Aug2013web

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Now in our 9th Year!

“I Was Wrong, I’m Sorry, and I Love You” Why are those words so hard for Christians to say? by John G. Sacoulas, managing editor, OCV At the young/old age of 53 I have to come to terms that I was so very wrong about my opinions and ideologies. Like the “Sin Eater” from Francine Rivers’ great story and film, “Last of the Sin Eaters” , if I am wrong then my whole life and ministry was false and even worse... destructive. A luxury of being married to the publisher of this paper is the indulgence of having my mea culpa printed on the front page. See page 4


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CPO 4145 South National Springfield (417) 891-2200 www.CPOBooks.com Redeemed Music & Books 4140 S. National Springfield • 417- 877-9294 Mardel Christian & Educational Supply 1533 E. Battlefield, Springfield. (417) 881-6338 BUSINESS SERVICES Big 3 Design Tom Elledge 497 Van Buren Rd Branson • 417-337-1388 Web design & Hosting, Business Cards, Logo Creation, Brochures, CD Covers, Posters, Signs, Banners, Vehicle Wraps, Ad Specialties & More! www.Big3Design.com

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OCV Contributors

Veeda Smith Branson Frontline Jeremy Storch Ask the Rabbi... Dave Ramsey Act Your Wage Dee Wampler A Minute with a Man Lee Grady- Fire in My Bones George Kurland Staff Photographer Max Lucado - Crosswalk John Sacoulas Steward & Managing Editor Lorraine Sacoulas Steward & Publisher Virgil Peck & George Fuller - Circulation Assistance Marvin & Regina ReynoldsArchivists


August 2013

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God Is Always Working, Even When You Don’t See Prayer Answers

I will do a quick work, for I am setting many things in place and working on many different levels.”

by Angela Munizzi

Wow! I w i l l never forget t h a t w o r d picture the Lord gave me one day as I was praying for the same prayer request for many years. He spoke to my heart. I can actually testify that the Lord did answer this prayer and it was exactly as He said: When the door opened, so many things were set in place that He did a quick work—quicker than I could imagine.

Are you getting bloody knuckles? Knock, knock, knock! “Oh, Lord, it’s me again. Here I am standing at the door pounding and pounding. It’s the same prayer request, Lord, for about 15 years now! I have been asking—well actually begging—You, Lord, but I never seem to get an answer. All I see are my red knuckles and this closed door! Lord, aren’t You tired of hearing me pray this prayer and knock on this door?” Right then it’s as if I heard a voice speak to my heart: “Shhhhhh! Be still and listen!” As I stopped whining, crying and asking, I listened intently. I could hear tremendous movement on the other side of the door. It was as if there were furniture and big objects that were being moved around and repositioned. Then I heard the voice speak once again, “All you see is this closed door. But I am working behind this door to position things for an answer to these prayers. You will see that when this door finally opens

Are your knuckles red from pounding on heaven’s door? Are you discouraged because no matter how hard you pray all that you see is a door shut tight in your face? Take a moment and listen. Be still in the presence of the Lord and let Him assure you that He is working behind the scenes to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine!” Be encouraged by the scriptural mandate in Matthew 7:7 (AMP), “Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [rev-

erently] and [the door] will be opened to you.” Heed the Lord’s admonition to keep on asking and seeking for your answers to prayer. Acknowledge His faithfulness and thank Him that He is totally worthy of your trust. Tell Him that you know His will is best and He will work all things for your good. Continue to pray that God will send revival into our churches and communi-

OCV Mission Statement The Ozarks Christian Voice is published under the direction of the Ozarks Christian Foundation, a 501(c)3 non profit agency. Its primary purpose is to edify the body of Christ through inspirational articles of Christian faith and courage, educate the body of Christ through informative articles promoting the cultivation of a Christian world view, and encourage the body of Christ to support one another. Our focus is on, and to, the invisible church which Jesus Christ said, “The gates of hell would not prevail against.” We announce the current events of the visible church, and we believe the Body of Christ is made up of people who have found salvation by faith in Jesus Christ evidenced by the good works they are

Page 3 ties. Ask Him for opportunities to be a blessing to others and help expand His kingdom. Lift up our spiritual, community and national leaders and continue to pray for racial harmony. Pray for the next generation as they return to schools this month and remember those who work with our youth in churches, schools and community events. Lift up Israel, the persecuted church and those suffering losses through war, crime or natural disasters. Matt. 7:7; I Thes. 5:17; I Tim. 2:8; John 17:9

doing and have done. We encourage our readers to be open minded to differing opinions on non-essential matters. We report the good as well as the bad within our church family as a testament for the necessity of a Savior. Our observations are made from a fairly moderate to conservative viewpoint.

We strive not to be the fire alarm, but the fire extinguisher

For Reading and Supporting the Ozarks Christian Voice

Bernie Parquette


Page 4 continued from front page It was so important to me all my life to be right about things I thought were of the upmost importance. Looking back at it in all honesty my actions and behaviors were so hypocritical, don’t know how I slept at night. Through a series of events, I was greatly saddened by my realization that I have had a mis-spent life in theology, ideologies and past relationships. I didn’t believe my past relationship failures were my fault because until I met my wife (we were married almost two years ago) I didn’t know how to do relationships.

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com Surely you cannot refute that wisdom or acknowledge the freedom and burden release only found in grace.

August 2013

faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

to get the last man totally immersed since each man before him carried out a few gallons with him (I forgot my responsibilities of staff chaplain was to follow a three month process for an inmate to be baptized, violated protocol and was promptly fired for doing so. )

Many good religious folk are guilty of I have swapped thousands of hours of thejudging others while otherwise having a ological debate with so many people and holy appearance in every other way. See not one of the conversations resulted in F i r s t more love, joy, peace, Corinthians kind- Grace and redemption trumps doctrines Grace and redemption trumps forbearance, Chapter 1 ness, gentleness and every time when you are dealing with verses 1-13. doctrines everytime when you self-control. hurting and broken people. Paul's purare dealing with hurting and pose in this I was taught that peo- Again, it don’t think I preached falsehood broken people. chapter is to ple’s salvation was that year... it just wasn’t the Gospel. silence and dependent on me and humble haughty Christians. if theology was the way to lead them to So I will ask all those I have done a disChrist then I was to be relentless. service to in relationships, business and In my early years it would be easy to I now believe that God uses each one of my religion... identify my “clanging cymbals”. I was us as tools to bring about his will in salvaconsumed more with returning a pizza tion matters but ultimately no one is going “I Was Wrong, I’m Sorry, and I that had pepperoni on it than the to hell because I didn’t preach law to Love You” witness of unkindness because of them. my then conviction of clean and unclean foods. People remembered I did not lead even when one person to me for the guy who didn’t eat pork Christ with that approach. I was a paid and shellfish, went to church on chaplain in a state penitentiary and after Saturday (the true Sabbath) and an entire year did not have one convert to didn’t commemorate pagan holi- Christ but then preached a split “Grace days like Christmas and Easter. and Redemption” sermon to 85 men with a pastor that I had seriously and grievHumor me and let’s assume all ously sinned against in the past. I those convictions were truth; it was preached on the necessity to seek forgivestill more important to me to be ness from the ones you have wronged and John G. Sacoulas, editor OCV sees right and “educate” people about it he preached on the necessity to forgive bigger picture when flying on top of it. than sharing the real gospel with those that ask you for it. them. Our world needs love and compassion, not judgement and What the men doctrine. There is time for doctrine did not know down the road as a new convert was that he was grows in grace and knowledge. the one that I The Bottom Line of Christian Living. had so terribly Experience the Soul-Quenching and So, what is your pork? Christmas hurt or sabbath days? Is it judging non-Chris- wronged. When Relief that comes with Forgiveness! tians? According to the Apostle Paul they I identified him are not even under the law. as that man, there was an Is it judging other believers? Everyone is outpouring of flawed and sins constantly but it is under the Holy Spirit the cloak of anonymity and ignorance to and convicted the gifts of the spirit. 27 men to rush the horse trough Ironically, Christians who practice the that had been set gifts of the Spirit do not struggle with up for the one pharisaism or judging others anyway. baptism that had been scheduled. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, It was kind of peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, comical trying

Forgiveness.

It is better to be kind than right because I believe that even if you are 100% right on an idea or topic but overshadow the Gospel of Jesus Christ with that concept you are in the wrong. If you really think that loving someone living a particular lifestyle that is sinful means that you preach the truth to them, it will have no fruit if it smacks of judgment. Billy Graham has defined the Christian’s role perfectly when he said that it is God’s job to judge, the Holy Spirit’s job to convict and my job to love them.


August 2013

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com Kay E. Knipschild, D.D.S.

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Missionary in Training Presenting God’s Truth through Drama My name is Hosanna Maddux. I am an eighteen year old homeschooler from Branson, Mo. I am writing this letter to you as a sister in Christ to ask for support. God has laid a dream on my heart since the beginning of my teenage years. That dream is to spread God’s message far and wide using the performing arts. I’ve realized how music and drama can touch someones heart in a way that nothing else can. Imagine the possibilities if you were to combine this impactful art with the impactful truth of Christ! I come from a family full of missionaries including my grandparents on both sides. I also have an extensive theatre background which began when I was very young. My first opportunity to combine the two was when I was asked to direct the drama portion of a mission trip to Haiti. As my team performed the death and resurrection of Jesus before a crowd of Haitian children, my dream grew into reality and I knew that this is what God wanted me to do. Now, nine months after that trip I have the opportunity to study at the Christian school of Riverside Performing Arts where they teach you how to present the gospel through drama. I need to raise $10,000 by September 30th to attend this school. With my current job there is no way that I will be able to raise the funds by myself. This is where I’m asking for your help. There are so many things that you could do. A simple cake auction or spaghetti dinner would help tons! I am also looking for a support team to continually keep me in their prayers. Please prayerfully consider supporting me as I follow God’s will. Please contact me at : zannabanz@gmail.com and follow my story at:

zannabanz.blogspot.com

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www.OzarksChristianVoice.com Pastor: Andy Hassen

Springfield Church of God (7th Day)

1521 E. 24th Street N. Springfield, MO 65803

"Sharing Freedom in Christ"

(417) 831-6721

August 2013

A week without a Sabbath is perpetual bondage.

Sabbath School: 9:45 am Worship: 11:00 am Wednesday night: 6:30 pm

www.springfieldcog7.org

Special thanks to our sponsors of the Body and Soul Fest for blessing those that came despite the horrific weather! Christian Action Ministries, Family Pharmacy, Copy Run, Bass Pro, Fall Creek Tire & Auto, Silver Dollar City Foundation, Mr. B’s Ice Cream Parlor, Gerzen’s Jewelry, American Family Insurance (Teresa ZucchiniAgent), Muddy Man Storage and Car Wash, Corks 2 Canvas, and Branson Collision Center.

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August 2013

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Thieves apoligize, return computers stolen from nonprofit Turns out some thieves actually do have a conscience. On July 31, the San Bernardino County Sexual Assault Services office was burglarized around 10 p.m. The thieves apparently entered the building through the ceiling and the office was ransacked for several computer towers, monitors and a laptop, according to NBC Los Angeles. After she was notified by police, Candy Stallings, the nonprofit’s executive director, told NBC Los Angeles that "one of the officers had talked to some transients around the street about what was going on. He was telling them about what we do.” The next day, Stallings got another call from police alerting her to more suspicious activity around the office. But instead of finding additional looting upon her arrival, she was shocked to find a shopping cart full of the items stolen the night before. "All my stuff was in front of the door," Stallings said. "There was a shopping cart, and there were the PCs that were taken, there was the laptop - everything was there." When an investigator opened the laptop

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to dust it for fingerprints, he discovered a note of apology.

Did you know there are 4 Bonus pages on the FREE online subscription?

"We had no idea what we were [taking]” the note read. “Here [is] your stuff back we hope that you guys can continue to make a difference in peoples live. God bless."

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Needless to say, both Stallings and police were flabbergasted. "This is the first time in my career I have seen the return of stolen items," said San Bernardino Police Lt. Paul Williams. "It appears the guilt of taking the property caused the return of the items." "We were all pretty shocked," Stallings said. "You've got to be kidding me. I was in disbelief, I got chills, I got very emotional." Although police took the original note as evidence, Stallings said she plans on framing a photocopied version of it. editor’s note: Do you remember a the time where miscreants would not even think to steal from or vandalize a charity or a church? Now it is just as common as any place. This was encouraging to read.

When a man marries a woman, they become one; the trouble starts when they try to decide which one.

Pierce Arrow’s Jimmy Fu lbr igh t Jimmy was born in Columbus, GA, but "grew up everywhere" because his father was in the Air Force. He's been intersted in music since early childhood and credits his grandfather as his musical mentor. He is proficient on piano and loves to sing. He also plays guitar and drums. With a diverse professional music background, he has played keyboard and/or bass for Gospel acts, such as the Dixie Echoes, as well as Country acts, Donna Fargo, Earl Thomas Conley, Lee Greenwood and T. Graham Brown. Jimmy also has 12 years of experience at production theaters in Branson,MO, and Pigeon Forge, TN. He originally joined The Oaks Band in the summer of 2001 which led Jimmy to being the newest addition to Pierce Arrow in 2013.

Often the people most concerned about others going to hell when they die seem less concerned with the hells on earth right now, while the people most concerned with the hells on earth right now seem the least concerned about hell after death. ~Rob Bell

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As seeing and knowing, God is one. As being seen and known, God is three.

Going on a Mission at Home MBCH Children and Family Ministries (an affiliate of Missouri Baptist Children’s Home) is seeking Christians willing to serve God by supplying foster care for teens. The Therapeutic Foster Care ministry provides a daily rate of pay that allows one foster parent to remain at home and care for the child. Training and licensing is provided for the foster parents at no cost. You can make a difference in the life of a hurting child by “Going on Mission at Home”. For more information about becoming a licensed foster parent, call

(417) 831-2342 or visit:

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www.OzarksChristianVoice.com practical and philosophical, said agricultural minister, Gyamtsho, in Delhi for the annual sustainable development conference last week. "Ours is a mountainous terrain. When we use chemicals they don't stay where we use them, they impact the water and plants. We say that we need to consider all the environment. Most of our farm practices are traditional farming, so we are largely organic anyway.

