Light & Life Magazine by Light & Life Communications

DEC 20 12

LLM

nd the coming 8

history

news

discipleship

1 [openers]

Second Advent

“W

hy would you write about the Second Coming at Christmastime?” A few people were surprised to learn this month’s theme. Isn’t this the season to indulge in a yuletide feast, not to discuss the mark of the beast? I’ve been considering an end-times-themed issue since discovering that some Free Methodists’ views differ significantly from the eschatology espoused by the popular “Left Behind” series and its precursor, the “Thief in the Night” movies of the 1970s and early ’80s. (My FM youth group watched one of these films, which featured a leisure suit–wearing Antichrist.) Then some colleagues unexpectedly offered an intriguing suggestion: December would be a good issue to discuss the Second Coming because of the speculation (in Hollywood at

least) caused by the Mayan calendar’s Dec. 21, 2012, “end date.” I felt peace about the topic after discovering this sermon description from Nov. 27, 2011 on the Spring Arbor (Mich.) FMC website: “Advent has traditionally focused on the second coming of Christ as much as it focuses on His first coming. … Advent is a season of anticipation and preparing our hearts for His coming.” As you read Scripture this Christmas, don’t forget Revelation 12:5: “She gave birth to a son, a male child, who ‘will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.’” [LLM] i Jeff Finley Managing Editor

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” — John 1:4

Ten devotional e-books by former Light & Life editor Roger Schoenhals are available on Amazon.com. Search: “Kindle Roger Schoenhals”

LLM LIGHT & LIFE MAGAZINE

Developing Earnest Christians Since 1868

Managing Editor Lead Designer Writer/Photographer Copy Editor Internal Communications Project Manager Publisher Business/Operations Price Range: $0.99-3.99

MORE ONLINE Scan this box with your smartphone for online access to this issue and additional content.

Jeff Finley Erin Eckberg Michael Metts Dawn McIlvain Stahl Andrea Anibal Julie Innes Jason Archer Ben Weesies

Spanish Translation Ezequiel Alvarez Janeth Bustamante Joe Castillo Jennifer Flores Guillermo Flores

Jazmin Angulo Carmen Hosea Karen Kabandama Samuel Lopez Rodrigo Lozano, Coordinator

To receive Light & Life in Spanish, please contact our office: (800) 342-5531 or ben.weesies@fmcusa.org.

Website: www.llcomm.org Email us: www.llcomm.org/staff News and submissions: jeff.finley@fmcusa.org Advertising: ben.weesies@fmcusa.org Address all correspondence to: Light & Life Magazine, 770 N. High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46214 (317) 244-3660 LLM: Light & Life Magazine (ISSN 0024-3299) was established in 1868 by the Free Methodist Church. Published monthly by Light & Life Communications. © 2012 Free Methodist Church – USA, 770 N. High School Road, Indianapolis, IN 46214. Views expressed in articles do not necessarily represent the official position of the Free Methodist Church. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations, no portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version unless otherwise indicated.

Whole No. 5246, Vol. 145, No. 12 Printed in U.S.A. Member: Evangelical Press Association, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, IN, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster, send address changes to: Light & Life Magazine, 770 N. High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46214

BY JILL RICHARDSON

f, like many people, you have aspirations to write a novel, you’ll have to learn some rules. Yes, stories have rules, and certain rules just don’t get broken. One of the first: Authors must never interrupt the story they’re telling.

Think about it. Imagine J.R.R. Tolkien dropping himself into “The Return of the King” to interact with the characters and say, “Excuse me, reader, but these guys are not handling the situation well. Aragorn and Frodo, I’m the author. Let me explain to you how this is all supposed to go and what the point is.” uuu

3 [feature] He would not do it. You would not tolerate it. You’d throw that book across the room and demand your money (and years of your life) back from all three “The Lord of the Rings” installments. You would definitely disappoint Peter Jackson and not go see “The Hobbit” this month. Authors who break into their own stories do so for all the wrong reasons. They want to make sure readers get the moral. Their out-of-control characters need to be manipulated. They must let everyone know who is right and who is wrong. The rulebook rightly says that shouldn’t be done.

