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Logos Ministries Incorporated
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Volume 1, Number 2 -- September 1992 A Meditation by Bill Cooper STAKE THE TENT When I attended Sunday School as a boy, we sang a song that has stayed with me over the years. It goes like this:
This is what Jesus is speaking about in John 15. The words "Abide in me" look good on a plaque, but what do they really mean to us? The Greek word "abide" - "mevnw" means to dwell, to take up residence, to pitch your tent. In I John 4:15, he said:
"Lives" or "abides" describes a harmonious relationship between God and the believer in which God affirms the Christian by His presence and the Christian acknowledges God's control of his live by receiving his life from God. Again, John speaks of "abiding" when he said,
It is the "remaining" that identifies our abiding. Branches "abide" when all goes well and when the world falls apart. Abiding is the sign of our commitment, an evidence of our relationship. At the cost of His reputation and legal future, Jesus said, to the little man up in the tree,
Jesus was not short of a place to stay for the night. It meant more than eating his food and sleeping under his roof. For one thing, if Jesus accepted Zacchaeus' hospitality, He would never again be able to be a witness in court, even on His own behalf. That would eventually be very important. Jesus was accepting Zacchaeus and affirming his worth. Abiding in Christ is like a marriage. Both parties accept each other just as they are and pledge the total self to the one they love. God expressed "abiding" in the Old Testament covenant. " I will be your God and you will be my people." Abiding is great, but most of us don't live there. In John 15, Jesus gives us insights into this relationship. Obedience is a key factor in abiding.
Jesus was not talking about a long list of "don'ts." Most of us obeyed as children because we were afraid not to do so. Jesus was talking about an obedience that was living His life after Him because we have a deep, burning desire to be like Him. Jesus was saying that abiding is expressed in obedience. To the extent we obey, to that extent we abide in the vine. One of those commands is that we love one another. It is safe to say that our love for each other is a reasonable barometer of our abiding in Christ. Jesus also said,
Fruit-bearing is an expression of abiding. To the extent that we bear fruit; to that extent we abide in Christ. To the extent that the fruit of the Spirit is increasingly found in the way we live, to that extent we bear fruit; we abide in Christ. God has not called us to do this blindly. He has given us the example of the relationship between Jesus and the Father to guide us. The Father loved the Son and Jesus obeyed the will of the Father even to the point of death. Jesus came as a reflection of the person of the Father. This was so true that Jesus could say,
Jesus is so much like the Father that when I see what Jesus is like, I know what the Father is like. The opposite side of that is that we can grow in obedience until when people watch the way we live they will know something of what Jesus is like. Jesus makes it very clear that there are benefits involved in our abiding in Him. He is the source of our life. Jesus said,
Jesus is the source of our life; identity and character. Separated from Him, we are like a rose cut from the bush. It may not show it immediately, but give it a few hours and you will see just how dead it is. In this passage, Jesus also said,
One of the results of abiding in Christ is that we have the privilege of coming to Him in prayer and expect to be heard and receive the things we need to be effective servants in His kingdom. If we abide in Christ, we will bring glory to the Father and joy to His heart. As you read these verses, what does it say about where you live in your abiding relationship to Christ? None of us have arrived, but are you growing? Is there evidence of your abiding? When people look at your life, can they see something of the life of Jesus? Because He is Lord!! Bill Cooper GOING TO THE UKRAINE! The time is almost here. I have just received my ticket to go to Donetzk, Ukraine. I will leave on October 14 and return on November 14. During that time I will teach a seminar on Inductive Bible study and practice it with them in a study of the Gospel of Mark. The Protestant congregations in the Ukraine are forming a seminary. To get it started, Denver Seminary is providing the faculty the first few years. I have been asked to be a part of that. Because everything is so difficult to get in that part of the world, I am planning to take several hundred pounds of medical supplies and office supplies to give to the seminary. There is a hospital there, but they have no medicine and very little in the way of medical equipment. It will cost about $2.00 per pound to send these items over there. If you would like to take part in this gift, it would be very helpful. THE STUDY OF LUKE IS FINISHED The study of the Gospel of Luke was finished just in time to take it to Evanston where Dr. Cooper taught again this Summer. Several pastors, who follow the lectionary, are using it as a help in their sermon preparation this year. Many others are using it as a guide for their own study of the book. It is also being used in Sunday Schools in the Mid-west. BOOK TO BE REPRINTED The book Did You Know This?! is going to be reprinted. The former Sudan Interior Mission has requested a gift of 1,000 copies of this book. We do not have that many on hand, so we will have to have the book reprinted in order to provide these books. The books will be given to the