Bhutan set to be world's first wholly organic country The Guardian By shunning all but organic farming techniques, the Himalayan state will cement its status as a paradigm of sustainability

Bhutan plans to become the first country in the world to turn its agriculture completely organic, banning the sales of pesticides and herbicides and relying on its own animals and farm waste for fertilisers. But rather than accept that this will mean farmers of the small HiFarmers transplanting rice shoots malayan kingdom of into rice paddies in Paro valley around 1.2m people will be able to grow less food, the government expects them to be able "But we are Buddhists, too, and we beto grow more – and to export increasing lieve in living in harmony with nature. amounts of high quality niche foods to "Going organic will take time," he said. neighbouring India, China and other "We have set no deadline. We cannot do it countries. tomorrow. Instead we will achieve it reThe decision to go organic was both gion by region and crop by crop."

August 2013 soil quality.

The overwhelmingly agrarian nation, which really only opened its doors to world influences 30 years ago, is now facing many of the development pangs being felt everywhere in rapidly emerging countries. Young people reluctant to live just by farming are migrating to India and elsewhere, there is a population explosion, and there is inevitable pressure for consumerism and cultural change. But, says Gyamtsho, Bhutan's future depends largely on how it responds to interlinked development challenges like climate change, and food and energy security. "We would already be self-sufficient in food if we only ate what we produced. But we import rice. Rice eating is now very common, but traditionally it was very hard to get. Only the rich and the elite had it. Rice conferred status. Now the trend is reversing. People are becoming more health-conscious and are eating grains like buckwheat and wheat." In the west, organic food growing is widely thought to reduce the size of crops because they become more susceptible to pests. But this is being challenged in Bhutan and some regions of Asia, where smallholders are developing new techniques to grow more and are not losing

Systems like "sustainable root intensification" (SRI), which carefully regulate the amount of water that crops need and the age at which seedlings are planted out, have shown that organic crop yields can be doubled with no synthetic chemicals.

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August 2013

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Facebook protest responds to crude Mary-should-have-aborted page by Russ Jones (OneNewsNow.com)

Bogue says his Facebook page has attracted over 500 'Likes' in just a few days, and a petition circulating on the Internet asking the page to be removed has more than 15,000 signatures.

A Wisconsin-based ministry will has conducted a social media campaign to confront religious bias by Facebook.

“At some point it becomes hate speech and discrimination for that to remain on Facebook,”says Bogue, “and that’s where we’re drawing the line.”

Cary Bogue says the effort follows a Facebook page entitled, “Virgin Mary Should’ve Aborted.”

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is also filing a formal complaint against Facebook.

Bogue, meanwhile, has started a competing Facebook page, “Catholics and Protestants Against Facebook Discrimination.” “What this is saying is the Virgin Mary should have aborted. Aborted who? Obviously Jesus Christ, who is our lord and savior,” Bogue tells OneNewsNow. “Obviously you can’t be more hateful than that.”

“I believe Satan to exist for two reasons: first, the Bible says so; and second, I’ve done business with him.” D.L. Moody

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www.OzarksChristianVoice.com P i e rc e A r row ’s Jarrett D ou ghe r t y

Jarrett’s always loved to laugh and to make people laugh. Of course, he was the class clown in school. At the age of 23, he was the drummer for one of the best southern gospel groups in the country, Jeff and Sheri Easter, and then later he joined the McGruders. In 1995 Jarrett moved to Branson, which is only an hour from his hometown, Ava, Missouri. For six years, he played the drums and did comedy for Barbara Fairchild. Just before joining the Pierce Arrow Theater, he was with Sons of the Pioneers. “Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Dan Britton, Pierce Arrow’s owner and pro-

Actress Leah Remini Exposes Church of Scientology's Thought Control Practices Reuters Actress Leah Remini has offered clues about why she left the Church of Scientology, telling People magazine no one is going to tell her how to think Leah Remini or who she can talk to. Up until now the actress known for her role in the CBS comedy "King of Queens" gave little explanation for her split after three decades with the church that lists actors John Travolta and Tom Cruise among its members. In a statement this month after the New York Post newspaper broke the story, Remini, 43, thanked fans and colleagues for their support but did not mention the Church of Scientology. She told People magazine at an event in California on

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August 2013

ducer, asked if I would like to join the family as the new comedian. It was an amazing opportunity to be welcomed into Branson’s hottest show. I love life and enjoy livin’ every day here with my boy Dillon. Branson stands for patriotism and wholesomeness, the American way. What a great country we live in. I thank my lucky stars everyday that I get to come to work and entertain such wonderful fans. I believe laughter is the best medicine a person can have. So even if you are sick, come to Branson and see the Pierce Arrow Show, and me. I promise, you’ll either get well or ‘Die Laughin’!”

Saturday how important family is and being able to speak openly. "I believe that people should value family, and value friendships, and hold those things sacrosanct. That for me, that's what I'm about," the magazine said on its website. "It wouldn't matter what it was, simply because no one is going to tell me how I need to think, no one is going to tell me who I can, and cannot, talk to." In its story earlier this month the New York Post said the actress left the church, founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, after "being subjected to years of 'interrogations' and 'thought modification' for questioning leader David Miscavige's rule." Miscavige succeeded Hubbard as leader of the church in 1987. Representatives for neither Remini nor the Church of Scientology immediately responded to requests for comment. Followers of Scientology believe humans are immortal beings whose experience extends beyond one lifetime. Critics of the church describe it as a cult that harasses people who try and quit, a criticism the movement rejects. Remini told People that she is not alone and that she is still close to her family.

"We stand united, my family and I, and I think that says a lot about who we are, and what we're about," she added. Scientology teaches that man can elevate himself to godhood. The god they believe in is non personal and panthiestic (in everything and everyone). They believe in past lives... and I guess you could say that they believe in a kind of karma and reincarnation but I am not sure they believe a man could have been an insect. It is all about evolving oneself to a superior being. They do teach several concepts that I think are positive.. like taking responsibility for life choices, empowerment, and that we can control our destiny... it is just they elevate their thoughts to that of being divine.. There is a void in Christianity today that I believe causes cults like these to arrise.. so much of Christianity today denies the supernatural and there is a hunger for that.. also in many Christian circles the concept of self improvement is frowned upon so the churches are very inept at addressing subjects like addictions. Scientology has seemed to teach people how to overcome such things. PT53-Blog


August 2013

Christian Coach A-Rod Had Fired Prophesies God’s Love Over Third Baseman by Gari Meacham

I

’ve always loved the term “We’ve come full circle.” Circles are my favorite shape. They ring themselves around life like God’s bow around a package—and a few weeks ago, God drew a circle around a part of our life in the game of baseball. After spending 32 years in the game, you begin to think nothing will surprise you, but Bobby and I were surprised one cloudy morning in October 2009 when we received a call from the Yankees' general manager explaining we lost our job as third base coach for the team we loved. (Gerri is married to Bobby Meacham) He told us Alex Rodriguez got us fired by complaining to the owners, citing he was uncomfortable with Bobby as a coach.

We were stunned. Was it because I had consoled his wife (now ex-wife) and prayed with her about struggles she was enAlex Rodriguez the during in their marriage? (A week later, A-Rod was publicly palling around with Madonna.) Was it because Bobby was closer to other infielders on the team and ARod felt threatened? Could he sense a spiritual tug as we covered him in daily prayer, for us only to get thrown under the bus by the very man we prayed for? Whatever the case, the fallout from that firing was painful. We counted a financial loss of around $1.2 million as the Yankees went on to win the World Series the next year and had many playoff appearances and pay increases in the years to follow. We spent 16 years in the minor leagues before landing that job, each of us working two to three jobs apiece to try and make ends meet. We knew our hope was in the Lord, but at times it was difficult to watch A-Rod garner a string of titles and accolades. His stunning looks and baseball presence seemed to keep him exempt from the harsh winter of reality. Even after allegations of performance-enhancing drug use stung A-Rod's stellar record of accomplishments a few years ago, he seemed unfazed by consequence or regret.

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com A few weeks ago, the minor league team Bobby manages for the Toronto Blue Jays had a double-header with the Tampa Yankees. And there on third base was A-Rod, nursing a hip injury as he staged a rehab stint on his way back to the big league team. Bobby has seen A-Rod in passing over the years, but this visit proved to be more. It was a “full circle” encounter if there ever was one. Alex’s eyes locked on Bobby as he moved toward the coach's box next to third base. As Bobby thrust his hand out to shake, Alex lunged forward into an awkward hug—the kind of hug that lasts a bit longer and holds a bit tighter than usual. A bit stunned, Bobby pulled back and looked Alex in the eye. As the pitcher took extra time to warm up, Bobby realized God was giving him the gift of time—stolen moments to speak into this ball player’s life. “I’ve been praying for you, Alex,” Bobby said with a warmth in his smile. ”I know you’re going through a lot right now, and I want to tell you something.” Alex remained frozen on third base. As if time stood still, he leaned in to listen. “All the things you’re going through right now [a drug investigation by Major League Baseball and the threat of a lifetime ban from baseball]—it’s too much for you to handle on your own," Bobby said. "Without God, you’ll struggle to make it.” Alex listened intently as Bobby continued. “I want you to know that you’re not alone. The Lord is with you, and He won’t fail you. No matter what you’ve done or what lies ahead, He loves you.” Alex quietly lifted his voice as his eyes looked through Bobby, as if he was in communion with something Bobby couldn’t see. “I guess I’m learning what’s really important,” he whispered. “You are,” said Bobby, “so don’t forget what God teaches you.”

Page 11 As Bobby moved to his perch in the coach's box and Alex took his position at third, I swear you could see a full circle drawn around these men. Isn’t it like God to have the last word when we let Him? Hope, fear and forgiveness tied in a bow. We may never have another conversation with A-Rod, but God knew a circle needed to be drawn, and Bobby was the one to draw it. He could have snubbed Alex with an unforgiving glance or smirked in pleasure, watching Alex grapple with his current life predicament—but when you’ve encountered the God who loves, all you want to do is share that gift. The gift of coming full circle. Garri Meacham is an author, speaker and teacher. Her next book, Watershed Moments, is coming out in October 2013.


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www.OzarksChristianVoice.com Ozark, MO

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Stained Glass Theatre: “Serving Christ Through the Arts”

August 2013

Now Showing: The Riverboat Revival by: Ron Boutwell Performing July 25 through August 24, 2013 In the summer of 1835, a showboat called THE GOSPEL QUEEN appeared in the little river town of Danner’s Cove, bringing a message of repentance and salvation. People waited expectantly for many years afterward, but the boat never returned. Now, seventy years later, Grandpa Holt sits on the wharf all day, everyday, waiting to once again experience the power of the living God…the power of another RIVERBOAT REVIVAL!

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Pope Francis on Homosexuals: ‘Who Am I to Judge?’

The pope arrived back in Rome on Monday after a triumphant weeklong tour of Brazil, which climaxed with a huge gathering on Rio de Janeiro's famed Copacabana beach for a world Catholic youth festival, which organizers estimated to have attracted more than 3 million people. Francis defended gays from discrimination but also referred to the Catholic Church's universal catechism, which says that while homosexual orientation is not sinful, homosexual acts are.

Philip Pullella/Reuters Pope Francis, in some of the most conciliatory words from any pontiff on gays, says they should not be judged or marginalized and should be integrated into society, but he reaffirms the Church's teaching that homosexual acts are a sin.

"If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him?" the pope said. "The catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very well. It says they should not be marginalized because of this [orientation] but that they must be integrated into society," he said, speaking in Italian.

In a broad-ranging 80-minute conversation with journalists on the plane bringing him back from a weeklong visit to Brazil, Francis also said the Roman Catholic Church's ban on women priests was definitive, although he would like them to have more leadership roles in administrative and pastoral activities. The pope expressed pain over scandals at the Vatican bank during a remarkably forthright press conference, his first since being elected in March to replace Benedict XVI, who became the first pontiff to resign in 600 years. Francis said there were saints in the Holy See but also

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"The problem is not having this orientation. We must be brothers. The problem is lobbying by this orientation, or lobbies of greedy people, political lobbies, Masonic lobbies, so many lobbies. This is the worse problem," he said. Francis was answering a question about reports of a "gay lobby" in the Vatican, after it suffered a string of scandals over pedophile priests and corruption in the administration of the Holy See. "You see a lot written about the gay lobby. I still have not seen anyone in the Vatican with an identity card saying they are gay," he joked.

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August 2013

The Church Is a Harlot, But I Love Her Looking past the imperfections of the church and her leaders. by Kevin P. Emmert

H

usbands, imagine this: A friend comes to your house for dinner. You enjoy a delicious meal that your wife has made, and catch up on life. Halfway through the meal, your friend does something unbelievable. He starts listing things that your wife could have done better. "The chicken is too tough," he says. "You should have marinated it longer. And the broccoli is overcooked, mushy and bland. My 12-year-old daughter could cook a better meal." But it only gets worse. He starts to criticize her character, even ridicule her. "She's not the woman you thought she was, is she?" I'm guessing his visit would be cut short. And you'd probably send him away with a few choice words. Even if he was right about certain things, you simply wouldn't tolerate someone openly and caustically criticizing your wife. You love her, and because you do, you look past her quirks and shortcomings. But we tolerate this mean-spirited criticism all the time when it's directed at the church. If we're not careful, it's easy for us to look at the church and her leaders, and say, "The church should have done ____." Or, "I wish they hadn't ____." Or, "She's not what we hoped for." You fill in the blanks.

