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VOLUME 11 NO. 6

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full of the Holy Spirit and the Righteousness of Christ... they will do mighty exploits. Will you be among them? Here’s another perspective on the ‘last days’ that you may not have considered. page 22

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God is For You! God IS for you! In fact, the Bible says, “God will rejoice over you!” Turn to the sidelines and hear God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Are you too tired to continue? He’ll carry you. Are you too discouraged to fight? He’s picking you up. God is for you! In Isaiah 49:15 God asks, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?” Can you imagine a mother feeding her infant and later asking, “What was that baby’s name?” No. Can a mother forget? No way! And neither can God! From Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

od 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. -Tim Challies

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. yak bak I just picked up a copy of American Christian Voice at Jones Physical Therapy in Harrison. Thank you for a fresh publication emphasizing the powerful, positive message of Jesus Christ. I enjoyed the variety of topics that you addressed. Mike Bishop, Harrison, AR www.anamericanspeaks.com ___________________________________ I read the article in the last issue regarding Donald Trump vs. Ben Carson by Dr. Lance Wallnau. I agree with his assesment

but with some reservations. Trump is a billionaire, sophomoric, egotist while Dr. Carson is a gentle, sincere, man of God. The jury is still out on who would do better in correcting our national ship that is dangerously listing to port (the left). Hopefully it won’t require a fool to undo another fool’s folly. Brenda Gates, Springfield, MO __________________________________ Okay, so I have seen articles in the ACV stating that, “When your church becomes a mouthpiece for a political party, you cease to be the church.” Judging by your selections it appears you have been a mouthpiece for the Republican party. What say you? Conrad Steele, Omaha, NE Conrad, first, we are not the church. We are a ministry to the Body of Christ. Second, we reserve our endorsements to no political party. However, we find very little value in the platforms in the current Democratic or socialist political parties. We also cannot support the ideologies of those who worship the creation instead of the creator. We will endorse them when they change their positions on abortion, social entitlements, national security and foreign policy issues. We do not believe in nationalism over the gospel. An example is we would encourage all churches to remove the American flag

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Feed Back From Our Readers from the sanctuary and place it in the vestibule. The Gospel message is not to be polluted by politics. However, as American citizens, Christians need to be vigilant in voicing support to those who have no voice and to protect our families from enemies that seek to destroy us at any cost. We champion all causes to shed grace and mercy to those that are found in Christ. For them there is no judgement. For those outside the Family we remind them that they are under the curse of the law and need to seek refuge from it through the acceptance of Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour for the remission of their sins. ACV Editor ____________________________________ We appreciated Tim Challies take on serving a jealous God. It finally makes sense to us on why that is a GOOD thing! Mark and Valorie Hunt, Tulsa, OK ____________________________________ I have had to repent of my attitude towards the Rev. Jim Bakker. Steve Strang’s article on him humbled me. As I prayed about it I also have a different opinion on my former criticism of brother Bakker’s obsession for “prepping”. The headlines are screaming for Americans to prepare for what almost seems certain of regional if not national catastrophes. I tuned in to one of his

programs and heard him admonish Christians to prepare not just for our loved ones but so that we can be a powerful blessing to others that will find themselves in great need. The scripture that there will come a time when people will throw their gold into the streets (Meaning it will be useless) makes sense to me now. Food will be the most valuable commodity. In any rate, if Jim’s dire warnings do not come to pass... Praise God! But if we find ourselves in want... God will still provide for His children and I won’t be surprised if He does it through His “prepper” kids. Polly Goutry, Mansfield, MO _____________________________

I do not like your support for the Zionists, the effeminate and the inferior races. You have bought into and serve the destructive agendas of God’s enemies! Dear person who has learned the works and ways of the devil, since you didn’t sign your name to the ugly diatribe you mailed our offices, I cannot address a coward by name. We have prayed that God will break off this spirit of condemnation you possess so that it doesn’t bring you into that judgment.. So, you’re welcome. _____________________________________ Loved the article from Carey Nieuwhof on “The 5 Stupid things the church needs to stop doing to make progress”. OUCH! Jacob Roberts, Grand Prairie, TX _______________________________________ My heart broke for my grandchildren as I read the article on “5 ways you are ruining your child’s life” by Arlene Pellicane. My daughter and son-in-law are the poster parents for this cultural blight. I mailed her a copy of it and I know she will be offended but I asked God to convict them of this and have to be reminded that it is my responsibility to show my grandbabies a better way. Very well written! Martha Martin, Branson, MO _____________________________________ If your readers missed the article from Dr. C. Baxter Kruger on “Perichoresis” regarding the Holy Trinity. I encourage them to go to your website online and find it under the previous issues button. (Vol. 11 no. 5). I shared it with my pastor and his response was, “Outstanding!” Maxine Beatty, (from an email) _______________________________________ I cried when I read the article written by “Drugs”. It has devastated so many families. Seymour Katz, Springfield, MO ________________________________________ Send your “letters to the editor” to: editor@americanchristianvoice.com or mail to:

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The American Christian Voice is published under the direction of the Ozarks Christian Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency. Its primary purpose is to edify the body of Christ through inspirational articles of Christian faith and courage, educate the body of Christ through informative articles and by promoting the message that disciples of Christ are not under the penalty of sin or condemnation of it. It is because of what Christ has done... not what we do. Our obedience to the law, and our good works, now is out of our gratitude for that precious gift of grace and salvation; not as a motivation to be in right standing with God. We are dedicated to be Kingdom builders as we realize that our unity can

PUBLISHER Lorraine Sacoulas MANAGING EDITOR John G. Sacoulas SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Veeda Smith, Ken Moldenhauer Kathy Caruso, Jeremy Storch, Dee Wampler, Marla Woodmansee SYNDICATED WRITERS Max Lucado, Tim Challies, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER George Kurland ARCHIVISTS Marvin & Regina Reynolds GRAPHIC DESIGN Lorraine Sacoulas lorri@americanchristianvoice.com DIRECTED BY Ozarks Christian Foundation, 501(c)3 ADVERTISING SALES MANAGERS Wes Larson, Sr. wlarson@americanchristianvoice.com Cheri Flowers cflowers@americanchristianvoice.com Special thanks to all our prayer warriors that intercede regularly for our sponsors. SUBSCRIPTION/CUSTOMER SERVICE see page 36 (417) 3363636 editor@americanchristianvoice.com SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: American Christian Voice P.O. Box 336 Rockaway Beach, MO 65740 FREE SUBSCRIPTION ONLINE: www.AmericanChristianVoice.com

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Vjg"Qtkikpcn Vgttqtkuv he images are startling: bodies strewn on Parisian streets, blood stains on restaurant floors, a pregnant woman dangling from a second-story window. Reminded, yet again, that we live in a violent world. Every news program asks the same question of terrorism experts: “What can be done?” “What is the source of such evil?” “How long before we see more attacks?” “Will it ever end?”

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Experts trace the source of violence to a violent ideologue. They point their fingers at radicalized Muslims. While their answers have merit, we’d make a mistake not to go even further. Here is what the Bible says about terrorism.

›Qwt" hkijv" ku" pqv" cickpuv rgqrng" qp" gctvj" dwv" cickpuv vjg" twngtu" cpf" cwvjqtkvkgu cpf" vjg" rqygtu" qh" vjku yqtnf‚u"fctmpguu."cickpuv"vjg urktkvwcn"rqygtu"qh"gxkn"kp"vjg jgcxgpn{"yqtnf0"Vjcv"ku"yj{ {qw"pggf"vq"rwv"qp"Iqf‚u"hwnn ctoqt0" Vjgp" qp" vjg" fc{" qh gxkn"{qw"yknn"dg"cdng"vq"uvcpf uvtqpi0"Cpf" yjgp" {qw" jcxg hkpkujgf"vjg"yjqng"hkijv."{qw yknn"uvknn"dg"uvcpfkpi0"Uq"uvcpf uvtqpi."ykvj"vjg"dgnv"qh"vtwvj vkgf" ctqwpf" {qwt" yckuv" cpf vjg"rtqvgevkqp"qh"tkijv"nkxkpi qp"{qwt"ejguv0"Qp"{qwt"hggv ygct"vjg"Iqqf"Pgyu"qh"rgceg vq"jgnr"{qw"uvcpf"uvtqpi0"Cpf cnuq" wug" vjg" ujkgnf" qh" hckvj ykvj"yjkej"{qw"ecp"uvqr"cnn vjg" dwtpkpi" cttqyu" qh" vjg Gxkn" Qpg0ﬁ" *Grj0" 8<34⁄38 PEX+ The Bible presents a real and present foe of our faith. His name is Satan. Some call him

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the devil. Others call him Beelzebub, Belial, the obstructor, the tempter, the evil one, the accuser, the prince of demons, the ruler of this world, or the prince of the power of the air. Whatever name you choose, he is the enemy, and he is real. If I were the devil, I’d blame terrorism on a broken political system. A disenchanted people group. The Wicked Witch of the West. I’d want you to feel attacked by an indefinable, nebulous force. After all, if you can’t diagnose the source of your ills, how can you treat them? If I were the devil, I’d keep my name out of it. But God doesn’t let the devil get away with this and tells us his name. The Greek word for devil is diabolos, which shares a root with the verb diaballein, which means “to split.” The devil is a splitter, a divider, a wedge driver. He divided Adam and Eve from God in the garden and has every intent of doing the same to you. Blame all unrest on him. Don’t fault the plunging economy or raging suicide bomber for this bloodshed. They are simply tools in Satan’s tool kit. He is not the cute and harmless character of the cartoons. He is not an imaginary, dark counterpart to the Easter Bunny. He is the invisible yet forceful fallen angel called Lucifer, who desired the high place only God could occupy. He rebelled and disobeyed and wants you and me to do the same. “The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat” (1 Peter 5:8 NCV). Want to read his rap sheet? “Satan . . . incited David” (1 Chron. 21:1 NIV). “Satan has asked . . . to sift you [Simon] like wheat” (Luke 22:31 TLB). “The devil . . . persuaded Judas Iscariot . . . to turn against Jesus” (John 13:2 NCV). “This woman . . . Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years” (Luke 13:16 NIV). He has “blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. As a result, they don’t see the light of the Good News” (2 Cor. 4:4 GOD’S WORD).

and rules. He has one objective: “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). Satan has never, ever spoken a word of truth. He lied to Eve in the garden. He lies to unbelievers by blinding their minds (II Cor. 4:4). He is a big, fat liar. “He has always hated the truth because there is no truth in him” (Jn. 8:44 NLT). Every battle, ultimately, is a spiritual battle. Every conflict is a contest with Satan and his forces. Paul urged us to stand “against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). The Greek word he used for “wiles” is methodia, from which we get our English word “method”. Satan is not passive or fair. He is active and deceptive. He has designs and strategies. Consequently, we need a strategy as well. For that reason “though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:3–4). Our world is in desperate need of a generation of Christians who will respond in faith to the fear of these days. If you have said “yes” to Christ, you have the presence of God within you. “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (I Jn. 4:4) Pray. We cannot do battle with Satan on our own. He is a roaring lion, a fallen angel, an experienced fighter, and an equipped soldier. He is angry—angry because he knows that his time is short (Rev. 12:12) and that God’s victory is secure. He resents God’s goodness toward us and our worship of God. He is a skillful, powerful, ruthless foe who seeks to “work us woe. His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.”[1] But there is wonderful news for the Christian: Christ reigns as our protector and provider. We are more than conquerors through him (Rom. 8:37). Arm yourself with God’s Word. Load your pistol with Scriptures, and keep a finger on the trigger. And remember: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12).

“He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn’t obey God” (Eph. 2:2 CEV).

These are difficult, dark days. Yet, the throne of Christ is still occupied and the promise of Scripture still rings true. “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (I Jn. 4:4)[2]

Satan incites, sifts, persuades, binds, blinds,

ready for some meat?

Strongholds

Some are prone to cheat. Others quick to doubt. Maybe you worry. Yes, everyone worries some – but you own the national distributorship of anxiety. Perhaps you are judgmental. Sure, everybody can be critical, but you pass more judgments than the Supreme Court. What is that one weakness, bad habit, rotten attitude? Where does the devil have a stronghold on you? Ahh, there is the word that fits–stronghold–fortress, citadel, thick walls, tall gates. It’s as if the devil has fenced in one negative attribute, one bad habit, one weakness and constructed a rampart around it. “You ain’t touching this flaw,” he defies to heaven and he places himself squarely between God’s help and your: –explosive temper –fragile selfimage –voracious appetite –distrust for authority Seasons come and go and this Loch Ness monster still lurks in the watery lake bottom of your soul. He won’t go away. He lives up to both sides of his compound name: strong enough to grip like a vice and stubborn enough to hold on. He clings like a bear trap; the harder you shake, the more it hurts. Strongholds: old, difficult, discouraging challenges. The term stronghold appears at least fifty

The Apostle Paul uses the term to describe a mindset or attitude. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ASV) We do not grit our teeth and redouble our efforts. No, this is the way of the flesh. Our weapons are from God. They have divine power to demolish strongholds. Isn’t that what we want? We long to see our strongholds turned into rubble, once and for all, forever and ever, kaboom! Maybe it’s time for a different strategy. Have you asked others to help you? Everything inside you says: keep the struggle a secret. Wear a mask, hide the pain. God says just the opposite: “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed” (James 5:16 MSG). Satan indwells the domain of shadows and secrets. God lives in the land of light and honesty. Bring your problem into the open. I know a young couple who battled the stronghold of sexual temptation. They wanted to save sex for the honeymoon, but didn’t know if they could. So, they called for help. They enlisted the support of a mentoring, understanding married

couple. They put the older couple’s phone number on speed dial and asked their permission to call them, regardless of the hour, when the temptation was severe. When the wall was too tall, they took the tunnel. Maybe it is time to get drastic. I had a friend who battled the stronghold of alcohol. He tried a fresh approach. If I ever saw him drinking, he gave me, and a few choice people, permission to slug him in the nose. The wall was too tall, so he tried the tunnel.

BY MAX LUCADO

oes one prevailing problem stalk your life? Where does Satan have a hook in you?

times in the Bible. It commonly referred to a fortress with a difficult access (see Judges 6:2; I Sam. 23:14). When King David first saw the city of Jerusalem, it was an old, ancient, cheerless fortress inhabited by enemies. No wonder it was twice called a stronghold (see II Sam. 5:7,9).

