American Christian Voice Vol. 11 No. 3 by American Christian Voice

inside this issue

American Christian Voice Volume 11 No. 3 Contents

10 12 8 16 22 14 7 6 25 34 What’s an Epiphany? by Marla Woodmansee

When They’re Never Sorry Enough

Is Christianity a Religion of Blind Faith?

Eduardo Verastegui:

Actor Makes Vow to God to Change Everything

The Forgotten Bridegroom by Kathy Caruso

The Perfect Gay Wedding Strategy

Rapture & the Bible: Myth vs. Fact

Robert Schuller’s Tribute: remembered as dreamer, pastor and dad

A “Man’s Man”... What Does That Mean?

For God So Loved Bruce (Caitlyn) Jenner

Elisabeth and Jim Elliot. Elisabeth Elliot has died at age 88, according to the Gospel Coalition. She was the widow of martyred Jim Elliot and author of Through the Gates of Splendor. Thier story was featured in the movie, The End of the Spear”. Born in 1926 to missionaries in Belgium, Elliot spent her life pursuing God into the deepest and darkest of jungles.

STORY BY JESSILYN JUSTICE/CHARISMA.COM

40. Fixer Upper’s Joanna Gaines“God led her to HDTV” FOOD FOR THOUGHT 20. Getting Though the Tough Stuff 24. Evangelists: Stop Promising God Has a ‘Wonderful Plan’ 28. Did Jesus Battle Depression? 39. The Faith of Our Leaders 42. The Jehovah’s Witness Get Some Things Right 40. Signs of a Bitter Woman 44. Signs of Emotional Affair BRANSON FRONTLINE 22. Patsy Cline Remembered 31. Jim & Lori Bakker WE LOVE ISRAEL! 45. Ask the Rabbi... MUSINGS FROM THE ED 47. The Last Word

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ABOUT ACV 3. Inside This Issue 4. Yak Bak: Letters to the Ed 5. Mission Statement 5. Who We Are 36. Subscribe Now! 38. Ministry Directory FROM THE COVER 7, 8, 27, 33+ 37. Trendy Opinions Rapture 46. Who Gets Left Behind? RADICAL 30. We Are to Love Not Judge 43. What’s In Your Storehouse? CULTURE 3. Martyr’s Widow Dies 13. The Widow of Beheaded Martyr’s Reaction 17. Spotlight: KLIFE Ministry 18. Android vs. Apple? 26. Investments Based on Strong Dollar? 29. Eureka Springs 31. Live in The Wind 32. Abortion by Dismember

Martyr Jim Elliot’s Widow Elisabeth Dies

She married Jim Elliot, who was later martyred while trying to reach the Quichua Indians of Ecuador. Elisabeth was known for her service and submitting to God's will, even when she didn't understand. "I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done," she wrote in Passion and Purity. Please lift the Elliot family up in prayer during this time.

OZARKS HEBREW HERITAGE ASSOCIATION (OHHA) explores the Hebrew Roots of our Christian Faith monthly at the Doulos Center: 282 Doulos Rd, Branson, 65616 For more info: 888-265-1837 • or email: ohhatorah@yahoo.com Join us for our monthly meetings!

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. yak bak Feed Back From Our Readers Thank you for the article “Why We don’t Need ‘Women’s’ Ministry! (April edition) So many things that Sarah Bessey wrote made me say “Amen!” out loud as I read her article. “We need Jesus. We are seeking deep spirituality. We are seeking fellow travelers.” Amen! And, no matter what stage of life we are in we can bless others walking where we’ve already walked, and learn from those who are past the journey we are currently on. I too would like to “organize and prioritize, to rabble-rouse and disturb the peace of the rest of the world on behalf of justice, truth, beauty and love.” And, I would add, “on behalf of Jesus!” Typical “Women’s Ministry”, IN MY OPINION, tends to be shallow and superficial. I hunger to share my heart with sisters I can trust, who will hurt with me, celebrate with me and always hold me accountable to my desire to be more Christ-like today than I was yesterday! Indeed, “let us be women who Love like Jesus”. In Christ, Cally Ross, Branson, MO ______________________________ Thank you for remebering Kayla Mueller. Her life accounted for so much more than any celebrity that is fawned over. Her parents can take solace in knowing that they brought a daughter into this world that made a difference. Truly, the first will be last and the last shall be first in more ways than one! Joseph T., San Diego, CA _______________________________ “No boots on the ground” has emboldened the terrorists to continue to commit atrocities against fellow Christians. May God have mercy on Barack Obama’s soul for not coming to the aid of the children of God. Come to think of it... he refuses to come to the aid of the unborn child who has no voice or electoral power. At least Mr. Obama is consistant. Compared to him there isn’t a single GOP candidate that isn’t looking like a superstar right now. Marcus Freeman, Colrado Springs, CO

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I have never been a fan of Russell Brand and his sophmoric humor but I will admit, his perspective on the devestation of pornography was spot on. Hats off to him for the honest and bold assessment of this pervasive plague that has permeated all of society in one way or another. Also, thanks for printing the article from a non believer. I’m sure some religious folks didn’t care for your choice of authors on this one.

I want to thank you for helping me be less judgemental of others (particularly other Christians) Your articles have shown me over the past few years that it isn’t my job or right to judge... only to love. Keep up the good work. I buy extra copies of the ACV each month and send them to reletives and friends. Robert F., Springfield, MO _________________________________ Every month there is something patently offensive in your publication. Thank you. I pray about those articles and most of the time the Holy Spirit convicts me that even if I am right, my attitude is often wrong. It helps me grow more like my Savior everytime. 50 shades of grace was brilliant!

Tricia Porter, Effingham, IL Tricia, I’m not sure we have that many religious folks as regular readers. Certainly not our enlightened subscribers. lol -ed ________________________________ The article, “The Problems With Quiet Times” by Amy Julia Becker was such a blessing. Thank you for printing so many good articles that help remove the burdens so many Christian leaders have heaped on us for far too many years. These guilt trips have got to end! As I see folks lamenting the decline and closures of many mainline denominations as well as my own former hymn singing King James Version only fellowship I think they should disappear. Obviuosly, time is very short before the return of Christ. We need to stop playing church and placing burdens on one another with people’s opinion of the Christian lifestyle. Jennifer Polcet, Little Rock, AR

Beatrice Harmon, Mt. Vernon, MO ___________________________________ Send your “letters to the editor” to: editor@americanchristianvoice.com or mail to:

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culture

A Real Man Nehemiah Chapter 1 Great Men are few. Great Men of God of even fewer. Why? Well here in America we have an idol. It is called SELF. Yes there are successful leaders and business men in America today. In fact we have over 45 Billionaires in United States. More than any other country. We have some of the most educated and powerful men in nation. And this unfortunately is how we often grade a man. However we live in a culture that deteriorates morally right under our noses and we can’t smell the immorality because we are to busy sniffing the stench of money as we build our own kingdom of comfort. We can’t see the corrupted culture because we are blinded by “self”. “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)

When you think of a “Man’s Man” what comes to mind? This leads me into the life of Nehemiah. I suppose there is so much God wants to share about His chosen men but here are just four principles or characteristics that I was nourished with as I read the first chapter of Nehemiah. 1. A Genuine Concern for his fellow-man. Nehemiah inquired about his fellow-man. He first had a heart, like Jesus Christ, of concern for others that lead him to ask the question. “How are they doing?” That’s a great start men…Just ask the question. When is the last time you picked up the phone and called a fellow brother to ask “how are you doing”? When is the last time you where honest when someone asked you “How are you doing?”

2. A Broken Heart. He wept over the condition that was reported. A true brokenness of heart for his fellow brothers conditions. Just like our King Jesus Christ. Shortest verse in the bible John 11:35: “Jesus Wept”. Does the condition of others, the condition of our country, of our families, of the school system, of the blatant immorality that has infected our youth our families our church our friends cause us to just weep? Does the blind man walking toward the cliff make you weep for his final destination? 3. Humility/Knows his inability to do anything. Nehemiah immediately goes to the One and only One that can forgive and give. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. He bows in true humility with a broken heart and brings not only his fellow Peoples sin to God but confesses HIS OWN and requests forgiveness. He doesn’t put Himself above those in need and doesn’t get angry with his fellow brothers for “messing up”. Then he asks for God to give success. True success can only come from God. That word success in the Hebrew means to push forward, to break out. We must know Christian Men that apart from God we can do NOTHING: John 15:5. Paul writes in 2 Cor. 12: “….For when I am weak, Then I am strong.” 4. Moved by Compassion. Driven by conviction. In Matthew 14:13 We see Jesus wanting to withdraw for a bit to get alone but when he saw the multitude of people it says “He had compassion on them and He

healed their sick.” Conviction without action is just feeling bad about something or someone. God brings conviction by His Holy Spirit to show himself through us. There is action! His compassion for others and conviction over conditions causes a selfless life. So I come to the conclusion (not an exhaustive conclusion) that real Godly men are soft at heart, they weep, they hurt, they can’t hide their feelings. They are very interested in other people and are broken over others conditions, NOT angry. They recognize their own sin condition and they understand their total dependence on God. They are moved into action by Godly compassion and they will risk for the sake of others not themselves. May this example not bring condemnation but an examination on how we view a real man and how we can allow God to play THE role in the way we live as men. Lord, we thank you for the finished work of the Cross. We thank you for your great love and compassion for your people that you didn’t sit on your throne. You where moved and CAME and humbled yourself and took the punishment that we deserved for our sin… death apart from you. May that truth of Grace grip our hearts to the point that as we look onto a world under your wrath we are moved to take action. All because you first loved us. I pray this in Jesus Christ name. Amen.

God Loves you just the way you are, not the way you should be. Because no one is as they should be. - Brennan Manning 6

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eschatology Rapture & the Bible: Myth vs. Fact The Rapture Idea The idea of a Rapture – the secret “taking away” of believers before a Great Tribulation of seven years and the coming of Christ to punish the unrighteous of the Earth – is one presented to new Christians from the earliest days of their faith. An unbeliever might even know about the Rapture long before he comes to the faith. Many evangelizers will use the idea of the Rapture as a way to “till the soil” where the seeds of the Gospel message will be planted. It’s an idea with significant “mind share,” occupying plenty of space in the brains of believers and in the pulpits of preachers. Often even the youngest children in an Evangelical congregation can draw a picture of what they’re told will happen in the very near future: Millions of true believers disappear from the Earth ... raptured, “caught away.”... Governments panic at first, and then make convincing excuses for the disappearances.... An Antichrist arises and brings a false peace to the world.... A one-world religion forms to spread faith in the Antichrist.... People are forced to receive a mark that shows belief that Antichrist is a god..... Millions upon millions die in horrible plagues released by angels...... Christ and His army finally come in the clouds and utterly destroy the last of His enemies. That’s the sequence: Rapture, Panic, False Peace, Heresy, Global Death, Final Defeat of Enemies. Keep it in mind. It’s a heck of a story. You may have even seen it on the big screen in The Omen and Left Behind or on the small screen in the series Sleepy Hollow or any number of Discovery Channel retellings The secular world eats up this story as much as many Evangelicals do. To separate faith from fiction, however, we should take a look at the source of the Rapture idea, the Scriptures themselves. Two passages form the foundation of the Rapture idea in modern Christianity, one in 1 Thessalonians 4 and the other in 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and

the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” This sequence, the sequence of Scripture, raises some issues with the sequence we saw previously. Christ descends with a shout, no secrets about it. A trumpet from the archangel blasts forth, again no secret. The dead in Christ rise up in the air, coming before anyone else. Then the alive in Christ get caught up into the clouds with the Lord. Then they are with Him forever. But before we draw any conclusions, let’s examine the second major passage dealing with this same event.

themselves: How can the Rapture come before the plagues and wars that kill tens of millions if it is taking place as part of the moment in salvation that closes the grave forever? How can the Rapture be a secret snatching away of the living when Paul clearly says it is proclaimed with a shout, with the Lord appearing dramatically in the clouds at the blaring of the trumpet, a fanfare declaring the arrival of the King? How, if this moment is the moment of the “last trump,” can there be other trumpets in a tribulation story filled with seals, bowls, and trumps? How can this Rapture be the moment that “Death is swallowed up in victory” if there is still so much death to come in a Great Tribulation? And finally: How can the current Rapture idea and the timeline accompanying it persist once the light of Scripture shines on it? Where did it even come from?

