A PUBLICATION OF THE VINE’S CHURCH OF NEW JERSEY

MARCH, 2010 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

THE MESSENGER

THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE

FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH

The Vine's Church in Raritan recently hosted the second Vambudo inter-branch Full Contact Competition at the social hall of the Reformed Church in Rari-tan, New Jersey. The event was partici-pated in by young men and women from New Jersey and New York and attended by local city council members.

VAMBUDO, a mixed martial event that stands for Vast (VA), M (Multi), Budo for fighting system, is aimed at reaching out to the youth offering them a productive sports activity that promotes sound mind, body, and spirit. It also instills good moral values, discipline and leadership skills to its partici-pants. A growing ministry of The Vine’s

Church, Vambudo classes, which are offered free to interested participants, meet every Saturday afternoon, 5:00 p.m. at the Third Reformed Church in Raritan, New Jersey. Currently, there are some 30 active mem-bers.

VAMBUDO was initiated in the Philip-pines by TOUGHGUYS INTERNA-TIONAL, an accredited non-profit organi-zation collaborating with NGO's and the government alike in the prevention of vio-lence and drug addiction in schools and local communities. According to its foun-der, Sensei Rev. Vincent V. Vicencio, a Christian pastor and a 5th Degree Black Belt, Tough Guys International ―is not just

By: Ana Marie Regaliza-Datuin

It is that time of the year again when Christians all over the world take a sit back to commemo-rate the season of Lent, one of the two most important periods in the Christian liturgical year. As a believer, either we take part in this religious tradition with due diligence and sincerity or, we simply go through the motions without putting our heart and soul into it, or we simply ignore it or are critical about it.

Since the reason for the observance of Lent lies in the very core of the Christian faith, it deems justifiably right that every person who claims to be a Christian worthy of his salt ought to give this century-old tradition a scru-tiny. Perhaps in knowing its history and biblical

references, we may be able to separate the chaff from the grain and act in accordance with what Jesus in His teachings truly commands us to do.

Origin of Lent

According to research done by religious scholars, Lent was first addressed during the

legalization of Christianity in A.D. 313. This was fortified by the church at Rome during the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 when the Council of Bishops settled on the calculation of Easter celebration. It was universally observed until the Protestant Refor-mation in 1517 when the Christian church was divided into splintered groups because of doctrinal differ-

ences. Some of the more radical reformers, like the Baptists, Pentecostals, shun the

SPECIAL MESSAGE:

We are happy to present the maiden issue of The Messenger, a quarterly publication of The Vine’s Church. It is our hope that through this newslet-ter we will be able to reach out to more people in spreading the gospel of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ We would like to thank everyone who got involved in the publication of this maiden issue. Special thanks to the following:

Ryan Villanueva—logo design

VCR Photography Ministry —for the beautiful photos

Mariel Carlos & Chris Somera—for sharing their love story

Malou Rena—for the Bible Trivia

Enrique Carlos—contributing writer

Albert Mabilangan—for the Micro-soft Office Publisher software Anyone who is interested in contribut-ing to the next issue is welcome to contact Pastor Rowel del Mundo.

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Continued on page 4

THE MESSENGER

FROM THE DESK OF PASTOR ROWEL DEL MUNDO

PAGE 2

In order to begin our study in Bible doctrine we ought to be-gin with God.

We are constantly being chal-lenged by the atheist, skeptics and hecklers to prove that there is God. The Bible is not a textbook that attempts to prove the existence of God. The Bible opens with a positive fact that God does exist. It did not occur to any writer of the Bible to prove this fact. The Bible plainly states that it is a fool who denies the existence of God. Proof from the Scripture

Psalm 14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 1 The fool [a] says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. Psalm 19:1 For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands Romans 1:20

20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse

In addition to the above-mentioned arguments in the scripture, we may also consider seven other powerful proofs. Proof of Conscience All creation knows that there are out there some being who controls everything. Romans 2:15 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even fending them.) Acts 17:23 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your

Some reasons why atheist denies God

They deny the existence of God not because they cannot find Him, but because they are afraid to face the responsibility of being accountable to Him after death. It is one of the devils tool to put man into sleep without accepting salvation. If there is no God, I can live and die as I please.

