Life is full of choices.  The choices we make shape our future, and in turn affect those who come in contact with us.  As Christians, our decisions must be based on God-given direction through the Word of God and by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I am sure we all have been through situations that call for important decisions to be made.  We do not set out to make bad decisions.   At times, it is difficult to make the right decision.  Making hard decisions easy requires determination, perseverance and self-discipline.

In the twenty-six years of being a minister’s wife and a mother, I can remember having to make many decisions, which were not always easy.  Through my experiences, and reading good Christian literature, I have found that we can make hard decisions easy.

As Christians, through the revealed will of God, we know what is right and what is not, so it is easy to make a decision in those areas.  But when I am faced with making a decision that isn’t put down in black or white in the Scriptures, what we term as “the gray areas,” there are certain questions that I ask myself which help me make the right decision.

1. Will it profit me?

The day begins with “decision making” – the time when you hear the alarm clock ringing.  You have the choice to “snooze and lose” or “rise and shine.”   Will the few minutes of extra sleep profit me, or will it set me back and get me in a rush?  The decision I make this time of the morning will have major ef-fects on the rest of the day.  So, let us choose wisely.

2. Will it cultivate godliness and help improve my spiritual life?

Once I am up, another decision I, as a Christian woman, am faced with is, what do I wear today?  The answer and the decision I make determine if my spiritual life is being enhanced and if godliness is being cultivated.

Look quality, think quality, and talk quality.  I would rather dare to be different than blend in with the rest of the world with their tattoos, piercing and indecent apparel.  If I dress as the world, I become part of the world and it will hurt me spiritually.  My “chaste” attire will open doors of opportunity to witness to those who can see something different in me.

3. Will it add to my life things that will increase my physical and spiritual stability, strength and maturity?  Will it build me up?

Once I have decided what to wear, the next important decision is, what do I eat?  What I decide to eat should build me up physically and spiritually.   Quality decisions must be made if I am to take charge of my body, which is the temple of the Living God.  If I decide to eat right, I will have better health to carry out the different activities during the day.  Self-discipline and determination will help me make the right decision.

4. Will the decision I make slow me down in the race?

As soon as I leave the house in the morning, I am in a race.  There are times when I have the hard decision to make – to say the things that come to mind, or to be silent.  Thinking before speaking is a decision I have to make myself.  I have learned to value my words.  Talk quality.  There are some things in life that I do need to restrict for no other reason but that they slow me down in the race.  The decision to speak words that will encourage will help make this race easier for me to run. I do represent Christ through my “good conversation.”

5. Will I help others by my example and will what I do lead others to Christ?

As the day goes on, I am faced with circumstances that I have not planned and determined.  They just happen.  God chooses what I will go through; I choose how I will go through it.  The right attitude will help me rise above the situation.  We are always being watched – at home, in school, at work.  I can be a good example by deciding to have the right attitude in difficult times. God gives grace to overcome every situation.

We come in contact with many people during the day; the grocer, the bank teller, the postman, and a neighbor – touching their lives, influencing them for Jesus.   It pays to have the right attitude; therefore I choose to have the right attitude, because the only Bible some may ever read is what they will read in me.

Choose to be happy and grateful.  I can be happy because happiness is a product of gratefulness.  A grateful heart is what will keep me out of depression.  (A merry heart doeth good like a medicine  – Proverbs 17:22)

One smile will make a big difference.  A smile is a crooked line that makes everything straight – smile more often!

6. Will it glorify God?

I must never forget the fact that I must bring glory to God in every action.  There will be times when people will hurt me.  I can drag that hurt around with me all day long and maybe the next day, too.  Or, I can choose to have a forgiving spirit, which will glorify God.  Forgiveness is a gift, which means more to the giver than the one who is being forgiven.  Forgiveness is about us.  It is a decision, not an emotion.  Abraham Lincoln said, “Forgiveness has value only when it is given away.”

