American Christian Voice March 2015

The Jesus Way: Unshockable Love

5 Reasons We Eat Together as a Family

Jesus Never Told Us to Pray for the Sick

How to Succeed the Biblical Way

Saying Goodbye:

Some Well-Known Christians Graduated

Dave Ramsey page 26

NFL Player’s Amazing Response to Ferguson

Dr. Marla page 12

Dee Wampler page 39

Christian Perseverance Quotes Throughout This Issue

inside this issue

oday's children should look like pincushions from the dozens of vaccines they get from birth to the age of 18.

"According to the Centers for Disease Control, the onslaught begins within 12 hours of birth when many babies get a Hepatitis B vaccine," says holistic doctor Dr. David Brownstein. "At two months, eight more vaccines follow, including polio, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, and throughout the next few months, they are subjected to boosters of the vaccines they've already have plus additional vaccines.

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"The CDC recommends that children get 49 doses of 14 vaccines before they reach the age of 6, and the total reaches 69 doses by the age of 18," Dr. Brownstein tells Newsmax Health. In fact, today's average child is subjected to three times as many vaccinations as were recommended in 1953.

In addition, children's small bodies are subjected to numerous vaccinations simultaneously.

In 1983, the CDC guidelines stated that doctors shouldn't give more than four vaccines at the same time. By 2013, CDC guidelines changed to approve giving children up to eight vaccines at once.

What's the result? According to the National Vaccine Information Center, chronic disease and disability in children has drastically increased in the past 50 years. For instance, in the 1990s, one child in 555 had autism, but by 2013, the figure had risen to one child in 50.

What good do vaccines accomplish? It's a mixed bag, says Dr. Brownstein. "The powers that be claim that vaccines markedly lowered the death rate of common childhood illnesses such as measles and whooping cough. However, the mortality rates of these illnesses were rapidly falling before the mass vaccination campaign began.

"I am not saying that all vaccines don’t work," he says. "I know some of them do. "For instance, the chicken pox vaccine has clearly lowered the incidence of chicken pox," Dr. Brownstein says. "However, is that a good thing? I am not sure it's so good, since shingles cases have skyrocketed since the mass vaccination of chicken pox was started. And it was known from the start of the chickenpox vaccine that chickenpox vaccinations resulted in an increased rate of shingles.

"In addition, vaccinations may not be good for a child's immune system, because perhaps it needs to be stimulated with these childhood infections to become strong.

"Last month, I was recognized by a reader in an airport. She asked me a question: 'Why are so many kids having all these allergies? We never saw peanut, milk and gluten allergies when we were kids — where is it all coming from?' continued on page 11

American Christian Voice ABOUT ACV 4. Yak Bak: Letters to the Editor 5. Mission Statement 5. Who We Are 38. Subscribe Now! 36. Ministry Directory 46. Classifieds RADICAL 6.The Jesus Way: Unshockable Love 8. Jesus Never Told Us to Pray for the Sick 9. Max Lucado: UpWords Woodcutter’s Wisdom 10. Tetelesti 12. Unlimited Grace CULTURE UNPLUGGED 13. The Real Reasons Young Adults Drop Out of Church 14. Angelina Jolie Drops to Her Knees to Pray While Directing ‘Unbroken’ 16. Discrimination is Okay If Its Against Christians 17. Why Do Christians Bash Other Christians on the Internet?

TECH TOCK 18. Computer Tips & Technology: New High Tech Inventions FAMILY, HEALTH & PROSPERITY 20. 5 Reasons We Eat Together as a Family 21. How to Succeed the Biblical Way 22. Victory Chiropractic PERSEVERANCE 24. For All of Those That Had a Rotten 2014 42. Start Over ♪MONEY MONEY MONEY♪ 26. Dave Ramsey: Act Your Wage 26. Edward Jones PUZZLE PAGE 27. Cross-Words, Sudoku, Jumble PROFILE 29. Who Was JCPenney?

30. Why Christians Want to Vote for Dr. Ben Carson for President 31. Mia Love: She’s Black, a

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BY SYLVIA BOOTH HUBBARD

Are Too Many Vaccines Destroying Kids’ Immune Systems?

Mormon and is Bad News for Obama - Meet the New Darling of the Republican Party 33. Branson Frontline LIGHT, SALT & SPORTS 34. This Heisman Trophy and Rose Bowl Stand Out Is All In for Jesus Christ 35. NFL Player’s Amazing Response to Ferguson HOW WE GOT HERE 37. America’s First Slave Owner Was a Black Man 39. Dee Wampler: Just Clinging to My Religion; A Minute with a Man SAYING GOODBYE 40. J. Lee Grady: Fire In My Bones Some Well-Known Christians Graduated 41. Legendary Gospel Singer Andraé Crouch Dead at 72 41. Christian Actress and ‘Beverly Hillbillies’ Star Donna Douglas Dead at 82 TID BITS 43. US Abortion Clinics Shutter to Record Low 43. More Than a Quarter AirAsia Victims Attended Same Church 43. Mississippi Lawmakers Want to Make Bible State’s Official Book WE LOVE ISRAEL! 45. Ask the Rabbi...

MUSINGS FROM THE EDITOR 47. The Last Word SPONSORS PAGE See every business / minstry that supports this magazine!

Then Support the Sponsors when possible!

7, 11, 15, 19, 22, 23, 27, 32, 44 LOOK THROUGH THIS ISSUE FOR PERSEVERANCE QUOTES & ENCOURAGEMENTS Taken from: 25 Awesome Christian Perseverance Quotes by Josh Wiley Check out Josh’s blog at: WhatChristiansWantToKnow.com

MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

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.yak bak Feed Back From Our Readers I was delighted to see the information on Dolly Parton’s charity, “The Imagination Library” in your December issue. It has been a few years since our family has been to the Dixie Stampede and hopefully plan a visit this year. Dolly is such as classy lady.

I have heard of what she has done for some many children by suppling free books for them to receive in the mail but didn’t know how to sign up my grandkids. Thank you for suppling this information. We can’t wait for our first books and look forward to reading them to our precious little ones.

Maxine Bates, Springfield, MO From editor: We will print that information each issue in our ministry and charity section on page XX. Enjoy! __________________________________ Thank you for the publication. I found your magazine, recently, at the a physical fitness office and could not put it down; I searched for it each visit. It felt like an expression of my own spiritual walk and spoke to my experiences. Thank you for being unafraid to show that Christian does not mean we have reached perfection, rather, that we aspire to His. I love your sense of humor about ourselves. I know my husband will enjoy and appreciate you as well.

Thank you and many blessings Kim Sheets, Bradley, IL __________________________________ Please sign me up for your wonderful publication. Enclosed is a check for the subscription.

Gwendolyn Linder, Omaha, AR I appreciated your fall cover and story

about Christian quarterbacks in the NFL. There seems to be a big debate over whether God cares about football or the Super Bowl. Perhaps a team's win would enable its players or coaches to witness for Christ more effectively. However, I can't see why Super Bowl participants couldn't glorify God whether they win or lose—they already have one of the most visible platforms in the Western world.

Conceivably, a win would show that God answers prayer. But what about the intercessors whose team loses?

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is a very devout believer whose Twitter feed is filled with biblical quotations. However, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (whose team lost to the Seahawks in the divisional championship game) is also a very strong Christian. Which believer should God have favored?

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (not known for his Christian faith) isn't sure God cares who wins: "Look at the attention I get: It's because I throw a football. But that's what society values. That's not what God values. He didn't invent the game. We did.

I have some hand-eye coordination, and I can throw the ball. I don't think that matters to God." Rodgers agrees: "I don't think God cares a whole lot about the outcome.

He cares about the people involved, but I don't think he's a big football fan."

I believe that God gives His kids a measure of talent and will grant favor to those players who seek Him for the opportunity to play to the best of their talent and very importantly the preparation put into any match. There seems to be ample evidence

that Russel Wilson could have won the Super Bowl if not for the worst play call ever to have been made in Super Bowl history.

Alas, God is more concerned with the building of our character than the outcome of any game.

Billy Gordan, Oklahoma City, OK ___________________________ Excellent magazine. Insightful, non judgemental and a delight to read. I share the publication with non believing family members and use the articles for healthy debates about pressing social issues facing the world today. Keep up the good work!

Clarence Semour, Dallas, TX ___________________________ Send your “letters to the editor” to: editor@americanchristianvoice.com or mail to: ACV • P.O. Box 336

Rockaway Beach, MO 65740 Letters may be edited for space consideration.

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

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BY JOHN BURKE, GATEWAY CHURCH, AUSTIN, TX

The Jesus Way: Unshockable Love unni glanced in the rearview mirror. She had mostly stopped stripping for a living since her daughter was born, but kicking the alcohol and drugs did not come as easy—all addictions share a similar root.

words for shock value (which was a defense mechanism I used to keep people from getting close enough to hurt me), and I began to allow myself to be ever-so-slightly vulnerable. People brought me into their lives like I was family. No matter what I said or "My beautiful little girl deserves more than did, the response was, 'I love you for exactly an addicted mom in unhealthy relationships. who you are, and exactly where you're at, How do I get out of this?" and so does Jesus. Nine months later, I almost overdosed like my mom had, but I Always For the Kids... cried out for help—this time to God and my "Mommy, when can we go to church again?" new Christian friends."

Autum's four-year-old voice cut through Sunni entered recovery to get clean of Sunni's introspection. Sunni had tried drugs and alcohol and was baptized. Today church a year earlier. She always left feeling Sunni celebrates nearly four years of sobrismall, dirty, unworthy of God's love, and ety. "God led me to an amazing Christian like there was no way she could ever re- man I've been married to for a year now, deem herself in God's eyes. And she knew I'm back in college, and I know Autumn will if these church people have a better life than I did, found out her past, because God's leading us What do you see in they'd surely reject all." yourself or others—the her.

"I don't know, mud or the Masterpiece?

Our True Identity honey," Sunni told What you see determines Jesus offered mercy to peoAutum. Yet that very how you treat yourself and ple who needed mercy. He day, driving along lis- others. brought good news about tening to her favorite God's heart for people who rock station, Sunni felt condemned, judged, heard a radio ad from a church we helped thinking God saw no hope for them. He ofstart. The ad made her laugh. "It surprised fered people relationship that restored. As me that it was a church," Sunni recalls, "but followers of Jesus, do we first bring somewhat stuck in my mind were the last words: thing "good" relationally to people in need 'Come as you are—no perfect people al- of good news, or do we bring a gospel that lowed.'" Two weeks later, Sunday morning says, "Until I help them see the 'bad news' found her so hung over her body shook about how wrong their sin is, they won't from dehydration. see their need for forgiveness"? Jesus did"'Come as you are' kept filling my mind," n't do this, but the Pharisees did.

Sunni recalls, "so I decided to put them to Jesus did not recoil in shock and disbethe test and see if they would push me lief at people's relative "badness." He saw it out"—better sooner than later, she figured. like mud on a Masterpiece—something that Sean saw her come in, introduced himself needed to be removed because something as the pastor, and asked how she was doing. of immense value was present underneath.

"I have a massive hangover," Sunni Something worth dying for! Jesus put the blurted out, intending to shock him into a spotlight of grace on the Masterpiece, so judgmental reaction. people could see why the mud needed re"Oh, then you need some coffee," Sean moving. He identified the person with the responded, "Can I get some for you?"

Masterpiece rather than the mud (read Sunni was shocked. She tried again and Eph. 2:8-10). again with other people, working hard to This doesn't mean Jesus ignored or deget a reaction to her "massive hangover." In- nied the seriousness of our sins against stead, she felt like the people there were God or our wrongs against each other. The less concerned about her hangover than reason I believe Jesus wants his followers they were about her—it blew her away. to be unshockable has nothing to do with hating sin or not hating sin. It has to do Wall Torn Down with seeing sin for what it is—it's foreign "I continued to come to church and began matter. Sin is not our true identity—that's building amazing relationships with people the whole problem. We need to help peothere, and as trust built, I began to say less ple identify with God's image in them

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

(who God created them to be).

What do you see in yourself or others— the John Burke, pastor and author mud of Unshockable Love or the Masterpiece? What you see determines how you treat yourself and others.

Paul explained it this way: "It is no longer I myself who do [wrong], but it is sin living in me [i.e., sin is not me]" (Romans 7:17). So don't beat yourself up, beat up on sin! When people identify themselves with the mud (which is not them), they act like mud! Feelings of shame and condemnation keep driving them away from the only One who can restore them. When people identify themselves with the Masterpiece God created them to be, they're more willing to allow the Master to do his restoration work.

Jesus didn't make sure the woman at the well, who was shacking up with a guy after having five divorces, understood that sex outside of marriage is wrong (though he taught it was at other times), he offered her living water that made the muddy water distasteful (John 4). Jesus didn't remind the woman caught in adultery that she broke the Ten Commandments—he didn't have to—he set her free from condemnation so that she could "go and sin no more" (John 8:11). He offered a chance to live a new life!

Relationship was Jesus' solution to sin.

What would happen if you went into your workplace, your neighborhood, or your home and really started treating people just like Jesus did? What if you were unshocked by mud ... motivated by mercy ... and committed to restoring value—connecting people to the Master Restorer?

John Burke is the pastor of Gateway Church in Austin, Texas and author of Unshockable Love, No Perfect People Allowed, and Soul Revolution (bakerpublishinggroup.com).

www.GatewayChurch.com

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MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

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Jesus Never Told Us to Pray for the Sick

BY BERT FARIAS

Jesus commanded us to heal the sick.

"Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick ... So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere" (Luke 9:1-2, 6).

Jesus told us to heal the sick. He did not tell us to pray for the sick. Healing should not be an isolated, one-chance-in-a-100-or1,000 type of occurrence. Healing should be everywhere. It is part of the gospel. It is what will open the masses to the gospel. It is God's dinner bell for sinners to come and be saved.

Jesus commanded us to heal the sick.

Certainly praying for the sick is scriptural (James 5: 14-15), especially for those in the church, but isn't it interesting that in the gospels and Acts no one did so?

What does this tell us? It reveals that the church has an authority she does not yet know she possesses.

These signs shall follow those who believe (Mark 16:15-20). We are authorized to cast out devils and heal sinners who are sick; those are two of the signs. Why don't more professing believers walk in this power? It must be because we do not believe. The only qualification Jesus put on healing the sick was to believe.

Let's not complicate the matter. Let's take Jesus at His word.

Notice Jesus' instructions to His 12.

"As you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons.

Freely you have received, freely give" (Matt.

10:7-8).

Notice also Jesus' instructions to His 70.

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

"Heal the sick who are there and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you'" (Luke 10:9).

Once again, Jesus did not tell His disciples to pray for the sick. He authorized them to heal the sick.

The power is in the proclamation. Tell them what God will do. This takes boldness.

Boldness produces more results.

As an example, when you see a sinner who is sick and diseased, inquire about their condition. How did it happen? How long have they been sick? Casual conversation also serves to establish a level of comfortability with them.

Then say to them what Jesus told His disciples to say: "I've got good news for you today! The kingdom of God has come near you."

They may look at you funny, but continue to offer them this challenge.

"If you will give me your hand the power of God will go into you and heal you."

Once they consent the rest is easy.

Command them to be healed. Release the power of God into them. Believe that as soon as you touch them Jesus touches them.

Now here's the most important part. Ask them to examine themselves. Tell them to do something they couldn't do before. Get them to act on the word. Bend over. Twist.

Walk. Move the part of their body that was in pain or immobile. Keep getting them to act. Don't stop. Keep working with them. If you have to lay hands on them again, do so.

A young student came to my house to explain to me why she hadn't been to Bible school for a couple of weeks. A log had fallen on her leg and fractured it. The leg

was stiff and she couldn't bend it. She had no money or insurance to put a cast on it.

I laid hands on her leg and commanded her to move it and bend it. At first she grimaced in pain, but I kept telling her to move it because the power of God was in her leg and was working. After about the third or fourth time she began to weep.

The pain was gone and she was able to bend her leg perfectly.