The Argument from Cause (Cosmological) coming from the Greek word KOSMOS “mainam na pagkakaayos”

The world is here, it must have come from somewhere. Somebody must have caused it to come. Here is a book, someone must have written it. No printing press can of itself produce a book. Meaning to say, the universe, or the world is here someone started it. If all pieces of the watch were put inside the can and shake for a million years, it will not accidentally put it together. Hebrews 3:4 4For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. The Argument from Design (Teleological) coming from the Greek word TELOS, which means proper and correct design A watch not only exists but it has a designer. It was planned for a specific purpose. It is not design for mosquito to live in. It was accurately design to tell time.

The color of the birds and animals and their defense are not accidental. They are a result of a plan of a superior planning mind of the originator.

The Moral Argument (Anthropological) coming from the Greek word Arthropods that mean MAN Man has an intellectual and moral nature showing that the creator must not merely an inanimate force but a living, intelligent moral being. Genesis 1:26 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Genesis 1:27 27 So God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them

Continued on Page 8

observance of lent, while the less conservative Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans and Episcopalians, and do practice the tradition with some modifications. Today, several years after this historic period in the Christian world, arguments regarding the practice of

The term Lent originated from the Latin term guadragesima, translated in Greek as , ―tessarakoste.‖ This was used by the Christian churches to mean ―fortieth day‖ before Easter. This nomenclature is pre-served in various languages such as ―Charisma‖ for Spanish and Quaresma for Portuguese. As time went by, as the ser-mons began to use English instead of Latin, the English word lent was adopted. The word initially meant spring (as in German language Lenz and Dutch lente) and de-rives from the Germanic root for ―long‖ because in the spring the days were length-ened.

The observance of an annual period of 40 days of fasting and abstinence preceding the festival of the Passover is not found mentioned anywhere in both the Old and the New Testa-ment, yet today this tradition is widely practiced by most Christians. The period of 40 days, however, has several ref-erences in the bible, which could be the reason why early Christians made this part of the whole religious ritual. Some of these verses are found in the following chapters:

It rained 40 days and nights: Gen 7:4, 12.

Joseph mourned the death of his father Jacob for a period of 40 days: Gen 49:33 - Gen 50:3. Moses on Sinai for 40 days: Exo 24:18, 34:28, Deu 9:9-11. Moses pleads for Israel 40 days on Sinai: Deu 9:18-25, 10:10. Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days: Matt 4:2, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:2. Jesus was seen for 40 days after His crucifixion: Acts 1:3.

Origin of Easter

Easter, as we all know it, is the highlight of the Lenten sea-son. It is considered the most significant religious event in the Christian liturgical year as it celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, just like Lent, al-though it is mentioned once in Acts 12:4 , Easter is not documented anywhere in the bible as an event practiced by

early Christians.

Acts 12:4, “And when he [King Herod] had apprehended him [Peter], he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quater-nions of soldiers to keep him; intending after EASTER to bring him

forth to the people.

Although there have been references by some Christian scholars to the use of Easter in this passage as the same as Passover, some say that it could not have been so since Peter was appre-hended during the days of unleavened bread (Acts 12:3) when Passover was over by then. And because of this sequence of events, some scholars argue that the word "Easter" in Acts 12:4 does NOT then refer to Easter as we know it, nor does it refer to the Passover as suggested by other bible versions. Bede ―the Venerable,‖ a Christian scholar, who has writ-ten several books on Christianity, went further by suggesting that Easter has pagan origins. In his book De Ratione Temporum, Bede wrote

that Easter was named after Eostre, the goddess of fertility. He also explains Easter's association with rabbits and eggs.

Lenten Practices

Different Christian groups have different ways of celebrat-ing the Lenten season. For Catholics Lent is the 40-day period (Sundays excluded) prior to Easter, which the church observes as a penitential season. It begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes with the Passion tide, the two-week period during which the church's liturgy follows Christ's activity closely through the final stages of his life on earth. These two weeks are called Passion Week and Holy Week.

