Volume 11, Number 1, July-August 2007
Appreciate Genuine Effort Letter: Hello! This is John & Francine Heykoop from We are in our good 8 years of financial
trial ourself and can really help you with prayers, but when the relieves
comes we are thinking to help as we can. We are sure that all the effort to help God's people will be
rewarded. By for now. —John & Francine Heykoop, Response:
Thank you very
much. Your letter came on a day when we needed the encouragement.There is
nothing like an 8-year trial to encourage us (who have only been in a 3-year
trial). May the Eternal strengthen you in yours! — NSE Learns from Servants’ News, Hebrew Roots Letter: I heard you were putting out another issue
of Servants' News after a lengthy absence, while you were pouring
yourself out for the Port Austin Bible Campus. I just would like to say that, for a lot of us Canadians,
"we've missed you" in the pages of SN. We have fewer, good,
wholesome, non-corporate Christian sources north of the 49th (parallel). In the past, you made reference to Hebrew
Roots, published by Dean and Susan Wheelock [PO Box 400, Lakewood, WI
54138; 715-757-2775], and over the last several years I have slowly but
progressively been becoming more familiar with our Israelitish background,
not as a lot of us learned through WCG or British Israel, but in the area
where we have seemingly been "afraid to trod", where the word
"Israel" has been changed for "Hebrew". In our past WCG
connection and possibly having a Protestant or Catholic subconscious, we
think "Hebrew" or "Jewish" is connected with man-made
tradition. Now this got planted and stuck. We have cut ourselves off from a vast amount of knowledge and
instruction that I remember, during much religious (not Christian) striving years
ago, happening upon Servants' News. It was that great aid that cleared
the way for so many of us, and has continued to be "an opening of
minds" from confined doctrinal limitations, and fear of stepping out of
those "walls" for furthering our knowledge in God's truth. I know that your time now is very accounted for, with your newer
project of PABC, a huge undertaking, and we pray a very successful one. I
feel you did a great service to the brethren (of any denomination that reads SN),
to help ready us for necessary growth in God's truth now and going forward
even in our communities to serve. I really hope and pray you can continue to
produce the SN, perhaps just in season. It's too good to lose. But, if you can't continue on with Servants' News, there
is no substitute out there for it that I know of, but God knows the answer. I referred to Hebrew Roots as being very informative, but I am
not suggesting that everyone who connects themselves with Messiah's name, the
term Messianic, is all informed or correct, as the web and some groups have a
real mixture of good and bad. However, we must pray and study and grow, and fear more, I
suspect, being an unprofitable servant and fearful of the journey. Thank you
to you both, for your journey is certainly a full and rewarding one. May the peace of God be with you always, — Response:There is a lot of good and bad teaching
from both Christian and Jewish sources. I encouraged the Wheelock’s to start
their Hebrew Roots ministry years ago. They have been a blessing to many.
Life is simpler if we believe that one group has “the truth”—but it just
isn’t true. All teachers and writers should be determined to teach what is
true—not what is best for their organization. — NSE Finding It All Worthwhile Letter: Hello Norm, We did get the Servants News; like the print magazine, pictures,
and being bound. No matter my intentions, I never did get around to putting the loose sheets
in folders, to my dismay. The renewal form is in my folder I take to work, want to send
you a check, but felt it was important to get a quick message out anyway
first. I drive almost 3 hours a day, things get put off. One thing to your credit is your "doing" things to
further the Cause, which I admire. From the old Servants’ News, to
playing the music when in Haslett, to starting the Port Austin
"work", along with the new Servants’ News. Most important:
the positive way you impact your boys. Hope to visit you someday up "there" Thanks again, —Don Kylman,
Onondaga, MI Response:Thank you for the encouragement! Using PABC CD in Worship Letter: You all did a wonderful thing...we are sharing this CD with
others in our fellowship as well as outside our group. We are a Messianic
fellowship but for us to sing it is no problem for us to alter our
pronunciations a bit. Someday we will all be on the same page, but for now we'll just
have to read out of the same 'BOOK' and wait for that day. In Our Savior's healing Name; —Dennis & Rebecca Whited The Response:Thank you very much for your
encouragement. We cannot all wait until we understand our Father perfectly
before we praise and worship Him. We must share our understanding and grow a
little at a time. We hope other young people will be
encouraged by it. — NSE Will the Second Coming Be Unexpected to Some? Letter: I have a couple of questions for your consideration that were
never properly addressed by WCG that I know of. 1) How is it that the world will have gone
through uprisings (Mat 24:7), martyrdoms (Mat 24:9), famines (Rev 6:6),
plagues (Rev 6:8), massive earthquake, darkening of the sun, meteor shower
(Rev 6: 12-13), a third of trees being burned (Rev 8:7), comet strike (Rev
8:8), and not be expecting the Second Coming? If you read (Mat 24:38-39),
there will be some place on this earth where people seem completely oblivious
to what has gone on. The Second Coming will be totally unexpected to these
people (Mat 24:43). There will still be governments functioning ( Response: This is a great question that I think
