The

BEREAN SEARCHLIGHT
Studying God’s Word, Rightly Divided August 2019
TM
IN THIS ISSUE August 2019

Feature Article
The Best of Israel Tour 2019, by Kevin Sadler................................................5

Articles
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God, by Dave Stewart...........................13
The Church Under Grace, by Kevin Sadler..................................................17
Fishbowl Theology, by Kathleen Baker..........................................................20

Departments
The Winds and Sea Obey Him.......................................................................4
Question Box...................................................................................................19
Spotlight on Grace Churches........................................................................25
News and Announcements..........................................................................30
This month’s cover features Portland Head Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
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 A Note From the President
Dear Friends in Christ,
Earlier this year, I spoke on the phone with Pastor Don
Webb. Pastor Webb’s faith in the face of the adversity of his
terminal cancer diagnosis was inspirational. He said that he
expected rough days ahead, but he knew that God’s grace would be sufficient
and that the Lord would see him through it. For his remaining days, his desire
was only for the Lord to use him to be a blessing to others, and to help others
who may be going through a similar circumstance. Pastor Don Webb went
home to be with his Savior on April 23rd.
During my phone call with Pastor Webb he expressed his concern over
the work he authored, Basic Bible Doctrines. His prayer was that the Lord
would continue to use his book after his home-going. He wanted it to be in
good hands and for it to remain in print. He asked me if Berean Bible Society
would take over the rights to the book. Pastor Webb stated that he had long
respected BBS and our faithful stand for the truth, and that if we took it over,
it would mean a lot to him.
A couple years earlier, Pastor Don had asked me to consider this possibility,
so I discussed it with our board of directors at that time. Thus, when Pastor
Webb asked earlier this year, I was able to respond immediately that we would
happily take over the rights to the book and keep it in print. This assurance
comforted and encouraged him.
Basic Bible Doctrines has been greatly used by the Lord
to help people understand God’s message revealed to the
Apostle Paul concerning the present dispensation of the
grace of God. This book takes a close look at doctrines
regarding the Church, gifts, eternal security, the Holy Spirit,
baptism, the state of the dead, etc. Since it was founded in
1996, Berean Bible Institute has used this book as a text-
book for a course called “Basic Bible Doctrines.” Brothers
Don Weffald and David Brown were my instructors for this
class years ago. After reading it, summarizing each chapter, and taking tests
pertaining to its content, I learned then what a quality work this book is. As
a result, during my pastorate, I used this book for a home Bible study. And
I saw firsthand the help it was to others in their faith and understanding of
God’s Word rightly divided.
This work has always been part of the library of grace materials that we
sell, but BBS is now the publisher and primary source for this book. If you
would like to order a copy, please visit our website or call us at 262-255-4750.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Kevin Sadler, President
 The Winds and Sea
Obey Him
PASTOR DON WEBB
Guest Writer

(This article first appeared in Amazing Grace, and we share it with you by
permission from our friends at Grace Gospel Publishers, Denver, Colorado.)

“But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that
even the winds and the sea obey Him!” (Matt. 8:27).
The winds and the sea obeyed Him, but did His people? Having
finished the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord began a series of miracles
such as had not been seen in Israel for hundreds of years. As we begin
Matthew 8, it must be kept in mind that not since Elisha had there
been a miracle-working prophet in Israel! Did that make the Lord’s
miracles special?
Absolutely! These things did not just happen routinely. The Man
was different! He claimed to be none other than Israel’s Christ (or
Messiah) and the Son (or personification) of God. This is precisely
why the Lord did these miraculous signs—to demonstrate His deity!
John bears witness of this fact later in John 20:20,31. Jesus was God,
and He was Israel’s King!
With so many infallible proofs, we see the remarkable words of
Matthew 11:20: “Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most
of His mighty works were done, because they repented not.” Think
of it! The Creator God, He who has control over the very elements of
the physical creation, stands rejected by His people! Alas!
But God knew from the beginning what would happen. He knew
of their continued rejection of the kingdom offer through the risen
Christ at Pentecost. He knew that they would stone Stephen and thus
conclude themselves in unbelief along with the Gentiles. But the most
glorious truth of all; He knew that then He would reveal the mystery
of His will—His sacred secret given to the world through Paul—to
display the riches of His grace in building from two, one NEW man,
the Body of Christ!
The Christ who once wrought miracles in Israel is now Head of
a new Church—His Body! And what of the favored nation and her
kingdom? Read Romans 11, and see!
Best of Israel Tour 2019
PASTOR KEVIN SADLER
BBS President

T his past May, Berean Bible Society and Berean Bible Institute
co-hosted a tour of Israel. Dr. Robert Nix and I led this tour, which
consisted of 44 people plus our tour guide, all fitting perfectly on one
bus! Our group came from all over: Arizona, New Mexico, Tennes-
see, Florida, Washington, Idaho, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Oregon,
Montana, Illinois, Colorado, Indiana, North Carolina, the Netherlands,
and the Philippines.
In the August through September 2018 issues of the Berean Search-
light, I wrote about my experiences in Israel on our 2018 exploratory
tour. I experienced different things on the tour this year, and in this
article I would like to share some of these new experiences.
For me personally, what was most differ-
ent from last year is that I got to take three
of my children. They worked hard to save
up the money to come with me, and we made
memories together that will last all our lives.
I thanked the Lord repeatedly during the trip
for this special time with my children.

LEADING A GROUP
Another thing that was new was being a leader of a tour group. On
the initial days of the tour, Dr. Nix and I led morning devotions using
the bus’s PA system. We shared a portion of Scripture, prayed, and
led the group in singing choruses. Then we asked pastors and minis-
try leaders on the tour to share their thoughts during these devotion
times, men such as Pastor Mark Dilley, Pastor Floyd Baker, Jr., Pastor
Harry Viernes, and Benedict Kresnye.
Dr. Nix and I also shared from the Word at various stops on the
tour. Based on our 2018 tour, we chose locations ahead of time that
were quieter and mostly free from distractions, where there were

August 2019 5
places for the group to sit. I found that it is very powerful to teach in
the actual site where a Bible event took place. This is a picture of me
teaching at the Pool of Bethesda. Just
over my shoulder is where the Lord
healed the man who had been lame 38
years. It was incredible to turn around
and point at the ruins of the pool as I
taught about this account.
Here Dr. Nix is teaching at En Gedi,
where David hid from King Saul and
cut off a portion of Saul’s garment
while he took a nap in a cave. As we
sat there, we could see caves all over the mountainside as Dr. Nix
taught about this portion of Scripture.
Together, Dr. Nix and I also led a com-
munion service at the Garden Tomb, the
Protestant location of Golgotha, possibly
where Christ was crucified and rose again.
Just being in Jerusalem, knowing that you
are near the place where the Lord died for
our sins and rose again, made this time of
remembrance very moving.
Near the
end of the
tour, we had a testimony time, and I
asked our group to share their favorite
moments of the tour. The prevalent
response was that the morning devo-
tions and the times of sharing from the
Word at the different locations were
very meaningful to our group. The com-
munion service at the Garden Tomb also
was a highlight for many.

