THE PRESIDENT’S · MEXICO “Four tract teams went to Mexico City since June. The last of these passed the momentous mile-stone of the millionth tract placed in the hands of Mexico

T H E T A B L E O F

December 2002Volume 114 No. 9

EDITORLarry D. Smith

STAFFMyra Brown, production managerKevin Moser, art directorJon Plank, graphic designerRon Shew, pressmanGod’s Revivalist and Bible Advocate (ISSN 0745-0788) is published ninetimes a year for $10.00 per year ($11.50 in Canada and foreign coun-tries) by the Revivalist Press of God’s Bible School, College andMissionary Training Home, 1810 Young Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.Periodical postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and at additional mailingoffices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to God’s Revivalist andBible Advocate, 1810 Young Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

God’s Revivalist and Bible Advocate, the official organ of God’s Bible School, is amagazine founded by Martin Wells Knapp in July of 1888. We seek to proclaimthe good news of salvation; to stir a revival spirit among Christians; to stimulateChristian growth and responsible Christian living; to present the happenings andinterests of God’s Bible School.

Please obtain permission before reprinting any articles from God’sRevivalist and Bible Advocate. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcomed,but not returned.

God’s Bible School and College does not discriminate on the basis ofage, race, color, national or ethnic origin, or against otherwise qualifiedhandicapped persons in its admission of students or employment of itsfaculty and staff.

God’s Bible School and College can be reached by telephone at (513) 721-7944 (Revivalist Press, ext. 296); by fax at (513) 721-3971; by E-Mail at [email protected] or [email protected].

Christmas again! This issue focuses not only on thecelebration but also upon its cause—the Incarnation of OurLord! “For us and for our salvation” He became one of usforever. Snow, the country chapel, and the pointingsteeple capture the atmosphere of holy Christmas!

The Incarnation Of The Eternal Word

by Richard Watson

Missionary Convention 2002

by Kevin Moser

Come Thou Redeemer Of The Earth

poem by Saint Ambrose, 4th Century

Hymn To The Incarnate Word

Latin Hymn, c. 7th Century

3 The President’s Page4 Our Readers Respond4 Missions Around The World5 The Editor’s View8 2nd Thoughts: A Deeper Look At Scripture10 News From The Hilltop12 Revivalist Family14 GBS Alumni Spotlight16 Archives19 Revivalist Pulpit22 Financial Development24 Slates Of The Evangelists26 Looking Ahead At GBS

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December 2002 / 3

T H E P R E S I D E N T ’ S

At the close of the First World War, Prince Edward of Great Britain visited ahospital that was caring for 36 of his country’s greatest war heroes. Theprince was taken first to a ward of 24 men. Before leaving, he asked, “Are

there no others?” The nurse responded in the affirmative, but she questionedwhether or not the prince wanted to see those who were more seriously wound-ed. Demanding to see them all, he was taken to another room of 11 men. Theprince was stunned at the awful condition of these noble defenders of the Crown.He was moved to tears as he offered each man his deepest appreciation for hisheroic service.

Upon leaving the room, the prince remarked that if he had counted right,there was still one more. The nurse remonstrated rather strongly about seeingthe last one since that veteran was in isolation, and his condition was so critical.The prince demanded a visit. The nurse protested that the condition of the manmight be unbearable to the royal visitor. Edward would not be dissuaded and wassoon standing by the bedside of the dying hero. He was not prepared, however,for what he saw. The brave soldier had taken the worst of a fiery explosion. Muchof his body had been either blown or burned away. His face was disfigured beyondrecognition. The stench of death lay heavy in the room. The prince shuddered asa wave of horror swept over his soul from what he saw. After a moment to regainhimself, the Prince leaned over the bed, and calling the soldier’s name, told himwho he was. The old warrior’s eyes twitched, and the stub of an arm on the rightside of his body jumped in an effort to salute. Prince Edward stooped down andin the most tender tones poured out the deepest thanks on behalf of his coun-try. Then stooping lower, he kissed the disfigured brow of the dying solder. Thiswas a condescending moment for the noble prince of the English throne.

There is One who has stooped far lower to plant the kiss of redemptionupon the wretched brow of lost humanity. No human story, however noble,compares with our Saviour’s condescension. The King of Glory came down!The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. The Lord of eternal glory andsplendor wrapped Himself in the fading garment of our humanity and pitchedhis fleshly tent on a bed of straw in a lowly stable under a brilliant star.

Why did He come? He came to save! How would He save? By identify-ing completely with our humanity, yet remaining the sinless Son of God.By taking our sin upon Himself and dying, “the just for the unjust.”

Why become flesh? God had created man, but He had never been aman. He had watched men toil, but He had never blistered His own handswith a carpenter’s tool. He had never felt the onslaught of the tempter or

had His soul pierced with the sorrows of life. He (p23)➡

THE WORD BECAME FLESHby Michael R. Avery, president


Each month we publish brief “field reports”from missionaries around the world. Missionariesare invited to send us their newsletters and otherinformation about their activities. GBS graduatesare especially urged to respond, but we also wishto include others who uphold our vision and ourcommitment.

AFRICA“Pray for Chad Durfee’s healing. After an espe-

cially violent bout with typhoid fever, he has beenordered by his doctor to rest for three months. Thefirst month the rest is to be complete—no speakingand no traveling. Becky says, ‘We need help desper-ately. The work is overwhelming when we arewell.’” —Ropeholders

BRAZIL“We are planning on having a work team…to

help us raise the walls of the Sickler MemorialChurch in Nova Floresta. Unity among the church-es and a spirit of cooperation is getting the stuccoon the Cororado parsonage. Eleven people werebaptized during the time that our New York PilgrimHoliness officials were here.” —Newsletter, Rev.and Mrs. Rod Wells

GHANA“Early one morning a Muslim youth who has

been coming to the mission to play basketball calledto the porch and said, ‘I want to be a Christian.’ Thisyoung man’s father and mother have both aban-doned him and he is living with his old grandmoth-er. Here is another example of the darkness beingpierced. Another old Muslim man has agreed thatduring his prayers he will ask God if He has a Son.Muslims are being won to Christ.” —John andChris Buntain, The Flaming Sword

MEXICO“Four tract teams went to Mexico City since

June. The last of these passed the momentous mile-stone of the millionth tract placed in the hands ofMexico City residents. Tim Springer, who was pro-moted to glory during the past year, led the firstteams there in 1997. It was deemed appropriate thathis wife Lynn should pass out the millionth tract.Many people and many thousands of dollars wereinvolved in this great undertaking.” —Ropeholders

(continued on page 17)➡

Missions AroundThe World

Our Readers RespondIt is a privilege to hear from readers of the Revivalist. Names

and locations of writers will be withheld at their specific requestor at the discretion of the editor. We reserve the right to edit andcondense all letters selected for publication. They should beaddressed to the Editorial Office, 1810 Young Street, Cincinnati,Ohio 45202, or e-mailed to [email protected]. Letters reprintedhere do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor of God’sRevivalist nor those of the administration of God’s Bible School.

BRINGING BACK THE BONESCRAPERSThe excellent article, “Pigeons and Bonescrapers”

[“The Editor’s View,” September, 2002] brought backmemories. How well I remember the “bonescrapers.” Weneed them today. Just as vividly I remember those “wholaunched crusades against ‘sins’ which were not sins,” aswas stated in the article. We do not need them today.

LOIS V. SIMPSONPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania

I was stirred when I read your article entitled,“Pigeons and Bonescrapers.” What a challenge it is forevery generation to preach the Word of God without hes-itation. Keep up the awesome editorials. Our movementis fortunate to have you on the team.

MARK D. STETLERFort Scott, Kansas

I appreciated so much your view of “Pigeons andBonescrapers.” I have memories of some of those “bone-scrapers” who caused sinners to tremble and fall at thealtar, crying for mercy. I miss those Sunday night evan-gelistic services when the pastor would preach a powerfulsermon. I wonder just how far we have drifted away.

WAYNE R. OSBORNEBellaire, Michigan

I appreciate the Revivalist very much. It has so manyexcellent, spiritual, and to-the-point articles such as“Pigeons and Bonescrapers” and many others. I am can-celling some of my periodicals, and I was going to cancelyours; but with your wonderful articles, I must keep theRevivalist coming. Enclosed is my renewal.

REV. R.H. JAMESHarrowsmith, Ontario

(continued on page 6)

O n c e m o r e w e h a n g t h esparkling l ights upon thebranches and place the Holy

Family inside the creche below. Forwe are preparing now for Christmas,the Nativity of Our Lord, which isalso the magnificent festi-val of His Incarnation. Aswe turn our thoughts toHim who became flesh forus, we are awestruck bythe dimensions of Hisgrace. “Let us now goeven unto Bethlehem,”we whisper; and kneelingbeside Judean shepherds,we gaze reverently on theHoly Child asleep uponthe straw.

In the marvel of thatmoment, we rememberlines so glorious that A.W.

Tozer includes them inhis collection of

sacred verse.Exquisitely FrederickFaber shares his “visionof the Godhead,” wherea n g e l s r a i s e t h e i rhymns “before theHoly Trinity, / OneUndivided Three.”

All in “tranquilbeauty lies,” when

suddenly “deepwithin the glow-

ing depth of thatEterna l L ight , ”

t h e r e c o m e s a“change in the Un-

changing, creation touch-ing God!” This is the

Incarnation of God the Son, who inthat moment has taken to Himself “areal human heart”—a heart that oncebeat on earth with love for us.

“Salute the Sacred Heart with allyour worshipful amaze, / And adore,

while with ecstatic skillthe Three in One ye scan, /The Mercy that hathplanted there that blessedHeart of Man!”

