FALL 2017 V • OLUME 104, N O. 3 his is theday the Lord has made. T We willrejoice and beglad in it. –Psalm 118:24 TLB EDITORIAL “My tongue is the pen of a ready writer” -Psalm 45:1 by RUTH E. SISSON WE BELIEVE… H in God, the Creator and sustainer of the earth, the world, the universes, and all More, More, MORE life, in whom we “live, and move, and have our being.” H in the Bible as our only source of true knowledge he growing Christian, like the serious student in school, is never about God and His purposes T and plans for His creation satisfied with his progress. He always sees where he can do more and and for the salvation of better. There is always something greater toward which to reach. Every human kind. field of knowledge conquered is the opening of ten more that were H in Jesus Christ, the Son previously unknown. of God and our Perfect Example, who was conceived This spirit was especially strong in the Apostle Paul. His letters ring of the Holy Spirit and born with the challenge that motivated him—to be more and yet more like of a virgin; who ministered Christ, to do more and yet more for his brethren, to do more and yet among His brethren, was crucified, resurrected, more for his Master. And he was exuberantly grateful that God was and taken to heaven and able to do exceeding more for him. Indeed, the reward to which he was seated at the right hand of aspiring promised to be ”infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask the Father, crowned with immortal glory, and who or hope” (Eph. 3:20 NLT). shall shortly return to be This quality of “more” is apparent in his first letter to the King of the whole earth. Thessalonians. Very early in the letter he expressed H in the Holy Spirit, the his gratitude for faithful ones. Then he says: “We are openly manifest power of always thankful as we pray for you all, for we never for- God, which God bestowed at various times and in get that your faith has meant solid achievement, your various ways to reveal His “Do not be deceived: love has meant hard work, and the hope that you have knowledge to humankind, to in our Lord Jesus Christ means sheer dogged endurance support His spokesmen, to A man reaps what he confirm His utterances, and in the life that you live before God, the Father of us all” to demonstrate His supreme sows.” —Galatians 6:7 NIV (1 Thess. 1:2–3 Phillips). power and autho rity. Yet it was not enough. They had not yet reached H in life as the gift of God, and the ideal of the life God requires. There were yet prob- in our sacred responsibility lems to solve, lessons to learn, goals to reach before to use it for God and His coming Kingdom. they could be found “unblameable in holiness before our God” (1 Thess. H in humankind as providing 3:13). They must keep going, just as steps ascend higher and yet higher. the raw material from They must, by Moffatt’s rendering of the text, “increase and excel.” Did which shall be selected anyone think it impossible? They were simply following the example of and developed a superior, God-honoring people upon Paul and his brethren. Of course it was possible! They had seen it done. whom God will bestow the Paul emphasizes this “more” quality in many of his letters. He tells blessings of immortal life in the Roman Christians that they must be “more than conquerors” (Rom. His soon-coming Kingdom. 8:37). He writes to the Philippians that their love is not only to abound H in ourselves as capable, but that it is to “abound more and more,” (Phil. 1:9). with the help of God, of applying to our own lives His words to the Thessalonians confirm the same thought. “Finally, the precepts and principles dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in taught in the Word of God, in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You are doing this already, this way perfecting that high quality of moral character and we encourage you to do so more and more” (1 Thess. 4:1 NLT). There which God has promised to was no place for any selfish satisfaction, only room for more. recompense with life eternal Why more and more? Haven’t you noticed that God never gives only in His heavenly Kingdom on earth. the minimum? He never skimps or carefully parcels out His blessings. H He is generous, abundantly generous. For what did the Psalmist give in the promise of God, that Jesus Christ will soon return thanks? Was it for a cup carefully filled to the brim? No, it was for a cup to rid the earth of all sin and that overflowed. “My cup,” he said, “runs over.” suffering and inaugurate The writer of Hebrews had caught the spirit when he wrote, ”Let us an eternal and worldwide Kingdom of peace and not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us righteousness, until God’s encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approach- will is done here as it is now ing” (Heb. 10:25 NIV). He wrote also that we must give heed, “pay more done in heaven. CONTINUED ON PAGE 27 2 MEGIDDO MESSAGE • FALL 2017 INSIDE THIS ISSUE FALL 2017 • VOLUME 104, NO. 3 4 24 The Megiddo Message (USPS 338–120) (ISSN 0194–7826) is published quarterly by the Megiddo Church, 481 Thurston Road, Rochester, New York 14619. Telephone: 585–436–1614. Periodicals postage paid at Rochester, New York and additional offices. 