February/March 2004

Dear ones,
Marty and I want to thank you for the Christmas cards. Many years ago we had to give up sending them, for there were just too many, and it was impossible to avoid missing someone. However, we have read and shared each one, and do thank you for caring enough to send them. Now, there is much to share…….

FINAL REPORT ON KATIE
Katie is back home now, an outpatient at the rehab center. She is back in school, taking one course, and will graduate in May. She still has some healing to do; but she got the miracles that she needed to bring her back to us. Our profound thanks to all of you who prayed for her and sent encouraging words and gifts.

RICHES FOUND IN THE NAMES OF GOD, PART III (Conclusion)
In the past two issues we have learned some things about two of the three primary names of God. In this issue, we will examine the third, final, and most important, of the three names; it is YHWH. In the English Bible, this third name can be recognized because it is written in all capitals (i.e., "LORD" or "GOD"- not "Lord" or "God"). Again, I recommend that you use the King James Version (or the New King James), for most modern versions do not differentiate these names; thus they cannot be recognized.

At the outset, we have a problem with this name, for only God knows how to spell it. Really! Allow me to explain. The Hebrew language, in which the Old Testament was originally written, had no vowels (such as our a,e,i,o, and u); the vowel sounds were spoken, but were not written. There were, in its alphabet, only consonants. In time, the rabbis became so fearful of breaking the Third Commandment (which forbids the taking of God's name "in vain") that they decided that this name, the most sacred name of God, must not be spoken at all. If they never spoke it at all, they reasoned, they couldn't speak it in vain. Thus, it continued to be written, with only its four consonants, but never spoken. After about 120 years, when the very last person who had heard the name spoken, died, the sound of the name was forever lost. In the early middle ages, vowels (pointings) were added to written Hebrew, as it exists today. But the scribes had a problem: they had no idea what the name sounded like, so they had no way to know which vowels they should put into YHWH. Thus today there are two theories: some believe it should be Yahweh; others insist that it must be Yehowah (anglicized, this one becomes Jehovah). So, this most important of the three names may be Yahweh, and it also may be Yehowah (Jehovah). Only God knows, literally, which spelling is the correct one.

Now, with this awkward problem of its pronunciation understood, here is the thing about the name that matters: its meaning. This most-important name of God means the self-existent one, the effect without a cause, the one who has always existed and whose existence depends upon no other person or force. This name expresses the uniqueness of God; as He has written, there is none other but Him. All the names of God express something of His nature; this name expresses the most fundamental, important, aspect of His nature: His unique, eternal, self-existence. When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Ex. 3), He identified Himself to Moses as "I AM THAT I AM" (in other words, God was saying "I exist, simply because I exist"). He then identified Himself in a simpler form, telling Moses to say to Pharaoh and the children of Israel that "I AM" had sent him. Now we can better understand the mind-boggling words of Jesus when He declared His divinity to the Jewish disciples saying, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John. 8:58). Those Jews immediately understood that He was declaring Himself to be the great I AM, the eternal, self-existent YHWH. And, of course, that is exactly Who He is, existing eternally in the mystery of the Trinity. Although they had believed that Jesus was the Messiah, these Jews were so offended at His words that they took up stones to kill Him (what ultimately became of these mutinous disciples is not recorded).

This name occurs in the Third Commandment (Ex. 20:7), the verse that led to our dilemma about the sound and spelling of the name: "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain…." Here, God identifies Himself fundamentally as YHWH, the unique, supreme, Person of the Universe; plus, He reminds us here that He is also Elohim, the creator, and the strong and faithful covenant keeper.

In Genesis 17:1,2 God appears to Abram as YHWH ('LORD"); yet, He changes Abram's name to Abraham, and enters into covenant with him as Elohim ("God"), the covenant keeper. The name, we see, matches and reveals the function.
In Psalm 31:14, David cries out, "O LORD (YHWH)," and reminds Him that he is trusting in Him completely, as the strong and faithful covenant keeper: "Thou art my God (Elohim)." In Isaiah 65:13, we find YHWH as "GOD." In this passage, there is the declaration to those who have rebelled against God that they will suffer want (hungry, thirsty and ashamed), but the faithful servants of God will be filled with food and drink and will be protected: "Therefore, thus saith the Adonai [the absolute master who protects and provides for his servants] YHWH [the unique, all-powerful, King of the Universe] my servants shall eat…"

This third, and most fundamental name of God is often combined with another descriptive term to express some more specific aspect of His nature. Examples include YHWH Shalom (the LORD our peace), YHWH Rohi (the LORD our Shepherd), and YHWH Jireh (the LORD who sees our need and provides).

