February
Inside
Volume 32 No. 1
VillageSchools
oftheBible
TeachingGod’sWord&
TransformingLives
Thank You in Many Languages
Warren Coe, Execu ve Director Many years ago, I visited north‐
west Zaire and our church‐
supported missionaries. I also
preached at a pastor’s confer‐
ence in Kala, a mission sta on by
the banks of the then‐named
Zaire River (Congo River today).
My first memory was learning to
say “hello” in Lingala ‐ “Mbote.”
The other word, and more diﬃ‐
cult to remember, was
“Matondi” or “Thank you.”
Con nued on Page 2
Village Schools of the Bible
Winter - Spring 2015 Calendar Class Dates and Details on Page Five Short Courses Philippians – Living in Joy! Taught by Warren Coe
Wayzata Evangelical Free Church, Sunday mornings, April 12, 19 & 26
A Walk Through the New Testament Taught by Dr. Harvey Mar n
Philogian
VILLAGE SCHOOLS OF THE BIBLE The people at Kala were gracious.
Their par ng gi to me was a
chicken. It squawked, kicked and
tried to fly away. My host family
Grace Church, Eden Prairie, January 21 ‐ March 25
Virtual Tour of Israel Taught by Pastor Ryan Habbena
Village Center, Minnetonka Date to be determined
Prophecy Luncheon, Taught by Dr. Harvey Mar n Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Deephaven First & Third Thursdays
Burnsville Second & Fourth Wednesdays
Special Events Bondage of Islam and Freedom in Christ Village Center, Minnetonka Wednesday, March 4, 7:30 p.m
Village Schools of the Bible 2015 Celebra on and Gradua on Grace Church of Eden Prairie, May 3rd, 6:00 p.m.
Jerusalem’s King Feature film by Ryan Habbena ‐ theatrical release. Date to be determined.
Inside continued from page 1
taught me to receive the gi with
both hands extended—a respec ul
and apprecia ve way to receive a
gi . Then I said, “Matondi.”
Chris Gay once wrote that “Thank
you” are probably two of the most
powerful words you can use, no
ma er what language you
speak. When a person says “Thank
you” it communicates apprecia on.
It says, “I value you.”
The Village Schools of the Bible val‐
ues your support. In Hebrew we
say, Toda!
Because of you, we serve the local
churches in the greater Twin Ci es,
by teaching God’s Word and trans‐
forming lives. Merci!
How You Can Pray It is through you that Chris ans are
discovering God’s unfolding plan of
redemp on, from Genesis to Reve‐
la on. Danke! Your investment at VSB is trans‐
forming and equipping believers to
serve their churches. Spasibo!
Enjoy this “Thank You” edi on of
the Philogian.
Stay Connected! Visit our Website
villageschoolso hebible.org Subscribe to the blog and please
follow us on our Facebook page to
get encouraging posts and updates
on classes and special events.
Welcome back Trish Alcock Trish has returned to Village
Schools of the Bible to manage
the day‐to‐day financial records
and student registra ons. She
worked at VSB under both
Monty Sholund and Max Fra‐
zier and is excited to be back
again.
Trish grew up in South Africa
and immigrated with her family
Page 2
Please pray for Village Schools
of the Bible as we expand our
reach to teach God’s Word and
transform lives. Pray for open
doors.
Know that we love you and deeply
appreciate your encouragement,
gi s and prayers. Gracias! Staff News
She has considerable experi‐
ence in oﬃce administra on
and has worked at a number of
Chris an organiza ons both
here and in South Africa during
her career. She is also a gradu‐
ate of the VSB Cover‐to‐Cover
course.
Please pray for our teachers and
students in the Cover‐to‐Cover
Classes. Pray for God’s trans‐
forming power as students en‐
counter His Word during their
study. Alumni Survey Thank you to all who took our
on‐line Alumni Survey! Your
feedback will help us to reach our
mission to transform lives with the
Word of God.
Trish Alcock, VSB Registrar /Bookkeeper to the USA in 1998. She is married to
VSB board member, Warwick Alcock.
She has two married children and 4
grandchildren.
Others may receive the survey by
regular mail. Please help us out
and complete the survey and
return it to us by mail. Thank you
in advance!