One woman counters her anxiety by memorizing long sections of Scripture. A traveling salesman asks the hotels to remove the TV from his room so he won’t be tempted. Another man grew so weary of his prejudice toward non-whites, that he moved into an ethnically diverse neighborhood, made new friends and changed his attitude. “God’s power is very great for us who believe. That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead and put him at his right side in the heavenly world.” (Eph. 1:19, 20 NCV). Ask for help. Get drastic. Try a fresh approach. Who knows, you may be a prayer away from a breakthrough. ©Max Lucado, September 2015 editor’s note: As good as Max’s guideline are, for many, the stronghold is actually beyond thier ability to overcome without divine intervention. I do not mean a 12 step program but a ONE step program. To accomplish this, you must rebuke the devil and remind Him you are already perfect because you possess the righteousness of Christ Jesus. You are not condemned for your behavior, you just missed the mark and want to do better because of how much God loves you. Then, you must find a disciple of Christ who still believes in the awesome power of the Holy Spirit. Then you confess to him that you actually prefer your sin and you would miss it if you were delivered from it. Then, ask God to create a clean heart in you and that you are using your free will to ask Him to over ride your flesh’s obstinance. Then believe. Then you will see an instant release of the stronghold or a slow fade as the things that captivated you in the past longer please your flesh anymore. VOL.11 #6 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

aberrated worldview

BY LES SILLARS

ISIS and Islam’s irrationality ... Robert Reilly, author of The Closing of the Muslim Mind, talks about how a ninthcentury theological schism helps explain execution videos of Coptic Christians on Libyan beaches By Les Sillars

to priceless artifacts and lines up Coptic Christians to slit their throats.

(WNS)--The reason ISIS behaves so irrationally can be traced to a ninth-century theological dispute in Sunni Islam, according to Robert Reilly, director of the Westminster Institute and author of The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamic Crisis. The Mu’tazilite school, as he explained in a lecture at Patrick Henry College in October, believed God is a god of reason and justice. It attempted to balance revelation and reason. If revelation—the Quran—appeared to conflict with reason, revelation must be reinterpreted or discarded.

WM: How did you become interested in this topic?

The Ash’arite school, on the other hand, taught that God is pure power and therefore revelation dominates all, including reason. Man must submit to the Quran without questioning. “The mind, once it testifies to the truth of the Prophet, must cease to act,” as one Islamic scholar put it. In Ash’arite theology, man has no free will, is incapable of determining right from wrong, and the only cause of anything is the will of Allah, Reilly explained. An arrows flies because Allah sustains its path, not because of momentum. If you cut off a man’s head and he dies, he died because it was Allah’s will, not because of any other cause. The Ash’arite school of thought became the dominant teaching among Sunnis, who became the majority sect in Islam. There is still a strong strain of irrationality in Sunni Islam, argues Reilly, and its central role in jihadist ideology helps explain why the Arab world mostly abandoned scientific inquiry and, in UN assessments, stands near the bottom of every measure of human development. This irrationality also helps explain why ISIS takes jackhammers

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“Islamism is a spiritual pathology based on a deformed theology that produced a dysfunctional culture,” Reilly said. Reilly spoke with WORLD Magazine after his lecture.

Robert Reilly: I’m a student of political philosophy and was a Cold Warrior. I spent years in government and outside addressing the Evil Empire. My preparation for that was the study of 20th and 19th century ideology. Studying Nietzsche and Marx and Lenin gave me the background for working in the U.S. Information Agency, the State Department, The Voice of America, and other agencies. After 9/11, in the first videotape of Osama Bin Laden, he quoted his spiritual mentor, a Palestinian, saying “Terrorism is an obligation in Allah’s religion.” So I thought, terrorism is an obligation in Allah’s religion? I think I better study Muslim theology. [Over years of study] I saw century after century [of Ash’arite scholars] using the same examples to deny the existence of ausality, to reaffirm Allah as pure will and not reason, to say that he can do anything, to say that he is incomprehensible. Therefore the world, in this view, is incomprehensible. WM: This idea is central to understanding Islamism? RR: It is absolutely central. Reason can only be the basis of a conversation between Islam and Christianity if God is logos. Albert Einstein said the only incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible. It has this rational structure. The parallel statement from Ash’arite Islam is that the only comprehensible thing about the universe is that it is incomprehensible, because of its source. WM: How influential is this idea today?

RR: Most Muslims are not Arabic. But since it’s an Arab religion, since Allah speaks Arabic, since the Quran is in Arabic, what happens in the Middle East, not Indonesia, is what decides what happens in Islam. So it’s central. It’s not just a big deal—it is the deal. The incomprehensibility of the universe seems to me a profoundly unappealing idea. WM: Why did this school of thought become so popular? Historically, it was imposed by force. For some the appeal is that if you die in jihad you go to paradise with all the virgins; if you don’t die you get to loot and enslave the people that you’ve conquered. It’s a religion of power. Also, Islam isn’t just a religion. It regulates everything, from what you can and can’t eat to which way you face in the bathroom. There is nothing outside of it; it’s all encompassing. That’s why for a Muslim to leave Islam is far more difficult than for a Westerner to leave a religion. One of the appeals is its comprehensiveness; it transfers the burden of responsibility, it says you are relieved from the responsibility of making moral decisions. All you have to do is obey. But I don’t want to give the wrong impression. With many Muslims there is a profound sense of piety, a profound sense of the sacred. So this version of Islam provides not only direction but clarity? It’s the reason you see something as insane as a woman in Europe converting to Islam and taking the veil. Why would she do such a thing? And the reason is there doesn’t appear to her an alternative that provides an objective moral order according to which she can live. Maybe she’s sickened by the materialism and hedonism and the sexual exploitation, the lack of any notion of the transcendence in the life of Europe, except as relics in museums. One contrast between Islamist legalism and the gospel is that Christ calls us to love God with all our being, including our minds, to think about how best to love our neighbor, for example. The other striking thing that Christians find hard to comprehend in

the closing of the Muslim mind Islam is that there is no “love your neighbor.” It’s “love your fellow Muslim.” Christianity teaches we’re all made in the image of God, and now you are to see Christ sitting next to you or in the person who fell into the ditch, so serve God by serving him. Not everybody lives up to the idea but it transformed the world that accepted it, and it certainly doesn’t exist in Islam.

you really do have a caliphate that’s capable of expanding and taking on the West again. WM: That’s a sobering thought. It is, but they are too dysfunctional to achieve that. They really are, although it doesn’t mean

WM: Would you say that Americans don’t have realistic expectations of how much reform is possible or likely in the Middle East, so we’re overreaching?

WM: You described what we are seeing in the Middle East as “the collapse of a civilization or at least a culture into complete dysfunction.” RR: The post-Ottoman order is coming unglued. The notion of nation doesn’t exist within Muslim thinking or doctrine. There is only the Ummah [community of Islamic peoples], which is unitary. The only political order congruent with that is the caliphate. Order is possible, but it’s an order imposed by violence, and that’s the only order we will see emerge from this terrible cauldron in the Middle East now: the one imposed by the strongest horse. WM: What are the implications for how the West addresses terrorism? Foreign policy? RR: Humpty Dumpty can’t be put back on the wall. These colonial creations [Middle Eastern countries] have demonstrated their fragility. They’re not accepted by the people who live under them and they’re going to reconstitute political order differently. And that’s not ours to do, nor are we capable of doing it. The only thing we can do is try and help and protect our friends. The Russians are giving a clear demonstration how to do that [in Syria]. And we should help people like the Kurds. We should try to minimize the damage to ourselves and to the one great strategic asset there, oil. The big danger, though, is what Bin Laden presented in the beginning of his dream, which is uniting the Ummah with Saudi oil wealth and Pakistani nuclear weapons. And once you’ve combined those things, then

Prime Minister David] Cameron says about Islam. Islamists sometimes use what Western leaders say to instigate riots, but my point is that the only people Obama is fooling when he says such things are Americans.

[ISIS leader] Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi can’t succeed in carving out his mini-caliphate there in Syria and Iraq. The caveat is of course the possibility they will get weapons of mass destruction. If they get their mitts on those, there’s no question that they will use them.We are, ironically, driving the Sunnis into the arms of ISIS by siding with the Shia, and since we don’t give the Sunnis any alternatives as we did under [Gen. David] Petraeus, they just feel abandoned by the United States. WM: Compare fighting this problem with Islam with fighting communism. RR: We’re not even in the fight. WM: Is it because we haven’t recognized the problem? RR: It’s because we’re clueless. We deny the nature of the conflict, just as President Barack Obama refuses to name it. We believe that people in Islamic countries will or do accept our presuppositions about what people and society should be like? We think that by saying so it becomes so, but it doesn't. The other very amusing thing about heads of state insisting that Islam is this or Islam is that is that Muslims could care less about what Obama or [British

RR: That’s one huge bit of hubris and ignorance on our part. And then we’re not even supporting the people on the right side like [Egyptian president Abdel Fattah] al-Sisi. Egyptians don’t want the Muslim Brotherhood, which is the ideological source of Islamism today. What proved that is the massive demonstration against [the Brotherhood’s Mohammed] Morsi, which led to al-Sisi overthrowing him. Al-Sisi saved Egypt, and so of course the Obama administration cut off aid to alSisi. Last year, al-Sisi warned clerics and religious scholars in a speech at Al-Azhar University, the most prestigious teaching institution in the Arab world and a promoter of Ash’arite theology, that it is “inconceivable that the ideology we sanctify should make our entire nation a source of concern, killing, danger, and destruction all over the world. … I say these things here, at AlAzhar, before religious clerics and scholars. May Allah bear witness on Judgment Day to the truth of your intentions regarding what I say to you today.” So there’s the head of a Muslim state telling it like it is. Where is the Western leader who can at least acknowledge this truth? Could you have peace with Egypt [under al-Sisi]? Absolutely. Could you have peace with alBaghdadi [of ISIS]? No. You mentioned in your talk a movement, small groups of scholars and leaders, to change attitudes toward reason and rationality among Sunni Muslims. How strong is it? What are the prospects for change? The prospects are very dire. These people are very weak and they have no support. Most of them live abroad because it’s too dangerous for them to live in the Middle East. VOL.11 #6 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

we are at war

BY TIM CHALLIES

A Call for Christian Extremists Jesus himThe effects of extremism have been on display all weekend. Even this morning they are splashed across every television screen, every news site, the front page of every newspaper. The attacks in Paris have shown us extremism at its most brutal and bloody, the kind that celebrates death, destruction and mayhem.

self spoke of the primacy of g o o d works: “Let your light shine before others,” he said, “so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). His friend Peter said it as well: “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles [those who do not adhere to

But did you know that the Bible calls Christians to extremism as well? It calls Christians to be zealots in a cause, to go to great lengths to carry out extreme deeds in the name of Jesus. We see this in Paul’s little letter to Titus where we are reminded of Jesus Christ “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).

Christian teaching] honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). The Apostle Paul would also echo the theme: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). The theme pervades and dominates the New Testament.

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We make God’s love and presence known in these good works, these deeds done for the glory of God and the good of other people. These deeds communicate something of the heart of God and his love for mankind. And so he calls us to take every possible opportunity to love others with the love of God. We are to be thoughtful and creative, to apply ingenuity in our attempts to shock others with our deeds of love and kindness. We are to give generously of our time, talents, money, and whatever else God has given us. We are to forget about ourselves in service to him, to be willing to face pain, harm, or even death as we do these deeds. So Christian, with zealotry on every heart and in every mind today, perhaps this is a time to ask about your own level of extremism. Are you eager to do good for others? Is this what motivates you? Is this the natural expression of your faith in Jesus Christ? Could it be said that you are a good works zealot? God calls you to nothing less.

www.Challies.com

BY MAX LUCADO

We, too, are to be extremists. We, too, are to go to extreme measures to serve our God. And here are our marching orders: Do good. We are to bring glory to God by doing good for others. Allah may be glorified in maimed bodies and blood-soaked city streets, but God is glorified in acts of love and deeds of kindness. He is glorified in deeds done not to earn favor with God, but deeds done as an expression of gratitude because we have already received the favor of God. God is glorified as we serve others in his name. God is honored in the costly sacrifice of love.

Does it pervade and dominate your life?

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BY DR. MARLA WOODMANSEE

Kindom Xperience

ouncing back after pivotal or significant moments in your life is resilience. Tragedies, deaths, illnesses, and problems are part of life. And there are times when we are speechless and words cannot even express the depth of turmoil we’re facing. There is good news! God, as our Father, makes available to you Jesus, who hears your complaints and cares about every detail in your life. Jesus is available to you to stick closer to you than a brother, be your very best friend, never leaving you, nor never forsaking you, never hurting you, and completely loving you, just the way you are. The prophet Isaiah identified Jesus as Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlast ing Father, and Prince of Peace. Jesus provides peace to you that will have no end. Life experiences happen! And there are times when you don’t know what to do. When you don’t know what to do, call upon and say the name Jesus. Jesus told his disciples, “. . . in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus gives us the hope that we need telling us that he has overcome the world. When you rely upon him, you get the benefit of peace. Over 18 years ago, I was a single mother of two children, both ages 3 and under. Looking back, I recall that the world (or the enemy) was doing its best to destroy me. I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, falsely accused of child abuse; and, because of the lack of resources, forced to move to a low income facility to live. My life seemed to have turned upside down. Nothing was going the way I had thought it would. But, instead of throwing in the towel, I chose to go deeper with Jesus. I learned that Jesus is the key that unlocks peace in the midst of a storm. I also learned that every day I have a decision to make. I can either choose the way of the LORD; or, I can choose the way of the world. I began to understand that if I choose the way of world, then I open up the door for the enemy to work in my life. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But, Jesus came to give life, and give it in more abundance. Simply put, you have a choice between life or death; Jesus or false gods; blessing or curses; peace or depression. When you choose Jesus, and walk in his ways, you get the benefit of life, blessing, and peace. This sets you up for resilience and the ability to overcome anything. This is a higher way to live. But, the choice is yours. Tragedies, mistakes, or surprise changes happen, and may be frustrating; but, one of the benefits of Jesus being your LORD is that you have been given the ability to be buoyant and elastic. That means that when

Reliance Upon Jesus Brings Resilience you are being bent, compressed, or stretched, when you choose to rely on Jesus, He will sustain you, bring you peace, and give you the ability to overcome. I discovered Jesus’ benefits and learned the ability to be resilient during the most difficult times of my life. As a single mom, the LORD sustained me, healed me from a brain tumor, and nudged me to go back to college to finish a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Choosing the leading of the LORD was not easy; in fact, it was very difficult. But, the LORD ungirded me and gave me the strength and the ability to complete that degree. As a result, I taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. Later on, he undergirded me to complete a master degree and a doctorate degree in theology. I learned that when push comes to shove, rely upon Jesus. He brings peace that passes understanding. After tests and trials, with Jesus’ help, you can bounce back. You have the ability to be resilient. Resilience is rooted and grounded in finding peace and comfort in Christ, no matter what storm is going on around you. You may be thinking, Resilience is easy for other people, but not for me. What I’m fac ing is much more difficult than just simply, “bouncing back.” Resilience does not mean that you lack feelings, or that bouncing back is easy. It doesn’t mean that there is a quick fix that overlooks problems. Instead, resilience faces hardships in life, but allows the LORD to sustain them. Every problem is reflected upon with knowing that Jesus will go through the problem with them. Reliance upon Jesus chooses self-control by not reacting when the enemy attacks, frustrates, belittles, or humiliates. And when storms rage around you, you are like a tree planted by streams of water with roots going so deep in Jesus, and His word, you remain calm, at peace, and unmovable. Resilience becomes your output because you completely rely upon the Lord every day and with every situation. What seems impossible in the natural, becomes your possibility. You don’t know what your future holds, but you trust the LORD who holds your future. When crisis comes, you rest and go deeper with roots in the LORD, and you become resilient. Psalm 3 gives us a picture of resilience. Psalm 3 was written by King David when he was fleeing from his son Absalom, who was trying to kill him. Prior to his son wanting to kill him, King David had also experienced the previous king, King Saul, trying to kill him because he was jealous of his vast popularity. Psalm 3 says, Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of my

WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM | VOL.11 #6

soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’ But you O Lord are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head, I cried aloud to the Lord and he answered me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept, I woke again for the Lord sus tained me. I will not be afraid of many thou sands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord. Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek, you break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord, your blessing be on your people. The Lord sustains you when you choose to trust him. You will be like a tree planted by water, rooted and grounded in Him. Then, no matter what comes into your midst, you will not be moved. Psalm 4:8 says, “I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Choose to make the LORD your refuge and strength and rely completely on Him. Nelson Mandela once said, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” If you’ve ever faced adversity, bounce back! When the storm comes, remain calm. When trouble comes, trust the LORD who takes care of you, and who can make the crooked pathway straight. God sustains you and will help you as long as you call upon him. Psalm 54:4 says, “Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the upholder of my life.” God sustains you when you allow Him to. When He lives and dwells within you, he gives you the ability to be resilient. But, remember, the choice is yours. Rely upon the LORD. Allow resilience and the ability to bounce back to be your choice. Do not be moved, and overcome. Dr. Marla Woodmansee is a Bible Communi cator, inspirational women’s conference speaker, magazine columnist, author, host for a daily Christian radio program on Bran son’s KLFC 88.1 FM, and President of King dom Xperience, a nonforprofit Christian organization focused to: Inform*Empower*Transform. Contact Dr. Marla at: marla@marlawoodmansee.org or check out the website:

KingdomXperience.org Marla Woodmansee can be heard on KLFC at 6:45 am CST. Listen in anywhere in the world at: www.klfcradio.com

raising Godly men

www.themobsociety.com may more effectively be all that I am called to be right now—a righteous woman, wife, mom, and employee. A RIGHTEOUS HOME FRONT

Prepare your heart for the next 21 Days of Prayer for Sons with the MOB Society.

In reading Boys are A Battle Zone, the first chapter in Praying for Boys, I was struck by the discrepancy between Eli the Priest's

“Dear Son, please stop eating the dog food and playing with knives. Love, Mom.”

My first step in preparing for the battle zone began with my relationship with Hebrews 4:12. Do I really believe his Word is alive and active in every area of my life? Do I really believe that God’s Word can work powerfully in parenting our sons? Can I replace those exasperated sighs with God’s truth?

This is what a love note to my toddler son would read. Honestly, it probably wouldn’t sound quite that sweet. What you don’t hear are the exasperated sighs that wonder why such reminders are even needed. It seems boy moms share something in common: whether our boys are 3, 13, 23, or 30, they often leave us scratching our heads and wondering why.

A sobering look inward made me realize that while I love God’s Word—studying it, writing about it, digesting it—I have not been using it nearly enough in my prayer life. The more I think on it, I truly believe that praying His Word is a powerful way to prevent disconnects in my own personal/professional/spiritual walk. It also helps to quiet those exasperated sighs.

I’ve been praying about those exasperated sighs. Does God want to come along and make this raising a boy thing easier? Yes! But, He doesn’t wave a magic wand nor promise our boy’s blind compliance. Instead, He invites us to use His Word—the one that is alive and active (that means doing something!). As a mom who works outside the house full time, I face the continual challenge to still give my family my best time, even when that doesn’t mean my most time. I continually look for ways to better connect my love for God and my love for them so I

Through His Word—alive and active—His very breath, eager to work powerfully in our lives right now.

BY KATE CARMAN

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any doubleedged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit,joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

How can God remain a priority in raising our sons through the exhaustion that each day brings?

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

professional life and his home life. What a dichotomy that in the temple he is given one son to train in righteousness, while his own sons have no regard for God. It's easy to read and question Eli, but I understand all too well how this disconnect occurs. When God is not our focus, we can “turn it on” in the workplace and act as we know we should. On the home front, where our true colors show, we can reap truly sad consequences when God is not at the forefront.

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Do you believe God’s Word is alive and active in your life? How is it active in the role of raising your son? Could it be that God is challenging you to let His word be more active in your parenting? Kate Carman believes each day should include celebration, the Bible, vulnerability, and coffee with French Vanilla creamer. She lives in Georgia with her husband and two young kids, works full time in commercial property management, and loves to write and encourage.

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prophecies

REACTIONARY PROPHECY OR REVELATORY PROPHECY f you have access to the internet in today’s world and attempt to follow the contemporary prophetic movement, odds are that you find yourself continually being bombarded with prophetic perspective from a variety of sources. Personally, I regularly receive and subscribe to email updates from a large contingent of prophetic voices in America, watch their videos and latest thoughts when I have time, and do my best to check traveling itineraries to see if they might be in my area so I can attend one of their meetings. As I have been tuning in to many prophetic voices lately, I have begun to realize that there are two main groups of messengers in the contemporary prophetic movement that I see rising. I had a prophetic dream recently that finally gave me language to what I have been witnessing. In the words of the Holy Spirit in the dream, “Jeremiah, there is reactionary prophecy and then there is revelatory prophecy.” Let me expound.

establish truth by criticizing others who they perceive are making mistakes or who they think are in error. Or it builds on what others have said and adds to it as their emotions are stirred. Reactionary prophecy comments on what has already been said, while revelatory prophecy releases what hasn’t yet been said. The content of reactionary prophecy always makes the reader feel like the author is attempting to send subliminal messages to certain

Reactionary Prophecy

Leaders who move in reactionary prophecy love to use their platforms to indirectly put others down. Periscope, Facebook, and other social media tools are used as instruments to react to what someone else has said or done. Meanwhile the person whom has caused the potential offense is never directly contacted or asked for an explanation. Rather than scan heaven in order to release fresh revelation, prophets who operate in reactionary prophecy scan the internet looking for prophecies and messages that they can tear down and appear to offer insight on. Reactionary prophecy is fueled by the political spirit. It believes its job is to clean someone else’s mess up when it can’t see its own or build on what another has said in a kind of oneup-manship.

BY STEVE STRANG

Reactionary prophecy is birthed from a prophet’s soul and is often times the flesh’s reaction to a word that has been released by another. Rather than receiving pure revelation from God, prophets who operate in reactionary prophecy are dependent upon other prophets and leaders receiving a word from God and then agreeing or disagreeing publicly with what has been spoken. (Jeremiah 23:30 “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who steal My words from each other.”) Individuals who move in reactionary prophecy are constantly attempting to

unknown individuals.

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Revelatory Prophecy Revelatory prophecy does not comment on what anyone else has said or done, rather it stands alone as authentic truth from God. Revelatory prophecy is established in intimacy and through standing in the counsel of the Lord while reactionary prophecy is established in waiting on the next perceived mistake someone else makes and looking for validation from the counsel of men. Revelatory prophecy is born in the place of prayer and fasting. It is usually given by the Spirit to a prophet initially and then requires days, weeks, and even months of careful prayer and mediation before it is released. If a prophet or leader is developing a track record where all they do is attempt to develop insight and release reactionary prophecy based off of what someone else has said or done, it is an immediate indicator that they are not fellowshipping with the spirit of God, but the spirit of offense or personal ambition. Stay the Course I want to encourage those who follow the contemporary prophetic movement to align with voices who are operating in revelatory prophecy and not waste your time listening to individuals who are releasing reactionary prophecy fueled by the spirit of offense or ambition. The longer you submit your spirit to their ministry, the more likely you are to develop a reactionary approach to what others are saying. Jeremiah Johnson

Behold theManMinistries.com

prohecies

“Prophet” Preacher Has Eerie Message About Trump: “I was in a time of

While the right-wing appears to be torn on the idea of Donald Trump campaigning for presidency, it’s undeniable that the boisterous tycoon-turnedpolitician has garnered focus on imminent issues threatening the U.S. like only he can.

“The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, ‘Trump shall become My trumpet to the American people, for he possesses qualities that are even hard to find in My people these days. Trump does not fear man nor will he allow deception and lies to go unnoticed. I am going to use him to expose darkness and perversion in America like never before. But you must understand that he is like a bull in a china closet,'” Johnson said God told him.

Trump Card

Bolstering hard-hitting topics like Christian persecution and illegal immigration, the big wig has used his gritty and often crude mannerism to bring attention to himself and hairy topics. However, regardless of his rough edges, it’s hard not to admit that the vociferous personality is waking up America to dangers of which our current administration has been complacent for far too long. Gaining popularity with a large percentage of right-wingers for his straight-forward comments on Christian persecution by ISIS, Trump has appointed himself as the voice of the Christian majority. “The Christians are being treated horribly because we have nobody to represent the Christians,” Trump told CBN’s David Brody. “Believe me, if I run and I win, I will be the greatest representative of the Christians they’ve had in a long time.” Although Trump’s claim has evoked mixed emotions from both political sides, one Florida preacher has a message about the 70-year-old business mogul that he believes is a warning straight from God. Jeremiah Johnson, pastor of Behold the Man Ministries, has announced that, while he doesn’t particularly support Trump, God is using him for a very special purpose, the Christian Post reports.

Johnson assures that he has no political intentions, and that the strange message was given to him apart from his personal convictions.

“Many will want to throw him away because he will disturb their sense of peace and tranquility, but you must listen through the bantering to discover the truth that I will speak through him. I will use the wealth that I have given him to expose and launch investigations searching for the

“You must listen to the trumpet very closely for he will sound the alarm and many will be blessed because of his compassion and mercy. Though many see the outward pride and arrogance, I have given him the tender heart of a father that wants to lend a helping hand to the poor and the needy, to the foreigner and the stranger,” Johnson’s statement ended. Johnson concludes that he won’t attempt to change the message he was given, and although he wasn’t sure what position God has for Trump in the future, he stands by every word.

BY DOM THE CONSERVATIVE

“Holy Spirit Spoke To Me” Posted on August 15, 2015 by Dom the Conservative

prayer several weeks ago when God began to speak to me concerning the destiny of Donald Trump in America,” Johnson noted on his website.

truth. Just as I raised up Cyrus to fulfill My purposes and plans, so have I raised up Trump to fulfill my purposes and plans prior to the 2016 election,” he continued, recounting what he claims God revealed during prayer.

Johnson added on his website that he absolutely does not say: 1. Donald Trump will be the next U.S. President. 2. Donald Trump will be the GOP nominee. 3. That I (Jeremiah Johnson) personally support and endorse Donald Trump’s personal moral decisions or anything he has publicly said regarding politics (including the past). 4. Donald Trump is a devout Christian and His life aligns with biblical principles. Whether you plan on voting for Trump or not, and regardless if you believe Johnson’s message is indeed from God, we can certainly hope that this Trump puts his words into action and uses his new, popular platform to not only bring awareness to the Islamic State’s inhumanity, but to prompt more effort towards the rescuing of persecuted Christians. Dom is a conservative Christian who specializes in Middle Eastern affairs and immigration, Christianity, Islam, and Sharia law. She hopes to expose Islam as a fundamentally violent, political and religious ideology that seeks to use freedom and democracy to destroy freedom and democracy.

VOL.11 #6 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

be convicted but teachable CERTAINTY, OPENNESS AND THEOLOGICAL WISDOM ome Christians seem “all certainty.” Maybe it makes them feel heroic. But they see too few gray areas. Everything is a federal case. They have a fundamentalist mindset. Other Christians seem “all openness.” Maybe it makes them feel humble. But they see too few black-and-white areas. They have a liberal mindset — though they may demonstrate a surprising certainty against certainty. The Bible is our authority as we sort out what deserves certainty and what deserves openness. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, for example, defines the gospel of Christ crucified for our sins, Christ buried and Christ risen again on the third day, according to the Scriptures, as “of first importance.” Here is the center of our certainty. From that “of first importance” theological address, we move out toward the whole range of theological and practical questions deserving our attention. The more clearly

unmistakably clear. But then one starts paddling up-river. As each tributary forks into the river, one must decide which way to go. Indeed, it may eventually become difficult to distinguish between the river itself and a tributary. But many decisions must be made along the way, not every one equally obvious.

The gospel requires us to have high expectations of one another on biblically central doctrines and strategies, and it cautions us to be more relaxed with one another the further we have to move out from the center.

This is why we need a map of the whole, noting the main features of the topography, such as 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 provides. There are other scriptures that help us globalize our biblical thinking in this way. For example, Exodus 34:6-7 is quoted multiple times throughout the rest of the Old Testament. Clearly, it is an atomically weighted passage that other biblical authors treated as a sort of theological North Star for guidance. There are other passages meant to help us improve our overall theological wisdom and a fairminded sense of proportion.

Building our theology is not like pushing the first domino over, which pushes the next over, and so forth, down the line — each domino of equal weight and each fall equally inevitable. Rather, building our theology is more like exploring a river. We start out at the mouth of the river. It is wide. There is no decision to make. All is

A church or movement may desire, for its own reasons, to define secondary and tertiary doctrines and strategies as important expectations within their own ministry. That’s okay. But then it’s helpful to say, “We know this isn’t a dividing line for Christian oneness. It’s just a decision we’ve made for ourselves, because we think it will help us in our situation. We realize that other Christians will see it differently, and that’s no problem for us.” May we become more certain where we’ve been too open, and more open where we’ve been too certain, according to Scripture. And where it seems helpful to provide further definition on our own authority, may we do so with candor and humility.

Just the same, we all believe in prayer and guns. When someone has broken into our house, we pray that a man with a gun will get there quickly. LOL!

Re New m od ly ele d!

BY RAY ORTLAND

our logic connects back with that center, the more certain and the less open we should be. The further our thinking extrapolates from that center, the less certain and the more open we should be. When a question cannot be addressed by a clear appeal to the Bible, our conclusions should be all the more modest.

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If you cannot understand the rise of Donald Trump, you do not understand the failures of Barack Obama. -Jonah Goldberg

we are family Jews vs. Christians: An Us vs. Them Mentality?

Therefore, when Jewish people are shown the prophecies in Scripture regarding Messiah (Is. 7:14, Is. 53; Mic. 5:2; and more), they cannot imagine that these would refer to Yeshua. After all, they reason, how could Jewish Scripture point to a Jewish Messiah who is the leader of an antiJewish religion?

History has handed down to Jews and Christians an "us vs. them" mentality. Thus, Jewish people are often made to feel that being Jewish is a sin, and that once they believe in Yeshua, they should turn their back on their Jewish heritage (forget Passover, Hanukkah and so on). This is confusing and presents a false view of the issues of sin and forgiveness. Scripture is clear that being Jewish is no sin, lest Yeshua be the chief sinner, for He is the King of the Jews.

for years ago, non-Jewish believers simply and sincerely shared Jesus with me. I mocked them at first, because of course I "knew" from history what Christianity is all about. Still, a spiritual seed was planted in my heart, and soon after, I came to believe the truth about Yeshua and was wonderfully saved.

