The Biblical Examiner 
An Examination of Biblical Precepts Involved in Issues at Hand 

 
September 2003, Contents:

 Instructions for a Godly Young Man  Saving Private Lynch story 'flawed'
 Habitat for Humanity  American Christians finance the destruction of Middle-Eastern Christians
 Why the Lack of Holiness in Baptist Churches?  Sodomy
 Two items about the New Testament  JURY ACQUITS PILOT
 Personal  Ghostwriters in the machine
 > Financial hard times have hit us all.  Bush & Co, Destruction of freedom, IV
 > Conferences  > Vision Forum, Chief Justice Moore
 > Church Culture  > Ashcroft Wants Broader Anti-Terror Powers
 > Family Notes  > MANIPULATING THE PEOPLE
 > Death of the Church Victorious  Home-Schooling
 > Homeschooling  > Government agent, cops confront homeschoolers
 > Letters  > TANTRUMS, TEARS, AND TIRADES (Homeschooling After Conventional Schools)
   > Parenting wisdom


Introduction

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:18.)

Though Adam was already assigned his task of caring for the garden, the Lord said it was not good for him to be alone, even in the unfallen Garden of Eden. Everything was good, except Adam's lonely condition. "Loneliness was the first thing God's eye named not good." (John Milton.) Thus God did not intend man to face the world alone, but prepared a help meet for him.

With extremely few exceptions, a young man is not equip his occupation without a wife. Accordingly, the first thing a young man should seek is a wife.

Added to here. The above is for a chapter in our book.

Instructions for a Godly Young Man

We had an article in the Examiner, March, 1994, titled, "Instructions for a Godly Young Lady." It is posted on the web site. Go to the "Topic" page and follow the link found under "Women." <http://www.biblicalexaminer.org>

The following "Instructions for a Godly Young Man" was motivated by a message we heard by Richard "Little Bear" Wheeler, at the Virginia Home School conference this past summer. I have adapted several of his thoughts in the following. I urge everyone with unmarried children or grandchildren, regardless of those children's ages, to order the message on CD. (Mantle Ministries, 228 Still Ridge, Bulverde TX 37777. <www.mantleministries.com> I believe it is only $6 including postage.)

Though the following may sound like a stuck record, I am trying to deal with a long overlooked, if not outright ignored, Scriptural doctrine. I will probably run the subject "into the ground," to where you will say, "I wish he would move on to something else," or "There is more in the Bible than just that subject." I mentioned some time ago that we hoped to change the emphasis of the Examiner to be more family oriented, so we will not pass up opportunities to deal with family issues.
Nicholas Nickleby

United Artists has released an excellent Charles Dickens movie named "Nicholas Nickleby." The film opens by showing a newly born baby boy, then the father playing with the boy as he gets older. The last scene with the father and son together shows the father talking to his young son in bed. Sitting on the side of the bed, he asks his maybe 10-year-old son, "Have you said your prayers?" The son answers, "Yes. I pray that I shall have this day, the same day we had today all the rest of my life." The father answers, "Someday you will find someone who will have a greater hold on your affections than I do. The most important journey of your life will be to find her."

The boy grows into a young man, and being almost 20, he is fearful of not meeting that woman. When he does meet the woman, he tells her that his dad told him that this would be the most important thing in his life. The same theme appears again at the end of the movie.

It is also a story of this young man's determination to protect and provide for his mother and sister after the loss of his father, as well as his commitment to an outcast crippled friend. It is set in the middle 1800s in England. I would highly recommend it for teens and above. Younger children probably would not catch the major themes of the story.

The PG rated movie is on DVD, and is well worth seeing more than one time.

The Biblical Priorities of a Godly Young Man.

Let me give a quick overview of the three points we will cover:

First, it goes without saying that the number one goal of a young man should be to serve the Lord:

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; (Ecclesiastes 12:1.)

Second, Scripturally, the young man's number two goal should be marriage to a godly young lady, and to establishing a godly home, the main point dealt with herein:

Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. (Proverbs 5:18.)

Third, this godly couple should have as many children as the Lord permits, another point dealt with below:

As arrows [are] in the hand of a mighty man; so [are] children of the youth. (Psalms 127:4.)

"But, Brother Need, how about a good job to support a wife and family?"

I will not cover "good job" other than a quick mention. "Little Bear" pointed out that a young man should see that the purpose of his job is to support the family he is to train up in the ways of the Lord. The income from his job is not so he can pursue his own lusts. That pursuit can and, far too many times does, lead to self-centered and ungodly attitudes and life styles even among Christians, against which the Scripture presents abundant warnings. (Ephesians 4;22, 1 Timothy 6:9, &c.)

Let us just mention a couple of passages along this line:

A purpose of working is to provide for his own house. (1 Timothy 5:8.)

A purpose of working is to have to give according to the commands of God. (Ephesians 4:28.)

A purpose of working is to support the work of God. (Malachi 3. I have found over the years that one reason men do not want to recognize the validity of the Old Testament upon Christians is because they love money more than God. They don't want to give God what he claims as his, the tithe.)

But these things are subjects for other studies, so we move on.

First, the number one goal of a young man should be to serve the Lord:

For thou [art] my hope, O Lord GOD: [thou art] my trust from my youth<05271>. (Psalms 71:5. There are several Hebrew words translated youth, so we will use Strong's numbers to keep them straight, <#>.)

<05271> Youth... childhood, youth, early life, even juvenility. (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, TWOT, Brown-Driver-Briggs, BDB. 1 Samuel 12:2, 17:33. A man is expected to bear the yoke of a Christian from his youth, Lamentations 3:27 But what age is that expected of him? See also Genesis 8:21, 46:34, 1 Kings 18:12, &c.)

1 Samuel 12:2, youth is used when Samuel told the people that his godly service was known from his childhood. 1 Samuel 17:33, youth described the Philistine killed by David—from his youth, the Philistine had been trained in the best arts of warfare the world had to offer,. However, from his youth, David had been trained to serve the Lord, and when the two methods of training clashed, the Lord's method won because David would not back down.

In Psalms 127:4, we see that a youth can mean someone old enough to be a father. We will examine this passage under point two below.

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. (Lamentations 2:27.)

The yoke of God's law is to be enforced by the parents upon their children. (Proverbs 22:6, &c.) The earlier the children learn to bear the yoke, the better it is for both the parents and the children.

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. (Proverbs 8:17.)

There are many examples of young men who served the Lord at a very early age: Joseph was seventeen years old when he was sold into Egypt, and his stand is well known, Genesis 37:2; Samuel was dedicated to the Lord at a very early age, 1 Samuel chapters 1, 2. David was probably under 20 when he slew the Philistine., 1 Samuel 17:42, and he was anointed by Samuel to be king some time before that great event, 1 Samuel 16. Daniel was also a very young when he went into captivity. Being called a child in 1:4, he was probably not more than twelve years old. (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary [JFB], Online Bible [OLB]). However, John Gill says he was fifteen or twenty years of age. (OLB.)

There are many illustrations of young men serving the Lord from the time they are old enough to know what to do. We are seeing such young men among those educated in the home environment by their parents.

Youth<0979>

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, [one] of his young<0979> men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. (Numbers 11:28.)

How old was Joshua? We really only know that he was old enough to be a servant to the man of God, Moses. (Numbers 11:28), and to lead in the battle against Amalek. (Exodus 17:9.) We also know that because of his faithfulness to the Lord in his service to Moses, he was made successor to Moses. He then led the people in a brilliant military conquest of Canaan.

Solomon sought the Lord as a youth. He was probably as young as 16 when he took the throne, and the Lord appeared to him. However, in the latter half of his life, he was influenced away from the Lord by his many wives and his wealth. He wrote Ecclesiastes as he was on the downhill road to self-destruction. His advice is spoken from his own personal experience. He was the wealthiest man ever in history, and was surrounded by more luxury and with more beautiful women than the sensual heart could desire. He had an abundance of time on his hands, and beautiful women sitting around doing nothing. Solomon is the man who said at the end of his life:

Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth (adolescence or boyhood), and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 11:9.)

Solomon tells particularly young men: Sure, the sensual life is sweet and the pleasant things of this world are enjoyable for a season. (11:7, Hebrews 11:25.) Go ahead, get away from your parents and go to the top partying school in the US. (IU.) Go ahead, believe that you can eat and drink, because we only go around once, so let's do it with "gusto." Tomorrow we die (1 Corinthians 15:32). Go ahead, pursue your sensual pleasures, indulge in your fun and parties. Get your fill of these evil delights. Do whatever your heart desires. Get away from family and friends so you can pursue the fallen desires of your heart and pursue the lust of your eyes. But remember and know for sure, that though it seems like a long way off at this time, God will bring you into judgment. He will force you to appear before his judgment-seat, to give a serious account of all your youthful and uncontrolled actives. Know for sure that God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14, 2 Corinthians 5:10.) You will receive that just sentence which your own conscience will say you justly deserve. The sensuality you enjoyed so much in your youth will do you no good in that day.

Christianity will cost self-denial, but refusing to deny self will cost infinitely more.

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; (Ecclesiastes 12:1.) [#1]

Looking back over his wasted life, Solomon says: Serve God while you are young and able, and have the opportunity to do so. You owe him the best of your time and energy. You will look back with sorrow on those many wasted years of your youth with its youthful follies and lusts.

Solomon, exemplifying this problem, told us that Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, the heart of a young man, especially, is set in him to do evil: "Everything will be fine in the future, because all is well now as I enjoy life, eating, drinking and being merry." (Ecclesiastes 8:11.)

My wife's first husband's father was a P-38 pilot in WWII in North Africa. As a dashing young pilot, he picked up evil habits that so often go with the military. He married an "innocent" young lady, and taught her those evils. Those evils shortened her life, and she died in 1990, leaving him with only one son, Jeff. However, in 1991, Jeff's father was saved. He then lived in great remorse over his younger life, and over the fact that he had drawn a young lady down to his level, and then she died an unsaved woman.

Solomon's words of warning have been replayed uncounted times over the centuries. Young men, don't let them be played again in your life. Live now as a committed Christian. Bear the yoke of Christian self-control now, and enjoy the benefits of a long, clean life in the future.

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12.)

Second, Scripturally, the young man's number two goal should be marriage to a godly young lady.

First, let me address a question, Why marry? We will develop the man's need for a helpmeet after we look at this first point.

Why Even Marry

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1.)

God commands us to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. (See The Myth of Overpopulation, by R.J. Rushdoony.) God's plan is for the godly posterity to go forth and take dominion over the earth in His name. From where should that godly posterity come? Who should be taught the subdue command, or I should say, who will teach that command if home educators do not? It is certain that the state schools will teach those children to subdue the earth in the name of the state, but we want to subdue it in the name of the Lord.

Every area of our culture is at war against the family as defined by God: the state, the community, the entertainment industry, advertisement, and even the area that should be the most supportive of the family, the church. As we are seeing, the churches that get all of the publicity are the ones that ordain sodomites and exalt them to places of authority; they are the ones that place women in places of authority, among many other unbiblical actions. Even churches that claim to be Bible believing and do not those things clearly defined as evil, separate the children from the parents, sending them off into "youth groups." Far too often those groups prepare the kids for divorce: they pair off and learn how to date, get serious, breakup, how to deal with the heartbreak of that breakup, and finally how to get hardened to breaking up. It seems like the "dating game" is more of a preparation for divorce than it is for marriage.

The message our young people, both male and female, receive from society, many times even from within the church, is, "Seek a career, seek a profession, seek being someone who is exalted in the world's eyes, and if you have time, then seek a family and children. However, if you have children, hold it down to two at the most." But is our standard the world or the Bible? These things the world tells us are important do not satisfy a young man or a young woman, for those goals were not what God placed in the heart.

What can we do to make our young men "wife conscious?" How can we make them understand that God himself says they are incomplete without a wife? How can we stress the importance of pursuing a godly wife and family to the young men, particularly the young men being raised in the home education environment, when the world allures them and blinds them to what is godly manhood? It allures them with all of its lusts that can be fulfilled without a family. How can we prepare our young men and women for a marriage "made in heaven" and thus held together by heaven?

And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. (Malachi 2:15.)

One purpose of marriage is for godly parents to raise godly seed that will influence society for godliness. It takes a family, husband and wife, to do that. Must we not teach our young men that their responsibility before God is to raise up many godly generations that will repair the desolations sin has wrought in society? The homeschool is the place that should be producing these young men and women with a godly vision of what can be accomplished for God in society through godly offspring. Home-educated young people should be sent out with the long-range goal of having children who will influence the pagan society for God and righteousness, particularly if one's faith is "post-millennial." Godly generations will have a farther-reaching influence than a good education or a good job, though both are commendable. (Deuteronomy 7:9. See Isaiah 58:15, 61:6, 61:4.)

Celibacy

Throughout the Old Testament period marriage was regarded as the indispensable duty of every man. There was no hindrance seen in marriage to reaching the highest degree of holiness. In the interval between the Old and New Testament periods, a spirit of asceticism (strict self-discipline, avoiding any sensory pleasures or luxuries) evolved, probably in response to surrounding pagan influences of unbridled lusts. Celibacy is strongly spoken against in Colossians 2:16-23, and specifically in 1 Timothy 4:3.

Second, let us look at God's thoughts on the matter:

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:18.)

Yes, Adam was already assigned his task of caring for the garden, but the Lord said it was not good for him to be alone in his task, even in the pre-Fall Garden of Eden. "Loneliness was the first thing God's eye named not good." (John Milton.) One could imply from the order of creation B creation, Adam, Adam's charge to care for the Garden and name the animals, and then Eve to help him - that a man's first love and responsibility is to his occupation. However, we can get a different order of priorities from Christ. His primary job was to please the Father, and the Father sent him to purchase a bride for himself and to love her, which is all a picture of the husband-wife relationship. (John 8:29, Ephesians 5:23, Acts 20:28.) God does not use the man-occupation relationship as his example. Sadly, the man-occupation relationship has killed more than a few marriages. Thus, finding a wife is second after pleasing God.

