Johnson's on Earth

A Man's Man Weeping?

2011-12-29T11:42:00.001-07:00

David was a "Man's Man" if there ever was one.

As a boy he was a fearless warrior who killed lions, bears and a giant of a man (1 Sam 17:36-54).
He killed 200 Philistines and scalped their foreskins to get his first wife (1 Sam 18:25-27).
He out fought the King killing over ten of thousand enemies (1 Sam 18:5-7).
He could accommodate at least many wives and concubines (2 Sam 5:13; 1 Chr 3:1-9).

And yet we see in Psalm 6:6-7 David opening his heart to God and weeping like a “girl” (no offense ladies).

I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.

If a “Man’s Man” like David could open up to God... What about you?

Corona Arch Trail: Moab, UT

2011-03-22T23:45:00.002-06:00

Length of Hike: 1.5 miles to Corona Arch; allow 2 hours round trip.

Type of Hike: Constructed trail and slickrock. This is a hiking-only trail.

Area Attractions: Corona Arch (140 by 105 foot opening) and adjacent Bow Tie Arch; also views of the Colorado River and a large slickrock canyon.

Trailhead Location: On Utah Scenic Byway 279, 10 miles west of the Utah 279/U.S. 191 junction. (see my map below)

Route Description: From the parking lot on the north side of the highway follow the trail up to the visitor register box near the railroad; please register. Cross the railroad track and follow an old roadbed up through a gap in the rim. From the gap, follow the cairns up the wash for about 100 yards where the trail swings to the left.

Follow the trail and cairns over a low sandy pass and then down towards the base of a large cliff. Follow the base of the cliff to the first safety cable and around to the second cable where steps have been cut into the slickrock. Corona Arch is visible from this point. From the top of the second cable, climb the short ladder up over a small ledge and follow the cairns. From this point, it is an easy walk along the broad slickrock bench to the base of Corona Arch.

View Larger Map

Hidden Valley Trail: Moab, UT

2011-02-26T22:21:00.002-07:00

Length of Hike: 2 miles to pass at north end of Hidden Valley; allow 3 hours round trip.

Type of Hike: Constructed trail.

Area Attractions: Access route to Hidden Valley and Behind the Rocks, good views of the Moab Valley and Behind the Rocks. Trail connects with the southern end of the Moab Rim four-wheel-drive trail.

Trailhead Location: Drive 3 miles south from Moab on U.S. 191 and turn right onto Angel Rock Road. After two blocks, turn right onto Rimrock Road and drive to parking area. (see map)

Route Description: From the parking area, follow the trail up to the base of the Moab Rim and then ascend a series of steep switchbacks. At the top of the switchbacks, the trail heads north and enters Hidden Valley, which is a broad shelf between the top of the Moab Rim and Spanish Valley. Follow the trail to a low rise that separates the two halves of Hidden Valley and continue along through the northern section to a point where the trail swings to the left and goes over a low pass. At the pass, the hiker will be rewarded with a view of the large sandstone fins of the Behind the Rocks area. The trail continues down the west side of the pass for about 1/3 mile where it meets the Moab Rim four-wheel-drive trail. The hike may be extended to the Colorado River by following the Moab Rim four-wheel-drive trail to its starting point.

Note: During the late afternoon, in the summer, this trail is largely in the shade of higher cliffs. Although the Hidden Valley Trail is non-motorized, mountain bikes may sometimes be seen on it.

An Open Letter From Nadab & Abihu

2010-12-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL

FROM YOUR HUMBLE SERVANTS AND PRIESTS, NADAB AND ABIHU

Brethren:

It is with the utmost humility that we inform you of a change of worship practices.

Be assured that we bring about this change only after much prayer and study. We have recently concluded an in-depth study of the Law, and have decided to bring about a change in the type of fire used in worship.

We are aware that there is a standing tradition of using only one source of fire, but we, as priests, do not feel obligated to blindly follow tradition. Numerous polls indicate the overwhelming opinion that worshipers do not care where we get the fire. We are in agreement with the majority, as we cannot see how a change in fire will affect anything in the least about our sacrifices.

Besides all this, nowhere in the Law does the Lord forbid the use of what some detractors have referred to as “strange fire.” We feel that the lack of such a restriction was meant to give us freedom. Is there any place in the Law that tells us we cannot do something the Lord has not seen fit to condemn? Where are other fires explicitly condemned?

Also, Israel is the only religious group that limits itself to one kind of fire. We have become a laughingstock, and have been ridiculed openly by many groups. We are in great danger of appearing distinctive. This self-righteous, “only-one-fire” policy has alienated us from everyone else. We believe this change will open up many fellowship opportunities.

Now, to set the minds of some of you at ease, we will continue to offer a traditional service using the old-fashioned fire as well as a progressive service with the new fire. This approach will also make it possible to appeal to a younger audience as we discover more entertaining ways to “light the fire” of our assemblies.

For those who still oppose the use of new fire, we ask you not to be judgmental. We also hope you will not use this change as an excuse to divide our people or stir up trouble. We remind you that this has been well thought out and the majority of priests have signed on with us.