“Utterly sublime,” wemurmur. Gazing still uponthe sleeping Child, we joinwith Faber to salute thesacred heart—“that blessedheart of man.” And readilywe grant with Augustine“that God can do some-thing which we confess wecannot fathom. In suchmatters the whole explana-tion of the deed is in thepower of the Doer.”

All praise, then, to theimmortal Doer! For according tothe Scriptures, Our Lord JesusChrist, in whom “dwells all the full-ness of the Godhead bodily” (Col.2:9), “the brightness” of the Father’sglory “and the express image of Hisperson” (Heb. 1:3), the Eternal Wordwho is very God Himself (John 1:1),“made himself of no reputation, andtook upon him the form of a servantand was made in the likeness ofmen…” (Phil. 2:7). Without everceasing to be God, He thus becametruly and completely human, a newand “theanthropic person,” as the oldtheologians loved to say—the God-man who came in great (p26)➡

T H E E D I T O R ’ S

FOR CENTURIES

THE DECREES

OF NICEA AND

CHALCEDON

HAVE GUARDED

THE INCARNA-

TION, THE

TRUTH OF

CHRISTMAS.

December 2002 / 5

SALUTE THE SACRED HEARTby Larry D. Smith, editor


Our Readers Respond(continued from page 4)

A DIFFERING VIEWI am sure you received many positive letters on

“Pigeons and Bonescrapers.” [But] I would like to differwith you. I was reared in the Pilgrim Holiness Churchand heard the type of preaching you mentioned all myyoung life. I believe the evangelists meant well, but theydid a lot of damage, especially to young people. My wife[once] asked me, “When you were a child, how did youthink of God?” I replied, “I pictured him as a lion whowas ready to pounce on me for any error I made.” Thankthe Lord, my Heavenly Father has shown Himself to be aloving Heavenly Father, not one who is trying to send meto perdition. Jesus said, “I come not to condemn you, butto save you.”

WILLIAM J. OSBORNCincinnati, Ohio

EDITOR’S NOTE: I appreciate the thoughtful response ofthis reader. Like him, I abhor harsh and lopsided preach-ing which terrorizes the young; but I also know the hor-ror of sin and judgment which must be carefully andplainly preached. “Of course, we must hear the Gospel—that is not the question,” as I wrote in the editorial; “butwe also must hear the Law, for we will never submit toJesus until we are painfully aware of what separates usfrom Him. It is not harsh, severe, or ugly preaching thatwe need, but honest, direct, and pointed preaching whichconfronts us with the ‘whole counsel of God’ withoutdeviation or apology.”

OUT IN THE TRENCHESThe Revivalist continues to “surpass reader expecta-

tions on a monthly basis.” Thank you so much for whatyou are doing for all of us out in the trenches.

RAYMOND L. SHREVE

TIME FOR CHANGEI very much enjoy and appreciate the Revivalist and

your work in making it very worthwhile. I was especiallyglad for the article “A Time for Change” by Michael R.Avery, your president, published in the April issue.

REV. M. ELISHAE-Mail

KUDOS FOR THE WEBSITEI really appreciate how you have put the entire God’s

Revivalist in pdf format on your website. Having limitedaccess to conservative holiness literature at my school, Iam very pleased to be able to access your fine articlesonline. I wish to congratulate you on your excellent web-site. Keep up the good work.

CADET JEFFREY VELAZQUEZU.S. Military Academy at West Point

C-Company, 3rd Regiment, USCC, Class of 2006

PUTTING UP WITH THE YOUNG STUFFI am sending you my new address. Please don’t send

the God’s Revivalist to me anymore. I don’t have extramoney anymore to renew, and besides, I don’t like it any-more. All the older ones are gone, and now we have toput up with the young stuff.

VIVIAN KERNALCanton, Illinois

SECOND THOUGHTSThanks for “Second Thoughts” by Pastor Ben Durr in

the September 2002 Revivalist. It is thrilling to bereminded of what God did at Calvary through our LordJesus Christ to restore the image of God in us. Reallysounds too good to be true. But it is, thank God!

JOHN TITUSZephyrhills, Florida

DESIRES REVIVALISTI am writing you because I want to receive your

God’s Revivalist and Bible Advocate regularly. We haveprayed for God’s blessing to rest on this magazine andtrust that it will be a mighty instrument in God’s hand asyou distribute it for the salvation of precious souls. Werealize that “free subscription funds” are scarce, but wewould be extremely happy if this magazine could be sentregularly to replenish our always depleted missionaryefforts.

EVANGELIST AKHTAR OLVIEvangelical Tract Society

Khanquah-Bihar Sharif, India

EDITOR’S NOTE: In keeping with ourlong tradition, we have extended acourtesy subscription to the above.

December 2002 / 7

“And the Word was made flesh, anddwelt among us (and we beheld hisglory, the glory as of the only begottenof the Father), full of grace and truth.”—John 1:14

Our text and the verses connectedwith it place our Saviour before us

in views so impressive that it is impossi-ble for us devoutly to contemplate themwithout an increase of knowledge, faith,and love.

“In the beginning”—before timewas, before a created nature existed—“was the Word, and the Word was withGod,” and therefore in an importantsense, distinct from Him. “And the Wordwas God”— therefore co-equal and onewith Him. No scheme of doctrine canexplain and harmonize this passageunless it admits a distinction of personsin the unity of one Godhead.

“The same”—mark the emphasis—the same Word of whom he speaks, “wasin the beginning with God. All thingswere made by him; and without himwas not anything made that wasmade”—whether angels or men or inan-imate nature. Yet this Word, this DivinePerson, this Almighty Creator, (p18)➡

The Almighty Creator clad Himself in the mantle of frail humanity

BY THE REVEREND RICHARD WATSON

In this classic sermon, the

great 19th century English

preacher, who was also

Methodism’s first systematic

theologian, gives his exposi-

tion of the great “Logos” pas-

sage in Saint John’s gospel.

The Almighty Creator clad Himself in the mantle of frail humanity


“And suddenly there was amultitude of the heavenly hostpraising God.” (Luke 2:13)

That Christmas I heard what Inever thought I’d hear—

Christmas carols playing on theradio!”

I was listening to my formerstudent, Nick Pop, share his memo-ries of the 1989 Christmas revolu-tion in his native country ofRomania. For years the nation’shopes had been constrained in theever-tightening vise of aCommunist dictatorship. But when

the tyrant Nicolae Ceausescu calledfor a huge rally in the city ofBucharest, instead of galvanizinghis support base, he sparked a revo-lution that opened wide the flood-gates of freedom. “That Christmas,”Nick said, “I heard what I neverthought I’d hear—Christmas carolson the radio!”

Nick’s words reminded me of anexperience I had this past summerwhile attending a Billy Grahamcrusade in downtown Cincinnati.The crowd of 65,000 was informedthat the service was being taped forbroadcast during the Christmas

season. With this in mind, we wereled in a medley of Christmas car-ols. That evening I too heard whatI never thought I’d hear. In the 90-degree heat of a crowded footballstadium, I heard 65,000 glad voiceslifting the triumphant lines ofIsaac Watts’ classic hymn over ourtroubled city: “Joy to the world!The Lord is come! Let earth receiveher King!” It was a moment I willnever forget.

No doubt the astonished shep-herds, minding their businessthrough the tedious night watches,never expected to hear angelicChristmas carols bursting forth fromthe heavens! After nearly 400 “silentyears,” during which time there wasno prophetic word, it is little wonderthat the shepherds returned “glorify-ing and praising God for all thethings they had heard and seen.”They heard what they never thoughtthey’d hear.

Two thousand years have drift-ed by since that angelic praiseteam exited their starlit stage.Twenty centuries of calendar pageshave turned since the One overwhom they rejoiced lived, died,arose, and ascended to His Fatherleaving us with His promise tocome again in glory. With eachpassing year, the numbersincrease of those who ask, “Whereis the promise of His coming?”With each passing year our Lord’squery grows increasingly relevant,“Will I find faith on the earth?”

But the passage of time does notdiminish the faithfulness of God norHis resolve to fulfill His promises!And while we may be tempted tothink we may never hear the musicof the trumpet and the voice of thearchangel, this season the carols willremind us otherwise. He who cameonce will surely come again.

Ben Durr Jr. is a pastor and member of thefaculty in the Division of MinisterialEducation, God’s Bible School and College.

December 2002 / 9

★

✡

★

★★★

★★

✸✸

MissionaryConvention2002God’s Bible School held its annual

missionary convention October22–24. The three-day missionsemphasis was sponsored by the GBSDepartment of Intercultural Studiesand World Missions under thedirection of Dan Glick. Keynotespeaker was the Rev. Gerald Bustin.Various missions organizations wererepresented with presentations led byMelvin and Sandy Adams, EricBriscoe, Gary Brugger, Philip Burch,Robbie and Rachel England, LorenaGlick, Steve Hight, Eric Himelick,M.R. McCrary, John Parker, BrianRauschenberger, and Beverly Rhodes.

The closing message was givenby Rev. John Parker, Director ofWorld Missions for the AlabamaBible Methodist Connection ofChurches. During the course of theservice, each person present wasgiven a single kernel of corn. A cas-ket containing several inches of dirtwas brought to the front and opened.The sermon text was, “…Except acorn of wheat fall into the groundand die, it abideth alone: but if it die,it bringeth forth much fruit” (John12: 24). All who had fully committedtheir lives to Christ and His servicewere invited to come forward andbury their kernel in the casket dirt.It was a forceful conclusion to amemorable convention.


