Dear Fellowlaborer in the Gospel,

God bless you richly in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ our risen Lord. Well, we here at the Home Office (the office in JAL’s home) have big news. Last month, staffer John Michalak got married. His new wife is the former Zolla Wadsworth and we are blessed to welcome her to the CES  family. They, along with Michael and Eleanor Branch and Barbara Jones, join us in sending much love to you.

We are all very excited about the upcoming release of our new book, One God & One Lord; Reconsidering the Cornerstone of the Christian Faith , and we hope it will be very beneficial to your walk with the Lord. You will find more information about it in this issue of The Sower . These summer months find all of us out and about with God’s people, and even having a little vacation time of our own. We trust that you also are enjoying a blessed summer and taking advantage of the many opportunities this time of year affords us all to hold forth God’s wonderful Word.

The Graesers have found a new house not far from where they live now, and we solicit your prayers for the sale of their present home and their move as soon as possible. Although it will cost them about the same to live there, the new house has much more room and is much better suited to their family’s needs.

We are constantly in awe of the privilege we have to do what we do, and our hearts are filled with thanksgiving for those who make it possible by their love, their prayers and their financial contributions. We do not take lightly the responsibility of stewarding the resources God brings to us, and being diligent and dedicated in using them for His glory and the benefit of those who hunger and thirst after the truth. We love you very much, and we welcome any opportunity to serve you.

Your brethren in the Lord,

No, we’re not The Blues Brothers,  but with all due respect to Jake and Elwood and their friend, the ruler-wielding nun, we are "The Anti-Blues Brothers." "We" includes you , each reader of this newsletter. Each of us, and all of us, are on the same mission, and that is what we would like to consider with you in this month’s issue of The Sower . Yes, the mission is to sow the good seed of God’s Word, but let’s elaborate on that.

In the United States of America, the fourth of July is the day we celebrate gaining our independence in 1776. The cost of freedom was high it was paid for with much human blood. But thank God for those freedom fighters who were willing to lay down their lives for the benefit of others still to come. No doubt each of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in that war or in any other had a vision beyond his years of what his own life really meant. Certainly we can draw spiritual parallels to these things. Jesus Christ defined for us the path to real freedom: "If you continue in my word, then you are you my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free" (John 8:31,32). As we have often said, the converse to this statement must  be, "If you do not continue in my word, then you will not be able to walk circumspectly, and you will not know the truth, and the error you believe will put you in bondage to some degree."

We recognize that "rightly dividing" the Word of God is more than an academic pursuit involving only logic and linguistics. These, and other tools, are obviously indispensable in coming to a knowledge of the truth, but equally important are "matters of the heart" such as motive (self-promotion or God-promotion) and attitude (humility to learn or prideful presumption).

Perhaps you’ve heard it said, "It’s a jungle out there." Actually, it’s more like a zoo . How so? Because people without God are not free. In reality, they are "behind bars," like animals in a zoo—creatures with great potential to roam long distances and exercise their individual potential, but restricted by their confines and destined to die in captivity unless they are set free. They need an alternative to the end result of the seeds of death sown in them via the sin nature each inherited from Adam. They need to know that instead of living for "peanuts," they can feast on truth.

So, fellow freedom fighters, what exactly is our mission? Well, our Lord defined it in Luke 4:18,19 (check it out) and later summarized it via his words to Paul: "God wants all men to be saved and come unto a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). Looking at the history of the world, as well as its current state, you might say, "That is Mission Impossible!" Well, overall, you’re right, because it is obvious that not all people will choose to be saved. BUT some  will! It would be nice if all those who are not born again wore signs saying either, "Hungry and thirsty for righteousness!" or, "Full of myself—forget it!" But you don’t see a lot of those signs today. So how can you know who is hungry? Show people some fruit —you know, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. They can’t eat your fruit, but if they start to drool, ignore Satan’s signs ("Please do not feed the humans") and feed them some milk, bread and meat of the Word that you have. Freedom is all about choice , while slavery is all about a lack of choices. True freedom is not geographical, it is a matter of the heart, and it begins with one being born again. In this bundle of life are limitless possibilities. True freedom is consummated day by day in the journey of coming unto a knowledge of the truth.