THE BEAUTIFUL GATE

We had a fantastic tour guide. She was very knowledgeable. Most
importantly, she was a believer and loved the Lord and the Word of
God. She pointed out some things that I didn’t hear the year prior.
We visited the Southern Wall excavations again. At the steps which
led into the temple mount in the time of Christ, she pointed to the
corner at the top of the steps and identified it as the Beautiful Gate.
You can see a little bit of what’s left of it. Over the centuries, the gate
was closed and a wall was built into it. It was called the Beautiful
Gate for a reason: it was an ornate gate leading into the temple.
Following the in-filling of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost,
Peter healed a lame man in the power of the Spirit “at the gate of the

6 Berean Searchlight
temple which is called Beautiful”
(Acts 3:2). As Peter and John were
going into the temple, the lame man
asked an alms of them (v. 3). Peter
responded, “Silver and gold have I
none; but such as I have give I thee: In
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
rise up and walk” (v. 6). Instantly,
the lame man was made completely
whole, and he proceeded to enter “into
the temple, walking, and leaping, and
praising God” (v. 8). Peter healed
the lame man “in the name of Jesus
Christ.” Performing this miracle in
Christ’s name and authority gave
witness to the Lord’s power, life, and
resurrection, and it confirmed His
identity as the Messiah of Israel, which the gospel of the kingdom re-
quired of people to believe at that time to be saved (John 20:31).

CITY OF DAVID AND

HEZEKIAH’S TUNNEL
The previous year in
Jerusalem, I saw signs for
the City of David, but I
didn’t know what it was.
After visiting the South-
ern Wall excavations, we
walked down to the City
of David. Today the City of
David is an archaeological
site where they are exca-
vating the city of Jerusalem from the time of King David. I found
this fascinating. They showed us a short movie of how the city would
have looked in David’s day, which gave us a better understanding of
what we were looking at as we walked down through the excavations.
After reigning over Judah from Hebron for 7½ years, David took
Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his capital. The Jebusites
taunted David that he could never capture Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5:6),
“Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city
of David” (v. 7). King David’s palace was near the top of the mount,
and the city sloped down below it. Later, on the very top of the mount
above David’s palace is where the temple was built by King Solomon.
When we went to the top of the Mount of Olives the next day and I
looked at the temple mount and the city, I had a whole new perspec-
tive of what Jerusalem looked like in ancient times.

August 2019 7
 At the bottom of the City of David is
the Gihon Spring and Hezekiah’s Tun-
nel. King Hezekiah ordered a tunnel
to be dug to prepare Jerusalem for an
impending siege by the Assyrians, led by
King Sennacherib. Hezekiah diverted
water from the Gihon Spring into the
city of David, carving a water channel
in the rock beneath the city. 2 Kings
20:20 reads, “And the rest of the acts of
Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he
made a pool, and a conduit, and brought
water into the city, are they not written
in the book of the chronicles…?”
Our group walked through Hezeki-
ah’s Tunnel. There is a wet tunnel and a dry tunnel. You get to choose
which tunnel you would like to walk through. A portion of our group
went through the dry one and the other part braved the wet tunnel.
The tunnels are very narrow. For most of the wet tunnel, the water is
around your ankles, but at first the depth of the water is thigh-high.
I was only told this, because I chose to walk through the dry tunnel.
And of course, I was teased for this choice. I responded that there
were puddles I had to walk through in the dry tunnel.

POOL OF SILOAM
Hezekiah’s tunnel leads from the Gihon
Spring to the Pool of Siloam. This was my
first time visiting the Pool of Siloam. Only
part of the pool is available for viewing. They
unearthed the steps leading into the pool, but
the pool was much larger. Structures of the
modern-day city prevent them from digging out
the entire pool. I sat for a while on the steps
leading down into the pool because this account
means a lot to me.
In John 9, the Lord healed a man blind from
birth (9:1). This blind man is a picture of all
mankind. Everyone born into this world is born
blind, spiritually blind. The Lord Jesus Christ
giving sight to this blind man is a picture of the Savior, the Light of
the world (v. 5), bringing the light of life into a person’s soul when he
trusts Him.
The Lord spat on the ground, put the mud on this man’s eyes, and
then told him to walk to the Pool of Siloam to wash it off (vv. 6,7).
I like to think about this man walking through the streets of Jerusalem
to get to the pool—feeling his way, going as fast as he could, hearing

8 Berean Searchlight
the pool when he got closer, getting excited at the possibility of what
might happen, wondering what the Lord’s words meant when He said,
“that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (v. 3). When
the man arrived at this public pool, he stepped down into it, splashed
the water on his face, wiped his eyes and, for the first time in his life,
he was able to see.
He could see everything he’d wondered about all his life. Everything
was new. Everything was amazing. He saw the pool and the water. He
could see the city, its walls, buildings, and streets. He could see birds,
trees, flowers, and the sky. He saw people. He saw everything clearly.
The once-blind man then went back home to see his family and
neighbors. However, they didn’t recognize him! They didn’t know
who he was. They argued about whether it really was him (John 9:7-
9). Some thought for sure that it was him; others said he’s a lot like
him, but it couldn’t be him. The man himself insisted and settled the
dispute, “It’s really me. I’m the same guy, the one you knew when I
was a blind beggar.” That can be our testimony after we trust Christ
as our Savior, some people not recognizing us anymore because there’s
such a change in our hearts and lives as a result of Christ.
Later, when the man stood before the Pharisees, they demanded that
he admit that Jesus was a Sabbath-breaking sinner who had nothing
to do with the man’s healing (v. 24). He responded, “Whether He be a
sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind,
now I see” (v. 25). That’s what we sing in “Amazing Grace”: “Amazing
grace! how sweet the sound, / that saved a wretch like me! / I once
was lost, but now am found, / was blind, but now I see.” We were all
blind beggars before Christ but, having trusted Christ, now we see
(2 Cor. 4:3-6). Now we are not in darkness, we’re in the light (Eph. 5:8).
All things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17). It was a blessing to sit on those
steps and to thank the Lord for my spiritual sight and life in Christ.

JORDAN RIVER
Last year, we visited the Jordan
River baptismal site in the north near
the Sea of Galilee. This year, we visited
the Jordan River across from Jericho.
The river was much wider, deeper, and
cleaner in Bible times.
Three events in Scripture came to
mind that took place around this area.
First, the Israelites crossed the Jordan
here to enter the promised land after
wandering in the wilderness for forty
years. As soon as the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stepped
into the water, the river parted and stood, the water from the upstream
stood as a heap as the Israelites crossed on dry ground (Josh. 3:15-17).

