In This Issue

• THE FAILED ATTEMPT
• STATE OF THE CONGREGATION, 2004
• UPCOMING GOSPEL MEETING SCHEDULE
• MORE INFORMATION...

THE FAILED ATTEMPT

In Mark 9:14-29 we read of the only recorded occasion where Jesus' apostles attempted to work a miracle and failed. Note that not all followers of Jesus had been granted such powers, but the apostles certainly had been. Paul refers to such things as "signs of an apostle" in 2 Cor. 12:12. See also Acts 2:43 and 5:12. Modern day preachers cannot exhibit such signs for the simple reason that they are not apostles. But why could the apostles themselves not work this miracle?

In our context, Jesus, Peter, James and John had just descended the mountain of transfiguration. The other apostles had tried and failed to cast the demon out of the boy in our text. A comparison of the three parallel accounts of this incident will show that Jesus revealed to the apostles the reasons for their failure.

First, note that apparently some demons were more powerful than others. For instance, in Mark 5, the demons who possessed the man in the tombs were so powerful he was enabled to break the chains with which he was sometimes bound. In the case of the boy in Mark 9, Jesus indicated that his demon was especially strong: "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

Second, since this kind was especially strong, he could be driven out only by an individual who, through close communication with Cod, was himself spiritually strong. "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

Third, Jesus attributed the failure to a shortage of faith on the part of the apostles themselves, Matt. 17:20, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Remove from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you" Matt. 17:20).

Modern day preachers who attempt to duplicate the miracles Jesus' apostles worked often find their efforts frustrated. Almost without exception, they insist that the problem is a lack of faith on the part of the person they seek to heal. We should note that the only time Jesus' apostles ever failed, the failure was a lack of faith on their own part. They were able to work miracles on behalf of those who were dead - not on the basis of any faith on the part of the dead body, but on the basis of the power of God in the living apostle. They worked miracles for the benefit of those who did not know them, or have any knowledge of their Divine power and mission. Today's would-be miracle workers fail, not because of a lack on the part of their patients, but because they are not apostles and they have not been endowed with "the signs of an apostle."

--Clarence R. Johnson

STATE OF THE CONGREGATION, 2004

As we look back over 2003 we review a year, much like any other, with events both encouraging and discouraging. We started the year with a bit of financial concern but ended the year with a notable improvement in that category. We have had some additions to our membership, but numerically, departures have exceeded additions. The Lord has been gracious to us, and we have begun a new year with increased harmony and determination to reach out to friends and neighbors with Christ's saving gospel.

Our publication of the Susquehanna Sentinel has continued. The weekly bulletin is available as a hand-out to those who attend services. It is e-mailed each week to more than 200 subscribers throughout the U.S., with some subscribers in Canada, England, Sweden, Northern Ireland, the Philippines, South Africa and Zambia, and perhaps other countries as well. We have received some very kind notes of appreciation from some of our readers and have been heartened to see some of our articles picked up in other bulletins and/or posted on the web. I select the articles to be used. David Stevens formats the bulletin, and also keeps our web page up to date. 

January and February of 2003 were pretty much uneventful for us. We had an unusually cold winter with a total snowfall of more than 40 inches. We had a few visitors to the worship services, but no visible results to our efforts.

In March, I held a gospel meeting in Taylors, South Carolina. There was rain every day of that meeting except one, which probably contributed to fewer visitors than might otherwise have attended, but one straying member was restored, some members were strengthened and encouraged, and we got word that the Sunday following the meeting one of the visitors who had attended several nights was baptized into Christ. Here in Marietta, we continued to have a few home studies, but again, no visible results.

In April we gained the Hoffman family - David, Karyn, Sean, and Nick - who moved to our area from Michigan. They have been a great boost to our efforts in a number of ways. I sincerely hope they will be with us for a long, long time. Also in April we had our first series of gospel meetings, with Bill Moseley of Taylors, South Carolina, preaching. It was well attended and the lessons were excellent. Contacts made during that meeting led to several individual studies - but again, no "visible results."

As winter turned to spring the weather warmed a little, but remained wet. In fact, 2003 was the wettest year I have experienced - but a definite improvement over the extremely dry years we had been having for the past three years. 

During June, July, and August, as has been the case for the two previous years, we did not divide into separate classes on Wednesday nights, but assembled together in the auditorium to study denominational errors and how to answer them. I believe the classes were helpful to several in the various studies we are having with neighbors and co-workers. Scott Long and Dan Walston continued in some studies with co-workers. Tim and Paula Maness had separate studies with two different families in their general area. Cindy Hart continued frequent discussions/studies with friends, co-workers, etc., as opportunity afforded. David Stevens had studies with a neighbor, and together we visited a contact that was made via the internet. David and Karyn Hoffman influenced an acquaintance to visit with us a few times. I am sure that others were also active in such matters - some cases of which I did not know, and others which have for the moment slipped my mind. All in all, we have kept fairly busy, but we await the fruit of most of these efforts.