In closing, I would like to encourage you to lean heavily on the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Pray your way through.  God bless you.

In Philippians 2:12, Paul wrote: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

The word, “wherefore” in that verse, means that the statement links to what has gone before. Paul was exhorting the Philippians, beginning at the end of the first chapter, to live a Christian life. In Philippians 1:27, he was saying to let your manner of life be becoming to Christ. Or, let your life be lived in a manner that brings praise to the Lord. Stand fast, and strive for the faith of the gospel. Is there anything else that is a greater test of faith than to be asked to live our lives according to the Scriptures?

The gospel is “good news.” It proclaims the thrilling message of salvation. The gospel offers so much; but it also calls on Christians to live a certain way. The Word of God gives us much – peace, hope, comfort, wisdom, and more; but that same Word demands something from us. It directs us to live the way our Lord wants us to live. Philippians 2:3 forbids all strife or vainglory. Christian disciples are to be living without bickering, arguing, or seeking our own glory. The next verses tell us to look to Christ as our example.

Then Paul comes to verses 12-13. He did not want them to live right because of his presence. We live right for the Lord, and not for a pastor. Some people who were in this assembly years ago lived right for Lloyd Goodwin; but they did not continue to obey the gospel in his absence. They went worldly, and decided for themselves how they were going to live. We cannot do that. The Gospel tells us how to live. We aren’t really deciding for ourselves how to live; we are deciding whether to obey God or not.

As you work out your salvation with fear and trembling, remember it was not Paul, you Philippians; it was not Lloyd Goodwin, or Glenn Goodwin, ye Des Moines­ians; or insert your pastor’s name and your assembly; it is God who works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. It is sad to see Christian witnesses collapse when the teacher is gone. I guess it is probably worse to see the Christian witness collapse when there is a teacher still there.

Preachers and teachers are helps, but living a consistent Christian life is something that you are to decide to do. You can do it through the grace of God. They preach the Gospel; but you are to live that Gospel. Remember, you are responsible. Paul says it is “your own salvation” that you are working out with fear and trembling.

Notice that Paul is not saying to produce your own salvation, or to attain it; he says to work out the salvation you already possess. He did not mean that if you work hard, you will be rewarded with salvation. God forbid! Salvation is by grace alone, not by works. Ephesians 2:8-9. This is where many people misunderstand this verse. You cannot work hard enough to earn your salvation. But you are to work hard in the salvation you have been freely given.

Paul had already told the Philippians, in the first chapter, that salvation was a gift. See Philippians 1:6. His theological position is not that they will someday be saved; but rather that they are saved, already. They were not going to be a Christian someday; they were Christians now. Because of that, they were to live like a Christian. That is, they were to “work out” – like exercise is a workout – the Christian virtues of life. The apostle was saying, “Because you have started as a Christian; now continue to live like one.”

Salvation in the New Testament encompasses justification, sanctification and ultimate glorification. What Paul was saying here is that because you have been justified by the blood of Jesus, now you should be working out your sanctification. You should be becoming more Christ-like. You should be overcoming sin.  We are to work this out. That is, we are active participants in this process.

The seed of full salvation has been planted in us. Now, we are to encourage this to grow and develop into full maturity and perfection. To work out our salvation means to bring to conclusion something which has already been commenced. The Lord has done so much for us, we should desire to please Him and walk worthy of Him in all things.

The New Testament repeatedly admonishes the disciples of Jesus, the redeemed of the Lord, to live like a child of God should live. Ephesians 4:1 says to walk worthy of the vocation to which you are called. We have been called to be a Christian; it is our vocation, our profession. Don’t be sloppy and amateurish; be a professional Christian. Colossians 1:10 encourages us to walk worthy of the Lord. Paul in I Thessalonians 2:12 said to walk worthy of God.

