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March Edition
What does Sinsemilla and Shamrocks have to do with Christians?
Who was St. Patty? St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling. See page 3
Find out how Christians can influence television programming
A Medicinal Herb from God... or a Man Made Abberation from Hell? see pg 33
Stephan Baldwin’s New Projects - see page 16
March 2014
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continued from front cover
Did you know that 34.7 million U.S. residents claim Irish ancestry, but nearly 122 million Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day? The Legendary Snakes By Alexandra Silver According to legend, St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland in the 5th century. But, of course, there weren't any slithering reptiles to drive off the island. The reference is thought to be metaphorical: St. Patrick — who converted pagans to Christianity — was the man who supposedly drove "evil" nonChristians from the land.
St. Patrick's Day Parades Started in the U.S. by Claire Suddath The first St. Patrick's Day parade wasn't held in Ireland but in the U.S. Well, technically "the colonies." In 1762, Irish soldiers serving in the English army celebrated the holiday by marching through the streets of New York City. By 1848, the parade was an official city event and today nearly 3 million people line New York City's streets to watch the fivehour-long, 150,000-participant procession.
St. Patrick: Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of 16, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)
St. Patrick: Guided By Visions After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice—which he believed to be God's— spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation—an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than 15 years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission: to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.)
St. Patrick's Blue Saint Patrick's color was blue, not green, say historians. (according to Francis Romero from TIME magazine) The hue — St. Patrick's blue, a lighter shade — can still be seen on ancient Irish flags and was used on armbands and flags by members of the Irish Citizen Army, whose 1916 Easter Rising attempted to end British rule. But the use of green on St. Patrick's Day began during the 1798 Irish Rebellion, when the clover became a symbol of nationalism and the "wearing of the green" on lapels became regular practice. The green soon spread to uniforms as well. That evolution, combined with the idea of Ireland's lush green fields, eventually made blue a thing of the past. St. Patrick who consecrated over 350 bishops used the clover as an illustration of the Trinity (3 distinct leaves but just on flower)
seem more natural to the Irish. Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries—spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.
Page 3 There may be some things sacred but I venture a guess that it is most likely juice cocktail; 10 percent real fruit juice and 90% “other ingredients”.
St. Patrick was actually born Maewyn Succat, according to legend; he changed his name to Patricius, or Patrick, which derives from the Latin term for "father figure," when he became a priest. editor’s note: God surely used this man of faith to transform the people of Ireland and draw countless people to Himself. I do find it interesting that nearly 100% of people polled believe that St. Patrick was Irish, not British. Not for nothing, this teaches us that we should, as Bertrand Russell once said, “Be fiercely convicted to what we believe today but be prepared to call it falsehood tomorrow.” Now, St. Patty’s lineage is not all that important but your theological prejudices can be and in many cases prove to be harmful to yourself as well as others.
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For the Christian there are a few immutable facts about our faith and belief system regarding who God and Christ and the Holy Spirit is. And yet for the better part of 30 years I was wrong about the personage and role of the Holy Spirit. It is not only permissible to question the dogma of our mentors and peers but a real necessity for spiritual growth and Christian maturity.
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CherryBerry Branson
St. Patrick: Bonfires and Crosses Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would
Salvation is when God takes our place. Sin is when we try to return the favor. (Thus, the Human Condition) - Scott Sauls
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Stonewall West Motor Inn 1040 W. Hwy 76 Branson • (417) 334-5173
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www.computerren.com Mobile Mike’s PC Service & Repair Serving Springfield, MO • Branson, MO, and Harrison, AR (417) 365-5504 Licensed & Insured . Training available. www.MobileMikesPCrepair.com CONCESSIONS KONA ICE Snow Cones Concessions, Fundraisers, Inflatables (417) 598-2262 COPY SERVICES Copy Run Yes We Can!- Lucas & Tracy Banks 4510 N. Gretna Rd Branson (417) 239-1313 • copyrun@msn.com DENTISTRY Kay E. Knipschild, D.D.S. Quality, Caring, General Dentistry 3841 S. Jefferson in Springfield , MO (417) 887-2929 ELECTRICAL SERVICE Cornerstone Electric 24 Hour Emergency Service. (417) 582-0621 ENTERTAINMENT W.E.A.K. Entertainment is your best value for clean, quality, professional entertainment throughout Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas (417) 213-0798 • (417) 699-0014
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REALTORS
MASSAGE Diverse Craft Massage & Bodyworks, LLC - Kit Plummer (417) 331-0960 (Mobile Service) MONUMENTS
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HEALTH CARE Ozark Mountain Healthcare 509 Meadowlark Ln. Crane • (417) 723-5281 www.ozarkmountainhealthcare.com HOT TUBS & POOLS Spa Place • Hwy 160 1011 N. Kenneth in Nixa MO • (417) 725-1008 www.spaplaceinc.com
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FAMILY PHARMACY www.thefamilyrx.com Ozarks Christian Voice Available at all locations! PLUMBING Affordable & R & H Plumbing SMALL BUSINESS - BIG SERVICE (417) 334-4224 • (417) 336-6781 Serving the Tri-Lakes since 1994. PROSTHETICS J.P. & O Prosthetic & Orthotic Laboratory 526 Branson Landing Blvd. Ste. 1 (417) 213-3128 • www.jpo-online.com RADIO STATIONS
INVESTMENTS Edward Jones - Xavier Sinniah Financial Advisor see page 35 255 Financial Dr Ste E Hollister, MO • (417) 334-4290 www.edwardjones.com JEWELRY Gerzen’s Jewelry & Repair 3532 S. National • Springfield (417) 887-2330 • (417) 894-4485 gerzen@sbcglobal.net
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. - Bertrand Russell
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O z a r k s E x p e r t in your field?
Ultimately, by incorporating your brand into people’s everyday lives, you are given an amazing opportunity to drive home the message that your company is not just routine, but exceptional. For Subscription Information See Page 38
March 2014
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.YAK BAK Feed Back from our readers My husband and I picked up a copy of your magazine when we were in Branson at New Year's and really enjoyed all of the articles. In fact, we have shared it with several members of our church here at home.Thank you for producing such a quality paper! Blessings, Karen Hormann, Centennial, CO ___________________ We love the new format. It is very classy and deserves the “upgrade”. Just when we think the OCV can’t get any better... it gets better! Ron & Joyce Mayer, Springfield, MO ___________________ Thank you for the Billy Graham quotes in the New Year’s Edition. I cut them out for book markers. Praise God for raising up such a Godly man. His influence will be felt for all eternity. Mary L., Bois D’Arc, MO ___________________
Thank you for your promotion of Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede. My family spent one incredible evening there and made some memories for a life time! Seeing my sons eat with their fingers normally makes me nag them but I have to admit... it was fun. I have seen a few of the trick riding folks on horses in movies and television but watching them perform right in front of me was a very different story. It took my breath away. Also, my favorite monthly features in the OCV are: Max Lucado, Dave Ramsey and the crossword puzzles. Keep up the great work and by the way, the new format is awesome! Stacey Freiberg, Springfield, MO ___________________ Mark Driscoll’s article on the “New Tolerance” in the New Year’s issue was the best treatment on the topic I have ever seen. He was correct in assessing that culturally that “there is only one sin... calling anything a sin.” Dr. Anthony Carter, Branson, MO ___________________
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The Classic Motor Inn is a family owned and operated Branson hotel that is conveniently located at 2384 Shepherd of the Hills Expressway so we have easy access to all of the best Branson attractions. Opened in 1993 by the Carter family, the tradition continues with the Morin family. The Classic Motor Inn is Branson's premiere hotel for the classic car enthusiast. A clean, comfortable, family atmosphere make the Classic Motor Inn the hotel you will return to again, and again, while staying in Branson Missouri.
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Barbara Fairchild appearing in the Golden Corral Showroom
Send your letters to the editor to:
editor@ozarkschristianvoice.com I am glad the OCV is now available in Fayet- or mailing address: P.O. Box 336 teville. I used to get it when I visited Branson Rockaway Beach, MO 65740
but am happy I won’t miss an issue. By the way, thanks for the reprint of the “Woodcutter’s Wisdom” by Max Lucado. I will remember to give a copy to my friends when a seemingly great blessing turns sour and also when a trial seems confusing as to its ultimate benefit. Mark Cordan, Fayetteville, AR
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The Ozarks Christian Voice P.O. Box 336 • Rockaway Beach, MO 65740 Office: (417) 336-3636 • John’s cell: (417) 353-7598
editor@ozarkschristianvoice.com www.OzarksChristianVoice.com Free online subscriptions 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 Stephanie Hallowell - Poetry George Kurland - Staff Photographer Max Lucado - Crosswalk
John Sacoulas - Steward & Editor Lorri Sacoulas - Steward & Publisher Harriet Ford - Monthly Devotionals Marvin & Regina Reynolds- Archivists Jeff Wilson - Account Manager For Reading and Supporting the Ozarks Christian Voice
Wycliffe Associates is constructing a 2 story training facility in Oaxaca, Mexico. This new, 30’ wide x 98’ long, two story, concrete block building will be used for training young Hispanics as well as indigenous persons to do Bible Translation. This new building is being constructed from the ground up.
Sacred Delight by Max Lucado
He should have been miserable. He should have been bitter. He had every right to be a pot of boiling anger. But he wasn’t. Jesus embodied a stubborn joy! What is this stubborn joy? This bird that sings while it’s still dark? What is the source of this peace that defies pain? I call it sacred delight. What is sacred is God’s! And this joy is God’s.
The second team will begin making blocks and laying them. We need volunteers looking for an adventure! Dates: 4/27/2014 through 5/24/2014 donn_hallman@wycliffeassociates.org Short Description: Construction team project to build a Training Center for Bible Translation Mexico (Transducion Biblica Mexico or TBM).
Sacred delight is good news coming through the back door of your heart. It’s the too-good-to-be-true coming true. It’s having God as your lawyer, your dad, your biggest fan, and your best friend. It’s hope where you least expected it—a flower in life’s sidewalk. It is sacred because only God can grant it. It is a delight because it thrills. It can’t be stolen. It can’t be predicted. It is God’s sacred delight! From The Applause of Heaven Listen to UpWords with Max Lucado at
OnePlace.com
Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love. -Billy Graham
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“Wolf of Wall Street” banned or censored around world
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March 2014 While scolding countries who are editing scenes that may be par for the course in the U.S, the film’s distributor—Red Granite–has been open to allowing some cuts in order for Wolf to gain access. In India, Lebanon and other countries, numerous scenes have been cut. Singapore’s film agency slapped Wolf of Wall Street with a restrictive R21 rating, meaning only viewers over 21 can see it and they’ve banned it completely from suburban neighborhood theaters.
Countries around the world are editing, or down right banning the movie, The Wolf of Wall Street. In the U.S. the movie’s director, Martin Scorsese, had to trim The film has been the movie himself to banned altogether in get an R rating as Malaysia and Nepal. opposed to the pornSources within light NC-17. But Malaysia’s government reports say while film office said that the some pornographic distributor of the film scenes may have been realized upon cut for the movie to screening it that it play at your would face huge neighborhood theater, problems with the Scorsese kept in a gay censorship board because of its profanity, nudity orgy, public masturbation and other scenes so and sex. In the United Arab Emirates, almost a vulgar most movie reviews cannot even mention third of the film has been cut. them. The movie, reviewed by industry magazine Sadly that leaves the other two-thirds The Hollywood Reporter as “a three-hour raunch-fest featuring sex, drugs and 569 to corrupt moviegoers both in the variations of the F-word,” was even edited by U.S. and abroad. the Indian Film Board for attacking Christianity when a prominent character says that “all nuns are What really happened onboard the lesbians.” This film is a three-hour Southwest flight 4013 at the Branson raunch-fest featuring sex, airport mix-up. drugs and 569 variations of the F-word… Many of America’s films are edited or censored for distribution in other parts of the world, but “Wolf” has been a challenge. So much of the movie is seen as excessive that media reports say even hardened liberal movie-goers in New York and Los Angeles are walking out on the film. Try getting that film into China. Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Wall Street huxster Jordan Belfort, hasn’t yet released in much of the world, and many are wondering what response it will get. Wolf seems to be underperforming in the U.S. with only $80 million at the box office as of last weekend.
“There are two kinds of light - the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.” - James Thurber
March 2014
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
3 Words You Should Never Say to a Guest Family at Your Church Written by Dale Hudson
question and hear the words “I don’t know,” you leave them feeling the same way. And the result is they probably won’t come back. It’s vital you train your greeters
Are your church greeters equipped with the right answers to guest questions?
Sabbath School: 9:45 am Worship: 11:00 am Wednesday night: 6:30 pm
When you hear the words “I don’t know” it can leave you thinking ...
and volunteers to not say the words “I don’t know.”
“Well, can you please get off your lazy backside and find out?”
Instead teach them to say:
“This place doesn’t care about me as a person.” “Wow ... thanks for the terrible customer service.” “Okay ... now that you put me in an awkward situation ... what am I supposed to do next? You’ve left me hanging!” “This company must not train its employees well.” When guest families ask a
That’s a great question. Let me find out for you... I’m not sure, but I’ll be happy to find out for you... Let me call someone over to assist you with that... I’m going to personally make sure you are taken care of. This one little tweak can be the difference in guest families returning to your church or not. Dale Hudson has served in children and family ministry for over 24 years. He is the Director of Children’s Ministries at Christ Fellowship Church in Palm
A week without a Sabbath is perpetual bondage.
www.springfieldcog7.org
Beach, Fla. Visit Dale at: relevantchildrensministry.com. For the original article, visit relevantchildrensministry.com.
2014 Christian Education & College Expo Mar. 1 Posted by: Editor in Education, Event, Kansas City Metro
Have you ever been in store, asked one of the employees a question, and gotten the response, “I don’t know?” You probably got very frustrated didn’t you?
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School uniforms, over 80 colleges, K-12 private schools from both MO and KS, and homeschooling resources will participate in the 16th annual Education Expo Sat., March 1, 2014. The event, which runs from 9:30 A.M. to 2 P.M., has become a huge draw for parents looking at educational options for their younger children as well as juniors and seniors scouting dozens of colleges, universities and missions opportunities from over 15 states.
midwestern universities from Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Oklahoma and other states with booths and information for prospective college students, area private schools serving families with K-12 children will be in attendance to answer any of your questions, show you their curriculum, sports and fine arts opportunities. Homeschooling organizations from Missouri and Kansas will lead popular seminars and answer questions about state laws and local resources for support.
Expo is produced as a community service by Metro Voice Newspaper and Metrovoicenews.com––Kansas City’s award-winning local Christian news and events publication and, for 16 years, a national leader in the promotion of Christian education from Kindergarten through the college level. And don’t forget to visit and like our Facebook page: Midwest Christian Education & College Expo.
For more information or to have your school participate, call 816524-4522. Watch this space for updated information on schools and organizations that will be in attendance plus seminar times. The
“In today’s culture there is only one sin... calling anything a sin.” - Mark Driscoll
The expo is totally free and includes popular mini-seminars on topics such as Finding College Financial Aid; Acing the ACT; a Parent Panel Discussion on private K12 as well as Homeschooling 101: Where Do I Begin? College representatives from states as far away as Virginia, Florida, Arizona, and Tennessee join dozens of
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Bill Cosby Working on New Family Sitcom by Lindsay Lowe
N
early three decades after The Cosby Show debuted on NBC, Bill Cosby is planning his return to primetime. The comedian, 76, told Yahoo! TV that he’s teaming up with Cosby Show producer Tom Werner to develop a new family comedy.
“I want to be able to deliver a wonderful show to [a] network,” he said, “because there is a viewership out there that wants to see comedy, and warmth, and love, and surprise, and cleverness, without going into the party attitude.” He added he wants his new show to satisfy “the people who have come to me in public places and said, ‘Can’t you put something on that I can watch?’”
Cosby, whose classic character Cliff Huxtable is one of the most beloved TV dads of all time, has often decried what he sees as the disappearance of wholesome family comedies on television. “When you look at TV… There’s nothing much that I see where people are loved,” he said in a recent interview with Parade. “It’s not about the soul, the touch, the feel. It’s gone.”
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He insisted his new series would not be a remake of The Cosby Show, but rather would feature older parents and their relationships with their grown children. “It’s not like little children sitting around, it’s like a 28-year-old with the mother, a 28-yearold son taking his father somewhere,” he told Yahoo! TV, adding that modern viewers would welcome the kind of warm, unpretentious family comedy that made The Cosby Show so endearing. “They would like to see a married couple that acts like they love each other, warts and all, children who respect the parenting, and the comedy of people who make mistakes,” he told Yahoo! TV. “Warmth and forgiveness. So I hope to get that opportunity, and I will deliver the best of Cosby, and that will be a series, I assume, that we could get enough people week after week after week to tune in to, to come along with us.”