She wept some more. As I bid farewell to her I saw her from out of the window of my house walking down the dusty road we lived on with her hands up in the air praising God. Lovely Jesus. What more could He do if we only believed?

I could tell you many stories with these types of testimonies.

I learned that the power is in the proclamation. Tell the person with the infirmity or afflicted condition what God will do.

Don't pray for them. Heal them! The power is in the name of Jesus.

Prayer can be encased in unbelief. Often it is a feeble attempt at hoping something will happen.

Jesus told us to heal the sick. There is no trying to see if it will work.

You've been authorized by heaven. All you lack is boldness to act. Go do it now, and send me the good report.

"Then they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen" (Mark 16:20).

Bert M. Farias, revivalist and founder of Holy Fire Ministries, is the author of several books including the newly released My Son, My Son – a beautiful father-son book co-written with his son Daniel for the purpose of training up a holy generation. He is also the co-host of the New England Holy Ghost Forum, a school of the Spirit. Follow him at Bert Farias and Holy Fire Ministries on Facebook or @Bertfarias1 on Twitter.

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Woodcutter’s Wisdom misery of poverty. Now he had proven that has broken his legs, he was, indeed, a fool. and now in your old After fifteen days, the horse returned. He age you have no one hadn't been stolen; he had run away into to help you. Now you are poorer than ever." the forest. Not only had he returned, he had The old man spoke again. "You people brought a dozen wild horses with are obsessed with judging. Don't go so far. him. Once again the village people Say only that my son broke his legs. Who gathered around the woodcutter and knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one spoke. "Old man, you were right knows. We only have a fragment. Life and we were wrong. What we comes in fragments." thought was a curse was It so happened that a few weeks later the a blessing. Please forgive country engaged in war against a neighborus." ing country. All the young men of the village The man re- were required to join the army. Only the son sponded, "Once of the old man was excluded, because he again, you go too far. was injured. Once again the people gathSay only that the ered around the old man, crying and horse is back. State screaming because their sons had been only that a dozen horses re- taken. There was little chance that they turned with him, but don't judge. How do would return. The enemy was strong, and you know if this is a blessing or not? You the war would be a losing struggle. They s e e would never see their only a Life is so vast, yet you judge all of sons again. fraglife with one page or one word. All "You were right, old ment. man," they wept. "God you have is a fragment! Don't say that knows you were right.

Unless y o u this is a blessing. No one knows. I am This proves it. Your know son's accident was a content with what I know. I am not t h e blessing. His legs may perturbed by what I don't. whole be broken, but at least s t o r y, he is with you. how can you judge? You read only one page Our sons are gone forever." of a book. Can you judge the whole book?

The old man spoke again. "It is impossiYou read only one word of a phrase. Can ble to talk with you. You always draw conyou understand the entire phrase? clusions. No one knows. Say only this: Your "Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No with one page or one word. All you have is one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No a fragment! Don't say that this is a blessing. one is wise enough to know. Only God No one knows. I am content with what I knows." know. I am not perturbed by what I don't."

The old man was right. We only have a "Maybe the old man is right," they said fragment. Life's mishaps and horrors are to one another. So they said little. But down only a page out of a grand book. We must deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew be slow about drawing conclusions. We it was a blessing. must reserve judgment on life's storms Twelve wild horses had returned with until we know the whole story. one horse. With a little bit of work, the anI don't know where the woodcutter imals could be broken and trained and sold learned his patience. Perhaps from another for much money. woodcutter in Galilee. For it was the CarThe old man had a son, an only son. The penter who said it best: young man began to break the wild horses.

"Do not worry about tomorrow, for toAfter a few days, he fell from one of the morrow will worry about itself." (Matthew horses and broke both legs. Once again the 6:34) villagers gathered around the old man and He should know. He is the Author of our cast their judgments. story. And he has already written the "You were right," they said. "You proved final chapter. you were right. The dozen horses were not From: Eye of the Storm Copyright a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son (Thomas Nelson, 2001) Max Lucado MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

BY MAX LUCADO

nce there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure.

A horse like this had never been seen before—such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength.

People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused.

"This horse is not a horse to me," he would tell them. "It is a person.

How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession.

How could you sell a friend?"

The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.

One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. All the village came to see him. "You old fool," they scoffed, "we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you've been cursed with misfortune."

The old man responded, "Don't speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I've been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?"

The people contested, "Don't make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed.

The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse."

The old man spoke again. "All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don't know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can't say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?"

The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn't, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the

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TETELESTI! View Through the Lens of the finished work of the Cross n John 19:30 Jesus proclaimed this word: Tetelesti. For those of us who are not Greek Scholars and don’t care to be, this word has no meaning to us right now. But hang in there it will!

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To the disciple of Jesus Christ this word has a profound impact on how we live our lives. This declaration brings us victory in our battles, it brings us hope in our valleys, it brings us comfort in our sickness, it brings us rest from legalism and freedom from religion. It releases us from the “have to” to the “get to”. It lets us know that even when we fall (and we will) for the day, the week, the month we are perfected. It shouts to get off the performance treadmill of Christianity, take a deep breath and find rest in Him and be in awe of His scandalous Grace.

Bring Life he gospel is to the individual as whatever brings life. Maybe one’s journey has been not struggling with the condemnation aspect. They would need a mixed grace message like go and do for motivation. However, another personality might shut down under the faith by obedience (because even in their Christian walk, they have fallen). This person would need a gospel like there is no condemnation in Christ. Don’t you see? For each person, the measure needs to be whatever brings life to that individual to go and do. Neither a mixed grace or hyper grace message shuts an individual down to sit back and relax while there is work to be done for the Kingdom. And if an individual is in that place, it’s the individual that wants to be there, not a problem with the Word. We serve a Diverse God working in Unity. The reflection is Christ’s Body of Individuals/Denominations/Beliefs working in the Kingdom Mind. There is a reason for multiple denominations that serves the Lord’s purpose when they bring life. Look for the life.

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The word Tetelesti is translated: “It is Finished!” What an awesome promise! We stand on the finished work of Jesus Christ !

God’s wrath for our sin is completely, perfectly satisfied in His son Jesus Christ! In other words “put a fork in it”! We are Free from the death and wrath that sin produces!

Lord, may this truth of Yours bring a gripping of your Grace to our hearts that carries us to a rest in your accomplished work on Calvary and compels us to live a life that brings you honor and glory.

“The key to a deeper faith is not trying harder or doing more; it is trusting Jesus”

y nephew’s 10 year old son came for a visit one hot, July weekend. I was enticing him to stay inside by joining him in a Nintendo game. After being mercilessly defeated by a more experienced player, I suggested that we relax awhile.

I collapsed into my favorite recliner to let my neck muscles relax and my ego recover from such a beating. He had slipped out of the room and I was catching a few relished moments of peace and quiet.

“Look, Alice,” he said enthusiastically as he ran over to the chair where I was recovering. “I found a kite. Could we go outside and fly it?”

Glancing out a nearby window, I noticed there was not a breeze stirring.

“I’m sorry, Tripper,” I said, sad to see his disappointed eyes, but thankful for the respite from more activity. “The wind is not blowing today. The kite won’t fly.”

The determined 10 year old replied.

“I think it’s windy enough. I can get it to fly,” he answered, as he hurried out the back door. I peeked through the slats in the venetian blinds to watch determina-

tion in action. Up and down the yard he ran, pulling the kite attached to a small length of string. The plastic kite, proudly displaying a picture of Batman, remained about shoulder level. He ran back and forth, as hard as his ten year old legs would carry him, looking back hopefully at the kite trailing behind.

After about ten minutes of unsuccessful determination, he came back in. I asked, “How did it go?”

“Fine,” he said, not wanting to admit defeat. “I got it to fly some.” As he walked past me to return the kite to the closet shelf, I heard him say under his breath, “I guess I’ll have to wait for the wind.”

At that moment I heard another Voice speak to my heart. “Alice. Sometimes you are just like that. You want to do it your way instead of waiting for the Wind.”

And the voice was right. How easy it is to use our own efforts to accomplish what we want to do. We wait for the Wind only after we have done all we can and have exhausted our own strength.

We must learn how to rely on Him in the first place!

M

www.tetelesti.wordpress.com

BY ALICE (ANONYMOUS)

BY LORRAINE SACOULAS, ACV PUBLISHER

BY UNKNOWN AUTHOR

radical

sponsors “Vaccines” continued from page 3

"I feel that today’s children, when compared to previous generations, suffer from more chronic illnesses because they are exposed to more toxins, and they are receiving too many vaccines at too young of an age. The vaccines contain toxic elements such as mercury, aluminum and formaldehyde. It is ludicrous to inject these toxic agents into our youth and expect good outcomes.

"In addition, human tissue is currently used in 23 vaccines. One prominent former scientist at a pharmaceutical firm, Dr. Helen Ratajczak, feels that the increased spike in autism may be related to the introduction of human DNA into the MMR and chicken pox vaccines. She goes on to state that the foreign DNA from vaccines can be incorporated into the host DNA which causes the immune system to fight against the foreign cells.

"This could start an inflammatory process that never ends, and leads to chronic illnesses like autoimmune disease and allergies. Maybe this is why we are seeing so many children with severe, life-threatening allergies to common foods like peanuts," he says.

"Both of my older sisters had measles," says Dr. Brownstein. "Back then, it was a benign illness that everybody got, just like chicken pox. That generation did just fine with measles. They did not suffer the plethora of autoimmune, allergic and chronic illness that the younger generations suffer from.

"Perhaps we need to do research comparing vaccinated with non-vaccinated populations.

Unbelievably, this work still has not been done.

There has not been a single randomized, controlled study of a vaccinated versus a nonvaccinated population. Yet, we subject the most vulnerable of us, our children and the future of our country, to dozens of vaccines whose worth is often questionable," says Dr. Brownstein. "This is insane.

"I am not against all vaccines," he says. "However, just proclaiming that vaccination is safe does not make it so. There are inherent dangers of vaccinating as there are dangers of not vaccinating. Parents need to educate themselves about vaccines so that they can make appropriate decisions on whether to vaccinate." www.NewsmaxHealth.com

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radical

BY DR. MARLA WOODMANSEE

Grace Unlimited hat does infidelity, gossip, bad language, lying, cheating, sinful thoughts, pornography, idol worship, and missing the mark of perfection equal?: God’s unlimited grace. When you place your faith in Jesus you get the benefit of grace, unlimited grace. Grace means that you receive forgiveness, and undeserving or unmerited favor from God. Grace is not earned, it is a gift. You get God’s unlimited grace because He has unconditional love.

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tion that came by Christ Jesus.”

Say It With Me! God gives us unlimited, undeserving grace! 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “. . .

God’s grace is sufficient for you, and God’s power is made perfect in weakness . . .” So, if you are feeling regretful, lift your hands high up in the air and release it to the Lord. Say, “Thank you Jesus, I receive your unlimited grace.”

Dr. Marla Woodmansee is a Bible Communicator, inspirational Recently, I was in a church class that took a 5 minute break. Dur- women’s conference speaker, author, host for a daily Christian radio ing the break, I took my cell phone with me. I went to the restroom program on Branson’s KLFC 88.1 FM, and President of Kingdom Xpeand as I turned and reached down to rience, a non-for-profit Christian organization focused to: flush the toilet my cell phone fell out of He died so you could be Inform*Empower*Transform. Contact Dr. Marla at: my pocket and landed directly at the marla@marlawoodmansee.org. Or visit: bottom of the unflushed toilet. I was guiltless and experience mortified! I quickly reached my hand freedom from condemwww.KingdomXperience.org into the dirty water to retrieve it, but nation (Romans 8:1). it was too late, the phone was already immersed in water. I frantically wiped the phone down with paper towels, but the unclean water continued to ooze out from several areas. The damage was done and my cell phone was ruined.

I went back to the class and began to consider how I could have prevented this from happening: “‘Why didn’t you leave your phone in the classroom?,’ ‘What if you had laid the phone down on top of the toilet paper holder?,’ ‘What if you had left it in the car?’” My mind questioned the possibilities and the “what ifs” continued.

Relates to Grace Although this is a very repulsive illustration, it reminds us of how we invariably look back in the past at bad choices we’ve made and we say to ourselves, “‘What if I had done something differently?,’ ‘What if I would have done this or done that?’” You begin to regret choices from the past and you mentally beat yourself up. Guilt and condemnation become normal, and you feel like you don’t deserve forgiveness or any favor from God. The idea that you’re not good enough enters your mind; and then, you believe that anything negative that happens to you is a direct result from your past mistake: a sin, or a bad choice.

Remind yourself that Christ died on the cross to set you free, from all unrighteousness! He died so you could be guiltless and experience freedom from condemnation (Romans 8:1). When you place your faith in Jesus, He wipes away your mistakes and forgives you from all your sins: yesterday, today, and forever. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemp-

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

culture unplugged How can we stem the Tide of young adults' departure from the church? espite all the fear-driven presentations you've heard, not every young person is walking out of the church the moment they finish high school and never coming back.

evangelical) twice a month or more for at least one year in high school. Here's what we found: About 70 percent of young adults ages 18 to 22 stopped attending church regularly for at least one year. Is that a 70 percent dropout rate? With all the nuances and with all the caveats, we'd say so. That's a dropout rate, a much too high dropout rate.

cal or political beliefs as the reason they dropped out. In other words, about 52 percent changed their Christian views. Maybe they didn't believe what the church taught, or they didn't believe what they perceived others in the church to believe.

Other research and studies among evangelical youth, however, indicate that number is They did not have a firstalmost certainly much I've heard some hand faith. The church had lower (see the study in Repretty remark- not become a valued and ligion Runs in the Family able statistics valuable expression in their from about church ChristianityToday.com). life—one that impacts how dropouts—I'm And it should be noted sure you have too. they live and how they relate that we found almost twoSuch as: 94 per- and how they grow. thirds of those who left in cent (some say 86 our Protestant study were percent) of evanback in church by the end gelical youth drop out of church after high of the study. school, never to return. The problem?

Those stats are urban legends. They've not Why Do Young Adults Drop Out? been validated, and research has never We also asked young adults why they come to that conclusion. dropped out of church. Of those who dropped out, about 97 percent stated it was Let's explore the actual statistics regarding because of life changes or situations. That's young adult dropouts, and why they drop a pretty substantial number. Among their out: more specific reasons:

More specifically, 18 percent disagreed with the church's stance on political or social issues, 17 percent said they were only going to church to please others anyway, and 16 percent said they no longer wanted to identify with church or organized religion.

D

Here's what you need to know. The young adults who do drop out of church often lack a firsthand faith—a faith of their own—and a relationship with Christ that matters deeply in their own personal life apart from their parents' pressure.

The Truth: Some Young Adults Do Drop Out The reality is there are dropout challenges, but it's not 94 percent or even 86 percent of evangelicals. Real research shows that faith is rather resilient from one generation to the next—but that does not sell the books, I know.

• They simply wanted a break from church (27 percent).

• They had moved to college (25 percent).

• Their work made it impossible or difficult to attend (23 percent).

• About 58 percent of young adults indicated they dropped out because of their church or pastor.

A few years ago, LifeWay Research examined the issue, looking at some of the things that help young adults stick, stay and have a robust faith. We wanted to know what it takes for a student to continue his or her faith through high school, college, the career years and beyond. (It's discussed in Essential Faith by Sam and Thom Rainer.)

When we probed further, they said:

We looked at the faith of students who attended a Protestant church (mainline or

Fifty-two percent indicated some sort of religious, ethi-

• Church members seemed judgmental or hypocritical (26 percent).

• They didn't feel connected to the people at their church (20 percent).

• Church members were unfriendly and unwelcoming (15 percent).

BY ED STETZER

The Real Reasons Young Adults Drop Out of Church

Firsthand faith leads to life change and lifelong commitment.

What Can We Do? The reason that many church-attending young adults stopped going to church upon graduating from high school? Their faith just wasn't personally meaningful to them.

They did not have a firsthand faith. The church had not become a valued and valuable expression in their life—one that impacts how they live and how they relate and how they grow.