News From The Hilltop

JONATHAN AVERY RECEIVES YMCA CHARACTER AWARDJonathan Avery, GBS high school senior, is one of the winners of this

year’s “Character Awards” given by the the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati.Each year the organization honors 40 teenagers from the Ohio,Indiana, and Kentucky area who exemplify YMCA’s four core val-ues: caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. Recipients of theawards are nominated by teachers, coaches, pastors, and corporateexecutives and are selected by the YMCA Character DevelopmentCommittee.

Jonathan, the son of GBS President and Mrs. Michael R. Avery,is president of his class, president of the student council and trav-els in the Symphonic Wind and String Ensemble. An honor stu-dent who excels academically, he is recognized by both teachersand students as a young man of integrity, honesty, and conviction.

COLLECTION OF REVIVALIST EDITORIALS NOW IN PRINT When Steeples Are Falling, a collection of Revivalist editorials by

Larry D. Smith, has been jointly released by Revivalist Press andSchmul Publishing Company. Subtitled “Restepping the Old Paths—Spiritual Renewal in Wesleyan Tradition,” the material is divided into six sec-tions: Shaping Saints, Pursuing Holiness, Living the Life, Affirming thechurch, Preaching and Worship, and Marking Special Times. “These essaysexhibit an understanding of Wesley and of the movement which we callWesleyanism which is not surpassed and rarely equaled in contemporary writ-ings,” writes Dr. Richard S. Taylor in the foreword. “At the risk of using anadjective often abused, I will nevertheless venture the adjective ‘brilliant.’”List price for the book is $14.95. To order, call Myra, (513) 721-7944, ext. 296.

ALDERSGATE “DISTANCE-LEARNING” PROGRAM FOR SECONDSEMESTER

Below is the second semester on-campus schedule for GBS’s Aldersgatedistance-learning program:

January 20–24 (Second Semester A): Doctrine of Holiness, Dr. AllanBrown; Advanced Homiletics, Dr. Philip Brown; Practical Ministries III, Dr.Mark Bird and Rev. Ben Durr.

March 3–7 (Second Semester B): Expository Preaching, Rev. BenDurr; Practical Ministries II, Dr. Mark Bird; Romans and Galatians, Dr.Allan Brown.

May 19–23 (Camp Meeting): Holiness Critical Issues , Dr. AllanBrown.

It is anticipated that there will be between seven and ten students ineach of these classes. Those wishing further information should contactLottie Tryon, Aldersgate Coordinator, (513) 721-7944 (Ext. 124) or [email protected].

“STUDENT OF THE MONTH” AWARDS GIVENThe following GBS students have been granted the award “student of

the month” by the Office of Student Affairs:Josh Peck, September. A junior ministerial student, Josh was convert-

ed at a camp meeting, and as he testifies, “On June 26, 2002, God and I

Jonathon Avery receives theYMCA Character Award


On these pages, we feature items about GBSalumni, vital statistics, significant events sched-uled throughout the “Revivalist family,” andbrief news notes from across the holiness move-ment. Items for inclusion in the “RevivalistFamily” should be addressed to the EditorialOffice, 1810 Young Street, Cincinnati, Ohio45202; or [email protected].

. . . . . . .CORRESPONDENCE

“‘Thank you, Dad, for sharing/ Allyour silver and your gold,/ For thegreatest treasure ever was the storiesthat you told./ Because you prayed somuch for me,/ And showed me that youcared,/ I found this Jesus on my knees/And His story I have shared.’ I thoughtthat you might be interested in thispoem [these two verses are extractedfrom the original 13.—ED.] that Iwrote for my Dad, Lanham Hickmanfor his 95th birthday September 7,2002. There are six of us children, Joan,Grace Keep, Dean, Molly Berwinkle andSteve Hickman (a graduate of GBS whonow lives in Florida), and I. We are allChristians and attend holiness church-es. We have a great heritage. We grewup in the Pilgrim Holiness Church.” —Ed Hickman, Stonewood, West Virginia

“Our hearts were encouraged, andour spirits were lifted by the ministry ofHeritage [GBS men’s quartet]. Ourchurch was ministered to by the sweetpresence of Jesus. I admired the group’sspiritual maturity and openness toshare their testimonies and to obey theSpirit of God.” —Pastor Jeff Ogg,Hamilton Heights Brethren in ChristChurch, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

“I have enjoyed reading theRevivalist ever since the AnniversaryIssue in which you paid tribute to myhusband’s aunt, Nettie Peabody. I nevermet her, but he (Wilbur Leary Ratcliff)always spoke so highly of her. I knewSara Wade Ratcliff, his sister and agraduate of God’s Bible School.” —OlaRatcliff, Pueblo, Colorado.

“I was married last summer and amglad for such a fine Christian husband,Mark Dueck. Presently I am not teach-ing but am working at the Ministry ofAgriculture. I like it but miss teaching,

so probably will do that later. I am veryhappy.” —Sandra Guillen Dueck, GBSalumna, Belmopan, Belize.

“I pray each day for the president,faculty, and students. I am an interces-sor and spend much time in prayereach day, all for the glory of God. He ledme to do this, and I feel good doing it,knowing that I’m doing something forthe Lord.” —Marjorie E. Renfro,Versailles, Indiana.

. . . . . . .ALUMNI INTEREST

Rev. Rick Hutchison (’77 BRE),Lenoir City, Tennessee, has launchedBarnabas, Inc., a non-profit ministrydedicated to promoting holiness evan-gelism and missions, as well as min-istries of discipleship training andencouragement for believers. “I namedthis ministry in honor of Barnabasbecause he was a great encourager andhelper to others,” he notes. Hutchison,who has served GBS as resident assis-tant, housekeeping supervisor, dean ofmen, and public relations director, hasalso resigned his pastorate of nearly 14years to enter the fulltime evangelisticfield. He may be contacted by mail at21070 Meadow Road West, Lenoir City,TN, 37772, or by calling 865-995-2305,or e-mail at [email protected].

Josh Avery (’02 AA Bible andTheology) completed basic training atLackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas,October 11. He is now attending techni-

cal training at WitchitaFalls, Texas, where hewill remain for 13weeks. A member ofthe Ohio Air NationalGuard, he is stationedat Springfield, Ohio, afighter wing unit that

specializes in training fighter pilots forthe F-16. Josh plans to continue his edu-cation at the University of Cincinnati,where he will major in history or politi-cal science.

Valerie (Bender) Quesenberry (’94BSM) is co-editor with Lucy Creech ofThe Ladies Companion, a 12 page, bi-monthly newsletter published especial-ly for conservative holiness women.

Now with a subscription list of 700subscribers, the periodical is in itssixth year of publication and costs$6.00 per year. Anyone wishing tosubscribe should write 4906 GuthrieDrive, Indianapolis, Indiana 46221.

Aaron Marshall (GBS ’98 BAMinisterial Ed.), pastor of the BlueRiver Wesleyan Church, near Arling-ton, Indiana, was featured in a recentnewspaper interview. He paid specialtribute to his mentor, GBS teacherFloyd E. Hyatt. “He is responsible forsharing with me the vision of reach-ing out to people who are hurtingand are seeking hope and peace…Iowe my vision and ministry to thework and dedication of this man wholives what he preaches.”

Rev. Howard Jessee Beecher,former GBS student, has celebrat-ed his 107th birthday. Now residingin Lawrenceville, Illinois, he beganhis ministry at age 17 and served aspastor in seven states. His wife ofmore than 65 years, Chrystall SylviaWhite Beecher, died in 1987.

. . . . . . .CORRECTION

The following announcementfrom the September Revivalist hadan incorrect phone number andemail address.

“DESHAZER, the amazingstory of Sergeant Jacob DeShazer—Doolittle Rider, Japanese POW andFree Methodist missionary toJapan—has been re-released. With acover price of $10, those who contactDeShazer’s daughter, Carol, can get acopy for just $5.00. For quantityorders, the price drops to $2.00 percopy. Contact: Carol Aiko DeShazerDixon, 1748 Tanager Way, LongGrove, IL 60047, 847-726-0536, [email protected].” —Light and Life.

. . . . . . .NOTICES

We are seeking audio recordingsof the following evangelists for a CDcelebrating the 100th anniversary ofBeulah Holiness Camp Meeting,

Eldorado, Illinois: Bushrod SheddenTaylor (1849–1935); John T. Hatfield(1851–1934) ; Wi l l H . Hu f f(1874–1928); Joseph Henry Smith(1855–1946); Beverly Carradine(1848–1931); Bertie Crow; Joseph F.Owen; Bishop William FitzjamesOldham (1854–1937); and John Hay-wood Paul (1877–1967). ContactRoger Blackburn at 310 HawthorneAvenue, Haddonfield, New Jersey08033 or email at [email protected]’S NOTE. Mr. and Mrs. Black-burn, recent campus visitors, write:“We have been so inspired by God’sRevivalist and count it a privilege tohave visited your beautiful campus.Thank you for the opportunity tobecome more acquainted with yourgodly institution.”

Linda Harvey Kelly is writingthe biography of missionary FaithHemmeter. As a part of this project,she is seeking contact with Eritreanand Bolivian nationals who wouldbe willing to share insights into lifein their respective countries, whichshe is unable to visit at the presenttime. Please contact Dr. Kelley [email protected].

GBS alumni are requested tosubmit recipes for a cookbookplanned as a fundraiser by the GBShigh school class of 2004. Recipesshould be sent to Jonathan Gordon,2049 Maple Avenue, Norwood, Ohio45212, or [email protected].

. . . . . . .MARRIAGES

Michael Schaub, GBS minister-ial student, to Linda Nicodemus(’02 BA), October 19, 2002, ColdSpring, Kentucky, the Rev. RichardMiles, officiating.

