August/September 2003

Dear ones,
We have a new e-mail address! Please read the following article, and use the new address begin-ning now.

A NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS
Our internet service, which was local and responsive, has been bought-out by a larger one, and the resulting problems have been maddening. In addition, we have been "found" by sellers of pornography and other filth. As a result, we now have a new Internet service: BellSouth. Our new e-address is wflm@bellsouth.net. Please use the new address, beginning now.

JAMES C. TANNER, MD
Many of you have known Dr. Jim Tanner of Pass Christian, Miss.; many others have become ac-quainted with him through our web site, where he has edited the Bible lessons of Mrs. Grace Pfister. We have been close friends since 1957, when he was a paratrooper at Fort Campbell, Ky., and I was a Marine guard company commander at a classified weapons project there; we were next-door neighbors. At first a quadriplegic as a result of a near-fatal spinal cord injury in 1961, he improved to regain some use of his arms and hands; he has been in a wheel chair ever since, and practiced medicine until recent years. Jim and his wife Ouida were Christians before me, and became my "Priscilla and Aquila." A milestone occurred in my life many years ago as Jim and I sat in my backyard at Camp Pendleton: one question, and one answer. I asked him if he believed in the existence of Satan, as described in the Bible (I didn't); with not half a sec-ond's hesitation, he replied, "He's the second most powerful force in the Universe." I didn't pursue it, but thought, "If this guy, with his big brain and all his education, believes this, perhaps I should reexamine the evidence." I did, and it began a process that brought me to the foot of the cross.

On 6 July Jim died in his sleep, having nearly quadrupled his life expectancy in the wheelchair. For those of you who have benefited from Grace's Bible teachings, edited and abridged by Jim, it is with great sadness that I say that no new ones can be added, at least for now, and that Jim's picture will be moved to the "In Memoriam" page. The good news is that Jim left his wheelchair behind, and is now walk-ing and leaping and praising the Lord. When I get there, we'll go for a 5-mile run and talk about Agony Hill at Fort Campbell.

THE BUSH BRAIN TRUST VS HOLLYWOOD'S
A key item in the liberal left's attacks on G.W. Bush is that he is dull of mind-not very bright, this in spite of the facts that he has a degree from Yale, an advanced degree (MBA) from Harvard's graduate School of Business (probably the world's most prestigious), and was a jet pilot (just to get through basic flight school, one must be bright, and must know his advanced math and physics). Lately, during the emo-tional attack by the Hollywood left on the war in Iraq, they have accused the entire Bush administration of being borderline morons, especially those involved in the war. Let's examine the facts: in addition to Bush's intellectual credentials, Vice President Cheney has a B.A. and M.A.; Secretary of State Powell, B.A., M.A.; Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, A.B., Princeton (AND navy jet pilot); Homeland Defense Secretary Ridge, A.B., Harvard; and National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice is Phi Beta Kappa, Ph.D. and was Provost at Stanford before joining the Bush administration. Now, let's examine the facts concerning those who have been most critical of the administration's collective intellect: Barbra Streisand, high school; Cher, eighth grade; Martin Sheen, flunked the entrance exam for Dayton University; Jessica Lange, failed to finish her college freshman year; Alec Baldwin, dropped out of college after a scandal; Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Ed Asner, Mike Farrell, high school; George Clooney, dropped out of college; Susan Sarandon, the best-educated of them all, has a B.A. in drama. The facts speak for themselves. (W, et al)

MEL GIBSON EVANGELIZES THROUGH FILM
Actor/producer Mel Gibson visited Focus on the Family in July, to screen his new film, and dis-cuss it. The movie, "The Passion," depicts the last 12 hours of the earthly life of Jesus. For authenticity, the dialogue is in Latin and Aramaic. To no one's surprise, he is under attack from the Hollywood establish-ment; fortunately, he has the power to go against the anti-Christ tide there and do what he believes is right. About the movie, he said, "The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize." (PWB)

EXCITING INSCRIPTION FOUND IN ISRAEL
University of South Florida anthropologist, Joe Zias, has discovered a worn inscription on a tomb at Jerusalem's Mount of Olives that appears to refer to Zachariah, father of John the Baptist, and to "Shimon," the old prophet Simeon, who took the infant Jesus in his arms and declared him to be the Mes-siah (see Lk. 2:25-32, basis for the "Nunc Dimitis" in the liturgy, "Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace"). Zias believes that the inscription is one of many made in the 4th Century, when Christians under Constantine were freed from persecution and, led by Constantine's mother's example, made a great effort to identify and mark significant sites. In the middle ages, Jews were told that it was the tomb of Absalom, and many pelted it with rocks, making the inscription dim. (ANS)