Church was perhaps something their parents wanted them do. They may have grown up in church, and perhaps they faced pressure from parents and even peers to be involved in church. But it wasn't a firsthand faith.

We cannot posture our student ministries to think like and act like a four-year holding tank with pizza. Instead, we need to prepare young adults for the spiritual challenges that will come and the faith questions they will face. Firsthand faith leads to life change and life-long commitment.

This post was inspired by a conversation about Firsthand Faith, a book by Ryan and Josh Shook.

Ed Stetzer is the president of LifeWay Research and LifeWay's Missiologist in Residence. For the original article, visit: www.ChurchLeaders.com

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13

culture unplugged

BY DIANA TYLER

Angelina Jolie Dropped to Her Knees in Prayer While Directing ‘Unbroken’ here's little doubt that the movie Unbroken will greatly impact and inspire audiences worldwide. It tells the incredible, true story of World War II prisoner of war survivor Louis Zamperini and his unimaginable journey of hardship and suffering that he endured only because of his steadfast refusal to back down, his dogged determination to hang on to hope and ultimately his insistence on forgiving those who sought to break both his body and spirit.

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perini's faith. Garris believes it was part of God's plan for Jolie "to find Louie and make this movie to find her way to a life that

practically jumps off the page and into our hearts. Other times, however, the Spirit's voice is soft as a spring rain; we only hear it if we're expecting to hear it. This latter still voice seems to be what Jolie heard that day on set, when the clouds rolled away, sunlight poured out of heaven, and a rainbow framed the scene in a way no cinematographer could imitate.

While no one can know for certain what, if any, impression Angelina Jolie's answered prayer may have made on her beliefs regarding salvation through Jesus Christ, her humble act of supplication represents so With such an epic, many on this planet who are, as she heartrending tale to envi- Angelina Jolie with Louis Zamperini, WWII prisoner of war said, searching. Christians should sion and recreate for the big survivor, inspiration for movie Unbroken feel encouraged to pray that Jolie's screen, even the movie's dibeautiful experience while filming rector, Angelina Jolie, found herself face to would encompass the Almighty."

Unbroken, as well as her relationship with face with the power of prayer during proZamperini, will remain with her, speak to duction.

In an exclusive interview with Movieguide® her and help guide her to invite Jesus to beTV co-host Evy Baehr, Angelina said, "We come her personal Lord and Savior.

Zamperini's daughter, Cynthia Garris, re- are all searching for what is it that's going called a particularly stormy day in New to pull us through. This film speaks of that. Movieguide® believes Unbroken to be a South Wales, Australia when sunlight was It speaks of how to overcome, of how to movie well worth seeing as it possesses a desperately needed to shoot an important face obstacles." very strong biblical worldview that extols scene. courage, forgiveness, sacrifice and the imWhen Evy asked Angelina how Unbroken portance of clinging to hope in the midst of "[Angelina] said, 'I don't know what I'm will reach the faith community, Jolie said, life's bleakest moments. Though the movie going to do, so I'll do what Louie would do,'" "Faith is very present in our film. Some- doesn't follow Zamperini's life after the war Garris said at a recent press conference. times we represented it with very obvious (the time during which he became a Chris"She got on her knees, and she prayed for a symbols, and sometimes it's the light. It's tian leader), the final titles do reveal his miracle ... everybody saw it. It stopped rain- the darkness and the light." eventual faith in Christ, a fact that, in our ing. The sun came out, a rainbow came out. eyes, makes him even more of a hero.

She said, 'Let's get this take,' [and] they shot For those of us who have been walking with the take. When she said 'cut,' it started to God for some time, we know that the Lord This article originally appeared on: rain again." speaks to us in myriad ways. Sometimes, it's a sermon that feels as though it was prewww.MovieGuide.org Jolie, said Garris, was moved by Zam- pared just for us, or a timely Scripture that Je Suis Charlie: As darkness fell on Paris, people carrying placards, candles and French flags gathered in the Place de la Republique. Protesters carried signs with words - I am Charlie - in support of murdered Charlie Hebdo journalists. #JeSuisCharlie Now it has become a slogan adopted by supporters of freedom of speech and freedom of the press after the January 7, 2015 massacre in which twelve people were killed at the offices of the French satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France. Some journalists embraced the expression as a rallying cry for the freedom of self-expression.

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

culture unplugged

PROVIDED BY LIBERTY INSTITUTE

Discrimination is Okay If It’s Against Christians The Plano Independent School District (Texas)—For its distaste for candy canes ... and kids celebrating Christmas. Elementary school students learned you're never too young to be a "Tiny Tim" victim of religious viewpoint discrimination. The Plano Independent School District in Plano, Texas, stopped students from sharing the following with their school friends: candy-cane pens with religious messaging in gift goodie bags, "Jesus" pencils, as well as free tickets to a Christmas play ... even though the law says kids have the right to do all the above. School officials even argued that these students do not have First Amendment rights. After a decade of the Plano ISD fighting against religious liberty in its schools, we are now proceeding back in trial court with the "Candy Cane Case."

1)

2) The American Humanist Association— For trying to tear down a veterans memorial erected by mothers in memory of their sons lost in war. After standing almost a century without objection, a historic World War I veterans memorial in Prince Georges Country, Maryland, is under attack by American Humanist Association simply because it includes traditional religious imagery. This anti-religion group apparently has no sympathy for the mothers whose sons died fighting for freedom—and who raised the funds to have this memorial erected to honor their children.

3) The Town of Bayview, Texas—For prohibiting a church and its affiliated school from operating on their own property!

When Cornerstone Church by the Bay requested permission from the town to use its own property to build a church and school, the Bayview Board of Aldermen said, "Bah, humbug!" to the request andunanimously voted to ban churches and schools in the area where Cornerstone's property sits—despite allowing other nonreligious non-residential uses! Fortunately, we're on the scene to enforce the law the town is violating.

4) Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), the ACLU and Kountze Independent School District (Texas)—For their attempt to censor private inspirational messages from cheerleaders. Looking for a simple way to encourage the football players at their games, the middle

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

school and high school cheerleaders in Kountze, Texas, decided to paint Bible verses on the run-through banners. The girls used their own money to pay for the supplies and paint these messages on their own time to encourage their team. FFRF made the initial complaint about the banners, the ACLU is supporting the censorship with court filings, and the Kountze ISD continues to seek to control the private religious message of the cheerleaders as the case proceeds to the Texas Supreme Court.

5) The State of Georgia Department of Public Health—For firing a respected health executive because of what he said in his church. Dr. Eric Walsh was hired as the District Health Director in Georgia. But when state officials learned about Dr. Walsh's traditional, conventional religious beliefs, they combed through his sermons (he was an ordained lay minister in his church) and terminated him, leaving a voicemail in which they laughed about firing him.

6) Brawley Union School District in Brawley, California—For blacking out references to God from a salutatorian's graduation address. Don't say "God bless us, everyone!" if you're an exemplary student giving a graduation speech in this school district. High school officials censored salutatorian Brooks Hamby's simple references to God in his graduation speech three times.

Then, they threatened to turn off his microphone if he dared read his speech with any inclusion of the Bible or his Christian faith.

Brooks wouldn't back down, and filed a formal complaint.

7) Military Religious Freedom Foundation's Mikey Weinstein—For complaining to the U.S. Air Force Academy about a cadet writing a Bible verse on his personal dorm dry erase board. Weinstein, an attorney who has called for the court-martial of 400 Christian officers for sharing their faith, got

into the middle of the "Whiteboard Controversy" by complaining when a cadet wrote Galatians 2:20 on his personal dry erase board—which was hanging on the cadet's dorm room door. The Air Force Academy persuaded the cadet to erase the Bible verse, calling the incident Weinstein notified them about, "a teachable moment." Thankfully the s i t u a t i o n boomeranged into an education for the Air Force about religious freedom, but Weinstein still merits a visit from Jacob Marley and Friends.

The First Amendment is not only seasonal, but it's the guarantee of the "free exercise" of religion that our Founding Fathers intended for our great country all year long.

The battle to protect the expression of your faith—and the religious beliefs of people in our government, in schools, in workplaces, the military, public places and more—never takes a break for any holiday. And that's why we need the ongoing support of friends like you so that we can stand up to the Scrooges who want to stamp out religious liberty all year long.

And the winner is ...

Military Religious Freedom Foundation visit: www.LibertyInstitute.org/ 2014ScroogeAwards Taken from the article: The 7 Worst AntiReligious Discriminators of the Year www.CharismaNews.com Battles are fought in our minds every day. When we begin to feel the battle is just too difficult and want to give up, we must choose to resist negative thoughts and be determined to rise above our problems. We must decide that we’re not going to quit. When we’re bombarded with doubts and fears, we must take a stand and say: “I’ll never give up! God’s on my side. He loves me, and He’s helping me! I’m going to make it!- Joyce Meyer

culture unplugged Welcome to the Christian Attack Culture. here's no question that the Internet has brought Christianity many wonderful things. Today we have online education available to virtually everyone, social media that encourages people to support great causes, and online communication tools that allow us to connect from the four corners of the earth.

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the background of what we're criticizing, a significant culprit is the technology itself.

With 24/7 news, and a constant barrage of blogs and social media, the Internet is bom-

But then again, it's just too easy to rip them online in front of everyone and be done with it.

The Internet is a powerful tool, and if we use it wisely, it can have a dramatic impact on helping us inspire and motivate this generation of believers to share the message of the cross with this culture.

But the choice is ours. We can use it to build up, or use it to tear down.

The Problem But, it's also created something I believe is tearing at the very fabric of our faith. It's created a culture of attack.

Going the wrong way?

Rarely does a day go by that Christian news sites, social barding us with information overload, and media streams and other web platforms what may be worse—the ease of respondfeature some Christian "correcting" an- ing. As soon as we read something we don't other Christian—and calling them out by like, all it takes is a click to send an angry name. It can range from arguments over reply, post a heated comment, or write an worship music, to theological squabbles, to op-ed piece. disagreements over ministry styles, to charges of outright heresy, and the barrage I'm as guilty as anyone, and it's taken me a of criticism has grown exponentially. While long time to learn to not react immediately there are qualified theologians, pastors and just because I can. other leaders we should respect and listen to, there's also a tsunami of armchair the- The Illusion! ologians, angry ex-church members and The Internet has given us the illusion of inwannabes who are convinced their criti- timacy. We read someone's books, articles cism du jour needs to be shared. or sermons, or we watch their videos online, and we feel we know them, so why not Aside from feeling comfortable "correcting" share what we think is wrong? But that illua brother or sister publicly when we've sion of intimacy is just that—an illusion. It never met the person, or know little about distracts us from the important principle of Buy your copy of the latest ACV in the General Store located at Hwy 86 @ 13 • 180 Grace Chapel Rd. in Blue Eye, MO

reaching out to them personally first, and making the sometimes difficult effort of keeping it private and saving the relationship.

BY PHIL COOKE

Why Do Christians Bash Other Christians on the Internet?

In Short...

Writer Jason Morehead put it this way: "The same questions should be considered by us all: Are we using the powerful, disruptive technology at our own fingertips to encourage, to think critically and compassionately, to spread shalom and create a "meaningful society"? Or are we using it to sow seeds of discord and hatred, spread vitriol and thoughtlessness and give license to our own pride and avarice?"

That's a pretty good question ...

Phil Cooke, Ph.D. is a media producer and strategist. His new book for church and nonprofit leaders is Unique: Telling Your Story in the Age of Branding and Social Media. Find out more at philcooke.com.

For the original article, visit: www.Pastors.com

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17

tech tock

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Avoid areas with a poor signal

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If you're in an area with a low signal, the phone will boost it's signal power, consuming battery. If possible, avoid these areas.

Turn off Blue Tooth and Wi Fi Unless you are using these features they suck a lot of juice. Turn them off unless needed.

Avoid exposing the battery to metal

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Don't ever let the metal contacts on the battery touch metal objects, like keys or coins. This can short circuit the battery, impairing its performance

“Wireless communication is nothing new.

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Buy a more powerful battery Third party batteries can often provide more battery power than the manufacturer ones. Warning: this can often void your warranty, so use at your own risk Change your notifications If you receive a lot of messages or calls, change the notification to a short vibrate instead of long or loud ringtones Check less email accounts If you have a long list of email accounts that your device regularly checks, consider removing some accounts. For every account that the phone checks it is will be using battery life Close applications when not needed Most phones will manage applications that are running in the background, but this isn't always the case. If you're not using an application, close it to avoid unecessary battery consumption

Disable keypad tones The little tones the phone makes when you press the keys will consume battery power.

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19

family, health & prosperity

BY TIM CHALLIES

5 Reasons We Eat Together As a Family t is one of my clearest memories from twelfth grade. It was my final year of high school but my first year at Ancaster Public High School.

I was in sociology class when the teacher asked this: How many people here eat dinner as a family at least twice a week? Two of us put up hands—me and the only other Christian in the class. Everyone else told about how their family scattered all over the house, clustering around the various televisions. It shocked me, as I had only ever known family dinners. It hadn’t occurred that there could be another way.

Eating dinner together was a tradition Aileen and I adopted and, with only occasional exceptions, is one we maintain today. Here are some reasons we prioritize eating together.

I

It Keeps Us Healthy Eating family meals is associated with physical health, and we eat together as a means to keep the family healthy. One recent study found that children who do not eat with their parents at least twice a week are forty percent more likely to be obese. This may be because the family eats restaurant food instead of home-cooked food; I heard recently that restaurant food tends to have 60% more calories than a home-cooked meal.

Or it may be because the children are left to prepare their own meals and gravitate toward what is convenient—almost always prepared food that is low on nutrients and high in calories. When we eat together, we eat the same food, and Aileen is careful to prepare meals that are both nutritious and delicious (though, to be fair, the kids aren’t always as convinced as we are about the deliciousness of the meals…).

It Keeps Us Relationally Healthy Because of our busy schedules we can usually only manage to guarantee one meal all together each day. When we eat this meal, we try to make sure that it has relational value, not just nutritional value. It is here that we are able to slow down and just talk

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

as a family. It is here that we talk about what we experienced that day and what plans we have for the next day. We sit and talk about whatever is interesting or important to us—the girls hear the experience of their brother as he navigates high school, while he hears about my workday, and Aileen tells us what she did that day.

It keeps us in-touch with one another and adds to our relational health. While we might all prefer to grab a plate and go, there is value in inconveniencing ourselves for the sake of the others.

It Keeps Us Spiritually Healthy Eating together is also an important part of our family’s spiritual health. Through the years, we have found it nearly impossible to carry on family devotions unless we eat together—we just do not have the opportunity or the discipline to create the opportunity. And so we closely associate eating together with family devotions.

We begin our meals by praying to thank God for his provision. We end our meals by reading a short passage of the Bible together, talking about it, and praying once more to ask God’s blessing on us. This is a critical part of our family’s spiritual health and training. Slowly, day by day and year after year, the kids are exposed to God and his Word through these short times of worship.

It Keeps Us Financially Healthy Eating out is expensive, and perhaps more so here in Canada than elsewhere. By far, the most financially-healthy solution is to

prepare our own food, to eat the same thing, and to eat it together. Aileen plans well, shops carefully, uses what she buys, and cooks us meals that are both great and economical.

It Keeps Us Behaviorally Healthy Okay, so I may be pushing a little too hard on the “healthy” theme here, but let me explain what I mean. Study after study shows a correlation between eating alone and rebellion, so that teens who do not eat with their families are many times more likely to be involved in drinking and drugs and other destructive behavior. While eating family meals is no guarantee against rebellion, it does provide a means to prevent, detect, and respond to it. The author of one study writes, “While substance abuse can strike any family, regardless of ethnicity, affluence, age, or gender, the parental engagement fostered at the dinner table can be a simple, effective tool to help prevent it.”

And so we eat together as often as possible and try to make the most of it. Now let’s be clear and realistic—we are a pack of sinners, just like every other family, and we are busy, just like every other family. Sometimes we cannot eat together, sometimes we are rushed and don’t have time to read the Bible together. Sometimes we can barely stand the sight of each other, the conversation tiptoes along the edge of civility, and the kids seem to want to rip each other’s heads off. But we measure long, not short, and continue to eat together night after night. We continue to count it a great blessing.

