November 2010

Volume 5 #11
Wading River Baptist Church
P.O. Box 438, 1635 Wading River-Manorville Road, Wading River, NY 11792
(631) 929-3512; 929-6022
www.wrbc.us office@wrbc.us

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up
his cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34).
In all of the political bickering which has
surrounded this election season, there has
been agreement on one thing: the overrid-
ing challenge facing America is that of the
weak economy, and the solution proposed
by many is to get the American public
spending again. To that end, our govern-
ment has attempted to jump-start the econ-
omy with massive bailouts.
But is a weak economy really our main
problem? Political and economic rationale
aside, there is a spiritual dimension that is
almost entirely overlooked. We have built
our society, not on production or thrift, but
on consumption. In many cases this con-
sumption has been virtually obscene—
people buying luxuries they can’t afford
because they yield to desires they can’t con-
trol. They want it; they even think they
deserve it. So they get it—even if they can’t
pay for it. What has been lost in all of this,
as in so much of our lives, is the biblical
virtue of self-denial.
Self-denial is the willingness first to
please God, and then to please others at the
expense of pleasing ourselves. The Lord
Jesus Christ put it this way to His disciples,
and to the crowds who followed Him: “If
anyone wishes to come after Me, he must
deny himself, and take up his cross and
follow Me” (Mt 16:24 [Mk 8:34])—that in
the context of a person’s gaining the whole
world and losing his own soul. The Apostle
Paul charges the Christians at Rome in a
similar way: “Each of us is to please his
Self-Denial
neighbor for his good, to his edification.
For even Christ did not please Himself”
(Rom 15:2-3a).
What does this mean? Well consider
this. The Lord Jesus was willing to endure
all manner of abuse, none of which He
deserved, for the sake of sinners, so that He
could die as an innocent sacrifice for sin-
ners. He became our template: “He Him-
self bore our sins in His body on the cross
so that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness” (1 Pet 2:24).
The problem here is that most of us
Christians only think of salvation as being
deliverance from sin and hell. It’s hard to
deny, however, that our daily lives are
largely devoted to pleasing ourselves. Real
Christianity is seen in living the crucified
life. Paul said it this way: “I am crucified
with Christ, nevertheless I live” (Gal 2:20).
This means voluntarily surrendering our-
selves to the cross—putting to death what
Scripture calls the “old man” of self and sin.
When we do so, self-denial becomes our
way of life. It extends to everything in our
lives, and that includes not only what is
sinful, but also what is permitted and what
is indifferent. We are no longer our own
highest priority.
Self-denial begins by subjecting our
bodies to the life of the cross; it means plac-
ing our bodies under subjection to Christ
and refusing to satisfy every desire with
which we are tempted. The key to this self-
denial lies in our subjection to God’s Word.
We refuse to reason our way out of compli-
ance with Scripture, willingly sacrificing our
own wisdom and fleshly judgment. We are
ready humbly to hear God’s Word, learn
from it, and live it; then we are ready to put
others before ourselves.
Self-denial operates at the very core of
our beings. Our souls are subjected to the
life of sacrifice; our passions and desires,
the things we love and the things we hate,
the things we want and the things we give
up, are controlled by it. We find this hard
to do because we live with divided hearts.
That’s when we have to force ourselves to
live in self-denial. The resulting pain comes
from our reluctance. Once we surrender to
it, however, this life actually becomes a de-
lightful privilege—the deeply satisfying joy
of communion with Christ. Nothing is
really a sacrifice if it is for Jesus.
Self-denial is not the cloistered
life—the life of the monastery. It is the
Christian’s ordinary life—lived out in his
day-to-day existence. Isn’t there a degree of
self-denial each time we do something to
make someone else happy? Then why
should we balk at living a life of selflessness
when our supreme object is to please the
One who “did not please Himself”? As An-
drew Murray has written: “What He was
we must be. What He did we must do.”
⎯ Pastor Ron Glass