"Madison Avenue" understands that desire comes from perceived need. The job of advertising is to create within people a feeling of need for a particular object, such as an electric fork. Guess what? As Christians, we are "in sales." That is, we are to be satisfied product users who "cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard" about it. We need not create  within people a feeling of need, but rather help them realize the need they already have. Our job is to get people to sign up for forever,  as well as to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in this life so as to get a taste of their future destiny. So how are we going to get their attention? How are we going to show them something in us that they don’t have, so that those hungry for the truth will become consumers of it?

In Exodus 33:16, when Moses was talking with God about leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, he asked God that His presence go with them. Then he asked God a question that each of us must ask ourselves daily: "What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" When you got born again, your appearance did not change. You still look very much like all other people. That’s good, because you can "sneak up on them." That is, they see you as a fellow human being and are not necessarily afraid of you. On the other hand, because you do look pretty much like everyone else, you need something to distinguish you from them. What might that be?

Well, it must be something tangible that they can see, hear, smell, taste or touch. Obviously, it would be your words  and your deeds  (and your face ). The thing that most distinguishes you from unbelievers is the gift of holy spirit, God’s divine nature resident within you since the moment of your new birth. But people cannot see  holy spirit. What they can see are the nine fruit  of the spirit and the nine manifestations  of the spirit—if these are evident in your life. When others thereby see the love of Jesus Christ in you, they may open their hearts and allow you in, hoping that they can have the good things they see in you.

As you choose to live heart-to-heart with the Lord Jesus in the light of his love, he will transform you from the inside out and you will reflect his glory in a way that other people notice and are attracted by (2 Cor. 3:18). Those with eyes to see and ears to hear will take hold of the truth you offer them. 2 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV  ) is pregnant with principle:

The "secret" ways are those things within our own hearts that we are afraid to expose to the light. The "shameful" ways are behaviors we know are contrary to God’s will. Notice that renouncing these "ways" is vital to correctly handling God’s Word without distorting it.

2 Corinthians 4:2 makes it clear that renouncing internal deviation from the character of Christ is the key to externally manifesting his heart to others. As we live in the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ," that is, the "treasure" of the Word in our hearts, we are "living epistles" of God’s Word and we give those who need it an alternative to the bondage brought on by their current belief systems. For example, many people live their lives basically motivated by fear, and when they see someone who lives by faith, they may choose this alternative for themselves. Praise God that it is available to come unto a thoroughly applied knowledge of the truth and manifest it to others in our words and deeds. That is living in liberty and bringing freedom to others. "Just do it!"

We are absolutely thrilled with the response to the first two issues of our new publication, The Contender  (February, April) and we expect similarly enthusiastic response to the June issue, which is now out. The purpose of this little blurb is to motivate you to send in $12 for a 1999 subscription to The Contender . If you do, you will receive each of the first three issues, plus those still to come. Currently there is a regular feature on the subject of Logic. There are also book and movie reviews and articles relating to current events. There are letters and testimonies from our readers, both at home and abroad. John, Mark and John each have a column in each issue. John Lynn’s column in the June Contender  is about the tragedy at Littleton, Colorado, and is quite provocative. Letters in response to anything in The Contender  are most welcome. Please invest $12 and see if you are not edified by what you receive.

The Argentinean believers see the need to organize their efforts, and they believe that being in accountable relationships to others in the Body of Christ will help them grow individually and also move the Word. They have made contacts in other Spanish speaking countries, both in South America and beyond and have at least one international teaching tour planned for this Fall. What I saw in Argentina was very encouraging. I am convinced that God will confirm His Word with signs and miracles and that fellowships will grow and prosper if people will study the Word, and live it by praying, witnessing to others, studying and giving. What can you do to see this come to pass where you live?  

The teachings included in the package are: Introduction to the Prophetic  (Karen Anne Graeser). Emphasizes the three basic elements in successfully utilizing the gift of holy spirit, particularly in the manifestation or ministry of prophecy: stay grounded in the Word, walk in love, use wisdom and logic. It also deals with two things that hold people back in this field: pride and condemnation. Seek to Excel  (John Lynn). Deals with the indispensable truths about the Giver and the gift and why speaking in tongues is the only irrefutable proof that a person is born again. It also lays out 1 Corinthians 14:1-6 and 12-19 word by word to show the proper operation of the interpretation of tongues and prophecy.

Hearing God’s Voice  (Karen Anne Graeser). Covers two keys to learning to hear God’s voice: confidence and focus. It also covers keys to cultivating quietness and awareness of God and building your listening skills, as well as certain reasons why people are sometimes deceived into thinking they are hearing from God when they are not. 1 Corinthians 14 - Discerning the Genuine from the Counterfeit  (Mark Graeser). In light of the "charismatic confusion" going on in the Church today, this teaching is very timely . It sets forth great truths from 1 Corinthians 14 and shows, historically, how God’s people have often been infiltrated by the pagan culture around them.