It’s pronounced CHALL-eez and rhymes with “valleys” and “rallies.” Tim is a Christian, a husband to Aileen and a father to three children aged 7 to 13. He worships and serves as a pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario. He is a blogger, author, and book reviewer. Visit his blog at: www.Challies.com

family, health & prosperity Are you successful? Take a moment and reflect on the question. What is your answer? ow, answer the question from several piness." different angles: • William Henry Vanderbilt: "The care of Would your spouse (if applicable) say two hundred million is enough to kill anyyou are successful? Would your children (if one. There's no pleasure in it." applicable) say you are successful? What • John Jacob Astor: "I am the most miserwould your closest friends say? Your asso- able man on the earth." ciates at work?

• Henry Ford: "I was hapYour body? Your pier when doing a meconscience? What A strange species we are. We chanic's job." would God say? can stand anything God and • Andrew Carnegie: Maybe you're nature throw at us save only "Millionaires seldom wo n d e r i n g smile." plenty. If I wanted to destroy Perhaps it's all summed whether or not you should be in- a nation, I would give it too up by this commentary terested in suc- much and I would have it on from Alexander Solzhencess. After all, its knees: miserable, greedy, itsyn, the great Russian Christians ought intellect: "We always pay not pursue suc- and sick. dearly for chasing after cess, ought they? what is cheap."

We need to focus on being faithful, not successful. Right?

He Wrote the Book on Success ...

Well, yes and no. We definitely are to be Glenn Bland, in his book Success (pubfaithful to all that God asks. But, success is lished fifteen years ago), gives the best exGod's idea. He wants you to be fruitful, pro- ample I've ever seen of the importance of ductive, effective, blessed, and successful. priorities.

Look up Joshua 1:8 (NASB) and Psalm 1 Bland tells of a meeting in 1923 of the (NASB). And, the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 world's most successful financiers held at each begin with "blessed," the most univer- Chicago's Edgewater Beach Hotel. In terms sal concept for success throughout the en- of money, these financial giants almost littire Bible. God wants you to be blessed and erally ruled the world: successful. But, He wants you to succeed Charles Schwab, president of the largest His way. steel company in America; Samuel Insull, Now, let's review what success isn't, and president of the largest utility company; then let's look at what it is.

Howard Hopson, president of the largest gas company; Arthur Cutten, the great What Success Is NOT ... wheat speculator; Richard Whitney, presHow does the culture define success? I call ident of the New York Stock Exchange; Althem the five p's: power, position, prestige, bert Fall, Secretary of the Interior in pleasure, and prosperity.

President Harding's cabinet; The culture (anti-God world system) Jesse Livermore, the great pushes these. Advertisers tantalize us with "bear" on Wall Street; Ivan the possibility of their attainment. The Krueger, head of the world's media glamorizes the results of having greatest monopoly; and Leon them.

Fraser, president of the Bank Now, don't get me wrong. These aren't of International Settlements. bad things.

These men were "movers I'd rather and shakers," the kind many We always pay dearly people envy and wish to be you have money (nor- for chasing after what like. Yet something went termally) than is cheap. ribly wrong with these not have it. men's lives. Twenty-five But, they are not the ultimate or even major years later: measurements of success according to • Charles Schwab went bankGod's standards. And, they won't make you rupt. happy. They won't.

• Samuel Insull died in a forListen to the pathos in the comments of eign land, penniless and a fugithese famous millionaires: tive from justice.

• John D. Rockefeller: "I have made many • Howard Hopson was insane. millions but they have brought me no hap- • Arthur Cutten was insolvent

N

and died abroad.

• Richard Whitney had just been released from Sing Sing prison.

• Albert Fall had just been pardoned from prison and died at home, broke.

• Jesse Livermore committed suicide.

• Ivan Krueger committed suicide.

• Leon Fraser committed suicide.

Certainly, material success typified by the five p's doesn't necessarily result in devastation. In fact, power, position, prestige, pleasure, and prosperity are rather amoral-neither good nor bad from a moral position. It's the use or abuse of these that determines the outcome.

The January 28, 1960, issue of The Washington Post records a letter from John Steinbeck to Adlai Stevenson. In the letter he says, "A strange species we are. We can stand anything God and nature throw at us save only plenty. If I wanted to destroy a nation, I would give it too much and I would have it on its knees: miserable, greedy, and sick."

BY RON JENSON

How to Succeed the Biblical Way

What Success Is ...

In my research of hundreds of top leaders around the world, I have asked the question: At the end of your life, how will you know you've succeeded? These men and women answered: "It's important how my kids turned out."

"Did I live a personally rich and fulfilling life?"

"Did I positively change lives?"

"Did I build meaningful and deep relationships?"

Continued to page 22

MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

21

BY AUTHOR

family, health & prosperity

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Continued from page 21 "Did I really love my spouse?"

"Did I make a difference?"

Begin building a definition of success around real values. What are the things that really count the most in your life? How do you want people to remember you when you die? What will really count?

Biblical success, I believe, is the progressive realization and internalization of all that God wants me to be and do.

Success from God's perspective is progressive, into His likeness. It is not static and it does not deal just with the results.

Success deals with the process ... the journey.

Success also requires a realization of God's desires for me. We gain this understanding through God's Word. We must not only hear it but study it and meditate upon it. This is the beginning place to growth.

What you imbibe and focus on mentally will determine the outcome of your life.

Remember this maxim: "Sow a thought and reap an act.

Sow an act and reap a habit.

Sow a habit and reap a character.

Sow a character and reap a destiny."

Internalizing truth involves applying it to our lives. A successful person not only hears the Word of God, but also acts upon it. You may have laudable intentions, but the key issue is your behavior. He will not make you a success if you try to hold back areas from His control.

Biblical success involves all that God wants me to be and do. If you are godly in the truest sense of the word, what you do will glorify God, for it will be a natural product of your character.

Paul Sums It Up! Success is knowing God. When we are with God in heaven, perhaps we will see clearly how fundamental knowing Him is. In Philippians 3, Paul recalls what he had once perceived as success: his heritage, his advancement, his reputation. But, then he distinguishes true success. Paul says, " ... I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ" (NASB).

Most people are not aware that Subluxation (misalignments in the spine, often unfelt) cause malfunction of the Nervous System, thereby reducing health & causing dis-ease. The Chiropractic Adjustment RESTORES FUNCTION & in turn RESTORES & MAINTAINS HEALTH! Optimal Spine & Nervous System = Optimal Health.

This article is taken from Dr. Ron Jenson's book entitled Make a Life, Not Just a Living (c) 1998 by Ron Jenson (Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman Publishers).

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

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BY LARRY TOMCZAK /Charisma.com

perseverance

For All Those Who Had a Rotten 2014 emember New Year's Eve last year?

Were you holding high hopes 2015 would be your best year yet?

R

Amid the jubilant celebration were you lifting praise to God for anticipated success and breakthrough in your life?

Looking back do you have to admit things just didn't turn out the way you had hoped?

Unexpected setbacks, financial reversals, disappointments, failures, mistakes, betrayals ... Need we go on?

A primary component for success for the remainder of the year is remembering the importance of perseverance. Jesus told us

than 160,000 employees.

Rush Limbaugh was fired four times and told by a senior executive at ABC radio, "If you want to stay in this business, you had better go into sales because you just don't have the talent. You're never going to make it!"

in the parable of the sower that it was only by perseverance that an individual reaps the desired harvest (Luke 8:15).

sary of the No. 1 talk-radio show in America, which reaches over 20 million people each week.

Here's the deal: With some exceptions, success and achievement are only achieved through persistence. Adversity comes to us all but will we press on when we're tempted to throw in the towel?

Last tear Meryl Streep was on the David Letterman show. She began her career trying for the lead in King Kong by Dino DeLaurentis. After her audition the director said: "Why did you send me this pig? She is so ugly! Blech!" Overcoming the insult, she persevered and today has three Academy Awards, 16 Oscar nominations, 23 Golden Globe nominations and is called the undisputed best actress alive."

Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, founded his company in 1971. “I've been in that original store. Do you know that 16 years later the company had fewer than 10 stores?” He persevered through the difficulties and today Starbucks has more than 21,000 stores in 63 countries and more

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

Tony Robbins was raised in a home with an alcoholic mom and four different dads.

His childhood was "incredibly violent" as he cooked the family meals. His mother chased him out of the home with a knife, and all alone he worked as a janitor. Today his motivational seminars help people overcome fear and made him a best-selling author, speaker and life coach to people like Oprah, Bill Clinton and the late Princess Diana. His conglomerate brings in $6 billion a year and his foundation has fed 42 million families. "I did it purely by persistence!"

Recently Rush celebrated the 25th anniver-

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” -Calvin Coolidge

Let's draw inspiration from these examples of people who could have quit but succeeded by persevering.

worldwide.

John Grisham had 30 publishers reject his first novel until a publisher finally relented to print 5000 copies. John bought 1000 of them and tried to sell or give them away.

Overcoming the obstacles he persevered and today has sold 275 million books

Katie Couric auditioned for her first job at CNN and the network president said he never wanted to see her on the air again. "I was told time and time again, I'd never make it in broadcasting." She persevered.

Oprah started in Baltimore as a news anchor and was terminated. Elvis was fired after his first performance and told, "You're never going to make it as a singer." Walt Disney was let go from his first job for not being creative enough. Woody Allen flunked his first film course in college.

J.K.Rowling was rejected 12 times with Harry Potter, which eventually sold 400 million books. C.S. Lewis had 800 book rejections. Barbra Streisand opened on Broadway and closed the next night. Steven Spielberg was rejected three times by the UCLA film school. Jay Leno worked at McDonald's and was told he'd never make it as a comedian unless he fixed his face lest he scare children. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. He said, "I've failed over and over again in life. That's why I succeed."

One final example: Ken Taylor was dejected. His children were bored during his Bible reading. So he pursued a dream for 16 years to paraphrase the Bible in easier-tounderstand language. Committed to being scrupulously faithful, he was so stressed that his vocal chords deteriorated and he could barely speak for 15 years. Eventually five publishers rejected his work so he published it himself, running off 2000 copies and promising all royalties to God. Tyndale House publishing was born and today the Living Bible has sold over 43 million copies

perseverance worldwide.

He was studying to be a minister and could have gotten a ministerial exemption. But he thought of all the boys who were defending our country, and his conscience got hold of him.

sight. His articles can be found at:

www.Charisma.com editor’s note: Much of these examples are about unbelievers. How much more ammunition do we as God’s kids have; knowing that He is for us and will see us through all adversity? Here are some examples:

Tyler Perry lived in poverty, never completed high school and attempted suicide.

Flat broke he lived in the backseat of a compact car with his 6-foot-5-inch frame. Finally he snapped out of it by praying, persevering and using his creativity to become the actor, producer, director, author and entertainment mogul he is today.

Forbes magazine called him, "The highest paid man in entertainment" as he made $130 million in a year!

Dave Roever's Story - When Dave Roever (pronounced Reever) enlisted in the Navy

Soon he was in Vietnam. When told to take a VD shot, Dave replied, “ Get out of here with your needle. I don’t want VD.” He was told it was to keep him from catching it.

Dave replied, “I know a better way. Keep your vows to your wife and you won’t need a VD shot.”

The Accident

Larry Tomczak is a best-selling author and cultural commentator with more than 41 years of trusted ministry experience. His passion is to bring perspective, analysis and in-

Joyce Meyer is probably better equipped than anyone when it comes to never giving up. She overcame an abused childhood, a bad marriage and extremely limited opportunities to become one of the most popular author/speakers in the world. JoyceMeyerMinistries was the first ministry in America to be headed by a woman, and it's one of the largest in the world. If anyone knows how to hold on to a dream and realize it, it's her.

he kissed her goodbye, he said," Baby, I'll be back without a scar."

BY AUTHOR

Continuing into the 2015, let's remember these words: "Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let those of us who are mature be thus minded. And if you think differently in any way, God will reveal even this to you."

(Phil. 3:13-15).

on February 9 , 1968, he had no idea what was in store for him. He had no desire to hurt anybody. He wasn’t a fighter. He wanted to perform his duty to his country, but not go to Vietnam.

He met Brenda and they fell in love. On July 15, 1967, they were married. Soon after he reported for duty, they began training to go to Vietnam.

He had a 10 day leave before his departure for Vietnam. He asked Brenda to come alone to meet him.

He needed to spend time with his wife before he saw the rest of the family. At this point, he imagined coming home from the war healthy and fit, without a scar, stepping off the airplane to a welcome home party of two, just he and Brenda. This day was the closest he would ever come to that fantasy. They decided to wait till he came home to start a family, in case he didn't come home. When

At last the men were using all the training they had gone through. They were in a boat on the Vam Co Tay in Vietnam firing 500 rounds a minute per gun. Enemy fire was coming from a bunker. Dave picked up a white phosphorus hand grenade, pulled the pin, and drew back his hand to throw it. It was six inches from his right ear. Before he could throw the grenade, it exploded in his hand. His chest was ripped opened to where he could see his heart beating through a hole. His right hand was severed almost completely in half with fingers dangling by tendons. His right thumb was hanging by a tendon. Blood was pumping from an artery in his right hand. The inside of his left arm was on fire. He was blind in his right eye and deaf in his right ear because the entire right side of his head was stripped down to skull. His right cheek was blown back so far that his tongue almost fell out of his mouth.

He jumped into the water with his chest and back on fire. His skin was still burning even though he was deep in the water. When his head surfaced, he inhaled and sucked fire down into his lungs, bronchial tubes, and throat, scorching the inside of his mouth and vocal cords. After surfacing, Dave says his next words were, “God, I still believe in You!” Hearing those words, a buddy realized in a sudden instant the reality of Christ and fell to his knees, giving his heart to Christ.

Today, he travels the world as a Christian motivational speaker. Also, despite his disabilties he is a fantastic piano player!

MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

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♪money money money♪

BY DAVE RAMSEY

Act Your Wage Dear Dave, I have a student loan in default that is now being handled by a collections agency. They want me to pay the entire $20,000 now, or consolidate it with $16,000 in collection fees added. Are these my only options?

Rebecca Dear Rebecca, There’s no way I’d consolidate and pay $16,000 in collection fees. Right now, they’re trying to bully you. They may eventually garnish your paychecks, but I think you can still work out something with these guys.

You’ll have to repay the loan, and probably the interest and some of the late charges, but $16,000 is a bunch of crap.

Don’t run out and get another loan to pay it, but don’t let yourself be blackmailed, either. You’ve made a mess by ignoring this for so long, so now you’ll have to save every penny you can and start sending them substantial amounts of money each month.

Trust me, they’ll take your payments and cash the checks. Hopefully, you can settle on a reasonable repayment structure and have this thing killed off in a couple of years.

—Dave www.DaveRamsey.com

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

n March 8, we observe International Women’s Day. On this occasion, thousands of events across the world will honor the cultural, political and social achievements of women. Of course, in many countries, women still face significant economic challenges. And even here in the United States, women encounter more obstacles than men in the pursuit of financial security, particularly in seeking a comfortable retirement lifestyle. So if you are a woman — regardless of your marital status — you will need to be aware of these challenges and take steps to overcome them.

Let’s consider a few of these challenges and some possible solutions: Challenge: Women spend more time out of the workforce and accumulate less money in 401(k) plans.

Women spend an average of 12 years out of the workforce caring for children or elderly parents, compared with less than two years for men, according to the Social Security Administration. This time away from work can translate into less money in retirement plans — in fact, women’s average 401(k) balance is only about two-thirds as large as men’s, according to a study by Fidelity Investments.

Potential solution: Take full advantage of your 401(k) and IRA. Your care-giving obligations are an issue to be decided by you, your spouse and perhaps other family members. But while you are working, contribute as much as you possibly can to your 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored plan. Also, try to fully fund your IRA each year.

Challenge: Women typically live more years in retirement and depend more heavily on Social Security.