Missionaries of the Month ⎯ Marvin and Denise Robinson

Marvin and Denise tion to people living in suburban govern- perience Arab children and teens coming to
Robinson’s joy is to ment-subsidized housing developments and know the Lord Jesus Christ. They also
have the opportu- within the inner city of Rochester, NY. learned of the harassment from the Hasidic
nity to bring Christ But how grateful Marvin and Denise Jews toward the worshippers as they en-
and His message of were when they were able to travel to Israel tered a building of a Messianic congrega-
hope and redemp- with Vince and Maryam Morgan and ex- tion. They learned of many Christians both
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in Israel and Ethiopia who are in need of
prayer as they endure persecution for their
faith. They extend these requests to us to
pray in their behalf.
Upon returning to their summer minis-
try in Rochester, many groups as far away
as California joined them in the summer
Bible clubs for children, open evangelism,
and projects for the elderly. They continue
Getting Acquainted with Carl Chapman
The numbers are
dwindling of those
who have been at
the WRBC from the
beginning, and
among those small
numbers is one
special individual
who can reflect on
the WRBC through
a child’s eyes. This individual, Carl Chap-
man, was only 11 years old when the WRBC
came into existence and was one of the first
to experience WRBC’s youth ministry. At
the same time, WRBC witnessed a young
boy’s transformation into a handsome,
spirit-filled father of two boys and a man
who is completely devoted to God’s call to
serve at WRBC as an adult.
Carl Chapman was born November 16,
1970, in Smithtown, NY, to parents Craig
and Deborah Chapman. He grew up in
Baiting Hollow, NY, along with his three
brothers: Mark, Tom and Paul. While the
boys were growing up, his father was in the
home improvement business; he later
started his own companies which included
gutters and leaders, roofing, siding, exten-
sions and decks. His mother was a “stay at
home” mom while the boys were young.
When the boys became older, his mother
gained employment in the retail business.
As an infant, Carl was baptized in a Lu-
theran Church; but as Carl’s parents grew in
their Christian life, they began attending
Calvary Baptist Church in Port Jefferson
Station (Carl was 8 years old at the time).
As a 9-year-old, Carl attended a Bible con-
ference with his family and was personally
impacted by Albert Martin’s sermon on hell.
It scared him a bit but his young life began
its battle between Biblical concepts and
those of the world.
The WRBC became the Chapman’s
chosen place of worship when Carl was 11.
The Church was new and closer to where
they lived. Carl continued to struggle with
the Christian life even though he did not
consider himself a bad person. After a bit
of encouragement from Pastor Kirby, Carl
was baptized more so to please others than
to be underfunded and ask for prayer and
support in this area.
Praise the Lord for a Christmas bless-
ing on its way. Their third grandchild is
due Christmas Day making Papa and
Grandma Robinson mighty happy as son
Paul and his wife, Erica, will be soon wel-
coming their new baby who will join four-
year-old Macey and two-year-old Justus.
himself. Carl stayed involved in the church
through his teen years and into his twen-
ties. He played on the church softball team,
sang in the choir, helped out with AWANA
clubs, and served on the mission committee
as chairman.
Carl’s high school days were filled with
extracurricular activities that kept him
quite busy. Carl was very sports-minded
and ran cross country in order to stay fit for
wrestling. In the winter season, Carl wres-
tled for his high school wrestling team and
in the spring/summer he competed in the
freestyle wrestling tournaments similar to
those seen in the Olympics.
Carl’s musical talents earned him a po-
sition in the trumpet section of the band,
orchestra and stage band. When he hit the
high notes on his trumpet, Carl’s red face
became a trademark of his musical enthusi-
asm that has remained with him to this day.
Carl’s family was not financially well
off, and therefore Carl was grateful that he
had the opportunity to work for and learn
from his father. Carl’s summer months and
school breaks would be spent working,
which cultivated the work ethic that re-
mains with him to this day.
For a short time, he attended Messiah
College, a private Christian college in Gran-
tham, PA. Due to unsatisfactory grades,
Carl came back to Long Island to take
classes at Suffolk Community College. For
a time, he sold Electrolux floor care prod-
ucts; he worked at Long Island Ice & Fuel
where he obtained a CDL class B license in
1992 which has since enabled him to work
for various companies delivering oil.
When Carl first met his wife at an in-
formal gathering in a home, there was defi-
nitely very little chemistry between them.
As we learned in Sarah’s profile, there was
actually a bit of contempt for one another.
But God had a plan for them and it quickly
surfaced as the relationship grew. They
married on April 22, 1995, and have since
been blessed with two boys: Stephen (13)
and Jacob (10).
Carl is now a driver for Manor Fuel Co.
Inc. in Huntington Station, NY. Not only
Marvin and Denise continue to extend
the invitation not only to groups to serve
with them but to all those who would desire
to visit with them. The Robinsons are one
of our geographically nearest missionaries;
a visit would be a way to show them our
ongoing love and support for their work.
⎯ Joan Tyska