And so, these are the three basic names of God, each revealing a part of His nature; and the several modifiers combined with the third name add still more to our understanding of God's nature. Knowing these basic names and their meanings, and studying a Bible (such as the King James) which identifies them, will make the Scriptures much richer with meaning, and will add to our understanding of our God (Elohim), our Lord (Adonai), and our LORD/GOD (Yahweh, or Yehowah).

JOSEPH: A GREAT FATHER
Joseph, husband of Mary, is often presented as a vague, mute appendage to the Christmas story, having no apparent function other than that of holding the donkey's reins. In reality, however, he is a major character in human history, and perhaps the greatest father in Scripture. When Mary became pregnant before their wedding, Joseph was disappointed, and surely hurt; but he was a merciful man, and considered divorcing her privately (rather than having her publicly humiliated, or stoned, as he could have done under the law). Then Joseph received a divine message, letting him know that Mary had not been unfaithful, that a miracle had taken place instead. His next task, though, was not an easy one: he was told by God to go ahead and marry her. But this presented an additional problem: if he did so, it would appear that he had been fooling around with Mary, that she was a slut and he her foolish toy. His standing in the community and the respect he actually deserved would be sacrificed. Mary, in a way, had no choice (there was no hiding her pregnancy); but Joseph did. Yet he chose to marry her and to take it "on the chin," for Mary and for the baby. Surely Jesus saw in His earthly father the selflessness and humility which He would one day embody, perfectly and fully, on the cross. God chose Jesus' earthly father well. (Sally McK. Mahoney, with thanks to John Eldridge's "Wild at Heart.")

OPPOSITION TO ABORTION IS GROWING
Studies continue to indicate that opposition to abortion is growing. One factor in this is the fact that children born since about 1990 are the first generation whose parents have lived their entire child-bearing lives with legalized abortion (since 1973). The parents of this generation aborted babies, and thus caused their living children the loss of brothers and sisters they will never have. These children will also have cause to wonder how close they may have come to being killed in the same way. This generation may well pose the greatest threat ever to Roe vs. Wade. Of course, increasing opposition to abortion is primarily due to a growing awareness of the horrible truth about abortion, in spite of the suppression of such knowledge by the pro-death wings of the media, churches and government. It has been a slow, discouraging battle, but the general public is more and more aware of the truth, thanks to the undaunted heroes of the pro-life movement. (ANS)

THE SUPREME COURT GOT IT RIGHT ON RICO
The Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is a federal law designed to be a weapon against organized crime. For 16 years, the pro-death abortion industry, and its supporters like the National Organization for Women (NOW), as well as state and local governments, have, tried to use the RICO Act to punish pro-life organizations such as Operation Rescue. The abortion people claimed that pro-life demonstrations drove away customers, caused them to lose business, which amounted to extortion. Until now, courts have agreed with them, and pro-life demonstrators have been sued, fined and jailed under RICO. In late December, however, the Supreme Court ruled, in an 8-1 decision, that this had been a spurious application of the RICO Act; this was a major defeat for the abortion industry. The death industry had suffered another defeat, earlier in the same week, when the Supreme court let stand an Indiana law which requires that women seeking abortion be given face-to-face counseling about the nature and risks of abortion. Thanks be to God! (ANS, et al)

PLANNED PARENTHOOD, BABY-KILLING AND TAX MONEY
Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider has reported profits of $36 million for the year 2003. The organization (which should be called Planned Non-Parenthood, for it is entirely about preventing the live birth of children) is also supported by our government, with tax money; these national champion baby killers received more than $250 million from the U.S. Government in the fiscal year ending in June 2003. (PWB)

OUR GODLY HERITAGE
"Without God there could be no American form of government nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first -the most basic - expression of Americanism." (Pres. Dwight Eisenhower, 1955)

DISNEY WORLD STEPS UP ITS SUPPORT OF HOMOSEXUALS
The giant Disney organization is one of the most zealous (and effective) promoters of sodomy and the "gay" agenda in the world. Their huge Walt Disney World theme park near Orlando hosts the annual "Gay Day" during which more than 100,000 homosexuals celebrate their perversions. This year, Disney World will add a second such event, also in June, which will be a Father's Day event which will have as its theme, homosexual "families."