Nancy Malchow
P H I L O G I AN
Alumni Survey Testimonies
My rela onship with the LORD grew stronger ‐ we became be er
friends. More faith ‐ more strength to grow in the right direc ons...
many things! My life has built on this class that I took years ago. This
class propelled me onto a greater experience with God. I recommend
it all the me! Amy Lunski
Theatrical Release Even as a survey, the major points of His‐Story were covered with
enough detail to make the Bible become more and more clear. One of
the most important features of the course was the assignments. That
alone was worth the cash spent ‐ the discipline, the permanent lessons
for life, and sharing our tes monies with others. I have a ended Bible
Survey classes before and didn't think I really needed to enroll in this
class, but I will be grateful for the rest of my life I did! Peter Gardner
It cemented my faith in Christ and gave me an even greater thirst to
know Him more. It truly was a life changing experience. Deb Mull
A feature‐ length drama c documentary which explores the grand story of redemp on, spanning from Eden to the New Jerusalem, with the land of Israel as the backdrop. A special viewing will be held for the alumni and friends of Village Schools of the Bible. Theatre and Date to be announced. Continued on page 11
Special Event Lecture
Bondage to Islam and Freedom in Christ Village Center 7:30 p.m., March 4, 2015 What is Islam? How does it diﬀer from Chris anity? A one me event for VSB family! Registra on informa on on page 5. Featured Speaker: Reuben David About Reuben: A former Visi ng Scholar with The Wilberforce Forum, the Chris an
worldview think tank founded by Charles Colson, Mr. Reuben David has
spoken in India and America. He has addressed media and religious
groups, including a remarkable session en tled, "Understanding Islam: Challenges to Democracy and Diversity," organized by the Associa on of
Muslim Social Scien sts in Washington, DC. He also has wri en on world
religions. Born and raised in India—home to Islam, Hinduism, and Bud‐
dhism—Reuben is well versed in the prac cal reali es of compara ve reli‐
gions today.
His first‐hand knowledge of religions, cults, and the compe ng philosophies and ideologies of our day has made him a
popular lecturer and seminar leader with university students and adult audiences alike. He is a regular discussion leader
on Hinduism at INSIGHT (Intensive Study of Integrated Global History & Theology) hosted by The Bethlehem Ins tute.
Mr. David holds masters’ degrees in mass media, psychology, and religion from Regent University in Alexandria, Virginia,
and from Bangalore University in India. A former professor of journalism at the North Central University in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, he currently divides his me between India and America.
Page 3
P H I L O G I AN
Evangelical Atheists
By Reuben David Some me ago I was at a de‐
bate at the University of Min‐
nesota where two interes ng
speakers took on the subject
of “Can we be good without
God.” Ever since 9/11, the
subject of religion and God
has come under intense public
scru ny. This debate was one
such scru ny. Dan Barker, a former
evangelical pastor turned atheist
apologist, argued that there is no
scien fic evidence for God and that
God is not necessary for human
morality. In his latest book, God‐
less: How an Evangelical Preacher
Became One of America’s Leading
Atheists, he shares his story of con‐
version to atheism and how we
could live without God. Countering
Barker’s points was Dinesh D’sou‐
za, author of What’s So Great
about Chris anity. D’Souza remind‐
ed the audience of nearly 1,500‐
plus students that modern day sci‐
ence is based on three faith‐based
proposi ons: the universe is ra on‐
al, the universe is not only ra onal
but also lawful, and the ra onality
of the universe mirrors the ra on‐
ality within our own minds.
Barker, who is also the co‐
president of the Freedom From
But today’s
atheists—fierce,
passionate
and driven by
missionary zeal—
are proclaiming a
new way of living:
A life without God.
Religion Founda on (FFRF), tried
his best to persuade the audience
to consider the bankruptcy of reli‐
gion and God. There was the
preacher in him coming out when
he held the Bible and read a few
verses poin ng out the absurdi es,
inconsistencies and violence. Now,
this is fascina ng. Not many athe‐
ists of the old were enthusias c let
alone passionate in spreading a
passion for atheism. But today’s
atheists—fierce, passionate and
driven by missionary zeal—are pro‐
claiming a new way of living: A life
without God. A society without reli‐
gion. A world without faith. But is
this possible?
While everybody is en tled to
opinion, not everybody is en tled
to facts. Barker’s idea may be ap‐
pealing to the Western world
where only a frac on of the world’s
popula on resides. Believers in
God are plenty and the majority of
them live outside the West
(although God is s ll popular in the
West). For the millions of people
who share this earth, no amount of
Continued on Page 6
What They are Saying...
About VSB’s recent Special Event Lecture with JoAnn Magnuson, Israel: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow “Thank you! I was truly blessed by my me there. I have had the privilege of
hearing JoAnn speak to our Navigator class at Wayzata Free Church on more
than one occasion and she never ceases to amaze me! Thank you for your
good work at Village Schools. Tom & Mary Ann Dahlquist
“Thank you so much for having Jo Ann Magnuson come to talk to us. I was
so enthused and excited with her knowledge—she could have talked for
another hour and I’m sure no one would have le . She gave insight to the
truths the media does not—things our Father wants made known. Thank
you for bringing such people to Village Schools of the Bible for us.
