Staff List & Mailing Address
Staff List & Mailing Address
Staff List & Mailing Address
MORNING STAR is produced and published monthly, by a staff of born again believers in Jesus, located across the United States of America. Correspondence to MORNING STAR may be sent via the U.S. Postal Service or one of several computer networks.

POSTAL ADDRESS:
P.O. Box 7755
Nashua, NH 03060-7755

ELECTRONIC MAIL LINKS:
America Online E-Mail (DOS Files): MStarDOS 
America Online E-Mail (MAC Files): MStarMAC 
GENIE Network E-Mail: M.Wilkinson1 
COMPUSERVE Network E-Mail: 74270;1265 
DELPHI Network E-Mail: Derr1ck
(Note on Delphi name: It is a number "1" between the "r" and "c") 

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MORNING STAR STAFF:

EDITOR IN CHIEF 
Toby Trudel - Nashua, NH

SENIOR EDITOR - Biblical Department 
Geoffrey Kragen - Roseville, CA

SENIOR EDITOR - Christian Life Department 
Teresa Giordanengo - Canonsburg, PA

SENIOR LITERARY EDITOR 
Al Murillo III - El Paso, TX

WRITING STAFF 
Jerry Johnson - Modesto, CA 
J.C. Trudel - Naples Park, FL 
Dr. Charles Wootten - Matoaca, VA

SENIOR PUBLISHER - DOS Version 
Steve Paulovich - Derry, NH

DIRECTOR OF NETWORK DISTRIBUTION 
(AMERICA ONLINE and COMPUSERVE Networks) 
Jerry White - Germantown, MD

DIRECTOR OF NETWORK DISTRIBUTION
(GENIE Network) 
Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA

DIRECTOR OF NETWORK DISTRIBUTION
(DELPHI Network) 
Derrick Shipman - Greenville, SC

DIRECTOR OF BBS DISTRIBUTION - USA 
Walter H. Bauer Jr. - Sugar Land, TX

BBS DISTRIBUTION MANAGERS - USA 
Bruce Derouen - Beaumont TX 
Danny O. Dennis - Opelika, AL 
Jack Lavallet III - Alpharetta, GA

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION 
Sharon Sanders - Jerusalem, Israel 
Lars Storstrand - Minde, Norway
Roger J. Obe - Iloilo City, Phillipines

OFFICE SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN 
Patrick Auriemma - Nashua, N.H.

Letters
Letter From the Editor
Letter From the Editor
Welcome to the January issue of MORNING STAR. The news concerning this magazine's journey around the world continues to amaze us all. This past month one of the staff members made contact with a young Christian sister residing in Hawaii over the America Online network. This 14 year old girl downloaded a copy of the magazine and placed it on several BBS in her state.  She then did some research and found phone numbers for BBS in Japan and Okinawa. MORNING STAR is now available in those lands as well!

Senior Editor, Theresa Giordanengo, made contact with a missionary group which left for mainland China this month. She was able to give them four copies of MORNING STAR to take with them and distribute to our Chinese friends! Word also came to us that the DOS version of the magazine has reached a BBS in Hong Kong. More and more BBS across the United States are getting copies as well.

Praise God for these wonderful developments!

Continue to pray that we can get some version of the magazine into the USSR. (Or whatever that country is called by the time you read this!) These people need all the uplifting Christian reading material they can get their hands on. They face a long cruel winter ahead of them as food becomes more and more scarce and crime and violence increase. Keep these people in prayer as well.

Our next target for distribution? SOUTH AMERICA! (Pray for success here too!)

ABOUT THE LAST ISSUE ...

Some versions of the December issue did not give proper credit to EXODUS INTERNATIONAL for providing the six testimonies found in the Feature area. I personally want to thank Mr. Davies at EXODUS for being such a great help to us. Reports are already coming in that the testimonies and articles concerning deliverance from a homosexual lifestyle, found in issue three, are being used by Christians across the globe to witness.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE ...

This fourth issue contains a number of columns related to Christian Education. Our four Features, Commentary, Bible Quiz, Prayer Guidelines, People Profiles, Ministry Profile and Education column all tie in to this theme.

Beside the education theme, some of our regular columns are especially interesting. (If I do say so myself!) The NEW IN CHRIST column has some valuable information on the reliability of today's Bible translations. The ANEE M'AMIN column takes a new approach this issue. Senior Literary Editor, Al Murillo III, conducts an interview with Alyosha Ryabinov, a Jewish believer originally from the Soviet Union, now residing in Texas.

Senior Editor, Theresa Giordanengo presents a great interview with Murray and Thelma Scott, two professionals from the Education field, in PEOPLE PROFILES. A new addition to this issue is a YOUNG ADULTS column. We hope to continue this in the future. (That's a hint to our readers in the 18-28 age bracket to send in material.) This issue's MUSIC COLUMN features contributions from Lars Storstrand, our Christian distribution "link" in Norway.

I hope the variety of articles and stories we present in this magazine makes for interesting reading!

FUTURE ISSUES

A decision on themes for the summer month issues is forthcoming. If you are interested in submitting an original article, story, song or poem for publication, send them to our Post Office Box. Here is a list of upcoming themes to give you some ideas:

February - MINISTRIES
International and local ministry profiles.
Deadline December 21.

March - RELATIONSHIPS
Marriages, family members, friends,occupational.
Deadline January 18.

April - CHANGED LIVES #2
Prisons and inmates. Deadline February 15.

May - ISRAEL
44th anniversary issue. Deadline March 21.

We especially would like to see a variety of articles for the RELATIONSHIPS issue. Give it some thought! (And prayer of course.) Although we prefer original works, we may publish copyrighted material as long as we have prior written consent from the writer and/or publisher.

SEND IN YOUR LETTERS!

We love hearing from our brothers and sisters across the USA and around the world! Please send in a post card or contact us via one of the E-mail links. Your comments, questions and suggestions are wanted and welcome.

NEWS NOTE:

My friends, Ray and Sharon Sanders, from Christian Friends of Israel in Jerusalem, will be in the United States this February and March. They will be mainly in Illinois, California and Texas and are available to speak at churches, prayer groups and those wanting to hear more about what God is doing today in the land of Israel. Anyone interested in having them come their way, please write to me right away.

FINALLY ...

MORNING STAR accepts literary contributions from believers wherever they may live. It is our policy to publish testimonies as they are originally submitted with minimal alteration of the text. Opinions stated in these testimonies do not necessarily reflect those of the MORNING STAR staff. The content of MORNING STAR does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any computer network.

In service to Jesus the Messiah,

Toby Trudel
Editor in Chief MORNING STAR
Your Letters
Your Letters
"I continue to enjoy your tremendous publication. How talented you are! I am so encouraged that you love the Lord so much and His brethren, the Jews, with such a righteous love. Praise God for you!"

Sharon Sanders Christian Friends of Israel Jerusalem, Israel


"I am the Sysop of the Abundant Life BBS here in the Allentown PA area. I have had a BBS user upload your magazine and I love it ... I think the idea of a computerized Christian magazine is great and if there is any way I can spread the news, please let me know ... God bless all of your work."

Lynn W. DeHart Breinigsville, Pennsylvania


"Just want to say that you are doing a great job and I hope the Lord continues to use you effectively. I want to thank you and the brothers and sisters who prayed for my baby boy Matthew. He is doing wonderfully and is gaining weight normally. You should see him, he's got fat cheeks and two chins. Praise be to God for His miracles ... May God continue to bless your ministry ..."

Albert Rodriguez Miami, Florida


"The Morning Star is wonderful. I like it very much!"

Harriet Simca Carnegie, Pennsylvania
Commentary
Commentary
 COMMENTARY
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:5)

One of the basic principles found in Scripture is the importance of education. Teaching and learning have been foundation stones of both Judaism and Christianity. Growth as a believer, a member of the community of believers, and of society at large depends on a willingness to learn the truths that God provides.

One example is provided through the writings of David. He asks the Lord, in Psalm 25, for many things; mercy, protection from his enemies, direction for his life, and comfort in a time of distress. He also asks the Lord to redeem Israel out of his troubles. David also asks, in verses 4,5,8,9, and 12, God to teach him, to teach sinners, and to teach the meek. This demonstrates that teaching is something to be expected from the Lord.

God teaches us through His word, by the Holy Spirit. He also provides qualified teachers. Gods desires His truth, His commandments and His statutes be taught, not just in Sunday school but in our home. "That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee, thou and thy son and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged." (Deuteronomy 6:2 )

Too many Christians have given over this responsibility to pastors, and Sunday school teachers. Our home has priority over the missions. One who cannot minister and teach at home cannot be a good minister or teacher anywhere else. This is the Lord's arrangement and to teach our children is a personal duty. Yes, pastors and Sunday school teacher can assist us but they can not deliver us from such a sacred obligation.

Parental teaching can be in a natural way as it is a natural duty. A parent can show a child the beauty of the evening heavens. Then tell the story of God's promise to Abraham concerning his numerous posterity. (Genesis 15:5)

When the summer storm comes and lightning strikes, teach your children that, just as quickly, our Savior will return to rule over the earth. (Matthew 24:27)

After the storm, when the rainbow appears, you can tell a child the rainbow is there because God provides it as a sign. It is testimony to His promise that He will not destroy the world with a flood again. (Genesis 9:12-17) You can add, that before the flood, it did not rain on earth. Instead the water came out of the ground as a mist. (Genesis 2:6). You can also tell your children that Noah did not go running after the animals he put aboard the ark. God sent them to Noah. (Genesis 6:20) 

As you watch the snow fall, you can remind your children that God made it possible for each snowflake to be unique. Yet the flakes fall to earth by the billions. As God is aware of each snowflake, so He is aware them each child.

Standing on the seashore with your children, observe the waves come crashing ashore. Then tell them the story of Jesus calming the sea and the fears of his disciples.

Stop long enough to listen and hear the beautiful songs of the birds. Use this to remind your children the birds are singing the same songs God taught them at creation. God put a spirit of order in all His creation. Sometimes you may see a rabbit, or bunny going by. Tell your children that the Easter Bunny did not die for them. Jesus though, in his infinite love, suffered and died for the whole world. He did this even though He could have called legions of angels to deliver Him. (Matthew 26:53).

Before Christmas comes, let your bedtime stories be about the Son of God. Tell how He left the splendor of Heaven, was born in a stable and grew to become our Savior. Relate the account of the angels coming to simple shepherds to tell them the good news. Note that the date Jesus was born is not as important as the fact that He came to earth to bring the greatest gift possible, Eternal Life.

As you read God's word, learning more and more, remember your duty to transmit this precious knowledge to your children. Then they in turn may do the same when their time comes.

There is no specific time to teach your children. Deuteronomy 6:7 tells us: "And thou shall teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

Teaching about God, and His wondrous works, should be part of your daily activities. The world about you is filled with material you can use, along with God's word, to fill young minds and draw them close to Him.

Many troubled children of today never received any Christian teachings in their home or elsewhere. Their only knowledge is of the ways of the world. A World which is Satan's kingdom until Jesus returns as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Many marriages are suffering because good advice was not provided in time. Titus 2:3-6 tells us: "The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may TEACH the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." How many godly older women teach the younger in the church? Many adults are also in trouble spiritually. This is because they were taught incorrectly. As a result they engage in practices that displease and offend God, practices such as idolatries and wrongful devotions and many other activities.

Luke, in the Book of Acts Chapter 17:11, tells us why we should know the Scriptures. He even calls us to verify the words of our teachers. He writes: "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, AND searched the Scriptures DAILY, whether those things were so."

Jesus said: Heaven and earth will pass away but my word will not. He tells us that many will not accept His word. Some will tamper with it. Others will quote it out of context striving to bring credibility to erroneous teachings. Peter warned the people of his time of both existing and future false prophets.  "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." 2 Peter 2:1. 

Paul, in 2nd Corinthians 11:13-15, also warns us: "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

There were false teachers in the early church. "Little children, it is the last time; and as you have heard than antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists; whereby we know it is the last time." 1 John 2:18. John was speaking of the false teachers who had the spirit of Antichrist, the one to be revealed as the end approaches. Don't take any teacher at their word. Just as with the people of Berea, check the Scriptures to see if what is being taught is accurate. A lack of honest teaching of the Scriptures has caused much evil to creep into churches and many to become corrupt.

If the people, who could, would have taken the time to read the Word, they could have sounded the alarm. They could have warned that what was happening in the churches was against God's commandments.

We all have a responsibility to know God's word. Laziness will never be a sufficient excuse when the day comes for us to be judged according to that word as Jesus tells us in John 12:48 "He that rejected me, and receive not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

If you have received Jesus in your heart as your personal Lord and Savior, you have to feel a daily hunger for His word. You should experience a desire to teach others about that salvation which is only possible through Him. Teaching our children, and others, who do not know Christ as their Savior, should be our greatest desire. We should never forget our own times of spiritual darkness and potential eternal destiny, if someone had not reached out to us, giving the message of salvation.

Jesus clearly told us what He expects when He gave the "Great Commission" in Matthew 28:19, 20: "Go ye therefore, and TEACH all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

We can not all go to other lands, teaching the good news of salvation and precepts of God. But surely, we can teach at home and learn to recognize our opportunities to teach others as well. Let us prepare for these opportunities by studying God's Holy Word and praying for the empowering of His Spirit.

Features
Christians in the Public Schools
Christians in the Public Schools : Of Lights and Bushels by John Sipple
CHRISTIANS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS : OF LIGHTS AND BUSHELS
by John Sipple
Fourth Grade Teacher
Eagle Point, Oregon

A 9 year old fourth grader calls me to her desk. "Look at my picture, Mr. Sipple," she chirps. I walk over to her desk and examine her work. There is a boat, curved at both ends, floating on water. In the background is a far-off mountain and circling overhead is a white bird. Quite frankly, it looks to me like Noah's Ark. So I say, "That's very nice, Shelley. Is that a picture of Noah's Ark?" She looks puzzled and asks, "What's that?" "Have you ever heard of the Great Flood and the big boat made by Noah?" She shakes her head, confused.

A little bit further, and I will have crossed the line between what I can and can't do as a public school teacher. Having an appreciation for the words of Paul in the 13th chapter of Romans, I realized that pushing over the line with rebellion in my heart is not the way to do God's work. Across the room is another girl. Her father is the pastor of the church across the street from the school. This young lady is a very bright light for Jesus and I call her over now.

"What does Shelley's picture look like to you?" I ask. Without hesitating, even though she couldn't have heard us from across the room, she cries, "It looks like Noah's Ark!" Smiling, I say, "Me, too. But did you know that Shelley has never heard of Noah or his story?" Wide-eyed, my little pastor's daughter says, "Really?" I nod and say, "Recess is just five minutes away. How would you like to tell Shelley the story on recess? That is, if you want to tell it and Shelley wants to hear it..." Teresa nods her head and strawberry blonde curls bob. I turn to Shelley. "Do you want to hear the story?" I know that she likes Teresa, but she can be bashful. I don't want to impose this on her, if she doesn't want it. But she smiles and nods.

As a teacher in a public school, daily chances come for me to put my faith to work. There are an exact equal number of opportunities to "blow my witness". Each one of these situations offers the choice of representing God's Will or mine.

As I walk near the street, a decrepit VW bug roars by. The young man inside extends his hand out the window and one lone finger points skyward. The boy "flies the bird" every time he sees me. I've never thrown it back at him, although my flesh cries out to do so. He dropped out of school a couple of years ago, just before he was expelled. I hate to say that I was glad to see him drop out, but I was! Kids like him are the reason some Christians keep their children home. It's been four years since I've had to take him to the office for some serious offense. Apparently, after four years, I'm still not popular with him. I prayed for him quite often back then. His gesture reminds me that I still need to pray for him now. That's not always easy to do.

The easiest thing for the Apostle Paul would have been to open a tent store in Jerusalem. He could have stopped his persecution of Jesus and called it enough. Instead, he left his family and embarked on a very difficult lifestyle. Being a Christian is usually rewarding but rarely easy.

Sending your child to public school isn't easy, either. We are supposed to trust God, but it demands a lot of trust to send our child into the Valley of the Shadow. We know that the flame of the Holy Spirit within us cannot be blown out. We know that there are no accidents. We know that God is watching over us all. And we're scared to death to let our child go to that Den of Iniquity. We feed on our fears instead of the Word.

Surely, at some time during His childhood, Jesus' mother, Mary, must have heard the prophecies regarding the Messiah. His rejection was clearly foretold in Isaiah 53:1-9. Mary's heart must have ached at the thought of it, and one wonders if she didn't pull Him to one side and say, "Have you ever thought of becoming an obstetrician?" I don't think she did. She accepted it on faith and her Son became the Light of the World. Everywhere the Holy Spirit dwells is a candle lit from this flame. It's in you and in your child. After twelve years of teaching, I know that God uses children to minister to other children. He uses them to minister to teachers, too. Teresa's older sister was a student in my first class, a self-contained 8th grade. Her witness helped me come to the Lord. That's how I know that wonderful things can happen for the Lord in places such as prisons, bus stations, and public schools. If we Christians would come forth with love and support, perhaps we would have less to fear in our neighborhood schools.
Commitment to Parents
The Christian School's Commitment to Parents
THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL'S COMMITMENT TO PARENTS

(From the Christian School Comment newsletter written by Dr. Paul A. Kienel, Executive Director of the Association of Christian schools International based in LaMirada, California.)

The following was written by Danny Dutton, age eight, who lives in Chula Vista, California. It is taken from his seven-paragraph essay on "God".

"God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting His time by going over your parents' head and ask for something they already said you couldn't have."

Danny Dutton believes you should not go over your parents' head even in your prayers. Without analyzing the full theological implication of Danny's statement, you will agree he has a clear picture of the authority of parents. Regrettably, in the world of non-Christian education there is a host of educators who believe they are "the professionals" and they know what is best for children and young people. It is this very attitude we attempt to dispel in Christian school education.

You have read the old Latin phrase, "en loco parentis" which means "in the place of parents." I would prefer a Latin phrase which means "on behalf of parents." We educate and train students on behalf of parents, not in place of parents. Even as Danny Dutton believes you should not go over the head of parents in education. This is a very important distinction.

Consequently, Christian school educators, in recognition of the authority given to them by God and the authority given to them by godly parents, do not do a number of things which are often common in non-Christian schools such as;

1) Provide school-based "health clinics" which dispense birth control devices and counsel young people that killing unwanted, unborn children is just another form of birth control. This is done often without parental knowledge or consent.

2) Provide courses of study which are offensive to God and offensive to Christian parents.

3) Promote acceptance of gay and lesbian lifestyles as legitimate alternatives and other conduct which is contrary to biblical teaching.

4) Emphasize "child rights" over parental authority.

5) Promote disrespect for the Bible, the church, and its ministers.

6) Permit profanity, vulgarity, and obscenity as legitimate forms of expression.

7) Teach, as science, the idea that man evolved from the sea and was not created by God. Evolution, of course, is an affront to God and to parents. It cheapens life and lowers individual responsibility.

8) Teach that having children is a burden and contributes to an overpopulated world. 

Conversely, Christian school educators recognizing the authority vested in them by God and by parents provide the following:

a) A clear mission statement which will vary from school to school but will generally read, "Our Christian school provides families within our community a bibliocentric academic education that challenges students to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in thought, word, and deed."

b) A commitment to basic education. Christian school educators recognize that parents send their children to Christian schools to receive a solid education focused on fundamental skills and essential knowledge - knowledge which is not offensive to God.  A key Biblical passage for many Christian schools is Colossians 2:3, In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Basic education begins and ends with Jesus Christ. Noah Webster said, "Education is useless without the Bible."

c) A school staff committed to Christ and to the mission of the school. Obviously parents expect Christian education in a Christian school. Christian education does not occur in the hands of non-believers. 

d) A school staff committed to caring for students. A common characteristic of a Christian school is the fact that all who work there care deeply about students. The students sense it right away when they first enroll. The caring staff is a major reason why the Christian school movement continues to grow and flourish.

e) A school staff committed to communication. Christian school educators do not educate single-handedly. They work with other teachers and with parents. Since Christian schools carry out their mission on behalf of parents, it is essential that Christian school educators communicate with parents and that parents communicate with teachers. It is amazing how significant course corrections can be made in the lives of students with regular communication between teachers and parents. Together, they can effectively deal with; behavior problems, attitudes, grades, a sense of responsibility, work habits, personal habits, goal setting, friendships, Christian commitment and a host of other issues which are a normal part of a child's life. Communication is the key.

f) Honest evaluation. Christian school educators are committed to honest grading and testing of students. At times it is painful for all concerned but parents need an honest evaluation of the academic ability and progress of their children in school.

g) Inspire excellence. God has a plan for every student in every Christian school. Excellence to Christian school educators is guiding students toward God's plan for their lives. The U.S. Army has the catchy promotional phrase, "Be all that you can be ... in the Army." We say it this way, "Be all that God wants you to be." In God's economy of people there is "...no respect (discrimination) of persons..." (Romans 2:11).  God can, and often does, take the lowest achieving students in school and make them into very significant people later in their lives. Christian school educators know academic success in school is only one measure of a child. Therefore, we attempt to inspire excellence in every student because we know any student could become, by God's grace, the most important student in the history of the School.

