February 2005
THE TRUTH OF CREATION—GENESIS 1 & 2: A SYNOPSIS
God created the heavens (of which there are three—2 Corinthians 12:2) and the earth (of which there is one.) The earth was formless and empty and darkness was over the surface of the deep. The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. God separated the light from the darkness and called them “day” and “night” and it was (and is) so. The evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, “Let there be an expanse separating waters above the expanse and the waters below. He called the expanse “sky.” And it was (and is) so. The evening and morning were the second day.
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. He called the dry ground “land.” The waters He called “seas.” And it was (and is) so. Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation, seed-bearing plants, and trees on the land that bear fruit with seeds in it, according to their various kinds. It was (and is) so. The evening and the morning were the third day.
And God said, “Let there be lights in the sky to separate day and night. Let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years. So God made the greater light (sun) to rule the day, and the lesser light (moon) to govern the night. He made the stars also. It was (and is) so. The evening and the morning were the fourth day.
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures (fish) and let the birds fly above the earth across the sky. So God created the creatures in the water after their kinds and all the birds after their kinds. And it was (and is) so. The evening and the morning were the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds. And it was (and is) so. Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, in Our likeness.” So God created man in His own image—male and female He created them. The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. Then God said, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. So He put Adam to sleep, took out one of his ribs, and made Eve. Adam said, “This is now bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh; she shall be called “woman” for she was taken out of man.” “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.” Adam named his wife Eve because she would become the mother of all living. And it was (and is) so. The evening and the morning were the sixth day.
A NEW BOOK ON EVOLUTION HAS HIT THE PRESS
An advocate of the book said, “The book should be adopted by all Christians. By holding to the 6-day story of Genesis, for instance, they back themselves into an ever-shrinking corner as science advances. But,” she added, “it won’t be easy to persuade conservative Christians of this.”
Jesus said, “I tell you the TRUTH, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And again, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by Me.” (John 3:3; 14:6) God has spoken in these last days by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification from sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:2-3)
WHEN YOU KNOW AND LOVE THE TRUTH, WHO NEEDS THE FALSE?
Lizetta Williams
THE DIRECTOR'S CORNER
Feedback is good. I was telling the Bible story to the K-2nd grade girls. It was about Joshua and the Israelites getting tricked into signing a peace treaty with the Gibeonites. To Joshua and his leaders, it seemed obvious at the time, so they didn’t even think to ask God about it. I was explaining to the kids that we have the Bible to go to that will tell us right from wrong. “What if you’re in a situation,” I asked them, “where no one seems to have a problem with cheating or lying? Will you just go along with that or will you open the Bible and see what God says?” I was feeling confident I had made my application when a worried 5-year old in the front row raised her hand. “Yes?” I asked her. “I can’t read,” she said. I had indeed taken something for granted. I thanked her, and we discussed ways NON-readers can learn God’s standard.
Just as mirrors are useful for our appearance, so feedback and reality checks are necessary for effective evangelism. I value my wife’s and coworkers’ feedback and also your views and advice for our ministry here.
A Legacy of Faithfulness Lives On
In honor of Black History Month, we remember Kathryn and Beatrice Jefferson—mother and daughter who faithfully attended BWC from 1971 until their deaths in 1992. Bea passed first and her mother followed six days later. Like many grandmothers and mothers in the world, their noble efforts go unrecognized and often answers to their prayers come after they have gone from this earth. Their legacy of faith is continuing to bless us here at BWC through the lives of a grandson and son, Ernest Jefferson and his wife, Susie and family—Blake, a senior in college, and Brandi a seventh grader.
One of the camp vans is parked at their home in Bourbonnais, IL. They use it to bring others from the Kankakee area with them to church on Sunday mornings and Susie brings a lively group of girls each Wednesday for Awana. (When his work schedule allows, another grandson of Kathryn’s, John Jefferson, Sr. drives the van on Monday nights.) Both Ernie and Susie attended Bible Witness Camp as children and are “giving back” for what God did in their lives here. Besides being an Awana leader, Susie is a substitute teacher for Sunday School. Ernie serves on the BWC board and teaches junior high boys in Sunday School. Both have helped out in summer camp.
Growing up, Ernie lived close
enough to walk to the camp.