does Carl drive for them but he helps with
the boiler installations and mainte-
nance/cleaning in the summer months.
Even though Carl started at the WRBC
in 1982, there was a time of absence from
2001 to 2008 when he attended a church
closer to his home. He remembered the
teaching of the WRBC and how shallow his
present church was becoming by not seek-
ing the truth of the Scripture and ignoring
the church’s constitution. So Carl returned
with his family to WRBC in spite of the dis-
tance needed to travel from Stony Brook.
Carl’s history at WRBC not only goes
back awhile but is filled with areas of ser-
vice. He helped with the Boys Bri-
gade/Pioneer Girls up until 1996 when the
AWANA program began. He was on the
Missions Committee in the late 90’s and
was treasurer for a time as well as the
chairman. When the church had a baseball
team, Carl was always one of the strongest
supporters of the team.
Now, his most
visible place of service
is with his trumpet
during each 11 o’clock
Sunday service. His
trumpet is like a call
to worship that gives
the service a special reverence. But his mu-
sical contribution does not end there. He
sings in the church choir; sings duets with
his wife; and occasionally sings in a family
quartet with his wife and her parents.
Carl has a quiet manner about him and
is not quick to reveal his inner thoughts.
He has authored a number of articles for
the Beacon; some quite controversial and
thought-provoking. Carl’s writing offers
you a deeper appreciation of who he is.
Carl easily volunteers in areas like the
AWANA program, VBS and whatever spe-
cial programs may arise during the course
of the year. When there was a need to have
another church bus driver, it was Carl who
stepped up to the plate. Carl already had
his CDL license and only needed to get the
passenger endorsement restriction lifted so
he could legally drive the church bus. He
shared the driving responsibilities with
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Dennis Tyska for our trip to Taconic State
Park on October 9, 2010.
It has been said that Carl is skilled at
ping-pong and is up for any challengers. He
The “Thelein” Universe – Part 2
Last month Dr. Bellard introduced the con-
cept of the “thelein” universe, or creation as
effected by the will of God (thelein, “to
will”). We explored recent developments,
such as the BioLogos Foundation, which
claim to believe both the Bible and evolu-
tionary science. Dr. Bellard’s conviction is
that this position is untenable, and in this
month’s article, he proposes a proper bibli-
cal response.
The new deism, represented by BioLo-
gos, holds that God created the universe
through the big bang and left it alone with
the “freedom” to evolve for many billions of
years. Towards the end of his epistle to the
Romans, however, Paul warns: “Now I
urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those
who cause dissensions and hindrances con-
trary to the teaching which you learned,
and turn away from them. For such men
are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of
their own appetites; and by their smooth
and flattering speech they deceive the
hearts of the unsuspecting” (Rom 16:17-18).
Perhaps some of these scientists have been
deceived by this “smooth speech,” but all of
them are superimposing the words of “sci-
entific” men (most of whom are open athe-
ists) on the inspired words of God.
We should grieve for the ones who will
be led astray by the “fair speeches” of those
who at the very least are looking for the
“approval of men rather than the approval
of God” (John 12:43). It is noteworthy that
the Bible lists several key characteristics by
which the sincere believer may identify
those who are seeking to distort the truth of
the Scriptures. Let’s examine a couple of
passages, first 2 Peter 2:1-3:
But false prophets also arose among
the people, just as there will also be
false teachers among you, who will se-
cretly introduce destructive heresies,
even denying the Master who bought
them, bringing swift destruction upon
themselves. Many will follow their
sensuality, and because of them the
way of the truth will be maligned; and
in their greed they will exploit you
with false words; their judgment from
long ago is not idle and their destruc-
tion is not asleep.
These verses lead us to the following
insights. These false prophets will come
from “Christian churches” or a sound back-
ground, but they will deny the biblical Lord
Jesus in some way, and in this case it is by
likes to tinker a bit and is pretty good at
carpentry and maybe a little plumbing.
When Carl has time to relax he likes to
spend time on the computer or reading.
denying that He is the Creator. They may
become very popular, especially with unsta-
ble people, causing important biblical
teachings to be degraded. They often use
human greed and hidden meanings to at-
tract followers.
In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul warns, “I
am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve
by his craftiness, your minds will be led
astray from the simplicity and purity of
devotion to Christ.” When we consider this
verse in the light of the Genesis account of
the fall (Genesis 3:1-7), we are reminded
that our minds can be led astray from the
simplicity of a pure devotion to Christ. Sa-
tan has a strategic plan to deceive the be-
liever by disputing the accuracy of God’s
Word (“Indeed, has God said . . . ?”). He
follows that by denying the ability of God to
do what He said (“You surely will not die!”).
This is coupled with his denigration of the
actions of God toward men (“For God