Christian schools are committed to parents, students, and to the will of God. What a breath of fresh air this brings across the landscape of education! 
Parents and Grandparents
The Commitment of Parents and Grandparents to Christian Schools
THE COMMITMENT OF PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS TO CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
(From the Christian School Comment newsletter written by Dr. Paul A. Kienel, Executive Director of the Association of Christian Schools International based in LaMirada, California.)

I wrote in the last issue of Christian School Comment about "The Christian School's Commitment to Parents." In this issue we will balance the scale and present the other side, "The Commitment of parents and grandparents to Christian Schools."  You will agree that the teaching and training of children and young people is so vital that commitments must be made by all adults who influence them: teachers, preachers, parents, and even grandparents. I include grandparents because that is where I fit in. I am a grandfather of four remarkable grandchildren (I even have photographs, if you care to see them!). Three of my four grandchildren attend a Christian school and grandchild number four will begin school next year.

As parents and grandparents we have major obligations to the Christian school where our children and grandchildren attend:

1) Become knowledgeable about the school's academic program. Some parents are like absentee landlords. They are seldom visible. Christian school educators do their best in educating students when parents share in the learning experience of their children's Christian school. One Christian school educator said, "There is an observable difference in the academic achievement between children whose parents are involved with the school and those whose parents are not involved."

Parental involvement, of course, takes a certain commitment of time but it is worth it. Children are more likely to do better in their academic work if parents have a first-hand knowledge of the school's curriculum, student homework assignments and academic progress of their children. Take the time to get acquainted with your child's teacher(s) and the school's administrative team.

2) Pray earnestly for your children's school. A Christian school is not just a school. It is an educational ministry in Christ's name. R.J. Frisken, the foremost Christian school educator in Australia, wrote the following about the nature of Christian schools:

The Christian school should have a 'kingdom' orientation because it recognizes that we are created for God's glory and not for our own pleasure. The school is part of God's plan to raise up a people for Himself. This distinctive emphasis includes seeing education in terms of preparing students for service to God and fellow man in everyday life. It involves being concerned with issues beyond its own walls in terms of reaching the lost and helping the weak, the poor and the sick. The student should be informed about and concerned with issues such as poverty, injustice, the need of all people for the Gospel, and world events that are happening and will affect his life in the future. Students should be active in doing something about these issues where appropriate. 1

The Christian school will be effective in the life of your child to the extent that you pray daily for the teachers who teach on your behalf day after day. Grandparents, this is where you and I can play a major role. Let's be faithful in our prayers for the school where our grandchildren attend. 

3) Be a parent promoter of your school to other parents. Most school growth comes when satisfied parents tell other parents about the value of Christian school education. Ask your school office for school brochures and student application forms to share with other parents. Be a promoter!

4) Offer your time and money to the school. As a former Christian school administrator I remember well how meaningful it was when a parent would come up to me and say, "I have such and such a skill or talent. How can I use it to help the school?" Such people are 'salt of the earth' people. Over time 'helping hands people' like this can make the difference between the school surviving economically or not surviving. Other parents or grandparents who may not have time to donate to the school can contribute financial resources such as cash given in lump sums or monies given at regular intervals. As a grandparent I pay one half of the tuition of my three school-age grandchildren. I mention that only because that pattern of support is a major means of lifting the financial load of Christian school tuition. The Christian school is the only school of it's kind - a school where the evangelical Protestant witness is central to it's mission. Not only should we thank God for our schools but we must provide adequate monies to make them viable in the education 'marketplace.'

5) Be a link to the Christian community. As you know, many Christians are not as convinced about the worth of Christian school education as you and me. As a "customer" of the Christian school you have substantial credibility in the Christian 'marketplace.' Whenever possible speak up for Christian schools in your church and other Christian gatherings such as Bible study groups and social events. Additionally, if you have contact with the Christian media in your area make your positive views known about Christian school education. Your "witness" could make a major difference for Christian schools. 

1 Robert J Frisken, President, Community Christian Schools Ltd., P.O. Box 259, Wentworthville, New South Wales, 2145, Australia.
What Model Do Our Children Imitate ?
What Model Do Our Children Imitate by Dr. Patricia Chapman
WHAT MODEL DO OUR CHILDREN IMITATE?
by Dr. Patricia Chapman, Ed.D. Simpson College Redding, CA

The announcement by Magic Johnson was a bombshell: he is HIV positive. Suddenly this sports icon has become a national hero. It's hard to believe that someone who was as promiscuous as he was could be considered a hero! He certainly lived the bachelor life to the hilt, "accommodating" as many women as he could. Wilt Chamberlain is fortunate he has escaped the same fate, for if what he boasts is even partially true, that he had had sex with over 20,000 women In his life, he was at greater risk for AIDS!

The Kennedy family had been called America's royal family. We now know that during the administration of John Kennedy, his insatiable sexual appetite was cleverly concealed. Not only did he have a mistress and a wife, but apparently a parade of women were ushered into his presence to accommodate him. Recently the newspapers have covered the stories coming out of West Palm Beach, FL of another Kennedy son and grandson who have had their sexual exploits reported in detail. The alleged antics of Ted Kennedy, the Senator from Massachusetts, and his nephew, William Kennedy Smith, bring to mind past exploits of this family.

There are probably hundreds of positive examples of wholesome families presenting Christian values, such as Vice President Dan Quayle and the Billy Graham family. There is little to criticize of these families, for they seek to uphold Biblical values and beliefs within their families. The Quayle family is often the target of untrue accusations, such as the recent attack by Gary Trudeau, the creator of "Doonsbury".

All of these are models. In Deuteronomy 6:4-6,Moses exhorts the Israelites to be models to their children "when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." These words seem to cover nearly everything you do in a day. Your children are to be able to observe and imitate everything you do so they will be like you.

We communicate societal values and customs to the next generation through observation and imitation. Paul had the temerity to tell the Corinthian Christians to "Be imitators of me just as I also am of Christ. (I Cor. 11:1). Jesus said "Every pupil, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher" (Luke 6:40). Paul says that "whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace shall be with you (Phil 4:8 & 9). These principles of observation and imitation are clearly seen in these additional passages: I Thess. 1 & 2; 2 Tim. 2:2; and 3 John 11.

What is the process of modeling? Albert Bandura (1977) has synthesized earlier versions of what he calls the "social learning theory" into a new social learning theory. His focus is on observational learning, which says that there can be learning without performing the model's behavior even once. Observational learning can be more effective for children than is learning by direct participation (Kessler, White, Rosenthal, and Hibbs, 1973). Miller says that "watching another person solve a problem may provide a better overall Idea of the nature of the problem than being thoroughly Immersed in it oneself" (1983). 

Models have Imitators. When Jackie Kennedy was First Lady, the fashion Industry Imitated her style to the letter. Whatever Jackie chose to wear, so did the women of the U.S. Our young people are forever Imitating the clothing styles of their latest rock or sports heros. Other examples could be given. According to Miller, a model

"...can cause Imitative behaviors in the following ways:

1. A model can teach new behaviors.

2. The model can strengthen or weaken children's inhibitions. Or, although the children presumably had been taught by their parents to not be aggressive, observing aggressive behavior is likely to result in the children becoming aggressive.

3. A model can serve as a social cue or "prompt" for eliciting a socially acceptable behavior the child already possesses, such as sharing.

4. Models can serve to draw attention to particular objects and thereby increase their use in various ways.

5. Models may Increase emotional arousal, which typically increases responsiveness"( p. 203-4). 

Bandura (1977) presents an outline of the way we observe and process behavior. The outline provides a logical context into which we can insert the new Information as we process it.

The Christian Education process is very similar to the education model. For example, the Bible, God's Word, is our "Guidebook" with criteria and examples of how to "walk in manner worthy of the God who called you' (Col. 1:10; see also Eph. 4:1 ff. and I Thess. 2:12). In the life of Jesus, we have the supreme example of how to live the life God wants you to. It is similar to the model Moses described In Deut. 6:4-9. Jesus is the embodiment of the belief's, values and behavior God desires of His children 1 John 3:2 and Romans 8:29).

The teacher/parent then Imitates (or practices) the beliefs, values and behavior observed In Jesus' life (I Cor. 11:1). The teacher/parent becomes the model for the child to imitate. "the child then Imitates the beliefs, values and behavior he observes In the life of his parent/teacher (Luke 6:40). 

By listening giving attention to the model, the imitator children may desire to explore the modeling stimuli). The observed behavior is encoded in memory in order to retain that behavior. At the proper stimulus, an imitator will select from the organization in memory, the appropriate response to produce the desired behavior or belief. He/she then listens for accurate feedback of acceptable behavior. If that production feedback is acceptable to the imitator, he/she will appropriate it into his/her life and assume responsibility. He/she is then motivated whether directly, vicariously or by self-reinforcement) to match the performance of the model.

Sound too theoretical? Let's examine it with an example from the life of Ruth, Naomi's daughter-in-law. Naomi and her family left their home in Bethlehem land of Bread) because there was famine in the land. They went to Moab (cursed land) to survive the famine. In that land, the two sons married forbidden foreign women. At some later date, the three men died, leaving three widows. Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem.

At this point Ruth becomes our example. She had listened to her mother-in-law describe Bethlehem and her God. Apparently Naomi had a very strong faith in God, for she appears to have trusted God in spite of the loss of her husband and two sons. Ruth decided to follow Naomi back to Israel, leaving her own family, religion and gods. She wanted to explore the religion and culture from which her husband and his family came. Apparently she respected Naomi enough that she desired to discover more about the values, beliefs and behavior of the Israelite.

When Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem. Naomi asked her friend to call her no longer "Naomi" but "Mara" (meaning bitterness). Her joy had been buried in foreign soil . Now she had a widowed foreign daughter-in-law to worry about. Ruth submitted to Naomi's directives and cared for her mother-in-law out of respect and perhaps love. Ruth appropriated the beliefs, values and behavior of the Israelites. She was now producing that behavior herself. She received accurate feedback to know whether what she did was appropriate. She was motivated to continue as she received external self-reinforcement of her behavior. When she matched the performance of the modeled event, she had become a part of that society. Her marriage to Boaz confirmed this. Her reward was the birth of her son, Obed, grandfather of King David. Naomi was also rewarded, having the grandchild she thought she never would have.

Personally, I find that the responsibility of being a model a bit intimidating. Who am I that I should set myself up as a model? Or that anyone one would want to be like me. Do you ever follow a similar pattern of thinking? perhaps we need to realize that in our own strength it is perfectly impossible to be the kind of models we know we should be. God, the Holy Spirit, will be our teacher to show us "how to walk in a manner worthy of the God who called us" (Eph. 4:1).

REFERENCES Bandura, A. 177 Social Learning theory. Englewood Cilffs. N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

Kessler, K., G. M. White, T.L. Rosenthal, and J. Phibbs. (1973) "Modeling and overt practice in training a rule-creating rubric." Paper presented at meetings of Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, Las Vegas, May.

Miller, P. H. (1973) Theories of Developmental Psychology. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Co.

New American Standard Bible (1975) La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Biblical Department
New In Christ
New In Christ
"New in Christ" is a regular MORNING STAR column written primarily for people who wish to learn more about the basic teachings of Biblical Christianity. In this issue we continue our series on the Bible itself - the "Measure of Truth" that God gave us to live by.

The editorial staff of MORNING STAR encourages all readers to freely use this information to help new Christians grow in their walk with the Lord.
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THE BIBLE : ARE THE ONES WE USE TODAY RELIABLE?

Many people try to discredit the Bible by saying there must have been mistakes made in copying it over the centuries. This is simply not the case. Although the original manuscripts are no longer in existence, it can be shown that the Bibles we use today were translated from texts that are virtually the same as the originals.

THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Old Testament (The "Tanakh" in Hebrew) was written primarily in Hebrew with a few verses in Aramaic, a sister language roughly between 1600 and 400 BC. Copies of texts from the Tanakh, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, were recently carbon dated to have been from around Jesus' time. These Old Testament texts were found to be almost identical to the Masoretic copies (previously the oldest texts) which were from the period up to AD 900.

The individual texts making up the Tanakh today, are the same ones that were the scripture of Jesus' day. The Old Testament read by Christians and the Tanakh of Judaism are the same except for the order in which the individual books are placed. The Old Testament compilation was completed by 300 B.C. (the latest).  It is believed by many that it was Ezra who chaired the first recognition council.

The discovery and recent release of the Dead Sea Scrolls demonstrates that the Bible Jesus read and the Old Testament we use today are one and the same. Rest assured, there is no record of Jesus disagreeing with the scriptures He so often quoted from.

THE NEW TESTAMENT 

No serious scholar today questions the validity of the authorship of the works of Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, Cicero, Virgil etc., In comparison, evidence of who wrote the New Testament, when it was written, and how accurate the original text has been preserved dwarfs that which supports these other writings. The number of manuscript copies of portions of the New Testament found to date is over 24,000. Contrast this to the Iliad by Homer, which is in second place with only 643 manuscripts, the oldest of which dates back only to the 13th century!.

Portions of the New Testament found in central Egypt in 1895 (John Ryland's manuscripts) are carbon dated to no later than 125 A.D. and show insignificant variation to the Greek texts we have today. There are many others from that time period. Bodmer Papyrus II (150-200 A.D.), Chester Beatty Papyri (200 A.D.), The Latin and Syriac versions are dated to around 150 A.D. are the same N.T. we have. The Egyptian and Gothic versions along with the Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus, Codex Ephraemi, and others from the 4th and 5th centuries also have the same passages as the earlier versions and are the same as those of today.

As far as accuracy goes in copying, the evidence is astounding. According to Bible researchers Norman Geisler and William Nix, textual corruption between the 5,300 Greek Manuscripts has been shown to be less than one half of one percent. According to researcher Benjamin Warfield, of this half a percent, 95 percent is questionable at best. Even if this miniscule portion is accepted as "corrupted", it has no effect on the interpretation of the passages they occur in. Of the remaining 5 percent (of the original half percent) which shows some corruption, none of it has any bearing on articles of faith or precepts of duty.  (We're now talking about .0025 of the TOTAL Greek New Testament manuscripts.) In comparison, the 643 copies of the Iliad have a textual corruption rate of 10 percent according to Geisler and Nix.

Again it is worth repeating, no passages that may be slightly corrupted effect any doctrine of faith. No basic tenet of Christianity rests on any passage that is questioned. This means that any argument against Christianity, that endeavors to use inaccuracy of the text as the basis for rejection of faith, is totally meaningless.

But that's not all the evidence! The writings of early church fathers of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Polycarp, Barnabas, Hermas, Tatian, Irenaeus, Clement, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Justin Martyr, Origin, Cyprian all quote directly from the New Testament. There are 32,000 citations of the New Testament by these men and others prior to the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.  Using New Testament quotes from these writings alone, it is possible to reconstruct all but eleven of the verses of the New Testament!

YES, you can trust the Bible as being reliable!
Bible Study
Jonah - A Story of God's Love
The Bible Study column examines specific sections of Scripture. This is the second of a four-part series on the book of Jonah.  Future columns will include individual Psalms and books from both the Old and New Testaments.
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          JONAH                        
"A Story Of God's Love"

        Chapter 2                     
"The Prayer of Jonah"
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Last month's column covered the first chapter of the book of Jonah. Jonah, a prophet of God, was introduced. God had called Jonah to a special task: to bring a warning of impending doom to Nineveh. God intended to judge the city for its sin.  "...for their wickedness has come up before Me" (Jonah 1: 2).

Jonah realized that if God's warning caused the Ninevites to repent, the Lord would show them mercy. He did not want this to happen. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, a nation whose people were sworn enemies of the Hebrews. So, in a burst of patriotic fervor, Jonah fled in the opposite direction. He hoped God would find someone else for the job. God responded by sending a fierce storm. As a result, the crew of the ship pitched Jonah into the sea to bring an end to the squall. Next, God sent a great fish, which He had created for the specific purpose of swallowing Jonah. Thus the reluctant prophet found himself trapped inside the belly of a sea monster. The last verse of Chapter 1 states that Jonah remained trapped for a specific period. Jonah's three days and nights in the belly of the fish is the only Old Testament picture of Christ's time in the grave and his subsequent resurrection.

Christ, referring to Jonah's situation, parallels it to His own coming death, burial and resurrection. "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, 'Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.' But He answered and said to them, 'An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;  for just as 'Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the Sea-monster;' so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth'" (Matthew 12:38-40). 

Clearly Christ draws a parallel between Himself and Jonah. How far should this parallel be taken? Some Bible scholars, attempting to find a literal picture of the resurrection in the Old Testament, speculate that Jonah died and was then brought back to life. The text does not require this conclusion.  However, even if Jonah did not die, this historical account can still serve as an illustration of the doctrine of Christ's death and resurrection. 

JONAH'S PRAYER: Jonah's prayer, delivered from inside the sea monster, expresses praise at his deliverance. H. L. Ellison, in his commentary on Jonah, notes that the prayer speaks of deliverance because Jonah realizes God saved him from the storm. He is not concerned because he's trapped inside the fish. This may also explain why Jonah never mentions the fish.* First, Jonah may not have realized where he was until he was regurgitated. Second, he does know that he survived the storm.

Vs. 1 - 3 Jonah's initial statement is one of praise. He prayed to God for help and God rescued him. He states that Yahweh created the sea into which he was thrown. The Almighty judged him, but this proved God cares for him. "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour" (Isaiah 43:2-3). Judgment, or discipline, is the proof of our Father's love for His children. "For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:6).

While Jonah may have feared he was in Sheol, the place of death, he recognized that God cared for him even when he was at his lowest. Although Jonah had tried to flee from God, He recognized God was near, and that he trusted Him. He did not show a lack of faith in the Lord. In fact, that was never the problem. The problem was that he understood God only too well and didn't want to do things God's way.

Vs. 4 Jonah had been trying to flee from Yahweh's presence. He thought God answered his demand to be left alone by abandoning him. Jonah discovered that the most fearful situation an individual can face is separation from God. Separation from God is literal Hell. However, Jonah did not lose faith in the Lord. Instead, he turned to Him in prayer, knowing God would hear.

Vs. 5 - 7 Next, Jonah describes his emotions while he was sinking beneath the waves. He refers to the water around him, and especially the weeds encircling his head, just before the fish swallowed him. His sensations went beyond the physical awareness of drowning. He felt as if his soul was dying. God had raised the storm, and in the midst of it and the cries of the sailors, Jonah was cast overboard. He felt abandoned and near death. At this point, he may have realized that because of his disobedience to the Almighty, he deserved to die.

What was Jonah's response to all this? He realized his need for the Lord. Instead of wanting to run, he turned to him in faith. He recognized that it was God who had saved him, not only from drowning, but also eternal separation from the Most High.

Jonah realized the gravity of his rebellion and the error of turning from the Lord. Like Jonah, the Christian is unable to flee from God's presence. As a believer acknowledges the circumstances in which he finds himself, his correct response should be to turn to God.

Vs. 8 - 9 Jonah recognized that in turning from God, he was turning to vain things. All things outside of God are vain, empty. Ellison notes that Jonah may have been thinking of the sailors' futile prayers to their false gods.** Jonah's concern for the protection of Israel from Assyria was commendable, but inappropriate, if it led him to act against God's will. Believers can make decisions based on what seem to be valid factors. Never-the-less, these decisions still can be wrong, if they go against God's will. Worse than disobeying God for apparently good motives is the mistaken assumption that God intends believers to be always happy, that is, free from pain. 
Therefore, if they are unhappy, then whatever actions they take to alleviate that unhappiness must be God's will. For example, a believer might say, "Oh, I know what I am doing is wrong, but God can't possibly mean for me to stay where I am. Therefore He, in His mercy, will forgive me." "What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?"  (Romans 6:1-2).