Author as Hero

The cosmic

writer stepped in as the hero. How unlike anything in the rulebook!

Once, however, the cosmic writer did step into the story. He did not step in as a moralizer, judge or manipulator though He has the right to be all of the above. He stepped in as the hero. How unlike anything ever done — anything in the rulebook! “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16–17). These gospel-central verses tell the tale. We’re anesthetized to the

words; we’ve repeated them by rote since our first VBS. Do we realize the impact of what they mean to the story? No other god worshiped by anyone else on the planet sacrificed himself to become the hero. They gave good examples to imitate, handed out rules and agendas to follow, and suggested proverbs to live by. But no one ever did what the author of the universe did. God so gave — and gave and gave — so people could be saved, not just enlightened. Jesus broke into the story of humankind. When it looked like the conflict couldn’t be resolved, the characters were beyond redemption, and there would be no happily ever after for anyone, Jesus threw down the pen and walked into the plot. Jesus didn’t enter the story at Christmas to moralize or manipulate things to His own end. He came to offer everyone the opportunity to have a happy ending, courtesy of His own sacrifice. At Christmas, we sing about a baby in a manger, but do we remember that the baby willfully wrote Himself into the tale and intentionally became its sacrificial hero? Sometimes, we also forget that He plans to return to finish it Himself. One more time, He’ll toss aside the pen and paper (or does He use a

[feature] 4 computer these days?) and give us the ending human hearts long for in every story — beauty, justice and eternal love.

“No One Knows” “Eschatology” is a big word that means the study of the end. What are the last things that will happen when the story wraps up? Few people are betting that end will come this December. Some, undoubtedly, are selling their condos and Cadillacs and sending their money to an enterprising televangelist. But not most. God said, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). We assume the “no one” included the Mayans, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Harold Camping. But when the Author does write “The End,” we all want to know what will happen. Who’s in, who’s out, in what order will it all go down, and what is that mark of the beast anyway? These are all valid curiosities. Yet, thinking about the story, one other question seems even more compelling. What does God want us to do with the plot in the middle?

God Never Left One thing we overlook while sing-

ing about Christmas and speculating about the Second Coming is that God never actually left the story. The amazing reality is that, for Christians, the writer of the novel lives in each one of us and leads us to the next page, if we let Him. “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2). How will we be like Him? We don’t know exactly. John doesn’t either, but there is one thing we can be sure of. He intends for the change to be an ongoing process. God isn’t interested in “Extreme Makeover”-style “big reveals.” Rather, according to Paul, “we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). That’s present tense, ongoing action. We won’t “be transformed.” We “are being transformed” — right now, daily. He wants us to be getting so much more like Jesus now that, when He returns, it will be more like “Yes, that’s what I always imagined” than “Whoa, that was

5 [feature] some surprise ending!” Genesis tells us we were made in His image. Both John and Paul insist Jesus came to restore that image. Through His first coming, He offered the opportunity to change our story and return to what we were meant to be. Through His Holy Spirit, He gives the power to make that change, starting now, in “ever-increasing glory.” At His final coming, He’ll let us see, and be, the perfect ending.

www.fmfoundation.org

Jesus isn’t just the omniscient author or the “rode into town and then disappeared” hero. He’s the writer who continues to put His mark on every single page of every single person who says, “I want my story to be your story. I want my life to show who writes it.” That’s the challenge of both Christmas and Jesus’ future return: to do something with the content until He comes to finish it. And when that happens? I hear

the sequel is going to be even better. [LLM]

Jill Richardson is a Free Methodist pastor, wife and mother sharing God’s grace through speaking, writing (jillmarierichardson.com) and living.

Connect to the Free Methodist Church on iPhone, iPad, or Android. Use your phone or tablet to search the Apple App Store or Google Play.