New Wine or Old Deception?  (Gene Speakes). Cites contemporary sources in favor of the current wave of so-called "manifestations of the spirit" such as those experienced in the "Toronto Blessing," etc. , and compares them to Scripture. Evaluating "Dominion Theology"  (Mark Graeser).  With tongue in cheek, this teaching could be subtitled, "Let’s make the world safe for Jesus to return." An excellent analysis of "Kingdom Now" theology, separating truth from error in the prophetic movement and showing the corresponding practical benefits and consequences, including the abuse of authority and false unity. Contending for the Faith  (John Schoenheit). Encourages believers to obey changeless truth rather than running after new things that are contrary to God’s Word. Challenges us to look at the wake of our own lives in the past few years and see whom we have left better off for having known us. Encourages us to shine as lights amidst ever-increasing darkness.

These are absolutely superb teachings that can go a long way in contributing to the quality of your life, especially amidst the contemporary challenge of separating truth from error and then walking in truth. The tapes come with outlines of John Lynn’s teaching and Mark Graeser’s first teaching and also with a Fact Sheet on Prophecy and Prophets, Prophecy FAQ (frequently asked questions), and a Glossary. The cost is $30.

The teachings included in this Weekend tape package are: "Who Do You Say That I Am?"  (John Schoenheit). John gives several reasons why it is important to know the answer to this, the most important question each human being will ever have to answer. The teaching builds great vision of us really being like Jesus Christ, one day at a time. Make Yourself of No Reputation  (Karen Anne Graeser). Karen deals with exposing the many faces of pride (competition, recognition, vanity, stubbornness and false humility) and breaking these strongholds in our lives. The Uniqueness of the Gospel of John  (Mark Graeser). Mark brilliantly laid out the corresponding parallel of Matthew–Mark–Luke–John to Christ–Jesus–Jesus Christ–Christ Jesus to lion–ox–man–eagle, and answered the question of why there are four Gospels, and then focused on many of the unique aspects of the Gospel of John, which proleptically (before the fact) shows Jesus in his glorified state. You gotta hear this teaching! Living in His Light  (John Lynn). John compared Isaiah 53 to Hebrews 2 in regard to Christ’s suffering and his glory and then showed the connection and practical benefit to living face-to-face with the Lord Jesus Christ and allowing his light to do laser surgery on your heart. Also included in the package is The Heart of CES  (sharing by the CES  principals) and a tape of the question and answer session. The cost of the Weekend tapes is $25, and they will be available until the Fall Weekend Fellowship  in November.

 May/June 1999 Bi-monthly Tape

This tape is a very practical analysis of how idolatry works in the life of a believer, which is involved whenever and whatever we love and trust more than God. It also looks at the temptations of Jesus in terms of basic ways Satan tempts all of us, and how to counteract each type of deception. His first step is to define our need for us, instead of allowing the Word of God to do so. The second way is to create urgency for the need being met immediately, instead of waiting upon the Lord and worshiping Him. The third way is to tell us that that we can get away with disobeying God without consequences and lure us into unwise actions. Armed against the lure of these deceptions, we are able to glorify God and receive His true blessings. If you don’t have a 1999 subscription, sign up today and you’ll receive the whole year’s tapes.

 We do not recommend that you spend every leisure moment of your life pecking away at your keyboard in an attempt to achieve Internet intimacy, but if you do spend time in cyberspace, why not witness to people via this amazing medium? One thing you could do is refer people to the CES  Website. Recently, JAL did a fellowship and there were two people in attendance whom the hostess had met on-line and invited. We are very blessed with our Website, and we continue to try to improve it. We hope that you will point others to it, for there they can find out a good deal about CES  and what we have available. You can find us at www.christianeducational.org.

Hello! This is John Lynn, and I am looking for someone to bless. It could be you, if you are a male, about 6' tall, regularly wear a suit and/or sport coat and tie, and are a size 41 Long/34 Waist. I have about a dozen very nice suits and/or sport coats that no longer fit me. They are 10-20 years old, but they are in excellent shape (and have taught the Bible many times). If you are a candidate, please call or write to me. I am looking for someone who will be very blessed to receive what I have to give.