God saw that everything was good, except that Adam was alone in facing his responsibilities, so God prepared a helpmeet for him. God did not intend man to face the world alone. If Adam needed a wife in his state of innocence to stand beside him and help him fulfill his responsibilities, how much more does a young man today need a wife in our time of care and trouble?

We understand from Adam's example in the Garden, with extremely few exceptions, that a young man is not equipped for his life calling—occupation—without a wife. He needs the wife of his youth to help him continue his study, or encourage him as he starts in his occupation: "Honey, though it didn't work this time, don't give up. I am with you all the way!"

Illustrations:

Just before I went full time on a church staff over 30 years ago, I was working for a man who was a new bus distributor in western Indiana. I picked up, delivered and ran his wrecker service for new and used buses over several states. I married my first wife while working for him, and the 100,000-mile-a-year driving caused me to look for a job where I could stay home more. The man had to drop out of school very early to support his family. (If I remember right, he did not much more than finish grade school.) He married very young, 18 I believe. Through hard work and with his helpmeet's encouragement and help, he became one of the most successful bus distributors that particular company had. It was very difficult going, but with the help of his wife, he was very successful.

There was a businessman in the church where I was on the staff in Maryland in the early 70s. When I met him and his family, he had a crop dusting business, as well as several hundred acres of a "truck garden." In fact, he purchased a helicopter to fly back and forth to church, and an old DC3 so he could get contracts for spraying forests. He was also "uneducated," dropping out of school after the sixth grade. He married quite young, in his teens. He told me of purchasing his first plane, which he and his wife had to refabric. With his helpmeet's help and encouragement, he became very successful, even in the world's eyes.

The first thing a young man should seek is a wife.

18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth <05271, see above>. 19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. 20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? (Proverbs 5)

Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. (1 Corinthians 7:2.)

In the post-exilian period, as long as the children were minors—which in the case of a son was up to thirteen, and a daughter to twelve years of age, the parents could betroth them to any one they chose; but when they became of age their consent was required (Maimonides, Hilchoth Ishuth, 3:11, 12). ... Though betrothment [sic], as we have seen before, was the beginning of marriage itself, and, like it, could only be broken off by a regular bill of divorcement (Hebrew word), yet twelve months were generally allowed to intervene between it and actual marriage (Hebrew word) in the case of a maiden, to prepare her outfit, and thirty days in the case of a widow (Kethuboth, 57 a). The intercourse of the betrothed during this period was regulated by the customs of the different towns (Mishna, Kethuboth, v. 2). When this more solemn betrothment (Hebrew word) was afterwards united with the marriage ceremony (Hebrew word), engagements (Hebrew word) more in our sense of the word took its place. (McClintock & Strongs Cyclopedia, Marriage, AGES CD.)

Implied is that when a young man is old enough to be strongly influenced by thoughts of being with a girl, he is old enough to seriously start seeking a wife.

Where there are the means at all of anything like comfortable subsistence, there is not a more desirable preservative from personal and diffusive vice, than early wedlock. (Wardlaw.)

[Proverbs 5] V. 19, "Tender, well-regulated, domestic affection is the best defense against the vagrant desires of unlawful passions." (Bridges.)

Note that the same instruction is given again by Solomon:

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:9.)

Obviously, we do not have here instructions to marry motivated by youthful lusts. Rather, those lusts are to be brought under control by God's Spirit. (2 Timothy 2:22.) What we do have is encouragement to work toward maturity for a godly marriage as soon as is possible and practical. As we saw above, such a marriage should be a young man's number one goal. Moreover, it is a well-established fact that children born in the parents' youthful years are stronger than those born in the later years. It seems that more and more couples are waiting until later in life to have children, resulting in offspring that are not as healthy as might be otherwise. (Obedience to the simple marital laws given by God in both the Old and New Testaments can produce healthier offspring than what is produced in violation of those laws, but that is not the subject of this tome.)

I can attest to the fact that a man later in life, 30 or so, is pretty much independent, can care for himself, and is saddled with bad habits that can cause problems. I was 30 when I first married, and my wife complained that I did not need a wife. I found out after her death that I did need a wife, and I remarried. A young man needs a wife, and an early marriage will greatly help them grow together.

House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD. (Proverbs 19:14.)

Prudent –wise acting, particularly in governing her household, understanding, having insight, able to teach, intelligent, discerning, giving attention, comprehending, forward looking, considerate, skillful, &c., of course, all under Divine guidance. The prudent wife, being a gift from the Lord, is described in Proverbs 31 and by Paul in Titus 2, as one who loves her husband, loves her children, is discreet, chaste, a keeper at home, good, and is obedient to her own husband. She counsels him in difficulty, cheers him in depression, doubles to him every joy, and divides every care and sorrow.

A "prudent wife" is not to be got by an imprudent mode of choice. The gift must be sought "from the Lord." But this does not mean that the Lord is supernaturally to point out the individual. Our own discretion must be put in exercise, along with prayer for the divine superintendence and direction, so as to bring about a happy result. And then the precious gift should be owned, and the all-bountiful Giver praised for his goodness in bestowing it. (Wardlaw.)

Proverbs 19:14 tells us that material wealth can come through an inheritance. Obviously, the Lord is the one who provided the wealth, but as for that inheritance, we can see where it comes from and where it is going; to the heirs through a course of events. (Proverbs 13:22.)

A young man will no doubt look forward with great anticipation and excitement to inheriting his father's house and riches, but how much anticipation does he have for what is far more important and more closely connected with his future happiness—that is, obtaining a prudent wife, someone with whom to share his life and whatever wealth divine providence may provide. Scripture does not equate wealth with providing joy.

On the other hand, a prudent wife is not connected with an inheritance from a man's father. At times, the Lord may bring her from a distance by his special providence. She is, therefore, his special gift to the man. (Genesis 24:4, 5, 2:22.) The story of Ruth is a beautiful illustration of how God's providence can bring two people together; the Lord, through a series of divine circumstances, brought Ruth, a prudent, virtuous woman, to Boaz.

The book of Ecclesiastes, especially, emphasizes the fact that wealth and all it can provide will not bring joy. The wealthiest man in history connects joy with a virtuous wife, not with material wealth: live joyfully with the wife of his youth. (Ecclesiastes 9:9.) Thus the real wealth is serving the Lord and having a virtuous wife. How many men have we met who have house and riches, yet having lost their wives, now live in a joyless world, particularly those who lose their wives to death and do not remarry? How many would give all their wealth to have back the wife of their youth?

A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong [men] retain riches. (Proverbs 11:16.)

Gracious---1) favour, grace, charm , 1a) favour, grace, elegance, 1b) favour, acceptance. (Hebrew Lexicon, OLB.)

Everywhere you look, her excellency of godliness is seen. She is known by her inward beauty (Proverbs 31, 1 Timothy 2:9, 10, 1 Peter 3:3, 4.) Though she is the weaker vessel, she retaineth honour as firmly as strong men retain riches; she preserves her character unblemished. (Ruth 3:11.)

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. (Proverbs 31:10.)

Find implies looking for and finding. Far above rubies places the value of the virtuous woman that is to be sought. Her value is far above rubies, or above any kind of material wealth. The general thought today is that a man, even a Christian man, is to seek after a good education or a good job, i.e., rubies, and then after he has a good stash of rubies, he seeks a virtuous woman. However, v. 10 tells us that the most precious thing a man can find is a virtuous wife in his youth. (Proverbs 5:18-20, Ecclesiastes 9:9) Of course, the flesh rebels against such an ideal, and it will readily choose rubies over a virtuous woman. (We did an article in the Examiner, "The Value of a Woman," first published September, 1997. It is posted on our web site. Check on the "Topic" page under "Women.")

Findeth... Solomon represents her character as one that is far from being very easily found, a precious jewel, precious by its very rarity. Because this jewel is so rare, it must be sought diligently with prayer and dependence upon the Lord's providence for guidance. As mentioned above, finding such a wife early in life means saving the young man from early temptations, vices and ruin, as he lives joyfully with the wife of his youth.

A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. (Proverbs 12:4. Virtuous; "literally of strength; that is, of moral courage [compare Pr 12:4 Ru 3:11]" Online Bible [OLB])

Ver. 4. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.] Heb., A valiant woman; an able housewife, such as Bathsheba commends to her son, {Pr 31:10-31} and as Paul describes. {Tit 2:4,5} She is said to be a crown to her husband; not a ring for his finger, or a chain of gold for his neck, but a crown or garland for his head, a chief and choice ornament, as Sarah was to Abraham, as Livia to Augustus, as Placilla to Theodosius, as Nazianzen's mother to her husband. {a} (Trapp, OLB.)

Crown is used just as we think. As a king needs a crown, so too does a young man need a crown. The virtuous wife is far above any material possession; she is a priceless crown. In finding a wife, some find a crown, while others find rottenness to their bones. [#2]

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. (Proverbs 18:22.)

The Septuagent says findeth a good wife. The wife meant here is, evidently, one who fits the original design of marriage as instituted in the Garden, a "helpmeet" for her husband. (Genesis 2:18, 21-24.) She is described in Proverbs 31.

Note here that it does not say he that findeth a good job or he that findeth a good education... obtaineth favour of the Lord. Rather, it says he that findeth a good wife. Thus, in God's order of things, the wife is listed first, and she is then his helpmeet to better equip him to find the job to support his family. (See illustrations below.) If that proper support for his family means getting a higher education for him, then she can help him there also. The young man must seek the Lord first of all, and then he should seek a good wife who will help him be what the Lord has for him to be.

It is the favour of the Lord that protects a young man from the wrong kind of a wife:

[It is] better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. (Proverbs 21:9. See also, 19:13, 21:19, 25:24, 27:15, 30:23.)

Thus, the young man must seek and please the Lord first, or the Lord may leave him to his own devices in finding the wife of his youth.

Finding God's good thing

How is this good thing found?

Genesis 24, Abraham sent his servant to seek and find a wife for his son, Isaac. The woman had to be from his own people, and she had to be willing to come to Isaac.

Genesis 26, out of rebellion, Isaac's eldest son took a pagan wife, v. 34, 27:46

Genesis 27, Jacob is sent to "his people" to find himself a wife.

Genesis 41, Pharaoh gave Joseph a wife.

Ruth: At her mother-in-law's instruction, and according to the law, (Deuteronomy 25:5, 6) she offered herself to Boaz as his wife.

Isaac found it as an answer to prayer. (Genesis 24.) "A man's choice for his own indulgence will bring a curse upon himself and his family. (2 Chronicles 18:1, 2, 21:1-6.)" The cry and confidence of the child of God should be, "Lord, choose thou mine inheritance for me." (Psalms 47:4.) (Bridges)

Solomon warns against the wrong kind of wife in Proverbs 5:1-13? How many tens of thousands of young men have been ensnared by her beauty? Blessed of God are those men who escape her snare. In fact, it is the Lord who delivers from her snares:

And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. (Ecclesiastes 7:26.)

Solomon speaks of one wife and only one, yet he failed to follow his own advice; that is, to find a good, virtuous wife who would make him happy. When he was young, he gave his heart to know wisdom. (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18.) The wisdom he gained told him to seek and find a good wife who also sought the wisdom of God. But he sought his wife among the hundreds of women he had at his disposal. Though he gained vast amounts of wealth, he followed his heart in its lust, and he lost the favor of the Lord. He failed to gain the real wealth, a good wife. Solomon complained that he although he could find a good man among a thousand men, he could not find a good wife among a thousand women. He chose the wrong way to find such a woman. He collected them by the hundreds in his search. "What woman of reputation would choose to be found in such company?"

All men throughout history, good or bad, suffered alike when they departed from the law given in the beginning; one man united with one woman. (Note that Christ and Paul both said, the two shall be one flesh, not the three or more shall be made one.) Accordingly, the young man should not spare time nor expense in his diligent, careful and wise search for that young woman with whom he can unite. He should leave no area uncovered as he continues his search. From Abraham's and Isaac's examples, we see that the father should help him in that search.

Few things are as destructive as the reckless inconsideration with which the average man makes his choice of his partner for life:

How little consideration is there, in multitudes of cases, of what is so essential to social happiness, congruity of principles, of tempers and dispositions, of objects of pursuit and sources of enjoyment! In how many instances is it the purse that is wedded, not the person! In how many the person, merely as respects bodily appearance, not mental or moral character! And in how many is it a rash and heedless risk, independently of all serious attention to character or grounds of promise for future concord and happiness; or, if there is any thing that seems ominous of the contrary, a self-flattering assurance that it will be done away afterwards! ... (Wardlaw)

Christians ought to be a law unto themselves—that is to say, they should not need to be commanded to not marry according to the purse, nor according to bodily appearance, i.e., Barbie or Ken Dolls appearances, and to marry only in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:39.) Yet in their haste, many times they overlook that primary command in marriage, only in the Lord. It should be a self-evident truth that an unbelieving wife or unbelieving husband can never be a good thing. For one to look for the favour of the Lord in an unbelieving spouse is not only a violation of God's will, but is a very presumptuous expectation. Though she might be a beautiful Philistine, union of a Christian young man with her could well lead to the problems that held Sampson in such a tight grip. "Why is not the deformity of the soul more powerful to dissuade us, than the beauty of the face to allure us?" The same warning applies to women who are attracted to the handsome Philistine man. [#3]

Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. (Proverbs 31:30.)

