THE SOWER

When it comes to the now nearly twomillennia of Church history, we today have the privilege of being able to look back on itand understand its scope in light of God’s written revelation. Sadly, the history ofthe Christian Church shows that shortly after the Apostle Paul’s death in about 70A.D., there is about a 50 year gap where not much is recorded. When Christianity"surfaced" again, the heart of its message was already considerably differentthan the glorious Gospel Paul preached. After that followed two centuries of the"Church Fathers" attempting to defend a watered-down Christianity against paganGreek mythology etc. , while in the process having their minds influenced by much ofit. Then began the Roman Catholic Church, which for the next 1000 years dominatedChristendom with an authoritarian hierarchy that, though it preserved the texts ofScripture, basically kept people in the dark. Part of that period of time is even referredto as the "Dark Ages."

In about 1500, men rose up in both the fields of biblical study andtrue science, especially in regard to the latter. Much mythology was cast aside in favorof rational thought based on the process of trial and error. Church reformers such asLuther, Wycliffe, Hus and others led the way into some degree of light for Christians, andthe Bible became available to the common man. In the 17^th, 18^th and19^th centuries, particularly in Great Britain and the United States, a numberof true biblical scholars rose up, inspiring and enlightening many people to the truemessage of the Gospel.

In the 19^th century, the Devil unleashed a multi-prongedassault on (1) the validity of Scripture, (2) the concept of absolute truth and (3) theintegrity of language itself. With a great deal of unreformed mythology from the RomanCatholic Church still replete in Protestantism, the Church was not able to deal with thisassault as effectively as it could have. Thus for the last century Christianity has prettymuch only "held its own" in the arena of competing religious ideologies andworldviews. With the exception of a few flurries of spiritual enlightenment, the Churchhas not again seen anything like what happened in the Book of Acts, this despite greatlyincreased technology that enables us to reach many more people much more quickly.

Could it be that the main reason why the Church has not exerted thekind of impact in the world that it did in the Book of Acts is because the"cornerstone" of its faith is made of shifting sand? Are not the identities ofGod and Jesus Christ, as well as their relationship between one another and with humanity,the most vital truths that can be known? We will never know what could have happened inthe past 1800 years if the Church had accurately and boldly proclaimed the genuine goodnews of the Gospel: that a representative of the human race has conquered sin and deathand made it to glory, blazing a path for all the rest of us to follow by walking in hissteps of faith.

It seems as if the majority of Christians today believe that the LordJesus Christ will appear (most say "return," although Scripture does not usethat term, choosing instead visual terms such as "appear," "reveal,""see," etc. ) within a very few years. That would be great with us, but inthe meantime, whenever he comes, we want to make what might be one last run at spreadingthe true Gospel around the world. The bedrock of the true Gospel is Jesus Christ, andtherefore accurately representing him is paramount to successful outreach, both in qualityand quantity.

As you may know, we have been working for nearly four years on ourforthcoming book titled One God & One Lord, Reconsidering the Cornerstone of theChristian Faith.  This month we will sit together prior to the Leadership Conferenceand go through the manuscript one more time. That means the printed book should be in ourhands in November. We decided early on that if we were going to write this book, we weregoing to do it the best we possibly could, and it now looks like it is up to about 600pages! One thing it will do is reassure our Christian brethren who have in any way beenconsidering that possibly Jesus Christ did  exist before he was born or that maybehe is  God, that such is not the case. One God & One Lord  will veryevangelistically exalt the Lord Jesus Christ as the last Adam, the Savior, the Man ofGod’s dreams, and thereby magnify the One True God, His Father. We honestly believethat this book will astound even many who already ascribe to its basic premise. It bringstears to our eyes to think of the privilege we have in writing it and making it availableto the world. It is absolutely conceivable to us that it could revolutionize Christianity.

The only way this will happen, however, is if enough people read it. We plan to print 2,000 copies initially, and we are praying to find a publisher whowill contract with us and aggressively market it. There is no question that this book willvividly mark us out in the panorama of Christian ministries today. Those Christians whoare heavily invested in the doctrine of the Trinity will no doubt cry, "Cult!Heretics! Antichrist!" Nonetheless, we believe there are millions of people out thereto whom the rational, logical, courteous content of this book will appeal. It promotes afaith that makes sense. When you read the book, we think you will see that it will be verydifficult for anyone to honestly assail its contents from a biblical, logical, historicalor intellectual point of view. Some may take issue with the humor, and our prayers will bewith them.

In writing this book, we are staking ourselves to the truth as we seeit. We believe the Lord Jesus will call many to join us shoulder-to-shoulder. What morenoble cause could there be than to contend for the truth, and what greater truth couldthere be than the truth about Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, our Brother, our Hero,our Role Model and our Mentor in the art of trusting God?

So how will not only our new book, but also the other materials that wehave produced and will continue to produce, get into the hands of millions of peoplearound the globe? We are certainly open to any answers you have to this question. Onething we know is that we cannot do it by ourselves. We need the help of those who arecommitted to the same biblical truths we are. One such saint lives near Detroit, Michigan.Listening to a very popular local talk show discussing the whereabouts of JFK Jr. andthose who died with him in the plane crash, she was inspired to call in and inform thehost and the listeners that, "They are dead." She then sent the host, MarkScott, a copy of our book, Is there Death After Life?  He loved it, and called JohnL. in Fairbanks, Alaska, on August 13 and had him on the show for 45 minutes. In the nextfew days we heard from a considerable number of people in direct response to that show,and many of them ordered some of our materials. Mr. Scott invited John to be back on theshow again live as soon as he could and, tentatively, this may be on Friday, October 29.