March 2014
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P i e rc e A r ro w ’s Jimmy Fulbright
Socialism: A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. -George Bernard Shaw
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. 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. . He originally joined The Oaks Band in the summer of 2001 which led Jimmy to being the newest addition to Pierce Arrow in 2013.
"Historians will conclude that we of the 20th century had the genius to create a great civilization, but we lacked the moral wisdom to preserve it." - A.W. Tozer
March 2014
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CoMPuTEr tIPs & sTUfF
Hey, Mike, Is it better to turn my computer off or leave it on all the time? Mike: Turn it off... no, wait... leave it on. You guessed it, it all depends on what your needs and habits are. For instance: If you are on a network, and the network administrators back up files and/or upgrade software over the network at remotely or at night, you want your machine backed up or upgraded, then you need to leave it on all the time. Or if you are using your machine as some sort of server. For example, if your machine acts as a file server, print server, Web server, etc., on a LAN (local area network) or the Internet, then you need to leave it on all the time. Additionally, if you are running a program that folds proteins at home (see folding.stanford.edu) and you want to produce as many result sets as possible, you need to leave your machine on all the time. If none of these apply to you or you don’t know what the heck I just said then you can turn your computer off. Does it really save that much energy you ask? Well, I’m glad you asked. (If you
didn’t you should have). A typical PC consumes something between 250 to 350 watts. Let's assume that you use your PC for four or five hours every day. So the other 19 or 20 hours it is on would be wasted energy. If electricity costs 10 cents per kilowatt-hour in your area, then that 20 hours represents 60 cents a day. Sixty cents a day adds up to $219 per year. Of course that’s only 1 trillionth of the national debt, but it still comes out of your pocket (or at least out of the pocket of the one who actually pays your bills... I’m not judging). Some units have energy-saving features that cut that figure in half. For example, you can have the monitor and hard disk power down automatically when not in use. You'll be saving $100.00, but then again still be wasting $100 per year. Are you a Glass half empty or half full person?
Some geeks that I know say that turning it on and off somehow is hard on the computer's components. For example, when the CPU chip is running, it can get hot as hades (a foretaste of where you will be spending a lot of time if you don’t mend your ways... again, not judging), and when you turn the machine off, it cools back down. The expansion and contraction from the temperature variations probably has some effect on the solder joints holding the chip in place, and on the delicate details on the chip itself. But seriously I don’t see computers failing all the time because of it. In fact, hardware (unlike software) is very dependable and there is great advantage not having to wait for a reboot every time you get on the machine. If you make on average 25 cents a minute and it takes 3 minutes wasted time for reboot let’s do the math.
365 days X .75 = $273.75
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Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has. -Billy Graham
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www.OzarksChristianVoice.com
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 doing and have done.
Please Help Me I'm 31 years old, and I happen to have Down syndrome. I have two jobs, and lead an independent life, however, when my mom died suddenly last year, things got a lot harder for me and my family. I want to support myself and save money for my future, but if I save more than $2,000, I'll lose the benefits I depend on like Medicaid and Social Security. That's because of a law that says that people with disabilities like me can't have more than $2,000 in assets or we risk losing the benefits we need to live. For me, living on my own, that means I can't even save enough to put down rent and a security deposit on an apartment. This law keeps me dependent on other people, and that's really scary now that my mom is gone. But there is a solution: The ABLE Act. The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act is a bill in Congress that would allow people like me to save money for our futures through 529-like accounts that wouldn't impact our medical care and disability benefits. I started a petition on Change.org calling on Congress to pass the ABLE Act this year. Will you click here to sign it? It's very scary for me to be on my own knowing I'm not allowed to save money in case something goes wrong. I've worked so hard to build a life for myself, living on my own and working as a law clerk. It's horrible to think I could lose everything because I have no
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 Be advised that the contents of this publication often do not represent the positions held by many of the sponsors of the Ozarks Christian Voice (or for that matter, the publishers). Please remember to favor the advertisers here in the OCV. It would not exist without them! security. I dream of living on my own, working one, full-time job, and even taking postsecondary courses to earn a degree.
Hobby Lobby Attorneys Ask for Prayer in Buildup to Obamacare Supreme Court Hearing by Jeremy Burns
A
lliance Defending Freedom has asked for prayer on behalf of Hobby Lobby, a plaintiff in the upcoming Supreme Court challenge to the Affordable Care Act. (The Becket Fund) The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has asked for prayer on behalf of Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties, two of the plaintiffs in the upcoming Supreme Court challenge to the Affordable Care Act—also known as Obamacare. Set to go before the court March 25, the case will challenge the employer mandate
March 2014 section of the law that would force employers to pay for abortifacient drugs or face crippling fines. “The outcome will have a dramatic impact on your religious freedom in America,” reads a statement issued by ADF. “With so much at stake, last week Alliance Defending Freedom began our nine weeks of prayer leading up to the court date. “We invite you to join us each week, lifting up the people and issues related to the trial,” the statement concluded. “Every week we will upload a new prayer guide for you, your family and your church to use as you appeal to God.”
With an ABLE account, I would not only have security, I could also plan for my future. This bill will not only change my life but has the potential to change the lives of millions of people with and without disabilities. Some people think my disability holds me back, but they're wrong. I've learned that I can be independent, even without my mom, as hard as that is. I can hold down a job, and even speak at rallies in Washington, DC. I just need to be allowed to make my own way and plan for my better life. Will you help me make that possible? Please log on to www.Change.org and type the name Sara Wolff in the “search” field to sign my petition calling on Congress to pass the ABLE Act so that people like me can plan for our futures. When this bill passes, I'll be standing next to President Obama when he signs it. And I'll thank you for making that moment happen. Thank you,
Sara Wolff Moscow, PA
Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children.-Billy Graham
March 2014
ESPN Hires Tim Tebow Posted by: Editor in National, News, Sports by Mickey McLean (WNS)–Tim Tebow is back in football—but he’ll be behind a mic instead of under center. The former pro and college quarterback will be an analyst for the SEC Network, a new collaboration between ESPN and the Southeastern Conference that launches next August. Tim Tebow, the Christian the media loves to hate, will now have an even larger national audience. “Tim is an SEC icon with a national fan base and broad appeal,” said Justin Connolly, ESPN senior vice president of programming for its college networks. “Tim brings a wealth of knowledge about the game, the conference, and the passion among SEC fans.” Tebow will appear on SEC Nation, the new network’s traveling pregame show that will make its way to a different SEC campus each week
www.OzarksChristianVoice.com next fall. During his playing career at the University of Florida (2006-09), Tebow played on teams that won two SEC championships and two national championships. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner finished his college career as the SEC’s all-time leader in passing efficiency and rushing touchdowns. Drafted by the NFL’s Denver Broncos in 2010, Tebow played a major role in the team’s playoff run during the 2011 season. Traded to the New York Jets in the offseason, he saw little action in 2012 and was released in early 2013. Last summer Tebow was picked up by the New England Patriots but was cut before the regular season began. According to ESPN, his new gig with the SEC Network will not get in his way should another NFL team come calling. “Tebow’s role with ESPN will not preclude him from continuing to pursue playing opportunities in the
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NFL,” ESPN said in a statement. The former homeschooled high school athlete expressed excitement in landing this new job. “While I continue to pursue my dream of playing quarterback in the NFL, this is an amazing opportunity to be part of the unparalleled passion of college football and the SEC,” he said. Tebow’s other passion is his faith, and the son of Baptist missionaries has not been shy in expressing his beliefs publicly, including appearing with his mother in a pro-life Super Bowl commercial sponsored by Focus on the Family in 2010. (When ill and pregnant with Tebow, his mother went against the advice of doctors to abort him.) Earlier this year, Fox Sports took issue with another college football analyst’s biblical position on a hot-button topic, marriage, firing Craig James after just one appearance on Fox Sports Southwest. James’ remarks about same-sex marriage were not made on the air but were expressed during his unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate in 2012. Tebow made his broadcast debut last Jan. 6 on ESPN’s lead-up coverage of the BCS National Championship game between Auburn and Florida State.
Did you know the
CoNGrATuLAtIOnS tO tHE GrACe CoMMuNItY AsSEmBLy cONgREgATiON oN aCQuIRiNG tHE fORmER PlAYtIMe PiZZa bUIlDInG oN GrETnA BlVD. iN BrANsON (aDJaCEnT tO tHE BrANsON MeADoWS ShOPpES) 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 Allen Asbury
Pastor Michael Prince
Equiping our families for ministry to each-other and outreach to the needy and lost.
A four-year old grandboy made his grandma the "worst gross cup of coffee" she ever had. At he bottom of her coffee cup she found a couple of toy army men. And she exclaimed; why are these in here? The boy smiles and says "I hear it on tv all the time, the best part of waking up is soldiers in your cup!"
Ozarks Christian Voice has postal subscribers in 18 different states? Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Is your state represented?
That is just the printed edition. The online edition covers the entire country! (according to the unique IDs as reported by Constant Contact) Spirit-filled Davidic style Praise and Worship Annoited Bible-based teaching Fellowship after each service Nursery & Children’s Shabbat School
Meeting at Branson Hills Ministry Center 256 Church Road, Branson, MO 65616 417.334.7373, www.TheTabernacleinBranson.com Discover the Hebrew roots of your Christian faith!
Join us for weekly services: Erev Shabbat (Friday) 7:30 pm Shabbat (Saturday) 11 am • (417) 334-7373
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TED CRUZ WANTS TO MAKE SURE YOU DIDN’T MISS BRIT HUME’S EPIC ANTI-ABORTION RANT by Jason Howerton
F
ox News political analyst Brit Hume made a passionate moral argument against abortion on “Special Report” recently that just may go viral after Sen. Ted Cruz (RTexas) uploaded it on his YouTube channel. Ted Cruz Wants to Make Sure You Didn’t Miss Brit Hume’s Epic Anti Abortion Rant. Referencing the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Hume said the Supreme Court decided that a “generalized right to privacy that they basically invented meant that a woman has a constitutional right to snuff out an unborn life — a human being with a beating heart.”
“That’s what a fetus as young as six weeks is,” he added. Hume expressed shock that, by some estimates, as many as 55 million abortions have occurred since the landmark ruling. Since 1973, he continued, “science has given us an ever clearer picture of just how much of a baby a fetus is.”
www.OzarksChristianVoice.com “At 20 weeks, we know now, these tiny creatures can hear, even recognize a mother’s voice. Their toenails are growing and their hearts beat loud enough to be heard by a stethoscope,” Hume said. “The moral case for allowing such beings to be killed grows ever weaker, and it’s advocates resort to evermore absurd euphemisms to describe what they support.” He mocked pro-abortion advocates for claiming they are just “pro-choice,” that it’s not about killing unborn babies, it’s about “reproductive health.” Hume praised the “March for Life” protesters who descended upon Washington D.C. on Wednesday, saying they come back every year to remind the country that there is “something deeply false and wrong about all this.” When Bret Baier asked him where the abortion debate goes from here, Hume said he looks to science to prove more conclusively that fetuses can feel pain, if possible, from the beginning. That would “change everything,” he concluded. editor’s note: It might change a few minds but certainly not many. The human condition is so bad that men and women will justify almost anything to preserve their hedonistic, self absorbed narcissism.
One Adoption Referral per 149 Abortions Planned Parenthood performed 327,166 abortion procedures in one year and made only 2,197 adoption referrals, according to its latest annual report — about 149 abortions for each referral. The report documents the "patient care" Planned Parenthood said its "affiliated centers" did from Oct. 1, 2011 to Sept. 30, 2012. The 2,197 adoption referrals the organization did in that period were down from 2,300 in the previous year. The report does not say how many of the referrals to other agencies actually resulted in an adoption. The report stated: "We are the most effective advocate in the country for policies that protect access to legal abortion." It also disclosed that 2.13 million women received birth control information and services from Planned Parenthood health centers during the one-year period.
March 2014 editor’s note: This statistic reveals the hearts of the people involved in the abortion mills. They are not concerned with the “victim” of an unwanted pregnancy as much as yet another notch on their belts for the termination of a life that could have blessed the baby, the adoptive parents, and perhaps most of all, the mother that otherwise most likely would be full of regret in the future.
The organization's net revenue rose 5 percent to $1.21 billion in its fiscal year ending on June 30, 2013. About 45 percent of the revenue, $540.6 million, came from government grants and reimbursements.
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.
March 2014
www.OzarksChristianVoice.com
(417) 581-9192
Ozark, MO
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Next Showing: A Place Called Eden by Ron Boutwell
Performing March 6 through April 5, 2014 Stained Glass Theatre: A brokenhearted father near death and a rebellious runaway son not seen for forty years set the scene for this intriguing “coming home” story. This powerful prodigal story is filled “Serving Christ Through with incredible ironies, salvation miracles, forgiveness, romance, and God’s revelation that Max is to build A Place Called Eden. the Arts” www.sgtheatre.com
LEAVES ON THE VINE Agape Life Fellowship • Pastor Twila Bridges • 6185 W. State Hwy 266 Springfield • (417) 831-2333 www.agapelifefellowship.org Calvary Chapel 2418 N Gregg Ave Fayetteville, AR • (479) 301-2313 Faith & Wisdom Church 3950 Green Mountain Drive Branson • (417) 335-9991 www.fwcbranson.com Gateway Branson Located in the Vista Plaza Shopping Center on the backside 2005 West Highway 76 • Suite 106 Branson • (417) 335-9915 www.gatewaybranson.org Grace Community Assembly 440 State Highway 248 Branson • (417) 336-2422 www.gracecommunityassembly.com Morningside Church • Pastor Kevin Shorey • 180 Grace Chapel Rd Blue Eye • (417) 779-9000 www.jimbakkershow.com/morningside/ church-services/
Peace Lutheran Church (ELCA) 350 State Drive Hollister • (417) 334-1499 www.peacelutheranchurchhollister.com Springfield Church of God (7th Day) 1521 East 24th Street North Springfield • (417) 831-6721 www.springfieldcog7.org Still Waters International Ministries 124 Deer Mountain Road Walnut Shade • (417) 598-1231 www.stillwatersintlministries.com
Painted by Emil Bartos Sr., at the age of 92
Welcome to Peace Lutheran Church, an ELCA parish here in the heart of the Branson entertainment community. We have wonderful acoustics in our building, now over three years old, and are involved in an outreach ministry to our surrounding area to invite talented musical artists to come in and show their stuff. On Monday, March 17, 2014 at 7 p.m. and run for two hours, and also the third Monday of each of the winter months to come, when the shows around town are basically shut down, we will host Music Talent Night, focusing on vocal and instrumental music. Southern Gospel and Western, bluegrass and
acoustic jazz, contemporary Christian and classical are some of the various acts offered. What a wonderful opportunity for new talent in the area, and for talent scouts and show producers to get an idea of what's out there! There is no admission charge for these musical events, and everyone is welcome to attend. Throughout the rest of the year we offer special events, focusing on an individual artist or group. Peace Lutheran Church (ELCA) 350 State Drive Hollister • (417) 334-1499 www.peacelutheranchurchhollister.com
Read the Bible. Work hard and honestly. And don't complain. -Billy Graham Affordable Garage starting at $2,195 RV Covers starting at $1,599
Please have patience for those that choose to sin differently than you do.
Contact: Virgil Peck Call Now: (417) 2302665 no obligation
German Woman's Public Rebuke of Islam Goes Viral CBN NEWS
www.OzarksChristianVoice.com A Holy Anger "I would call it a holy anger," she recounted.
I
slam continues to grow in power and influence across Europe. But at a recent concert in Germany, Heidi Mund decided to stand up to it. Islam continues to grow in power and influence across Europe. But at a recent concert in Germany, one Christian woman decided to stand up to it. "The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace" by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins was supposed to be an interfaith event to bring Christianity and Islam together. But when the Muslim imam began his call to prayer during the concert, he was interrupted by a small woman in the balcony proclaiming that "Jesus Christ alone is Lord of Germany," and shouting, "I break this curse." She also invoked the name of Martin Luther and warned the audience that what was happening was "a lie." The video went viral. The mysterious Christian lady became known on the Internet simply as the "brave German woman." It happened on Nov. 10, 2013, at the Memorial Church of the Reformation in the Rhineland city of Speyer, built to honor Martin Luther. It isn't just any church. It's a monument to the Protestant Reformation and a memorial to the spiritual transformation of Germany. It was at this spiritual landmark that a Muslim imam was invited to give the call to prayer. When the brave German woman, whose real name is Heidi Mund, heard about the event, she prayed. "I was asking Jesus, 'Lord, shall I go there?' So, when I have to drive one and half hours, you know, I think, 'Is it worth it to go or can others go?' So, this is human laziness, yeah?" Mund recalled. She grabbed her German flag emblazoned with the words "Jesus Christ is Lord" and headed for the concert, still not sure what she would do when she got there. "Until the imam started with his shouting, I did not really know what to do. I was just prepared for what God wants me to do," she told CBN News. Then the Muslim call to prayer began, and Heidi said she felt something rising up inside her.