Christopher Fleck (’95 BRE;Major in Missions) to RebeccaAubrey, November 30, 2002, Brush-ton, New York.

. . . . . . .BIRTHS

To Philip and Lisa Boardman,Newport News, Virginia, a son,

Logan Rory Boardman, born Octo-ber 22, 2002.

To Daniel (’89) and Vicki(Hatch) (’88) Bubb, a son, CalebDavid Bubb, born August 9, 2002,Jonestown, Pennsylvania.

To Mark (’95–’97) and Jana(Englund) (’94–’98) Burley, ElDorado Springs, Missouri, a daugh-ter, Kelsey Breann Burley, June 29,2002. She joins her two-year-oldsister Khara.

To Brian andMarie Consley, Mar-ion , A l abama , adaughter, JennaMar i e Cons l ey ,born June 25, 2002.Brian is a BibleMethodist pastor and a student inGBS’ Aldersgate program.

To Rodney and Ruth (Gerard)Jackson, a son, Ethan Leon JamesJackson, born July 16, 2002, GrandRapids, Michigan.

To Christopher and Nancy(Hamer) Lambeth, a son, Christo-pher Michael David Lambeth, bornJune 3, 2002, Cincinnati, Ohio.Chris is a GBS alumnus and cam-pus librarian, and Nancy is a GBSstudent.

To Stephen and Diane Wheat-ley, a daughter, Riley Jane Wheat-ley, born November, 2002.

. . . . . . .DEATHS

The Rev. William Emert, 81,Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, diedMay 21, 2002. He served his coun-try in military ser-vice during WorldWar II, and on June23, 1946, was mar-ried to DorothyEleannor Bledsoe.To this union wereborn three chil-dren: Nancy, Joseph C., and CharlesW. After graduating from God’sBible School in 1947, he served aspastor of several Free Methodistchurches in Pennsylvania. His wifeDorothy preceded him in (p17)➡

December 2002 / 13


charting the course, setting the pace, raising the standard…

What a great feeling to come home after a long absence—just tostep inside the door, greet loved ones, and enjoy familiar sur-roundings! For our alumni, GBS was “home” for several years.

Homecoming is a great time to come back to campus, meet formerclassmates and friends, and enjoy the GBS atmosphere. This year’sHomecoming held many special moments. An overflow crowd gatheredin the chapel for the keynote concert. Dr. John Enyart returned to cam-pus and directed a reunion choir with students from 1965–1975. Thechoir, SWSE, and quartets also performed and their music was markedby God’s presence. Following the concert, alumni gathered for a recep-tion in the dining hall. This year’s reception was the largest in a numberof years. Many alumni and friends visited Homefest where they couldsample the fare offered by a number of campus organizations. Saturdaywas a time of reunion and reflection as a large group of 25- and 50-yeargraduates shared precious memories. President Avery shared with thealumni his vision for the future of GBS. This included the unveiling of anew capital campaign entitled, “Faith In The Future” (featured in theNovember God’s Revivalist). The presentation received enthusiastic sup-port. Homecoming closed with a fellowship luncheon and campus tours.

Why not make plans now to come back home next fall forHomecoming 2003!

HOMECOMING 2002: REUNION AND REFLECTIONby Jack Hooker, GBS Vice President for Advancement

Each high school and college class, as well as various other campusorganizations, took part in homefest.

Virginia Lee (Means) Arnold, Monterey, California, an 88-year-oldalumna, returned to campus.

25-Year and 50-year alumni were specially honored.

December 2002 / 15

Rev. Jack Hooker isVice President forAdvancement at God’sBible School andCollege.

John Enyart directed the reunion choir.

Assurance, GBS male quartet, sang theirfirst public performance of the year.

Combined high school and collegechoirs sang.

Vanessa Heppeard received the “Staff/Faculty Appreciation Award.”

Edsel trouten was honored as “Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.”

John Enyart, former GBS music director and talented violinist, was aspecial guest.

On this page is featured one of three 1940’s era posters recent-ly donated to our archives by Rev. Wes Humble (BRE ’84),Newark, Ohio. It is a publicity announcement for “The King’sMessengers,” four young musicians and preachers from GBS.Among them is Lewis Brevard, a GBS student 1939–41 and1945–48, who also worked for the RevivalistPress. The accompanying story by him wasfeatured in the official GBS centenary book,God’s Clock Keeps Perfect Time. We weresaddened to receive the news that Lewispassed away as this December issue of God’sRevivalist was going to press.

THE HAWAIIAN GUITAR

When I was young, I studied theHawaiian guitar under the tutelage

of “Hawaiian Charlie,” the leader of theLucky Strike Hour Orchestra. This bigband was known for playing the radioshow’s theme song, “Happy Days Are HereAgain.” Charlie was training me with theidea that I would eventually play theHawaiian guitar for the radio orchestra.My parents, I must say, did not approve ofthese plans; and I had no outlet for mymusical talent in the Free MethodistChurch of my younger years, as it did notallow the use of musical instruments inworship. When a bout with Scarlet Feverleft me partially deaf, I gave up the hope ofplaying music professionally.

I enrolled at God’s Bible School in1938. There was a young lady there who

was also from my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.She took it upon herself to inform President Standleythat I played the Hawaiian guitar. Jay Meighen, Standley’sson-in-law and director of the GBS Radio Chorus, wentdowntown and purchased a Hawaiian guitar, placed it inthe Standleys’ apartment and invited me to dinner. WhenI saw it there, Brother Standley asked me to play it for theGBS Sunday service that weekend. I refused on thegrounds of personal conviction, echoing my church’steaching on the subject. Not to be thwarted in theirplans, Jay Meighen and President Standley enlisted thehelp of Brother Marsh and Sister Peabody, who tried toconvince me that the ban on musical instruments inchurch was not a Scriptural directive. I finally consentedto play on Sunday, but I placed a “fleece” before God: Iwould consider it His will to use my musical talent inworship if someone went forward to become a Christianduring the service.

Sure enough, on Sunday a man made his way to thealtar. Afterwards he came to me to say that my music waswhat had brought conviction to his heart. God hadanswered my prayer with affirmation. I purchased that gui-tar for myself and began playing in the GBS radio orches-tra. I also played for the Sunday services and revivals at theschool, and traveled to churches all around the countrywith Brother Standley and various GBS music groups untilI left the campus in 1948. —Lewis Brevard


December 2002 / 17

➡ (p13) death in 1977. He wasmarried to Billie Jean Will-oughby in 1987.

While pastor in Tyrone,Pennsylvania, he began a radioministry which later developedinto “Hymn Time.” This even-tually was heard on numerousstations across the UnitedStates and abroad; and in 1988he and his wife Billie Jean weregiven the Milestone Award bythe National Religious Broad-casters for 50 years of broad-casting the program. Emertalso continued his pulpit min-istry, preaching in numerouslocal churches, as well as in 37countries, including 25 trips toHaiti and Jamaica. He will beremembered as the inspirationfor the establishment of fiveChristian radio stations in theUnited States, one in Haiti, andthree in Africa. In 1971, hereturned to God’s Bible School,where he assumed the positionof Director of Broadcasting andMissions.

He is survived by his widow,his three children, eight grand-children, four great-grandchil-dren, one step great-grand-child, and many friends whocherish the memory of hiscommitted Christian service.GBS salutes its distinguishedson and expresses sympathy tohis bereaved family.

. . . . . . .

HITHER AND

THITHER

AMONG US

News Among Christians of Wesleyan Heritage

Theme of the 2003 quadren-nial General Conference of the

Free Methodist Church is “Intothe Neighborhood,” taken froma contemporary paraphrase ofJohn 1:14. Held at Seatt lePacific College, the gathering“will be the most high-tech con-ference ever. Announcements,promotional videos, and variousinformational pieces will beprojected on two screens flank-ing the main screen of the audi-torium,” according to Light andLife. Doug and Margie Newton,prayer coordinators, are callingfor widespread fasting from May19–June 27 for the GeneralConference.

Ray Lantz, a member of theCentral Church of the Nazarene,Covington, Kentucky, was thetruck driver who alerted police ofthe whereabouts of the vehiclecontaining “Sniper” suspectsJohn Muhammad and JohnMalvo. This came shortly after heand other truck drivers had metat a pre-assigned stop and prayedfor the United States and for theapprehension of the fugitiveswho had terrorized the Washing-ton, D.C. area for two weeks.Lantz recognized the identifica-tion of their car and its licensetags and notified authorities. Helater declared, “I’m no hero,” andattributed the successful arreststo the help of God.

“Here is a simple propos-al: What if we turn our mid-week services into prayermeetings?” asks editor MarkD. Avery in a recent issue ofThe Church Herald and Holi-ness Banner. “Why not tryhaving a brief time of wor-ship—one or two choruses—and a brief devotional followedby an extended time of prayer?Instead of one or two peopleleading in prayer, why nothave several do so? Since werecognize that revivals of thepast had a foundation inprayer, why not return toprayer as the basis and drivingforce of our ministries?”

➡ (continued from page 4)

NICARAGUA “Rev. Luis Aguilera, EWM—Nicaragua,

has announced that tent meetings wereheld in the Capitol District of Managua.There were more than 200 seekers. Forty ofthese successfully finished the six months‘Discipleship and Baptismal Candidates’Course’ and were baptized and taken intofull church membership. Praise the Lordfor sanctified national leadership whichinsists on a ‘High Way of holiness.’” —Raymond L. Shreve.

