March, 1998

God bless you, dear saint, in the most important name in the entire world, Jesus Christ. We love you, and we thank God for you-the only you  He has.

In this letter we want to impart to you the sense of urgency that we feel about God's Word being heralded around the world, a vision and mission that the Lord has been strongly stirring in our hearts. Our recent trip to Africa has thoroughly rekindled our goal of every person on the face of the earth having the opportunity to hear the truth of God's Word. If we follow the simple strategy set forth in 2 Timothy 2:2, this is a realistic and highly attainable goal. The key is finding faithful  men and women. As Jesus said, "The harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few." This of course raises the question: Who is a "faithful" person? Biblically, faithfulness is often defined in terms of one person precisely carrying out the will, desire and intention of another person. The issue is whether or not one can be trusted  (see Matt. 24:45; Luke 16:1-13; 1 Cor. 4:2). 1 Thessalonians 2:4 says it clearly:

In order for us to pass this test and be "entrusted," God must purify our hearts of any motive that competes with our desire to please Him, that is, to be faithful to His calling. In many Christian quarters today, tradition holds sway over the truth for the simple reason that men try to please people more than God. It is much easier to go along with the crowd and agree with what the majority believes and teaches. But, like the Marines, God is in search of "a few good men [and women]."

Paul was such a man, and he makes it clear in the previous verse where he was coming from:

(3) For the appeal we make does not spring from error [KJV -"deceit"; Amplified  "delusion"] or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you [Amplified-  "fraud"-use error and deception deliberately for personal gain].

This verse distinguishes "error" from "impure motives." It is not enough to be sincere (without impure motives), as important as that is. We must also not teach "error." In other words, we are called to account for both subjective (internal) purity and objective (external) purity. We must be both sincere and be teaching the truth. Hey, that sounds like Ephesians 4:15: "speaking the truth in love."

We all would like to assume that our motives are pure and that we pass the "test," without really going to God to have them tested. As Proverbs 16:2 says, "All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord." And 1 Chron. 28:9 says, "The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts." As the saying goes, "Sincerity is no guarantee for truth." It could even be a cover for impure motives. If we think ourselves pure when we are not, there could be serious consequences.

One very important reason God would have us be purified of impure motives in this life is so that we can be properly rewarded when Christ gathers the Church. He doesn't want anyone to have his rewards stolen (Col. 2:18). There is another aspect to faithful service

to the Lord in preparation for His appearing, and one that we will expand upon in the rest of this letter. The Word of God clearly teaches that the Lord Jesus will

judge the hearts of all men, not according to their apparent "sincerity," but according to the truth .

(16) On that day when, as my Gospel proclaims, God by Jesus Christ will judge men in regard to the things which they conceal-their hidden thoughts [See also Eccl. 12:14].

Mankind will be held accountable for whether they accepted or rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians will be held accountable to whether they truly and accurately represented that Gospel to others. We are seeing and hearing firsthand how many traditions of men have been passed off as "Christianity" around the world. How can the Lord Jesus hold people accountable for rejecting what is, in large part, a far cry from the true "Gospel of Christ?" We feel the urging of the spirit of God to be fellow workers with Him in disseminating accurate teaching around the globe as quickly and efficiently as possible until His appearing. We want to give people who are sitting in darkness an opportunity to hear and believe the Word of God in all its clarity and splendor, and communicate it to others. We appreciate your standing with us in this endeavor.

Our feeling is that if Jesus were to appear today, He would have compassion upon thinking people who did not believe in Him because of the unintelligible doctrines they heard about Him. To paraphrase Romans 10:14, how shall they believe in Him of whom they haven't heard much that makes sense? I, Mark, am currently auditing a systematic theology class at an accredited seminary. The linchpin of the entire doctrinal system is the Trinity, and the system therefore stands or falls on its truth or falsehood. Remarkably, the very word "unintelligible" is actually used at times in the articulation of the Trinitarian view of the person and work of Jesus, the "god-man."

What's wrong with "unintelligible" doctrine, some might ask? The first answer is that you cannot hold someone accountable for rejecting something that is unintelligible . For example, Romans 1:20 says that those who reject the Creator are "without excuse" because of the clarity with which His creation gives testimony to the existence of a Designer. The very intelligibility of the design of the cosmos is what renders those who reject the Creator morally inexcusable. Likewise, should not God's Word  be at least as intelligible, persuasive and articulate as God's creation ?

This brings up the wider issue of the interpretation of Scripture. We are at times accused of being "arrogant" because we believe that our interpretation of Scripture is the right one. No, it is just that we refuse to embrace the more popular position of doctrinal relativism, in which no one's teachings are right or wrong, just different. This popular refrain is seducing more and more unwary Christians every day. It goes like this: the Bible is a difficult book to understand, and there are many possible interpretations of almost every issue. There is no way of knowing which interpretation is the right one, so it is best to refrain from teaching your individual position as if it were the right one. Just admit that it is only your  interpretation, and that everyone else has the right to his own equally valid interpretation.