We are all very much looking forward to our first new fire service. God will be watching and we anticipate that His joy over seeing His people take a great step toward throwing off the burden of binding tradition will be an electrifying experience. Our new contemporary worship service will no doubt make it easier for us to really be on fire for the Lord!

See you there ... we think this new practice is going to spread like wildfire. Please come and enjoy what we know will be an illuminating experience for all of us.

For freedom’s sake!

Your faithful priests,

Nadab & Abihu

A few days later...

“Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, It is what the LORD spoke, saying, By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored. So Aaron, therefore, kept silent” (Leviticus 10:1-3).

This open letter (expect for a few changes) was written by David Brassfield for The Bridgewood Beacon.

Book Review: Silhouettes of Life

2010-03-23T18:42:00.000-06:00

From the Back Cover
Silhouettes of Life is a book of twenty-five chapters, filled with personal experiences of a missionary. It has been written with the hope of establishing within the hearts of young people a deep desire to do mission work. May it inspire them to strive to overcome any obstacles and to lean heavily on God.

This work is an autobiography divided into two parts. Part 1 portrays the overcoming of one obstacle after another throughout youth, which actually prepared the way for doing an acceptable service in my chosen field. Part 2 is the story of carrying out that aim in the African field as a teacher making friends with a strange people having strange custom.

The reader will see methods I used as a woman’s part helping establish Christian homes. I hope the lessons on how women can and must help to plant the indigenous church in strange lands, be they are home or abroad, will not be overlooked. There is a mission field somewhere for every Christian woman.

--Myrtle Rowe

Book Description:
• Title: Silhouettes of Life
• Author: Myrtle Rowe
• Paper Back: 265 pages
• Publisher: J.C. Choate Publications (2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: None
• ASIN: None
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x .63 inches
• Weight: 1 pound (approximate)

Book Summary:
As the author mentioned on the back cover the first part of the book is dedicated to her life here in America before she left for Africa and the obstacles she had to overcome.

Myrtle’s story begins with the birth of her grandparents in Arkansas, 1849. Her parents were married in 1896 and Myrtle was born that same year. She lived and played on the small Arkansas farm until she was six years old. Then they moved to a homestead in South Dakota. Her life in South Dakota was rough so say the least but typical of homesteaders of that time. Her description is very similar to The Little House On The Prairie series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

In September 1910 her family moved to Stuart, Oklahoma and in October that same year Myrtle was enrolled in the 4th grade at the age of 14. In 1911 they moved to Atwood, Oklahoma. She worked hard and graduated from the 8th grade in 1913 and moved by herself to Holdenville where she could work and go to high school. After finishing one year of high School she took the teachers test and began teaching elementary school.

In 1917 Myrtle married Willie Rowe and they set up a house in Mountain View, Oklahoma. She said life was wonderful and “to wash, iron and cook for Willie was a delight I had never experienced”. Their happiness was cut short when Willie was drafted into WWI in 1918 and unexpectedly died of influenza at Fort Sill a few months later. However, before Willie had left for the Army Myrtle became pregnant and after his death she gave birth to his son, Don, on January 14, 1919. She moved a few months later to a larger town and bought a house near the college so that she could rent out rooms to students for income.

In 1921 she rented out her house and moved to Cordell, Oklahoma to attend W.O.C.C. She graduated in 1925 and stayed on as the librarian for a few years. In the early 1930’s Myrtle was offered a job teaching at Harding Elementary School so she and her son moved to Arkansas to begin teaching there. During her time at Harding Myrtle met many missionaries from Africa. It was through these new friends that her desire to be a missionary in Africa grew until she decided to quit teaching at Harding and move to Africa to teach in a mission school. Don, her son, was now 19 years old.

Myrtle set sail for Africa on the Queen Mary, July 30, 1938 and safely arrived in Cape Town, South Africa. Her final destination would be Zimbabwe but in the mean time she would spend some time in South Africa. She explains her new experiences and some of the differences between Africa and the United States.

Once arriving at the mission in Zimbabwe she begins setting up her home and the school. Life was very different in Africa as she beautifully explains. The school was only for boys at that time because in Africa and Europe it wasn’t proper to mix boys and girls in school. In a short time the school would develop into a boys and girls school. Her years in Africa were spent teaching the children and serving in many other roles on the campus. When school was out she would spend some time on a beautiful river for a little vacation and in the winter months she spent time evangelizing from village to village. You get a good sense of what it was like to live on the mission as she describes the campus with all of its building including how the laundry and cooking was done.

In 1943 Myrtle got word that her mother was very ill and she should return home to see her before she died. Myrtle boarded a ship in Cape Town and had a vey long, tiring and dangerous trip to America. They were afraid of being sunk by the Germans and had to be very secretive in the letters they sent home for they were never allowed to communicate anything about their ships activities. But finally, Myrtle arrived home and in time to visit with her mother before her death. While she was home she was also able to spend a lot of time with her other family members and friends.

In 1946 she left the states to return to Africa taking a ship from New Orleans. She labored in Africa for many more years before returning to the states again in 1952 to spend a year with her family. She was back in Africa in February 1953 where she remained until 1957. Upon retuning home to the states she went back to work at Harding Elementary School teaching the sixth grade until she retired in 1964.

