June/July 2001

Dear ones,

The culture war is escalating; the forces of ungodly corruption and compromise are increasing the intensity and boldness of their assault on the nation's moral health and sanity. Some of this is sordid; but if we don't know, we can do nothing. And if we do nothing, they will capture and reduce the culture to the self-destructive levels of Sodom, ancient Athens, and Nero's Rome. But there is also good news, so read on.

OUR WEB SITE

Our web site is up, but still under construction. By the time you are reading these words it will have been set up in a basic way, but will still be "under construction" Visit the site (www.wordsforlivingmin.org), and let us know what you think. We are blessed with a variety of beautiful art work for the site, mostly the work of our friend, Joe McCormick.

"COME AND LIVE" IN NEW PRINTING

I recently received an encouraging note about how our book, "Come and Live" had blessed and changed lives, and expressing regret that the book is no longer available. But it IS available - never out of print, and in a new printing with a nicer cover. Like all our books, "Come and Live" can be had by calling or e-mailing the office at the address on the header. And you will soon be able to order it through the web site. Also, our salvation tract, "The Critical Difference," is undergoing revision and will soon be ready.

"BROKEN PIECES" MADE BEAUTIFUL

In 1983, our Spring Retreat had as its theme, "Restoration." In thinking about the theme, back then, the thought came to me that "God makes beautiful things out of broken pieces." I was thinking about how God can take the shattered remains of our lives, our plans, our relationships, and, when relinquished to Him, He takes the shattered pieces and makes something beautiful of them. We had a banner with those words on it made for the retreat. Last summer, it occurred to me that those words would combine well with stained glass. In July, I spoke with Doris Elliott Scholl, a lifelong friend, about the possibility of doing something with the words in a stained glass piece (she is a Central Kentucky stained glass artist). She immediately went to work and created a beautiful piece, with the words, in the style of a gothic stained glass window. It is very, very beautiful! Now, we are in the process of reproducing the beautiful piece in the form of a framable, limited edition print. By the time you are reading this, the prints should be available. And, by that time, you should be able to see it on our web site.

FINAL CURTAIN ON THE 2000 ELECTION

The 2000 presidential election was remarkable in terms of corruption and manipulation of voters. It was also unprecedented in terms of spurious legal challenges and false hysterical appeals to public opinion. The final one, in which we learned about chads (pregnant, dimpled, hanging, etc), accused Bush of stealing the election because illegal ballots in Florida were disqualified. Jesse Jackson and other political cheerleaders shouted, "Every vote counts - count every vote." So, after the Bush inauguration, major establishment media outlets, led by USA Today, conducted a hand count of every ballot, in every county, in Florida. They did it by Gore campaign rules. The result was that Bush had indeed won - and by an even greater margin than in the official count. Big news? No - except for USA Today, the major media buried their own story or ignored it. The Wash Post had it next to an ad for men's underwear on page 7. The New York Times had it on page 16, while devoting front page space to such stories as "Diverse Boston Police Force." So what's new? But now, maybe, it's over, and one thing is clear: Bush won, and thanks be to God that he did. (PWB, et al)

BUSH'S FIRST THREE MONTHS

G.W. Bush has disappointed us with some of his appointments, but on the whole he is like a breath of fresh air. The man prays! He opened his first cabinet meeting with prayer - he laid aside a prayer written for him by one of his wordsmiths, and just prayed from his heart. He is reversing some of the radically wrong Clinton executive orders. He is moving to protect the unborn. He is going public with the horrible human rights abuses in China and Sudan, and promising to get aid to the brutalized Sudanese Christians. And he is cleaning the Clinton pornography out of the presidential residences. I believe that God has given this country another chance;we must pray for him.

CLEANING OUT THE CLINTON PORN

The Clintons left a lot of messes for the Bushes to clean up; for example, they immediately had the carpet in the oval office replaced. Then they had all porn films and publications removed from Air Force One, and from the high-security Presidential Retreat, Camp David. Camp David, too? Yes; one of the Marine security guards there told a reporter that, during the Clinton years, there was pornography "all over the place - tons of it" at Camp David. (USNWP/ANS/AFRN).