Also with Mund was Marion, who has also asked that her last name not be included. She belongs to a group calling itself the White Rose, which took the same name as the World War II anti-Nazi resistance group shown in the film "Sophie Scholl: the Final Days." "Islam is inhuman, the same as in the Nazi time. For me, personally, there is no difference. We want to show Germany and the world that we will not bow down to the slow Islamization of our country," Marion said.
Afraid of Muslims?
Heidi Mund on right "And then I rose with my flag and I was calling and proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord over Germany." "My purpose was, I broke this curse because [Muslims] say, 'Only Allah is the Lord. He is God, the only God.' And I broke this curse in this church and I broke it over my country," she continued. And she repeated the words of Martin Luther in 1521 after he refused to recant his faith in scripture alone: "Here I stand. I can do no other" and "Save the church of Martin Luther!" Video shows another concert-goer trying to calm her by saying, "This is a concert for peace." Mund can be heard responding in German, "No it's not! Allahu Akbar is what Muslims scream while murdering people! Don't be fooled! Don't be fooled! This is a lie!" She was thrown out of the church. "They should have thrown the imam out and not me because I am a believer in Jesus Christ, but he serves another god. This Allah is not the same god. And this is not the truth." "This 'allahu akbar,' they use it when they kill people," she argued. "This is, for me, worship to an idol, to their god. And when a Muslim calls 'allahu akbar' in a church, that means this church is not a church anymore, it's a mosque." Church No Place for Imams? With Mund at the concert was Kamel, who did not give his full name for safety reasons. Before coming to Germany he lived in the Muslim world. Kamel told CBN News that an imam has no place in a church. "Islam is one of the reasons for persecution, Muslims have persecuted me. They don´t want me to tell others that Jesus Christ is my Savior."
Mund said she knows that her first television interview could place her in danger. "Many people ask me, 'Are you afraid of the Muslims?' And I can only say, 'No, I'm not afraid of them,'" she told CBN News. "I know my God, the living God of the Bible can protect for me for as long as he wants. When my time is over I will go to him." An evangelist by gifting, Mund grew up an atheist in communist East Germany. But now, as a believer, her burden and her ministry is for the spiritual rebirth of Germany. "I feel I have to protect my country and my people. I am only a little woman but I feel I have to protect them," she said. Reviving a Dead Nation? Some might associate Germany with the Nazis, but Germany was once a base for world missions, sending missionaries to Africa and Korea and to America. Mund is trusting God for a miracle in what is a very wealthy and, some would say, spiritually dead
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March 2014 nation. "I know nothing is impossible for my God. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing," she said. "From a human point of view I feel our country is lost. It's already lost. It's done. Because I see so many changes in the country, in every area," she continued. "But I trust God that he has a 'Plan A' and that my country is not lost and that He will reach us and He will come and change the whole situation."
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March 2014
www.OzarksChristianVoice.com Raising Awareness for Charities P.O. Box 336 Rockaway Beach, MO 65740
(417) 336-3636 Christ has no body now on earth but yours... If you can’t be thankful for yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now. what you receive, be Please give generously of your time and finances to thankful for what you escape. these ministries. ADOPTION MBCH Children & Family Min. Adoption & foster care services 1837 E. Cherry St. Springfield • (417) 831-2342
FOOD Christian Action Ministries (CAM) Food assistance program 610 South Sixth Street, Ste 102 Branson • (417) 334-1157
ASSISTANCE
Smart Choice Foods Discount food program To find a local host: www.smartchoicefood.com National Office (866) 643-0877
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 • (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 EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE Jobs for Life Work training program 5004 West Hwy 76 Branson • (417) 335-9915
DISASTER ASSISTANCE Convoy of Hope Assisting those in need 330 S. Patterson Ave. Springfield • (417) 823-8998
GREIF COUNSELING Grace Community Assembly Ask about Divorce Care Tuesday night meetings held at 440 State Hwy 248 Branson • (417) 336-2422
WOMEN Caring People Single mothers assistance 164 Corporate Pl. Branson • (417) 334-0131 Concerned Women for America (CWA) Conservative political women ministries 1015 Fifteenth St. NW, Ste 1100 Washington, D.C. • (202) 488-7000 Options Pregnancy Center Crisis pregnancy center 192 Expressway Ln. Branson • (417) 336-5483 Pregnancy Life Line Crisis pregnancy center 15765 Missouri 13 Branson West • (417) 272-5210
Grief recovery support group If you’ve lost someone close to you, or know someone who has, please call us to find out more information about our weekly seminar/support groups. We know it hurts, and we want to help! Branson/Forsyth • (417) 544-4177 HEALTH YMCA Fitness for families 175 Industrial Park Dr. Hollister • (417) 337-9622 Ozarks Regional YMCA Julie Eaton, Director of Marketing, jeaton@orymca.org 417 S. Jefferson Springfield • (417) 862-8962 ext2117 HOMELESSNESS Victory Mission Residential work program 824 W Commercial St. Springfield • (417) 864-2244 PRISON Bill Glass Ministries Prison visitations 1101 S. Cedar Ridge Drive Duncanville, TX • (972) 298-1101
YOUTH Bridges For Youth Youth ministries 834 N National Ave. Springfield • (417) 864-8430 Teen Harvest Youth Ranch Christian, Bible-centered ministry To boys mainly between ages 12-17 who need assistance in a good home to establish a proper environment in which to grow and learn. Located at County Road 402, Ava, MO 6560. Call Pastor Paul Neighbour at (417) 683-1080 For more info or visit web site:
Page 15 Pie rc e A r row’s Sc ott Fr ake r Scott, 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.
Casa de Luz Forgiveness. The Bottom Line of Christian Living. Experience the Soul-Quenching Relief that comes with Forgiveness!
Downtown Branson 108 South Commercial Street • Branson, MO 65616 Phone: (417) 334-5510 Hours: Mon - Sun 7:00 am - 2:00 pm Visit us on Facebook! Casa de Luz held a grand opening last month inviting the community to come try their dishes on the house! It was a huge success. Talk about fantastic food, fair prices and great service. We highly recommend Casa de Luz! -John & Lorri, OCV publishers
Health Care for the uninsured. www.FaithCommunity Health.org
(417) 336-WELL (417-336-9355)
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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
PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA)
WORSHIP SERVICES: Praise & Worship Sun. @ 8:30 a.m.
Education Hour - 9:15 a.m. Liturgy &Traditional Service - 10:30 a.m. HIGHWAY #165 AND STATE DRIVE
350 State Dr. • Hollister
The Casa de Luz Family! VISITORS WELCOME
(417) 334-1499 Pastor Emil Bartos peacelutheranchurchhollister.com
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www.OzarksChristianVoice.com
What do a bar, a church and actor Stephen Baldwin have in common? Nothing…yet.
B
ut if some enthusiastic entertainment producers have their way, all three will be fixtures in “Rock and a Hard Place,” a proposed television show that could end up gracing the small screen. Creator Darren Marlar told TheBlaze that the concept for the sitcom — a pastor who inherits a bar across the street from his church — was born three years ago. “It all started with a dream,” he said. And Marlar meant that both figuratively and literally. The radio personality and comic recalled once having a quirky dream about a preacher who inherited a pub. While he said he doesn’t remember much else about what his subconscious drummed up, the general idea of a man of the cloth running a bar stuck with him. “The more I started thinking about it, I thought ‘This is really a good idea for an ongoing TV show,’” Marlar explained. Time passed and nothing came of the idea until the born-again Christian started thinking up concepts with friends last year. It was at that point that Marlar took the bold step of reaching out directly to Stephen Baldwin in an effort to gauge his interest in what was at the time merely a long-shot. The actor’s manager found the idea intriguing, which inevitably led to an uncommon plan, especially for a Hollywood project: Since Marlar didn’t have a big budget to put a pilot together, his team — Baldwin included — decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign in an effort to raise the necessary funds. The goal for the campaign was $50,000 during the first fundraising wave. That benchmark was superseded on Thursday when the effort concluded with more than $65,000; the lump sum was donated by hundreds of individual donors who fully embraced the television concept. Now, Marlar and his team are mapping out
March 2014
as Executive producer. of spirituality, intelligent design, the their next steps. “After 25 years in the film business, the universe, mankind and ancestral “We’re taking a break for the next couple of days just to try and recuperate,” he said of projects I choose now must motivate me on connectivity” said Director Ken Kushner. “The film doesn’t preach, rather it delivers the rest he’s seeking following weeks of a creative level that inspires & elevates my fundraising. “The next step for us sense of art & spirit. It is my privilege to universal messages in a subtle way through work on Ken Kushner’s “Tapestry”, a film story of Ryan Goodwin (played by Baldwin); immediately will be to do a table read.” an ordinary man in the throes of harrowing Marlar said that the team will come will challenge & excite me” Baldwin said. together to work with local actors in an effort “Some things weave unspoken messages, times. We are extremely fortunate to have to work through the pilot’s script Stephen Baldwin, Burt Young, and Tina and make necessary tweaks as Louise on board” said Producer Michael needed. Yacovone. “We look forward to making a At some point, more very special film with the help of our stars”, fundraising will likely be needed. he added. Already other companies have Tapestry is based on a story by newcomer agreed to help with additional Rob DePalo. The screenplay was written efforts to bring in cash, as the by DePalo and Kushner. Kushner and team will need more money if it Yacovone will produce. Starring opposite wishes to film a complete pilot. Baldwin, Young, and Louise is newcomer “We’re probably looking at Kika Maghaeles, who just wrapped late spring early summer to Shemie Reut’s City of Gold. actually begin filming [in Northern Chicago]. The question OCV editor, John Sacoulas with Stephen Baldwin now is, ‘What can we afford to For more information about Tapestry visit do?’” he added. editor’s note: Stephen Baldwin and I flew to Israel www.massivefilmproject.com. With the current $65,000 together a few years back but for very different reasons. budget, Marlar said his team will As seeing and likely create a two to 10-minute knowing, God is one. trailer that can be taken to television that we all follow…Tapestry”, said Burt networks to assess viability. Some outlets, Young. As being seen and “I look forward to working with Ken which he declined to name publicly, have known, God is three. already shown some level of interest in the Kushner and Stephen Baldwin on this very promising project. It is with great joy that I project. If it all maps out and makes it to TV, take on the role of Stephen Baldwin’s mother Marlar is hoping the show gives audiences in this challenging drama.” Louise said. “I am thrilled that Stephen Baldwin, Burt some laughs, while also upholding a positive Young and Tina Louise will be starring in our message. “Being a born-again Christian I’m kind of film” said Director Ken Kushner. “All three fed up with what I see on TV nowadays,” he are immensely gifted actors who elevate our said. “There’s a couple things I want to material with incredible insight and vision”. “Tapestry is a unique film which takes a avoid. We don’t want any sex, we don’t want refreshing approach to the universal subjects any cursing.” While some scenes will be shown in the With the biggest investment bar (after all, Baldwin’s character inherits the pub — and that’s the premise of the show), you’ll ever make... “Rock and a Hard Place” will be a family Shouldn’t you protect it with the best? program and will be safe for “kids to be in the room laughing along with mom and dad.”
Stephen Baldwin to star in Ken Kushner’s Tapestry Posted by: Editor in Entertainment, Movies (CHRISTIAN NEWS SERVICE) —
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assive Film Project has inked a deal with Stephen Baldwin to play the lead role in its upcoming spiritual drama, Tapestry. Veteran actors Burt Young and Tina Louise have signed on to co-star. Production will commence on January 15th 2014 in New York. Baldwin will also serve
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March 2014
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Natural childbirth III: why undisturbed birth? by Chris Kresser, 7 part series publisher’s note: this article is written from an evolutionary’s perspective. Please be advised that content might be offensive. Yet, this is a secular outlet acknowleging that human bodies are designed for natural birth... Hmmm...
“Spontaneous labor in a normal woman is an event marked by a number of processes so complicated and so perfectly attuned to each other that any interference will only detract from the optimal character. The only thing reqired from the bystanders is that they show respect for this awe-inspiring process by complying with the first rule of medicine – nil nocere [do no harm]” G.J. Kloosterman, The Universal Aspects of Childbirth In the wild, mammals isolate themselves during labor. A pregnant sheep, which is normally a herd dweller, will separate herself from the flock when birth becomes imminent. A rhesus monkey will move away from her group to the edge of the forest and choose a wellcamoflauged hiding place in which to give birth. The rat, which is normally a nocturnal prowler, gives birth during the day to increase the chances that she’ll be unobserved. And the horse, which is normally a daytime grazer, gives birth during the night for the same reason. Human beings are mammals As often as we forget this, human beings are mammals. We share the same 175 million year evolutionary heritage of birth with other mammals. These similarities should be the starting point when trying to understand the process of normal, undisturbed birth in our own species. Like our mammalian relatives, human females are designed to give birth safely in the wild without supervision or medical intervention. It is as natural to us as eating, breathing, digestion, elimination and sleeping. It’s in our genes. As physician and natural childbirth advocate Michel Odent reminds us: “When you consider birth as an involuntary process involving old, mammalian structures of the brain, you set aside the assumption that a woman must learn to give birth. It is implicit in the mammalian interpretation that one cannot actively help a woman to give birth. The goal is to avoid disturbing her unnecessarily.” Traditional humans also isolate themselves during labor
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Does this sound familiar? Each of these things happens in a conventional hospital birth. The mother is moved during labor from her home, which is familiar, to a hospital, which is unfamiliar, and observed by a staff of people she has little connection to or experience with.
A perfect example of this is fetal heart monitoring with ultrasound during labor. The pretense for this type of monitoring is that it will catch a potential problem and thus make the mother and baby safer.
Isolating oneself in this way has been ...many women in western culture Although we are not the norm in have come to expect birth to be a mice, we do share traditional societies medical emergency – rather than a similar needs as other mammals during around the world, natural, instinctual process – that labor. Anything that including the Kung San in Africa, the requires medical management and disturbs a laboring woman’s sense of Turkomans in intervention. safety and privacy will Central Asia and disrupt the birth process. First Nations tribes in Canada.
However, studies show just the opposite is true. A large review published in Lancet in 1987 covering tens of thousands of births in Australia, Europe and the U.S. found that the only statistically significant effect of continuous fetal heart monitoring during labor was an increase in the rate of Caesarians and forceps deliveries.
In a film about birth among the Eipos tribe of Papa New Guinea, ethologist Wulf Schniefenhovel documents mothers-to-be leaving their village and going into the bush just prior to giving birth.
In an eighteenth-century, firsthand account of birth practices in a tribe of Canadian Indians found in a Paris library, J-C B. explains: “Women usually give birth by themselves and without any difficulty, and always away from their own homes in small huts are you talking about? which have been What Just lay an egg! built in the forest for this purpose, 40 or 50 days beforehand. Sometimes they even give birth in their fields.” It’s worth noting that in these societies where women isolate themselves during labor, deliveries are often reported as being easy, almost to the point of seeming effortless to observers. Why would this be? How does privacy and isolation contribute to easier and less complicated labor? What kind of environment inhibits a female in labor? To answer those questions, we can look at studies of mammalian birth carried out by Niles Newton in Chicago during the 1960s. Newton studied birth in several mammals, but focused on mice in particular. She analyzed the factors that made deliveries longer, more difficult, and more dangerous. She found that labor could be slowed or even stopped completely by: • Placing the laboring mother in an unfamiliar environment (a place where the sights and smells are not what she’s accustomed to). • Moving the mother from one place to another during birth. • Putting the mice in a transparent cage made of glass and observing them.
This definition unfortunately covers most of modern obstetrics, which has created an entire industry around the observation and monitoring of pregnant women. As Dr. Sarah Buckley observes: “Some of the techniques used are painful or uncomfortable, most some No! I want an epidural! involve transgression of bodily or social boundaries, and almost all techniques are performed by people who are essentially strangers to the woman herself.” Underlying these procedures, Buckley says, is a fundamental distrust of women’s bodies and the natural processes of birth. This distrust has a powerful “nocebo” effect and becomes a selffulfilling prophecy, where women are almost certain to need the interventions that the medical model provides and feel grateful for them no matter how traumatic the experience. Because of this, many women in culture have come to expect birth medical emergency – rather than a instinctual process – that requires management and intervention.
western to be a natural, medical
The hormonal orchestration of an undisturbed birth The hormonal orchestration of birth is an exceedingly sophisticated and complex process that is still not well understood. In fact, we still don’t know what causes the onset of birth. We know that estrogen, progesterone, cortisol and SP-A are all implicated, but we don’t know exactly how they work together. This is another reason why it’s so important to minimize interference in the natural birth process; we are more likely to cause problems with intervention than solve them.