1 Corinthians 15:51-57 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and The Making of Myths we shall be changed. For this corruptible Since the dawn of civilization, must put on incorruption, and this mortal humankind has been a myth-mongering must put on immortality. So when this species. We love corruptible our tall tales. We shall have put Don’t laugh... it could happen! see the sun rise on and we conjure incorruption, stories of Apollo’s and this chariot. We hear mortal shall thunder and we have put on dream up Thor’s immortality, hammer. We see then shall be foam on the ocean brought to and we invent pass the Izanagi no saying that is Mikoto’s divine written, Death spear of life. is swallowed It’s often up in victory. oppression that brings out the myth O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where makers among us. My own ancestors of is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and Mexico are a prime example of fable the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be crafting: Not content with the religion to God, which giveth us the victory through offered by their rich European overlords, our Lord Jesus Christ. they borrowed from the oppressing class’s In this sequence, more detail is added. faith to devise a tale of a Lady of Guadalupe, The trump that sounds is the last trump, dark-skinned like regional natives, who the very last one. The dead raise declared herself an incarnation of the incorruptible. The living are changed next. Virgin Mary and demanded a church be The final enemies, Death and the Grave, are built to honor her. Similarly, the oppressed defeated decisively. Christ and His life reign and disenfranchised Jews of two centuries victorious forever. before Christ borrowed the term “messiah” According to these Scriptures, the event from their ancient faith to concoct a we call the Rapture in our modern times is complex mythology of an imminent warrior what the church has always called the king who would conquer the oppressive Resurrection of the Dead. It happens when Roman empire, subjecting it to Judean the very last trumpet sounds, and it signals control. the end of Christ’s and mankind’s final enemies, Death and the Grave. continued on next page End times enthusiasts need to ask VOL.11 #3 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

Is Christianity a Religion of Blind Faith? BY AARON VILAND

Romans 1:18-22. How is man without excuse? The following blog post is from a 17 year old... Well said! hear so many Christians say, “I cannot prove God’s existence. If I could, it wouldn’t be faith.” This is a complete misunderstanding of what faith is. If we could not be sure of this, then why would we die for it, as so many have throughout history? Hebrews 11:1-3 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” We can’t see God, but that does not mean we don’t have reason to believe He’s there. The beauty of faith is not in our blindness, but in Christ giving us the ability to see through our blindness. So we must find out the reasons why we believe what we do, and not ignore questions and arguments that inhibit further faith, in fear of disproving it, because if it can be disproved then we shouldn’t waste our time with it. Likewise, if our questions can be answered, and arguments refuted, we’ll truly be able to believe in a way we couldn’t before.

Christianity is Not At All a Religion of Blind Faith. Now I’m sure you’re expecting from me a very logical argument, and if not, nothing I write will provide any assistance for the believer, nor any reason to reconsider for the atheist. But of course, what does logic mat-

continued from page 7 The word “eschatology” means “the study of end times.” As Christian believers, we aren’t immune to our eschatology being affected by our human myth-making drive. The fact is, the more oppressed or disenfranchised we imagine ourselves to be, the more eschatological myth-making we’re likely to do. This, I believe, is part of what drives the current push to reinterpret the Second Coming of our Lord in victory and glory as a rescue tale that snatches us away from the horrors and punishment of those who refuse to believe as we do.

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ter if there is no order to the Universe? If scatters its seeds, a zebra gives birth, and our planet, your best friend, my baseball so on. Everything living keeps itself alive mitt, and so on are all just through reproduction! And meaningless stardust banging on top of this, humans have into more stardust, then why This means truth minds. They can use logic do I need to give you a logi- is a real thing, and even talk about logic, cal explanation? Wouldn’t apart from opinion as I’ve done as an example “beep boop bop” mean in the previous paragraph! just as much? Because if or preference. We have minds that can obthere is no order, logic serve, comprehend, love, can’t exist. In that case, everything is hate, be bored, etc. Not only living things, equally true. I could say I’m a cheetah, but the stars and planets, mountains and and I’d be just as right as someone who valleys, rain and sunsets show divine intelinsists I’m a human. But if you’ve met ligence and providence. The earth rotates me, there is no denying that I am in- around the sun, in a very predictable fashdeed, in spite of my oddness, a ion, causing the sun to rise every morning, human. And if you tested my and set every evening. And there’s also a DNA, your observation perfect distance between the earth and sun, would be proven correct. It’s in order to create an environment in which the truth. This means truth is we can survive. Water, which we need to a real thing, apart from opin- survive, is dried up and sent into the clouds ion or preference. If this is to come back down as rain so we can contrue, then what is behind sume, or re-consume it. The heat does not truth? Is it just chance which caused every- cause us to melt or catch fire, and the cold, thing to work out in a way that’s logical? as long as we are mindful, does not freeze How could it? That’s completely illogical! us to death. Fruit grows on trees, all servChaos does not produce order. It requires ing a nutritional purpose. How in the world someone or something that is able to make could chaos by chance turn into something sense of things to manipulate it into order. in such order that it creates a being with a Which leads me to my second proof; cre- mind who can then find another being with ation. a mind and with them create another being with a mind, in a world fashioned perfectly Romans 1:18-22 Says It All for itself? You must have even greater faith Humans, trees, planets, ants, etc. are all in atheism than that of the greatest of completely complex things, containing a Saints in Christ to believe this! motherlode of order. Humans can come together and make new humans. Is that not The High Ground... To Be or Not Be proof enough? In fact, all living creatures My third proof is morality. We hold ourcan do so. A chicken lays eggs, a dandelion selves and every person around us to a

As we’ve seen, the two passages at the very heart of the Rapture idea in Scripture do not paint it as a flight from God’s wrath upon the world. Instead, they portray it as the final moment of Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the grave. There is no evil after that moment. There is no more death and tribulation.

we may choose to interpret those difficult and much-debated passages, one thing is clear from the Apostle Paul’s words on the subject of “Rapture”: It is the final moment of sin, death, and the grave. Evil has no foothold after it. It is the day of Resurrection, ultimate victory, the moment that the mistake of Eden is erased and forgotten forever.

But what about that End Times model we all have seen, all that stuff cobbled together from the Book of Revelation and Matthew 24 and parts of Ezekiel and areas in Daniel? Obviously, that’s far too complex a topic to be handled in a single blog post. No matter how

To claim that Rapture is followed by death, war, and destruction is to call Paul a liar and to distort and disregard the Scriptures. Worse, to believe in the modern Rapture mythology is to grant the grave continued

moral standard. Everyone in the world be- holes in stardust. lieves that, in regards to behavior, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. I Argue “Cultural Relativism”! That there is a correct way to behave which Some will then go on to argue that right and is apart from a person’s actual behavior. For wrong is just what is beneficial to society. example, if someone were to push you But why is benefiting society right? There down, you wouldn’t like it and would think is no logic behind this, because there is no that what that person did was wrong. But explanation as to why benefiting society is how could it be wrong if it was simply star- the correct thing to do. If someone were to dust bumping ask you why they should benefit into stardust? society, your only answer would Some would Logic is the beginning of be, “Because it’s the right thing argue that wisdom, not the end. to do,” which would then imply “wrong”, in this that there is a moral law outside -Spock, Star Trek VI: The of benefiting society, which tells case, would Undiscovered Country you to do so. mean simply what is inconvenient to you, but what if this person had Intrinsic Value of Justice accidentally bumped into you and knocked Now we know that anyone who witnesses you over? Have they done anything wrong? this [a man murdering another man] will This has inconvenienced you, but it wasn’t be quite disturbed and it may evoke tears. morally incorrect. But let’s say this person Does the Christian have any basis for tried to push you down and missed. It has- mourning? Yes. We are completely justified n’t inconvenienced you in any way, yet they in feeling horrified by seeing one image are not excused of the blame. They are bearer of Christ violating another image guilty of rebelling against some sort of bearer. But what about the atheist? If it was moral law, which is not affected at all by simply stardust blowing holes in stardust, one’s convenience or inconvenience. Also, then what reason is there to cry? What reawe have a concern for wrong done to oth- son is there to demand justice? There is ers, not just ourselves. For example, seeing none because there was no meaning to a man walking down a back alley and get- what just happened. It was just chemicals ting shot by another man would certainly firing and matter moving about. Yet those disturb you. You would think that what the who hold this worldview will still cry at the one man has done to the other man was sight of murder. They will demand justice. quite awful and is morally wrong. This This is because they truly, in their hearts, means that you are holding him against know Christ is Lord and that His law is just. some sort of measure of morality, implying And it is our job as Christians to be able to you do indeed believe in morality, and that explain why we believe what we do, and to this was not simply just stardust putting point out to all who do not believe, that

victory, and to give death back his sting. I prefer to step away from the mythologies of this age, and instead to embrace the real promises of God. What promises? That His kingdom is now among us (Luke 17:21). That His kingdom and His peace will continue to grow without ceasing (Isaiah 9:7). That He reigns now from heaven as God puts all His enemies under His feet as His footstool (Acts 2:35). That the final enemies to be defeated will be death and the grave (1 Corinthians 15). The Rapture is the Second Coming. The

they do know and rely on the very God that they reject. And we have proof in the death and resurrection of our Christ, our Savior, that this gospel we believe is true, and that Jesus is Lord, and that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. This is the most amazing news ever spoken, and it is our great privilege to be able to preach it to the nations. So let’s do so. Aaron Viland is a high school student from Batavia, IL. He attends church regularly and is an active abolitionist. Some of the influences on his faith include C.S. Lewis, Watchman Nee, T. Russell Hunter, David Platt, Paul Washer, Jeff Durbin, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He plays keyboard and guitar in a local band and composes music for the band, as a solo artist, and with friends.

www.CreationToday.org

A short version of the history of Christianity: Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise. - Rev. Sam Pascoe

Rapture is the Resurrection. Instead of cowering to wait to be snatched from the evils of this world, I will stand tall, contributing to the increase of the Kingdom through the fruit of the Spirit, and helping to make Christianity something other than a laughable, throwaway plot for Hollywood screenwriters. My eschatology is Victory. Marana Tha, Cosmic Parx For a different position on this topic see page page 46 VOL.11 #3 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

forgiveness

Never Sorry Enough am not easily offended. People will sometimes apologize to me for something they have said or something they have done, concerned that I was offended at their behavior. But I rarely am. It usually doesn’t even occur to me to be offended. But then there is that one situation with that one friend.

BY TIM CHALLIES

A long time ago a friend really did offend me. He hurt me badly, actually. In the aftermath he did the right thing. I spoke to him and expressed how his behavior had hurt me, and he apologized. And that should have been enough, right?

It took me a long time to see that I was expecting too much. I was expecting the wrong thing. My friend expressed remorse and asked forgiveness, just like he should have. There were no amends he could make and no further actions he could take to make things right—that was not the nature of this offense. So he moved on. We remained friends.

But sometimes that old hurt would creep up. Sometimes I would find myself But this is the one offense in my life I found hurt all over again it difficult to move past. And I mean that— by that old offor many years this offense existed in its fense. And I came to see that I wanted to own category in my life. It was the one measure his response by his sorrow. I wound that was so slow to heal. And I wanted to see him grovel a little, as if this sometimes w o u l d w o n d e re d prove his If God were to grant me forgiveness why. Why only when my sincerity was sufficient, remorse. I was this one wanted to only when I properly understood the see him so hard to depth of the offense, and only when I shed a few let go? Why did I still expressed a fitting degree of remorse, tears for bear the his offense I fear that few of my sins would be weight of it, against me. forgiven. even much I wanted later on? him to look and act sorry enough to satisfy my As I thought about it and as I prayed about wounded ego. I had judged his apology sinit, I came to see that somewhere along the cere but insufficient, well-intentioned but way I had decided that my friend was not trite. sorry enough. My memories of the moment told me that he was not contrite enough. Until one day I understood that he could His assessment of his actions never quite never be sorry enough. He could never seemed to measure up to my own. At least, apologize deeply enough. He could never that was my perception of the matter. What grovel contritely enough. He had done it all grieved me merely bothered him. That was just right: He had apologized and asked my how I perceived it and that is how it sat forgiveness and gotten on with life and reheavy on my heart. lationship. The fault was with me, with unfair standards, and with unjust judgment.

I had to see that no one can ever be sorry enough. No one can ever be contrite enough. Not him, and not me. The same freedom I enjoy from the Lord—the freedom to ask forgiveness and then immediately enjoy the promise of that forgiveness— that is the very same freedom I was denying him. God doesn’t make me grovel. God doesn’t make me come back again and again to beg forgiveness for that very same sin. God sees the heart, he sees my remorse over my sin, and he forgives to such a degree that I can have absolute confidence in his forgiveness. If God were to grant me forgiveness only when my sincerity was sufficient, only when I properly understood the depth of the offense, and only when I expressed a fitting degree of remorse, I fear that few of my sins would be forgiven. As is so often the case in life, I was holding someone else to standard I could not hold myself. I can never be sorry enough. He can never be sorry enough. But I can imitate God in granting free and full forgiveness and in letting the matter rest.

Challies.com from editor & Ronnie Floyd: Through the course of time, a life of integrity and honesty can overcome even the most serious sinful acts. Coupled with becoming born again, sooner or later, criticism of the offender will fall on deaf ears because time proves it all in life. Nothing is more powerful than a consistent, Christ-centered life lived out over the course of time by a committed believer to diminish the original infraction. For this, we truly praise Amazing Grace!

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Victorian Village • 3044 Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, Suite 213 • Branson, MO 65616 Vol. 11 # 3

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radical righteousness

The Forgotten Bridegroom he bride of Christ has become so earth-bound that she has forgotten His plan. As the bride, we are to anticipate our return to heaven to our bridegroom. Unfortunately our modern culture has dimmed the picture of both the bride and the bridegroom.