HOME-SCHOOLER WINS
A home-schooled 14-year-old, James Williams, of Vancouver, Washington, won this year's Na-tional Geographic Bee. The geography competition is sponsored by the National Geographic Society. He says that he worked hard to prepare, but couldn't have won without God's help. (ANS)

"JANE ROE" SUES TO OVERTURN ROE VS WADE
Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" in the landmark Roe vs Wade case in which the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, has, as reported in the past, become a zealous Christian and a pro-life activist. She has filed suit in federal court to have Roe vs Wade overturned by the Supreme Court. Norma's petition bears her name and the names of 999 other women. It will be, of course, a long, uphill, battle even to reach the Supreme Court; but she has begun, and she has founded a ministry she calls, "Roe no More." (ANS)

DEMOCRATS: NO ROOM FOR PRO-LIFE PEOPLE
The national Democrat Party is strongly committed to the cause of abortion; you probably know that already. What you may not know, is the absolute nature of that commitment. There actually are some within the party who are pro-life; Kristen Day is head of Democrats for Life. The party, however, refuses to acknowledge even the existence of pro-lifers in their midst: the Democratic National Committee will nei-ther give them a link on the DNC web site, nor include them in the long list of recognized groups within the party. And they trumpet their tolerance and "diversity." (PWB)

PAMPERED CHEF, WARREN BUFFET AND ABORTION
Pampered Chef is a Christian corporation similar in operation to Tupperware and Mary Kaye cos-metics; Pampered Chef's product is specialty kitchenware. A very large proportion of the women who sell the products are Christians. All was smooth until Warren Buffet's giant corporation, Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., bought Pampered Chef. The problem? Buffet funnels profits into his Buffet Foundation, which do-nates millions yearly to Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups. In response to a revolt by the Christian sales ladies, Buffet has made a decision to stop the foundation's giving to abortion groups, by ceasing all giving to non-profit groups. This is generally seen as a victory for the pro-life cause; however, some are still opposed because there is nothing in Buffet's policy change to prevent his privately giving to the abortion industry, out of his own vast income from the company. Company founder, Doris Christopher, is enthusiastically praising Buffet for his decision. (PWB)

THE TRUTH ABOUT JESSICA LYNCH
We all remember the dramatic story of Jessica Lynch, the young Army specialist captured by the Iraquis in an ambush, and subsequently rescued. Our hearts hurt to see her picture on TV and wonder what she was going through. My immediate reaction was anger at our limp-wristed Department of Defense offi-cials who sent a little 90-pound teenager into a combat zone where she could be captured. You may recall that the female soldiers captured by Iraq in the first Gulf War were all raped, in spite of the fact that one, a flight surgeon, had painful injuries, including a broken pelvis. The feminizers at DOD suppressed that ugly fact, for the same reason that the Jessica Lynch story was falsified: they want women in combat roles, no matter what the cost is to the women. We were told that little Jessica had multiple gunshot wounds, was bayoneted, and had fought back until her ammunition was exhausted. The Washington Post trumpeted the story and capped it with the triumphant declaration that Jessica's heroism "settles" the question of women in combat, once and for all. But when she reached the Army hospital in Germany, doctors there found no gunshot wounds, no bayonet wounds, and declared that her injuries were broken bones-apparently from the wreck of her truck. Then the Pentagon went silent. The Lynch family was told not to discuss her injuries with anyone. Jessica said that she couldn't remember. Now, it seems clear that the story didn't happen, that she never fired a round, but was merely hurt badly in the crash, collected by the Iraqis and taken to a hospital, from which she was subsequently rescued. The eloquent silence from the Pentagon continues. (WND, WP, et al)

SEN. SCHUMER HYPOCRITICAL ABOUT GUNS
Sen Charles Schumer (D, NY) is a rabid advocate of gun control; he preaches that an armed public is dangerous. What he practices, however, is very different: he travels with an armed bodyguard. (ANS)

FREE POW/MIA STICKERS
Our Christian friend Mike McNeely is a veteran, and a warrior for the abandoned POWs. If you will send him a self-addressed envelope (normal, letter-size), he will send you a free POW/MIA window decal for your car or truck. These decals usually cost about a dollar. Just write to Michael McNeely, 13752 NC Hwy 581, Bailey, NC 27807. It would help him if you also put a stamp on the return envelope.