A wife may have all other qualifications a man can desire, yet not have a common heart-felt desire for the Lord, for prayer, for religious conversation, for education, and common hopes and desires. The more the two can have in common, the more likely they can live together joyfully. "The choice ought, in all cases, to be a matter of very serious deliberation ... and of earnest prayer. If a ‘prudent wife is from the Lord,' from the Lord she should such a wife be sought. ... Few sights are more lovely, or more full of interest, than that of a youthful pair, setting out in life together, united by the bond of virtuous, tender, and fervent love: and their intercourse hallowed, sweetened, and beautified by the sacred influence of Christian piety; ..." (Bridges. See Psalms 128.)

Third, have as many children as the Lord permits:

1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (Psalms 127.)

We saw above that a good, godly wife is from the Lord. Here we see that children also are from the Lord. V. 5 implies that the more children the godly family has, the more happiness there is in that family. (A large family will help prevent the children from being self-centered, as is so often the case with only one or two children where the parents lavish all within their means upon those children.)

Though society today sees children as a curse, preventing selfish parents from fulfilling their lusts, Scripture presents children as a great blessing from God. (Genesis 30:2, 18, 1 Samuel 1:19, 20.)

God gives children, not as a penalty nor burden and hindrance from what the parents want to do, but as a favour. They are his token for good if men know how to receive and educate them. Children are to be received as a reward. (Spurgeon, CHS, OLB.) There is no reason, therefore, why you should be apprehensive for your families and country; there is no reason why you should weary yourselves with such great and such restless labour. God will be with you and your children, since they are his heritage. (Thomas Le Blanc, quoted by CHS. OLB) The Lord may give material wealth to some, yet they have no or few children. To others, he may give poverty, yet a priceless heritage of a house full of children. When both come to old age, who will have the most joy? What poor man will trade any of his children for the material wealth? (See Matthew Poole, OLB)

House and wealth may be inherited from our parents, but a godly wife and children are inherited from the Lord. How many have chosen material wealth over godly wealth, children? Notice that we gladly accept as much material wealth as the Lord will allow to come our way, and even strive to gain more, many times to our own destruction. Yet we will prevent him from sending as much true wealth as he sees fit to send, children.

When children are born to young parents, the parents live to see them grow up. These children are useful to protect and provide for their parents. They can defend their properties from enemies when the parents are old and feeble, and unable to defend themselves. Children, by the time the parents are old and maybe unable to care or provide for themselves, are usually well established in life, and able to be of godly service to their parents. (Trapp, OLB.) Children are equated with arrows of various sizes, striking at different targets in society.

Illustration:

My first wife had an aunt on her dad's side who had several children, six, I believe. The aunt was a widow when I met my wife back in 1969. When the aunt could no longer support herself, the children and grandchildren all pitched in and built her a new house, and saw to her care.

It seems that the stronger the family ties among the parents and children, the more the children will be inclined to settle in the area close to the parents. Thus, the man with a lot of children will have a strong influence in his community. (Psalms 127:5.)

Illustration:

In Linden, we had a widow lady in our church who was one of twelve children, almost all of whom settled and raised their families in that county. There were very few places you could go where a family member did not have some kind of influence. In fact, one young man ran for state representative, and surprised all the politicians with the amount of support he had, coming from "nowhere." Though he lost that race, he easily won a local, countywide race for county council. He is a good man, and it seems that every one in the county knew him or one of his relatives.

Children are God's gift, and it is God who is to be given the power to withhold them. Solomon had many wives, yet we read of only one child. God withholds his blessings from Solomon's whoredoms, which will not result in increase. (Hosea 4:10.)

1 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. 5 The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel. (Psalms 128)

Implied above is that those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways will have a fruitful wife and many children.

6 Children's children [are] the crown of old men; and the glory of children [are] their fathers. (Proverbs 17.)

Children are a testimony of God's favour, although sometimes they may become a shame to their father's house. (Poole. See Psalms 128, qv.) Though God says that both children and elderly parents are a blessing, the world sees both as a burden.

Let us mention in passing that, Scripturally, children born out of wedlock not to have part in their father's or mother's estate. (Leviticus 20:20.)

We must teach both our sons and daughters, particularly in the home school movement, the importance of marriage, and prepare each for their Biblical roles and responsibilities in that God-commanded relationship.

Lectures on THE BOOK OF PROVERBS in two volumes, by Rev. Ralph Wardlaw, D.D. Edited by his son, The Rev. J.S. Wardlaw. 1861. 1981 reprint, Klock & Klock.

A Commentary on PROVERBS, by Charles Bridges, 1846. 1981reprint by Banner of Truth Trust.

Endnotes:

[#1] Ver. 1. Remember, to wit, practically, or so as to fear, and love, and faithfully serve and worship him, which when men do not they are said to forget God, Ps 9:17 106:21, and in many other places.

Thy Creator; the first author and continual preserver of thy life and being, and of all the perfections and enjoyments which accompany it, to whom thou hast the highest and strongest obligations to do so, and upon whom thou hast a constant and necessary dependence, and therefore to forget him is most unnatural, and inhuman, and disingenuous.

In the days of thy youth; for then thou art most able to do it, and thou owest the best of thy time and strength to God; then thou hast opportunity to do it, and thou mayst not live to old age; then it will be most acceptable to God, and most comfortable to thyself, as the best evidence of thy sincerity, and the best provision for old age and death; and then it is most necessary for the conquering those impetuous lusts and passions which drown so many thousands of young men in perdition, both in this life and in that to come.

The evil days; the time of old age, which is evil, i.e. burdensome and calamitous in itself, and far more grievous and terrible when it is loaded with the sad remembrance of a man's youthful follies and lusts, and with the dreadful prospect of approaching death and judgment, which makes him see that he cannot live, and yet dare not die, and with the consideration and experience of the hardness of his heart, which in that age is rarely brought to true repentance, and so generally expires either in vain presumption, or in hellish desperation.

I have no pleasure in them; my life is now bitter and burdensome to me, and worse than death; which is frequently the condition of old age. (Matthew Poole, OLB)

[#2] [Proverbs 12:4] Faithful (Chap. xxxi. 11, 12), chaste (Tit. ii. 5. 1 Pet. iii. 2), reverentially obedient (Eph. v. 22, 23. 1 Pet. iii. 1, 4-6), immovable in affection (Tit. ii. 4), delighting to see her husband honoured, respected, and loved ; covering, as far as may be, his failings ; prudent in the management of her family (Chap. xiv. 1), conscientious in the discharge of her domestic duties (Chap. xxxi. 27, 28) ; kind and considerate to all around her (lb. verses 20, 26) ; and as the root of all-" fearing the Lord" (Ib. verse 30) -such is the virtuous woman; "the weaker vessel" indeed, but a woman of strength, [Heb. 1 Pet. iii.7, with Chap. xxxi. 10. Ruth, iii. 1-7. ... The etymology ... in Greek, and virtus in Latin, gives the meaning of manly courage. In this first ages of barbarism this was the primary virtue, and therefore it naturally became the generic term of virtue.]- with all her graces in godly energy. She is not the ring on her husband's finger, or the chain of gold around his neck. That were far too low. She is his crown; his brightest ornament ; drawing the eyes of all upon him, as eminently honoured and blessed. (Chap. xxxi. 23.)

Truly affecting is the contrast of a contentious (Chap. xix. 13 ; xxi. 9,19), imperious, extravagant, perhaps unfaithful, wife; in the levity of her conduct forgetting her proper place and subjection : seeking the admiration of others, instead of being satisfied with her husband's regard. This is indeed a living disease; rottenness in his bones; [Jerome aptly compares it to the worm eating into the heart of the tree, and destroying it. Trapp in loco.] marring his usefulness; undermining his happiness; perhaps driving him into temptation, and "a snare of the devil." Let a young woman, in contemplating this holy union, ponder well and in deep prayer its weighty responsibility. Will she be a crown to her husband, or one that maketh ashamed? Will she be what God made the woman" an help meet" (Gen. ii. 18) ; or-what Satan made her-a tempter-to her husband (ib. iii. 6. 1 Kings, xxi. 25. Job, ii. 9.) If she be not a crown to him, she will be a shame to herself. If she be rottenness to his bones, she will be a plague to her own. For what is the woman's happiness, but to be the helper of her husband's joy? Oh! let their mutual comfort be sought, where alone it can be solidly found, in "dwelling together as heirs of the grace of life." (1 Pet. iii. 7.) Better never to have seen each other, than to live together forgetful of this great end of improving their union as an indulgent gift of God, and an important talent for his service, and their own eternal happiness. (Bridges)

[#3] Contemplation, x. 3. Bp. Beveridge's Resolution is well worth recording-'I shall always endeavour to make choice of such a woman for my spouse, who hath first made choice of Christ as a spouse for herself; that none may be made one flesh with me, who is not made one spirit with Christ my Saviour. For I look upon the image of Christ as the best mark of beauty I can behold in her, and the grace of God as the best portion I can receive with her. These are excellences, which, though not visible to our carnal eyes, are nevertheless agreeable to a spiritual heart; and such as all wise and good men cannot choose but be enamoured with. For my own part, they seem to me such necessary qualifications, that my heart trembles at the thoughts of ever having a wife without them.' Resol. ii. (Bridges.)

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Habitat for Humanity Policy Creates Christian Controversy

Local Bible Churches Should Withdraw Funding of Organization

By Diana Vice

The Family Times

Habitat for Humanity has enjoyed the support of many Christian churches and organizations over the years, but some long-time supporters are taking a second look at the organization and what it stands for. One local evangelical church recently withdrew its financial support of the local Habitat for Humanity chapter after finding out that the national and local organization builds homes for co-habitating couples, a practice that the Bible clearly calls sin. Other Christian supporters throughout the community share the same concerns.

"Are Christians aware of what they're really supporting when they contribute to Habitat for Humanity?" asked Arline Sprau, a member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Lafayette, Indiana.

Sprau says many Christians are duped into believing they are giving to a worthy cause, especially when they read the Bible verse quoted on Habitat's official letterhead. It quotes Psalm 127:1: "Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it."

"The Lord will not be involved in building houses to be used for sinning," commented Sprau. "They should remove God's word from the letterhead, and stop using Christ's church to promote their secularized organization."

"It is true that we build houses for qualified families whether or not the parents are married," stated Saranne Peacock, a spokesperson for Habitat for Humanity International from Americus, Georgia.

"One reason for this is that the U.S. Fair Housing laws require it," she continued. "Beyond the legal requirement, is the requirement of our own policies that decisions be made on a non-discriminatory basis." Some Christians disagree with Peacock's reasoning and say it's Biblically flawed.

"Would they put up a house for a rapist or a child molester?" asked one local Christian. "Furthermore, are Christians supposed to make it easier for sinners to sin, or provide a house for them to sin in? What kind of message are they sending to the children who are living in these homes? Where is their sense of moral responsibility?"

The Family Times contacted Michael Parkinson, a Constitutional law attorney, to ask about the legal requirements for such a policy. Parkinson said that he would have to see Habitat's tax-exempt status before giving a legal opinion; however, he says that if that were the case, then the Catholic Church and other Christian churches would be in violation of the law. He says legitimate, Christian organizations are not bound by these types of laws.

"A final factor in our choosing not to discriminate on the basis of family status is the belief that God loves all people and calls us to help meet the needs of all," stated Peacock. "It is not a question of whether we approve of or condone certain behaviors, but of whether we can look past the behaviors we may not like to see a person in need."

"Such an idea is alien to the whole Bible," responded Sprau. "To discriminate based on the superficial is sin. To discriminate based on sin is Biblical application. Why else would Christ lay down principles on how to judge people in Matthew 7:15-20?"

Sprau also challenges Peacock's definition of God's love. "What is love?" asked Sprau. "We don't love someone by aiding and abetting in their sin. That is definitely not love."

"If you define love by the standard of Scripture, love isn't warm feelings," Sprau continued. "It is action that is obedient to God's Word."

Some Christians feel betrayed after finding out about Habitat's policy. "I thought I was supporting an organization that adhered to Christian principles," said Rick Vice, a local businessman who had volunteered his services to the local Habitat for Humanity chapter on several occasions.

"Christians who contribute to this organization should do so with the full knowledge of exactly what they will be supporting. I cannot, in good conscience, continue to support an organization that twists the Word of God in order to advance the political and social agenda of its national leadership."

Reprinted from The Family Times, Lafayette IN.

Editor's note (Bro Need):

Like so many other good organizations, including churches, Habitat may have started with good motives. Leaders, whether civil, religious or others, are sinners, as are all men. Sin causes good things to devolve into evil practices, as the leaders start viewing themselves and their works as more important than upholding God's word.

Illustration: About 25 years ago, we purchased a Kitchen Aid mixer for about $300. At that time, it was made by Hobart, and it is a heavy mixer. Among other things, we have used it over the years to make whole wheat bread. The motor gets hot, but we have had no problems with it. Some years ago, Kitchen Aid was sold, and the new owners seriously compromised the quality of the mixer. Though the price has remained about the same, even lower at discount stores, and its appearance is the same, the mixer is much lighter, and it is not the same mixer. If the new mixers are used to make whole wheat bread, the motors will burn up. The same story can be repeated many times over, i.e., Black & Decker, and a host of other brand names; the names were well-established with dependable high quality. The name is purchased, quality compromised, but the reputation continues to draw customers.

Of course, the same story is repeated thousands of times concerning churches. In Linden, IN, the only other church was a UMC. The neighbor across the street from our church disliked the church immensely, for it had departed far from the Scriptures upon which it was founded. However, because grandmother played the organ there, they would not depart from the church.