God's Solution: Living the Truth in Love

Part 1) The Word of God: Scripture is the sole authority for faith and practice.

If, because of history, Jewish people cannot "see" Yeshua in the Scriptures, and if it is

Exception or Rule? Throughout history there have been many individual Christians who have loved the Jewish people, such as Corrie ten Boom, who sacrificially rescued Jewish people in her home during the Holocaust. Today, many Christians would point to her as a representation of their concern for Jewish people. Unfortunately, however, to the Jewish people, believers such as Corrie appear as the exception, rather than the rule. The Kiss of Death Some well-meaning Christian leaders have responded to Christendom's persecution of the Jewish people by affirming: "Let's not offend our Jewish friends any further by preaching the gospel to them." This unbiblical stance perpetuates the false belief that 'Jewish people don't need Jesus,' effectively cutting them off from their only hope for eternal life (John 14:6). A Hardened Heart Still other Gentile believers disregard history, the scriptural instruction to "Speak the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15) and common sense. Rather, they attempt to justify a continued insensitivity to Jewish people. How do they do this? Instead of preaching that salvation is received when one turns from sin to God, a "cultural gospel" is proclaimed for one to turn from his Jewishness, and be converted to "Christianity."

BY SAM NADLER

o the Jewish person who is only aware of the issues of history (touched on in my last article), but not of what Yeshua taught, there remains no other conclusion: Christianity is anti-Semitic.

Here are three lessons for our lives from these issues we've looked at through these articles:

Part 2) The work of God: The sacrifice of Messiah is the sole necessity for our redemption by faith. Part 3) The witness of God: Love is the sole testimony for all people, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.

unscriptural to be insensitive to Jewish people in our witness, what then are we as believers to do? Our Jewish friends need to see us as Yeshua's representatives. Our committed love and concern for Jewish people, and all people, is needed in order to overcome the historical horrors that have been said and done "in Jesus' Name." Let us not allow the sad history of the past 19 centuries to be the only witness that our Jewish friends have. Rather, let us become "living epistles" (2 Cor. 3:2-3), demonstrating God's love for Israel. We can help Jewish people look at the Scriptures with "new eyes" and favorably consider Yeshua as Lord and Messiah. Satan has done all he can to ruin our Lord's testimony to Israel. Although he has deceived even church leaders regarding God's program for Israel, still the Bible says, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). True believers in Yeshua can, with their testimony, gain victory in the Lord! I know personally that this victory is real,

You, too, can make a difference. God has strategically placed you in the lives of your Jewish friends to demonstrate the love of God, so that my people chosen by the Lord will never again say, "Anyone but Him." Instead, may they say with confidence and joy, "No one but Him!" Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus and has been in Messianic Jewish ministry for over 40 years. Sam is the president of Word of Messiah Ministries, which is bringing the Good News to the Jew first but not to the Jew only, and planting Messianic Congregations in Jewish communities worldwide. To encourage and equip the body of Messiah in our shared calling, Sam is invited to speak in churches across the country and has written multiple books on Jewish evangelism, discipleship and the Feasts of Israel. For more information and resources, or to invite Sam to speak at your church, visit: wordofmessiah.org.

Good souls many will one day be horrified at the things they now believe of God. 足Gordon MacDonald

VOL.11 #6 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

behind the masks

try to vary my reading enough to include books that are targeted at different demographics from me. I generally enjoy reading them, but try as I might, I can’t really evaluate them as well as I would like. After all, I inevitably bring my perspective. Whether it’s reading a book for women, a book for teens, or a book intended for people from a completely different background, I can’t help but approach it as a middle-aged, Christian, Caucasian, Canadian (and any number of other adjectives) male. Yet I persevere and almost invariably benefit from the reading.

Well, recently I read Faker by Nicholas McDonald. This is a book targeted squarely at teens and young adults. And though it was quite a long time ago that I fit those qualifications, I do have at least some memories of them. And I think Faker would have been a great book for me to read, probably when I was around sixteen or seventeen years old. Now that I have teens of my own, I think it would be a great book for them to read. I grew up a church kid—one who was well-taught and well-trained. Though I grew up knowing the right things to do and say, I experienced all the usual struggles in actually doing and saying them. I learned pretty quickly how to fake it—how to give the right answers even while secretly doing the wrong thing. But it wasn’t only faking it in front of parents, pastors, and teachers. I learned as well that I needed to fake it in front of my friends, to put on an acceptable persona, to bury my fears and problems (and sometimes even my virtues). That’s what this book is about: How to live for real when you’re tempted to fake it. Faking it has always been a concern, but today’s teens may have even greater opportunity and temptation, interacting as they constantly do through the plethora of social media channels. Speaking to them, Nick says: Have you ever felt like a faker? I have.

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I’ve felt like no one in the world knew who I was. I’ve felt like I had to be someone I’m not. I’ve felt like, no matter who I was, no one would care. I’ve felt alone. I’ve felt like I was living with a mask. And I’ve seen others wearing masks, too. I think most teens will immediately identify. And if they do, this book will meet them powerfully right where they’re at. The heart of Faker is this narrow focus on the tendency to fake it, the spiritual diagnosis behind it, and the gospel-centric cure. Using poignant and humorous illustrations from his own life, while also drawing on a few pop culture references, he identifies with his readers and helps them own the tendency. Then, using the Bible, he tells them the truths that will confront, challenge, and hopefully transform them. Short, punchy, dignified, well-written, and full of silly but interesting Wimpy-Kidstyle illustrations, Faker is an excellent little book and one your teens (or perhaps even you) will benefit from.

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misunderstanding

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Was Jesus a pacifist? pacifist is someone who is opposed to violence, especially war, for any purpose. A pacifist often refuses to bear arms for reasons of conscience or religious conviction.

Jesus is the “prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:6) in that He will one day bring true and lasting peace to the earth. And His message in this world was remarkably non-violent (Matthew 5:38–44). But the Bible is clear that sometimes war is necessary (see Psalm 144:1). And, given some of the Bible’s prophecies of Jesus, it is hard to call Him a pacifist. Revelation 19:15, speaking of Jesus, declares, “Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.” The setting up of Jesus’ millennial kingdom will necessitate violence in the form of a war waged against the forces of the Antichrist. Jesus’ robe will be “dipped in blood” (Revelation 19:13). In Jesus’ interaction with the Roman centurion, Jesus received the soldier’s praise, healed his servant, and commended him for his faith (Matthew 8:5–13). What Jesus did not do was tell the centurion to quit the army—for the simple reason that Jesus was not preaching pacifism. John the Baptist also encountered soldiers, and they asked him, “What should we do?” (Luke 3:14). This would have been the perfect opportunity for John to tell them to lay down their arms. But he did not. Rather, John told the soldiers, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” Jesus’ disciples owned weapons, which conflicts with the idea that Jesus was a pacifist. On the night Jesus was betrayed, He even told His followers to bring swords. They had two, which Jesus claimed was enough (Luke 22:37–39). As Jesus was

being arrested, Peter drew his sword and wounded one of the men present (John 18:10). Jesus healed the man (Luke 22:51) and commanded Peter to put away his weapon (John 18:11). Of note is the fact that Jesus did not condemn Peter’s ownership of a sword, but only his particular misuse of it. The book of Ecclesiastes presents life’s balance of contrasting activities: “There is

We are never commanded to be pacifists, in the usual sense of the word. Rather, we are to hate what is evil and cling to what is good (Romans 12:9). In doing so we must take a stand against evil in this world (which requires conflict) and pursue righteousness (2 Timothy 2:22). Jesus modeled this pursuit and never shrank from conflict when it was part of the Father’s sovereign plan. Jesus spoke openly against the religious and political rulers of His time because they were not seeking the righteousness of God (Luke 13:31–32; 19:45–47). When it comes to defeating evil, God is not a pacifist. The Old Testament is full of examples of how God used His people in war to bring judgment upon nations whose sin had reached its full measure. A few examples are found in Genesis 15:16; Numbers 21:3; 31:1–7; 32:20–21; Deuteronomy 7:1–2; Joshua 6:20–21; 8:1–8; 10:29–32; 11:7–20. Before the battle of Jericho, Joshua was met by “the commander of the army of the Lord” (Joshua 5:14). This personage, who was most likely the pre-incarnate Christ, was distinguished by holding a “drawn sword in his hand” (verse 13). The Lord was ready to fight.

a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: . . . a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, . . . a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3, and 8). These are not the words of a pacifist. Jesus did not sound like a pacifist when He said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ‘For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD’” (Matthew 10:34–36). While Jesus is not stipulating warfare, He definitely embraces the conflict that comes with the incursion of truth.

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We can be assured that it is always with justice that God judges and makes war (Revelation 19:11). “We know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:30–31). What we learn from these and other biblical passages is that we are only to participate in warfare when it is justified. The countering of aggression, injustice, or genocide would justify a war, and we believe that followers of Jesus are free to join the armed forces and participate in warfare.

spiritual adoption

Your Highest Privilege

privilege that the gospel offers: higher even than justification.” He doesn’t just say it, but also defends it, and his defense is worth pondering. Packer acknowledges that justification is God’s supreme blessing to sinners. Justification is the primary blessing because it meets our primary spiritual need. It is also the fundamental blessing because it is foundational to everything else. But that is not to say that it is the

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strain, neurosis, and arrested development in the child himself. The depressions, randomnesses, and immaturities that mark the children of broken homes are known to us all. But things are not like that in God’s family. There you have absolute stability and security; the parent is entirely wise and good, and the child’s position is permanently assured. The very concept of adoption is itself a proof and guarantee of the preservation of the saints, for only bad fathers throw their children out of the family, even under provocation; and God is not a bad father, but a good one. Packer is not alone in his belief that adoption is our highest privilege. And, if he is correct, is leads to a simple point of application: Do you thank God for your adoption? Shouldn’t you? If it is your highest privilege, than it should be your highest joy to thank God for what he has so graciously given.

BY TIM CHALLIES

Of all the privileges that are ours through the gospel, which is the greatest? According to many theologians, there is no privilege higher than adoption. J.I. Packer says it like this: “Adoption is the highest

highest blessing of the gospel. No, adoption is the highest blessing “because of the richer relationship with God that it involves.” Justification is a legal or forensic idea which deals with God as judge declaring that Christians are now free from the demands of the law. But adoption is a much richer family relationship, “conceived in terms of love, and viewing God as father. In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship, and establishes us as his children and heirs. Closeness, affection and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. To be right with God the judge is a great thing, but to be loved and care for by God the father is greater.” But that is not all. Packer points to the truth that adoption is a blessing that abides. Social experts drum into us these days that the family unit needs to be stable and secure, and that any unsteadiness in the parent-child relationship takes its toll in

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eschatology

BY J.D. KING

Why We May Not be Living in the Last Days Here's another perspective on the 'last days' that you may not have considered. Here's another perspective on the 'last days' that you may not have considered. (Charisma archives) I love to speak to others about my pervading hope for spiritual awakening. Despite all of the great darkness and unrest, I see the gospel spreading throughout the earth. The beauty and wonder of Jesus is literally transforming the nations. Nevertheless, when I share things like this, there are those who seem to find fault. They have a hard time accepting my heartfelt optimism. I was talking with a wellmeaning leader just the other the other day who began discounting my outlook. He said, "J.D., your view is preposterous. Don't you notice how terrible things really are? Don't you know what the Bible says? 'In the last days perilous times will come'" (2 Tim. 3:1).

This kind of worldview is understandable. A superficial reading of the New Testament would certainly suggest this The phrase "last days" or disruptive reality. "end of the age" is really However, things are about a first-century not always as they appear. transition to the New

Covenant order. It is the end of what was and the beginning of something new!

Another man suggested that I was a "scoffer." He said, "Don't you know what Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, declared? 'In the last days there will be scoffers who will walk after their own ungodly desires' (Jude 1:18). If you don't see things getting worse, you're nothing more than a scoffer— rejecting the Word of God." Many insist that the Bible foretells disaster and trouble—particularly as we descend into the "last days." They're convinced that, in the grand biblical narrative, cataclysm and destruction are imminent. It seems that there can be no goodness or hope in "perilous times."

"last days" were transpiring in the first century. He declares to his audience that the revelation of Messiah was being received, "in these last days" (Heb. 1:2). Elaborating on what he meant by this, he goes on to declare that "Jesus has now obtained a more superior ministry, since the covenant he mediates is founded on better promises" (Heb. 8:6).

The term "last days" is arguably one of the most misunderstood phrases in the Bible. Contrary to popular opinion, it's not talking about the end of the world, but the end of the "old covenant" era.

The phrase "last days" or "end of the age" is really about a first-century transition to the New Covenant order. It is the end of what was and the beginning of something new!

Rather than referring to the destruction of the earth, it is a depiction of the "last days" of the Temple, animal sacrifices and Levitical priesthood. Much of the talk in passages such as 2 Timothy 3:1 and Jude 1:18 speaks to the unrest and volatility that took place during this tumultuous transition. It was to be the "last days" of an religious era—the end of all that they knew and experienced. Nevertheless, it was also the beginning of new era that brings beauty and wonder.

This biblical phrase was never meant to be used as an excuse to distract the good news of Jesus' gospel.

It really comes down to this: it was the "last days" for them, not us.

J.D. King, author and speaker, is the director of the World Revival Network. For more articles like this, subscribe to Charisma Magazine at:

www.CharismaMag.com

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current

BY AMIL IMANI

Why Does Obama Call ISIS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ISILâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;? Many who closely follow the dueling Islamic terror narratives emanating from the White House are mystified by Mr. Obama's inability (or deliberate unwillingness) to utter the phrase "Islamic terrorists." Many are curious, too, about why he refuses to call ISIS "ISIS," steadfastly insisting instead that everybody in his administration call the terror group "ISIL." What's the difference, and why is it important? The agendas behind each diverge widely. In fact, the variance between the two is elephantine in scale. ISIS stands for the "Islamic State in Iraq and Syria," a terror group controlling a large swath of both Iraq and Syria in which the terrorists claim to have established a "caliphate," a state in which Islamic sharia law is imposed upon all living in the area, anyone who fails to adhere to strict Muslim guidelines has his head removed. Obama's contrary assertions aside, ISIS is by no means contained. In fact, the savage group (which prefers to be called the "Islamic State" or "IS") has metastasized on maps like immense pools of blood covering the ancient borders that once divided parts of Syria and Iraq. ISIL, Obama's preference, stands for the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant."