My Thoughts On The Book:
I think Myrtle accomplished exactly what she set out to accomplish. This is seen in the fact that she has helped to create in me a deeper desire to do mission work and inspired me to strive to overcome any obstacles and to lean heavily on God.

I would recommend this book to everyone; men, women and children. Anyone who reads this book will be better off than they were

Christians and Social Drinking

2009-12-15T13:38:00.001-07:00

When I first became a Christian I thought it was okay for Christians to drink alcohol socially or recreationally as long as they didn’t get drunk. I based this decision on the following reasons:

In the first century they couldn’t have prevented grape juice from fermenting since they had no refrigeration.
Jesus made wine.
Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine.

However, after I began to hear others say that Christians couldn’t drink socially I began to study the issue secretly hoping that they were wrong. But, I’m now convinced that my reasoning was wrong and that Christians have no business drinking alcoholic beverages socially or recreationally.

They Couldn't Have Prevented Grape Juice From Fermenting
Once I started to honestly think about the situation and reflected on my own experiences making homemade beer (which is very similar to making wine) I realized it is actually easy to mess up your wort, unfermented beer, and stall the fermentation process. Off the top of my head I know that if the sugar content is too high it won’t ferment plus if you add the yeast before the wort has time to cool adequately you will kill the yeast and it won’t ferment either. My own experience should have been enough to prove my earlier reasoning was wrong and my further research only confirmed it.

It would have actually been quite easy for the people of the first century to prevent fermentation simply by boiling grape juice down to a concentrate. This would have easily killed any wild yeast and raised the sugar content too high for fermentation. After reading Jim McGuiggan’s book The Bible, The Saints and The Liquor Industry I found that this was a common practice by the ancients and that they had other ways to prevent it as well. So my first reason for dinking alcohol was shot down. But I still had hope in the fact that Jesus turned water into wine.

Jesus Turned Water Into Wine
My first let down was that the term wine, while in modern English generally means alcoholic wine, in Greek the word is not so specific but can refer to either wine or grape juice. We must decide by context. So I went on with my justification. I thought John 2:10 showed that the guests couldn’t tell the difference between the good and the bad wine because they were slightly intoxicated. But the text doesn’t say they couldn’t tell the difference between the two wines, that is only what I wanted it to say. We always put our best out first. We don’t serve hot dogs first then T-bone steaks at a BBQ, do we? No, we serve the best first then if it runs out or if it’s too expensive, then people can eat hot dogs. Why couldn’t that be the case here?

Next I thought about the situation my own desires about the text were putting Jesus in. I was saying that Jesus gave 120 – 180 gallons of alcoholic wine to people who were already drunk. That would be enough wine to serve 480 -720 people a quart of wine each. Clearly enough to inebriate anyone, let alone people who had already drank freely and depleted the wine on hand. It seems highly unlikely that Jesus would go against His own teaching concerning being a stumbling block to others. If that were the case, it would have been better for Jesus to have had a millstone tied around His neck and to have been cast into the sea. Do you see what my own desires were doing to our Lord?

Paul Told Timothy To Drink A Little Wine
Well, what about Paul telling Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach’s sake in 1 Timothy 5:23? Again, I found no justification for drinking wine socially. First of all, if this was fermented wine it was not to be drunk socially but medicinally. Who takes medication socially? No one! Another possibility is that, it could have been mixed with water as a purifying agent, to kill bacteria. It also could have very easily been grape juice, which has health benefits for you stomach. Today we have much better medicines and ways to purify our water. There is no need to drink wine for medicinal purposes.

I could find no justification for drinking alcohol socially. I gave up the idea of justifying it. However, over the years I have heard many different arguments from people trying to justify it but after careful investigation they fail as well.

God Condemns Drunkenness
To those who insist on drinking anyway I think that we can all agree that the Bible clearly condemns drunkenness as seen in Galatians 5:19-21 where Paul lists drunkenness as one of the deeds of the flesh and that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But when is a person drunk? We would all agree that if he is slurring his speech and staggering about, he is drunk. But is that where we draw the line? I think we would agree that if a person were arrested for a DUI he would be considered drunk too.

It is interesting that different countries have different standards for what percent of Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is considered drunk.

7 countries have a zero tolerance policy. Any BAC is considered drunk. (Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Bangladesh and the Cezch Republic)
6 countries consider a .02% BAC drunk (Estonia, Hungary, Israel, Poland, Norway and Sweden)
4 countries consider a .03% BAC drunk (India, Japan, Russia and Uruguay)
2 countries consider a .04% BAC drunk (Lithuania, Saskatchewan)
29 countries consider a .05% BAC drunk (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Netherlands, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland Thailand and Turkey)
9 countries consider a .08% BAC drunk (Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Ireland, Ireland, Singapore, United Kingdom and United States)

When following the standard BAC chart we would find that a 140 pound woman would be considered drunk in 17 different countries after only drinking one glass of wine with dinner. If she drank two glasses with dinner she would be considered drunk in 48 different countries. However if she lived in the USA she wouldn’t be considered drunk until she drank her third glass of wine. That is of course unless she was a bus driver since a bus driver would be considered drunk after 1/3 of a glass of wine.