Women reaching age 65 are expected to live, on average, an additional 21.6 years, compared with 19.3 years for men, according to the Social Security Administration, which also reports that the average annual Social Security income received by women 65 years and older was about $12,500.

Furthermore, Social Security comprises about 50% of the total income for unmarried women age 65 and older, compared to just 36% for elderly men.

O

Potential solution: To become less dependent on Social Security, create a sustainable withdrawal strategy for your investment portfolio.

Social Security was designed to supplement one’s retirement income, not replace it. Consequently, it’s essential that you make full use of your other sources of income, such as your 401(k), IRA and other investment accounts. To make this money last, you’ll need to create a sustainable withdrawal strategy early in your retirement — and stick to it.

Challenge: Women are far more likely than men to need some type of longterm care.

More than two-thirds of nursing home residents are women, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. And the average cost for a private room in a nursing home is more than $87,000 per year, according to the 2014 Cost of Care Survey produced by Genworth, a financial services company. Typically, Medicare covers only a small percentage of these costs.

Potential solution: Prepare in advance for long-term care expenses.

Long-term care costs can be enormous, but you do have some protection-related options for meeting these costs. Check with your financial advisor to learn which of these choices might be most appropriate for your situation.

These aren’t the only financial issues facing women, but they do give you a good idea of what you may be facing. So, be proactive in meeting these challenges — because there’s actually a lot you can do.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. If you’d like to know more, visit our website to find out what to expect from Edward Jones. www.EdwardJones.com

FROM EDWARD JONES FINANCIAL ADVISOR

Women May Face Extra Challenges in Seeking Financial Security

puzzle page Answers to Sudoku Puzzle on Page 31

Online readers, we’ve included a link to printable PDF for this puzzle page!

Answers to Cross-Word Puzzle on Page 44

first miracle 5 Cuban leader 6 Often poetically 7 In __ of 8 Stumble 9 Deliver by post 10 Fiends 11 Last words, often 12 Funeral hymn 15 The evil one 20 Jurisprudence 22 Some (2 wds.)

23 Far away 24 Plague of Egypt 25 Branch of learning 27 Groups of workers 30 Eastern Time 31 Makes a sweater 32 Wipe 35 Had by Joseph, Joseph and magi 37 Beige

38 Deoxyribonucleic acid (abbr.)

39 Small particle 40 AttentionDeficit Hyperactive Disorder (abbr.)

41 Not as much 42 Faith, ____ and charity 44 Took off 45 Propel 47 Rower 48 Curtsy 49 Looks over 50 Powdered chocolate 54 Story 55 Revise 56 Abel's brother 58 First son of Adam and Eve 61 Before (prefix) 63 Bikini part 64 Forbid 65 Whichever

RIDDLE ME THIS!

7 letters...

What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you'll die?

Answer: NOTHING

43 Leaf bud 44 Daniel was thrown into the ____s' den 46 Days of rest 49 Monkey 51 Cow's remark 52 Advertisements 53 Vies 57 Most basic 59 Apex 60 Adroit 62 Word meaning father 66 Christmas carol 67 Cubic decimetre 68 Persia 69 Unhappy 70 Anesthetic 71 Not one DOWN 1 Bullfight cheer 2 Tablet 3 First woman 4 Site of Jesus'

Answers: 1. TWINS 2. ALADDIN 3. TRAFFIC 4. PLATOON 5. MEMENTO 6. SUPERMAN Myster Answer STAR WARS

ACROSS 1 Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries 5 Young horses 10 Father 13 Volcanic rock 14 On fire 15 Partial 16 Garden of ____ 17 Beer mug 18 Allege 19 Alternative (abbr.)

21 Making current 23 Wing 26 Electric spark 28 Wrong 29 Firecracker 32 Not women's 33 Sequel to Luke 34 Empower 36 Take a break 37 Chirp 38 Call 42 "__ makes waste"

MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

27

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e ak e ll mhom nd i w It our bra ! y ok ew lo n

Wendy, better known as God's own Madcap Missionary, began her miracle journey with a healing touch through her hands laid on a small boy in Africa. She actually felt the bones moving back into correct position as she prayed.

This astonished her so much, that it took her awhile to realize she had received her own healing from multiple sclerosis. She has appeared on the 700 Club and other venues. Part of her riveting adventures are told in H L Ford's book, SUPERVENTION, excerpted from Wendy's book titled GOD'S MADCAP MISSIONARY. Wendy contacted one of the scheduled speakers saying: "I have read about this conference and one of the proposed messages shared with me through Face Book. Just awesome! It blessed me just reading it. Now to hear it from God through His precious women's lips. What joy. I hope to fly down from Pittsburg and meet my two brothers who will probably go to the Legends golf tournament, while I soak in the glory of God." For registration information, call Phyllis at 417239-1149.

“Sh[’[lu sh[lom Y_rush[l[yim...”

(Pr[y for th_ p_[]_ of J_rus[l_m) T_hillim/Ps[lms 122:6

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Who Was JCPenney?

After the 1929 stock crash, Penney lost virtually all his personal wealth, and borrowed against his life insurance policies to help the company meet its payroll.

His parents had instilled in him a basic Christian faith that had given him the principles on which he had based his life and his business, yet now that faith was being tested. "I was at the end of my rope," he said later. "My business had crumbled, my communications with colleagues had faltered, and even my . . . wife and our children were estranged from me. It was all my fault." He was even contemplating suicide. Suffering his own depression, he briefly checked into John Harvey Kellogg's Battle Creek Sanitarium.

The rest and medical attention did him good, but there was another event that restored him spiritually. One morning he awoke too early for breakfast and was wandering the corridors when he heard a hymn he remembered from childhood.

Following the sound, he stumbled upon a chapel filled with worshiping doctors and nurses. Someone read a Scripture passage: "Come unto me all you that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." It was a moment of clarity for the hard-working entrepreneur.

He had been striving all his life to honor God with his business, but now it was time to rest in the Lord's grace. "At that time something happened to me which I cannot explain," he said later. "It was a life-changing miracle, and I've been a different person ever since. I saw God in his glory and planned to be baptized and to join a church."

Over the next twelve hours, he experienced a kind of conversion. "Suddenly needing to be heard, I cried inwardly, 'Lord, will you take care of me? I can do nothing for myself!' . . . I felt I was passing out of darkness into light." The words "only believe" came to him. It was no longer about his own efforts, but God's. "In the midst of failure to believe, I was being helped back to believing."

The company, (1,400 stores at this point) of course, survived and prospered again, and so did its founder. After regaining his health and wealth, he became known as a philanthropist, establishing or giving many

ast forward to November 2011, when the JCPenney company replaced longtime CEO Mike Ullman with Apple executive Ron Johnson. Johnson immediately fired many of the company's leaders and tried to promote sweeping culture change for the organization, including a series of ads endorsing homosexuality. Company stock nosedived. Johnson was fired after less than two years, and Ullman was asked to step back in.

Jim Denison from Denison Forum reported, “It was my privilege to meet and share a platform with Mike Ullman recently.

I found him to be one of the most brilliant, engaging, humble leaders I've ever met. His Christian commitment is clear and bold. He has already improved the culture of JCPenney in remarkable ways. Now his company has done something especially unusual, a promotion called "the gift of giving."

The now-viral video tells the remarkable story. JCPenney wanted to buy gifts for customers, but in an unusual way. Store employees asked shoppers to find someone in the store they didn't know and offer to "buy" them a gift. One gave a woman a sofa.

Another gave a couple their engagement ring. A delighted girl was given a pair of slippers. One tearful woman told her benefactors that it was her birthday. People were clearly blessed to receive, and even more blessed to give.

As one of the JCPenney benefactors noted, "When you give, you grow."

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MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

BY JIM DENISON

Be not dismayed whate'er betide, God will take care of you All you need he will provide God will take care of you

millions to numerous charities. He also wrote several folksy books offering homespun homilies of running a business by ethical principles.

By virtually all accounts Penney's approach was sincere, and "the Golden Rule" was more than a mere slogan. He rode city buses to work at Penney's New York headquarters, and as late as the 1960s, while Penney was in his 70s, he regularly visited his company's stores and occasionally stepped behind the counter to help customers. Penney was one of the first businessmen to call his employees "associates", but they actually were associates -- by his death in 1971 at the age of 96, the company's profit-sharing program included all of its 50,000 store workers, and Penney's was America's second largest non-grocery retailer behind Sears Roebuck. With decades of more ordinary business management since his death, the company's reputation and profits have, of course, declined.

FROM NNDB.COM

ames Cash Penney, Jr. was born on Sep16, 1875 in Hamilton, MO. His father was a farmer and unpaid Baptist minister who taught his children to believe in the Golden Rule. Young Penney wanted to be a lawyer but could not afford college tuition. After high school he worked on his father's farm and found employment as a clerk in a local dry goods store. He moved to Colorado, where he opened his own butcher shop, which promptly failed. He went to work in another dry goods store, and after a few years he was offered the job of assistant manager at a Wyoming shop called the Golden Rule Store. The store's name reflected his own philosophy of life, so he believed it was God's will that he take the job.

He married Berta Alva Hess in 1899, and they had two sons. When the Golden Rule Store proved prosperous, Penney was offered a chance to buy a one-third share in a new store, in Kemmerer, Wyo. The price was $2,000, and he had only $500 in savings, but he signed an I.O.U. for the rest. The Golden Rule Store in Kemmerer opened on April 14, 1902, with manager and co-owner Penney living in the attic, and it is now considered the first store in the Penney chain.

Within a few years Penney was a partner in three Golden Rule stores, and in 1907 he bought out his partners.

His wife Berta died in 1910 of pneumonia, leaving him a widower with two small sons to raise. His stores were among the first retailers to offer "one price for all" instead of haggling on almost every sale, and Penney set the price low enough to earn "a fair remuneration and not all the profits the traffic will bear". He instituted a profitsharing program for store managers, which was later expanded to include all employees. Within seven years he had twenty-two stores, and in 1913 the business was incorporated as J.C. Penney Stores Company, keeping "the Golden Rule" as an informal motto. For many years he oversaw the company's hiring, and explained his philosophy as, "Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I'll give you a man who will make history.

Give me a man with no goals and I'll give you a stock clerk".

He remarried in 1919 to Mary Hortense Kimball and had one son together before she died after only four years of marriage.

He married his third wife, Caroline Bertha Autenreith three years later and eventually had two daughters.

When the owner of his hometown dry goods store retired in 1927, Penney bought the Hamilton, Missouri store where he had first worked, and made it Penney's 500th store.

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profile

Why Christians Want to Vote for Dr. Ben Carson for President FROM CBN NEWS

Dr. Ben Carson, a gifted surgeon, is a candidate for the 2016 Presidential Election. efore you know it, the 2016 presidential race will be here. A number of potential candidates are being talked about and one popular choice is a very well known doctor.

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Dr. Ben Carson is known as a straight shooter whether it's at home playing his favorite game of pool or talking politics.

He calls it like he sees it, like when he said Obamacare, "is really the worst thing to happen in this nation since slavery."

His no nonsense approach captivates conservative audiences.

gay."

And he took it. Alone in his house, he picked up a Bible, gave his life to Jesus and asked the Lord to take away his violent temper.

Carson reflects back to that moment.

"Some people say you just learn how to cover it up, but when the Lord fixes a problem, he fixes it. He doesn't do a paint job," Carson said, reflecting on that pivotal moment.

And his temperament today? "It's virtually impossible to make me angry now," he said.

Now, the massively organized "Draft Ben Carson for President" movement has positioned him near the top of presidential polls.

All signs point to a move from medicine to politics for him; but first, he says God would have to grab him by the collar. Has he felt the tug?

"I feel fingers," he told CBN News' David Brody.

Gifted Hands: The Testimony A presidential run would only add to Carson's achievements.

"My life has been truly amazing," Carson tells CBN News from his home in West Palm Beach, Florida. "I think about it all the time."

Not Each Other's Enemies If the good doctor becomes a presMeet Dr. Ben Carson idential candidate, he says his cool demeanor will help him.

"I'm not going to take the bait," Carson told CBN News. "I'm not going to get angry.

It's just not going to happen."

This could be the essence of a Carson for president campaign: the calm doctor, dispensing ideas, leading a conversation on pressing issues and seeking Americans have to recog- reconciliation. Carson wouldn't have it any other way. nize that we, the Ameri-

His well-documented journey is told in the book Gifted Hands and movie by the same title.

It begins in Detroit, where a single mom raised him. Poor grades followed, along with a violent temper that led him to a stabbing incident with a friend.

can people, are not each other’s enemies. The enemies are those people who try to divide everybody up.

On that day, the knife miraculously hit the boy's belt buckle, giving young Ben another chance to turn his life around.

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

“Americans have to recognize that we, the American people, are not each other’s enemies. The enemies are those people who try to divide everybody up,” he ex-

plained.

He said good examples of this are those who call pro-lifers "anti-women" or who call traditional marriage supporters "anti-

"They've been reading a book by Saul Alinsky called, Rules for Radicals, which says never have a conversation with your enemies because that humanizes them and your job is to demonize them," he added.

Prepared for the Fight Candy Carson, his wife of nearly 40 years, knows his critics will demonize her husband if he runs. She understands the stakes as she explained calmly from the Carson's home in West Palm Beach, Florida.

"Our country is going in a way that is different from what our founding fathers were thinking. And we want to make sure he felt called to wake people up and that's what he's been doing," she said.

Candy and Ben Carson plan to lean on their Christian faith to get them through.

"In the Bible it says the Lord doesn't give you more than you can handle, right," Candy Carson said. "And a lot of times you feel like, 'Are you sure? Are you really sure?' But he does give you what you need."

Ben Carson said it is God who directs their lives.

"We recognize that we are being instruments in the hand of God. He is the one who really orchestrates all of this," he said.

His Political Platform Right now, Dr. Carson is orchestrating his political platform. He wants a fairer and flatter tax structure, lower corporate taxes, and health savings accounts for all.

But his number one issue is the out-ofcontrol debt.

"Unless we get a grip on that, why wouldn't we suffer the same fates as other pinnacle nations who have allowed debt to encumber their progress?" he warned.

Carson also will not let political correctness get in his way. He plans to speak his mind on issues, like the roots of this country. www.CharismaNews.com

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Branson Frontline

Veteran Branson gospel artists Rodney and Beverly Dillard travel throughout America inspiring audiences of all ages sharing family values from the popular Andy Griffith TV Show, where Rodney appeared in the recurring role as one of the Darlings musical family.

The Darlings often rolled into Mayberry in their old truck to strike up a chord with their hillbilly bluegrass music.

The poor mountain family appeared somewhat backward and usually provided some zany escapades for Sheriff Andy.

churches and families sharing Mayberry Values with funny stories, testimonies, scriptures, songs, and video presentations to encourage families and individuals of all ages.

Beverly, a very versatile and talented banjo and mandolin player, originally from Morrisville, North Carolina started performing at an early age. She has been a frequent guest on television and radio including the national television show, Hee Haw, the Disney Channel, and also performed at the

“I never realized at the time what God’s plans would be for me now 54 years later. We can never out guess the Lord. We have to make sure we’re listening to Him and not ourselves,” said Rodney.

world famous Carnegie Hall.

Rodney, who also began his musical career at a young age, has received numerous awards including two Grammy Nominations, was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, has appeared in commercials, many television appearances, and was recently honored as a recipient of The Outstanding Missourian Award.

BY VEEDA SMITH

ut seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

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A prolific and multi-talented artist, Rodney has produced albums for many artists as well as TV and radio commercials for which he has received many national awards. Rodney and the Dillard’s band recently released two new CDs titled Don’t Wait for the Hearse to Take You to Church featuring Beverly Dillard and I Wish Life Was Like Mayberry.

In addition to Rodney on guitar and Beverly on banjo, The Dillard’s band members are comprised of top-notch musicians including George Giddens on fiddle and mandolin, Jeff Gilkinson on bass, and Jim Glaspy on banjo.