Disney's head, CEO Michael Eisner, who is proud of his sponsorship of these blasphemous homosexual celebrations, has boasted that more than 40 percent of Disney World employees are homosexuals. Do you still buy Disney products, go to Disney World (or the original, Disneyland in California), or, worse, do you take your children to these places? If you do, how can you justify it before God? (ANS)

THE CULTURE WAR GOES ON
United Airlines has directed that all Bibles be removed from its aircraft. The Bibles will be given to a charity. (ANS)

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CONTINUE TO SELL SEX TO KIDS
Again this past year, Abercrombie and Fitch, the clothing retailer targeting children and teens, produced a Christmas catalog featuring nude models in sexual poses, and even included an article extolling the joys of group sex. The title of the catalogue is "2003 Christmas Field Guide"; do you have a copy in your house? Do you buy Abercrombie & Fitch garments for your children (or allow them to wear them, whatever the source)? If you do, you are contributing to your children's destruction. (ANS)

AMAZON.COM, TOYS R US, AND PEDOPHILES
For a long time now, Amazon.com, the giant, on-line, book retailer, has been under fire for selling books promoting pedophilia and instructing pedophiles in ways to contact and seduce children. Amazon has repeatedly refused to remove these books from its inventory. Now, it appears, pedophiles are finding ways to reach innocent children through the toy industry. Toys R Us, the huge toy chain, now has a direct link on its web site to the pedophile pornography books of Amazon.com. You book and toy buyers, especially parents, will want to know this. (ANS)

MICROSOFT CLOSES CHAT ROOMS TO CURB SMUT
In a move quite the opposite of Abercrombie & Fitch's corporate policies, the software giant, Microsoft, has closed all its free chat rooms, in the US and nearly 30 other countries. Why? The company says that the chat rooms, which had been intended as a free communication service between individuals, were being used by pornographers, pedophiles, and spammers. Geoff Sutton, Microsoft Network manager for Europe, said that unmoderated chat had become dangerous to the users; he mentioned pornographic spam, and said that adults had used the chat rooms to "groom" children as pedophile victims. Hooray for Microsoft! (ANS)

JOHN KERRY AND THE F-WORD
The Democrat candidate currently running in second place is John Kerry, liberal senator from Massachusetts. Kerry, incidentally, has been one of the principal players in the government's program to abandon our live POWs and normalize relations with Communist Vietnam. As Howard Dean has made an obviously phony attempt to convince conservative Christians that he is one of them, Kerry has gone out of his way to establish himself as "one of the guys." When Bill Clinton was a candidate, he set a new low in political discourse by appearing on MTV, the cable music network that pours out a constant stream of sex and violence on America's teens, and discussed the kind of underpants he wore. But now Clinton's Democrat friend, John Kerry, has taken it a giant step farther into the cesspool. In a published interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Kerry deliberately used the "f-word" in criticizing President Bush's handling of the Iraq war. He obviously knew that such language would be well received by the voting readers of Rolling Stone. (ANS)

HOWARD DEAN EXPOSES HIS HYPOCRISY
Howard Dean, front-running candidate for the Democrat nomination as presidential candidate, is an ultra-liberal. He has championed all things dear to the liberal left, such as abortion, gun control and sodomy. As Governor of Vermont, he led the effort to create homosexual "marriages" there. Ah, but now he wants to be President of the US, and he needs votes; this means that he wants the votes of conservatives, most of whom are Bible-believing Christians, and this presents a problem: he needs to convince them that he also is a Bible-believing Christian. Dean recently told the Boston Globe that he is "a committed believer in Jesus Christ," and will be speaking more about his religious views as he campaigns in the South (which, of course, is where most conservative Christians live). But, as happens to all such phonies, when reporters began to ask him questions about his faith, he was in trouble. When asked what was his favorite book of the New Testament, Dean replied that it is the Book of Job, one of the oldest books of the Old Testament. This reminds me of Al Gore, four years ago, with his obvious error in volunteering that his "favorite Bible verse" was John 16:3. Gore was then making the same false claims, for the same, self-serving reason. (AP/ANS)