This information is surprising to me. Which standard should we follow when trying to stay out of sin? One might say, well, it would depend on where you live. But borders do not bind God’s Law. Very few of the countries listed above were in existence when God wrote the Bible let alone instruments to assess a persons BAC.

So we must ask the question when is a person drunk? Who’s standards should we use? While it would be hard to make a hard fast rule concerning this, Ephesians 5:18-19 may prove most helpful. “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” Here we see a comparison between being filled with the Spirit and being drunk. What does one experience when he is filled with the Spirit as he sings praises to the Lord? Usually, a sense of wellbeing and relaxation, interestingly enough, this is also what one experiences when he has one glass of wine or a BAC of .03%. It seems as though God wants us to find our sense of wellbeing and relaxation in Him rather than in wine.

I highly doubt that God is too concerned with our physical ability to clearly enunciate our words or our ability to walk a straight line. I’m sure He is more concerned with our heart and mind, which just happens to be the very first things alcohol effects. We would be wise to conclude that one drink is too much and that with a BAC of .03% a person could be in danger of being biblically drunk.

It is my desire to be pleasing to my Lord and seek to do His will. With the information we now have concerning the effects of alcohol and the many biblical warnings against drunkenness it is clear to me that Christians have no business drinking alcohol socially.

I Need Thee Every Hour

2009-12-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Annie Hawks and Robert Lowry (1872)

Many hymns are written in the depths of sorrow or in some other extraordinary circumstance but that is not the case with I Need Thee Every Hour. This hymn was written by a common housewife who apparently lived quite a normal life. Annie Hawks, the author, was a Baptist poet and hymnist. Her pastor, Robert Lowry, was the one who put the song to music. Hawks explains how she was inspired to write the song one day as she was engaged in her housework, she wrote:

“One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me. Seating myself by the open window in the balmy air of the bright June day, I caught up my pencil and the words were soon committed to paper, almost as they are being song now.” (Cyber Hymnal)

After she had completed writing the lyrics, Hawks gave them to her pastor, Robert Lowry, who added the tune and refrain. The hymn was first published at the National Baptist Sunday School Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, in November 1872. Years later and after the death of her husband, Hawks wrote:

“I did not understand at first why this hymn had touched the great throbbing heart of humanity. It was not until long after, when the shadow fell over my way, the shadow of a great loss, that I understood something of the comforting power in the words which I had been permitted to give out to others in my hour of sweet serenity and peace.” (Cyber Hymnal)

Annie Sherwood Hawks was born on May 28, 1836 in Hoosick, New York. She was a poet from a young age and at the age of 14 years old her poems began appearing in newspapers. At the age of twenty-one she married Charles H. Hawks. They lived in Brooklyn, New York, and attended the Hanson Place Baptist Church, where Robert Lowry was the pastor. When Hawks’ husband died in 1888, she moved to Bennington, Vermont to live with her daughter and son-in-law, W. E. Putnam. She wrote 400 hymns in her life, mostly for use in Sunday schools. Hawks died at the age of eighty-two on January 3, 1918 in Bennington, Vermont. You can find her grave in the Hoosick Rural Cemetery in Hoosick, New York.

Robert Lowry was born on March 12, 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the University at Lewisburg which would later be renamed Bucknell University, where he became a professor of literature. He was ordained as a Baptist minister and pastored several churches; including one in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the Blooingdale Baptist Church in New York City, the Hanson Place Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York, the First Baptist Church in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and the Park Avenue Baptist Church in Plainfield, New Jersey. He also worked as a music editor at the Biglow Publishing Company, and helped to found the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in New York City. He wrote about 500 Gospel tunes and jointly edited many hymnals including; Happy Voices, 1865, Gospel Melodies, 1868, Pure Gold, 1871, Gospel Hymn and Tune Book, 1879 to name just a few. Lowry died on November 25, 1899, Plainfield, New Jersey. You can find his grave in the Hillside Cemetery of Plainfield, New Jersey.

Bibliography

Bonner, Clint. A Hymn Is Born. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1959.
Cyber Hymnal. Cyber Hymnal. 7 August 2007. 5 November 2009 .
—. Cyber Hymnal. 11 August 2007. 5 November 2009 .
—. Cyber Hymnal. 7 September 2008. 5 November 2009 .
Robert J. Taylor, Jr. Sing With Feeling. Novasota: Taylor Publications, 1993.
Taylor, Robert J. A Song Is Born. Montgomery: Taylor Publications, 2004.

Leaning On The Everlasting Arms

2009-12-05T13:02:00.001-07:00

Elisha A. Hoffman and Anthony J. Showalter 1887

Anthony J. Showalter is credited as being the author of Leaning on The Everlasting Arms even though he only wrote the choirs and the music of the song. His friend, Elisha A. Hoffman, wrote the rest of the song. Anthony was a very accomplished man working as a music teacher, author and publisher. Over his lifetime he published over 130 music books, which sold more than a million copies. He was principal of the Southern Normal Musical Institute in Dalton, Georgia from its inception in 1880. He also edited The Musical Teacher for over 20 years, and served as an elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Dalton, Georgia. Anthony was born on May 1, 1858 in Cherry Grove, Virginia and he past away on November 16, 1924 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. You can find his grave in the West Hill Cemetery of Dalton, Georgia (Cyber Hymnal).