August 2019 9
 Second, this is the area where Elijah and Elisha crossed over the
Jordan (2 Kings 2:4-14). Elijah smote the river with his mantle, the
waters split, and both Elijah and Elisha crossed over on dry ground.
When Elijah was taken in the whirlwind, his mantle fell from him.
On the return trip, Elisha stood on the river bank, and smote the river
with Elijah’s mantle, and the waters split and Elisha passed over. This
confirmed God’s calling on Elisha’s life as the prophetic successor to
Elijah, and that God would demonstrate His power through Elisha
as He had done with Elijah.
Third, this is the area where Christ was water baptized by John the
Baptist. The entire Godhead was involved in Christ’s baptism. When
Christ, God the Son, was baptized, He saw God the Holy Spirit descend-
ing like a dove, and God the Father spoke “from heaven, saying, This
is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). Christ
was sinless and perfect, but our Lord was to be “numbered with the
transgressors” (Isa. 53:12), and so He submitted Himself to a baptism
for sinners and was identified with sinful man through John’s baptism.
Our tour guide told us that the
water in this area of the Jordan
is heavily polluted and not safe to
get in your mouth. I was therefore
somewhat surprised to find many
people dunking themselves in the
Jordan here. All I kept thinking
was, “This is not safe.” Then I real-
ized that this is not safe spiritually
either! These people, who were
speaking different languages and
were from different parts of the
world, were relying on and placing
their faith in a religious experience to save them, being water baptized
where Christ was baptized. It was sad to watch.
While I was sitting by the edge of the Jordan River pondering the
different passages of Scripture pertaining to it, Pastor Mark Dilley
from Arizona came behind me and whispered, “There’s an uprising in
the group. Some are talking about pushing you in, snapping a picture,
and ruining your ministry.” We had a good-natured group of people
who enjoyed joking around with each other. Pastor Floyd Baker Jr.
jokingly said that he put his foot in the Jordan River, and he saved
his sole. That’s my kind of humor!
I learned on this trip that Jordan means coming down from Dan.
Dan is a city in the extreme north of Israel. The Jordan River starts
near Dan, and it flows down from Dan. After graduating from Bible
school and studying my Bible for so long, I wanted to act like I knew
that, but I had no idea!

10 Berean Searchlight
 SHEPHERD’S FIELDS
Christmas came early for those of
us on the tour. We visited Bethlehem,
but unlike the year before, we visited
the shepherds’ fields. As you enter the
grounds, there is a large sign that reads,
Gloria in Excelsis Deo. This Latin phrase
means “Glory to God in the highest.” Of
course, this is what the angels said to
the shepherds the night Christ was born
(Luke 2:14).
This location in Bethlehem is thought
to be where the sheep for the temple sac-
rifices were raised and pastured. Luke
2:8 teaches that the shepherds were
abiding in the field with these sheep
and closely guarding them by night. As
the shepherds were protecting the sheep
an angel appeared to them to tell them
that “a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (v. 11) was born that night
in Bethlehem. The amazing thing about this is that these men were
keeping careful watch over the lambs for the temple sacrifices, which
pointed in every way toward to the One Who had been born in the city
of David—the One Who was the Lamb of God (John 1:29).

KORAZIM AND
MOUNT OF BEATITUDES
Korazim was a pleasant sur-
prise. We added it to our itin-
erary while we were in Israel
based on the recommendation
of our tour guide. Korazim is
near Capernaum and the Sea of
Galilee. There were many ruins
to see in this ancient city. We
know the Lord ministered here,
teaching in its synagogue and
performing undeniable miracles. The people of Korazim in the time
of Christ, however, did not respond in faith to Him. As a result, our
Lord pronounced judgment on Korazim: “Woe unto thee, Chorazin!...
for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre
and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at
the day of judgment, than for you” (Matt. 11:21-22).
From there we went to the Mount of Beatitudes, where tradition
holds that the Lord gave the Sermon on the Mount. I have trouble

August 2019 11
 accepting things based solely
on tradition. Therefore, I al-
ways take these traditional
locations with a grain of salt.
Just knowing that I’m near the
places where these things took
place is exciting enough for me.
The Mount of Beatitudes is a
beautiful spot overlooking the
Sea of Galilee. In the Sermon
on the Mount, the Lord taught Israel about her hope and the system
of laws and principles by which the millennial kingdom will operate.
In this sermon, the Lord taught Israel, “Blessed are the meek: for they
shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). The earthly kingdom, however, is
not our hope. And this sermon does not apply to us, the Body of Christ.
Through His revelation given to Paul, the exalted Lord Jesus Christ
teaches us, Blessed is the Body, for we shall inherit the heavenlies (see
Eph. 1:3-23).

SALVATION OF A SOUL
As I mentioned earlier, we gathered for a time of sharing near the
end of the tour. We were sitting in the dark by the Sea of Galilee, be-
ing bitten up by mosquitoes at first. I asked everyone to share their
favorite moment or moments. The second person that spoke said, “I
got saved on the boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.” My jaw dropped
and I said, “Well, I guess we should just dismiss the meeting because
there’s no better moment than that!”
The man was from Tennessee. He and his wife found our tour by
doing a Google search for Israel tours. Early on in the tour, he had
struck up a relationship with Pastor Mark Dilley. The boat ride on
the Sea of Galilee is a stirring experience, and on the boat, he asked
Pastor Dilley if he would lead him to the Lord.
After the testimony time was
over, I probed further about his
conversion. He said he had gone
forward many times during altar
calls at church, but he said it was
all mechanical, just going through
the motions, and it wasn’t real.
But on the boat ride and after all
he had experienced in Israel, it
brought him to a place where he
was ready to trust Christ. And he
said, “That was real.” This was
the icing on the cake to a very special tour.
Make plans now to join us in September of 2020! BBS will be leading
an “In the Footsteps of Paul” tour, including stops in Athens, Corinth, Berea,
Philippi, Neapolis and more!
 Christ the Power and
Wisdom of God
DAVE STEWART
Contributing Writer

“But we preach Christ cru- weakness. Power belongs to God.

cified, unto the Jews a stum- Wisdom belongs to God. And
blingblock, and unto the Greeks until a man acknowledges these
foolishness; But unto them which eternal truths, both wisdom and
are called, both Jews and Greeks, power will be, for his part, noth-
Christ the power of God, and the ing more than an illusion.
wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:23,24). But the passage says more.
The Jews sought a hero whose It is not merely that power and
power would excite their senses. wisdom belong to God, but that
The Greeks sought a philosopher the power of God and the wisdom
whose wisdom would excite their of God is embodied in the person
minds. God responded with a of Jesus Christ.
man so apparently weak as to be
led to the slaughter, and a mes- Christ the Power of God
sage so seemingly foolish as to The heavens declare the glory
require the wise man to deny his of God (Psa.19:1). The creation
wisdom. itself shows His eternal power
But why would God work this and Godhead (Rom. 1:20). But
way? Why would He give men the creation merely shows the
the exact opposite of what they power of God. Our passage de-
were looking for? Does God want clares that Christ IS the power of
them to reject the Savior? No. In God. And not simply Christ, but
fact, He not only desires for ALL Christ crucified.
men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), but So now we need to ask, how
God wants us to be wiser and does the power of God reside in
more powerful than we could ever Christ crucified? By all appear-
imagine. The trouble is that the ances the cross demonstrates the
wisdom of men is not wisdom at weakness of God, not His power.
all, and the power of men is utter Throughout history men have

