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Friday

 

Death Marks An Anniversary
Have We Learned Anything?





Has America learned anything about the sanctity of
human life over the past twelve months?

There are signs that Americans may actually be resigning
themselves to the inevitability of euthanasia and the Culture
of Death. In the aftermath of Terri Schiavo's death, a wave
of commentary appeared, offering the suggestion that what
Americans should have learned from the controversy was
that personal autonomy should triumph over all other moral
concerns and priorities. Beyond this, others have been quick
to point accusing fingers at political figures, including George
W. Bush, who attempted to intervene...

MORE!!!





Comments:
Fathomable Zealotry
Islam & The Clash
Of Civilizations

On Wednesday, Mark Earley reported the good news about the release of Abdul
Rahman, the Afghan Christian who was facing execution for “apostasy” from
Islam. As I record this, Rahman is free from jail and has fled to Italy—a
smart move since prominent imams are calling for him to be killed for his
profession of Christ.

As outrageous as extra-judicial killings are, a government executing someone
for religious reasons is even worse. And that remains a very real
possibility in Afghanistan and other parts of the Islamic world.

After all, Rahman was set free only because he was judged to be insane. That
adjudication reminds me of the Soviet Union: If someone was a Christian or
other kind of dissident, they were called insane and put in an institution.
It was a way of punishing and controlling the Church—the stuff of tyrants.

And tyranny is still what we have in Afghanistan. Even after the Taliban was
driven out of power, Afghans are not free to exercise their conscience.
Their constitution says that Afghanistan will be governed by sharia law—the
same law that makes conversion a capital offense. For our foreign policy to
have credibility, we must demand not just that Rahman be set free, but also
that Afghanistan and Iraq, countries we are liberating, respect basic human
rights.

The events of the past week have taught us lessons about the nature of the
foe we face in the global war on terror. As columnist Richard Cohen wrote,
“The murder of a person for his religious belief ought to be inconceivable.”
But it’s not, and Cohen, more than some other commentators, understands why.

As Cohen wrote, the threat to Rahman’s life doesn’t come from a “few crazed
governments,” a “rogue government,” or even “a solitary crazy prosecutor.”
It comes from “an entire society. It is not a single judge who would condemn
[Rahman] but a culture.”

Specifically, it’s a culture shaped by an Islamic worldview. Sadly, what’s
true of Afghanistan is true of much of the Islamic world. As Investor’s
Business Daily editorialized, Islam “mandates warfare against unbelievers.”
Now, this puts the lie to the mealy-mouthed proclamations of many
politicians that Islam is just a “religion of peace.”

Thankfully, most Muslims “do not act out on [Islam’s] violent commands.”
But Islam sees itself in a state of war with Western civilization, which was
shaped by the Judeo-Christian tradition.

The incompatibility of this worldview led Harvard professor Samuel
Huntington, in his 1990s book The Clash of Civilizations, to predict that
the clash between Islam and the West would be the great struggle of the
twenty-first century. He is a prophet.

The question is, as with all prophets: Will we listen? Will we acknowledge
that we are in the midst of a life-and-death struggle between two hostile
worldviews? To listen to America’s politicians say we have to bring the
troops home, three years is long enough to fight, is tragically comical.

For nothing in Islam’s fourteen-hundred-year history suggests that it is
prepared to declare a truce. I’ve written and spoken about this at length.
You can call us here today (1-877-322-5527), and we’d love to send you a
transcript of a speech I gave on the clash of civilizations—because you and
I need to understand the true conflict we are in: It is a war of worldviews.

*************************************************************************************

Last week, Chuck Colson told you about Abdul Rahman, the Afghani Christian
who faced death for converting from Islam. Since then, there have been
positive developments in this case, which we'd like to share with you—not
only because we can all use some good news, but also as a reminder of what
Christians can accomplish.

As you will recall, Rahman converted to Christianity sixteen years ago
while working for a Christian group that helped Afghani refugees. After
he returned to Afghanistan, a custody dispute with his parents brought
his conversion to the attention of the authorities. Under Islamic law, the
punishment for his conversion to Christ is death.

The idea of a Christian being executed in a country where three hundred
Americans had died to rid the people of an Islamic theocracy was
intolerable. Chuck and others throughout the Christian community asked you
to let our leaders know that "Abdul Rahman's execution must not take place."

You heard us, and our government leaders, in turn, heard you. After a shaky
start, public pressure yielded results. President Bush courageously said
that he was "deeply troubled" by Rahman's case and added that he expect
Afghanistan to "honor the universal principle of freedom."

Afghani officials initially resisted Western pressure to free Rahman. They
were worried about the kind of sentiment expressed by one Kabul resident
to the BBC: "If [president] Karzai listens to them, there will be jihad."

So, instead of releasing Rahman on grounds of religious freedom, they
dismissed the case on technical grounds. They cited "a lack of information
and a lot of legal gaps in the case" and expressed doubts about Rahman's
sanity.

"BreakPoint" listeners and readers should be happy and gratified that their
efforts paid off. The events of the past week are a powerful reminder of the
difference concerned listeners and readers like you can make.

Still, we shouldn't celebrate too much or too long. While Rahman's release
saved his life, the grounds on which he was released still leaves the door
open for similar prosecutions. As if to underscore this fact, his release
was greeted by demonstrations where protesters chanted "death to Bush."
There have been calls for similar protests across Afghanistan.

What's more, Rahman is hardly out of danger. His future in Afghanistan is,
to put it mildly, uncertain. The Taliban may be out of power, but it's not
out of business.

Then there's the status of Christians in the rest of the Islamic world. Just
last week, Algeria enacted a law against "anyone urging or forcing or [even]
tempting, to convert a Muslim to another religion." The law was prompted by
recent mass conversions of Berbers—North Africa's native population—back
to Christianity. I said "back" because Berbers, such as St. Augustine, were
once Christians.

That Algeria felt free to enact such a law, even as religious freedom was in
the headlines, demonstrates just how daunting the task of promoting
religious freedom is. That's the bad news—the good news is that our leaders
are paying attention. Now we need to make sure that our Christian brethren
in the Islamic world keep ours. BREAKPOINT with Charles Colson & Mark Earley



Not amalgamated with 'Thought & Humor'.