But if there is no "truth," and no one "right" and no one "wrong," how are we going to be judged to be "faithful" to the Word of our Master? All He can then evaluate is the subjective question of whether we thought  we were doing and teaching His will. By this logic, the Lord would have judged Paul the same before and after his conversion because of his constant sincerity? We think the Lord was much more approving of Paul's post-conversion life.

We would like you to consider with us the reality of the Lord's appearing, when we will all give account of ourselves-how we lived, what we did to determine God's will for our lives and how faithful we were to what we knew. Let us project ourselves into the reality of His presence-He whose unwavering standard for thought, word and deed was, "It is written." In that awesome day, every excuse will ring loudly hollow and die in the air. Although clothed in His righteousness, we will be "naked" before His powerful presence, called to present ourselves for rewards. What will we say for ourselves? Will we base our attitudes, beliefs and actions on the Word of God alone? Or will we, in that moment, appeal to some other standard: what our pastor told us; what our denomination taught; what historic Christianity has stood for; what we thought God was doing in the Church even when it contradicted the written Word? Will our minds grope for justification in that hour and find no foothold? Will we finally have to face the fact of our lack of faith in the written Word of God as the only true standard of faith and conduct?

The fact that we, as Christians, will be judged for rewards and not for salvation should not lull us into some sort of smug self-satisfaction. The reality of presenting ourselves before the Lord Jesus to give account should fill us with awe and sobriety. Let's look at a few scriptures that describe the reality of this time of judgment for believers.

(28) And now little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

This scripture is written to believers, who are exhorted to live in such a way that whenever the Lord appears, they will be confident that they are in His will. It is obvious that, if they are not in His will, believers can be ashamed  at His coming. What will this amazing experience be like? It will be sobering, as the Righteous One sifts through the parts of our lives, searching for integrity, nobility, sacrifice and commitment to biblical truth despite the pressure to conform to "this present evil age."

It is evident from those verses that believers will receive appropriate reward or punishment for their behavior. "Punishment" does not include the loss of salvation (cp. 1 Cor. 3:8-15), but will be whatever is appropriate for the "bad" things done. The Bema  will be a place of accountability and justice, tempered with the Lord's mercy for those who, at the very least, accepted the merits of His atoning sacrificial death on their behalf, and are thus guaranteed life in the age to come.

Can you imagine what this will be like, standing before both our God and our Lord to give a verbal account of the way we lived? A few years ago, I (Mark) broke out in a cold sweat when I received a notice from the IRS telling me that I was being audited. I had misunderstood an IRS regulation concerning gifts, and I ended up having to pay additional taxes, plus penalties and interest. At first I was indignant that they were scrutinizing my life (depending on the kind of audit, they can go through your checkbook and question every expenditure). But as I reflected further, I figured that I shouldn't fear an audit if I hadn't done anything wrong. Besides, if I can't handle an IRS audit, how will I handle the Bema ?

(17) Obey [Be persuaded by] your leaders and submit to their authority [relative to submitting to Christ ]. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account [logos ].

Logos  here  implies a verbal defense of one's actions and attitudes. When will this account be made? Not until the Bema , the judgment seat of Christ. At the present time Christian leaders have great freedom to teach error and lead people into bondage. One need not read too far in Christian history to see that God is not holding Christian leaders to account in this administration. Yes, occasionally we read about a scandal involving a Christian leader, but from our perspective, these "revelations" are most often set-ups by Satan to discredit Christianity rather than the Lord visiting justice and judgment on the Church. In the future day of reckoning, however, what words will come to the mouths of those who have been corrupt leaders of His precious people? We hear the roar of a deafening silence.

Have you ever thought about the following well-known verse in the context of future  judgment?

(15) Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

We who are workmen of the Word will finally be called to account for our workmanship. It is evident that those who now mishandle the Word are not called to account because this accounting has been deferred until the Bema . That is when a full reckoning will be made. Then, presumably, we will be asked to account for what we taught to people, and our errant thinking will be revealed in that day when we will fully know, even as we are now fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12). We wonder how many popular but unbiblical teachings will then be exposed and discredited by the Righteous Judge, the Living Word , Jesus Christ. James solemnly warns those of us who teach that we face a greater accountability:

(1) Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

For example, we wonder what our Lord will say about the teaching that it is not really possible to "correctly handle the Word of truth"-that we are just laboring in a continuously present process of seeking the truth, but are not actually able to say we have arrived at it. We can hear Him offering a parable: "What fool would set out on an arduous journey in search of a treasure that he thought was unattainable?" If truth is not available, then its pursuit is flagrantly absurd.

We wonder what He will say to those who justify their lack of conviction to speak the truth in love with a sentimental plea for "unity." Do you think He might inquire as to whether one had compassion for those who were being blown about with every wind of doctrine? Don't they  matter? And will He ask why those who knew better kept silent?