This is how we respond to the grace of God. When God gives us grace, we are to walk worthy – or try to balance the scale – by working out the sanctification process in our lives. There is work involved. Becoming like Christ in our thoughts and appearance and entire life is not done in a one-time experience at the altar, or when we first receive the Holy Ghost. We are to go on to perfection. Hebrews 6:1. But this involves working out.

But even the response to grace – is grace. We could not work out our sanctification if it were not for God, which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. This is grace, for grace. John 1:16 states that we have all received of the fullness of Jesus Christ; and also received grace for grace. This is first grace that you are saved; and then it is the grace of God that you are striving to overcome sin. In I Corinthians 15:10, Paul said that it was by grace that he was saved, and it was also the grace of God that he was able to labor more than others.

There is no contradiction between verses 12 and 13 of Philippians 2. Work out your own salvation, but it is God who enables you to do that. You cannot earn your salvation; it is the grace of God that you are saved. You cannot go on to per-fection in yourself; that, too, is the result of grace. It is grace for grace, or grace in addition to grace.

The statement Paul made to the Philippians is that it is God who is working IN you. It is not something external; it is an on-going work on the inside. God is actually working to transform you – to change your thought patterns, your desires, your tastes, your mindset. Romans 12:2 speaks of a transformation through a new mind.

This is an astounding and important principle: God is actually working deep inside you, through His Holy Ghost, to change your nature. Now you want to serve God; because He put that “want to” in your heart.  If the “want to” isn’t there, you had better pray that He gives it to you. He is the One who puts the want to in you.

You were saved by grace, and now you are receiving more grace to desire to serve God. God is giving you the grace to respond worthily to the grace that saved you. The Lord motivates your very desires. The Bible tells us in Psalm 37:4 that God will put the right desires in our hearts. And yet you and I are told to work out our salvation. This is not a contradiction. God does not force our will. He does something more wonderful, and more gracious: He plants the desires in our hearts that our will responds to.

The book of Philippians assures us that God does this of his own good pleasure. That means that He has done this in spite of our sins and innate unworthiness. Even though we were sinners, deserving the punishment of death, God’s grace began the work in our lives, and is continuing that work. There is no spark of good in us. We have nothing to boast about. If we are ultimately glorified, we will have to give God all the glory.

And God is doing this – both to will and to do. This means that not only is God inspiring our will, He is also giving us the power and ability to overcome sin. The Lord is giving us the to do. You may say you are weak; that is alright. It is not your power that matters. God is not weak. God will give you the desire and the power to walk with Him in the path of holiness. God gives us both the “want to” and the to do.
Do you feel Him working in you? The chorus says, “There’s something within me, that’s holding the reins. . .” Is there? This is one of the ways we know the Lord loves us, and has saved us. He is the One who graciously caused us to feel the condemnation of sin, to seek Him. And, beyond initial salvation experiences, He plants a desire in us to change, to be true disciples, to become more like our Lord.

Paul also used the phrase: with fear and trembling when he said to work out your own salvation. Our Christian walk is not in brashness and arrogance, but in true humility. Fear, in Philippians 2:12, does not mean to be cowering and frightened. Hebrews 4:1 warns God’s people to fear that we might somehow come short of what is promised to us. This fear is a healthy fear. Many times, the Bible uses the word “fear” in a different way than modern language. In Isaiah 66:2, the word does not mean to be shaking in paralyzing fear, but to be trembling in respect and honor.

Philippians 2:14 tells Christians to do all things without murmurings and disputings.  Paul not only stated the positive – work out your own salvation with fear and trembling – he also helped out by pointing out things not to do. Do not murmur and dispute. That is, we are not to sit in the seat of the scornful. Psalm 1:1. We are walking with the Lord on a journey to a wonderful kingdom, just as the children of Israel were walking through the wilderness to the Promised Land. But they murmured. See I Corinthians 10:10.