Note the Lord's warning about things such as Habitat:

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

We have need of our judgments, and we must try the spirits of those who profess to be sent of God. There are men of great gifts who are "false prophets". These affect the look, language, and spirit of God's people, while really they long to devour souls, even as wolves thirst for the blood of sheep. "Sheep's clothing" is all very fine, but we must look beneath it and spy out the wolves. A man is what he is inwardly. We had need beware. This precept is timely at this hour. We must be careful not only about our way, but about our leaders. They come to us, they come as prophets, they come with every outward commendation, but they are very Balaams, and will surely curse those they pretend to bless. (C.H. Spurgeon.)

Though something may appear to be good, Christ requires us to look beyond the outward appearance, and judge righteous judgment according to the word of God. God's word may reveal that the apparent sheep may indeed be a ravening wolf—that is, extortioners and robbers, greedy for power, gain and self-importance. Funding and reputation might be gained under what was good, yet perceived self-importance can easily reduce one to evil.

Romans 1:32 speaks straight to the Habitat situation:

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Paul listed fornication among the activities that even the unsaved realize are sins. He then condemns those who support the sinners, as listed in vv. 29-31. Implied in this passage is that those of v. 32 who support fornication, though not involved personally in the act, have been given over by God to a reprobate (that which does not prove itself such as it ought) mind — that is to say, they failed the test of their Christian profession.

We must apply the above to those Christians and churches who finance building houses for fornicators — they have failed the test of their commitment to follow Christ. Never one time did Christ encourage someone in their sins as Habitat is doing by building houses for fornicators. Cf., John 4.

In order to judge righteous judgment, one must honestly face the facts (are we supporting a wicked lifestyle?), and be willing to obey the Christian God.

In Psalms 50:16-23, the Lord asks: Why do you pretend to be of my people and talk of my covenant, seeing that you are a hypocrite by refusing to live according to My word, which requires that you stand against evil. Thus, the hypocrite sees the thief, law-breaker, yet he keeps silent. Silence consents to his evil deeds.

Helping to build houses for fornicators is not part of advancing the kingdom of God on earth. (Matt. 6:33.) Rather, it is building up the kingdom of the enemy.

If God promises to tear in pieces those who by their silence join with the evil doers, how much more sure the judgment against those who support the evil doers with the money the Lord has provided?

Taken from The Family Times, Lafayette IN.

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Why the Lack of Holiness in Baptist Churches?

Friends, we have trouble right here in River City. The moral standards in many so-called good, fundamental Baptist churches these days are not much better than those of the world around us.

In order to be aware of the caliber of disaster, let us face up to the fact that there has been a breakdown in basic sexual morality. Too many of our young people are committing fornication and having children out of wedlock. Too many adults, including some preachers, have been unfaithful to their marriage vows. [#1]

Meanwhile, as a result of rampant envy and covetousness in our churches, many of our people have cheated their brethren out of money, and have lied and slandered people to cover their tracks. Many good church members have not paid their bills, or they have borrowed money and not paid it back. They say, "trust me, I am a good Baptist church member," and then cheat people on business deals and keep the money. Some have openly extorted money from fellow church members.

It is becoming routine for church members to bear false witness against someone they want to get revenge on. Pastors slander their members, driving good, innocent people away from the Lord's church. Members slander their pastors, wrecking their ministries and destroying the testimony of the church.

If we are to turn back the rising tide of immorality and dishonesty in our congregations, we must be bold to preach the word of God to our people and rebuke them for their sins. And we must also deal with the root causes for the lack of holiness among us. [#2]

THE BIBLE SAYS, BE YE HOLY.

It is getting to the point where if someone wants to hear some strong preaching on holiness and sanctification (not to mention a good joke about the Baptist chicken thief), then they almost have to go to their local Nazarene or Wesleyan Holiness church. This ought not to be.

We need to preach what the Bible says about holiness, without pulling our punches. Hebrews 12:14 says, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. " The unholy man is not

going to heaven, even if he is on our Baptist church rolls.

I Thessalonians 4:3 says, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication . . . " Some people think of "the will of God" in terms of trying to find out what college to attend, who to marry, where to live, what job to accept, etc. But God has allowed us to make our own decisions on these matters. The will of God has to do with our holy manner of living - the believer who abstains from fornication is in God's will, regardless of whether he is living in Albuquerque or Kalamazoo.

While holding to the principle of eternal security of the believer, we must remember that there is no security, or evidence of salvation, for the unholy man, even if he is on the church rolls. Peter exhorts us to show forth virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity, saving, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall, " 2 Peter 1:10.

UNHOLY CHURCH MEMBERS MUST BE CHALLENGED, HEAD ON.

In 1 Samuel we read of Eli, the kindly, feeble, ineffectual old priest who was too timid to confront the immorality of his own sons. The result was that people stopped coming to the place of worship (1 Samuel 2:17), Eli was personally punished for his weak-kneed tolerance of sin (3:13-14) and God's people suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of the enemy (4:10).

Samuel, on the other hand, was willing to confront sin and unholiness. He rebuked Saul's disobedience and hypocrisy, 15:14-23. He dealt with Agag, a type of the flesh, by hacking him to pieces, 15:33. Sometimes people were afraid of Samuel and not sure if they wanted him around, 16:4. But the result of Samuel's bold confrontation of unholy men was revival in Israel and the lasting legacy of a strong monarchy and the defeat of the enemies of God's people.

If we are going to deal with unholy church members, we are going to need the spirit of Samuel, not Eli. Sometimes a prominent member of the church will find himself extorted by false brethren who say, "Give us money, or we will tell your pastor and congregation that you are a Satanic infiltrator and/or sex deviant." Some pastors and congregations do not have the guts to stand up to such "Christian" extortioners. As a result, the good people stop coming to church (just as in Eli's time). They leave and take their money with them, while the wolves in sheep's clothing are left free to prowl the pews for more victims.

BRING BACK CHURCH DISCIPLINE.

It does little good to preach against wicked, unholy church members if there are no negative sanctions to apply against those who sin and will not repent. While we rant against the liberal, bleeding-heart judges and politicians who cause high crime rates by reducing the penalties for criminal conduct, we have been guilty of promoting the same destructive permissiveness in our churches by eliminating church discipline. Members who want to lie, cheat, steal, fornicate or get drunk can now do so without any fear of unpleasant consequences.

We need to get back to the Apostle Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 5. Fornicators, covetous persons, idolaters, railers, drunkards and extortioners should be voted out of the church membership and banned from the Lord's Supper (5:11). Some will say that this is unloving, but true love is demonstrated by keeping Christ's commandments, John 14:15.

If we are opposed to pointy headed liberal judges who coddle criminals and set them free, and to permissive parents who refuse to discipline their children and have produced an ungodly "Spock-marked generation," then on what basis do we tolerate and advocate permissiveness for sinners who are tearing up the Lord's Churches?

THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM - BAD THEOLOGY.

We need to teach holiness and sanctification, but the problem is that we must have an objective, God-given standard that tells us what kind of conduct is forbidden. That standard is God's Law, and that is where the problem lies - many of us have taught that God's Law is not for today or does not apply to Christians. This leaves us free to run wild without any divine standard of conduct.

Some have said that the Ten Commandments are not for today, but according to the Apostle Paul, they still apply today, Romans 13:9, 1 Timothy 1:8-10.

The 1833 "New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith" taught that "to restore [fallen men] through a Mediator to unfeigned obedience to the holy law, is one great end of the Gospel, and of the means of grace connected with the establishment of the visible Church." This sound teaching has been abandoned under the influence of the Scofield theology.

C.I. Scofield, in his "Scofield Reference Bible," taught that the Sermon on the Mount was not for today. This teaching was convenient for Scofield, who, after his conversion, divorced his wife and then remarried, and also cheated people with dishonest financial dealings, which would have been a violation of the Sermon on the Mount. For whatever reason, Scofield gave millions of church members an excuse for unholy living and for disobedience to the Law which Christ reaffirmed, Matthew 5:17-20.

Scofield was heavily influenced by the Plymouth Brethren movement in 19th Century Britain. Rev. Thomas Croskery, writing in 1872, accused the Plymouth Brethren of believing "That the moral law is of no use at all to believers, that it is no rule for believers to walk by, that all saints have the right of ministry, that the doctrine of repentance is a soul-destroying doctrine, that believers are justified from eternity, that God's children are not to pray for the pardon of their sins, that sanctification is imputed and supersedes all personal and progressive holiness, that believers have nothing to do in the way of keeping themselves from sin for God must look to them if He will."

In 1879, Croskery wrote further, "We must now notice the tendency of Brethrenite doctrine. It clearly tends to immorality. Mr. Kelly says, 'I am no longer, as a Christian man, having to do with the responsibility that attaches to mortal men, but am passed now into a new state, even while I am in the world.' This doctrine is capable of serious misapplication.... The Rev. Frederick Whitfield, incumbent of Kirby Ravensworth, Yorkshire, who worshipped 12 years with the Brethren, says, 'I have omitted altogether touching on one point - the flagrant immoralities among the Plymouth Brethren." (Cited in "The Rapture Plot" by Dave MacPherson)

Not only did Scofield turn Christians loose from the obligations of God's moral law, but in his notes on 1 Corinthians 2:14, he created a new classification of Christian for those who want to live like the Devil and still make it to heaven - the "Carnal Christian."

As a result of this teaching, prospective converts are told that they can "accept Jesus as Savior but not as Lord," and that they can get an escape ticket from hell and then continue to live an unholy, carnal life until they

are good and ready to move up to a higher level.

Leon Bates, in his "Battle Map for the Christian Walk," offers believers the choice of being a "Victorious Christian," "Defeated Christian" or "Carnal Christian." The Defeated Christian is saved from the penalty of the Lake of Fire, but does not allow Christ to be his Lord. (However, according to Romans 10:9, we are saved by confessing Jesus as Lord).

Merrill Unger, in his Bible Handbook commentary on 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, rewrites Paul's warning to fornicators. idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, drunkards, revilers and extortioners. Paul says they will not inherit the kingdom of God (they are not saved). But Unger says they are still saved and will merely suffer loss of reward.

Supposedly good, fundamental Baptists have taught that the man in I Corinthians 5 who fornicated with his father's wife was a saved man, and that a Christian can be a practicing homosexual and still go to heaven when he dies.

Such teachings as these reflect the dubious leaven of Scofield's easybelievism and antinomianism (abolition of the law). This rotten influence will have to be rooted out before we can expect to see much holiness in our churches.

THE "DIVINE RIGHT OF PASTORS" CULT.

There is one other practical error that should be dealt with in order to promote holiness in our churches. Our pastors themselves must be holy and above reproach, and must not excuse their own sins on the basis that "we are Baptist preachers and cannot be held accountable for our sins" or that "I am doing such a great work for God that He cannot do without me in spite of my wickedness."

Nowadays some church members are taught that "if you see your pastor in the very act of adultery, you should just walk on and pretend you didn't see it. If you challenge him, then you have 'touched the Lord's anointed."' (But that is not what Paul taught - he said that elders whose sin is established by 2 or 3 witnesses are to be rebuked publicly, I Timothy 5:19-20).

In some cases, we have deified and glorified our pastors to such an extent that men who have fallen into open sexual immorality are allowed to remain in the ministry. How can they preach holiness or set a proper example for their people?

Some churches have openly identified themselves with men such as Jack Hyles, Jimmy Swaggart, or Promise Keepers leader Coach McCartney, who have had ethical problems in varying degrees. Anyone who expresses disagreement with the hero-worship of such men is attacked and threatened with God's wrath. Can we reasonably expect our people in the pews to rise above the moral level of the men that we set before them as heroes'? No man is perfect, but the Apostle Paul said that pastors should be blameless, I Timothy 3:2.

As we ponder the lack of godly living in our churches, some of the blame has to go to certain pastors who have degenerated to the level of sly, cunning, unscrupulous scoundrels, thus giving their members an excuse to lurk at the same subterranean level of unsanctified moral squalor.

We need to deal with the junk theology which is the root cause of unholiness and immorality in our churches. And then we need the boldness of Samuel, so that we can confront immoral troublemakers in our churches, and. as a last resort. exercise church discipline.

There is nothing mysterious, mystical or ethereal about "Holiness." When we preach God's moral standards (the Law) and warn violators of negative sanctions in this world and the next, then people will cultivate holiness.

We may have to eliminate some goats and wolves from the membership rolls, but the long term result should be healthy growth, just like in the church in Jerusalem after Ananias and Sapphira were dealt with: "And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women " (Acts 5:14). [#3]

By Thomas Williamson 3131 S. Archer Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60608

Editor's notes:

[#1] Bettie and I have grown up all of our lives around churches and Christian circles, so let me make a few observations. In the church "youth group":

The Christian family is attacked as the young people learn to separate from their parents, and emotionally attach themselves to the "youth pastor."

The young people learn how to "pair off," date and how to break up. The "breaking up" trains them for divorce in latter life, and gets them used to the emotional heart break of jealousy and separation.

[#2] As a pastor, I found that if you speak too hard against sin, folks will go where the pressure is not on them to change.

[#3] I wonder which "Bible teacher" told Ananias and Sapphira that since Christ, the law of Moses, the Ten Commandments, were no longer in effect? Rather, they were now in the age of Grace, to be controlled by the indwelling Spirit. That is, if you don't feel it is wrong in your spirit, then it is Ok. (Acts 5:14).