BY KATHY CARUSO

In the preparations for a wedding, the bride side of a relationship takes center stage. Recently I have become fascinated by the Bridegroom and who he really is and who he is meant to be. From the beginning, it was ordained that the bridegroom would marry a virgin. This is how it was meant to be. In getting ready for his bride, he selects fine apparel for the wedding. The groom prepares to give his heart and his life to his bride as her lover, protector, gentle leader and provider He adores her and anticipates a night of fulfillment for them both. When the day arrives, he comes to bring her into his life and his family.

BY VEEDA SMITH

After the wedding and their time in the marriage bed, he comes forth radiant delighting in his bride. It is pictured in Psalms, “God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a Patsy Cline Remembered is Branson's classic country music show featuring vocalist C.J. Newsom. Voted 2014 Matinee Show of the Year, C.J. and the Re-Cliners band take the audience on a journey down memory lane with the music and times that made Patsy Cline one of the greatest artists in county music history. C.J. shares unique stories of the life of Virginia Patterson Hensley (Patsy Cline) in an entertaining tribute show with classic songs such as Crazy, Walkin After Midnight, I Fall to Pieces, She’s Got You and many more. The talented Re-Cliners band features some of Branson’s finest musicians including Josh Carroll - band leader and lead guitar, Craig White on drums, Justin Herzog on upright bass, Terry Laird on piano and Greg Moody on

radiant bridegroom after his wedding. NLT Ps 19:4b-5a

Today men are challenged to conquer many of the opposite sex and taking virginity is seen as a badge of honor. Women are convinced by the media that everyone does it. Being a virgin is looked upon as silly and others tell them they are missing out. They ridicule her and think she is strange. Shows like the Bachelor and the Bachelorette make it look like the whole object of a relationship is sex. I began to think about the way a bridegroom is cheated by popular culture. When the wedding is planned, the two families spend a lot of money. There is no need to rush through the ceremony and leave for a special private time. They have had much time alone together. They drink, dance, and celebrate in their fine clothes. Late into the evening, they go to the hotel and collapse into bed and often fall asleep from exhaustion. The next day, they get on an airplane and go to a beautiful location for a honeymoon. There is no anticipation, no blushing bride and no radiant bridegroom. Jesus is our bridegroom and He is coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle. The way He is able to do that is that He paid a

BRANSON FRONTLINE steel guitar, banjo, mandolin, and fiddle. Like Cline who began singing at an early age, C.J. began singing at the tender age of 3. She soon began singing in competitions, fairs and regular performances at The Webster County Opry in Missouri. In 1999, The Webster County Opry put together an Ozark Jubilee Reunion with legendary singers who had worked with Patsy Cline including Speedy Haworth, Marvin Rainwater, Leroy Van Dyke and several of the Jordanaires. She was invited to join this amazing group and sing Patsy Cline’s songs. “To be a part of this Ozark Jubilee Reunion

WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM | VOL.11 #3

tremendously high price for His bride and His engagement present is the gift of righteousness. It is just as if we have never sinned. He has made us virginal once again. He is preparing a place for us and an amazing wedding supper. His Father is so proud of Him and delights in His preparations. He will tell Him when the time is right for Him to come get us. Notice the flags of all the nations and tribes on the bride’s wedding dress. He is a bridegroom that will glow with radiance and delight as He calls us to His home.

really made part of my dreams come true,” said C.J. Celebrated country music singer, Patsy Cline had a passion for singing which C.J. mirrors as she engages her audience with top smash hits. “One thing that I have found in my 12 years of performing here in Branson, I’ve enjoyed singing for audiences so much because the people who come to visit are from everywhere around the country. I get to talk to them and find out all sorts of information about where they live. They make me feel like I’ve been there,” said C.J. The Patsy Cline Remembered Show is located at the Hamners Variety Theater 3090 Shepherd of the Hills Expressway. The shows runs Tuesday through Saturday at 3PM. For more information contact info@PatsyClineRemembered.com or visit their website at: www.patsyclineremembered.com or call 1 888 335-2080 or 417 334-4363.

grace filled fellowships leaves on the vine

Meeting at Branson Hills Ministry Center 256 Church Road, Branson, MO 65616 Discover the Hebrew roots of your Christian faith!

Join us for weekly services: Erev Shabbat (Friday) 7:30 pm Shabbat (Saturday) 11 am (417) 334-7373 www.TheTabernacleinBranson.com

Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, CA 3800 S Fairview St • Santa Ana, CA 92704 (714) 979-4422

A Word of Faith Church (non-denominational) 6185 W. St. Hwy 266 Springfield, MO

(417) 831-2333 Sunday Services 10am & 6pm Wednesday Bible Study 6:30pm

Pastor Twila N. Bridges

International Ministries

Waking the World to their Loving Creator Okay, so we are not a typical church but we are a training ground to make disciples for Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit! Come visit us Sunday morning at 9:45 am and you will see what we mean.

124 Deer Mountain Road Walnut Shade, MO

Pastor Denny & Jeanie Waters 8480 Hwy 7 South Harrison, AR • 870-688-9243

(417) 598-1231 7 miles north of Branson on Hwy 160. One quarter mile west of 65. First property on left.

resurrectionpowerchurch.com

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PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA) WORSHIP SERVICES: Praise & Worship - Sun. @ 8:30 a.m. Education Hour - 9:15 a.m. Liturgy &Traditional Service - 10:30 a.m. HIGHWAY #165 AND STATE DRIVE

350 State Drive • Hollister, MO

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(417) 831-6721 Sabbath School: 9:45 am • Worship: 11:00 am Wednesday night: 6:30 pm

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A week without a Sabbath is perpetual bondage. El Shaddai Ministries 4501 Quail Court • Harrison, AR. 72601 (3 miles down Bellefonte Rd.) Services: Saturdays at 2:30pm 870.365.0004 www.ElShaddaiMinistries.net

›

VISITORS WELCOME

(417) 334-1499 Pastor Emil Bartos peacelutheranchurchhollister.com

The basis for loving our neighbors, and for unity in Christ, is not proximity, understanding or commonality. We are one in Christ not because we are one in the same, but because Christ is the same. It is an impoverished theology that mistakes unity in Christ for sameness in Christ. - Leslie Leylands

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Sudoku Answers to Page 27

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editor’s note: Here are some Bible-based churches I've had the privilege to be a part of and which I recommend. These churches stand up for the truth as revealed in the scriptures but seem to have a knack for welcoming those who are still trying to figure it all out. They teach the Bible and how to live it. They believe in a living God who's able to become real and relevant to you today. They're welcoming, even to those who do not believe or who may struggle with sins and addictions that need to get worked out.

VOL.11 #3 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

getting honest

BY SHANE IDLEMAN

Evangelists Need to Stop Promising God Has a ‘Wonderful Plan’ I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). hether it's on the radio, television, Internet or at church, we often hear that God has a wonderful plan for our life. But as Ray Comfort rightly notes, "The preacher promises a bed of roses for those who come to Christ, but those who are in Christ are evidently sitting on a painful bed of thorns."

This may explain why a very high percent of those raised in Christian homes leave the faith, and why many others show no evidence of faith. There are a large number of false conversions because many base their decision to follow Christ on having a wonderful life. We have turned salvation into an easy path rather than a narrow road. We've made Jesus a butler rather than a King. We want the cross light, the road easy and the burdens lifted. Many promise a problem-free faith, yet we deal with a plethora of problems on a weekly basis. Sadly, unrealistic expectations about God can lead to depression and despair. How do we reconcile this idea of a wonderful life with the large group of Christians recently massacred in Africa? What do you tell the Christian family who loses both children within a decade? Or the parents who receive news that their 3-year-old has Leukemia? What about the Disciples ... 11 of the 12 were martyred. Here is the key: Our relationship with God does not hinge on unanswered prayers, trials, difficulties and persecution; it hinges on who He is. He is our foundation in the midst of the storm. He is our peace in the midst of fear. He is our comfort in the midst of anxiety. The gospel is a message of hope and redemption. It offers God's grace through our trials, as well as peace that surpasses all understanding. We never find inner peace until we have peace with God.

For the Christian, it's not the absence of the storm, but a deep inner peace amid the storm in light of an eternal plan that keeps us secure. We are greatly remiss if we fail to teach this balance. Trying times are not intended to break us down, but to build us up. The only way to build such qualities as love, joy, peace, humility and patience is to be confronted with situations that require love, joy, peace, humility and patience. How do we develop patience if we're not tested? How do we develop forgiveness if we are never wronged? How do we develop humility if we're never humbled? Even Christ "learned obedience from what He suffered" (cf. Heb. 5:8). In addition to many saying that the Christian life can be problem free, many misquote Scriptures to fit their ideology. For example, Jeremiah 29:11 is often

Please don't misunderstand, God blesses His people–we should pray for, enjoy and encourage His blessings. But a wonderful, comfortable life is not always a blessing; the presence and power of God in our lives is: "The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace" (Ps. 29:11). Strength in the midst of the storm is a true blessing. Paul's motto was, "I've learned to be content in all things." misapplied: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Granted, this Scripture is an encouragement. We know that God is sovereign; He's in control. I reflect on this verse often, but it must be balanced with other Scriptures that speak of persecution, difficulties and challenges. In context, Jeremiah is writing to the nation of Israel who was defeated and living in exile (not a wonderful plan

WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM | VOL.11 #3

from their current perspective). The proceeding verse, Jeremiah 29:10, says that "after seventy years are completed for Babylon." In other words, God is promising His people that after 70 years in exile He will bring them back to the land. Its a message of future hope, not an easy life. What if promotional material for the Navy SEALS read, "Limited time to be stationed in Hawaii. Free luaus, snorkeling and cruises with nightly excursions—all paid for by the United States Navy." How many would jump at the opportunity? How many would be shocked, disappointed and disillusioned when they found out what really was involved? This is what we do when we fail to paint a life in Christ without a full spectrum of colors. God may have a wonderful life for you here, but if not, He does have a wonderful plan in light of eternity. God ascribes to Himself names to identify His nature. We can take comfort in knowing that He is Jehovah Jireh our provider. He is El Shaddai—all powerful; His sovereign control will never end. He is Jehovah Shalom—our peace in the midst of the storm. He is Jehovah Rohi— our Shepherd when we walk through the difficult valleys. He is Jehovah Nissi—our victory and our strength; He will not be defeated. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu—our righteousness; He provided the way of salvation through Christ alone. Finally, He is Jehovah Shammah—He is there in the darkest times. He will never leave nor forsake you (cf. Deut. 31:6). "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, California, Follow him on Facebook at:

facebook.com/confusedchurch

Sometimes God calms the storm but many times He calms the child.

remembering a trail blazer

Rev. Robert Schuller Remembered as Dreamer, Pastor, Dad nder sunny skies, in Garden Grove, California, relatives and pastors took turns recalling Schuller's positive messages of faith and redemption that comforted thousands who attended his sermons at the glass-paned Crystal Cathedral and millions more who watched his "Hour of Power" telecasts in their homes.

BY AMY TAXIN/ASSOCIATED PRESS

The service was held in the plaza of the vast campus that once housed his ministry. After the church went bankrupt in 2010, the property was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange for use as its cathedral. "He really didn't want to build an empire for himself; he wanted everyone in the kingdom of God to grow and be healthy and be fruitful and be together," said the Rev. Dr. Dan Chun, senior pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu, who led the service. "He would be happy that this campus is still being used for the cause of Christianity."

million from his former ministry over claims of copyright infringement and breach of contract.

Daughter Gretchen Penner said Schuller taught her to embrace diversity and find beauty in everything.

Schuller was 88 when he died on April 2 after a battle with esophageal cancer. The Alton, Iowa-born pastor started

Those who attended the memorial were given laminated black-and-white photos of Schuller posing with dignitaries and smiling with Arvella as keepsakes. Afterward, Schuller was buried beside his wife in a private service for family.

preaching at a drive-in movie theater in California in 1955 with his wife Arvella.

Theresa Boyd, 54, said Schuller inspired her with his uplifting messages and by

In 1970, he began the "Hour of Power" to spread his message that "possibility thinking" and love of God overcome hardships. At its peak in the 1990s, the program had 20 million viewers. In recent years, Schuller faded from view after watching his church collapse amid a disastrous leadership transition and declines in viewership and donations that forced the ministry to file for bankruptcy. Schuller, who wrote more than 30 books including several best-sellers, lost a legal battle in 2012 to collect more than $5

At the service, Schuller's five children shared memories of their famous father. One of his daughters recounted how he told her as a child that a torrential Iowa rainstorm was a sign of the power of God; his son recalled the long talks they shared on fishing trips.

inviting political leaders and an Olympic athlete to speak to congregants in Orange County. "He brought in successful people and said, 'you can do it too if you believe in God,'" Boyd said.

"He taught me to believe in a God that is bigger than any problem, any trial, and any foe, and he taught me to believe in myself," she said. Religious leaders shared stories of being inspired by Schuller to grow their congregations, and how he ministered to ordinary people even as he met with world leaders. Chun told the crowd that the Schullers attended a service he led in Honolulu more than a decade ago that was so packed they had to park their car in a loading zone and sit on metal folding chairs squeezed inside the door. Schuller told him to move the church. Five years later they did, and the community flourished, Chun said.

