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 Bible
Fund is committed to distributing Bibles freely in developing countries.
The Fund also supports educational development, humanitarian services
such as clothing distribution, relief aid, medical and entrepreneurial
projects to encourage self-support for the local churches of the Igreja
de Deus Mundial em Angola (IDM).
This commitment of purpose
is based on the example of our Leader and Master. Our supreme example,
Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
not only preached his message of Good News of the coming Kingdom of
God to the poor, but He also fed them physical food when they were
hungry. In Mark's account of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, we
read that "Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and
was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not
having a shepherd. So he began to teach many things" (Mark 6:34).
Later in the same chapter,
we read that the disciples wanted to send the people away, but Jesus
said, "You give them
something to eat." Later on in his ministry, He said that many
of these people followed Him just to get some physical food to eat.
Jesus fed them anyway! We are to follow His example (1 Pet. 2:21).
In our Bible distribution,
we are encouraged also by promises that God has left us regarding
what happens when His Word
is made available: "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow
from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and
maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower,
and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of
my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish
that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent
it" (Is. 55:10-11). The spreading of that Word among the poor
in developing countries is bringing much fruit. Lives are being changed;
people are finding how to contact the Provider that has promised to
supply their needs.
We see a vital need to emphasize the teaching of the
Bible and de-emphasize the use of Church literature. Even though Church
literature will be used for the beginning and intermediate students,
we are encouraging the Church pastors to emphasize the members' acquaintance
with the Bible so that they can reach spiritual maturity in the Word
by which they will be judged (John 12:48). bƒ
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