Instead, as a believer you should focus on how your present situation can be used to glorify the Lord. You should respond to your circumstances as Jonah did, with thanksgiving and assurance that God knows where you should be. 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you." (Philippians 4:6 - 9)

THE BELIEVER'S PRAYERS: One of the first things to note in Jonah's prayer is the need to bring in the element of praise.  Here is Jonah in a crisis situation and the first thing he does is praise the Lord. Although believers frequently do remember to praise God, they must make sure their motives remains pure.  Praise should never become an obligation, or a "pay off." God is the Christian's loving Father. He wants to meet needs. Why then act as if He needs to be placated? Additionally, why are believers so surprised when He does answer prayer? 

"Ask and it will be given to you: seek and you will find: knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7: 7-11)

Often prayers are made only in the midst of a crisis. Crisis prayers take on a dramatic reality because the one praying is deeply involved in the pain. The prayer's focus, content, and intensity can change drastically. In overwhelming circumstances, sometimes the believer may not even know how to pray. "...the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words" (Romans 8:26). 

It is natural that prayers regarding painful concerns are made with greater intensity than prayers dealing with other issues. This isn't wrong, as long as other prayers don't become perfunctory. It is vital that you, as a believer, depend on the Holy Spirit's interaction in your prayer life. It is important that your prayers don't become routine, but remain opportunities to spend special time with your Heavenly Father.

One of your most difficult challenges is to wait and see God work in a positive way amidst trying circumstances. So often the Christian asks "Why is this happening to Me?" 

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation." (1 Peter 4:12-13)

Sometimes suffering occurs because the world is imperfect. "...He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45).

Sometimes you suffer as part of your Heavenly Father's loving care. "For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:6). 

Sometimes suffering occurs for the glory of Christ. "Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me." (Matthew 5:11).

Sometimes suffering occurs to benefit others. "But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer" (2 Corinthians 1:6). 

One of the greatest privileges given to children of God is immediate access to Him. This is true both in times of praise and times of appeal. Circumstances must not become the barometer of your intimacy with your Heavenly Father. The degree of your obedience and the reality of your communication with God says a great deal about the quality of your relationship with Him. God always loves his children and wants what is best for them. Be encouraged because you can always go into God's presence for forgiveness, comfort and direction. 

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." (Psalm 100)


* H. L. Ellison, "Jonah", THE EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY, Vol. 7, Zondervan Publishing House, 1985, pp. 375-377. 

** Ibid., p. 377
Special Studies
Holiness and Other Covenantal Attrivutes of God
The Bible is an account of God's relationship to man, a covenant relationship. We find this from the day of creation to the eternal relationship we can have with the Messiah. This is the second in a series of articles detailing the individual Covenants found within Scripture. Here the author pauses to consider aspects of God and His attributes in preparation for the continued examination of the covenants in future articles.
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HOLINESS AND OTHER COVENANTAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
by Dr. Charles Wootten

Holiness is an essential aspect of God's nature. As one of His moral attributes, it was sullied by the sin of man. This occurred with the breaking of the Edenic Covenant. (See Morning Star Issue 3.) It is by Holiness that God needs to be known. Holiness is the attribute by which God's glory is manifest. Superficial views of God and His Holiness will produce superficial views of sin and the need for atonement.

"For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth" (Leviticus 11:44). "Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, 'Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy'" (Leviticus 19:2). "Because it is written, 'Be ye holy; for I am holy'" (I Peter 1:16). "And one cried unto another, and said, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory'" (Isaiah 6:3). "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord'" (Luke 5:8). "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). "And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.' " (Revelation 4:8). His Holiness is the chief subject of rejoicing and adoration in heaven.

In the blood sacrifice of the Adamic Covenant, and even in the New Covenant, there is the redeeming aspect. It is love which produces the atonement, but it is violated Holiness which demands God's vindication over the pleading of love for the sufferer. "And the man said, 'The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.' And the LORD God said unto the woman, 'What is this that thou hast done?' And the woman said, 'The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.'"  (Genesis 3:12,13).

The Holiness of God magnifies His grace and redeeming love. It provides for the acceptance of those who are sinners and ungodly. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die" (Romans 5:6-8).

R.A. Torrey wrote in his book, WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES, "The wonderfulness of God's love! It would be no wonder if an unholy God could love unholy men; but that the God whose Name is Holy, the Infinitely Holy God, could love beings so utterly sinful as we are, that it is the wonder of eternities. There are many deep mysteries in the Bible, but no other so profound as this."

Then "the Lord saw how great was man's wickedness on earth, and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time. And the Lord regretted that He had made man on earth, and His heart was saddened. The Lord said, 'I will blot out from the earth the men whom I created--men together with beasts, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I regret that I made them.' But Noah found favor with the Lord" (Genesis 6: 5-8).

Though man was now under the law of conscience, the law of sin continued to drive him away from covenantal relationship with God. This total failure to keep the covenant demanded God's judgment. "But as the days of Noah were, so also shall the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so also shall the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:37-39). 
(See also Genesis 6: 1-13.) 

The judgment resulting in the breaking the Edenic Covenant was death and expulsion from Eden. The judgment for breaking the Adamic Covenant was death by a universal flood. Before we go into that, let's pause to see how God is revealed in another of his attributes.

JEHOVAH-ELOHIM shows a revelation of another of His attributes. He hears, sees, feels, and acts. He heard the noise of sin coming from the earth. He heard "the mouth of the wicked blurting out evil things" (Proverbs 15:28). "A man may arrange his thoughts, but what he says depends on the Lord. All the ways of a man seem right to him, but the Lord probes motives" (Proverbs 16:1-2). God heard the thoughts of the wicked upon the earth. He found "...every one who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly he will not go unpunished" (Proverbs 16:5).

This characteristic of His personality is proof that He hears all things that are uttered, whether by mouth or by thoughts.  God is revealed as having emotions by His regret over what He heard. This personal emotion of regret, or grief as in some translations, is ascribed to God due to the personal attitude and actions of men.

Searching the Scriptures, we not only see these feelings of grief but other emotions as well:

God's Anger: "And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice" (1 Kings 11:9).

God's Repentance: "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart" (Genesis 6:6).

God's Jealousy: "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I, the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me" (Exodus 20:5).

God's Hate: ". . . six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him" (Proverbs 6:16).  

God's Love: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). 

God's Pity: "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him" (Psalm 103:13). 

God's Fellowship: See 1 John 1:1-7. 

God's Pleasure and Delight: "He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man, and other soul passions" (Psalm 147:10). 

The fruit of God's Holiness: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).  

All these revelations of God's personality demonstrate His Holiness. These characteristics of His personality are simply a regard for His Holy Name, Will, and Government. They are unique elements revealing God's personality. These attributes drive Him in the preservation of the universe and all its parts in orderly relation proves the personality of God.

"Whatever His soul desires or designs even that He does, and nothing can stand in His way or put Him upon new counsels. Men desire many things which they may not do, or cannot do, or dare not do. But God has an incontestable sovereignty: His will is so perfectly pure and right that it is highly fit He should pursue all its determinations. And He has an uncontrollable power. None can stay His hand. Whatever the Lord pleased that did He, and always will, for it is always best." - Matthew Henry on Job 23. 

"As to the body of the people, it shall not be a correction in love, but He will execute judgments in anger, and in fury, and in furious rebukes--strange expressions to come from a God who has said, 'Fury is not in me,' and who has declared Himself gracious, and merciful, and slow to anger. But they are designed to show the malignity of sin, and the offense it gives to a just and Holy God. This must needs be a very evil thing which provokes Him to such resentments, and against His own people, too, that had been so high in His favor." - Matthew Henry on Ezekiel 5. 

God is now turning from His creative dealings with Man to dealings in judgment and destruction. Let us not forget that our God is an Awesome God. This brings us to the point of looking at the omniscience of God. He is a perfect Spirit. He has perfect knowledge. This infinite intelligence of God is defined by Calvin as "that attribute whereby God knows Himself and all other things in one Eternal and most simple act." "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom of and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33). 

The universe as the expression of God's thought and plan demonstrates His omniscience. This is observed in the intricacies of the heavens: i.e. the cycles of nature - the four seasons, the flowing of tides, the life giving structure of the human body. These are all evidence of God's omniscience.

The Scriptures teach that God is omniscient; His understanding is infinite; His intelligence is perfect. This is another facet of His revelation. "God's knowledge is universal. It is unlimited in space, time, or quantity. This is the characteristic of His knowledge corresponding to His immensity, eternity, and plenitude, and implied in them. God's knowledge as universal is also His knowledge of all that is possible in any imaginable universe, and of all that is actual in Himself and the existing universe."- S. Harris, in God, the Creator and Lord of All, I: 133-134.

"God's knowledge of the actual includes His eternal knowledge of the actions of free agents. The Bible teaches that God not only foreknows, but in many cases has foretold the actions of men; yet is recognized the freedom and responsibility of the agents fulfilling the prophecies. And God is revealed in the Bible as not only foreknowing and foretelling the actions of free agents, but also as knowing what, under different circumstances, they would have done but never did." Ibid. p. 136.

From all eternity "the eyes of the Lord are everywhere, Observing the bad and the good" (Proverbs 15:2).

From His omniscience He sees and feels that "in the harvest of the wicked there is trouble," (Proverbs 15:6) because "a man's ways are before the eyes of God; He surveys his entire course" (Proverbs 5:21). From the Holiness of God's judgment "the wicked man will be trapped in his iniquities; He will be caught up in the ropes of his sin. He will die for lack of discipline, infatuated by his great folly" (Proverbs 5:22-23). Thus Man's deeds ad actions, words and thoughts, imaginations and sorrows are known by the Omniscient God.

Article three will show how God's attributes relate to His covenants. Specifically the Noahic Covenant will be reviewed.  A covenant which God put in place prior to the judgment on the failed Adamic covenant.
Bible Quiz
Bible Quiz

This month's quiz follows the theme of Education.  Match the teacher in the first group of names with the student in the second group.  Check your answers by looking up the Bible verse next to the teachers' names.


1.  Balaam (Rev 2:14)
2.  David (2 Chronicles 3:1-3)
3.  Eli (1 Samuel 1:20-28)
4.  Elijah (1 Kings 19:19-21)
5.  Gamaliel (Acts 22:3)
6.  Jehoiada (2 Kings 12:2)
7.  Jesus (Luke 19:8-9)
8.  Jethro (Exodus 18:15-19)
9.  Moses (Numbers 27:18-20)
10. Philip (Acts 8:27-31)











a) Balac
b) Elisha
c) the Ethiopian
d) Jehoash
e) Joshua
f) Moses
g) Paul
h) Samuel
i) Solomon
j) Zacchaeus
Messianic Studies
Why Messianic Jews by Rachmiel Frydland
The Messianic Studies column explores the world of the Messianic Believer. Like the church at large, Messianic Judaism contains much diversity. It is made up of numerous views as to what it means to be a Messianic Jew, who we are, what we call ourselves and what we believe. This column will be used to explore this variety, giving the reader a broader perspective of Messianic Judaism than found elsewhere, exposing those of us who are Messianic Believers to the wide spectrum of practice found within the movement. Hopefully we will succeed in helping our Jewish brothers and sisters to understand why we follow Yeshua as our savior.

We also hope that what is provided here will give our gentile readers both a better understanding of their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as the Jewish roots of their own faith.
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WHY MESSIANIC JEWS
by Rachmiel Frydland

To ask why we are Jews is to ask why a bagel is a bagel. A bagel tastes like a bagel and not like a doughnut, although a bagel- hater defined a bagel as a doughnut dipped in cement.

Now a Jew is a Jew because he was born a Jew and because he wants to be a Jew. In most cases even if he does not want to be one, he will be compelled to admit it; otherwise, others will point a finger at him, asking, "Aren't you Jewish?"

The term Jew is related to Judah, Jacob's fourth son from Leah. Judah (Yehudah in Hebrew) means praise to the Lord. His mother Leah wanted thus to express her gratitude to the Lord for giving her this fourth son. The descendants of Judah were aware of this derivation, and sometimes were reminded of it by descendants of other tribes challenging them to live up to their name. We have to admit that some Jews succeeded in assimilating with their Gentile neighbors through intermarriage, change of name, and denial of their identity. Usually it was a long, ardent process and took several generations to achieve. On the other hand, there were groups and individuals who, though not descendants of Judah or from any of the other tribes of Israel, succeeded in their efforts at being absorbed into the people called Jews.

This was not easy. The people of Shechem wanted to do it and even went through the full rite of circumcision of every male, yet were slaughtered and never succeeded to penetrate the hermetically sealed tribes of Israel (Genesis 34). Sometimes those attempting to join them gave them trouble, like the "mixed multitude" of Exodus 12:38, and the Gibeonites of Joshua 9. However, in most other cases these non-Jewish groups seem to have been gradually absorbed and assimilated into the Jewish body by intermarriage. Large influxes took place in the Persian period, as reported in the book of Esther in the Bible, and in the Maccabean period, when whole tribes under the threat of extermination, preferred circumcision. The most prominent are the Khazar tribes of the present central Russia who accepted Judaism. The story of their conversion was described and popularized by the famous philosopher/poet Yehuda Halevi.

Today, both in Israel and in the Diaspora, Rabbis are working hard at teaching and preparing prospective converts to Judaism.  In some cases, at least these converts are absorbed into the Jewish mainstream by intermarriage.

Messianic Jews

Among the 14 million Jewish people there is a group of perhaps twenty or thirty thousand people [note: this figure is much larger today than when this article was written - Ed.], born Jews, who believe in the Torah and the rest of the Tanakh and practice Jewish customs and religion. They also believe in Jesus. Some, if not most of them, prefer to call Him by His Jewish name, Yeshua. Although small in number, they are a vocal group, constantly challenging the Jewish spiritual and secular authorities with their presence, demanding recognition as Jews.

It would be easiest for these Jewish believers, among whom is also the writer of these lines, to accept the advice of rabbinic leaders and put aside our beliefs in Jesus. The Jewish authorities work very hard to achieve it. Organizations and individuals spend their time and hundreds and thousands of dollars toward this end. Among the best known are the Pe'ilim, Keren Yeladdenu, supported by the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Israel, and many more who do it as a full or part time job.

Why do Messianic Jews resist? What lies behind their obstinacy, not only continuing to believe themselves but also spreading their faith to others? The answer as we see it is spiritual. This spiritual aspect can be summarized as follows:

Prophecies Demand It

We believe in Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah because He alone gives sense to the words of our Jewish prophets. There is Isaiah 53 with its minute description of the suffering servant who was despised and rejected, afflicted with pain and stripes, by whose "stripes we are healed." He then dies, is buried, yet is revived and suffers all this "for the affliction of my (Isaiah the prophet's) people." All this can best be applied to one person only--Yeshua of Nazareth. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 98) teaches that this chapter refers to Messiah. The Targum of Jonathan begins the passage with the words Ha yatslakh avdee Mashikha, "Behold my servant the Messiah shall prosper...."  Common sense says it must refer to Jesus.

The same goes for many other prophecies which speak of the time of His birth, like Daniel 9:26: "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary...." (The city and sanctuary were destroyed A.D. 70. Messiah had to come and be cut off before then.) The manner of His birth in a supernatural way is recorded in Isaiah 7:14: "Behold the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 9:6 (5 in Heb.) says: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

The place of his birth is foretold by Micah, the prophet, in verse 5:2 (5:1 in Hebrew): But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

The manner of His death is found both in Psalm 22:17, "they pierced my hands and my Feet (Masoretic text -- "Like a lion they are at my hands and my feet"), and in Zechariah 12:10, "They shall look unto me whom they have pierced," which the Talmud in Sukkah 52 applies to Messiah ben Joseph.

We have heard arguments against His Messianic claims by the fact that some prophecies like Isaiah 2 (breaking swords into plowshares) and Isaiah 11 (lamb and lion dwelling together) have not been fulfilled as yet and that our explanations for a future fulfillment by His second coming creates too long a hiatus (of close to 2,000 years). But what is 2,000 years in the sight of God, waiting patiently for His people to respond and accept His Anointed One--Yeshua, ben Elohim?

Personage Spotless

We hold on to our faith because of the spotless Person He was. His contemporaries testified of Him that "He doeth all things well" (Mark 7:37). He could challenge his contemporaries saying to them, "which of you convicteth me of sin?" and they held their peace. Some modern Jewish and non-Jewish scholars point out His lack of originality in many of His sayings. Would it have been better if He had contradicted the words of the prophets? Others assert that His teaching is too idealistic (e.g., the turning of the other cheek), and therefore impractical. But who can find fault in a Man who constantly goes from the South to the North of Israel, then Judea and Samaria, doing good, healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, opening the eyes of the deaf, making the lame to walk again and preaching the Good News of salvation to the poor, the needy, and the outcast? Rejected by the leading Pharisees and by the High Priests, He died a martyr's death by crucifixion at the hands of the cruel Roman soldiers.

But this is not the end of the story, for His 12 disciples plus a number of others see Him alive after He died and proclaim Him the risen Savior. For this assertion nearly all of them had to pay with their lives, dying like their master a cruel death from the hands of pagans and of unbelieving Jewish leaders. Yet these believing Jews never flinched. They knew for sure that He is alive.

Personalities of His Followers

We are convinced that He is Messiah because of the transformation in the personalities of His followers. Who could transform Simon Bar Jonah, the fisherman on the shores of Galilee, to become the leader of Messianic Jews in Israel and abroad, and finally to be acknowledged the first bishop and highest authority next to Jesus by millions of people of the whole world. What about Saul of Tarsus, convinced that he, with the letters he had from the High Priests, would completely knock out all belief in Jesus? He met the risen Yeshua on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) and from a persecutor of the Gospel he became a proclaimer of the Good News. He himself was greatly persecuted by unbelieving people everywhere until he finally died a martyr's death at the hands of the Romans in the time of Nero.

People Who Accepted Him

From the first book, Bereshit (Genesis), to the last prophet in the Tanakh (Old Testament), Malachi, the Messiah's activity involves "the people" or the nations. Ya'acov Aveenoo (our father Jacob) foresees it and says: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be. (Genesis 49:10)

Isaiah the prophet sees Him as the "root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to Him shall the Gentiles seek" (Isaiah 11:10). 

In Isaiah 49:6 Messiah is proclaimed with these words: It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee a light to the Gentiles,  and that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the 
earth.

Malachi says of Him (1:11): For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles.

Peace That Messiah Gives

Jewish believers in Messiah Yeshua found that only in Him they have rest, peace, and satisfaction. They heard Messiah's invitation, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). They verified it in their own lives. They read the record of His promise, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). They found Messiah to be the Great Gentleman who always keeps His promise.  The result is that we can say together with one of the first hasadim of Messiah Yeshua, Simon bar Jonah, called Simon Peter: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art the Messiah, the Ben Elohim. (John 6:68-69)

by Rachmiel Frydland, reprinted with permission from the Messianic Jewish Computer Net, 12939 Conway Rd., Creve Coeur, MO, 63141, Harvey Smith, Sysop. (originally reprinted from The American Messianic Jewish Quarterly, MESSIANIC LITERATURE OUTREACH, P.O. BOX 37062, CINCINNATI, OHIO 45222)
Anee M'Amin
Anee M'Amin
ANEE M'AMIN is Hebrew for "I believe". Every month this column will feature the testimony of a Jewish believer in Yeshua (Jesus). 

Alyosha Ryabinov has been a long-time friend of both the Kehilat Ben David and Beth-El Bible Fellowship congregations in El Paso. It was through these congregations that our Senior Literary Editor, Al Murillo met Mr. Ryabinov and was able to provide Morning Star with this interview.

Alyosha Ryabinov was born and raised in the Soviet Union. He studied classical music and became a concert level pianists. He is Jewish, but he only knew that because it was written on his passport. But God had plans for Alyosha, and this is his account of how God has been fulfilling those plans. 
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Al: Alyosha, I understand that you began to study music in the Soviet Union when you were five years old. Could you tell me a little about your life in the Soviet Union and how that has affected your music?

Alyosha: I started to study music when I was five years old. Actually, I was born in a family of musicians. My father played the violin, my mother played classical guitar, and my grandfather was a violinist and composer. So, basically, I had no choice. I had to practice and was even pushed by parents when I didn't want to practice. I think that, as I was growing, I started to enjoy music more, but being a kid, sometimes I'd rather play outside than play the piano. Only, maybe, when I was thirteen years of age did I really feel that I enjoyed practicing and wanted to become a musician.

Al: How long were you in the Soviet Union?

Alyosha: Well, I was twenty years old when we emigrated.

Al: And what did you know about your Jewish heritage at that time?