knows that in the day you eat from it your
eyes will be opened, and you will be like
God, knowing good and evil”).
The Bible’s text is amply clear. The
creation account is written so precisely that
one must both insert words and override
clear meanings of words to make the pas-
sage teach anything other than creation in
six ordinary days, during which God made
and organized the cosmos. Not only is
Genesis clear, but the many such references
and verifications throughout the text sup-
port, amplify, verify, and demand adher-
ence to what God has done. It is as wrong
as it is dangerous to disavow what the
Genesis account teaches!
When Christians compromise on the
creation issue in order to accommodate to
their scientific contemporaries, they over-
look the impact on the most important
player, namely God himself! Through the
prophet Ezekiel, the Lord promises to re-
deem His people, but He is not going to do
it for their sake (Ezek 36:25-29). “It is not
for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am
about to act, but for My holy name, . . . (v.
22). ‘I am not doing this for your sake,’
declares the Lord God, ‘let it be known to
you’” (v. 32). Thus, God is redeeming His
people in order to restore the honor and
glory that is due Him. What should the
human response be? It should be to defend
the honor of God wherever it is impugned.
We recall David defending Saul because in
You might think Carl to be quiet and
reserved; but if this is what you think it is in
a strong way with a heart to serve the Lord.
⎯ Joan Tyska
spite of his evildoing, he was the Lord’s
anointed (1 Sam 26:13-16).
The denial of the biblical creation ac-
count is an insult to God’s honor. At the
personal level, a man’s honor resides in his
name and in his word. His honor resides in
his good reputation (i.e. his name) and in
whether his word can be trusted. So it is
with God. God’s honor resides in His name,
and in His Word. He is a person of good
reputation (among those who know and
love Him) and He keeps His Word. In fact,
writes David, “You have magnified Your
word according to all Your name” (Psa
138:2). If we understand this principle,
then we can also begin to understand Jesus’
statement in John 10:35 that “the Scripture
cannot be broken.” That is because Scrip-
ture is the Word of God, and the Word of
God cannot be broken. This is also why
Jesus expected the Old Testament Scrip-
tures to be fulfilled to the letter, namely
because the honor of God resides in the
fulfillment of His Word. Furthermore, this
is why Jesus made it a condition of Chris-
tian discipleship that we not be ashamed of
His words (Luke 9:26); His honor is at
stake! Hence, when Christians disbelieve
God’s Word on a subject so near to His
heart as creation, not only do they condemn
themselves, they dishonor God.
In addition, however, refusing to ac-
cept the Genesis account is to insult God’s
glory. To His rebellious people, the Lord
declared: “Remember this, and be assured;
recall it to mind, you transgressors. Re-
member the former things long past, for I
am God, and there is no other; I am God,
and there is no one like Me, declaring the
end from the beginning, and from ancient
times things which have not been done
continued on page 4
Monocerotis V838: Our entire solar system
by comparison would be smaller than the
smallest pixel in this image!
3
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saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
and I will accomplish all My good pleas-
ure; . . .’” (Isa 46:8-10). When God fulfills
His Word, His honor is vindicated and His
name is glorified. In Revelation 4-5, the
saints in heaven are worshipping by
declaring to the whole universe that the
holiness of God lies in His eternal being,
and the honor and glory of God lies in his
work of creation.
How then do you think God responds
when compromising Christians say that
October 9, 2010, was the WRBC’s annual
Taconic State Park bus trip. With a bus
load of 30 people including our driver,
Dennis Tyska, the bus headed out early
Saturday morning. The appreciation of the
fall colors began at the
first rest stop as Debbie
Bristoll, Judy Ehmann,
and Marcelle Ritzmann
took a moment to enjoy
the view. Following a
picnic lunch upon arrival and some baseball
practice for John Moses Piraino, it was time
to hike to the falls⎯the highlight of the
day.
Weather-wise the day could not have
been any better as Cheryl Sunderland
shields the sun from her eyes.
George Ehmann, Marcelle Ritzmann,
Denise Tolf, and Sarah Chapman take a
moment to relax
along the trail
while Pastor
Glass and others
arrive at the falls.
The Bash Bish Falls are actually in the
mountains of Massachusetts and own the
title of the state’s highest waterfall. The
falls cascade in excess of 200 feet down the
mountain side.
Then there were the young and
adventurous like Kristen and Kara
God is not the six-day Creator of all things
just as He claims to be? Will these com-
promising Christians stand up in heaven
and tell the worshipping hosts that God did
not create the universe in six days? Are
they willing to say this to God Himself?
Finally, to reject the literal creation
account of the Bible is nothing less than
idolatry. Idolatry is the worship of man-
made gods. Idols are not just objects of
wood, metal, or stone, however, but they
can be ideas as well, as is clear from Ezekiel
October in Review
Hallstrom who could not resist climbing a
tree along the trail.
For the
advanced hikers,
the mountain top
was just a short
distance up the
mountain from the
falls. The
