The Bible

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The Bible

• We want everyone to get it!

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The Bible

• We want everyone to get it!
• EEM
• Eastern European Missions

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• We cannot describe the horror of that day, or the
  sacrifices of so many, and the senseless loss of
  human life. Our prayers are with those who lost
  loved ones.

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This morning, we turn our thoughts to The Bible!

• We want everyone to get it!
• Thats the goal of EEM
• Eastern European Missions

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50th Anniversary of EEM

• Last Thursday evening, Carolyn, Ken, and I
  attended the Dinner in Fort Worth, in honor of 50
  years of work by European Missions. Ken has to
  be out of town today, but he was impressed by the
  accounts we were told, and said he was glad that
  though we are a small congregation, we can have a
  part in such a great work.

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On the Table

• As we sat down to the table, there were two items
  of food on the table a salad, and a piece of
  cake. The meal that goes between these would be
  served a bit later. As we finished the salad and
  looked at the cake, there was no one to stop us,
  and I had a bit of the dessert.

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A special treat coming

• As the program progressed, there were hints that
  there was a special treat coming. It was
  referred to as The Train Story. Nine oclock
  was approaching, and what was The Train Story?
  Then it came!

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• The Train Story

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The Train Story

• One of the Christians in a Communist country was
  riding on a train to get to his destination. The
  Conductor came through the train and noticed that
  the Christian had a Bible. He told the Bible
  from him and asked who he was, and what the book
  was. He said, oh, Im a Christian, and that is
  my Bible. The Conductor said, Well, youre an
  intelligent, educated man, you wont be needing
  this, and threw his Bible out the window.

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But mine was marked up

• A short time after reaching his destination, he
  met one of the Christians working with EEM. He
  noticed that he looked very sad, and asked what
  had happened. He explained how he had lost his
  Bible. His friend said, Dont worry we will
  get you another one. He said, But mine was
  marked up, and I could find anything I was
  looking for.

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Two years later!

• About two years passed, and the two friends met
  again. This time, the man who had lost his Bible
  was smiling and happy as he was before losing his
  Bible. He was asked what happened, and he said,
  I got my Bible back! Two boys were playing by
  the railroad track and found my Bible and took it
  to their parents who recognized it as a Bible.

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We had to have a copy!

• He had put his name and address in his Bible, so
  they mailed it back after having had it for two
  years. There was a note in the Bible. I said,
  We apologize for keeping your Bible for so long,
  but it took us a long time to copy it!

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They copied and shared

• That couple shared the Bible and their faith, and
  a church was begun.
• As I listened to the stories that evening, I was
  touched, and I wanted to share some of my
  thoughts with you.

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Those who sat in darkness

• (Isa 92 NKJV) The people who walked in darkness
  Have seen a great light Those who dwelt in the
  land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light
  has shined.

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Christ Refers to this verse

• (Mat 413-17 NKJV) And leaving Nazareth, He came
  and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in
  the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it
  might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the
  prophet, saying 15 "The land of Zebulun and
  the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea,
  beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles

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Christ Refers to this verse

• (Mat 413-17 NKJV) 16 The people who sat in
  darkness have seen a great light, And upon those
  who sat in the region and shadow of death Light
  has dawned." 17 From that time Jesus began to
  preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of
  heaven is at hand."

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The people who sat in darkness

• Today, I see another fulfillment of that prophecy
  as people in the former Soviet Union, are now
  seeing the light.

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Ministers of education are requesting Bibles

• One district asked for Bibles in the middle of
  the winter, and said they would come and get them
  in school buses and other vehicles.
• We saw the video as buses loaded with Bibles
  struggled to get through the snow.
• We saw a teacher talking to her students and
  telling them they were not to talk, and that they
  were to pay attention because these were words
  from God.

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How is America Doing?

• (Mat 1241-42 NKJV) "The men of Nineveh will
  rise up in the judgment with this generation and
  condemn it, because they repented at the
  preaching of Jonah and indeed a greater than
  Jonah is here. 42 "The queen of the South will
  rise up in the judgment with this generation and
  condemn it, for she came from the ends of the
  earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a
  greater than Solomon is here.

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Are we experiencing a famine in the land?

• (Amos 811 KJV) Behold, the days come, saith the
  Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land,
  not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
  but of hearing the words of the LORD

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The children of the Kingdom will be cast out.

• (Mat 811-12 NKJV) "And I say to you that many
  will come from east and west, and sit down with
  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of
  heaven. 12 "But the sons of the kingdom will be
  cast out into outer darkness. There will be
  weeping and gnashing of teeth."

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God has greatly blessed America

• O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves
  of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above
  the fruited plain! America! America! God shed
  his grace on thee And crown thy good with
  brotherhood From sea to shining sea!

