimony of the Prophets
The Bible speaks of this reality throughout its
pages: 'He is not far from each one of us. For in him
we live and move and have our being.' (Acts 17:2728). 'And surely I am with you always, to the very end
of the age' (Matt. 28:20). Moses 'persevered because
he saw him who is invisible' (Heb. 11:27). Because
Nehemiah believed in the presence of God, we find
him speaking to God in the very act of serving an earthly
tyrant in his throne room (Neh. 2:4). Jeremiah testifies
concerning God: 'You came near when I called you,
and you said, "Do not fear"' (Lam. 3:57). The same
prophet announced to a rebellious people that the Creator fills heaven and earth (Jer. 23:24).
Neither was this truth news to the Psalmist. Consider the one hundred and thirty-ninth Psalm where
David sings of his Lord as One who has searched
him and known him even to the syllables of his
speech and the thoughts of his heart- a Winnower
of all his ways. So Israel for three thousand years
has sung the shepherd King's rhetorical questions:
Good Neil's Uni imited
January 2006
5
'Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I
flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens
you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you
are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle
on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will
guide me; your right hand will hold me fast. If I say,
"Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not
be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for
darkness is as light to you' (Psalm 139:7-12).
So confident is the Psalmist of God's omnipresence and omniscience that he declares God's thoughts
about him to be more in number than the sand grains
of the earth's mighty oceans (see v.17-18). Having
said so, he adds: 'When I awake, I am still with you.'
Last century, Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, echoed
the thought in a beautiful hymn:
Still, still with Thee, when purple morning breaketh,
When the bird waketh, and the shadows flee;
Fairer than morning, lovelier than the daylight,
Dawns the sweet consciousness, I am with Thee!
Alone with Thee, amid the mystic shadows,
The solemn hush of nature newly born;
Alone with Thee, in holy adoration,
In the calm dew and freshness of the mom.
As in the dawning, o'er the waveless ocean,
The image of the morning star doth rest,
So in this stillness Thou beholdest only
Thine image mirrored in my peaceful breast.
When sinks the soul, subdued by toil, to slumber;
Its closing eye looks up to Thee in prayer;
Sweet the repose beneath Thy wings o'er shading,
But sweeter still, to wake and find Thee there.
So shall it be at last, in that bright morning,
When the soul waketh and life's shadows flee;
Oh, in that glad hour; fairer than day dawning,
Shall rise the glorious thought, I am with Thee!
To practice the presence of God continually
is to bring rest of soul, peace of mind, and happiness of spirit. It grants freedom from undue anxiety, and wisdom for the way. Satan strives to make
us doubt the Divine presence (see Psalm 42: 10, 6,
7, 9). But in answer, God exhausts the synonyms
of language to assure us of his abiding nearness.
•
DEVOTIONAL EXERCISE
(a) Psalm 125:2
God _ _ _ __ _ me to_ _ _ _ _ _ me.
God
(b) Deuteronomy 4:39
God is _____ me to_____ over me.
God's face
(i) Psalm 67: 1
His
(j) Psalm 33: 18
are upon me to_____me.
(d) Exodus 13:21
of me to____ me.
His
(k) Psalm 34:15
are open to_ _ _ _me.
(I) Psalm 145:18
(e) Isaiah 52: 12
God goes
upon me to_ ___me.
me to_ _ _me.
(c) Deuteronomy 33:27
God's arms are
God goes
(h) Isaiah 41: 13
my hand to_ ____me.
me to_ _ __ me.
God is
to me to_ _ _ _ me.
(m) Isaiah 57:15
(f) Isaiah 41: 10
God is
me to_ _ ___me.
God is
(g) Psalm 56:9
me to_ _ _ _ _ _ _me.
God
in me to_ _ _ _ _me.
Best of all, hear the words of Jesus: ' ... if a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love
him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him' (John 14:23). No wonder that amidst
persecution and trial the ancient Christians sang: 'God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I
forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to
me?'" (Heb. 13:5-6).
This article, which has been updated from the KJV to the NEV, was first printed in the February I 987 edition ofthe GNU magazine.
6
Good Nein U11/i111ited
January
2006
I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU
OR FORSAKE YOU
'Dobie Gadient, a school teacher for thirteen years, decided to travel across
America to see the sights she had taught about. Travelling alone in a truck with a
camper in tow, she launched out. One afternoon, while she was rounding a curve
on 1-5 near Sacramento in rush-hour traffic, a water pump blew on her truck.
She was tired, exasperated, scared and alone. In spite of the traffic jam she
caused, no one seemed interested in helping her.