outstanding view more than made up for
the physical exertion required to hike up a
steep grade. Chris Hallstrom was one of the
few who accepted the challenge and
successfully arrived at the top.
Even some of our seniors like Felix and
Florence Acerra hiked the distance to view
the falls from another vantage point.
Thanks to our new
photographer, Martie
Best, a collection of
wonderful photographs
was organized into a
PowerPoint presentation
and shared with the
congregation during the
coffee hour on the next day.
Carl Chapman took over the driving
responsibilities for the trip home. The
group stopped at “Four Brothers Pizza Inn,”
where the restaurant staff welcomed a bus
load of 30 without hesitation. The service
was great in spite of the short notice given
to them for a
large crowd. The
special ice
cream/brownie
dessert⎯well,
you had to have
been there.
Surely, the trip to Taconic was not just
about fall colors but also for the wonderful
14:3: “Son of man, these men have set up
their idols in their hearts, . . . .” If Chris-
tians worship the “billion-year evolver” or
the “billion-year progressive creator” rather
than the six-day Creator, then they worship
an idol of man’s imagination—a man-made
God! We find then that, in contrast to the
thinking of most people, science is not an
infallible guide to the truth. We will explore
this fact in our next article.
⎯ Dr. Vic Bellard
fellowship and love shared. There is a
wonderful sense of belonging and bringing
a body of Christ even closer together.
On October 10, 2010, a coffee hour
took place after the 11 o’clock service to
honor Nora Faustinorio prior to her return
to the Philippines. It was a time of sad
goodbyes and lots of hugs.
Cathy Perez and Denise Tolf were just
two of the many showing their affection for
Nora. She returned to the Philippines to
join her husband, Pastor Noel Faustinorio,
in their ministry at their newly named
church: Wading River Fundamental Bible
Baptist Church.
October 17, 2010, was a full day of
church activities beginning with Sunday
School, followed by the 11 o’clock service,
then meeting at the Hallstroms for an af-
ternoon of fun, feasting, and fellowship-
ping. The day concluded with a semiannual
business meeting at the church.
The afternoon at the Hallstroms is be-
ginning to feel like a second home to all
those accepting the invitation now for the
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third time in recent months. As the young
people gathered in one corner of the deck,
the men took over the other corner and the
women claimed the kitchen. What a great
time had by all. Thank you Chris and
Jackie for being so generous in sharing your
home.
from Victory in Christ by Robert C. McQuilkin, Part 1
Editor’s Note: From
time to time, we hope
to bring you excerpts
from largely forgotten
works on the spiritual
life, works from previ-
ous generations that
need to be read and
pondered today.
Robert C. McQuilkin
(1886-1952) was a
popular conference speaker and from 1923-1952,
the first president of Columbia Bible College
(now Columbia International University) in Co-
lumbia, SC. This is the first chapter of a little
booklet containing his personal testimony as to
how he found spiritual victory in his life. We will
publish subsequent chapters in the months to
come.
Taking God at His word is the secret of
the assurance of salvation. Taking God at
His word is the secret of victory for every
Christian.
Trying to be saved is one of the many
substitute plans of salvation offered by the
Enemy of souls. “Trying to be a good Chris-
tian,” is a phrase that may have a true
meaning, and yet this also is far different
from God’s plan for victorious Christian
living. It is possible to be saved, and yet be
a defeated Christian. It is possible to be a
hard worker in religious things, and to miss
the joy and wonder of what the Christ-
controlled and Spirit-empowered life
should be. This narrative of a defeated
Christian may point the way of victory to
some other dissatisfied or discouraged
soul.
When I was twelve years old I united
with the church. The pastor asked certain
questions about Christ and His salvation
and I accepted all that the Bible said about
On October 23, 2010, 26 people
showed up for WRBC’s fall work day. Deb-
bie Bristoll, Bonnie Heuzey, Bill Mallman,
John Piraino, and Peter Albrecht were just
five of the 26 who made massive strides in
restoring, repairing, beautifying, cleaning,
and just plain getting the work done.
Classics to Contemplate
“Looking into God’s Mirror”
it. I felt that I was not taking Christ as my
Saviour for the first time, but was confess-
ing Him openly. I did not recall any time
when I did not believe in Christ as my Sav-
iour. I remember attending evangelistic
meetings when the evangelist would ask
Christians to stand. Sometimes I would
stand. At other times I would not stand. It
depended on what the evangelist said it
meant to be a Christian, or rather what I
understood him to say. I did not go up in
any of these meetings to accept Christ, as I
considered it might seem a repudiation of
what I felt was a true faith in Christ. At
least, that was how I reasoned. My uniting
with the church was a real crisis in my life,
and I felt that now I must seek to do every-
thing possible to serve the Lord, and be a
faithful church member.
In our small church there was one
young people’s society, which belonged to
the Christian Endeavor movement and also
to a city union of the various churches in
the same denomination. When I united
with the church, I was asked to join this
society, and did so with the desire to throw