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Two items about the New Testament

The attentive reader will notice two items about the New Testament, as he comes to the end of it. For one thing, there is no book of church order, laying down a code of rules for the worship and organization of the communities: [there is] no book corresponding to the Book of Leviticus. The other thing is that the writings are all meant for communities, not for individuals: they reflect and presuppose the life of a society or fellowship. Even the private notes of Paul to Philemon and of the presbyter John to Gaius are addressed to these individuals as members of the church; and Luke's two volumes are intended primarily -- but only primarily -- for the Christian education of his friend and patron Theophilus.
... James Moffatt (1870-1944)

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Personal events and thoughts:

Financial hard times have hit us all.

We have operated on the premise of only making mailings as we have the funds to do so. We have mailed since the middle 80s, at no charge, to those who have requested or to those whom have been requested to be added. Maybe I should reproduce some of the letters and requests we receive from both home and abroad, but it seems like when it comes time to put the Examiner together, I am out of room.

I realize that several of our good supporters have lost their jobs through "downsizing," a nice name of getting ride of older employees who might be close to retirement, and who can be replaced with cheaper labor.

By our sending out the material for printing, it raised our cost dramatically, but the support did not increase.

Thus we ask you to:

1. Please pray for us in this situation.

2. Determine to send us something.

3. At the least, send us a note. Let us hear from you, even if you want to be removed from the mailing list.

We did hear from someone overseas who said, "Just now I really cannot take on any more reading in the form of newsletters so would you please forgive me if I ask you not to send any more unless I contact you further in this regard."

Though it costs $1.85 for each piece of foreign mail, I can't imagine someone not wanting what we have to offer. But "such is life".

The opportunities abound, with the Lord seemingly opening doors among the Muslims in our area.

Keep us in your prayers, and remember this ministry in your giving.

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Conferences

Summer has passed quicker than I can imagine. Our "Marriage is for Families" conference in Southern Indiana went very well. There are tapes of the sessions available from Old Paths Baptist Church, PO Box 104, Campbellsburg IN 47108. The set will be sent for $20 post paid.

We have attended several other conferences with our material, which has been warmly received. One conferences we only attended was the Virginia Home School conference held in Richmond. We heard a message by Richard "Little Bear" Wheeler, in which he mentioned another message he had preached in Arkansas. In that message, he tells how the Lord dealt with him through his family concerning the need for young men to be taught the importance of seeking a godly wife and family. The article, "Instructions for a Godly Young Man" was motivated by "Little Bear's" message delivered in Arkansas.

Bettie and I have been impressed with the number of young people we have met who are of marriageable age, yet with no prospects of marriage. The problem seems to exist primarily among home educated kids, where they are removed from the world's crowd, the "teen scene" and from the "dating game." With the encouragement of others and because of our experience, we have started a "Courtship" service. The web address is <http://www.christiancourtship.us> Check it out. Our reasoning is posted there.

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Church Culture

Among the group of people we have been associating with, which is primarily home educators, we have notice an abhorrence they have of churches that split up the families. They split the families, and then work at attach the young people to the "youth leader," and away from the parents. In the youth groups, the kids pair up in preparation for dating, then do serious dating involving premarital sex, and then lean early on how to deal with the emotions of breaking up—good divorce preparation. (The only person I know personally who had an abortion was a church girl.)

These home educating families I know have tried about every church they thought would be reasonably sound within a couple of hours driving distance, and all of those churches have some distressing and discouraging things in common. We will call these things the Church Culture, and it involves a distaste for large families, aversion to stay-at-home mothers as they ignore Titus 2:5, very lax stand on modest dress, and many times expecting the church to replace the families. The result is that many home educating families, seeing the destructive influence the organized Church Culture has on their own families as their children "look up" to those involved in that culture, drop out of the organized church altogether, and start their own home church with their own family.

We ask, "What about Hebrews 10:25?" These parents must confront the issue: sacrifice their children to the discouraging, and at times, destructive, organized Church Culture, as discussed above, or try to build around their own family. Which would you do? Can home training counter the Church Culture, even "Reformed" churches, that encourages activities that lead to the career woman mentality, immoral activity, immodest dress and undermine the family by looking down on large families? It is a different story when the pressure is from the World Culture, for the parents can point to that culture and say, "That is the world, and we are to be separate from what they do and teach." But what can the parents do who are unwilling to yield their children to the Church Culture, and they must point to the church, and say, "That is the Church, and we must be separate from what they do and teach"?

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Family Notes

Carol's 93 year old mother is now living with us, which can be trying at times.

Christina has been getting intensive cooking and sewing classes along with her homeschooling, as she is still making up for the couple of years missed with illness and various other things. Meanwhile, I am still trying to clean up around some property that has not had proper care for several years, as well as trying to lay up wood for the winter. Bettie designed the house where we now live to be a passive solar heated house, and we make up the rest of the heat by wood. Last winter saw very little sun, so we burned a lot of wood.

Presently living in the Dayton, OH, area, my eldest daughter, Jessica, who is still working in jewelry, and her husband, Corey, who manages a Shoe Carnival store, would like to move to Virginia. They want to be close to family. Bettie has two children within an hour of us, and seven (soon to be 8) grandchildren, the oldest is 6. The other daughter, with four children, lives in Texas. We ask for your prayers that the Lord would work it all out for them according to his plan and purpose.

Books

We have the book, Death of the Church Victorious, on hand. It can be ordered from us for $25, post paid, or from Amazon.

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Homeschooling

Ezekiel 22:30

Since we have been here, we have become acquainted with several homeschooling families. Bettie's oldest daughter, Jennie, and her family moved to Harrisonburg, about an hour south of us. Jennie's husband, Matt Chancey, enjoys organizing things. In fact, he organized a trip to China for Howard Phillips, Conservative Caucus, and enjoyed the trip as the "detail" man. Howard Phillips is putting together another trip to the ‘Stans', which he wants Matt to organize for him.

All of that to say this. Last year, we went to Harrisonburg to a homeschool conference, which was well attended by folks from around northern Virginia, organized by Matt, and sponsored by Homeschooling Today, which the McDonalds publish. While there, we attended Lloyd Sprinkle's church the next day. Pastor Sprinkle publishes old, out of print books, particularly books about the South concerning the War of Northen Aggression (Sprinkle Publications).

At the church, we met again a homeschooling family we met at the conference the day before, only this time, we had some time to talk. The primary concern of the husband and wife was over the fact that though there are about 180 homeschooling families in their area, only three came to the conference. They pointed out that the problem in their area is that the families are primarily controlled by the wives and mothers rather than by the husbands and fathers.

We did an article some time ago (3/94) titled "Men and Responsibility", which had to do with a man controlling himself before marriage, or he would be a slave to his wife after marriage. (Exo. 22:16, 17, Deut. 22:28, 29. I have put together various booklets from past articles for the homeschool meetings. See in this mailing the titles and articles found in each. One of the booklets deals with men.)

Admittedly, I am not all that the Word of God requires of a man, nor is any man. If only those who met God's standard completely were allowed to write or speak concerning the Word of God, there would be no writers nor speakers. So here goes!

Though Bettie's first husband, Jeff, was on the HSLDA board, that was several years ago, so she has lost contact with the homeschool movement. However, she still knows many who have been involved, but it almost is like starting over again for her. This is my first time, and we are just starting to get reinvolved with the homeschool families.

Therefore, at this time, we must take the word of those who talk with us. I have no reason to doubt what we were told of the men's lack of involvement in the education process. Over my last 30 years in the ministry, I have been distressed over the same thing — though claiming to love God, it seems that a majority of husbands and fathers leave "religion" up to the wives. I do not know if they feel they are above that area of life or what, but it does seem to be a common male malady. Then we wonder why boys grow up to be wimps and religion in America ends up being dominated by women in the church, in politics and in the work force. The reason is that men refuse to be men, and take their place in their families.

We met another pastor south of us who has invested his life and ministry in training up his boys in their homeschool environment. The young men now are a great credit to the Lord and to their parents, excelling in everything they do.

(Note that many training areas are now going to "group training", thus reducing everyone to the lowest common denominator. The quicker ones must now wait on the slower ones before they can advance. Homeschooling can solve that problem as each child can go as fast as he is capable.)

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Letters

Dear Pastor Need

Your latest Newsletter of January 2003, was one of your better efforts - Full of interesting features. With your proper viewpoint on what is going on in the world today, which is a good one, it is difficult to believe you are a Baptist pastor! Would you please send me a copy of "The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689"?

I am enclosing a check for $35.00 for 1 book - "Death of the Church Victorious" and one - copy of your book - "Church Inc", and the balance toward my subscription to "The biblical Examiner".

Thanks you for an interesting paper.

David Lee, Miami FL

Dear Mr. Need,

I wanted to tell you how much I agreed with your article published on Jennie's site <http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com> about how undesirable it is for girls to get out from under the protection of the home and go to work.

I was reading in an old Clarke's Commentary, written in the 1800's about some of the customs and beliefs of the people of God during Joshua's time. In those days, many women ran the inns. It showed a history about how a conqueror (I can't remember his name) came to Egypt around this time and forced the men to be at home weaving, and the women to work in the inns. He knew it would feminize the men. The other point it brought out was that women who ran the inns were not always careful with their morals. Therefore, they were called harlots.

I am not sure if every harlot was actually immoral, but because it was so commonly so, a woman who worked outside the home was naturally assumed to have the reputation of a harlot.

In a sense, we expose our daughters the world, and everyone who sees them assumes that they are like all working women: independent, feminist, daters, immodest, and so forth. It is sad to see so many young women working in the public; they must get tired of the lack of privacy. Girls naturally want to be embarrassed or shy, and going to pubic schools and then off to work, breaks down this shamefacedness.

I just thought you'd like to know I understand perfectly some of the aspects of your article. There were some feminists on our boards that threw a fit about it but they weren't mature enough to understand history and scripture.

Sincerely,

Lydia Sherman

(Some time ago, Bro. Thompson asked to be removed from our mailing list. Much later, he asked to be added again. I wrote to find out the reasons. Here is his answer.)

Dear Brother Need:

Warmest Christian Greetings to you once again.

Many thanks fro your letter of June 9, 2003.

Now to answer some of your questions.

I am William Thompson, who used to operate Biblical Truth Ministries, ..., Belfast [Ireland]

I had become very disillusioned with the whole subject to the views of Tim LaHaye, and other Dispensational Premillennial writers, whose books were in my library and had been read.

Please keep my new address on your mailing list, as your paper is a breath of fresh air on the subject, and each issue is eagerly awaited.

Do you have any back issues available of The Biblical Examiner, and what would it cost to obtain them?

It's time for me to close. Here's looking forward to hearing from you and to receiving your kind help.

And many thanks. God Mightily bless you in the coming days. Yours sincerely in the Service of the Master. William Thompson, Biblical Truth Ministries.

PS. Will start by ordering the back issues of The Biblical Examiner and then various studies from you.

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Thursday, 15 May, 2003, 08:50 GMT 09:50 UK (BBC)

Saving Private Lynch story 'flawed'

Private Lynch has lost her memory of her rescue

By John Kampfner

Private Jessica Lynch became an icon of the war, and the story of her capture by the Iraqis and her rescue by US special forces became one of the great patriotic moments of the conflict.

But her story is one of the most stunning pieces of news management ever conceived.

Private Lynch, a 19-year-old army clerk from Palestine, West Virginia, was captured when her company took a wrong turning just outside Nasiriya and was ambushed.

Nine of her comrades were killed and Private Lynch was taken to the local hospital, which at the time was swarming with Fedayeen. Eight days later US special forces stormed the hospital, capturing the "dramatic" events on a night vision camera.

They were said to have come under fire from inside and outside the building, but they made it to Lynch and whisked her away by helicopter.

Reports claimed that she had stab and bullet wounds and that she had been slapped about on her hospital bed and interrogated.

But Iraqi doctors in Nasiriya say they provided the best treatment they could for the soldier in the midst of war. She was assigned the only specialist bed in the hospital and one of only two nurses on the floor.

"I examined her, I saw she had a broken arm, a broken thigh and a dislocated ankle," said Dr Harith a-Houssona, who looked after her.

Jessica amnesia

"There was no [sign of] shooting, no bullet inside her body, no stab wound - only road traffic accident. They want to distort the picture. I don't know why they think there is some benefit in saying she has a bullet injury."

Witnesses told us that the special forces knew that the Iraqi military had fled a day before they swooped on the hospital.

"We were surprised. Why do this? There was no military, there were no soldiers in the hospital," said Dr Anmar Uday, who worked at the hospital.

"It was like a Hollywood film. They cried 'go, go, go', with guns and blanks without bullets, blanks and the sound of explosions. They made a show for the American attack on the hospital - action movies like Sylvester Stallone or Jackie Chan."

There was one more twist. Two days before the snatch squad arrived, Harith had arranged to deliver Jessica to the Americans in an ambulance.

But as the ambulance, with Private Lynch inside, approached a checkpoint American troops opened fire, forcing it to flee back to the hospital. The Americans had almost killed their prize catch.

When footage of the rescue was released, General Vincent Brooks, US spokesman in Doha, said: "Some brave souls put their lives on the line to make this happen, loyal to a creed that they know that they'll never leave a fallen comrade."

The American strategy was to ensure the right television footage by using embedded reporters and images from their own cameras, editing the film themselves.

The Pentagon had been influenced by Hollywood producers of reality TV and action movies, notably the man behind Black Hawk Down, Jerry Bruckheimer.

Bruckheimer advised the Pentagon on the primetime television series "Profiles from the Front Line", that followed US forces in Afghanistan in 2001. That approached was taken on and developed on the field of battle in Iraq.

As for Private Lynch, her status as cult hero is stronger than ever. Internet auction sites list Jessica Lynch items, from an oil painting with an opening bid of $200 to a $5 "America Loves Jessica Lynch" fridge magnet.

But doctors now say she has no recollection of the whole episode and probably never will.