According to glaphyridae.com, "[t]he Levant in its geographical sense comprises the following political entities: the west part of Syria, Lebanon, west part of Jordan, Palestine (West Bank and Gaza Strip), Israel and Sinai (Egypt)." Other sources claim that it also encompasses parts of Turkey. All of these states embrace Islam, with one very notable exception: Israel, our only "blood brother" ally in the region that all Islamic terrorists want gone, violently and forever. That Obama uses ISIL in discussing the terrorists is extremely telling and chilling. To those of us who keep our fingers on the pulse of Middle Eastern geopolitics, the distinctions separating ISIS and ISIL are by no means meager. It's readily apparent that Obama considers both Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, thorns in each of his sides. Since 2009, his atrociously dismissive treatment of Netanyahu has been highly embarrassing, shocking, and outrageous, especially to those of us who cherish our relationship with the Jewish state. Israel has proven itself a tried and true friend since its return to its ancient homeland in 1948. Despite some disagreements between the U.S. and the Jewish state, no previous president has shown such a hideous and blatant disregard for Israel's head of state as has Obama. Nor has any previous president ever considered (to our knowledge) or suggested in a way bordering on insistence that Israel relinquish the land it now controls by contracting to its pre-1967 borders. Obama wants just that. Why? For Israel, a return to those

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boundaries would be suicidal, shrinking the country to a width of a very svelte nine miles and making it essentially indefensible.

Besides Israel, Jordan and the Kurds in Northern Iraq have been stalwart friends and allies. Jordan is one of the 65 countries Obama claims are actively "engaged" in taking ISIS/ISIL out. In reality, roughly 60 nations in that vaporous coalition are contributing little or nothing to the cause but allowing their country's names to appear on a meaningless list. One exception, Jordan's King Abdullah II, is an eager participant in the war on ISIS. He traveled to Washington to ask Obama for more weapons so Jordan could better defend itself and play a larger role in the regional fight. In like manner, the Kurds, who constitute one of the fiercest fighting forces in the region, have been enormously supportive of the U.S., but they are fighting ISIS with guns from WWII. They too have requested contemporary weaponry. The plaintive requests from both have been ignored. Why were they rebuffed? Some very suggestive hints can be snipped from the speeches Obama has given, especially in Muslim countries during his humiliating "Apology (we prefer 'Apostasy') Tour." This was where Obama fondly reminisced about his Muslim roots in Indonesia, where he and his mother moved with the latter's second husband, Lolo Soetero, who adopted Obama and renamed him "Barry Soetero." An examination of Barry's Indonesian school record (a form ubiquitous on the web) lists his "Citizenship" as "Indonesian," a country

that did not allow dual citizenship when Soetero (Obama) lived in Indonesia, which means Barry had to have relinquished his U.S. passport. Finally, and significantly, his "Religion" is listed as "Islam." When he became president, as he traveled through Muslim lands, he spoke wistfully of Islam. During multiple speeches he said "the holy Quran teaches" so many times we lost count, and he claimed that the Muslim call to prayer at dawn was "the prettiest sound on earth."

thorny questions to arise. If he was a Muslim, when did he turn his back on Islam (his biological father's and stepfather's faith) and become a Christian? The answer may lie in a story appearing at the Washington Times website and at the Daily Caller.

what much of the nation is thinking, but we leave it up to you to decide why Obama calls ISIS ISIL, why he can't bring himself to call Islamic terrorists what they are, and why he acts in a manner that supports Islam over Christianity at every opportunity.

He was amazingly quick to support the Muslim Brotherhood-inspired Arab Spring by encouraging the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and endorsing Mohamed Morsi as the new Egyptian leader. Morsi was a high-ranking member of the Brotherhood, an insidious, duplicitous organization seeking to foment widespread adoption of sharia law and surreptitiously funnel funds to Islamic terror groups.

The Washington Times reports, "Several people who know Barack Obama well perceive him as Muslim. Most remarkably, his half-sister, Maya SoetoroNg, has stated: 'My whole family was Muslim.' Her whole family, obviously includes her halfbrother, Barack." The same article highlights some doubts about Obama's "Christian" conversion. His spiritual adviser, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, was asked about how he helped Obama renounce Islam. Stunningly, however, Wright claims he's not sure Obama actually did convert from Islam. That, of course, is not proof he isn't a Christian, but it certainly raises eyebrows.

Taken together, all of this gets us closer to understanding why Obama refuses to call Islamic terrorists what they are. His use of ISIL could be a strong indication that he supports re-establishing Muslim rule and sharia law throughout the Levant, and good riddance to Israel.

Edward Klein, who authored The Amateur, a book about Obama, told the Daily Caller that he interviewed Wright (and has him quoted on tape), who told Klein that he (Wright) "made it comfortable" for Obama to accept Christianity without having to renounce his "Islamic background."

The somewhat murky and contradictory understanding of which religious tenets Obama truly follows has caused some

We believe it's time to stop whispering about

www.americanthinker.com Follow us: @AmericanThinker on Twitter | AmericanThinker on Facebook For many years, Amil Imani has stood against the brutal and patently evil onslaught of Islam which continues to attack the population of his former country Iran— and now the world. Early on, Amil realized the inherent dangers associated with Islam. He and his family were able to flee the country after the Islamic revolution that was foisted upon Iran which was largely due to former Democrat US President Jimmy Carter “Amil Imani is an IranianAmerican writer, poet, satirist, novelist, essayist, literary translator, public speaker and political analyst who has been writing and speaking out about the danger of radical Islam both in America and internationally. He has become a formidable voice in the United States against the danger of global jihad and Islamization of America. He maintains a website at www.amilimani.com. Imani is the author of the riveting book Obama Meets Ahmadinejad and a new book “OPERATION PERSIAN GULF.

when Obama refers to ISIS as ISIL, he is using the name ‘Levant,’ which implies that Israel does not (or will not) exist in the Islamic plan for their new Caliphate. The world sees the history of the Middle East as nothing more than an ageold battle between the Jews and Arabs, but it is much bigger than that. It is a worldly reflection of the spiritual battle between God and Satan, and it is only through this lens that you can better understand the events in this region of the world. I understand that those who do not believe will object to this post, and that is to be expected: they are spiritually blind. But to those who will at least try, go read the 11th chapter of Daniel. If you find a good study Bible, read the notes to that chapter and you will find that it accurately predicted the historic worldly events that would happen in and around Israel for the next several hundred years after Daniel wrote this prophecy — and honest scholars of history admit that it does correlate with actual events. Now, the accuracy of this prophecy should speak to those who seek and accept the truth, but this is not the point at hand. The point at hand is that Daniel told us the history of man would revolve around what happens in the Holy Land, and history has born this out. But, if we do not look at the world through a Biblical lens, we will not understand how and why this is true. VOL.11 #6 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

♪money money money♪

So the Feds raised the interest rates... now what?

FROM EDWARD JONES FINANCIAL ADVISOR

How Can the Fed’s Actions Affect You? his question has been on the minds of economists and financial market prognosticators for quite some time now. But what does it mean to you, as an individual investor?

First of all, it’s important to understand just what is meant by “raising rates.” The Federal Reserve, or the “Fed,” directly controls short-term interest rates, although, through various measures, it can also affect long-term rates. Typically, the Fed will lower short-term rates to stimulate the economy. Conversely, the Fed will raise rates to slow down the economy if it seems to be “overheating” and threatening to push inflation to excessive levels. Since the end of 2008, when the financial crisis hit, the Fed has kept short-term rates close to zero. But now, following several years of reasonably strong economic growth, the Fed appears poised to raise rates. No one can really predict the exact timing of the rate hike, but statements from the Fed indicate that it seems to be a matter of “when,” not “if.”

Fed chairperson Janet Yellen has indicated that when the increase comes, it may be relatively small, and that further increases will be spaced out enough to avoid potential “shocks” to the economy. Still, as an investor, you need to be aware of the potential impact of any interest rate increase. So, consider the following: Review your bond holdings. As short-term rates rise, shorter-term bonds, and even some “cash” instruments, may eventually become more attractive than longer-term bonds, which tend to be more volatile. A sell-off of longer-term bonds can push their prices downward, so make sure these bonds don’t take up too large a percentage of your fixed-income portfolio. Build a bond ladder. A bond ladder may prove beneficial to you in all interest-rate

environments. To construct this ladder, you need to own bonds and other fixed-rate vehicles, such as certificates of deposit (CDs) of varying maturities. Thus, when market interest rates are low, you’ll still have your longer-term bonds, which typically pay higher rates than short-term bonds, working for you. And when interest rates rise, as may be the case soon, you can reinvest your maturing, short-term bonds and CDs at the higher rates. Be sure to evaluate whether the bonds or CDs held in the ladder are consistent with your investment objectives, risk tolerance and financial circumstances. Be prepared for volatility. Certain segments of the financial markets don’t like interest rate increases – after all, higher rates mean higher borrowing costs, which make it harder for businesses to expand their operations. Therefore, depending on the composition of your portfolio, be prepared for some volatility when rates start moving up. However, since the Fed has already indicated it is likely to raise rates fairly soon, such a hike may already be largely “priced in” to the market, so any turbulence may be somewhat muted. By taking these steps, you can help contain the effects of rising interest rates on your own investment outlook. Ultimately, as an investor, you need to concentrate on those things you can control, no matter what the Federal Reserve decides to do. And that means you need to build a diversified portfolio that reflects your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. Maintaining this type of focus can help you – no matter where interest rates are headed.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Ad visor.

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to put it mildly

BY MICHAEL BROWN

President Barack Obama, Apologist for Islam t is abundantly clear that President Obama reveres the Islamic faith and often serves as an apologist for the religion of Muhammad. It is abundantly clear that President Obama reveres the Islamic faith and often serves as an apologist for the religion of Muhammad. (Reuters) I do not believe that President Obama is a Muslim, but I have no doubt that he reveres Islam and that he is an apologist for Islam. Is there really any question about it?

I posted comments similar to this on social media December 5th in the aftermath of the San Bernardino massacre before reading that Sen. Ted Cruz had commented that, "We have a president right now, who at times operates as an apologist for radical Islamic terrorists." It was also before I read Donald Trump's comment that, "Our president doesn't want to use the term, 'Radical Islamic Terrorism.' There is something wrong with him that we don't know about." There are many who believe that Barack Hussein Obama is, in fact, a Muslim, but I seriously doubt it. A real Muslim would not worship in a church building for a period of years, neglecting Islamic prayer on a daily basis and abstaining from prayer on Fridays in a mosque, nor would a real Muslim publicly and consistently profess to be a Christian. That would be a denial of his faith. At the same time, it is abundantly clear that President Obama reveres the Islamic faith and often serves as an apologist for the religion of Muhammad. Speaking in harmony with the president back in February, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson explained that, "The thing I hear from leaders in the Muslim community in this country is ISIL is attempting to hijack my religion." Yes, "To refer to ISIL as occupying any part of the Islamic theology is playing on a battlefield that they would like us to be on. I think that to call them some form of Islam gives the group more dignity than it

deserves frankly. organization."

terrorist

This echoes statements made repeatedly by President Obama, the clear implication being: If it's violent, it's not Islam since Islam is a religion of peace, despite Islam's consistently violent 1,400 year history. But the president's defense of Islam goes beyond rejecting the idea that radical, violent, terroristic Islam can be Islamic. It is also the positive way he speaks of Islam that is striking. It was one thing for him to greet his listeners in Cairo in 2009 with the words, "assalaamu alaykum." That could be written off as cultural sensitivity from a president who had been reared in an Islamic country (Indonesia) and went to an Islamic school. But his words went far beyond the standard Muslim greeting. He also stated his belief that America and Islam "are not exclusive" but rather "overlap, and share common principles—principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings." And when backing up one of his points, he noted that, "As the Holy Quran tells us, 'Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.'" The Holy Quran? Who speaks like this without reverence for the religion? Conversely, would a devout Muslim speak of the Holy Bible when Muslims believe that our Scriptures represent a corruption of the real Word of God as represented by the Quran? The president also spoke of "civilization's debt to Islam," noting that "throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality." (Perhaps he means the kind of "religious tolerance and racial equality" we find today in countries like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran—including the equality of women?) President Obama even alleged that "since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United States," referencing President John Adams' statement with the signing of the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796 that "the United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims."

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Did he forget that 10 years earlier, in 1786, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, then ambassadors for America, were in Tripoli to combat the murderous Muslim pirates whose actions were backed by some Tripoli leaders in the name of Islam? And was he unaware of the comments of John Quincy Adams, our sixth president, regarding Muhammad? Adams said that Muhammad "humbled [the Christian religion] to the dust by adapting all the rewards and sanctions of his religion to the gratification of the sexual passion. He poisoned the sources of human felicity at the fountain, by degrading the condition of the female sex, and the allowance of polygamy; and he declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind. The essence of his doctrine was violence and lust—to exalt the brutal over the spiritual part of human nature. ... Between these two religions, thus contrasted in their characters, a war of twelve hundred years has already raged." Perhaps our president has taken an airbrush to American-Islamic history and relationships? In his Cairo speech, he also spoke of Islam being "revealed," meaning, that he affirms that God did, in fact, give the Quran to Muhammad. And so, despite the nuances of his Cairo speech and his criticism of certain expressions of "some Muslims," he stood as not just a friend of Islam but an apologist for Islam, one who spoke with undeniable reverence for the faith of his father and the faith in which he grew up as a boy. His statement, then, in 2012, that "the future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam," should not surprise us in the least, nor did his nuancing of that statement diminish its force in the least. In President Obama, we do not simply have a leader who speaks respectfully of the world's second largest religion, as President George W. Bush also did. We have a man who reveres Islam and is committed to defending it before the world, even when it potentially undermines national security and international order. Can this really be denied?

Supernatural Signs and Wonders Break Out Among 1,000 Jews

Amidst numerous reports of racial conflict, terrorist attacks, and religious tension, there is something tangible in the air in Israel. It's not the smell of gun powder or the resonating sound of sirensâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but the supernatural presence of God.

Unfortunately, the secular news outlets have not captured the magnitude of what I recently witnessed in Israel. For the first time in nearly 2,000 years, something miraculous took place during my recent trip to Israel: 1,000 unsaved Jewish people gathered in Tel Aviv to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. This was the most significant Jewish outreach since the book of Acts. Seats were filled to capacity. This was a very powerful event! Men, women, and children listened intently as It's Supernatural host Sid Roth presented his testimony while an interpreter spoke Russian to the nonEnglish speaking audience. Joshua Aaron led the people in Hebrew worship songs.

while and then came back. Unlike in the United States, these events rarely ever take place in Israel. In fact, the last time someone stood up and gave his testimony to this many Jews at once, it was Peter in the book of Acts. All of a sudden, something shifted in the atmosphere. As Sid Roth began to talk about the unconditional love of God; you could see people's eyes opening and their hearts widening. As Sid went deeper into his testimony, people began to respond. Then, the most supernatural thing began to happen: Roth stopped the testimony and began to share words of knowledge concerning physical aliments. As he prayed for those in attendance, hundreds stood up reporting that they had received instant physical healing. They were healed in their seats without the laying on of hands. What they thought was a lecture on the supernatural became a powerful presentation of the Gospel of the kingdom of God. The Scripture declares that the Jew requires a sign; this was evident in the

BY KYNAN BRIDGES

hat these men and women thought was a lecture on the supernatural soon became a powerful presentation about the kingdom of God.