God is giving you the will and the “do” in your salvation process. What are you complaining about? The Lord has designed the experiences you are to go through. Grumbling and griping are rebellion. Arguing with God, with His Word, with His ministry, with His plan; all of these are scornful statements and foolish statements for a Christian to make.

Philippians 2:15-16: “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life.”  We are to be blameless (not necessarily sinless) in our personal conduct. And, that conduct is to do no harm to others. Remember, we are God’s sons. Like Father; like son. Our society is crooked and perverse. But we are to be lights.

We are not just to hold fast the word of life; we are to hold forth that Word. We are to be living examples of righteousness, shining out among the darkness of our society like the moon and stars shine out in the darkness of the nighttime sky. This is the working out of our salvation.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 tells us that two are better than one.  We could unleash 200 individuals to serve God alone. But if we combine in the church we can accomplish much more together than if each one served separately. Why? Because of Holy Ghost synergism. According to Matthew 18:20, where two or three are gathered in His name, the Lord adds an ingredient.

There is power in our concerted action. This is especially seen in our worship. When one person is worshipping and touching the Spirit, that is good; but when 120 or more are all worshipping together, and are filled with the Holy Spirit, it is awesome. The entire church is edified. The church is a building, a holy temple. It is a building of the Lord. Ephesians 2:20-21. It is a spiritual house, made up of lively stones. I Peter 2:5.

In a building, a stonemason puts in each stone individually. Modern technology has not found a way to put multiple stones in at a time. A bricklayer handles each brick as he places it in the wall. We do not have a means to lay a whole row of bricks or a whole section of the wall at one time. Brick walls are built one brick at a time. Even nails are still driven one at a time.

This is true in the spiritual house of God. The Master-builder handles each lively stone individually, and places each one in this building right where He wants them. See I Corinthians 12:18. To be effective, we have to be put into the building. We don’t want to be a broken brick that is discarded. He has placed us here, where He wants us to be.

By itself, a brick is not particularly useful. But when combined with other bricks in a wall, it becomes part of an edifice. Ancient cultures displayed the support structures of their buildings and made them beautiful. The Parthenon in Athens is an example of a building that is beautiful because of its ornate pillars. The temple in Jerusalem had beautiful pillars. Yet a beautiful pillar, standing all alone, has no useful purpose. Pillars are supposed to support a building. If they are not doing that, then why have them? Revelation 3:12 speaks of those who are made a pillar in the house of the Lord. Hannah rejoiced prophetically about the pillars the Lord will set the world upon. I Samuel 2:8. But nobody will be a pillar in the coming kingdom who was not first a pillar in the house of the Lord in the church age.

Blend in; become a part of the church. Don’t be a lone brick away from the wall, or try to be a pillar without supporting a building. Don’t try to pull yourself out of the wall where the Lord placed you. For us to function as lively stones in the building of the Lord, we should become a force for good in the church, in our homes and in our community. If we learn to do well, we will cease to do evil. If we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Galatians 5:16. Evil is overwhelmed and overcome, not by just focusing on the things that are bad, but by turning the people’s hearts toward the things that are good.

It is up to us, then, to blend together in attaining righteous and worthy goals – as the church of God. Together, Holy Ghost synergy will allow us to do more for the kingdom than if we all worked separately, or even as separate little families.

I believe the family is the basic unit in the fabric of society, and the strength of the church. But never forget that your families are to be built into the family of God. Your family is to be working with the other families to build the church that Jesus died for. He came to build a church, and not to empower families to function independently.

A small collection of bricks, hidden away in a family home, is not the church of the Lord. The body of Christ finds its strength and power in the local church. The apostles of the first century did not concentrate on the strength of the family; rather, they built churches wherever they went. Church-building is the theme of the work of God in this present time.

