It is not uncommon for Christians to claim that the saints of the Old Testament period experienced God’s Spirit in a fundamentally different manner from that of New Testament believers or modern Christians. Many have relied on specific idioms of the Old Testament to argue that the Holy Spirit only came upon people in the Old Testament but into people in the New Testament. Thus, the Holy Spirit was only bestowed temporarily, and then externally, to Old Testament believers as opposed to the permanent indwelling of the early church. Such preaching and teaching drives a wedge between the Testaments, placing too much emphasis on disunity rather than on mutual interdependence between the Old and New. This is an inadequate and incomplete understanding of the role of the Spirit in the Old Testament. Though the Spirit of God sometimes comes upon individuals in the Old Testament to empower for specific (and temporary) tasks, there can be no doubt that His role is also more extensive. He has an indwelling and transforming presence in the Old Testament believers as well and is described as the animating feature that effects spiritual renewal.

Bill Arnold

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
		Desserts, Cakes, Frostings, Wilton	3	Cups

INGREDIENTS

3	tb	Wilton meringue powder
1	lb	Sifted powdered sugar (approx 4 cups)
6	tb	Water

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR LARGE COUNTERTOP MIXERS:  Reduce water to 5 T.
Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7 to 10 minutes
until icing forms peaks.
FOR PORTABLE MIXERS:  Beat all ingredients at hi speed
for 10 to 12 minutes until icing forms stiff peaks.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

A Message from our Provider:

“Forgive your enemies – it messes with their heads!”

Being unified in a church means: We know the difference between enjoying our small group, but understanding that the church is one – not separated along the lines of many small groups. Between having personal priorities within the church, but not losing the one core overarching mission of the church. Between respecting politics, but not making the church political. Between having good friends, but not forming alliances in the church to the exclusion of others. Between having differing beliefs, but honoring the church’s doctrinal statement. Between having personal convictions, but not legalistically pressing them upon others. That’s how we stand together as one for the Gospel.

Randy Smith

Prayer is an acknowledgment that our need of God’s help is not partial but total… Yet many of our church prayer meetings have dwindled in size and influence. Ultimately, the explanation can be traced to spiritual warfare. If, as the hymn writer says, 'Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees,” then we may be sure that he and his minions will be working hard to discredit the value of united prayer. The Evil One has scored a great victory in getting sincere believers to waver in their conviction that prayer is necessary and powerful.

Alistair Begg