deserves an answer. First, governments do not tell the truth
about what is happening, and unfortunately, most people believe the false
stories because they seem popular. For example, some Jews in the 1930s did
their research, realized that Hitler wanted to eliminate their race,
confirmed the rumors that he was doing just that, and left their
country—often leaving their wealth behind. Other Jews believed the
oft-repeated official lies that they were just being relocated. When they
found themselves unloaded from a train at a concentration camp it was too
late. As hindsight has shown, the governments of many other nations knew of
these atrocities, but did not report them or attempt to help. Today, many people believe that other
nation’s governments lie, but not their own. I would love to write an article
covering some of the major areas where the government of the To summarize my
first point, governments and news media will probably minimize their
reporting of many of the prophesied perils in order to keep the citizens
loyal and obedient. Our media has long under-reported the many thousands of
Christians that have and are being killed in Secondly, I do not think most Bible
readers understand prophecy, so they may be looking for the wrong things. To
some degree, I include myself in this. The Bible encourages us to seek the
ability to prophecy ourselves (1 Cor 14:1) and tells us that the Spirit “will
guide you into all truth”. However few receive this gift. In regard to prophecy.
Daniel But where do most Christians get their
understanding of prophecy? From the Holy Spirit? From sitting down afresh
with a history book and a Bible and figuring it out? How many people do you
know who have taken one of these two approaches and came up with exactly the
same understanding as another believer? I can only remember two ladies who
each claimed to have come to the same prophetic understanding on their own from
the scriptures—but that was a few years ago. And they said Messiah would come
in 2005—then 2006. Most Christians understand prophecy by
what they read in someone else’s prophecy book. If the complete revelation of
all Bible prophecy is published in a book, the wise, the wicked and everyone
else will be able to understand it. I think many misguided people will miss
the second coming because they will be expecting what some prophetic teachers
have told them, not what God has revealed to them. 2) My second question is a lot simpler. How was John the Baptist
able to escape Herod's edict that all children under the age of two be
killed? I realize that you are a busy man and that you most likely won't
be able to give a direct answer, but I hope you will consider what I have
asked. Thank you. RC, Response: The Bible does not say. But God had a
plan for John, which would not be thwarted, so he was protected, as Jesus and
Moses were protected from a massive slaughter of infants. John’s parents
could have taken him to safety, an angel could have protected him, or the
soldiers could have simply missed him. There is a good lesson here that should
be added to the first question: When God has a purpose for your life, he
protects you. Whereas, there are a lot of people who spend a lot of time
trying to figure out the time, place and mechanism whereby God will protect
them. I don’t see a promise for their protection, but a statement saying: And He sat down, called the twelve, and
said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all
and servant of all" (Mark Bible Answer ManQuestions Letter: I am trying to reach Norman Edwards. Response:You have! Letter:
I am a long time follower of
his website Servants’ News, though I have no ties to the WCG or any of
the splinter groups following. Response:There are certainly others like you. Letter: have not worshiped on the Sabbath until recent conviction,
though I still also attend Sunday church because it provides a great mission
field. Response:I think that approach is biblically
acceptable. Paul went to synagogues that met on the Sabbath, but that did not
believe in Jesus. Paul was sometimes heard and sometimes thrown out. He would
have gotten beaten up less if he stayed in the homes of believers, but that
was not his mission. On the other hand, Galatians 6:1 comes into play. If you
are tempted to sin because all of the people around you are doing it, then
you should leave. Letter: To get to the point, I very much respect his
opinions, and wanted to ask about his thoughts on the recently aired program,
Bible Answer Man (Hank Hanegraaff), and Joseph Tkach, Jr. Response:I did not hear the
program, but I used to hear Joe Tkach talk regularly, so I can possibly
answer. Letter: I do not believe we must keep the Old Testament commandments
for our salvation, but that salvation
is through Christ alone, and not works. Response:Many, if not most believers over the
past 2000 years did not even have access to a complete Bible. Yet, there were
those with the Holy Spirit in them who lived by it and what Scripture they
knew. God promised in the New Covenant that He would write His laws in our
hearts—hose are the same physical and spiritual principles in the Old and New
Testaments. However, God also ended the Levitical priesthood in 70 A.D. and
it has never restarted since. I believe that He no longer expects believers
to do any of the laws that require a priest or Levite, though there are
principles we can learn from all of them. Letter: Having said that, I also do not believe it is prudent to engage
in activities or practices unhealthy to the human body. For instance, to say
" I am free under the law of Grace to eat Pork" seems to me to be
an ignorant statement. Sure you are
free to do that, you are also free to drink lake water at your whim, but is
this wise? Response:I agree with that.