ANOTHER LEGALISTIC CULT AND THE MARK OF THE BEAST
New heresies seem to appear every week, leading astray sincere seekers after God. They often feature Old Testament legalism ("touch not, taste not, handle not"), end-times prophecy interpretations, and such bizarre concepts as the British-Israel doctrine (the true Israel, they say, are the British, Americans and Canadians-not those Jews in Israel). Cults often speak of "hidden truth," "secret truth," or "New truth"; and they, of course, are the only ones who have it. A fairly common feature of such cultic beliefs is the necessity of learning the correct name for God (failure to call Him by the "right" name will send us to Hell, they say).

One effective way of scaring sincere people into joining your group is to offer them the sure way to avoid taking the Mark of the Beast (see Rev. 13). For many years, the Seventh Day Adventists (and the Jehovah's Witnesses, a group which derives from the same Adventist origins as the SDAs) have preached that the Mark of the Beast is going to church on Sunday (as opposed to Saturday, the Seventh Day). They devoutly believe this, in spite of the plain wording of the Bible, which clearly states that the condemning Mark will be a number, 666, on the forehead or the right hand (Rev. 13:16-18). But, now, I have encountered a cultic group with an even more bizarre message!

This group, which calls itself "The Remnant of YHWH," claims that the Mark of the beast is speaking the name "Jesus." Really! They also say that the New Testament was originally written in Hebrew (it wasn't-with the possible exception of the Books of Matthew and Hebrews, it was all originally written in Greek). They teach that only those who speak the Savior's name as Yeshua (the Hebrew form of "Joshua") can be saved; all of us deceived ones who use the name "Jesus," they say, have taken the Mark of the Beast, and are doomed to Hell.

At this point, I remember what St. Paul wrote to the Church: "I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, (that) your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ " (II Cor. 11:3). Beloved, the gospel is simple: Jesus is the only Savior, and our relationship with Him, as trusting children, is our salvation. Don't allow anyone to place on you additional, legalistic requirements for salvation, especially any that put you in fear of falling short. Satan is intensely legalistic; God is just the opposite: "…the letter (of the law) killeth; but the Spirit giveth life" (II Cor. 3:6).

A POINT TO PONDER
"When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments: tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become." Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)

MARTY'S CORNER
There are so many Christian trendy, self-help, and secrets-to-a-meaningful-life books today that the simple truths of the Bible are often distorted and/or paraphrased so liberally that those truths are lost. The writers of such books frequently alter the Bible's words in order to "see God's truth in new, fresh ways." However, There is nothing new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9); only the times we live in change. The simple truth is that we are here by God's design and for His pleasure. Apart from our covenant relationship with God, our pleasure is to draw closer to Him daily.

Through Gates of Splendor, the story of the missionaries who were killed while trying to win the Auca Indians to Jesus, gives each of us a glimpse of both purpose and pleasure. Without knowing it, Jim Elliot simply answered the age-old question of "why am I here?" in his diary. The longing of our hearts resonates with Elliot's words: "I walked out to the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious, to stand embraced by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coattail and the heavens hailing your heart, to gaze and glory and give oneself once again to God-what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him. Mayhap in mercy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead them through the vast star fields to explore His delicacies whose finger set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into His eyes-ah then, not stars nor children shall matter, only Himself."

There are no new ways of pleasing Him…only the sheer excitement of knowing God and His Word now and forever.

REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS AND CHURCH
A recent survey by the Pew Center for the People and Press found that two-thirds of the people who attend religious services regularly will vote Republican. Conversely, people who never attend church services will likely vote Democratic, by the same two-thirds margin. Is either of the major parties Christian? Definitely not; however, the Republican Party is much more friendly to Christian values. The Democrat Party is downright hostile to Christian values, and those who passionately oppose Christian values do congregate within the Democrat Party and support its candidates. (With thanks to Dick Corbeil of the Apopka Chief)

THE WRECKING OF THE EPISCOPAL/ANGLICAN CHURCH GOES ON
The militant apostasy of the leadership of the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA) was highlighted recently by the consecration, as Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire, of "Vicki" Gene Robinson, an open homosexual who abandoned his wife and small daughters to live with another man. For conservative Episcopalians who have agonized over the growing apostasy of their denomination, this was too much; many individuals, and a growing number of congregations, are leaving ECUSA. The formation of a conservative, Bible-based Episcopal group seems almost certain.