PHILIPPINES“We have been hit pretty hard with

the news of a tragic accident involvingone of our Bible Methodist families. Oneof the jeepneys carrying 58 children lostcontrol and rolled twice, instantly killingfive children and two adults. Later in thehospital more died, making a total of 17.Our pastor’s wife and son were hurt badlybut are healing now, thank the Lord.” —Tim Keep, Philippine Bible MethodistMissions

RUSSIAVyborg Christian Center has secured

the services of Valentin Usatiy, “a talentedyoung preacher who is fluent both inRussian and in English. In the last tenyears he has worked with several missionorganizations and missionaries…He andhis wife Kristina feel that they are especial-ly called to evangelism with Russianyouth.” —Richard and Judy Grout

UKRAINE“Praise the Lord that 5,000 copies of

Wesley’s sermons have been printed inRussian and are being advertised on a booklist mailed to 6,000 addresses in Russia andUkraine. Stephen Gibson, now in his firstyear as president of Kiev Wesley BibleCollege, says, ‘When I discovered thisopportunity, I sent out an e-mail describ-ing it and said that I need to hear from youtoday. More than $2500 was pledged dur-ing the next two days, bringing our totalclose enough that I could tell the printersto go ahead. I have now paid them the fullamount and have never before been sohappy about handing over so muchmoney’.” —Ropeholders


➡ (p7) arrayed in the ample vesture of all the divine perfec-tions, clad Himself in the mantle of frail and weak and humil-iated humanity. “And we beheld his glory, the glory as of theonly begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

To the important clauses of this important passage I directyour attention:

I. OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: THE WORD WHO IS GOD.“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,and the Word was God.”

This term, the “Word,” is almost peculiar to the ApostleJohn, and it has two meanings, equally descriptive of both thenature and office of our Lord.

A. It is personal. In this sense it indicates the infinite intel-ligence of Him who was made flesh. He is the Wisdom of God,“the brightness of his glory and the express image of his per-son,” with all the perfections of His nature, as well as all theboundless attributes of God, as the impression upon the wax ofthe seal. It is this which gives an absolute infallibility to Jesus’teaching. He fully knew the mind of God, and He has expressedit to us.

B. It is official. It is by speech that wisdom is declared toothers. For this reason also Christ is called the Word, that is,the speech or the mouth of God. In the past God spoke to ourfathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken tous by His Son (Heb. 1:1). The mists which once hung over thedawn of revelation are dissipated. The Sun itself has burstupon us, for He is the light of the world.

II. OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: THE WORD MADEFLESH WHO “DWELT AMONG US.” “And the Word wasmade flesh and dwelt among us…”

By this is meant that our Lord took human nature.Consider now these aspects of His Incarnation:

A. The Incarnation was a deep humiliation. As became thesubstitute and representative of sinners, it was necessary thatHe should take the humble rank of the guilty. He descended,therefore, from the height of heaven to the humblest condi-tion of earth.

B. The Incarnation was to familiarize Him with our con-dition so that He might be our High Priest. There is a corre-spondence between the feelings of Christ’s humanity and thecompassion of His Godhead. The compassion of His Godheadresulted from the perfection of His nature, while the feelingsof His humanity came from His personal experience; andtogether they form one fit and sympathizing High Priest.Having such a High Priest who is passed into the heavenswhere He exercises the infinite mercy of God and the tendermercy of a spotless human nature, we may well (p21)➡

COME THOU REDEEMER OF THE EARTH

Come, Thou Redeemer of the earth,And manifest Thy virgin birth:Let every age adoring fall;Such birth befits the God of all.

Begotten of no human will,But of the Spirit, Thou art stillThe Word of God in flesh arrayed,The promised Fruit to man displayed.

From God the Father He proceeds,To God the Father back He speeds;His course He runs to death and hell,Returning on God’s throne to dwell.

O equal to the Father, Thou!Gird on Thy fleshly mantle now;The weakness of our mortal stateWith deathless might invigorate.

Thy cradle here shall glitter bright,And darkness breathe a newer light,Where endless faith shall shine serene,And twilight never intervene.

All laud to God the Father be,All praise, eternal Son, to Thee;All glory, as is ever meet,To God the Holy Paraclete.

—St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan,

4th Century

✃

TH

EIN

CA

RN

ATIO

N:

AC

HR

IST

IAN

BAT

TLE

GR

OU

ND

!

Scr

iptu

re:

John

1:1

, 14,

18

Text

: Joh

n 1:

14, “

And

the

Wor

d w

as m

ade

fles

h, a

nd d

wel

t am

ong

us a

nd w

e be

held

his

glor

y, t

he g

lory

as

of t

he o

nly

bego

tten

of

the

Fat

her,

ful

l of

grac

e an

d tr

uth.

”

This

text

is o

ne o

f my

favo

rite

ver

ses

abou

t the

Inca

rnat

ion.

It te

lls u

s th

at th

e pr

e-in

carn

ate

“Wor

d,”

(the

Logo

s),

who

was

one

wit

h th

e Fa

ther

fro

m a

ll et

erni

ty,

who

enjo

yed

face

-to-

face

com

mun

ion

“wit

h G

od”

and

“was

God

” (J

ohn

1:1)

, be

cam

e fle

sh(b

ecam

e in

carn

ate)

and

dw

elt

amon

g us

. Let

’s th

ink

toge

ther

abo

ut t

he m

otiv

atio

nfo

rth

e In

carn

atio

n, t

he m

anne

rof

the

Inc

arna

tion

, the

bat

tle

over

the

Inc

arna

tion

, and

som

e im

port

ant

impl

icat

ions

of t

he I

ncar

nati

on.

I. T

HE

MO

TIV

ATIO

N F

OR

TH

E I

NC

AR

NAT

ION

Wha

t po

ssib

le m

otiv

e co

uld

ther

e ha

ve b

een

for

the

Wor

d to

aba

ndon

His

for

m(m

orph

e) a

s G

od, t

o la

y as

ide

the

glor

y H

e ha

d w

ith

the

Fath

er (

John

17:

5), t

ake

upon

Him

self

the

form

(m

orph

e) o

f a s

erva

nt t

o be

com

e a

hum

an b

eing

, and

bec

ome

obed

i-en

t to

the

poi

nt o

f de

ath,

eve

n de

ath

on a

cro

ss (

Phil.

2:5

-8)?

Why

wou

ld D

eity

, wit

h-ou

t lay

ing

asid

e D

eity

att

ribu

tes,

ass

ume

the

finit

e lim

itat

ions

of m

anho

od?

Why

wou

ldth

e W

ord

perm

anen

tly

take

on

hum

anit

y? H

e w

ho b

ecam

e th

e G

od-m

an w

ill r

emai

nth

e G

od-m

an t

hrou

ghou

t al

l ete

rnit

y.

Acco

rdin

g to

Joh

n, a

key

rea

son

for

the

Wor

d be

com

ing

the

God

-man

was

to r

evea

lth

e Fa

ther

. “N

o m

an,”

say

s Jo

hn, “

hath

see

n G

od a

t an

y ti

me;

the

onl

y be

gott

en S

on,

whi

ch is

in t

he b

osom

of t

he F

athe

r, he

hat

h de

clar

ed h

im.”

The

ver

b “d

ecla

re”

(exe

ge-

omai

), f

rom

whi

ch w

e de

rive

our

Eng

lish

term

“ex

eget

e,”

mea

ns t

o “r

evea

l, ex

plai

n,de

scri

be,

mak

e fu

lly k

now

n.”

In J

esus

we

have

a v

isib

le d

iscl

osur

e of

Dei

ty—

God

clot

hed

in h

uman

fles

h. I

n Je

sus,

the

ete

rnal

and

invi

sibl

e G

od r

evea

ls H

imse

lf to

us

asH

e re

ally

is, f

or J

esus

is “

the

imag

e of

the

invi

sibl

e G

od”

(Col

. 1:1

5), t

he “

expr

ess

imag

eof

his

per

son”

(H

eb. 1

:3).

Jes

us t

old

Phili

p, “

He

who

has

see

n M

e ha

s se

en t

he F

athe

r”(J

ohn

14:9

). T

hus,

Jes

us w

as c

alle

d th

e “W

ord”

(th

e Lo

gos)

bec

ause

in H

is in

carn

atio

nH

e fu

lly a

nd a

ccur

atel

y re

veal

s to

man

wha

t G

od is

like

. Pr

ior

to t

he i

ncar

nati

on o

f th

e W

ord,

God

’s se

lf-re

vela

tion

was

pro

gres

sive

.St

arti

ng w

ith

crea

tion

, God

man

ifest

ed H

is g

lory

and

His

rig

hteo

usne

ss in

the

hea

vens

(Psa

. 19

:1;

97:6

). P

aul

tells

us

that

a t

houg

htfu

l an

alys

is o

f th

e ph

ysic

al c

reat

ion

will

lead

a p

erso

n to

the

con

clus

ion

that

the

re is

a G

od w

ho is

ete

rnal

and

pow

erfu

l (R

om.

1:20

). G

od’s

self-

reve

lati

on c

onti

nued

in th

e m

ight

y ac

ts H

e pe

rfor

med

on

beha

lf of

His

peop

le I

srae

l, an

d in

the

sym

bolic

tea

chin

gs o

f th

e sa

crifi

cial

sys

tem

and

pri

esth

ood.

But

it is

onl

y in

Chr

ist

that

we

have

God

’s fu

ll se

lf-di

sclo

sure

.