VOL.11 #3 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

♪money money money♪

FROM EDWARD JONES FINANCIAL ADVISOR

Should You Make Investment Moves Based on a Strong Dollar? Currently, the U.S. dollar is pumped-up and powerful. But what does a strong dollar mean to you, as an investor? To begin with, it’s important to understand just what is meant by a “strong” dollar. The U.S. dollar does not exist in a vacuum — its value, from a global perspective, is determined by its changing strength relative to that of other currencies. Let’s look at an example: Suppose that, in 2011, you traveled to Europe and wanted to trade in one dollar for its equivalent value in euros. At that time, your dollar would have con-

verted to about .75 of a euro. Fast forward to early 2015; if you returned to Europe now, your dollar would fetch you almost one full euro. In other words, you can buy more euros because the dollar is “stronger.” In fact, earlier this year, the euro hit a 12-year low versus the dollar. And it isn’t just the euro; the dollar is strong against almost every other major currency in the world. What has led to this strength? It’s not always easy to determine what’s behind foreign exchange rates — which can fluctuate even more than the stock market — but the recent surge in the dollar seems to be due, at least in part, to its obvious connection to the American economy, which has been growing faster than many other economies around the world. The stronger dollar is also due to expectations that interest rates will remain higher in the U.S. than in many other countries. But whatever the reasons for it, the dollar’s strength may be having an impact on your investments. A strengthening dollar typically lowers returns from international investments because you get fewer

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dollars in exchange for the value in euros or other foreign currencies. And some U.S. companies with a global presence may face challenges due to lower earnings from their international operations. These results might lead you to think that a strong dollar would be bad news for the stock market, but that hasn’t been the case in the past. At different times, the markets have performed well with both a strong and a weak dollar. In contrast to its impact on U.S. companies, a strong dollar can help foreign companies compete and may give them an earnings boost from their U.S. sales. Also, the stronger dollar can help make foreign investments “cheaper.” Even more importantly, by taking advantage of the stronger dollar and investing an appropriate amount internationally, gaining exposure to different economies and markets, you can help diversify your holdings, which is important. Although diversification can’t guarantee a profit or always protect against loss, it can help reduce the impact of volatility on your portfolio. Be aware, though, that international investing carries special risks beyond currency fluctuations, including political and economic instability. The strong dollar may have attracted your attention, but don’t be distracted by it — and don’t overreact. Currency exchange rates can fluctuate rapidly, and no one can predict how long a strong dollar environment will last. By sticking with a solid, long-term investment strategy, you can help keep up the “strength” of your own dollars. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

we told you we were fun 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 42

BRAIN TEASERS You are a prisoner sentenced to death. The Emperor offers you a chance to live by playing a simple game.

DOWN 1 American College of Physicians

(abbr.) 2 Legume 3 Sub’s weapon 4 Due 5 Tribe of Israel 6 Urbane 7 Samson's brain teaser 8 Before, poetically 9 Green legumes 10 The suffing of Christ on the cross 11 Adam and __ 12 British drink 18 Volume (abbr.) 20 __ Jones Industrial average 23 Soviet Union 25 Madagascar franc (abbr.) 26 Serving of corn 29 Future Farmers of America (abr.) 30 And so forth 32 Speak without preparation

33 Pungent 36 Expression 37 Negative 39 Lubricate 40 The Creator 42 Siam 43 Basin 44 Boxer Muhammad 45 Region of Palestine 46 Tiny body part 47 Heavenly sign for Noah 48 Scrambled food 49 Not (refix) 52 Justification 55 Sea eagle 57 Take to court 59 Lotion brand 61 Faith, __ and charity 62 Officer 63 Away 64 Old Testament city 66 Can 67 Respect 68 Visit

How do you divide the marbles up so that you have the greatest probability of choosing a WHITE marble?

ANSWER Place 1 white marble in one bowl, and place the rest of the marbles in the other bowl (49 whites, and 50 blacks).

46 Let the little __ come to Me 50 In the manner of 51 Man shall not live by __ alone 53 Gone by 54 What a clock tells 56 Samuel's mentor 57 Ratify 58 Noah's __ 60 Every 61 Attila the __ 62 Eye part (pl.) 65 One-celled animals 69 French "yes" 70 River Spanish 71 Catch some Z's 72 To be in debt 73 School group 74 No room for them in the __ 75 Tint 76 Teeny

This way you begin with a 50/50 chance of choosing the bowl with just one white marble, therefore life! BUT even if you choose the other bowl, you still have ALMOST a 50/50 chance at picking one of the 49 white marbles.

ACROSS 1 Liable 4 Poem 7 Representative 10 Touch an animal 13 Executive director 14 Bundle 15 Anger 16 Street abbr. 17 Upstart 19 Palestinian body of water 21 Spacecraft detachment 22 Cow's chow 24 Distress call 25 Sense 27 American sign language 28 Missus 31 Insane 32 Afloat (2 wds.) 34 Often poetically 35 Infield hit 38 French brandy 41 Yellow metal 42 Three 43 Wife of Ahasuerus

He gives you 50 black marbles, 50 white marbles and 2 empty bowls. He then says, “Divide these 100 marbles into these 2 bowls. You can divide them any way you like as long as you use all the marbles. Then I will blindfold you and mix the bowls around you. You can choose one bowl and remove ONE marble. If the marble is WHITE you will live, but if the marble is BLACK… you will die.”

VOL.11 #3 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

food for thought

Did Jesus Battle Depression? id Jesus battle depression? Seems like a strange question at first, but consider Isaiah's prophesy of the coming Messiah: "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3).

BY SCOTT ATTEBERY

That certainly sounds like someone dealing with the symptoms of depression. So why do we immediately push back at the thought that Jesus might have dealt with symptoms of depression? Perhaps it is because we have the false notion that depression is either 1) a sin or a 2) sign of weakness. But neither is the case. In fact, depression is not something a person chooses. Rather it is something a person must choose how to deal with. The real issue is not whether a person experiences depression, but instead, how the person reacts to depression. For this reason I am of the opinion that Christ did indeed battle depression. And more importantly, He battled it perfectly. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." Christ wasn't the only person in Scripture who dealt with depression. For instance, David exclaimed, "I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping" (Psalm 6:6). Even great preachers such as C.H. Spurgeon experienced the woes of depression. He explained, "I find myself frequently depressed–perhaps more so than any other person here. And I find no better cure for that depression than to trust in the Lord with all my heart, and seek to realize afresh

the power of the peace -speaking blood of Jesus, and His infinite love in dying upon the cross to put away all my transgressions." This issue is important to me because I have struggled with depression. And it has been my experience that there are no easy answers. The darkness can attack without warning. It does not ask permission and it does not need a reason. Make no mistake; depression is real. What does it feel like? I'm sure its different for everyone, but for me, there are days that everything is covered with a thick fog. Despondency feels like an unending trance that is inescapable. And if someone were to offer you an all-expense paid vacation, you wouldn't take it because you don't even know what would make you happy. Worse, you feel like you don't even know yourself anymore. Unfortunately, a stigma still surrounds depression. Some believe its imagined. Others believe it demonic oppression. Some say its strictly spiritual, while others believe its strictly physical. Some believe you must take medicine. Others believe its a sin to take medicine. Of course there is more than one category of depression (situational, clinical, etc). But no matter the source or treatment (counseling, medicine, etc), depression is always an opportunity to draw nearer to Christ. For this reason, we must view the words of a counselor as an extension of Christ's wisdom—not a replacement for it. And we must see medicine as a gift of God—not an alternative to His power. If I seek a cure without seeking Christ, I am bowing to idols of my own desires. That's why I think Hebrews 4, after reminding us that Christ has experienced our same temptations, encourages us in verse 16 to "draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." So here's the takeaway:

WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM | VOL.11 #3

• Depression is real (Jesus experienced it). Experiencing depression is not sin (Jesus didn't sin). • Experiencing depression is not necessarily a result of sin (Jesus is completely righteous). • There is no "quick fix" for depression— it is a battle (often for life). • The key is our reaction to depression: whether or not we cling to Christ. If you know of someone dealing with depression, here are a few thoughts: You have an opportunity to minister the patient, merciful love of Christ to them. Be patient and listen to them. Encourage them to see biblical counseling. (A good biblical counselor will encourage them to also consult a physician to determine if there is a need for medicine). Continue pointing them to dependency on Christ. Pray for them—and don't give up! Did Jesus battle temptation? Yes, I think so. But even more—I believe He defeated it!. After serving in campus ministry at the University of Central Arkansas, Scott Attebery pastored Wyatt Baptist Church in El Dorado Arkansas. Scott holds a bachelor of Arts in Bible from Central Baptist College, a Master's of Divinity from the BMA Theological Seminary, and is a candidate for Doctorate of Ministry from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. You can read his blog at ScottAttebery.com. For the original article, visit:

www.Pastors.com

Dolly's vision was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families by providing them with the gift of a specially selected book each month. By mailing high quality, age-appropriate books directly to their homes, she wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. Moreover, she could insure that every child would have books, regardless of their family’s income. Find out if this program is available in your area at:

www.ImaginationLibrary.com

travel that was growing right out of the mountainsides, hilltops and valleys. So, yes, Eureka Springs was founded due to the spring waters and their benefits, but the town quickly became a tourist town and continues to be today. In fact, tourism is the only industry in this little town!

hough native American’s had been visiting the springs in the hills and valleys of what is now known as Eureka Springs, for centuries, the first Caucasians arrived and began settling here in the very early 1800’s.

The early settlers were here due to the abundance of wildlife, not spring water. However, the wildlife was abundant due to the spring water that flowed constantly, year round. It didn’t take long for the settlers to either experience for themselves or learn from the native Americans about the healing and health benefits of the spring waters. Many of the folks were here because of the springs, but many were here to house, feed and entertain all the visitors that flooded into these rugged Ozark mountains to see this unique and beautiful Victorian village

Eureka Springs is still a place of beauty, solitude and hospitality. A place of diversity and inspiration. A place where, as one slogan puts it, “Where the misfits fit!” It has always been a great melting pot of people. Especially friendly people. People who make their livings by taking care of visitors…serving people! Whoever they are and wherever they come from. For history and architecture lovers, you will love the Eureka Springs Historic District Tram Tour – www.EurekaSpringsTramTours.com. Take the 90 minute tour and find out some of the reasons that Robert Ripley of Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Called Eureka Springs “One of the 10 most unusual places in America!” Visit one of more than 63 springs inside the city limits and enjoy the history of and short break at the 1886 Crescent Hotel. The Eureka Springs trolley system

makes exploring Eureka Springs during the day very easy and affordable. Park your car and “Ride the Trolley” Save parking meter fees and the frustration of driving the narrow winding streets and roads of Eureka Springs. The trolley’s even visit the world famous building, “Thorncrown Chapel” www.Thorncrown.com, a “Must See” place, located just outside the city limits on Highway 62 west. There truly are so many things to see and do in and around Eureka Springs. Places like Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, the ES & NA Railway excursion and dining train, canoe trips, scuba diving and snorkeling in Beaver and/or Table Rock Lakes, shopping and dining, spa packages, walking trails, fishing and many other fun things. And if you like help in planning your vacations, we suggest contacting the folks at Joe Gunnels Tours and Reservation Service – www.JoeGunnelsTours.com at 479-253-6852 or joe@joegunnelstours.com. They will help you with lodging, tours, tickets, spa packages, meals, etc. While many places “try” to look historic, Eureka Springs is the real deal.

VOL.11 #3 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

editor comment & sponsors

BY JOHN G. SACOULAS, MANAGING EDITOR

If We Are To Love and Not Judge, Then, what? he story of Bruce Jenner changing his gender identity is shocking and quite a bit sad that a confessed believer would be so tortured by gender identity that he would go to such extremes to satisfy his compulsion to be something other than what God created him to be.