August 2019 13
employed all their wisdom and all the lifeless body of a man, they
of their power against the great encountered angels instead.
enemy that is death, only to be “They said unto them, Why
defeated in the end. But Jesus seek ye the living among the
Christ was not just any man. dead? He is not here, but is risen”
He was the Divine man, yes, but (Luke 24:5-6).
more relevant to our question, He
was the sinless man. And therein
lies the secret to the power of God.
Jesus Christ was the sinless man,
“So Death cries,
who died. We’ll say that again. ‘This man is fallen
The power of God is manifest in into my hands,
Christ, in this: He was the sinless BUT I CAN’T
man, who died.
HOLD HIM!’”
The Final Enemy
From the beginning, God has
made it clear that death is the di- He is risen! The Lord Jesus
rect result of sin. He warned our Christ has beaten Death! God’s
father, Adam, to beware of this final adversary (1 Cor. 15:26) has
great enemy from the very start. been defeated by this weak and
“But of the tree of the knowl- lowly Galilean. And it is here that
edge of good and evil, thou shalt the crucified Christ is shown to be
not eat of it: for in the day that the very power of God.
thou eatest thereof thou shalt
surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Christ the Wisdom of God
And then the whole body of As the power of God lives in the
Scripture testifies to this simple, Man who died without sin, even
tragic truth: the soul that sinneth, so, the wisdom of God resides in
it shall die (Eze.18:20; Deut. 30:15; the glorious truth that the very
Rom. 5:12; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 21:8). same Man died WITH sin. Just as
But the Lord Jesus Christ was Samson died with the Philistines,
a soul without sin. Yet the Jews, our Lord delivered Himself into
Gentiles, and the angels them- the Reaper’s hand, but He would
selves watched as He gave Himself not go alone.
over to death (John 10:17,18). “But now...hath He appeared
So now Death had a problem, to put away sin by the sacrifice
a HUGE problem. Death is the of Himself” (Heb. 9:26).
wages of sin. But here we have In allowing Himself to be cru-
a Man who died, yet without sin. cified, Christ “put away sin.” In
So what is Death to do with this the very throes of death, even the
Man? It has no claim over Him, death of the cross, the Lord Jesus
yet here He is. So Death cries, Christ grabbed hold of sin and
“This man is fallen into my hands, pulled it down into death itself.
BUT I CAN’T HOLD HIM!” (Acts And so in the crucified Christ
2:24). sin was vanquished by death,
So when the women went to its very own creation, once and
the tomb expecting to care for forever more.

14 Berean Searchlight
 Satan, the Less We Which Are Called
Sin and death, the two great And now, by the wisdom and
enemies of God, are now beaten power of the same crucified,
by God’s own seemingly weak resurrected Christ, we too are
and foolish Christ. So now the enabled to withstand Satan, to
lesser foe, Satan himself, is fully overcome sin, and to transcend
stripped of his power (Heb. 2:14; death. As we embrace what is, to
Col. 2:15). By sheer wisdom, God the world, weakness and foolish-
charmed the subtle serpent into ness, we find wisdom and power
stinging his own tail. By cruci- the world cannot comprehend
fying Christ, Satan brought the (1 Cor. 2:14). In Christ we em-
final end of sin and death implod- brace the weakness of the cross,
ing in upon himself. forgiving those who wrong us (Col.
3:13), giving place unto wrath
Christ, the Great (Rom. 12:19), and extending mer-
Christ crucified; so weak as to cy to those who deserve it least
die without even having sinned; (1 Tim. 1:16). In the crucified
so foolish as to die with sin that One, we proclaim the foolish
wasn’t His own. Christ crucified; message of God’s grace, that
so wise as to lure Satan, Sin, and salvation is a gift, without ef-
Death into a triangle from which fort, reformation, or promise on
they could not escape. And then our part (Eph. 2:8,9). And that
so powerful as to seize each one the same free gift enables us to
by the scruff, and to pummel conquer sin day by day without
them against each other until not fear of punishment or separation
a breath was left between them, from God when we fall (Rom.
beating Satan with his own sin, 8:31-39).
beating sin with His own death, To the secular world, foolish-
and beating death by dying, hav- ness; to the religious world, weak-
ing withstood Satan’s tempta- ness; but unto us which are called,
tions to sin. Christ the power of God, and the
“O the depth of the riches both wisdom of God. Lord, grant us
of the wisdom and knowledge of this foolishness, bless us with
God! how unsearchable are His this weakness, against which
judgments, and His ways past no earthly wisdom or power can
finding out!” (Rom. 11:33). stand.

To be found in Him...this is the Christian’s standing.

Nothing less, nothing lower, nothing different. Not
partly in Christ and partly in a church, but “found in
Him.” It is in Christ that we must be found, in His
righteousness....If we are not found in Him, it matters
little where else we are. If we are found in Him, it
matters little where we are not found. Oh, to be
found “in Him,” in our own experiences. This then
is the proper Christian standing (Gal. 2:15-24).
August 2019 —E.W. Bulliger 15
 September 20-22, 2019

Location: Red Lion Hotel, 20 S. Main Street, Kalispell, MT

Speaker: Pastor Kevin Sadler, BBS President

Theme: “Living By Grace”

For questions or more information, please contact:

Martha Olechowski (406) 407-8135 or [email protected]
You can also contact BBS at (262) 255-4750
or [email protected]

You Can Make a Difference

One person can always make a difference. By one vote
America voted to make English our official language over Ger-
man, Texas was added to the union, Andrew Johnson was saved
from impeachment, and Adolf Hitler gained power over the Nazi
party. In the spiritual realm, one person has frequently made an
enormous difference. Only Jehosheba hid young Joash from being
killed, enabling him to become a godly king (2 Kings 11). Elijah
stood alone against hundreds of false prophets, and a wicked king
and queen (1 Kings 18). Jonathan alone protected David from
the murderous plots of Saul (1 Sam. 19). Nathan stood alone to
rebuke David, influencing him to get right with the Lord (2 Sam.
12). God used one man, Paul, to reveal our new dispensation of
grace, and Onesiphorus to encourage Paul in a time of great trial
(2 Tim. 1:16-18). God can also use you to make an important
difference in your sphere of influence. “Be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10), seeking to make a
difference through ministry to others.
—Pastor John Fredericksen
 “This Moses whom they re-
fused, saying, Who made thee
The Church
a ruler and a judge? the same
did God send to be a ruler and Under Grace
a deliverer by the hand of the
angel which appeared to him in
Three Churches in Scripture
the bush.
“He brought them out, after
that he had shewed wonders and
signs in the land of Egypt, and in
the Red sea, and in the wilder-
ness forty years.
“This is that Moses, which
said unto the children of Israel,
A prophet shall the Lord your
God raise up unto you of your
brethren, like unto me; him shall
ye hear.
“This is he, that was in THE
CHURCH IN THE WILDERNESS
with the angel which spake to
him in the mount Sina, and with
our fathers: who received the
lively oracles to give unto us”
(Acts 7:35-38).
PASTOR KEVIN J. SADLER
BBS President
Much confusion exists today
about the biblical use of the word
church. Without understanding the term in light of Scripture, many
people conclude this word refers to a building that is used for worship.
The Bible teaches that the church is not a building, but that believ-
ers themselves are the church. Others assume that any time they find
the word church in Scripture, it refers to them or truth about them;
this is not true either, this assumption can lead to many practical and
doctrinal errors.
First, we must establish the definition of the word church in the
Bible. The word church, does not always mean the same thing, every
time we find it, and it doesn’t always refer to the same group of people.
As it is with many biblical words, it is critical to look at the context in
which they are used to understand their meaning.
The Bible refers to several different churches. First, in Acts 7, we
find a reference to a church, but it is not the Church, the Body of Christ.
It is a different church. Acts 7 refers to “the church in the wilderness,”
referring back to the days of the books of Exodus and Numbers in your
Bible. We see here that God had a “church” long before Christ said,
“upon this rock I will build My church” in Matthew 16:16-18. Who is
this church in Acts 7?