18 Publication Staff: Ruth E. Sisson, Editor; Gerald R. Payne, Executive Editor. Art and design by Margaret A. Tremblay; Subscriptions Manager, Donna R. Mathias. EDITORIAL Subscription Rate and Renewals: One year (four issues) $12.00. Send to Megiddo Church, 481 2 “More, More, More” by Ruth E. Sisson Thurston Road, Rochester, New York 14619–1697. Or e-mail [email protected]. Or call 585–436–1614. SPECIAL FEATURE Note: For the protection of our subscribers, we do not sell, rent, lease, 4 Prisoners or Free? by Kenneth E. Flowerday publish or distribute our mailing list. Reprinted from the Megiddo Message, April 15, 1961. Address Changes? Be sure to notify promptly of any change in your address. Please include your old mailing label and your new address. Mail or e-mail to Megiddo KNOW YOUR BIBLE Church, 481 Thurston Road, Rochester, New York 14619–1697. IRDS IN THE IBLE SCAPES DENTIFY SALMS Postmaster: Send all changes of address to Megiddo Church, 481 9 B B • E • I • P Thurston Road, Rochester, NY 14619. URL: www.megiddochurch.com 10 SERVING ALL THE WAY E–mail address: [email protected] Work for Christ is training for “real” life in the coming Manuscript Policy: Unsolicited manuscripts for publication are not Kingdom of Christ. accepted. The Megiddo Message is the official organ of the Megiddo Church, BIBLE STUDY: THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES founded in 1880 by L. T. Nichols. Publication was begun in 1915. (LESSON TWO) by Ruth E. Sisson Maud Hembree, Editor-in-Chief (1915–1935); Ella M. Skeels, Executive 14 Faith In Action Editor (1935–1945); Percy J. Thatcher, Editor (1945–1958); Kenneth E. Waiting in Prayer • Filling the Vacancy • Flowerday, Editor (1958–1985); Newton H. Payne, Editor (1985–1997). Power from Heaven: The Holy Spirit • The Megiddo Message is available in microfilm from Bell & Howell What Is Pentecost? Information and Learning, Serials Acquisitions, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Publishing Frequency: The Megiddo Message is published with the QUESTION & ANSWERS seasons—Spring (March), Summer (June), Fall (September), and Winter 18 How Should We Hallow God’s Name? by Gerald R. Payne (December). Is “Jehovah” God’s “Real” Name? Bible Quotations: Unidentified quotations are from the King James A discussion of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton YHWH as Version or the New King James Version. Other versions are identified as used. translated in the Old Testament The following lexicons are abbreviated as: BDAG—Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. 22 Obituary (1996). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other Betty R. Boyer early Christian literature; DBL—Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains; EDNT—Balz, H. R., & Schneider, G. (1990-). Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament; AWESOME DESIGNS GES—Gesenius, W., & Tregelles, S. P. (2003). Gesenius’ Hebrew Fascinating Hoppers and Chaldee lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures; HAL—Koehler, 24 L., Baumgartner, W., Richardson, M., & Stamm, J. J. (1999). The Frogs, Frogs Everywhere… Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon of the Old Testament; LSJ—Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S., & McKenzie, R. (1996). A Greek-English lexicon; LN—Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon YOUTH IN CHRIST of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains; SHG—Strong, 28 Pain of Talebearing J. (1997). The new Strong’s dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words. The Flourishing “Grapevine” THAYER—A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889). LINES TO LIVE BY MEGIDDO MEANS… 30 Today Is Mine “a place of troops” (Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon); The Attitude of Gratitude “a place of God” (Young’s Analytical Concordance). Megiddo was and is a town in Palestine, strategically BACK COVER located, and the scene of frequent warfare.