Leaning up against the trailer, she prayed, 'Please, God, send me an a~gel,
preferably one with mechanical experience.' Within four minutes, a huge Harley
drove up, ridden by an enormous man sporting long, black hair, a beard, and
tattooed arms. With an incredible air of confidence, he jumped off and went to
work on the truck, with not even a glance at Dobie. The intimidated school teacher
was too dumbfounded to talk, especially when she read the paralysing words on
the back of his leather jacket: 'Hell's Angels-California.' After assessing the situation, he flagged down a larger truck, attached a tow chain to the frame of the
disabled Chevy and whisked the whole fifty-six foot rig off the freeway onto a
side street, where he calmly went to work on the water pump.
As he finished his task, she finally got up the courage to say, 'Thanks so
much.' Noting her surprise at the whole ordeal, he looked her straight in the eye
and said quietly, 'Don't judge a book by its cover. You may not know who you're
talking to.' With that, he smiled, closed the hood of the truck and straddled his
Harley. With a wave he was gone as fast as he had appeared.' +
Write To Us
Most people have had a providential experience worth telling
about. If you have had an experience in which the Lord has come
to your aid in a time of need, put
it down in writing and send it to
us, together with an email or
postal address. Later this year we
will be bringing out an issue of the
Good News Unlimited magazine
which will be devoted to stories
of providence-stories that will be
an encouragement to others- and
your story could be in it.
Good Ne11·s U11/i111ired
January 2006
7
RRUPTS
Ritchie Way
osemary and I have been working with
a group of volunteers to create a
parkland at Beach Haven on the edge
of Auckland's Waitemata Harbour.
One Sunday morning, after we had finished
planting some frost-sensitive tawapou trees at the
water's edge, I took a wheelbarrow up the track to
the Resource Centre to get some wood and bark
chips from a truckload that had been dumped
nearby-we spread a good layer of these chips
around each tree to restrain the growth of weeds
and grass-on my way to the pile of chips I approached a young Asian man sitting on a park seat
under a big gum tree. As I passed him a voice said,
distinctly to my mind, 'This man has a problem
with his marriage!'
The boldness of the communication momentarily stunned me for, although I was aware of the
presence of the Asian man, he didn't figure in my
thoughts at all as I was intent on getting the job
finished so I could go home for lunch. I was so
completely 'thrown' by the intrusive nature of this
message that I wasn't sure how to respond, so just
kept on walking towards the pile of woodchips a
further ten metres on.
While I filled the wheelbarrow I worked out
what I would do. On my return I caught the eye of
the young man and asked him if he was enjoying
the sunshine. When he responded I put down the
wheelbarrow, held out my hand and introduced
myself. He told me his name was Kim and that he
had come to New Zealand from Korea two and a
half years earlier. After some small talk I turned to
him and asked, 'Kim, how are things in your marriage? Are you happy?'
Not good!' he admitted glumly. 'My wife is
too logic. Big worry for me.'
I spent twenty minutes with Kim analysing
the problem and encouraging him to try to understand his wife and adapt to her way of thinking,
and to woo her again.
Although I have looked for him many times
R
8
Good Ne11 ·1 Unlill/iled
January 2006
since, I have not seen him again. For several weeks
after that I prayed for their marriage and that Kim
would be grateful to the God who cared enough to
answer his heart's cry that Sunday morning-even
though the answer came via someone in boots and
grass stains.
A Red Cross Volunteer
My friend, Branco, has an administrative position in a public hospital in Auckland. One morning tea time, while standing with a friend in a line
at the cafeteria, a clear and strong voice said to
him, 'Pray with the woman in front of you because
I have got something special for her.' Being in a
public place, and not knowing the woman, who
was a Red Cross volunteer, Branco felt too embarrassed to do as he was asked. A second time the
message came to him, 'Pray with the woman in
front of you because I have got something special
for her.' Once again Branco, who was in the middle
of a conversation with his friend, hesitated . The
woman made her purchase, Branco made his, and
they went to separate tables.
That evening Branco was so troubled by his
failure to follow up on the Lord's prompting that
he prayed for forgiveness and asked for another
chance to speak to this woman. He promised the
Lord, 'No matter what happens, I will do as you
asked if I am given another opportunity.'
Over the next two weeks Branco looked for
the woman among the thousand staff that worked
in his building, then one morning he spied her in
the cafeteria again. Feeling more than a little scared
he approached her and said, 'Excuse me. May I
talk to you?'
As they sat down together at a table Branco
began, 'I don't know if you believe in God or not,
but two weeks ago the Lord asked me to pray for
you because he had something for you. The problem was, I didn't do as he asked me, and I have
regretted it ever since.'
Tears sprang into the woman's eyes as she
lifted her hands to her mouth in shock. 'Oh my
Lord!' she cried.
'Why do you say that?' asked Branco anxiously.
'Two weeks ago I was devastated with the
news that my husband had been diagnosed with
bowel cancer and, at the same time, my son was
committed to a mental institution with alcoholism.
I was shattered. I needed God.'
'Forgive me, please!' begged Branco. 'Forgive me. I have been looking for you for two
weeks.'