myself into the work. I recall vividly the
first meeting. I had signed a pledge to take
some part in every meeting aside from sing-
ing. I memorized a verse and stood up to
give the verse, steadying myself by holding
the chair in front of me with two hands.
The next week, I read a “clipping,” this time
holding on with one hand. The third week I
wrote out something and memorized it. I
am very grateful for the training in that
young people’s society. All members were
put on one of the committees. There was
the lookout committee, the membership
committee, the prayer-meeting committee,
Coffee breaks, snacks, and⎯as al-
ways⎯the great fellowship made the work
load a manageable one indeed. Many
thanks to all of those sharing the work load.
⎯ Joan Tyska
Harvest Dinner
Saturday,
November 20th
5:00 PM
the missionary committee and others. The
active members became officers. First, you
may be elected vice-president, if there is a
good president. Then if you are a real
worker, you become secretary. After you
have established confidence in your care-
fulness and integrity, they make you treas-
urer. And finally, if there is not an abun-
dance of good material, you are elected
president. I went through all of these
committees and offices. After some years,
the city-wide union became active, and I
went through the committees in the union,
and through the various offices. This was at
the period when the mission study move-
ment started. We threw ourselves into this
new activity, and I began to teach mission
study classes as an important part of my
Christian activity.
But all through these high school years,
and for several years following graduation
from high school, when I was in the busi-
ness world, I was greatly dissatisfied with
my Christian life. There was a sense of de-
feat. Had anyone gone to my beloved pas-
tor to ask about me, he would have said that
I was one of the most active of the young
people, in church attendance, and in all of
the various services. Had I compared my-
self with other young people, or with the
older church members, there might have
been a feeling of satisfaction, a sense of
accomplishment. What was it that brought
me dissatisfaction? It was the result of
looking into God’s mirror. It was the reve-
lation of my own life as made clear in the
Word of God. Paul tells us that Christians
who compare themselves one with the other
are without understanding. As I looked
back later over these years of spiritual hun-
continued on page 6
5
continued from page 5
ger, there came to remembrance certain
verses that had kept vividly before me this
conviction of defeat.
“In nothing be anxious,” was one
statement that “hit me between the eyes.”
Again and again I would read those two
verses, Philippians 4:6, 7. There was a
command, “In nothing be anxious,” and the
assurance that “the peace of God, which
passeth all understanding, shall guard your
hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.”
It seemed to me that I was anxious about
nearly everything. I was not quite as bad as
the business man who said that he worried
only once a day, and that was all day. And
yet on the days when there would be great-
est reason for thanksgiving, because of suc-
cess in some Christian activity or success in
business, there were always many things to
take the joy out of those victories. In those
years I do not recall a night when I went to
bed with “the peace that passeth all under-
standing.” I could understand all the peace
I had. When everything went right (which
meant, when everything went the way I
wanted it to go), then there was peace. But
what about this peace that passeth all un-
derstanding, the peace that is ours whatever
the circumstances may be? I recognized
that the word, “In nothing be anxious,” was
a command, as definite as the command,
“Thou shalt not kill.” Yet I, like Martha,
was “anxious and troubled about many
things.”
Another statement that was linked in
my thoughts with the verse about God’s
peace, was Peter’s expression, “ye rejoice
greatly with joy unspeakable and full of
glory” (1 Peter 1:8). I knew what it was to
be happy when some circumstances would
bring special joy, but what was this “joy of
the Lord”? What was this secret of rejoicing
always? What did the Lord mean by, “my
joy may be in you” (John 15:11), and “your
joy no one taketh away from you” (John
16:22)? It seemed to me that my own ex-
perience did not fit into these testimonies of
the early disciples.
However, there were other verses that
troubled me more than these verses on joy
and peace. I read the Psalmist’s description
of the Word of God as sweeter than honey
and more to be desired than gold (Psa.
19:10). Again and again I would make it a
rule to read the Bible every day. There were
times when I was reading missionary books,
and was very active in Christian service,
when I did not read the Bible every day.
But I recall sitting up till the early hours of
the morning to finish some interesting
novel. The Bible had no such fascination
for me, and I wondered if it was “sweeter
than honey” and “more to be desired than
gold.” Along with this, there was a sense of
failure in my prayer life. I read of the men
of prayer in the New Testament, and the
supernatural answers to prayer. All of these
seemed quite foreign to my experience.
As I describe this impression of those
years in my Christian life, I am not suggest-
ing that such questions were in my mind
constantly. But on every consideration of
my spiritual life, there was the conviction
that something definite was lacking. There
was also a realization that other Christians