If the subtle motive behind compromise is a fear of persecution, or even just losing some friends, do you think the Lord will be sympathetic, or will He expose the motive and declare the loss of reward that will result from it? Will He first reward those many heroes who died rather than compromise their convictions, until shame is felt by all those who caved in to popular but foolish teaching and social expectations? As we ponder our full accounting at His coming, we are energized to continue the work of "preaching the Word in season and out of season" (i.e., when it is popular and when it is unpopular). The more we understand the fathomless love that motivated our Savior to give His life for us, the more we will be inspired to live our lives for Him.

Look at how the reality of Paul's standing before the Lord Jesus in judgment and accountability pervades the following poignant exhortation to Timothy at the close of Paul's life. His commitment to the standard of God's Word remains sterling. On what other basis are we to "correct," "rebuke" and "encourage?" Without the standard of Scripture, i.e., sound doctrine, the following verses become meaningless.

We have no idea when the Lord Jesus will appear, but we have a good idea of what He will do when He does. He will begin the process of "judging the world in righteousness," beginning with His Church. Judgment implies a standard. The best standard we have is the first and great commandment: to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. And what we taught and did in His name will be evaluated according to the subjective standard of our motives as well as the objective standard of God's revealed Word. Were we faithful to that standard, and did we work hard to determine truth from error and lead others to the truth? There is a day of accounting coming, for which we should all prepare diligently. With preparation, we can love His appearing, and love His "testing of our hearts." We look forward to cheering for you when we...

See you at the Bema ,

John, Mark & Karen Anne, John & Jenivee

As you may know, we recently produced a seminar titled Teaching And Activation In The Manifestations Of The Gift Of Holy Spirit . So far, this work has drawn "rave reviews," and we certainly hope that you have already purchased it. It is Part Two in a two-part series titled Growing Up In Christ .

We are happy to announce that Part One is now available. It was produced at the Winter Fellowship in Ontario, CA at the end of last month. It is titled The Fruit of the Spirit : Developing the Character of Christ . There is an introductory teaching, followed by a teaching on each of the nine fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians 5. What are these nine vital attributes that formed the character of Christ, and how can each Christian cultivate them in his own life?

Judging from the response at the Weekend, we believe these teachings will definitely help you to understand and apply these very important truths. When you order this seminar, which comes with a syllabus, you will also receive (until May 15), a very informative and timely sharing by John, Mark and John on the heart and vision of Christian Educational Services. The cost for the seminar is $30. It will be available about April 1, so order your copy today and we will send it out to you as soon as we have it.

It appears as though the theme for the 1998 Bi-monthly tapes is "Back to Basics." The first tape, Take My Word For It,  deals with the subject of faith. The second tape, A Matter Of Life And Death , handles the critical issue of death after life and life after death. Other tapes planned so far for the year will deal with salvation and who is Jesus Christ. The Bi-monthly tapes are still only $25 a year. We encourage you to get your own subscription, give gift subscriptions and pass around as many copies of the tapes as you possibly can.

Spring is beautiful in Western North Carolina, and we hope you can join John and Jenivee Schoenheit and others of your brethren in the Lord there May 28 through May 31 for the third annual Singles Weekend. This is not designed to be a weekend where love-starved single people come looking for a spouse. It is a weekend designed to fellowship with and get to know the One who was "single" all His life and who can teach anyone how to maximize this state of being. The Lord Jesus is ready, willing and able to be the lover of your soul. The cost for the weekend is $150, and the registration deadline is May 8. Call John and Jenivee for details (704-542-7250).

As of this date we have 23 people going on the CES  Bible Land Tour June 27-July 10. John and Jenivee Schoenheit will host this dynamic two weeks, and it is still available for you to sign up. If you are contemplating going, please call the Home Office today for more information.

After having our summer fellowship at the Airport Holiday Inn for the past several years, we have decided to change the location to the Airport Ramada Inn. The Ramada is closer, is an equally nice facility for a better price and was available on the weekend we wanted. Please also note the $5 incentive for early registration, which will be our new policy for all our weekends.

We know there are a ton of magazines you already subscribe to that you don't read. But why not get one that you know will have stimulating articles, features and letters on vital biblical subjects? We constantly hear from readers how much different articles have meant to them, and how timely they have been to give them a much needed spiritual boost. At only $12/ year, Dialogue  is a good investment in your Christian life. We also are looking for items of interest to print, so if you run into a good poem, article or fact that you think would edify, enlighten or entertain, please submit it for possible publication.

Join us as we rejoice together around the greatness of God's Word in gratitude for His goodness, His grace and His mercy during the past 10 years and in anticipation of seeing the vision come to pass that He has planted in our hearts. This Weekend will be a very enlightening and edifying occasion as we look back at what our God has wrought and look forward to even greater things in the future.

Place: Indianapolis Airport Ramada Hotel

*We are happy to announce that there will be Children's Fellowship and childcare made available at the weekend. If you would like to volunteer to help with this, please contact Karen Theisen (616-471-4104) right away. We will need each parent who has a child participating to help with at least one session. ALL CHILDREN MUST BE REGISTERED BY Monday, June 1!