Rose Ann M.
Page 4
P H I L O G I AN
Winter/Spring 2015 Class Schedule
Cover to Cover Cover‐to‐Cover Bible Survey courses are in progress at the following churches: 111 Students Registered!
Berean Bap st Church, Burnsville
8 Campuses
Bethel Bap st Church, Mendota
Fall Enrollment Sta s cs Berean Bap st
Bethel Bap st Dassel Covenant Downtown Women’s Five Oaks Maple Plain Community River of Life
Woodridge Other Short Classes Over 250 Par cipants!
Heights
Dassel Covenant Church, Dassel
Five Oaks Church, Woodbury
River of Life Church, Has ngs
Maple Plain Community Church
Woodridge Church, Medina
Why Study Cover‐to‐Cover Bible Survey at VSB? You will discover God’s unfolding
plan of redemp on from Genesis to
Revela on. In finding God’s story of
redemp on, you will discover the
story He wants to write in your life.
Philippians ‐ Living in Joy! People want to be happy. You want to be
happy and I want to be happy. We know
a li le bit about what makes the world
happy‐but what makes Chris ans happy?
This ques on is answered in Living in Joy:
the Source, Secrets and Experience of
Joyful Living in Everyday Life. Living in Joy
is about searching God’s Word in Philippi‐
ans for God’s joy. No fee.
Instructor: Pastor Warren Coe
Wayzata Free Church 9:00a.m. & 10:45a.m., Sunday
Mornings (3weeks) Starts April 12
River of Life, Has ngs 9:00am, Sunday Mornings
(4 weeks) Starts May 3
A Walk through the New Testament Grace Church Eden Prairie
6:30 ‐ 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays
Through March 25
We look forward to another great
enrollment this winter and spring!
Celebra on & Gradua on Sunday, May 3, 6:00PM
Please join us in
congratula ng our VSB
gradua ng students on
a job well done!
Cover‐to‐Cover students
who have successfully
completed both Old and
New Testament courses by
this spring will receive their
diploma at this special event.
Enjoy special worship music,
Speaker: VSB Exec. Director
and teacher, Warren Coe.
graduates and dessert.
Grace Church of Edina
Page 5
When Can I start? Cover‐to‐Cover Bible Survey
Old Testament will start in late Au‐
gust and early September 2015.
Please check our website or the
Philogian to learn of a class coming
to your area.
To register, please see our website: www.villageschoolso hebible.org Ques ons? Call 952‐540‐9460 or email: contact@villageschoolso hebible.org To find out about our current oﬀerings, please see our website and follow us on Facebook www.facebook/villageschoolso hebible Bondage of Islam and Freedom in Christ Village Center, Minnetonka VSB Lecture Event, Free Will Oﬀering Wednesday, March 4, 7:30 p.m.
Instructor: Reuben David
Limited sea ng, please register.
See page 3 for full class descrip on.
Prophecy Luncheon Bring a lunch, coﬀee provided. Teachings on topics related to Bible
prophecy and current events.
Free‐will oﬀering.
Instructor: Dr. Harvey Mar n, Ph. D.
11:30 – 1:00 p.m.
New South Loca on! Star ng date and loca on to be
announced soon.
2nd & 4th Wednesdays of the month.
Grace Evan. Lutheran‐Deephaven
1st & 3rd Thursdays of the month.
P H I L O G I AN
Evangelical Atheists continued from page 4
“Within the next 30 years,
one-third of China’s
population could be
Christian, making China
one of the largest Christian nations in the world.
scien fic evidence or reason is ca‐
pable enough to shake the deeply
entrenched and lively belief in God
that marks their everyday life.
One of the key arguments the new
evangelical atheists—men like
Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Den‐
ne , Richard Dawkins, Michael
Shermer, Sam Harris and others—
have been raising is that religion is
dangerous and poisonous to socie‐
ty. They are echoing the utopian
For the millions
of people who share
this earth, no amount
of scientific evidence
or reason is capable
enough to shake the
deeply entrenched and
lively belief in God
that marks their
everyday life.
world that John Lennon sang about
in “Imagine.” This is a complete
misunderstanding of religions
across the world. Except for a small
number of religious fana cs, the
Page 6
rest of the religious people in the
world are to a greater degree living
in rela ve calm. The technological
sophis ca ons of the 21st digital
century have not dampened reli‐
gious revivals across the world. Re‐
ligion is growing like wildfire today
as never before. Religion thrives in
underground churches of China,
par cularly Chris anity as former
Time journalist David Aikman re‐
counts in his book, Jesus in Beijing.