A culture of critique We hear these sorts of critiques constantly. We see them on social media, in blogs, and in articles. I work in Christian publishing, so I see the constant stream of opinion pieces voicing frustrations with the church. The sad truth is, negativity sells. Take for example the recent discussion on "why Millennials are leaving the church." This topic has been in heavy rotation on social media the past couple weeks, and writers like Rachel Held Evans have generated heated discussion. In her recent CNN article, Evans said, "We're not leaving the church because we don't find the cool factor there; we're leaving the church because we don't find Jesus there" (my emphasis). Rachel is not the first person to explore this issue, nor is she the first to make bold statements like "we don't find Jesus there." She's

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com voicing frustrations shared by many 20- and 30-somethings. Evans argues that "the church"—really just a subset of American evangelicalism—is "too political, too exclusive, old-fashioned, unconcerned with social justice and hostile to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people." To be sure, I hold some things in common with critics like Evans. Along with my Millennial brothers and sisters, I long for substance. I want to live in a faith community that is connected to the historic church, animated by God's Spirit, steeped in Scripture and theology, and committed to embodying the gospel. So in that regard, I am like Evans and others who see the need for continual reformation. But I don't think Evans and other Millennials are leaving the church because they don't find Jesus. My suspicion is they're wagging their fingers at the church because they don't find the Jesus they want. Evangelicalism certainly isn't flawless. However, I think Evans' claim that Jesus is absent from "the church" is absurd. Not only is it theologically false, it's a slap in the face to Christ's bride, a purely rhetorical statement that simply provokes controversy rather than fostering Christian unity. I'm not delusional. I realize that Millennials are indeed leaving the church. I've had close friends abandon their faith, and it breaks my heart. But I don't think the church is entirely to blame for the exodus of these individuals. Really, this whole discussion is indicative of a larger issue: we all are unsatisfied with the church in some way or another. That's fine and even normal to a certain degree. The church is an imperfect organism (just as we are), and it will always need reforming. This means that a healthy dose of criticism is often needed. Constructive criticism, after all, has palyed an important role in restoring orthodoxy and orthopraxy through the ages. Churches, their leaders, and their members will always need to reorient themselves to the gospel. We all are sinful people, and we all bring our sinfulness to the body at large. The problem is many of us have become overly critical, tearing down instead of building up. If we're not careful, and don't

appropriately discern our motives, our criticism can quickly turn to arrogance and divisiveness. Many of us are pros at waxing poetic about what's wrong with the church. And my generation is especially good at vocalizing frustrations. In addition to articles like Evans', you don't have to search long to find pieces about why Millennials won't give money to the church, why the church needs to start living the truth instead of simply talking about it. And we especially like to ridicule celebrity pastors we don't like, whether Mark Driscoll and John Piper or Joel Osteen and T.D. Jakes. These guys are easy targets, and they sometimes say unhelpful things. And when we speak ill of Christians we don't like, we think it's justifiable: "They deserve it. They brought it on themselves." We like to prey on them, watch them like a hawk to see when they'll slip up again. In doing so, we embody the image of a deity we hate—an irritable, judgmental god who keeps tabs—rather than the merciful God revealed in Christ. I realize I'm being critical of critics, and that there is some irony in that. But we need to constantly keep ourselves in check. Why do we publish our frustrations? Why do we laugh at and tweet and retweet stupid things celebrity pastors say? It is out of charity? Or is it for another reason? Let's not forget that the church does a lot right. It is a body animated by the Holy Spirit, connected to the risen Christ. And Christ loves her, far more than we ever could, even if she's ugly and dysfunctional at times. As Dorothy Day once wrote, "Though she is a harlot at times, she is our Mother." We may have a love-hate relationship with the church, but Christ's love for her is unyielding. And we're called to love her in the same way. We should celebrate her accomplishments far more enthusiastically than we lament her faults. To Millennials, or others who are exasperated with what you find in churches … Don't give up hope. We need you to bear witness to a different way WITHIN our churches. Talk with the leaders of your churches, challenge them to read books with you and discuss them. Dare to imagine and seek a meaningful life that is centered in

Page 13 your church community. Find a congregation that you have some connection to and can at least tolerate, and stay put; be patient, and always keep asking and seeking, even when doing so isn't always appreciated. Find friends in your congregation that will commit to staying put and asking and seeking together with you. My pastor once told a story of a time when he and his family went to an improv night at Wheaton College. The improv team had worked closely with each other week after week for four years, and they knew each other in a profound way—bodily, mentally, emotionally. He said, "In improv, just like in a church, you build something together in the moment. The worst thing you can do in improv is to pull yourself out of a scene to make a comment. Isolating yourself sets everybody else down; the improv goes flat." I've met many Millennials who slam others' ministries and practices, but don't do anything themselves (myself included at times). By doing so, we let things fall flat. One example is evangelism. Many of us agree that evangelistic tracts and itinerant preaching don't work so well anymore. While I think we can find better ways of preaching and embodying the gospel in our current context, at least people who use these methods are trying! Most Millennial Christians aren't actually doing evangelism. We've isolated ourselves in criticism. Reformation always takes place within churches, by working with other Christians, even those we don't naturally like. And it requires a disposition of love that is self-critical. In our criticism of "the church," we've forgotten one of the basic tenants of the Sermon on the Mount: "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" Yes, the church is messed up. It disappoints us all from time to time. But are our disappointments more reflective of the church's faults or our unrealistic expectations and sinfulness? Christ loves the church. Love—it is patient and kind. It's not arrogant or rude. It's not irritable or resentful. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Let's love the church.

www.christianitytoday.com Leadership Journal


Page 14

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com

August 2013

Christ has no body now on earth but yours... yours are People who have sex the hands with which He is to bless us now. Please give generously of your time and finances to within 30 days of meeting these ministries. each other have a 90% chance of not being together in a reationship one year later. - The Doctors TV Show

Raising Awareness for Charities P.O. Box 336 Rockaway Beach, MO 65740 ADOPTION MBCH Children & Family Min. Adoption & Foster Care Services 1837 E. Cherry St. Springfield, MO 65802 (417) 831-2342 ASSISTANCE Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC) is a movement of Christian churches working together to show God’s love to the poor and needy. 7347 W. Hwy. 76 Branson, MO 65616

Phone: (417)-336-7056 Toll Free: 866-568-3462 Emails: Anita Pugh, Executive Director: apugh@omcloveinc.com Jenifer Maupin, Office Administrator, jmaupin@omcloveinc.com AWARENESS Ozarks Christian Foundation Raising Awareness for Charities (417) 336-3636

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Pie rc e Ar row’s Sc ott Fr ake r Scott, performed with the Missouri State University Touring Choir and later toured with the accapella group The Wing Tips, which made numerous national television appearances including: The Today Show, Good Morning America, and the CBS Morning program. Scott also performed with Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Frankie Avalon, and even got to sing for former President George Bush. Scott is a licensed minister out of Park Crest Baptist Church in Springfield, MO and continues to preach and speak across the US. Scott is a father of four and is married to his high school sweetheart Marcy.

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August 2013

EAT RIGHT: BE SMART by Dr. Mercola Americans are slowly waking up to the sad fact that much of the food sold in the US is far inferior to the same foods sold in other nations. In fact, many of the foods you eat are BANNED in other countries. Here, I’ll review 3 American foods that are banned elsewhere, which were featured in a recent MSN article. Seeing how the overall health of Americans is so much lower than other industrialized countries, you can’t help but wonder whether toxic foods such as these might play a role in our skyrocketing disease rates.

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com wide fat marks, the salmon is farmed. Avoid Atlantic salmon, as typically salmon labeled "Atlantic Salmon" currently comes from fish farms. The two designations you want to look for are: “Alaskan salmon,” and “sockeye salmon,” as Alaskan sockeye is not allowed to be farmed. Please realize that the vast majority of all salmon sold in restaurants is farm raised. So canned salmon labeled "Alaskan Salmon" is a good bet, and if you find sockeye salmon, it's bound to be wild. Again, you can tell sockeye salmon from other salmon by its color; its flesh is bright red opposed to pink, courtesy of its superior astaxanthin content. Sockeye salmon actually has one of the highest concentrations of astaxanthin of any food.

Farm-Raised Salmon If you want to maximize health benefits from fish, you want to steer clear of farmed fish, particularly farmed salmon fed dangerous chemicals. Wild salmon gets its bright pinkish-red color from natural carotenoids in their diet. Farmed salmon, on the other hand, are raised on a wholly unnatural diet of grains (including genetically engineered varieties), plus a concoction of antibiotics and other drugs and chemicals not shown to be safe for humans. This diet leaves the fish with unappetizing grayish flesh so to compensate, they’re fed synthetic astaxanthin made from petrochemicals, which has not been approved for human consumption and has well known toxicities. According to the featured article, some studies suggest it can potentially damage your eyesight. More details are available in yesterday’s article. Where it's banned: Australia and New Zealand How can you tell whether a salmon is wild or farm-raised? The flesh of wild sockeye salmon is bright red, courtesy of its natural astaxanthin content. It’s also very lean, so the fat marks, those white stripes you see in the meat, are very thin. If the fish is pale pink with

Processed Foods Containing Artificial Food Colors and Dyes More than 3,000 food additives -preservatives, flavorings, colors and other ingredients -- are added to US foods, including infant foods and foods targeted to young children. Meanwhile, many of these are banned in other countries, based on research showing toxicity and hazardous health effects, especially with respect to adverse effects on children’s behavior. For example, as reported in the featured article: “Boxed Mac & Cheese, cheddar flavored crackers, Jell-O and many kids' cereals contain red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and/or blue 2, the most popularly-used dyes in the United States. Research has shown this rainbow of additives can cause behavioral problems as well as cancer, birth defects and other health problems in laboratory animals. Red 40 and yellow 6 are also suspected of causing an allergy-like hypersensitivity reaction in children. The Center for Science in the Public Interest reports that some dyes are also "contaminated with known carcinogens.” In countries where these food colors and dyes are banned, food companies like Kraft employ natural colorants instead, such as paprika extract, beetroot, and

annatto. The food blogger and activist Vani Hari, better known as “Food Babe,” recently launched a Change.org petition2 asking Kraft to remove artificial dyes from American Mac & Cheese to protect American children from the well-known dangers of these dyes. Where it's banned: Norway and Austria. In 2009, the British government advised companies to stop using food dyes by the end of that year. The European Union also requires a warning notice on most foods containing dyes.

Olestra/Olean Olestra, aka Olean, created by Procter & Gamble, is a calorie- and cholesterolfree fat substitute used in fat-free snacks like chips and French fries. Three years ago, Time Magazine3 named it one of the worst 50 inventions ever, but that hasn’t stopped food companies from using it to satisfy people’s mistaken belief that a fat-free snack is a healthier snack. According to the featured article: “Not only did a 2011 study from Purdue University conclude rats fed potato chips made with Olean gained weight, there have been several reports of adverse intestinal reactions to the fake fat including diarrhea, cramps and leaky bowels. And because it interferes with the absorption of fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K, the FDA requires these vitamins be added to any product made with Olean or olestra.” Where it's banned: The UK and Canada

Preservatives BHA and BHT BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are commonly used preservatives that can be found in breakfast cereal, nut mixes, chewing gum, butter spread, meat, dehydrated potatoes, and beer, just to name a few. BHA is known to cause cancer in rats, and may be a cancer-causing agent in humans as well. In fact, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, National Toxicology Program's 2011 Report on Carcinogens,

Page 15 BHA "is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” It may also trigger allergic reactions and hyperactivity, while BHT can cause organ system toxicity. Where it's banned: The UK doesn't allow BHA in infant foods. BHA and BHT are also banned in parts of the European Union and Japan. Take Control of Your Health with REAL Food There are many other examples where the US federal regulatory agencies have sold out to industry at the expense of your health, while other countries have chosen to embrace the precautionary principle in order to protect their citizens. If you want to avoid these questionable foods and other potentially harmful ingredients permitted in the US food supply, then ditching processed foods entirely is your best option. About 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food is spent on processed foods, so there is massive room for improvement in this area for most people. Next, you’ll want to swap out your regular meat sources to organic, grassfed/pasture-raised versions of beef and poultry. The same goes for dairy products and animal by-products such as eggs. Swapping your processed-food diet for one that focuses on fresh whole foods is a necessity if you value your health. For a step-by-step guide to make this a reality in your own life, whether you live in the US or elsewhere, simply follow the advice in my optimized nutrition plan, starting with the beginner plan first.

www.Mercola.com


Page 16

Prepare Yourself by Lorraine Sacoulas, Publisher OCV

W

e live to learn. All our lives, most of us have one thing in common: attending school from a young age. That’s what we do, day after day, we learn basically how to get a job, how to live in the real world financially, and how to be responsible citizens. We measure success over the stature of our career and our yearly wages. How are we measuring happiness? Are these exterior achievements going to fulfill an interior need? There is a new movement of study called Positive Psychology, a relatively young area of research, where Psychiatry tends to focus on therapy, how we feel about life in general and treating the disorders present. Positive Psychology examines the shared ingredients in the happiest people on earth. It turns out that society’s exterior measures, such as money, image, and status, does not transform into “happiness” in any sizeable amount (usually just for a period of time). The study of what makes happy people happy reveals that interior needs are met by three intrinsic values: personal growth (being who I really am), connected relationships (friends and family), and a community feel (desire to help make the world a better place). [Study from documentary Happy] So school teaches us how to do society, but where are we learning how to do relationship? Connectedness is the blessing God

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www.OzarksChristianVoice.com wants us to be rich in. He has relationship with His Son and the Spirit. God has never been lonely for the eternity of His existence, and He knows the joy of relationships in store for us. We don’t have to wait for the Kingdom. We can have abundant relationships right here. One professor said, “It’s not complicated. This guy connects to God. Then over here, this girl connects to God. Then this guy and this girl can connect to each other under God. I don’t see why it’s complicated.” Men, school yourself in how you can love your bride like Christ. Women, learn everything you can on how you can show respect to your husband as the head. Seek out healthy relationships from which to learn. Do all of this before you even know his or her name. Then you can start to learn specific needs. But be prepared as a person: whole, well-rounded, spirited, connected, trustworthy, capable of trusting, and a God-lover. Your goal in life will be to lift up your spouse. You will only be capable of doing that if you have the fullness of God overflowing you. So prepare yourself…

Sacoulas’ bio includes a new husband herself. She has a bachelor's degree in Philosophy/Religion, and sat in numerous marital classes/seminars. She observes that the moralistically broken society is from a lack of stability within the framework of the home. It's tragic that this framework is difficult to maintain. Please write in with personal stories, comments, or disagreements so that this is a community column with real topics to pursue.Occasionally guest writers will write the column.