Alyosha: I knew that I was Jewish. It was written in my passport under "Nationality." In the Soviet Union, we considered nationalities a little bit different than in the United States. You may be born in Russia, but you have Ukrainian parents; so your nationality is Ukrainian, not Russian. And so, if your parents are Jewish, you're considered Jewish. It doesn't matter whether you believe in God. My parents were Jewish. Of course, they didn't know anything about Judaism and traditions. But, I was aware that I was Jewish. I also was quite young when I found out about anti-semitism, and that makes you even more aware of that fact.

Al: So then, most of this time you didn't have any knowledge of Messiah or any type of relationship with your God?

Alyosha: Well, not only did I not have any knowledge about Messiah, but I didn't have any knowledge about God at all.

Al: Could you tell me then a little bit about how you came to know Messiah and how you came into a relationship with Him? 

Alyosha: Well, all through my teenage life, once in a while, I would start thinking about God because I would wonder why there was so much teaching against God. I, practically every year, had a class in Atheism. And, if it is true that God doesn't exist, then why is there so much effort to prove that He doesn't exist? 

By the time I was about fifteen years of age, I started to see that I did not fully trust the Communist party teaching about communism. I just stopped believing that. And so I thought, well, if I don't believe that, I should also not believe what they teach about God and Atheism. 

When I graduated from music college at the age of nineteen, because of anti-semitism, we started the process of emigration.  And, because of a lot of pressures and anxieties, I really wanted to turn to God and I wanted to find out for sure if He was real. So, one day I prayed to Him to help us to get out of Russia.

Al: And, did He do it?

Alyosha: Yeah, in about one week we received permission to emigrate.

Al: So this began your acknowledgement that God was real. What events or persons then led you to seek God more deeply. And again, what impact did all of this have on your life and music?

Alyosha: About a year after I came to the country, I began to want to know about Jewish history and I asked people what would be a good book to read about Jewish history, and they told me "the Bible." Somebody gave me a Russian Bible and, since I wanted to know about Jewish history, I started from the beginning. Of course, the first time you read the Bible there is so much there. It is not possible to get everything.

When I fully became a believer, first, God had me die to music. The old man has to die, and old music has to die. I started to sense when I became a believer that I could not just do regular concerts because I felt that everything I do in my life should give glory to God. Something was just inside that was dissatisfied with these concerts that were not giving glory to God. I didn't feel reward, even with the concerts that went very well, because I thought it was so much work to learn these compositions and then I would come up and play for two hours, and that was it because these were the type of concerts that I wanted to prove how well I played and to show the quality of playing. And, there was a lot of tension involved, and it wasn't pleasant. 

So, I gave it up because I believed that if I did something for the Lord, it should be...joy should be involved with that, and that wasn't pleasant. I gave up only the goals of the concerts, but I did not stop playing piano. I played. And, I started to play some songs, Christian songs, hymns, but it all went into the background.

Then, I was reading in the Bible about the Levites and how they were separated. There are three families that were inside the Levitical priesthood that were supposed to be in charge of music, and their descendants. There were some accounts in the Bible about these concerts they would put on, and there was a time of worship and tremendous celebration. And, it was probably awesome music because there was a great number of musicians that sang and played musical instruments. In II Chronicles, chapter 5, if I remember right, there were a hundred and twenty trumpet players, and then a cloud would come in and immerse the whole nation in the presence of God. And so, I saw that God gave music so that we can be able to come into his presence and be able to worship Him. In some ways, it's even a link between this world and the heavenly world. In Heaven, there's a lot of music. So, I had new inspiration to start writing music. One to praise God, and one to reflect His Salvation, especially to the House of Israel.

And then in three years, when I moved from Chicago to Oregon, there was a piano there. Actually, let me go back. 

Before I got married, in 1984, I had a chance to go to Israel, and there I met some musicians in Natanya that write worship songs that are sung in most congregations of Jewish believers there, beautiful songs. And, I got a book from them because I enjoyed it. So, when I came home, I got married and went off to Oregon for our honeymoon. I would take that book and often play the songs. And, I sensed that they were written under the Spirit of God, and I wanted to do something with them. 

So, this was a time when I also was very much interested about my own background as a Jew because, you know, it was kind of a pressure inside here that people would call me Christian because I believed in Yeshua, yet I knew that I was Jewish. It's hard to reconcile that. When I was going to church, most of the teaching was coming out of the New Testament, yet I was longing to know more about my background. So, I started to study more in depth the Old Testament. I was attracted to the books that most people are not attracted. I mean those books are like Leviticus and Numbers and I and II Chronicles. People like to read more those books of Kings than Chronicles. But I saw that there's a lot of music in those books, and a lot on worship. I think that if you really want to learn about worship, that's the books to read--I and II Chronicles. 

I just brought up one event about the celebrating of the dedication of the Temple. That's quite tremendous. You also read how King Jehoshaphat led the army against the enemy and the musicians went first to praise the Lord and so that did everything. The enemy just fought against each other. And so, music is also a powerful tool in warfare against the enemy. 

And, of course, when you read Psalms, there are quite a few of them that talk about that God would put a new song. And, of course, David talks about that new song. Same thing if you're a new creature in the Lord, you should have a new song. 

And so, I had a desire to try to write something as worship. First, I didn't feel very confident to write. I hadn't been writing for three years. So, I took those worship songs that I learned in Israel and just arranged them for piano. Eventually, I produced my first tape. I wrote piano compositions out of them. Then, as I saw that God was giving me inspiration, I started again to write my own compositions. First some praise songs, then some longer sonatas, and now I'm involved in writing symphonies.

Al: So the Lord has brought you out of the Soviet Union to the United States. You've had the opportunity to visit Israel.  You've been married, and do you have any children?

Alyosha: Yes, I have two children. 

Al: Has the Lord ever put on your heart to return someday to the Soviet Union?

Alyosha: Well, actually, I did return once. I wouldn't want to live there. But, last year, the Lord allowed me to go back and play in the city of Kiev. Actually, I played in four cities, but Kiev was where I was born. I played there in the same music school where I studied music, where a lot of friends came and relatives, and even teachers.

Al: Were those there receptive to your music?

Alyosha: Very receptive. They were telling me that they felt the freedom of the music. They asked me, "Is that because you live in a free country?" I told them that in a free country I see a lot of people in bondage. It gave me an opportunity to share the Lord. 

Al: What do you feel the God's direction is for your music. Do you see yourself going on always as a concert pianist, or do you see new opportunities opening in different directions. 

Alyosha: Actually, my desire is to be more a composer, but once in a while still to come out and play. Right now, I do a lot of concerts, and it interferes with all my desires and plans to compose. But, I believe it will balance more evenly later 'cause I'm working on an opera, "Esther," and quite a few symphonic pieces, and it all takes time. I would like to see other people involved with these projects. Like, there are a few pianist, not many, but a few who play my compositions already. And, one of my sonatas we are planning to choreograph. Perhaps by March there will be a full ballet to it. So, I see how other people start to get involved in this whole thing.  And, of course, if I finish my symphony and write opera and opportunity would come to be performed. Of course, it involves a lot of people. It's a new experience for me. 

Al: What word would you have for young musicians or musicians who are wanting to dedicate their talents to the glory of God. Any words of encouragement?

Alyosha: Well, of course, to read Psalms. On one hand, you have to, as a musician, you have to change your direction there from becoming fully professional to learn to worship the Lord and be able to praise Him through music. But, on the other hand, as you read Psalm 33, it says there, it talks about the new songs that God has put in David, but it says "play skillfully." So that means that you still have to practice. Can't ride on just a talent. And I believe that God requires quality too. I think that the majority of Christian music has lost the quality, and I would like to see that restored because I believe that the ancient temple had a very quality. I was not the same kind of music that we have now, but it was very professionally done. 

Al: Let me give you this opportunity to say a final word to our readers.

Alyosha: I want to say this, that the most exciting part in my life since I became a believer is to know that Messiah gives me eternal life. This is because I grew up as an atheist. I didn't know anything about God, and I didn't know that I can live forever. And so, when I discovered this wonderful thing, it excites me the most to know that we can live forever if we know the Messiah. Jewish people in this country and non-Jewish people, they have so much knowledge, and most people don't want to deal with that. So, I just want to tell them not to take for granted the freedom to turn back to the word of God.

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If you would like to find the same relationship with the Messiah that Alyosha has, contact Morning Star and we will put you in touch with someone who can help you.
The Word for Today
The Word for Today by Pastor Geoffrey Kragen
Pragmatic: Relating to matters of fact or practical affairs, often to the exclusion of intellectual, artistic or spiritual matters. Practical as opposed to idealistic.

I'd been looking for part-time work for quite some time. During that period I had been turned down for a job that appeared perfect. I was discussing the situation with a friend who wasn't a believer. He said if he received my resume he'd be afraid to hire me because of excessive qualifications. He went on to suggest that I rewrite it so it would play down my strengths. And why not? After all, I wasn't trying to get a job based on my administrative skills! I just needed some basic part-time work.

We expect non-believers to give this kind of advice. Unfortunately, sometimes other believers also encourage us to be pragmatic, not lie, but simply not tell the entire truth. And, as pressures build, we're tempted to "be practical," for we have bills to pay and families to feed.

We live in a society which says we must be practical, i.e. "the end justifies the means." "We must use the world's methods if we are to succeed. Pragmatism is the way we should deal with issues in our own lives and regarding the needs of the church."

Some argue: "God has given us common sense, so let's use it."  I remember years ago when I served on a church board that was responsible for restoring an old building in San Francisco. 
When it was suggested that we needed to check with the local inspector, some members pointed out that this was unwise, because of the problems that would result. A couple of us responded, "But we must be honest!" They replied, "Yes, but we must be practical, as we are in our business."

The problem with pragmatism isn't the practice in and of itself. The problem is what this kind of approach to life says about our view of God and our relationship to Him.

When considering pragmatism, we must ask if we truly trust the Lord. By our actions are we not demonstrating we believe we can solve our problems by depending on our own wisdom instead of God's? Are we not valuing the world's supposed wisdom above spiritual wisdom? "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise" (Psalm 111:10). Pragmatism is nothing more than lack of trust in God and focuses on our own desires rather than His will!

If pragmatism is the analysis of problems with no input from the spiritual perspective, then it isn't an option available to the believer. Our decisions must be made from the perspective of what God wants of us in our specific situation.

We have two responsibilities within the Christian walk. First, we are called to glorify God. "Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above" (Psalm 148:1). Second, we are called to make disciples. "Yeshua came and talked with them (the disciples). He said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make people from all nations into talmidim (disciples), immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember! I will be with you always, yes, even until the end of the age'" (Matthew 28: 18-20). 

How effectively are we glorifying God? How effectively are we making talmidim, if our approach to life is pragmatic? How are we showing our faith in Him if there is no discernible difference in our walk versus the walk of unbelievers?

As I was pondering the advice received concerning my job situation, the Lord brought one major issue to mind. I had been praying that if He wanted me to take on a part-time job, He would find me just the right one. How could I expect Him to answer my prayers if I chose to take actions that were dishonest and would not honor Him? The answer was obvious: I couldn't!  And so the Lord provided a job where all my friend's perceived negatives were the basis of my being hired. Praise The Lord!

Let us step back and review how we approach the difficulties of life. Is our response one of pragmatism or is it one of seeking the will of the Lord? Let us remember that we are here to glorify God and live accordingly! "And This is the message which we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him - none!

If we claim to have fellowship with him while we are walking in the darkness, we are lying and not living out the truth. But if we are walking in the light, as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of his Son Yeshua purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1: 5-7)
SCUD Warnings
SCUD Warnings by Jerry Johnson
S piritual
 C ounterfeits
  U ndermining
   D octrine

W A R N I N G S


EXTRA! EXTRA!

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Sin is OK, accountability isn't, and it's not your fault anyway!

There are probably a few of you out there who already know what or, to be more succinct, who I'm talking about. Quite recently, for the second time in as many years, a famous televangelist was caught in the hired company of a prostitute. What was most fascinating to me is that just a day or two after he stepped down from his pulpit, he returned saying that it was OK for him to go back to preaching because God told him he "had just had a bad day" and that if anyone were to ask him about the incident he was to tell them "it's flat none of your business." Finally, a couple of days later, he stated that he was stepping down for a while because demons had overtaken him on that occasion and he couldn't help himself.

Right.

I am sympathetic toward those who struggle with addictions of any form, but not very patient with those who change the rules to try to gain a no stick finish and therefore having nothing messy cling. 

Sorry, but I'm a self-declared expert on my own sin nature and sin is never OK. God always requires accountability, and I'm always at least substantially at fault - regardless of who or what is pressuring me - I am the one who yields. (Yes, your honor, I confess! I was the one who ate the last ding-dong.)

Now, this column is not going to be a diatribe against televangelists (OK, OK, its not going to continue to be a diatribe), but that televangelist is an excellent example of what happens when you get "John Wayne in the Pew."

It has been a natural tendency of Christians throughout nearly 2,000 years of church history to try to assimilate their culture and their Christianity, and in doing so, some cultural values are elevated to the status of doctrine. Some of the earliest cases of this are seen in the Judaizers who wanted to keep Christianity tied to Jewish law, and those of Greek philosophical persuasion who wanted to carry their gnostic dislike for the flesh into Christianity. The trouble is Greek philosophy and Christianity were SO incompatible that the attempt at blending them resulted in the heresy that Jesus and "the Christ" were separate entities. It would be interesting to see if there was a relationship between America's Manifest Destiny doctrine and the missions movement... off hand, I don't know.

But, I digress, and quite often, I must admit. It is my personal belief that the American evangelical church, with a few notable exceptions, has also allowed a cultural value to so embed itself into our expression of faith, that it has actually weakened the church by leaving out an integral part of the checks and balances system that God intended for the church:

Submission

OH NO! NOT THE "S" WORD! - Yes, the dreaded "S" word. We Americans are both so individualistic and proud of our individualism, I know I tend to be, that we've let a general "nobody's gonna tell me what to do, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Rambo attitude" inculcate itself into our relationship with God, fellow believers and our church.

And yes, literally, parenthetically, there is the opposite approach very evident in small "heavy shepherding" groups all over. These groups instill a sense of only corporate personality and responsibility and we'll discuss them and the inevitable "papal infallibility" claims of their leaders in a future column.

If we look honestly at scripture, and honestly at most Christians and most churches, it is pretty clear that submission has gotten either a bad rap, or been functionally ignored in most cases. So, why, when something is so simply and clearly defined in scripture is it so simply and clearly avoided.

Well, first, let's see who we are supposed to submit to:

1) God: Ephesians 5:24, Hebrews 12:9, James 4:7

2) Governmental authorities: Romans 13:1 & 5, Hebrews 13:17, I Peter 2:13, Titus 3:1

3) Other believers: I Peter 5:5, Ephesians 5:21, I Corinthians 16:16

4) Church authorities: Acts 16:4, Hebrews 13:17

5) Elders: I Peter 5:5

6) Wives to husbands: I Peter 3:1 & 5, Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18 (Notice, its not all women to all men.)

So, what's so tough about submitting to those people?

When's the last time you took a close look at politicians, some church leaders, your bosses and some of your fellow believers?! 

The simple reality is, we don't want to submit to these people because we feel we can't really trust them. In fact, to be honest, often we probably feel that THEY don't submit to anyone and we've got it together more than they do, so why in the world would we want to trust their judgment?

The biggest, and the most integral, part of this problem is that we often feel that same distrust toward God.

Sorry, but let's be honest. Our sin nature is generally compelling us to stay in charge of our lives and Satan tries to continually tell us that God is going to take away the stuff we value and lead us into too much discomfort. And the simple fact is, if we've based our life on ourselves and the beliefs of this world, God will try to take away what keeps us from conforming to Christ and that process will tend to be uncomfortable.

The reason that submission is so tough to consider is not the fact that we do not trust the people that we are to submit to, it is that we do not believe God is in charge of the process. After all, if we were thoroughly convinced that God was intimately and integrally involved with our lives (see Romans 8:28), then we could relax in the knowledge that whoever we may have to submit to, God can use that person and the situations that are created to conform us to the image of Christ.

"But you don't know that boss that I would have to submit to...he's a tyrant!"

As a point of perspective: In the epistles, when it says to submit to the king, that king was Nero of Rome, who used to light the roads to his orgies with the burning bodies of believers. As scripture repeatedly states, it's no big deal if you respond well to someone who treats you well, the world can generally pull that one off, but to respond in love and submission to those who mistreat you is true testimony of someone acting TOTALLY out of the realm of "normal."

One of the most startling examples of someone trusting God when they had no human reason to is Job. He lost his family and his possessions, his wife was a pain in the neck and his friends a pain in the posterior and then, in Job 13:15, he makes a radical statement: "Yeah, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him."  Now that is trust!

The "secret" to submission is really pretty basic. In the church, the people are to submit to each other and the leaders, who in turn submit to their board and/or elders, who are comprised, in turn, of congregation members. It works best when everyone is accountable to someone else. With bosses and the government, we are to submit, being an example of Christ. We do all these things, NOT because we trust the people in charge, but because we believe that God loves us so much that He is involved in our daily lives and He is the one we choose to trust. 

We do not submit to man, we submit to God and it shows in the way we relate to others.

Next time: Self Esteem Theology
Prayer Guidelines
Prayer by Guinn Jenkins
PRAYER
By Guinn Jenkins (Excerpted from The Home Educator's Examiner, Lawrenceville, Georgia.)

It has been especially delightful to me to witness the offering up of prayers from the sweet voices and hearts of young children.

As soon as a child can talk. he can pray.

Our children learned to give thanks to the Lord, pray when afraid, pray when hurt, pray when sad, pray when sick, pray for others with all the same needs, pray over all meals.

Whatever the problem or need, the solution was prayer and thanks to the Lord for the answer. They also learned that God would answer in the way He knew best.

Here are a few dos and don'ts in teaching children to pray:

Do encourage them to talk to Jesus as a real person who loves them and wants to hear them.

Do help them to express their prayers in their own words.

Do help them to recognize answers to prayers that the Lord has specifically provided.

Do pray with them often at mealtimes, during family devotion times, before classes. before tests, and during their own special times with the Lord. Any time is a good time to pray.

Do give them an example of prayer to follow. Remember, your children may not remember what you say, but they will always imitate what you do.

Don't demean their prayers in any way.

Don't teach them to memorize prayers that they learn to repeat mechanically. This can become what Jesus called 'vain repetition." (Instead teach them to memorize Scripture.) Prayer can easily lose meaningfulness when learned to be repeated by rote.

Don't allow other things to take priority over time for prayer with and for your children.

Children can pray, and pray effectively. Teach them that prayer is building a relationship instead of ''laying themselves down to sleep." It is a delight rather than a duty. Someone very special wants to hear from them personally.

The preceding article was from the April/May 1991 edition of THE TEACHING HOME. Copyright 1991 By The Teaching Home. (Used with permission from The Teaching Home)

Christian Life Department
People Profile
People Profile
Morning Star Senior Editor, Teresa Giordanengo, conducted this interview with Thelma Scott and Murray Scott of Memphis, Tennessee. She had the privilege of spending a very enjoyable evening with Mr. and Mrs. Scott when she was in Memphis last May.

Thelma:

Education : BS and MED plus 45 hours, Memphis State University. Experience: 33 years, classroom teacher. 2 years, coordinator Memphis ACOT. Professional Organizations: Life Member of National Education Association, Tennessee Education Association, Memphis Education Association, Beta Gamma Chapter, Delta Kappa Gamma, Kappa Delta Pi, Honor Society. Honors: Recipient, Delta Kappa Gamma Scholarship Who's Who in American Education, 1988-1989.

Murray:

Education : BS and MED plus 45 hours, Memphis State University. Experience: 30 years, classroom teacher. 2 years, high school principal. 3 years, elementary school principal. Professional Organizations: Member of National Education Association, Tennessee Education Association, Memphis Education Association.

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Teresa: Thelma, you have been involved in the teaching profession for many years. What influenced you in becoming a teacher? 

Thelma: You must remember that when I was selecting my occupation, there were not as many options available for women as there are now. Perhaps the one factor that influenced me most was the fact that my mother had been a teacher. I cannot remember when I first decided to become a teacher. As far back as I can remember, I had always wanted to be a teacher. I can remember as a small child, perhaps first or second grade, I would teach my dolls and my younger brother and sisters.

Teresa: Murray, likewise, you have been teaching for many years. Why did you choose the teaching profession?

Murray: I had no idea that I would ever become a teacher. I was majoring in business in college. A relative of mine who was on the school board, where there was a shortage of teachers, asked me to accept a position. At that time, you could receive a teachers certificate after only two years of college education.  I was also encouraged by the late president of the University of Tennessee, Dr. Andy Holt. It did not take long in the classroom for me to decide that teaching was the place where I felt perhaps I could make a difference. I then finished my degree in education by attending night classes and continued until I finished my masters degree and even 45 hours beyond in the field of education.