The ECUSA is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the conflict has also surfaced in Canada. Bishop Michael Ingham, of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, in British Columbia, recently closed the Church of the Holy Cross. The reason? The rector of Holy Cross, Father James Wagner, is a Bible-believing priest who holds dear the historic tenets of the Anglican/Episcopal faith, and maintains the biblical position that homosexual behavior is a sin and abomination to God. This has made him an irritant to his liberal leadership; but the "last straw" is that Wagner refuses to perform "weddings" for homosexual couples. (AP/ANS)

PRECIOUS PROMISE
I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for thou, LORD, only makest me to dwell in safety." (Ps 4:8)

HOPE FOR THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,USA?
The Presbyterian Church, USA (PCUSA) is the liberal wing of Presbyterianism; it has long been in the forefront of abandonment of the Bible as the only rule of faith and practice and, thus, has been a leader in embracing apostate causes, such as abortion and sodomy. The determined apostasy of its leadership has caused many to leave the denomination, and led to the forming of the growing, Bible-based, Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Yet, there are still some conservative ministers in the PCUSA, and one of them has announced his intention to seek the office of Stated Clerk, the denomination's highest office. The Rev. Robert Davis, associate pastor of a California church, wants to try to turn his denomination back to the Bible and its standards. It will be interesting to see how he fares. (ANS)

BUT WHAT CAN I DO THAT WILL MATTER?
Most of us feel relatively small and impotent in terms of being able to touch and change people's lives for the Kingdom of God. Compared with influential authors, pastors of huge churches, those with TV ministries, or rich Christians who can support such ministries, most of us feel powerless-out of the game. Not so. Jesus spoke much about mustard seeds, widow's mites and those who are least in the Kingdom. I have received a letter which has inspired me greatly! This young man couldn't even afford a piece of paper on which to write; from Arizona, he wrote to me on a small fragment, torn from the corner of a piece of used, lined, notebook paper. The addresses on the envelope were taped-over with clear tape. On the paper fragment he wrote a request to have our newsletter sent to two members of his family; then, in the corner of the fragment, he squeezed in "They need Jesus in their lives a lot." This young man is a hero to me; and I can hear Jesus saying, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful (in small things)...

OUR CHRISTIAN HERITAGE
"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity." (John Adams)

MILESTONES
Died 16 Dec 03 - Bob Moore, husband of Jean Moore, and longtime Christian friend of Mt. Carmel, Ill., after a lengthy illness.

24 Dec 03 - Vestal Goodman, widow of the late Howard ("Happy") Goodman, of Madisonville, Ky., and Southern Gospel music giant, at 74.

2 Jan 04 - Debbi Tirjan, dear friend, much too young, of Lafayette, Tenn. Debbi and her husband, Dennis, two of the very finest Christians and parents I have ever known, led the children's ministry at our retreats for many years.

A FINAL WORD
Treasure and use each day as if it were your last, and never give up hope; God has a limitless supply of new beginnings, and he makes beautiful things out of broken pieces.

You are precious,

(Sources: AFAJ-American Family Journal; AFRN-American Family Radio News; ANS-Agape News Service; AP-Associated Press; BP-Break Point; C-Charisma; CBN-Christian Broadcasting Network; CR-Congressional Record; DR-Drudge Report; EP-Evangelical Press; Fox (Fox News); FRC-Family Research Council; GN-Good News Magazine; HC-History Channel; Ins-Insight Magazine; LAT-L.A. Times; Mil-Military Magazine; NR-National Review; NW-Newsweek; NYP-New York Post; NYT-New York Times; PWB-Pastors' Weekly Briefing; RTLB-Right to Life Education Foundation Bulletin; USAT-USA Today; USNWR-U.S. News and World Report; VOM-Voice of Martyrs; W-World Magazine; WND-World Net Daily; WT-Washington Times; WW-Washington Watch.)