The camp and the next road
north, where the Jefferson
homestead was, are both in the
area of Pembroke once known
as “North Hopkins.” He thinks
he started coming to Sunday
School at BWC when he was four or five years old, but when he was about seven years old, his grandmother, Kathryn Jefferson, and his mother, Beatrice Jefferson, stopped just sending Ernie and his siblings to church. They both started coming together to BWC for church. They also attended the Monday night women’s Bible class taught by Mrs. Lizetta Williams. Ernie got to come along. He remembers the Old Testament flannel graph lessons on the wilderness Tabernacle and working on Mailbox Club correspondence lessons. Thoughts of the after- school clubs on the camp buses with candy and donut treats bring a smile as Ernie remembers his youth.
Ernest as Technician
Summer Camp 1980
His memories go back to the original green cabins (all replaced by the current brown ones by 1975). “I was too young to come to overnight camp, but I knew all the verses and “Rev.” (affectionate name for the late Marshall Williams—BWC Director from 1955-2002) let me come along with my older brother, Donald. “That was when we had to say a full sheet of verses—front and back—all at one time,” he recalls. One of those summers at camp he describes himself as being a bad kid. “I was just running around being bad when my counselor, David McMillan, pulled me aside. We went to the cabin to talk. When he asked me if I were a Christian, I had no idea what he was talking about. He then explained salvation to me and I accepted Christ as my Savior.”
Some years later, school chums, Patrice Wellmaker and Carolyn Leonard, invited Susie to attend “camp.” [Camp means any activity one attends at BWC whether it’s church, weekday clubs, or summer camp.?] Actually, Susie attended them all and remembers Awana games in the basement of the white chapel and craft projects in the old green “recreation building” while attending summer camp in the brown cabins. “My first year of summer camp made a tremendous impact on me,” recalls Susie. “That’s where and when I accepted Christ as my personal Savior.”
Church memories for Susie include sitting next to the original “candy lady” each week whom she loved dearly—Ernie’s mother, Bea. She would also deliver letters that Ernie wrote to Susie. Both Ernie and Susie grew in grace as they attended camp. Ernie got in on the first year of Awana’s introduction here at BWC when he was in eighth grade. Then he fondly remembers the good teaching he received during his high school years at teen club under Dan Williams’ leadership. After high school, Ernest served in the United States Marine Corps (1982-1986), and on his last West Pacific tour, he served as a chaplain’s clerk.
There are sad personal memories for Ernest. His brother, Donald, was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1975. His Uncle Robert, working as a guard at a juvenile correctional facility, lost his life while on duty. So you can imagine the resistance on the part of Kathryn and Bea when the opportunity came up for Ernest to find employment at a correctional facility! However, God had not just a job, but a ministry in mind for him and Susie in the same line of work. In their current jobs as prison guards, both Ernie and Susie have opportunities to minister to the offenders as well as to other staff members. One particular offender—doing quite a long sentence for a murder—would be crying each night. When Ernie inquired about the problem, the person told of feeling that God could never forgive the crime. “Then you need to hear about a couple of people in the Bible,” Ernie said. This offender—now a new believer--has limited reading skills. But by asking the cellmate to read the scripture portions suggested by Ernie, growth in grace is taking place.
We give God the glory, and praise Him for the power of the gospel to change lives. Thank you, Kathryn and Bea for your examples of faith that are still bearing fruit.
Women’s Bible Class from around 1970
Clockwise from left: Margo Jefferson and child, Kathryn Jefferson,
Mrs. Daniel, Ethel Chappell, Beatrice Jefferson, Pearlie Cannon,
Mrs. Hamilton, Eliria Jefferson, Althea Daniel, Alfreta Daniel.
Do you have a history with BWC? Mission staff? Summer camp worker? Camper? Supporter? Prayer Warrior? We want to hear your story. Please send us your name and dates of attendance and/or service here to help us complete the history section of the web-site. For example, a surprise visit just after Christmas put us in touch with the Claude Wilson family whose daughters were born here at BWC in the old cottage we called “The Duchess!”
Dave and Becky McMillan; Lizetta, Mary, Mark and Karen Williams; Judy Chesebro;
Joji Barredo, Philippines; Trudie Hayon, Trinidad
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