Anthony’s friend, Elisha A. Hoffman grew up as a preacher’s son. Elisha attended Union Seminary in New Berlin, Pennsylvania and was ordained in 1868. After his ordination he worked with the Evangelical Association’s publishing arm in Cleveland, Ohio for 11 years. He pastored congregations in Cleveland and Grafton, Ohio in the 1880s, the First Presbyterian Church in Benton Harbor, Michigan, around the turn of the century and a congregation in Cabery, Illinois from 1911 to 1922. In his life time, he wrote over 2,000 Gospel songs. Elisha was born on May 7, 1839 in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania and past away on November 25, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. You can find is grave in the Oak Woods Cemetery of Chicago, Illinois (Cyber Hymnal).

Anthony was not only accomplished in his work but he also had a heart for his students and regularly kept up with them even after they graduated. It was because of this affection, which he had for his students, that the well loved hymn found its birth. One evening after dismissing his class at a local church in Harstell he went home to find that he had received two letters, both from former students. These two men both wrote to inform their beloved teacher of the death of their spouses. In writing words of comfort to his former students Anthony used Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms…” It was these words of scripture that inspirited him to write the beautiful choirs:

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Unfortunately, he could only come up with the choirs to the song and was unable to finish it. So after replying to his two friends he wrote another letter to his good friend Elisha A. Hoffman, a fellow hymnist. “Here is the choirs to a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27” his letter said, “but I can’t come up with any verses.” Elisha wrote three stanzas and sent it back. Anthony set the whole thing to music and, Leaning On The Everlasting Arms was born (Morgan 289). I have know idea how many languages the song has been translated into but I do know it has been translated into Indonesian with the title of Ku Bersandar Pada Yang Kekal. Even in Indonesian it is just as comforting and as beautiful as it is in its original language.

So, one of our most beloved hymns found its beginnings in a time of sorrow and loss. I’m sure it has served to comfort many in similar situations over the years.

Bibliography

Cyber Hymnal. Cyber Hymnal. 11 08 2007. 12 10 2009 .

—. Cyber Hymnal. 08 09 2007. 12 10 2009.

Morgan, Robert J. Then Sings My Soal. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003.

Problems in Indonesia

2009-11-05T18:21:00.003-07:00

Two of Indonesia's senior law enforcement officials have resigned over a growing corruption scandal.

Deputy attorney general Abdul Hakim Ritonga and Chief Detective Susno Duadji were linked to an alleged plot to weaken the anti-corruption agency.

Their names came up in recordings in which the suspected plot was allegedly discussed by police and prosecutors.

The case is being seen as a test of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's promises to clamp down on corruption.

The president said more resignations or suspensions could be expected.

"I've advised the police chief and the attorney general to suspend those whose names were mentioned in the tape recordings and discharge them from their duties," AFP news agency quoted him as telling a cabinet meeting.

The resignations of Mr Ritonga and Ch Det Susno Duadji came after calls for their dismissal from Indonesians who have taken to the streets protesting against the suspected plot to weaken the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Indonesia's Watergate
Human rights groups say the KPK has become a target of the police force because it has been so successful in investigating and charging corrupt officials.

Indonesia is often ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, but the efforts of the KPK have encouraged investors to believe the country is trying to clean up its act, says the BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta.

The case, which has been dubbed Indonesia's Watergate, has transfixed the nation, says our correspondent.

The tapes were played in a nationally televised session of the Constitutional Court, as part of the defence of two KPK officials arrested on bribery charges.

Corrupt officials
The recorded discussion is allegedly between a businessman and several people thought to be in Indonesia's powerful police force and the attorney general's office.

Discussions on the tapes revealed the speakers were involved in plans to significantly weaken the KPK by implicating two of their officials in bribery charges.

It is a powerful body that has gained the reputation of being tough on corrupt officials - including those in high places, says our Jakarta correspondent.

The KPK officials, Chandra Hamzah and Bibit Samad Riyanto, were released on Tuesday.

Source: BBC

74th Freed-Hardeman University Lectureship

2009-10-25T19:24:00.004-06:00

The theme for the 74th Freed-Hardeman University Lectureship is "Perfecting God's People: Christ and Culture in Corinthians." Mark Your Calendar! February 7-12, 2010

1 and 2 Corinthians offer timely discussions of issues such as unity, inspiration, the cross, preaching, fellowship, marriage, worship, roles of women, spiritual gifts, love, life after death, giving, and many more. On the pages of these sacred writings we find revealed the problems and pressures of a church called out of a pagan society.

As Paul sought to perfect his Corinthian brethren through the gospel so God seeks today to mature us through a study of these marvelous books.