'I haven't been at work these last two weeks,'
she responde<d . 'I've been with my husband and
son. But thank you! Thank you!'
Several days later Branko met the woman on
the stairs. With a big smile he asked, 'How are you?'
She looked at him quizzically, nodded her head
and passed. When this happened on two other occasions Branko stepped in front of her. 'Do you
remember me?' he asked. 'How are your husband
and son?'
'Oh, my goodness!' said the woman in shock.
'It is you! I thought it was an angel who came to
me in the cafeteria.' She told Branko that her husband had had a successful operation, and that her
son had returned home.
I wish I could say that such events, when God
gives a word of knowledge about another person,
are common. They aren't; in fact, they are quite
rare. In my nearly forty years of ministry I could
count the times on one hand when God has used
me in this way. It is an honour to be used by God
like this, but it requires that we be alert to his voice
and bold enough to carry out his wishes. +
In Memoriam
Lorna White
25 June, 1920 -
24 November, 2005
It is with deep regret that we in Western Australia mourn the passing of Lorna White. Loma was one of the original members who stepped
out to help form the Bayswater Christian Fellowship in 1983. She was
more than willing to share her talents to help spread the Gospel.
During the twenty-one years life of the fellowship she was the
pianist. Loma was also involved in the week-to-week running of the
fellowship programme in the early days. Her cooking prowess was
legendary, as we were fortunate enough to find out at our basket lunches.
She was also in charge of the kitchen during Good News Unlimited
Seminars, as well as playing the organ.
Loma, with her husband Bob, was one of the stalwarts, who, until ill health caught up with her,
helped to put the Good News Unlimited magazine into plastic bags for posting.
She was a cheerful Christian lady, always with a smile and a kind word. Loma will be sadly
missed. Condolences to her husband, Bob and their family.
+
Others
Lord help me live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way,
That even when I kneel to pray,
My prayer shall be for others.
Yes, others Lord, yes, others,
Let this my motto be,
Help me to live for others
That I may live like thee.
Help me in all the work I do,
to ever be sincere and true,
And know that all I'd do for you,
Must needs be done for others.
Let self be crucified and slain,
And buried deep nor rise again,
And may all efforts be in vain,
Unless they be for others.
And when my work on earth is done,
And my new work in heaven's begun,
May I forget the crown I've won,
While thinking still of others.
Good Ne11·s U11/i111ited
January 2006
9
HEARING
GOD'S VOICE
Revelation 3:20 What is Christ asking in this
verse?
John 10:4, 26-27 How can Jesus' sheep know
his voice?
John 10:5 How can Jesus' sheep identify the
voice of a 'stranger'?
Luke 5:32 To what place does Jesus call us?
Acts 2:38-39 What is promised to those whom
the Lord calls?
NEXT MONTH
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Beg1nn1ng:,
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Good Neil's U11/i111ited
January 2006
11
GNU is a meeting of minds from a wide range of church affiliations, and therefore, opinions
expressed in our articles may differ from that of many of our readers. Recognising that opinions
can differ and we all have much to learn and unlearn, we encourage our readers to participate in
this forum.
Dear Ritchie
With reference to the September magazine, I can't find any
scriptural support for: 1. Friday
crucifixion (see enclosed article
by Scot Ashley). 2. The Trinity
(Satan's greatest deception).
A.
T.
Hi A
I read the article by Scott
Ashley that you faxed to me and
found its greatest weakness is
that it imposes a Western scientific view of time upon an Eastern view, that was quite different from ours. Read again the
quote that I gave from the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia.
Besides, the devil would
love to get us tied up in arguments
over how long Jesus spent in the
tomb, when the real issue is that
he died and rose again from the
dead. 'The sign of Jonah' is not
that Jonah spent a set time in the
belly of the big fish, but that even
though he went down to sure
death, he came forth again from
the dead. Jesus foretold he would
duplicate that feat.
The problems we have
over the Trinity, revolve around
trying to force God, who is a
Spirit (John 4:24), into physical
moulds that can be counted. It
is my belief that it's best to leave
such things wrapped in their
mystery.
Blessings to you
Ritchie.
12
Good
Nc'11 · 1
UnlimitC'd
Dear Ritchie
Thank you for your special
issue in October Good News
Unlimited on God's permission
for suffering. I have shared a
number of articles, especially
'God Understands' where you
made a poignant reference to
your daughter, Ruth. God spoke
to me repeatedly through what
you wrote ...
'Trusting God is merely giving him the credit for being wiser
than we are.' (GNU, Oct. 05, p.2)
Wow!
God bless you abundantly
Sincerely,
J. H.
Dear GNU
Human ego seems to have
a 'death grip' on the illusion that
it has blessed itself with so- called
free-will or freedom of choice.