Aikman predicts, “Within the next
30 years, one‐third of China’s pop‐
ula on could be Chris an, making
China one of the largest Chris an
na ons in the world. These Chris‐
ans could also be China’s leaders,
guiding the largest economy in the
world.” In Nigeria, both Islam and
Chris anity are growing rapidly.
India has never witnessed a decline
in religion, and it’s doub ul it ever
will because religion and God are
part and parcel of Indian life.
This does not mean people outside
the West are intellectually lacking
or simply indulgent in blind faith.
Or at worst delusional, as Oxford
biologist and prominent atheist
Richard Dawkins notes in his best‐
selling book, “The God Delusion.”
But rather believers in God world‐
wide have integrated God seam‐
lessly into their lives without caving
into atheism even though life is not
fair, ques ons abound aplenty and
God never seems to grant His ap‐
pearance at every whim and fancy.
Belief in God or theism
enjoys the world’s
highest converts.
The reason is simple: Every human
being breathes air to live and yet
nobody gets to see it. It is invisible.
Yet they believe the air exists. We
might say, well, we can feel the air.
But so is God, many feel Him
though they don’t see Him.
Belief in God or theism enjoys the
world’s highest converts. Billions
believe in God without anybody
convincing them of God’s exist‐
ence. Why is this so strange and yet
so real and prevalent? The subject
of God, contrary to what the athe‐
ists have come to believe, is re‐
freshingly alive in the minds of mil‐
lions.
Reuben David will be our guest speaker on
March 4, 2015 at the Village Center.
Support Village
Schools of the Bible
Did you know that 80% of our
student costs are paid for by dona‐
ons? It is the goal of Village
Schools of the Bible to make our
classes aﬀordable for everyone.
If tui on assistance is needed, we
also oﬀer par al and full scholar‐
ships for qualifying students.
By dona ng financially, you are
making it possible for Village
Schools of the Bible to teach God’s
Word and transform lives.
P H I L O G I AN
Unceasing Prayer
By Thomas Klein, Student Essay Woven throughout the fabric of
scripture is the message that God
loves his people. One of the most
prominent threads is the one indi‐
ca ng God intended to, and will in
eternity, always be with his people.
The conven onal hermeneu c of
Genesis 3:8 consistently focuses on
the second half of the verse where
“the man and his wife hid them‐
selves from the presence of the LORD.” However, if we consider the
first half of the verse we see a
diﬀerent picture and it could be
argued that “God walking in the garden in the cool of the day” was a
common occurrence in the pre‐
fallen rela onship between God
and Adam.
To be sure, the first proposi on of
this verse is “they heard the sound of the Lord God walking.” The im‐
plica on here is the sound was fa‐
miliar to them. Given the conversa‐
on that follows, it is fair to as‐
sume God walked in fellowship
with Adam and Eve. Thus, their fel‐
lowship included direct face‐to‐
face communica on. Inherent to
the fall was the severing of the in ‐
macy Adam and Eve enjoyed with
God. The sin in the garden wrought
havoc on the rela onship. God and
man would s ll speak with one an‐
other but the terms of the rela on‐
ship had changed. The means of
communica on had also changed.
The great narra ves in scripture
point to a God who ini ates rela‐
onship with his chosen ones. God
is the author and the ones whom
he works through are the charac‐
ters in his story. While there are
Page 7
many stories of God speaking di‐
rectly to, or through an angel to,
someone, the norma ve communi‐
ca on through much of scripture is
through prayer.
Paul closed his first le er to the
Thessalonians by giving them some
final instruc ons which included
what he knew was norma ve be‐
havior for those who knew the liv‐
ing God. To pray without ceasing is
to be in constant communica on
with God. Paul had learned to do
this. Paul had come to learn that
Jesus regularly sought communion
with his Father in heaven through
prayer.
In this regard, to pray without ceasing is evidence of an ongoing
dependence on God. If mankind
could no longer walk with God in
the Garden then walking with God
in life through prayer became the
means of maintaining and growing
in in macy with God.
Now all of this begs the ques on:
What does pray without ceasing
have to do with the Return of Jesus
(1 Thessalonians) and Doing the
work of Jesus un l he returns? (2
Thessalonians)
Paul charged the Church at Thessa‐
lonica to “walk in a manner wor‐
thy of God.” (1Thes 2:12) Prior to
the fall it is assumed Adam was
walking in righteousness with God.
The fall does not change the nor‐
mality of walking with God. To be
sure, the fall actually became the
defini ve event making it abnormal
to be apart from God.
In concluding his second le er to
the Church, Paul wrote to his
brothers, “do not grow weary in doing good.” (2 Thes 3:13) Paul
may have been the first person
a er Jesus to evidence prayer as
the an dote to weariness.