But a person who enjoys swimming might not completely stay out of a lake,
even though they know they might accidentally swallow a mouthful of the
water. Similarly, a believer might fellowship with those who do not keep the
dietary laws and someday ingest some unclean food that was added without his
knowledge. One can ask in faith for God’s healing in those situations. One
who knowingly ingests polluted water or unclean food may have a much more
difficult time pleading with God for restored health. Letter: It seems as though Mr. Tkach has abandoned the belief that
there is a "need to heed" many of the Old Testament commandments. Response:Yes he has. He appears to take a mainstream Protestant approach,
which correctly emphasizes Christ as the central part of Christianity, but
does not encourage people to "live by every word of God." I am
happy for the people who are brought to God by this mainstream Protestant approach,
but I think it is sad when a church group that used to teach a lot of the
Bible decides to teach much less of it. Letter: I figure Norman Edwards might have a better read on this, so I
am writing to ask if Tkach, Jr. is correct and I am misled, or if I am seeing
this wrong. Response:I do not think that Joe. Tkach, Jr. is
correct. When His father, Joseph Tkach, Sr. became the leader of the WCG,
Joe, Jr. was not even attending the WCG regularly and had never even been a
"church pastor". His father brought him to the Pasadena
Headquarters and placed him in charge of the ministry worldwide. As the
international ministers refused to accept him, he was then placed in charge
of only the Letter:
Please help this outsider
figure out who to listen to, and whose teaching to avoid. Thank you for your time. Trying to discern, —Gina Kjar Response:Thank you for your letter. If you are
looking for a Sabbatarian group to attend, I would be glad to help you find
something in your area. Please let me know where it is. — NSE Friday Night or Sat. Service? Letter: The church members and I have read so much of your literature
and have enjoyed them very much. I came across your ministry on the web site.
And have made many, many copies of your literature to give people who have
really appreciated reading it. However, I have a question that I hope you may
be able to shed some light on the matter. Would you please clear up a serious matter that has separated
the members of the church I attend. Some members have begun to have Sabbath
service Friday night, instead of Saturday. Some argue they are still
observing the Sabbath, because the Sabbath begins Friday after sunset. The minister also believes it is all right to do so, therefore,
he has two services. It has caused a division within the church service. I
still attend the Sabbath (Saturday) service. Would you please provide me with biblical information stating it
is ok to have Friday night service. Thank you so much, — Response:The main scripture telling us to
assemble on the Sabbath is Lev 23:3. We see lots of examples of Jesus and
Paul meeting on the Sabbath in the New Testament and Hebrews 10:25 says “not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together”. The scripture gives times
for various things in the temple service, but, to my knowledge, says nothing
about the time for a Sabbath service meeting. Some people teach that the Sabbath is
morning-to morning, so I can see why they would not want a Friday night
service. However, if that is not an issue for your congregation, then I would
rejoice that your congregation now has two services, and would do what I can
to encourage others to come. For many years I have attended
congregations with both a Friday night Bible study and a Saturday service and
I frequently attended both. When I really needed the rest, I rested and
attended only one. The However, if people want a Friday night
service so they can treat Saturday like any other day, then I see a
difficulty with that. But it would be better that they continue to attend a
Friday service where they could hear messages about why the Sabbath is a
whole day and why God deserves our attention on it. Church groups do
not participate in the first resurrection or salvation. Only individuals do.