Since the 1960’s, The Andy Griffith Show has touched the hearts of Americans representing a much simpler time of life focusing on family values and Christian principles which made it one of the top shows in television history. Although many other television series did not last a long time in syndication, The Andy Griffith Show still remains a popular show in reruns today.

“Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world,” stated the late Martin Luther King. Rodney, Beverly and the Dillard’s are truly inspiring and a treasure trove of talent.

For more information, contact: (505) 750-1680 or talent@1680.co

Rodney and his wife Beverly reflect the love of God as they reach out to

Or visit their website at: www.rodneydillard.tv

Sudoku Answers to Page 27

The ACV is available at all Locations!

Our motto must continue to be perseverance. And ultimately I trust the Almighty will crown our efforts with success.William Wilberforce

God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them. -C.S. Lewis

Matthew 10:22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

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The Yoga Pants Takeover could see how some readers might wonder why we ran an article about yoga pants. And yet, when you look at the popularity of stretchy, black, go-with-anything, wear-'em-anywhere capris, it's hard to argue with the fact that yoga pants have become huge cultural force.

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Last weekend, I heard a podcast declare, "Women who aren't into leggings are living on the wrong side of history."

Stretchy pants from Nike, Under Armour, and Lululemon have become so common that they're threatening jeans' reign as our casual attire of choice (and bringing billions in revenue to the athletic wear industry). Beyond the typical style, there are jeggings, meggings, and even dressy yoga pants for work.

When the massive popularity of yoga pants and the debate over whether "leggings are pants" meets the Christian modesty conversation, things are bound to get heated. Lore Ferguson writes with Paul Maxwell: Remarks such as "I don't respect a woman who wears leggings" or "I would never marry a man who can't help but lust after every woman with form fitting clothing" come off as extreme and accusatory statements.... We should avoid issuing blanket statements about others' character, regardless of what they are wearing. Debates over what women should and shouldn’t wear tend to frame female “modesty” and male “lust” as dueling principles, often at the expense of these real-life people involved.

Modesty refers to what’s “appropriate,” an explicitly contextual word. Any discussion of modesty depends on the setting, so it’s difficult, perhaps even impossible, to declare universal rules.”

The debate, they say, shouldn't involve us issuing restrictions or boundaries, or ascribing evil to women or men's actions, but looking to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and ethics.

I must admit, it's hard for me to weigh in without bias—as someone who works from home and does yoga, yoga pants are practically my uniform. But if you have an opinion you'd like to share, let us know in the comments.

This week, we also discussed the transformative power of storytelling and women's involvement in the local church. If there's a topic you wish to see addressed on Her.meneutics, I'd love to hear your ideas, so tweet us @CT_women! www.ChristianityToday.com/Women

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

BY KATE SHELLNUTT, EDITOR, HER.MENEUTICS

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

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Mia Love: She’s Black, a Mormon and is Bad News for Obama Meet the New Darling of the Republican Party ike many elections, it was a day of firsts.

For the very first time, there are 100 women in the US Congress – and one of them is Mia Love, the first ever black Republican congresswoman. Ms Love, who is 38, claimed Utah's 4th congressional district from the Democrats, and looks set to become one of Washington’s most highprofile new faces, as the GOP seeks to shed its reputation as the party of old white men.

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cism to Mormonism shortly after graduating from college, took a job as a flight attendant and moved to Utah.

It was there that she met her husband, Jason Love, who took her to a firing range for their first date. The two were married in 1998; Love, a talented stage performer,

mayor.

Love first ran for Congress in 2012 with support from fellow Mormon Mitt Romney, who at the time was campaigning for the Presidency. She was defeated then by the incumbent, six-term Democrat Jim Matheson. But Matheson retired from the seat last year, and Love cruised past his prospective Democrat replacement, Doug Owens, winning the seat by more than three percentage points.

BY TIM WALKER

Staunch conservative mother of three elected in Utah Love Pulls No Punches When Asked Where She Stands on Obamacare

Her rise is remarkable, not just because she is a black Republican woman, but also because she is a black woman in Utah, which is less than one percent AfricanAmerican. She is also a black woman in the Mormon Church, which is three percent black, has long faced accusations of racism, and did not allow African-Americans to take part in all church activities until 1978.

The mother of three spoke at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, when she was still the mayor of Saratoga Springs, a small Salt Lake City satellite. There, she suggested that she felt little political kinship with Barack Obama, America’s first black president.

Ms Love’s political views were shaped by her parents, she told the Republican Convention in 2012. “My parents immigrated to the US with 10 dollars in their pocket, believing that the America they had heard about really did exist,” she said. “When times got tough they didn’t look to Washington, they looked within.”

“President Obama’s version of America is a divided one,” she said, “pitting us against each other based on our income level, gender, and social status.”

Love was born Ludmya Bourdeau in Brooklyn in 1975, the child of Haitian parents who had fled the brutal dictatorship of Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier. Brought up in Connecticut, she converted from Catholi-

reportedly turned down a role on Broadway that clashed with their wedding date.

Her first brush with politics came when she acted as a community spokesman to persuade property developers to spray regularly against the midges that afflicted the neighbourhood. From there she joined the city council, and by 2010 she was elected

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A staunch conservative, she has said that she stands for “fiscal discipline, limited government, and personal responsibility.”

She is also pro-gun, pro-life and anti-Obamacare. “I’m kind of a nightmare for the Democratic Party,” Love told a reporter on the campaign trail earlier last year. “They don’t want me there. But I’m coming.” www.Independent.co.uk

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MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

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light, salt & sports

BY DEBORAH HAMILTON

This Heisman Trophy Winner and Rose Bowl Stand Out Is All In for Jesus Christ efore his Heisman Award-winning season, The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) had a chance to sit down with Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, the Oregon Ducks quarterback who has been a Heisman favorite all season long.

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the first-place votes, receiving the secondhighest percentage of possible points (90.92) in Heisman history, according to ESPN.

when you're able to go out there and have the abilities that the Lord has blessed you with, you want to glorify Him. You want to go out there to represent Him in the right light. To represent your family in the right light and to do that through His power."

Mariota and his teammates made their Rose Bowl Mariota, appearance And he added that his belief and trust in who was on New God helped him persevere through the introduced Year's Day tough times. to FCA against the while in Florida State The Lesson of a Lifetime! high school Seminoles in "Going through the challenges of the seaand beP a s a d e n a , son, my faith has been the steadying force came more C a l i f o r n i a that's pushed me, along with my family, my involved in ending in a friends and my teammates," Mariota said. college, victory (59- "Losing—especially here [at Oregon]—is said that he 20).

But tough. We have high expectations as a prostrives to Mariota says gram to go and win national champigo "all in" it's not the onships. It's a huge pressure, but you learn for Christ numbers or a lot about yourself through it. Coach and his the big [Scott] Frost has helped me learn that footteam. games that ball doesn't define me. It's just what I do.

Marcus Mariota, with Oregon Ducks shows promise to dictate his That was a huge life lesson for me. I really FCA Says ... persevere in his football career. play on the took that and ran with it. My faith is what "All of us at field, but his Savior—Jesus Christ. keeps me going and I can always grow in FCA couldn't be happier for Marcus Marithat. ota," said Les Steckel, President and CEO Who Is Marcus? for FCA, which is celebrating its 60th an- "Being a football player, faith plays a huge "I've learned that no matter what, my faith niversary this year. "Marcus is a force on role," Mariota told FCA will guide me," Mariota the football field and a force for Jesus Magazine. "When things Going ‘all in’ for God is continued. "However I Christ. His passion for the game matches start to get rough, you find play on the field, I know his passion for his convictions, and it is comfort in your faith. glorifying Him with my faith will guide me. wonderful to see him live out his faith both Knowing that no matter the abilities He’s given After sports, my faith will on and off the field. He is certainly an inspi- what, you can dust your- us and shining our guide me. As I've grown in ration for many young athletes." self off and be OK. And you light for Him. my faith, that's something know you do it for [God's] that's given me comfort.

It's been a memorable time for Mariota. At glory. You do it for your God has taught me that I the end of 2014, he graduated from the Uni- teammates, your family, but also for His can trust in Him. No matter what—whether versity of Oregon with a general science de- glory and to represent His name. things are good or bad—I know I can algree, and on Dec. 13, he won the Heisman. ways trust in Him. And that has really alMariota is the first Oregon Duck and "Going 'all in' for God is glorifying Him with lowed me to go 'all in' for Him." Hawaii-born athlete to win the Heisman, the abilities He's given us and shining our and he captured more than 88 percent of light for Him," he said. "I think as an athlete www.CharismaNews.com

“If you're going through hell, keep going.” ― Winston Churchill 34

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

light, salt & sports

NFL Player’s Amazing Response to Ferguson Benjamin Watson has spoken God's word to our fractured world. Consider some headlines: a Palestinian woman stabbed an Israeli yesterday and was wounded by security forces. Eleven Israelis have been killed in five separate Palestinian attacks over the last six weeks. Protests continue in Hong Kong.

Suicide bombers killed 70 last week in Nigeria. A suicide bomber killed nine in Afghanistan yesterday.

A Canadian woman has reportedly been kidnapped in Syria.

Benjamin Watson, with New Orleans Saints, states the cure for Ferguson on Facebook What do these appearances, including an extended CNN conflicts have in common? Sin. What is the interview. hope? The gospel.

I urge you to read Watson's entire statement (www.fox8.com), as it expresses eloquently the pain, conflicted emotions, and confusion so many feel in reacting to this tragedy and its aftermath.

Spiritual Awakening In 2 Kings 22, we find the nation of Israel on the brink of divine judgment and enslavement to Babylon. Workers cleaning the temple found "the Book of the Law," most likely the book of Deuteronomy. When the king read the word of God, he tore his clothes in repentance and commanded the high priest to seek God's grace for the nation. The priest went to Huldah the prophetess, who warned of imminent judgment. But because the king responded to Scripture with remorse and humility, disaster was averted (vs. 8-20) and a great spiritual awakening swept the nation (2 Kings 23).

the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem.

Whoa! This is How Benjamin Closes ...

"I'M ENCOURAGED, because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope."

Lord where we can. Something my wife always says is, 'Benjamin, it's not always about you, and what you want.' God has a way of moving us to where He wants us to be and He expects us to serve Him where we are. So that's been our approach since I've been in New Orleans."

BY JIM DENISON

enjamin Watson plays football for the New Orleans Saints. After the grand jury in Ferguson chose not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in connection with the death of Michael Brown, Watson posted a response on Facebook. His post has gone viral and led to national media

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Let's take the same approach where we are today, to the glory of God. www.DenisonForum.org

Are you legalistic?

The graphic below is sort of a litmus test to determine if you might be. Here are acceptable answers if you are not legalistic: 1) I take liberties with both adult beverages in moderation 2) I love coffee but abstain from wine but I don’t judge others for it.

3) I enjoy an occasional glass of wine but detest coffee. I do not judge those who imbibe in a hot cup of Joe. You might be a legalist if you choose: 1) I think anyone who drinks wine is a heretic and will spend eternity stomping grapes with Satan’s demons while wearing yoga pants. (see page 32) 2) That image is inappropriately funny and I am going to cancel my subscription!

Serve in Your Corner Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace. How can we bring his peace to our conflicted culture? By using our influence to share his word. When Benjamin Watson signed with New Orleans, he said that his purpose was "not just to play football, but to minister in the locker room and also be involved in the community of New Orleans and serve where we can, and tell people about the MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

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2117 Noah’s Ark Project, providing probono services in mental health and substance abuse evaluations for treatment in North, Central and South America. Referral sources such as judicial, law enforcement, religious and medical agencies will be utilized to accommodate persons unable to afford these services and will

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

be available to Costa Ricans and foreigners (There are over 50,000 North Americans living in Costa Rica).

Please check out our web site to see and perhaps feel our commitment. pablitolobo@aol.com Pura Vida CostaRicanHerbalFusion.com

vide love and support to Single Moms 164 Corporate Pl • Branson, MO 65616 • (417) 334-0131 info@thecaringpeople.org www.TheCaringPeople.org

HOMELESSNESS Victory Mission Residential work program 824 W Commercial St. Springfield • (417) 864-2244

Crisis Center Becky Vermeire PO Box 282 • Branson MO 65615 (417) 561-5105 • (866) 379-0074 crisiscenter@centurytel.net

PORNOGRAPHY Fight the New Drug exists to provide individuals the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding pornography by raising awareness on its harmful effects using science, facts, and personal accounts. blog.FightTheNewDrug.org PRISON Bill Glass Ministries Prison visitations 1101 S. Cedar Ridge Drive Duncanville, TX • (972) 298-1101 REHABILITATION CORE Communities of Recovery Experience Cary McKee PO Box 6224 • Branson, MO 65615 (417) 339-3804 cmckee@churcharmyusa.org www.CORE-USA.org Rancho Poiema The vision of Pastor Chris Martinez of Calvary Chapel Tijuana, Mexico.

The goal of this Ministry is to reach out to those individuals that are dealing with drug and alcohol problems. The Ranch is 25 miles inland from the city of Ensenada, Mexico and is located in a place of serene and tranquil atmosphere which is ideal for seeking The Lord and far removed from old friends and contacts. It is very affordable!

Antonio Sanchez is a current Board Member for The Ranch and will assist in helping those that will be coming from The U.S. who desperately need deliverance from these addictions. He can be contacted at (562) 322-4480 or at antonioolga @aol.com.

SUICIDE PREVENTION We Care About You! Call (888) 667-5947 or Email contact@christiansuicideprevention.com 9 pm to 1 am Central Time WOMEN The Caring People Weekly care groups designed to pro

Concerned Women for America (CWA) Conservative political women ministries 1015 Fifteenth St. NW, Ste 1100 Washington, D.C. • (202) 488-7000

www.WomensCrisisCenter.net

Esther's House of Redemption Residential discipleship program for women with life-controlling issues PO Box 1438 • Hollister, MO 65673 (417) 449-5122 • info@ehor.org www.EHOR.org 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 YOUTH Bridges For Youth Youth ministries 834 N National Ave. Springfield • (417) 864-8430 Camp MeWe, Inc. Fork Road, Highlandville, MO 65669 P.O. Box 7077 • Branson, MO 65615 Telephone: 417-334-6313 connect@campmewe.org Jacob’s House 4661 State Hwy 176 E Chestnutridge, MO 65630 penny@jacobshouse.org www.JacobsHouse.org Lives Under Construction Boys Ranch 296 Boys Ranch Rd, Lampe, MO 65681 (417) 779-5374 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) 6831080 For more info or visit web site: www.TeenHarvest.com

how we got here

rior to 1655, there were no legal slaves in the colonies, only indentured servants. All masters were required to free their servants after their time was up.

Seven years was the limit that an indentured servant could be held. Upon their release they were granted 50 acres of land.

This included any Negro purchased from slave traders. Negros were also granted 50 acres upon their release.

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Anthony Johnson was a Negro from modern-day Angola. He was brought to the US to work on a tobacco farm in 1619. In 1622, he was almost killed when Powhatan Indians attacked the farm. 52 out of 57 people on the farm perished in the attack. He married a female black servant while working on the farm.

When Anthony was released he was legally recognized as a “free Negro” and ran a successful farm. In 1651, he held 250 acres and five black indentured servants. In 1654, it was time for Anthony to release John Casor, a black indentured servant. Instead Anthony told Casor he was extending his time. Casor left and became employed by the free white man Robert Parker.

Anthony Johnson sued Robert Parker in the Northampton Court in 1654. In 1655, the court ruled that Anthony Johnson could hold John Casor indefinitely. The court gave judicial sanction for blacks to own slave of their own race. Thus Casor be-

came the first permanent slave and Johnson the first slave owner.

Sierra Leone and Liberia both originated as colonies of repatriated former black slaves.

Whites still could not legally hold a black servant as an indefinite slave until 1670. In that year, the colonial assembly passed legislation permitting free whites, blacks, and Indians the right to own blacks as slaves.

However, black slave owners continued to thrive in the United States.

By 1699, the number of free blacks prompted fears of a “Negro insurrection.”

Virginia Colonial ordered the repatriation of freed blacks back to Africa.