August 2013 Pierce Arrow’s

D an Britton Born on January 12, 1958 in Bloomfield, Indiana, he was raised on a farm, the same one his parents still call home, along with two sisters and three brothers. Itw was a musical family, frequently singing at local events and at church. After high school, Dan and his brothers began touring up north where they became the top draw in many casinos and show rooms.

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. - Ronald Reagan (1986)

Liberals view of people could be summed up the same way: If they are working, tax them. If they work really hard, regulate them. And if they stop working, entitle them. -John G. Sacoulas (2013)

Christian Family — Tired of Gov’t Interference in Religion — Takes ‘Leap of Faith,’ Sails for Tiny Pacific Island, Gets Lost at Sea for Weeks, Then… See bonus page 37 online at:

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com


August 2013

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com OZARKS HEBREW HERITAGE ASSOCIATION (OHHA) . . . exploring the Hebrew Roots of our Christian Faith brings monthly teachers to the Ozarks.

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CDC Announces 72% increase in Autism in Past Four Years by Jay Gordon, MD. Recently the CDC announced a 72% increase in the diagnosis of autism over the past four years. One of every fifty children aged six years to 17 years has an autism spectrum diagnosis. Ten years ago, the number was 1/150. The previous two decades saw a 600% increase in autism diagnosis and experts have said that 200% of that could be attributed to better diagnosis and more awareness of autism but the other 400% was caused by changes in genetics and environmental impact on genetics. • The rise in autism parallels the rise of the chemical age after World War II and the use of untested chemicals in manufacturing, our food supply, house cleaning products, and our personal grooming products. • It is no longer a leap to say we can prevent autism. Even mainstream medicine recognizes that the environment affects genetics. The science of epigenetics--"on top of genes" --studies what changes gene expression or what causes certain genes to turn on or off. • At Stanford University, 192 pairs of identical twins were studied in which one twin was autistic and one was not. Scientists found that genetics accounted for 38% of the risk of autism and environmental factors 62%.

Page 17 September 6-7 Lenny & Varda Harris (www.lennyandvarda.com)

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Those in the International Community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don’t have a moral right to place a red line before Israel. If the Arabs layed down their arms today, there would be peace in the Middle East. If Israel layed down their arms today, there would be no more Israel. -Benjamin Netanyahu

• Our definition of autism has expanded from a genetic disorder originating in the brain to a possible interaction of immune and neuro-inflammatory disorders with genetics. Developing nervous and immune systems -before and after birth--are vulnerable to the thousands of toxins that surround us. • Of the more than 80,000 chemicals in use today, only 3,000 have been tested for their harmful effects. • The rise in autism parallels the rise of the chemical age after World War II and the use of untested chemicals in manufacturing, our food supply, house cleaning products, and our personal grooming products. • The NIH has begun The National Children's Study, a $6.5 billion study of a generation--a 21 year long study of 100,000 children to determine how the environment affects development from before birth to adulthood. We cannot let an entire generation be at risk. We have to do something now. Jay Gordon, MD. is a nationally renowned pediatrician and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, UCLA Medical School editor’s note: If you couple this information with childhood vacines associated with increased autism we as a society are sunk. When the critics scoff at your concerns ask them how much research they have done on the topic. It is probably kinder than my first thought which is ... just

how gullible are you? Common Core no more: Colorado school district goes own way Bob Kellogg (OneNewsNow.com) A Colorado school district has passed a resolution opposing the federal Common Core standards for education because board members believe those standards are too low. Ben DeGrow of the Colorado-based Independence Institute says the Douglas County school board passed the resolution because it doesn’t want federal bureaucrats to determine what's best for Douglas County students. “They definitely deserve praise for that,” says DeGrow, noting that the recommended standards in Common Core are actually the “floor” for academic standards. On the school district’s website, the school board reported it unanimously passed a resolution opposing Common Core in favor of its own criteria because its standards are “more rigorous, more demanding, more thorough, and reflect

higher expectations and aspirations for our students than any national standard now in existence, including the Common Core Standards." Working alongside teachers for the past year, board members developed their Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum which they say better meets the needs of local students than do the Common Core Standards.

Welcome to Ozark Mountain Regional Healthcare. We strive to meet the needs of our residents through comprehensive and quality long term care services under physician supervision, while attaining their highest practicable physical, mental and psychosocial well-being. Ozark Mountain Healthcare 417.723.5281 OzarkMountainHealthCare.com


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Time to Talk, Not Fight: A Response to John MacArthur's Ministry by Michael Brown On July 25, Fred Butler, writing on behalf of Pastor John MacArthur, posted an article on the Grace to You website in response to my recent articles on Charisma News. With a desire to be constructive rather than combative, I write this response, calling once again on Pastor MacArthur and his team to sit down face to face with me and other charismatic leaders, putting the scriptural and practical issues on the table together in reverence before God.

fellow charismatics, he claims I am “completely off the rails.” How else, he asks, could I endorse or work with people whom he calls “wackos” and “charlatans”? Obviously, I must be terribly lacking in discernment, and so he can no longer recommend my other writings without issuing a “clear warning” as well. Perhaps Mr. Butler should look at this from a different angle. Specifically, if he believes I had the biblical scholarship and spiritual sensibility to produce those works—some of which he calls “stellar”—perhaps I know who these alleged

John MacArthur

According to Mr. Butler, “For a month now people have been contacting our ministry insisting that we answer Dr. Brown’s criticisms. Those folks would say John MacArthur wrongfully equates that heretical nonsense saturating TBN with ‘sound’ charismatic continuationists. If John was truly honest about engaging and taking on genuine continuationists, he would stop going after the TBN health-N-wealth crowd who are easy to attack, and interact with Dr. Brown who represents those ‘sound’ charismatics.” Mr. Butler’s guest article on Pastor MacArthur’s website, along with an article on his personal blog, provides a response to the concerns I raised. While Mr. Butler is very appreciative of my Jewish apologetics work (specifically, my five-volume series on answering Jewish objections to Jesus), my stand on moral and cultural issues (articulated in the book A Queer Thing Happened to America), and my defense of the modern state of Israel, with regard to my view of

“wackos” and “charlatans” really are and understand more accurately what they really believe. And perhaps it is because of careful study of the Word that I am more affirming of the Spirit’s work today. Mr. Butler writes, “Though Dr. Brown has written so thoughtfully on important aspects of apologetics, he dismisses the serious theological errors prevalent within the charismatic movement as mere ‘excesses.’” Actually, when I speak of “excesses,” I’m referring to emotionalism or hyperspirituality or silly practices; where there are “serious theological errors” among charismatics, they need to be rebuked sharply, just as the serious theological errors among non-charismatics need to be sharply rebuked. But before I suggest a positive way forward, let me respond to two major points raised by Mr. Butler.

August 2013 • www.OzarksChri

First, he questions whether I have truly addressed abuses and extremes in the charismatic movement. Actually, I raised a number of relevant issues in my books The End of the American Gospel Enterprise, How Saved Are We? and It’s Time to Rock the Boat, all of which speak to primarily charismatic audiences, while one of my books is entitled Whatever Happened to the Power of God: Is the Charismatic Church “Slain in the Spirit” or Down for the Count? (These books date back as far as 1989; the title and subtitle of the last one speaks for itself.) My forthcoming book, Hyper-Grace: Exposing the Dangers of the Modern Grace Message (due out January 2014), focuses on doctrinal abuses found primarily in the charismatic church, as do quite a number of my recent articles, including the widely read “Sex Symbols Who Speak in Tongues.” So, the answer is a categorical yes. I have addressed abuses and extremes in the charismatic movement for decades, and I continue to address them. In fact, if Pastor MacArthur recognized the glorious things the Holy Spirit is doing around the world, I would gladly join him in exposing and rebuking the truly “strange fire.” Second, Mr. Butler took exception to my charge that Pastor MacArthur was using a double standard by calling out charismatic abuses while failing to do the same with those who held to a cheap, oncesaved-always-saved gospel, pointing out that, to the contrary, this has been the hallmark of his ministry for decades. I certainly understand Mr. Butler’s indignation here, but my point was simply this: Since, in my opinion, easy-believism is far more pervasive than is the alleged “strange fire,” and since, I believe, it is even more deadly than a carnal prosperity

message (though both must be renounced), why isn’t Pastor MacArthur holding an “Easy Believism” conference? And why is he putting the blame for the majority of false doctrine and moral scandals at the feet of charismatics? Mr. Butler urges me to “follow John’s example with regard to [Mike] Bickle, [Lou] Engle, and [Cindy] Jacobs”—some of those dubbed “wackos” by Mr. Butler—“rather than attack someone”— meaning John MacArthur—“who has spent his life as a caring, faithful shepherd of the sheep.” To be clear, I am not attacking Pastor MacArthur, whom I commended in so many ways in my first article and whom I referred to as “my senior in the Lord” in my second article. Rather, I have respectfully taken issue with the way he has lambasted others, some of whom have also spent their lives as caring, faithful shepherds of the sheep. In contrast, I am the one saying, “Let us sit together as servants of the same Lord, with humble hearts and Bibles open, and let us dialogue face to face.” Perhaps in such a setting, Pastor MacArthur and his team would realize that some of those they have publicly scorned are actually devoted and sound men and women of God. (Mr. Butler brings a number of charges against leaders with whom I have ministered over the years, but this is not the place to respond to his guilt-by-association accusations. At the same time, to be perfectly clear, the fact that I post articles on CharismaNews certainly doesn’t mean I agree with every speaker who advertises on the website.) Pastor MacArthur and his team slam the charismatic movement for being thoroughly unbiblical, but while some aspects of the movement are clearly in serious error, cessationism must also be challenged as unbiblical. This has been done by brilliant charismatic thinkers like Craig Keener, one of the


istianVoice.com • August 2013 world’s foremost New Testament scholars, and J.P. Moreland, one of the most respected Christian philosophers today, just to name two. This means that as Pastor MacArthur and his colleagues are speaking out against strange fire, they are also guilty of putting forth the false teaching of cessationism. In the most constructive tone possible, I issue an invitation for Pastor MacArthur and his top theologians to spend a day with me and several other charismatic scholars, probing the Word together on this important subject. I’m sure all of us are extremely busy, but wouldn’t this glorify the Lord and send an example to others in the body? And perhaps we could actually learn from each other. If a public debate-dialogue was preferred, I would welcome it in a heartbeat, also believing we could model a spirit of Christian unity and respect in the process, just as Dr. James White and I have sought to do with our debates on Calvinism. In fact, Dr. White and I actually prefer to debate on the same team, against others, than against one another. And I would appeal once more to Pastor MacArthur and his colleagues to modify the rhetoric they are using, since “blasphemy of the Spirit,” as defined in Mark 3:22-31, is attributing the works of the Holy Spirit, performed by Jesus, to Satan, and it is an unforgivable sin. Yet Pastor MacArthur and his colleagues freely use this expression when critiquing many leaders in the charismatic movement. This is inaccurate, divisive and harmful. And so I humbly appeal to Pastor MacArthur and his team to recognize what the Spirit is genuinely doing today—and it is not just among the “gullible,” as Mr. Butler claims—to reconsider their stance on cessationism, to be more careful with their rhetoric, and, at the least, to sit down together with me and others for frank, Christ-honoring discussion, prayer and interaction. Why not?

www.Twitter.com/OCVeditor I could easily avoid this subject, but I feel it is right to pursue this in the spirit of Ephesians 4:1-7, where Paul exhorts us to make every effort to be united in the Spirit under the lordship of Jesus. And if I did not respect and honor John MacArthur, I would not write this at all. Michael Brown is author of The Real Kosher Jesus and host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show The Line of Fire on the Salem Radio Network. He is also president of FIRE School of Ministry and director of the Coalition of Conscience. Follow him at AskDrBrown on Facebook or @drmichaellbrown on Twitter. ________________________________

10 tips for young people that will bless your life. Ignore them and sorrow will follow you all of your days. by John G. Sacoulas • Do not make permanent decisions for temporary problems. It might seem like a crisis that you cannot survive but believe it or not, this too shall pass. Examples: Unwanted pregnancy terminated by abortion can destroy your future happiness. Adoption will bless a deserving family and pride can be the result down the road for doing the right thing. Marrying someone because of guilt is never a good idea. Peer pressure is temporary, giving in to a wrong idea is permanent. Tattoos can be given in an ink that will eventually disappear. Unless it says, “MOM” you might want to give it a second thought on a person’s name. Statistically you have an 80% chance of major regret and they are expense and painful to remove.

• Do not use credit cards for any purchase of any kind. (debit cards only) Credit cards are presumptious. You may not have that good job down the road to pay for your purchases. The interest you paid on the card makes your “great buy” pretty foolish when you add it all up. It also takes God out of the equation to bless you without having to go into debt for the desires of your heart. • Do not do anything with the opposite sex you do not want someone else to do to with your future spouse. The pleasure of physical sex is fleeting and often not that great when under the wrong circumstances. Sex outside of marriage almost always leads to deep wounds of the heart. STD’s sometimes follow you to the grave, unwanted pregnancy will complicate your life no matter what you decide to do about it. • Do not get student loans for any form of education. Higher education is so over priced, you might not ever be able to make up the differences for what it cost to get a degree that a bizillion other people have and yet you still might end up working at Bob Evans. (They don’t pay enough for you to make your student loan payments. They might even fire you so they can re-hire you for less money and avoid paying you benefits.) We have College of the Ozarks in your back yard. Do your best in high school and get in to C of O and walk away with a degree and no debt. • Do not limit yourself to one denomination’s dogma but never stop attending church. There is no one church that can claim they have all the truth. (I know some who believe that but they are deceived.) Open your mind to the grace of God and the diversity of the physical church. • Do not underestimate that there are some people who are living in hell right

Page 19 here on earth. Ease the burdens of the less fortunate and blessings will follow you all of your days. • Do not believe today what your are not ready to call falsehood tomorrow. With the exception of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and the shedding of His blood to cover your sins be cautious of every doctrine and study it until the Holy Spirit gives you the “Ring of Truth” signal. • Do not take those who love you for granted. Respect, return the love and hold anyone close that knows you well enough to overlook your flaws. (Sorry, you got a bunch of them) • Do not use the words, “You are wrong about that.” Say, “I take a different position on that subject and here is why...” • Do not impose heavy burdens on those you care about with your personal convictions. Everyone you meet is on a different part of the path to God. Share your convictions but DO NOT believe they have to agree with yours in order for them to be your friend.