In some countries, pre Lenten festival called Mardi Gras or Carnival have also flourished and later on became part of their countries’ cultural tradition. The most famous of these festivals is in Rio de Janeiro. Others are held in Ven-ice, Cologne and in New Orleans, where it is termed Mardi Gras.

Carnival, which means ―removal of meat‖ in Latin, while Mardi Gras is the French translation for ―Fat Tuesday‖ or Shrove Tuesday in ethnic English tradition. Both the carni-val and Mardi Gras are held before the people go on fasting as a means to repent of their sins. It is supposed to be a time when people indulge in food, wine, and music before plunging into a period of fasting. Today, some local

THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)

PAGE 3 VOLUME 1 , ISSUE 1

Continued on Page 9

an organization but an organism since we live what we teach. The organization now has 29 local branches and 5 international branches. Sensei Rev. Rowel Del Mundo, a 3rd Degree Black belt, who is one of the founding members of Tough Guys International, Inc. and the lead instructor of VAMBUDO in the USA, has seen the positive im-pact of VAMBUDO on some troubled youths in the Philippines. As head pastor of The Vine’s Church in Raritan, Sensei del Mundo, guided by the biblical teaching in 1 Cor. 6:19, which talks about how our body as living temple of God must me glorified, believes that the program’s success in the Philip-pines can be duplicated here in the US especially among the youth. Assisting Rev. Del Mundo in pro-moting VAMBUDO in the US particularly in New York is Sempai Rev. Ronald Ramirez, also a Black Belt in the discipline.

Considered to be under the category of Mixed Mar-tial Arts, Vambudo is a full contact combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques and

skills, from a mixture of martial arts traditions and non-traditions, The rules allow the use of striking, throwing or take downs and grappling techniques, both while standing and on the ground. The roots of mixed martial arts can be traced back throughout Europe and Japan during the early 1900s. The sport re-emerged in 1993 with the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championships. The following are the results of the recently concluded Toughguys 24th Interbranch competition: Jake Crespo (NJ)- champion, close combat heavyweight Justin Festejo (NY) – champion, close combat middleweight Jonathan (NY) – champion, close combat Lightweight Ryan Villanueva- champion, lightweight Kickboxing Paul Del Mundo (NJ) -2nd runner-up Vinnie (NY) – champion, heavyweight, kickboxing Donne Berberabe (NJ) – Kids full-contact champion Pauline Del Mundo (NJ) – Ladies full-contact champion Michelle Villanueva (NJ) – 2nd runner-up Paul Del Mundo (NJ) – Lightweight full-contact champion Mike (NJ) – 2nd runner-up Melvin Roque (NJ) – Middleweight full-contact champion Jomar Garnade (NY) – 2nd runner-up Cathy Samonte (NJ)-Toughguys Spirit award

FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH (CONT ’D FROM PAGE 1)

PAGE 4 THE MESSENGER

More Photos on Page 8

PAGE 5

WHEN LOVE BECKONS

By: Ana Marie Regaliza Datuin

Perhaps one of the most interesting testimonies one can hear from The Vine’s Church of New Jersey is the love story of Mariel Luvi Carlos and Christopher Somera. It is a romantic relationship that has all the elements of a typical boy and girl love affair, only this one has a little twist to it. Theirs was borne and nurtured by a common love for God, who directed their paths to where they are right now. As the great poet Khalil Gibran once said “Think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course. Yeng and Toffee as they are fondly called by family and friends met 13 years ago at the IBC's (now VCNJ) Christmas Cantata. As fate would have it, their families were seated at the same table. It was not a case of love at first sight according to Yeng since she was only 11 and Toffee was 10 back then. But as the years went by, they began talking to each other, learned more about each other, and later be-came best friends and eventually - a couple When asked what attracted them to each other, Yeng, who now works as Ophthalmic Techni-cian, is quick to say that Toffee is the most selfless and passionate person she has ever met. ―He goes out of his way for anyone and he’s also very smart and driven‖, said Yeng. Mean-while, Toffee, who works as a Project Engineer at NBC, was enthralled by Mariel’s beautiful eyes. For him, Mariel is the most beautiful person he has ever known. He was attracted too by Mariel’s nurturing, kind, sweet and caring character. Just like any typical normal romantic relationships, Yeng and Toffee had their own share of misunderstandings too. But because they are committed to keep their relationship strong, they learned to com-promise and made sacrifices for each other here and there. In no time, they started liking what the other person does and enjoyed doing these things together.