had something that I did not have.
This conviction of failure because of
the lack of joy and peace, and because of the
lack of vital Bible study and prayer, was not
so serious as the conviction of failure be-
cause of what we usually call “besetting
sins.” I had looked into God’s mirror, and
read the verse: “there hath no temptation
taken you but such as man can bear: but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able, but will
with the temptation make also the way of
escape, that ye may be able to endure it” (1
Cor. 10:13). As I read that statement, it
seemed to mean that God had a way of de-
liverance in temptation, and that He would
give victory over every temptation to sin.
But I judged that I had victory over practi-
cally none of my temptations. The same
failures would occur over and over again.
By the grace of God I was kept from many
of the outward sins which young men in-
dulge in. But I realized that in my heart I
was no better than others; it was because of
the different environment that I did not
meet some of these temptations. But there
were sins of impurity, of irritation, of un-
truthfulness, of selfishness, of pride in
many forms. I was being convicted of these
sins, and confessed them, but again and
again I would fall before the same tempta-
tion. There was another verse that was
linked in my mind with 1 Corinthians 10:13:
“They that are of Christ Jesus have crucified
the flesh with the passions and the lusts
thereof” (Gal. 5:24). I did not understand
the theology of this verse, but I gathered
from it that in my daily practice I certainly
had not put to death the passions or lusts of
my body.
But there was a third conviction that
brought me more concern than these re-
peated failures in sins of commission, or the
failure in Bible study and prayer. I was
seeing practically no miracle results from
my constant religious activities. I did not
know of anyone who was led to Christ
through my testimony. I did not know of
any lives transformed as the result of my
work. Yet the New Testament books, espe-
cially the Acts of the Apostles, were full of
the mighty power of God. What was this
power that the Lord had promised to the
disciples, and which they had received on
the day of Pentecost? Many times I would
comfort myself with the fact that our part
was to give out the Word, and to leave the
results with the Lord. Again, I would be
comforted when someone would join a Bi-
ble class, or would join church, as the result
of my invitation. Yet even in these cases, I
could not notice anything of the mighty
power of God.
The period of my life described in-
cluded the years in high school and the
eight or nine years that followed high
school when I was working for a firm of
contractors. There seemed to be promise of
real success in the business world, but now
and again I would return to a very early
question I faced when reading a booklet
that set forth the tremendous need of the
unreached mission fields of the world. I
began to ask if I ought not to give my whole
life to Christian service, and especially in
the mission field. For some years it was not
possible to go on with college work because
of the material needs of the home. But the
firm where I was employed gave increases
to several of the young men, and put me
into a position to meet the home obligations
and to go on with university training. Most
of my friends regarded the opportunity in
business as a clear indication that I should
go on in this work. But I took it rather as
God’s provision to give up the opportunity
and to enter college training.
During that first year in college, several
problems faced me. Certain questions came
concerning the infallibility of the Old Tes-
tament. At the same time my faith in the
deity of Christ and other Christian essen-
tials was greatly strengthened by the super-
ficial views of those who contradicted these
Christian teachings. I had read the argu-
ments of those who tried to explain the
miracles of the New Testament, or rather to
explain away the plain meaning of the nar-
rative. They contradicted one another,
showing the foolishness and the superficial-
ity of the arguments. I recall that during
that first year I had long arguments with
students about the deity of Christ. At the
close of the argument, each of us would still
believe what we believed before. I tried to
do Christian work in the university, but saw
little in the way of real miracle results. I
began to ask myself what I was going to
preach when I got to the mission field.
To be continued in the December 2010
issue of The Beacon.
6
 November Bible Quiz Questions October Bible Quiz Answers
1) Who was the father of Alexander and Rufus and what is he noted 1) At the time of circumcision, which was on the eighth day
for in the Bible? after birth (Luke 1:59; 2:21).
2) Jesus uttered the words, “Into Your hands I commit My spirit” 2) Hosea (Hosea 1:2).
(Luke 23:46). Name the other two men of whom Scripture 3) Ishmael (Genesis 16:15).
records as having committed their spirits to God.
4) The wickedness of its inhabitants, and to fulfill the word
3) A short hymn of praise to God is called a ______? He swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Deut 9:5).
4) The book of Psalms is divided into __ sections? 5) To avoid being captured or killed by the hand of
5) Where in the Old Testament are Agur and King Lemuel King Saul (1 Sam 27:1-7).
mentioned? Bonus: An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream
Bonus: Did the Apostle Paul have the gift of speaking in tongues? (Matthew 2:19-20).
― Felix Acerra