'Our freedom of choice is far
more important to God than our
eternal destiny', Ritchie tells us.
There is room for only one
Free -Will in this vast universe
and it belongs to the One who
alone originates. Creative 'wills'
operate within His will, as per
Acts 17:28.
Other examples are Pharaoh having his heart continually hardened, so as to resist his
Maker, also Christ's statement,
'You have not chosen me, but/,
you.' And the Lord's declaration, 'Esau have 1 hated, Jacob
have I loved, before they were
.January 2006
even born.'
Vessels from the same
lump of clay, being made to either honour or dishonour;Ritchie Way, a trophy of Grace
(2 Tim. 1:9; Phil. 2:13) and Judas Iscariot, a vessel of
dishonour (John 13: 18), and
just as important in the overall
purpose of the One who works
all things after the counsel of
his own will (Eph. 1:11).
Rev. 17:17 is a classical example of the Creator programming his creatures unknown to
them-hence the creatures always reaching the wrong conclusion: 'l choose'; 'I did it.'
Maybe if we 'free willers'
spent seven years eating grass,
we might recognise the absolute
sovereignty of our Maker
(Daniel 4:35) and stop de throning him, exalting ourselves
at his expense as well as those
around us 'less fortunate' than
ourselves at this time, to be chosen as first-born in God's new
creation, of which humanity has
pre-eminence in the second (and
last) Adam.
J. N.
Dear J. N.
You seem to imply that
God has programmed all human
beings so that some of us have
no choice but to serve him, as
did Moses and eleven of Jesus'
disciples, while others have no
choice but to live in rebellion
against him, as did the Pharaoh
of the Exodus, Esau and Judas
Iscariot. If I understand you correctly, here is my response:
Because God sovereignly
gave us freedom when he created us in his own image, the
sovereignty of God is not
thwarted by our human free dom- as you imply- but is glorified through it.
God has called me to be a
shepherd of the sheep, 'not because I must, but because I am
willing, as God wants me to be'
(1 Peter 5:2}. In other words, I
have been given a choice- I
have the freedom to exercise my
will. The freedom to choose our
own destiny is upheld by Matthew 23:37, and the freedom to
obey or disobey God is upheld
by John 7: 17.
Ritchie.
Dear Ritchie
Early this week I was talking with a friend and she said
that people like those who blew
up the London trains would burn
in hell forever. I've not been a
Christian for long, so haven't
thought much about hell, so is it
true that God will punish sinners
for ever and ever? My husband
and I have some disagreements
on this, so we agreed to ask for
your help. We would be grateful
if you could help us understand
what the Bible has to say about
the subject of hell.
A.G.
Dear A.G.
There are two main views
about hell held by Christians .
Some believe that the final punishment will continue for ever on
the basis of texts such as Revelation 14:10-11 and Mark 9:4448 . They also claim that hellfire
must be eternal, because the human soul is eternal and cannot
be destroyed . This latter argu ment, however, has no support
in the Scriptures, for there is
nothing in the Bible about an
'eternal soul.'
Others believe the Bible
speaks of the 'eternal consequences' of rejecting God's
love . In other words, it is not
the punishing that is eternal, but
the punishment. There are several reasons why they hold this
belief:
1. The words 'eternal' and
'forever and ever' did not have
the same meaning for the people
of Bible times as they do for us.
For them, these words meant
'until the end of the time.' For
example, Jude 7 says Sodom and
Gomorrah were burnt with 'eternal fire,' yet this fire is not burning today. It says in 2 Peter 2:6
that God 'condemned the cities
of Sodom and Gomorrah by
burning them to ashes and made
them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.'
So if the fires of Sodom and
Gomorrah are an example of
what is going to happen to the
wicked, then the wicked will not
bum forever and ever.
2. The places in the Bible
that speak of eternal fire, are
found in the apocalyptic writings, or are quotes from apoca1yptic . Now apocalyptic is
highly symbolic and to understand these symbols we should
look to those passages of Scripture which use plain language to
describe the fate of the wicked.
Romans 6:23 contrasts 'eternal
life' with 'death' - not with eternal suffering.
Hebrews 10:26-27 speaks
of 'raging fire that will consume
(incinerate or eat up) the enemies
of God. 2 Thessalonians 1 :7-9
tells us that when Jesus comes,
he will punish the wicked 'with
everlasting destruction.' These
plain language texts reveal that
the wicked will 'perish' (John ·
3: 16), not suffer forever.
3. The Bible reveals that
when Jesus comes 'he will reward each person according to
what he has done (Matt. 16:27;
Rev. 22:12). Now, in Old Testament times, if a man wilfully
blinded another man, his punishment would be to have his
own eye blinded. If he deliberately knocked out another man's
tooth, he would have the same
tooth removed from his own
gums (Deut. 19:18-21) . That is
rewarding a person 'according
to what they have done.'