We are to have strong families, but the strength of the family should never weaken the church. If so, something is wrong. Any time the strength of the family weakens the strength and the unity of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, that home is out of God’s order. You cannot steal the building material of the church to use it to build your own house. Haggai 1:4 shows it is wrong to have nice homes and a feeble church. There is power in our unity.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Des Moines Gospel Assembly for granting me the tremendous privilege of serving as their pastor for the last ten years. To be called of God to the ministry is perhaps the greatest honor the Lord can bestow on any man in this life. To be accepted as pastor by a church such as this one . . . well, I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve.

To serve as pastor of any church is a daunting task. To serve in the same pulpit where great men of God have ministered, is especially difficult. Brother Lloyd Goodwin was an outstanding man of God. No one can replace him; no one can be exactly like him. This congregation has learned to accept that God can put other men, with other talents and abilities, in positions in His body. We have grown together, and I have a true and heartfelt love and respect for the sheep of the Lord in this church.

The Basics

Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution secures to Congress the right “to promote the progress of…the useful arts, by securing for a limited time to authors…the exclusive right to their respective writings.” Pursuant to this authority, Congress has passed Copyright laws through the years, protecting literary, musical and dramatic works.

Under the Copyright Act of 1976, as amended, authors and composers receive initial copyright protection for their works as they create an initial work of authorship that is “fixed” in a “tangible medium of expression.” 17 U.S.C. § 102(a). The work, then, has to be “original” and tangibly fixed, such as on a recording, reduced to writing, etc. It is said that Handel composed the entire “Messiah” in his head before he wrote a single note of it on paper; today, there would be no copyright until it was written down. There is no copyright if it is performed, unless it is written down, or the performance is somehow recorded.

The duration of a copyright varies: in most cases, for works created before 1977, the duration is 95 years. Actually, the 1909 law established copyright protection for 28 years, subject to renewal for 28 more. But Congress has extended all copyrights that had not expired to 95 years. For works created after 1977, the duration is the life of the author (or surviving author), plus 70 years. (For anonymous works and “works made for hire” after 1977, the term is 95 years from the date of first publication or 120 years from creation, whichever expires first.)

“Works made for hire” means works created on the employer’s time, premises, using employer’s equipment, etc. It has significance if you are a church employee. If you created it on the church’s time, using their equipment, then the copyright is the church’s and not yours. If the church gives it to you, it might be considered “private inurnment.” That could endanger the church’s tax exempt status.
After a copyright expires, or if the work is never copyrighted, it is in the public domain.

Registration

Authors can register their creations with the federal Copyright Office, by depositing two copies of their work and paying a small fee ($45 for paper submissions; $35 for electronic submissions) within three months after creation. It is an inexpensive and simple procedure that clearly establishes who owns the copyright. Registration is not required, but has several benefits – including availability of “statutory damages” of between $750 and $30,000 per violation, instead of having to prove “actual damages” if someone infringes on your copyright. 17 U.S.C. § 504(c). That section also allows damages up to $150,000 for “willful” infringements.

Another advantage of registration is that you don’t just get statutory damages; the court can also award you your attorneys’ fees and court costs to protect your copyright. Typically, in the American system of justice, each party pays for their own attorney. But an award of attorney fees means the infringer pays his own attorney and the fees for the attorneys of the copyright owner. Sometimes the attorney fees exceed the damages awarded.

The copyright exists whether it is registered or not. But in addition to the statutory damages provision, registration means no one can claim they “in-nocently” infringed on the copyright. Registration puts the public on notice that a work has been copyrighted.

Notice

The fact that a work is copyrighted is often noted by a mark: ©. This, too, is not required, at least for works published on or after March 1, 1989, but it puts the public on notice that a work is protected.

Prior to March 1, 1989, no copyright was secured unless the work contained a notice with the symbol, or the word “copyright,” the year of publication, and the name of the copyright owner. But on that date, the United States became a party to the “Berne Convention” – an agreement 80 nations had entered into 100 years earlier, regarding international copyrights. The US waited so long because Congress was reluctant to drop the notice provision – allowing copyrights to exist without notice.