Gospel meeting w/Brad Harub

2009-10-06T18:52:00.002-06:00

We just had a three day Gospel meeting with Brad Harub from Focus Press. It was great! I have also watched this video and highly recommend it. Check it out at the link below.

http://www.focuspress.org/cart_product.cfm/prod_id/28128/bk/1/tid/137

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.

Chester County BBQ Festival

2009-10-06T07:26:00.001-06:00

Went to the County BBQ festival on Saturday. They sure had some great BBQ! We were also pleasantly surprised by the fact that NO alcohol was sold or consumed at the festival. Isn’t it wonderful when Christian morals prevail in the world rather than what seems to be so often he case, worldly morals prevailing in the church.

On of the things that shocked us the most after returning to the States was the number of Christians drinking Alcohol and or promoting it. Out in CA I even heard one Bible class teacher allude that Jesus gave all the people at the wedding a buzz.

If we honestly studied out the question we will find no support for social drinking in the Bible.

Click these links for some helpful information:

http://search.biblecourses.com:83/en_lessons/EN_198209_07.pdf

http://search.biblecourses.com:83/en_lessons/EN_198209_08.pdf

-Marty

Just testing

2009-09-30T07:35:00.001-06:00

Just testing out networked blogs. Here is a picture of us at White Sands, NM a couple of years ago.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.

Sarah's Art

2009-09-29T21:56:00.001-06:00

Here is a little art Sarah did on my iPod.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.

Shiloh and Corinth Field Trip

2009-08-29T18:00:00.002-06:00

We enjoyed a fun filled day on Friday with some other home school moms and kids. Living in Tennessee we are in the midst of history from the Civil War. The last couple of weeks at home we have studied about the South and Sarah has learned about "Dixie Land" and the origin of the "Dixie Land Song". On Friday morning we traveled about 1 hour from Henderson and toured the Shiloh National Military Park . Then about 30 minutes away from Shiloh we crossed the Mississippi boarder and toured the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center. At the Corinth park the kids earned their Junior Ranger Badges by completing some activity books that took them on a sort of scavenger hunt through out the park. We enjoyed the day and the opportunity to learn more. -Julie

The Collins Visit

2009-08-29T15:59:00.002-06:00

We were blessed this last week to have Mark and Amy Collins and their sons, Timmy and Isaiah visit. Mark is the preacher in Price, UT. We enjoyed being with them and hope that the rest of their long trip will be enjoyable. As you can see from the pictures both of our families have kids in them who are characters and also kids that love to read!- Julie

Sarah's Room

2009-08-29T11:39:00.004-06:00

We are back on the internet and getting settled in here in Henderson. My classes are going good I have Greek, Contemporary Concerns, Personal Counseling, and Music for Song Leaders. I’ll write more about that later.

Here is a video from Sarah to her friends in Indonesia.

WBS/WES Seminar

2009-06-19T00:18:00.003-06:00

We aren't gone yet! There is still work to be done!
The other night we picked up Mark Collins and Stuart and Cecilia Jones from the airport in Jakarta. Last night we took Mark out to our Bible study at Susanto's house. We had a large group of people. I didn't count them but it was more then 10 adults for sure. Mark gave the lesson and I translated. It was good practice for today.
I'l be translating for both him and Stuart in the seminar today.

-Marty

Johnson's e-Journal 2009 #6

2009-06-19T00:12:00.001-06:00

Johnson's e-Journal

We want to thank you for you prayers and notes of encouragement over the last couple of weeks. It has helped a lot as we struggled to make the necessary decisions concerning the future of our work here in Jakarta. Let me update you on it.

As far as the problem with the two men we are working with goes, nothing has been resolved with any certainty. I arranged a meeting for us all to get together and sort the problem out. The man we work with on Friday nights agreed but the other didn't. He chose only to blame the other man more. While this is a major problem it was not the deciding factor in our decision to return home.

The real problem lies in us having to "protect" our non-profit organization and keep all of our students happy. This problem has only gotten worse. You may be aware that the church in Jakarta split a few years ago and there is now a huge lawsuit over the church property in down town Jakarta, worth around a million US dollars. The lawsuit has been dragging on for years now.

When we were invited to come to Jakarta we were told that they had let the lawsuit hamper the church long enough and needed to get back to doing the Lords work. So we agreed to help them. However, I don't think they really thought it through. Many verses in the New Testament illustrate the cost of diligently spreading the Gospel and as it turned out we have begun to pay that price. One of our students didn't like the fact that I teach the Truth and warn people about false doctrines and the churches who teach them. He reported us to the radio station who in turn said that if they got more complaints they would cancel our show. The non-profit organization, which I receive my visa through, needs the radio program to prove it isn't just a front to get the church land and that it actually has legitimate activities. You may ask why all this talk about a non-profit organization. Good question, I can only answer, here, that it has to do with Indonesian governmental regulations.

On top of that Daniel was recently called in for questioning by the police. Apparently, someone put an illegal sign on the old church property and claimed Daniel did it. He is also being accused of falsifying the deed to the land by reenacting a dead non-profit organization and making new deeds under the "new" non-profit. Daniel says it doesn't look good because the "enemy" has a lot of money and can bribe the police to arrest him. He says the crimes he is accused of carry an eight-year prison sentence. The police let him go after questioning him and will continue their investigation. So, now we must be even more careful not to upset any students. Any negative accusations against the school/non-profit will have a negative effect on the lawsuit. The school is also used to prove that the non-profit operates legitimate activities.