Sid Roth

responsiveness of the people to the power of God. The time came to give the invitation to make Yeshua (Jesus) their Messiah and Lord. To my utter amazement, nearly everyone in the room stood up and prayed the prayer of repentance and salvation. Many people even stayed after for individual prayer. Local Messianic pastors will follow up and disciple those who made a decision to follow Jesus. So, contrary to popular belief, God is moving in Israel. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is alive and well.

Miracles are happening in Israel!

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9 Most Dangerous Apps for Kids In 2013, a twelve-year-old girl was lured away from her home by a 21 year-old-man. Once they met, he took her to a motel and took advantage of her. How did this little girl meet this terrible stranger?

called this the most dangerous app he’d ever seen because it “can turn a school into a virtual chat room where everyone can post his or her comments, anonymously.

Through an app called Whisper on her handheld device (yep, the one her parents bought her). And Whisper is only one of many dangerous apps, apps that every parent should be aware of.

Vine – Allows users to watch and post six second videos.

The Scary Truth “The bad guy’s not just at the bus stop anymore. He has entrance right into your kid’s bedroom and hand-held cellphone device.” Sexual predators can target your children even when your child is in the room down the hall. And sexual predators aren’t the only problem. Cyber-bullying and exposures to sexually inappropriate content are additional concerns. New apps are constantly being created, so it’s important to monitor what your child downloads. Being aware of the online tricks predators use will help you know what to look for. So here is a current list of some of the most dangerous apps:

Untruthful, mean, character-assassinating short messages are immediately seen by all users in a specific geographic area.” Why It’s Dangerous: This app is causing problems in schools across the United States, with students maliciously slandering teacher, staff, and other students. In fact, several schools have now banned smart phones from campus because of this particular app.

Kik - A free app-based alternative texting Whisper - This app allows you to post secrets anonymously and also allows you to chat with other users in your geographic area. Why It’s Dangerous: Many children are drawn to communicating with strangers, feeling that their secrets are safer with them than with their friends. This app is a perfect tool for ill-intentioned strangers looking to connect with young people because it allows you to exchange messages with people nearest to you (so anonymity can be easily lost).

YikYak - All Yik Yak users are anonymous. They don’t create a profile or account, but they can post comments that are accessible to the nearest 500 people (within a 1-5 mile radius). A psychiatrist 30

or send inappropriate pictures without consequences because the image will selfdestruct automatically. The truth is that nothing sent over the internet disappears. There are always ways to retrieve and capture those images.

service that allows texts/pictures to be sent without being logged in the phone history. (Similar apps: Viber, WhatsApp, TextNow) Why It’s Dangerous – Makes it easier for your child to talk to strangers without your knowledge since it bypasses the wireless providers’ short message services (SMS). Children also think they can “sext” without parents finding out. In addition, strangers can send your child a “friend request.”

Snapchat – Allows you to capture an image or video and make it available to a recipient for a specific time. After that time limit is up, the picture/video automatically disappears forever…or so Snapchat claims. (Similar apps: Poke, Wire, and Wickr) Why It’s Dangerous – Kids can receive (or send ) sexually inappropriate photos. This app also makes kids feel like they can “sext”

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Why It’s Dangerous –While many of the videos are harmless, porn videos do pop up into the feed, exposing your children to sexually explicit material. You can also easily search for/access porn videos on this app. Predators utilize this app to search for teens and find their location. Then they try to connect with them via other messaging apps.

ChatRoulette and Omegle– These apps allow you to video chat with strangers. Why It’s Dangerous – Not only are users chatting with strangers, they could be chatting with a fake stranger. “Chat sites like Chatroulette and Omegle have done their best to produce systems that warns users when the people they are chatting to are potentially using fake webcam software, however developers still manage to slip under their radars with frequent updates.” So a fifty-year-old man could set up a fake webcam and use images from a 15-year-old boy that looks like a teen celebrity to convince your child to send inappropriate pictures or get information about your child’s location.

Tinder – Users post pictures and scroll through the images of other users. When they think someone is attractive they can “flag” the image. If that person has also “flagged” them in return, the app allows you to contact them. Why It’s Dangerous – This app, and similar apps such as Down, Skout, Pure, and Blendr, are primarily used for hooking up.

Poof

– Hides other apps on your phone. You select which apps you would like to hide and their icons will no longer show up on your smartphone screen. Why It’s Dangerous – If children have apps that they want to keep hidden from their parents, all they have to do is download this app and “poof,” their screen is clear of any questionable apps. So, if you see the poof app on their phone, you may want to ask them what they are hiding. What Now? Remember, your child’s safety is more important than their privacy. As a parent, you aren’t being nosy by checking their cell phone on a regular basis; you are being responsible. Perhaps your family could establish family media rules, such as having to check with a parent before downloading a new app or game. Having a common charging area so you can easily check phones could also be a good system for your family. Also, take the time to explain to them (at an age-appropriate level) why you are asking them questions and checking their phone and privacy settings. Many children do not realize just how much information they are putting out there and how dangerous it can be. If you have an older teen, and find some questionable apps on their phone, it may be a good opportunity for a discussion. Here are a few conversation starter ideas: Conversation starter for YikYak– What kind of things would a person want to post

anonymously? How would you personally use this app? What would you post anonymously? Why? Conversation starter for SnapChat – Why do you want to send pictures that disappear? Would you be okay with anyone seeing that pic? Conversation starter for Whisper – Why would you tell your secrets to strangers? If you are struggling with something, will a stranger care or be able to help you? Do you think it would be safe to accept their help/friendship? Conversation starter for any app – Are you being safe with that app? Are you encouraging others or tearing them down? Are you being bullied? Are you putting out too much information about yourself? Is this an app that brings God glory? Christian parents are called to instruct their children in biblical wisdom (Deuteronomy 6:6-8) and today that includes teaching them to apply biblical wisdom to media. Teaching your children how to choose appropriate apps and use them responsibly is vitally important in our mediasaturated world.

available, including resources for different ages. And it’s all available for free! You can use their videos for jumping-off points for discussion and incorporate biblical principles into your conversation. As Christians, we’re not simply training children to keep them out of trouble, but so they can grow in wisdom as well. “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him” (Proverbs 23:24). Felicia Alvarez lives in Southern California and loves avocados, sunshine, and serving her Savior. Currently, she teaches dance to over one hundred students and is working on her second book. Connect with Felicia on her blog or Facebook—she would love to hear from you.

Internet safety is just like any other kind of safety. You don’t just teach your child how to cross the street one time; you repeat “look both ways” to them for years! Similarly, we need to talk continually about internet/app safety. How much information should you share? With whom should you communicate? What should you post? A wonderful tool to help guide you in the internet training process is available at Netsmartz.org. They have many resources for internet safety

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can we talk?

Htqo"vjg"Rwdnkujgt had a life without Jesus. Then I had a life in Jesus that didn’t look very different. Pursuing all God things with my own power and abilities didn’t work very well. Then there’s the life in Jesus, desiring His will and way, which looks like “whoa”.

Life without … was mainly about rejection, depression, and no real future opportunities. Life with … it took some time to really pursue Him. But I discovered He was a loving God, and wanted Him to be my Father. I felt protected and loved. Still, all of this head knowledge, and no boldness to go out and do; BECAUSE THERE IS NO RIGHT BOLDNESS WITHOUT THE SPIRIT. Working out of my own effort, I had little or no effect on the Kingdom and His people during these years. I just “smelled” prettier than I used to. ☺ The breaking point ... I was so confident prior to my encounter with religion that I KNEW

BRANSON FRONTLINE

by Veeda Smith

For the first time in our lives, when we moved to the Ozarks, we learned what it was to be a human being, instead of a human doing. You spend your life being a human doing, but Jesus gives you a life. Now we are happy peaceful and joyful,” said Pastor Rick Pinette with Morningside Church in Blue Eye, Missouri.

“

Originally from Florida, Pastor Pinette, his wife Cheryl and daughter Olivia moved to the Ozarks in 2013. “My family and I moved here with $10.00 in our pockets and lived on faith. We learned to trust God.” Pastor Pinette continued, “Although it was a difficult time. I needed that time alone with God to be ready to pastor the church.” In the 80’s, through fervent prayer and unconditional love, Pastor Rick’s life took a turn that would deepen his belief in God forever. As a recording artist with Mercury Records, his musical career soared to

God loved me. He had taken me out of a generationally cursed path and showed me the best kind of future with Him. I was so thankful that I thought it was enough to keep a strong relationship with Him even though I had never encountered Him on a supernatural level. And yet so many left their judgment on me that I crumbled under its pressure. I took on the condemnation from religion even when I would not hold another to the same condemnation. But it ate away at me to the point that I was pretty dead. I wanted to be near God, but it wasn’t something I could physically muster, having so much darkness around me. Religion sucks out the light on so many levels. O{"Ejwtej … brought and kept me in the light of Jesus. To be truly effective in the Kingdom, there is another level we must encounter. We learn to

national fame with songs like King of the Hill, This is Love, and Set the Night on Fire. While on tour, he stepped out of his tour bus, one winter night, slipped and fell on an icy step, which resulted in being confined to a wheelchair. Being confined to bed rest and a wheel chair, took its toll on Pastor Pinette, who fell into a deep depression. The Pinettes decided to take some time off and visit the Orlando Christian Center where Pastor Benny Hinn was holding healing services. Although Pastor Pinette and Cheryl were Christians, the idea of divine healing was still foreign to them. Upon entering the church, they saw people being prayed for. “An usher quickly rushed me to the front and people began to lay hands on me and pray for God's intervention to help me with my inability to walk. By the end of the service, I was miraculously healed,” said Pastor Pinette.

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walk as spirit beings. No longer do we walk by the flesh. I was in love with Christ; yet I could not be as effective as when I accepted that He is a supernaturally active God and got involved with Him on that level. I want to be a true, deep lover of Jesus, and be enriched with His boldness in order to be used. Jesus is alive! And through Jesus is the only Way that our bondages can truly be broken even right now! It’s by His Righteousness that I walk with authority as a Child of God and I am free from condemnation and evil spirits. I need the eyes and the ears of the Spirit, so that I am not vulnerable to focus on worldly things. The Spirit of Truth is our Teacher, our Boldness, and our Equipper. The Holy Spirit that knows all hearts lives in us! Thank you Jesus for the doorway that is open to each of us to be in Your presence. Lorraine Sacoulas is co-director, Ozarks Christian Foundation, Publisher of the American Christian Voice and mother to two very rambunctious boys.

God opened the doors for Pastor Pinette and Cheryl to speak and sing at over one hundred schools a year for fifteen years. He was known as Mr. Rick teaching Character Education to kids as well as teaching Appreciation Programs for teachers. They served as praise and worship leaders for several churches and started a church in Florida. Their patience and faith in God came to fruition in September of 2015 when Pastor Pinette was called to serve as the lead pastor, under the direction of Senior Pastors Jim and Lori Bakker’s worldwide television ministry. “I had worked since I was fifteen years old. Now I’m a human being and I love what I’m doing. When I’m preaching it makes no difference whether it’s to one person or reaching millions via the worldwide television ministry, because Heaven rejoices when one person is saved,” said Pastor Pinette. More information is available at Cheryl.Pinette@jbs.com 417 2944150. Pastors Rick and Cheryl invite you to join them at Morningside Church each Sunday at 10:30 AM or contact Morningside Church at 417 7799000.

BY KYLE WINKLER

fate or consequences?

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Predestination: Does God Choose Your Fate? “I am wondering about predestination. Are some people predestined to be saved and the rest predestined not to be saved?”

Thank you for asking! The doctrine of predestination is sometimes referred to as “election,” in the sense that God chooses people for his own purposes. For example, Abraham was chosen, or elected, by God, as were his son and grandson, Isaac and Jacob. Other chosen ones included Moses, Joshua, David, the prophets, and of course, the Israelites were the “chosen people.” The apostle Paul wrote about predestination, or election, in several passages. In Romans 8:28-30 and Ephesians 1:3-6, he emphasized that election is “in Christ,” and that it is a matter of God’s own choice for God’s own purposes. In Romans 9-11, Paul takes the topic of election further by exploring Israel’s rejection of her Messiah. In the course of his argument in Romans 911, Paul asks the question, What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath that are made for destruction; and what if he has done so in order to make known the riches of his glory for the objects of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—including us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? (Romans 9:22-24) As you might expect, this passage has been much debated over the centuries. Taken out of its context, it might sound as though some people are predestined to be saved and the rest are predestined for destruction. But that is not what the passage says, nor is it the argument Paul is making. Paul argues in Romans 9 and 10 that Israel has failed to be found righteous before God

because they sought after righteousness their own way instead of putting their trust in Christ (9:31-32; 10:3). This does not mean that God’s covenant promises have failed, however, because God is free to have mercy on whomever he chooses (9:15) and is using Israel’s unfaithfulness to draw the Gentiles to himself though faith (9:16, 2226, 30; 10:11-13).

to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, ‘Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins’” (verses 25-27).

Next, Paul asks, “Have they stumbled so as God works in his own ways and in his own times, but his work is aimed toward one final outcome, his desire for all people to be saved: “For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (verses 32-33). Even if God were to predestine some to destruction and some to salvation, it would be his right; pots don’t tell the potter how to make them. But the good news, the gospel truth, is that even though God has every right to destroy us all, he instead takes our sins on himself in Christ and forgives us and saves us. to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their defeat means riches for Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!” (11:11-12). Yes, Paul argues, Israel has rejected Christ and therefore, except for a believing remnant, falls under the covenant judgments. But that is not the end of the story, even for those who rejected Christ. Paul declares in verse 23, “And even those of Israel, if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.” These people rejected Christ, yet God does not abandon them. The God who is forever faithful to his covenant love is so powerful that he can and does provide opportunity for unbelievers to become believers, even dead unbelievers (many of the unbelieving Israelites were dead, but God’s work of mercy involves all of them, see 11:32). We aren’t told how or when God does it, only that it is so. Paul continues: “So that you may not claim

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The “objects of God’s wrath” who were “prepared for destruction” in Romans 9:22 are unbelieving Israel, the same unbelieving Israel who will be “grafted back in” if they don’t persist in unbelief (11:23). In other words, Romans 9:22 is not a proof that some people are predestined by God for damnation. We need to read the context to see Paul’s full teaching on it. For an indepth research on the topic, see article by same title at:

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We are now in our 11th year of printing the only Christian magazine of its kind in the nation uniquely representing the whole Body of Christ not sponsored by one faction. We have served the Christian community to the best of our ability, trying to be fair and balanced to more than one position on the nonessential matters. Of course, it is the human, religious nature to make twigs into trunks. You can imagine the difficult task we have to try to educate and spiritually mature the believer without

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2016 is Different Persepective From What We Have Done in the Past

Never before have Americans been more anxious, fearful, and uncomfortable. As our culture continues to spiral downward and there is a vacuum of moral leadership in Washington, D.C. For instance, there are 2.5 million American Muslims in America that do reject violence in the name of Islam. But of the 3 million Muslims polled by the Pew Research Council, 7% say that violence is “sometimes justified,”

1% says it is “often justified,” 6% says they don’t know, and 5% says it is “rarely justified.” But 12% of the 3 million Muslims equal 360,000 Muslims who are at least willing to tell polisters that violence may be or is often justified. What public policy is allowing into the country hundreds of thousands of people who do not share JudeoChristian value system or who harbor deep-seated hatreds of Christians and Jews or who agree in full or in part with Sharia law to spill the blood of infidels.