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Alveda King Cries Foul Over Image of MLK Wearing Hoodie by Alveda King

A Minute with a Man

Artist Nikkolas Smith created the image of Martin Luther King Jr. with a hoodie as seen at bottom.

During the fighting in the Revolutionary War, Dr. John Witherspoon, President of Princeton University on May 17, 1775, said:

While I salute the passion and creativity of artist Nikkolas Smith in reference to the image of Martin Luther King Jr. wearing a hoodie, I feel compelled to cry, “Foul, shame on you,” to the media moguls and civil rights legends who want to stir up a controversy where there is none. I am not angered by the artistic expression. I am just plain hurt and saddened to see the message of my uncle reduced to a debate over an article of clothing. I would love to talk with the artist about my uncle.

A Word of Faith Church (non-denominational) 6185 W. St. Hwy 266 Springfield, MO Sun. Services 10 am & 6 pm Wed. Bible Study 6:30 pm

August 2013

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Pi erc e A r ro w ’s L u k e Menard Luke Menard was born and raised in Crawfordsville, IN. He started playing the violin at age 5 and that is when Luke’s love of music began. He graduated from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois where he was heavily involved in music. Upon graduation, he formed and toured with the nationally acclaimed acapella group Chapter 6 for 10 years. In 2008, Luke was seen on the Fox hit televison show American Idol as one of the top 8 guys. Upon elimination, he was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. After several rounds of chemo and radiation Luke is now cancer free! In July of 2011 Luke became a singer in Branson’s long successful running show Pierce Arrow where he currently sings tenor in the quartet. Luke and his wife, Lara, have a daughter named Hope and reside in Branson, MO.

“While we give praise to God, the supreme disposer of all events, for His interposition on our behalf… observe that if your cause is just, if your principles are pure, and if your conduct is prudent, you need not fear the multitude of opposing hosts.” -Dr. John Witherspoon, President of Princeton University Now you know what our founding fathers really said.

"Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will," reads his letter from the Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963. My grandfather was always a meticulously dressed and well groomed man. He encouraged and actually insisted that his family follow his lead, because he was grooming us all to represent Jesus, our family and our community.

Dee is the author of “The Myth of Separation of Church and State.” and “The Trial of Christ: A 21st Century Lawyer Defends Jesus.” Springfield, MO Attorney Dee Wampler has 50 years trial experience as a Greene County prosecutor and defense attorney.

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August 2013

Hamners Announce Unbelievable Plans For 2014

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com Angel. In 1999, he was awarded one of the highest honors in the magician community, a Masters Fellowship with the Academy of Magical Arts. Dave and Denise are thrilled to have t h e

At a press conference held at the Hamner Barber Theater recently, Dave Hamner announced several major changes in store for the popular entertainment venue next year. In January 2014 the venue will be renamed the Hamner Variety Theater and will be home to five shows playing a full schedule Monday through Sunday beginning March 11th. The show line-up includes The Hamner’s Unbelievable Variety Show (Tues, Wed, Thur, Sat 8pm, and Sun 3pm), Tom Mullica as Red Skelton… The Legend Continues (select mornings throughout the year), The Fair Family (select mornings throughout the year), The Magnificent Variety Show starring Joe & Tamara Tinoco (Fri, Sun, Mon 8pm), and The Music of Patsy Cline Remembered starring C.J. Newsom (afternoons thoughout the season). The Hamner’s Unbelievable Variety Show will feature World renowned illusionists Dave and Denise Hamner, singing impressionist Jeff Brandt, featured vocalist Tamra Tinoco, Russian Acrobatic Adagio Dance Pair Vadim & Mariya Serykh, comedian Lex Pearson, ventriloquist Brenda Hahne, choreographer and dancer A.J. Heard, and assistant choreographer and dancer Ken Brown. In addition to the current technical staff, the Hamners have also recruited famed Las Vegas based magician Johnny Thompson to work as the new show director. He performs under the stage name The Great Tomsoni, Within the magician community, Tomsoni is considered a virtuoso, widely known as a mentor and teacher of magic, and a creator of tricks, as opposed to simply a performer. He has worked behind the scenes with magicians such as Penn and Teller, Lance Burton, and Criss

expertise of such a high caliber director, producer to bring a fresh new look to their magical variety show. Technical Staff member Cory Martin is stagehand and magic assistant. Cory is Lighting director for the RED-A Tribute by Tom Mullica and The Fair Family Show. He has been with Hamner Barber Variety Show for two years. Cory is also a licensed falconer working with many majestic birds of prey. Bonnie Frerking is our lead spot light operator. She has worked with Hamner Barber Variety Show for 6 years.

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They have received the prestigious “Magic Masters Award” by their magical peers in Las Vegas, Siegfried and Roy personally honored the Hamners by presenting them with their “Bronze Lion Head Award” for performance excellence.

one from Heads of State to Heads of Fortune 500 companies and International Art Exhibits. His work has entertained audiences as small as 40 and as large as 1.5 Million people!

The Hamners are best known for their one of a kind act in which they produce several beautiful Macaws and Cockatoos that appear amid flying cards, flaming swords, falling coins and jewels. The birds then perform an incredible flight over and around the audience before gracefully returning to the stage. Other original illusions include Stargate, The Lightning Levitation, Vertigo: The Fall of Death, Secrets of the Lost Ark Revealed, and the magical finale to their Veteran’s tribute, “Thank You’s Not Enough.”

Ever wonder why churches are powerful in one generation but empty the next? The Bible says, the Lord will tear down the house of the proud. God hates arrogance. He hates it because we haven’t done anything to be arrogant about. Is there a Pulitzer for ink? Can you imagine a scalpel growing smug after a successful heart transplant? Of course not. They are only tools. So are we. We may be the canvas, the paper, or the scalpel, but we are not the one who deserve the applause.

Technical Director Paul Linden has been active in consulting and design with All Hamner Barber Theater front of holography, laser systems, video projechouse staff will be returning. Box office tion systems and theater lighting and aumanager Jan Braschler, along with box tomation since 1973, when he constructed office staff Brenda Hahne, Marty the first holographic studio for the UniHahne, Mike Brown. Concessions man- versity of Kansas. He has devoted his caager Jan Hammit, as well as versatile reer to creating and applying technical employee team members, Faye Brown, innovations to the field of entertainment. Wanda Scritchfield, and Aaron This has included innovations in video Costales. Sales and marketing presentation formats consists of Director of Sales as well as early deVance Hebblethwaite, Public velopment of autoRelations Duane Williams, and mated projection Group sales Jane Boen. systems for 70mm film. He pioneered Dave and Denise Hamner have laser video projecheadlined many major production tion systems and is shows around the world, presentinventor of 2 patents ing their award winning and origfor laser video proinal feats of magic. Venues jection. His early ininclude not only Las Vegas, Disnovations spurred neyland and Hollywood’s famous Dave & Denise the further develop“Magic Castle,” but also Branson Hamner ment of video prowhere they starred in the productions Branson City All Star Revue and jection techniques that are now common Magic of the Night. For the past ten years in current theatrical stage productions. they have co-owned and co-produced the His technical skills have been demonstrated in international shows for everyHamner Barber Variety Show.

God Hates Arrogance by Max Lucado Proverbs 16:18 reminds us as humility goes before honor, “pride goes before a fall.”

David declares who does in Psalm 23, “He makes me, He leads me, He restores my soul… for His name's sake." For His name's sake! No other name. This is all done for God’s glory. He takes the credit, not because He needs it, but because He knows we cannot handle it! Listen to UpWords with Max Lucado at

OnePlace.com


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DAVE $AY$

Dear Dave, When is it okay Financial Straight-Talk to purchase a house without making a 20 percent down payment? Hanna Dear Hannah, When you’re willing to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI). And that’s not something you want to do. PMI costs about $75 a month per $100,000 borrowed. So, if you borrow $200,000 on a home, and you don’t put down at least 20 percent on the transaction, you’ll have to pay out an extra $150 a month as part of your mortgage payment. Private mortgage insurance does nothing for you except pay your mortgage company in the event they have to foreclose on you and they lose money. PMI is foreclosure insurance that protects the lender, and you get to pay for it if you don’t make a 20 percent down payment. In the scenario I mentioned before, that would be an additional $1,800 a year on a $200,000 loan. In a sense, that’s an extra 0.9 percent on your interest rate. That’s what it feels like. So you can see that PMI is not a positive thing. Often, a first-time homebuyer will purchase a house with 10 percent down then pay the

other 10 percent as quickly as possible in order to get rid of the PMI. Stay away from it, Hannah. It’s nasty stuff! —Dave Dear Dave, My grandfather died about a month ago, and I recently learned that in his will he distributed his money unevenly between his children and grandchildren. I received significantly more than other members of the family, but I make $140,000 a year. I’d like to give them some of my inheritance to even things out. How would you approach this? Kate Dear Kate, You’re obviously unselfish and have a really good heart. But honestly, it was your grandfather’s decision and his money to do with as he pleased. It wouldn’t be wrong or greedy to simply keep what you have without worrying about it a second longer. If some of your relatives are having financial troubles and you feel that making a gift of a portion of your inheritance will help, you can do that. With your income, it’s probably not going to change your life in a big way. My advice would be to look at your relatives and their situations objectively and see if something like this would really be a blessing. Then, if your heart and your head still tell you it’s a good thing, do it. —Dave

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August 2013

Reel Trouble by John Lindsay

I

was fishing for bass. I chose a surface lure – a Jitterbug. I positioned the boat where the bass were. The net was nearby. It was the right time of day. My first cast was long and well-positioned. I had barely cranked the reel enough to get the slack out of the line when something raised itself slowly up out of the water the way porpoise or whales do. The bait was taken by a pike or maybe a musky. It had to have been at least 36 inches long. I set the hook with force and it swam casually down into the weeds. I used the fish as an anchor reeling and pulling the boat directly over its head. I proceeded to tug the large fish along with a hundred pounds of weeds upward. All of a sudden I had a sinking feeling in my gut. Who expects the unexpected? I was fishing for 2 – 3 pound bass not 10 – 20 pound pike. The drag wasn’t working on my reel. (The drag is a mechanism that enables the reel to be set at a specific tension which allows the reel to slide to avoid breaking the line). Everything from that point on seemed to happen in slow motion. The fish was in full view, relaxed, almost majestic; not fighting – almost indifferent; sunning itself. It began to swim ever so slowly away, right past me, taunting me and stretching the line to its breaking point. I rubbed my thumb raw trying to adjust the broken drag, and, before I could think to push the button to disengage the tension, the line snapped and my potential trophy swam away unaware we were connected for a time by a string. When I was young my technique for establishing relationships was no different from my poor fishing skills.

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com If I got lucky enough to hook something, I would invariably horse it in for the sake of the trophy with little consideration for the object of my affection. If fear would drive it down into the weeds, instead of allowing it to come up on its own, I would force it quickly back to the surface which only increases the fear. I never considered a relationship to be based on two individuals willingly holding on to the same thread. Just because two people decide to take hold of the same string doesn’t obligate them to hang on. I know now the best way to strengthen someone else’s grip has nothing to do with my strength to hang on. If I want someone to hold on, the only thing I have the power to do is to increase my own value. The understanding that lasting value comes from God and can never be taken away is the equivalent of having a functional, clean, well-oiled reel. It also allows you to have sufficient string so when someone tries to pull away you can let that string slide through your fingers without losing your grip or burning your hands. I’m not sure if the mistakes I made fishing improved my relationship skills or the poor technique I applied to my relationships made me a better fisherman. I only know that if I continue to increase my value, all of my relationships will be better for it. It’s a drag losing fish after fish, but, not understanding why, that’s reel trouble. John Lindsay is author of Consider the Stars. This blog is based off the book. Please visit his website for more articles or order his book from Amazon.com (available for Kindle):

www.ConsiderTheStars.com A collection of sketches and lesson plans for the faith-based dramatist

School voucher made available to more families Bob Kellogg (OneNewsNow.com) North Carolina becomes the 13th state in the nation to enact a program providing school vouchers for low-income families. The governor also signed a bill providing vouchers for special needs students. The new program will begin in the 2014-2015 school year. Students qualifying for the federal Free and Reduced Price Lunch program will be eligible for the vouchers. However, funding is capped at $10 million dollars. Jeff Reed of the Friedman Foundation for School Choice says nonetheless this is a good beginning. “This is no doubt a step in the right direction,” he tells OneNewsNow. “In terms of what Milton Friedman envisioned, you know – universal school choice for all families – this is a smaller

Ask the Rabbi Teshuvah

T

he Hebrew month of Elul (late summer/early fall) begins the season of repentance, or teshuvah, in spiritual preparation for the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur). In the Rabbinic calendar Elul is the last month of the year - a time of reflection and to turn away from sin before the start of the New Year. It is a time to prepare by getting our spiritual house in order. Every year the "Season of Teshuvah" runs forty days from the first day of Elul to Yom Kippur. During this time we make every effort to repent, or "turn (shuv) toward God. Teshuvah is a sort of death and rebirth: a death of the past life and the birth of a new life and a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). It is an awakening from the sleep induced by sin, and manifests itself as the power of the Holy Spirit working in the heart of the believer who trusts in God's salvation through Yeshua (Jesus). Therefore the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) gives us spiritual life that enables us to be "conformed" (formed together) with Yeshua's purpose in this world (Rom. 8:28-30). God's Favor is most fully revealed in the character of His Son (Heb. 1:3). According to Jewish tradition the month of Elul represents the time that Moses spent on Sinai preparing the second set of tablets after the idolatrous incident of the Golden

Page 23 program, but it no doubt has the opportunity to grow over time, which we’ve seen in other states.” He also says Governor Pat McCrory signed legislation that replaces the tax credit program for students with special needs with a voucher program. “There were a lot families who wanted to utilize that tax credit, particularly low-income families, but they didn’t have taxable income so therefore they couldn’t claim the credit,” he says. “So what the North Carolina legislation did, and what Governor McCrory signed into law, actually replaces that tax credit with a voucher so that low-income families can participate.” Reed says the downside to all of this is that it was passed as part of the budget. So the voucher program will have to be renewed each year.