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American Christians finance the destruction of Middle-Eastern Christians

Voices of the voiceless

(World, May 31, 2003, p. 19.)

Israeli Tourism Minister Benny Elon, visiting the United States a week prior to the bombings, lobbied members of Congress and Christian leaden to oppose the creation of a Palestinian state. He cites biblical sanction for his desire to have areas of the West Bank ceded to the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo Accords to stay under Israeli control: "Secretary Powell needs to study the Bible and to understand the significance of the Jewish people returning to their land."

Alex Awed, pastor of the East Jerusalem Baptist Church, says that American evangelicals are being manipulated by the Israeli government. "The unconditional support by evangelical Christians in America has encouraged Israeli policy for the past 50 years. In the process, the church has supported oppression, occupation, demolition of houses, strangulation of the Palestinian economy, the denial of basic human rights."

What about other Palestinians? Like most of those WORLD Interviewed, "John" asked that his full name not be used. His life is precarious enough, he explained, without calling attention to himself in the press. He does show up to open his store, and apologizes for being 30 minutes late. There aren't many customers pressing him to be on time these days.

In a town with a nominal Christian population of about 30 percent, John counts himself among the growing number of evangelicals. For 30 years he attended a Baptist church in Jerusalem, where he eventually became a deacon. He hasn't set foot in the church for almost three years, however, nor has his Arabic pastor been allowed to visit him in Bethlehem. Israeli soldiers turn him back at the checkpoints every time, as ethnic origin trumps religious freedom. "I can't go to Jerusalem to worship,"John says. "Now we are living in a cage, a prison. But In this prison we have to pay our own bills. If Israel put us into a real prison, at least they would have to feed us."

Stripped of his travel rights, John had to find a new church within the confines of his restricted world. As it turns out, that was no problem. He estimates there are some 40 Christian churches in Bethlehem; many are evangelical congregations that have sprung up in the years since the Oslo Peace Accords granted a measure of self-rule to the Palestinians.

The growth in evangelical numbers has reversed a long decline among the dominant Catholic and Orthodox churches. In 1948, when the State of Israel was established, one count showed 400,000 Christians living in then-Palestine. Today that number has shrunk to just 150,000, or about a percent of the population. (Among the Palestinians spread worldwide, that figure is closer to 8 percent.) [Emp added. Israel's war against Christians is financed by American Christians. Ed.]

How to explain the recent surge in evangelical believers after decades of decline? John says its because evangelicals in the West Bank have freedom to evangelize: "Our goal in life is to preach the gospel. Anywhere we can preach, It's a good place."

"Of course we want to live in a Palestinian state, because It would be our own," but "we want a modern, civilized, democratic state so Christians can continue to live in safety. For that, we will need pressure from the West to keep the extremists from gaining control."

A young Orthodox woman, sitting in her living room beneath a white porcelain figure of the Virgin Mary, is also concerned about Islamic extremists: "We don't want to cover our heads or dress in black from head to toe. Maybe we can't drive. Maybe we can't vote. We don't want to live like this. Islam is worse for the women than for the men."She pauses for a moment, uncertain if she really wants to express what's on her mind. "It's better with the Jews," she says at last, her voice low.

In the West Bank village of Beit Jals, Charles isn't sure where his loyalties–or even his home–should lie. With degrees from Paris and Amman, he once was part of the Palestinians' thriving professional clan. But in the wake of the latest crackdown, his job was cut, and he now works in a hotel restaurant near the evangelical church he attends. His dream of an American education for his eldest son appears to be an hold.

Despite the hardships, Charles says he would rather have an Israeli passport than a Palestinian one. "When peace comes, many Palestinians will prefer to stay with Israel," he believes. Socially and economically, he simply sees a brighter future in Israel than in an independent Palestinian state.

Like many others, however, he is resigned to a future completely beyond his control. "We are now under control of Jewish government. Maybe one day we are under control of Muslims. What can we do?"

Charles's eventual nationality could depend almost on the flip of a coin. Though the roadmap doesn't specify the borders of a promised Palestinian state, Charles lives in a home within a few feet of the traditional boundary between Jerusalem and the West Bank. Charles doesn't know which side of the line he'll end up on.

Such uncertainties would doom a peace plan in other places. But here among the Palestinian Christians, support for the current plan is high. "We hope to start soon with this roadmap says Charles, though he knows he could well be mapped onto the "wrong" side of the border. "We only want to see peace."

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Sodomy

The following is an answer to an e mail I received from a lady in England. This was not the first contact, but well into the exchange.

The latest attack of Supreme Court against Christianity reminded me of this exchange.

From Esther:

But in a world full of paedophiles, murderers, rapists and drug-dealers, why would God disapprove of homosexual activity, as long as it is consensual and taking place in full privacy? There's a lot of people I can think of (eg Hitler, Charles Manson) who deserve the wrath of the Lord more than a few people who can't help their sexual urges.

May I ask which denomination of Church you lead?

Answer:

Thanks again for the contact, and for letting me explain the Scriptural position on this issue.

It seems that you have two good questions here. 1) "Why would God disapprove of homosexual activity?" And 2) "What about consensual activity taking place in full privacy?" There are some other things you mentioned that will also be answered, e.g., "can't help their sexual urges."

I am a Baptist, though not at this time in any place of leadership except through writing. I was a pastor for 20 years, and an associate pastor for 10 years before that. Before the Lord moved me into the ministry, I worked in the building trades as a heavy equipment operator, among other things. I started working in the building trades at the age of 15. I also spent 4 ½ years in the military. I have not lived a sheltered life, though I have not been involved in gross immorality and drunkenness. Obviously, being in the military, I was around those things, particularly in the military building trades, the US Navy Seabees.

As I said before, the Creator Himself gave the law concerning "homosexuality". And being the Creator, He has every right to establish the ground rules by which His creation is to live:

Leviticus 18:22 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." Leviticus 20:13 "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them." Romans 1:27 "And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."

Here are some reasons I can think of offhand that God is so harsh against "homosexuality", though the practice is usually in private. (We could also apply the following to adultery as well as the abortion issue, but that is not the topic of our discussion.)

Let me introduce the following with this statement—I assume that those involved in the practice do not realize the following implications of their actions, so I am not pointing at any particular person as I offer these various points.

First, "homosexuality" is an attack against God and creation.

God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. The command given to the husband and wife was to multiply, which "homosexuals" are incapable of doing.

We could even go as far as to say that the practice is against the idea, though totally false, of evolution, for evolution is based upon procreation, of which "homosexuals" are incapable.

I must also add that the Word of God being so firm against the idea of men with men that it is unthinkable that God would place any "homosexual" desire in the heart of anyone.

Quite the contrary – the Word of God tells us that "homosexuality" is a result of the wilful rejection of God and the standard He has established for man. That is to say, people must wilfully suppress their indwelling knowledge of God and God's standards in order to fall into homosexuality. (Rom. 1:21-32.)

Second, it is an attack against the family, which is the basic building block of all of society.

God created the family to be one man and one woman in the marriage union.

And [Jesus] said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? (Matt. 19:5.)

It is the family that produces children, and God entrusted the care of the children to the family, not to the state nor to the church.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Pro. 22:6.)

The above command is given to the parents, not to the state nor to the church.

As arrows [are] in the hand of a mighty man; so [are] children of the youth. (Ps. 127:4.)

Children's children [are] the crown of old men; and the glory of children [are] their fathers. (Pro. 17:6.)

Actually, God's plan for caring for the elderly is for the children to care for them, not the state.

Two "homosexuals" cannot reproduce children.

Third, it is an attack against society.

Every social order is of necessity built upon the family – civil government and the church, as well as all social organizations and the work force. Thus the unavoidable fact is that any attack against the family is an attack against all society. As the family goes, so goes the social order.

Forth, "homosexuality" is an attack against the State.

It is treason, for it seeks to destroy the state. We go back to the fact that "homosexuals" cannot reproduce. Therefore, they are incapable of supporting the state with needed citizens (including tax payers, as bad as I hate high taxes), not to mention the fact that they cannot reproduce a work force to support a social order–the state.

Yes, two "homosexuals" can reinvest their time and funds into society doing social work that might benefit the community, but a family of 9 children will put a lot more back into society than the two. (9 is not an unusual number for homeschooling families.) "Homosexuals" are known to adopt children and may even try to provide a stable environment for those children, but those children did not result from any "homosexual" union.

Thus, it is in the interest of the state to ban "homosexuality".

Fifth, though we like to think that "homosexual" activity is keep behind closed doors, we have seen over the past several months that many times it is not. How many lives of young people, particularly young boys, have been destroyed by "homosexual" activity? How about homosexual rapes, in prisons especially? Though the following is quite old, I don't believe the situations have improved any at all.

Philadelphia-Robert, a 20-year-old accused car thief and check forger, should be in a county jail here. But even though Robert couldn't raise his $800 bail, Judge Alexander F. Barbieri Jr. set him free to await trial.

Why? "This boy simply wouldn't be safe in a Philadelphia prison," the judge explained. "Even if he's guilty, it would be a greater crime to keep him in prison, than to allow him to repeat his offenses."

Judge Barbieri so ruled because Robert, a slightly built youth, was the victim of homosexual rape several times, perhaps as many as 10 times, while held in pretrial custody here.

Triggered by the disclosure of similar incidents-one involving a 17-year-old victim whose only "crime" was running away from home -a recent two-month investigation found that "sexual assaults are epidemic in the Philadelphia prison system." Investigators conservatively estimate that in two years there were about 2,000 sexual assaults in jails here.

These assaults aren't unique to Philadelphia. They are common in many metropolitan jails, authorities say. Homosexual rapes recently have been revealed in county and city prisons in Washington, D.C., and its suburbs and in Chicago, among other places. "It's a result of warehousing a hodgepodge of prisoners in antiquated prisons where they have little or nothing to do," says E. Preston Sharp, secretary of the American Correctional Association." (Charles Alverson, "The Jail Jungle," in The Wall Street Journal, vol. LXXX, no. 39, Pacific Coast Edition [Tuesday, February 25, 1969], p. 1. Note the environmentalism of Sharp's statement.)

Sixth, "homosexuality" and bestiality were religious practices of the cults of chaos. Their persistence and spread in the modern world is closely associated with anti-Christian and revolutionary impulses. In order to destroy paganism out of Judah, the houses of the sodomites had to be destroyed. Note their location—they were close by the house of the Lord:

And he [Josiah, King of Judah, BC, c. 624] brake down the houses of the sodomites, that [were] by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove. (2 Kgs. 23:7.)

Seventh, though sodomy might be practiced in private, God promises very public consequences for "private" wickedness: That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. (Leviticus 18:28 & Leviticus 20.)

The evils listed in Leviticus 18 that lead up to v. 28 are primarily secret, private sins, e.g., incest, unlawful carnal knowledge (sex between consenting adults), sodomy and bestiality. The only sin that was not in the privacy of one's bedroom was the sacrificing of the children to the state, Molech.

For the sins listed, God cast out the Canaanites using Israel's sword to do so. (Genesis 15:16.) He later used Assyria (Isaiah 10:5), Babylon (Jeremiah 25:9), and finally Rome to spue Israel out of the land, just as promised by God. Paul uses what happened to Israel as a warning of what will happen to those ignore and practice "private" sins. (1 Corinthians 10:11, Hebrews 4:11.)

In fact, most evil does take place in "private", for men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.

I must say that I am not mad at those who follow the practice, but I am sickened by the thought of their actions. Moreover, I do not desire to see them die either by the hand of the state or by their own hands. Rather, my desire is to see them gain the power from God to recognize the depth of the depravity of the actions, repent and turn to Christ as the only one who can fulfill the emptiness created in every person.

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JURY ACQUITS PILOT

On August 8 in Memphis a jury acquitted FedEx pilot Vemie Kuglin of six counts of tax evasion. She was defended by Larry Becraft of Huntsville, Alabama and Robert Bernoft of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The lead defense lawyer, Larry Becraft, built the defense around the IRS's refusal to respond to Miss Kuglin's repeated letters. He said her letters showed that she lacked any criminal intent to evade the tax laws and was operating from a sincere belief that the conduct was proper. Once again, when asked to show what law makes anyone liable for the income tax, IRS was silent. Wonder why?

We made the same defense in 1991 when Larry Becraft defended me in a similar trial, and we won, too (See, "The Most Dangerous Man in the Mid South" at www.themoneychanger.com).. Apparently Memphis juries have the crazy notion that before you can be forced to pay a tax, the law has to say so.

(Franklyn Sanders, Moneychanger, PO Box 178, Westpoint TN 38486)

Ghostwriters in the machine

PUBLISHING Ten years ago, WORLD senior writer EDWARD E. PLOWMAN shook up Christian publishers with a cover article on ethics and ghostwriting in that industry. His conclusion: For ministry celebrities who cede most or all of their prose to ghosts who receive little or no acknowledgment, "book writing" is an exercise in deception. Here is a second short look by the same writer. He found a few changes for good, but some trends a cause for concern.

THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA LAST fall expelled 45 students and revoked three graduate degrees following a 20-month investigation by its student-run Honor Committee. Their offense: Each had submitted a term paper bearing his or her sole byline to a physics professor. Each was testifying, in effect, "This is my work"-when in reality much or all of the content had been written by someone else. The only penalty for such subterfuge at this school: dismissal-and disgrace.
Although the level of punishment for dishonesty and deceit may differ, the standards of authentic authorship and full attribution of source material are the same for students and teachers alike throughout academia, including at Christian schools.

