“…John, who bare record of the word of God, and of TheThe TestimonyTestimony …of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw…Blessed is he that readeth…” Revelation 1:1-3 Verse Of The Month “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 Vol. VII October, 2016 No. 10 IT’S IN THE VALLEYS I GROW Author unknown Sometimes life seems so hard to bear, full of sorrow, trouble and woe, It’s then I have to remember that it’s in the valleys I grow. If I always stayed on the mountain top and never experienced pain, I would never appreciate God’s love and I would be living in vain. I have so much to learn, and my growth is very slow, Sometimes I need the mountain tops, but it’s in the valleys I grow. I do not always understand why things happen as they do, But I am very sure of one thing: my Lord will see me through. My little valleys are nothing when I picture Christ on the cross He went through the valley of death; His victory was Satan’s loss. Forgive me Lord, for complaining when I’m feeling so very low. Just give me a gentle reminder that it’s in the valleys I grow. Continue to strengthen me, Lord and use my life each day To share your love with others and help them find their way. Thank you for the valleys, Lord for this one thing I know, The mountain tops are glorious, but it’s in the valleys I grow! Selected by Barbara Stoner The Testimony ............................. ............... ....................................... .................................................. .................................................. ................... ....................................... ....................... ................................................................ ................................. SET YOUR HOPE ON THINGS ETERNAL 3 Editorial SET YOUR HOPE ON billion.” Beyond the “observable THINGS ETERNAL universe” lies a vastness unknown and unimaginable to man. In Isaiah 57:15 we read of “… Scientists advance the hypothe- the high and lofty One that in- sis that this Galaxy, itself, travel- habiteth eternity whose name is ling though space at tremendous Holy…” the only place the word speed, will “soon” collide with its “eternity” appears in the King nearest neighboring galaxy de- James Version. As for eternity stroying all in a final ball of fire. past, we have no idea what occu- Maybe so. Scripture and scientists pied God’s “time” before that first agree on two things. Sometime, week of creation. We do not need somehow this universe had a be- to know the details of eternity past ginning. Sometime, somehow it except that He was there. Eternity will have an end. future is of infinite importance to “Is there purpose to the uni- everyone living in time. verse?” “What is the purpose to God, who inhabits eternity, pays meticulous attention to each frac- life?” To those who believe in God, tion of a second of time. Recently, life certainly has purpose. Life is the news reported of NASA send- all about the eternal plan of God ing a satellite to the planet Jupi- and nothing else. Some believe ter, a journey of 1.8 billion miles. that God does not exist. As to The launch was August 5, 2011 whether men believe in a purpose, arriving at its destination nearly it makes little difference to God’s five years later—within a minute plan. Either way, every man be- of schedule. A technique was used lieves something. Either way, in which the gravity of Earth God’s eternity moves on in its un- served to hurl, slingshot wise, this disturbed affairs. satellite to speeds approaching Strange, isn’t it that NASA’s 165,000 miles per hour. That is interplanetary explorer, after trav- equal to travelling from Washing- elling so far, so long, could arrive ton D. C. to San Francisco in one within one minute of programmed second. As outlandish as this may time—God’s time, while at the seem, it is small by comparison. same time governments are at The Milky Way Galaxy, containing war, churches in unrest, mar- our sun and more than a billion riages and families broken, and other stars, is said to be 100,000 one’s personal peace is disturbed. light years across, the distance Paul in Titus 1:2 wrote of the travelled by light in 100,000 years “…hope of eternal life, which God, at a speed of 186,000 miles per that cannot lie, promised before second—equal to circling the the world began…” I wish I knew Earth’s equator 7.5 times per sec- what God was doing before the ond. Yet the Milky Way Galaxy is worlds began. But I know that He small by comparison. Scientists was there. So I know that I can set say “the number of galaxies can- my hope on things eternal! not be counted—the observable universe alone may contain 100 Marcus Miller 4 The Testimony October, 2016 General DECLARED RIGHTEOUS they are. But it is very possible to tell them the untruth concerning We have probably all heard or God’s holiness, righteousness, and said at some time or another, godliness. If we tell them that sal- “Now if you are not a better boy or vation depends upon their good- girl, you will not get to go to ness, we are telling them the un- Heaven.” I remember one time as truth. In Luke 11:11–13 we read, a child making an ugly face in the “If a son shall ask bread of any of mirror and then wondering if I had you that is a father, will he give made Jesus feel bad. I also ques- him a stone? or if he ask a fish, tioned whether my behavior would will he for a fish give him a ser- keep me out of Heaven. When I pent? Or if he shall ask an egg, was in the third grade, I had a will he offer him a scorpion? If ye book with animal illustrations, in then, being evil, know how to give which one tried to push the other good gifts unto your children: how off a high cliff. One night I much more shall your heavenly dreamed that one of these charac- Father give the Holy Spirit to ters was trying to push me off that them that ask Him?” high cliff. Upon awaking, in my In our love for our children, we fear and desperation I pled with want them instructed in the truth. God that if He would never let me And likewise, God wants them in• dream that frightening experience structed in the truth of His Word again, I would never again read and how they will receive salva- that book. The dream never re- tion for their souls. turned, and I thank Him for it. Because of the fall of Adam, “sin Each year many children return to school to further their educa- entered into the world, and death tion. This brings us back to the by sin; and so death passed upon thought of telling our children all men, for that all have sinned.” that they will not get to go to Man desperately needs to be for- Heaven unless they are good. We given, cleansed, and restored to want them to be good, obedient God’s favor. Thus the human fam- children, but we must also tell ily has been given the plan of re- them that mere goodness will not demption. We read in Romans merit Heaven. What if the teacher 3:22–26 of “…the righteousness of would tell our children that 2 plus God which is by faith of Jesus 2 equals 5, or that the word of is Christ unto all and upon all them spelled uu, or that 47 degrees con- that believe: for there is no differ- stitutes a right angle? These state- ence: for all have sinned, and come ments are not true, and we would short of the glory of God; Being not try to infer to our children that justified freely by his grace DECLARED RIGHTEOUS 5 through the redemption that is in Romans 5:1 we read, “Therefore Christ Jesus: whom God hath set being justified by faith, we have forth to be a propitiation through peace with God through our Lord faith in his blood, to declare his Jesus Christ.” Think of it, because righteousness for the remission of of our faith in Christ and the sins that are past, through the promises of God, who will not tell forbearance of God…that he might the untruth, we can be declared be just, and the justifier of him righteous, and holy, and godly. which believeth in Jesus.” Our position is perfect before God as He looks at us through His Son. There is a fountain filled with blood, This does not mean that He can- Drawn from Immanuel’s veins; not see our sin. Neither does it And sinners plunged beneath that flood, mean that sin that is continued in Lose all their guilty stains. cannot separate us from God. But Our children can be good and it does mean that He accepts us as obedient, but still the stain of sin His children, and we are made remains. And as they reach the complete in Him. age of accountability, they will When we as believers are ac- have guilt. They will be burdened cepted through the Lord Jesus, we until they come to Calvary. No are not released to do as we matter what the crime, the depth please.