[bishops] 6

A Certain Future

hat is our body’s form after the resurrection? What is the spatial relationship between heaven and hell? Are there incontrovertible signs of end times? Are nations and people groups today influential in bringing about last things? These questions only scratch the surface of what people ask about our future. We have hints rather than rock-solid answers about how events will unfold. It is impossible to describe timelessness in timed, sequential language. It is equally impossible to define the kingdom of God so far removed from the societal and political structures we know. Our kingdom context has other kingdoms involved. Yet people in recent history have spent an inordinate amount of time attempting to clarify the unclear — only to have their explanations unraveled by linguistic and theological experts or changes in the political landscape. Worse than the inconvenience and embarrassment of missed calculations is the overshadowing of Scripture’s great certainties. The Free Methodist Church has clearly stated articles that spell out those items of certainty. You can find these five brief articles under “Last Things” in our “Book of Discipline” at fmcusa.org — “The Kingdom of God,” “Return of Christ,” “Resurrection,” “Judgment” and “Final Destiny.” In a nutshell, God reigns for eternity with His people. Christ will return without a doubt in a manner very much unlike His first entrance. He will do away with evil and triumph in all things. There is a bodily resurrection from the dead in which the person is clearly identifiable. There is a judgment to which all in history must succumb. Our destiny is neither arbitrary nor temporary. God’s grace paves the way for those who openly and freely respond. Rejection of God’s grace and consequent evil pave a tragic, eternal path for others. No charts. No timelines. No temporary kingdoms. No forecasted domestic events. We simply do not need to speculate. Scriptural certainties give us enough to celebrate and contemplate — triumph, eliminating the distance between God and us, knowing that God will set everything right, understanding that the stakes are high for all humanity. These certainties make me look forward with eager anticipation, look around with serious commitment and gratefully look up to the God who forever has it all under control. [LLM]

These certainties make me look forward with eager anticipation, look around with serious commitment and gratefully look up to the God who forever has it all under control.

Bishop Matthew Thomas

To read more from Bishop Thomas, visit fmcusa.org/ matthewthomas.

7 [foundation]

Radical Peace BY JAYMES LACKEY

S C RI P T U R E : Luke 2:14 Isaiah 9:6–7 Revelation 21:3–5

n a cold December’s night, we put on our best sweaters and head to the church to see the children’s Christmas play. We’re secretly hoping one of the shepherds uses a crook to wrangle a rowdy preschooler. Inevitably, a heavenly host of third-graders says, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). Have you ever stopped to wonder about this peace? Is it simply a “silent night, holy night” kind of peace or something much more? This peace has little to do with absence of conflict or an inner disposition. This is a different, radical peace foretold in the Old Testament about the way God moves and acts to make everything new on earth. Isaiah 9:6–7 reveals a child “called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.” According to the Free Methodist “Book of Discipline,” the “reign of God will be established; a total cosmic renewal which is both material and moral shall occur; and the hope of the redeemed will be fully realized.” These passages remind us that the location of salvation is the earth. Our hope is not some disembodied heaven, floating around out there somewhere; rather, Jesus comes here to earth “for total cosmic renewal.” Revelation 21:3–5 provides a profound image of this: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them.’ … He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’” [LLM]

Jaymes Lackey, a Seattle Pacific Seminary student, serves at First FMC in Seattle and formerly served at Foothill Community Church in Oroville, Calif.