So it is important to know that no notice is required to establish a copyright. If you see something without a copyright notice, which was created after 1989, it still may be copyrighted.

Five Exclusive Rights

Federal law, 17 U.S.C. § 106, gives the copyright owner exclusive rights (subject to certain limitations):

1. To reproduce the copyrighted work in copies or electronic format. The right of REPRODUCTION.
2. To prepare derivative works (such as a translation or revised edition) – or an arrangement of a musical score. The right of ADAPTATION.
3. To distribute copies by sale, rental, etc. The right of PUBLICATION.
4. To perform copyrighted works publicly. The right of PERFORMANCE.
5. To display the copyrighted works publicly. The right to DISPLAY.

Churches can get in trouble for violation of any of these exclusive rights: includ-ing duplication of copyrighted written music, duplication of performances of copyrighted music, etc. Intent is not relevant. “Innocent” infringements are still violations, subject to significant fines. Yet, the fines are typically reduced from $750 per violation to $200 for innocent infringements.

Copying words on an overhead projector, or through a computer projection, constitutes copyright infringement. This would violate the exclusive right of the owner to reproduction. So does selling or distributing tapes or CDs of copyrighted music. This would infringe on rights of reproduction, publication and performance. Photocopying copies of music for the church band or choir to use is an infringement.

Please note that derivative works, such as translations into other languages, are infringements of the right of adaptation. So are changes in lyrics (to make the song “doctrinally correct,”) or changes in rhythm or your own arrangements of the song.

Infringements are serious. ASCAP, BMI and SESAC (publishing associations) will bring lawsuits against those who infringe on copyrights – as can individual copyright owners. The damages, as well as attorney costs for your church and for the copyright owner, can be substantial.

Defenses and Exceptions

There are several defenses that can be relied upon to avoid liability for copyright infringement. Some of the more important are:

1. The “Fair Use” Doctrine. Copyrighted materials can be copied or used for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, and such. Basically, there must be no commercial motivation (such as sale of copyrighted material). Copies of music, overhead projections and chorus books with lyrics will not be considered “fair use.” In fact, fair use would be rarely available to a church – except perhaps quoting a couple of sentences of a copyrighted work in the course of a sermon, or in a church newsletter or bulletin. Copying all of a song or poem in a bulletin, however, is an infringement.
2. Classroom Copying in Not-for-Profit Educational Institutions. This exception is limited to photocopies of portions of copyrighted works, not routinely done, and for which a student does not pay any fee.
3. The Religious Services Exemption. Section 110(3) is very important. It states:
   • the following are not infringements of copyrights . . . performance of a nondramatic musical work or of a dramatico-musical work of a religious nature, or display of a work, in the course of services at a place of worship or other religious assembly.
4. Note that this exception does not apply to “copying” but to “performance” or “display.” This gives church bands and choirs the right to play copyrighted music in church services – but perhaps not in a concert for which admission is charged. (But see #5 below.) And note that it does not cover the sale of tapes, CDs or DVDs on which such performances are recorded. (Interestingly, the use of an old “Opaque Projector” is legal – since it is a display of the work, rather than a copying of it.)
5. 4. Permission from the Author. Of course, there is no violation if the copyright owner grants permission, either directly, or through some sort of licensing procedure. Christian Copyright Licensing Inc. is a well-known organization which sells licenses to churches. (See next page.)
6. 5. The Non-Profit Performance Exception. The performance of non-dramatic literary or musical works, without any purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage and without payment to the performers is NOT an infringement if (1) no admission fee is charged, or (2) a fee is charged and any excess revenue over expenses is used solely for educational, religious or charitable purposes.

Legal actions are always in Federal District Court – not in the state courts.

A number of courts have held that “paraphrasing” is a copyright infringement. One courts said a plagiarist cannot escape liability by immaterial variations.” Nichols v. Universal Pictures Co., 45 F.2d 119 (2nd Cir. 1930).