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At first I was uncharitable in my opinion of him and then when I found out e was a Christian I was angry. Then I read an article by pastor, Marty Duren and I repented. Having said that, I do not want to refute Bruce Jenner’s angst, but nevertheless this seemingly bizarre behavior is proof positive that there are many believers who do not know who they are in Christ. This issue is really the crux of the matter isn’t it? Our identities in Christ are not political. (although I will never understand the ignorance of a disciple of Christ sanctioning abortion) The fact is we are not to dwell on our genders when identifying with Him. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 This does not mean they we shouldn’t be content in all things. I am not allowed to judge Bruce Jenner but a simple observation is that (like myself, with fleshly pre-occupations) Bruce is so caught up in the here and now he does not want to be uncomfortable with his station in life. What would possess this once handsome athlete to go to such extremes? I believe many pre-disposed flaws in our ancestral DNA create more havoc on our mental states than our physical ones. Let’s pray that Mr. Jenner finds his true identity in Christ and not his gender. Please check out Marty’s article on page 34

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Religion has been helping with sin consciousness for years, trying to tell you you’re all messed up. But here’s the thing, Jesus set us free from the condemnation, not just the sin but the condemnation that comes from it. -the unknown prophet Mystic Caverns offers guided tours through two beautiful Arkansas Ozark caverns. Tours leave every 45 minutes. We are Open MarchDecember, Monday-Saturday (closed on Sunday). Open at 9am - closing hour varies with season. Phone: (870)743-1739 mysticcaverns.com Mystic Caverns is located on Scenic Hwy. 7, eight miles south of Harrison, AR and five miles north of the Buffalo National River.

branson frontline Children are a gift from the Lord. Psalms 127:3

Through donations, Lori’s House will provide assistance for new born babies and their mothers with food, clothing and medical care. Education and job training will also be provided with individual programs tailored to each girl’s needs. The Grand Opening for Lori’s House, located at Morningside was in Blue Eye, Missouri, on July 4, 2015 during the annual Fourth of July Family Fair. Lori Bakker is determined to do all she can to keep other girls from going through the

“Live in The Wind”

Two days after Thanksgiving, my loving husband of 29 years, suddenly, moved to heaven in a fuel tanker accident. It felt like my world dropped off and my children and I were falling in the depths of darkness below. I no more had that thought, than the Holy Spirit said, “…and the warm Wind of the Holy Spirit caught you up and took you higher than ever before!” We were carried through the visitation and memorial service by such a

“What we are seeing happening right before our eyes is an increase in the frequency and intensity of storms – and other Revelation events mentioned in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and so many other prophetic scriptures. All of these things point to the soon coming of Jesus,” said Jim

“It’s been that way with emergency preparation, too. Jim and I live what we preach, so we have taught our five adopted children the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Emergency preparation is one of those topics kids would rather not think about. But, second only to teaching them how to love and serve Jesus Christ, this is something we consider a loving parental responsibility,” said Lori Bakker. The one-hour Jim Bakker TV Show taped at Morningside is located at 180 Grace Chapel Road in Blue Eye, Missouri. For more information, visit their website at www.jimbakkershow.com. or call 417 779 9000.

supernatural strength and grace to smile loved me through my deepest hurt. and minister God’s love to everyone, with In January, our church resumed whom we came in contact. It was a “Home- corporate prayer, which is the prayer of going” service worship in our individual space, like none that I as we spend one-on-One time had ever with God. With worship music experienced, my playing, we go into His Presence husband was and talk with Him, getting to greatly honored know Him deeper, as He saturates and God was us with His Love and shows us the highly exalted. most amazing things. The Bible The weekend says that “the Joy of the Lord is after the service, our strength” and “in His Presence I got the flu and woman in the wind by irina karkabi is fullness of Joy.” stayed in my We stay active, and husband’s chair for almost two weeks, involved in life, and God, Who makes all numb to everything around me. I was lost things new, mounts us up on eagle’s wings in my own world of an emotional roulette and gives us strength to get through each table, never sure what emotion I would end day. Without Him, I am nothing. I still hurt up on when the spinning stopped; anger, and miss my husband greatly, but I know pain, pity loneliness, frustration, confusion, that with God, I have a hope and a future etc. that is so bright, and I have His assurance The only way I got through the month of that I will be satisfied to the fullest! December was from the Paul Norman prayers and encouragement from Binswanger Glass others and the moments 616 S. Business 65 Hwy when I could see into the Branson, MO 65616 realm of God and slipped, quietly, into His Presence p. 417.334.5179 and basked in the warmth f. 417.334.5181 of His Love. He didn’t ask pgillispie@binswangerglass.com facebook.com/binswangerglass anything of me, He just binswangerglass.com

BY REBECCA KIRKLAND

I have never known a hurt that carried such pain, But in the midst of the whirlwind of loss and confusion, You, always, come to my rescue. Frozen in time and space, Afraid to move ahead in uncertain emptiness, Unable to return to the love that I had known, But You made a opening for me to slip into the realm of Your existence, Numb to the things surrounding me, But very much alive in Your Presence. I have never known a Love so Pure, Or an Intimacy so deep, That settles me with such Peace, So that I drift upon the Wings of the unforced rhythms of Your Grace.

Pastor Jim and Lori Bakker and special guests on the television show often discuss topics on end times, survival and preparedness. Almost every day, the news reports more on wars, storms and disasters. Scripture tells us that nobody knows the day or hour but that we will know the season.

Bakker.

BY VEEDA SMITH

Jim and Lori Bakker, hosts of the worldwide television show The Jim Bakker Show, have begun a new mission to build Lori’s House. “We are embarking on a ministry that is a part of my destiny in serving the Lord Jesus,” said Lori Bakker. Lori’s House will provide a place of ministry, love, rest, learning, fellowship and caring with its main goal of saving our future generation. babies and caring for their mothers.

pain and tears that she experienced. “I was just 17 years old when I had my first abortion and just 21 when the last of five consecutive abortions left me unable to ever have a child,” Lori Bakker continued. “We are very serious about this place being used as a Last Days refuge. That’s what we envisioned in the beginning and that’s our goal. An End Times refuge takes on many characteristics, but none more important than saving innocent life.”

twitter.com/binswangerglass

VOL.11 #3 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

pro-life news

BY TIMOTHY C. MORGAN

Abortion by Dismemberment Banned in Kansas Surge in pro-life legislation in states enters fifth year. ansas Gov. Sam Brownback signed a first-in-the-nation law that prohibits dismembering the body of an unborn child during an abortion.

“Dismemberment abortion kills a baby by tearing her apart limb from limb,” said National Right to Life (NRL) Director of State Legislation Mary Spaulding Balch. “Before the first trimester ends, the unborn child has a beating heart, brain waves, and every organ system in place. Dismemberment abortions occur after the baby has reached these milestones.”

lic views the gruesome reality of abortion in the United States,” said Carol Tobias, NRL president. In South Carolina and Missouri, legislators may soon vote on similar legislation. But Charles Camosy, author of Beyond the Abortion Wars and theology professor at Fordham University, told Christianity Today that he does not see a pro-choice backlash on the political horizon. “I don't think [a new abortion-restricting law] would fuel a potential backlash at all. In part because our current abortion discourse is dominated by the ‘abortion is an absolute right’ versus the ‘all abortions ought to be prosecuted as murder’ extremes, we miss the fact that that a large percentage of Americans agree on signifi-

The intent of the new law is to prohibit late-term abortions in which physicians use “dilation and evacuation.” In 2013, according to Kansas government reports, 585 of 7485 abortions used this procedure, typically during the second trimester of pregnancy. Defenders of the procedure say it is a safe and legally permitted means to end a pregnancy. The Wichita Eagle reported in February that opponents of the law will challenge it in court. Julie Burkhart, founder of Trust Women, which raised money to open the South Wind Women’s Center in Wichita in 2013, called the bill “part of an extreme antichoice agenda to ban all abortions” and announced plans to challenge the bill in court if it becomes law. “This bill is intended to intimidate, threaten and criminalize doctors. Policymakers should be ashamed that they are putting women’s lives at risk because they care more about politics than good health care,” Burkhart said. “SB 95 is clearly unconstitutional and, if passed, we will challenge it in court.” Other states are following the lead of Kansas. On Wednesday, the Oklahoma Senate approved a similar ban that the House has already approved. Republican Gov. Mary Fallin is expected to sign the measure into law. “This is a transformative law that has the power to change how the pub-

said on its website. "Many of the new abortion restrictions enacted this year would either limit the use of medication abortion (Arkansas and Idaho) or ban abortion at 20 weeks post-fertilization (West Virginia).” There are few signs that the faith-based pro-life movement is weakening. But Camosy offered a note of caution. “Christians should resist polarized 'us vs them' attitudes and instead be confident about moving forward and building consensus in pushing for more protections for our prenatal children and their mothers. “The law has a long way to go to catch up with what the public already believes," Camosy said. "And that opinion will do nothing but become even more skeptical of abortion, especially in the coming years as disproportionately pro-life millennials and Hispanics come into their own in this country. “We must refuse to choose between protecting and supporting mothers and protecting and supporting their prenatal children. We can and must love them both.” A YouGov.com survey released on April 8 indicated that 66 percent of the Americans who responded to the survey believe that "fetuses in the womb are people" and 52 percent believe "life starts at conception." www.ChristianityToday.com

cantly restricting abortion. Gallup has found that more than 6 in 10 Americans want second trimester abortions--like the dismemberment procedures just banned in Kansas--made broadly illegal. "Yet, our dysfunctional and polarized abortion politics makes it difficult to pass even a modest 20-week federal ban. The current political and media powers-that-be benefit from such dysfunction and polarization." The Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, said that in the last four years, states have enacted 231 abortion restrictions. In the first three months of 2015, state legislators have introduced 791 provisions concerning sexual and reproductive health and rights, according to Guttmacher research. "By April 1, 53 abortion restrictions had been approved by a legislative chamber, and nine had been enacted," Guttmacher

WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM | VOL.11 #3

Within just the first few chapters of Genesis, a blood sacrifice is implied as God used animal skins to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21). In the deliverance of the Hebrew people from the grip of Egypt, God instructed them to make a blood sacrifice from a spotless lamb and then coat their doorposts with this blood (Exod. 12:13). Shortly thereafter God instituted a law requiring a yearly sacrifice of untainted goats and lambs. The blood from this act was of utmost importance. It needed to be sprinkled around the altar by a high priest in order for Israel to maintain relationship with God.

You must understand that to God blood isn't gore. Sin is what has made it gory. When you hear of a murder, often you picture a tragic blood slaughter. Where there's a car accident, there's almost always great bloodshed. And so we view blood as the most disgusting representation of everything that's wrong with the world. None of these are God's original design, but the results of sin. As I explore in my book Silence Satan: Shutting Down the Enemy's Attacks, Threats, Lies, and Accusations the devil loves to perpetuate this image. Through things such as movies and media he keeps gore front and center so that we're repulsed

only blood that can reverse this. The only act that can resuscitate something from death is to infuse it with life. I often illustrate this point by replacing the word blood with life and the word sin with death in one of the most popular New Testament verses regarding the need for blood for the forgiveness of sins. Here's how it reads (the original words are in brackets): "Everything is purified with life [blood], and without life [blood] there is no forgiveness of death [sin]" (Heb. 9:22, nrsv).

BY KYLE WINKLER

od is so obsessed with blood because He's so obsessed with life. Like it or not, the Bible is a bloody book. From beginning to end it revels in blood.

Equating blood with life will change the way you read the Bible, and thus, how you think about God. The coverings He provided Adam and Eve after their sin were coverings of life. The blood on the doorposts of the Hebrew people at Passover was the protection of life. The yearly sacrifice God instituted for Israel was intended to restore them with life.

Why Is God So Obsessed With by blood, and thus, turned off to a God who he portrays as cruel and bloodthirsty.

A Different View of Blood The New Testament reveals that these bloody sacrifices were the prefigurement of Jesus Christ, who came to the earth as a spotless Lamb and endured horrific mutilation on the cross as the final, once-andfor-all sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. In fact, the event was so bloody that the Bible describes that Jesus wasn't even recognizable as a man (Isa. 52:14). And just as blood was used in Israel's deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, the Bible concludes by affirming Christ followers in their sustained victory over the clutches of Satan through the blood of the Lamb—Jesus (Rev. 12:11).

Offended by the Blood Make no mistake: God is obsessed with blood. And this offends many people, causing the contemporary church to skirt around the topic. Just observe the bulk of today's sermons and you'll notice that the blood is all but drained from the modern gospel. Some have deemed it irrelevant. I've even heard parents complain when their children are taught about Christ's crucifixion—in a Christian school. "It might cause nightmares," they protest. With the general lack of teaching about the importance of blood throughout the Scriptures, often I hear God accused of being gory.

Indeed, sin is what perverted blood and equated it with death.God, however, created blood to represent life. This is what Scripture affirms: (For the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Lev. 17:11, NRSV). More than anything else in the body, blood is essential to life. It's what carries the fuel and oxygen to the billions of cells in our bodies. Blood supplies the brain and the heart with the necessary nourishment to function. It also carries carbon dioxide and other waste materials to the digestive system, where they are then removed from the body. Without blood we couldn't keep warm or cool, fight infections, or get rid of our own waste products. Additionally our very identity—our DNA—is located in our blood. We must understand this: God is so obsessed with blood because He's so obsessed with life.

Covered With Life Blood shouldn't be equated with death. The Bible reveals, rather, that it's sin that's equated with death (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 6:23). And because we've all sinned, death is the default spiritual condition of each of us. It's

Like Adam and Eve and Israel, we too are offered a covering of blood. But not anymore through participating in a yearly sacrificial ritual. Rather, we are given the blood of Jesus, which was shed so lavishly at Calvary, once and for all. The DNA of Jesus is offered to us in order to completely cover our old lives with His new, spotless life. It's incredible! The application of Jesus's life completely dissolves our guilt and shame, protects us from the enemy, and allows us to enjoy daily relationship with our Creator—forever. God's intention for blood isn't gory—it's beautiful! And I'm certainly not offended or scared by it. After all, there's no forgiveness, healing, deliverance, or salvation without it. Rather than question how little blood I can get by with, I'd rather stand under the cross to be covered in all that I can get! Kyle Winkler is the founder of Kyle Winkler Ministries, a media and teaching ministry through which thousands have been impacted by his broadcasts, resources, and speaking engagements. Kyle holds a master of divinity in biblical studies from Regent University. Get daily encouragement from Kyle on Facebook and Twitter.

VOL.11 #3o | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

we are all broken BY MARTY DUREN/DAILEYMAIL.COM

FOR GOD SO LOVED CAITLYN JENNER o there’s this topic on the internet going around called Caitlyn Jenner. This perspective is going viral and it just might help with some of the million questions that have been popping up! I remember Bruce Jenner winning the decathlon in Montreal in 1976 to become “the world’s greatest athlete.”