But would Jesus' 'reward
each person according to what
he has done' if he cast a thirteenyear old girl- who had rejected
his offer of salvation- into
hellfire which would bum for billions and billions of years without end? Hardly! Such a thought
is quite repulsive to anyone who
has the Spirit of Christ in them.
4. Finally, the Bible tells us
in Romans 5:6-9, that we are
saved from God's wrath through
Jesus, who took our punishment.
Now if hellfire is eternal and
Jesus took our punishment, then
he should still be enduring its
eternal torments even now. But
he isn't. During the three hours
of darkness on the cross he ex perienced what it is like to be cut
off from God and eternal lifeto die in despair, a totally lost
person without hope. That was
hell. And that will be the experience of all who reject the fact
that he endured the unmitigated
torment for them, so that they
wouldn't have to. There will be
no resurrection for the finally
unrepentant, however, because
they are evil in their inner beings- which Jesus wasn't.
May God guide you as you
come to your own conclusions
in this matter.
Ritchie.
Good Ne11 ·.\ U11/i111ited
January 2006
13
self. 'When I was young you called me to preach in the
west and south. How can I qo that now?' he asked the Lord.
Tm sitting here in this prison with crushed legs and I'm
resigned to rot in this place.'
Six weeks after Yun had been imprisoned another
Christian prisoner, Brother Xu, told him that the time
had come for him to escape. In spite of the fact that
Brother Xu was a man of God who listened to God's
voice, Yun replied, 'My legs are smashed and I am locked
in my own cell with an iron door, I cannot even walk!
How can I escape?'
Next morning he awoke with the words of Hebrews
10:35 in his mind, 'Do not throw away your confidence;
it will be richly rewarded.' As the prison slowly stirred to
life he opened his Bible and began reading the fifteenth
chapter of Jeremiah. When he got to verse ten the words
seemed to leap off the paper: 'Alas, my mother, that you
gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives
and contends! I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me' (Jer. 15:10). It was as though God, himself, had come into the cell to talk with Yun face to face.
Yun had so much grief stored up inside him, it all
started to gush out. He sobbed, 'Lord Jesus, just like
Jeremiah said, everyone strives against me and curses
me. I can't take any more. I've reached the end of my
tether.'
He wept so much his eyes became swollen from all
his tears. The Lord comforted him like a father holding
·i
his little boy. He reassured him with the next verse: 'The
-,,,A:!J !?''
Condensed from c apter 2-!-WJl #~~$,
Lord said, "Surely I will deliver you."' (Jer. 15: 11 ). When
RI~ "'· ,.
THE HE.AllENL MAN by Paul na'ltaway.
Yun asked the Lord why he was in so much pain, the Lord
ne of the leaders of the underground replied, 'They will fight against you but will not overhouse-church movement in China-now come you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,'
estimated to have fifty-eight million ac- declares the Lord. 'I will save you from the hands of the
tive members-is Liu Zhenying, more commonly wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel' (Jer.
15:20-21).
known as Brother Yun.
As soon as Yun read these verses, a powerful vision
In March 1997 Brother Yun, together with ten
other house-church leaders, gathered together in suddenly came to him even though he was wide awake.
Zhengzhou City, the capital ofHenan Province, for a In this vision he saw his wife Deling sitting beside him,
meeting. Government agents found out about the meet- treating his wounds. She said to him, 'Why don't you
ing and arrested the leaders. Because Yun, had escaped open the iron door?' Before Yun could answer she walked
from custody on several previous occasions he was out of the room and the vision ended.
given a severe beating, which fractured both legs and
The Lord then spoke to Yun, 'This is the hour of
was then placed in Zhengzhou Maximum Security your salvation.'
Prison.
Immediately he knew that this vision was from the
As Yun was unable to walk, three other prison- Lord and that he was meant to escape. He called the guard
ers were allocated to carry him to the toilet and inter- and told him that he needed to go to the toilet. The guard
rogation room. At night he would elevate his legs by opened the door to Brother Xu's cell and ordered him to
propping them up against the wall in an endeavour to carry Yun to the toilet.
lessen the pain by reducing the blood pressure in them.
Whenever prisoners were allowed outside their cells,
In this way he was able to get some fitful sleep.
an iron gate in the corridor was locked, so there would
That was the lowest point in Yun's life and he be no chance of an escape. A stairwell leading down to
complained to the Lord about his situation. He was the floors below, was on the other side of that gate which
thirty-nine years old and saw no hope or future for him- could only be opened from the other side. Normally a
0
1-1-
(;ood
Nl'11 · 1
U11/i111ited
January
2006
guard was stationed on either side of that iron gate. To
get to the prison courtyard Yun would have to go
through three iron gates and pass six armed guards.
