In this month's
Personal Mr. Tkach discusses the role of law in the Christian life. At the heart of Paul's
good news message about Jesus Christ, Mr. Tkach writes, is the doctrine of justification
by faith. God accepts us when we believe in his Son--he accepts us as righteous on the
basis of what Christ has done, not what we have done.
This is incredibly good news for those of us who know that we have messed up badly, and that we could never redeem ourselves, no matter how many good things we do. We know we can never make up for the fact that we have let God down--all we can do is rely on his mercy.
The good news is that God himself has guaranteed that mercy. Pages 6 and 7.
It has been three
years since we first sang hymns about the birth of Christ in Ambassador Auditorium. It was
an emotional moment.
Yes, we were Christians, but for us, to celebrate the birth of Jesus had been understood to be sinful. Even to sing about his birth evoked pangs of conscience. As a church, we had been taught, and had believed, that any celebration of Jesus' birth was a pagan invention dating from the early centuries of Christian history, and as such, it would be wrong to participate in any way, at any time.
I remember having trouble reading the words on the screen (no hymn about Jesus' birth appeared in our hymnal) because of the tears that had welled up in my eyes. My experience was not unique; others who were present have told me the moment affected them in the same way.
I pray that we never become cynical or jaded as passing time erodes the memory of that newness and freshness of the newfound freedom to celebrate Advent. Pages 8 to 12.
With renewed emphasis
on dedication to Jesus Christ, congregations throughout the Caribbean are making steady
progress in God's purpose for the church, according to regional director Charles Fleming.
Members are individually and collectively releasing themselves more and more into the hands of Jesus, and encouraging fruits are being borne.
The underlying commitment is for the regional ministry to create a climate for people to surrender themselves more fully to Jesus Christ so he can make them who he wants them to be. Out of this new sense of being will come a new way of doing, or living the Christian life. Pages 14 and 15.
Early in
November, the national coordinators of the church in Europe met in Kenmare, Ireland, with
John Halford, European regional director, and Randal Dick, superintendent of missions.
All the European congregations, without exception, value their membership in a denomination that is worldwide, not only in name but also in fact. We share a deep commitment to keep it that way. Pages 20 and 21.
The daily mail
income average for September was $92,139, still short of our projected income average of
$95,000 a day.
Our daily banking average in October was only $86,406. Income for the year-to-date is running 9 percent below the same date in 1998. While we always hope for that negative figure to improve, we nevertheless appreciate the loving sacrifices our members are making. Page 28.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1999