The purpose of this reflec on is to
demonstrate Paul’s admoni on to
pray without ceasing was in fact a
summary statement of what he
knew men had done throughout all
of redemp ve history. Prayer was
Continued on Page 8
P H I L O G I AN
Unceasing Prayer continued from page 7
the means by which people had
walked with God.
Prayer was also the remedy to the
weariness that would result from
doing good for the Lord’s sake.
Paul knew the Torah and the story
of Abraham. Paul also knew the
history of Israel and he would have
known the pleadings of people,
prophets and kings to God.
Paul would have been familiar with
Jehoshaphat’s prayer to God refer‐
ring to “the descendants of Abra‐
ham your friend?” (2 Chronicles
20:7) It was Abraham who asked
God, “would you sweep away the righteous with the wick‐
ed?” (Genesis 18:23) prior to the
destruc on of Sodom. In similar
fashion, while Moses was on the
mountain communing with God,
their conversa on was interrupted
when God told Moses about the
golden calf. Moses implored God to
turn from his anger and to remem‐
ber the covenant He (God) had
made with Abraham, Isaac and Ja‐
cob. (Exodus 32)
As Paul thought through the whole
of scripture, he must have consid‐
ered all those who prayed without ceasing. The precedent for con‐
stant prayer is evident in Jabez call‐
ing on the God of Israel that he
might be bless him and be with him
and keep him from all harm… And God granted what he asked. (1
Chron 4:3)
King Artaxerxes was willing to send
Nehemiah to Judah a er Nehemiah
“prayed to the God of heav‐
en.” (Nehemiah 2:4) Presumably he
prayed silently seconds before he
Page 8
presented his request to the king.
Nehemiah was praying while in the
midst of a discussion.
It is conceivable that Nehemiah
was a spiritual hero to Paul. A er
all, Nehemiah had rebuilt the walls
of Jerusalem under great cri cism
and opposi on. Yet Nehemiah was
not deterred. Whether the author
was Ezra or Nehemiah, we are told,
“And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protec on against them day and night.”
(Nehemiah 4:9)
trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shall glorify me.” (Psalm
50:15) when he cried out to Jesus,
“Lord, save me.” (Ma 14:30)
Furthermore, in part, David must
have been considered a man a er
God’s own heart because of prayer.
Throughout the Psalms we see evi‐
dence of ceaseless prayer. David
asked God to “Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.” (Psalm 4:1)
He asked God to “Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Give a en on to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.” (Psalm
5:1‐2)
The case could be made that the
whole of Psalms is one ongoing
prayer in which the rela onship
with God is where David finds his
refuge. (Psalm 16:1)
Paul’s exhorta on to pray without ceasing is evidenced in the pro‐
phe c words of Isaiah when he
wrote, “Yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12)
John Piper once referred to the
book of Job as the best example of
bad theology with regards to Job’s
friends. Case in point, Eliphaz tried
to suggest that the cause of Job’s
suﬀering was Job’s wickedness. Yet
Job responded, “I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. (Job 23:4) Clearly,
Job was a man of ceaseless prayer.
The Psalms are saturated with
prayers of praise and supplica on.
Surely Peter must have known of
the cry “Call upon me in the day of Jeremiah had prayed for under‐
standing (chapter 32) and then the
word of the LORD came to him say‐
ing: Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and hid‐
den things that you have not known. (Jeremiah 33:3)
This ceaseless prayer of God’s
prophets is also seen in Daniel’s
prayer for his people when he la‐
mented: O Lord, hear; O Lord, for‐
give. O Lord, pay a en on and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and Continued on Page 11
P H I L O G I AN
Song of Solomon
by Elizabeth Halverson, Student Essay Song
of Solomon starts out with a
great picture of love itself. 1:2 “for
your love is sweeter than wine”.
The song con nues on and talks
about the girl who is insecure
about being diﬀerent from other
women, but Solomon loved her
anyway, he thought she was spe‐
cial, and he complimented her, tell‐
ing her that she was a “lily among
thistles”. He was speaking encour‐
agement and apprecia on for her,
loving words are very important in
a rela onship. (2:7) tells us that we
shouldn’t hurry the feelings of love,
we need to wait pa ently for the
love to grow with commitment.
Solomon and the girl celebrate
their joy and are able to ignore the
“li le foxes” or irritants in their
rela onship.