When Brother Xu came to Yun's cell he commanded, 'Yun, you must escape! 'Yun was dressed only
in his underwear so he quickly dressed. His faith was
strengthened by the fact that God had told him, in three
different ways, that he was to escape. He had learned
that when the Lord told him to do something there was
no time for discussion or rationale. Not to obey God
would be to imply that he was wiser than God.
It was just before eight o'clock on the morning
of 5th May, 1997. To the natural mind, this time of
day was the worst possible time to try to escape! At
that hour there was a lot of activity throughout the
prison, with all the guards at their posts. Yun shuffled
out of his cell and walked towards the locked iron gate
in the hallway, totally focused on obeying God. The
guard who pushed the button to open the gate, sat on
the other side, out of sight behind the solid iron door.
At the exact moment Yun reached the gate, another
Christian prisoner, Brother Musheng, was returning to
his cell, from his duty of sweeping the prison courtyard, and the gate was opened for him. To Musheng's
surprise Yun walked past him and through the gate without breaking his stride.
When Yun arrived at the main iron gate, leading
out into the courtyard, he discovered that it was already open. This was strange, because it was usually
the most secure gate of all, being locked with an armed
guard stationed on either side. For some reason, however, the gate was open and no guards were present.
Yun dropped his broom and walked out into the courtyard, wincing in the bright morning light. He strolled
past several guards in the courtyard but none of them
challenged him. Ahead of him the main prison gate
was standing ajar. With a pounding heart he stepped
through it onto the street.
Immediately a small yellow taxi stopped, and the
driver; a man in his late twenties, asked if he wanted a
ride. Yun got in and said, 'I need to go to my office as
quickly as possible, so please drive fast. And if we come
to a traffic jam, don't stop but drive around it.
When Yun got to the 'office,' which was an upstairs apartment belonging to some friends, he borrowed
money to pay the taxi driver. His friends then took Yun
on a bicycle, down a series of narrow alleyways to a
new hiding place. Shortly after arriving at the hideaway a storm hit the city. A howling wind rattled the
windows and blew bicycles over and there was a torrential downpour. Yun thanked God for the rain which
would wash away all traces of his scent that could give
you.''t (Jer. 15:,. iJ. .r ).:,. ~" :,:.. 'J
dellver
\VHH
'The Lord'said, ~:S'i.irefyq
. :_· --. __ · .. :-·· :_ :,,: -__ - - .
·.-:
•·:
_......
:,.
. 'They will fight againsty9µ~bu_t '. w.il~ 1)9toyercome:ydu, forT am>with.t
you to rescue and save y:bti,' ·d~cl,~res the;"Lord . .'I wiil s.ave ybu-frpfu the:<:]
hands of the wicked and .redeem yo~: f.rprfr the grasp . of the cru~I' " ., .. ·. :,,··::
(Jeremiah 15:20-21).
~-:-
There had been a guard accompanying Musheng
back to his cell, but as the gate was opened for Musheng,
a telephone rang in an office down the hallway, and the
guard returned to answer it.
Yun noticed a broom leaning up against the stairwell wall so he picked it up and walked down the stairs
to the second floor. An armed guard was sitting at his
desk facing the second iron gate which was left open.
Because this gate was always guarded it wasn't considered a risk to leave it unlocked. At that moment the
Holy Spirit said to Yun, 'Go now! The God of Peter is
your God!'
Although the guard stared directly at Yun as he
walked through the second gate, his eyes didn't acknowledge his presence. Yun expected him to say something, but he just looked through Yun as though he was
invisible and didn't say a word. Yun continued past
him, not looking back, expecting any moment to be
shot in the back.
·
-~-:--~--_,--".._,·
···-··-·~-
him away to sniffer dogs.
For two millennia there has been a road from
Jerusalem to China, a road once travelled by Marco
Polo. Today, the nations along this ancient Silk Road
are the most unevangelised in the world. The three biggest religions that have refused to yield to the advance
of the gospel-Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism- have
their heart there. Yun, together with the persecuted
Church in China, have a vision entitled, 'Back to Jerusalem' -in other words, to evangelise the more than ninety
percent of the unevangelised people groups that live
along this road. Since 1997 Yun has been responsible
for the training of missionaries and the implementation of the 'Back to Jerusalem' missionary movement.
They are determined to break down the walls that keep
Muslims, Hindu's and Buddhists from knowing the
+
sweet presence of Jesus.
Published by Monarch Books (Mill Hill, London,
2002).
Good Ne11 ·s Unlimited
January 2006
15
This, the first of a
seven studies on
events, focuses on:
THE LATTER RAI
he grain harvest in Israel takes
place in the early summer. Because
grain crops could never survive the
hot and dry summers they are
planted in the autumn, at the time
the first of the early rains fall. They grow
through the winter and when the latter (spring)
rain falls the crops come to maturity and are
harvested in June and July.