I remember seeing Bruce Jenner on the Wheaties box. I never watched a nano-second of a Kardashian episode nor is such on my bucket list. It was a surprise to me that Jenner was married into that tribe. I have never wondered if I am a woman underneath. When I was a boy I never wondered if I was a girl. I never thought I was a girl. I never felt like a girl. I never wished I could be a girl, or thought I was supposed to be a girl. Any femininity I might otherwise have is in awfully short supply. I will be perfectly fine if every personal pronoun used to describe me from here to eternity is masculine. All that to say, I have no idea at all what Bruce Jenner, now Caitlyn Jenner, felt while growing up. According to her Wikipedia page all athletic accomplishment was accomplished by her, not him. (Does this disqualify the awards, or the gold medal? I do not know.) I have not a scintilla of personal identification with a man or woman who so strongly feels they are actually members of the opposite sex that they will undergo a surgical process to become the opposite sex. I don’t know the kind of emptiness a person who believes himself or herself to be the opposite sex must feel. Is is physical? Emotional? Psychological? Spiritual? A combination, all of the above, or something not mentioned? I do not know all the answers.

What I do know is insulting transgendered people by mocking them does not gain us a hearing for the gospel. Mockery is not a characteristic of Jesus. We do not have to understand the situation to love those in it. We do not have to understand why some have gender reassignment surgery to love those who have had it. We do not have approve of abortion to love the woman who had one or love her boyfriend who, under threat of abandonment, coerced the woman into having the procedure. We do not have to approve of greed to love the businessman who made a fortune lying to customers. We do not have to approve of pride to love each other when set ourselves above the rest.

The love of Jesus prohibits me from treating Caitlyn Jenner like the two-headed goat at the Ripley’s Museum. This follower of Jesus has a strong suspicion there is a fervent, mostly unacknowledged spiritual component in gender confusion cases. If that be right I’m not sure how refusing to call the former Bruce Jenner “Caitlyn” opens any doors of ministry to others who have gone through the surgery themselves. How does insistence on calling Caitlyn by her birth name help me reach Lisa who now goes by “Fred,” or Tom’s kid who remains confused? Nor do I understand how loudly condemning people expresses love, compassion, or concern. Too many prefer loud to loving; yelling to relating. It is much easier. Are we who comprise the churches in America so blind to the implications of our own theology that we embrace the total fallenness of humanity, yet cannot recognize The Fall does not reveal itself the same way everywhere, all the time, and in everyone? Will we set ourselves up judge and jury as to who we will love, who we will hate, who we will judge and who we will despise? I do not find scripture is multiple choice on the love issue. If the love of God is not for Caitlyn Jenner, and Kim Kardashian, and Hillary Clinton, and Jeb Bush, and Darren Wilson, and Mike Brown, and the Apostle Paul, and pagan

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philosophers, it is for no one. The very essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ is no one is good enough to secure God’s love. And “no one” includes me and all those people I think I am better than, so let us stop pretending. Let us remember grace is not primarily a series of salvific propositions, but is the hand that finds us in the miry pit. The hand that becomes coated with grime to set me on a solid rock and establish my ways. Is some of the disgust aimed at Jenner because some Christians really do consider some sins worse than others? His gender confusion(?) and subsequent surgery into a woman is worse than my lust, deceit, pride, love of this world, lack of generosity, callousness, and the rest of the endless list? Most followers of Jesus would not believe Jenner to be saved; at least she has that excuse going for her. We are quick to say, “You can’t expect lost people to act saved,” until they actually don’t. Then we act as if they should. I do not know how we demonstrate the love of Jesus to the transgender, gender confused, and gender reassigned among us if we do not begin by trying to understand what they are going through or have been through. Contrary to prevalent response, condemning people at every turn is an ineffective evangelism strategy. Listening and loving works better. Yes, I’m aware there is an organized contingent who proclaims all such decisions are perfectly normal. Some even claim “God made us this way,” whatever way that is. Others seem discontented until everyone on the planet is acknowledges there is no such thing as immorality at all, thus no room for judgment for any behavior. I cannot stop them, and I will not believe they, rather than principalities and powers, are my enemy. We have no option but to love those so affected, so afflicted and so decided. There are among the gender confused and the gender reassigned future children of God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Whatever it is Caitlyn Jenner seeks no amount of surgery, hormones or editing of a Wikipedia page will bring it. Joy comes from the One who made us to find joy in Himself. For God so loved Caitlyn Jenner. And you. And me. Check out the book, The Generous Soul for more from Marty Duren.

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rapture rants

Trendy Opinions and the Rapture Yet today, there are many schools of thoughts going around about when the Rapture will occur. There is the business with the Blood Moons and the Year of Jubilee. There are many teaching on the Rapture and Revelation. They may be right on, but the Scriptures say that no man knows the day or the hour and so I am going to live each day listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit and being obedient to His voice. Yet I too have an opinion that is subject to change. So what do I think about the “Great Catching Away” today? I believe in several ‘catchings away.’ There is the Rapture where the dead in Christ will rise first and we, who are alive and remain, will be caught up with Him in the air – and so we will ever be with the Lord. I also believe in the ‘catching away’ that occurs when a saint of God leaves his or her body and moves to heaven. This can happen from illness, accident, suicide or because God calls them home healthy. God knows their hearts and He is the One who brings them home.

But the most important ‘catching away’ for the true believer is the one that happens when we spend time with the Lord on our knees, on our faces, in the shower, sitting on the porch or in some other way. It is when our focus is so on Him that we are caught away into His Presence. Sometimes it is dramatic and He speaks to us clearly and our world shifts. Other times, it is quiet and we rest with Him and listen to His heart beat. For me, I love the times when Jesus takes me in His arms and we dance around the throne room. It is truly rapturous.

BY KATHY CARUSO

hen I got saved in the early 1980’s, everyone thought the Rapture was imminent. They also thought that as a divorced person, I was a second class citizen – not completely forgiven and with a big red letter A on my forehead. There were other things going around at that time including a group called Born-AgainMarriages. They seemed to think that even though I was remarried and my ‘ex’ was remarried, that somehow we had missed God and should be standing for our original marriages. I have survived these opinions and have moved on.

I love the Lord and desire to do His will, His way. I don’t want to ‘escape’ out of this world until He is ready for me to leave. I can go alone or I can go with a few or I can go in the Great Catching Away. It is His choice and my joy. So I am all about love and not about debating the merits of the Rapture. I am not predicting anything. I know He loves me and when it is time to transition from earth to heaven, I will be delighted to enter His Presence forever.

VOL.11 #3 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

ministry directory

GOD BLESS THESE MINISTRIES!

The Ministry Directory is brought to you in part by: Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC) is a movement of Christian churches working together to show God’s love to the poor and needy. • 7347 W. Hwy. 76 • Branson • (417) 336-7056 • Toll Free: (866) 568-3462 Jennifer Maupin, Executive Director, jmaupin@omcloveinc.com Jodi Lilley - Client Coordinator jlilley@omcloveinc.com ADOPTION MBCH Children & Family Min. Adoption & foster care services 1837 E. Cherry St. Springfield • (417) 831-2342 ASSISTANCE Salvation Army Lt. Shawn DeBaar (417) 339-4434 CHILDREN Dolly Parton's Imagination Library FREE books for children John Richardson PO Box 6850 • Branson, MO 65615 (417) 337-9400 johnr@dixiestampede.com www.ImaginationLibrary.com EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE Jobs for Life Work training program 5004 West Hwy 76 Branson • (417) 335-9915 FOOD Christian Action Ministries Food assistance program 610 South Sixth Street, Ste 102 Branson • (417) 334-1157

COUNSELING American College of Counselors 273 Glossip Ave.

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

Highlandville, MO 65669 A Non Profit 501(c)(3) www.ACCnow.org A professional organization offering membership at various levels of academic and experience expertise in mental health, substance abuse, health education to improve positive life styles. ACC is infused altruistically with outreach programs like The Noah’s Ark Project ) (See listing under HEALTH) Grace Community Assembly Ask about Divorce Care Branson • (417) 336-2422 Grief recovery support group (417) 544-4177 HEALTH

Health Care for the uninsured.

(417) 336WELL( 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 be available to Costa Ricans and foreigners (There are over 50,000 North Americans living in Costa

HOMELESSNESS Victory Mission Residential work program 824 W Commercial St. Springfield • (417) 864-2244 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 (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 provide love and support to Single Moms 164 Corporate Pl • Branson, MO 65616 • (417) 334-0131 info@thecaringpeople.org www.TheCaringPeople.org 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 Jacob’s House 4661 State Hwy 176 E Chestnutridge, MO 65630 penny@jacobshouse.org www.JacobsHouse.org 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. (417) 6831080 For more info or visit web site: www.TeenHarvest.com

It’s time to Get Ready NOW at Morningside! Start with planning to attend August 17-21, 2015. Every year we are blown away by our amazing show guests, seminar speakers and the information shared on being prepared; not only physically but spiritually as well. This year will be no exception! This Ready Now Expo promises to be our best one yet with daily seminars, booths and demonstrations by our incredible guests. ADMISSION IS FREE! Come early for the best door prizes! Giveaways begin at the 9:00am seminar and continue throughout the event. If you would like to attend, please Pre-Register. Stayed tuned for our complete Ready Now Expo itinerary. We promise you won’t want to miss one minute of it!

readynowexpo.com 38

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“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty” Proverbs 22:3

the faith of our leaders

for assistance and guidance. The farmer crept away and returned home. He said to his family, "It’s going to be all right. We are going to win!" "What makes you think so?" his wife asked. "Well, " said the farmer, "I heard General Washington pray such passionate prayer I have never heard before. And God will surely hear and answer that kind of praying." The farmer was right! It happened because man is willing to put his hope in God. ____________________________________ ohn Adams was schooled at Harvard and was a lawyer. John Adams is responsible for urging the United States to take a lead in the development of the arts and sciences through the establishment of a national university, the financing of scientific expeditions, and the erection of an observatory. His critics declared such measures transcended constitutional limitations.[a] John Adams is another man that never hid his Christian faith. He was actually the first President, in a letter to his wife, to ask a blessing on the White House – not only for himself, but for all who followed him as well, here is what he wrote: “Before I end my letter, I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honJohn Adams

est and wise Men ever rule under this roof.” He also wrote In a letter from John Adams to Thomas Jefferson on June 28, 1813: “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.” ____________________________ President Grover Cleveland is the only man to serve one full term as President and return as President four years later. He was the first democrat elected to the presidency after the Civil War. Mr. Cleveland was the son of a preacher and he is best known as a great leader due to his single-mindedness. Here is a great quote from President Cleveland: “I know there is a Supreme Being who rules the affairs of men and whose goodness and mercy have always followed the American people, and I know He will not turn from us now if we humbly and reverently seek His powerful aid.” _____________________________________ Dwight D. Eisenhower was the president who pushed to have the “under God” added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954. He also adoped “In God We Trust” as the USA Motto in 1957. He was instrumental as paper currency was introduced in 1957. He wrote a prayer for his first inauguration and always started his Cabinet meetings with a silent prayer. He welcomed many religious leaders to the White House while he was in office. President Eisenhower once said: “Before all else, we seek, upon our common labor as a nation, the blessings of Almighty God.” ________________________________________ President Abraham Lincoln is best known for his stance on the abolition of slavery. He was not a well educated man, but was willing to learn anything that he needed to be a great leader. He led the United States of

America through one of the most dramatic changes in American history. Most biographers would say that Abraham Lincoln was not a Christian, but I learned that he became a Christian later in life. I did some research and found this as his testimony when he was asked if he loves Jesus by an Illinois Pastor whom was well known and trusted by Mr. Lincoln, he replied: “When I left Springfield I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ. Yes, I do love Jesus.” _________________________________

SPONSORED BY DEE WAMPLER

uring the American Revolution, when the Army had experienced several setbacks, a farmer who lived near the battlefield approached General Washington's camp unheard. Suddenly his ears caught an earnest voice raised in agonizing prayer. On coming nearer he saw it was the great General, down on his knees in the snow, his cheeks wet with tears. He was asking God

President Ronald Reagan was well known for his stance in opposition to big government. He reformed the income tax code in 1986 allowing lower income people to avoid exorbitant taxes. He held two terms in office and at the end of his administration the USA recorded the longest time of peace and prosperity never having any period of recession or depression. We also saw the end of the cold war and the fall of the Berlin wall under President Reagan. Mr. Reagan often talked about God and one of my favorite quotes by him is: “I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land. We need God’s help to guide our nation through stormy seas. But we can’t expect Him to protect America in a crisis if we just leave Him over on the shelf in our day-to-day living.”

There was a reason these men were great leaders! 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.”

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BY CARRIE DEDRICK/EDITOR, CHRISTIAN HEADLINES.COM

christian people & attitudes

Fixer Upper’s Joanna Gaines Says God led Her to HGTV “Fixer Upper” star Joanna Gaines said in a recent interview that God led her to HGTV. On the TV show, Gaines, alongside her husband Chip, reimagines houses and renovates them to suit the needs of the homeowners. In the interview posted on Charisma News, Gaines said God spoke to her and opened up the HGTV opportunity. Gaines said, “I heard God say very clearly... he said, ‘Joanna if you trust me with your dreams, I’m going to take Magnolia (a boutique Gaines owned) further than you ever dreamed.’”