In chapter 4, Solomon and his girl
are admiring and praising each oth‐
er. Solomon is also praising her
virginity. God created sex and in ‐
macy, and they are holy and good
when enjoyed in marriage. The
love between Solomon and his
bride did not diminish in intensity
a er their wedding night. Devo‐
on and commitment was a key to
their rela onship, just as they
should be in our rela onships with
our spouses and God. The couple’s
marriage grew, but so also did
some diﬀerences, causing some
stress, trouble and a brief separa‐
on in their marriage. The wife
went searching for Solomon to
save their rela onship. Today our
marriages tend to lose their sparkle
as we let in the stresses of the out‐
Page 9
8:8 the girl is reflec ng on her past
and realized that it is because of
her morality, that she was favored
in Solomon’s eyes. The girl had her
own vineyard and gave Solomon
it’s fruits. Marriage has no private
property, everything is shared.
There should be no selfishness.
side world. We need to take me
remember our commitment to
each other and to God, and make
me and posi ve changes, to re‐
new the sparkle, and help the love
grow even deeper.
Solomon considers his wife his
friend. In a healthy marriage,
spouses are friends, not just lovers.
Friendship takes me, but it makes
love grow stronger. The girl and
Solomon gave themselves to each
other only, a complete union of
mind, heart, and body. Solomon
had access to many women, but his
love for this girl did not diminish
since their wedding night. The girl
loves Solomon so much, that she
wishes that she could show in with
public displays of aﬀec on.
The faithfulness in our marriages
should reflect God’s faithfulness to
us. Throughout the song, Solomon
and the girl praise the beauty, both
physical, personality, and moral
that they see in each other. They
were commi ed to each other.
Romance keeps a marriage fun and
interes ng, but commitment keeps
the romance from dwindling away.
A husband and wife honor God
when they love and enjoy each
other.
In 8:6 the final descrip on of their
love includes the characteris cs:
love is as strong as death, it cannot
be killed by me or disaster, and
cannot be bought for any price,
because it is freely given. Love is
priceless and even the richest king
cannot buy it. Love must be ac‐
cepted as a gi from God and then
shared within God’s guidelines. In
P H I L O G I AN
The Walk on the Emmaus
By Sue Gjertsen, Student Essay Luke 24:13‐35
The tomb of Jesus had been found
open and the body of Jesus was
gone. Our savior was now resur‐
rected; this had been prophesied
long ago and Jesus had also told his
disciples this would happen before
his death. The people who had
observed the empty tomb and
those who had heard about it were
very confused. This passage in
Luke is about two men who walked
to the village called Emmaus to‐
gether (about seven miles from
Jerusalem), a er Jesus’s resurrec‐
on. These two discouraged disci‐
ples traveled home a er watching
this terrible event. I believe that
these men were probably friends
who had known each other for a
long me, who had lived close to
one another. This long account is
only told in the book of Luke, and is
not men oned in Ma hew or John.
It is only slightly men oned in Mark
(Mark 16:12, 13).
These two men walked along the
road and talked about everything
Page 10
that had been happening. The cru‐
cifixion must have been horrific for
these men to watch. They must
have shared their thoughts and
feelings about what happened. As
they were talking, “Jesus himself
came up and walked along with
them; but they were kept from rec‐
ognizing him.” (Luke 24:15,16)
The two disciples told the
stranger about “Jesus of
Nazareth; …the chief priests
and their ruler handed him
over to be sentenced to
death, and they crucified
him.” (Luke 24:20)
The two disciples told the stranger
about “Jesus of Nazareth; …the
chief priests and their ruler handed
him over to be sentenced to death,
and they crucified him.” (Luke
24:20) They also shared with this
stranger that they had hoped that
Jesus was the person who would
redeem Israel. The two men were
so disappointed that Jesus was not
the Messiah as they had hoped he
was. As they approached the vil‐
lage of Emmaus, Jesus acted as
though he was going to con nue
on his journey farther. The men
urged him to “stay with us, for it is
nearly evening, the day is almost
over.” (Luke 24:29) Jesus stayed
with them. When they sat down to
eat, “Jesus took the bread, gave
thanks, broke it and began to give
it to them.” (Luke 24:30) At that
moment, their eyes were opened
and they knew that Jesus was with
them and he disappeared from
their sight. (Luke 24:31) The men
hurried back to Jerusalem to share
(with the Eleven and others) their
story about how Jesus had been
resurrected for they had seen Him
with their own eyes.
A significant truth that I discovered
as I read this story, is about how
Christ wants believers to know
Scripture of the Old and New Tes‐
tament. For those of us that have
the knowledge of Christ’s crucifix‐
ion, we can spread that knowledge
and share our faith with those who
do not know Him. In doing so, oth‐
ers may come to know Jesus.
Scripture also helps us in our daily
lives and to focus on eternity.
These two men traveling together
could not recognize Christ. These
men were kept from recognizing
him (Luke 24: 16). I’m not sure
that Christ kept them from recog‐
Continued on Page 12
P H I L O G I AN
Unceasing Prayer continued from pages 7 and 8
your people are called by your name. (Daniel 9:14)
Finally, Joel in calling the people to
repentance wrote: And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved…and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls. (Joel 2:32)
At the me Paul wrote to the Thes‐
salonians, his scriptural lens was
our Old Testament.