Teresa: Thelma, as a parent yourself, what changes have you seen in the classroom that is a direct result of today's changed home atmosphere and lifestyle?

Thelma: The greatest change is lack of parental involvement.  When I first began my teaching career, parents were involved in the educational process. Today, parents are concerned, but there are so many factors that prevent parental involvement. Single parent homes, two parent careers, outside influences such as television, upward trend of our mobile society are just a few factors that have caused major changes in the educational process.

Teresa: Murray, looking back in history, we have become more educated and our curriculum has changed so much. What has been the greatest contributing factor for this constant change?

Murray: Probably the greatest contributing factor is our changing society. We are constantly attempting to meet the demands of society. Every invention means another change in education. As knowledge doubles, education must change in order to meet its demands.

Teresa: Murray, is there a rule-of-thumb that a student can follow today as a guide in determining how much education he/she needs in order to survive in today's world?

Murray: There is really no rule-of-thumb. The best advice anyone could give would be that the student needs all the education that they can achieve. When we are teaching students, especially those in elementary school, we are working without knowing what will be needed when they will be ready for the world. When I was in elementary school, who would have thought I would have ever been sitting in my home chatting via computer with people across the nation. I even remember asking what a MODEM was, since I have been teaching. Our knowledge is growing so fast there is no way to know what is going to be needed in the next ten years. If I had that knowledge, I would make a fortune.

Teresa: Thelma, How does the United States student compare in the test scores with other countries and why? 

Thelma: You cannot really compare the test scores of our country with those of other countries. You must realize that in the United States, we educate ALL children, not a select few. There are laws that require students to attend school until they reach a certain age. This is not the norm for other countries. Since all test scores are lumped together, we cannot make an accurate parallel.

Teresa: Thelma, what do you think of the current trends in education in our country vs. the past?

Thelma: Education is actually better now in many ways than it has ever been before. We always look back to the "good ole days", but do we really want to return? What we really want is the best of all the worlds. There is so much more to learn now than there ever has been before. Think of the knowledge that has been accumulated in the last fifty years. Perhaps our students today know as much or even more than students did at that time, but their knowledge is not concentrated in just the 3-Rs as it was at one time. When I was in elementary or even high school, my teachers would not have known about computers and telecommunications, but today students use these as tools in education. 

Teresa: Murray, you are currently teaching for the America OnLine Network System. I was your student online and I enjoyed your History Class very much and I learned a great deal! Anyone who subscribes to America OnLine can be a part of this educational program. Please tell us about this wonderful learning experience.

Murray: Yes, it was certainly a pleasure having you in my American History Course, and I might add, you were a very good student. Your contribution and input made my teaching very enjoyable. I never dreamed when I was teaching you that you would be visiting in our home here in Memphis. Both Thelma and I remember that evening with pleasure.

America Online offers many educational opportunities. At the present we have approximately eighty teachers from across the nation with a variety of educational background and training who are teaching over seventy-five different courses this term. You can study anything from Photography to Calculus by enrolling in courses here online. If you have a need that is not met, then leave a message and a teacher will be found to teach your particular request.

Teresa: Murray, what are some of the different courses available on line; how does a student access them, and what is the possibility of earning a degree online in the future?

Murray: We really have a broad spectrum of courses in the Interactive Education Services online . It amazes me that we have as many courses available for a student to select!! Some of the different courses are English and Languages,  Mathematics, Social Sciences and History, Natural Sciences,  Computer Science: Hardware and Operating Systems, Computer Science: Applications and Software, Computer Science:  Programming, Arts and Professions. There are others available and the student may find a complete listing by downloading the catalog that is found in the Interactive Education Services, selecting registration. Keyword: IES. Students must register for a course in order for them to access the room where instruction is given. 

There are no plans just now for a student to earn a degree online, but who can predict the future? Perhaps in a few years some college will grant credit for courses given online. Certainly many of the teachers who are teaching online are certified to teach college level courses.

Teresa: Murray, what is possibly on the horizon for future education via the modem?

Murray: The future for education via the modem is unlimited. I observed a group of students on a field trip in Arizona one day who were sending information back to their classrooms and securing additional data from research resources as they conducted onsite experiments. When they were unable to identify specimens they were observing, their classmates in the classroom did the research and relayed the information via the modem. The interaction was great.

Teresa: Murray, I understand that America OnLine has some of the finest teachers on staff. Please tell us how this has come about.

Murray: We must give credit for the excellent staff to our Interactive Education Services Coordinator, Mark Hulme.  Applications are submitted to him and screening is done. He has done a superb job in coordinating and leading this part of the educational arena of America Online.

Teresa: Murray, soliciting homework help from the teachers online in a given subject is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn. Please tell us how this is possible and also about the GED program available.

Murray: We offer homework in practically every subject available. There is a "Teacher Pager" in operation where a student may leave a request for help. These requests are relayed to a teacher familiar with that area of education. For example, suppose a student would like help with American History. When I sign online, I get the request and immediately either locate the student online, or send E-Mail setting a time to meet and discuss the material. 

Besides the "Teacher Pager", we also have scheduled "Academic Assistance" each evening. The schedule is listed under the keyword: IES. For example, Tuesday evening, at 9:00 PM EST, I assist students who need help in SAT, ACT, and GED Preparation. I also help in these subjects at 10:00 PM EST on Wednesday evening. There are others who are available for a variety of subjects at various times.

Teresa: Thelma, you are involved with the Apple Classroom of Tomorrow. Please tell us what this is all about.

Thelma: ACOT stands for Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow. This is a research project sponsored by the Apple Computer Corp. in cooperation with various school boards across the nation. ACOT's mission is to change the way people think with and use technology for learning. 

Teresa: Thelma, how are you involved in the Apple Classroom of Tomorrow?

Thelma: I have served in several roles in ACOT. I taught the first classroom in Memphis, TN. I then served as coordinator for two years, assisting the teachers and acting as a liaison between the classroom and the ACOT offices in Cupertino, California. I now work with the ACOT telecommunication project giving technical assistance to the ACOT accounts on AOL.

Teresa: Finally, Thelma, is there any last point you would like to leave with our readers?

Thelma: Our education system has a multitude of problems. In order for it to improve the citizens of our nation need to support the teachers, students, and leaders. A word of encouragement will always gain more than criticism. Try encouraging those students you know. Show your appreciation to the teachers. Show that there is really someone who cares.

Teresa: Murray, is there any final thought you would like to leave with our readers? 

Murray: I would like to encourage the readers of this publication to be aware of the many opportunities available on America Online. Remember that education is an ongoing process and a debt due from one generation to another. 

Thelma and I would like to express our appreciation to Terri for permitting us to participate in this educational issue of "Morning Star".
Education
Christian Education by Donald O'Hare
Christian Education
by Donald O'Hare
Central Christian Academy
Houston, Pennsylvania

In any school system, the most important questions that must be answered are, "What is being taught," and "Why is it being taught?"

Christian education seeks to teach God's eternal truths and how to apply these truths to ones life. The following statements enable us to answer these two questions from a Biblical perspective. This list is only a partial and non-inclusive of any subjects, but we hope this will give you an idea about the real "nuts and bolts" of Christian education.

I. A BEDROCK FOR EDUCATION - GOD'S TRUTH

A. For the Christian, all avenues of knowledge stem from God and are interpreted in the light of His nature and works.

B. Knowledge is defined as an acquaintance with an understanding of, and a clear perception of truth.

C. The Bible pictures God as the source of all life and truth.  "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  Genesis 1:1 

D. Any truth which comes to man must be an expression of the nature of God.

E. God's truth is revealed in several ways:

1. General Revelation - through creation - Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:20

2. Special Revelation - in Scriptures - Hebrews 1:1,2, Psalm 119:105, 130; In the Son - Colossians 2:3,9, John 14:9, 8:12

3. Man and Truth - There is earthly wisdom - I Cor. 1 and 2, James 3:15

II. THE GREAT COMMISSION - Matthew 28:19

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."

A. Most subjects taught in a Christian school should point to and undergird this mandate.

III. TAKING DOMINIONS - Genesis 1:28

"And God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the seas, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth'."

A. The Christian school seeks to equip the student with God's truth, understand his purpose for being, and exercise his authority over Satan and God's creation.

IV. READING

A. "In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." Hebrews 1:1-3

B. God is a communication God. He created man to communicate with himself and his fellow man.

C. God gave us His word that He might speak to us through the Bible, "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17

D. The primary purpose of reading is to decode the written Word of God. Deuteronomy 17:19, Matthew 4:4.

E. Illiteracy is a bondage that enslaves man, reading sets men free and gives hope. Romans 15:4, John 8:32

F. Objectives for reading at Central Christian Academy:

1. The student will be taught by a phonics based method, which will enable him to decode words and slowly begin the reading process. Early success inspires natural curiosity.

2. Parents are educated as to the importance of growing a strong reader. They are encouraged to read to their child at an early age.

3. Students are introduced to good quality books to help develop a hunger to read.

4. Each student will show proficiency in decoding skills, comprehension, study skills, vocabulary and critical reading.

5. These reading skills will be applied to other curricular areas.

V. WRITING

A. God created man for communication with Himself and with His fellow man. Writing is a powerful tool to influence people.

B. God wrote the Commandments. Exodus 31:18

C. Written records help us to know the past. Psalm 102:18

D. The Great Commission is being fulfilled by able Christians who can communicate the written Gospel to others. 

E. Learning Outcomes

1. The student will realize that the ability to write is a gift of God, to be used for His glory.

2. The student will desire to write well in all situations.

3. Students will write neat and have good form in all written work.

4. The student will demonstrate an appreciation for good handwriting.

5. Students will compose essays, compositions, and research on various subjects.

6. Students will be able to express written thought to meet practical requirements of life.

7. The student will be able to express his personal thoughts and feelings by writing.

8. The Holy Spirit helps students to improve their writing skills with much practice.

9. Writing skills will be applied in all subjects.

VI. SPELLING

A. Words of truth must be written correctly. Ecclesiastes 12:9, 10

B. Ideas can be communicated through proper spelling. I Corinthians 14:33

C. Students will be able to spell the most frequently used words. 

D. Students will demonstrate correct spelling in all written communication.

E. Students will be familiar with the use of a dictionary to determine correct spelling.

VII. ENGLISH GRAMMAR

A. Biblical Background

1. Language must be logical and consistent with reality. Philippians 4:8

2. Language must be with grace, manifesting the grace that dwells within us. Colossians 4:6

3. Language must be seasoned with salt. Colossians 4:6

4. Language must be pure, free from filth and smut. Ephesians 4:29

B. Learner Outcomes

1. The student will use correct punctuation, capitalization in written communication.

2. Students will understand sentence structure and how sentences fit together.

3. Students will develop a Christian philosophy of communication skills stemming from God's revelation of His Word.

4. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the research process including the use of the Library. 

5. Students will be able to utilize basic fundamentals of speech making.

C. Values of English

1. Affects the students knowledge of all other subjects.

2. Affects the degree one may succeed or fail in life.

3. Assists one to think more clearly and work more fruitfully each day.

4. The student will have greater skill in Christian living and service. VIII. MATHEMATICS

A. The study of math points to a changeless God. It shows that God is a God of order. Exodus 25, 8, 9, 40; Exodus 30: 7-9; Genesis 6:14-16

B. God is concerned with accuracy in weight, measurement, and numbers. Leviticus 19:35-36; Deuteronomy 25:13-16; Proverbs 20:10,23

C. The study of math shows an unchangeable God. Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8

D. Learner Outcomes

1. The student will master the basic computation skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

2. The student will understand place value.

3. The student will have a knowledge of mathematical formulas.

4. The student will understand and apply concepts of distance and measurement.

5. The student will be proficient in solving word problems that apply to every day life.

6. The student will demonstrate an understanding of basic concepts by using 3-dimensional objects.

7. The student will understand simple principles of basic algebra.

IX. SCIENCE

A. The Bible teaches the validity of searching for truth and of using nature as a part of this search. Matthew 6:26-30

B. Man has been given a mandate to have dominion over nature. Genesis 1:26; Psalm 8:6

C. Science validates testimony as a vehicle for the attainment of truth. Matthew 6:26-30

D. The study of science should give the student an awareness of the unity of all knowledge and of Jesus Christ as the integrating center of truth.

E. A study of God's creation reveals God Himself. Psalm 19:1; Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 103:22 F. Sin has had a destructive effect on nature and man's ability to read God's revelation in nature has been impaired.

G. The new creation will culminate the plan of God, there will be a new heaven and a new earth.

H. Learner Outcomes

1. The student will realize that he is a steward over God's creation.

2. The student will be able to refute evolution by studying its fallacies.

3. The student will be able to substantiate creation by scientific evidence.

4. The student will be able to integrate God's principles in the study of His creation. 5. The student will develop a greater appreciation for the Creator by studying His creation.

6. The following areas will be thoroughly studied:

a. plants b. animals c. solar system d. astronomy e. anatomy f. famous men of science g. weather h. physics i. machines j. geology k. conservation l. scientific method m. experimentation n. sound o. light p. air pressure

X. HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

A. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I Cor. 6:19

B. Our bodies should honor Christ. Philippians 1:20

C. The body should be preserved. I Thessalonians 5:23

D. Adherence to God's Word brings health to the flesh. Proverbs 3:7, 8

E. Learner Outcomes

1. The student will realize that good nutrition is a mandate from God.

2. The student will strive to magnify Jesus in his body.

3. The student will demonstrate proper care of his body.

4. The student will realize that fearing the Lord and fleeing from evil will bring physical strength. Proverbs 3:7, 8

XI. BIBLE

A. God's Word is authoritative and absolute, it is the source of Christian doctrine. Psalm 119:89; Psalm 119:160; John 8:31, 32

B. The Bible is the Creator's manual for living. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Psalm 119:105

C. The Bible teaches that God has revealed himself through nature (Psalm 19:1) and man's conscience (Romans 2:14-16)

D. A structured program of Biblical studies will produce the following:

1. A deeper personal relationship with Christ.

2. Growth into christian maturity.

3. An ability to interpret the Word correctly.

4. A Christian theistic world view.

5. A life of consecrated Christian service.

E. God's greatest message is His Son's coming to earth, dying for our sin, being raised from the dead and coming again in judgment. Hebrews 1:1-3; John 1:14; Revelation 22:12

F. Learner Outcomes

1. The student will develop a Christian world view.

2. The student will appreciate the place of the Bible in his spiritual growth.

3. The student's personality will be deepened and enriched emotionally and intellectually.

4. The student will have an understanding of the historical significance of the Bible.

5. The student will have a "measuring stick" to test all truth by God's principles.

6. A structured system of memorizing Bible scripture will be implemented so each student will have God's Word hidden in his heart.

7. The student will be able to "give an account" by being able to articulate the Gospel to the unbeliever.
Ministry Profile (Part 1)
Ministry Profile (Part 1)
In this month's edition of Ministry Profile we feature two articles from THE TEACHING HOME, a magazine for Christian home schooling. Our special thanks goes to Sue Welch, Editor of THE TEACHING HOME, for giving MORNING STAR permission to use this material.
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THE TEACHING HOME

One of Your Most Valuable Home-School Resources!

The Teaching Home is a 64-plus page, bimonthly magazine devoted to a Christian perspective of home education. A state newsletter is included at no extra cost for participating states.

Approximately 75 Advertisers offer you valuable materials and services in each issue. Get a veritable resource directory six times a year of the newest and best available to you.

Our Special Section provides an in-depth treatment of a different topic in each issue. Gain from the practical how-tos that challenge, guide, and stimulate your thinking and teaching. You'll find that it's like a minicourse in teaching that topic.

Home-School Sampler shares selected articles from nearly 200 newsletters. Glean down-home" ideas and helps proven by home educators from all around the country.

Teaching Tips is our new 3-page feature. Pick up practical and innovative ideas that you can put into immediate use in specific areas of your own home teaching.

Our readers' favorite section is the Letters. Identify with the joys, trials, and successes of home schoolers from around the world, and be inspired and encouraged.

Three News Sections keep you an informed part of the home-school community. Benefit from conventions and book fairs; pray and take part in political action.

THE TEACHING HOME
P.O. Box 20219
Portland, OR
97220-0219
Phone : (503) 253-9633
FAX   : (503) 253-7345
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COMMON ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL HOME EDUCATION

Certain factors are essential for successful Christian home education with whatever approach. curriculum, methods, or materials you use. Listed here are the major elements to incorporate into various phases of your family's own customized program of home education:

Biblical World View

All instruction is centered around and tested by God's Word.

Unity

Facts and concepts from all subjects are related to each other to present truth as a unified whole.

Mental Skills

Students learn how to think, reason, study, and learn.

Habits

Students develop good habits such as concentration, initiative, diligence, responsibility, and following instructions, thus developing important character qualities.

Balance

All facets of the student's life are provided for: spiritual, moral, mental, emotional, physical, and social.

Example

Parents model good character, habits, and enthusiasm for learning and minimize exposure to poor examples from outside the home.

Involvement

Parents are warmly involved with children in conversation, work, play, study, and all of life.

Understanding

Parents are sensitive to the child's readiness, learning style, abilities, and interests.

Motivation

Parents recognize, use. and even help create the child's curiosity. needs, and interests to motivate learning. Negative motivation (discipline) is appropriate for an unreasonable, self-defeating, and rebellious child.

Mastery

Students thoroughly comprehend concepts and are able to generalize from facts and apply principles.

Experiences

Children are exposed to and participate in a variety of real-life situations including work, service, and observation of nature and people, thus learning how academic knowledge fits into everyday living and perfecting various life skills.

Informality

A relaxed atmosphere of openness and flexibility encourages parent-child interaction and creativity.

Resources

The home is filled with quality reference, text. and library books; visual aids such as timelines, maps, and globes; manipulatives (real ones like coins and crayons are fine); educational games; and tools for working and creating.

Organization The household is run in an orderly manner; parents plan and/or record academic progress; forethought enables the family to include a variety of activities.

(The above article is from the April/May 1991 edition of THE TEACHING HOME. Copyright 1991 By The Teaching Home. Used with permission from The Teaching Home)
Ministry Profile (Part 2)
Ministry Profile (Part 2)
HOME SCHOOL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
By Sue Welch and Cindy Short Editors of THE TEACHING HOME

Why do families home school?

A Many Christian parents are committed to educating their children at home. Their underlying motivation is the conviction that this is God's will for them. They are concerned for the spiritual and character development, as well as the social and academic welfare, of their children.

Specific advantages have been expressed as follows:

1. Home schooling makes quality time available to train and influence children in all areas in an integrated way.

2. Each child receives individual attention and has his unique needs met.

3. Parents can control destructive influences such as various temptations, humanism, and negative peer pressure.

4. Children respect their parents as teachers.

5. The family experiences unity, closeness, and enjoyment of each other.

6. Children develop confidence and independent thinking away from the peer pressure to conform.

7. Children have time to explore and think.

8. Communication between age groups is enhanced.

9. Tutorial style education helps each child achieve his full potential.

10. Flexible scheduling can accommodate fathers' work and vacation times and allow time for many activities.


Q - Is home schooling legal?

A - Each state sets its own laws governing home education, and they vary considerably. Meeting the requirements of these laws may be as simple as informing the school district of your intent to home school and having your children tested or as complex as fulfilling requirements to become a private school .

New legislation is being proposed and considered in many states. It is important for you to work with your state and local organizations to aid the passage of favorable bills.

A list of home-school state organizations is included in the Home School Information book (see order form on page 3).

Constitutional rights to liberty and privacy under the 14th Amendment and the free exercise of religion under the First Amendment guarantee your rights in educating your children according to your convictions. However, lower courts have ruled inconsistently in applying these rights to home schooling.

We encourage you to comply with the law as far as your conscience will allow and then to seek an alternative. it necessary.

It is important to obtain a copy of your state's law pertaining to home education. Many legal problems can be avoided by being accurately informed and by using tact and respect in dealing with school authorities.

For prepaid legal defense and assistance, contact: Home School Legal Defense Association, Paeonian Springs VA 22129, (703) 882-3838. To qualify for membership, apply before you are contacted by any authorities regarding school attendance laws.

The Home School Information book (see order form) contains more general legal information.


Q - Are we as parents qualified to teach our children?

A - You know your own children better than anyone else and have the deepest love and concern for them.

You also have the most direct and longest-term responsibility for your children before God. God commands all parents to teach their children His Word, the most important thing they will ever learn (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7).

