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Brief letters that include the writer’s name and address are welcome. We will not publish letters sent anonymously, though we may withhold names at our discretion. Letters may be edited for purposes of length or clarity. Send by regular mail to:
Letters, MB Herald
3-169 Riverton Ave.
Winnipeg, Man. R2L 2E5
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Alpha one way
It is always with excitement that we receive the Herald – the mission activities, the reaching out to lost souls and the many doctrinal and theological discussions and articles.
I felt a lot of pain when I read the letter by “Name withheld” (Jan. 7).
My Bible teaches me, “You shall be My witnesses” (Matthew 28:16). My only option is to decide how effective I want to become. As a lay person in the business world, many opportunities come to fulfill the Matthew command. My duty is to hone my skills to touch lives for Christ. Many times I have failed to represent Him adequately. I have used personal sharing. I have used the Four Spiritual Laws. I have used the Kennedy approach. I have seen the effectiveness of each. The final analysis is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Alpha is a program that takes people to the decision-making level. I am not convinced that this program is the best one, but it is one. I have seen souls that came to know Jesus in a very personal way and are growing daily in their spiritual pilgrimage. I would be excited if the writer would communicate another way of touching lives for Jesus, as God has laid some people on my heart that are hard to reach. I would also solicit prayer for Christian business people that are trying to live out Matthew 28:16. Yes, we must be careful, but not condemn.
Jake Klippenstein,
Langley, B.C.
Standing before God determined by His mercy
Isaak Eitzen (Letters, Feb. 18) responds to my letter (Dec. 17) on homosexuality: “A practising homosexual cannot be a child of God until he lives by the will of God.” The verse he uses (2 Corinthians 5:17) doesn’t say that we, through our own actions, must (or even can) conform to the law. Rather, it says that through Christ (and only through Him) we can be reconciled to God’s standard of perfection.
“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view” (2 Corinthians 5:16). From a spiritual point of view, those who are in Christ are (they don’t have to try to be) righteous. The verse to which Eitzen refers is a factual statement: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is common for people to try to do facts. Facts, however, warrant only the response of belief.
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ . . . God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:18). What do we do in salvation? To quote Michael Horton’s Putting Amazing Back Into Grace: “Nothing! That’s the point: ‘Salvation comes from the Lord’ (John 2:9). ‘It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy’ (Romans 9:16). After all, ‘No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him’ (John 6:44).” I agree with Eitzen that we must attain God’s standard of perfection to enter the Kingdom. I also agree with Paul, that we are incapable of attaining such righteousness. It is through Christ alone that we enter the Kingdom.
Of course, a practising homosexual who “becomes a Christian” and yet has no desire to change his or her behaviour has probably not grasped the debt owed to God for the infinite forgiveness he or she has received. That said, he or she can never repay that debt, nor is he or she required to. But if the Spirit is alive in you, you will bear fruit (Galatians 5:16-26). (Note that this is a factual statement, not one that must be – or can be – true through our effort; rather, it is true, through His work.) Praise God that it depends only on His mercy. Truly, good news!
Justin Klassen,
Abbotsford, B.C.
Convention rates “Wow”
“Wow!” The 2000 Manitoba Conference convention was our first experience in attending an MB Convention. Were we ever pleasantly surprised! The depth of worship on Friday evening and the tone of Saturday’s sessions were exceptional. To think that close to 400 delegates could sit around tables and prayerfully discuss and give guidance regarding the future direction of our churches!
Thank you for showing us how the “body of Christ” is to function.
We were blessed and are looking forward to February 2001.
Claude & Vivian Pratte,
Portage Avenue MB Church,
Winnipeg, Man.
How God leads
I enjoyed the “Vision” issue (Jan. 21), and in particular Carlin Weinhaeur’s article about Willingdon Church.
I was a member there in 1987, and was one of the “17 votes” that denied the elders the mandate they sought to relocate the church to the site of a former high school. At the time, I had been serving on the board of a Christian school, and was currently serving on the board of a ministry supporting believers overseas who were persecuted by their governments (this was before the collapse of the Soviet Union). I inquired whether Willingdon might consider operating a Christian school on the new property, and was told that the conditions of sale included a commitment by the church to never operate a school there. This restriction had not been mentioned to the congregation at large, as it was not considered important. I could not in good conscience support government restriction of the kinds of ministry to which the Lord might one day call the church, so I voted against the move.
After the vote, the new Development Committee studied the kinds of people the church was reaching, and (as I recall their announcement) learned that many had limited transportation and could not have attended, had the church moved. Also, they determined that a single large congregation would be less effective than several congregations of various sizes each ministering to a different people group. Willingdon then redeveloped its existing site to provide multiple worship spaces. I moved to another city before this was completed, but I understand it has been very successful.
Alan Chattaway,
Surrey, B.C.
Did the cross kill Jesus?
As we approach Easter, I would like to pose a question for reflection and perhaps response. The question may sound heretical, and that’s why it belongs here in the letters section.
The question is: Did the cross kill Jesus? I am a conservative Mennonite evangelical asking what I think is an important question. I am not asking if Jesus died on the cross, and I am also not asking whether or not He in fact died. I am asking: Did the cross kill Jesus?