August 2019 17
 Stephen, in his discourse before the religious leaders in Israel
explained how the people of Israel initially “refused” the leadership
of Moses (Acts 7:35) but later accepted him and followed him out of
Egypt “after that he shewed wonders and signs” (v. 36). Then, God
gave the “lively oracles” to Moses on Mount Sinai “to give unto us”
(v. 38). The “us” is Israel.

Every time we find the word “church,”

it does not always mean the
same thing; and it doesn’t always
refer to the same group of people.

Here the word church is referring to

the people of Israel in the wilderness after
their deliverance from Egypt. Thus, we
learn that there was a “church” in the past.
This church in the wilderness had laws,
requirements, and instructions specifically
for them. They had a place to worship at
the tabernacle. They had Moses as their
leader. This church was Israel.
When we read about this church in the Old Testament, it does not
refer to us. It is not the church of this dispensation of grace. It was a
different church, a different group of people who lived under the law.
The word church is translating the Greek word ekklesia, and it sim-
ply means a called-out group or a called-out assembly. It is a general
term and can be used to describe any group of people, from an angry
mob (Acts 19:32,41) to a group of saints gathered for worship....
The context will always make clear which church is in view. Israel
was a church, a called-out group. They were called out of Egypt and
out of the world to be a special people unto God. Today, we are a
called-out, special group of people. We are called out, not as a chosen
nation as Israel was but, instead, we’re called out to be members of
the Church, the Body of Christ.
We, too, are a church, but we are not Israel. Israel was a church, but
they were not the Body of Christ. These must be kept separate. In do-
ing this, it clarifies many misunderstandings about God’s instructions
for Israel under the law as well as God’s instructions for the Body of
Christ under grace. When we rightly divide between these two, we
understand the Bible much more clearly.

An excerpt from Pastor Kevin Sadler’s new booklet, based on episode 70 of

Transformed by Grace. To order this booklet, see page 28.

18 Berean Searchlight
 Question Box
“Which name of the Lord do we have to call on to be saved?”

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”
(Rom. 10:13).
The Lord had many names, but Paul is quoting Joel 2:32 here,
where the name “Lord” means Jehovah. In Romans 10:13, the name
we “call” on today (1 Cor. 1:2) is “Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Calling on the Lord’s name means different things in Scripture.
After God stopped speaking to men directly, as He did with Adam
and Cain, “then began men to call upon the name of the Lord” (Gen.
4:26). That means calling on His name can mean to pray (Zech. 13:9)
and ask God for things (1 Kings 18:24,36,37; Psa. 116:4). Or it can
just mean to know Him (Psa. 79:6; Jer. 10:25).
But in Joel 2:32, we know that it means to believe the gospel, for
Joel predicted that whoever called on the LORD would be saved. But
when Peter quoted Joel (Acts 2:21), he went on to say that whoever
would repent and be baptized would be saved (Acts 2:38). Paul like-
wise makes clear that calling on the Lord’s name (Rom. 10:13) means
to believe the gospel (v. 11), only today the gospel is “the word of
faith” that Paul preached (10:8):
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9). —Pastor Kurth

Western Wisconsin Special Meetings

September 6-7, 2019

Location: Grant County Farm Bureau

9755 Hwy 61, Lancaster, Wisconsin

Speaker: Pastor Kevin Sadler, BBS President

For directions or more information contact:

Jack Trumm (608) 794-2410 or Mel Flogel (608) 348-7574
FISHBOWL THEOLOGY
A Lesson from our Growing Up In Grace Sunday School Material

KATHLEEN BAKER
GUIG Writer

S ore throats, earaches, and fevers—we’ve all had them, and they’re no fun!
Sometimes our illness requires a visit to the family physician. After an ex-
amination, the doctor usually scribbles a few words on a prescription pad and
confidently says, “Have this filled at the pharmacy; take according to directions;
and in a few days, you’ll be as good as new!”
Let’s suppose when you go to the pharmacy and give the prescription to the
pharmacist, he promptly places it in a large fishbowl with the rest of the pre-
scriptions he has received that day! Much to your surprise, he then mixes them
up and randomly picks one! He studies it carefully, reaches for a container of
pills, counts out a specified amount, puts them in a bottle, and hands them to
you! WHAT’S wrong with this picture? After all, the pharmacist carefully filled
and dispensed a prescription that had been ordered by a doctor. “But,” you say,
“he probably gave me medicine intended for someone else—THAT’S not only
dangerous, it could be deadly!” Good thinking! It’s important the patient takes
medicine prescribed only TO him!
Many people take a “fishbowl” approach when studying the Scriptures. They
flip the pages of their Bible, point their finger at a verse, and then foolishly sup-
pose the selected passage is God’s “prescription” TO them. They take no thought
of (1) WHO is speaking, (2) TO WHOM the speaker is speaking, (3) WHAT the
speaker is speaking about, or (4) WHEN the passage was spoken. A good rule
to remember is that while all the Bible was written FOR us to study, it certainly
was not all written TO us, nor was it all written ABOUT us.

WORDS TO ISRAEL
The Old Testament writers, including Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
SPOKE TO the nation of Israel and SPOKE ABOUT God’s prophecy program
centered in Christ as KING on the earth. But Israel stumbled in unbelief! They
crucified their King and shouted, “We will not have this man to reign over us!”
(Luke 19:14). After the Lord Jesus was buried, arose again, and ascended into
heaven, the Apostle Peter pleaded with the Jewish leaders to repent. And he

20 Berean Searchlight
promised the Lord would return to earth and establish the long­promised King-
dom IF they repented. But Israel was blind! God’s own Son walked among
them, but they received Him not (John 1:11)!
God wasn’t surprised by Israel’s refusal to accept His Son. In fact, God
actually used Israel’s rejection of Christ in His plan to offer salvation to the
whole world. With Israel’s stumbling, with Israel’s blindness, God was ready
to reveal a secret “hid in God” since before the foundation of the world (Eph.
3:9). Not even the Old Testament prophets knew about God’s best­kept secret.
Something BIG was about to happen!