Several of our young people went to summer camps - some in New Jersey and some in Indiana.

In July we got to know Rafael Gomez who came our way from Grand Prairie, Texas, to attend Millersville University. We had hoped that he would be with us for two years, but such was not to be the case. More about that later. 

In August, Betty and I had the privilege of attending a series of lectures in Watertown, New York. We renewed friendships with Bobby Graham and Keith Sharp, and met a number of other faithful Christians we had not previously known.

Also in August, we were encouraged to have the hope of several college students in our number. Usually, our college-aged members go elsewhere to school. This year, it seemed that the opposite would be the case. We would have college students from other areas to boost our number and help us reach out to others of college age. Unfortunately, for the most part, that did not come about as we had hoped. Rafael went back to Texas after a couple of months. One young lady from western Pennsylvania was with us for only one service, then returned "home." 

Jennifer Reineberg was with us for a few months. We knew her stay in our area would be short, as she had plans to marry within a few months and move to West Virginia with her husband. She was an encouragement to us while she was here, and we wish her the very best in her married life. We are glad to have Ashley Burk with us. Ashley is a student at York College. And we also rejoice to have Eileen Estes with us. She moved into our area (Hershey) from the Exton area.

It was in August that I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This is a slow developing form of the disease and so far has not affected my health in any detectable way - except that the doctors tell me that it has damaged my immune system. Perhaps that is why I had pneumonia for the first time in my life a few weeks ago and was sick for almost a month. At any rate, I am feeling well now, and am able to keep up my normal full work load. 

In September I had the privilege of conducting a series of gospel meetings in Dexter, Maine. (I had held a series of meetings there the year before, and was honored to be invited back again in 2003.) The church in Dexter is small and struggling and I hope our presence there was a great encouragement to them. High attendance for the meeting was 20; low attendance was 8.

In October, we had a week-end meeting with Dale Smelser of Riverdale, Maryland, preaching. The theme of the meetings centered around home and family responsibilities. Visitors from other congregations and from the community helped us set a new attendance record on Friday as that series of meetings got off to a start. We had brethren visiting from Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Exton, and Bethlehem, in Pennsylvania, and from Washington, New Jersey. Betty and I were privileged to have two long-time friends from Texas visiting with us in October - Mildred Hicks and Bobbie Lou Woods. They were with us also for the opening night of the gospel meeting. Keith and Lynn Clayton were visiting with the Miozza family and also was with us for that first night of the meeting. Keith has preached for a number of years in Waterville, Maine, and has recently moved to the area of Wallingford, Connecticut, to work with the only non-institutional congregation in that state. Keith was my contact to get me invited to hold meetings in Maine and Vermont over the last few years. We wish them well in their new work.

It was in November that Rafael moved back to Texas. While he was here he introduced us to friends with whom we have studied, and one of them, Erin Nall, was baptized into Christ (though she has since dropped out of the service of the Lord, and does not respond to our phone calls or other efforts to reach her. Please remember Erin your prayers.) It was also in November that Jennifer Reinberg married and moved to West Virginia. 

Also in November, Mike and Chris Cox and their children were back for a visit. Mike now does about half the preaching with the Laurel Canyon church in Columbus, Ohio, and he preached for us the Sunday morning he was here. While he was in the area, he had the privilege of baptizing his mother into Christ. We rejoice to have her with us and look forward to growing with her in the Lord. Percy and Jan Wilson were also with us in November. Percy was with this congregation from its beginning until he moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma, in March, 2001. Percy preached for us the last Sunday evening in November.

My bout with a cold that developed into bronchitis which in turn developed into pneumonia began in late November and continued through most of December. In December, we were "snowed out" one Sunday. The following Sunday I had laryngitis and asked Tim Maness to fill in for me on Sunday morning. That evening, Joe Manganello from the Exton congregation visited with us, and he graciously preached in my place. Also, during my illness, Angelo Miozza taught my class one Wednesday night. I managed to be in my place otherwise, although my efforts were not up to par.

In December we lost some members. Ray Boyer had gone to California earlier in the year to begin a new business venture. As that venture was proving successful, this month his wife, Diane, moved there to be with him. Then, the last Sunday of the year, the Amoros family announced their intentions to begin meeting with the congregation in Gettysburg. 

The churches that have provided monthly support during 2003 for me and my family as I work with the church here have been: Oaks-West church, Burnet, Texas; Westview church, Athens, Alabama; Alief, Texas church; Benchley church, Bryan, Texas; and Vale church, Valparaiso, Indiana.

We solicit your prayers as we continue our efforts in 2004 in the cause of Christ. God be with you.

--Clarence R. Johnson

MORE INFORMATION...