We are in a new year that is very challenging and somewhat strifeful, but yet hopeful in the process. We look to accomplishing new things this year, but only in the Lord. Please pray for our CGF School of Prayer & Bible College ministry. We are still in the process of developing the groundwork. We seek to glorify God alone and not our own opinions and beliefs, etc. We seek to re-establish our original Christian founding in our School & Bible College which can help students develop a solid Biblical worldview from Genesis to Revelation, trusting in God alone as the Ultimate Teacher, not men and their textbooks, etc. God’s authority (Himself and His Word) no longer exists in the majority of the schools and universities, etc. of America today. Much true Christian teaching may still be taught today but the heart is left unchanged spiritually while the intellect of the mind continues to advance apart from God. Here’s some interesting insight about the American Vision ministry from their website (americanvision.org) in part two: "America is losing this Biblical foundation" that we, Christians, can and must all relate to and acknowledge:"Things began to change, however, when Christians allowed enlightenment thinking and higher criticism to infiltrate our universities and seminaries. Once thoroughly Christian colleges like Yale and Harvard gradually slid far away from their noble Christian purpose of educating men to advance the Kingdom of Christ. By 1925, the Theory of Evolution effectively replaced Biblical Creation in government schools. Christians retreated from the public sphere. Meanwhile, the Scofield Bible was propagating a new view on Bible prophecy called dispensationalism. This view took the emphasis away from the work of Christ and His Kingdom and focused on the nation of Israel. It also taught that the world would grow darker and darker before Christ returned and rescued a few remaining Christians from utter defeat." We need a revival in our hearts before we can be properly educated God’s way according to His divine Word.

     "Faith which worketh by love" is God’s way of telling us what exactly makes true faith work. (Gal. 5:6) I Corinthians 13:13 teaches us that the greatest of these which are faith, hope and charity is charity. When we become too busy in ministry, etc. to slow down with God, we work in the energy of our flesh which produces a faith that is false and void of God’s love, dishonors our Lord and hinders the real work He desires to do through us. A person once wrote George Muller and asked him: "Could you tell me how faith is developed?" George Muller’s reply was: "Faith is developed (or increased) by clinging to the Word of God, looking for its fulfillment in the time of need, expecting the answer to prayer, and doing this in spite of all contrary appearances." (Autobiography of George Muller: A million and a half in answer to prayer by George Muller, p. 674) Even though love or charity is not mentioned here, it is evident that love is the motivating factor which could only activate such a kind of faith bringing about its fruition. Love is the foundation of faith while the foundation of love is the Word of God. The foundation of His Word is God Himself.

     A faith which works by flesh produces nothing spiritual and unique because God who is love (I John 4:8, 16) is not properly founded and paid attention to in the heart resulting in a wrong view of God’s Word and a lack of the real love of God which can only activate our faith to bring Him honor and glory only. Remember God is love, but love is not God. It comes from Him as a gift. (I John 4:19) When God is properly founded in our hearts, as our first foundation, love from Him is given to us as a gift and in return with a humble heart of graditude this special new love we receive in our hearts is expressed to God by loving Him alone for who He is, by paying attention to what He says in His Word, and by working out our own salvation which He first worked in us. (Phil. 2:12-13) This leads to true faith which worketh by love, not by flesh or by the works of the law. These are some extremely important things we need to consider and meditate on daily as we go through this new year. Let’s examine ourselves and seek to avoid to use the daily demands of ministry work and family life, etc. to keep our distance from some of the deeper issues that ultimately matter most and provide us with the most fundamental context for understanding our work and doing family life, etc. right for the glory of God alone! May God richly bless us, guide us, and preserve us as we take one step at a time, making the most of what really matters in this temporal life for all eternity this new year and forever more.

Peace, love in Christ,

Brother Matthew C. Altman