As individuals, Yeng and Toffee have similarities and differences in personalities. Toffee is the quiet, easy going and a little laid back type of a person. Yeng, on the other hand, is outgoing and vocal about her opin-ions.

The two, however, shares a common love for travelling. Both are adventurous and love trying out new things. Being part of the church’s VCNJ’s youth group inevitably played a big role in the positive growth of their relation-ship. According to Yeng and Toffee, being active mem-bers in the ministry helped them both keep their focus on God. Two years into the relationship, while constantly praying and consulting the bible for God’s will, the mes-

sage became clear to them that being to-gether is part of God’s plan for their lives. The couple shares here some practical rules they live by in keeping their relationship healthy.

Don’t rush... wait for God's perfect timing

Focus on knowing yourself first

Take time to get to know the other person first, before entering into a relationship

Don't keep breaking up and getting back together

Protect your relationship, keep your fights private

Respect one another

Make sure God is always first and center of your relationship and lives

Pray for each other, pray together, read the bible together, do devotions together.

On June 26th, Yeng and Toffee are moving on to the next chapter of their love story. They will be exchanging their marriage vows before God, with families and friends as witnesses. The ceremony which will be held at The Don CeSar in St. Pete Beach, Florida will be officiated by Pastor Rowel del Mundo.

Those who accept Christ as Savior have

accepted God's plan (John 14:6). From then

on, it's a step-by-step following of God's best

for us, praying for His will to be done

(Matthew 6:10), and avoiding the sidetrack of

sin (Psalm 32:1-11; 119:59; Hebrews 12:1-

2).reads, "The Lord says, I will guide you

along the best pathway for your life. I will

advise you and watch over you."

THE MESSENGER

THE VINE ’S CHURCH IN RARITAN THE VINE ’S CHURCH IN WANAQUE

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

PAGE 6 VOLUME 1 , ISSUE 1

March 27, 2010 The Tough Guys competition.

An evangelistic project of the youth ministry.

April 4, 2010 Easter Movie Presentation: Fac-ing the Giants

May 5, 2010 Mother's Day Sunday Special

May 31, 2010 Memorial Day Sunday Special

June 21, 2010 Father's Day Sunday Special

July 05, 2010 Pistang Pinoy – Summer Special Activity

August, 2010 Church Outing – Date and details to be announced

September, 2010 Back to School Program led by the Youth Ministry

October 9, 2010 Sports activities sponsored by the MSBFA (Metropolitan Southern Baptist Filipino Association) Mis-sion Month; Pastor Appreciation

Nov. 7, 2010 7th Anniversary Sunday Special

Dec. 4, 2010 Christmas Special (A stage presen-tation of Christian Songs, Dance, Play and Vambudo Martial Arts)

March 28, 2010 Mission Sunday

Beneficiary: Ptr. Paul Montano

April 4, 2010 Movie Presentation ―Facing the Giants‖

May 9, 2010 Mother’s Day Banquet

June 12, 2010 VCNJ Anniversary and Inde-pendence Day Celebration

Joint Fellowship with BCI in East Randolph

June 10, 2010 Father’s Day’s Celebration

June 25, 2010 Mission Sunday

Beneficiary: Teknotropeo

August 14, 2010 Church Outing

September 10, 2010 Back to School Night – Joint Effort with VCR

November 19, 2010 Thanksgiving ―Awards Night‖

December 4, 2010 Mission Sunday

Beneficiary: Benguet Church

VCNJ Community Outreach

Wanaque Convalescent Center

WEEKLY SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Monday Bible Study at Ate Nora's place

Tuesday Ladies Bible Study

Thursday Men/Young Couples Bible Study

Friday Youth Bible Study at the church

Saturday Praise & Worship practice

Toughguys International "Vambudo"