I didn't come to Jakarta to provide "activity" for a non-profit organization so they can win a lawsuit. There are probably still many more years to go until this thing is settled. My conscience won't let me just teach English and the Bible in a "non-offensive" way. The Truth is offensive to some.

To make a long story short I can't be quiet and allow my students to study with me for six months and not explicitly, yet kindly, warn them about the danger they are in. I have no doubt that some will get mad. One has already reported us to the radio as I said earlier. But, on the other hand I also don't want to cause problems for others and destroy the hard work they have been doing for years.

The church though they thought they were ready to move forward really isn't. They are focused on the lawsuit and feel that it is the most important thing at the moment.

So we will be returning to the states the second week of July. I hope to start at Freed-Hardeman University this Fall and finish off my degree in Bible. I'm also looking to preach for a congregation in the Henderson, TN area. We don't know what the future holds in terms of full time ministry, we are open to whatever the Lord brings our way.

We are hoping though, to be able to return to Indonesia from time to time to help out other congregations with gospel meetings and evangelistic campaigns. A short-term visa for work of this nature will be much easier to obtain and will give us more freedom to work with a specific congregation. The brethren here have encouraged us not to bury our talents and waste our knowledge of the language and culture, which is a point well taken. We will also be continuing to advance our web presence with the help of Alip, a local preacher. You might like to see the work that is already being done at www.suarakebenaran.org . Julie will also be continuing to develop children's material for the churches throughout Indonesia.

I realize for some this is disappointing news and I apologize. But be assured the decision was not made lightly and know that it is disappointing for us too.

We thank you so much for your prayers concerning this decision and for your support over the last few years. You have been a blessing to us and to everyone who has heard the gospel because of your sacrifice. THANK YOU!

On a lighter note

For others, this will be the best news they have heard in a long time. Can you guess who?

The kids took the news well. Sarah was a little sad to be leaving her friends but she is happy to be returning to the states. Seth just said, "OH THANK YOU MAMA!" I think he is mostly excited about going on an airplane. Almost every day he says, "Go on airplane?"

About our support

We will not be asking for any additional support to move back home. We will be using our savings, some unused onetime support and the money we get for selling our furniture.

However, we would greatly appreciate it if you could continue our monthly support thru September. This will allow us time to line up another source of income.

And of course we will keep you informed as things progress.

- Marty

Johnson's e-Journal 2009 #5

2009-06-19T00:07:00.001-06:00

Here is an older e-journal. The background for our Summer Newsletter.

Johnson's e-Journal

Names have been purposely left out of this report. Sorry if it gets confusing.

Over about the past six months we have been working with a family on Friday nights in a small group bible study which was hopefully to turn into a new church plant. Julie was also working with the kids and producing photocopyable kids bible class materials which would one day be available to any and/or every church of Christ through out Indonesia. My role in the work was motivator and teacher. The other family's role was evangelizing and keeping contact with the group members through out the week. We set it this way so that it would be an easy hand off to them and I wouldn't be perceived as "necessary" to keep it going (both the husband and wife have graduated from our bible school in Batam). We thought it was going well until some new information surfaced.

Saturday, it was brought to our attention that both the family we are working with on Friday nights and our family have been being slandered my another man in the church who we are also working closely with (well call him Man A). We are said to be using this family for our own interests because we are only interested in "baptizing people" and the family we are working with is said to only be in it for the money. Interestingly though, I have never given them any money, never hinted that I would in the future and they have never asked for any. More than that they have emphatically told me they are not in it for the money. When I questioned Man A concerning making these accusations, he proceeded to place the blame on the family we are working with on Friday nights and began to tell how they are only motivated by money, as a said earlier.

It is difficult to know who is telling the truth and who is lying but I cannot think of any reason why our Friday night family would lie, there would be no benefit to them in it. However, the whole thing brings into questions deep character issues with both of them. The end result was that the Bible study is being shut down. That's nearly six months worth of work down the drain, from a human perspective. Who knows what God will do with the Seed we have planted though.
This incident comes on the heels of another character reveling problem. One of our English/Bible students has reported to the radio station that our teaching at the school and in our seminar is not the same as on the radio and that we are a satanic church. Apparently, most of that was broadcast over the air with a warning not to listen to us. I was told by Man A that he has been broadcasting and evangelizing for six years without ever receiving a complaint. Six years of broadcasting and evangelizing in a Muslim country and never one complaint??? It seems like Paul couldn't get by but a couple of weeks at most before he was in hot water with some one. Anyway, I'm the new guy so it is assumed it is my fault. You see, Indonesia is not like America. Free speech is not really free speech. As I understand it it's technically illegal to speak negatively about another religious group or to try to convert anyone from one religious group to another. Although somehow one of our students or his associate was able to broadcast information slandering the Lord's church. Here is another contradiction; at birth everyone is assigned membership in a religious group by his parents yet the Indonesian government has approved over 300 different denominations in Indonesia... Where do they think the members are coming from if they are not being converted from other religious groups? Of course, that's beside the point.