One-to-one tutoring of a child has many advantages over a classroom teacher trying to meet the needs of 25:30 individual children, all at different learning levels.

You do not need to know everything in order to teach. Your example and enthusiasm in learning with your children will motivate and encourage them far more than striving to appear as if you knew it all.

Carl Friedman, of the New York State Department of Education, was quoted in the Oct. 6, 1986, Wall Street Journal as saying that home schoolers are passing well above the norm. He believes that parental dedication and individual attention more than compensate for a lack of credentials.

Resources such as those listed below are available to give you on-the-job training.

Conventions, workshops, and book fairs at state, regional, and national levels provide practical instruction in teaching techniques unique to home instruction. Up-to-date information on these is a regular feature of THE TEACHING HOME.

THE TEACHING HOME magazine presents articles to inform, encourage, and educate you in home teaching.

State and local home-schooling support groups can greatly encourage and help you as ideas and information are exchanged .

God promises His wisdom in James 1:5-7 and assures you that He will supply your needs as you follow His leading: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."


Q - What materials are available?

A - Fine Christian materials developed for Christian schools are available to home educators. New materials are also being developed or adapted especially for use in the home.

The materials may be obtained in three basic ways:

You may order Christian texts and teaching aids directly from the publishers or through mail-order companies.

Home Extension: A home-extension program with your local Christian school or church has won support from many Christian leaders. The school provides all teaching materials, testing, and counseling.

Correspondence Courses: Materials, testing, and guidance also can be obtained through Christian correspondence courses.

A Basic Resource Guide listing educational materials and correspondence courses with descriptions and addresses is included in the Home School Information book.


Q - How much time does it take?

A - Home schooling takes a time commitment, but not as much as you might expect. One-to-one tutoring takes only a fraction of the time that is required in a full classroom.

The time requirement varies according to the methods used, the ages of the children, and how many children are being taught.

Academic instruction might begin with only one-half to one hour for the early grades and work up to two hours of instruction and another one to one and one-half hours of independent study for upper grades.

Most correspondence courses state that their work can be completed in four hours per day.


Q - How can we teach several children at once? 

A - Subjects such as Bible, science, and history that are not dependent on prerequisite skills can be taught to several grade levels together.

Lessons can be presented in an amplified manner using parenthetical explanations which enable all levels to comprehend.


Q - What about socialization?

A - This is perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of home schooling.

Popular opinion assumes that children need long periods of interaction with a large group of peers to acquire social skills. Some child-rearing authorities, however, believe extensive peer contact at an early age causes peer dependency and low self-image.

James Dobson says, "I have seen kids dismantle one another, while parents and teachers stood passively by and observed the 'socialization' process. I've seen the socialization theory in action, and it doesn't hold much water."

On the other hand, godly principles of interaction can be reinforced when children play under supervision in the home with another Christian family who holds similar values.

You can help your children build and maintain lasting Christian friendships with people of all ages.

Some advantages of freedom from peer pressure can be: self-confidence, independent thinking, the ability to relate to people of all ages, and better family relations.

In our busy culture, it is not hard to provide enough "socialization" for a child through neighborhood, church, and family friends.

Articles on this socialization issue are included in the Home School Information book (see order form).


Q -What about special interests?

A - A wealth of experiences outside the home can supplement and enrich home teaching.

Unlimited possibilities abound for field trips that individual families or groups can take. These provide valuable in-the-field learning laboratories.

Specialized classes are often available through parks, museums, art schools, or private lessons. Church and community teams may offer various sports opportunities.

Sometimes Christian schools will allow home-schooled students to participate in music or athletic activities or special classes such as courses in computer science.

Abundant opportunities for service to others can be found.

In all, there are actually more enrichment activities, and time in which to do them, available for home-taught students than for those in school .


Q - Should Christian children be left in school to witness?

A - Young children are more likely to be influenced by the majority than to be a testimony to them. Children are prone to accept their peers' and teachers' values over those of their parents.

Dr. Paul A. Kienel, president of The Association of Christian Schools International, says, "As Christians and loyal Americans, we need to be sensitive to the problems of the public schools. But sending our children to the public schools to rectify the situation is not the answer. Our first concern should be the preservation of our children. The nurture and training of our children is more important than preserving the local public school. The Scripture says, 'But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel' (I Timothy 5 :8).

"While it is inappropriate for us to use our children to save the public schools, it is indeed appropriate for mature Christian adults to influence for good all areas of our society, including public education."


Q - Are home-schooled students accepted into college?

A - Home-educated students have fared well in college.

Many colleges and universities will accept a student on the results of a standardized test. One year at a community college will also establish a transferable academic record. GED or state proficiency tests are available, if necessary, for employment.


Q - What are some difficulties in home schooling?

A - The following are common difficulties and suggested solutions.

Lack of confidence: At first, you may lack confidence in choosing materials and methods, doubting your ability to teach. With experience, you will gain confidence.

Fear of being unable to work with your own children: Parents who do not have their children's respect will have trouble getting their cooperation. Gaining their respect through proper discipline, training, and example should be a parent's top priority, whether or not they are home schooling. Home schooling can provide the incentive and optimum setting to accomplish this.

What the Bible Says About Child Training by Richard Fugate develops and makes application of this concept.

Inadequate time and energy: Home teaching requires a considerable investment of time and energy, especially by mothers. Good organization and self discipline will help ensure a well-run household. Children can be trained to help with the cooking, laundry, and household chores.

Lack of commitment: Families who are home schooling only for convenience or because of a fad may soon drop out unless they develop the conviction that home schooling is best for their
family and is God's will for them.

Social pressure: Pressure from well meaning friends or relatives can be a real deterrent. Make a well-informed decision and then stand on your convictions. More information and a loving attitude often help others understand and accept God's leading for the home schooling family.

Financial investment: Costs of materials or programs vary considerably, but are always less expensive than a private school .


Q - How do we get started?

A - Before beginning to teach your children, you and your mate should agree on your decision to home school.

Then you should learn of your state's laws governing home education and make arrangements to comply.

Choose one of the options I listed under "What materials are available?" on previous page. If you choose to select your own materials, you may either order textbooks for the desired grade levels or set your own academic goals and obtain appropriate materials.

Each family determines how many hours per day and days per week they will devote to their studies. Vacations can be scheduled monthly, quarterly, or annually. Divide the material to be covered in one year into units and set target dates for their completion.

Re-evaluation and experiments with different materials and methods can take place continuously, and adjustments can be made as you and your children learn to work together.

Throughout this educational process you will, of course, want to give top priority to your children's spiritual and character development.

Your child begins from birth to learn many important and interesting things from you as you read and talk to him and include him in your work and play. You can continue to teach him until he leaves home, introducing new material according to his progress and readiness.

Home schooling is a way of life in which the home is the center of life and learning In this unique way! you as parents can experience your responsibility to bring your children up in the nurture and admonition of the LORD.

(The above article is from the April/May 1991 edition of THE TEACHING HOME. Copyright 1991 By The Teaching Home. Used with permission from The Teaching Home)
Testimony
To Gain Eternity by Janette Kragen
Janette Kragen was born in Manilla, spent her early years in West Berlin and spent her teen and adult years in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a Messianic Believer, having become a Christian in her early twenties. Currently she lives in the Sacramento, California area with her husband, the Senior Editor of Morning Star's Biblical Department.

The following is her account of the journey to salvation, a journey which started half way around the world in the Philippines.
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TO GAIN ETERNITY
by Janette Kragen

God planted the first seeds of spiritual awareness very early in my life. At the age of five, I began formal instruction in the Catholic church and attended parochial school. At that time, only clergy were authorized to read and interpret the Scriptures. Lay members used a simple prayer book during mass.

I remember having a persistent longing to get closer to God, to know Him more intimately. When I approached one of the nuns, she replied gently: "Child, your desire is commendable. But, God is so busy with serious problems, like wars, famine, and people who are dying every day, He simply doesn't have time to talk to a little girl".

In spite of this discouragement, I did not give up. In catechism class, we learned that God is aware of every sin we commit. Every sin is recorded in a book to be revealed on Judgment Day. Although this teaching generated yet more guilt and fear, I remained fascinated with the concept of a Creator Who had made such a beautiful world. I longed to communicate with Him in a meaningful way.

A girlfriend invited me to go to a different Sunday School in another part of town. At first, I was reluctant, expecting to be struck with lightning if the nuns ever found out I was going to a non-catholic event. But, I went anyway. This was different from any other Sunday School I had ever attended. The meeting was held in a home. The lady of the house welcomed us like we were honored guests, and served us a beautiful breakfast on her finest white tablecloth.

During the following hour, as I heard about Jesus, I was entranced. The lessons were familiar, but the manner of presentation was unique to me. As this woman talked about Jesus, it was as though she knew Him personally, and loved Him dearly. During the days that followed, I could not forget that encounter. Could it really be possible to know God in a way that would bring joy and pleasure instead of fear and guilt?

I was unable to go back to see that lady, for my life was about to change drastically. My family left the Philippines and moved across the globe to West Berlin, Germany. To maintain a sense of familiarity in a totally new environment, I kept going to the Catholic church, although now I attended public schools. 

As a teenager, I was invited by friends to attend a tent revival on the outskirts of town. An American evangelist named Billy Graham was going to preach. During the post-war days, everyone in Berlin was crazy about Americans. The red and white-striped revival tent was so packed with people, it was bursting at the seams.

As the message went on, I became more and more upset. You see, the German interpreter was not translating Mr. Graham's words accurately! I remember the evangelist presented a clear salvation message, telling the crowd that the only way to eternal life was through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The translator did not convey this message in quite the same straightforward way. Although I do not remember the rest of the sermon, nevertheless on that day God planted His truth deeply into my heart.

When the Berlin wall went up in 1961, my mother and I moved to San Francisco. My father had passed away three years before.  Once again, the Catholic church became my anchor in a changing world. However, I felt no closer to God than before. By now I was in high school, at the age when many people question the spiritual values of their youth.

To this day, I can vividly recall the last mass I attended. As I watched the priest elevate the Host, I spoke to God in my heart: "I simply cannot accept this man, a fallible human being like me, as the proper intermediary between me and You, Lord. If there really is no other way I can approach you, then I must denounce my faith."

Suddenly the entire front of the church started to recede, getting smaller and smaller, as if I was looking through the wrong end of a telescope. When I left, I felt empty, yet strangely peaceful in my resolution.

Two months later I met a very special man in one of my college classes. One of the attributes that drew me to him was the strength of his faith in a loving Saviour who died for him. Well, this was familiar ground to me. I shared my decision to "break off with God". He responded by quoting a verse from the Bible, John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Wait a minute! Where had I heard those same words before? Yes, I remembered then that Billy Graham had quoted that same verse four years ago in Berlin.

In the weeks and months to come, we talked a great deal about God. One day, Geoff (who became my husband 4 years later) took me home to meet his family, and immediately I sensed something different about them. They welcomed me, a total stranger, into their home. I enjoyed a beautifully prepared meal and marveled at this close-knit family. When they spoke about Jesus, it was as though they knew Him intimately. I could not figure out why this whole scene was so familiar to me, until I remembered that special Sunday School teacher in the Philippines....

I started attending church. So much of what I had learned in my childhood came flooding back into my mind. Yes, even as a child I had been taught that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of mankind, but it remained an abstract concept until now. I finally realized that I was a sinner, i.e. was not following God, but going my own way. This sin had created a barrier between me and God. Because I was an imperfect human being, there was absolutely no way I could overcome that barrier, and therefore had to pay the penalty of death and eternal separation from God as a consequence of my sin.

However, God never stopped loving us, so He provided the only way we could be restored to an intimate relationship with Him.  God's only begotten Son took on human form, although He remained sinless. This sinless state made Jesus the perfect intermediary between God and man, because He possessed both godlike and human qualities! When he shed his blood on the cross, he paid God's penalty of death for all men.

As an individual, the only thing I had to do was approach Him, just as I was, and accept the perfect gift of Jesus' death on my behalf. I accepted this gift in February of 1965 and entered into God's family.

Has my life changed since I became a believer in Christ? The answer is a resounding YES. God tells us in the Scriptures that as soon as we become part of His family, we are instantly transformed into brand-new persons. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! " 2 Corinthians 5:17 God is telling us that, contrary to popular belief, we CAN start our lives over.

When Christ becomes a rock-solid reality in your life, so much will fall into place. For example, maybe you are searching for spiritual truth, and in doing so, have tried to read the Bible, but could not make any sense of it. Believe me, when you accept Christ, all of a sudden the Bible becomes dramatically clear to you. It doesn't take years of study or a seminary degree, because the Holy Spirit will not only be teaching you directly, but also guiding you in applying Scriptural principles to your new life.

Another exciting benefit: You will no longer fear death. Christians know without a doubt that when they die, they will be with God forever and reunited with their loved ones who have also accepted Jesus. For us, death will be a beautiful experience... like stepping out of a dark room into a sunlit garden.

Finally, a word of caution to those who are searching. Don't believe anyone who tells you that if you accept Christ, all your troubles will be over. THIS IS A LIE. Often, just the opposite can happen. We may be faced with a whole new set of problems. But if you choose Christ, you will never have to face your problems alone again. God is now your Father, and will always be there to help you and guide you. As His beloved child, you have continuous access to His presence, and no power on earth can keep you from Him. His love and commitment to you is eternal... there is no being or power in heaven, on earth or in any other realm who can separate you from God.

I could go on and on, but instead I would like to encourage you to accept Jesus as your personal Savior, and ask Him to take over your life. Why not do it right now? You have nothing to lose, and all eternity to gain!
Young Adults
It Was Then That I Carried You by Rick DeMarco
IT WAS THEN THAT I CARRIED YOU
by Rick DeMarco
Canonsburg,Pennsylvania
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Have you ever been in a crowded stadium with people shouting all around you, or walking down a busy city street, and felt totally alone? I think this is something that everyone experiences at one time or another. One thing I realize in life is that no matter who we are and no matter who our friends are, there are times we can feel so alone. Even as a Christian we can have these lonely feelings and it helps to know that the Lord cares for us and will carry us through. 

Please allow me to share with you a situation in my life that was the reason for this lonely feeling. One evening my dad and mom called our immediate family together to break the news that they were going to be divorced. The first feeling I felt was loneliness. I have two younger twin sisters who were clinging to me for consolation and answers. I was speechless and felt so completely alone when my mom left. We lived with my dad and kept in relatively close contact with our mom, but still there seemed to be a great distance between us. I still felt so alone in this broken home with my younger sisters. I had no idea that this was going to happen because our parents never alluded to the fact that there was anything wrong between them before this particular evening. 

My first thoughts at this time were that I would be deprived of a whole family unit and that I would not have the comfort of a home life that I had grown accustomed to. The sense of security and love that had surrounded me had simply dropped out from under me. Then I began having guilt feelings about the whole matter, that possibly I was to blame for one reason or another. I was at my lowest point and at the greatest level of loneliness of any time in my life. I had these feelings of guilt and depression for a long time.

This is when the Lord intervened and showed me how I was to deal with this circumstance in my life. I knew that the Lord would never leave me or forsake me, and that He would see me through anything that came my way, no matter how big or small. I knew that I had to put my faith and trust in Him.

The Lord helped me to know that I was not responsible for what had taken place between my parents. The Lord told me that this was just another step in life that together we could conquer. 
Every day He enlightened me just a little bit more as to how I was to deal with my emotions. It was a slow process because God was helping me a little at a time as He saw fit and as I was able to cope. He helped me to see through the guilt and depression.

I am not the type of person who will take a bad situation and keep it bottled up inside of me and look at it as something bad, but I felt that God wanted me to pull out my emotions, set aside the way that I felt, and concentrate on a solution that would result in something good for me and for others involved. Once I established the solution, I could take back my emotions knowing that God would never allow me to experience anything that I could not handle. Because God showed me this, I was able to answer some of the questions I had in my own mind concerning the divorce of my parents and my feelings of loneliness. I was able to deal with everyday circumstances and help my sisters understand and trust the Lord in all ways too. I believe that when we feel the loneliest, we are yearning for a closer relationship with the Lord and He will carry us over the rugged places. 
CFI Reports
CFI Reports
CFI REPORTS is our monthly column dedicated to the ministries of Christian Friends of Israel in Jerusalem. In this issue we feature two reports which concern praying for Israel. Anyone seeking more information on any of CFI's ministries should contact Toby Trudel, Editor in Chief of MORNING STAR and U.S. Distributor of material for Christian Friends of Israel.
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 THE WALL OF PRAYER

The Lord is calling believers to prayerfully support Israel in these crucial days and in the days ahead. Many nations will begin to experience severe judgment of God, not only because of the flagrant sin of our nations but because so many have chosen to abandon their support of God's ancient covenant people.

As WATCHMEN continue to pray and intercede, we need to keep pace with the boundless hatred and aggression of Israel's enemies within and without her borders. Israel will be vastly outnumbered by Arab countries when war comes. The 22 states of the Arab league have a land over 640 times the size of Israel. God is challenging all of us who love Israel to form a WALL OF PRAYER around His People.

HOW YOU CAN HELP BUILD THE WALL:

The Wall of Prayer will be built as the wall which Nehemiah undertook to rebuild in Jerusalem. Many builders (labourers in prayer), will commit to pray upon reading of this opportunity to "arise and build" the wall. (Nehemiah 2 :18) .

The laborers must be armed with the burden and the call to pray for Israel. Each brick in the wall will be a prayer group for Israel, a church or individual Christian who commits before the Lord to stand in the gap from now throughout the days of tribulation ahead. Obedience to God, the faith of Jesus in our hearts and the love for His Chosen People will be the brick and mortar which cements and binds us together around the world.

Many groups and individuals already pray for Israel. We are committed to firmly build the Wall of Prayer around Israel constructed by a pledge to pray for every city, to and village in the Land. Upon returning the Commitment Form to us, you will receive the name of the town or village in Israel to which you are assigned, along with a short synopsis of the history of that village or town and a map of Israel to locate where your town or village lies topographically. Our Prayer Coordinator will send you immediate the information you will need to begin specific praying.

In Jerusalem, on a pictorial wall, you will be a symbolic brick in the wall by your signing the commitment form. Your name, church or prayer group will be placed on the brick in the wall along with the name, city or town you have committed to pray for. This commitment to pray will be an ongoing commitment between you and the Lord. Your pledge to pray for your specific town, city, and village will be a great blessing especially to help carry Israel through in the crisis times ahead. We need enough prayer warriors to cover Israel including Jerusalem and the nation as a whole. 

We encourage you to use the WATCHMAN'S PRAYER LETTER as a guide for over-all prayer for the nation of Israel. Individual prayer for your town, city or village will help us to know that prayer is effectively going up around the world for Israel during the days ahead.

Will you help us build this wall of prayer worldwide - beginning today? We need to hear from you immediately as to your involvement.

"... and the people did according to the promise." (Nehemiah 5:13).

"... yea, also I continued in the work of the wall ..." (Nehemiah 5:16).

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COPY THIS WALL OF PRAYER CALL TO BUILD ... FOR CHURCHES, PASTORS, PRAYER GROUPS FOR ISRAEL, CONGREGATIONS AND ANYONE YOU KNOW THAT MAY PRAY FOR ISRAEL. WE NEED TO HAVE REPLIES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO GET THE TOWNS AND CITIES ASSIGNED.

If you would like to be involved with the Wall of Prayer, contact MORNING STAR at P.O. Box 7755, Nashua, NH 03060-7755 or contact Christian Friends of Israel directly:

1 Rechov Natan Hanavi - P.O. Box 1813, Jerusalem, 91015 Israel Telephone 972-2-894172, 894187; FAX: 972-2-894955 (Don't forget to mention MORNING STAR!)
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WATCHMAN'S PRAYER LETTER - DECEMBER 1991

PRAISE REPORTS

With the many economic, social, moral and political problems that Israel faces, let us lift our hands in praise unto God for where Israel has been a blessing to the nations in spite of these serious difficulties. "And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel and spread forth his hands toward heaven." (I Kings 8:22).

* PRAISE GOD that Israel has placed its know-how of development it has acquired and its ready assistance at the disposal of some 96 developing nations. "The integrity of the upright shall guide them ..." ( Proverbs 11:3).

* GIVE THANKSGIVING to God for the revival of national life in Israel which brought the world the values of peace, liberty and justice. These principals have been the very essence of faith in the Bible and its universal message of peace.

* LIFT UP HOLY HANDS for the help Israel gives her people wherever tyranny and persecution rages, and how she helps them to come home.