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EEM Inspires Child to Give Bibles

•  Jonathan, 8 years old, has dedicated his summer
  to raising money for EEM in order to give Bibles
  to school children in Ukraine! Jonathans
  efforts . . .translated into real children
  getting real Bibles.

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EEM Puts Bibles in Schools

• We recently received this letter from Elina, a
  fellow worker in EEM who lives in Russia . . .
  Through her efforts, EEM was given the
  opportunity to place childrens Bibles in the
  hands of kindergartners at a local Russian
  school. These children will learn to read using
  the stories of the Bible

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Part of the Youth Program Team
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Youth Camps where the Bible is studied
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Youth Camps where the Bible is studied
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Being Baptized as a result of Bible Study
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Bible Study at Lenin's Statue
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National Bible Competition Held In Ukraine For
Public Schools

• Two boys at the competition

• Teams from 23 of the 26 states in Ukraine met at
  a Bible competition event on March 18, 2011, in
  the Ostroh, Rivne, region. Almost three times
  more teams participated than the sponsors were
  expecting. EEM Vice-President for European
  Operations, Bart Rybinski, attended the event and
  provided the following information.Held at the
  Ostroh Academy, which is a national university
  that dates back to the 1500s, the official title
  of the event is Ukrainian Olympic Competition
  for Young Connoisseurs of the Bible.

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National Bible Competition Held In Ukraine For
Public Schools

• The event was co-sponsored by the Ukrainian
  Ministry of Education and Science, the Ukrainian
  Bible Society, and Eastern European Mission
  (EEM). Competition is for students in grades 1
  11. The goal of the competition is to increase
  student interest in the Bible, to raise a
  spiritually rich national consciousness, to
  involve students in studying moral and spiritual
  courses and to encourage educators and parents to
  pursue spiritual, moral-aimed subjects.

• Just before it starts

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National Bible Competition Held In Ukraine For
Public Schools

• The following is taken directly from the
  information sent to schools
• Below are descriptions of the events included in
  the competition.
• For grades 1 2 Oral narration on the topic
  My favorite passage from the Bible
  (approximately 15 sentences).
• For grades 3 4 Oral narration on the topic
  Birth and childhood years of Jesus Christ
  (approximately 20 sentences). The student also
  must take a written test to measure knowledge of
  the Scriptures.

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National Bible Competition Held In Ukraine For
Public Schools

• For grade 5 Oral narration on the topic
  Wisdom in the life of Bible characters and its
  defense. The student also must take a written
  test to measure knowledge of the Scriptures.
• For grade 6 Composition of an original parable
  that has moral and ethical content on one of the
  following suggested topics About love and
  friendship, About mercy, About kindness, About
  obedience, About integrity, About honesty, About
  justice, About mutual aid, and its defense. The
  student also must take a written test to measure
  knowledge of the Scriptures.

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National Bible Competition Held In Ukraine For
Public Schools

• For grades 7 9 Essay on the topic Biblical
  aphorisms and their meaning in the Biblical
  context and their defense. The student also must
  take a written test to measure knowledge of the
  Scriptures.
• For grades 10 11 Essay on the topic
  Biblical plots in the creative works of native
  and foreign poets and writers of the 19th and
  20th centuries and their defense. The student
  also must take a written test to measure
  knowledge of the Scriptures.

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In Addition to this

• Prisoners are being baptized in prisons.
• Churches are being organized in prisons with
  worship services.
• As already indicated, the cry is for more Bibles.

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Then this reminder

• (Mat 246-14 NKJV) "And you will hear of wars
  and rumors of wars. See that you are not
  troubled for all these things must come to pass,
  but the end is not yet. 7 "For nation will rise
  against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And
  there will be famines, pestilences, and
  earthquakes in various places. 8 "All these are
  the beginning of sorrows.

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Then this reminder

• (Mat 246-14 NKJV) 9 "Then they will deliver
  you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will
  be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10
  "And then many will be offended, will betray one
  another, and will hate one another. 11 "Then
  many false prophets will rise up and deceive
  many. 12 "And because lawlessness will abound,
  the love of many will grow cold.

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Then this reminder

• (Mat 246-14 NKJV) 13 "But he who endures to
  the end shall be saved. 14 "And this gospel of
  the kingdom will be preached in all the world as
  a witness to all the nations, and then the end
  will come.

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Are you ready? Are we ready?

• Bibles are all around is, but do those who are
  all around us know the Bible?
• More importantly, do they know God?
• Do our lives show it?
• When the Lord comes back, will we be cast out
  because we were only lukewarm at best.

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Lukewarm is not good enough

• (Rev 315-16 NKJV) "I know your works, that you
  are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were
  cold or hot. 16 "So then, because you are
  lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit
  you out of My mouth.

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• Are you ready?

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The Bible

• We want everyone to get it!