===============


Subscribe: Get your friends to join the fun
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===============






The Apologetic
Of Story

Gregory Wolfe, editor of Image journal, tells a story about telling
stories for his kids. He describes the memorable bedtimes when he
attempts to concoct a series of original tales. "My kids are polite
enough to raise their hands when they have some penetrating question
to ask about plot, character, or setting," he writes. "If I leave something
out of the story, or commit the sin of inconsistency, these fierce critics
won't let me proceed until I've revised the narrative. Oddly enough, they
never attempt to take over the storytelling. They are convinced that I
have the authority to tell the tale, but they insist that I live up to the
complete story that they know exists somewhere inside me."(1) Children
seem to detest a deficient story.

There is no doubt that our sense of the guiding authority of story and
storyteller often dramatically lessens as we move from childhood to
adulthood. And yet, regardless of age, there remains something deeply
troubling about a story without a point, or an author not to be trusted.

In an interview with Skeptic magazine, Richard Dawkins was asked if
his view of the world was not similar to that of Shakespeare's Macbeth:
namely, that life is but "A tale told by an idiot, filled with sound and
fury, signifying nothing."

"Yes," Dawkins replied, "at a sort of cosmic level, it is. But what I want
to guard against is people therefore getting nihilistic in their personal
lives. I don't see any reason for that at all. You can have a very happy
and fulfilled personal life even if you think that the universe at large is
a tale told by an idiot." (2)

His words attempt to remove the sting his philosophy imparts. And yet, it
stings regardless--both with callousness and confusion. If I am but a poor
player fretting my hour upon the stage of a tale told by an idiot, what is
a "fulfilling" personal life? There is no room in the naturalist's
philosophy for intrinsic dignity, human worth, or human rights. There is
no room for moral accountability, right or wrong, good or evil. There is
no room for the layers of my love for my husband, the cry of my heart for
justice, or the recognition on my conscience that I am often missing the
mark. There is no room for my surprise at time's passing or my longing
for something beyond what I am capable of fully reaching in this moment.
This is not the story I know.

In the words of G.K. Chesterton, "I had always felt life first a story:
and if there is a story there is a story-teller."

Could it be that our relationship to stories, our first love of the tale
beyond us and the author beside us, conveys a deep truth about our own
cosmic tale? Are not the very philosophies we carry attempts to make
sense of the grand story of which we find ourselves a part?

The first words of Genesis 1 boldly claim that we are not lost and
wandering in a cosmic circle of time and chance. There is a story that
emerges from the beginning, and we have a place within it. Similarly, the
writer of Hebrews describes Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith,
where ultimate significance is aptly defined as being written into the
story of God. God's Word places us in the timeline of a coherent history,
delivering us from the deceptions of the enemy, telling us who we are, and
where we came from, what is wrong with us, how we are made whole, and
where we are going. We are placed within a story of which we know and
celebrate the outcome, even as we wait for it through time and trial. In
Christ, history's outcome-its ultimate end-is revealed. Dark days may
follow, but the ending is known. It is a story neither deficient,
nor untrustworthy.

C.S. Lewis fittingly describes heaven at the end of his Chronicles of
Narnia as a place where good things continually increase and life is an
everlasting story in which "every chapter is better than the one before."
His compelling reflection has often reminded me of Christ's beloved
disciple in the closing chapters of his testimony to the significance of
Jesus Christ. Notes John, "If all of the acts of Christ were recorded,
the world would not have enough room for all the books that would be
written" (John 21:24-26). Like children, eyes widen at the thought. What
a story to be a part of, a life to find touching your own. Jill Carattini

(1) Gregory Wolfe, Intruding Upon the Timeless: Meditations on Art,
Faith, and Mystery (Square Halo Books: Baltimore, 2003), 81-82.

(2) Skeptic vol. 3, no. 4, 1995, pp. 80-85.



-------------------------------------------------------------------
"A Slice of Infinity" is aimed at reaching into the culture with words of
challenge, words of truth, and words of hope. If you know of others who
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tell them to ple! ase call 1-877-88SLICE (1-877-887-5423).




===============




"Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider
well the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ
which is eternal life (John 17:3)."

- - - The Laws and Statutes of Harvard College in 1643


"All scholars shall live religious, godly, and blameless lives according
to the rules of God's Word, diligently reading the Holy Scriptures, the
fountain of light and truth; and constantly attend upon all the duties
of religion, both in public and secret."

- - - Two central requirements in Yale College 1745 charter




===============




The Roman emperor Diocletian, following an edict in 303 A.D.,
failed to stamp the Bible out. The French Revolution could not
crush it with secular philosophy (Rousseau, one of its heroes,
converted to Christianity). The Communists failed to stamp it
out with atheism and political ideology. One might well ask why
this book has been banned, burned, and bludgeoned with such
animosity and scorn. The great Reformation hero John Calvin
responds in this way: "Whenever people slander God's word,
they show they feel within its power, however unwillingly or
reluctantly." - Joe Boot






===============







Why The U.S.A. Is At War:

http://attacked911.tripod.com/
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/lists/by-name/

(Not amalgamated with 'Thought & Humor')






===============



'Thought & Humor' - often polemical but
never tasteless/unrefined/uncouth/ribald.


===============



Please note: If you see a UNC student or liberal reading 'Thought & Humor',
please explain to them which is thought & which is humor. They usually get it backwards.......






===============





God designed humans to want to believe in something.
That's the image of God that is in us. But as G. K.
Chesterton famously put it, when we reject the God
of the Bible, we don't believe in nothing; we believe
in everything -- including Little Green Men.

- - Chuck Colson



===============




Dear Howdy,

Thank you for your simply addicting newsletter...it's truly a candidate
for the 8th wonder of the world and 1st candidate for the cyber-world...
it just keeps blooming with more of what I need and, I think, what we
all need...please keep up the great works!!!

Type atcha later...

God bless you,

Phil H
WI




===============



It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
- - Isa 40:22



===============





Biblical Authority: Must We Accept The Words Of Scripture?