The hormones involved in orchestrating mammalian birth are secreted by brain’s most primitive structure, the limbic system. The limbic system is not in our conscious control. For birth to happen optimally, we need to give this more primitive part of the brain precedence over the “rational brain” (the neocortex). Anything that inhibits this shift of consciousness – including fetal heart monitoring, bright lighting, conversation, observation and expectations of “rational” behavior – will very likely interrupt the natural birth process. Conversely, when we provide the right environment for a woman during labor – conditions in which she feels safe, private and unobserved – we facilitate the instinctual coordination of birth that is part of every woman’s genetic heritage. Dr. Buckley observes: “Undisturbed birth represents the smoothest hormonal orchestration of the birth process, and therefore the easiest transition possible; physiologically, hormonally, psychologically, and emotionally, from pregnancy and birth to new motherhood and lactation, for each woman. When a mother’s hormonal orchestration is undisturbed, her baby’s safety is also enhanced, not only during labor and delivery, but also in the critical postnatal transition from womb to world.” This, together with modern hygiene and the availability of advanced emergency medical techniques, give us a better chance of an easy and safe birth than any of our ancestors have had in the history of the human race. In the next few articles in this series, we’ll be exploring the hormones involved in the birth process and how medical procedures such as epidurals and induction with synthetic oxytocin (pitocin) interfere with the exquisitely regulated (and still poorly understood) hormonal orchestration of undisturbed birth.
www.chriskresser.com
Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength. -Billy Graham
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www.OzarksChristianVoice.com OZARKS HEBREW HERITAGE ASSOCIATION (OHHA) explores the Hebrew Roots of our Christian Faith monthly at the Comfort Inn, 3370 E. Battlefield (just East of Hwy 65), Springfield, MO
Meet Elinor Otto, A Real Life Rosie The Riveter Still Working At 93 Huffington Post
March 2014 FREE Jack Jackson Teaching - over the confusion between the Feast of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread March 1 @ 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm Pre-meeting fellowship begins with lunch at noon. Bring a sack lunch. The meeting itself begins at 2:00 PM. www.ozarkshebrewheritage.com For more info: 888-265-1837 or ohhatorah@yahoo.com
Otto was newly single with a young son to support when the Rosie the Riveter movement began during World War II, according to the LA Times. She joined the war effort with her two sisters. "We were part of this big thing," Otto told NBC News. "We hoped we'd win the war. We worked hard as women, and were proud to have that job."
The Ozarks Christian Voice is available by subscription, online and sold at all Family Pharmacies, Christian Bookstores, Price Cutters, Harter House, Sunfest Markets, Price Chopper, Country Marts, many theaters, gas stations, businesses and most post offices!
But days after the war ended, all the women were let go. Otto still had her son to take care of, so she tried working in offices but hated being still for too long. She found another aircraft assembly job in San Diego, where she worked for 14 years until she was laid off. A year later, she secured a position for Douglas Aircraft at a C-17 plant where she's been working ever since, the New York Daily News reports.
Elinor Otto Elinor Otto started working at aircraft assembly plants in 1942 for 65 cents an hour. One of the original Rosie the Riveters, Otto has been installing rivets on cargo plans for 70 years. Today, at 93, she's earning close to $40 an hour. "When I go to heaven, I hope God keeps me busy!" she told the Los Angeles Times.
Otto continuously inspires her co-workers, family and friends with her roll-up-your-sleeves attitude. She may even outlast the plant itself. Boeing plans to continue production of C-17s until late 2014 but after that the future is uncertain. "I'll be the one that closes the door," Otto told NBC. "I'll be the last one there."
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:
www.mbch.org Fame may come in a moment, but greatness comes with longevity.-Doug Stringer
March 2014
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A Minute with a Man The changes in the American family have been dramatic in the last 30 years. What did our founding fathers say about traditional biblical standards and the family? Listen to the words of Alexander Hamilton, lamenting on the evils of the French Revolution: “Equal pains have been taken to deprave the morals as to extinguish the religion of the country, if indeed morality in a community can be separated from religion. In the French Revolution, a new law of divorce was passed which makes it as easy for a husband to get rid of his wife, and a wife of her husband as to discard a worn out habit...those times...are the chief links of domestic and ultimately of social attachment.” -Alexander Hamilton, chief of staff to General Washington
Now you know what our founding fathers really said. 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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An opinion based on medical science is a prediction, not truth; direction, not a destination. Medicine never deals with the root issue. The American school of modern medicine teaches doctors to think alike. A second opinion may weed out incompetence but rarely if ever does it increase options. - John Lindsay
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‘Lord of the Rings’ Actor Opens Up About His Christian Faith
the culture versus all these kinds of things I think my mom is a feels very comfortable with her Catholicism.”
Bible that brings the Word to life using the Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition (RSV-CE) text.”
Son of God
In a previous interview with Sherry Huang
“For people who care about the Bible as revealed truth, this is a gateway to make it accessible to them and I’m proud to be associated with that,” he told the outlet of the project.
B
by Billy Hallowell
A
ctor Sean Astin has had a longstanding career in Hollywood. From starring as Mikey in “The Goonies” to his role as Samwise Gamgee in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, he has entertained and inspired audiences for decades. In a new interview with Beliefnet’s John W. Kennedy, Astin recently discussed his career, his faith and a Christian movie he recently filmed called “Mom’s Night Out.” It may come as a surprise to some that Astin, who has said in the past that he doesn’t wear his faith on his sleeve, is religious. But a close look at his career and his public comments corroborate this very fact. In his discussion with Kennedy, Astin described his faith journey in detail and didn’t hesitate to call himself a faithful Christian. He detailed his fascinating faith journey — one that encapsulated experiences with Buddhism, Judaism, Catholicism, agnosticism and Protestantism (they all touched him in some way). Today, Astin is a Lutheran, having been officially baptized along with his wife at a church in Indiana. But growing up, his stepfather, actor John Astin, was a Buddhist and his birth father was Jewish. Beyond that, his mother, actress Patty Duke, is a Catholic — at least nominally. When Kennedy asked about this dynamic, the entertainer was candid: “Well, it depends on when you ask her and who you ask. I think today she would probably consider herself a Catholic. She’s had a really kind of tortured relationship [with the Church]. I [remember] when my sister died. There’s this group of nuns that lived in a convent nearby. She insisted that they be there. So, you know, when you talk about self identifying versus how people practice versus
March 2014
Astin also shared a personal story in the 2011 interview, showcasing the importance that the Bible — and this particular project — have in his own life: “The other day I was with my daughter and she has a middle school chapel service. When she got out, I was asking her questions about the passages they were looking at. At first she couldn’t remember so I downloaded a Bible program onto my iPhone and we were scrolling through it, just riding in the car! (also published on Beliefnet), Astin was asked about his favorite prayer. He cited a Democratic National Committee member named Ron Dugger, who had once set up a meeting between the actor and then-Sen. John Kerry at a time during which Astin was politically active. “There’s a guy named Rob Dugger who was a very senior member of the Democratic National Committee. [A]fter I’d met with John Kerry, [Rob had] arranged a meeting and this [was] at the height of my trying to grapple with what I was able to accomplish–and not–on a political level,” Astin told Huang. “We just had this conversation, and I asked him that question. [H]e said every morning he wakes up and he says a prayer, ‘Allow me to be an instrument of Your will.’” Astin said the prayer really resonated with him and that he has uttered it “a few thousand times” since first hearing it. It seems the actor has put his money where his mouth is, too. While he generally doesn’t shout his faith from mountaintops, Astin actively participates in projects, both in the faith and Hollywood realms, that tout positive, Christian values. Consider the fact that he provided the voice of Matthew in the “Truth and Life Dramatized Audio New Testament” a few years back. Catholic Online described the project as “a dramatic and powerful audio recording of the
“If you pass muster and people make it to a second CD, you know it’s really important to them. When anyone is listening, you are purveying revealed truth to people and it carries a real responsibility. You have to decide whether you want to do that whether you want participate in that. “I don’t actually walk around wearing my faith on my sleeve or anything but I went to Catholic school for three years. You get to certain passages about the Last Supper or the Crucifixion and I’ve heard them a lot in church and they were spoken by a priest. “And now the words that were being uttered by a priest to a congregation are coming through my eyes and sound! These massive ideas are being poured out and it gives you goose bumps sometimes. You’re portraying revealed truth!” All this considered, his new movie, too, is faith-based in nature. “Mom’s Night Out” is described as “an endearing, true-to-life family comedy.” It centers upon a few mothers who want to go out for an evening of fun. With their husbands left to care for the kids, chaos and comedy unfold. The film, set to be released in 2014, is produced by Andrew and Jon Erwin, the filmmaking brothers who also brought forth the successful pro-life movie “October Baby.” For more about Astin, be sure to visit his official website.
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Newsmax uilding upon a growing interest in faith-based productions, the creators of the successful television miniseries "The Bible" soon will take the message of Christian faith to moviegoers with a fulllength feature film. A movie adaption of "The Bible," called "Son of God" and highlighting the life of Jesus Christ, has been purchased by 20th Century Fox, which will release it to theaters nationwide on Feb. 28. The movie portends a revival of Hollywood turning to the scripture for inspiration, as other Biblical accounts are being readied for the big screen. Combining previously aired and unused footage from the 10-part "The Bible" miniseries, "Son of God" will run more than two hours. The studio is banking on its TV popularity, which shocked many when its two-hour finale, broadcast in March on the History Channel, earned blockbuster ratings. About 13 million viewers tuned in to the show's finale, which portrayed the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. It marked the History Channel's highest-watched show and garnered three Emmy nominations, later selling close to 1 million units on DVD, Bluray, and DigitalHD platforms. Columbia Pictures executive DeVon Franklin says the marketplace for faith-based films always has been vibrant, but Biblical epics likely are the next wave of that genre that Hollywood will produce. For Easter 2014, his studio is releasing "Heaven is for Real," a T.D. Jakes and Joe Roth-produced film adaption of the bestselling 2010 book and starring Academy
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Award-nominee Greg Kinnear. "It is an audience that is underserved," Franklin told Newsmax. "We are continually trying to provide great content and quality films to what I believe is an exciting audience but also a growing one." Veteran film critic and Breitbart News assistant editor Christian Toto agrees that "there is an untapped audience" for such programming. "There are people out there who are deeply religious and they look at the Cineplex and say there is nothing there for me, whether it's too violent, there are too many anti-heroes, or a general suspicion of Hollywood that has not catered to that audience for a long time," Toto told Newsmax. "Faith-based films, up until recently, have been on a small scale with no big star, and yet they have been doing quite well at the box office," he said. "I think Hollywood is awakening to the fact that this is profitable. I think 'The Bible's' showing made that clear." The TV series was produced by Mark Burnett and his wife, actress Roma Downey, for Hearst Entertainment & Syndication. Burnett also has made a name for himself in Hollywood, producing such popular reality shows as "Survivor," "The Apprentice," "Shark Tank," and most recently, the singing competition,"The Voice." "We are very excited to be working with 20th Century Fox to release 'Son of God' as a major motion picture," Burnett and Downey, the movie's producers, said in a statement. "We responded to an overwhelming demand for 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' to be seen as a shared experience on the big screen. The result is a beautiful stand-alone movie. It's the story of Jesus for a whole new generation."
Phil Cooke, a Burbank, Calif., filmmaker, media consultant and author, says Christians are perfect target group for the film industry.
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Currently being tested by Jewish and Christian audiences is the blockbuster Old Testament story "Noah," directed by "Black Swan's" Darren Aronofsky and starring such big names
"Hollywood bends over backward all the time to court very small interest groups — feminists, environmentalists, people who are gay — but there are more than 91 million evangelical Christians in the U.S., which makes us the largest special-interest group of all," Cooke said. "What baffles me is why Hollywood doesn't take that audience more seriously. We are the mainstream audience."
"I do believe there is a crossover and a mainstream audience for material that is faithinspired," he said, "and I certainly want to be able to prove that is the case with 'Heaven is for Real.'" Getting it right for all audiences presents a difficult hurdle, particularly with a religious crowd, Toto says. "That is the challenge Hollywood faces — doing it justice and being faithful and supportive of the source material. It's all well and good to make a movie named 'Noah,' but if it disagrees with the philosophies of the church, those folks will be angry and not trust other such films coming out in the future."
Cooke, author of "Unique: Telling Your Story in the Age of Brand and Social Media," advises churches, ministers, and other Christian groups about how best to get their messages across. He said he was amused that soon after "The Bible" TV series aired, he received calls from three major news organizations whose reporters were "baffled" that anyone would want to watch such programming. "They come from such a secular worldview that it had never crossed their minds that someone would be interested in TV series about the Bible," he said. "There are a lot of Christian folks out there. Forget ideology. It's just good business. When you have that many potential customers and you're not trying to reach them with a product specifically for them . . . Hollywood, I think, needs to understand the business potential of that." In 2008, a small-budget film called "Fireproof," starring Christian actor Kirk Cameron, sparked renewed attention after it became a surprise hit, grossing more than $33 million, highest among independent films that year. Now, nine years after "The Passion of the Christ" earned nearly $612 million worldwide, another Bible-centric epic is headed to the big screen, kindling hopes that Hollywood will return to Bible-based projects of the 1950s and 1960s, when films such as "Ben-Hur" and "The Ten Commandments" became classics.
positive change to the culture," he said. "Being able to make films that have faith messages … that's one of the reasons to make films in general. It's the power of being able to change people's lives."
as Russell Crowe in the title role, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, and Jennifer Connelly. Its budget is $125 million, and, by some reports, growing, making it a massive gamble on a well-known Biblical story. Also in
Cooke points to other series in the works, including one from Burnett and Downey chronicling the New Testament book of Acts. Others in the entertainment business would be wise to take note of the trend, he said. "This is the most successful living producer in television and he's going full-speed ahead with Bible projects. If that guy thinks there's an audience for that, we should explore that further." But as Hollywood reaches to Christianity for its storytelling, Cooke believes Christians must "lighten up" and not dismiss its messagespreading power to spark a deeper conversation about faith. "We need to suck it up a little bit and realize the value of these creating cultural conversations about the Bible. It's so incredibly remarkable, I'm willing to give them a little slack," he said. "We try our best. We don’t want them to cross dangerous theological boundaries, but I'm willing to give them enormous slack just to get that out there.
development, according to IMDB.com, is "The Redemption of Cain," a take on the Cain versus Abel story from the Old Testament book of Genesis about the battling sons of Adam and Eve. A-list actor Will Smith is set to direct the Bible classic. For Franklin, of Columbia Pictures, faithbased films are personally and professionally important. "I absolutely want to make films that inspire people and bring people hope and make a
See the Branson Meadows Cinema and IMAX listings for show times as these films are released
Cooke adds: "I've never met people who got saved watching a movie, but it's caused them to reconsider what they think about God. We need to be mature enough to understand that no, Hollywood isn't going to make Bible stories the way we grew up with them. But I think that if they are willing to spend that much alone on a story like Noah, count me in." "Anything that allows me to start a conversation with a friend or coworker about God, that works for me," Cooke said. '"The
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The Pulpit Is Responsible by Doug Stringer
Are those in the pulpit responsible for the church's behavior?