WORDS TO THE BODY OF CHRIST

And then it began to unfold! The glorified Lord Jesus, like a bolt of lightning,
knocked a Christ-hating Jew, Saul of Tarsus, to the ground and miraculously
saved him! The Lord made Saul, who was later called Paul, a special apostle
to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13). Listen as the Lord spoke to Saul:
Acts 26:16-18—“But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee
for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which
thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering
thee from the people [Jews], and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I SEND THEE,
to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among
them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me.”
That was a tall order! But Paul obeyed. He told everyone—both Jew and
Gentile—that God had concluded them ALL in unbelief, that He might have
mercy upon ALL (Rom. 11:32). Gradually, God revealed to Paul the dispensa-
tion of the grace of God—truth for TODAY (Eph. 3:2). Paul learned that God
had set the nation of Israel aside, and NOW was building something new, the
church, which is the Body of Christ. God, in grace, saves all who believe that
the Lord Jesus Christ died for their sins, was buried, and arose again. God, in
grace, baptizes believers into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13,27) and gives
gifts to each member. Remember, Christ is the Head, and WE are His Body.
His hands, feet, eyes, ears, and mouth, energized by GOD’S POWER to be
His ambassadors in this sin-sick world (2 Cor. 5:21). Christ lives IN US and
THROUGH US to accomplish impossible tasks (Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:27)! What a
secret! But that’s not all. We have an eternal hope, a heavenly hope, centered
in Christ in GLORY. What Christ IS in Glory, one day we shall be.
Colossians 3:4—“When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also
appear with Him in glory.”
What Christ HAS in glory, one day we shall have.
Romans 8:17a—“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs
with Christ.”
WHERE Christ is in glory, one day we shall be.
1 Thessalonians 4:17—“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever
be with the Lord.”

August 2019 21
 Paul made three journeys through what is now Syria, Turkey, and Greece
teaching the gospel of God’s grace. Churches popped up everywhere! Not
everything went smoothly, however, so Paul wrote letters to the churches ex-
plaining the doctrines, duties, and destiny of believers in this present age. He
encouraged the believers, answered their questions, and solved problems that
were worrying them. He wrote at least thirteen letters, and we have them in our
Bibles. They are Romans through Philemon.
Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit,
wrote TO the believers of seven church-
es: Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus,
Philippi, Colosse, and Thessalonica.
Timothy, Titus, and Philemon received
personal letters. Paul’s earliest epistles
were First and Second Thessalo-
nians, First and Second Corinthians,
Galatians, and Romans. It is believed
by many Bible teachers that while a
prisoner in Rome under “house arrest,”
the Lord inspired Paul to write four
other epistles: Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, and Philemon. We call these books the Prison Epistles. Near the
very end of his life he wrote First and Second Timothy and Titus. When you
read Paul’s epistles, put YOUR name on them. They are written TO you and
they are ABOUT you. They are God’s “spiritual medicine” TODAY for the
Body of Christ.

AN EXAMPLE—PAUL’S LETTER TO PHILEMON

Let’s study Paul’s letter to Philemon and see how it applies to us today. Al-
though this little letter is only twenty-five verses long, it teaches BIG lessons.
Lessons the people in Paul’s day needed, and lessons WE need to learn today!

PAUL, THE PRISONER

Paul wrote this letter while a prisoner under “house arrest” in his own house.
He’d been arrested for obeying the Lord by preaching God’s Word! Paul knew
that he was the Lord’s prisoner and that God would use this circumstance for
His greater glory. Notice verse one:
Philemon 1—“Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto
Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer.”
Paul was confident the all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present Lord
was in control, even in this difficult situation. Paul knew why he was in prison.
Philippians 1:12 —“But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things
which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.’’
Paul was there to preach to people he couldn’t otherwise reach, and many
were saved including the guards who were chained to his wrists!

22 Berean Searchlight
 PHILEMON, A CHRISTIAN BUSINESSMAN
Paul wrote this letter to Philemon, a friend he had won to Christ. Philemon
loved the Lord. He loved God’s people and faithfully encouraged them. In fact,
the people regularly gathered in his house to study the Scriptures and worship
God. Philemon was also a wealthy businessman and, like many in that day,
had a number of slaves. One of his slaves was a young man named Onesimus.

ONESIMUS, AN UNPROFITABLE SLAVE

The name Onesimus means
profitable, but Onesimus cer-
tainly didn’t live up to his
name! Instead, he robbed his
master and fled to Rome. Per-
haps he thought he could blend
into the big-city crowds and no
one would find him. On-the-
run Onesimus probably didn’t
think about God; but God, who
knows and sees all, was watch-
ing him as he stole the money, as he fled his master’s house, as he hurried to
Rome, as he attempted to hide, as he wasted his master’s money.
Philemon was upset with his thieving runaway, and rightfully so. Besides
taking his money, he had left him short-handed. Onesimus was no longer there
to do whatever his master asked. Onesimus owed his master a great debt and
needed to be punished! Punishment for a thieving, runaway slave could be
severe. Under Roman law, they could be beaten, burned to death, fed to wild
animals—even crucified.

ONESIMUS, SAVED FROM SIN

One day, loaded with guilt, Onesimus was brought face to face with the man
who had led his master, Philemon, to the Lord! Onesimus, maybe because of
lawbreaking or possibly voluntarily visiting the jail, found himself talking to
the Apostle Paul! Onesimus would soon learn the all-powerful, all-knowing,
everywhere-present Lord was in control of his circum­stances, too! How won-
derful to know that God can use all things, even overruling the sinful deeds of
man, to bring us to Christ!
Paul told Onesimus about God’s unconditional love. God had demonstrated
that love by sending the Lord Jesus Christ to die for Onesimus’s sins: stealing,
running away—ALL of his sin. The Lord Jesus had been buried, but He arose
the third day, and now was ascended into heaven seated at God’s right hand.
This was proof that Onesimus’s sins had been paid IN FULL and that God would
forgive him if he would place his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Colossians 1:14—“In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the
forgiveness of sins.’’

August 2019 23
 Right then and there, Onesimus trusted Christ as his Saviour! What joy, what
relief flooded Onesimus’s heart. Immediately he began serving the Apostle Paul
by helping him and easing his suffering. But all was not right with Onesimus.
He was troubled about what he had done to Philemon about the money he had
stolen. He should make things right with his master, but he knew he risked the
death penalty for his crimes.

PAUL’S PLEA FOR ONESIMUS

Onesimus talked to Paul about his problem. Notice what Paul wrote Philemon:
Philemon 10-11—“I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten
in my bonds: which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to
thee and to me.’’
Paul told Philemon that the slave who had stolen, betrayed, and run from him
had been changed by the power of the gospel. He was now helpful to Paul, doing
exactly what Philemon would do if he were there in Onesimus’s place. He was
now living up to his name which means profitable. Paul wrote:
Philemon 15-16—“For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou
shouldest receive him forever; Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother
beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in
the Lord?”
God has a way of turning circumstances around for His glory and for our
good! Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. Now, because
Onesimus had trusted the Lord, Philemon should receive him no longer as a
slave or a servant. He was now a member of the household of God, a brother
in the Lord, a relationship they would enjoy for all eternity. Paul continued:
Philemon 17— “If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.”
If Paul had shown up at Philemon’s house, Philemon would have given him
a royal welcome and provided all of his needs. This is exactly what Paul asked
Philemon to do when Onesimus appeared at his doorstep. Paul continues:
Philemon 18-19a—“If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on
mine account; I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it!”
Paul knew Onesimus owed Philemon, and justice demanded this debt be
paid. Paul also knew that Onesimus had no way of paying his master back, so
Paul told Philemon to put Onesimus’s bill on his account. Paul would willingly
pay Onesimus’s debt.