The most contentious debates among Christians are arguments
over biblical authority. While Christians who accept the full authority
of Scripture--even the inerrancy and infallibility of the biblical text--may
debate issues ranging from baptism and church government to eschatology
and spiritual gifts, the issues of greatest debate in our time fall along the
fault line of biblical authority.

This is especially true when dealing with the issue of sexuality, and
the question of homosexuality in particular. Those who argue for the
acceptance of homosexual behavior and the blessing of homosexual
relationships have to deal with the fact that the Bible straightforwardly
condemns homosexual behavior. In light of this, some attempt to subvert the
text by arguing that these texts have actually been horribly misunderstood
for over two thousand years. Increasingly, however, some now concede that
the Bible condemns homosexuality in every relevant text, but that Christians
are no longer bound by the authority of these texts as we deal with the
present moral crisis.

One scholar who takes this approach is Brian K. Blount, Richard J.
Dearborn Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Princeton Theological
Seminary. Professor Blount specializes in "cultural hermeneutics," and he
applies this approach to the issue of homosexuality and biblical authority
in an essay entitled, "The Last Word in Biblical Authority."

Blount's essay is published in Struggling with Scripture, which Blount
authored along with coauthors Walter Brueggemann and William C. Placher.
The book emerged out of a symposium on the theological interpretation of
Scripture in which the three were participants.

Blount begins his essay by suggesting that some persons simply must
have the last word on any subject. "Many people treat the biblical words
that way, believing that those words, all of them, must always be the last
words standing. Now in matters of faith--in matters of understanding our
human relationship before God and God's moves to nurture, develop,
restructure, and refine that relationship through the prophetic and
incarnate Word--most of Christendom, I think, agrees that those inspired
words are lasting words. But in matters of the proper way to appropriate
those words of faith ethically, there is and has always been considerable
discussion and debate."

Well, give Professor Blount credit for honesty. When he looks to the
Bible, he does not see eternal words that are to be received as fixed and
determinate, but as a text that is to be divided between "matters of faith"
and other, presumably negotiable issues.

In making his case, Blount points to the issues of slavery, gender,
and sexuality as evidence that "even the inspired biblical authors, when
they applied God's prophetic and incarnate Word to their very human
situations, allowed those situations to influence how they heard God and
therefore how they talked to each other."

Several clarifications must be inserted here. First, the Bible does
not sanction race-based chattel slavery as practiced in many parts of the
world, America included, throughout history. The Bible does seek to regulate
slavery, but there is no way that slavery, gender, and sexuality can be
linked as equal issues in terms of biblical interpretation.

Nevertheless, Professor Blount argues that when confronting biblical
texts that deal with these issues, the contemporary church must not allow
these words to be the last word on the subject. Instead, he argues that
"ethical biblical authority is contextual biblical authority."

The interpretive key, according to Blount, is the human spirit. "The
role of the spirit is a constant," he explains. "Laced into the fabric of
human beings is that part of us that reaches beyond the boundaries of our
flesh and blood and touches the essential voice of God's own Holy Spirit.
Did you ever hear someone say a room is wired for sound? We're wired for
God, wired by God with a human spirit that despite its limitations can be
touched by God's Holy Spirit. In every time, in every place, in every moment
of history, the spirit plays this interlocutory role."

He argues that the church should hear God's voice "like an inaudible
whisper--sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce--that jangles the nerves of
the human spirit until, tensed and alert, it attends to what it is that God
wants to 'say.'"

Nevertheless, what God says "will be different according to the
variable conditions in which the human spirits who encounter it find
themselves."

Note his argument carefully. He is suggesting that human experience is
the key to interpreting scripture, and that the words of Scripture may take
on different meanings in different contexts. The ethical teachings of the
Bible, he asserts, are limited to specific times and specific places, where
the prejudices and realities of any given time may shape the biblical text
in unethical ways. When such texts are encountered, they "ought to be
challenged when we find that they were influenced by their contexts in
such a way that they are damaging, and not life affirming, in a contemporary
circumstance."

Professor Blount understands that he has set himself up for some
difficult questions. Which words of the Bible are to be seen as living and
authoritative and which are to be seen as ethically substandard? He accuses
the contemporary church of wanting to remain in an infantile state,
unwilling to acknowledge the reality of these issues and instead desiring
a stable and authoritative text. "We're too often not ready for the meat of
mature considerations about the words of texts that were often right for
their own times twenty centuries ago but may well be wrong for our time."

This raises a most interesting question. Is Professor Blount arguing
that, assuming his interpretive scheme, slavery was at one time ethically
right, but is now to be seen as ethically wrong? When did this transition in
the morality of slavery take place? Similar questions could be addressed to
the other controversial cases he raises.

Sometimes, he argues that the Bible simply has to be put in its place.
He cites Carlos Mesters to the effect that the poor and oppressed in Latin
America have had to learn to put the Bible "in its proper place, the place
where God intended it to be." As Mesters affirmed, "They are putting it in
second place. Life takes first place!"

"We've often made the biblical words the last word in the sense that
none of them can ever change," Blount argues. "Even if the words were on
the mark for a first-century community but are no longer on target for ours,
even when they have become like rickety, arthritic knees that don't bend and
twist so well in the new race we're running for God, we treat them as if
they just started competing yesterday. A last word can't breathe; it can't
endure this marathon of living with the people of God who run in the
presence of God's ever-living, ever-sustaining Holy Spirit."

Beyond this, Blount argues that treating the biblical words as fixed
and enduring transforms them into literary artifacts. Over time, these words
become fossilized and the faith becomes more like an exercise in archaeology
than a living faith "that celebrates seeing God say and do new things in new
times."

To be clear about this, what Blount argues is that God is now doing
and saying something different than he did and said in the past. Responding
to new realities, new people, and new contexts, God is presented as leading
His people in new directions, often in contradiction to where he presumably
led His people previously.

For most mainline Protestant denominations, the issue of homosexuality
is now where the question of biblical authority is most clearly encountered.
When he gets to this issue, Blount makes some rather surprising concessions.
"The New Testament's words on homosexual behavior are also clear. They are
words of condemnation; I don't try to deny that. I don't think anyone
should," he asserts.