[history] 8

Affirming Without Speculating BY JOE CULUMBER

s we celebrate Christ’s coming into our world, consider Bishop Emeritus Donald N. Bastian’s observation: “The doctrine of Christ’s second appearing is as pronounced in the New Testament as the announcement of His first appearance.” The 18th century witnessed the birth of Methodism and heightened attention to eschatology (“last things”) ignited by such events as the French Revolution and a series of earthquakes in England. John Wesley was reluctant to be drawn into speculation about the end, focusing rather on the urgency of evangelizing the unconverted. A “desire to flee from the wrath to come” was the only condition for joining a Methodist society. Widespread interest in “last things” continued into the 19th century, in which the Free Methodist Church emerged. William Miller and the Seventh-Day Adventists predicted Christ would return in October 1844, based largely on their interpretation of the book of Daniel. Early Free Methodists, following Wesley’s lead, wisely chose to avoid millennial predictions and focused instead on the urgency of extending Christ’s earthly kingdom. B.T. Roberts, a principal FM founder, felt such speculation contributed little to caring for the sick or converting the lost. Roberts affirmed God’s sovereignty over history and the urgency of preaching the gospel to all nations (Matthew 24:14) to hasten Christ’s return. The FMC broadened its “Last Things” statement in 1974 by inserting a “Kingdom of God” section prior to the “Return of Christ” section. Dispensationalism has been popularized by the fictional “Left Behind” books. This approach, largely unheard of before the 19th century, divides history into seven distinct dispensations and hinges on an elaborate scheme for understanding last things. The challenge for Free Methodists today is to focus on our tradition’s rich and biblical commitment to evangelizing the lost, preaching the gospel to the poor and living a holy life while affirming: “Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.” [LLM]

Seattle resident Joe Culumber recently retired from Greenville College’s philosophyreligion department.

p Historical icon of the Return of Christ

Early Free Methodists chose to avoid millennial predictions and focused instead on the urgency of extending Christ’s earthly kingdom.

pastor/ chaplain helps people

heal

BY JEFF FINLEY

hris Carlyle is a busy pastor, husband and father with another important role â&#x20AC;&#x201D; chaplain. Within a year of arriving as pastor of the Irvine (Ky.) FMC, Carlyle became chaplain of the Irvine and Ravenna police departments, uuu

[action] 10 a local fire department, Marcum & Wallace Memorial Hospital and the Estill County emergency services. He coordinates a network of local pastors who help civilians in crisis situations while he serves the emergency responders. While in the Navy, Carlyle was inspired by a chaplain. In college, he took a clinical pastoral education course that also increased his interest in chaplain service. Despite previous experience, however, Carlyle’s Irvine-area chaplaincy opportunities came unexpectedly.

prayers for a house “There was a house in the neighborhood that had a great deal of drug traffic going on,” Carlyle said. “I brought it up on a Wednesday night service that we should pray for this house because of that. By that Thursday morning, a significant change had come to that house.” A resident of the house died, and the drug trafficking slowed. “The police department had heard about us praying for the house,” said Carlyle. He received a visit from the police chief, who asked if Carlyle “would pray for some of his men and some of the other troubled spots in town.”

A captain later asked Carlyle if he would consider becoming the police chaplain. After approval by the city council, Carlyle received police academy training.

changing attitudes Carlyle has his own police uniform and is considered an officer although he is not a sworn member of the force. The uniform notes he is a chaplain, but that label is often overlooked. Many people assume he is a regular police officer. “The general attitude of the public toward the police is often negative,” Carlyle said. “Nobody makes eye contact with you.” He tries to change attitudes about the police, and he encourages people to be friendly with officers instead of only approaching them with complaints. “Look at the policeman with gratitude, but look at him and say, ‘Good to see you today,’” he said. “They’re not used to that kind of thing.”

healing and cleansing Along with sharing the gospel, Carlyle helps people open themselves to God as they deal with issues in their past such as abuse, addiction and divorce. He said the same philoso-

“I’m trying to help people be healed in their spirit. Their spirit is dead to God until they find Jesus Christ.” phy of ministry applies to his roles as pastor and chaplain. “For me, it’s all about helping heal people,” Carlyle said. “I’m trying to help people be healed in their spirit. Their spirit is dead to God until they find Jesus Christ.” After a spirit comes to life, a cleansing process may still be needed. “Sin is the root issue that the gospel has to address, but sometimes the cleansing takes a while,” Carlyle said. “In the old terms, we would call it ‘sanctification’ or ‘entire sanctification.’ I simply call it ‘soul cleansing.’” [LLM]

11 [news]