I've told my students at Regent University in half-jest to have patience: Once they're on their own and achieve fame in ministry, the rules change. "Publishers and agents will beat a path to your door, asking you to write hooks, offering even greater prominence and influence. If you don't have the time or writing skill or expertise in the proposed subject matter to author the books, no need to worry. They will recommend or provide a writer who will do all of the heavy lifting. Or, as luck would have it, they might already have a manuscript in house ready to go. But you will get all or most of the credit (and a lot of the income). The readers need never know. Isn't that great?"

A little overstated for emphasis perhaps. But do the rules regarding honesty and integrity in publishing really change? Is it ever right to mislead or deceive readers?

Dishonesty is rampant in the secular publishing world, where even authors who died long ago are still cranking out hooks. But increasingly, those in professional vocations are coming under stricter discipline regarding matters of authorship. For example, courts don't want lawyers to be undisclosed ghosts supplying petitions and briefs to litigants supposedly representing themselves. The medical profession is reining in doctors and researchers who use the services of anonymous ghostwriters hired by pharmaceutical companies to write their medical research reports (that inevitably include a plug or two for one of the benefactor's products).

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association two years ago adopted a short set of standards for its members. It pledges publishers to "not knowingly engage in plagiarism or fabrication of people, events, and quotations." It also says "co-writers or collaboration should be clearly identified as such." The wording is a bit vague, and no enforcement provisions are attached, but its a step toward ensuring disclosure and truthfulness for the book-buying public.

Multnomah Publishers editorial executive David Kopp, 53, who wrote Bruce Wilkinson's blockbuster, The Prayer of Jabez, wishes the ECPA had used the word "accurately" rather than "clearly." This would imply giving writers a level of credit that correctly reflects the amount of their involvement, he told WORLD. (Missing from the cover of the first 8 or 9 milling copies of Jabez is Mr. Kopp's name; it now appears as a "with" byline in small print.)... World, July 5/12, 2003.

Thus Jabez is clearly a fraud upon the "Christian" public. Bruce Wilkinson did not write the book. Though Wilkinson's name appears on the front of the book, it does not say by Bruce Wilkinson.

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Bush & Co, Destruction of freedom, IV

The efforts by Bush and Co to carry on the war started by Lincoln against Christianity and any remaining Christian freedom is obvious to everyone except those who do not want to see it.

The latest volley against Biblical Christianity by Bush is seen in Alabama, when his and Ashcroft's justice department demand the Ten Commandment monument be moved from public view in the Alabama Supreme Court building. Though both Bush and Ashcroft claim to be Christians, both of their works clearly declare that they are both controlled by the spirit of the antichrist. Neither made any effort to preserve the US constitution that was carefully crafted to allow states freedom to operate according to their individual constitutions. Neither made any effort to see that Judge Moore would be able to uphold his oath of office.

The whole issue of the "Civil War" was over the right of individual states to have self government. Lincoln invaded Virginia in order to force the state to submit to the centralized government in Washington DC, all contrary to the US Constitution. He forced a war to see that the states would no longer have that individual right. (See "Lincoln's War" in the May, 2003, issue of the Examiner.) In addition, federal fiat paper (money) keeps the states in line, for if they do not toe the federal mark, they will lose their "fare share" of the money taken from their citizens by gun point.

Every believer in Christ and the legitimacy of his law-word should be greatly distressed at what is taking place under the leadership of a "Christian" president. I am convinced Gore would have been a better president, simply because we know where Gore stands. Bush says one thing in order to keep the "Christians" happy, yet his actions clearly show he is a pagan.

We keep hearing of the "Rule of Law." I heard Rush Limbaugh say that it was good that Moore had to be removed, because he was not abiding by the "Rule of Law." But who makes the law: God, Congress, or ...? It appears that we are now under the law as spoken by federal courts, for the "law" to remove the monument was spoken ex cathedra by a Federal Judge.

The following is from VISION FORUM, August 20, 2003. Though the following was issued before the monument was moved, there are several things in it worth reproducing. You are urged to log onto Vision Forum's web site to keep up to date on the Moore issue. <visionforum.com>

...

The ... coup d'état against Chief Justice Moore was initiated and staged by Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor, who ... vowed to remove the monument. Pryor, who originally claimed to support Justice Moore, has been under tremendous pressure from groups like Americans United for Separation of Church and State to act against the Chief Justice, or suffer severe political consequences. Pryor was recently nominated by President Bush for a spot on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Earlier today, the United States Supreme Court denied a petition by Chief Justice Moore to block the federal courts from acting to remove the Ten Commandments monument. Counsel for the Chief Justice made the case in their filings before the Supreme Court that he should be allowed to "establish justice by acknowledging the guidance and favor of Almighty God, placed upon him by his oath of office and the Constitution of Alabama."

In response to questions about whether he will comply with the federal court's order to remove the monument, the Chief Justice has said: "It would be treason for me to do so." Speaking before an August 16 rally of thousands gathered at the state capitol, Chief Justice Moore declared:

"This case is not about a monument and not about politics. It's about the acknowledgement of God. The judge himself said in closing arguments before the court that the issue is: ‘Can the state acknowledge God?' ... Indeed, we must acknowledge God because our constitution says our justice system is established upon God. For him to say that I can't say who God is, is to disestablish the justice system of this state."

Some lawmakers are responding to the hostile move by the Attorney General by urging him to redirect his energies to protect the people of Alabama against the usurpatious action of the federal courts. According to the Birmingham News, "Rep. Jim Carns, R-Birmingham, the minority leader in the Alabama House of Representatives, has written Pryor asking what he has done and intends to do to protect the state against federal action in violation of the U.S. Constitution."

SOME CHRISTIAN LEADERS TURN AGAINST the CHIEF JUSTICE in HIS HOUR of NEED

...

Among those who seek to rally behind the Chief Justice, a growing number are expressing profound disappointment with Christian commentators who have used the Ten Commandments debate to attack the Chief Justice for his strategy, including Jay Sekulow, Marvin Olasky, and Richard Land - three Christian leaders who have publicly criticized the Chief Justice before the press for his strategic stand.

Sekulow, the founder of the American Center for Law and Justice, expressed public concern that the Chief Justice was pushing a constitutional showdown. Richard Land of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention described Chief Justice Moore's actions as "deeply disturbing." Appearing on The 700 Club, WORLD Magazine editor Marvin Olasky twice criticized Chief Justice Moore for choosing to fight on "the wrong ground."

Those who are close to the case recognize that such criticisms are rooted in fundamental misconceptions about the constitutional issues present, as well as an implicit capitulation to the philosophy of pragmatism, a philosophy Olasky recently defended in a WORLD Magazine article.

The strength of Chief Justice Moore's strategy is precisely that he is challenging long-held faulty premises. He is standing on the foundations. Howard Phillips, father of yours truly and founder of the Conservative Caucus, responded this way: "We should recognize that there is a division within the Christian community between Christians who take the Bible and the Constitution literally, as distinguished from those who give priority to commentaries and who rely on Supreme Court rulings which are themselves unconstitutional to the degree they disregard and set aside the plain text and precise words of the Constitution."

"IN GOD'S HANDS"

I spoke with Chief Justice Moore today by phone to communicate once again that the heart of America's Christian community stands in prayer beside him. Resolved, as ever, to live by his oath of office, the Chief Justice simply declared: "The results are in God's hands."

FEDERAL COURT VIOLATES FIRST COMMANDMENT

The true significance of this battle rests in the command of Scripture that declares "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." By declaring invalid the recognition of God as the source of law, Judge Myron Thompson has not merely sought to remove God from the public square, he has officially replaced the God of Scripture — to whom our Founding Fathers turned as the acknowledged source of law — with a new god: Man in his autonomy.

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools ... Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (Romans 1:21-25)

THE CONSTITUTIONAL BATTLE of OUR GENERATION

This is the constitutional battle of our generation. For this battle, God has raised up the most qualified person of our generation — a lionhearted, humble, brilliant Christian constitutionalist, who has providentially been raised to the highest judicial office in the state of Alabama.

The outcome of this battle will have longstanding implications for our children's children. At stake is the constitutionality of a state constitution which explicitly declares God to be the foundation of law; the original intent of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution; the right of a state under the Tenth Amendment to be free from usurpatious and extra-jurisdictional claims by federal courts; and most importantly, the constitutional and biblical right and obligation to acknowledge God as the source of law.

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:10-12)

CHRISTIAN LEADERS URGED to CALL

Today we join other leaders in the country by urging the Attorney General to honor his public oath of office to uphold the Alabama and United States Constitution, by supporting the Chief Justice, or to step down from his office. We further urge Americans to contact President Bush and urge him to withdraw Bill Pryor from his nomination for the 11th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals.

Finally, your phone call to the Governor and the Supreme Court Justices might make a difference. The governor has it in his power to stop the efforts of the Attorney General. Furthermore, there are three Supreme Court seats up for office in 2004. The current Supreme Court Justices need to know the broad grassroots opposition to any decision to support the federal court's unconstitutional and extra-jurisdictional demand that Alabama be prohibited from acknowledging God, as required by the state constitution.

Please consider calling the following numbers to urge the leaders of Alabama to stand by the Chief Justice in acknowledging God as the source of law.

Attorney General Bill Pryor: (334) 242-7300

Governor Bob Riley: (334) 242-7100

Justice Gorman Houston (Senior Associate Justice): (334) 242-4588

Justice Harold See: (334) 242-4608

Justice Champ Lyons: (334) 242-4352

Justice Jean Brown: (334) 242-4245

Justice Bernard Harwood: (334) 242-4594

Justice Tom Woodall: (334) 242-4578

Justice Lyn Stuart: (334) 242-4585

Justice Douglas Johnstone: (334) 242-4598

Douglas W. Phillips, Esq. is president of Vision Forum, founder of the Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy, and a constitutional attorney. To read more about Justice Moore's appearance last month at the Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy and the "Stonewall Jackson Freedom Award" he received there, visit Doug's Blog.

Copyright © 2003 The Vision Forum, Inc. This e-mail has been sent as a special service of The Vision Forum, Inc. Please feel free to forward this e-mail to your friends!

How to Subscribe - To subscribe to this newsletter, visit Vision Forum's Home Page or send a blank e-mail to familyvision-subscribe@lists.visionforum.com. Also, you can visit our Web site to change your e-mail address.

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Ashcroft Wants Broader Anti-Terror Powers

By JESSE J. HOLLAND

The Associated Press

Thursday, June 5, 2003; 2:28 PM

WASHINGTON - Attorney General John Ashcroft asked Congress Thursday for expanded powers to hold suspected terrorists indefinitely before trials and to let him seek the death penalty or life imprisonment for any terrorist act.

Ashcroft told the House Judiciary Committee that the 2001 Patriot Act signed into law after the Sept. 11 attacks should also be expanded to let prosecutors bring charges against anyone who supports or works with suspected terrorist groups as "material supporters."

"The law has several weaknesses which terrorists could exploit, undermining our defenses," Ashcroft said.

Ashcroft, who held up copies of al-Qaida's declarations of war against America and read aloud some of the names of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said new penalties in the USA Patriot Act have helped the Justice Department prevent more terrorist attacks in America.

Ashcroft also said the department did not break any laws despite an internal Justice Department report that criticized the government's treatment of illegal aliens held after the attacks.

The department's inspector general found "significant problems" in the Bush administration's actions toward 762 foreigners held on immigration violations after the attacks. Only one, Zacarias Moussaoui, has been charged in the United States with a terrorism-related crime; 505 have been deported.

Some of the Sept. 11 detainees were held for up to eight months, although most were deported before a 90-day deadline for releasing them.

Ashcroft said department policy, "for which we do not apologize," is to detain people who are in the country illegally for as long as it takes to clear them before they are deported.

He also said the Justice Department would investigate allegations of abuse of the detainees, although 14 of 18 cases referred so far already have been cleared without any charges being filed. "We do not stand for abuse," Ashcroft said.

The USA Patriot Act granted the government broad new powers to use wiretaps, electronic and computer eavesdropping and searches, and the authority to access a wide range of financial and other information in its investigations.

Under the threat of the increased USA Patriot Act penalties, several detainees are cooperating with the Justice Department to reduce their sentences, Ashcroft said.

"Since September 11, we have obtained criminal plea agreements, many under seal, from more than 15 individuals who, according to the agreement and in order to have the agreement carried out, will continue and must continue to cooperate with the government in its investigation of terrorists," he said.

One person gave federal officials intelligence on terrorist weapons stored in the United States, while another has identified places being scouted or cased for potential attacks by al-Qaida, he said.

"With the Patriot Act and our prevention strategy, we can point to steady progress in America's war on terrorism," he said.

Several Democrats complained about the department's use of the new anti-terrorism powers. "We are concerned about the way you have used your powers, the way you have detained immigrants," said Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.

Added Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif.: "Some of us find that the collateral damage is greater than it needs to be in the conduct of this war."

House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., says he is sensitive to civil liberties complaints. "To my mind, the purpose of the Patriot Act is to secure our liberties and not undermine them," he said.

Sensenbrenner complained earlier this year that the department wasn't sharing enough information with lawmakers for them to judge how the act is working. That lack of information has made it unlikely that he will support expanding the department's powers, or renewing its current authority when the act expires in October 2005, Sensenbrenner said in April.

"My support for this legislation is neither perpetual or unconditional," he said Thursday.

Since then, the Justice Department has answered dozens of written questions from the House Judiciary Committee and has sent several Justice Department officials to testify before it.

Editor's Note: Because of the public's justified fear a totalitarian government represented by the "Patriot Act," Ashcroft has been sent on a nation wide tour by Bush to drum up support for the Act.

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"'MANIPULATING THE PEOPLE

Nazi leader Hermann Goering was interviewed by Gustave Gilbert, the prison psychologist who observed and interviewed the Nuremberg prisoners. The quote below is from Gilbert's book Nuremberg Diary:.