Calf. Moses ascended on the first day of Elul and then descended 40 days later on the 10th of Tishri, the end of Yom Kippur, when the repentance of the people was complete. The month of Elul therefore represents the time of national sin and forgiveness obtained by means of teshuvah (repentance) before the Lord. It is also customary to blow the Shofar (ram's horn) every day to awaken us for the coming High Holidays. To contact Jeremy for ministry in your congregation, for a radio or television interview or other special event, or for information on his albums or teachings, please call or email: Tabernacle of Praise, Branson, MO ~

Phone: 417-334-7373 Email: info@JeremyStorch.org Website: www.JeremyStorch.org Rabbi Jeremy Storch is the Rabbi, Cantor and Worship leader of The Tabernacle, Branson, Missouri’s Messianic Jewish congregation. For more information on the Biblical Hebrew roots of Christianity, visit:

TheTabernacleInBranson.com


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.YAK BAK Feed Back from our readers Why do you all identify yourselves as the only Christian Newspaper serving the Ozarks? There are many papers produced by churches and now a new one called “Real News” that seems to be similar to the Ozarks Christian Voice. Larry Richards, Springfield, MO Larry, The OCV is the only Christian Newspaper not produced by a denomination or individual church. The danger of that type of genre is objectivity. The latter one is by their own definition a “religious” newspaper as evidenced by their content. My wife is the publisher and I am the editor and we certainly struggle with positions that we do not personally endorse but have merit and are worthy of discussion. However, the content is certainly found within the orthodox Christian Community. Therefore we are truly the only “kingdom minded” publication not trying to further a dogmatic agenda. There is truth in every denomination but we believe it should not be at the exclusion of all the others. The church that Christ speaks of in the Bible is invisible and determined by heart not head indicators.

______________________ Enclosed is a check for $10.00 as a donation. I pick up the OCV at vending machines and Family Pharmacies. I find the articles are interesting and help to update the activities in Branson. I wish you success in publishing this magazine. Louise Grimme, Ozark, MO Louise, your support and the support of others like you

will indeed help make the OCV successful. If every regular reader sent us $10.00 our annual budget would allow us to reach a million people every month.God bless you for your generosity! _________________ Regarding the article in July about the name of Jesus being an aberrate form of Zeus... I must apologize to those that I have taught falsely over these many years. Michael Brown was well researched and when I furthered my prejudice to justify my ignorance I came up short. Your publication is a blessing! Pastor Gary, Lebanon, MO ________________ Visited Branson recently and discovered the OCV. Please sign me up for an annual subscription. I know I will get my $3 pounds of flesh in every issue! Karen J., El Monte, CA __________________ Send your letters to the editor to:

editor@ ozarkschristianvoice.com or mailing address: P.O. Box 336 Rockaway Beach, MO 65740

August 2013

Hobby Lobby prez: Standing firm against ObamaCare mandate

ing our case because they just don't feel like they can take this battle on themselves and are supporting us. We've had a lot of people saying they're praying for us."

Chris Woodward (OneNewsNow.com)

The lawsuit has been sent back and forth in federal court, but Hobby Lobby was just recently given a temporary injunction from the requirement. The federal government, meanwhile, has until October 1 to consider filing an appeal with the Supreme Court. In the meantime, Hobby Lobby is not subject to fines, as called for by the federal government for employers who do not comply.

The president of Hobby Lobby says he has received a lot of support when it comes to his family's legal battle with the federal government. At issue is the government's requirement in the new healthcare law for employers to cover contraceptives for employees.

Steve Green

Speaking Thursday on American Family Radio, Steve Green explained that the mandate violates his family's religious freedoms. "Their argument is that it is best for women, in a very general sense, to provide all 20 contraceptives that are mandated – and of course, we're talking about four of the 20,” he shares. “We offer the 16 – so it's not the contraceptive piece, it is the abortive piece that is problematic for us." Green said following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, it was clear what path he and his family had to take. "The Supreme Court made the ruling that it [the mandate] was a tax,” he recalled. “It was after that point that our legal counsel came and let us know what the ramifications of that were for our family with the 20 contraceptions that are mandated, four of those being abortive in nature, which he knew was something that would violate our own conscience. So that's when we realized that we had no other option but to file suit."

Letters may be edited for space consideration. Please indicate if your whole name may be used.

In the aftermath of the high court’s ruling and the Hobby Lobby lawsuit, Green has witnessed an outpouring of support for his family’s cause.

Please have patience for those that choose to sin differently than you do.

"Everywhere I go, if I'm out speaking somewhere or at an event of some sort, there has been a lot of support,” he told AFR. “A lot of people are in this same position in the business community and they're kind of watch-

In Hobby Lobby’s case, those fines – if applied to every employee – could amount to more than a million dollars a day. "There is a calculation that is $100 per day per affected employee,” he explained. “If we were to take all of the employees and lives that are on our health plan – some employees don't take our health plan, some of them do, and they've got dependents who are covered as well – there are about 13,000 [employees]. When you take the $100 per day, if you applied it to all 13,000, you're at $1.3 million a day."

Dear Father, Forgive me when I lose sight of what is really important in life. Help me to keep my eyes focused on your truth. Enable me to show others that you are the real treasure in life.


August 2013

Why I Don’t Use the F-Word by J. Lee Grady

I

honestly never thought I’d see the day when Christians would justify swearing.

I lived a sheltered life growing up. My Christian parents allowed me to watch a re-release of Gone With the Wind at the local theater when I was 12, and my virgin ears were scandalized when Rhett Butler told Scarlett, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” I had never heard such language—and I knew that if I ever talked like Rhett Butler in my house, I would be sent to the backyard to choose my own switch. Fast-forward to today, when profanity has so saturated our culture that dirty words are unavoidable. Dropping the F-bomb is a daily habit for millions of Americans. Jesse Sheidlower, the editor-at-large of the Oxford English Dictionary, says the F-word has lost its shock value. He says, “For most people, it’s hardly noticeable anymore.” Today students wear “WTF?” T-shirts to school. I’ve seen the F-word indelibly tattooed on people’s arms in dark blue ink. And I’ve heard guys and girls alike use the F-word more than 15 times in a sentence to simply describe their day. There’s even a mock children’s book titled Go the F*** to Sleep that was one of the fastestselling titles on Amazon in 2011. What’s going on here? Music has certainly played a role in forcing the F-word on us. (Listen if you dare to any popular hip-hop artist for proof of this nastiness.) One song by the rock band Limp Bizkit a few years ago featured the F-word 50 times. American rapper CeeLo Green released a song in 2010 called F*** You, and it was nominated for a Grammy Award. Meanwhile, the Motion Picture Association of America recently relaxed its ratings code to allow more uses of the F-word in PG-13 movies. (The old rule only allowed one F-bomb per film.)

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com I’m not going on a crusade to wash out our nation’s potty mouth. We live in a free country. And besides, I don’t expect nonChristians to talk like Sunday school teachers. But at the risk of sounding like a prude, I think true believers need to be reminded that it’s not okay to talk trash. This certainly goes for preachers—no matter how young and trendy they are. I honestly never thought I’d see the day when Christians would justify swearing. But it was only inevitable, since many popular preachers have emphasized greasy grace while overlooking our serious lack of discipleship. The underlying message these days is: “Don’t be religious or legalistic. We have to be relevant to the culture.” The implied meaning is: “Go ahead and talk dirty. God doesn’t care. Maybe when non-Christians hear you swearing, they won’t label you a religious nut.” I’m not buying that line for three reasons: 1. Filthy talk defiles you and those around you. Jesus said it is not what goes into the mouth of a person that defiles him, but what comes out of his mouth (Matt. 15:11). Then the apostle Paul wrote, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths” (Eph. 4:29, ESV). The word corrupting here refers to rotten fruit or rancid fish. Filthy talk stinks! Dirty words have the power to soil you—and the rancid odor will linger in your soul.

rendered will. The psalmist wrote, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Ps. 141:3, ESV). Mature Christians invite the Holy Spirit to inspect every area of their lives: attitudes, thoughts, grudges and addictions—as well as coarse language. If you insist on holding on to carnal habits, you are quenching the Spirit’s fire. Your spiritual growth will be forever stunted. The prophet Isaiah recognized that he was “a man of unclean lips” who lived among “a people of unclean lips” (Is. 6:5). After his repentance, an angel touched his lips with the hot coal of God’s holiness. We need this miracle today if we want to speak for God. God wants to use our mouths as channels of His life and blessing, but we will never be His prophets if we talk like the world. Let God clean up your conversation. J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of the Mordecai Project (themordecaiproject.org). You can follow him on Twitter at @leegrady. He is the author of Fearless Daughters of the Bible and other books.

His day in court: Federal judge OKs detained man's lawsuit against Feds by Charlie Butts (OneNewsNow.com)

2. Obscene or crude language is a reflection of your inner character. British preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “Beware of everyone who swears: he who would blaspheme his Maker would make no bones of lying or stealing.” Ephesians 5:4 says filthy talk or crude joking are not “befitting” a Christian (ASV). The NIV translates it this way: “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place.” If a Christian defiantly insists on talking trash, he has revealed deeper flaws and can’t be trusted. 3. Rough language is a sign of an unsur-

A decorated U.S. Marine arrested by federal and local authorities for anti-government postings on Facebook will have his day in court. Rutherford Institute founder John Whitehead tells OneNewsNow that Brandon Raub posted controversial song lyrics and political opinions on Facebook, then found FBI, Secret Service agents and local police swarming his Virginia home on August 16, 2012. Whitehead found out, called the police station and got a response.

Page 25 “They said, ‘Oh, he's committed no crime. We just don't like him. We're concerned about his Facebook posts.’ He was eventually put in a mental hospital,” Whitehead recalls. “We sued and got him out.” Whitehead, John (Rutherford Institute)Whitehead says Rutherford has sued the federal government, claiming it violated Raub’s First Amendment right to free speech and his Fourth Amendment right to unreasonable search and seizure. The federal government has asked to have the Rutherford’s lawsuit dismissed, but a federal judge ruled August 2 that he sees constitutional questions that need to be answered. So the case will go to federal court. A story about the lawsuit by the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Raub was released seven days after he was arrested, when a circuit court judge ruled that the paperwork ordering his detainment was “faulty.” The same story reports that U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson is allowing Rutherford to demand what information federal and local authorities knew about their client before he was detained for a mental evaluation. The newspaper story noted: Much of the information about Raub’s alleged mental condition was developed after his arrest and emergency mental assessment, but Hudson notes in the opinion that “there is no indication that any defendant was aware of the specific contents of (emails and statements Raub was making) before Raub’s arrest." Whitehead also alleges his client was thrown into a fence by a police officer, and his back was lacerated. “He asked to have the wounds cleaned, but they threw a shirt on his back and it actually stuck to the blood on his back,” says Whitehead.By the way, psychiatrists at the mental institution found nothing wrong with Raub.


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&

August 2013

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Across 1. Subdivisions of a play 5. Be lazy or idle 9. Division of geological time 12. Oddity 13. Qualified to do things well 14. Marsh hen 16. Circular coral reef 17. Portrayal 18. Leporid mammal 19. Dome-shaped shrine 20. Staining substance 21. Sentry positions 22. Observed 24. Large body of water 26. Tackiness 27. Peculiar

30. Annoy 31. Friendly nation 33. Closer 35. Not in operation 36. Fiend 40. Supply food ready to eat 41. Veneration 42. Thick woolen fabric 43. Panache 44. Transgression 45. Thawed 46. Alpine lift 48. Ardent follower and admirer 49. Cunning 50. Flow back or recede 53. Frozen 54. Concludes 56. Vernacular

58. Pig pen 59. Type of star 63. Direct attention on something 64. Surfeit 66. Unit of weight for precious stones 67. System of exercises 68. Shout 69. Imperial decree 70. Encountered 71. Manufacture 72. Accessory Down 1. Motor vehicle 2. Harvest 3. Roofing material 4. Ancient Roman god 5. Voice box 6. Musical instrument

7. Each and every one 8. Professional charge 9. Reverberation 10. Cook with dry heat 11. Artery 12. Feline 15. Trial 20. Cervid 21. Buddy 23. At any time 24. Secure 25. Fairy 27. One time only 28. Distribute playing cards 29. Information 32. Caterwaul 34. Let for money 35. Possess 37. Obtains 38. Spool

Answers to Sudoku Puzzle on Page 35

39. Miniature whirlpool 41. Ethereal 42. Look after 44. Pouch 45. Large but indefinite number 47. Prominent 48. Physical fitness 50. Catch sight of 51. Flower 52. Flatbottom boat 55. Ophidian 57. Orderly 58. Brood 60. Unwritten 61. Immense 62. Consumed 64. Athletic facility, in short 65. Pasture 66. Young bear

Pierce Arrow’s Tim Storms Born August 28, 1972 in Tulsa, Oklahoma and raised in Waterloo, Indiana, Tim developed an ear for vocal music at a young age. His musical influences include many a cappella music groups. Four days after graduating high school, he moved to Oklahoma to begin a career in Christian music. Over the next several years, Tim would sing with the groups Timothy, Freedom, Vocal Union, AVB, Acappella, 50’s at the Hop and Rescue. During his career in Christian music, Tim has been blessed to be able to sing in Brazil, France, Switzerland, Jamaica, Fiji, Russia and England, as well as all over the United States. Tim set a Guinness World Record for the lowest note produced by a human by vibrating his vocal chords down to .189 Hz, which is just over seven octaves below the piano. He also set a Guinness World Record for the widest vocal range for a male. The new record was announced via CNN and Reuters at Ripley's Believe It Or Not, London, England. Tim joined Pierce Arrow at the beginning of the 2006 season and currently lives in the Branson area with his wife, Angie, daughter Emma, and son Evan.