While he may have heard the sto‐
ries of how much Jesus prayed he
would have come to understand
the ceaseless prayers of Jesus in
the context of the ceaseless pray‐
ers of the scriptures that he knew
at the me. Jesus as a man dis‐
played the same behavior Paul
would have known about in other
men of God. Mee ng the risen
Christ must have cemented in his
mind the need for ceaseless prayer.
POSTSCRIPT In 1977 a er spending two months
in Israel and several weeks travel‐
ing through Greece, Crete and Italy
I went to L’abri Fellowship in
Huemoz, Switzerland. I was a stu‐
dent there for just over the sug‐
gested three month stay. While I
went there with the inten on of
Seeking answers to deep seeded
intellectual ques ons about the
existence of God I found there
were far more important ma ers
that were addressed. To be sure,
I came to understand some of the
classical arguments for the exist‐
ence of God.
Francis Schaeﬀer’s Presupposi on‐
al Apologe cs was exactly what I
needed a er spending 2 years in a
secular university. Yet on a deeply
personal level the most important
thing I studied while at L’abri were
lectures related to prayer. I came
to learn from Schaeﬀer, the reason
people pray so li le is this: They
don’t really believe God is who he
says He is. If people really believed
God is the God of the Bible, they
would pray a lot more. They would
in fact live a life of prayer. They
would live as Paul wrote to the
Thessalonians, they would pray without ceasing.
I think I have read Prac cing the Presence of God ,by Brother Law‐
rence, to my wife over 100 mes in
the last 5 years. Prayer and life
were one and the same to the
monk. As I’ve shared in a previous
reflec on, Prayer is what sustains
me in life.
I agree with C.S. Lewis when he
writes, “We must lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us.” (From Le ers to Malcolm,
p22)
Alumni Testimonies cont. from page 3
Volunteers Needed!
Warren Coe is an excep onal teacher. He knows the Bible and
Are you able to volunteer your me and talents?
We’d love your help! Please call 952‐540‐9460.
He knows Church History/Chris an Doctrine. He truly is interest‐
ed in his student's progress. Wri ng the papers was invaluable.
THE Best approach for this type of class designed for lay people.
Thomas Klein
The most significant thing I took away from the class was the revelation that God is truly a wonderful, Holy and glorious being.
Frank Magnoski
I learned so much I did not know before and it created a hunger
within me to search the scriptures even more.
Karleen Sime
Volunteers Hang the White Boards at The Village Center. Page 11
P H I L O G I AN
The Walk on the Emmaus Road
continued from page 10
nizing him or if their human minds
caused them to not see Jesus. The
two men were not expec ng to see
Jesus. It didn’t occur to them that
this was Him, since Jesus was dead.
I know that there are mes in my
life that God is there with me and I
don’t recognize him working in my
life‐‐‐I’m not expec ng God. I am
blind to him, as these two men
were. I only see what I want to
see. My personal desires, idols,
fears and hurts get in the way.
I also desire to see
These truths impact my own per‐
sonal walk with Christ as I some‐
mes am also “foolish” and do not
see the evidence that God has di‐
rected me to see. The two men on
the road to Emmaus, could not see
that Jesus was the Messiah‐‐‐‐and
were confused about what they
God in my daily life,
and open my eyes
to seek his will in the good
and bad times.
thought they knew. They had
hoped Jesus was the real Messiah
and that he would redeem Israel.
These two men thought that this
hope was ended when Jesus was
crucified (not thinking he could be
the Messiah), but did not under‐
stand prophesy that Jesus would
die and rise again.
I also, need to remember these
truths. God is always at my side,
yet I o en don’t acknowledge him.
CTC New Testament Classes at Maple Plain (Above) and Berean Bap st (Below) Page 12
I some mes don’t reach out to him
and speak with him. I don’t seek
out God as my refuge and my
strength as much as I should.
There are mes that I don’t think
about asking for his wisdom and
guidance in all that I do. I have the
opportunity to share my faith with
others, but I find some excuse not
to share. I need to focus on what
God would have me do, not what I
want to do. I need to allow God to
lead and guide me and not become
a stranger to me. I also desire to
see God in my daily life and open
my eyes to seek his will in the good
and bad mes. It’s easy to run to
God in the bad mes but not as
easy to run to him in the good
mes also. I will keep my eyes
open.
Dr. Harvey Mar n (Above) Warren Coe (Below) Highlights of the 2014 Christmas Open House
Page 13
P H I L O G I AN
Thank You to our Faithful Ministry Partners!
