Dear Friends in Faith,
     Many, and varied are the proofs brought forth today, and rightly so, concerning God’s plan for all mankind. The apostle Paul brought out in his epistles wonderful and different truths also as to what God was going to do with all mankind based upon Christ’s obedience to the cross. Words such as “life’s justifying,” “constituted just,” “merciful to all,” “in Christ, shall all be vivified,” “subjected,” “God All in all,” “all reconciled,” “bowing and acclaiming” are all words of promise and expectation. Yet, suffering is often the lot of those who share this wonderful news. In an old book entitled “Universalist Union,” dated 1839, it is written concerning early American Universalists: “The times are greatly against us. All is excitement and doubt. Many who patronize us are thrown out of employment, and dare not form any new engagement, which increases the necessity of active exertions on the part of those who are able.” Those who believed that God would save all not only lost their jobs but were putting a strain on the believers who could try to support them. Well acquainted with suffering evil with the evangel was Paul. How often Paul could have cursed the day he was born as did Job, yet he revealed an outward expression of the inward reality of the good news. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:11-13: “Until the present we are hungering also and thirsting, and are naked and are buffeted and unsettled and toiling, working with our hands. Being reviled, we are blessing; being persecuted, we are bearing with it; being calumniated, we are entreating. As the offscourings of the world we became, the scum of all things, hitherto.” In the midst of all of the negatives in Paul’s life he could write: “Be rejoicing always. Be praying unintermittingly. In everything be giving thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess.5:16-18). To be giving thanks in everything (hungering, thirsting, naked, buffeted, unsettled, toiling, working, reviled, persecuted, calumniated) is to acknowledge the Source Who has a purpose for good in all things. May God give us this same outward expression of the inward realization of the truth that Paul had.
     It is with sadness that we must report the deaths of long-time friends of ours: Elva Jodar, Amber Killen, Bill Penn, and Ron Voth. Yet, with joy we look forward to being with them when Christ comes for us all!
     We are reprinting some of Joseph Kirk’s tracts. The one we have currently available is “Will God Save All, or Only Some?” It is a slightly scaled down version of the original and done on 8 by 11 inch paper.

Upcoming Fellowship Schedule

     June 10-12 Willard, Ohio
     August 12-14 at the Glenn Acres Baptist Church, Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (contact: Dan Kraemer, 517-663-1560.)

Yours in God’s grace and peace,
Tony Nungesser and Dean Hough