"It is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship."

"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."

(Moneychanger, PO Box 178, Westpoint TN 38486)

Home-Schooling

Government agent, cops confront homeschoolers

Come to family's house demanding children submit to mandated testing

Posted: June 14, 2003

1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

Because the Bryants of Waltham, Mass., are perfectly comfortable with their kids' educational progress, they refuse to subject the children to mandatory testing demanded by their local school district – a six-year stance that culminated in an early-morning standoff with government and law-enforcement officials outside their home.

According to a report in the MetroWest Daily News, social workers from the Department of Social Services and police officers confronted the family at 7:45 a.m. Thursday, demanding that George, 15, and Nyssa, 13, complete a standardized test.

As they have in the past, the children's parents, George and Kim Bryant, refused to allow their children to go, even though the government now has legal custody of the kids.

"There have been threats all along. Most families fall to that bullying by the state and the legal system," George Bryant Sr. told the paper. "But this has been a six-year battle between the Waltham Public Schools and our family over who is in control of the education of our children. In the end, the law of this state will protect us."

DSS worker Susan Etscovitz tried to use the fact that the Bryants technically don't have custody of their own children in her plea.

"We have legal custody of the children and we will do with them as we see fit," Etscovitz told the Bryants, according to the Daily News. "They are minors and they do what we tell them to do."

Four police officers were also at the scene and attempted to coax the Bryants into complying with the DSS worker.

One of the law-enforcement officers told the paper: "We will not physically remove the children."

According to the report, the Bryants contend that no government entity has the legal right to force their children to take standardized tests, even though DSS workers have threatened to take their children from them.

The Waltham Public School's homeschooling policy requires parents to file educational plans and develop a grading system for their home-educated children. The Bryants have refused to do so.

"We do not believe in assessing our children based on a number or letter. Their education process is their personal intellectual property," Bryant told the Daily News.

"We don't want to take the test. We have taken them before and I don't think they are a fair assessment of what we know," said Nyssa Bryant. "And no one from DSS has ever asked us what we think."

DSS made it clear it leaves open the option of removing the children from their home.

"No one wants these children to be put in foster homes. The best course of action would be for (the Bryants) to instruct the children to take the test," Etscovitz told the paper.

TANTRUMS, TEARS, AND TIRADES
(Homeschooling After Conventional Schools)

"But, Mom, that's not how my teacher did it in real school! Why do we have to do it this way?"

"Because homeschooling is not like public school."

How many times a day, a week, and a month did this conversation take place the first year we began home educating our children? I am so glad the passage of time erases many unpleasant memories.

My first husband, Jeff, and I came into home education by an unusual route. Because Jeff was a writer and traveled often doing his research for books and magazine articles, our children and I sometimes accompanied him on trips lasting a few days to a week.

We always went to the teachers in the public school our children were attending to ask for the assignments for the next few days so our children would not get behind in their studies. The teachers were helpful, agreeing that travel was very educational, especially since our children kept journals of our trips.

After a while, however, the teachers complained about our frequent traveling. They told us it was not fair to the other children in the classrooms for our kids to come back ahead in their books. (It seems the class did not accomplish the teacher's goals during the time we were gone.) If we were to continue traveling so much, the teachers asked us to consider teaching our children at home!

This was 1982, and, as far as we knew, only military and missionary children were taught at home. I was home educated myself, since my parents were missionaries in Brazil and we lived far from any American schools. Living in the United States, however, since my marriage, I felt sure that public schools or Christian schools were the only norms for educating our children. After some research, we found that in fact there were many families educating their children at home in the United States. A friend of my parents was teaching her own children at home and gave me the address of the correspondence school she was using.

We enrolled our two oldest in Christian Liberty Academy and waited for our textbooks with mixed feelings. The children did not like sitting at home during school hours while their friends were in school, and I was fearful of taking them outdoors or to the grocery store between 8am and 3pm! (Home education was considered "out of the norm" back then. Now, according to World Magazine, it is growing by 15% per year!)

After six weeks of reading all the books we had wanted to read with the children but had no time for during the school year, our schoolbooks arrived! Jennie and David were excited with the new books at first, but when work actually began, the "tantrums" began! And my "tears" flowed; and my husband's "tirades" began!

"Children, this is not how you should treat your teacher!"

"But, Dad, this is not real school, and Mom is not doing it like my real teacher!"

"According to God's Word, your parents are to be teaching you all day long and even at night. If you want a long life, you must treat your mother with respect and honor. Now go do as she says with a proper attitude!" (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Ephesians 6:1-4)

The county truant officer, who wanted to know why our children were not in school, provided additional pressure on our home. He thought we had moved to Illinois, because I had sent the school board a letter stating we were transferring our children to Christian Liberty Academy in Illinois.Then I had to show the officer that in fact they were enrolled at CLA by correspondence and had the books and paperwork to prove it. (He mailed me a copy of the Virginia laws on education.)

We continued our homeschooling with many ups and downs—all of us were in unknown territory! During the first year, we realized with dismay that children were loyal to whoever fed them information. That first year was spent in tears and prayers, hoping we were not too late in reclaiming our children from the world's vain philosophies.

During the first year, we found we were teaching our children at home for the convenience of travel. When we saw the great spiritual need—our own and our children's—convenience became conviction! Malachi 4:6 became a reality. God turned our hearts to the responsibility of training our children, and eventually God turned our children's hearts toward us, their parents. After a few years, we had enough confidence in God's hold on our children that we could threaten to place them back in public school if they did not shape up, knowing they really did not want to go back there!

Homeschooling had some additional unexpected benefits for our family. The most important was the increase in time we were able to spend with our children throughout the day. We could easily catch attitude and character problems and deal with them quickly. When our kids were in public school, we overlooked many spiritual and character problems because we did not have adequate time to deal with them. We had spent most of our evening hours helping them with homework and school projects but not focusing enough time on character deficiencies.

Another benefit we found was that education did not have to follow the "one size fits all" pattern of conventional schools. Our three children had three different learning styles—and I had a totally different teaching style! Through prayer and helpful books and homeschool conferences, we learned to discern our children's needs and strengths. As a result, our children were able to learn at different speeds and levels, and spent time pursuing areas of their special interests. (Our youngest daughter did the graphic design and layout for a 487-page book for one of her dad's friends when she was 15 years old.)

Our oldest daughter, Jennie, and I made cloth dolls when she was 12. Someone from the newspaper came to write an article about mother/daughter doll makers but ended up writing about our home education. As a result of the article, a reader sent me information about the state home education convention being held at the state capital. I left the children with my husband and attended the meeting. It was the first time I had seen other homeschoolers, and I wept—we were not alone! The workshops where moms shared their difficulties and discoveries were greatly encouraging.

We did not know if we would be able to teach our children all the way through high school, but by the time we got there, our children had learned to study and were doing well academically. When our 16-year-old son wanted to take calculus and physics his senior year, I told him it was too much for me to do. "Don't worry, Mom. I think I can do it by myself." When David went for a college scholarship test at King College in Bristol, Tennessee, he was asked to do some math problems. One of the professors thought his method of solving some problems was unusual, but agreed that David's thinking was faultless. God is faithful!

Jennie and David, our two oldest children, went to college on scholarships and both graduated summa cum laude. Our youngest daughter, Julie, had done the graphic design layout for two books for her dad by the time she was 16. She attended Bob Jones University for one semester, and we made the mutual decision to stop after that. Julie was so far advanced in computer and graphic design that she would have had to wait until her senior year to get into any advanced material that challenged her. Besides that, there was a young man waiting for her to use her special talents as his helpmate!

Both my daughters married in 1996, and my first husband, Jeff, died in 1997 a week after our first grandson was born. I took care of my parents next door until they both died in 1999. My son married in 2000, and I continued mentoring younger women. I looked back on the years educating my children at home, remembering how God had made parents and children best friends, and looked forward to seeing how my own children would educate their offspring.

Oops! No time for reflection and observing from afar!

In 2001 the Lord gave me a new husband with a new daughter to home educate! Christina had been in a Christian school, but when her mother became ill and died of breast cancer, Christina missed quite a lot of school. When I married her father, we decided to homeschool her to catch up on areas of weakness.

Taking a 15-year-old out of a Christian school had its own set of problems. Number one: I was a new stepmother trying to gain the confidence of a new stepdaughter. Number two: In addition to a new stepmom, Christina also had to adjust to having an exchange student from Brazil living with our family. (Fay came to live with me for 10 months to immerse herself in English before I met and married Ovid.)

Problem number three was weaning Christina away from the only Christian school in the area, which, incidently, promoted a different doctrine than that espoused by her father. (Christina's mother was unable to teach Christina at home, though the option had been discussed.) Number four: Christina had a difficult time leaving her school friends and teacher who had been like family to her. Number five: It was hard for Christina to adjust to living in a different house than the one in which she grew up, since we moved to a larger house after Ovid and I married. Then, after living in Indiana a year, we moved to Virginia—totally away from Christina's old friends!

But God is always good: the blessings outweigh the difficulties! Christina became friends and prayer partners with Fay, our exchange student. When Fay returned to Brazil, our family of three went to Brazil with her to visit my sister, who lived in the same town! After Ovid and I returned to the States, Christina lived six months with my sister, who homeschooled Christina along with her family of four children.

The experience in Brazil could never have been duplicated. Christina learned what it is like to be the oldest among five children, which included three younger boys! After growing up with a sister eight years older, being the oldest for six months was a definite plus.

During her time in Brazil, Christina studied and was immersed in the Portuguese language; she learned to swim; she attended a university class in English as their "pronunciation specialist;" she bonded with cousins she inherited from her stepmom (me!); and she made friends with whom she still corresponds.

After returning to the States, Christina "hit the ground running." Homeschooling included home economics: Christina was put in charge of menus and meal planning, in addition to keeping track of provisions and making grocery lists. She began sewing her own clothes, even repairing clothing for her grandmother who lives with us. She began to see the many benefits of education at home. What an eye-opening experience it was for us to attend our state homeschool convention this year and see how much home education has changed. I am so glad I learned years ago to "keep it simple!" The amount of material available now for home education is overwhelming!

As Christina begins her third year of education at home, I am at peace. Christina is learning to love God's principles for women. My married children are home educating their own children. The benefits of staying at home and investing in the lives of my children (and grandchildren) are multiplied. Tantrums, tears, and tirades are a thing of the past. Truly, the pains of the past are worth the joys of the present! God is always faithful to His Word.

Bettie Ethell Need lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband, Ovid, and daughter, Christina. She enjoys sewing, yardwork with her husband, cooking with Christina, and being "Grammie" to eleven (soon to be twelve!) grandchildren.

Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2002,

Editorials - December 11, 2002

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Parenting wisdom: Mom and dad set the standards for kids

WELL, WHAT do you know, scientists at the University of New Hampshire have found that children indulge in vices much less frequently when they have parents who set firm behavioral boundaries for them. Who'd have thunk it?

You have to wonder how far society has declined when university researchers think this is a question in need of a scientific answer. We know, we know, science exists in part to test common beliefs. We are thankful to the UNH researchers for providing hard data on the subject. What troubles us is that so many parents require science to convince them of the wisdom of disciplining their kids.

There was a time when certain fundamental truths about child-rearing were almost universally accepted. The need for discipline and boundaries once was questioned by few other than children. Now there are so many different opinions on the matter that scientists deem it a worthy subject for study.

Fact is, the subject has been studied for millennia. The conventional wisdom on the matter is just that: wisdom, as passed down from generation to generation by parents who conducted their own scientific experiments by actually raising kids.

That collected wisdom holds that you teach your kids right from wrong, keep a close eye on them and let them know there are consequences for veering off the straight and narrow path. All those millennia of real-world "research" were tossed out by parents at least as far back as the 1960s. Since then, too many American parents have been sailing on the ocean of parenthood without a rudder.

Now along comes a UNH survey that essentially says our grandparents were right: kids whose parents set firm boundaries are far less likely to drink, smoke or have sex — and kids who live in neighborhoods where other parents enforce discipline are even less likely to do any of those things.

"I told you so," grandparents throughout New Hampshire are saying right now. "But did you ever listen? Nooooooo . . . ."

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Christian Students Punished for Countering Pro-Homosexual Observance

By Jim BrownApril 15, 200 (AgapePress) - Christian students who openly opposed a pro-homosexual event at their Wisconsin public school met stiff resistance from school officials.

The Gay Straight Alliance Club at Evansville High School recently held a "Day of Silence" to protest alleged discrimination against homosexuals. The club was permitted to advertise the event through posters, literature, and on the school intercom. The school even provided them with a "safe room" to sit in if they felt they were being harassed during the day.

But a group of Christian students who countered the Day of Silence by praying and sharing Bible verses in the school commons during class were given unexcused absences, despite permission slips from their parents.

Justin Wallestad, one of those Christian students, says he is disappointed that an entire day at his school was dedicated to promoting the acceptance of homosexuality, but past events organized by Christian students have not been tolerated.

"In the past they were putting [a stop] to some of the stuff that we wanted to do, such as 'See You at the Pole' and stuff like that -- they wouldn't allow us to put up posters," Wallestad says. "But when people come in with a Day of Silence for homosexuality, they [permit use of] the intercom. It was really frustrating, so we wanted to do something about it."

Wallestad felt some of his classmates who participated in the Day of Silence were promoting immorality. "The majority of these people who did participate are my friends because I want to be friends with a variety of people," he says. "So I actually did lose quite a few friends because of this."

Wallestad and other students plan to organize a "Christian Purity Day" and promote the event through posters, literature, and over the school intercom.

© 2003 AgapePress all rights reserved

[It takes a very foolish Christian to place children in the government schools.]

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