FM Membership Passes 1 Million BY JEFF FINLEY

ore than 1 million people are now members of the Free Methodist Church. “The Free Methodist Church is growing substantially in some places around the world,” Bishop Matthew Thomas told the Free Methodist Church – USA Board of Administration (BOA) on Oct. 18. “I would like to note that since 1995, statistically, we’ve grown by almost a thousand percent — tenfold — in the continent of Asia, and that’s due in large part to our national leaders overseas.” The denomination took more than 150 years to reach 1 million members worldwide, but much of the growth has occurred place in the last 10 years. “Could we believe and pray for 3 million people in five years?” Thomas asked. International Child Care Ministries Director Linda Adams noted the work of FM missionaries — some of whom became martyrs — to spread the gospel globally. For expanded “A great forest has been coverage, go to fmcusa.org/ raised up from those seeds,” ?p=493756. Adams said.

Free Methodist churches around the world are one of the major forces behind growing membership numbers.

Delia Nüesch-Olver, Latin America area director for Free Methodist World Missions, credited international Free Methodists for their commitment to sharing the gospel. “In Venezuela, they apologize because they only grew 32 percent this past year,” said Nüesch-Olver, who added the desire for growth is “not for numbers’ sake but for Jesus’ sake.” BOA members celebrated the news of the global growth. “I think this 1 million is the answer to many people who have

been praying and working,” BOA member Guillermo Flores said. “The real exciting part is that we’re shooting for 3 million in the next five years. God is on the move,” BOA Chairman Hal Conklin said. At a worship service the next day, Thomas directed participants’ attention to three one-word banners that together stated “Celebrating One Million.” He said it’s important to celebrate each person, and the message would still be appropriate if the “million” banner fell down. [LLM]

[news] 12 FM NONPROFIT MINISTERS TO LOUISIANANS Shreveport, La.

Takin’ It to the Streets Inc., a community outreach ministry coordinated by Pastor Ron Hampton, sponsored a July 21 event at Centenary College’s Gold Dome. More than 100 salvations were reported and 4,000 people were served by more than 100 agencies. To read more, visit fmcusa.org/blog/stories/takin-it-to-thestreets.

RIVER HIRES NEW OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Caldwell, Idaho

Jason Lohse — the associate pastor of Journey Church in Centennial, Colo., and the author of the “Expresso” devotional book — became the new director of operations for the River Conference on Oct. 1. Lohse takes over the business and administration position from Tom Greco, who now works for Central Christian College of Kansas.

ELI FOUNDER HONORED BY APU Azusa, Calif.

Free Methodist missionary and Empowering Lives International founder Don Rogers had the opportunity to tell more than 800 people about ELI’s work in Africa during an October banquet at Azusa Pacific University. Rogers was honored as APU’s alumnus of the year. The university’s video about Rogers can be viewed at bit.ly/apurogers.

GREVE NAMED ALUMNUS OF YEAR Spring Arbor, Mich.

Spring Arbor University honored Wayne Greve of Noblesville, Ind., as alumnus of the year Oct. 6. Greve, the son of Free Methodist Pastors William and Leeta Greve, served as an educator for more than 50 years, simultaneously serving as a pastor for 13 of those years. He and his wife, Marilyn, fund two endowed scholarships at SAU.

The Rest of the Story Want to find indepth stories of remarkable Free Methodists? Visit fmcusa.org.

We want to hear from you! Tell us what your church is doing to impact lives in the United States and around the world. Submit your story at fmcusa.org/ yourstory.