Courts have found copyright infringements when the copying was limited to:

• two identical bars of a musical work
• four notes and two words, which comprised the “heart of the composition”
• three sentences (that were used for advertising purposes)
• three sentences
• eight sentences
• less than 1% of the copyrighted work
• the phrase “put on a happy face”
• Substantial similarities in the songs He’s so fine – by the Chiffons and My sweet Lord by ex-Beatle George Harrison.
• Substantial similarities between Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom Song and Ray Repp’s (a religious songwriter) Till You.

The following cases illustrate the significance of the risk for churches:

Johns & Johns Publishing Co. v. Paull-Pioneer Music Corp., 102 F.2d 282 (8th Cir. 1939). In this case, a publisher reproduced the lyrics from the chorus of a couple of copyrighted, famous songs in a pamphlet. The publisher argued it was “fair use” because they only put in the lyrics and not the music notes, etc., and because they only put in the chorus and not the verses. The court rejected the claim of fair use and held that the chorus was a substantial part of the work and it is frequently the very part of a song that makes it popular and valuable.

Wihtol v. Crow, 309 F.2d 777 (8th Cir. 1962). A church choir director made a choral arrangement of a copyrighted hymn. (He added a four measure introduction, and then made several copies on the church duplicating machine with his name on them as arranger.) Both the director and the church were held jointly liable.

Meadowgreen Music Co. v. Voice in the Wilderness Broadcasting, Inc., 789 F.  Supp. 823 (E.D. Tex. 1992). A religious radio station broadcast copyrighted songs on the radio. The station owner defended his actions by saying, “the artists have publicly stated their intent to minister through their Christian music,” and that “their intent to minister is further accomplished by radio stations broadcasting their music to a listening audience.” The court rejected the argument and fined the station statutory damages of $3500 each for 15 proven infringements – a total of $52,500, plus the attorneys’ fees and court costs for the copyright owner.

Hotaling v. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 118 F.3d 199 (4th Cir. 1997). The Mormon Church infringed on copyright when it bought one copy of a genealogical table, and made copies for its branch libraries.

F.E.L. Publications v. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 466 F. Supp. 1034 (N.D. Ill. 1978), aff’d, 754 F. 2d 216 (7th Cir. 1985). A publisher of religious music sued the archdiocese of Chicago for producing “homemade or pirated hymnals” – 80,000 of them. The potential for statutory damages ($750 times 80,000 up to $30,000 times 80,000) is staggering.

Proverbs 22:3 says, “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” It must be important, because it is in the book twice; see Proverbs 27:12. Prudence advises us to understand the dangers of copyright infringement – to foresee the evil – and to avoid the risks as much as possible – to hide ourselves from the potential of lawsuits and monetary damages.

Think of the deepness of Jesus’ words as recorded by Matthew: “…Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40. Christ so identifies Himself with those He has chosen that He calls them “brethren” in this Scripture. Not servants. Not even sons (or daughters). Brethren. Co-equals. Can we comprehend such a thing? Christ saw them in an already glorified state when He made this statement. Right now we are servants, but what we are to become – is so glorious that Jesus could relate to them as “brethren.”

Christ created the entire universe – not just this earth. Many Scriptures verify this – but the one I always like to quote because of its clarity, is Hebrews 1:1-2: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” It couldn’t be more clear than that.

Christ was clothed with the glory of His Father, even before His first advent and ascension back into Heaven. Philippians 2:6 says, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” The center column reference (Oxford Bible) says He “counted not equality with God a thing to be grasped at.” The author of the book of Hebrews says of Christ before His first advent – He was in “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power.” Hebrews 1:3. The prophet Isaiah said, “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” Isaiah 6:1. The first chapter of Hebrews shows that Christ was made much higher than the angels – He was the Son of God. The angels were created by Him. How can the human mind with its severe limitations because of the Fall comprehend that glory. I try, but I know I cannot come anywhere close.