T
The crop cycle
The early and latter rains that fell on the land
of Israel became metaphors for the spiritual early
and latter rains that would fall on God's people.
The known physical realm illustrated the unknown
spiritual realm:
1. The soil is prepared (Jer. 4:3; Matt 13:3-9)
2. The seed is sown (Matt. 13: 19-23)
3. The seed is germinated by the early rain
(Hos . 10:12)
4. It is brought to maturity by the latter rain
(Joel 2:23-24)
5. It is harvested (Matt. 13:37-39)
6. The chaff is removed from the grain and
burned (Matt. 3: 12)
7. The grain is gathered into the storehouse
(Matt. 3:12).
16
Goot! Nell ".\ U11/i111itet!
January
2006
Ritchie Way
The early rain became a simile of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost- a revival
that catapulted the early Church out of Jerusalem
to the uttermost parts of the earth. The latter rain
is the name given to the great outpouring of the
Holy Spirit that will result in a world-wide revival
at the end of time-a revival that will ripen the
harvest, which will be reaped when Jesus returns
(Matt. 13:39; Rev. 14:14-16).
The baptism of the Spirit
In Old Testament times the Holy Spirit moved
with power upon a few special people. For example, when the oppressed Israelites cried out to
the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel,
son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved
them. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him .
(Judges 3:9-10). In a similar manner the Spirit
came upon Samson, Saul and David. In desperate
times, when God's people cried out to him, he
sent a person anointed with his Spirit, to deliver
them. The prophet Joel predicted, however, that
the time would come when all God's people would
,
be filled with the Spirit and power:
'And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on
all people . Your sons and your daughters will
prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your
young men will see visions. Even on servants,
both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in
those days. I will show wonders before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And
everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will
be saved (Joel 2:28-32.).
Did you notice that even the lowest members of society, female slaves, would have the
Holy Spirit working powerfully in their lives? No
one would be too insignificant to receive the outpouring of God's Spirit.
Now Joel said that the Spirit would be poured
out before 'the great and dreadful day of the Lord.'
Question: What is the day of the Lord?
Answer: The day of the Lord is when the
Lord breaks into human history.
The Lord broke into human history with the
birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Was the Holy Spirit
poured out at that time? It certainly was, for at his
baptism Jesus was anointed with the Spirit and
with power (Luke 4:1, 14, 18). His whole ministry, even his resurrection from the dead, was a
demonstration of the Spirit working in power.
The Lord broke into human history again
when the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost. At that time the disciples were baptised with
the Spirit and with power (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8).
The apostle Peter recognised that this outpouring was a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy for he
proclaimed, 'This is what was spoken by the
prophet Joel: "In the last days, God says, I will
pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and
daughters will prophesy, your young men will
see visions .. .'" (Acts 2:16-22).
The Lord will break into history again at a
time known as 'the day of the Lord' (2 Thes. 2:2;
2 Pet. 3: 10), or 'the day of God' (2 Pet. 3: 12).
'Before the great and dreadful day of the Lord'
God's people will be filled with the Holy Spirit in
order to proclaim the Gospel to the entire world
prior to the return of the Lord.
The prophet Malachi wrote that 'before the
great and dreadful day of the Lord comes' God
would send 'the prophet Elijah' (Mal. 4:5) . His
work would be to 'turn the hearts of the fathers to
their children, and the hearts of the children to
their fathers' (v. 6). On the spiritual plane, the
Elijah message will be the message that re-unites
the divided family of God. This family, which is
broken into many fragments known as denominations, will be drawn together under the fatherhood of God by the Holy Spirit, and persecution
will break down barriers by removing every vestige of denominational pride and security. Everything that can be shaken, will be shaken, so that
only the 'kingdom that cannot be shaken' will remain (Heb. 12:26-28) .
At that time, God's people, baptised by the
Spirit, will flood the earth with the glory of God's
saving Gospel-the last appeal of salvation to
mankind (Matt. 24: 14).
Question: What is the difference between
being born of the Spirit and being baptised by the
Spirit?
Answer: There is a crucial difference between being born of the Spirit and being baptised
in the Spirit. All true Christians are born of the
Spirit, but not all Christians have been baptised or
filled by the Spirit.
Jesus was born of the Spirit (Matt. 1:20; Luke
1:35), but at about thirty years of age the Spirit
came to him and baptised him (Luke 3:21-23; 4:1;
Acts 10:38).
Jesus' disciples were born of the Spirit. Jesus
himself said their names were written in heaven
(Luke 10:20), and that Judas was the only one
who was lost (John 17:12).
Although eleven of the disciples were born
of the Spirit, their prophesied baptism of the Spirit
didn't take place until Pentecost.
la. A person who is born of the Spirit, is born
into the kingdom of God.
b. A person who is baptised by the Spirit,
receives spiritual gifts that help him to bring others into the kingdom of God.