I feel quite strongly that the answer is “No”, but I’ve never heard anyone dare to state this. The biblical basis for my answer comes from John 10:17-18: “The reason my Father loves Me is that I lay down My life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord.” In short, this verse says to me that nobody kills God; only God has the power to lay His life down, just as He has the power to take it up again.
Furthermore, in Mark 15:44, we find Pilate utterly stunned that Jesus had died so quickly on the day of His crucifixion. If the cross was truly responsible for killing Jesus, surely He would have lasted much longer.
Then what or who killed Jesus? I propose that Jesus in fact laid His own life down in response to the weight of our sin laid upon His shoulders. Jesus died so early in the day because it was sin that ultimately drove Him to the grave, not the cross. The cross was the place indeed, but you and I are the reason – we are responsible.
Even so, nobody kills God. He laid His own life down at the moment of His choice, and, with the same Divine will, He breathed new life into the air three days later.
Heresy? I’m not sure. This new perspective makes me feel more connected to the cross and, more importantly, to the Man who died there.
Ryan Dahl,
Langley, B.C.
We need to know
Why are we not hearing about the international inter-faith initiative Jubilee 2000 in the Herald? Our country’s contribution to international aid has been reduced, by the recent Martin budget, to .27; over the next three years, it will be reduced to .24, less than a quarter of a percent of our national budget. This can only happen because Martin and his party are convinced that Canadians, including Christians, simply don’t care! Christ said, “Love your neighbour,”and in a global society surely that includes our international neighbours.
Our conference publication should be keeping us informed about such important issues.
D. Stewart,
North Vancouver, B.C.
Make use of opportunities
I congratulate the Herald team for producing a wonderful magazine that I look forward to reading every time.
A Focus on the Family ad in the National Post encouraged Canadians of all backgrounds and faiths to speak out about Bill C-23. I was pleased to be able to voice my objection to this bill in a real way, rather than grumbling about it around the supper table.
This started a thought process. Many people in my circle have strong opinions about governmental concerns and others. But when challenged to speak out against injustice or inappropriate behaviour, some of us hide behind our faith, saying that we are to turn the other cheek, forgive 70 times 7, obey our government, etc. I agree wholeheartedly with the principles laid out in the Bible. What we should remember, though, is that we are not obligated to keep silent when an injustice occurs. Even Jesus argued with the religious and secular authorities of His day. If we do not raise our voices, the rest of society will think that either we agree with the action in question or we have no opinion at all. Society is shaped by those who speak the loudest. It is not so long ago we were considered to be a “Christian” nation. This is no longer the case. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Let’s stop allowing pressure groups to interfere with our basic rights and freedoms in the name of progress, open-mindedness, acceptance for all. When the tide turns against us, we must accept it, but at least we can say we tried.
Claire Rahn,
Winnipeg, Man.
That’s why
Jim Coggins asks why street gang members spend precious money on spray paint with which to deface other people’s property (“Needs”, Feb. 18). According to a recent interview with a graffiti “artist” in a Surrey community paper, they don’t. Any “artist” who pays for his paint is an unworthy wimp. Stealing the paint is an integral part of the “graffiti culture”. Because of this, they consider the recent ban on selling spray paint to minors a huge joke.
Alan Chattaway,
Surrey, B.C.
Leave hymns as written
I’ve never written a letter to a magazine before, but something’s really bothering me. That is the new hymnbook. Why were the words changed, in some cases quite drastically? “Take Time to be Holy” was a favourite of my brother, who died recently. His family decided to include this song in his celebration, but the church only has the new book, and when the song was compared with the old Worship Hymnal, it didn’t at all say what he held dear. I’m very disappointed that someone thought they could improve on the “tried and true” words. Or maybe there is an explanation?
Anna Penner,
Carman, Man.
Strayed from biblical teaching
Helma Schmidt (Letters, Jan. 21) should have left her letter as printed originally (Dec. 3), since with her second letter she clouded the whole issue of a sinful lifestyle.
First, she says: “There is no evidence that one can change from homosexual to heterosexual orientation.” Every newborn has an orientation to sin. Too much has been made of orientation by other writers, thereby exonerating those that practise this lifestyle.
Second, she has devastated the hope of many to come clean: “This can have a devastating effect on someone who has been given false hopes.” There is hope and there is healing available in Christ.
Third, she has strayed from biblical teaching. Romans 1:26 says: “The women changed” (the Greek meaning they converted from one state to another). Verse 27 says: “Likewise the men . . . burned in their lust.” The word “orexis” means “appetite”, (always reaching toward an object with the purpose of drawing it to oneself). It points to a choice to go contrary to nature.
Finally, her last sentence horrifies me: “What do we teach our homosexual children about their gift of sexuality?” She seems to refer to homosexuality as a gift. I recommend the article by Linda Bowles in Jerry Falwell’s National Liberty Journal, September 1999.
Henry Klassen,
Simcoe, Ont.
On-line version user-friendly
I commend you on the new on-line version of the Herald at www.mbherald.com. Just like your publication, it’s very high quality. I particularly like the way it’s been set up with the same format as the magazine; this makes it attractive and user-friendly.
Lorne Massena,
Scarborough, Ont.
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