I
t seems more and more that we are living in a land of paradoxes. While we are all the beneficiaries of sacrifices made for the foundations laid by which we enjoy the liberties and freedoms in our nation, many would disregard the very roots of those foundations. We are witnessing the human inclination to casually disregard what previous generations have held to be of fundamental importance. Interestingly, there are those who love to tell the church of its social obligation while also telling the church to keep silent regarding public issues. On the one hand, many want the benefits of what the institutional church can offer when it suits them while also undermining the very heart that motivates and empowers the church from its effectiveness. Oftentimes the issues that the critics tell the church to stay away from lead to the very problems they expect the church to fix. There are those who are adamant that preachers should only preach the gospel, yet when their preaching causes them to be uncomfortable or meddles in their personal preferences, they become angry and some even become hostile. Even well-intentioned Christians fall for this. Yet just a glance at history proves the importance of the message of justice through the pulpit. What is the gospel (Good News) to the one enslaved? What is Good News to the one bound by addictions? What is the message of Good News to those who have lost their vision of hope? What is the message of Good News when the social mores of the day are contradictory to the characteristics of the integrity, honesty and justice of God? In his article “The Gift of Prophetic Insight,” the late A.W. Tozer said: “What God says to the church at any given time period depends altogether upon her moral and spiritual condition, and upon the spiritual need of the hour. Religious leaders who continue to mechanically expound the
www.OzarksChristianVoice.com Scriptures without regard to the current religious situation are no better than the scribes and lawyers of Jesus’ day who faithfully parroted the Law without the remotest notion of what was going on around them spiritually. ... The prophets never made that mistake nor wasted their efforts in that manner. They invariably spoke to the condition of the people of their times.” From preachers to politicians, from pulpits to political offices (and all of us in between), we need a revival of character, honesty and integrity. I love this quote from attorney-turned-transforming-revivalist Charles Finney (1792-1875): “The church must take right ground in regard to politics. Do not suppose, now, that I am going to preach a political sermon, or that I wish to have you join and get up a Christian party in politics. No, I do not believe in that. But, the time has come that Christians must vote for honest men, and take consistent ground in politics, or the Lord will curse them. They must be honest men themselves, and instead of voting for a man because he belongs to their party ... they must find out whether he is honest and upright, and fit to be trusted. ... Such is the spread of intelligence and the facility of communication in our country; that every man can know for whom he casts his vote. And if he will give his vote only for honest men, the country will be obliged to have upright rulers. All parties will be compelled to put up honest men as candidates. Christians have been exceedingly guilty in this matter. But, the time has come when they must act differently, or God will curse the nation, and withdraw His Spirit.” Interestingly, Finney wrote this more than 140 years ago; yet how prophetic it is for the time in which we live. If Scripture is true and if what is manifested in the natural realm is any reflection of a spiritual context, then the following words about the pulpit's responsibility would be quite fitting today.
The Pulpit Is Responsible "Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it. Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren; but let us lay it to heart, and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals of this nation." —Charles G. Finney, Dec. 4, 1873 And what about the many who loved the truth more than their own lives so that we could have the freedoms and opportunity we have today? I’m glad that many, including Martin Luther King, Jr., did not settle into complacency but realized their godly and moral obligation to raise a banner of honesty and truth. Rowland Hill (1744-1833), a popular English preacher, said, “I don’t like those mighty fine preachers who round off their sentences so beautifully that they are sure to roll off the sinner’s conscience.” We definitely need voices of conviction and character today. We all love to quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 when we want personal and corporate breakthroughs, yet oftentimes we merely pray with our shallow platitudes or religious incantations. We forget that institutional religion without authentic relationship becomes nothing more than sets of rules to be broken or amended. God’s response to those who take the posture to humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn from their wicked ways is to hear, forgive and heal! Rather than turn our backs on God, let us hear His voice of reason to turn around and see Him face to face.
March 2014 persevering leadership is needed more today than ever before. We live in a world of global challenges and seeming uncertainties. The faith of many has been shaken, causing disillusionments, disappointments and discouragements. Their vision of hope and faith is blurred so they are distracted from God’s intended destination (destiny) for their lives. We need voices of truth with a timely and critical message that reminds us of the proper foundations and order of faith, as well as equips us to fight the good fight of faith. We have plenty of preachers and politicians who are oratorically gifted, yet many lack the character and substance to go with it. We are not in need of more opinions and ideas by theorists, but rather those who will lead us in the paths of truth and great expectations that only comes from a hope beyond ourselves. We need a divine revelation and intervention. We need the manifold wisdom and practical wisdom of God for the challenging times in which we live. Fame may come in a moment, but greatness comes with longevity. May we humble ourselves, pray (prayerlessness in private is powerlessness in public), and seek God’s face and divine intervention. May we turn around! Doug Stringer is an internationally known conference speaker, the founder of Somebody Cares and Turning Point Ministries International, and the author of several books, including Somebody Cares: A Guide to Living Out Your Faith. For the original article, visit dougstringer.com.
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
We need a renewed hunger for God’s will in our lives. The need for courageous and
Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone - except God. -Billy Graham
March 2014
Obama’s New Cuba Travel Policy Helpful to Churches, Say Religious Leaders Posted by: Editor in Lifestyles, National, Travel, Uncategorized November 6, 2013
www.OzarksChristianVoice.com CWS and sister ecumenical body National Council of Churches had sent a joint letter to Obama last May urging the president to lift the restriction on religious travel to Cuba. Under the previous travel policy, national religious organizations were only eligible to travel to Cuba once per quarter, and were subjected to other limitations.
Several church leaders and heads of faithbased organizations applauded the recent White House decision to ease travel restrictions between the United States and Cuba for religious, educational and cultural exchanges. The Rev. John L. McCullough, executive director of humanitarian agency Church World Service, expressed “profound joy” on behalf of its 37-member communions and partner ecumenical organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean for the new policy. “At this time of rapid growth among Cuban churches your prescient and important action will finally allow U.S. churches and ecumenical institutions to accompany, support and mutually benefit from unrestricted fellowship with our Cuban church partners,” McCullough wrote in a letter to President Obama on Tuesday. “It will enable relations that are more than just historic, but which are vital also to the wellbeing of our churches and the ministries we serve.”
Many religious organizations also reportedly had difficulty obtaining licenses to travel to Cuba or had to endure long delays in getting licenses renewed. Under the new U.S. policy guidelines, religious and higher education organizations will hold general licenses, which do not require application or specific clearance by
the Office of Foreign Assets Control for “purposeful” travel between the United States and Cuba. The new policy also allows any American to send as much as $500 every three months to Cubans that are not part of the Castro administration or members of the Communist Party. U.S churches are now able to send funds more freely to religious institutions in Cuba to support their activities. “I believe that in time we will realize this as the beginning of a new era of relations between the United States and Cuba,” remarked McCullough. The White House announced Friday that it will make changes to travel restrictions to Cuba with the goal to “enhance contact with the Cuban people and support civil society through purposeful travel, including religious, cultural and educational travel.” “These needed new policies are modest but important steps towards advancing our hopes for a better relationship between our people
What would your prayer life be if you were perfect, holy, righteous and without sin?... Would we be bolder and confident in our petitions? In fact, that is how God sees us. Most people are familiar with the expression, looking through “rose colored glasses”. Everything looks good through them. In our heavenly father’s case the rose color is the blood of His son. He sees us perfect through Christ ALREADY. Righteousness is living in God’s love, becoming like God by loving like Him. This very fact is what drives us to love others with wild abandon to the point that we are accused of being blind to the sins of others. To the extent that by not judging others they are drawn to us like a moth to a flame. What makes this kind of nonjudgment so winsome is (that unlike the world where sinners don’t judge others who live like them) even though we have values we don’t impose them on the lost. We just love them. -John G. Sacoulas, editor OCV
The ABC’s of Salvation ADMIT - you are a sinner - Roman 3:10, 23, 5:3 & 6:23 BELIEVE - in Jesus - John 3:16 CONFESS - Jesus is your Lord - Romans 10:9 & 10
Page 23 and the people of Cuba, a relationship which holds great promise of fostering positive and real change in Cuba,” commented Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “We hope and pray that these needed measures to remove unnecessary restrictions on purposeful travel to Cuba and to offer greater people-to-people assistance to Cubans will be another step toward supporting the people of Cuba in achieving greater freedom, human rights, and religious liberty,” he said. CWS, NCC, and USCCB are also calling on Congress to lift the economic embargo on Cuba that has been in place since 1960. Besides affecting religious organizations and individuals, the new travel policy also allows airports nationwide to apply for a license to charter flights to Cuba. Previously, only three airports were permitted to carry flights to Cuba: Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City. The new policies are now in place. Ethan Cole
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March 2014
www.imagesatthecross.org Dear Images Supporters: I have the privilege to pass on some great news. A family donated $100,000.00 in stock to Images at the Cross to do a dollar for dollar matching (up to a total of $100,000.00) for all future charitable donations from any source! This donor family, however, isn’t the only one to catch the Images vision. Creation Ministry of the Ozarks, a Genesis Creation Museum and evangelistic outreach to the community, has become a ministry partner. Their Branson Genesis Creation Museum, a family friendly FREE Admission venue will have their Grand Opening on the Images property April 12, 2014! They have joined us in preparing for the Images Cross and have already made almost $20,000.00 of improvements. Additionally, in 2013, with the selfless generosity of our incredible volunteers who literally gave thousands of hours of work, we neared completion of both the Images Construction Office on the property and the actual construction road up to the top of the Images Mountain. I’m very excited about where I see the Lord positioning us for spring 2014. You see, the general construction professional who builds multimillion dollar church facilities across the US, the one who told us that what we had conservatively believed to be a $15 million project, was actually a $3-5 million project shared one last thing with me. He indicated that when we reached a particular point, we can start working on the foundation of the World’s Largest Walkthrough Cross. With the addition of the charitable matching fund and its potential to help us raise funds, I believe the Lord has positioned us within striking distance of beginning the foundation work as soon as weather permits in 2014. We need your continued prayers and especially your financial support to make this happen. Every dollar you donate will be doubled because of the matching fund and then multiplied even further by the selfless acts of our many volunteers that have helped save on many labor costs. Images and the Legacy your contribution leaves behind will continue leading the lost to Christ long after we have left the planet. Please join in and help us reach our next $100,000.00 goal now. Here is how you can help today: Via online donation at http://www.razoo.com/story/Images-AtThe-Cross-1 Online donation at our website at www.imagesatthecross.org
- Make a gift of stock or securities and deduct the fair market value. Email us at kbrown@imagesatthecross.org and we will help you. - by check made out and sent to: Images at the Cross 4180 US Highway 65 Walnut Shade, Missouri 65771 We greatly appreciate your support as we pursue the vision of Images at the Cross, the Kingdom Legacy Project to build the World’s Largest Walkthrough Cross right here in the heart of America.
Very truly yours, Kerry Brown, Executive Director, Images at the Cross
A Minute with a Man Over two hundred years ago the Declaration of Independence was adopted, in which we joined together in giving thanks to Almighty God for what our Founding Fathers call the American Experiment in Ordered Liberty. They affirmed God and the law, all are equal, “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” As President George Washington said in his first Inaugural Address: “The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finely staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.” -George Washington, first President of the United States Now you know what our founding fathers really said. 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.
God is more interested in your future and your relationships than you are.-Billy Graham
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White River Trading Company located next to the post office in Rockaway Beach, has just expanded the shop to take in the space next door. The expanded store now showcases Rick Pickren's Front Row Seats collection of custom musically inspired furniture in addition to antiques and vintage items of all kinds. From rusty to rare there is something for everyone. “We enjoy repurposing things, old farmhouse stuff, shabby chic treasures, and anything that is just cool,” says Pickren. In the store you will find primitives, glassware, tools, furniture, kitchen items, home decor, books, coins, Indian artifacts, collectibles, sports cards and memorabilia, vintage hunting and fishing accessories and much more. “We bring in new items each week to give our customers a large variety to choose from. We try to price things right so people can afford them. We don't want to stare at the same stuff, we want to sell it.” At White River Trading Company patrons can buy, sell, or trade merchandise. The shop is open most weekdays from around 9:30 a.m. to 4 pm. If you have any questions you can contact Rick at (417) 294-0624.
Handcrafted Guitar Furniture
Do you like this magazine?..... Can you do us a big favor? The Ozarks Christian Foundation (The ministry that produces the Ozarks Christian Voice) needs you to tell the sponsors you appreciate them for their support of the area’s only independent Christian magazine! When you are done reading this will you leave it in a waiting room so that someone else can enjoy it?
Ask the Rabbi
with Rabbi Jeremy Storch
Purim, the story of Esther
Page 25 Jewish people. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jews. Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself, then went into the king. He welcomed her. Later, she told him of Haman's plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman was hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai. Join us at The Tabernacle on Saturday, March 15th for a hilarious look at the Purim story. "The Gatekeepers Tale" will entertain and enlighten you about this joyous holiday with singing, dancing, and just downright silliness. Traditional hamentaschen (3 cornered cookies) and other Purim goodies will be served after the service.
Purim is one of the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination. The story of Purim is told in the Biblical book of Esther. The heroes of the story are Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia, and her cousin Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his daughter. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther Rabbi Jeremy Storch is the more than his other women and made Rabbi, Cantor and Worship Esther queen, but the king did not leader of The Tabernacle, Bran“Queen Esther” know that Esther was a Jew, because Painted by Edwin Longsden Long son, Missouri’s Messianic Jewish Mordecai told her not to reveal her congregation. For more informa(1829 - 1891) identity. tion please see our October The villain of the story is Haman, newsletter in its entirety at: an arrogant, egotistical advisor to the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow TheTabernacleInBranson.com down to Haman, so Haman plotted to destroy the
Mr. B’s Ice Cream Parlor Old Fashion Sodas • Malts • Shakes • Hand-Dipped Ice Cream & Cobblers • Hot Dogs- Chili Dogs • Deli Sandwiches • Real Lemonade & Limeade 102 S. Bus Hwy 65 Branson, MO IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN BRANSON Judy Dees (417) 336-5735
Religion has been helping with sin consciousness for years, trying to tell you you’re all messed up. But here’s the thing, Jesus set us free from the condemnation, not just the sin but the condemnation that comes from it. -Pastor Larry Green
Please research the story before you forward something on the web. Christians must be very cautious against bearing false witness.
Sudoku Answers to Page 27
March 2014
“If Jesus preached the same message many ministers preach today, He would have never been crucified.” -Leonard Ravenhill
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‘Duck Dynasty’ Family’s New Project Will Help Christian Churches in a Big Way by Billy Hallowell
T
he Robertson family’s popularity has sparked a plethora of “Duck Dynasty” products. From books to mugs to bobbleheads, the famed reality show stars have much to offer adoring fans.
2013 in Washington, DC. “We really believe that this is going to benefit the entire church family — kids, adults, and teens,” Howard said. “It’s something families can all study together just like they watch the TV show together.”
“Faith Commander” studies for adults and teens will be available May 6 and the church-wide curriculum And now it seems houses of will be on sale worship, too, will be able to May 20. The benefit from Robertson full church kit family wisdom with the will include coming release of “Faith books, Commander: Living Five discussions Values from the Parables of guides, DVDs Jesus,” a five-week church and other curriculum. Willie & Korie Robertson resources for adults and “Faith Commander” was teens alike. written by Korie Robertson, wife of Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson, and her mother Chrys Howard and will be released NYC Megachurch Pastor this coming May. The book and DVD set is targeted to adults and children of all ages, as the curriculum mainly focuses on five themes found in the parables of Jesus. Those themes are as follows: faith, forgiveness, obedience, prayer and kindness, according to a press release from Christian book publisher Zondervan. Robertson said that “Faith Commander” takes common themes depicted on “Duck Dynasty” and shows how those motifs operate within the famed reality show family. Considering the Robertsons’ close-knit nature, she said that their faith is key to keeping everyone together. “This faith is behind who we are as a family and what keeps us together and strong,” Robertson said. Howard — her mother and co-author, — added that she believes the parables of Jesus aren’t always studied as they should be, claiming that the book and DVD set will include stories from the Robertson clan intended to help churches explain the parables to their congregations. Willie Robertson and Korie Robertson attend the 15th annual ‘Angels In Adoptions’ awards at Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on October 9,
Believes Sexuality Shouldn’t Be Discussed in Public Forum by Gina Meeks
C
arl Lentz, 35, founded Hillsong NYC with Hillsong United frontman Joel Houston in 2010. While Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson is currently facing serious backlash in the wake of his comments about homosexuality, a popular New York City pastor has made it clear he will not take a public stance on the controversial issue. Carl Lentz, who leads megachurch Hillsong NYC, told Katie Couric in an interview on her self-titled show that he did not believe he had a “moral imperative to speak publicly about some of these more controversial issues” because, he says, “We try to be like Jesus." “Very rarely did Jesus ever talk about morality or social issues,” the 35-year-old pastor explained in a pre-recorded interview that aired Thursday. “It was about the deeper things of the heart, and often people want to talk about behavior modification. Our church isn’t about that." “We’re about soul transformation,” he continues. “You start talking about some of
the symptomatic stuff, that’s not what we’re about. We’re about talking to people about their heart and the condition of their soul, and some of that stuff out-works itself. But we're not trying to change anybody because we can't.” When Couric asked Lentz if his church has a position on issues like gay marriage, he said, “We have a stance on love, and everything else, we have conversations.” Asked to explain what he meant, Lentz added, “Often people want you to make these big statements about things, and I don’t believe that’s fair. I don’t think a public forum is always the best place to talk about something that’s so sensitive and so important to so many, because ... there’s no discussion there. “I’d rather have a conversation ... because if I make a statement publicly, there’s no discussion, there’s no explanation, there’s just this comment.” On the same day the interview with Couric aired, Lentz appeared on HuffPost Live, where he spoke with host Ahmed ShihabEldin about similar issues. When asked if same-sex couples were welcome at Hillsong NYC, the pastor spoke out against those who insist he needs to take a public stance on social issues like homosexuality. “Some media wants us to use our pulpit to have a soapbox for social issues,” he said. “I don't believe that's our job.” He added, “You go look at what Jesus did. He was always talking about the heart of an individual and the soul of a person, not these symptomatic societal problems. People hate that, because a lot of churches are about what they’re against. We’re about what we’re for. “When it comes to people’s sexuality, I don’t want to use a public forum to talk about private things. Because how in the world could you have a dialogue? How in the world can I hear your story? How in the world can someone have a question?” Lentz founded the New York megachurch with Hillsong United frontman Joel Houston, son of Hillsong founders Brian and Bobbie Houston, in 2010. The church, which has a weekly attendance of more than 5,000, is the first U.S. plant of the main church in Sydney, Australia.