It may well be that secular  talk shows, media, publishers, etc., will be the avenues we can use to make known the truth, if Christian avenues are notavailable. In light of the CES  materials you now have, and the upcoming release ofour book, what can you do to help us disseminate these things? Who knows what doors Godwill open if you will aggressively reach out to radio and TV stations, schools, libraries,service clubs, book publishers, etc. 

One of the main topics of discussion among the five of us is how to getmore people involved in what we are doing. Our goal is to help you as an individualbeliever take a stand for the truth and prioritize your life accordingly, even in the"rat race" that the world holds out as your only alternative. Beyond that, welong to see a worldwide network of committed Christians enjoying true unity andcamaraderie based upon their common belief of the truth and their active participation inpromoting it.

By the grace of God, we (and many others of our brethren), were in theright place at the right time to hear the keys to the Word’s interpretation. We havesimply chosen to "stay put" on these as the basis for studying the Word of God.Doing so certainly seems to us to have resulted in a unique package of teaching that weare privileged to present to the world. We trust that you will judge that for yourselfand, if you agree, we hope that you join us in a wholehearted effort to help others besaved and come unto a knowledge of the truth. How? Here are some suggestions: takeadvantage of our materials and pass them on; start or participate in a CES -friendlyhome fellowship; share with us financially and/or become a CES  Partner; pray for usand perhaps join the CES  Intercessor team; attend our conferences; teach the Wordyourself.

In closing, we will share with you a letter we recently received from abeliever who not long ago discovered CES.  It is representative of many responses toour work from those who take the time to delve into it for themselves. Here it is:

"God bless you. Please accept this small token of my genuineappreciation for the dedication you exhibit in bringing faithful interpretation to theScriptures.  

After a lifetime of frustration with the teaching of orthodoxChristian religions, I believe with all my heart that my prayers have been answeredthrough the materials you offer in guiding my spiritual life. Every day rewards me withnew insights about the Word of God and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Someday inthe near future, I hope that I feel grounded enough to sow the good seed of the Word inthose around me so that they too may experience the immense freedom from the concerns ofthis world that a true believer can have when he receives the gift of holy spirit.  

Thank you for the guidance you have provided to me, and please praythat I will find the enlightenment and strength to bring these gifts to others. To youreverlasting credit, you have begun the process of developing another soldier for the Wordof God and the teachings of Jesus Christ our Savior."  

Certainly we are not the only ones about whom such things can be said.You too have holy spirit and the treasure of God’s Word and freedom of will, and youcan make a huge impact on your world. What else is more important in this life? Althoughwe do not know when Jesus Christ will appear, we do know that he absolutely will show upone day. When he does, he may ask each one of us something like, "What did you dowith what you knew?" We want the testimony of our lives, and yours, to be such thathe will then say, "Well done, you good and faithful fellowlaborer. Let’sparty!" We love you with all of our hearts and hope to see you face to face realsoon.

The good news is that you too can use these shows. Why not call yourlocal public access station and look into it? In New York, Janet Page did just that andnow John Schoenheit is teaching the Word in the New York Metropolitan Area.. Here’swhat a New York saint says about them:

"I have seen six of the first eight half-hour videotapes thatJohn and Jenivee Schoenheit are producing, and they are excellent educational andmotivational tapes to encourage anyone to read and understand the Bible. They deal withbasic foundational material of benefit to believers and non-believers alike. 

Check out the order form included in this newsletter and order sometapes today! If you have any questions, please call Jenivee Schoenheit at (704) 541-4124.

Something so exciting and thrilling to my heart happened today, and Ithought I’d share it with you to glorify the Father and His wonderful Son, Jesus. Itwas truly a miracle! A Christian friend called me and asked me to pray for her. I did. Outof the blue, I felt compelled to pray for her 17-year-old daughter who is a lifeguard outat the ocean. I prayed for her mental alertness, her staying concentrated on her job andher safety, all inspired from God.

A few hours later, my friend called me back to tell me her daughter hadjust rescued an 11 year old boy from drowning in the ocean! "Praise the Lord," Ishouted over and over as she told me the details! I got goosebumps and started to cry, sothankful to my Heavenly Father for placing that prayer on my heart, and so thankful forthat young boy's life being saved. Just think of his parents, how thrilled and blessedthey must be. Just think how thrilled God's heart is to have the Adversary's vile plansthwarted.

My kids sometimes chant: "Na, na, na, na, na, you can't getme." That's the way I feel. You old Devil, you cannot have that little boy! Devil,take a hike, our God is greater! Hallelujah!!!

Dear Brother John Lynn,

It is very wonderful to hear that you exist and that you came toTanzania in January 1998. I give thanks and glory to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.Praise the Lord. God bless you.

About your materials you sent me, God bless you. I am so blessed andtouched by them and I continue to study the books. I have started to study the book TheGift of Holy Spirit: Every Christians Divine Deposit.  Brother John, it is wonderful! Itell you, so sweet in my heart. Oh, praise the Lord to get this fantastic materials.

I am ready to do what I can do for the glory of God, but what I cannotdo by my strength, I need a miracle of God. Where a miracle of God is needed, I can donothing by my strength instead of asking God to perform a miracle.

God bless you. I am waiting to meet you face to face in my countryTanzania when you come. Thank you.

Yours in Christ,