Then try to comprehend this Great Being coming to this earth in the form of a man. Not a full-grown man – but a baby dependent upon its mother for its very life – to redeem us from sin. He took “not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” Hebrews 2:16-17. He took upon Himself the whole experience of humanity. The birth, the suffering, and the death. That is why any individual, regardless of age, can relate to Him as their Advocate. Also, there are those words again – “like unto his brethren.” Amazing!

What does that really mean? It means, among many other things, that being “brethren” puts us in a standing with Him to where we will inherit what He inherits. The apostle Paul said, “if children, then heirs ; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Romans 8:17.

What has Christ inherited, and what is He yet to inherit? Hebrews 1:2 states that God has appointed Christ “heir of all things.” One of those things is – He has inherited immortality – life within himself. Paul, speaking of Christ, said in II Timothy 1:10, “…who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and  immortality  to light through the gospel.” He could not have had immortality before His first advent – He attained this after He rose from the dead and ascended back to His Father.

There are 144,000 chosen individuals that will inherit immortality, being joint-heirs with Christ. “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.” Revelation 14:1. Revelation 17:14 says “they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” Paul speaks of these who will inherit immortality: “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” I Corinthians 15:53-54.

Another thing that He will inherit is the throne of His father David. “The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.” Psalm 132:11. Verse 13: “For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.” The angel told Mary, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” This didn’t happen at the first advent – but it will happen at the second advent when Christ returns, along with His Bride, to Jerusalem, the City of David. Where was David’s throne? In Jerusalem! Not out in space somewhere!

The second phase of the first resurrection adds many souls to the kingdom with angelic bodies that will reign with Him during the next 1000 years. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6. Jesus speaks of this phase of the resurrection in Matthew 22:30: “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”

Satan will be bound for this 1000-year period of time – Revelation 20:1-3 – and the age as we now know it will be changed as a vesture, Hebrews 1:12, into an age we cannot come close to imagining with our feeble intellect. Revelation 21:1 says, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Isaiah prophesies of this millennial age: “And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:7-9. Even those that have come through the plagues spoken of in the book of Revelation, the judgments of the tribulatory period, and are still clothed with a human body, will enjoy an entirely new existence – such as they never dreamed about. “They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:22-23.

So you can see that whatever place someone has in the Kingdom – it will be perpetual joy!  Selah!  Think about that!

My words are so very inadequate – so weak – so feeble – in trying to describe what Christ has in store for His elect. The apostle Paul, quoting from Isaiah, said, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” I Corinthians 2:9. Bro. Lloyd Goodwin was a great visionary, and painted wonderful word-pictures in his many messages and books, but it still could not convey to us the glory of the reward that awaits us. Bro. Glenn Goodwin has done an excellent job in his efforts to express it to us, but it is still insufficient. How is it possible for finiteness to explain infinity?  What did the apostle Paul know that we cannot comprehend? He was caught up to Paradise and heard “unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” II Corinthians 12:4. He was stoned and left for dead by those of Antioch and Iconium, so he went to Derbe, but went right back to Antioch and Iconium. Acts 14:19-21. What did Paul know that we do not know? He said “I reckon…”  He said, “I have given this a lot of thought.”  He said, “I  reckon  that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”  Romans 8:18.

Someone penned the song, Amazing Grace. Someone else wrote and produced a movie called, The Greatest Story Ever Told. They could not even begin to explain it! The apostle Paul said, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” Think about that! Selah!

Again the apostle Paul said, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13. Again he said, “unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28. The reward is great!

And that too, my friend, is part of this good way.

(For a more comprehensive explanation of the first resurrection, see Brother Lloyd Goodwin’s books The First Resurrection and/or Prophecy Concerning the Second Advent and/or Bro. Glenn Goodwin’s books, End Time Events and/or The Feasts of Redemption.)