Sunday Worship Service

Wednesday Ladies Bible Study

Wednesday Men Bible Study

Wednesday Youth Bible Study

Last Wed. of the Month

Joint Prayer meeting

Every other Wednes-day

Bass & Guitar Lesson

Friday Young Pro & Icy Hot Bible Study

Sunday Worship Service

PAGE 7 THE MESSENGER

CAPTURING THE BEAUTY OF L IFE AND L IVING

Each member of the team has a different creative angle, but all members share a love of photography and a heart of service. Leading the group is Janice Maduan-Magracia, who back in the Philippines was an accountant by profession at the Megacity Ministries, Inc. and a photographer by avoca-tion. As a full time church worker of Community Baptist Church, Janice used her skills in photography to capture the various activities of her former church and mentored several members of the youth group. Janice was all set to

professionalize her photography skills in the Philippines when a different calling was laid out to her. On October 2009, Janice was married to Frederick Magracia. It did not take long for Janice to realize that aside from meeting the man God has appointed for her, she was also destined to be used by God in sharing her experience in photography with other members who have the same passion as she has. Sup-porting Janice in the ministry are the following: •Albert Mabilangan •Marjorie Datuin •Melvin Roque •Rico Mangalindan •Marcel Bautista •Frederick Magracia •Kathy Samonte

The VCR Photography ministry is also open in accommodat-ing other churches’ activities for a minimal fee to raise funds for the ministry’s future projects.

Ansel Adams, a widely renowned American pho-tographer and environmentalist once said, ―Some photographers take reality...and impose the domi-

nation of their own thought and spirit. Others come before reality more tenderly and a photograph to them is an in-strument of love and revelation.‖ With their dedication to serve the church through their God given talents in pho-tography, it can be said that the same truth can be said of every member of The Vine’s Church Photography Minis-try. Each one may have his and her own perspectives about photography, but it cannot be denied that they are one in believing that photography is an expression of their collec-tive love for God and the church.

Late last year when the church was busy with several ac-tivities, Janice Maduan, now Janice Maduan Magracia, Marjorie Datuin, Albert Mabilangan and Rico Mangalindan found themselves busy covering every activity of the church. After the holidays were over, it became clear to everyone that there is a purpose to what they have been doing. The group, joined in by additional members, de-cided to sit down and discuss a plan on how to use their God given talents to serve God. On January of this year, the VCR Photography Ministry was born. It had a success-ful launch when they provided free photo sessions for member of both the North Jersey and Raritan Churches on Valentine's Day. One of the other main projects of the ministry for this year is a church directory.

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a

stand, so that those who enter may see the light (Luke 8:16)

PAGE 8 THE MESSENGER

YOUNG PRO’S CORNER

By: Enrique Carlos

When I was 7 and new to the U.S., I quickly learned that the terms bad, wicked, insane, and crazy were classified as good, while ―good‖ meant satisfactory and tolerable. ‖Whoa, that skateboard trick was wicked cool!‖ which means good job. In Filipino culture, Tupperware or a Chinese soup container on your bathroom floor is good to have, but not good when your non-Filipino friend asks you why it’s there. You find the answer to that one.

At home, talking back to parents is considered rebellious. However, outside the home, there was

a growing tolerance for that behavior. Do I follow tradi-tional Filipino trends or blend in with the norm? How do you maintain good when everyone has different expectations of good? When is it really good enough?

Whether or not you are a religious per-son, you’ve come across this issue. Your

employer, family, church sermons and friends expect good from

verses. He was good. So he asks Jesus (paraphrased) ―Jesus, check out my wallet. Look at my Sunday school certifi-cates. See how many times I’ve been to church? What else

do I do to get to heaven?‖

Jesus looks at him and says, ―Give up your gear. Sell it, and then follow me‖. Gulp. The young man leaves because he had great

wealth. He was a good church boy. He knew what to say. Saying and doing the right things - that’s all good, but in reality, it’s not a requirement.

In Ephesians 2:8-9, it says ―For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.‖ That means our level of good can never be enough to earn God’s love. No matter what we do, it will never be enough.