Socialism: A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. -- George Bernard Shaw


August 2013

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Pregnant teens can’t be forced to have abortions – by anyone Charlie Butts (OneNewsNow.com) A Texas-based legal group is spreading the word that under existing law, underage girls cannot be forced by anyone - including their parents - to have an abortion. Dear Parent letter from TJF (The Justice Foundation) has produced for parents a letter spelling out their rights under the law. Simply put, parents cannot pressure their daughter into an abortion. “It violates even her constitutional right to make the decision to have an abortion,” explains attorney Allan Parker, who heads the legal group. “And even though we're a parents’ rights organization, people need to remember that when a girl is pregnant, she's now a mother. She has parental rights.” • Locally-Owned • Bruce and Kim Erdel

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Page 27 change that.” As the letter emphasizes to parents: “You do not have to support her child, but you do have to support her just as she has to support her baby.” The “Dear Parent” letter is commonly requested by crisis pregnancy centers, but is available to both parent and child through the Justice Foundation website. It has been 95-percent successful in saving a child's baby once it's in the parents' hands.

The Justice Foundation has established a special project - the “Center Against Forced Abortions” (CAFA) – to provide legal resources to mothers who are being forced or coerced into an unwanted abortion. CAFA also makes available a “Letter to Abortionists” that, when combined with the “Dear Parent” letter, forms a “powerful legal defense that empowers the teen mother to stand for her child.”

According to Parker, most parents and underage girls don't know that the girl also can refuse to kill her preborn child. The letter to parents states (in part): “As a mother, she has the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of her child. That right is hers – not anyone else’s .... [A]ny third party (including a relative) who causes the baby to be killed may be guilty of fetal homicide.” In addition, parents cannot make threats of violence or apply excessive coercion to force an abortion. A method frequently used to force a girl to have an abortion – i.e., threatening to throw her out of the house if she refuses – not only terrifies the child, says the attorney, but is also illegal.

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Please research the story before you forward something on the web. Christians must be very cautious against bearing false witness.

“That's illegal in every state. It is criminal neglect or abandonment to throw your child out on the street,” Parker explains. “You have a duty to care for your child physically – food, shelter and clothing and education – until they reach the age of majority; and being pregnant doesn't

The Ozarks Christian Voice is available FREE at all Family Pharmacy locations!


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August 2013


August 2013

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com News today.

Grad Student Looking for Work Takes Sweet Approach Good Morning America/Michael Penn What's the craziest thing you've done to get a job? Ever hand out free coffee and doughnuts in front of a potential employer? Well, that's what Fordham graduate student Michael Penn, 23, did Thursday morning. His goal: to land a job in the financial services industry, specifically at Goldman Sachs.

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"Goldman Sachs is the pinnacle of the financial industry, and I'd like to be sculpted by a firm like it," Penn told ABC

So at 7 a.m. Thursday, he set up a booth outside the investment bank's office building in Lower Manhattan, complete with refreshments and a sign that read: www.HireMichaelPenn.com. The Hiring Situation for New College Graduates Looks Bleak "I wanted to do something innovative for my job hunt. I am graduating in two weeks. I came up with the idea to get

Custody battle turns into criminal investigation in SC Charlie Butts (OneNewsNow.com)

South Carolina authorities are considering criminal charges in a child custody case decided by the United States Supreme Court.

some face time," said Penn, who hails from Boca Raton, Fla., and pursued a master's degree in global management. With his website printed on his booth and the coffee cup sleeves, Penn started gaining some attention. Within minutes, word about what Penn was doing had traveled to an employee at a leading investment bank. Penn said he received an email. "He said: 'I want you to come down here,'" Penn said.

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He was immediately given an interview later in the morning. Penn said he wanted to prove to himself and to other people that there were ways of finding jobs. It just takes innovative ideas. "It's just simple economics - supply and demand. The jobs are there. There are just more master's and MBAs out there now. You really need to get out there and differentiate yourself," he said. Check Out the Top 20 College Degrees With the Best and Worst Return on Investment Penn, who is still unemployed, said because of all the great feedback he'd received, he would go back to Goldman Sachs, or try someplace else. "I would love to increase my Rolodex, and this is a great way to do it," he said. "It was so heartwarming. People really wanted to see me succeed."

Veronica was adopted at birth by Matt and Melanie Capobianco of Charleston, South Carolina and had her for two years before biological father Dusten Brown, who is a fraction Cherokee, filed suit under the Indian Child Welfare Act. He won custody, keeping her for a year and a half. The Capobiancos appealed to the Supreme Court which decided in their favor. Capobianco familyAttorney Lori Alvino McGill tells OneNewsNow a South Carolina court issued a ruling this week that created a “transition plan” intended to gradually reunite Veronica with her family. “Unfortunately, without providing any notice or reason, Veronica did not show up for the first planned transition visit,” says Alvino. The family court in South Carolina has issued a sternly worded ruling ordering Veronica to be immediately turned over to the Capobianco's. “What I understand is going on now,” says McGill, “is a very thorough criminal investigation and consideration of what charges may be brought on the criminal side." Of course, the father could decide to comply with court orders and turn the child over to the adoptive parents. The Supreme Court ruled the Indian Child Welfare Act does not permit the father to decide two years after an adoption to take the child away from the adoptive parents.


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Faith group to Pentagon: Why are you listening to an atheist? by Charlie Butts (OneNewsNow.com) Citing examples of private access being granted to atheists, the American Family Association is asking the Pentagon to offer the same courtesy for Christians. This week AFA dispatched a letter to the U.S. Air Force requesting a face-to-face meeting with Pentagon officials over recent incidents in which Christianity has been censored at military installations. At the center of many of those incidents is a group known as the Military Religious Freedom Foundation which, according to AFA, has urged the Air Force to begin a “cleansing” of any public expression of the Christian faith in the military. Bryan Fischer, director of issues analysis for American Family Association, tells OneNewsNow that atheist Mikey Weinstein – president of FFRF – is issuing orders to the Pentagon. In response, says AFA, military leaders are marching to his “anti-Christian directives.” “[Weinstein] met in the spring of this year with the leadership of the United States Air Force, had a private meeting with them in the Pentagon,” notes Fis-

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com cher, “and since then we've seen a severe restriction of religious liberty in the Air Force.” There was a picture with a religious theme in a cafeteria at an Idaho base. Weinstein called the base commander and the picture was removed 56 minutes later. In an online commentary, an Alaska base chaplain quoted President Eisenhower with a religious reference. Weinstein called the base commander who within five hours had the chaplain’s piece removed. And several members of Congress are questioning Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel as to why the Air Force would grant private meetings with Weinstein. Fischer explains it is “simply a matter of fairness” that AFA is asking for the courtesy of a meeting with the Pentagon. “We're not asking for special treatment,” he says. “We are simply asking for the same kind of access that the Air Force is willing to give to someone who is a secular fundamentalist. We believe the Air Force owes it to us and that it is right for them to give us this kind of meeting.” The military's history from the beginning has emphasized faith, not atheism. Editor's Note: The American Family Association is the parent organization of the American Family News Network, which operates OneNewsNow.com

August 2013

The Space Shuttle Experience (Branson Newsdesk) The Space Shuttle Experience is now open in Branson, MO. The replica space shuttle was built by the Kansas Cosmosphere and commissioned into service by the former head of NASA Dan Goldin. It was featured recently on the History Channel and displayed in front of the US Capitol building. The shuttle has 16 stations inside for "astronauts" to experience the last journey of Atlantis from earth to the International Space Station. Also tour the control room and see artifacts from the US space program. The experience is suitable for all ages. Open Tuesday through Saturday 10am-12 midnight. Admission is $8.50 per person, with a family rate available. Located at 3682 Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, at the corner of 76 and Shepherd of the Hills. For more information, see us on Facebook at The Branson Space Shuttle Experience and www.AtlantisDreamMission.com

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August 2013

Patsy Cline Remembered Patsy Cline Remembered is a show that not only features the greatest hits of one of the most influential female vocalists, but invites you to explore the reality of who Patsy was beyond her music. Come celebrate her achieve-

Breakthrough in battle against malaria as new vaccine proves 100 percent effective against disease for the first time in history by Lydia Warren, Daily Mail Malaria, a tropical, mosquito-borne disease, causes fever and vomiting and can disrupt the blood supply to vital organs if it remains untreated. These symptoms become evident around 10 to 15 days after being bitten. The parasite has become resistant to some treatments and, with no effective vaccine, trying to halt the disease has been limited to controlling mosquitoes, distributing pesticide-laced nets for homes and spraying the indoors of buildings with insecticides - the method known as vector control. At-risk people, including pregnant women and children, can also take antimalarial medications during seasons

Yes, that red is your blood! when the cases of malaria are highest. The CDC points out that no antimalarial drug is 100 per cent protective and should be used in conjunction with other measures

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com ments and grieve her troubles as you discover how she paved the way for women to become an integral part of Country Music. Patsy Cline Remembered stars C.J. Newsom, who performed in the award winning John Denver Tribute show for over six years, and now is eager to share how Patsy influenced her life and the career of many female country singers. The show takes you on a journey of not only Patsy’s experiences, but of those that influenced her like Judy Garland, like insecticides. Despite efforts, the disease still kills around one million people and leaves more than 200 million sick every year. In a human trial, 100 per cent of subjects who received the top dose of vaccine PfSPZ were protected against the disease. Vaccine uses a weakened version of the parasites that cause disease But the trial was on a small scale so scientists say more testing is needed U.S. scientists have announced a significant breakthrough in the fight against malaria after a human trial of a new vaccine was 100 per cent effective against the disease for the first time in history. More than three dozen volunteers were given multiple doses of a vaccine produced with a weakened form of the mosquito-borne disease that kills around one million people a year. And their results were promising: The months-long trial was 100 per cent successful in protecting all of the subjects who received the strongest dose of the vaccine. The results, which suggest scientists could be nearing eliminating the disease, were released by researchers from the National Institutes of Health, the Navy, Army and other organizations Thursday. None of the participants, who all took part in the study between October 2011 and October 2012, had any side effects from the new vaccine editor’s note: This will be a welcome relief to anyone who has done missionary work. The current pills make many people very sick. For the million that die every year we will not question the side affects of this new vaccine.

her friends such as Loretta Lynn, and those most influenced by her like Reba McEntire. Patsy Cline Remembered is an engaging and entertaining show. As the last notes fade away, you will feel like you have become a close friend of a musical giant, Patsy Cline.

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1

The Dark Side of Wives Submitting to Husbands by J. LEE GRADY

C

hristian teaching on male headship is often used as a weapon against women. This abuse must be confronted. During a past ministry trip to Hungary, I heard a painfully familiar story. Through a translator, a tearful young woman living near Budapest explained that her Christian husband was angrily demanding her absolute submission. This included, among other things, that she clean their house according to his strict standards and that she engage in sexual acts with him that made her feel uncomfortable and dirty. This lady was not demanding her rights or trying to be disrespectful. She was a godly, humble woman who obviously wanted to please the Lord. But she had been beaten to a pulp emotionally, and she was receiving little help from her pastor—who was either unwilling or unprepared to confront wife abuse. I've heard so many sickening versions of this scenario. In Kenya, several women told me their AIDS-infected husbands often raped them—and then their pastors told them they must submit to this treatment. In some parts of India, even some pastors believe it is acceptable to beat their wives if they argue with them or show any form of disrespect. And in some conservative churches in the United States, women are told that obedience to God is measured by their wifely submission—even if their husbands are addicted to alcohol or pornography or if they are involved in adulterous affairs. This distortion of biblical teaching has plunged countless Christian women into depression and emotional trauma. I'm not sure which is worse: the harsh words they hear from their husbands or the perverse way the Bible is wielded as a leather belt to justify domestic abuse. Here are three truths we must uncover in order to solve this problem:

. Marriage is not a hierar- boss. Rather, it refers to the Genesis account of Eve being chy. Traditionalists assume taken from Adam's side. The husband is the "source" of that a Christian marriage is de- the wife because she originated from him, and she is infined as a dominant husband timately connected to him in a mystical union that is unwho makes all family decisions while the wife graciously like any other human relationship. obeys without input. Yet Scripture actually portrays mar. Men who abuse their wives are out of fellowship riage as a loving partnership and refers to the wife as a with God. First Peter 3:7 is clear: "You husbands in "fellow heir of the grace of life" (1 Peter 3:7, NASB). And the apostle Paul taught that in the realm of sexual- the same way, live with your wives in an understanding ity, husbands and wives share equal authority over each way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow other's bodheir of the grace of life, so ies (1 Cor. your prayers will not be 7:4). In other Any man who berates his wife, treats her words, subas inferior or engages in abusive behavior (in- hindered." Wife abuse is no trivial sin. Any man mission in who berates his wife, treats this most in- cluding hitting, kicking, raping, cursing at or her as inferior or engages timate part of threatening punishment) will jeopardize his in abusive behavior (ina marriage fellowship with the Lord. cluding hitting, kicking, covenant is mutual, and this same mutuality is the key to any happy raping, cursing at or threatening punishment) will jeopmarriage; it fosters respect, communication and an en- ardize his fellowship with the Lord. He will feel frustrated and convicted until he repents. during bond.