* SEEK GOD for Israel to receive her "new heart and new spirit" which God has promised to give when He takes them from among the nations. "For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land... and I will put my spirit within you ..." (Ezekiel 36:24, 26). "Then they will know that the Lord is in her midst. " (Joel 2: 27) .

If in the "peace" negotiations over the "final status" of dividing the Land, the Arabs are not granted sovereignty, Israel will have a new war on her hands with a coalition of Arab states. If, on the other hand, the Arabs do achieve reducing Israel to death-trap borders then, too, Israel will have a war on its hands. The tone of the language already used by the Arabs reflects the belief that they are already the spokesmen of an independent state of Palestine.

* CLAIM THE PROMISE of Almighty God that He will plead with the nations for Israel, His People, against the nations who sought to divide the Land. "I will gather all nations ... and will plead with them there for my People, and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land." (Joel 3:2)

* ASK GOD to hold back, if it is His Will, coalitions such as Syria, Iran and Iraq from attacking Israel should something go wrong with the peace talks at this time, in order that in His mercy, more may come to know His salvation through the Jewish Messiah. The back of Islam must be broken in order for God's Word to go forth.

* PLEAD WITH GOD against the enemys' plans to make Iran a mirror of what Hussein Iraq hoped to be in its war against Israel. "... the candle of the wicked shall be put out". (Proverbs 24:20).

* PRAY for a reduction and control of the large military force of tanks, MiG 29s and Sukhoi-24s capable of hitting Israel which Iran now possesses. Pray that foolish men will have their eyes opened to the insane race for the stockpiling of destructive weapons. Pray that the pride the Arab nations have in these weapons will be brought down. "He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction. " (Proverbs 17 :19) . 

* PRAY EARNESTLY that all Israel and all true Bible-believing Christians who love her will truly realize that no amount of weapons or human strength will preserve this nation in time of trouble but only the Mighty Hand of God. "The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord". (Proverbs 21:31).

* PRAISE HIM that His Almighty Hand will protect and keep Israel through the days ahead. "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand ... " (Exodus 33:22). "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning." (Psalm 137:5). "In whose hand is the soul of every living thing ... " (Job 12 :10). Goaded by the prospect of massive food shortages and crippling economic disruption, as many as 1.2  million Soviet Jews may flee to Israel in 1992, the Jerusalem Report recently stated. Food riots are possible in many locations and a general state of anarchy in the streets after dark is feared. Jews will be blamed for many of Russia's problems.

* PREVAIL WITH GOD for the 380,000 Soviet immigrants who have arrived since the fall of 1989. Unemployment is very high. Many are barely surviving on government loans and grants. 144,700 are seeking jobs . The hardest hit towns in Israel in unemployment are Mitze Ramon, Or Akiva, Ma'alot, Migdal Ha'emek, Karmiel and Yeroham. Lift them up individually as the Lord leads.

According to Baruch Gur, head of the Jewish Agency in the Soviet Union the number of Jews "sitting on their suitcases" is currently 1.2 million. In addition, 100,000 have already completed the necessary bureaucratic procedures for emigration to Israel. Problem locations in the USSR could spawn a precipitous immigration wave very quickly. In the end, the Lord will come against those who have persecuted His People. "... I will contend with him that contendeth With thee and will save thy children." (Isaiah 49:25).

* INTERCEDE for the Soviet Jews in Israel who feel "Israel does not have enough streets for us to sweep" and desire to return to Russia. Pray God puts deep into their hearts teachable spirits in that He has brought them back and that the "only safe place in the world today is in the Will of Almighty God". "Teach me to do thy will: for thou art my God: thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness." (Psalm 143:10).

* REJOICE for the American Jewry who are now turning to Jewish Agency emissaries in the United States for aliya related information. " ... Return, O Virgin Israel, return to your towns. How long will you wander ... " (Jeremiah 31: 21) .

WATCHMEN'S WORD: Remember: "THROUGH PRAYER you can go on far-reaching service for God and His People without leaving your home"

In Yeshua's Love, Sharon Sanders - Jerusalem
Praise and Prayers
Praise and Prayers
PRAISE REPORTS:

Wil from Missouri survived 500 aspirins and 3 boxes of sleeping pills five weeks ago in an effort to kill himself. He is almost fully recovered and needs salvation.

Sue from California thanks the Lord for patience that she never had before for her children.

Tory from New York thanks the Lord for allowing him to share with the youth who are new in Christ. Two young men who gave themselves to Christ about five months ago, were previously drug dealers. Now they are witnessing to others on the street and have brought a great number of people to their meetings to share in their newfound gift of life.

Kim from Pennsylvania to be qualified as a "Certified Labor Companion".

Troy and Joan in Colorado, whose marriage has been restored.

Marc from Illinois thanks God for answered prayer.

LAMB musical group from the U.S.A. have returned from their fifth successful concert tour of Israel. The people in Israel are open to their music and the message of the Lord.

A REALLY BIG PRAISE ... Our online brother, and MORNING STAR Publisher, Steve Paulovich (aka SteveBorg) was kept safe amidst a major car/truck highway pile up, on his way to work on Dec. 4, 1991. Traffic had come to a halt on the highway, and an 18 wheeler came from behind and could not stop in time. The truck crashed into the cars around him and even directly IN FRONT OF Steve, but missed him entirely! Thank you Lord Jesus!!

Praise the Lord for the opportunity to witness online.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Pray for Wayne and Betsy and their two daughters in N.J. for strength and encouragement from the Lord.

For the Morning Star online Magazine and Born Again Onliners room and for all who pass through.

Troy from Colorado needs his marriage restored.

Pray for Steve from New Hampshire and Lee from Rhode Island, that the Lord will see them through this situation in relation to their jobs. Pray that the Lord will protect them and help them to remain patient witnesses to His glory when confronted with darkness and hatred.

Garret from Virginia who has a cold and bronchitis and is a diabetic. He also needs prayer for his finances to continue his tithing and education.

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.

Pray for the salvation of El from California.

Sep from California requests prayer for the people who do too much and spread themselves too thin. May the Holy Spirit show them where to exert their energies.

For St.B's mother from Tennessee who needs the Lord's touch and protection from outside negative influences.

For Sue's church in California and all true churches, that we will love the Lord with all our hearts and look to Him only for guidance.

Jackie's sister from Alabama who will start chemotherapy for sinus and her mother who is having a test for an illness that she has had for over ten years. May the Lord give the Doctors wisdom and the answer to this long term illness. Pray also for their church, whose minister will be leaving January 1st, that the Lord will guide them in selecting the pastor who will serve and minister to them.

DA's friend from California in the hospital with MS and has been placed on a ventilator.

Lee's friends, Torin and Brian in Colorado, are in dire need of a job.

A quick recovery for Al's newborn son from Florida who has  Gastroesophagael Reflux and for the stress the parents are experiencing here. For Rob's grandfather in Pennsylvania who has leukemia.

Jack in Georgia wants a better prayer life and his father needs salvation.

Salvation for Strat from Ohio.

An evangelist has encouraged Fran's church in Illinois to have prayer meetings to increase their faith.

Our brother in Norway will be meeting with a Lutheran minister concerning homosexuality at noon (Eastern Standard) on December 6th. He requests prayer, especially on that day.

Elisha from Georgia needs prayer concerning her job.

Lil from Alabama asks prayer for more faith for all the Christians at her workplace.

Fran's mother from Illinois needs strength in dealing with husband who is in the occult, and pray for deliverance for him.

Phillip, nine years old, from Germany who has leukemia.

Troy's parents and wife from Delaware for salvation.

Pray for the Chinese Overseas Christian group who are distributing Bibles in China in December.

Dom's father-in-law from California with cancer.

Pray for the bereaved family of Mr. Gholston in Alabama.

Pray for Harry from Indiana who needs a job and is going for an interview soon in New York.

Ron from Florida needs a job.

Stephen from Utah is unemployed with family of six.

Mike from Florida needs a job for school money.

Angie from Pennsylvania needs salvation.

Pray for Treb from Connecticut who will be making a ministry move soon.

Pray for Fran of Illinois for a healing and peace of mind.

Pray for Dave, Lee and Shawn from Georgia and others as they take their finals.

J's mom from Alabama has had temperatures and migraine headaches for a long time, but the physicians do not know what the problem is.

Lee from Rhode Island wants the leadership of the Lord in his life.

Steve from Pennsylvania who needs surgery on a ligament in his knee.

Troy from Colorado asks prayer for Denise, who is in dire need of a job.

Dom from California needs the Lord to meet his needs.

G from California needs wisdom and protection from the Lord.

S from New Hampshire needs a job and is praying for salvation for his wife.

David's mother from Wisconsin needs a job.

Ann from New Jersey who is in an irreversible coma.  Pray for her healing and for her family.
Music
Music
THE STORY ABOUT THE MOST FANTASTIC MUSICAL PIECE EVER:

HANDEL'S "MESSIAH" - Divinely inspired music George Frideric Handel - February 23, 1685 - April 14, 1759

By Lars Toralf Storstrand

When Soren Kirkegaard, the Danish Christian philosopher, said, "God creates everything out of nothing, and whatever He plans to use, He must first annihilate," he might have been thinking of the story of George Frideric Handel.

It was a day not unlike any other day in London in the spring of 1737- April 13th, to be exact. The servant of the German-born composer George Frideric Handel was going about his duties when he suddenly felt the house shaking under a heavy crash. In the second-floor study, he found the Handel lying on the floor, glassy-eyed and hardly breathing. His attendant and friend, Christof Schmidt, ran immediately for medical help and returned with Doctor Jenkins, who quickly attended to the stricken composer.

The doctor found the 53-year-old Handel to be "an ox of a man," but worried that his age might make overcoming this problem a difficult, if not impossible, feat.

Suddenly they heard Handel's voice, more like mumbling from afar: "The force is gone, I don't want to live without it ... it is over.."

After a closer examination, Doctor Jenkins' diagnosis was clear: apoplexy. The right side of Handel's body was paralyzed, and the doctor was of the opinion that there might be only a slight possibility of recovery for this man. But even worse than his physical disabilities, it seemed as if the composer in Handel was gone forever.

Months passed, and still no recovery. Then out of mere shame, the doctors in London suggested a journey to the German town of Aachen. The hot baths there had seemed to cure several people of different diseases. While in Aachen, Handel started to show improvement. He refused to obey the doctors who said "no more than three hours of hot baths a day." Instead, Handel spent nine hours a day in the tubs. The result was almost miraculous.

Handel's strength grew each day. After a week he was able to move his arm, and shortly, he was totally rehabilitated. "I've come back from Hades," were Handel's very own words.

BACK IN LONDON

The 53-year-old man returned to work and the fires of inspiration were lit again. His spirit of battle had recovered, even been revived after a long time of being unable to write anything. One opera, two operas, a third opera, the oratorios "Saul" and "Israel in Egypt" were written.

The creating forces were like a stream in the spring and could not be stopped. Major events, such that are beyond the control of mere men, happened to shake the European balance of power: the death of the Queen of England, and the struggle for the crown of Austria. Then came winter, and no one wanted to go to a concert. "Huh? Why sit in a concert hall, shivering with cold, when you could do the same at home...," were the comments made.

Concert after concert was cancelled, and Handel's debt grew. A benefit concert rescued Handel from debtor's prison by the skin of his teeth. The reception of his music by the public weighed heavily on his mind, and he retreated from the world without the will to live, and without the inspiration to write anything new.

It was a gloomy George Frideric Handel that poured out his heart to God. "Why did you let me conquer the disease, when you let the people bury me? Why?," he asked. He was convinced that it was better to die than to walk around as a mere shadow of what he once had been. Sometimes he could hear himself mumble the words of the Saviour, Jesus Christ: "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

GROUND TO DUST

A depressed Handel now seldom moved outside the house in Brook Street before sunset. He had no faith in himself and even less faith in God. He thought of fleeing to Ireland, Germany and Italy, to start over again. Perhaps the climate in southern Europe could thaw his frozen heart? Then on the night of August 21st, he sat on a bench in Green Park, concealing himself among the trees. People who saw him, saw a man who appeared to be drunk, since he inevitably walked, or rather, staggered like one ... Handel was tired, tired of writing, tired of talking, tired even of playing, feeling and living. By now he had only one desire: to go to sleep and never wake up.

It was an old man who opened the door and slowly walked up the stairs, into the study, where in the past there was always paper to write notes on for the ideas that occurred to him during the night. There hadn't been a need for the paper in a long time.

But now there was something white on the desk. He wearily picked it up. It was a package from Jennens, a local poet in Gopsal who had written the lyrics for "Saul" and "Israel in Egypt". Now, once again, he had written a new oratorio, which he called the "Messiah". His request was for the master, Handel - whom he called "the Phoenic Musicae" and the highest genius of music ever - to write the music. "Please lift my simple words up into the spheres of immortality," Jennens wrote..

RAGE AND INSPIRATION

Rage raced through Handel. Ferociously he tore the papers in two. Was this Jennens mocking him in his despair? Could they never understand that the music was dead? There was no more hope of music from Handel. Infuriated, Handel went to bed, but sleep eluded him. After a time he rose and looked over the lyrics that he had so furiously torn into pieces just hours before.

There was a kind of unrest that wouldn't leave him in peace...

"Comfort Ye... Comfort Ye..." What was this? Was God telling him, Handel, something here? Yes! "Comfort.." The simple verses from the Holy Bible, written down in poetry, chimed like bells in Handel's soul. His hands started shaking... 

"Thus saith the Lord: And He shall purify..." From utter darkness, Handel felt the hand of God giving him new life, new inspiration. The light shone, and so the music flowed... "That they may offer unto the Lord", "an offering in righteousness".  Yes! Yes! He would sacrifice the music to God Almighty and himself along with it. "I've returned from Hades." George Frideric Handel shouted in joy. This incredible man and miraculous composer, was once again able to think about music. He could hear the music burst forth in his mind, and was immediately ready to take down the notes coming forth. And the faster he wrote, the faster the music came.

STREAMS IN THE DESERT

The words kept pouring into Handel's heart. Hours earlier, all hope was abandoned, but now there was music again. "Wonderful! Counselor! The mighty God! The Everlasting Father! The Prince of Peace!" he read.

The words from Isaiah 9 gave Handel a new will to live. "This is how to praise God," he thought. He who could heal the broken heart, and let the water flow in the desert... "Glory to God." He is the true helper, yes.. nobody can be likened unto the Lord. But who made these words? These fabulous words? It was not at all like Richard Jennens, the unknown poet from Gopsal.

Handel continued to read. "The Lord gave the Word". Yes! The Lord! The Lord gave the word! He would give the music, too. To praise God had to be the foremost duty of everyone who created something. Just think of owning the word that could praise the Lord as He deserved it - and there it was... In the middle of the sheet there was the word: "Hallelujah!" Tears filled Handel's eyes, when he put the sheet down and started to compose...

HIS MERCY IS VERY GREAT

The next morning, Christof Schmidt, entered the study to see if he could be of any assistance. Great was his joy when he saw that Handel was composing once again, but when he tried to communicate, the only reply he got was an angry growl. This was a clear signal not to disturb Handel, who barely had time to eat. When a platter of food was placed beside him, it was removed, several hours later, untouched. If anything was missing, it was just a piece of bread. He ate with the left hand, while he kept writing with the right.

He just couldn't stop. It seemed an obsession had possessed George Frideric Handel. Any attempts to interrupt the composer were certain to meet with an angry roar, so Handel was left to his music.

For more than three weeks, Handel wrote. Hardly eating, never sleeping, Handel rapidly filled page after page with his notes.  Occasionally he sang, played a few notes on the harpsichord, and started writing again. Never before had he experienced the music like now. He wrote until pain seared his fingers. Never before had he been one with the music - like now.

Finally, after 25 days on September 14th, 1741, he put his pen down. The magnificent "Messiah - a Holy Oratorio" was complete.  Today, 250 years later, it stands as an achievement that hasn't been matched. 

To Handel, however, something was still missing from his masterpiece. But what was it? He couldn't quite put his finger on it until suddenly the word "Amen" stood clear before his eyes, the finishing touch to his work. The "Messiah" was complete. Only until it was entirely done did George Frideric Handel go to bed, sleeping the deserved sleep he had not had for almost a month.

I'M IN DEBT

Some months had passed, when one day two well-dressed men knocked on a door on Abbey Street in Dublin, Ireland. Handel wanted the "Messiah" to be sung here, for the first time ever. Most gently they asked if Handel accepted the fact that the income of the first concert was to go to "beneficiary." This meant that the money would go to prisoners and the inmates of Merciers Hospital, among others. The income from the following concert, would, of course, go to Handel himself.

But now George Frideric Handel shook his head.

"No! I won't accept any payment for this oratorio. Never! I am myself in debt to God. I was sick, and got healed by Him. I was a prisoner, but He made me free," he cried.

Just a few days before the opening concert on April 7th, 1742, the last rehearsal was held. Only a few "outsiders" were allowed access. When the rehearsal began, they were sitting all over the hall, but after just a few songs, they moved close together. It was strange, as if they couldn't stand to be alone with the music. It seemed as if the words of the "Messiah" were fulfilled: one of the songs in the oratorio contained the words, "Who can stand when He appeareth - for He is like a refiners fire". Instead of sitting alone listening to the savory music, the rehearsal ended as a congregation praising God together. And when the "Hallelujah-chorus" was sung, no one could remain seated. Everyone just rose and stood before the Lord in deep awe.

Then the final day arrived, April 13th, 1742, when "Messiah" was scheduled for the first official concert. It had been exactly five years since the fatal day when the "journey to Hades" began. Outside people where pressing to be let in. The ladies came in simple dresses that didn't demand much space, and the gentlemen had left their swords at home. There had to be room for as many as possible that day.

Two and a half hours later, when "Amen" was flowing over the now-bursting concert hall, George Frideric Handel was standing at the sides singing along with the choir. He just couldn't resist it. But when the applause, seconds later, filled the room to the roof, he retreated into backstage - the glory belonged to God Almighty.

In the years to come after the first performance, Handel still worked like a man possessed. Work after work came from his pen, and filled Europe with joy and blessing. Even when he grew deaf towards the end of his life, he still had to write. When he was almost blind, he wrote the opera "Jephta", judged by many to be his most beautiful opera.

In 1759, when Handel was 74, he knew his time had come. His last prayer to the God he had gotten to know only 17 years earlier  was that he be allowed to go home to Jesus on April 13th, which that year happened to be Good Friday. It was the same date that had brought two so significant changes into Handel's life. And before the Passover bells chimed from the towers of the cathedrals, according to the German author Stefan Zweig, the part of Handel that was mortal surrendered peacefully, at last, to his Creator.

JESUS - A PORT FOR THE SAILORS IN THE SEA OF TIME

By LARS TORALF STORSTRAND

This song, originally written in Norwegian, means a lot to a lot of people. The words are simple, based on everyday life for the many people who live along the coastline. It tells just how the Gospel of Jesus Christ works. How the grace of Jesus is meant for us to experience and grow in. It shows us the great grace of Jesus Christ, and how to achieve it. The song was originally written in 1944, just before the end of the war. It shows, for me, and many fellow Christians in Norway, a new angle to the Gospel, when you're worn out, tired and feel lost. I hope that through this song, I can bring a testimony about how Jesus still works among the born again people of Norway. Originally the song was written in a form that presents the Gospel to another person, i.e. "I know a Port, for you - a restless traveler", but after reworking, the writer who today is in his seventies, found it better to rewrite it in the form of a testimony, and that is exactly what it is.

I KNOW A PORT 

I know a Port, for me the restless Sailor,
Who will so often drift away at ease.
I know a Port, where all my scared ideas,
Can lay to rest - and find eternal peace. 

I know a Port, where I can be recovered,
When all my hull is less than mere debris.
I know a Port, that's never closed for sinners,
With no demands from Jesus Christ to me. 

I know a Port, where I, when night's arriving,
Can drop my anchor down and go to sleep.
I know a port - it is the only Harbour,
Where Jesus Christ my soul forever'll keep. 

I know a Port, it's called the Blood of Jesus,
It is a port for fishermen in need.
It is available for all the sinners, 
Who need salvation and a heart that's healed. 