March 2014 Though Hillsong NYC is modern, with a club-like atmosphere and loud music, Lentz told Couric the church does identify as Pentecostal. “We try to stay away from terms like denominations and Pentecostal [in America]," he said. "Typically that’s when people think of the weirdest, most awkward stuff in church. Sometimes that’s the label. In our church we do believe in the power of God. We do believe that the gifts that the Bible says you can have are real, but we believe the supernatural doesn’t have to be super spooky.”
“Super” Accountants Needed Overseas- Wycliffe
W
ith hundreds of volunteers and staff serving Wycliffe Associates in dozens of countries, each with unique personal and professional financial requirements, our accounting team strategically manages the flow of cash and financial information to assure that it is in the right place at the right time. They provide critical support to our ministry team and transparent accountability to our financial partners. Wycliffe Associates are recruiting two accountants to provide vital financial services for Bible translation teams in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These countries are high strategic priorities for Bible translation for the coming years, with more than 150 languages still without one verse of Scripture. In both locations, the accountant will be working closely with national colleagues and mentoring them in accounting responsibilities. Learning and complying with local accounting requirements is essential. The position in Cameroon is located in the capital city of Yaoundé, and English is the working language. Any knowledge of French will be helpful in the local community. The position in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is located in the northwestern city of Gemena, and French language competency is required. Contact:
www.Wycliffe.org
The truth may hurt for a little while but a lie hurts forever.
Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle. -Billy Graham
March 2014
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$50.00 off any vehicle purchased with ad! Answers to Crossword Puzzle on Page 14
Across 1. Painful muscle contraction 6. A flat float 10. Young girl 14. Main artery 15. Fiend 16. Dull persistent pain 17. Large hardshelled fruit 18. Seethe 19. Unit of language 20. A large fleet 22. Festivity 24. Floor covering 25. Reported information 27. Retaliation 29. Cease to flow 33. Propel with oars 34. Cover with stone or concrete
35. Seeweed 37. Scrawny 41. Hotshot 42. Overhang 44. Device for shaping metal 45. Spread by scattering 48. Unauthorized disclosure of information 49. Examination in the form of an interview 50. Rodent 52. Curved oriental saber 54. Small bird 58. Radiate 59. Vat 60. Vertical fall 62. Minister of religion 66. Desiccated 68. Object used on stage
70. Strainer 71. Make new 72. Small island 73. Conventions 74. Acute 75. Relatively thick from top to bottom 76. Warning signal Down 1. Heroic tale 2. Having little money or few possessions 3. Starch resembling sago 4. Unusual 5. Cause to go crazy 6. Steal 7. Highly excited 8. Mendicant 9. Bank employee 10. Jurisprudence 11. Fruit of the
oak 12. Physical gesture 13. Marsh plant 21. Mentally perceptive 23. Declare or affirm solemnly 26. Take without permission 28. Sheep 29. Health resorts 30. Consideration 31. Allege 32. Fairies 36. Tranquility 38. Redact 39. Prima donna 40. Period of time 43. Subsist on a meager allowance 46. Make a mistake 47. Person under the protection of another
49. Invective 51. Slow and apathetic 53. Unwholesome atmosphere 54. Austere 55. Food processed in a blender 56. Dwell 57. Comparative of bad 61. One of the two ends of a magnet 63. Having lost all moisture 64. Finished 65. Bird structure 67. Spanish gentleman or nobleman 69. Liveliness and energy
Answers to Sudoku Puzzle on Page 25
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. 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.
Hear No Evil
See No Evil
Three Wise Monkeys
Hear No Preacher
See No Scripture
Three Foolish Monkeys
Only those who want everything done for them are bored. -Billy Graham
Speak No Evil
Confess No Sins
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March 2014
A Smart Family! 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.
Owners: Doug & Julie Smart Email: SmartBuyTireInc@sbcglobal.net When business started: Sept. 1, 2001 Location: 1045 S. Campbell Avenue, Springfield, MO
-- 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)
About the Business: The Smart’s Tire Store is an authorized Michelin tire dealership that also carries popular brands, BF Goodrich, and Yokohama. Service makes up more than 40% of the business.The company repairs brakes, shocks and struts, and performs alignments and offers same day repairs. Free tire rotation and flat repairs are offered to customers buying tires. Difference from competitors: Family believes honesty and personable service separate their business from chains. 80% of the business is based on referrals.
www.SmartBuyTire.com Three Biblical Trees by Harriet Ford The words I speak . . . are spirit and they are life, John 6:63 (NIV)
I
Locally-Owned • Bruce and Kim Erdel
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n the Garden of Gethsemane, there are eight olive trees whose age is lost in antiquity. Some botanists claim that they may be as old as 3,000 years. It was Jesus' custom to go to the Mount Olives at evening (John 7:53, 8:1). There He prayed, and also taught His disciples (Luke 11:1-4). As I pondered this, I realized these ancient olive trees 'heard' His words. His words are spirit and they are life. Could this be the reason they are still living and thriving in the Garden? What a difference from the sycamore tree, which withered from the root after Jesus spoke to it. Something else I discovered about the sycamore tree. While it did produce figs good for eating, interestingly, the
sycamore tree's wood was used by the Egyptians to make coffins for their dead. Before I heard Jesus' wonderful words of life, I was as barren as the sycamore tree and dead inside as well. There was no fruit in my life to offer Him. How thankful I am that He did not curse me. Instead He welcomed me, forgave me, and breathed His Spirit of life into me. There is yet another tree every believer longs to enjoy. Both Genesis and Revelations speak of it. Jesus says that all who receive Him shall one day be able to eat from the tree of life (Rev. 22:2). Halleluia! Lord as I plant the seed of your Word (Lk.8:11) in the garden of my soul, help me produce much fruit to offer you. I want to be a thriving olive tree and not a withered sycamore.
God never takes away something from your life without replacing it with something better. -Billy Graham
March 2014
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The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us. -Billy Graham
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THESE ARE THE 10 MOST AND LEAST ‘BIBLEMINDED’ CITIES IN AMERICA: by Billy Hallowell The American Bible Society and the Barna Group are back with an updated list showing where residents in 100 U.S. cities rank when it comes to Bible-mindedness. So how exactly is this characteristic measured? As Christianity Today reported, it is based on combined levels of regular reading of the Bible (self-reported consumption in the past seven days) and belief in the text’s accuracy.
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The American Bible Society noted that common geographic stereotypes were reaffirmed in the most recent findings.
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Consider that the Midwest and South are distinguished as the most “Christian” regions in the U.S., while numerous cities on the East Coast were found to be some of the least Bible-minded localities in the nation.
Here are the top 10 most Bibleminded cities: Chattanooga, Tenn. Birmingham, Ala. Roanoke/Lynchburg, Va. Springfield, Mo. Shreveport, La. Charlotte, N.C. Greenville S.C. Spartanburg, S.C. Asheville, N.C. Little Rock, Ark. Jackson, Miss. Knoxville, Tenn.
And here are the 10 least Bible- residents. minded cities: Providence, R.I./New Bedford, Mass. Albany, N.Y. Boston, MA San Francisco Cedar Rapids, Iowa Buffalo, N.Y. Hartford/New Haven, Conn. Phoenix, AZ Burlington, Vt. Portland, Maine One of the trends that was discovered in the research involved the number of residents in each city, as researchers found “an inverse relationship … between population size and Bible friendliness.” As it turns out, only three cities in the top 25 for most Bible-minded had a population of more than 1 million
The Faces of Victory... Will’s Chiropractic Testimony Imagine being locked up physically in your own body. Waking up in intense pain every morning, so stiff with pain you could not get out of bed without pulling on a metal rod beside you. Imagine lying in pain trying to fall asleep at night, wishing and praying for a way out, each breath deep, trying to conserve energy. Think about not being able to turn your head to look to the right or to the left as you drove to school or work every day, and the painkillers you have been taking now only make things worse. On top of all of that, add an extra 45lbs, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diagnosed symptoms of Aspergers syndrome. Put this all into a 27 year old body that had been told he had to take medication to relieve any or all of the aforementioned symptoms. That was my life up until recently for a very long time. I grew up in and out of the psychiatrist’s office, being told that I had problems that needed to be treated with medication. First it was ADHD; I was four years old when they put me on my first medication. Then as I got older, and my body grew naturally, the doctors had to add medication to deal with the side effects or “new symptoms” that would emerge. By the time I was sixteen I had been diagnosed with ADHD, Anxiety, OCD, and then Aspergers syndrome. I was placed on medication for all of this. When I was a senior in high school I was placed on high blood pressure
and high cholesterol medication even though I ate healthy and was moderately active. At this time my doctors wanted to try placing me on a new medication that would “solve all my problems”, instead it caused me to gain 150lbs. Once I hit the 350lb mark I began to experience severe back problems and stiffness. I had also resigned myself to a less than preferred diet of junk food. All of this spelled tragedy in my life. Things began to change about four years ago when I started to pray for all this to be taken away. I began to search diligently for The Lords answer to my situation. His response was to simply return to living as He called me to be, in the way I was born, without blemish or mistake. I began to eat healthy, and exercise. While this helped, it did not solve the entire problem. I was still on enough medicine to knock out a large horse, and being prescribed more all the time. According to my psychiatrist, I was manic. I had faith in The Lord that he was bringing me out of this. In September 2013 I visited Branson, MO for the very first time. Along with everything else that is amazing and wonderful about the great city of music, I was also introduced to Dr. Bo Bandy, as well as the world of Chiropractic adjustments. The Love and support that was poured into me was phenomenal, backed up with extensive knowledge about the human body, coming from a Godly standpoint. I learned that my spine, and my nervous system were out of alignment, and this was causing a lot of the symptoms the medicine was treating. During my first adjustment, I saw that one leg was over an
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March 2014
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The results were sought by the American Bible Society, a group that works to spread the Christian gospel, to help the ministry better meet spiritual needs in different locations across America. “We want people to know that whether you live in the least or most Bible-minded cities, the Bible can speak to your needs, challenges and concerns and help you make sense of your life,” Geoffrey Morin, chief communication officer of American Bible Society, said in a statement announcing the findings. Following the release of the data, Christianity Today reported that 19 of the top 20 Bibleminded cities house Christian colleges, which might have had an impact on the study’s results. inch longer than the other, after my first treatment they were equal. To add icing to a very delicious cake, the atmosphere in which I received my adjustments was like none other. Walking into the office, felt like walking to a giant hug, and the way Dr. Bo prepared my mind before the treatment, blew me away. After my first adjustment, I felt amazing. I soon began to receive consistent weekly adjustments. Over the course of the next few months I quickly came to see a drastic difference. I was pain free. My neck was no longer stiff, nor my back. My body began to feel better around the clock. During my workouts, I had more energy and began to be able to lift more and longer than I had ever been able to before. My back was straighter, I was standing taller, and I was happier. I noticed so much of a change in fact that I began to look into taking myself off different medications. It started with the high blood pressure and high cholesterol medication. My doctor found no need or reason. Then I was removed on a trial basis from medication all together. It was amazing to see the transformation my body was going through. Since I started receiving Chiropractic care, I have also lost 40lbs, and continue to see improvement in all areas of my life. I sleep better, make better eating choices, have fewer cravings, and feel more peace than I ever have before. When I saw my psychiatrist in December I was given the all clear, and told that I no longer needed any medication, because all symptoms were completely gone. If I ever did have any of the “disorders” the doctors had said I had, I definitely do not now. My life truly has been transformed. All it took was putting my body back into a state where it could heal itself. Who knew that we were created in such a way that we could naturally become better as long as we took the right steps? God knew, and all the Glory goes to Him.
March 2014
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7 Lies Pastors Tend to Believe Written by Ron Edmondson My heart is for the pastor. Maybe it stems from the fact that I spent so many years as a layperson, a deacon and Sunday school teacher and, now, as a pastor. I realize now how much I didn’t understand about the position. The role has a lot more expectations and pressures than I previously imagined. I always loved and supported the pastor, but looking back, I wish I had been an even better pastor’s friend. One of the other realities, and it’s rather sobering to me, is how isolated many pastors feel from people in their congregation. Isolation almost always seems to lead to a misunderstanding of reality. In essence—and here’s the problem and purpose of this post, if we aren’t careful—we can begin to believe lies about ourselves or our ministries. (That even seems to have biblical precedence—believing lies got us into trouble from the beginning.)
2. "That didn’t hurt." Sometimes we pretend what the person said or did to us doesn’t hurt. We can even spiritualize it because we wear the “armor of God.” In reality, most pastors I know (this one included) have tender feelings at times—some days more than others. We are human. Maturity helps us process things faster, but we never outgrow a certain vulnerability when working with people.
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4. "I’m in control." It would be easy to dismiss this one with a strong spiritual response. Of course, Jesus is in control. Hopefully every Bible-believing pastor reading this “Amens” that truth. But how many times do we believe we have more authority than we really do—or should? Danger. 5. "I’m growing this church." We must be careful not to take credit for what only God can do. I can’t imagine God would let this lie continue long without equally letting us “believe” (and experience) that we are responsible for declining this church.
7. "I’ve got to protect my people." I once had a pastor say he couldn’t allow “his” people to believe God still speaks to people today, other than through His Word, because there are too many “strange voices” out there. There are, and I believe the Bible is the main source of His communication, but God still speaks. If He doesn’t, let’s quit suggesting people pray about how much God wants them to give to the building fund.
1. "I’ve got this." The enemy loves it when we begin to think we have completely figured out life or ministry. He loves us to place total confidence in ourselves. Selfconfidence, if unchecked, can lead to arrogance, a sense of superiority and a lack of dependence on God.
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3. "I’m above that." If a pastor ever thinks, “That’s too small for me to be concerned about,” watch for the fireworks to begin. The devil will see some points he can put on the board. Equally dangerous, when we as pastors believe we are above temptation of any kind, we have the devil’s full attention.
6. "If I don’t do this, no one will." We stifle the spiritual growth of others when we fail to let them use their spiritual gifts. Additionally, we deny the hand and foot their individual roles within the body. And, sadly, we often burn out ourselves and our family.
Here are seven lies we often believe as pastors:
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When we try to protect “our” people by keeping them from His provision, we make them our people and keep them from fully understanding they are really His children. Let us instead teach them how to know God more intimately and discern His direction. His sheep know His voice. I’m sure there are many other lies we can fall prey to as pastors. Exposing them can help us from being distracted by them and allow us to call on His strength to overcome them. Trading prayers for pastors as I type this post.
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What other lies have you seen pastors believe? Ron Edmondson is a church planter and pastor with a heart for strategy, leadership and marketing, especially geared toward developing churches and growing and improving the kingdom of God.