Nevertheless, these words are to be seen as coming out of a
"particular context" that is significantly different than our own. Thus,
"I don't think the words are any longer living, but are, rather, dead words
if we try to read them without contextually understanding them today."

This is where "cultural hermeneutics" serves as a license to liberate
the church from the undeniably clear words of Scripture. Applying his tools
of cultural hermeneutics, Professor Blount argues that the Apostle Paul
"was inspired by God's Word in a world where sexuality was understood
in a radically different way from how it is understood today." For Paul,
homosexual activity was tied to idolatry and the "unnatural" dimension
of homosexual acts related to the fact that they were not related to
procreation. Blount argues that the Apostle Paul derived his understanding
of sexuality from the larger secular culture of the Greco-Roman
civilization. "He tied his understanding of sexuality to an understanding of
sex acts that were properly condoned only when done according to the natural
order designed for procreation or as a remedy for the burning passions of
lust that apparently threatened the eruption of human bonfires all over the
ancient world."

Pushing further, Blount argues that Paul's thoughts should be divided
between his creation theology and his Christ theology, and the two
theological strains should be seen as competing with one another in the text
of Paul's letters.

Brian K. Blount attempts to offer a hermeneutical rationale for
denying the authority of biblical texts that condemn homosexual behavior.
In the name of liberating humanity, he would liberate the church from the
actual words of Scripture and look instead for an "inner dynamic within the
biblical text that transcends the actual words." This is why a doctrine of
verbal inspiration is indispensable to biblical authority. If the very words
of Scripture, in the original languages, are not inspired of God, and thus
precisely the right words for the church throughout all time, then we are
left in a constant battle to negotiate the meaning of the biblical text. Its
meaning in one generation might be very different from its meaning in
another, and generations to come might actually reverse the interpretation
settled upon by Christians living in our times. In other words, God seems to
be leading His people in many different directions over time, and the
biblical text becomes a fabric that can be stretched in any number of
different directions, all claiming to be led by the Spirit of God.

Professor Blount's approach should be understood to be more honest
than the arguments made by many others, who would seek to subvert the text
by denying that the words actually mean what they appear to mean. Blount
accepts that the Bible clearly condemns homosexual behavior, and he advises
his colleagues that it is unwise for them to argue otherwise. Nevertheless,
he then makes an astounding jump of theological imagination to suggest that
the church should simply liberate itself from these words, and should do so
in the name of God's own Spirit.

We are reminded all over again that debates over these contentious
issues are, at their very base, debates over the nature of biblical
authority. Professor Blount wants to affirm some understanding of biblical
authority, but his methodology actually places the human spirit and the
interpretive community in the roles of greater authority. The biblical text
simply has to give way to the "living Word" that the church now experiences.

How long will it be before similar arguments begin to emerge within
circles that think themselves solidly committed to biblical authority? We
can only wonder--and watch with great care.

_________________________________________________

R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is president of The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.





===============





Dear Howdy, Indeed I am a faithful Tarheel*, having both
MA and Ph.D. from their fine chemistry department.
But that doesn't keep me from getting a great kick out
of the humor propagated by what appears to me to be
a pack of wolves!!**


SERIOUSLY, THE HUMOR IS GREAT FUN BUT MY
MAIN ATTRACTION WAS TO THE CONSERVATIVE
MORAL AND POLITICAL STANCE THAT SEEMED
TO CHARACTERIZE THE FIRST ISSUE I SAW.
INCIDENTALLY (HE SAYS ACCIDENTALLY!), it was
sent to me by a friend, so I really didn't "hear about
you" at all, and still haven't. All I know is what has
come in the two issues of the Newsletter I have
seen. The best to you.

S. P.

*Another name for UNC.
** UNC's archrival - NCSU.




===============









"I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man.
All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to
us through this book." -- President Abraham Lincoln

We can all pray. We all should pray. We should ask the fulfillment of God’s
will. We should ask for courage, wisdom, for the quietness of soul which
comes alone to them who place their lives in His hands. -- President Harry
Truman

When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people
are poisoned. There is no such thing as a no-man's land between honesty and
dishonesty. Our strength lies in spiritual concepts. It lies in public
sensitiveness to evil. Our greatest danger is not from invasion by foreign
armies. Our dangers are that we may commit suicide from within by
complaisance with evil, or by public tolerance of scandalous
ehavior. --President Herbert Hoover

Our faith teaches that there is no safer reliance than upon the God of our
fathers, who has so singularly favored the American people in every national
trial, and who will not forsake us so long as we obey His commandments and
walk humbly in His footsteps.
-- President William McKinley

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man &
his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship,
that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions,
I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people
which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus
building a wall of separation between Church and State…
--President Thomas Jefferson

The Bible is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life,
the nature of God and spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only
guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and
salvation. America was born a Christian nation. America was born to
exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived
from the revelations of Holy Scripture.
-- President Woodrow Wilson

In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private
good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my
own; nor those of my fellow-citizens at large, less than either. No people
can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the
affairs of men more than the people of the United States.
-- George Washington

There are two prayers that I love to say—the first is the Lord’s Prayer,
and because the Lord taught it; and the other is what seems to be a child’s
prayer: “Now I lay me down to sleep,” and I love to say that because it
suits me. I have been repeating it every night for many years past, and
I say it yet, and I expect to say it my last night on earth…
--President John Quincy Adams

Our strength lies in spiritual concepts. It lies in public sensitiveness to
evil. Our greatest danger is not from invasion by foreign armies. Our
dangers are that we may commit suicide from within by complaisance
with evil, or by public tolerance of scandalous behavior.
--President Herbert Hoover

We are all called upon by the highest obligations of duty to renew our
thanks and our devotion to our Heavenly Parent, who has continued to
vouchsafe to us the eminent blessings which surround us and who has so
signally crowned the year with His goodness. If we find ourselves increasing
beyond example in numbers, in strength, in wealth, in knowledge, in
everything which promotes human and social happiness, let us ever remember
our dependence for all these on the protecting and merciful dispensations of
Divine Providence. --President John Tyler, December 7, 1841

Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is
religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which
freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is
pure virtue; and if this cannot be inspired into our people in a greater
measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms
of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty. They will only
exchange tyrants and tyrannies. --President John Adams

Whereas, it is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to owe their
dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and
transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine
repentance will lead to mercy and pardon… --Abraham Lincoln

Without the assistance of the Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot
succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail. Trusting in Him who can go with
me, and remain with you, and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope
that all will yet be well. To His care commending you, as I hope in your
prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell.
--Abraham Lincoln

Without God, there is no virtue, because there's no prompting of the
conscience. Without God, we're mired in the material, that flat world that
tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening
of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.
If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation
gone under.
--President Ronald Reagan

Mighty God…I yield Thee humble and hearty thanks that thou has preserved
me from the danger of the night past, and brought me to the light of the day,
and the comforts thereof, a day which is consecrated to Thine own service
and for Thine own honor. Let my heart, therefore, Gracious God, be so
affected with the glory and majesty of it, that I may not do mine own works,
but wait on thee, and discharge those weighty duties thou requirest of me.
--George Washington, in his prayer journal

No country has been so much favored, or should acknowledge with deeper
reverence the manifestations of the divine protection. An all wise Creator
directed and guarded us in our infant struggle for freedom and has
constantly watched over our surprising progress until we have become
one of the great nations of the earth. --President James K. Polk

Looking for the guidance of that Divine Hand by which the destinies of
nations and individuals are shaped, I call upon you everywhere, to unite
with me in an earnest effort to secure to our country the blessings, not
only of material prosperity, but of justice, peace and union—a union
depending not upon the constraint of force, but upon the loving devotion
of a free people; and that all things may be so ordered and settled upon the
best and surest foundations that peace and happiness, truth and justice,
religion and piety, may be established among us for all generation.
--President Rutherford B. Hayes

I only look to the gracious protection of the Divine Being whose
strengthening support I humbly solicit, and whom I fervently pray to look
down upon us all. May it be among the dispensations of His Providence to
bless our beloved country with honors and length of days; may her ways be
pleasantness, and all her paths peace.
--President Martin VanBuren

Every thinking man, when he thinks, realizes that the teachings of the Bible
are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it
would be literally—I do not mean figuratively, but literally—impossible for
us to figure what that loss would be if these teachings were removed. We
would lose all the standards by which we now judge both public and private
morals; all the standards towards which we, with more or less resolution,
strive to raise ourselves. --President Theodore Roosevelt

The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the
blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which
are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which
they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature
that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is
habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.
--Abraham Lincoln

The men who established this government had faith in God and sublimely
trusted in Him. They besought His counsel and advice in every step of their
progress. And so it has been ever since; American history abounds in
instances of this trait of piety, this sincere reliance on a Higher Power in
all great trials in our national affairs.
--President William McKinley

“Finally, it is my fervent prayer to that Almighty Being…that He will so
overrule all my intentions and actions and inspire the hearts of my
fellow-citizens that we may be preserved from dangers of all kinds and
continue forever a united happy people.”
--President Andrew Jackson

"When I left Springfield I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a
Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a
Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of
our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ. Yes, I do love
Jesus." --Abraham Lincoln

Oh! Almighty and Everlasting God, Creator of Heaven, Earth and the Universe:
Help me to be, to think, to act what is right, because it is right; make me
truthful, honest and honorable in all things; make me intellectually honest
for the sake of right and honor and without thought of reward to me. Give me
the ability to be charitable, forgiving and patient with my fellowmen - help
me to understand their motives and their shortcomings -- even as Thou
understandest mine! Amen, Amen, Amen.
--President Harry Truman

"For we must consider that we shall be as a City upon a hill.
The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal
falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and
so cause Him to withdraw! his present help from us, we
shall be made a story and a byword throughout the world."
--John Winthrop, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1630

"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and
the Bible." - President George Washington

"The Bible is no mere book, but a Living Creature, with a
power that conquers all that oppose it." - Napoleon

"That Book accounts for the supremacy of England."
- Queen Victoria

"If there is anything in my thought or style to commend ,
the credit is due my parents for instilling in me an early
love of the Scriptures. If we abide by the principals taught
in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper;
but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority,
no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and
bury all our glory in profound obscurity." - Daniel Webster (Founding Father)

"The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed."
- Patrick Henry (original member of the Continental Congress)

"The Bible is the anchor of our liberties." - President U.S. Grant

"It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible-reading people.
The principals of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom."
- Horace Greeley (Editor)

"That Book is the rock on which our Republic rests." - President Andrew Jackson

"In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me
light and strength." - Gen. Robert E. Lee

"Bible reading is an education in itself." - Lord Tennyson (Poet)

"So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin
to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful
citizens of their country and respectable members of society. I have for
many years made it a practice to read through the Bible once every year."
- President John Quincy Adams

"The existence of the Bible, as a Book for the people, is the greatest
benefit which the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt to
belittle it is a crime against humanity." - Immanuel Kant (Philosopher)

"The New Testament is the very best Book that ever or ever will be
known in the world." - Charles Dickens (Author)

"All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of
confirming more and more strongly the truths contained in the
Sacred Scriptures." - Sir William Herschel (Astronomer)

"There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in
any profane history." - Sir Isaac Newton (Scientist)

"Let mental culture go on advancing, let the natural sciences
progress in even greater extent and depth, and the human
mind widen itself as much as it desires; beyond the elevation
and moral culture of Christianity, as it shines forth in the Gospels,
it will not go." - Goethe (Author)

"I have known ninety-five of the world's great men in my time,
and of these eight-seven were followers of the Bible. The Bible
is stamped with a Specialty of Origin, and an immeasurable
distance separates it from all competitors."
- W.E. Gladstone (Prime Minister)

"Whatever merit there is in anything that I have written is simply
due to the fact that when I was a chile my mother daily read me
a part of the Bible and daily made me learn a part of it by heart."
- John Ruskin (art critic and social commentator)