There is no such thing as coexistence between Sharia law and our constitutional republic. So, as a 75 year old cancer survivor with a limited future in 2016, I will pray fervently and more often for the safety of my children, grandchildren, my community and my nation.

BY DEE WAMPLER

orry to say but in 2016…………..I will be more careful at public gatherings, at churches, grocery stores, or movie theaters when I enter a business establishment or walk onto a parking lot.

God is on the throne and we need to continue to pray for our nation.

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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we are living in a different world...

Is It Biblical to Arm Ourselves for SelfDefense? BY SHANE IDLEMAN

What does the Bible say about taking up arms in selfdefense? What we're seeing today is not a gun problem; it's a moral problem called sin. We are witnessing the rapid deterioration of a nation. We have lost our moral compass and we have lost the fear of the Lord. When the fear of the Lord decreases, evil increases. "A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both" (Dwight D. Eisenhower). One of the Scriptures often used to support banning weapons is found in Proverbs 20:22, "Do not say, 'I will recompense evil'; wait on the Lord, and He will save you." This Scripture is dealing with vengeance and vigilantism, not selfdefense. Those who want to do harm will always find a way around the law. Restricting firearms is not the answer. According to Romans 13:4, one of the purposes of the authorities is to "execute wrath on him who practices evil." They are God's avengers: "Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled, either by a power within them, or by a power without them; either by the Word of God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible, or by the bayonet" (Robert Winthrop; 18091894). Please don't misunderstand: As Christians, I believe that we are to seek peace at every turn and not drape the cross with the flag. But what about selfdefense as a last resort and biblical mandates to protect when spouses or children are involved? The Old Testament offers a plethora of examples, but what about the New? In Matthew 26:52, Jesus says to Peter, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword." Jesus didn't denounce the sword, but clarified its place. When we take premature, emotionally charged action, it may cost us our lives. Later Jesus adds, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?" If He was a thief and a robber, the clubs and swords would have been justified. In my opinion, these Scriptures imply that weapons do have a

place in society. Albeit we must be careful. Additionally, In Luke 22:36 Jesus says, "But now, let him who has a purse take it and also a bag. And let him who has no sword sell his garment and buy one." What is one to do with this Scripture? First, I would err on the side of peace, but this isn't always an option. One thing is certain: A sword was for defense. Jesus initially sent them on a peaceful mission trip where they did not need these items, but now Jesus may have been saying, "I was your provision and your safety, and I still am, but I also want you to be prepared ... to use wisdom." But some may argue, "Didn't Jesus say to love our enemies, and bless those who curse us, and do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute us?" (Matt. 5:43-48.) Yes. However, these references refer to personal assaults, offenses and character assassinations. It is taking a quantum leap to believe that Jesus is saying, "Do good to those who are trying to physically harm your family." Paul tells Timothy that if "any do not care for their own, and especially for those of their own house, they have denied the faith and are worse than unbelievers" (1 Tim. 5:8). But those who seek to protect their family, which is often a greater responsibility (if not equal), are often labeled war-mongers and accused of misapplying the Scriptures. The Scriptures must be read in their totality. For example, when Jesus was slapped, He didn't turn the other cheek. He said, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil, but if well, why do you strike me?" (John 18:23). Although we are to err on the side of grace and peace, there is a time and a place for confrontation and protection. Clearly understand that I'm not advocating violence or aggression; I'm advocating scriptural consistency and continuity. Context is the key factor here. Forgiving is not being passive, and granting grace is not being gullible. Are we called to guard our families spiritually, emotionally and financially but

WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM | VOL.11 #6

not physically? This makes no sense. However, my concern with the current gun debate is that we are buying into the fear frenzie. A minimizing of sovereignty is directly related to a magnifying of worry. "Most Christians salute the sovereignty of God but believe in the sovereignty of man" (R.C. Sproul). Many are prepared militarily but not spiritually, instilling unhealthy fear in their families. We are putting the fear of man into them rather than the fear of God. I hear all about Glock, Smith and Wesson and Remington, but little about brokenness, surrender to God and humility. Our gun safes are full, but our prayer closets are empty. This is the real problem—we need to spend less time watching O'Reilly, Hannity, Beck and Coulter and more time reading Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Every time God's people trusted in their weapons and armies, He called them to repentance. Our protection is in daily submission to Him. Psalm 121:1-3 adds: "I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip; He who keeps you will not slumber." Our current trend beckons us to be very careful about who, or what, we "worship." Who, or what, we place our trust in. Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, California, just North of Los Angeles. He recently released his seventh book, Desperate for More of God at shaneidleman.com. Shane's sermons, articles, books, and radio program can all be found at wcfav.org. Follow him on Facebook at: Facebook.com/ConfusedChurch

Your children will either inherit God’s promises or your fears. Deal with your fears so your children will walk in the promises of God. -T.D. Jakes

Murdered Pastor’s Wife Amanda Blackburn Wrote This Love Letter to Jesus Hours Before She Died

Her husband, Davey Blackburn, recently tweeted Amanda's last journal entry, mere hours before her death. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus," she scrawls,

wrote. "Truly filled my (heart) to see so many people in your church. Learning, growing, meeting You and taking next steps. Thank You for letting me get to see all of this (with) my own eyes. I love You, Lord. Glory and praise to You." Amanda's alleged murderers have now been arrested. "The Kill Gang," as they call themselves, reportedly broke into another house in the Blackburns' neighborhood before breaking and entering Davey and Amanda's home where they sexually assaulted and shot Amanda. Despite the violence against his wife, Davey has maintained an attitude of forgiveness and focus on his faith.

His Twitter account is full of Davey and Amanda Blackburn with their son, Weston Bible verses about sorrow noting the classic hymn. "Look full in His and gratitude, joy and resting in the wonderful face, and the things of earth will strength of the Lord. grow strangely dim. In the light of His glory and grace." Join the podcast for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at: Below the music, she described her church family. CharismaPodcastNetwork.com

BY JESSILYN JUSTICE

As reports circulated of the murder of Amanda Blackburn, everyone from her husband to her father to her sister focused on one fact: Blackburn was in love with Jesus.

We must never despair; our situation has been compromising before, and it has changed for the better; so I trust it will again. If difficul‐ ties arise, we must put forth new exertion and proportion our efforts to the exigencies of the times.‐ George Washington “Seven Dangers Of Human Virtue: 1.Wealth without Work 2.Pleasure without conscience 3.Knowledge without character 4.Business without ethics 5.Science without Humanity 6.Religion without sacrifice 7.Politics without Principles” ― Mahatma Gandhi

“Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim...” (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem) Tehillim/Psalms 122:6

"What an amazing Sunday yesterday," she

If the Arabs layed down their arms today, there would be peace in the Middle East. If Israel layed down their arms today, there would be no more Israel. -Benjamin Netanyahu

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uyggvurtkpiuiwpyqtmuBiockn0eqo VOL.11 #6 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

DR. HILL’S THE POSTURE HEALTH CONNECTION There is an epidemic in our society that is causing sickness and disease. The research demonstrates that 90% of the population presents with postural distortions that will negatively affect their health. If postural degeneration of the spine doesn’t get corrected, it inevitably gets worse with time. We don’t want to see happen to you, what happens to most people. Once the postural distortions get worse, patients experience pain and symptoms, diminishing their overall quality of life. Because when it comes to your health you can’t afford to let it get worse, isn’t health the greatest asset that you have? WHAT IS HEALTH? The World Health Organization describes health as a state of complete physical, mental and social function, and not merely the absence of sickness and disease. Our health, therefore, is not just how we look or how we feel, it is how well the body is functioning. If health is 100% function of the body, our goals to improve health should thus be to optimize the function of the body. That is the purpose of the Family Wellness Chiropractic Care we provide in our office, to remove postural distortions of the spinal column that are preventing your body from functioning at its maximal potential. Proper spinal alignment produces better body function. THE SPINAL COLUMN WAS DESIGNED TO SERVE THESE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS: Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. Posture is determined by the alignment of the spine. When your posture is distorted it causes stress to the spinal cord and the spinal nerves, interfering with the messages being sent from the brain to the body. Uncorrected postural distortions cause early degeneration of your spine, leading to common symptoms such as back pain, neck pain, headaches, sciatica, and fatigue. The spine protects the nervous system, the system that controls all functions of your body. Postural distortions represent injured, damaged or weakened areas of your spine shutting off the energy to the vital organs of your body. We were all created with a skull surrounding the brain and 24 vertebrae surrounding the spinal cord for protection of these vital organs. The nervous system is the only system in the body totally encased in solid bone.

WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM | VOL.11 #6

HEALTH TIP It is the most important system of the body, and the most delicate. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM CONTROLS ALL FUNCTIONS OF THE BODY The nervous system, composed of the brain, the spinal cord, and the spinal nerves controls all functions of your body. The Brain sends messages to every organ, cell, and tissue in your body to initiate or suppress their intended function. The messages from your brain flow through your spinal cord like an electric signal out the nerve roots to the rest of your body. Right now your heart is beating, your lungs are breathing and you are digesting the food that you ate earlier. 70 trillion cells that you are made up of are responding in sync because your brain tells them to. The communication from the brain to the body must occur at 100% in order for the body to function at its optimal level. Interferences to this communication cause degenerative changes and the process of disease. Due to trauma or stress, individual vertebrae or whole sections of the spine shift out of place. When there are postural distortions of the spine, this causes irritation to the spinal nerves that exit from the spinal column, going to all parts of the body. When this occurs there is a reduced level of communication from the brain to

the organs of the body to properly perform their function. Chronic stress to the spinal nerves can cause serious health consequences. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER EXAMPLE An easy metaphor is to consider a circuit breaker in your house. When the power is too high, or there is a problem in the electrical system of a house the circuit breaker flips the switch, which then stops the flow of electricity to the house. If this happens can you operate your TV? What happens to the refrigerator? They stop working without the power source. But where is the cause of the problem? If you replace the TV and the refrigerator, but do not correct the problem with the circuit breaker, the new TV and refrigerator will not function. However, if you correct the problem with the power source to these appliances, they will continue to function and perform their operations. Correcting the posture and spinal alignment is like correcting the circuit breaker. By restoring a proper flow of energy to the brain and the spinal cord the organs of your body (just like the TV and refrigerator) remain in a state of health and wellness.

I love singing these words to Jesus: "You hold my head up You remind me who I am You hold my head up I'm alive in You again I'm made new!" The song "Made New" by Lincoln Brewster is straight from the Word of God: "But you, O LORD...are the lifter of my head." (Psalm 3:3). And, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"(2 Corinthians 5:17). Being a chiropractor's wife, I think about my posture! But it's not just my physical posture...it's my posture before my Lord. Posture is defined as: "A position of a person's body when standing or sitting; a particular way of dealing with or considering something; an approach or attitude."

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BETTER POSTURE, BETTER FUNCTION, BETTER HEALTH One of the most important factors in health is that your spine is aligned correctly. To ensure proper spinal alignment throughout the arc of life, postural correction is an essential component to the health regiment of you and your family. Wellness Chiropractic Care is a safe and effective way to restore the function of your body and improve your overall health. By being proactive with your posture, you are making the choice to be a better, healthier version of yourself. In the end, your health is the greatest asset that you possess as a human being. Take immediate action to maximize your health potential with the help of our team at the Hill Family Chiropractic Â Elevation Health Center. www.AmericanPostureInstitute.com/ PostureÂIsÂHealth/

I wish that I automatically maintained perfect posture, physically and mentally! Instead (like the Psalmist) I have to ask myself, "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?" And then follow his example, "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." (Psalm 43:5) If I stop and analyze my posture, I can see if I'm slumped in discouragement or maybe even closed in pride. If so, I can do something about it! I'm fascinated by how my physical posture needs to be in harmony with my internal posture! When I get on my face before Him, my heart bows low as well. Consequently humility helps me hear from God! And when I allow Him to lift my head, and I reach my hands up in praise, my heart fills with joy and hope and I'm covered in His love! AND I need proper posture to wear the armor of God! "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:11). See, the posture of my heart and my body make it possible to do God's plans for my life! I encourage you, check your posture!! As my Mother would say, "Straighten up and fly right!" Let Him hold your head up and remind you who you are in Christ đ&#x;&#x2019;&#x2014; Carolyn Hill is passionate about worshipping Jesus and serving with her husband, Dr. Jerod Hill. Together they encourage and equip people to reach their full potential in Christ.

VOL.11 #6 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

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there is no condemnation... Some folks won’t sing the Sovereign Grace song, “Jesus, Thank You,” or the Townend and Getty song, “In Christ Alone,” because they mentioned this truth of the wrath of God.

You Are Not Appointed for Wrath

BY JOHN PIPER

God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Or, as it came to me, with precious personal power: “John Piper, you are mine, and I, your Father, have not destined you for wrath. That is not what you are facing. This biopsy, (and the cancer that will be found) is not wrath. Nor will you ever come into wrath. There is not wrath for you. But you are appointed, by my sovereign decree, for salvation. And this is sure and solid and unshakeable through your Lord, Jesus Christ. Because he died for you. He died for you! So that whether you wake or sleep — that is, whether you live or die — you will live with him.” Forever. Relax. I've got everything under control.

Are they right — these leaders who think that talking and singing about the wrath of God is misleading? Is that not the way God is? Is that why Paul means when he says, “You are not destined for wrath.” There is no wrath coming? God is not that kind of God? Or is it because there is indeed wrath coming, but this is not your destiny? You will escape. You will be spared. Look at 1:9–10 (start at the middle of verse 9). He says of these very people, “ . . . you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

In other words, 1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 are designed by God for his people so that you will have them ready as a go-to word for others when the phone call comes and you are there. Are you ready? Are you ready to do verse 11? Notice, he is not talking about preaching to a crowd. See the words “Encourage one another and build one another up. The Greek is crystal clear: eis ton hena, “one the one.” These precious verses are for each of you to speak to each of you. You will know when they are needed.

The answer is clear: Wrath is coming. God’s wrath — God’s anger — is coming.

So let’s walk through this text together. Let’s go slow and savor it as we go. All of this so you feel the wonder of it now, and then will be motivated to memorize it this afternoon, and have it in your heart and ready when the call comes.

And then again in Romans 5:9, “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”

Verse 9: “God has not destined us for wrath.” Is that because there is no wrath coming on the world and so you don’t need to worry about it. No one is destined for wrath, because God is not that kind of God. There is no wrath?