THE REAL ISSUE IS THE BIBLE
It has been my experience that all of these "liberal vs conservative" conflicts within the old-line denominations are about only one issue. They battle fiercely and divisively over such things as homosexual behavior, the divinity of Christ, the virgin birth, His bodily resurrection, etc. But these declared issues are really just symptoms and not the disease. They are natural outgrowths of the one, foundational, issue; and that issue is whether the Bible is, or is not, God's unchanging standard. For those who believe, as Jesus did, that the Holy Scriptures are God-breathed and absolute, ordination of homosexuals, same-sex couples in the parsonage, abortion, the virgin birth, the miracles of the Bible, etc., are all non-issues. The Bible is very clear about all such matters, leaving nothing to discuss. Those religious leaders who promote non-traditional practices and heresies are the same ones who do not believe that the Bible is the inspired, un-changing, Word of God. As illustrations of this, read the following five articles.

METHODIST HIERARCHY AND SODOMY
A recent example of this concerns the United Methodist Church's Board of Church and Society. This well-funded arm of the UMC denomination operates out of its multi-million-dollar headquarters in Washington, DC. It is a powerful lobbying organization, which consistently promotes most of the issues of the extreme left, including abortion and "gay rights." Ken Feeling (great name for a liberal!) is head of Civil and Human Rights at the Board of Church and Society. When interviewed about the Board's radical positions, he was asked the obvious question: does he believe that the Apostle Paul's condemnation of ho-mosexual behavior in the Book of Romans is God's Word. He refused to answer the question. (ANS)

IS JESUS THE SAVIOR? NOT NECESSARILY
The Presbyterian Church (USA) is the most liberal, left-leaning branch of the traditional Presbyte-rian denominations; it is powerfully prone to embracing and promoting radical causes, such as ordination of homosexuals, the "gay" agenda in general, and even the barbaric "partial birth abortion." In May, a radical feminist, Susan Andrews, was elected as Moderator, the denomination's top leader; she has announced that her "fondest dream" is ordination of homosexuals. A recent survey of the denomination found that, when asked whether Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, 57% of church members, 50% of elders, 61% of pas-tors, and 76% of "other clergy" (ministers filling non-pastoral roles, such as seminary professors, adminis-trators, etc.) answered, "No"; they do not believe that faith in Jesus is necessary (see Jn. 14:6, Acts 4:12, I Tim 2:3-6, et al). Being taught that the Bible is not the only standard of truth is always the precursor of such heresies. (PWB)

A PRACTICING HOMOSEXUAL CHOSEN AS EPISCOPAL BISHOP
Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, a practicing homosexual Episcopal priest has been chosen Bishop. Bishop-elect V. James Robinson left his wife and 2 small daughters in 1986 for the sodomite lifestyle. He shares his vicarage with his "partner," Mark Andrew. A spokeswoman for the archdiocese, who was prais-ing the election of Robinson, was asked by TV newsman Bill O'Reilly how she could reconcile Robinson's homosexuality with the Bible's denunciation of it as sin. She replied (rejecting the inspiration of Scripture) that today we are "more enlightened" about such things than was Paul in the First Century, and his faulty beliefs don't apply today. (ANS/FoxNews)

DISMAL ETHICS AT DUKE DIVINITY SCHOOL
The new ethics code for students at Duke University's Methodist-related School of Divinity in-cludes the statement that students will be "welcoming, hospitable and chaste." Well, that last word, "chaste," created a problem for the homosexuals (male and female) among the divinity students, and they complained. No problem, decided Professor of Ethics Amy Hall; she announced that the divinity school faculty agreed unanimously that students could engage in homosexual acts and still be "chaste." Never mind the clear teaching of the Bible. I think J.B. Duke must be rolling in his grave, let alone John Wesley. I wonder how their heterosexual students view this? (W)

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY FACULTY REBUKES CARDINAL
In June Cardinal Francis Arinze, viewed as a likely successor to Pope John Paul II as the next Pope, was invited to speak at Georgetown University's commencement. Georgetown is a prominent Jesuit institution. In his speech, Cardinal Arinze decried the "anti-life" mentality so prevalent in our culture, and defended the Biblical family. He observed eloquently, and on solid scriptural grounds, that the family is "scorned by pornography, desecrated by fornication and adultery, mocked by homosexuality, sabotaged by irregular unions, and cut in two by divorce." Well, the Cardinal's eminently sensible and solidly scriptural speech offended the University's liberal faculty; 70 professors wrote a joint letter protesting his speech. (ANS)

FAITH-BASED PRISON REFORM WORKS
The general recidivism rate (rate at which released prisoners commit more crime and are returned to prison) in U.S. prisons is 60 percent; in some ethnic groups the rate is much higher, as criminals are caught, imprisoned, released and re-imprisoned. It is a dismal revolving door, declaring that prison "re-form" doesn't work. On the other hand, "faith-based" (Bible-based) reform programs are spectacularly suc-cessful, with an overall recidivism rate of only 8%. President Bush, when Governor of Texas, supported such Bible-based programs. In June, some graduates of the Texas program visited President Bush. One of them had turned down his parole release because he wanted to finish the "Inner Change" study program. One, a convicted murderer, marveled at the change in himself; he said to reporters after visiting the presi-dent, "Who would ever think that someone like me would be able to kiss the president on the jaw? I could-n't help it!"