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE

Do you see yourself in this story? We’ve robbed God by using the Lord’s
time, talents, and gifts to please ourselves. We, too, try to hide from God. But
He sees our disobedience, complaining, fighting, lying, cheating, stealing—
ALL of our sin. When the Lord Jesus Christ hung on the Cross, He knew we
had wronged the Father. He knew we owed the Father much and had no way
of paying Him back. But our sin was charged to the Lord’s account, and He
paid our debt. Now God, in grace, receives us just as He receives His own Son

24 Berean Searchlight
(Eph. 1:6) and promises to supply ALL our needs (Phil. 4:19). NO longer a
servant of sin, we’ve been raised up a son, an heir—a relationship we’ll have
forever. Are YOU an unprofitable servant? Has YOUR life been turned around
by the power of the gospel? Believe the wonderful gospel of God’s grace today
and have all of your sins forgiven!

SUMMARY
Onesimus was a runaway slave owned by Philemon. He encountered Paul
in his travels and became a believer. Paul wrote a letter to Philemon requesting
that he forgive Onesimus, and that he treat Onesimus like a brother in the Lord.
Paul offered to pay any debt that Onesimus owed to Philemon.

GOSPEL PRESENTATION
We are unprofitable to the Lord when we steal from Him and try to run away
from Him. We have no way of paying God back for our sins. But our sin debt
has been paid in full by the Lord Jesus Christ. When we place our faith in the
Lord Jesus, we are forgiven.

APPLICATION
Could you forgive someone like Onesimus who had stolen from you and had
run away? We are to forgive others as God, in Christ, has forgiven us. If we’ve
trusted in the Lord’s finished work, God has forgiven us for ALL our sins, so we
can forgive others for ALL the wrongs that they have done against us.

Spotlight on Grace Churches

FAITH BIBLE CHURCH
560 E. Sauk Trail, Steger, Illinois 60475

Pastors:
Ricky Kurth—Senior Pastor
Paul Balbach—Assistant Pastor
Steve Schwieger—Assistant Pastor
Dave Stewart—Adult Sunday School Teacher

At Faith Bible Church, we teach the Bible through, verse by

verse, book by book, alternating between Paul’s epistles and
“all the counsel of God” found in all of the rest of God’s Word
(Acts 20:27).
Contact: [email protected]
Website: www.FaithBibleChurch.weebly.com
 BBS Letter Excerpts

From Arizona: From Illinois:

“I recently became a believer. “Thank you so much for your
A brother…is teaching me how to very extensive answer to my ques-
rightly divide the Word. What he has tion about tongues…I struggle to
begun teaching…makes sense, and I understand so very many things. I
really want to grow closer to my Savior believe God is using you now to ease
and continue to learn God’s Word. I my struggles.”
am respectfully requesting to receive
the monthly Berean Searchlight.” From our Inbox:
“We have been impressed with
From Michigan: your television ministry in its sim-
“I am sending you this letter due plicity, warmth, and humility. So we
to me being unfamiliar with the were wondering if you could recom-
preaching of Paul according to the mend a church for us since we are
revelation of the mystery. I was in- becoming uncomfortable with the
troduced to this doctrine by a beloved teaching in the church we are now
brother. I’m currently in a leadership attending.”
position….I would like to ask that my
name be added to the Searchlight From Illinois:
mailing list.” “Found Kevin on TV finally. Only
watched one episode so far—but re-
From California: ally impressed—very down to earth…
“Can you please send me informa- Give him my kudos.”
tion on your Berean Bible Society.
While fishing the other day, I met a From New York:
gentleman on the shore, and he gave “Please use this money for your
me information on BBS. I am very Transformed By Grace program. We
interested.” (Sounds like somebody are unable to view it on TV….Is it
was fishing for men! –Ed.). possible to purchase these DVDs?”
(Yes! And thanks for selflessly
From Arizona: helping us continue to broadcast a
“I started reading your book program that you can’t watch. –Ed.).
Rightly Divided Answers and your
first two verses were the two verses From Indiana:
that brought me to a screeching halt “Thank you for the article on
in 2008 in Moscow, Russia. A pas- Haggai, ‘A Temple That Paled in
tor was reading from the sermon on Comparison.’ It gave me courage and
the mount, when Jesus said forgive hope. We all have our struggles, but
and you will be forgiven…It’s been a it helped me in my situation. One of
blessing and a privilege to have Mark the most uplifting articles I’ve read.
Dilley for a pastor.” I reread it often.”

26 Berean Searchlight
From Indiana: From Montana:
“I watch BBS on DirecTV and “Please send Revelation 4…I have
Youtube. At last I found teachers who many of your books now. They are
present Paul and the age of grace… encouraging and insightful. Keep up
leaving behind trying to follow the the good work!”
man Jesus. It all fits!”
From Guam:
From California: “Rightly Divided Answers is the
“I watch the BBS network on Roku best book I have ever read on salva-
streaming TV here. I watch Ken tion. It is so timely in our day of such
Lawson, and Jeff Seekins…I listen to religious confusion.”
audio sermons on my iPhone. I think
I’ve listened to every J. C. O’Hair From our Inbox:
audio on your site. I’m currently “This More Minutes With the Bible
on Ephesians #72 by Ricky Kurth… article [‘The All-sufficient Much More
There are no grace churches here in Over-abounding Grace of the God of
Hollywood, so I’m buying Moses and All Grace,’ by J. C. O’Hair] is a great
Paul to give out.” article. Praise God!”

From Texas: From Michigan:

“I cannot tell you what your ‘Pil- “Just wanted to thank you again
lar and Ground of the Truth’ article for your part in the recent Israel
meant to me….There are no grace excursion. To say my wife, Mary,
age preachers in this area…so your and I enjoyed it would be an under-
message on page 25 of the April statement. It was everything that
Searchlight just thrilled my heart.” we hoped it would be and more. On
my first day home, I was reading in
From Pennsylvania: 2 Kings chapters 1-3, and I could pic-
“A friend…has seen to it for the ture the places and distances between
past few years that we get copies of them and it was exciting to do so.”
the Searchlight, but I’d rather get it
by mail. He always gives it to me From Kansas:
at a restaurant and the magazine “I never heard of your ministry
gets sticky from breakfast syrups until recently…I saw the January
and sauces. Thank you!” (We’ll be Searchlight, and was really moved
glad to send you a monthly copy, and by the story ‘Give the Jews Credit.’
we promise to hold the mayo and all Could you send me another issue?”
other condiments. –Ed.). (We can do better than that, we can
add you to the mailing list to receive
From our Inbox: all the issues! –Ed.).
“Pastor Kevin Sadler, just finished
reading your Two Minutes article this From British Columbia:
morning [‘God’s Purpose in Satan’s “I just received the books I had
Hindrance’] and I want to thank you ordered and would like to thank
for this insight! I often forget how you. We appreciate being able to
God works out things in our life for get literature that we cannot get
His glory. Excellent perspective!” anywhere else.”