Due to this new turn of events, I was warned by Man A who runs our nonprofit organization, provides our visas, runs our school, and radio program that I can't teach that any particular doctrine or church is wrong (He is also the same one who was reportedly slandering us and our Friday night family). Of course, I have no desire to bash churches or doctrine but when I'm teaching people who have come to me for instruction in the Word of God I must warn them of the danger they are in and explain it clearly so they understand that the doctrines and churches they are involved in are spiritually lethal. Now, I don't do this right out of the gate but it is part of a series of 26 lessons and the first 12 don't even cover controversial doctrines.

So to make a long story short I have been warned twice now that we need to protect the organization and not teach in a way that could cause people to report us to the radio or the department of religion. From what I have learned, the need to be so protective of the organization is because a church in the USA owns it and said they don't want any problems. Also because the organization is engaged in a lengthy lawsuit over extremely expensive church property which could be jeopardized if accusations are made that we are trying to convert people or speaking negatively about any other religious body.

Please pray for the situation and for wisdom on how to handle it. Any advice you have would be helpful too.

We are having difficulty seeing how we can continue to work productively under such conditions.

-Marty

Johnson's e-journal 2009 #4

2009-05-13T21:23:00.001-06:00

Johnson's e-Journal

Saturday, May 9, 2009

We have put on two World Bible School seminars/Gospel Meetings since I last wrote. One was held here in Bekasi and one in Yogyakarta in central Java. See our blog for details and photos. http://johnsonsinindonesia.blogspot.com

I have also been teaching at our school. We just started a new class with 24 students on Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:00-7:00 PM. None of these students are members of the body, yet. I'm also teaching my old students on Monday and Wednesday 5:00-7:00 PM. So in total I'm teaching 30+ people twice a week. We study Monday-Thursday 5-7 PM.

We are also still leading our small group Bible study at Susanto's house every Friday night from about 7:00-8:30 PM or whenever we get done, sometimes not until after 9:00.

I get the opportunity to preach about twice a month at different congregations.

Alip and I have been working on getting a web site up and running. It is designed to advertise our different ministries and provide a resource for bible study materials. It is up and running if you would like to take a look at it. http://www.suarakebenaran.org. If you have a web site or a blog I would appreciate it if you would add a link to our site. If I understand it right it will help us come up higher on the google search list.

The kids are doing great. Sarah is reading like a champ and for PE she is doing Karate. She can also read and translate simple sentences in Biblical Greek. Just wanted to brag a little! Of course Julie gets all the credit.

We pray that you are all doing well and that the Lord continues to bless you!

-Marty

____________________________________

Check out our Blog

http://johnsonsinindonesia.blogspot.com

Sowing the Seed

2009-05-13T05:51:00.002-06:00

We have started a new session of classes. Our class that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays is very full. Just last night we had 31 students! It was a great class and great to see so many people interested in studying, whether for English or for the Bible. One of those students is an older man from Marty's previous class and has been attending our worship services on Sundays. Sorry that the pictures are not very good but you get the idea that is was a full room. Praise God for these opportunities. -Julie

Just One Letter Makes a Big Difference

2009-05-13T05:29:00.002-06:00

Today I was visiting with my friend Ibu Ayu. She frequently helps me correct my Kids Bible Class Material that I translate for our Friday Night Bible Studies. In today's lesson she laughed when I wrote in Indonesian that I wanted the kids to draw a picture of one of their friends who they would like to share the gospel with. She laughed because what I really wrote was for the kids to draw on their friends. It was just one letter in Indonesian that made the difference. The funny thing is is that I had already used this particular lesson last week with the kids and hadn't had her help me correct my Indonesian. So, the kids, when I told them to draw a picture of their friends I was really telling them to draw on their friends, which is exactly what they pretended to do! I didn't see what was so funny until today when Ibu Ayu told me what I did. Oh well, another learning experience! -Julie

(Ibu Ayu is the woman in the turquoise outfit standing in front of me.)

A Buddhist Temple

2009-05-05T09:55:00.002-06:00

After Sunday morning worship we took a trip to this Buddhist Temple built some time from AD 750-850. It was forgotten and abandoned buried under layers of volcanic ash only to be discovered in 1815. The Dutch began to restore the temple in the 20th century and then between 1973 and 1983 a mammoth US$25 million restoration project was undertaken.

It was an enjoyable day with the church and also a great site to see.

-Julie

The Seminar Begins

2009-05-05T09:23:00.002-06:00

We had about 20 in attendance. One former student from our Bible
School in Papua was also in attendance. His name is Andreas. He was
one of Duane Morgans students in '90 and had a great many wonderful
things to say about Duane and his studies with him. He is faithfully
ministering in a town outside of Yogyakarta. He brought his youngest
son with him for the seminar. Two college students who are from Papua
were also in attendance. Their father is the minister for one of the
churches in Papua. We took a tea break and also a lunch break. There
was a good Question and Answer session following the lunch break. WBS
certificates were handed out to those who had completed their studies.
-Julie