ministerial students in three countries: Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria. The sale of books and studies as well as gifts sent to us have almost provided enough for the reprinting. The freight to get these books to these countries is $1,700.00. As soon as funds permit, these books will be printed and shipped out immediately. This is one of the primary purposes of Logos Ministries and we are thrilled to be able to support the missionary efforts of the church in these countries. BOOKS GIVEN TO PRISONERS This Summer we received a request from the chaplain of the Delta Correctional Facility in Delta, Colorado. He had read "Did You Know This?! and requested enough copies to give to the prisoners in that facility. It is a minimum security facility where the residents go just prior to their release. It was a great joy to be able to fill that request. Earlier this year, Bill took part in a Kairos weekend, (an Emmaus weekend inside the prison), there. Those of you who purchased books and studies or gave gifts to the ministry have made these gifts possible. NEW BOOK STARTING Having finished the study on the Gospel of Luke, work is now beginning on the second volume on the book of Genesis. This will also be in a three ring binder as the previous studies have been. the responses to the first part of this study have been excellent and we are anxious to be able to provide the remaining volume of the work. MARKETING Efforts are being made to find an appropriate distributing group to place copies of the books in bookstores around the country. We would appreciate your prayers as we begin this effort. our only desire is to do the things that God wants this ministry to do. Join us in that petition. STUDIES FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL We have received requests from churches asking us to provide the study book for their teacher and a set of questions for each students in their adult classes. This is now being done. The teachers book is the regular price. The questions for the students is $3.00 per set. Most of the articles in this newletter have been written by Dr. Cooper and thus are a bit on the modest side. The excitement that the Board sees in this ministry is great. It is a good, but frustrating, feeling to have more things to do in God's kingdom than Logos Ministries has monies to do. As you know, Dr. Cooper does not accept any royalities from his writings. All sales money goes into the account to cover expenses of producing the books and to provide books for prisoners and for overseas missions. While the Board is commited to the fact that travel and telephone expenses are an expense of Logos Ministries, so far Dr. Cooper has not accepted any funds for either item. Some of you have contributed to Logos Ministries earmarking the funds for the Ukraine trip. Those funds have helped to provide funds for the airplane ticket, but more funds could be used. Remember that all funds given to Logos Ministries are deductible on your income tax if you file long form because we are listed as publicly supported organization under 509(a)1 and are a tax exempt under section 501(c)3. Dr. Cooper plans to; take clothing, medicine, and college supplies with him. Each 70 pounds will cost about $225 to take. The Seminary in the Ukraine has asked that the Study of Mark be translated into Russian and made available to the students. We do not have a price for that at this time as we are checking whether it will be cheaper to have it printed there or here. We know it will be substantial. Perhaps you would like to help with that cost by earmarkingfunds for that cause. Perhaps your church would see this as a mission project they would like to be involved in doing. The sales of books and workshop fees have made it possible to publish the second addition of Did You Know This? Would you or your church like to be a part of the mission project that pays the cost of sending the books to Ethiopia, Ghana, or Nigeria? We are excited about the fact that books are being written and used. We are more excited about the fact that God continues to honor the work of Logos Ministries by opening new doors. Please note the order blank that is included in this newsletter and make use of it as you plan your Christmas shopping. How many of your friends would enjoy a copy of Did You Know This? or one of the study books? Perhaps you would like to teach a class in your church using one of the Study Books. Please write for the price of classroom sets. There are two ways we are making classroom sets available. One is to reduce the price for quanity orders and the other is to prepare questions only for the students. Please write for details o costs of classroom sets of the complete book. The price of the "Questions only" is included in the order blank. It was interesting to hear former students encourage new students to buy the whole book rather than just questions in an ungoing class that had taken the summer off. Please make LogosMinistries a part of your prayer life. Dr. Cooper and the Board seek the direction that only an active prayer life by many can provide for us. Certainly, keep Dr. Cooper in your prayers as he teaches in the Ukraine from October 14 to November 14. One of the exciting related decisions is whether this teaching shall be for more than one time. The goal is to have a self-sufficient seminary, but it will take a few years before they can develop a faculty to do so. In the meantime, they will seek continued help from the United States. It is o;ur prayer that Logos Ministries will be able to help send Dr. Cooper as long as he is needed and as often as he feels he can go.
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