PLANNED PARENTHOOD: "PORN CAN BE HEALTHY FOR KIDS"

May has been declared "Victims of Pornography Month." Planned Parenthood, the World's leading provider of abortions, chose May to issue a statement that pornography can be healthy - especially for teens. And their web site for adolescent girls, "Teen Wire," which gives ungodly advice to teens about sex and rebellion against parents, has been nominated for a "Webby" award. And, incidentally, Planned Parenthood will receive about $80 million in your tax money this year, a gift from Congress. (ANS/AFRN)

THE CULTURE WAR AND THE DEATH OF REASON

A county judge in Las Vegas has awarded custody of six-year-old twin boys to their father, described in court documents as a "sexual deviant." Why? Because the mother has been taking the boys to church too much! The court psychologist, who recommended custody for the father, admitted that the father has a history as a pedophile multiple offender. (NewsMax.com)

CHURCHES CARE FOR NEEDY PEOPLE

The most exhaustive study of churches in history was completed in March by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. They examined 14,301 congregations in 41 denominations. Among their findings were the following: more than one-third conduct or support tutoring and literacy programs; more than two-thirds sponsor or support thrift shops for the poor; and 90 percent operate a food pantry for the poor. We don't hear much about this amid the political demagoging on the left about compassion and taking care of the poor; what we do hear is that Christians are mean and uncaring, while the demagogs cry for more government spending and control.(PWB)

THE METHODIST HIERARCHY AGAIN

In an official statement to the United Methodist News Service in late April, Bishop Melvin Talbert, Chief Ecumenical Officer of the UMC, says Christian missionaries should stop putting so much emphasis on bringing people to Christ. He really did. Instead, Bishop Talbert said, we need to rethink all this, to value other religions more and emphasize "reconciliation and love." This position, of course, flies in the face of Jesus' commandment to evangelize "all the World." Such liberals at the top of the UMC hierarchy are completely out of step with the grassroots multitude of Bible-believing Methodists; that's why this multitude grows smaller each day as Methodists sadly leave and find Bible-believing churches. Also, liberals like Bishop Talbert forget that the most loving thing a Christian can do is to bring someone to reconciliation with God through Christ. (ANS)

HOMOSEXUAL TEACHER ABUSES CHILDREN

The NYC public school system welcomes homosexual teachers, in the name of tolerance and "diversity." In early May a Bronx elementary school teacher, Milton McFarlane, 38, was charged with sexually abusing two little boys on school property, utilizing pornography on classroom computers. McFarlane, who has been arrested before for sexual misconduct with school children, is HIV positive. This is where "tolerance" in a "values-free" environment leads; and the victims, who may die in this case, are innocent.(NY Post/ANS)

TYPHOID RETURNS: TRACED TO HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR

I never knew my maternal grandfather; he died in 1917 of typhoid fever. He was infected while travelling; like so many people in that era, he was infected by drinking untreated water contaminated with sewage bacteria. The typhoid bacterium is a form of salmonella; untreated, the disease is fatal. In recent times, the disease has become rare in this country, to the extent that we are no longer innoculated for it. Of the few cases reported in the U.S., the vast majority are contracted overseas, in underdeveloped countries. But not only is it making a comeback, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) now, for the first time, classifies typhoid as a sexually transmitted disease because it is being spread through male homosexual behavior. In this regard, the CDC reports a recent outbreak of typhoid in Cincinnati, among homosexual males, traceable to one homosexual male who contracted it in Puerto Rico. He and all those infected had not shared contaminated food or water; but they had engaged in extremely perverted behavior, common among homosexual males, in which feces, in various ways, is ingested.(AP/Reuters)

HOMOSEXUAL TO HEAD THE ACLU

For the first time in its history, the ACLU will have an open homosexual as its head. According to the Boston Globe, Anthony D. Romero will replace Ira Glassner as executive director. Romero currently directs the Ford Foundation's program for human rights and "international cooperation" (read that "global government"). An ACLU statement praises Romero for pushing Ford Foundation grants to homosexual and pro-abortion groups. He was recently honored with an award by the New York Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Ass'n.(ANS)