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Health care is one-sixth of our economy. If the government can control that, they can control just about everything. We need to understand what is going on, because there are much more economic models that can be used to give us good health care than what we have now. - Dr. Benjamin Carson
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Life Teaches Timeless Lessons by Ben Stein/Dreemz
A
www.OzarksChristianVoice.com leery about the man who killed himself. For all I knew he had millions in the bank stashed away somewhere. My mistake. I should have been willing to take the gamble that I would get ripped off another time. (But I have by no means unlimited means and have my own self and my wife and son and his family to support.)
few days before Labor Day last year, as I was sitting at Ivano’s Restaurant in Sandpoint, Idaho, my smartphone told me I had an email. I opened the email to read that a man I knew and loved, a man who had been in The second thought that rips through my circle of close friends since I was my soul about the man who shot himself born, had is that he did not committed see the world suicide. “No matter how much our plain. Even with
status has fallen, we can use his very small He was in a he could our experience to teach means, Southwestern have lived in a city, alone and others to have a better life.” tiny apartment dejected about or public his health, his Section 8 loneliness, but above all, about his penury. housing somewhere. He would This man, who had been a wealthy fellow not have been in South Sudan by most standards for much of his life, being massacred for his was deeply in debt and had literally no ethnicity. He would not have means of making a living. He committed been in Auschwitz. He would suicide as his options dwindled to genuine have had access to all of the poverty or death - or so he thought. He glories of literature for would obviously never again have the nothing at his chance to have a Bently or a Hawker, as local library. he once did. The suicide of this man has burned He saw through my brain like a brush fire that that he did never goes out, and here are some of the not have thoughts I have about it. enough to First, this man asked me for money many times before he died. I almost always gave him a few thousand here or a few thousand there, sometimes more, sometimes less. Obviously, I wish I had given him more now. But I had been terribly burned some years before when two close relatives in a mountainous region of the East asked me for money to survive. I was in the chips then in a major way (by my small, writer’s standards) and I gave them, over a period of years, a decent six-figure amount. When they died, it turned out they had close to half a million in cash in safe-deposit boxes. They left it to (drum roll, please...) their favorite waiters and waitresses at their favorite Chinese restaurant. I didn’t even get a thank you in the will. So, I was burned on that subject. I have often supported men and women close to me, and I rarely get a thank you. So, I was
be the man of means he wanted to be, and that made his life unbearable. In a word, his life was about envy and not about gratitude. Third, he saw his life as being only about what he could have and in no way about what he could give to others. I belong to a spiritual program that tells us that if we follow that program, no matter how much our status has fallen, we can use our experience to teach others to have a better life.
March 2014
often feel suicidal when fairly small bad things happen to me. My own spiritual condition is often pitifully anemic.)
Patsy Cline Remembered
But there is an overarching final story here. The man who shot himself did not believe in God. He believed his life was worthwhile based on his bank statement and his form 1040.
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He did not believe that God had put him here on this earth and that therefore he had a right to be here whether he was rich or poor. I find few men who believe in God who take their own lives. Or, maybe it’s not up to me, and it was his life and maybe he just wanted to stop hurting so much and have peace. Maybe he wanted to go home. I just know that I miss him. Too many of my friends are dying, and I am getting to feel lonely myself. Speech writer for Presidents Nixon and Ford, Long time columnist for The Wall Street Journal, Barrons, and The New York Times. Professor of Law and Economics at Pepperdine University, Multiple New York Times best selling author, winner of multiple awards for writing on finance, trial lawyer, long time commentator for CBS News, Fox News, and CNN, diarist for The American Spectator, columnist for NewsMax. Emmy winning host of "Win Ben Stein's Money", parts in dozens of movies and TV shows, including "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "The Wonder Years," 'Expelled," "The Mask I and II", and many many others. The only well known economist and social commentator to be awarded an Emmy for TV Comedy.
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www.PatsyClineRemembered.com End of ConstructionThank you for your patience . As seen on Ruth Bell Graham’s Tombstone
Dear Lord, Help me not despise the things I do not know or understand. ~William Penn
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I emphasize that I see in our meetings every day men who don’t have two nickels to rub together who can teach young people to stay off alcohol and drugs. Their misfortune and self-inflicted wounds have been the universities in which they have learned life lessons that are invaluable for all of the rest of us. (May I add that I fall extremely short in this regard. I
It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God’s job to judge and my job to love. -Billy Graham
March 2014
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5 Reasons Why Legalizing Marijuana is a Good Idea by John Sacoulas This article should not be read with past emotional bias but with real scholarly understanding. The immature Christian might accuse this publication of endorsing stoners. The mature believer will see that this topic is more intricate and should not be lumped in to one big pot (no pun intended). The abuse of any God given gift is not a sufficient reason to eschew its principle. God opened the minds of men to understand the powerful dynamics of nuclear energy. We have the choice to power the city of Chicago with it or blow Hiroshima off the map.
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ince I neither consume marijuana for medicinal or recreational use, my research offers a very unbiased opinion on this topic
1. By legalization, the amount of THC (The properties of cannabis that have been artificially inflated to create a greater high) can be regulated, and by legalization, it can be tightly controlled much like alcohol. The difference is there are no deaths by overdose of marijuana compared to the carnage of the abuse associated with alcohol. 2. By legalization, it can alleviate many health maladies. Cannabis as a medicine became common throughout much of the world by the 19th century. It was used as the primary pain reliever until the invention of aspirin. Modern medical and scientific inquiry began with doctors like William Brooke O'Shaughnessy and Moreau de Tours, who used it to treat melancholia and migraines, and as a sleeping aid, analgesic and anticonvulsant. Cannabidiol, also known as "CBD", is a major constituent of medical cannabis. CBD represents up to 40% of extracts of the medical cannabis plant. Cannabidiol relieves convulsion, inflammation, anxiety, nausea, and inhibits cancer cell growth. Recent studies have shown cannabidiol to be as effective as atypical antipsychotics in treating schizophrenia. In November 2007, it was reported that CBD reduces growth of aggressive human breast cancer cells in vitro and reduces their invasiveness. It thus represents the first nontoxic exogenous agent that can lead to down-regulation of tumor aggressiveness. It is
also a neuroprotective antioxidant. The fact is, all marijuana can be considered medical-grade, meaning it has some therapeutic effect. If you are consuming marijuana to alleviate a medical condition, or the treatment of that condition, you are using marijuana medicinally, hence medical marijuana. Many believe medical marijuana has to be of a minimum potency or that it should be grown organically, but those are strictly personal preferences. Marijuana only needs to be consumed by a person to treat a medical condition to be considered medical marijuana.
new guidelines can perform duties in government social programs that are badly needed. Our incarceration costs would decrease. 4. By legalization, it can reduce the organized crime system and create new tax revenue. The billions of dollars that fall into the hands of criminals mostly foreign will be transferred into the U.S. economy. Since President Nixon started the ramp up on the war on drugs, the U.S. Government has spent over 1 trillion dollars on fighting drugs of all kinds. At least 40 billiton dollars each
Marijuana strength, or potency, is different from strain to strain with lower strengths starting at 2 - 3% THC, and strong strains with a THC potency level of up to 30%. Stronger cannabis does mean less has to be consumed per dose so if the patient smokes, stronger may be better in terms of their overall health. Organically grown marijuana, free of chemicals, fertilizers, pests and their excretions, is also a better treatment option for patients. Purity and lack of contaminants, including molds, chemicals, fertilizers or anything in Clothing pictured above are made from hemp fibers your grow environment including and are superior to cotton/poly blends. pests and their excretions, are important considerations that patients must year is spent currently. These costs can be weigh. Lower strength strains can be processed reduced while the taxes collected would to make a hash or extract to lessen the amount increase. needed per dose and are a very useful way other then smoking to get your medical relief. 5. By legalization, companies can produce hemp for clothing (Cotton growers and other If you don't know where it was textile industries have a heavy lobby to put grown or who grew it, the pressure on the government to prohibit this marijuana you're consuming great alternative). According to hemptrade.ca, the website of could be contaminated by anything. Commercial-grade the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance, the (street) cannabis is often production of hemp originated in Central Asia transported across the border in thousands of years ago. Hemp has a long garbage trucks, used hazardous history of being used as a food grain, and as a waste containers, and is often source of fiber that is used for clothing, rope coated, wrapped or covered with and netting. It is currently illegal to grow hemp any number of chemicals to hide in the United States, although it can be the scent from dogs and devices. It has also imported from other countries for use in a been reported that some street dealers are variety of products such as clothing and food. adding lead to bags of marijuana so they Many regularly drink Hemp milk, and find it to weighed more. Perhaps the biggest concern for be very tasty and satisfying. It has been a marijuana consumer is improperly processed reported that Henry Ford’s Model T was marijuana. Marijuana not properly harvested made out of resin-stiffened hemp fiber having and dried not only adds weight but also molds ten times the strength of steel that could easily. Contaminants are dangerous enough for withstand blows from a sledge hammer healthy people but they can be deadly for the without denting. The car also ran on ethanol derived from hemp. sick. 3. By legalization, it can clear out many jailed people that are causing a severe strain on the Under regulations hemp is defined as having costs of incarceration for offenses that are less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) quite frankly too minor. The offenders under the primary psychoactive ingredient in
Page 33 marijuana. Because of this low level, hemp is unsuitable for drug and therapeutic purposes. THC is by the plant’s epidermal glands and is not produced in the hemp seed (borrowed from hemptrade.ca). So you see, the consumption of hemp will not make you high or stoned due to the lack of THC. Hemp clothing is blended with cotton or tencel, due to the rougher texture of the fiber. Although hemp is not as soft as cotton it lasts so much longer. Mary Beth Trama is the director of MadeInTheUsa.la and asks, “Have you ever bought a cotton shirt and after several washes noticed little holes in the shirt? This drives me bananas. I have not had anything close to that happen with my hemp clothing. After many washes they are as strong as when I first bought them.” So it seems that the real downside is the abuse related to the recreational use of this natural God given plant. Abuse of all things good will always be with us in this fallen world. Teenagers in the Louisiana Bajou discovered they can get a quick buzz by licking the backs of a certain swamp toad that produce a hallucinogenic compound to disorient their predators when attacked. The enemy would quickly drop the toad from their mouths. The issue here is the responsible use of a good thing while curbing the misuse of it; not banning it altogether. Unfortunately, legalizing the production of cannibis for the hemp fiber alone will still create a huge black market for the marijuana it produces. The compromise is to lower the THC levels while increasing the CBD. By the way, “Sinsemilla” is a Spanish word meaning “without bud” and is marijuana of a variety that has a particularly high concentration of psychoactive agents producing high amounts of THC. This can only be achieved by government regulation, not prohibition. History shows us that the prohibition of alcohol in the 1930’s was an utter failure. John Sacoulas is the editor of the Ozarks Christian Voice and assists his publisher wife in the production of the magazine. He observes that things appear clearer when he rises above the hysteria of any topic much like the view from an airplane looking down on a community. Having spent over 40 years studying religion and unfortunately attending seminary he has finally embraced the love of God by grace.
If love is not madness it is not love -Pedro Callderin
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Is Stephen Harper's Canada Israel’s New Best Friend? by Sean Savage/JNS.ORG
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ith the Middle East in turmoil, Europe moving backward and the United States fatigued from years of war and recession, Canada has emerged as a staunch supporter of Israel. At a time when Israel is routinely singled out for condemnation, Canada has been at the forefront of those defending Israel and criticizing its enemies. This outspokenness comes amid the growing economic and political clout of Canada, a country that is traditionally accustomed to keeping a low profile internationally. While Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper embarked on his first trip to Israel, from Jan. 19-22, the Jewish state rolled out the red carpet for him. Has Israel found a new best friend? “[Harper] really understands the importance and moral justification for a Jewish state. He gets it,” Rabbi Philip Scheim of Toronto’s Beth David Synagogue, who is traveling as part of Harper’s delegation to Israel, told JNS.org. Since World War II, Canada’s foreign policy has centered on multilateralism and participation in international organizations. But Harper has moved beyond those traditional corridors and has focused on a stronger and more independent Canadian foreign policy. Part of this new independent foreign policy has been supporting Israel, an oftenunpopular position around the world. Immediately upon taking office in 2006, Harper bucked world opinion and supported Israel in its war against the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah. This outward support has continued in every military engagement Israel has been involved in since. Canada has also supported Israel in the U.N., joining only a handful of small nations and the U.S. in voting against upgrading the Palestinians to nonmember observer state status in 2012 and repeatedly voting against resolutions condemning Israel. On Iran, Harper has aligned more closely
www.OzarksChristianVoice.com with Israel’s position than with the positions of some of its allies in Europe and the U.S. In 2012, Harper cut diplomatic ties with Iran and expelled Iranian diplomats from Ottawa, Canada’s capital. More recently, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said he was “deeply skeptical” of the interim nuclear deal with Iran and reaffirmed that Canada would maintain its sanctions against Iran. These positions have come with some costs for Canada. In a shocking outcome in 2010, Canada lost a bid for a seat on the U.N. Security Council. Some speculated that Harper’s strong proIsrael stance might have played a role in straining relations with the U.N.’s large Islamic bloc.
Bercovici, who is Jewish and has been a vocal supporter of Israel, to be Canada’s next ambassador to Israel has also drawn some criticism in the Canadian media. In an interview with Baird, CBC anchor Evan Solomon questioned whether it is appropriate to appoint a pro-Israel Jew to be the ambassador to Israel. “Vivian Bercovici is Jewish, so there are going to be some questions. Why not appoint someone who doesn’t even have the
March 2014 Sephardic Jew whose parents are Holocaust survivors, and his children are being raised Jewish. Mulcair has described himself as an “ardent support of Israel in all instances.” Adding to their credentials, both Trudeau and Mulcair have also visited Israel before. “The opposition parties are very close to the position of the Conservative government [on Israel]. But it has to be recognized that this government [Harper’s Conservative Party] established that benchmark,” Fogel told JNS.org. Amid the political implications, one aspect of Harper’s trip that may be overlooked is the economic component. Like Israel, Canada has successfully weathered the global economic crisis over the past five years and has invested heavily in high-tech areas.
“This is really something we have not seen before, a prime Stephen Harper, prime minister of Canada minister of Canada and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin taking a really strong position at a great Netanyahu of Israel political cost. He knows that this could really perception of any kind of bias [in favor of hurt him in some areas, but he doesn’t care, Israel]?” Solomon asked. because this is what he really believes,” Yet despite the criticism of Harper’s proScheim told JNS.org. Israel stance, Shimon Fogel, CEO of Harper, an evangelical Christian who belongs Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish to the Colorado-based Christian and Affairs, credits Harper for making support for Missionary Alliance Church, has also come Israel a mainstream position in Canada. under fire from critics who claim that his faith influences his foreign policy. “Adopting those positions on Israel is what a mainstream party should look like in the eyes “My sense is that there may be an element of of most of the Canadian electorate today,” religious connection [to Israel]. But that is Fogel told JNS.org. certainly not all of it; I think it also has to do with his sense of the world, his sense of This support has shown itself in the positions justice and understanding of history, of the leaders of Canada’s two main especially Jewish history,” Scheim said. opposition parties, the centrist Liberal Party and the center-left New Democratic Party But Canada, like its American and European (NDP). allies, still has a vocal anti-Israel movement within the country, particularly on college “Yes, the Liberal Party will have Israel’s campuses and in certain media outlets. back—but not because it’s in our political interests to do so at home, but because it is In 2005, Toronto’s York University became the right thing to do on the world stage,” the first school to host “Israel Apartheid Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau recently Week” (IAW), and its student union, the told a crowd of 500 people at Beth Tikvah largest in Canada, voted last year to divest Synagogue in Toronto, the Jewish Tribune of from Israel. IAW events have also spread to Toronto reported. other Canadian universities. Meanwhile, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair has Harper’s recent selection of Vivian strong Jewish ties. Mulcair’s wife is a French
“One of the things we have done over the last decade has tried to broaden the base of support for Israel. We have spent a lot of time to helping foster interest and engagement of the private sector in seeing Israel as a hightech destination. There has been a ton of partnerships and investments from the private sector,” Fogel said. Joining Harper on the trip to Israel are 30 of Canada’s top business executives, including billionaire real estate and media moguls David Asper and Albert Reichmann, as well as Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu. Upon touching down in Israel for the first time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted Harper and praised him as “a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people.” “I think he has taken a moral stand worthy of admiration, and I welcome him on behalf of the Israeli government and on behalf of all the citizens of Israel,” Netanyahu said, the Jerusalem Post reported. At a time when few countries around the world come to Israel’s defense, Rabbi Scheim believes the trip is an opportunity for Israel to finally express its appreciation for Harper. “He is very well-known in Israel,"Scheim told JNS.org. "You go to the U.S., nobody knows who the prime minister of Canada is, but in Israel, the whole country knows him, and I am very proud to identify with him.”