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Jesus said in John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Paul wrote in Romans 2:5, “Because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

So the word of God is utterly honest and realistic about the future of the world. God’s wrath is coming. Most of the people in your neighborhood and workplace — perhaps some of you — give this little thought. You may think, this is so utterly outside their view of the world that they could never believe it.

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Do you know what the Bible says? They already know it before you tell them. Paul says in Romans 1 that everyone you know, and everyone you meet, knows God at some deep level (Romans 1:21), but they have suppressed that knowledge (Romans 1:18). They even know — deep down at some suppressed level — that they break God’s law, and they are guilty, and wrath is coming. Romans 1:32, “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” You may think that believing in the coming judgment and wrath of God is unintelligible to your modern friends. But think again. In fact, it is written on their hearts by God himself. They know. And they need to hear — even if they don’t admit it at first — there is a way of escape. Which Paul gets to in just a moment. Back to verse 9: “God has not destined us for wrath.” What then? “But to obtain salvation.” Not destined for wrath, but destined for salvation. What makes this word so encouraging in the moment of crisis is the absolute certainty with which it speaks. Not: you might reach salvation. Not: You might escape wrath. Not: Maybe you are destined for that happy future. But: You are destined — you are appointed — for salvation. This decision in heaven has been made. The appointment has been set. It is firm. And it is unchangeable. How do we know these words carry that much freight — that much certainty? Look at

Sudoku Answers from Page 27

...to those in Christ Jesus 1 Thessalonians 1:4–5. “We know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.” You will not face wrath. You will obtain salvation, because God chose you for his own. This destiny, this appointment for salvation did not happen because of this conversion. Their conversion happened because of this appointment. How did Paul know that? Verse 5: “. . . because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” They bore the marks of God’s election. God had chosen them. Paul could see it. Paul knew that faith — real, authentic, readyto-rejoice-in-suffering kind of faith, the kind he saw in the Thessalonians (1:6) — was the result and the evidence of God’s election, his appointing them to salvation and eternal life. Luke says in Acts 13:48, “The Gentiles began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” How can this be? I, John Piper, sitting there alone in my white, open-down-the-back robe waiting for the biopsy machine to be wheeled in — I am a sinner. God is holy. I have broken his law. I deserve wrath. Not just for sins in the distant past, but for yesterday’s sins. How can this Holy God, we worship together with trembling and awe, simply say with such firm, unqualified, unshakeable certainty to

those that have lost a child, “You are not destined for wrath. You are destined for salvation”?

season, to speak this truth to yourself (when the doctor is out of the room), and to the dying or the grieving after the dreaded call.

And the answer comes for me in the doctor’s office, and for you right now in a small phrase. Small like an atom bomb is small. Or better: small like a parachute pack is small. At the end of verse 9: “. . . through our Lord Jesus Christ.” You will not see wrath, but you will obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

But don’t wait for the crisis. People around you need this word long before the crisis comes — and so do you. So, husbands and wives, surprise each other from time to time. Come home and say, “I have some amazing news.” “Really? What happened? What is it?” “You are not destined for wrath, but to obtain salvation through the Lord Jesus. He died for you so that whether you live or die, you will live with him! Isn’t that wonderful?”

And not only will I not bear wrath, I will be granted to live with Jesus as the friend and brother and admirer of the incarnate creator of the universe forever. This is what the word “salvation” means — ultimately — in verse 9. Destined for salvation means, destined to live forever with Jesus, who loved us and gave himself for us. No wrath, only Jesus. Because of Jesus. Now you have a simple, precious, solid, unshakeable go-to word from God for when the crisis comes. Unfathomable, God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. So, this afternoon, memorize it. Then use it like verse 11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” And be ready, in season and out of

Say to your roommates. Say to your friends. And say it to yourself. This belongs to everyone who believes. “The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Speak to every believer. And offer it to every unbeliever.

You are appointed for salvation. Because Christ died for you, so that whether you live for whether you die, you will live with him — forever. John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books.

VOL.11 #6 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

this year will be different Changing the Way We Think in the New Year read in the Scriptures that the first century church turned the world upside down. Do you think it could happen?

BY KATHLEEN CARUSO

It is important to quit thinking up things ‘to do’ for the Lord. The job of the church is not to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. The job of the church is to draw near to the

When we look at circumstances in the world today, we may think it’s hopeless and believe that we can do nothing to change it and in truth, on our own, we can’t because we aren’t smart enough. The world is in a mess. Those in the first century didn’t look at circumstances. They were being fed to the lions and burned at the stake. They trusted God in ridiculous situations. Scriptures say not to fear 365 times and so, with God’s help, we choose not to fear.

Changing the way we think of prayer is an important key. It is not just getting on your knees; it is being in constant communication with the Lord. It is amazing that He trusts us to get the job done. The truth is that God doesn’t want us thinking with our brains, He wants us to live and walk in the Spirit and tell Him how we love Him and ask Him for our direction for each day. If we spend time getting His will for the day, He will take care of everything that concerns us. We take care of His business and He takes care of ours.

We can choose to believe in our Father God. He is smart enough to show us what to do. Listen to Him. Learn to think His thoughts after Him by spending time in His Presence. People in the First Century knew that He is the real deal and nothing else mattered. Here are some facts. The earth that we are living in is not fully under God’s control. It was, at one time, but He gave it to man and man gave it to the devil. Jesus came and took it back and He gave it to the church. This is a surprise for many as they think He is responsible for every bad thing that happens. We need to look closer to home. It is time for the church to take her place.

Think About This 1. Cows 2. The Constitution 3. The Ten Commandments COWS Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to lo-

dead dwells in you and in you and me. We are a new creation with a new Spirit. If we are willing, we will do extraordinary things as He takes us out of our comfort zone into a life of freedom and unlike anything we have known in the past. Just like the first century Christians, there will be a price living life following the leading of the Holy Spirit but it is worth it.

Father and love Him as He loves us. As we set our love on Him, He will help us do on earth what is done in heaven and, trust me, we will feed the hungry and clothe the naked when once again we are living in His Presence and not doing stuff because we think it’s a good idea. If you think about it, it is astonishing that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the cate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow. THE CONSTITUTION They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq ....why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore. THE 10 COMMANDMENTS The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this -- you cannot post: 'Thou Shalt Not Steal' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery,' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians. It creates a hostile work environment.

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In 2016, He will show us how we are to operate in each situation that we face. He is more than enough and He has our back. We will not retreat; we will advance the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. It is time for us to be like the church of the first century and turn this world upside down. Are you with me?

ask the rabbi

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31). This is probably the most beautiful verse in the Bible. Yeshua (Jesus) said it is the highest commandment after "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord." Torah scholars say this commandment of loving your neighbor summarizes the whole Bible. So who is your neighbor? Anyone who crosses our path? Or just close acquaintances and relatives? Or maybe just a member of my own people and nation? There is a lot of discussion about the second part of this verse without regard to the first. I believe that life is basically simple and straightforward, and I think this is God's way as well. Whatever God asks us to do, it is often simpler than we think. God is not out to confuse us but to stand by us. It is we who confuse our own lives, and for that reason we often think God's word is

The second part of the verse - "as yourself" - is something we can know. Love your neighbor as yourself. But first of all we need to love ourselves so we can love our neighbor in the same way. Therefore God is telling us to love ourselves first. We need to accept ourselves the way we are. When looking into the mirror in the morning we need to love what we see there. And we need to invest in ourselves. We need to understand how important we are to ourselves in our own lives. This is not egotism. A person loving himself sees his life in an appropriate way. His heart is open and larger toward his surroundings as well as toward his neighbor.

For that reason, I can see how important the order is in this Bible verse. Love yourself so you can love your neighbor. It even takes the wind out of the sails of the question as to who exactly is your neighbor. Whoever loves oneself emanates both love and light. And that is passed on.

WITH RABBI JEREMY STORCH

Do you know how beautiful you are because of what Yeshua has done? Ask the Rabbi - Do I Love Myself? complicated.

Reprinted by permission from Israel Today

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

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

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VOL.11 #6 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

where grace abounds Ex足Gay Songwriter Believes You May Be Born Gay, but It Doesn't Matter ongwriter Dennis Jernigan opens up about his struggles with same-sex attraction and who God says He is. Songwriter Dennis Jernigan opens up about his struggles with same-sex attraction and who God says He is. BY JESSILYN JUSTICE

He penned the words that many of us know by heart:

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame Rising again I bless your name You are my all in all

"I have a Christ-centered worldview, everything I believe comes from that point," Jernigan says. "Find out who your Creator says you are, not who you feel you are. If we don't think the way God designed us to think, we're going to latch onto something. What we put into our minds is what we put out. I agree with that, I am brainwashed, you need to be transformed by renewing of your mind." Though gay marriage has hit the headlines this year, Jernigan says it is far from a new thing. Rather, the issue is coming to the

When I fall down, You pick me up When I am dry, You fill my cup You are my all in all. What you may sing as a feel-good song to remind you of God's grace represents the powerful journey songwriter Dennis Jernigan walks as he allows Jesus to give him a new identity from what the world wanted. "I thought God hated me," Jernigan says, explaining how he thought his sexual orientation was too much for even God to overcome. "Any sermon I heard, it was very clear I would go straight to hell, so it was built in me that the sin was already there." Decades later, Jernigan says the power of Jesus allows him to walk in freedom. The songwriter says he wants the church to know that it's possible to embrace the gay community where they are and challenge them to meet God. The answer, he says, is Jesus. As someone who is now happily married to a woman and the father of nine children, Jernigan says the battle for his identity started in his mind and played out in the homes of believers who were willing to war with him. "I never thought I'd be attracted to a woman, but everything changed because I changed the way I thought and put off thoughts until I didn't think them anymore," Jernigan says. It's renewing of the mind described in Romans 12 the church should consider as they approach the sensitive topic.

forefront because of a progressive society. "God has been setting people free from identity issues for thousands of years," Jernigan says. Despite the history of freedom, the American church, he says, is in dire straights, especially as political culture demands an acceptance of sin: 48 percent of religious congregations now allow practicing homosexuals to be full-fledged members, according to a Pew research study. The same study reveals 26 percent of congregations allow people with same-sex attraction to volunteer in leadership positions. The majority of white mainline protestants (62 percent) now support same-sex marriage, with Catholics (57 percent) hovering close behind, according to a different Pew study. White evangelicals have the least support, with approximately 24 percent in favor of gay marriage. It's a fight the church needs to engage rather than cowering in fear, Jernigan says.

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"(The church) just don't know how to deal with it," Jernigan says. "They don't understand the Word of God. What I mean by that is answers are in the Word for how we respond to sin and sinners. We can judge what is right and what is wrong all day long, but we are never to condemn. Jesus basically said to judge what is right, but told those around the woman (in John 8), 'No one condemns you, so neither do I.' That makes it easy to walk in the culture." However, this doesn't happen in the pulpit. For Jernigan and his family, ground zero of the fight against sin begins in their livi n g room. "Even to this day, my wife and I (host a) meeting every Wednesd a y night where people can come," Jernigan says. "It's just like Vegas: what happens in the living room, stays in the living room. People feel safe." If believers genuinely want to change the culture, here's where the rubber meets the road, Jernigan says: "What if every believer in America saw their home and family as a conduit of healing? We'd change the culture overnight. "Stop expecting church, church leadership to minister to people we're involved with. Never once did we go to barn to get the harvest, but we went to the field. ... We are all as new creations called to be ministers of reconciliation."

CharismaNews.com Join us on the new C-Pop podcast where Taylor and Jessilyn discuss, debate and sometimes deride pop culture with a strong sense of humor and a focus on Christ. Listen at:

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the editor gets the last word

he Fellowship of Believers is described in Acts 2:43. “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.…

When Christians talk about living together, sharing everything and having things in common so no one has needs, an image of a cult compound comes to mind much like a David Koresh or a Jim Jones. But this is exactly what was done and practiced in the early church! Critics of reviving this communal model suggested it was only done because of the protection needed from an oppressive government. They had to band together. Guess what? If our elected officials don’t make a serious change in our social and foreign policies we will get there in a hot hurry. Banding together is what made the Church thrive against impossible odds and aggressive persecution from both Jews and the Romans alike. Theologically, the doctrinal cult mentality is already alive and well in many mainstream Christian churches. They are weak and will fall apart when oppression comes. Most likely, most churches will kowtow to a secular government and become even less relevant. The alternative is a Christian church community, where people share life together, and are intimately involved in every part of their lives. This intimacy will stand strong against all adversity that is sure to arise. Following Jesus in the spirit of real Church community where the Holy Spirit is blazing from the leaders of the group and where

their leadership will provide many benefits. The Church isn't about routines of traditional worship and Bible studies. David Backus stated, “Church is Christians who decide to pull out of this world and live together no matter how rough it gets. As they become tightly knit through Christ's love, working out their salvation and problems in life in a fortified, safe community where grace, love, and mercy rule and division and judgment are checked at the door... it will work. I pray and dream and long to find such a community, who casts off the drive for

planned trips to the market and other appointments; three vehicles and a truck would more than suffice. The savings on car payments, insurance, repairs and fuel alone would be in the thousands. Having many extra hands to do all the domestic chores makes the burden so much lighter. Homeschooling becomes practical and necessary as the government schools indoctrinate our kids. I suppose health care costs could be shared as well but something more scandalous and only understood by a minority of Christians would be divine healing.

BY JOHN G. SACOULAS

WHY THE CHURCH NEEDS TO CONSIDER COMMUNAL LIVING AND WHY IT WONT LIKELY HAPPEN IN AMERICA

Having a number of members trained in gun safety and marksmanship would provide the security that surely will be necessary.

isolationism fueled by the greed and materialism of the capitalistic system of the godless, who want to live in an economy and a system run by love, where Christ is the head. “ This scenario actually would cure the angst so many families experience as they try to maintain a status quo that isn’t realistic or satisfying. Let’s say 10 families band together and form something like a Jewish kibbutz. By definition a kibbutz (Hebrew word for “communal settlement”) is a unique rural community; a society dedicated to mutual aid and social justice; a socioeconomic system based on the principle of joint ownership of property, equality and cooperation of production, consumption and education; the fulfillment of the idea “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”; a home for those who have chosen it.” If the average mortage payment is $850.00; $8,500.00 would be available each month to build and maintain the compound. There would normally be 20 cars in that group. But through car pooling, carefully

None of these things are difficult to achieve. The biggest obstacle would actually be our obsessive need to “get our way” on twiggy doctrinal issues. This can only work if we grow up and confirm that Christ and Him Crucified is our creed. We would also have to be among those who belive in the power of the Holy Spirit in us. (I won’t dare address that in this article lol) This idea of imitating the early church is impeded by the morphing of our Faith over two millennia as addressed by Rev. Sam Pascoe:

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. Alas, I am not hopeful that as Americans we will be able to give up our fierce independence at this present moment but I am afraid we will have no choice in the future. Maybe that’s a good thing?

I am trying to see the bigger picture from a distance.

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