"The Bible has been the Magna Charta of the poor and oppressed.
The human race is not in a position to dispense with it." - Thomas
Huxley (Author & Scientist)

"The whole hope of human progress is suspended on the ever
growing influence of the Bible." - W.H. Seward (Secretary of State)

"America was born a Christian nation. America was born
to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness,
which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scriptures.
Part of the destiny of Americans lies in their daily perusal
of this great book of revelations. That if they would see
America free and pure they will make their own spirits
free and pure by this baptism of the Holy Spirit."
--President Woodrow Wilson

For Christians, the life and death of Jesus are the ultimate
expressions of love, and the supreme demonstrations of
God's mercy, faithfulness, and redemption. Since Christ's
miraculous Resurrection on Easter, more than 2,000 years
ago, Christians have expressed joy and gratitude for this
wondrous sacrifice and for God's promise of freedom for
the oppressed, healing for the brokenhearted, and salvation.
--President George W. Bush

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this
great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians;
not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this
very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum,
prosperity, and freedom of worship here."
--Patrick Henry (original member of the Continental Congress)




===============







Getting It Right
From The Beginning



"In the beginning," Scripture says, "God created the heavens and the
earth." That first biblical affirmation points to the priority of the
doctrine of creation within the system of Christian doctrine. Nevertheless,
even the doctrine of creation presupposes a biblical notion of God and the
authority of his revelation in Scripture. The Christian believer does not
acknowledge the creation and then infer a Creator. Indeed, it is not God who
must be explained by the creation, but creation which must be explained by
the Creator. Thus, the very first verse of the Bible affirms the cosmos as
the free creation of the sovereign God of Scripture--the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The doctrine of creation is the attempt of the Christian believer to
come to terms with the relationship between God and the world. As such,
it gives proper place to the work of God in creation, points to the nature
and purpose of the created world, and distinguishes the Christian theistic
worldview from all others.

The starting point of the doctrine of creation is the presupposition
of the sovereign God of Scripture. Those first words of Scripture indicate
that the central character in the creation narratives is God, not the
created order. God acts as the divine Subject, creating a dynamic universe
as the object of his love and the theater of his glory. This biblical theism
is the foundational affirmation of the doctrine of creation. Creation is
inseparable from monotheism.

The most common creed in the Christian church begins with the
confession, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth." The God of the Bible is not needful of anything outside himself.
This self-sufficiency or "aseity" of God precludes any need for creation on
God's part. Positively, it affirms the fact that God created the world and
all within it out of the freedom of his own sovereign will. With this in
view, the divine initiative in creation takes on a powerful meaning. Though
needing nothing, God willed not to be alone, but to create a world distinct
and other than himself, as the result of his own divine pleasure.

This affirmation places the biblical worldview in opposition to all
others. The Israelites were surrounded by pre-biblical religions which
placed God over against creation, or suggested a number of gods conspiring
to create a universe out of existing chaos and matter. The early Christian
church found itself confronted by challenges including Gnosticism, Arianism,
and Manichaeism, each positing a worldview in which God was variously placed
within creation, over against creation as a dualism, or a scheme in which an
evil god created the world in order that a beneficent god might redeem it.

The church quickly affirmed what had been assumed in the Old
Testament, that God created the universe out of nothing, that is, out of no
pre-existing matter. If the church had allowed an acknowledgement of divine
creation as the mere fashioning of existing materials, it would have
compromised the nature of God and the biblical testimony. No form of dualism
is compatible with biblical theism.

The Hebrew verb used to describe the word of God in creation is
distinct from that used to describe the work of a human craftsman in
fashioning an artifact. Man may fashion out of what God has created,
but only God can truly create. This is the affirmation of creation ex
nihilo--out of nothing--without the use of pre-existing materials. The
acknowledgement of God's creation of the world ex nihilo must be central
to the Christian affirmation of the doctrine of creation. Some contemporary
theological movements have rejected this in favor of an understanding which
posits God as the fashioner of pre-existing materials. Any such system
presupposes a model of God unworthy of biblical theism. No particle existed
prior to God's creative act.

The biblical portrait of the creating God demonstrates a loving God
whose character issues naturally in his creation. The loving character of
God is woven into the warp and woof of his creation and the creatures within
it. The biblical testimony will allow no distinction between the God who
creates and the God who redeems. Isaiah pointedly affirms the identity of
the creating God as the one with whom Israel must deal (Isaiah 43:15; 45:7;
40:28). Indeed, creation is a Trinitarian event. The prologue to the Gospel
of John proclaims the role of the Son as the divine Word of creation through
whom all things were made, and "without whom nothing was made that was
made," (John 1:1-5). In like manner, Paul reminded the Colossians that "all
things were created through him and for him," (Colossians 1:15-17). The
creating God is thus both Author and Finisher. The God who created the
universe as an exercise of his own glory is the very same God who was in
Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit,
which is the living empowerment of the church, was also manifest in
creation.

The means of God's creative activity is not detailed in the biblical
creation narratives (Genesis 1-2). The substance of the biblical teaching
is God's creation of the universe and all within it by the power of his Word.
The biblical language affirms the creation of the world by divine fiat.
That is, by the force of his sovereign will God spoke, light appeared, the
firmament was made and the waters separated, the seas were created and
dry land appeared, and the whole of God's creation was accomplished.

The product of God's creative activity is a universe of seemingly
infinite variety, complexity, and mystery. The Genesis creation narratives
describe the creation of the world from the most rudimentary distinction
between the waters and the dry land, to the pinnacle of creation, man and
woman. Genesis 1 moves from the emergence of light through the emergence
of dry land, the blossoming of vegetation and the creative abundance of living
creatures, to the creation of man and woman.

Of central importance to the interpretation of these verses is the
recognition of God's verdict upon his creation. The pristine energy of
light, the dryness of land, the swarms of living creatures, the multiplying
birds and fishes are all declared "good" in God's sight. This critical
judgment is an intrinsic part of the biblical worldview. The created order
has meaning and value solely because it is the glorious creation of the Lord
of the universe. The creation has no inherent meaning within itself. Rather,
it is dependent upon the Creator for both preservation and value.
Nevertheless, the biblical affirmation is an unqualified judgment of
goodness as God's verdict on creation.