Good news though. God loves us, so much that he allowed someone to take our penalty in attempts of being good. No need to jump

through magical hoops. No religious systems to pass. He freely gives salvation to us through Jesus’ death on a cross, not to brag about it, but so we say, ―Good is not enough - We need the help of someone better because it’s tough.‖

Ephesians 2:8-9, it says ―For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of

God - not by works, so that no one can boast.‖

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE VAMBUDO COMPETITION

THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE (CON’T FROM PAGE 3

PAGE 9 VOLUME 1 , ISSUE 1

churches who choose not to participate in the excesses of this tradition, observe Mardi Gras with a simpler gathering in church with a pancake breakfast or other meals.

Biblical References

While majority of Christians today observe Lent and cele-brate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, many are also skeptical about the observance of this tradition. In an attempt to better understand the con-flicts, let us look at some of the biblical scriptures that are commonly used as references by Christians in their argu-ments.

Mark 7:1-9 Jesus said "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men. And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!”

Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philoso-phy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, AND NOT AFTER CHRIST.”

Matthew 23:24 (Jesus talking to the crowds and his disciples "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, with-out neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Reflection

As we ponder upon all these information about Lent and Easter and on the biblical scriptures where Jesus Christ Himself told the crowds, disciples and the teachers of His time, it behooves us to examine our own hearts to see if we too may be guilty of being one of the ―hypocrites‖ in Mark 7:6, when we go through the motions of practicing our religious traditions but are hearts are far from Him. Or are we one of the ―hypocrites‖ referred to in Matthew 23:24

when we ―neglect the more important matters of the law –

justice, mercy, and faithfulness.‖

If we find ourselves guilty of what Jesus calls a ―hypocrite‖

on either side of the spectrum, on this Lenten season we

may perhaps just forget about rationalizing whether it is

right or wrong to observe Lent and celebrate Easter, but

instead listen and take heed to Paul's admoni-

tion in Romans 14:13-22 when he said:

13Therefore let us stop passing judg-

ment on one another. Instead, make

up your mind not to put any stumbling

block or obstacle in your brother's

way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus,

I am fully convinced that no food is

unclean in itself. But if anyone re-

gards something as unclean, then for

him it is unclean. 15If your brother is

distressed because of what you eat,

you are no longer acting in love. Do

not by your eating destroy your brother for whom

Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good

to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is

not a matter of eating and drinking, but of right-

eousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18be-

cause anyone who serves Christ in this way is

pleasing to God and approved by men. 19Let us

therefore make every effort to do what leads to

peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy

the work of God for the sake of food. All food is

clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything

that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better

not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything

else that will cause your brother to fall. 22So what-

ever you believe about these things keep between

yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not

condemn himself by what he approves.

The Life Argument

Life comes from life and the original life must have come from a being that possesses eternal life, which is life, existed before physical life was created. Where can such life be found?

Psalm 36:9

9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

John 11:25

25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies

John 10:28

28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

The Argument From Congruity

The acceptance of the existence of God as a creator of the world is like a magic key that fits all the facts of the scripture, reve-lation, knowledge, and science.

Hebrews 11:6

6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

No 1 W. Somerset St. Raritan, NJ 08869

Phone: 201-757-2545

ANSWER KEYS TO BIBLE QUIZ.

1—K

2—N

3—L

4—M

5—E

6—G

7—F

8—H

9—D

10—C

11—A

12—B

13 —O

14—I

15—J

FROM THE DESK. . .(CONT’D FROM PAGE 2)

THE VINE ’S

CHURCH

OF NJ

How well do you Know your bible?

Books

1—Genesis

2—Joshua

3—Proverbs

4—Isaiah

5—Matthew

6—Mark

6—Luke

8—John

9—Romans

10—Ephesians

11—Philippians

12—Colossians

13—I & II Thessalonians

14—I Timothy

15—Revelation

Description

A. Book of pathology—of the treatment of the body of Christ

B. Book of biology—the force that binds Christians together

C. Book of physiology—a careful study of the nature of the body of Christ

D. The Master key to scripture E. The gospel of the King F. The gospel of the Son of Man G. The gospel of the Servant H. The Gospel of the Son of God I. Book on How to build a church J. The end—and a new beginning, signs of

the times K. The beginning L. The book of wisdom. What life is all

about M. Exactly in the middle of the bible, often

called a ―miniature bible‖ N. A guidebook to victory O. Books of good mental health. How to

treat depression