THE GIRLS SCOUTS SLIDE LEFT: "WE'RE NOT YOUR MOTHER'S TROOP"

The Girl Scouts' national leadership has been sliding leftward (or downward, one might say) for a long time. It began with the appointment of radical feminist Betty Friedan to the board of directors in the '70s. The policy changes have been mainly instituted quietly, and they don't like publicity of their increasingly anti-family policies and practices. Today, the national organization is little more than a prep school for the radical NOW. Belief in God is "optional" now, and homosexual leaders are welcomed. Girls are encouraged to become feminist activists, and intimate sexual topics, such as contraception and homosexual sex, are not unusual in the material. National President Connie Matsui, at the Clinton White House screening of the pro-homosexual film, "That's a Family," endorsed the film saying, "We really look forward to using (the video) in our informal education in working with girls all across the country." She beamed as she posed for photos with the lesbian producers of the film. Stung by some conservative outcry, the national headquarters now denies that she said this; but the quote was taken, unedited, from a recording of her speech.
In a related story, new National Executive Director of GSA, Marty Evans, upon taking office, said, "We're not your mother's Girl Scout troop." She wasn't kidding; the Girl Scouts of Georgia has unveiled a TV ad campaign, run nationwide, featuring a girl with green hair and fingernails saying, "Yeah, we still wear green, but a lot else has changed." Another ad features a girl's shoulder, wearing a tattoo of the GSA trefoil symbol. (AFAJ/FRC)

HOMOSEXUALS AND THE BOY SCOUTS

The national leadership of the Boy Scouts continues to hold to its no-homosexual leaders policy, while its critics insist that boys would be in no danger from homosexual leaders. Their claims are obviously absurd! In one of many verified cases, a former Boy Scout leader in Arizona was sentenced to prison in May for sexually abusing scouts during outings in the Summer of 1999. The (known) victims were ages 11 and 12. In spite of enormous pressure from the establishment media and pro-"gay" groups, and de-funding by United Way, large cities, and large corporations, the Boy Scouts are enjoying widespread support from the grassroots of the nation; in Colorado Springs, their income from donors is up 39 percent over last year. (Ariz Republic/Colorado Spgs Gazette/ANS)

SECULAR STUDY SAYS "GAYS" CAN BE CURED

A secular study, headed by Robert Spitzer,MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia Univ, has concluded that homosexuals can indeed become heterosexual. He says that he began the study as a skeptic, but became convinced as a result of his study of 200 cases of successful cures. This is remarkable in that the study was conducted and reported by a group of secular scientists at a major secular university, and reported at the American Psychiatric Ass'n convention in May. It is even more remarkable considering that Dr. Spitzer is the man who spearheaded the move to have homosexuality removed from the APA's list of disorders in 1973. (AP/REUTERS/ANS)

THE ENEMY AMONG US

Abdurahman Alamoudi is a supporter and encourager of Arab terrorists - and perhaps more. He defends the Mideast terrorist organization, Hamas; he also supports and defends the terrorist organization, Hezbollah, the group that boasts of the attack that killed 242 U.S. Marines in Lebanon in 1983. In late October he passionately praised both terrorist organizations to a wildly cheering crowd at an anti-Israel rally across the street from the White House. So what? Alamoudi works for our State Department as a "roving ambassador of good will." Not only that, but according to a State Dept official, his evaluations (report cards) have been "overwhelmingly positive from our missions abroad." (NY Daily News)

THE UPROAR OVER "WHO KILLED JESUS?"

Recently broadcaster and commentator Paul Weyrich touched off a firestorm of vehement, shrill attacks against him by the political correctness establishment, who hysterically accuse Weyrich of "anti-semitism" and hate speech. The left-wing Anti-Defamation League labeled Weyrich's comments as "appalling and deeply offensive." Why? He had written, in an Easter article on his Free Congress web site that Jesus was crucified, at the insistence of the Jewish authorities. It is a simple fact. The Sanhedrin, the religious ruling body of the 1st Century Jewish establishment, wanted Jesus put to death. But, under Roman rule, the Sanhedrin had no authority to execute anyone; only Rome had such authority. So, the Jewish leaders requested his crucifixion, incited a mob to demand it, and Pilate reluctantly had Jesus put to death. Read the Gospel accounts; read the 1st Century Jewish historian and powerful Jewish official, Josephus. It is fact. It is history. (WP, et al)

WHAT IS "ANTI-SEMITIC?"

