Magyar Egyház, 1981 (60. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1981-01-01 / 1-2. szám

MAGYAR £GYfíAZ

9. oldal

are not in the Church as true believers, we separate ourselves from Jesus Christ himself.

WE BELIEVE that Jesus instituted the two sacraments, the Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, to remind us constantly of his sacrifice on the cross. Jesus wants us to partake in the sacraments to strengthen our faith and assure us that He obtained forgiveness and eternal life not only for others but for us as well.

WE BELIE VE that fesus will return as He promised to hold a final judgement over all men. He will separate his true believers and followers from those who rejected him. *

WE BELIE VE that is we truly understand the great love of God and the Lord Jesus Christ towards us, sinners, our whole earthly life must be a CONSTANT THANKSGIVING. And we must express our thanksgiving the way God wants us to do it: by gratefully worshipping Him in the church, by partaking in the Lord’s Supper, by having our children baptized and confirmed, by helping our church and by proving in our private, family and community life that we are followers of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus said: "lam the Way, and the Truth and the Life', NO ONE comes to the Father but by me” Qohn 14:6). He really meant no one. It would be a dangerous self-deception for anyone to think that he will be in heaven finally even if he would reject the “only way” to heaven that God mercifully revealed to us in the Bible. Steven Kovács

“I will be your God, you shall be my people”

Theme of First World Alliance European Assembly:

POIANA BRASOV, ROMANIA—The European Area Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, held at this popular mountain resort during the second week of September 1980, provided a unique opportunity for some 220 participants to benefit from a rich variety of individual and small group encounters, as well as to take part in official ceremonies and presentations in plenary sessions. A gift of 10,000 Bible was made to the Reformed Church in Romania.

Many of the delegates were able to visit several congregations of Member Churches in this region of Eastern Europe before and after the Assembly. Some contacts at grass-roots level were of an unofficial nature, although the congregations visited mostly belonged to the Reformed Church in Romania, the WARC Member Church which was the Council’s official host body, and which had issued the original invitation. After the Assembly, over one hundred participants travelled six hours from Poiana Brasov to Kolozsvár where the warm hospitality of the Protestant Theological Institute awaited them.

Reformed Press Service

WE BELIEVE that God still loves us and wants to bless us with holy, sinless eternal life in heaven, after our death.

WE BELIEVE that this great love of God to us, sinners, sent Jesus Christ to save us from damnation in hell and lead us to heaven. In the person of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, the eternal Son, appeared on earth in the form of a perfect, holy, sinless Savior. Jesus paid all the punishments, even the torments of hell, for all the sins of mankind, on the cross. Because of this self-sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, God forgave us and accepted us as his forgiven, beloved children. And as Jesus arose from the dead and ascended into heaven, we will also be resurrected and will be in heaven with Jesus.

WE BELIEVE that in order to receive our forgiveness and eternal life, we must have faith. Faith means that we most honestly admit and are sorry for our sins committed against God and one another. Faith also means that we put all our hopes and trust in Jesus Christ and we most earnestly endeavor to live by the Ten Commandments.

WE BELIEVE that only the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, can create such true and genuine faith in our hearts. If we sincerely pray for it, the Holy Spirit certainly renews our spiritual life, makes us true believers and helps us to do God-pleasing good works.

WE BELIEVE that the Church is here on earth by the will of God. The only HEAD of the Church is Jesus Christ, and his faithful believers are its members. If we

I In Loving Memory of my wife, Regina

“HAVE THINE OWN WAY LORD, HAVE THINE OWN WAY”

Words in this poem are true and I pass them onto you,

In church and all the way home her last Sunday on earth—

Her favorite hymn my loved one sang;

Little did we know that in a few days a true meaning from that hymn rang.

There's no escape I keep hearing it all the time,

“Have Thine Own Way Lord" is always on my mind.

Did the Lord come to her aid to avert a tragedy and pain?

What is more tragic than death, truly I cannot explain.

Tired and weary did she in that hymn her God seek?

Honestly the Lord's countenance I believe she did see.

Recalling her last words to me said she to me, “I'm going to die”, Those words still bring tears into my eyes.

How and why did this tragedy happen to me?

Perhaps Dear Lord I had no right to question Your Way.

For answers I sought are still unanswered and went for naught.

His will and command we all must obey,

For in the Lord’s command we have no say.

A “Saint" she was not nor ever pretended to be,

Her life's cards she laid face up for all to see.

Thank you Lord for letting me share the very best years of her life.

Helping and doing for others was her shining glory;

For all that knew her that was her whole life’s story.

Never again Lord will I question your means and ways,

I'll go on living your way day to day. . , , .

Written by AL TOTH — 1980