2a. A person who is born of the Spirit, receives eternal life.
b. A person who is baptised by the Spirit,
receives power to lead others to eternal life.
3a. When people are born of the Spirit, the
Spirit of God comes to live in them.
b. When people are baptised by the Spirit,
the Spirit empowers them to fulfil the Gospel
commission.
When Jesus was baptised by the Spirit, he
laid down his carpenter's tools and, 'full of the
Holy Spirit' (Luke 4:1, 18) he took up ministry
for the kingdom of God. Did Jesus not have the
Spirit before he was baptised? Yes, he did. He was
fully possessed by the Spirit, but at his baptism
the Spirit gave him power for·his Gospel ministry
that he didn't have before. Jesus did not work any
Good Ne11 ·s U11/i111ited
January 2006
17
miracles until after he had been baptised by the
Spirit at his baptism.
Similarly, when the disciples were baptised by
the Spirit at Pentecost they received a special infilling
(Acts 1:5) that would empower them for the ministry of taking the Gospel to others (Acts 1:8).
Here is the key: Spirit-birth is based on the
Cross; Spirit-baptism is based on Pentecost. Don't
confuse the two. The first focuses on personal salvation, the second on Gospel commission. The
baptism of the Spirit has nothing to do with receiving a greater experience, and everything to
do with receiving a greater responsibility. Only as
that responsibility is acted upon, does the Spirit
work powerfully to save others.
The Latter Rain
Rosemary and I were in Jerusalem at the end
of October, 2000. The farmers had ploughed their
plots, sown their seeds and were waiting for the
autumn rains to germinate them and set them growing. At that time, the wet weather wasn't far away
as the clouds were towering up over the hill country, the lightning was flashing and the thunder
booming in the mountains. The early rains were
about to begin. The latter rains, which
would fall in the spring, would bring
the crops to maturity.
In the same way, the latter
rain of the Holy Spirit would ripen
the harvest of the earth so that it
could be reaped when Jesus returned. Jesus said, 'The harvest is the end of the age'
(Matt. 13:39). And John
revealed that 'one like a
Son of Man' who was
seated on a cloud (a direct
quote from Daniel 7:13) was
commanded to take his sickle
and reap, 'because the time to
reap has come, for the harvest of
the earth is ripe' (Rev. 14:14-15).
When Jesus returns 'the harvest of the earth' will be ripe, because the same rain that ripens the
wheat will also ripen the weeds. This means that
no-one will be undecided, for everyone will have
peaked in their allegiance, either to Christ or the
Antichrist. Joel 2:28-32 predicts that a world-wide
revival, followed by a world-wide harvest, will
take place before the great and dreadful day of
the Lord.
18
Good Ne11 ·.\ U11/i111ited
January 2006
The causes of the latter rain
All around the world, at various times and in
various places, the Holy Spirit has fallen in miniature latter rains. We have seen these in the Great
Awakening in America under Jonathon Edwards,
the English Revival under the Wesley brothers and
George Whitfield, and the Western Revivals under Charles Finney, and the Welsh Revival under
Evan Roberts.
An analysis of the outpourings of the Holy
Spirit reveals many different reasons for the harvests. But in every case, the crop was ripe. Crops
are brought to maturity by national grief, a loss of
national or international security, spiritual emptiness or hunger, extreme poverty, rebellion against
spiritual evil, revival enthusiasm, preaching the
word of God, and prayer, etc.
The results of true revival
How will we know the difference between a
true revival and a false revival? If people engage
in ecstatic utterances (speaking in tongues) does
that make it a true or false revival? According to
Jesus, revivals should be judged, not by their gifts,
but by their fruits . He said, 'By their fruit you will
recognise them' (Matt. 7:20). And the fruits of all
good revivals have been: repentance,
love for God's Word, prayer and testifying; holiness, the reception of
the gifts of the Spirit, followed by
a reformation of theology and
organisation.
When the latter rain
falls
1. It will be a time of
great evil. Paul wrote, 'Mark
this: there will be terrible
times in the last days. People
will have a form of godliness
but will deny its power' (2 Tim.
3: 1-5). However, the darker the
night the brighter God's stars will
shine (Dan. 12:3).
2. It will be a polarising time.
'Multitudes, multitudes in the valley
of decision!' (Joel 3:.14). Under the latter-rain,
everyone will be spirit-filled: people will either
be filled with the Holy Spirit or with an evil spirit.
3. It will be the end of time. 'The day of the
Lord is near' (Joel 3:14).
•
(Dr Young's address read by Dr Robyn Priestley)
A set of 3 Audio cassettes or CD's recorded at the Epping
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B. Why Glacier View? - Dr Des Ford
Tape 3: Side A. 25 Years After Glacier View: The Adventist Future - Dr Arthur Patrick
B. Questions and Answers: Panel - Dr Lynden Rogers
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