“Fixer Upper” started after a Gaines’ blog and boutique captured the attention of the network. She said, “I look back and I go, ‘God, your promise that you spoke years ago, I’m now seeing. I trusted you with my dream and you took it far beyond what I ever could have dreamed or imagined.’” Gaines went from a half-Korean child who was scared of being different to a woman who has learned to trust in the Lord’s plan.

10 Signs of a Bitter Woman he held the small booklet in front of my face and shook it as she spoke emphatically. Her tone was angry, but not quite to the volume of yelling. "How dare you hand this out! How dare you ask women to study this book! I will NOT be attending, and I doubt any of the other women will!"

BY KIMBERLY WAGNER

At 21 years old, I had never come face to face with a "subterranean" before. This was my first encounter. Subterraneans work below the surface, have a destructive impact on the church body and may appear on the surface as your biggest supporter. I didn't have a clue about "subterraneans" when I was growing up; in fact, I was so naïve when I became a pastor's wife that I was still under the delusion that most people in church were Christians.

I believed that Christians usually acted like Jesus. I had a lot to learn. The dangerous booklet I passed out was Dawson Trotman's Born to Reproduce. (You can read it yourself here.) It was a simple booklet on evangelism and discipleship. It's been a helpful resource for about six decades. She didn't tell me why she opposed the booklet, and I didn't ask her. I just stood there with my mouth open, dumb-

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“I… really believe that God has a purpose for me,” she said. “But he also has a purpose for you… and on the other side of that is the enemy where he knows where to hit.” Gaines continued, “Let God speak in your life. Let his father heart come and say, ‘this is what I have for you.’ And I think that’s the key… not believing the lies, fixing our eyes on Jesus and walking in that truth.

“Law” is anything in the Bible that says “do”, while “Gospel” is anything in the Bible that says “done” -TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN

founded and silent. This poor woman kept to her word and never attended any of the Bible studies, even when I used more "acceptable" literature. It was a small church, and my husband was the pastor and sole staff member. Traditionally, the church had been deacon-board-led rather than elder-led, and her husband was chairman of the board of deacons. She is no longer living, and I've not had contact with her since we left that church in the early 1980s, but I hope that she didn't continue in life as bitter and unhappy as she appeared to be when I knew her. Bitterness is often a characteristic of the "subterranean." If you don't know what I'm talking about, take a look at my brief description below. This profile isn't complete, but these are some marks of the "subterranean." Marks of a "Subterranean": • Has rigid and narrow parameters for what is acceptable • Has "control issues"—if things vary from their acceptable parameters, they will inflict some form of emotional punishment. • Grabs for positions of authority • Can appear "spiritual" and usually functions in several positions in the church body • Views their area of responsibility as a position of unquestionable authority • Needs to be "in the know" and makes sure they are aware (and approving) of all dis cussions and decisions • Works behind the scenes (and at times publicly) to influence others when disagreeing

(Billy Graham’s grandson) with church leadership • Manipulates and pressures others to comply with their agenda • Uses the tongue to divide when a coalition forms that is not under their influence • Is not easily detected; may be the individual you least expect What Should We Do About "Subterraneans?" We must guard our own hearts and minds— knowing that we can be deceived or indulge in sinful suspicions and destructive paranoia. We can react in unrighteous anger and are

What’s wrong with sister Edna?

She’s still mad t church board vot down her propos for black walls the sanctuary

sorry, couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t resist -ed illary Clinton goes to a gifted student primary school in New York to talk about the world. After her talk she offers question time. One little boy puts up his hand. Hillary asks him what his name is.

missing 6 billion dollars while you were Secretary of State?"

"And what is your question, Johnny?" Just then the bell rings for recess. Hillary Clinton informs the kiddies that they will continue after recess. When they resume Hillary says, "Okay where were we?

"Kenneth." "And what is your question, Kenneth?" "I have three questions: First - Whatever happened in Benghazi? Second - Why would you run for President after your husband shamed the office? And,

Oh, that's right, question time. Who has a question?" A different boy, little Johnny, puts his hand up. Hillary points to him and asks him what his name is.

Third - Whatever happened to the

susceptible to the same sins as the "subterranean," so we must continually remind ourselves that we are in a spiritual battle and are not at war with any individuals; our battle is with spiritual forces:

of their sinful condition, but just as they have blind spots and need to be rescued from sinful tendencies, so do you and I. Don't respond in anger, fear, slander or pride. We need as much of God's grace as anyone.

"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).

Bless I'm serious. We're told to "bless those who curse you," and I think that includes the "subterranean," even though they might not have actually "cursed you." Send a birthday card, invitation for coffee, or simply extend a friendly hug, for example.

What Is Our Responsibility?

the ted sal in .

Pray Only God knows the heart of another individual. We need to guard our own hearts and pray for discernment and compassion. Yes, I said compassion. If our hearts and attitudes are hardened, angry or resentful toward the individual that may be a "subterranean," we will not be in a position to intercede for them, and we will be vulnerable to committing greater sins. Respond With Graciousness If you've experienced the wrath of the "subterranean," don't respond sinfully. Approach them with the heart to discuss your differences and seek to build a healthy relationship with them (if possible). Guard Against Superiority You will be tempted to view the "subterranean" as inferior to you because

"Johnny."

Don't Ignore If there is an individual in the church who usurps pastoral authority and manipulates members, it is harmful to the body to ignore what they're doing. If left to continue, eventually it will bring a breach within the body that may result in many casualties and a damaged testimony within the community. True love seeks spiritual restoration for the sake of the body, but also the sake of the sinful individual. Follow Scripture If you witness the "subterranean" practicing habitual sin (like slander, gossip, deception), follow the biblical guidelines and humbly approach them in a "rescue mission" (see Gal. 6:1-2; Matt. 18:15-18). Reach Out Reach out and attempt to build a relationship with the "subterranean" that might result in salvation or spiritual growth in their life.

"I have five questions: First - Whatever happened in Benghazi? Second - Why would you run for President after your husband shamed the office? Third - Whatever happened to the missing 6 billion dollars while you were Secretary of State?" Fourth - Why did the recess bell go off 20 minutes early? And, Fifth Where's Kenneth?"

about the women's Bible study. My husband and I attempted to build a friendly relationship with her and her husband, and although her husband was open and willing, she made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with us. In fact, she told my husband, "We were here long before you came, and we'll be here long after you're gone. We're just biding our time until you leave." Ouch. We were young and inexperienced. We didn't leave the church because of this poor woman's threats, but God was in the process of moving us to another state for additional schooling when her control issues surfaced. I regret that although we reached out and attempted to develop a good relationship with them, it never happened, and although we attempted a biblical rescue mission, that didn't happen either. The church leadership wasn't willing to get involved. The point of my post is not to place suspicions in your mind toward individuals in your church, but to encourage you to be prayerful and diligent in your relationships. Pray for your pastors, elders, deacons and others in leadership. Pray for their wives and children. And please beware that you do not function as the "subterranean" within your congregation!

Taken from Kimberly Wagner's blog post "Beware of the Subterranean" at truewoman.com.

We reached out to the lady who vented to me VOL.11 #3 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

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The Jehovah’s Witnesses Get Some Things Right In my book on Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Watchtower and the Word, I divide the book into three sections. The first section is on what they get right. Some people don’t like that at all. It would be a lot simpler if the Jehovah’s Witnesses got everything wrong. But the truth is they get some things right and we need to give them credit for it. This is the model that Paul used in Acts 17 in speech to the Athenians. Paul was very generous in acknowledging what they had right. Here are some things that the Jehovah’s Witnesses get right: Worship of the one true God. The Bible as God’s inspired revelation. God’s people must be followers of Jesus.

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Cross-Word Answers from Page 27

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(Pray for the peace of Jerusalem) Tehillim/Psalms 122:6

Something extremely important happened at the death of Jesus. Jesus did not stay dead. God’s people will be resurrected. Why do I share this? Christians sometimes get into “attack mode” when talking to Jehovah’s Witnesses. The assumption is that everything they believe is wrong and the job of the Christian is to prove that they are wrong. The point of having a conversation with Jehovah’s Witnesses is not to win an argument but to make a connection and help them to discover the truth. The best way to do this is build on the foundation of what we have in common. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge when the Jehovah’s Witnesses are correct. You can read more about this in The Watchtower and the Word.

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Adversity makes men. Prosperity makes monsters - Victor Hugo

Pick up ACV at:

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Barns, Fruits, & Yokes What’s in Your Storehouse?

But God said to him, “You fool! You will die this very night and then who shall possess it?” You can have earthly riches but not have a rich relationship with God. The Lord is about to pour out supplies for believers to fill many barns. However, it will not be for sitting barns but rather action barns. Many have barns that are already full for future use which is okay but are you heaping more things on top of it and you find your security in stuff? A true rich person has plenty but has a deep relationship with God. He knows that his storehouse will be used to bless others and give him an opportunity to witness for Christ with these material goods. Many of you have been blessed by God but you use it up to provide a very false security of comfort. God will replenish your storehouses over and over if you divest its contents to further the Kingdom. History shows us how material gain can be wiped out in an instant. Through natural disasters, theft and failing economies, all earthy goods can and will eventually vaporize. On the other hand, all your stored up treasure in your spiritual storehouse cannot be stripped away from you. You serve a God that will supply all your needs but make no mistake, every step you take to self sufficiency is one step away from God. “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Revelation 3:17 “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:20 Do not worry about tomorrow but be con-

BY UNKNOWN PROPHET

In Luke 12, Jesus gives an illustration that a rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact his barns were overflowing so he said to himself, “I know, I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, then I'll have room enough to store everything and I'll sit back and say to myself, “My friend you have enough stored away for years to come so I can take it easy, eat, drink and be merry!”

tent with what you have this very day because God provides for the lowliest sparrow; how much more will He do for His own children. (Matthew 6:25-34) Many of you seek him when your self sufficiency fails you or does not satisfy which is a natural temptation of the flesh but why not depend on Him every day for daily bread? Use your physical barns to divest these material goods today. God cannot fill a full barn if you are sitting on what you have accumulated. If God gives you a million dollars today, He expects a 10 million dollar return from his investment in you. Maybe this is why God has not entrusted you with much. You hoard or sow miserly with what little you do have. If you cannot divest what little you possess, He knows you will not share in the abundance of what He wants to give you. Each man and woman has been given a measure of faith. Where is that amount being utilized?

Your faith is a tangible currency that you can purchase things with from heaven. When you give away anything of material security you are showing God that you trust Him completely. The world would call you foolish because they have no faith or security in the Living God that gave them the talents to earn and possess things in the first place. For these folks who have financial security they will be tested in things money cannot obtain. Health, healings, peace of mind and sound relationships cannot be purchased.

trust and with his timing. Think back on a time in your life when you did not wait upon the Lord and “helped” Him bless you only to be met with disaster. Then you acknowledge you should have waited upon Him after all. God will not interfere with your freewill to make things happen. He is not angry with you when that occurs you are just experiencing the natural effects of working outside of His wisdom for your life. Be still and know that He is God. Delight in the delayed process of His rich plan for your life. For the outcome will be glorious! Jesus says to take upon yourselves His yoke because it is easy. He is telling you that if you take on the yoke of worry and the world it will be a heavy burden with its uncertainty. God withholds things you ask of Him not because He is stingy but because He ultimately has something superior for you down the road. Do not interfere in the divine process. Walk in the rhythms of grace. It is light and easy. You can roll the cares of this world because you know the One who controls every circumstance. He knows the plans He has for you and they are good. Do not thwart these blessing by trying to help Him with things that are far above your understanding. The world knows how to give good gifts to their children; how much more your Heavenly Father knows what you need to grow more like your Savior each and every day. Rest in Him.

God is still more interested in building in you “the fruits of the Holy Spirit; love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

Divest what you already have to further the Kingdom by showering blessings on others with less. What are you sitting on in your barn that could be used by someone else in need?

Money cannot acquire these things. Worry is sin before God because you are telling Him that you do not honor Him with

Sow these things into God’s storehouse and your storehouse will overflow.

VOL.11 #3 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

relationships

Signs of an Emotional Affair t normally starts with a rough patch in the marriage. One spouse feels rejected. She doesn’t feel like he pays attention to her or he feels like she is never interested in sex. Someone gets hurt, maybe even repeatedly. The feelings and voices replay over and over again, “He doesn’t appreciate me.” “She never shows me affection.” “He takes me for granted.” “She doesn’t love me.”