M a n y blacks sold t h e m selves to white masters so they would not have to go to Africa.

This was the first effort to gent l y repatriate free blacks back to Africa. The modern nations of

By 1830 there were 3,775 black families living in the South who owned black slaves.

By 1860 there were about 3,000 slaves owned by black households in the city of New Orleans alone. www.TopConservativeNews.com

ACCORDING TO COLONIAL RECORDS

America’s First Slave Owner was a Black Man

The Legend of Standish he young James Standish was working on the docks of Boston harbor in the 1940s, loading the freight ships of the time with big crates filled with kitchen utensils, destined for the far reaches of the world.

T

One early November morning the day started as so many before it. The wind was blowing, the weather was gray and drab, and James Standish was not in a mood for anything but staying inside, sheltered from wind and rain.

“So, Standish, are you dreaming again? Not much you get done today.” Standish not

even blinked, he was used to the foreman and his insults. And the boxes with 100,000 kitchen utensils were waiting to be loaded.

No way around it, he better get it over with.

But when Standish bent down to lift one of the crates he suddenly got a bright idea — an idea so brilliant that it couldn’t be withheld. He grabbed a piece of chalk out of his pocket, and with big, visible letters he marked each box with: “Jesus Loves You” And through those boxes — appearing in harbors across the whole planet –Standish’s humble ministry of encouragement

reached the whole world. Indeed an effective way of getting around! After that, whenever the foreman shouted to Standish that he never got anything accomplished, he just smiled. He knew better. In harbors across the globe boxes were appearing every day to prove the foreman wrong.

Standish knew that one could transcend borders and break through barriers many ways, and thereby make a difference even though he was hobbled by finance and location.

BY ANONYMOUS

Poor? Stuck? Can you even make a difference?

Read more at:

www.InspirationalArchive.com MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

37

subscribe now! from the publisher...

BY LORRAINE SACOULAS

Why Should You Support the American Christian Voice? e have subscribers in 21 different states and it continues to grow as a Kingdom unifier. We pray the contents will help us all grow in our journey of faith and wisdom.

W

We are now in our 11th year of printing the only Christian magazine of its kind in the nation uniquely representing the whole Body of Christ not sponsored by one faction.

We have served the Christian community to the best of our ability, trying to be fair and balanced to more than one position on the non-essential matters.

Of course, it is the human, religious nature to make twigs into trunks. You can imagine the difficult task we have to try to educate and spiritually mature the

believer without creating a great offense in the process.

If this 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 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 ink! hot topics is the most prudent and, dare we say, Christian approach?

Maybe a friend can split it with you and you both can share it. If that is not possible, could you please try to get the ACV at your favorite vendor?

It would be a shame for this magazine to disappear only to have people saying that had they known our needs, they would have helped out in some way.

If we were all ads, we would need no support from the reader, but we hope the contents are a blessing to you and to others and is worthy of your financial assistance.

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

Only through our diversity can the Body of Christ be properly represented. All of our distinctions together make the whole story.

(Please send check to address in the subscription box or hit the donate button on our website. We publish 10 issues annually. Please tell us which month to start your subscription. Could you tell us how you found the ACV?)

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

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how we got here

Just Clinging To My Religion

Some believe that faith should be banned to the far corners of the earth so that it is spoken only in hushed tones in church or one’s own bedroom.

Obama’s two terms in office are marked with the kind of slaps to the faithful that we usually see with real time with Bill Maher when he said that when you go into the small towns in the Midwest it’s not surpris-

BY DEE WAMPLER

orship of any kind, private or public, gets religious Americans into serious hot water with the liberal media which has come to mock and resent public displays of faith or any acknowledgement of God or religion by the state. The mere suggestion that our country was or is a Christian nation is declared to be backward, ignorant and intolerant.

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ing that those people “get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them, or antiimmigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

His comment is shocking for its shear stupidity. The d a y Obama was sworn in he became the first president in history to mention atheists, calling America a nation of, among other things “nonbelievers.”

Since 1789 there have been 134 national calls to prayer by our presidents. Past presidents have celebrated in numerous ways by attending religious services, prayer breakfasts and giving speeches. Our country was founded on a principle of freedom of religion - not

freedom from religion. The first amendment guarantees that congress cannot “prohibit the free exercise of religious practice.”

The media goes far enough to selectively push tolerance for its own pet causes and secularism, and liberalism - and to paint Christian America as intolerance, fanatical, and oppressive. Many people who believe in God are getting sick and tired of getting pushed around.

Everywhere there is marginalization of the faithful, that public worship is somehow an affront to secular America. It is an historical fact that we celebrate both individual faith and the strong religious values upon which this country was founded.

A Minute with a Man Our founding fathers often spoke of the laws of nature. They wrestled with whether such law was man centered or God centered and, where do our laws come from?

Consider the words of John Quincy Adams:

“The laws of nature and of nature’s God... of course, presupposes the existence of God, the moral ruler of the universe, and the rule of right and wrong, of just and unjust, binding upon man, preceding all institutions of human society and of government.”

Now you know what our Founding Fathers really said.

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

MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

39

saying goodbye

BY J. LEE GRADY

Some Well-Known Christians Graduated always look back to see which members of our Christian family passed away in the last year. I don't have room to include everyone, but here are some believers who left behind a special legacy.

I

1. Louis Zamperini. I'll start my list with this army hero, since his amazing story of courage was immortalized in the movie Unbroken. During World War II the Olympic runner-turned-soldier survived 47 days on a raft in the Pacific, then endured two horrific years in a Japanese prison camp. Unfortunately he died (at age 97) five months before the movie hit theaters. An Italian immigrant, he came home after the war and embraced faith in Jesus at a Billy Graham crusade in 1949—and this led him to seek out his Japanese captors so he could forgive them.

(Additionally, a documentary about Zamperini's faith, Louis Zamperini: Captured by Grace tells the story of life after returning home a hero).

2. S. Truett Cathy. He was not your typical billionaire. The Southern Baptist entrepreneur, who grew up poor, began his Chickfil-A restaurant chain with one odd-shaped diner in Atlanta called the Dwarf House.

Today the company's tasty boneless chicken sandwiches are sold in 1,800 locations—with $5 billion in annual sales.

Cathy's Christian faith not only shaped his store policies (always closed on Sundays) but also his giving: He donated millions to build foster homes for kids and launched a scholarship program to provide career opportunities to underprivileged youth. Cathy was 93.

3. Ann Kiemel Anderson. With her hippie hairdo, maxi dresses and chirpy, highpitched voice, Ann Kiemel was an unlikely evangelist in the 1970s. But she personified the simplicity of the Jesus Movement when she took to stages all over the United States and challenged young people to serve Jesus.

"I am just one young woman ... but one plus a giant of a God can do anything," she said.

Her 18 books, including I'm Out to Change My World, sold 28 million copies. Later in

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

life she developed a drug dependency because of medical problems, but she talked openly about her weakness and always pointed people to Christ. She died of cancer at 69. (Watch her speaking at a youth rally: Ann Kiemel's Dream Fullfilled/youtube.com)

Perry G. Christie, told reporters that Munroe "was indisputably one of the most globally recognizable religious figures our nation has ever produced." Munroe was only 60. Dave Burrows, a Bahamian who also graduated from ORU, will reportedly replace Munroe as pastor.

4. Steve Hill. Pentecostals knew him as the

voice of the Pensacola Revival, a marathon series of meetings hosted by the Brownsville Assembly of God from 1995 to 2000. A former drug addict who was discipled through the Teen Challenge rehab ministry, Hill brought a folksy Alabama drawl to his famous pulpit in Florida. But he aimed for the jugular vein when he gave altar calls. Never afraid to confront sin, he spoke several times a week in Pensacola and saw hundreds of thousands of decisions for Christ in meetings that attracted more than 4 million people over the course of five years. He and his wife, Jeri, later moved to Dallas to plant Heartland World Ministries Church. He battled cancer for years and died in March at age 60. The Dallas ministry is now raising funds to create a digital library of Hill's sermons.

5. Myles Munroe. The world-famous Caribbean faith preacher died with his wife, Ruth, and seven other members of their church when their ministry plane crashed in severe weather in November. Munroe became a hero to many Christians in the developing world because he rose from poverty in his native Bahamas to attend Oral Roberts University. He later planted a thriving church, Bahamas Faith Ministries, in Nassau and began authoring motivational books such as Releasing Your Potential. The prime minister of the Bahamas,

6. Stanley M. Horton. Some people make a big splash in life.

Others spread their impact more quietly over decades.

That was true of Horton, a Harvard graduate who became the most respected Pentecostal theologian of our lifetime. Author of What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit and many other books, he served as professor of Bible at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri, from 1978-1991. He then continued to travel and speak until he was 92. An expert in Greek, he most recently worked on the Modern English Version of the Bible, which was released this year by Charisma House. He died at age 98.

7. Ann B. Davis. The world knew this ditzy actress as the housekeeper Alice Nelson on ABC's 1970s sitcom The Brady Bunch. Few knew that she was also a charismatic Episcopalian who shared her testimony wherever she went. When she retired from show business she fully dedicated her life to ministry at a time when many Episcopalians were being baptized in the Holy Spirit. She told People magazine: "I'm convinced we all have a God-shaped space in us, and until we fill that space with God, we'll never know what it is to be whole." In her later years she led a Bible study at her home church in Texas. Unlike the maid she played on TV, she did not enjoy childcare or cooking. She died after a fall at age 88.

8. Richard Dobbins. He was both a Pentecostal and a psychologist—terms that do not often go together. But Dobbins, an Assemblies of God pastor and prolific author, believed that Pentecostals should do a better job addressing mental health challenges. He started a nonprofit Christian counseling ministry, Emerge, in 1973 after he realized there were few counselors who integrated faith and psychology. Also a local

saying goodbye church pastor in Akron, Ohio, he broke new ground by offering counseling resources to ministers—who are often expected to have no emotional problems of their own. Dobbins was 86.

All of these people made a mark on the world because of their faith. I pray you will do the same in 2015.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. His newest book is The Truth Sets Women Free (Charisma House). You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project, at themordecaiproject.org.

See original article: Pause to Say Goodbye: Christians Who Died in 2014 www.CharismaMag.com

Christian Actress and ‘Beverly Hillbillies’ Star Donna Douglas Dead at 82 everly Hillbillies" star Donna Douglas, who played the lovable blonde Elly May Clampett, passed away on New Year's Day. She was 82 years old.

Douglas' niece-in-law, Charlene Smith, confirmed to USA Today that the actress died of pancreatic cancer at Baton Rouge General Hospital.

Many outlets cited Douglas' age as 81, a fact Smith disputed.

"She was 82," Smith said, adding, "She's going to haunt me for that."

The "Beverly Hillbillies" propelled Douglas to national stardom, and she maintained her on-screen persona decades after the show went off the air.

"She was Elly May until the day she died," Max Baer Jr., who played Elly May's cousin, Jethro, told RumorFix. "When I saw her for autograph signings or other gatherings, she always dressed the same with pink or blue, and of course those signature pigtails."

Baer is now the only living castmember of the hit 1960s sitcom. A friend told him that Douglas had a message for him before she passed: "Tell Maxie I thought I was going to get better."

Douglas was born in Pride, Louisiana, and was Miss Baton Rouge and Miss New Orleans before heading to Hollywood. The actress said she related to her backwoods-turnedmillionaire character in many ways.

"Oh, yeah, it was just like a slice out of my life," she told The Advocate in a previous interview." I knew everything about Elly."

"B

Although most Americans could not relate to t h e ragst o riches s t o r y, m i l - Stark-raving beauty, both inside lions of and out, Miss Donna Douglas. fans related to the characters and loved the Clampetts.

"So many kinds of people relate to Elly May," Douglas said, according to the Associated Press. "So many people love her, and that means a lot to me."

When the show ended in 1971, Douglas embarked on a gospel and country music singing career, and also wrote a children's book with biblical themes. Her family said she loved the Lord and frequently ministered to them.

She was a "very good Christian lady," Smith said. "We all loved her. Whenever she gave presents, they always came with (passages) from Scripture."

She is survived by her son, three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a brother, and other extended family members, Smith reported. www.ChristianToday.com MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

BY CHRISTIAN TODAY STAFF WRITER

10. The martyrs of 2014. Perhaps the most "famous" people on this list are the ones we forget. In November, Sajjad and Saima Massih, a Christian couple in Pakistan, were beaten and then thrown alive into a brick kiln near the city of Lahore. They were falsely accused of blaspheming Islam—and incinerated.

Hundreds of thousands of people like the Massihs were killed for their Christian faith in 2014 in places such as Nigeria, Syria and Iraq—where 40,000 have reportedly died at the hands of ISIS terrorists. Mark Arabo, a spokesman for Iraqi Christians, told CNN in August that Islamic militants were beheading children of Christian parents. "The world hasn't seen an evil like this for a generation. There's actually a park in Mosul that they've actually beheaded children and put their heads on a stick," Arabo said.

usic legend Andraé Crouch has died.

The Grammy and Dove Award winner passed away on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015 at Northridge Hospital Medical Center in the Los Angeles area. Andraé, 72, was hospitalized on Jan. 3.

Andraé's accolades include 7 Grammy Awards, 6 GMA Dove Awards, an Academy Award nomination for "The Color Purple," induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His songs have been recorded by every- Andraé Crouch, a performer and a light to the one from Elvis Presley to Paul Simon, and secular culture as well as Christian listeners. he has worked as a producer and arranger with many of music's top artists, including hit singles "Man in the Mirror," "Keep the Michael Jackson, Madonna, Quincy Jones, Faith," "Will You Be There" and "Earth Song."

Diana Ross, Elton John and many others. Anwww.CharismaNews.com draé can also be heard on Michael Jackson's

M

BY JENNIFER LECLAIRE

9. Maria Von Trapp. The last survivor of the seven Von Trapp children portrayed in The Sound of Music, Maria was called Louisa in the film to avoid confusion with her famous stepmother. When she contracted scarlet fever as a child, her father, Georg [Von Trapp], decided to employ a governess, Maria [Von Trapp], who was played by Julie Andrews in the film. The musical family fled the Nazis in Austria and came to the United States in 1938, where they purchased a lodge in Vermont and made it their base. Like her famous stepmother, Maria was influenced by the Catholic charismatic renewal movement of the 1970s and spent 30 years as a missionary in Papua New Guinea. She was 99.

Legendary Gospel Singer Andraé Crouch Dead at 72

41

perseverance

BY AUTHOR

Start Over What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step.-C.S. Lewis Becoming like Christ is a long, slow process of growth.- Rick Warren

When you’ve trusted Jesus and walked his way When you’ve felt his hand lead you day by day But your steps now take you another way, start over.

When you’ve made your plans and If you’re running a 26they’ve gone awry mile marathon, remember When you’ve tried your best and that every mile is run one there’s no more try step at a time. If you are When you’ve failed writing a book, do it one yourself and you page at a time. If you’re don’t know why, trying to master a new start over. language, try it one word at a time. There are 365 When you’ve days in the average year. told your Divide any project by 365 friends what and you’ll find that no job you plan to do is all that intimidating.When you’ve Charles Swindoll trusted them and they didn’t James 5:11Behold, we come through consider those blessed And now you’re all who remained steadfast. alone and it’s up to you, You have heard of the start over. steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purWhen you’ve failed your kids and pose of the Lord, how the they’re grown and gone Lord is compassionate When you’ve done your best but it’s and merciful. turned out wrong And now your grandchildren have Revelation 2:2 “‘I know come along, your works, your toil and start over. your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.

When you’ve prayed to God so you’ll know his will When you’ve prayed and prayed and you don’t know still When you want to stop cause you’ve had your fill, start over.

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can doHelen Keller

When you think you’re finished and want to quit When you’ve bottomed out in life’s deepest pit When you’ve tried and tried to get out of it, 1 Timothy 4:16 Keep a start over. close watch on yourself When the year and on the teaching. Perhas been long sist in this, for by so doing and successes you will save both yourself and your hearers. few When December comes and you’re feeling blue God gives a January just for you, start over.