Abrams, Dwight & Kaye
Adams, Steve
Alcock, Warwick &Trish
Andersen, Gordon & Pat
Anderson, Barbara & Dennis
Anderson, Becky & Bruce
Anderson, Clarence & Vivian
Anderson, Stan & Jean
Autry, Joyce
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Blank Family Founda on
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Brown, David & Reba
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Bye, Del
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Coe, Megan
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Conquering King Fellowship
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Daniels, Tim & Diane
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Dewey, Mary
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FEBRUARY
Ellingson, Jodi
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Erhard, Angela
Erlandson, Rick & Patricia
Evans, Richard & Olivia (Chelly)
Faith Hope Love Ministries
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Fredin, Joan & Gerald
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Ko la, Gordon
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La , Daniel & Karen
La , Janet
La , Joseph & Rachel
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Luoma, Roger & Jan
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Miller, Carroll & Becky
Moore, Richard Gary & Taunya
Mower, William & Sara
Munson, Barry & Christy
Murphy, Bill & Joan C.
Na onal Chris an Founda on
Neufeld, Lillian
Niskanen, James & Sharon
Norman, Bert & Lyn
Oakdale Church
Odom, Bill & Cheryl
Olson, Barbara & Gerald
Olson, Donald L & Kaye
Olson, Gen
Ortquist, Marvin & Donna
Osterby, Jeanne
Paulson, Timothy & Candace
Pawlak, Steven
Pederson, Edward & Dianne
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Peterson, Roger & Mary
Peterson, Roger P. & Melanie
Pilcher, Virgil & Susan
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Prefer, Bill & Colleen
Preisler, Mary & Michael
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Robbins, Brent
Roberts, Jr., Charles & Lydia
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Ross, Robert & Barbara
Ryks, Jerry & Margery
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Schulz, Rachelle
Seanor, Adelle
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Smith, Edward & Janet
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Sorensen, Bev
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Taylor, Jim & Jan
TCF Founda on
Tengwall, Howard
Thomas, Daniel & Melissa
Thompson, Bill & Patrice
Tormanen, Eugene & Katherine
Tosse, Darin & Kris ne
Tungseth, D. Clarke & Iris
Underdal, Stephen & Sarah
Vassar, John & LuAnn
VerPloeg, Gladys
Vetvick, Dennis & Shirley
Villars, Jim & Pamela
Visscher, Alvin & Elaine
Wayzata E. Free Church
Webb, Gary & Cyndi
Wehling, Reuel J. & Colleen
Wester, Merle & Eleda
Wheeler, Sco & Roberta
Wilkes, Be y
Wilks, Robert & Joyce
Wood, James & Dorothy Payne
Yaeger, Judy & David
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Zimmerman, Fred & Kay
Zischke, Deloris
Page 14
Thank you to our volunteers who helped assemble
the new Inter-and New Testament Cover-to-Cover books!
Our Mission
At Village Schools of the Bible, we exist to teach God’s Word and transform lives. We are a discipleship ministry
built upon the teaching of God’s Word.
Teens, adults, lay people, and church
leaders par cipate in classes at Village
Schools of the Bible.
Our school buildings are church
campuses around the Twin Ci es.
Our teachers are skilled, experienced,
and godly men and women.
Our goal is to encourage you to grow, to
be familiar with all of the Bible, and
to become equipped to serve the Lord
in knowing His Word and His Will for
your life!
Page 15
We invite our Village Schools of the Bible family to join us in reading through the Bible in the new year. Go to our website for details and sign up for daily reading assignments
by email or follow us on Facebook.
Psalm 119:105 declares, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to
my path.” James 1:21 says, “Therefore put away all filthiness and
rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word,
which is able to save your souls.”
God’s Word is God’s power and God’s power is God’s Word. Join us in
reading through God’s Word in 2015. It will be a great year!
Luke 24:6
“ He
is not here, but has risen.”
He is Risen Indeed!
P H I L O G I AN
Village Schools of the Bible
Non Profit
13815 Ridgedale Drive
Organization
Minnetonka, MN 55305
U.S. Postage
(952) 540-9460
PAID
[email protected]
ss
a
l
Bc
S
a V 15 !
e
k
Ta in 20
Village Schools of the Bible
You are invited to the Village Schools of the Bible
2015 Celebration & Graduation
Sunday, May 3, 2015
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Grace Church of Eden Prairie
Worship Music, Speaker: VSB Executive Director, Warren Coe,
Graduates and Dessert
Come Celebrate what God has Done!
Village Schools Alumni! When was the last time you took a VSB class?
Rediscover the transforming power of God’s Word. Dive into a class this year!
Bible survey classes are discounted for you! See what other special classes we oﬀer!