One of the most commonly misused terms today is "anti-semitic." People, from the man on the street to high-level politicians and journalists, misuse the term to mean "anti-Jew." This is blatantly incorrect. The word "semitec" refers to all "semites" - that is, descendants of Shem, son of Noah, or "shemites." This includes all semetic peoples, both Jewish and Arab; Semitic languages include Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic. So, one cannot be "antisemitic" without being both anti-Jew and anti-Arab.

HOPE FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTS

Teen Challenge is a program for treatment of drug and alcohol addicts, established by Assemblies of God minister Dave Wilkerson 45 years ago ("Cross and the Switchblade"). The therapy is based entirely on bringing the addicts to a saving relationship with Jesus; it is the power of the Holy Spirit that "sets the captives free," under-girded by a heavy diet of Scripture. In 1999 Northwestern University published a study of graduates of Teen Challenge; the study group consisted of those who had been out of the program and on their own for seven years. They found that fully 86 percent of the seven-year alumni were still drug and alcohol-free. By comparison, Alcoholics Anonymous, which denies the power, and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, teaches its members that they can be sober ("sober drunks," they call themselves), but can never be free. AA encourages connecting with "a higher power;" but that higher power can be any pagan god, any creature or idea; in fact, it can be one's own self. They not only report that not a single person has been set free in all their existence - they teach them that they never can be free. So, with the exception of those who find the Lord Jesus and his power on their own, they never are. (CBN News/700 Club, et al)

PEER PRESSURE EXTREMES

One of the most distressing things I see every day is the extent to which people are controlled by trends - by what someone else has decided is "cool." The herd mentality is such a sad thing, and yet it seems to prevail, and powerfully so among adolescents. Fashion designers in New York, or magazine editors, or celebrities, or some other remote, impersonal source creates something (a style, a form of behavior, etc) and, thanks to instant communications media like TV and priint publications, insecure, dependent personalities all over the country (or the World) suddenly think they must dress that way, behave that way, listen to that music, etc. Recent horrible examples include jeans with enough material to make five ordinary pairs, spiked, purple hair, body piercing and tattoos. I see all this, it makes me sad, but doesn't surprise me. But THIS one may top them all: the rock group, Space Girls, showcase the fact that their teeth have gaps between them; now teenage girls, who used to go to get their teeth straightened, are going to their dentists to have gaps put in their teeth.

MARTY'S CORNER

Confusion over what forgiveness is arises when we are bombarded by prominent church leaders as well as secular pundits telling us that we just need to forgive everyone for everything no matter how heinous the sin or how unrepentant the sinner. On a theological level, only God can forgive sins and His forgiveness does not come before acknowledgment of sin and repentance. Even in the exceptional case, when Jesus asked God to forgive those who had crucified Him, He didn't include a blanket forgiveness for those who crucified thousands of other innocent people, He only pleaded forgiveness for those who crucified Him.

Scriptures are very clear and consistent. The fact that vengeance belongs to the Lord and that He will see that wrongdoers pay is repeated in both the Old and New Testaments.

The fact that we must forgive those who have offended us is just as clearly and powerfully stated, but our forgiveness is on a different level from that of God's. His is the doorway to His Kingdom; ours is the doorway to personal freedom from bitterness and malice. Forgiveness is to give up resentment towards, or the desire to punish, a person-it is to cancel a debt, to let go. We simply release that person's guilt and the outcome to the Lord.

Last month, we saw that cheap grace, the deadly enemy of the church, is the grace we bestow on ourselves by preaching forgiveness without repentance. Essentially it says, "go and sin some more." It seeps into the church by suggesting that we have the power to forgive in the domain that only God reigns over, and we try to usurp His authority. In this era that focuses on feelings and emotions, we want to appear noble…so we dispense forgiveness unasked. They are empty words.