Then it happens. While at work or a party, there is an interaction with someone of the opposite sex. The person feels good and excited, two emotions that haven’t been felt in a while. These are all of the things they used to feel with their spouse. They can’t wait for the next time they see or talk to that person. After a while, they look forward to interacting with that person more than their spouse. Emotional affairs are a real and painful form of infidelity. However, at what point has the line

been crossed? Answering yes to the following questions are signs you are having an emotional affair or headed that way. Are you hiding things from your spouse? This is the biggest and most telling signal. The moment you keep secrets from your spouse about relationships with others, the betrayal begins. [Tweet This] Deleting texts and emails, putting passwords in place to restrict access or starting a new email account your spouse doesn’t know about crosses the line. Do you feel a greater connection to this person over your spouse? Do you feel like this person understands you more than your spouse? Are you having more deeply personal talks with this person more than your wife? Do you talk to her about your marital problems? If you find

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yourself leaning on this person for emotional support, your connection with them is going to grow as will your disconnection with your spouse. Do the two of you flirt with one another? Giving someone a compliment is fine, however flirting is a violation. Flirting is being overly or strategically complimentary. It is sending someone signals that you are attracted to them and open to their reciprocated affection. It is gazing eye contact and suggestive touching with a spirit of attraction. It’s important to be honest about your intentions because the other person will pick up on your feelings and so will your spouse. Do you daydream about this person?

problem and feel the neglect. Do they fill a “missing piece” in your life or marriage? Whether it is lack of attention, hurt feelings or just boredom, something is missing in your marriage. Are you trying to fill that hole with this “friend”? Do they give you things your marriage no longer does? If you are finding the attention you lack or are experiencing the thrill you used to feel for your spouse, you are there. As long as you are finding those things from a person other than your spouse, your marriage will continue to lose more life and be in danger. editor’s note: Men and women should not be decieved by their co-workers that are looking their best. You can’t see the dirty laundry, smell the morning breath or see them juggle a mountain of bills at the kitchen table, unshaved or curlers in their hair. (Not to mention their reactions to daily routines and grinds.) lol

When you are with your spouse are you preoccupied with thinking about the other person? Do you think about her more than your wife? Do you get excited when you think about your interactions, replaying the old ones and Must be missionaries. looking forward to the next time? At this point, your heart is entangled. The more time you spend thinking about the other person the more cracks appear in your marriage. Your spouse will sense the

we love israel!

Even Great Kings Should Bow to Their Mothers e should remember to honor our mothers every day so I thought we could take a look at one of the Bible's examples of how to treat your mother in this short article.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching; indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head, and ornaments about your neck. The book of Proverbs begins, "The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel." He was a great king and the son of a great king. That means he was famous and powerful and supreme in all the realm. People bowed in his presence. They did what he said. He had immense authority and honor.

Even Great Kings Should Bow to Their Mothers

kings should stoop when their mothers enter the room. Solomon was not a perfect king. He was not a perfect man. But he did know how to treat his mother.

How did he treat his mother in this exalted role? You recall his mother was Bathsheba. She had married his father David under very ugly circumstances—very displeasing to God. But she was his mother, and this is what it says in 1 Kings 2:19.

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:

Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king arose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat on his throne; then he had a throne set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right. Then they had their conversation. He rose for her. He bowed to her. And he called for a throne to be put beside his for their conversation. She was his mother. Even

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who gets left behind? his raises an important question: What is our attitude toward the world we live in? How do we treat God’s physical creation, the cosmos into which he placed us? Like a home, or a hotel? Our answer is shaped in part by our eschatology. How do we view the end times? After all, our lifespan is just an infinitesimally small drop of time compared with the great ocean of eternity. If we look forward to being whisked away from this physical world at death -taken away with those who followed God, while the sinners are “left behind” -then maybe we affirm that this world in not our home; we’re just passing through. But what if God meant it to be something more like a home, and less like a hotel? (Maybe passing through this culture- ed)

BY MATTHEW DICKERSON

LESSONS FROM THE FLOOD Jesus’ best-known teaching about end times is recorded in Matthew 24-25, with perhaps the most famous section found in 24:40-41. Here Jesus describes the impact of his Second Coming: “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a had mill; one will be taken and the other left.” These two verses, along with the parallel passage in Luke 17, have inspired one of the most famous Christian songs of all times, Larry Norman’s 1972 classic “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” (from an album tellingly titled Only Visiting This Planet). More recently, the hugely successful Left Behind book and film series has inspired the imaginations of countless Christians. These verses are worth close consideration. According to Jesus, at least one key to understanding this teaching is the story of Noah, as Jesus explains in the preceding passage, Matthew 24:37-39; “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” Notice what Jesus says twice in this passage. The coming of the Son of Man will be “as it was in the days of Noah” (v.37) In case we missed it, we are told again: “That is how it will be” when the Son of Man comes (v.39). Anytime Jesus says something twice, it is doubly worth paying attention to. Jesus seems to be emphasizing two aspects of the Noah story. One is simply the surprise facto of the Flood. Nobody was expecting it. Until the day

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it happened, people w e r e g o i n g a b o u t their business, living their daily live. They were taken by surprise. So too will the Second Coming of Jesus come unawares. We should always be ready. We ought also to notice the presence of two groups of persons. One is Noah and, implicitly, his family. Noah is righteous and follows God. He and his family are saved; they are not caught by surprise.The second group is the unnamed “people” (v.38): those who were eating, drinking, and marrying. This second group -described in Genesis 6:5 as full of wickedness, their hearts and thoughts continually evil -gets caught by surprise. Its wickedness prompted the judgment of the Flood. But as the story makes clear, the people who “knew nothing about what would happen” got taken away. “We have to pause here for a moment and observe how thoroughly this inverts some popular understandings of the end times. Those who do not follow God are, in the language of this passage, “taken away.” By contrast, Noah and his family are “left behind.” While the flood washes away the wicked, God rescues Noah and his kin, leaving them to enjoy the goodness of the renewed and restored creation. And then, we are told -not once, but twice -that the Second Coming of Jesus will happen just like this. Consider once more verses 40 and 41. They describe two pairs of persons. In each case, one person is taken away and one is left behind. And verses 38 and 39 tell us that this outcome mirrors the days of Noah. This entire passage strongly suggests that the ones “left behind,” in Jesus’ description of the Second Coming, will not be the wicked ones but the followers of God. They are rewarded by being left behind to enjoy, as embodied creatures, God’s new kingdom. The wicked are “taken away,” losing the chance to experience the new creation. CHRIST OR PLATO? Of course, I may be wrong. Jesus often tells stories where main ideas are not immediately obvious. Indeed, other passages seem at first glance to shine a different light on the concept of being “left behind.” In Luke 17:26-36, for example, we have a different version of this teaching, where Jesus twice speaks of two persons, only one of whom will be taken.

here, Jesus refers not only to the Flood, but also to the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom. In the Lot story, the righteous are taken away from Sodom, while the ones left behind get destroyed. Does this reverse the lesson we derived from the Noah story? Perhaps it has nothing to do with being taken or left, but simply with the imperative of being ready. There is, however, an important difference between the stories of Noah and Lot. The account of Noah, like Jesus’ teaching about the last days, is about judgment on the whole earth. Perhaps this is why both Gospels writers included that element of Jesus’ teaching. The Lot story is not about global judgment, but about judgment on one city. Indeed, even in this account, Lot and his daughters, though removed from Sodom, remain “left behind” as bodily beings, while the wicked, “left behind” in Sodom end up perishing from the earth. We might turn to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and Paul’s description of the Rapture. Surely, some suggest, this points to Christ’s followers being taken away. But does it? The core of his passage is a message of hope that believers who have died like Jesus will be resurrected from the dead. Paul does speak of being caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus. But read the passage carefully. While it says nothing about Christ’s followers leaving, it twice mentions Jesus coming (vs. 15-16). So what about "meet[ing] the Lord in the air" (v. 17)? Interestingly, the Greek word for "meeting" here is apantesis—a term used infrequently in the New Testament and carrying a very different connotation. It means going out to meet a newly arriving magistrate or dignitary to welcome him back into the city. In other words, the 1 Thessalonians passage does not imply a departure from earth. Instead, the passage's emphasis is on Jesus' triumphal return. Paul seems to be evoking Jesus' earlier triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the people went outside the city to welcome him. As John describes the triumphal entry, "The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 'Hosanna!' 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Blessed is the king of Israel!'?" (John 12:12-13, emphasis added). This would seem far more in keeping with the weight of Scripture. Romans 8:18-24 speaks of God's redemptive and liberating work in all of creation. Revelation 11:18 speaks of God's judgment in "destroying those who destroy the earth." Chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis and numerous Psalms (especially 104) speak of God's creation and superinten-

the editor gets the last word

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING None of this discredits all the ideas and sentiments behind popular end times portrayals like Norman's "I Wish We'd All Been Ready." The title of the song, repeated often in its refrain, speaks powerfully to the importance of being prepared for the last days. This seems to be the first of two main ideas Jesus draws from the Noah story. Indeed, the message is echoed in many of the parables that follow in Matthew 25. Surely, we do well to heed Jesus' warning in Matthew 24:42 to "keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Nonetheless, if our thinking about who gets left behind is backwards, we are likely to adopt wrongheaded attitudes toward the arena of creation. To wit: Norman's same album includes a song, "Reader's Digest," which ends with these lines: "I'm only visiting this planet /This world is not my home, I'm just passing through." How many identically themed T-shirts and bumper stickers made their way through church circles in the 1970s? The world, according to this mindset, is a hotel, not a home. When we succumb to this way of thinking, we miss out on the importance of the bodily resurrection. Indeed,

originally published in an article by Christianity Today. Matthew Dickerson is a professor of computer science at Middlebury College and the author of several books, including The Mind and the Machine (Brazos Press).

A Life Lesson My Daughter Taught Me _____________________________ I tried to instill in my 21 year old daughter , Jasmine how evil the underbelly of society was in the ever hope of the religious obligation to keep her from “the world”. Every parent struggles with this I suppose. Perhaps in our desperate need to protect our kids we inadvertently ignored the truth about the awesome beauty and incredible blessings God’s kids have to enjoy RIGHT NOW! Her observation of my negative assessment on life was shown in a letter she wrote me about it. It was a splash of ice cold water in my face as she suggested that I was blind to the other side of the coin. I really did camp out on the ticks and chiggers of summer, not the warm days and stunning greenery of our beautiful Ozarks. I chose to ignore the Apostle Paul’s admonition not to look for a demon under every bush. From my jaded perspective I warned her not to trust anyone, thus denying her the opportunity to see the surprising generosity so many people display in our lives. I am known for using the metaphor of our lives resembling railroad tracks. One rail of wonderful grace, mercy and daily blessings; verses the

BY JOHN G. SACOULAS, ACV MANAGING EDITTOR

dence of an earth in which he delights— and his appointment of humans as its stewards. This brings us back to Matthew. If my reading is accurate, then many Christians have been interpreting the end times backwards for decades. Hasn't our common picture of the Rapture imagined the followers of God— those who are saved—getting taken away while the wicked are "left behind"? I would suggest that the popular interpretation owes more to Platonism or Gnosticism, which devalue the body and physical creation, than to Christianity. Plato's Socrates, when sentenced to death for allegedly corrupting the Athenian youth, delighted to die; he gladly drank the hemlock because it meant freedom from his body and a chance to escape the earth. In Plato's vision, Socrates, the righteous and wise philosopher, would be taken away, while his enemies would be left behind. Similarly, when Christians look forward to escaping the earth—when we imagine being "left behind" as punishment—we may be embracing Gnosticism and Platonism rather than Christianity.

the centrality of the bodily resurrection to parallel track of grunge and disappoint with Christian teaching is one reason I am led to life. I always said you have to choose which an understanding of Matthew 24-25 that con- rail you want to camp out on. The problem tests our profound horror at the prospect of was that I showed her my preference for the being left behind. If we view as a punishment wrong rail. being left in this world, what does that say Jasmine is a talented artist and self actualabout our view of creation? If we yearn ulti- ist. She sees a tree every time as a new and mately to escape corporeal existence rather wonderful discovery. How I wish I tied this than awaiting our bodily resurrection and the truth with finding our joy and complete affircoming of heaven to earth, what sort of care for God's creation will result? The answers, thus far, picture taken from the “Back Porch” in Destin, Florida have only been discouraging. This world is our home. It is the home God made for us, blessed us with, and instructed us to take care of. Viewing it as our home is critical to our mission as caretakers. I, for one, look forward to being left behind, like Noah and his family— only with my new and resurrected body.

Jasmine Sacoulas mation in Christ and His promise in John 10:10 to give us life more abundantly in the here and now... not having to wait to be raptured out of this earth to receive it. The thief Jesus refers to is Satan’s evil jealousy to diminish this joy. When did so many Christian forget that God thinks that His creation is good. He said so himself multiple times in Genesis 1 and 2. God didn’t change His mind because we didn’t really appreciate it. The truth is Adam and Eve never knew it was a beautiful day. EVERY DAY! They had no gauge of appreciation. After the fall humans certainly knew it when they experienced a gorgeous day. No wind, ice, hail, bitter cold or brutal heat. Jasmine chose to camp out on what was good with life not what stunk about it. Of course people foul up our desire for happiness with their poor decisions that personally affect us but we certainly do not have to be drug down to their level. Why are we so adamant about longing for a rapture away from this miserable existence when God wanted us to experience everything He purposed for us (good and bad)? Is it because we refuse the ultimate sovereignty of His plan for us by blaming everything uncomfortable that happens to us on the devil? I am trying to see the bigger picture from a distance.

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