We must never despair; our situation has been compromising before, and it has changed for the better; so I trust it will again.

If difficulties arise, we must put forth new exerStarting over means “Victories Won” tion and proportion our Starting over means “A Race Well efforts to the exigencies of Run” the times.- George WashStarting over means “The Lords’ Will ington Done” We need not just sit there … START Hebrews 10:36 For you OVER. have need of endurance,

Philippians 1:6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. -C.S. Lewis

Football is like life, it requires perseverance, selfdenial, hard work sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority -Vince Lombardi

Falcon resting in a Tree

so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

2 Peter 1:5-7 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

Galatians 6:9And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

tid bits

US Abortion Clinics Shutter to Record Low

A total of 551 clinics remain open nationwide, the smallest figure in more than two decades, according to a survey released recently by the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue.

Clinic closures have spiked since the Republican wave of 2010, when the GOP took over the House and made gains in state legislatures around the country.

Since then, more than 200 new abortion rules have passed through state legislatures. The disappearance of the clinics comes as the rate of abortions nationwide

continues its decades-long decline.

“No matter how one views the numbers, they show that we are winning,” Operation Rescue President Troy Newman wrote in a statement.

The number of abortion clinics closed this year is dwarfed by the record 93 clinics closed in 2013, which saw a wave of laws in states such as Texas shutter clinics.

But the number of closures could again jump in 2015, Operation Rescue said. If states like Texas are given the green light from courts to enforce new laws, the group said more doctors will be forced to abandon the practice.

Texas has been a symbol in the state-level abortion debate since the passage of its

harsh abortion law in 2013, which drew national attention with the help of a marathon filibuster from then-state Sen. Wendy Davis.

Much of the law was put on hold by the Supreme Court in October, though a lengthy legal battle is still ahead.

BY SARAH FERRIS

he number of abortion clinics across the country has shrunk by nearly one-quarter over the last five years, with 60 facilities shuttered in 2014 alone, according to new research.

T

“We are continuing to witness the implosion of the abortion cartel in America,” Newman, a longtime anti-abortion activist, wrote in a statement.

“The only things that are preventing total collapse are court injunctions that are blocking several state abortion safety laws from being enforced. Once those laws clear the courts, we expect to see even more dangerous abortion facilities close,” Newman wrote.

More Than a Quarter of AirAsia Victims Attended Same Church

Mawar Sharon Church, in Surabaya, Indonesia, hosted a prayer service earlier this week as to com-

fort relatives and remember those who were lost in the crash.

The Rev. Philip Mantofa offered faith as comfort to one man: "If God has called y o u r child, allow me

to say this: Your child is not to be pitied," CBS reports the man saying. "Your child is already in God's arms. One day, your family will be reunited in heaven."

Due to severe weather, retrieval of the bodies has been postponed. www.CharismaNews.com

BY JESSILYN JUSTICE

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ore than a quarter of the victims on AirAsia flight 8501 were members of the same pentecostal church in Indonesia, the AP reports.

editor’s note: Lord forgive me for treating these families of different race on the other side of the planet with indifference. They are my family, too. They are my brothers and sisters in Christ and I pray for your peace to cover them as we wait anxiously for the day we will all be reunited in heaven.

Mississippi Lawmakers Want to Make Bible State’s Official Book force their Christian beliefs on others. The measure would not compel anyone to read the book, Evans said, adding: "It don't force anybody to do anything."

State Representatives Michael Evans and Tom Miles, both Democrats, said they introduced the measure on Thursday as a way to encourage people to read the Bible and be inspired to treat others with dignity.

The bill came in response to constituents recommending it as a small corrective for "all the bad things happening in the world," he said.

The lawmakers said it was not their goal to

The measure has about 20 co-sponsors,

both Democrats and Republicans, and its prospects for passage appear good, said Miles.

Last year, Mississippi put "In God We Trust" on the state's seal, Miles noted.

"This (bill) isn't any more out there than that," he said.

BY JONATHAN KAMINSKY

pair of lawmakers in Mississippi have introduced a bill to make the Bible the official state book, the two said on Monday.

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www.Reuters.com MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

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Gregg E. Stade - Real Estate, Business Law and Estate Planning 600 W. Republic Rd. Ste. A 100 Springfield, MO • (417) 889-5572

248 Pizza Company 2722 St. Hwy 248 • Branson, MO Across from Branson Events Center (417) 544-0206 • 248pizzacompany@gmail.com

Open Mon - Sat 11 AM - 9 PM • Sunday Closed

W3 Coffee to benefit the Noah’s Ark Project available at: Sun Fest Market 225 Cross Creek Blvd #1 Branson, MO (417) 239-1166

The Copper Coin Unique & Inspirational Gifts (417) 551-1208 • 109 N. Commercial Street • Branson

thecoppercoin.com CARPET& FLOORING Plush Floor Coverings Jeff Wilson Flooring Sales & Installation Email: plushfloorcovering@gmail.com Serving: Springfield, Marshfield & Branson, MO • (417) 598-7288

Timothy S. Davis, Esq. Attorney at Law 487 Sourwood Mountain Branson, MO • (417) 294-1083

ImagesAtTheCross.org Affordable & R & H Plumbing SMALL BUSINESS • BIG SERVICE (417) 334-4224 • (417) 336-6781 Serving the Tri-Lakes since 1994.

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

we love israel!

How come so many of the Jewish people do not believe that Yeshua, Jesus, is the Messiah?

There are several reasons for this. One is, simply put, tradition. Jewish people have heard all their lives from their parents and from their rabbis, "Jesus is not for us. Jesus is for them." Meaning the goyim, a Hebrew word which means those who are "gentiles," "from the nations." And so, they just stand on what they've been taught, generation after generation.

has been committed upon our Jewish people over the centuries – in the Crusades, the Inquisitions, even the Holocaust. All of these atrocities were done to the Jewish people in the name of Jesus Christ.

The second reason is because of the veil that covers the eyes of our Jewish people.

Rabbi Shaul, the apostle Paul, addresses this in 2 Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 16.

But he does say when one turns to the Lord, meaning Yeshua, that veil is taken away. So let's pray the Jewish people will have the veil taken away and be able to read the Bible with the enlightened eyes of the Holy Spirit.

Still another reason is because of the Trinity. They believe that "well, if we accept this Jesus, then we have to embrace a Christian theology that says there are three gods – Father, Son and Holy Spirit". We all know that there is only one G-d. But supernaturally he manifests Himself in three divine persons. A Jewish person is very careful about this because in the Torah there is what is called the "Shema" from Deuteronomy, chapter 6, verse 4. It says, "Shema Yisrael, Adonai Elohenu, Adonai Echad," which means "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one God."

Another reason why Jewish people do not want to receive Yeshua as Messiah is because of the tremendous persecution that

These are a few reasons why Jewish people have a hard time accepting Yeshua as the Messiah. But we know that Paul says in Ro-

mans 11:26, "All Israel shall be saved." Hallelujah!!

WITH RABBI JEREMY STORCH

Ask the Rabbi...

To contact Jeremy for ministry in your congregation, for a radio or television interview or other special event, or for information on his albums or teachings, please call or email:

The Tabernacle Branson’s Messianic Congregation 256 Church Road Branson, MO 65616 (417) 334-7373 www.TheTabernacleInBranson.com

464 Missouri 248, Branson, MO (866) 707-4100

www.oakridgeboystheatre.com

MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

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classifieds

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Christian Classifieds ANTIQUES White RiverTrading Company located next to the Post Office in Rockaway Beach, MO. Buy sell and trade. Very unique items! Great prices. call for more info- (417) 294-0624 AUTOS/TRUCKS/CAMPERS 1966 VW Wolfsburg edition Bug. Ready to restore. 40 hp motor. New interior and alternator with all components supplied.

Call Sparky at (417) 336-1297 _________________________ 1969 Bay Window VW Bus project. Ready to restore. Includes engine. $2,750.00 Call Steve at (417) 864-7348

COMPUTERS Computer Repair Service anywhere there is an internet connection! We can fix most bugs over the web without you coming to us or us coming to you! Affordable rates.

Mike’s Mobile Service (417) 365-5504 mobilemikespcrepair@gmail.com EMPLOYMENT Use our Christian job search for job listings, employment opportunities, openings, and hiring resources. Find Christian business jobs, ministry jobs, and nonprofit employment. www.christianjobs.com HEALTHCARE Christian Healthcare Solutions AWIS Marketing Opportunity. Looking for 5 college-age marketing students looking to earn residual income marketing affordable medical and dental insurance. www.chsolutions.awisima.com

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Christian-value, green technology company expanding. Seeks motivated work at home candidates. $500-1500 P.T. $2000-7000 F.T. Contact for information and confidential interview. (800) 973-6182. www.ecobusiness.com/taz _________________________ We are on a mission to help millions of Christians earn free wireless service and get paid to help others do the same. For information, call 800-599-4914. www.germunsonfreewireless.biz _________________________ Commercial Real Estate Consultants needed immediately. We are a business consulting company and are currently expanding our team all across the country.

We need independent consultants to locate commercial clients. Other awesome opportunities are available! No experience necessary and no license requirements. Call Sullivan (323) 854-0368. _________________________ Are you looking to earn extra money from home?? Do you have online marketing experience?? Go to our website and click on “Hangout” for complete details. Jimmy, 626-755-4262 • www.next5mil.com _________________________ Community Christian newspaper for sale in southern California. Send an email inquiry to info@selahmediagroup.net

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AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE | MARCH 2015

JEWELRY Gerzen’s Jewelry & Repair. Purity rings, silver necklaces, gold rings, silver rings, bracelets, earrings, and one of a kind custom made creations. 3235 S. National Springfield, MO • (417) 887-2330 gerzen@sbcglobal.

LODGING Stonewall West Motel. When you visit Branson and need a clean room at a great price! American owned • Senior & Vet discount • 1040 West Hwy 76 (417) 3345173 __________________________ Carriage House Inn, 3015 Green Mountain Drive, Branson, MO • 417-335-4248 www.BransonCarriageHouseInn.com PERSONALS The ClubEY.com member intranet provides a safe, on line meeting place for Equally Yoked members while maintaining the personalized, local touch. We speak with every member before we enroll them. Our years of experience with our proven system of enrolling the best of the Christian singles in your area will get you on the right path toward relationship success. Dating doesn't have to be dangerous and undignified! Our members are waiting for you to join. Dream ...big..and reach out towards the light of committed Christian singles reaching out for you! • www.ClubEY.com

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE BY OWNER: Branson

Pointe Royale Condo.

3 bedroom, 3 bath + loft. Almost 2,000 sq. ft., 3 skylights, corner fireplace. Across from Welk Theatre. Gated community with golf, pool, tennis, & clubhouse. $139,995.00 $1200/mo. @ 5% interest and $10,000 down. Includes association fees & privileges. • Call George at 608-556-5642 for more details.Condo in Branson at beautiful Pointe Royale SHELTERS Garages, Carports, RV Shelters and more Best prices! (620) 243-4300 TECHNOLOGY Jesus Film App. One of the greatest evangelistic tools of all time. Shown around the globe more than 6 billion times this 1979 docudrama now available in a simple to use app where you just point to the country of choice and it will play back in that language. app.jesusfilmmedia.org _________________________ Free Bible App. 800 translations in 500 languages downloaded to 143 million people. www.Bible.com and www.Bible.com/kids VACATION RENTALS Lake Arrowhead Vacation Homes—Great for Families, Retreats, Reunions. California (562) 427-9810.

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Classifieds are one dollar per word. Phone numbers, email addresses and web sites count as only one word each.. Add a picture for $15.00. Call (417) 336-3636. Please email classified to: editor@americanchristianvoice.com Credit cards or checks accepted. Must be pre-paid before run. $10.00 minumum.

musings from the editor

So, you are captivated by one pitchman’s speech about the virtues of Fish Oil. You are convinced it will arrest a heart attack in its tracks. A short time later a competing snake (sorry I mean fish) oil salesman educates us further that it really is KRILL oil that we should be taking because it is superior to the benefits of fish oil.

We again are convinced and switch over to Krill Oil. A short time later (like the time it takes to place the order and the 3 months it takes to get it to your house), another magazine article featuring yet another doctor of “good reputation” educates us further that yes, while Krill Oil is better than Fish Oil, not ALL Krill Oils are the same!

In fact, unless you get OUR brand of Krill Oil you are literally flushing your hard earned money down the drain. What makes our Krill Oil better? We cold press the oil from our very own, farmed raised, virgin Krill that are fed only a vegan diet and given Shinto massages twice each day while being sung to by Michael Buble.

Men of a certain age (me) have been brainwashed to know that unless we take 80 megs of low dose aspirin daily we will never see the age of 60. The day before I wrote this article, I heard a television commentator lead with this teaser: “Can low dose aspirin actually bring on heart attacks in middle aged men? More on this after the break.”

After the commercial break (that was dominated by drug companies claiming relief

fee can under her sink that was full of sludge. I was told later it was lard. She cooked everything in John, sees the it, including her fried bigger picture eggs. She from a distance. was a m a r velous cook and when I tried to duplicate her recipes they never tasted quite as good because I substituted the lard with more sensible ingredients. I was sorely disappointed to discover that was where the flavor came from.

And then there is the guilt of not exercising enough. Unless you are at a desk job all day, isn’t the activities of the day enough? Of course, if you follow the money trail it comes from the muti-billion dollar cheap useless gadget companies. Did you see the one device you simply wear around your waist and it magically dissolves all that Doritos storage?

My critics are screaming right about now that those are outliers. No, that doesn’t mean they are out right liars. It is a statistical term that means they are not the norm and should not be used as an example for anything.

As if people for the last 6,000 years ever worried about that. I think in all of history people were more concerned about RESTING enough. I suppose due to all the technology of the modern age our brains are working furiously but our bodies are turning into mush?

Only in America does it seem that we are convinced that if we don’t have a six pack (tummy not Budweiser) or look good in a bikini or speedo, that somehow we are just slugs. I couldn’t find the actual statistics on exercise injuries because each incident was called a “freak” accident. All of them? Really?

Even though I am Greek, I doubt most of my descendents were Olympiads. In fact, I had a Greek aunt that passed away last year well into her eighties. To be honest, she could have been described as being a human chimney. If she was awake she had a cigarette in her mouth and lit the next one off of the current one most of her entire life.

My maternal grandmother lived close to ninety, yet coated her fried eggs in the morning with a nice blanket of snow in the form of salt. She kept a Maxwell House cof-

BY JOHN G. SACOULAS, ACV MANAGING EDITOR

f you’re like me, the topic of health will drive you crazy. I know we are all told one day that coffee, eggs, wine and butter will make us fat, subject to bouts of depression and more suspectable to dementia.

Only later, we are informed that, after further research, the aforementioned will make you thinner, improve your mood and help you have the mental acuity of a young asian child.

I

from maladies I have never heard of, and then scaring the molasses out of me about the side affects that sounded worse than the disease) that television network used that same teaser for an hour and a half before revealing that a man in Osh Kosh Wisc o n s i n suffered a heart attack trying to open one of those child proof bottles of a low dose aspirin bottle.

Plenty of religious people gave Rich Mullins (the one that wrote the most recorded contemporary Christian song called “Awesome God”) grief for smoking.

Well, he died in a car accident at the age of 41. Smoking didn’t cut off a single day of his life. I know, outlier, right?

So, after eating all my organic veggies, I am now told there are few regulations to things labeled “Organic” and has little nutritional value in it because of the delay from harvest to my table. Last December we ran an article that frozen and canned veggies are better for you!

How then shall we live?

STOP THE MADNESS! How about moderation in all things? Do you like potato chips? Have a few cups, not a few bags. Do you like sweets? Who doesn’t? Don’t try and quit; just try a cup of ice cream instead of a bowl. Relax, enjoy life.

Just be moderate. Epictetus wisely stated that “If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please.”

It is a good guideline to make sure you have a lot of color on your plate, using variety to hopefully cover all the bases. Of course you have to be sure they are not artificial colors. (UGGHH!) MARCH 2015 | AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE

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