14

In s

pite

of t

he c

onde

mna

tion

of A

rian

ism

at

Nic

aea,

his

doc

trin

e w

as n

ot d

ecis

ive-

ly e

xpel

led

from

the

chur

ch. F

or m

ore

than

fift

y ye

ars

the

cont

rove

rsy

rage

d on

unt

il it

was

def

init

ivel

y co

ndem

ned

at th

e C

ounc

il of

Con

stan

tino

ple

in 3

81 A

.D. T

hank

s to

the

pers

ever

ance

an

d te

naci

ty

of

one

man

, At

hana

sius

, th

e su

cces

sor

of

Alex

ande

r,C

hris

tian

ity

was

res

cued

from

the

Aria

n er

ror.

Ols

en s

ugge

sts

that

“it

may

not

be

muc

hof

an

exag

gera

tion

to

say

that

all

Chr

isti

ans

have

Ath

anas

ius

to t

hank

tha

t th

e th

eolo

-gy

of t

he J

ehov

ah’s

Wit

ness

es is

not

the

‘ort

hodo

xy’ o

f mos

t of C

hris

tend

om. A

than

asiu

sis

tru

ly o

ne o

f the

gre

at h

eroe

s of

the

fait

h…”8

IV. T

HE

IM

PLI

CAT

ION

S O

F T

HE

IN

CA

RN

ATIO

NTh

e im

plic

atio

ns o

f th

e In

carn

atio

n ar

e gl

orio

us. B

ecau

se J

esus

is

trul

y G

od, w

eca

n se

e w

hat t

he lo

ve o

f God

, the

hol

ines

s of

God

, the

pow

er o

f God

, and

the

wis

dom

of

God

are

like

. We

need

onl

y lo

ok a

t Je

sus.

Bec

ause

Jes

us is

tru

ly G

od, w

e kn

ow t

hat

the

subs

titu

tion

ary

deat

h of

Chr

ist

for

our

sins

is

suffi

cien

t fo

r al

l si

nner

s w

ho h

ave

ever

lived

. It

was

not

mer

ely

a fin

ite

hum

an w

ho d

ied;

it w

as t

he G

od-m

an w

ho d

ied.

Jes

us’

deit

y im

part

s in

finit

e va

lue

to H

is a

tone

men

t. B

ecau

se J

esus

is tr

uly

God

, man

kind

can

be r

econ

cile

d to

God

. It w

as G

od H

imse

lf th

at c

ross

ed th

e ch

asm

cre

ated

by

sin

to b

ring

man

kind

red

empt

ion.

Bec

ause

Jes

us i

s tr

uly

God

, He

is w

orth

y of

our

wor

ship

. Jes

us“i

s G

od in

the

sam

e se

nse

and

to t

he s

ame

degr

ee a

s th

e Fa

ther

. He

is a

s de

serv

ing

ofou

r pr

aise

, ado

rati

on, a

nd o

bedi

ence

as

is t

he F

athe

r.”9

Bec

ause

Jes

us is

tru

ly m

an, t

he a

toni

ng d

eath

of J

esus

can

ava

il fo

r us

. It

was

not

an a

ngel

or

an o

utsi

der

to t

he h

uman

rac

e w

ho d

ied

on t

he c

ross

. It

was

Jes

us, m

an o

fve

ry m

an, w

ho a

lone

qua

lifie

d to

bec

ome

our

Hig

h Pr

iest

and

offe

r hi

mse

lf as

our

sac

-ri

fice

for

sin.

Bec

ause

Jes

us is

tru

ly m

an, H

e ca

n sy

mpa

thiz

e w

ith

our

infir

mit

ies

and

inte

rced

e fo

r us

(Heb

. 4:1

5). B

ecau

se J

esus

is tr

uly

man

, He

can

be o

ur e

xam

ple

(1 J

ohn

2:6)

. B

ecau

se J

esus

is

trul

y m

an,

He

pres

entl

y se

rves

as

the

one

and

only

med

iato

rbe

twee

n G

od a

nd m

anki

nd.10

As y

ou c

eleb

rate

the

Inca

rnat

ion

this

yea

r at

Chr

istm

as, l

et u

s re

mem

ber

the

mot

i-va

tion

of t

he I

ncar

nati

on (

God

the

Wor

d be

cam

e th

e G

od-m

an w

hore

veal

s th

e Fa

ther

), t

he m

anne

rof

the

Inc

arna

tion

(G

od s

ent

His

Son

who

was

bor

n of

the

virg

in M

ary)

, the

bat

tle

that

was

foug

ht a

ndis

sti

ll be

ing

foug

ht o

ver

the

Inca

rnat

ion

(Jes

us i

s tr

uly

God

, equ

alw

ith

the

Fath

er, a

nd n

ot a

cre

ated

bei

ng),

and

the

won

derf

ul im

pli-

cati

ons

of t

he I

ncar

nati

on (

we

can

know

God

in

pers

onal

rel

atio

n-sh

ip a

nd b

e re

conc

iled

to H

im).

May

we

all j

oin

wit

h th

e Ap

ostl

e Pa

ulan

d ex

clai

m, “

Than

ks b

e un

to G

od fo

r hi

s un

spea

kabl

e gi

ft”

(2 C

or.

9:15

)!—

Serm

on o

utlin

e by

Dr.

Alla

n P.

Bro

wn

1D

anie

l B. W

alla

ce, G

reek

Gra

mm

ar B

eyon

d th

e B

asic

s, G

rand

Rap

ids:

Zon

derv

an, 1

996,

p 2

69. I

talic

s an

dbo

ld e

mph

asis

are

his

.2

Rog

er E

. Ols

on, T

he S

tory

of C

hris

tian

The

olog

y, D

owne

rs G

rove

: Int

erVa

rsit

y Pr

ess,

199

0, p

142

.3

Ibid

., p

145.

4Ib

id.,

p 14

65

Ibid

.6

Ibid

., pp

153

-154

.7

Ibid

., p

155.

8Ib

id.,

pp 1

61-1

62.

9M

illar

d J.

Eri

ckso

n, C

hris

tian

The

olog

y, G

rand

Rap

ids:

Bak

er P

ublic

atio

ns, 1

991,

p 7

04.

10Ib

id.,

pp 7

21, 7

22.

“CO

MM

ITTE

DTO

EXC

ELLE

NC

EIN

PREA

CH

ING

”

son. The construction the evangelist chose to express this idea was the m

ost concisew

ay he could have stated that the Word w

as God and yet w

as distinct from the Father. 1

In the fourth century A.D., tw

o men from

Alexandria, Egypt, divided C

hristendomover this issue. Arius [a historical precursor of the Jehovah’s W

itnesses] taught thatJesus “w

as the incarnation not of God but of a great creature of G

od—the Logos, w

hohad a beginning in tim

e and remained forever subordinate to the Father not only in

terms of his role but also in term

s of his very being.”2

Alexander, the Bishop of

Alexandria, maintained the eternal equality of the Logos w

ith the Father. Underlying

Arius’ view w

as the belief that divinity in its essence or being (ontology) is so perfectthat any change w

ould deny the imm

utability of God. For deity to alter its form

(mor-

phe), argued Arius, would involve a change in that w

hich cannot change. God w

ouldnot be G

od if He could change!

The debate between the supporters of Arius and those of Alexander becom

e sointense that “there w

as some rioting in the streets of the city w

hen Alexander’s sup-porters m

arched against Arius and the two groups m

et in front of the cathedral.”3

In 318 A.D., over one hundred bishops gathered at the synod in Alexandria and

condemned Arius and his teaching about C

hrist as heresy, and deposed him from

hisposition as presbyter. H

e was forced to leave the city of Alexandria. H

e did not, howev-

er, accept this verdict. He found influential bishops to help him

, (most notable w

asB

ishop Eusebius of N

icomedia), and continued to propagate his teachings. Arius

exploited the word “begotten” used to describe Jesus C

hrist as the Son of God (see John

3:16). He argued that “if the Son of G

od who becam

e Jesus was ‘begotten,’ he m

ust havehad a beginning in tim

e, and since it is of the essence of God to be eternal—

without

beginning or end—then the Son of G

od must be a great creature and not G

od him-

self.”4 B

ishop Alexander fought against Arius’ beliefs by using Arius’ main argum

entagainst him

. He argued that Arius “denied the im

mutability of the Father by saying that

he was not alw

ays Father but only became so by creating a son.”

5

In 325 A.D., the R

oman E

mperor C

onstantine convened a empire-w

ide ecumeni-

cal church council at Nicaea. Three hundred and eighteen bishops w

ere present at theopening cerem

onies and the council lasted two m

onths. “According to one account,soon after the council opened som

eone called for a reading of the Arian position so thatall could know

exactly what w

as to be debated. At that point the Arians—or at least

some of them

—m

ade a serious strategic error. Alexander and his bishops must have

been delighted. Bishop E

usebius of Nicom

edia [the primary supporter of Arius] stood

before the council and read a clear and blatant denial of the deity of the Son of God,

emphasizing that he is a creature and not equal w

ith the Father in any sense…B

eforeE

usebius finished reading it, some of the bishops w

ere holding their hands over theirears and shouting for som

eone to stop the blasphemies. O

ne bishop near Eusebius

stepped forward and grabbed the m

anuscript out of his hands, threw it to the floor and

stomped on it. A riot broke out am

ong the bishops and was stopped only by the em

per-or’s com

mand.”

