Another year is rapidly coming to a close. Leaves are changing color. By the time the next issue arrives in your mailbox this year will be history. Reflecting on the fact this year will soon be gone I ask myself, “What have I done in 2019 that will have a lasting effect in the Kingdom of God?” We are effective in this world’s system simply by paying our mortgages and rents, investing in and preparing for upcoming events in our lives, and paying our bills. But are we just as systematic with our efforts in the Kingdom of God?
This past July I visited a refugee camp in southern Bangladesh. This camp is home to over one million people from the Rohingya people group originating from neighboring Myanmar. Two years ago, they were brutally driven from their villages. Their homes were burned and bulldozed. Men, women, and children were violated. Nearly everyone in camp had family members who were either tortured, maimed, or killed. As I walked through this vast camp of thirty miles long and ten miles wide, my problems of life became smaller and smaller. The empty, expressionless faces spoke of pain and fear. Utter hopelessness. Eternal despair.
I came away from that experience feeling challenged. I wish to draw you into that challenge, to make a lasting difference in the Kingdom of Heaven right where you live. No, you and I cannot convert 1.1 million Muslims to follow Jesus Christ. But we all live in a world surrounded by pain and heartbreak. So perhaps we can each point that one soul within our circle of influence to the God of the Bible as the answer to all of life’s problems.
Biblical Answers meetings in Lebanon, PA
The cry for help for emotional, metal and spiritual struggles is ever increasing. In response to this cry, The Berean Voice held a series of meetings in Lebanon, PA this past July. The series was titled “Biblical Answers and Prevention for Struggles in the Church”. Mark Miller and Curvin Wenger shared on subjects of Mental, Emotional & Marriage Struggles, Child Training & Adoption Issues, and Sexual Abuse & Addictions. The meetings were well attended from the local area and many surrounding states and even as far as Michigan, Missouri, and even Alberta. Many individuals expressed appreciation for what was taught, especially the emphases on the Bible having all the answers to the needs in our life.
The following are excerpts from Mark Miller, elder of Faith Christian Fellowship, and Joel Hostetler, a Berean Voice board member.
- As we see the many challenges and needs that face our churches today, there are many that are looking to various sources other than the Scriptures, yet the Bible still has the answer to every struggle man faces. ~Mark Miller
- It was a delight to see the level of interest and response to the teaching that was given. May our gaze be ever turned toward God and the Truth contained in His Word. ~Mark Miller
- The weekend was refreshing, sitting under the sound of the truth proclaimed from God’s Word in many practical and daily areas of our lives. From teaching on sin and how it affects all of us, to psychotropic drug usage and its affect upon the mind and brain, in all it was worthwhile being there. ~Joel Hostetler
- My greatest highlight was to see the various churches and conservative congregations represented there, being able to listen together to these truths. My greatest desire coming away from the meetings is that each individual church represented there could take the truth taught, search the Scriptures themselves, then move on to help their own people in their own congregations, using these principles found in the Holy Scriptures. ~Joel Hostetler
Various anonymous attendees stated that they intended to take the things they learned and put them to practice in their home community.
CD recordings of these messages are available. Contact the Berean Voice to order. There are 17 CDs in this set and any donations are appreciated to cover our costs. Later, when they have been uploaded, we will have these messages available to listen to on our call-in phone line.
The Berean Voice Newsletter
The Berean Voice recently published its first newsletter. The purpose of this newsletter is to inform our readership who we are. Obviously, you are familiar with The Heartbeat of the Remnant magazine. But who is behind this magazine? Who is the Berean Voice? What do we represent? In this newsletter we wanted to introduce ourselves and to make you aware of the various aspects of the Berean Voice and all the work we are engaged in. We are doing more than publishing the Remnant magazine. This first newsletter, which hopefully arrived in your mailbox already, gives you the history of the Heartbeat of the Remnant magazine with an inside glimpse of all it takes to bring an issue to publication. We plan to publish this newsletter twice a year, informing you of the different aspects of the work we are doing. Feel free to contact us if you have not received a newsletter.
The Heartbeat of the Remnant sponsorship
Another new development at the Berean Voice are monthly sponsorships for The Heartbeat of the Remnant magazine for those who would not otherwise be able to get them. The Heartbeat of the Remnant goes out to many missionaries in foreign lands, to correctional institutions here in the USA, and even onto an Indian reservation. We provide them at no charge to these recipients but are limited in finances how much we can provide. We desire to get more of this sound Biblical teaching into more correctional institutions and into the hands of individuals who use them as an outreach ministry in their own communities.
These new monthly sponsorships allow you to join in this work. $25 allows 10 magazines be sent to persons who might not be able to otherwise get them. $50 funds 20 magazines and $125 provides 50 magazines to appreciating persons. If you wish to start a monthly sponsorship contact the Berean Voice office. We want to express a heartfelt thank you to all of you who are already supporting this work. Without our contributors we could not manage this huge undertaking.
Guest editorial written by Edward Martin, chairman of the board