Challenges old and new have been raised against this verdict.
Gnosticism thought matter to be evil and only mind to be good. Contemporary
religious movements, including the eclectic Christian Science movement,
have gone so far as to deny the reality of matter. The biblical affirmation
is quite to the contrary. Against materialism, the Christian worldview
understands matter to have no value in and of itself. But biblical theism
affirms the world as the theater of God's glory. It is creation which is
made meaningful by the Creator, not the Creator who derives meaning
from the creation.

It is the divine creation of humankind which forms the climax of the
biblical creation narratives. The biblical teachings concerning the creation
of humans point to the special character of humanity as made in the very
image of God. Man, contrary to the claims of secularism, is not the
accidental by-product of natural occurrences. Though Scripture does not
indicate any scientific means for the creation of man and woman (nor for any
other dimension of creation), it makes clear the identity of humanity as a
special creation of God by the power of his word and will. Thus, humanity
is granted a value inconsistent with a secularist worldview.

Within the scheme of the created order, humanity plays a strategic
part. Two biblical themes form the basis for this special role. The first is
that of dominion. Humanity, made in the image of God, is to possess and
exercise dominion over the remainder of creation. This dominion, or
rulership, is exercised by humans in the manipulation of creation to bring
about harvest, bounty, energy, and beauty. It is seen in the planting and
reaping of crops, the herding of animals, the harnessing of rivers, and the
construction of shelter.

This dominion theme must be balanced with the other major theme of
humanity's responsibility within creation. By God's mandate, humans must
exercise their dominion with an understanding of mutuality and
responsibility. The biblical notion of dominion is not seen in the rape of
the land, but in the careful stewardship of natural resources and the other
creatures which share this planet. As the pinnacle of God's creative
activity, humans stand responsible for their stewardship of fellow creatures
and the earth. Indeed, a helpful corrective which has emerged in
contemporary theology is the recognition that the cosmos is neither "mere
nature" nor "our world," but is most properly "God's creation." Humans are
granted a high degree of delegated agency within God's creation, but it
remains fundamentally God's alone. This affirmation underlines the
tremendous charge of stewardship to humankind by the Creator.

Creation is not a brute fact without meaning. It derives its meaning
from the divine character and will. As the theater of God's redemptive
activity, creation is not static, but is moving toward the goal established
by the Creator before the foundation of the universe. Creation, like the
humans within it, has a future.

Paul describes the creation as in need of redemption from the bondage
of decay and travail--the results of the entry of sin into the created order
(Romans 8:19-23). The Old Testament speaks of the new heavens and the new
earth, which is the eventual purpose of God in reconciliation (Isaiah
66:22). Paul spoke of the dramatic transformation of the believer as a "new
creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). The writer of the Apocalypse
recorded a vision of a new heaven and a new earth even as the Creator spoke:
"Behold, I make all things new," (Revelation 12:1-8). The essential meaning
of these affirmations is that God controls the destiny of the universe he
created. The cosmos does not exist alongside God as a reality out of
control. Rather, it exists as the theater of his redemptive activity, the
reach of which includes the entire cosmos.

Thus, the Christian doctrine of creation is directly connected to the
doctrine of redemption. For this reason, a failure to affirm the biblical
doctrine of creation leads to inevitable compromise on the doctrine of
redemption. In reality, we simply cannot minimize the importance of this
doctrine, nor can we surrender biblical truth in the face of modern denials.
We must get it right from the beginning.

_________________________________________________

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.





===============




Stop by & visit our office anytime you are nearby. Our offices
are located on the 50th & 51st floors of the World Wide Web
International Headquarters Tower. Howdy






===============






Take the best medicine of all for what ails you -- laughter:

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon
without springs--jolted by every pebble in the road."
~Henry Ward Beecher
"Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects."
--Arnold Glasow
"Laughter is by definition healthy."
--Doris Lessing
"If somebody makes me laugh, I'm his slave for life."
--Bette Midler
"The human race has one really effective weapon,
and that is laughter."
--Mark Twain
"What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul."
-- Yiddish Proverb
"Laughter is an instant vacation."
-- Milton Berle
"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people."
-- Victor Borge


To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the
heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time
to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a
time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a
time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (King Solomon)

NOTICE: The jokes published in this list were either submitted
directly to 'Thought & Humor' or are, we believe, in the public
domain. If you think that we have published a joke without
giving proper credit to its author/owner, please let us know
and we will provide appropriate credit in a future mailing.





===============



Four important things to KNOW:

1) For ALL (Americans, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Hindus,
Buddhist, Asians, Presbyterians, Europeans, Baptist,
Brazilians, Mormons, Methodist, French, etc.) have sinned
& fall short of the glory of God.

2) For the wages of above (see #1) are DEATH (Hell, eternal
separation from God, & damnation) but the Gift (free & at
no charge to you) of God (Creator, Jehovah, & Trinity) is
Eternal Life (Heaven) through (in union with) Jesus Christ
(God, Lord, 2nd Person of The Trinity, Messiah, Prince of
Peace & Savior of the World).

3) For God so greatly loved & dearly prized the world
(Americans, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhist,
Asians, Presbyterians, Europeans, Baptist, Brazilians,
Mormons, Methodist, French, etc.) that He even gave up
His only begotten (unique) Son, that whosoever (anyone,
anywhere, anytime - while still living) believes (trust in,
relies on, clings to, depends completely on) Him shall
have eternal (everlasting) life (heaven).

4) Jesus said: "I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, & THE LIFE.
No one (male/female - American, Muslim, Jew, Catholic,
Hindu, Buddhist, Asian, Presbyterian, European, Baptist,
Brazilian, Mormons, Methodist, French, etc. ) comes (arrives)
to the Father (with GOD in Heaven) EXCEPT BY (through)
ME (no other name).