If you can learn, and be a good example to others by attending one or both of
your services, please do so. The double service will also allow you to attend
your congregation on Friday night, and then visit another group on Saturday. May the Eternal give us the desire and
resources to fill the world with services to honor Him and edify his people! — NSE Must Explain Nature of God? Letter: It is important for Norman Edwards to state his beliefs on
whether Jesus Christ is Eternal God or not; if he can’t state in clear terms,
how can he teach others? Response:I think this question can be fairly well
answered by these scriptures: But Jesus kept silent. And the high
priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living
God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" Jesus said to
him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you,
hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power,
and coming on the clouds of heaven" ( Matt 26:63). “that is, that God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself...” (2Cor By this you know the Spirit of God: Every
spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and
every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is
not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard
was coming, and is now already in the world ( 1Jo 4:2-3). And we know that the Son of God has come
and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we
are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and
eternal life (1Jo There are other questions about the
nature of God which are not easily found in the scriptures. Does one need to
answer them to be a teacher? A cranial biologist may say to us, “Why
are you teaching me? You understand almost nothing about the functioning of
your own brain cells.” A nuclear physicist may ask, “Who are you to teach
when you don’t understand the nature of the matter of which you are
composed?” The simple answer is that God has made
these things to work quite well and that we can know many other things and do
a lot with our life without understanding the fundamentals of how the matter
of the universe or the cells of our brain work. We just use them. Similarly,
we can understand what God and Christ want us to do and we can see Them
working in our lives and in the world without knowing Their internal nature. In my study on eternal judgment, I found
many scriptures that said we would give account for what we said and did,
but almost nothing that said we would be asked to explain the nature of God. If I have studied only certain subjects
in the Bible, and not others, I should write about the ones which I have
studied. If you have studied other subjects, then you would write about
those. One of the greatest causes of error over the centuries occurs when
people who are very knowledge able and respected in one field begin writing
in an area where they have little knowledge. Often, people listen to them
anyway. I would hope that no Bible teacher would take up a strong position in
an area where he feels he has not thoroughly studied. I have not made an extensive study of
the nature of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit, so I have not written
extensively on the subject. Christ places gifts in His Body as He wills—we do
not all have the same gifts. We should avoid thinking that our own gifts must
be more important than everyone
else’s. — NSE Perils of Polygamy Letter: Thanks for the update. I'll probably be going back to I hope you have a wonderful Feast. I have a question. Have you encountered any couples who are
living in Polygamous marriages? What is your opinion of them? — Response: When you say couples, I guess you mean
husband/wife couples plus additional women. I do not know of anyone who
biblically claims that a woman can have more than one husband at a time (Gen
20:3). I do know of men who are married and
think it is all right to have another wife. I have heard of one who is
actually doing it. I also know of married men who think it is all right for
them to have a girl friend as long as she is not married to anyone else
because they consider her another "wife" or “concubine”, even
though they have had no marriage. I have actually known of cases where a man
may consider himself married to a woman who has no idea that he thinks so.
(Not much open marital communication here.) Of all the men I know who have desired
or obtained multiple wives, there are none that I would consider good
husbands to their first wife. They need help! Some of them do not work much
and try to get their wives to support them. The men who do work usually treat
their wives like property. It is my understanding that some Rabbis
allow a man who has small children and is married to a woman who has become
totally disabled to have a second wife. This allows the man to continue to
take care of the first wife at home, and allows the children to have a
committed mother rather than a series of nannies. There may be some wisdom in
this, but it is not lawful in most countries. I have no experience with such
a situation. The Old Testament allows a man to have
multiple wives, but the examples do not work out well. 1Timothy 3:2 and Titus
1:6 show that leaders should have only one wife. If anyone is asking you to be their
second wife, run! — NSE Philippine Brethren Letter: Praise
be the name of the Almighty Eternal God who says, "I
am God, and there is none like Me,…My counsel shall stand, and I will do
My pleasure." "For
as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, But
water the earth, And
make it bring forth and bud, That
it may give seed to the sower, And
bread to the eater, So
shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth: It
shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Is
46:9-10; 55:10-11). Your
email came at a time the Fellowship needs encouragement. Presently, we are in
mourning for the passing away of one of our elders. Mr. Servillano Miguel,
62, left the land of the living January 6, at Your
letter, which carries a glimpse of "light at the end of the
tunnel," so to speak, gladdens a heart in mourning. Such a piece of good
news… "as cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far
country." (Prov. 25:25) "and a good report makes the bones
healthy" (Prov. And
how humbling and moving to be asked to have my letter printed. God's Word
says: "O
give thanks to the Lord!… Make
known his deeds among the peoples…
Talk
of all His wondrous works... Remember
His marvelous works which He has done, His
wonders and the judgments of His mouth” (Psalm 105:1-2,5). "And
in that day, you will say: Praise
the Lord, call upon His name; Declare
His deeds among he peoples. Make mention that His Name is exalted for He has
done excellent things, this is known
in all the earth." (Isa 12:4-5). If
the letter I have been inspired to write you will in any small way contribute
to these "telling the wonders that God performs" (in my life) to
God's glory, honor and praise, I will be more than grateful to God to share
it with all. Our
love to one and all, and remember, you are always in our prayers. —Priscilla Cardona , Response:We are glad that our announcement of the
Port Austin Bible Campus inspired you. Your letter encouraged us very much.
We are sorry that we were unable to respond to it or publish it during this
time. However, we can be at peace knowing that our Father in heaven takes
care of each local fellowship. When older leaders pass on, he raises up new
ones. When opposition against Him arises, His purposes stand. When our plans
fail, we humbly learn and grow. Thank you again. — NSE & Download Full Issue in PDF: July-August 2007 Quick PDF (.6 MB) July-August 2007 High-Quality PDF to Print (2 MB) Back to front page
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