8/12/2019 1990 Issue 9 - Appalachian Conference to Rebuild America - Counsel of Chalcedon

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ppalachian Conferenceto

Rebuild mericaSeminar Review

by S E Burns

For those of us serving in Churches where theScriptural mandate of reconstruction is denied andoften militantly opposed, the Appalachian Con-ference to Rebuild America is a pleasant day out ofthe trenches . The good Biblical teaching ande:x.hortations, interwoven with browsing among thenumerous book tables and renewing the bonds ofChristian fellowship may be the only R R manyof God's salt and light experience during the year.

The Friday night Home School Workshop featuredRobert L. Goette, a Phd . Chemist and member ofthe Associates for Biblical Research. Dr. Goette'stopic was teaching children science from a Biblical,Creation oriented perspective . Among other things,he discussed Mt. S t Helens and time, and thesignificance of the Grand Canyon to a Creationist

Dr Morton Smith ofGreenville PresbyterianTheological Seminaryopened the Saturdaymorning session with adevotional and prayer .Later he told about thework of the Seminarywhich he insists is theonly one in America thatrequires that its

professors engage andsubscribe annually to a Dr . Morton Smithstatement that reaffmnsthe inerrancy and infallability of Scripture and agreesthat the Westminster Standards are the system ofdoctrine taught in Scripture . In addition to trainingteaching elders, Greenville Seminary also trainsruling elders through a tape and correspondenceprogram.

The keynote speakers, Steve Schlissel and GeorgeGrant spoke on issues involving the Christianfamily. Steve Schlissel, a Hebrew Christian andChristian Reformed Church pastor from Brooklyn,New York described the unmaking of the family inmodem culture. Because the family is the basiccovenantal unit of a culture, rebellion against God'scovenant necessarily results in an unraveling of thefamily bonds and consequently the break up ofsociety. A rebellious society facing chaos will tumto tyranny because ''we can't live with chaos.Therefore cultures go from covenant to chaos totyranny to death. He said, It is at the point of lawviolation that the covenant is broken and unravelingbegins.

n the afternoon session , Pastor Schlissel spoke .

about hubands and fathers. He said that television isone of the greatest threats to Christians today . Ac-cording to him, TV is diabolical in its effects inneutering and rendering passive Christian men.''Schlissel said, We are a people at war withauthority , first with God and then with fathers. Wemust return to the model of the husband authored byGod in Scripture . Here are his pointers for theGodly husband:

What does it mean to love your wife?

1 Be affectionate with appropriate decorum.2 Pray for your wife.

3. Bless your wife.4 Instruct your wife .5. Encourage and commend your wife.6 Provide everthing for her soul and body.7. Seek your wife's help: Away with phony pride.8 Admonish your wife.9. Be an example. Nothing will contribute more to

your marriage than your own fear of God.10. Prove you can faithfully submit to God's Law.

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8/12/2019 1990 Issue 9 - Appalachian Conference to Rebuild America - Counsel of Chalcedon

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What does it mean to love your children?

1 Have a r ~ g u l rtime of worship with yourchildren. Read and discuss the Word and theC a t e c h l s m s ~Pray with and for them. 2. Train your children in exact obedience. Theymust learn to live by your will. .

3 Accompany training with explanation .4 Sl;tow children plain and urgent proofs fromScnpture. .5 Praise holy people,dispraise the wicked.6. Train children . toknow their place ncovenant history.7. Keep children fromungodly companions .8. Respect time.9. Practice hospitalitywith godly people.

-lO.Discipline according to need andoccasion.1 l.Be an Example.

'

Steve Schlissel

Noted author and speaker George Grant describedhow anti-family forces n society fight againstChristian values. _Mr Grant said that these forces,such as the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, lie andma;ru.pulate facts. They also appeal to ourmisguided sense of guilt, prejudice, andsensuousness. These forces seek to control thechcuitable organizations n a community. Mr. Granturged the crowd to look at who controls the socialservice provision netWork n their communities, Ist h ~church at the center or s it the radical, leftist,humanists who wish to bludgeon -the Christian faithout of x i s t e n c ~ ? .

;Mr Grant poirtted out, The benefactor of thepeople earns the heart of the people. Callingservanthood a forgotten Christian vocation, Mr.Grant said, If the Christian community is evergoing to have authority, we must serve . Money,manpower, and mailing lists are not the key todominion-- servanthood is. He exhorted the

Church to put its families to work as servants amongthe hurting.

1\lfr. Grant began his afternoon message by havingthe crowd sing what he said was our nationalanthern-- Amazing Grace . He then discussed theh ~ r t a ? c eof. n . c u l c a ~ ga sense of destiny .andVISlon m Cbristlan children. He called this ascriptural mandate for f a ~ e t s O n c ~ ; y o uhave

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taught the principle and p r e c ~ t sof God, there hasto be a practical context n which to comprehendthese principles. That context is History. ~added, Our legacy is rich but lost. He who forgetshis own history is condemned to repeat it. Heurged the conferees to dig righteous ruts inaccordance with James l :25 by teaching covenantchildren their historical legacy.

After the excellent lecture, there was a short time ofquestions and answers . Then it was time to dismissand go back to the trenches. As a fitting close to theconference, we stood and sang the grand old hymnof promise, Jesus Shall Reign.

This year's conference was a tremendous blessingon all levels. The teaching was excellent, the bookswere on sale, and the Christian fellowship wassweet and heaven scented . 0

Author Speaker George Grant (L) chatswith Pastor Doug Mills during a break

at the 1990 ACTRA conference.

CTR T PESAudio tapes for this year's conference canbe purchased for $3 .00 each :Rlus $2.00shipping and handling per orCier.

#1-- Schlissel The Family Covenant#2-- Schlissel Husbands, Fathers#3 - Grant The Family and the Church#4- Grant Family andSociety + Q&A

Video tapes are available for $18.00 plusshipping and handling.

To order contact: Mr. Al Clark721 Pennsylvania Ave.Bristol, 1N 37620

Tapes are also avaUable for the 19861989conferences featuring speakers such as

Rushdoony, Chilton, Morecrart, Lofton , etc.