Costly grace is the gift which must be asked for with a contrite heart and broken spirit; it condemns sin and then justifies the sinner. It is costly because it costs a man his self-centered life, and grace because it gives the only true life, life with Jesus. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His Son and grace because He did it for us.

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE

Religious freedom requires political freedom. If it weren't for the sacrifices of our fighting men in World War II, we would probably be speaking German or Japanese, and would be forced to worship pagan gods (or die). This is the story of one such fighting man.

Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian, was a Marine in World War II, and one of the very best. Ira fought in the desperate battles for Guadalcanal and surrounding islands as a Marine Raider (King Company, 3rd Marine Raider Battalion). Later, Ira landed on Iwo Jima as an infantryman with the 5th Marine Division, and fought his way up Mt. Suribachi, where he found unwanted fame as one of the 6 Marines who raised the large flag on the mountain top. 3 of the flag-raisers in the famous photograph were subsequently killed on the island. Ira was one of the 3 who survived. Back in the states, he was forced into the role of a celebrity; he hated it. When he and the other two survivors were taken to meet President Truman, the president called Ira a hero. He rejected the label, saying, "How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies (his rifle company) hit that island, and only 27 of us got off?" Ira couldn't forget his dead friends; his unwanted celebrity status made it worse. He drank a lot. Less than 10 years after Joe Rosenthal's camera caught that unforgettable scene, Ira fell down on a cold January night in a drunken stupor and died of exposure, alone. He became one more of the 7,000 Marines and Navy Corpsmen who died for Iwo Jima; it just took him 10 years to die.

There are many more like Ira, still alive, who helped pay freedom's high price; they too need the life and healing Jesus alone can give.

OUR FOUNDERS' WISDOM

"Government is a dangerous servant, and a fearful master." (George Washington)

A MAN'S HOME (WAS) HIS CASTLE

Once upon a time there was an American proverb which said, "A man's home is his castle." It was true. It meant that no intruder had a right to come onto your property, let alone into your home, uninvited. It meant that you had a right - an obligation - to defend your home and family. A citizen in his own home could freely use deadly force to defend himself, his property and his family from intruder/attackers. The principle was solidly established in the law. In the increasing abandonment of reason in the last decades of the 20th century, this principle was stood on its head; innocent victims of intrusion with rape, mayhem, etc., who shot or otherwise injured the perpetrator were often charged with a crime themselves, and/or successfully sued by the attacker. It appears that some degree of sanity is being restored here in very recent times. According to the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, the South Carolina Attorney General has declared "open season on home invaders... year round." He said that citizens of that state who use force - including deadly force - protecting their homes and loved ones will be fully safeguarded under the law. To be sure he is understood, he summarized, "Invade a (South Carolina) home and invite a bullet." Attorney Gen. Cordon is a Republican.

MIA SEARCH TEAM KILLED

You are probably aware of the April helicopter crash in Vietnam which killed 16 (seven Americans and nine Vietnamese) during a mission to identify MIA remains. What you probably don't know is that the helicopter was an old Russian aircraft belonging to the VietComs. One of the conditions demanded by the VietComs in allowing the search program is that we must use their old, Russian-built helicopters, and pay them exorbitant prices for their use. One of the reasons the VietComs are interested only in recovery of bones - not live Americans - is that there is so much money to be made in the bone-searches. (AP, et al)

DO YOU "YAHOO!"?

In a story first reported by the Los Angeles Times, Yahoo!, the internet giant, had opened a line of hard-core pornography in its internet store. The motive? Money; Yahoo! has had two consecutive quarters of losing money. After a massive public outcry, threatened with loss of advertisers, Yahoo! reversed its position, with CEO Jeff Mallett saying that the company had "swiftly responded" to the public oucry and removed the porn store. But the fact is that, a month later, the store is still open, advertising stuff so sick that I can't even publish the titles here, and still advertises the graphic lesbian sex magazine, "On Our Backs." (LAT/ANS/WND)

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.

We need each other,
Tom C. McKenney

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