THE PRICE OF TEEN SEXUAL ACTIVITY
A Heritage Foundation study, released in June, found a solid link between teen sexual activity, depression and suicide. According to the study, sexually active girls are 3 times more likely to suffer de-pression and suicide than those who are not. Among sexually active boys, depression is twice as likely, and suicide 10 times more likely, than among those boys not sexually active. (ANS)

GRAND CANYON CAVES IN
The Grand Canyon has caved in-no, not literally, but such a physical collapse would be better than the political one that is taking place. For more than 30 years, there have been bronze plaques at the south rim (the part where most visitors go) with appropriate quotations from Psalms (such as "Oh, Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."). Well, you guessed it, the ACLU can't stand Scripture, has threatened lawsuits, and the plaques (which had been do-nated) have been taken down. The ACLU also insisted that Bright Angel Trail, the mule trail down into the canyon, be renamed (they can't handle "angel"), but the Park Service is retaining the original name there (a small victory for reason). (ANS)

THE DEATH OF REASON
Edward Samuels is a professor at New York School of Law; he is also a pedophile. When he com-plained about problems with his computer, 2 in-house technicians worked on his computer; they found more than 100,000 photo images of extremely young children, some infants, being sexually assaulted. Al-though he has been disbarred (lost his license to practice law), he continues on the law school faculty. The 2 technicians who reported the unthinkable porn on his computer have been fired. (ANS/New York Post)

A POINT TO PONDER
When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future (see Rev. 20:10).

MARTY'S CORNER
The recent Supreme Court decision nullifying a Texas anti-sodomy law is likenedto the Roe v. Wade decision in the impact it will have for decades on Americans, especially Christians in America. It ignores both God's edicts and the Article X of the Constitution of the United States which says, "The pow-ers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Do you have a "line in the sand"? The world includes a great number of people who will die of old age before they draw their first line in the sand - a peculiar approach to life. On a recent local radio inter-view (keep in mind this is mid-America not the left coast), two Methodist pastors were asked if the General Conference voted to ordain homosexuals, would they leave the Methodist church. The answer was"No." Perhaps they were thinking of their financial future or their social standing, or perhaps they feared the peo-ple more than God. It was breathtaking; and at the same time a great sadness descended on me. It was knowing that they would choose to surrender before even being put to the test. A Christian dichotomy? When there are Christians being persecuted today for believing the Bible's truths or for refusing to accept another religion - even at the cost of the loss of their life, can we do less?

GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
On 13 June 1953, Lt. Tom C. McKenney, USMC, and Martha E. McKinney (yes, the only differ-ence in her last name was the letter "I") were married in Lexington, Ky.
It doesn't seem possible, but Marty and I reached the 50-year milestone on 13 June. We celebrated our 50th anniversary in Kentucky; all of our children except Jeff were with us. The children had collected memories from those who have known us, in the form of notes, brief accounts, and photographs, which they collected in a wonderful memory book. {They have asked me to tell you that if you didn't get a chance to contribute, but would still like to, it isn't too late. Send to: The McKenneys' Kids, 1212 Bridwell Rd., Marion, KY 42064.}

MILESTONES
Born 29 Apr - James Harrison Crider, at 8 lbs., 10 oz, to
Becky (Johnson) and Ken Crider, Marion, Ky.

Died 29 May - Jim Coggin, a longtime, loving, Christian
friend, after a long illness, in Pass Christian, Miss.

23 May - George Wynn, longtime Christian friend,
after a long illness, in Marion, Ky.

04 July - Larry Burkett, prominent leader in the
field of Christian financial counseling, of cancer and
heart disease, in Gainesville, Ga.

06 July - Dr. Jim Tanner, lifetime Christian friend
and colleague, in Pass Christian, Miss.

15 July - Mrs. Lucy Opal Hardin Yates ("Mama
Lucy"), grandmother of both our secretaries, Sandy
and Bonnie, in Marion, Ky., at 89.

17 July - Georgia (Mrs. Charles) Hodge, longtime
Christian friend, in Marion, Ky.

19 July - Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for
Christ, best remembered for the tract, "Four
Spiritual Laws" and the Jesus Film, of chronic lung
disease, in Orlando, Fla.

A FINAL WORD
Treasure and use each day as if it were your last, and never give up hope; God has a limitless sup-ply 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 Ser-vice; 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.)