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March 2014
Dear Dave, I have some rental properties, and the government would like to turn a couple into low-income housing. Is this a good idea, or should I find my own tenant? -Marvin Dear Marvin, In these types of situations you’re generally talking about Section 8 housing. This means governmentsubsidized rent, and the person living there is in a lower income bracket. I put of few of my properties on Section 8 years ago, when I first started out in the real estate business. I can tell you from personal experience, it’s a good news/bad news scenario. If you own a property in a lowerincome neighborhood, and you put it into the Section 8 subsidized housing program, the good news is that you’ll always get paid. This is because the federal government sends you your money. Unfortunately, the good news pretty well ends right there.
www.OzarksChristianVoice.com folks have a real entitlement mentality, and can be unreasonable to deal with on some issues. It’s also really hard to get them out of the property once they’ve taken up residence. Of course, not all people who participate in this program are like this. But you’ll run across your share of rough folks, irrespective of their race or the area of the country. More than anything, it’s the impact of the economic situations surrounding their lives. Another piece of bad news is that the government puts lots of stringent conditions on the property. That wasn’t so difficult for me, because I always kept my places in really good shape. But if you go this route, I promise you’ll come across all kinds of guidelines and regulations, some of which are silly and not very realistic. I got tired of the Section 8 experience pretty quickly, and I don’t own any property in that program today. If it were me, I’d just go find my own tenants. I know some things have probably changed since my time in the program. But if it’s like most things that are government managed, the change hasn’t been for the better!
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Don’t Reach for Higher Yield, Focus on Quality This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones financial advisor.
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hen focusing on dividend-paying stocks for income and rising income, avoid searching for the highestyielding names. Instead, we believe you should look for higherquality stocks that have the potential to grow their dividend over time. Higher yield is usually associated with higher risk, and many higheryielding stocks may experience dividend cuts or lower growth in earnings and dividends that may cause the stock to perform poorly relative to expectations. In addition, if the U.S. economy
What Is Yield? The dollar amount of dividends paid in a year relative to the share price. The dividend yield is expressed as a percentage.
—Dave
The bad news is that some Section 8
www.DaveRamsey.com
A higher yield on a stock is not always better. High yields can be the market’s signal that investors have concerns. Ask yourself, “What is the market telling me by pricing this stock at a level where the yield is this high?” Often the answer may be one or more of the following: • The dividend is increasingly at risk and could be cut, potentially sooner rather than later. • The dividend may not increase over time. • Growth prospects or business fundamentals at the company have deteriorated, and future dividend increases are unlikely. • With certain types of investments (such as master limited partnerships), some of the income ends up reducing your cost basis and may potentially result in having to pay more taxes when you sell the stock. As a result, the level of income is not quite what it appears to be.
continues to recover and the Federal Reserve gradually tightens monetary policy, the resulting rise in long-term interest rates would likely have a larger negative effect on higher-yielding stocks. Many investors wisely look at dividend-paying stocks as a complementary incomeproducing vehicle to other asset classes, such as fixed-income investments. However, in their search for additional income, some investors are focusing on the highestyielding stocks in the market, which we believe carry additional risks that could reduce their income. In addition, they have tended to underperform the market despite having very high dividend yield. We believe there is a compelling case for owning higher-quality, dividend-paying stocks that have the potential to grow their dividends over time. In our view, investors should not focus on the highest-yielding stocks, which may be more likely to disappoint.
Investors, Beware: Highyield Stocks Typically Carry Higher Risk
Forgotten Grace breeds unforgiving living.
The Effect of Rising Rates If the U.S. economy continues to recover and the Federal Reserve gradually tightens monetary policy, the resulting rise in longterm interest rates would likely have a larger negative effect on higher-yielding stocks. History is full of examples of sharp downturns in share prices of higher-yielding stocks when longterm rates rise quickly.
Rising Income and Total Return Really Matter It’s important to focus on your total return from owning stocks and the potential for consistently rising income, not just the current dividend income portion. Total return includes share price appreciation and dividend income over time. In addition, a primary reason for owning dividendpaying stocks is the opportunity for rising income, whether reinvested or used to pay for everyday living. If the dividend is not growing, then an investor’s inflation-adjusted income from the stock actually declines.
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If I were the devil submitted by Mike Mathews
I
n 1996 Paul Harvey wrote and recorded a session on his daily radio show called 'If I Were the Devil.' Paul Harvey recorded the first version of this in 1964 and then again in 1996 (yes, 32 years apart). The two versions are almost identical. You can listen to the recording below by clicking the picture and reading the words below. Special note: There are many modifications to Paul Harvey's words, but the one below is the original.
If I were the Devil.... • If I were the prince of darkness, I would want to engulf the whole world in darkness. • I'd have a third of its real estate and fourfifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree - thee. • So, I would set about however necessary to take over the United States. • I'd subvert the churches first, and I would begin with a campaign of whispers. • With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: "Do as you please." • To the young, I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince the children that man created God instead of the other way around. I'd confide that what's bad is good and what's good is square. • And the old, I would teach to pray after me, "Our Father, which are in Washington ..." • Then, I'd get organized, I'd educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. • I'd peddle narcotics to whom I could. I'd sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I'd tranquilize the rest with pills. • If I were the devil, I'd soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves and nations at war with themselves until each, in its turn, was consumed. • And with promises of higher ratings, I'd have mesmerizing media fanning the flames. • If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellect but neglect to discipline emotions. I'd tell teachers to let those students run will. And before you knew it, you'd have drug-sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door. • With a decade, I'd have prisons overflowing and judges promoting pornography. Soon, I
would evict God from the courthouse and the schoolhouse and them from the houses of Congress. • In his own churches, I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I'd lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money. • If I were the devil, I'd take from those who have and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. • What'll you bet I couldn't get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? • I'd convince the young that marriage is oldfashioned, that swinging is more fun and that what you see on television is the way to be. • And thus, I could undress you in public and lure you into bed with diseases for which there are no cures. • In other words, if I were the devil, I'd just keep right on doing what he's doing.
The Rest of the Story - If I Were God Many people have and will continue to rally around messages like Paul Harvey's original words spoken almost 50 years ago. They will rally around the words like "I told you so, I knew Washington was corrupt, I knew this day was coming, etc." On one hand It is amazing that what was spoken 50-years ago has come to pass precisely as spoken by one of the great orators ad voices of the last 50-years. On the other hand it is not a secret that God foreknew that we (as a people) would be stating the wrong message and be driven by fear of these things; thus Jesus says 'when I return will I find any faith on the earth, and people's hearts would fail them for fear.' (Luke 18:8; Luke 21:26). What if the great orators would have reversed the message and said 'If I were God'? The fact is that many people would be too humble or show false humility and say how could you say such a thing like 'If I were God.' Yet they quickly stoop to the level that magnetize the devil toward them ... such as "I'm really being tempted by the enemy, the enemy is attacking my family." As humans who often feel distant from God, we gravitate toward the enemy who finds negative words (fears) as praising him vs. God. For instance, do you find yourself
saying: My family is being attacked ... or my family is favored by God! Many people are afraid to step up to God's level, when He tells us to come boldly before the Throne of Grace and find grace and mercy during times of need. (Hebrews 4:16) I believe Paul Harvey is in Heaven and based on his new information about God and His Kingdom, he would redo his message. He would be aware of the fact that we fear more about the Washington's and devils of this world than we focus on the creator, victor, and counselor of this world - God Himself. I believe Paul Harvey would now state scripture and deliver a message as follows... And Now for the Rest of the Story: • If I were God ... I would pour out my blessings on everyone to show them that I am not a respecter of people and show no favoritism; but am a lover of all people. (Acts 10:34) • If I were God ... I would heal people and show them miracles. (Matthew 19:2) (James 5:16) • If I were God ... I would liberate the alcoholic, drug addict, gambler, work alcoholic, and perverted mind, to show them that I love them -- and these addictions only bring people into deeper bondage. (Luke 4:18) • If I were God ... I would reason with and forgive the vilest of sinners and allow them to join in praising me as their God - and they would eat the good of the land. (Isaiah 1:1819) • If I were God ... I would restore the sight to the blind and heal all diseases; including depression. (Luke 7:22) • If I were God ... I would give the people what they ask in mine name. (1 John 5:14) (John 14:14) (John 15:16) • If I were God ... I would allow my people to do greater works than my Son Jesus did .... to show the world that I am God. (John 5:20) (John 14:12) • If I were God ... I would pass out dreams and visions that would liberate people and give them creative solutions to the world's problems. (Job 33:14 - 15) (Acts 2:17) • If I were God ... I would allow people to ask me what my plans are and make sure they ask me for 'Big' things, because I am a Big God ... Texas has nothing on me.... They may be the Lone Star State, By my Son is the Bright and Morning Star! (Revelation 22:16) • If I were God ... I would open up the heavens and pour down righteousness.
March 2014 (Isaiah 45:8) • If I were God ... I would send a personal savior named Jesus who would prove to the world that I love them. (John 3:16) • If I were God ... I would send the Holy Spirit that would allow people to be comforted, advised, and guided at all times. (John 14:26) • If I were God ... I would continue to remind people that they were created in my image and they should lift up their heads and be glad that by design they were meant to be more like me than the devil. (Genesis 1:26) • If I were God ... I would remind people that fear will cripple and torment people; while faith would liberate them. (1 John 4:18) • If I were God ... I would remind people that the thief (devil) comes to kill, steal, and destroy --- so give him no credit whatsoever - but I have come to give live abundantly. (John 10:10) • If I were God ... I would remind people that I create all things, nothing was created or designed by the devil. I even created the darkness, evil, and calamity ... so quit dragging the devil into mine and your business. (Isaiah 45:7) • If I were God ... I would send my glory which will expose sin and heal all who are interested. (Habakkuk 2:14) • If I were God ... I would let people know that I am not slack in my promises to come back, but I would that everyone comes to repentance and salvation. (2 Peter 3:9) • If I were God ... I would make sure all my promises to people were surely yes and amen by being fulfilled. (2 Corinthians 1:20) • In Paul Harvey's famous closing words... Have a Good Day! In Christ's Love, Mike and Pam Mathews 715-379-9530 Michael.Mathews@focusonheaven.com
I feel sorry for the man who has never known the bracing thrill of taking a stand and sticking to it fearlessly. Moral courage has rewards that timidity can never imagine. Like a shot of adrenaline, it floods the spirit with vitality. -Billy Graham
March 2014
The Best Life Lesson from the Super Bowl by Brad Strait
www.OzarksChristianVoice.com what the 5-foot tall geriatric woman would say. I stood behind her, silent, preparing to be pounded bloody for her coming words. "Jesus, please, I don't want literally to be thrown under the bus..."
elen sat down next to me in the Into the silence, Helen continued front of the bus after the game. loudly, "I've been a Broncos fan my Her old-school, faded Denver jersey whole life. I've lost many hard games carried the number 44, and the name before. I feel that sharp pain now. But "LITTLE" on the back. Honestly, I also remember how great it was to Helen was probably a grandmother win our first Championship. I'm when Floyd Little was added to the happy for you. So relish this moment. Enjoy it. Soak in it. It Broncos Ring of comes very rarely to Fame in 1984. This us football fans. Sunday, her hair Congratulations on a was neat and thin, great, dominant with a blue-gray game!" They cheered tint. Seattle fans loudly. Then she streamed past us, turned to me. "Stay looking more to behind me." ridicule our orange Together, we then jerseys than to find traveled down the a seat. Seattle had center aisle, giving come prepared and high fives to Seattle's fired up with the 12th man. I notice 12th man, and they the mood had Peyton Manning had beaten us in changed. We were every way now all "football possible. They were the best team, no fans." We all knew disappointment doubt. Super Bowl 48 was a low and exhilaration. Some had won this moment for Broncos fans like Helen game. Some had lost this game. But and I. But you knew that. Many our love of football unified us. Super Seattle fans wanted to remind us of Bowl 43, although important, was too our beaten status. They weren't small a vessel to explain who we threatening or mean, really, but they really were. were very, very loud and persistent. We in orange were the enemy. I learned that it is a great gift to seek And then it happened. In this moment and find common grounds with those just before leaving stadium in a red who are different from you. It is a FanBus, I experienced the high point great gift to offer high fives to those of my trip to New Jersey. I learned the who have been, only moments before, enemies. It comes from living with a life lesson of Super Bowl 48. secure heart. It is a life lesson for me. Here's how it unfolded. Helen and Jesus says it this way, "Blessed are were the only Broncos fans on the the peacemakers, for they shall be bus. Still, she quietly smiled as she called the sons and daughters of heard too many "Manning sucks!" God." Helen, this is you. I love you and, "We own you!" rain on us in the for it. Your name hangs in my Ring of bus. "Sea-Hawks! Sea-Hawks" Fame.
H
resounded in surround sound. I sat quietly, stunned. But not Helen. She nudged me, "Head up, son. Follow me." She stood up and faced the Seattle fans on the bus. "Hey, can I have your attention for a moment?" she shouted. The noise settled down, everyone unsure of
Brad has many jobs and roles. He serves as Senior Pastor of Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (EPC) in Englewood, Colorado. He teaches Leadership and Spiritual Formation at Denver Seminary. He has a degree in Counseling, and years of practice in marital and family counseling.
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BRANSON FRONTLINE
earlier lives of the Cole family. .
byVeeda Smith
Their father, Mike Cole Sr. shares his story of growing up in poverty and hunger, fighting battles of flesh and spirit that tore his family apart. Mike Sr. and his ten siblings were scattered with the older children living in group homes and his younger brothers and sisters living in foster care, never to be together in a loving home again.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, When my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61: 2-3
AYO featuring the Voices of Glory will begin their second season at The Hughes Brothers Theatre beginning on March 10 and run through December. The trio features America’s Got Talent finalist, Nadia, Avery and Michael Cole Jr. More than 90 million viewers tuned in their TV to see The Voices of Glory selected as finalist on the popular NBC show. “God bless you three. You are the pride of America tonight. That is one of the best vocal performances we have heard thus far,” stated Piers Morgan of America’s Got Talent Voices of Glory have inspired millions by sharing their personal testimony how misfortune transcended to a miracle when their mother was left in a coma after a life-threatening car accident. Day after day, they sang uplifting songs at their mother’s bedside, never losing faith that their mom would recover. God was faithful to answer their prayers and their mom came out of the coma after eight months.
Mother, Felicia Cole, tells her story of the merit of goal setting, hard work and a never quit attitude. As young woman, she devoted herself to the Lord, allowing Him to lead her on the path that she should go. The book tells the stories of a victorious romance when Mike and Felicia met unexpected resistance as their plans to marry were revealed. To this union came three talented children, The Voices of Glory, whose lives fulfilled a prophecy spoken before the youngest was even born. It’s a story of victims becoming over-comers and of God’s love and faithfulness. For more information on The Voices of Glory, please visit their website at www.voicesofglory.com. or contact Gerard Cole at 417 593-7106.
The talented siblings perform a high energy show with sensational singing and dancing. “We love the music and we love what music can do for people,” said Michael. Audiences fall in love with the Voices of Glory, pitch perfect harmonies and shining personalities. Before opening their own show in Branson, The Voices of Glory performed throughout the world, including a performance before a crowd of 18,000 at the World Famous Madison Square Garden, the 2010 Inspirational County Music Awards, the GMA Dove Awards and made numerous TV appearances. They were featured in the Andy William's 2012 Christmas Show. The Voices of Glory, along with their family have just released their new book Higher Than Me, The Story of Voices of Glory. It’s truly inspiring. The book is a true story not only about the children, but it is a story of faith and forgiveness regarding the car accident and the
Christ not only died for all: He died for each. Don’t ever hesitate to take to [God] whatever is on your heart. He already knows it anyway, but He doesn’t want you to bear its pain or celebrate its joy alone. -Billy Graham
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from the editor...
Hey, buddy, can you spare a buck and a half?
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! You also may have found it temporarily discounted 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 or discounted in vending machines so new readers can discover the OCV, hopefully find they cannot live without it, and will want to purchase it in the future.
If this publication 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 magazine 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?
The Body of Christ is ink! extremely diverse because it mysteriously serves God’s purpose to be that way. The OCV is a Kingdom paper. We know a $35.00 yearly subscription in this economy is a huge amount. If that is not possible, could you please try to get the newspaper at your favorite grocery store or local Family Pharmacy? That’s only $15.00 a year.
Our goal is to have it for sale in every major grocery store in the Ozarks by this summer for $1.50. We are now in our 10th year of printing the only Christian magazine in the Ozarks that is fun and inspirational 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.
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OzarksChristianVoice.com
March 2014
IMPORTANT MESSAGE “If God were to remove all evil from our world (but somehow leave human beings on the planet), it would mean that the essence of 'humanness' would be destroyed. We would become robots. Let me explain what I mean by this. If God eliminated evil by programming us to perform only good acts, we would lose this distinguishing mark - the ability to make choices. We would no longer be free moral agents. We would be reduced to the status of robots. Let's take this a step further. Robots do not love. God created us with the capacity to love. Love is based upon one's right to choose to love. We cannot force others to love us. We can make them serve us or obey us. But true love is founded upon one's freedom to choose to respond.” ― Billy Graham, Hope for Each Day: Words of Wisdom and Faith
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Salvation is an act of God. It is initiated by God, wrought by God, and sustained by God. -Billy Graham