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. Headship is not a license to control. Traditionalists (And in the same way, I believe pastors who silently supalso cite Ephesians 5:23 to remind wives that their port abusive husbands by refusing to confront the behavhusbands are ior—or by telling women to submit to the their "heads"— pain—participate in this sin and could find their own and they believe prayers hindered.) A women is to remain this term requires silent until her husband some type of dicTruly Christian marriages, according to the apostle Paul, tatorial control in involve a tender, servant-hearted and unselfish husband says she can speak, marriage. Yet the who (1) loves his wife "just as Christ also loved the sayeth the Lord Greek word used church"; (2) loves her as his own body; and (3) loves her in this passage, as himself (see Eph. 5:25, 28 and 33). He stands alongkephale, does not side his wife in faithfulness, and she joyfully respects her have husband because he can be trusted. And the two become anyone. thing to do with If we are to uphold this golden standard, we must conheavy-handed front abuse, shelter its victims and provide the tough love authority, and it and counseling necessary to heal troubled relationships. cannot be used And we have no business telling women to stay in marto enforce male riages that actually could put them or their children in d o m i n a t i o n . danger. Neither does it imply male su- J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can periority. The find him on Twitter at @leegrady. also he is the direcword can either mean "source" (as in the source of a tor of The Mordecai Project: www.themordecaiproject.org river) or "one who leads into battle" (as a Mr. B’s Ice Cream Parlor 102 S. Bus Hwy 65 protector). Branson, MO 65616 Old Fashion Sodas- MaltsHISTORIC DOWNTOWN Shakes- Hand-Dipped Ice Neither original definiBRANSON Cream & Cobblers tion of this word gives Hot Dogs- Chili Dogs- Deli room for abuse. HeadJudy Dees Sandwiches Real Lemonade & ship, in its essence, is (417) 336-5735 Limeade not about who's the


August 2013

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Presbyterians Kindle Fiery Debate by Rejecting Popular New Hymn Bob Smietana / USA Today ongwriter Keith Getty, is the co-author of “In Christ Alone,” a hymn dropped from a Presbyterian hymnal because Getty and another co-author objected to proposed changes to its wording. Fans of a beloved contemporary Christian hymn won’t get any satisfaction in a new church hymnal. The committee putting together a new hymnal for the Presbyterian Church (USA) dropped the popular hymn “In Christ Alone” because the song’s authors refused to change a phrase about the wrath of God. The original lyrics say that “on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” The Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song wanted to substitute the words, “the love of God was magnified.”

the change. Capitol CMG Publishing, which manages rights for “In Christ Alone,” said it is working with the hymnal’s publisher to fix the problem. Neither Getty nor the Celebrating Grace publisher was available for comment. “We respect our songwriters and the integrity of their lyrics, and the intent of our request was to ensure the song retains the original lyrics as written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend,” Capitol said in a prepared statement. “Celebrating Grace Inc. is cooperating fully and is taking steps to make the correction in all distributed copies of the song, including the Celebrating Grace Hymnal.”

The song’s authors, Stuart Townend and Nashville resident Keith Getty, objected. So the committee voted to drop the song. Critics say the proposed change was sparked by liberals wanting to take God’s wrath out of the hymnal. The committee says there’s plenty of wrath in the new hymnal.

That left the committee in a bind, Bringle said. The Presbyterians’ new Glory to God hymnal, due out this fall, includes songs such as “O “That lyric comes close to saying Sacred Head Now Wounded,” which talk that God killed Jesus,” he said. about substitutionary “The cross is not an instrument of atonement—the idea that Jesus took the place of sinGod’s wrath.” ners on the cross. It also includes songs about God’s wrath.

Instead, the problem is the word “satisfied,” which the committee says refers to a specific view of theology that it rejects.

“People think that we’ve taken the wrath of God out of the hymnal,” Bringle said. “That’s not the case. It’s all over the hymnal. The issue was the word ‘satisfied.’”

Debate over “In Christ Alone” is a mix of church politics, the touchy subject of updating hymn lyrics and rival views of what Jesus’ death on the cross meant.

That term was used by the medieval theologian Anselm, who argued that sins offended God’s honor, and someone had to die in order to satisfy his honor.

“The decision to drop the hymn wasn’t made lightly,” said Mary Louise Bringle, a religion professor and hymnwriter who chaired the hymnal committee. “It was complicated by a foul-up with the rights for the song.”

The 15-member committee rejected Anselm’s view and voted 9-6 to drop the hymn.

Committee members had found a version of the hymn with the alternate text in the Celebrating Grace Hymnal, a Baptist hymnal published in 2010. They assumed the songwriters already had agreed to the change. “We had every reason to think that this was an authorized text because it appeared in a recent hymnal,” Bringle said. When it asked for permission to use the song, the committee learned that the song’s authors hadn’t approved

Page 33 “There’s no more work to be done,” said Sauls, whose congregation is part of the more conservative Presbyterian Church in America. “It is finished.” Word about “In Christ Alone” being dropped spread slowly. Bringle wrote about it in the May issue of The Christian Century magazine, but it got little attention until it captured the attention of the blogosphere. Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., criticized the committee in an online column called “No Squishy Love” at the conservative journal First Things. George said he worries that the committee dropped the song because the idea of God’s wrath has become unpopular. “I don’t see this as an isolated case,” he said in a phone interview. “It fits into a wider pattern of downplaying parts of Christian doctrine that are offensive.” Other conservative bloggers such as David French of Columbia, Tenn., also criticized the committee, seeing its ruling as a sign that the committee was abandoning Christian doctrine. On Aug. 1, the committee issued a public statement defending its decision. Bringle said the controversy proves that hymns still matter. People care about them and get upset if someone tries to change a song they love. Mike Harland agrees. Harland is the director of LifeWay Worship, the music department of the Nashville-based publisher affiliated with the Southern Baptists. He said he admires the Presbyterians for paying close attention to the lyrics of hymns because songs make emotional and intellectual connections with worshippers. So the words in a hymnal matter.

The Rev. Chris Joiner of First Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tenn., agrees with that move. He said some of his church members are fans of the song and will be disappointed that it was dropped. But the words of the song don’t work, he said.

“The faith of current generations and future generations is shaped by what we say and what we sing,” he said. “That’s why you stress over every word.”

“That lyric comes close to saying that God killed Jesus,” he said. “The cross is not an instrument of God’s wrath.” But the Rev. Scott Sauls, pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, disagrees. He said the word “satisfied” means that Jesus paid the whole price for sins.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Does it really matter? Is this just twigs?

Twitter us your opinion!

#OCVeditor


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BRANSON FRONTLINE By Veeda Smith Christian Action Ministries 5th Annual Gospel Sing-Off will be held on September 1, at 2PM at the Sight & Sound Theatres in Branson. Finalists will have the opportunity to compete for prizes and ‘Praise the Lord in song and help battle hunger in the name of Jesus.’ The annual event is a fund raiser for the operation of the Christian Action Ministries food pantries to help over 1000 families to keep food on their tables. Former member of the legendary Statler Brothers, Jimmy Fortune, will make a special guest appearance to open the show. Fortune toured with The Statler Brothers for 21 years until 2002 when the group retired and he launched his solo career. Bob Hubbard, formerly of The Foggy River Boys will emcee the competition. For more information and tickets, call: 417 334-1157 or christianactionministries.org. The monthly Jammin for Jesus Gospel Concert will be held at

The Doug Gabriel Theater in Branson on September 1 at 7PM. Special guests will include John Lanier, the Scotts, Chris Hester, the Armstrong Singers, Keith Barkley Family, the Williamsons, the Ambassador Trio and Mercy Reveals. Proceeds from Jammin for Jesus will also go to Christian Action Ministries to help fill the food p a n t r i e s . Admission is FREE with canned goods such as canned meat or fruit, peanut butter or personal hygiene items. Phyllis Rotrock, Director of Jammin for Jesus, can be contacted for more information at bransonpr@aol.com or 417 335-0525. The Gospel Hour, under the direction of Pastor Sam Stauffer, will kick off the second week of September on Wednesday nights at 7PM with gospel concerts at The Dick Clark American Bandstand Theater. Guests will include Michael and Marcey Moore and the Gospel Hour Singers with Colt and Kasey Straub, Matt Ranker, Debra Paxton, Greg Goering, and saxophonist Gary Dooms. For more information, call 417 3378888 or samstauffer@gospelhour.org. Admission is FREE.

Sun. 8:00am & 10:30am • Wed. 6:30pm

www.GraceCommunityAssembly.com Grace Community Assembly • 440 State Hwy 248 Branson, MO • 417-336-2422

Pastor David Betzer

Pastor Pastor Allen Asbury Michael Prince Equiping our families for ministry to each-other and outreach to the needy and lost.

Christian Girls Being Snatched by Islamist Traffickers Gary Lane/CBN News The recent upheaval in Egypt once again brings to the forefront the plight of the country's Christians who have come under increased attack from Islamists since the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi. Now they're hoping and praying Egypt's next government will do a better job of protecting them from attacks and the trafficking of Christian girls. Funerals like the recent one at St. Mina Church in North Sinai have become all too familiar for Egyptian Christians. Friends and family recently paid final respects to Father Mina Aboud, a beloved Coptic priest. Islamist gunmen opened fire on Mina July 6 while he drove his car after shopping in the northern Sinai town of el Arish. Father Mina's murder was no surprise to Egypt's Christians because they are frequent targets of attack during times of political instability. Christians have struggled for years--not only to protect their churches, homes and businesses, but also their daughters. One of the challenges facing Christian families, particularly in Upper Egypt, is the kidnapping of young Christian girls. It generally happens when the girls enter their teen years. To help avoid this tragedy, some families re-locate to Christian villages. But with that comes a whole new set of challenges. Manel moved her family from a Muslim village to a Christian one near el Minya because she wanted to protect her oldest daughter Maryam from abduction and forced conversion. She made the decision after noticing some Muslim girls and boys attempting to lure Maryam away from her family and faith. "The girls used to tell Maryam, 'Come with us, we will give you a some money, you are having a hard life.' The young boys were sending the young girls to do this," Manel explained. "I feared they would kidnap her and then demand a lot of money to return her, or they would return her and she wouldn't be in the same way as they took her." Now residing as strangers in a new town, Manel's husband has difficulty finding work. "I'm much happier now because it is safe for my daughters here, but the working opportunities for my husband are little because few people know my husband," she said. Maryam's family borrowed money to buy food and make their house payment. They prayed God would provide help. She and her family are not alone. Last year, a

August 2013 Helsinki Commission hearing revealed the number of disappearances and abduction of Christian girls is increasing. Human trafficking expert Michel Clark told of more than 800 cases. Still, many Islamic leaders and government officials debunk claims that Christian girls are being trafficked. They insist the conversions and marriages are not forced; they are simply the result of amorous love between young people of different faiths. "A boy and a girl from different religions love each other and thus one of them converts his religion in order to get married," Helmy al Sayed, Freedom and Justice Party Secretary for Giza, said. The FJP is the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. "The problem is that families do not accept that, also the two religions--neither the church accepts any of its people to Islam because of love, nor Islam accepts this type of conversion," Sayed said. Sayed claims it is a social problem that must be addressed, not a religious one. Earlier this year, Coptic Orthodox Patriarch,Tawadros II told CBN News efforts to prevent trafficking and forced conversions often fail. "This is very sensitive issue for us ... we try with the government, with the local authorities ... sometimes we are successful, but sometimes no success," Tawadros said. The Mohammed Morsi government did little to curtail the trafficking. But the political change gives many Egyptian Christians hope. They pray the next government will force police to treat Christian kidnapping complaints seriously and prosecute the kidnappers. As for Maryam and her family? Their prayers for help were answered when CBN provided them with the seed money needed to start a small clothing business. Menal said she and her daughters will "tell people in the church that we sell new clothing and the profits we get will help buy clothes for my children and feed my family." She also expressed gratitude to her American brothers and sisters in Christ. "May the American Christians who helped us have a long life and may God be with them to help others like me to become self-supporting," she said. The effort is much needed help from caring American Christians at a time of uncertainty, bringing not only a glimmer of hope, but also a new beginning in Egypt. Christians are calling Morsi's ouster "a miracle."


August 2013

www.OzarksChristianVoice.com

from the editor...

Hey, buddy, can you spare five bucks?

Y

ou may have noticed that The Ozarks Christian Voice is available for free in various locations such as theatres, restaurants, waiting rooms, trash cans, etc. If you have not noticed these free copies... fantastic! Hopefully it was purchased from one of our vending machines or you are a faithful subscriber and get it in your mailbox each month. For the more than 13,000 people that have chosen to get it free each month online, do not feel guilty. We know how you are. (Just kidding, we love you.) We make it available for free so new readers can find the OCV and discover they cannot live without it. Hopefully, they will want to purchase it in the future. Some of the vending machines are honor racks, and we encourage you to be generous with loose change from your pockets,

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purses and car ashtrays. We are now in our 9th year of printing the only Christian newspaper in the Ozarks that is fun, inspirational and without being inclusive to other world religions. We have served the Christian community to the best of our ability trying to be fair and balanced to more than one position on the non-essential matters. Of course, it is the human religious nature to make twigs into trunks. You can imagine the difficult task we have to try to educate and spiritually mature the believer without creating a great offense in the process. If this paper took a left-wing, flaming liberal position or a stinking right-wing, conservative position (extreme opinions either way), folks on both sides of that spectrum would get pretty generous to support their own ignorant bias. Having a Christian publication be moderate to conservative usually generates moderate to conservative financial support because it doesn’t get us all fired up. However, we believe a moderate approach to the majority of hot topics is the most prudent and, dare we say, Christian approach?

this economy is a huge amount.

The Body of Christ is extremely diverse because it mysteriously serves God’s purpose to be that way.

(Please send check to address below or hit the donate button on our website)

The OCV is a Kingdom paper. We know $30.00 yearly subscription in

OzarksChristianVoice.com

Sudoku Answers to Pg. 26

If that is not possible, could you please try to get the newspaper through vending machines for 50 cents (10 issues per year) located at grocery stores and post offices, as well as many high traffic areas. That’s only $5.00 a year. ...or you could just send us $5.00 and pick it up at all our free locations for an entire year as a way to help us...

It would be a shame for this newspaper to disappear only to have people saying that had they known our needs, they would have helped out in some way. If we were all ads, we would need no support from the reader, but we hope the contents are a blessing to you and to others and is worthy of your financial assistance.

It’s only $30.00 a year... (10 issues) NEVER MISS AN ISSUE! Or Gift it to a Loved One!

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order by email: editor@ozarkschristianvoice.com

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Of course, if you feel led by God to just make a donation of any size we would be most grateful.

...or send a check with your address to:

Ozarks Christian Voice P.O. Box 336 Rockaway Beach, MO 65740

Pierce Arrow’s M ic h elle Wait

Regional Managers Needed

Michelle was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. She fell in love with performing after watching her brother sing in his high school musical production of '42nd Street' when she was eight years old. With some encouragement from her Mom, she went on to perform in show choirs and numerous school and community musicals while growing up. Michelle moved to Branson in 2004 and has been employed by several theater's in Branson. She has also been a featured vocalists for Celebrity Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line. Michelle is a certified personal trainer, but most of all, Michelle loves being a mother and spending time with her two little boys, Bo and Abe. Michelle is thrilled to be a member of the Pierce Arrow family!

The Ozarks Christian Voice needs a regional manager for the Branson, Springfield and Joplin markets. This is a generous commission only position with unlimited earnings! Must have dependable transportation and past experience in account managing. Gas allowance provided. Call John at (417) 353-7598



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