Submit the answers and Bible references to: office@wrbc.us The Birthday Corner
November 2nd – Liz Hyland
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November 1st – Jim & Janet Perry November 16th – Carl Chapman
November 20th – Ray & Carol Fitzgerald November 19th – Reeva Bellard
November 23rd – Chris & Jackie Hallstrom November 21st – Ed Tolf
November 28th – Ed & Denise Tolf November 23rd – Peter Albrecht
November 23rd – Sylvena Ingoglia
November 25th – Kathleen Fitzgerald
November 29th – Cathy Perez

November 2010 November 30th – Chris Hallstrom

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 8:00 AM Ladies Prayer 4 5 6 Daylight
– Joan Tyska (727-5998) 6:30 PM Savings Time
7:00 PM Prayer Meeting AWANA ends; turn
and Exposition of Psalms clocks back 1 hr.

7 9:45 AM Sunday 8 9 10 8:00 AM 11 12 13

School – “God’s Word 7:00 PM Ladies Prayer 6:30 PM 1:00 PM Senior
and Everyday Ethics” Board of 7:00 PM Prayer Meeting AWANA Saints Luncheon
(Peter Albrecht) Deacons and Exposition of Psalms
11:00 AM Morning Meeting
Worship Service

14 9:45 AM Sunday 15 16 17 8:00 AM 18 19 20

School (Biblical Ethics) Ladies Prayer 6:30 PM 5:00 PM
11:00 AM Morning 7:00 PM Prayer Meeting AWANA Harvest
Worship Service and Exposition of Psalms Dinner

21 9:45 AM Sunday 22 23 24 8:00 AM 25 26 27

School (Biblical Ethics) Ladies Prayer Thanksgiving
11:00 AM Morning
Worship Service

28 9:45 AM Sunday 29 30
School (Biblical Ethics)
11:00 AM Morning
Worship Service

7
PO Box 438
Wading River, NY 11792
Wading River Baptist Church
• For the Exaltation of God in All Things
• For the Proclamation of Faith in Christ
• For the Transformation of God’s People
Our Purpose
1. To glorify God through sharing
the good news of salvation by God’s
sovereign grace through faith in His
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. To nurture believers through a
strong program of Christian educa-
tion, youth ministries, and expository
Biblical preaching.
3. To provide an opportunity for
Biblical worship, service, and fellow-
ship.
4. To extend our ministry through-
out America and around the world
through participation in home and
foreign missions.
WRBC is affiliated with the Conserva-
tive Baptist Association of America
and the Conservative Baptist Mission
to the Northeast.