Bjarne Rabben, 1944 

Notes to the song, is available from me. Drop a line in the mail to: Lars-Toralf Storstrand, Fjosangerveien 97 C 5032 MINDE Norway 

or at INTERNET-address 

ISRAEL@OSCAR.BBB.NO 

Or even better: Call LION of ZION (M)BBS at +47 5 29 30 09.
Modem settings : N,8,1,2400, 24hrs.
Chef's Corner
Chef's Corner
WONDERFUL NEW YEAR'S EVE - the time when balloons, confetti, laughter, music, good friends, and loved ones combine to share memories of the passing year and hopes for the new one. This is a perfect time to entertain and shine as a hostess! You may want to capitalize on the elegance of a formal setting or you may prefer casual gatherings around a blazing fireplace. 
Whatever your preference, you will want to plan a party that is fun for everyone and easy for you! Try a buffet! Buffet parties are a welcome change from the delicious - but heavy - dinner parties which fill everyone's holiday calendar from Thanksgiving until after Christmas. A buffet party is so easy on you. You can prepare the foods you are going to serve hours - or even days - in advance. Everyone serves himself from a gaily decorated holiday party table - it's so much fun for your guests and so little work for you, the happy hostess!

Here is an elegant - and easy - New Year's Eve buffet for eight. The menu suggested here contains dishes that will serve either a formal party or a casual gathering. Your guests will delight in a tangy, taste-tempting Party Steak Bits served in its own rich sauce. Complement this with another main dish, fabulously tasty Lobster-Artichoke Newburg. An unusual blend of fruit and vegetable flavors make Confetti Salad Mold a welcome taste-tempting menu. Top this meal with Cranberry-Nut Bread - a delicious blend of cranberry, orange, and walnut flavors - you will have your guests raving about your culinary skill!

TANGY PARTY STEAK BITS (prepare the morning of your party)

Marinate a 2-inch thick round or sirloin strip steak in:

1/2 cup of wine vinegar, 1/4 cup salad oil, and garlic to taste.

Let it stand for at least one hour. Then broil it rare (8 minutes each side), and cut it into 1/2 inch strips or squares. Reserve the meat drippings.

In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and a dash each of nutmeg, angostura bitters, and freshly-ground black pepper. Add the drippings from the steak. Pour this sauce over the meat. This can be served immediately or kept in the refrigerator until time for the party. If you do chill this dish, be sure to reheat thoroughly before serving. It looks scrumptious and stays warm when served from a chafing dish!

LOBSTER-ARTICHOKE NEWBURG
(prepare the morning of your party and bake that evening)

Drain one 13-ounce can of artichoke hearts and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, and add 1 tablespoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup flour.

Stir ingredients together over medium heat until they are blended and the mixture forms tiny bubbles around the edges. Remove from heat and gradually add 1 cup milk. Return to heat and cook over low heat until the sauce is thickened, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup cottage cheese, 3 hard-cooked eggs cut into quarters, and the artichoke hearts.

Drain a 6 1/2-ounce can of lobster, and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Add to artichoke mixture. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2-quart casserole, and arrange strips of pimento on top. This dish may be refrigerated until about an hour before your party.

Then take it out of the refrigerator, let it warm to room temperature (about 1 hour), and bake it at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve it buffet-style in its casserole. Your guests will be able to handle this delicious entree more easily if you offer pastry shells or toast points to hold the Newburg. 


CONFETTI SALAD MOLD (easy to make)

In a saucepan, sprinkle two envelopes of unflavored gelatin on 3/4 cup of water. Add 1/2 cup of white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of seasoned salt, and 4 drops of hot sauce. Heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves.

Remove from heat, and add 1 34-ounce can of pineapple juice. Chill the mixture until it is partially set. Add 1 cup shredded cabbage, 1 cup shredded carrots, 1/2 cup finely chopped mixed celery and radishes, 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion, and 2 tablespoons chopped pimento; stir.

Spoon into individual molds and chill until firm. Unmold onto crisp salad greens. Serve with side dishes of mayonnaise, tangy French dressing, and other dressings, to taste. 


CRANBERRY-NUT BREAD (baked several days ahead)

Sift together 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon soda. Add 2 cups of cranberries, halved, 1 cup of chopped walnuts, and 2 teaspoons grated orange rind.

In another bowl, beat 2 eggs and add 1 1/2 cups of orange juice and 1/2 cup salad oil. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just enough to moisten. Pour mixture into two greased and floured 8 x 4 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pans. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into loaves comes out clean. 


CRUMB-TOPPED CHICKEN CASSEROLE
(prepared in advance-baked that evening)

1 8-oz. package elbow macaroni 2 c milk 2 cans cream of celery soup 3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped 1/2 c. diced mild cheese 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. minced onion 2 1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken 1 c. crushed corn flakes

Combine all ingredients except corn flakes. Place in greased casserole; refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Top with corn flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Yield: 10 servings.


ORANGE-GLAZED PORK

1 4-lb. pork loin roast 1 small onion, grated 1 tbsp. margarine 2 tbsp. brown sugar 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1 cup orange juice 1 tbsp. bottle steak sauce

Place roast, fat side up, on rack in roasting pan. Bake in 325-degree Fahrenheit oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Saute onion in margarine until soft; Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Brush sauce over roast. Bake for 1 hour longer, basting with sauce at 15-minute intervals. Carve roast into chops. Yield: 4 servings.


SPARERIBS AND SAUERKRAUT

1 1/2 lb. spareribs salt and pepper 2 cups sauerkraut 1/4 cup hot water Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Season ribs with salt and pepper.

Place sauerkraut in baking dish; Top with ribs. Add water; cover tightly and bake 1 1/2 hr., removing cover the last 15 min. to brown. Yield: 4 servings.

TO VARY:Add 1/2 tsp. caraway seed to sauerkraut or add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 2 apples, cut in eighths, to sauerkraut.


FAMILY FAVORITE MUFFINS

1 c. quick oats 1 c. buttermilk or sour milk 12 large prunes, chopped 1/3 c. melted margarine 1/2 c. (packed) brown sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 c. sifted flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. soda 3/4 tsp. salt

Combine oats and buttermilk in bowl; add prunes. Stir in margarine, brown sugar and egg. Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt together; add to oat mixture. Mix lightly; spoon into 12 large muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Yield: 12 servings


NEW YEAR'S EVE CHEER

1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. allspice (opt.) 3 tbsp. tea 3/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. orange juice 1/4 c. lemon juice 2 pt. cranberry juice Tie spices and tea in small cloth bag; drop into 2 /2 cups boiling water.

Remove from heat. Cover; let steep for 5 minutes. Remove spice bag; stir in sugar. Cover; cool. Add fruit juices and 1 1/2 cups water; Mix well. Reheat; serve hot. Yield: 15 servings.
Potpourri
Potpourri
A DEFINITION OF PRAYER

A harbor to a shipwrecked sailor
An anchor to those in a storm
A staff to lean on when weak
A mine of jewels to the poor
Security to the rich
A healer of disease and a guardian of health
Promise of continued blessings
Dispeller of calamity's clouds
Something that changes things-and also people
The secret of reaching heaven

Blessings we enjoy daily; and for the most of them, because they be so common, most men forget to pay their praises!


THE LORD'S PRAYER

You cannot pray the Lord's Prayer,
and even once say I;
You cannot pray the Lord's Prayer,
and even once say my;
You cannot pray the Lord's Prayer,
and not include another;
You cannot ask for daily bread,
and not include your Brother;
Yes, Others are included,
in each and every plea;
From the first word to the last word,
The Lord's Prayer never once says me.


SOMETHING FOR THE NEW YEAR!

Just keep on remembering
That God is always near.
Just keep on believing
And His love will cast out fear.
The sun is waiting to break through
And clouds will roll away,
If you just have faith that there will be
A better, brighter day!


WHAT DO YOU HAVE?

A song? - sing it,
An offering? - give it,
A need? - tell it,
A praise? - swell it,
A prayer? - pray it,
A word? - say it,
A message? - preach it,
A lesson? - teach it,
A wish? - express it,
A sin? - confess it,
A habit? - drop it,
A worry? - stop it,
A doubt? - erase it,
A trial? - face it,
A burden? - bear it,
A blessing? - share it.

 QUIPS AND QUOTES

"God is dead" - Nietzsche; "Nietzsche is dead" - God

"A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work"

Firmness - that admirable quality in ourselves that is merely stubbornness in others.

Doubts are more cruel than the worst of truths.

Language was given to us that we might say pleasant things to each other. 

A New Year's Resolution: "To Draw closer to the Lord"

Nothing is too great for God to accomplish, Nothing too small for His attention.

"Good without God is zero"

"God's love knows no bounds"

"Christian homes just don't happen - they are built"

Resource Area
Book Reviews
Book Reviews
Keeping with the theme of this issue, Education, the following Book reviews are provided to give the parent some resources in dealing with two specific educational issues. The first series of reviews focuses on children and reading problems. The last review focus on a book which warns parents about some of the dangers their children may face in the public school system.
-------------------------

Reading Issues

WHY JOHNNY CAN'T READ and WHY JOHNNY STILL CAN'T READ
by Rudolf Flesch
New York, Harper Row Publishers, 1986, 1983, paper

HONEY FOR A CHILD'S HEART
by Gladys Hunt
Grand Rapids, Zondervan Books, 1978, paper

THE READ-ALOUD HANDBOOK
by Jim Trelease
New York, Penguin Books, 1985, paper
-------------------------

Public School Issues

CHILD ABUSE IN THE CLASSROOM
Edited by Phyllis Schlafly
Westchester, Illinois, Crossway Books, 1984, paper
-------------------------

The Johnny books: The first book, a classic, deals with the problem of children's lack of reading skills. The focus is the need for the return to the traditional method of teaching reading, and phonics. This book was written over thirty years ago. It discusses the lack of use of the phonics method and how to deal with the problem. "Although the reading establishment has ignored Flesch's system, the U.S. government has not. In it's recent report, 'Becoming a Nation of Readers,' it acknowledges that Flesch's basic assumptions are right." pg. ix. Included in the book are exercises to use with your children to teach them to read. Now, some thirty years after the release of WHY JOHNNY CAN'T READ, the problem hasn't changed and so Flesch has come out with his sequel, WHY JOHNNY STILL CAN'T READ. Once again, Flesch takes on the current view of teaching reading skills, while bringing the reader up to date on current information. Considering the increasing number of functional illiterates in society, we all had better listen to him.

The following resources are available to parents from the Eagle Forum. Eagle Forum, Box 618, Alton, Illinois 62002. "The Phyllis Schlafly Report" Vol. 19, No. 2 Section 1 "Phonics - The Key to Reading". For those that want to start working with their children there are two programs available: "Headstart Reading Course #1," and "Headstart Reading Course #2." I would suggest you first write for information and costs and then decide if the material meets your needs. 

Once a child has the skill to read, a major problem is the lack of desire to read. There are several reasons for this. A major detriment to the desire to read is the amount of time spent in front of the television set. Another problem is, while many parents tell their children it is fun and important to read, the parents rarely read themselves. They may read the paper or a magazine and hopefully the Bible, but rarely anything else. The issue is one of "Do as I say, not as I do," which doesn't work. The following are several resources to help you in encouraging your children to enjoy reading.

HONEY FOR A CHILD'S HEART: This book contains suggestions for working with your children in developing a love for books. If we expect our children to love reading the Bible, we must first teach them to love to read. As noted on the back cover of the book: "Who can resist the appeal of a child who asks, 'Read to me, please?' Children and books go together in a special way. But children don't stumble onto good books by themselves; they must be introduced to the wonder of words put together in such a way that they spin out pure you and magic." This book focuses on how you can bring the joy of reading into your home. Also included is an extensive list of recommended books, classified by appropriate age levels.

THE READ-ALOUD HANDBOOK: This book deals with the importance of reading aloud in the home. This is a way to help your children to grow in their love and appreciation of books. The book includes many suggestions on how to incorporate this practice into the home. It also has an extensive list of recommended books. One section that should be required reading for all parents deals with the problem of television and gives suggestions for controlling it. Again from the back cover:  "This book is about more than reading aloud. It's about time that parents, teachers, and children spend together in a loving, sharing way." 
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Parents have another area of concern today other besides their children's reading skills. Parents must be willing to ask what their children are being taught besides "reading, writing, and arithmetic." They may be shocked at the answer.

CHILD ABUSE IN THE CLASSROOM: In 1978, the General Education Provisions Act was amended by the Congress with a section called the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, known informally as the Hatch Amendment. As noted in the book: "This provides that no student shall be required (under any federal program) - without prior written parental consent-to submit to psychiatric or psychological examination, testing, or treatment,..." (Child Abuse in the Classroom, pg. 15). Unfortunately, the Hatch Amendment was basically ignored by many schools. In March of 1984, testimony was given in seven cities at U. S. Department of Education Hearings. The purpose of the hearings was to put teeth into the Hatch Amendment. This book is a record of testimonies given at these hearings.

Any parent or educator should read this book to inform themselves as to what is going on in some public classrooms.  The book includes "actual quotes from the testimonies of parents and teachers, etc. about the devastating harassment that children ...are being subjected to in the areas of sex, family privacy, ungodly lifestyles and immoral teaching under the guise of education" (Puritan Reformed Discount Book Service, Catalog No. 176, p. 34). 

Although these issues may be potentially threatening for parents, and while these practices are not going on in all schools, they should want to know if these problems exist in their own district. This book will inform about the nature of the issue, and give some guide lines as to how to investigate one's own school and deal with the violations of the Hatch Amendment were they exist.

Parents, who are committed to having their children in public schools must be informed as to what is being taught. This book will help you know what questions to ask.
Newsdesk
Newsdesk
MORNING STAR NEWSDESK

MORE ON MESSIAH

More information is being released on the Messianic terms used in the passages found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Translations of the key phrases which are considered to be Messiah-related are:

"Isaiah the prophet" "the staff shall go forth from the root of Jesse" (Isaiah 11:1) "branch of David and they shall be judged" (Isaiah 11:1) "And they put to death the leader of the community, the branch of David." (Isaiah 53:8) "with wounds (or "stripes" or "piercings") (Isaiah 53:5), and the high priest shall order"

Newly released information shows one of the fragments contains language very similar to Luke 4:18. The scroll's text mentions the Messiah healing the brokenhearted, giving sight to the blind and helping those that are bent in the dust. There is also, however, a unique reference in the text which mentions the Messiah raising the dead, something not found in either Luke or Isaiah. (From ZOLA LEVITT PRESENTS 12/15/91)

ANOTHER REASON FOR A NEW MONETARY SYSTEM

Do-it-yourself forgers are set to flood shops across Europe with counterfeit bank notes, produced on the latest generation of hi-tech color photocopiers. Forgers are using the new series of Canon laser copiers, which came on to the market last autumn, to make notes which have fooled even experienced cashiers.

Interpol has alerted forces throughout Europe and shopkeepers are warned to be on the alert for high quality copies of notes this Christmas. In Germany more than 25,000 counterfeit notes, worth $895,000 were seized in 1991, compared with 6,800 in 1990. Officials at the German federal criminal police office say that machines have turned the one-time speciality of skilled criminals into child's play. (From THE EUROPEAN - 11/17/91)

THE EZEKIEL 38:5 CONNECTION

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens said last week that his country must make preparations in light of the military collaboration between Iran and Libya. Briefing the foreign affairs and defense committee, Arens said Iran's solid economic situation enables it to spend a lot of money on weapons procurement - a fact which is luring many armaments producers to Teheran. He also noted the efforts of the two countries to torpedo the peace process and to encourage the Hizbullah in Lebanon to step up its hostilities. (From the JERUSALEM POST - 12/7/91)

REACTOR TROUBLES

Intelligence reports out of several Western capitals show that Algeria may soon be able to build the first Islamic atom bomb.  It is believed that China has secretly been giving assistance to this program. Agencies monitoring the military potential of a nuclear reactor 250 kilometers south of Algiers say that work has been accelerated and that the plant may be operational in 18 months. It will then be able to produce five atom bombs a year.

Algeria has told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna that the reactor is for the peaceful generation of power. However, U.S. satellite pictures show its purpose to be more sinister. The plant is located at the center of a military exclusion, cordoned off by electrified barb wire and surrounded by anti-aircraft guns. Photographs show that the facility is four times the size claimed by Algeria and is capable of producing up to 10 kilograms of plutonium each year.

CIA sources in the U.S. also believe that the Algiers government may have built underground facilities to avoid detection. In Washington, CIA sources said they were "worried as hell" and deeply concerned about China's role. Western concern is heightened by the fact that President Chadli Bendjedid's regime is under growing pressure from Moslem fundamentalists, who are expected to make sweeping gains in next month's parliamentary elections. The fundamentalist FIS party is bitterly anti-western and supported Saddam Hussein during the Gulf war. Algeria has refused to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty and is therefore not subject to inspections by IAEA.

In Israel, Dr. Gerald Steinberg, a strategic analyst at Bar-Ilan University, who often echoes official thinking, said that Algeria's nuclear weapons program would make the country a target for pre-emptive strikes like the attack which crippled Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981. (From THE EUROPEAN - 11/17/91)

GOOD NEWS FOR SOME DIFFERENT REACTOR VICTIMS

Students at the Trinity Grammar School at Summer Hill in Sydney, Australia, recently entertained a group of 42 children from the Ukrainian city of Chernobyl, in the USSR. Victims of Chernobyl National Relief Fund Inc. came up with the idea of giving each of the children a bag full of gifts. Included in each bag was a hard-cover copy of the New Testament in Russian. The goal in providing the New Testaments was to enable the young children to return to their homeland with something that they could treasure, yet may never be able to afford. (From DECISION MAGAZINE - December 1991)

GORBACHEV MEETING

Nineteen evangelical leaders involved in evangelistic and humanitarian ministries traveled to the former Soviet Union at the invitation of the Supreme Soviet and advisors of Mikhail Gorbachev. They met President Gorbachev in the Kremlin on November 4, as part of "Project Christian Bridge." NAE (National Association of Evangelicals) executive director Billy Melvin noted "the openness and spiritual hunger" reflected by Soviet politicians, economists and journalists as they described the moral and spiritual vacuum in their country.

(From the NAE WASHINGTON INSIGHT - December 1991)

SCAPEGOAT RUMBLINGS

A recent poll by the Jewish Scientific Center in Moscow showed over 50 percent of the respondents believe the "fight against Zionism" should be strengthened. The KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA on October 2nd published an open letter explaining to the Russian people that the real threat against them was from Zionists "posing as democrats", and encouraged them to "investigate thoroughly" and "study your leaders closely".

Mark Krasnoselsky, who monitors anti-semitism in the Soviet media, reports that attacks on Jews are increasing and that up to 70 publications in Moscow alone preach hatred of Jews. The ultra-nationalist and anti-semitic PAMYAT group announced that Jewish and half-Jewish advisors to Boris Yeltsin, like Democratic Russia leader Ilya Zaslavsky, and Yelena Bonner, constitute a dangerous "Zionist clique".

In Poland, intellectuals and clergymen have condemned the latest round of anti-semitism, asking their countrymen to put a halt to "such disgraceful practices". Campaign posters for last October's parliamentary elections were painted over with Jewish stars and the word "Jude" (Jew in German) throughout the country.

In Romania, the Ministry of Culture has censured two extremist publications, EUROPA and ROMANIA MARE, for "inciting violence and fomenting an unwholesome atmosphere of social tension" in the country. A protest signed by 137 intellectuals and appearing in ADEVARUL condemned the anti-semitic tone of these and similar publications which regularly appear on Romanian newsstands.

In Austria, a poll conducted by the Gallup Institute on October 24th revealed that one in three Austrians believes that Jews are exploiting the Holocaust "for their own ends". Thirty one percent of the respondents stated that they did not want Jewish neighbors and nineteen percent preferred that Austria be free of Jews altogether. Twenty percent favored barring Jews from major positions and six percent said they would not even shake hands with a Jew.

In Germany DER SPIEGEL reports that the Ku Klux Klan is now active and recruiting. Radical skinhead publications in Germany show cooperation between German skinheads and the American KKK. Reporters from DER SPIEGEL wrote of witnessing a cross burning led by Dennis Mahon, Imperial Dragon of the White Knights of the KKK.

In France, President Francois Mitterand recently warned that anti-semitism lurked in the shadows of Europe and called for vigilance to prevent its resurgence. A recent IFOP poll published in EVENEMENT DU JEUDI showed that one in five Frenchmen would not want their child to marry a Jew and twenty-four percent felt that the French talked too much about the holocaust. Another poll published in LE MONDE showed thirty-two percent of Frenchmen agree with the policies of outspoken anti-semitic politician Jean-Marie Le Pen.

French authorities have also stepped up their vigilance against a group of neo-Nazis who were hosted in Baghdad by Iraqi leaders. French police fear growing links between European and Arab radical groups. (From RESPONSE, THE WEISENTHAL CENTER WORLD REPORT - Winter 1991)
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READING:

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IN OTHER WORDS
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KIRKBRIDE BIBLE COMPANY
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