6

The Nicaean council eventually settled on the follow

ing statement, “W

e believe inone G

od, the Father almighty, m

aker of all things visible and invisible; And in one LordJesus C

hrist, the Son of God, begotten from

the Father, only-begotten, that is, from the

substance of the Father, God from

God, light from

light, true God from

true God,

begotten not made, of one substance [hom

oousios] with the Father, through W

hom all

things came into being, things in heaven and things on earth, W

ho because of ushum

ans and because of our salvation came dow

n and became incarnate, becom

inghum

an, suffered and rose again on the third day, ascended to the heavens, and will

come to judge the living and the dead; And in the H

oly Spirit.”7

II. TH

E M

AN

NE

R O

F T

HE

INC

AR

NAT

ION

Like John, Paul gives us some significant inform

ation about the Incarnation. Inhis G

alatian Epistle he w

rites, ‘’But w

hen the fullness of the time w

as come, G

od sentforth H

is Son, made of a w

oman, m

ade under the law, to redeem

them that w

ere underthe law

, that we m

ight receive the adoption of sons’’ (Galatians 4:4, 5). In these verses

Paul asserts the truth of the Incarnation— “G

od sent forth His Son, m

ade of a wom

an.” A.“G

od sent forth His son.” G

od sent forth One w

ho through all eternity was H

isSon. C

hrist, the Son of God, enjoyed an eternal relationship of Sonship w

ith His Father.

John 1:1 tells us that “in the beginning was the W

ord.” In other words, go back in tim

eto w

hatever “beginning” you wish, and you w

ill find the Word already existing. This

means there w

as never a time in the past w

hen Christ w

as not the Word, or the Son of

God, just as there w

as never a time in the past w

hen the Father was not the Father.

“B. “B

orn of a wom

an.” Luke reveals that Mary, the m

other of Jesus, was a m

oral-ly pure young w

oman. She w

as a virgin (Luke 1:34). Therefore, the means of her preg-

nancy would be the result of a m

iracle from G

od. The angel announced to her, “TheH

oly Ghost shall com

e upon thee, and the power of the H

ighest shall overshadow thee:

therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of

God” (Luke 1:35).

III. TH

E B

ATT

LE O

VER

TH

E IN

CA

RN

ATIO

NA study of the Incarnation is not theologically irrelevant. D

id you know that m

anybattles have been fought and are still being fought over the subject of the Incarnation?

One of these battles revolves around the proper translation of the last part of John

1:1. Most translators translate it, “and the W

ord was G

od.” The Jehovah’s Witnesses’

Bible, the N

ew W

orld Translation, translates it, “and the Word w

as a God.” They argue

that Jesus is not co-equal with G

od the Father. He is a created being w

ho is superior toall other created beings, but definitely inferior to G

od the Father. W

hy the differences in translation? The debate focuses on the question, “How

doyou translate a predicate nom

inative that does not have an article (kai theos en hologos)?” The subject of the phrase under question is “the W

ord” (ho logos). The predi-cate nom

inative “God” (theos) does not have a definite article before it.

How

you answer the question w

ill influence your understanding of Jesus’ rela-tionship to G

od in His pre-incarnate state. To answ

er this question, several factorsshould be considered. First, w

e should realize there are 282 occurrences of the word

theos in the New

Testament w

ithout the article before it. Most all of them

are translat-ed by all translators, including the Jehovah W

itness translators, as referring to the trueG

od. Second, the context suggests that in John 1:1, the word theos

is being used in aqualitative sense.

According to gramm

arian Daniel W

allace, “the largest proportion of pre-verbalanarthrous [w

ithout the article] predicate nominatives fall into this category [express-

ing a quality].” He says that John is striking “a balance betw

een the Word’s deity, w

hichw

as already present in the beginning (en arke en ho logos, kai ho logos en pros tontheon ,1:1), and his hum

anity, which w

as added later (kai ho logos sarx egeneto,1:14).The gram

matical structure of these tw

o statements m

irror each other; both emphasize

the nature of the Word, rather than H

is identity. But theos

[God] w

as His nature from

eternity (hence,eim

i[w

as] is used), while sarx [flesh] w

as added at the Incarnation(hence,ginom

ai[became] is used).” This interpretation, says W

allace, “does not at allim

pugn the deity of Christ. R

ather, it stresses that, although the person of Christ is not

the person of the Father, their essenceis identical…

The ideaof a qualitative theos

[God] here is that the W

ord had all the attributes and qualities that “the God” (of 1:1b)

had. In other words, he shared the essence of the Father, though they differed in per-

23

December 2002 / 21

➡ (p18) possess our souls in patience and repose a rejoicingconfidence in Him under all the temptations and afflictionswhich are a part of the present state of our being.

C. The Incarnation was to embody and illustrate His ownreligion. In the entire spirit and conduct of our Lord, we see Hisdoctrine, living, and action. He has left us an example that weshould tread in His steps; and “every one that saith He abidethin Him ought to walk as Christ also walked.” His example wasdivine and yet human, a perfect model; and yet those who haveredemption though His blood and are made partakers of Hisquickening and sanctifying blood are enabled to imitate Him.

D. The Incarnation was so that He might suffer for oursins. He was “made flesh” that He might hunger and thirst,endure the contempt of people, weep over Jerusalem, feel thehour and power of darkness, agonize in the garden, and dieupon the cross and thus pay the penalty, the rigid satisfaction,death of death, and redeem a guilty world.

III. OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: THE WORD WHOSE GLORYWE HAVE BEHELD. “…and we beheld his glory, the glory as ofthe only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Of Christ’s “glory,” two things are affirmed:

A. It was “the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” Theterm “only begotten” is used to express His divine nature as theeternal Son of God, or as it is expressed in the Nicene Creed, whichembodies the opinions of the best ages of the Church of Christ,“God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, notmade, being of one substance with the Father.” Of His deity ourLord made abundant proofs during His abode upon earth.

It was seen in His teaching. What wondrous charm was thatwhich produced so strong an impression that ”when he hadended His sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine;for he taught them as one having authority.” When our Lordtaught, He gave demonstration that more than a human voicespoke and that it was more than a human mind which pouredforth its wisdom.

Our Lord supplied proofs of His deity by His works of power.He was full of healing virtue, so that even the hem of His garmentwas sufficient to remove diseases, otherwise incurable. The“Come forth!” which awakened Lazarus was but a softened accentof the voice which shall roll through the caverns of the earth andshall awaken the dead.

Moreover, the apostles saw His concealed glory in HisTransfiguration, when “the fashion of His countenance wasaltered,” “his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment waslight and glistening.” They also saw His glory in His resurrec-tion, for He rose, having “life in himself.” They also saw Hisglory in His ascension to heaven when “a cloud received himout of their sight.”

B. This “glory was full of grace and truth.” In the glory ofChrist was embodied the grace, the kindness, and the (p25)➡

HYMN TO THE INCARNATE WORD

O Word, that goest forth on high

From God’s own depths eternally,

And in these latter days wast born

For comfort to a world forlorn;

Pour upon us from above,

And fire our hearts with ardent love,

That, as we hear Thy truth today,

All wrong desires may burn away.

And when, as judge, Thou drawest nigh

The secrets of our hearts to try,

To recompense each hidden sin

And bid the saints their reign begin;

O let us not, weak sinful men,

Be driven from Thy presence then,

But with the saints forever stand

In perfect love at thy right hand.

To God the Father, God the Son,

And God the Spirit, ever one,

Praise, honor, might, and glory be

From age to age eternally. Amen.

—Latin Hymn, c. 7th Century


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➡ (p3) had seen men sink into thehopeless depths of the grave, but Hehad never felt the cold grip of death orspread His omnipotent shoulders onthe bottom of a sepulcher. Onlythrough His Incarnation could Hetake our place and be crucified. Onlythrough assuming a human bodycould He suffer the sting of death,break the bars of the grave, and makeit possible for us all to shout, “O deathwhere is thy sting? O grave where isthy victory?”

Why did Christ come down to takehuman flesh? He came down that Hismysterious Incarnation might reuniteus to God; that His atoning deathmight purchase our justification andbecome the spring of our eternal life;that His resurrection might be thepledge of our glory, and His ascensionthe triumph of our souls!

from all of us at theRevivalist Press

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Bales, Rev. Fred (evangelist and singers)P.O. Box 124, Friendship, OH 45630.(740) 858-6152.

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Searls, Rev. Chad and Valerie (evangelistand singers, travel trailer), 2730 N. StateRt. 555, Malta, OH 43758 (740) 347-4647.

Smart, Marshall and Nadine (evangelist andsingers), 1278 N. State St. PMB #119,Greenfield, IN 46140-1055. (317) 326-4455.

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Tillis, Rev. and Mrs. William R. (evangelist)Box 189 Penns Creek, PA, 17862. (570)837-5859.

Trouten, Rev. Edsel (evangelist), 287Dorchester Avenue, Cincinnati, OH45219-3068. (513) 241-3055.

Wagner, Fred and Viola (evangelists andsingers with several instruments–traveltrailer), 129 Faith Ave., DeFuniakSprings, FL 32433-9544. (850) 834-3290.

Webb, Rev. Orlow and family (evangelistand singers), Rt. 3, Box 1206, Mitchell,IN 47446. (812) 275-3279 or (812) 275-7820.

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December 2002 / 25

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➡ (p21) compassion of God. God has made Himself visi-ble to us in Christ so that we may know Him more per-fectly and that our knowledge may impress us with adeeper effect.

He still displays His grace in the standing ministry ofthe Word. There His offers of salvation are made; and byHis ambassadors whom He qualifies and sends, Hebeseeches sinners to be reconciled to God. Nor is Hisgrace less displayed in His intercession and advocacy withGod. He ever lives to plead the merit of His death inbehalf of His Church and the world, and with Him thereis mercy to pardon the guilty and overflowing goodnessforever to supply the wants of those who believe in Himand love Him.

CONCLUSION: From our text we may learn the fol-lowing:

A. That Christ is to be worshiped. He was God fromeverlasting “before the mountains were brought forth orever the world was made.” All things were made by Him,and He claims the highest homage from His creation. ToHim ceaseless praises and thanksgivings are justly due forHis creating power and wisdom, and especially for Hisassumption of our nature, His obedience unto death, forour redemption, and for the blessings of salvation whichHe showers upon all who “believe in him with the heartunto righteousness.”