Be a Berean
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the
Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether
those things were so.” —Acts 17:11

August 2019 27
 “And be not conformed to this world:
but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that
ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God”
(Rom. 12:2).

13 Months of Daily Devotionals

DAILY TRANSFORMATION
by John Fredericksen
Paperback 412 pages

Special Price: $10.00 each plus s&h* (Reg. $12.00)

Buy 5 or more copies: $9.00 each plus s&h*

SPECIAL PRICES END AUGUST 31, 2019

*Orders up to $30, add $4 for shipping and handling;
orders over $30, add 15%. Please inquire for international rates.
Wisconsin residents, please add 5.6% sales tax to books and postage.
(262) 255-4750 or www.bereanbiblesociety.org
 Transformed by Grace
with Pastor Kevin Sadler
To enhance your study of several important
topics Pastor Kevin discussed on “Transformed
by Grace,” be sure to get these new 20-page
booklets and DVDs. Available now!

New Booklets! Price: $3.00 each plus s&h*

Episode 54 Absent from the Body...
Episode 55 For We Must All Appear, The Judgment Seat of Christ
Episode 70 The Church Under Grace, Three Churches in Scripture
Episode 71 Grace in Gray Areas
Episode 76 Looking for a Few Good Men, Qualifications for Elders
More booklets are available.
Please request a price list or visit www.bereanbiblesociety.org.

New DVDs! Episodes 73-84

Single Episode: $2.50 ea plus s&h*
Set of 12 DVDs: $24.00 ea plus s&h*
Episodes 1-84 are currently available. More episodes on DVD are coming soon!

73 Filling our Spiritual Gas Tanks 80 Sanctifying, Glorifying, Redeeming Grace
74 Christmas Episode 81 Once Saved, Always Changed
75 A Servant of God 82 Work Zone Ahead
76 Looking for a Few Good Men 83 Does God Care About My Life? (Part 1)
77 Dealing with the Dangerous 84 Does God Care About My Life? (Part 2)
78 The Clarence Principle
79 Good Looking Christianity Coming soon! 85-88 (Parts 3-6) and 89-96
 News and
Announcements
Back By Popular Demand! Last year’s BBS Regional Conference in
Solomons, Maryland, went so well that everyone agreed we should do
it again! So if you missed last year’s meetings, and you only know BBS
president Pastor Kevin Sadler as the face of our Transformed By Grace
TV program, here’s your chance to meet the captain of our ship, and hear
him teach God’s rightly divided Word in person! Just make room in your
schedule for this August 23 & 24 gathering, and contact Bart Dobers to
let him know you’re coming: (240) 587-8458, or [email protected].
Round 2 in Alaska! Speaking of things that are back by popular
demand, last year’s inaugural conference in Kenai was such a blessing,
it too bears repeating! Only this year the saints in Homer have clamored
to have the conference in their neck of the woods. Having experienced
the depth of their hospitality during the time I spent with them after last
year’s conference, your editor can personally guarantee you’ll be glad you
attended this year’s August 17th meeting. So if you’d like to hear Pastor
Ricky Kurth’s thoughts on the mysteries of which we are the stewards,
contact Josh Dennis at [email protected] or (907) 953-1079.
Do you read the Searchlight online? If so, we’ve added a new fea-
ture that we’re sure you’re going to like. From now on, when you see a
display ad announcing one of our conferences, you can just click on it to
learn further information. The same goes for the ads you see featuring our
monthly specials. The young people on the staff here at BBS tell me that
these are called hyperlinks, but if you’re like me, you’ll just call them handy!
New Pennsylvania Grace Work: Pastor Richard Everly is holding forth
God’s rightly divided Word each Saturday evening at 6:30 in Point Marion,
not far from the West Virginia border near Morgantown. Your editor was
finally able to meet Richard at a conference recently after several years
of letters and phone calls, and I know you’ll be blessed by his ministry of
the Word. So give him a call at (724) 324-2511, and find out how you can
grow in grace and be part of what God is doing in western Pennsylvana.

UPCOMING CONFERENCES TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR!

BBS Regional Conference, August 23-24, Solomons, MD
Western Wisconsin Special Meetings, September 6-7, Lancaster, WI
BBS Regional Conference, September 20-22, Kalispell, MT
England Special Meetings, October 12-13, Alcester, UK
 Media
Price List
(This is only a partial price list, for a full price list
please see our website or contact BBS.)

DVDs Revelation Volume 2...........................9.00

The Miracles of Calvary..................$15.00 Revelation Volume 3...........................9.00
What it Means to Be Studies in James.................................6.00
A Grace Believer...............................15.00 Things that Differ................................8.00
Transformed by Grace (1 episode).....2.50 Two Minutes with the Bible...............8.00
Transformed by Grace (set of 12).... 24.00 Two-Fold Purpose of God...................5.00
• 1-12
• 13-24 Audio Books on CD
Transformed by Grace
• 25-36 Exploring the Unsearchable
episodes available
• 37-48 Riches of Christ ..............................$21.00
on DVD
• 49-60 Studies in James ..............................15.00
• 61-72 Life and Letters of Peter . .................27.00
• 73-84 Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians ........45.00
USB Drive The Triumph of His Grace.................24.00
USB Drive (423 Audio Messages)...$15.00 The Two-Fold Purpose of God........... 6.00
Things That Differ.............................27.00
PowerPoint Download Moses and Paul................................. 6.00
Basic Distinctions Between
True Spirituality................................18.00
Prophecy & Mystery.........................$8.00
No Other Doctrine............................15.00
Key to Understanding the Scriptures...8.00
The Lord’s Supper.............................. 9.00
Rapture vs. Second Coming................8.00

E-books Bible Time Messages by

C.R. Stam on CD
Acts Volume 1...................................$9.00
For a complete price list of audio CDs
Acts Volume 2.....................................9.00 by Pastor C.R. Stam please contact BBS or
Exploring the Unsearchable check out our website. There are 26 titles
Riches of Christ...................................9.00 available for purchase.
Growing In God’s Grace......................5.00
Memoirs of Cornelius R. Stam............9.00 Other Audio
Moses and Paul..................................5.00 “After...” (Music, D. Wasson)..............$15.00
Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians...........9.00 Great Love & Grace (Music, Nichols). .11.00
Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians..........9.00 KJV Bible (MP3, CD) .........................17.49
Revelation Volume 1...........................9.00 Preschooler’s Bible (Audio CDs).......12.99

Orders up to $30.00, please add $4.00 for Postage and Handling

Orders over $30.00, please add 15% for Postage and Handling
Foreign orders must be remitted in U. S. currency
THE BEREAN SEARCHLIGHT
PERIODICALS
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
Paid at Germantown, WI
PO Box 756
and additional mailing offices
Germantown, WI 53022-0756

“Life is too short

to fritter away the
precious moments
God has given us to
proclaim His saving
grace .”—C. R. Stam