13 [world]

A Catalog for Better Giving BY JEFF FINLEY

“G

od so loved the world that He gave… ” These words from John 3:16 are how Linda Adams, director of International Child Care Ministries, and David and Rose Brewer, co-directors of SEED Livelihood Network, begin the ICCM and SEED Christmas 2012 Catalog. Along with the quoted scriptures, the leaders’ suggestion to “boycott excess” reveals this is no ordinary holiday catalog. “ICCM and SEED share a passion for doing justice, fostering sustainable development and an unwavering commitment to assist the Free Methodist Church in its local/global mission and church planting,” said John Franklin Hay, ICCM’s director of advancement. “We conceived the catalog as a way to help Free Methodists, sponsors and friends learn more and participate directly in the ministries of empowerment we share globally with and through them.” The first-ever Christmas catalog offers details of ICCM child sponsorship, projects and special-giving funds plus information about Free Methodist World Missions and VISA Ministries. For $50, a person can buy a water filter for a household in desperate need. For $10, a person can buy a Bible or a songbook for an ICCM child. The catalog also contains information about buying animals for families and gifts that provide education and prevent child trafficking. The catalog offers opportunities to donate to development projects through SEED, which empowers holistic livelihood groups doing microenterprise projects that make sense in their communities. Jewelry, bags, T-shirts, decorations and other merchandise created by these livelihood groups can also be purchased.

“Alternative giving is a way to enter into partnership with communities, families and individuals in remembrance of God’s gift to us at Christmas,” David Brewer said. The catalog can be used throughout 2013 and will be sent to FM congregations, ICCM sponsors, SEED patrons and FMWM supporters. Copies can be requested from ICCM at (800) 342-5531 or at www.childcareministries. org under “contact us.” A PDF version is available at bit.ly/iccmseed. [LLM]

[discipleship] 14

The Last Christmas BY JASON PAUL JOHNSTON

e tend to transfer our nostalgic heart-warmth onto the birth of Jesus, but the Messiah was born into chaos. Israel was in military crackdown. Bethlehem was packed tightly under the decree of Caesar and the strong arm of King Herod. This first Herod of the New Testament was also called “the Great.” In reality, he was a psychopath willing to commit any crime — including murdering his family — to stay in power, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia. Violent uprisings pushed back. Herod desired to please the Roman Empire at any cost. “Son of Man,” a movie set in modern Africa, paints a portrait of unrest around Jesus’ birth. In one scene (which can be viewed at bit.ly/llmson), Mary hides from a group of armed militia — among the dead bodies of children in an abandoned school building. After the militia passes and as she rises to leave, an angel appears and proclaims, “Hark thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou. Fear not, thou hast found favor with God.” She is stunned by the contrast of these words to her situation. The angel explains how she will give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. She sings: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced, in God my savior.” Hope is found in the person of Jesus, not in Christmas. Some Christmas Day will be the last Dec. 25 — not because of the Mayan calendar, politicians’ decisions, terrorists, economic crashes or environmental disasters. God will call the due date and Jesus will return. Until then, let’s sing of hope for all mankind to hear. [LLM]

Jason Paul Johnston is a musician, ordained FM pastor and teacher at Oakdale Christian Academy, Jackson, Ky.

GROUP DISCUSSION: [1] What challenge or encouragement can we take from Mary’s response (Luke 1:26–55)?

[2] What fears must we surrender to receive Christ this Christmas?

Did you know a new discipleship article is posted to our website each week? The four monthly articles are perfect for use in your small group or as a weekly supplement to individual study.

LLM

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT INDIANAPOLIS, IN, AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES PUBLICATIONS AGREEMENT NO. 40716549 STATION A P.O. BOX 54 WINDSOR, ON N9A 6J5 CANADA E-MAIL: CPCRETURNS@WDSMAIL.COM

LIGHT & LIFE MAGAZINE

770 N. High School Road Indianapolis, IN 46214

1 2 3 4

[resources] “BOOK OF DISCIPLINE” Order the “2011 Book of Discipline” and read the “Last Things” section (Pages 24–25): fmcusa.org/bookofdiscipline.

Explore the perspectives of Free Methodists and other Wesleyans about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

CREATION HEALED Howard A. Snyder and Joel Scandrett explain why “Salvation Means Creation Healed”: bit.ly/creationhealed.

“REVELATION” Richard Eckley looks at the Bible’s final book and its promise of a new world: bit.ly/eckleyrev.

LISTENING TO GOD The “Lectio Divina” Bible study series presents “Listening to God Through Revelation”: bit.ly/ldrevelation.