B. That we should trust in the sufficiency of Hisatonement. The death of Jesus was the sacrifice of a divineperson. Let the self-condemned transgressor of the Law ofGod, who has no merit of his own to plead, confide in thesacrifice of Christ, and so shall the pardoning mercy ofGod be freely extended to Him. And even when our per-sons are justified, and our names are written in heaven,our dependence upon the sacrifice of Christ is absoluteand uninterrupted. Our reliance upon the blood of atone-ment should be entire and never withdrawn until our sal-vation is completed in the glories of the heavenly state.

C. We should apply to Christ in all cases of want. Heis able to supply every need and to answer every prayer.He is “full of grace” and disposed to confer upon us bless-ings of the richest value. He is “full of truth,” and all Hispromises are sure, for His mercy and truth endurethroughout all generations.

D. We should imitate Him and thus unite “graceand truth” in all our relationships with humankind.An ardent benevolence to all men, producing a readi-ness to serve them and to promote their interests inevery possible way is inculcated upon us as an essentialbranch of the religion of Christ. In this way we shallresemble Him whose name we bear and stand approvedbefore His tribunal.

He was content to forego the gloriesof the Creator and to appear in the

form of a creature; nay, to be made in thelikeness of the fallen creatures; and notonly to share the disgrace, but to sufferthe punishment due to the meanest andvilest among them all… Though heremained full, John 1:14, yet he appearedas if He had been empty; for He veiledHis fulness from the sight of men andangels… ——JJoohhnn WWeesslleeyy,, 11775544


we still confess. That faith, as they insisted, was no murkysystem of philosophical speculation or mystic exaltation,but the historic revelation of God’s eternal purpose toredeem our race through Jesus Christ His Son.

This is why they so carefully hammered out theirclassic definitions, focusing especially on the Saviour’sIncarnate person and His atoning work. All saving truthis written in the Bible, as they insisted, and so they quot-ed it continually. But, alas, so also did the heretics; andthat is why the Fathers faced them down at every point,using all the gifts of argument, scholarship, and reason toexpose their noxious errors.

Interpreting the Holy Scriptures, the Fathers madeparticular appeal to the original deposit of the faith givenby Our Lord to His apostles and transmitted thereafter byfaithful witnesses (II Tim. 2:2). That sacred gift, theydeclared, can never be altered either by addition or bysubtraction, for its content is the same as “what has beenbelieved everywhere, always, and by all” from the days ofthe apostles.

Christmas reminds us of what we owe to those earlychurchman, our brothers in Christ and our fathers inGod. Their unyielding stand has given us those noble andenduring creeds which are still the anchors of orthodoxbelief for all the holy church. To repeat these creeds is tojoin the whole company of God’s people—saints, confes-sors, martyrs of every age—swearing allegiance to thefaith. It is to worship the Blessed, Holy, and UndividedTrinity. It is to defy the heretics and to rally around thebanner of Christ crucified and risen from the dead.

There are three of them—the “catholic” or universalcreeds—of early Christianity. These are the ApostlesCreed, parts of which can be traced to the earliestChristian witness; the Nicene Creed of the fourth centu-ry; and the Athanasian Creed of the fourth or fifth. Theyare richly supplemented by the great “Definition” of theCouncil of Chalcedon in 451, which as Dr. H. Orton Wileyasserts, “has furnished the Church with a true basis for itsChristology.”

“Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all withone accord teach men to acknowledge one and the sameSon, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godheadand complete in manhood, truly God and truly man,consisting also of a reasonable soul and body . . . “

Thus begins the majestic statement of Chalcedon,which is a landmark for all the Christian ages, for it notonly defines the two natures of Our Lord, but alsodescribes their relations to each other in the unity of Hisperson. After confessing His full and essential deity, itdeclares that He became fully human, “begotten, for usmen and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begot-ten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, with-out change, without division, without separation . . . “

These four distinctions are essential “if we are to holdthe true faith,” as Dr. Wiley insists. That careful and dis-

➡ (p5) humility to share our suffering and to offer upHimself as the “propitiation for our sins” (I John 2:2).

This is no theological exercise in confusing andantique words. Certain voices tell us this, but mostly theyare trying to cover heresy. This is vicious denial of thetruth, and it has rent the church all throughout its life.Though heresy twists every facet of our faith, it especiallyassaults the Incarnation of Our Lord. For us sinners tohave a perfect Saviour, He must both be fully God andfully man; and this is exactly what the Bible says of Jesusand what the holy Church has always declared of Him.

But this also is what the heretics have so wickedlydenied. Like the Gnostics of the first century, the Ariansof the fourth, or the Jehovah Witnesses of the twenty-first, they have tried to strip Our Lord either of His fulldeity or His full humanity. Even worse are churchmen ingreat and historic denominations with orthodox confes-sions which they officially affirm but constantly pervert.Like Judas, they betray the Saviour with a kiss.

While still in the age of its beginnings, the Church pre-pared itself for long and bitter conflict. Splendid champi-ons whom we revere as its ancient Fathers—godly bishopsand learned theologians—took seriously the Church’s roleas “pillar and ground of the truth” (I Tim. 3:15); and so theydid not flinch before the onslaught. With the Scripturesopen wide before them, they met in private consultationsand in public councils to affirm the apostolic faith which

LOOKING AHEAD AT GBS

DECEMBER13–15 College Christmas Program19 First Semester Ends (college)19–Jan. 8 Christmas Vacation (college)25 Christmas Day. The Nativity of

Our Lord Jesus Christ.31 New Year’s Eve

JANUARY 20036 The Epiphany, commemorating

the coming of the Magi to Our Lord

8 College classes resume; Beginning of Second Semester

13–17 Mid-Winter Revival

FEBRUARY17 President’s Day19 Late-Winter Break Begins20–Mar. 2 College Choir Late-Winter Tour

December 2002 / 27

tinguished Wesleyan theologian gives us a brief com-mentary on each of them:

(1) “We must believe that the union of two natures inChrist does not confuse or mix them in a manner todestroy their distinctive properties. The deity of Christ isas pure deity after the Incarnation as before it; and thehuman nature of Christ is as pure and simple a humannature as that of His mother or of any other human indi-vidual—sin excepted.

(2) “We must reject as unorthodox any theory thatwould convert one nature into theother other, either the absorptionof the human nature by the divine…or the reduction of the divine tothe human …

(3) “We must hold the twonatures in such a union that itdoes not divide the Person ofChrist into two selves…or such ablending of the two natures into acomposite which is neither Godnor man…The resultant of theunion is not two persons, but onePerson who unites in Himself theconditions of both the divine andhuman existence.

(4) “We must hold to a unionof the two natures that is insepa-rable. The human of humanityand deity in Christ is indisoluableand eternal. It is a permanentassumption of human nature bythe second Person of the Trinity.”

Chalcedon at Christmas?“Pretty heavy stuff,” someonemutters. Perhaps, but after all,Christmas is the festival of theIncarnation; and if ever we shouldmeditate upon that foundationalmiracle of our faith, it is now atthe Nativity of Our Lord. That iswhy we ponder those lofty andcareful creeds by bishops and the-ologians who did not flinch beforethe onslaught. True, we need notunderstand the decrees of ancientcouncils to rest our faith in Jesus.But for centuries they have guard-ed the Incarnation, which is thetruth of Christmas; and they guardit still.

Once more we hang thesparkling lights upon the branch-es, and we place the Holy Familyinside the creche below. As weturn our thoughts to Him who

became flesh for us, we are overwhelmed by Faber’s exalt-ed lines. Gazing still upon the Holy Child, we salute againHis sacred heart—that heart which once beat on earthwith love of us. Our eyes fill quickly now with tears, as weremember that that “real human heart” is beating still forus this Christmas, as it will beat forever, in the “vision ofthe Godhead.”

So it is this very hour, so will it ever be,With that Human Heart within It, beating hot

with love of me.

GBS Alumni Sing Praise Vol. 2. A compilation of music contributed by alumni who have excelled in songevangelism and music ministry, including: The Jerry Glick Family, Tom Sproles, Mark and JaneneDubbeld, Larry and Pat Jewett, Keith and Sharon Waggoner, Philip Bishop, Bonnie White Durr, Phil andKim Collingsworth, Garen Wolf Family, Mercy, Tim and Esther Dotson, and Dorothy Bowen Klass.

The Hilltop Series Vol. 1. Part of the 102-year history of “the Hilltop” is the musical ministry of thechoir, quartets, and other groups. The Hilltop Series is an effort of relive those special music momentsof the past. This CD includes selections from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Such songs as “Sheltered In TheArms of God” by the Stetler Trio, “The Crystal Fountain” by the 1974 choir, “The Lighthouse” by the1998 choir, and “It’s Still Real Today” by the 1977 quartet.

By The Way of The Cross. This CD is the latest recording produced by the music department under thedirection of Garen Wolf. You will enjoy selections by the College Choir and college male quartet, mixedquartet, and ladies’ trio. Some of the songs included are: “By The Way of The Cross,” “God Said You’reGonna Make It,” and “Come Holy Spirit.”

Send your order to: Office of Advancement, 1810 Young Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202; or call the Officeof Advancement: (513) 721-7944 ext 222; or buy with credit card at www.gbs.edu.

Documents

THE PRESIDENT’S · MEXICO “Four tract teams went to Mexico City since June. The last of these passed the momentous mile-stone of the millionth tract placed in the hands of Mexico