This wonderful loving GOD gives you the choice - - -
(Rev. 3:20)

{Please note that church membership, baptism, doing good
things, etc. are not requirements for becoming a Christian -
however they are great afterwards!!!}


Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that
leads to destruction (Hell, damnation, eternal punishment),
and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow
the road that leads to life (Heaven, eternal happiness,
forever with God), and only a few find it. --Matthew 7:13-14



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++




The "E-Mail Newspaper" containing 'Thought & Humor'
is sent out FREE via e-mail w/o ads. This information
was sent to you because you made the request, 'Thought
& Humor' is one small attempt to obey "The Great* Com-
mission". First published in the last century (July 26, 1997).
Soli Deo Gloria...
________ "E-Mail Newspaper (Free4u)" _________
References gleaned for great humor & information: Merry Heart,
Thomas S. Elworth, Funny List, MeMail, Daily Dose, Joke of the Day,
Kim Komando, Shagmail, MIKEY'S FUNNIES , The Daily Tease,
Crosswalk.com, CLEAN LAFFS & Gophercentral.

Quoting one is plagiarism; quoting many is research.


'Thought & Humor' respects your privacy and wishes to honor
your desires to not receive e-mail from us if that's your choice,
and we apologize if any message causes any inconvenience
to you or your computer. We have never given any reader's
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unless the price is right:o) (Liberals please note - that was
humor) The E-Mail Newspaper is sent to you with love.


But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up,
that I may show My power in you, and that My
Name may be declared in all the earth. Ex 9:16




===============




Board of Advisors for 'Thought & Humor':

Did you know that 'Thought & Humor' has a distinguished Board of Advisors
that are designed to be a cross section demographically of our readership as far
as age, location, gender, marital status, education & occupation are concerned???

Bill J. - 60's - Fed. Government Employee
Bill R. - 50's - FL - Computer Operator for 911 System
Bill T. - 50's - MN - College Professor
Bob - 80's - FL - Semi - Retired Military Chaplan/Minister - D.D.
Brenda - 50's - TX - University Administor, Married
Caroline - 20's - FL - Married, University Student
Cindy - 40's - NC - 501(c)(3) Administrator - Married
Doug - 50's - TN - President of 501(c)(3) Corp, Married
Ellen - 20's - NJ - Registered Nurse - Married
Emily - 30's - TN - Banker, Married
Janet - 40's - MI - Married, Former Missionary to Arab Country
Jill - 50's - MN - Restaurant Owner, Married
John - 50's - Peru - Pastor, Married
Judith - 60's - TX - Retired Teacher
Katie - 20's - NC - Teacher, Married to UNC Med Student
Lee - 20's - GA - College Student
Les - 40's - Australia - Pilot
Lisa - 40's - TN - Secretary, Married
Marie - 60's - South Africa - Entrepreneur, Politician
Mamie - 20's - GA - Elementary Teacher
Patricia - 20's - MX - Entrepreneur, Politician
Phil - 50's WI - Disabled
Rob - 20's - NY - University Administor, Married
Ruth - 50's - CA - Real Estate, Involved in Spanish Ministry
Sarah - 20's - NC - UNC Student, Married
Tom - 40's - Middle East - Missionary
Shirl - 60's - CO - Finance Manager - Married to Minister
Teresa - 30's - NC - Mother
Wanda - 40's - Asia - Married - Communist Country

Advisory meetings are held weekly via the internet
and none receive monetary/pecuniary compensation
for their extensive/capacious/voluminous expertise.





===============






Dear Friends,

Goodbye for now with jocundness for both you
& your dynasty & an enkindling winter pulchritude!!!

Your Amigo, Confrere & Sidekick,
Howdy
(probably spurious)


P.S. I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.


===============







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& make poor Howdy Cry:

Go Here: http://goodbye2howdy.blogspot.com/


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* * * Great Archives Here - - - - "Music That Howdy Enjoys" Below * * *

February 2006   March 2006   April 2006   May 2006   June 2006   July 2006   August 2006   September 2006   October 2006   November 2006   December 2006   December 2007  


How Can I Know God???

Tales of Narnia

Answering Islam

The Da Vinci Code

A Short Look At Six World Religions

Bible - God's Word in different languages...

My Heart Christ's Home

Big John's America

Not Garbage

Discovery Institute

See The Word

Bible Study Info

Don't Be Left Behind

For The University Students & Faculty

How to become a Christian

The Berean Call

Great For Kids

Stories For Kids

Promoting Your Own Blog

Looking For God

Bible Knowledge Challenge

The Young Earth Club

Who Is Jesus???

Christian Apologetics

Christian Web Info

Great Christians In History

History of American Christianity

Bible Instructions

RBC

Dr. Ben Haden

Bible Search Tools

Kids For Truth

Lincoln - A Christian

Mission To America

One Place For Learning

President Lincoln

Purgatory, Heaven Or Hell?

Intellectual Takeout

Evangelical Viewpoint

Dr. John Vernon McGee

Insight For Living

Turning Point

Outstanding Bible Teacher

Dr. Tony Evans

Listen To The Bible

Is Jesus God?

Games

Great Bible Teaching

America - Why I Love Her

How To Become A Christian

*Watch The Jesus Movie*

Fireworks

Your very own library

Muhammad or Jesus???

Why The U.S.A. Is At War - 1

Why The U.S.A. Is At War - 2

Christian Women

Politics & Religion

Is Jesus God?

Statement Of What Howdy Believes!!!

Bible Crosswords

Los Angeles

Bible Search Tool

Great Bible Teacher

All About Cults

Religion Comparison

The Relationship of the Church to Israel

Just For Guys

Church History

***Watch The Jesus Movie***
{Many Languages}


Howdy's Blog #2

Howdy's Blog #3


Music That Howdy Enjoys



Military Music

Blueberry Hill

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH)

A Taste Of Honey - clip

(I Left My Heart) In San Francisco - clip

Take The 'A' Train - clip

Hello, Dolly! - clip

Peggy Sue - clip

Theme From Peter Gunn - clip

Song from Moulin Rouge

Malagueña

Ebb Tide

Tara's Theme from Gone with the Wind

Around the World in 80 Days

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Charade

The Way We Were

You Do Something to Me

SWonderful

Adios

A Foggy Day

Amor

Anna

Arrivederci Roma

Theme from Moulin Rouge II

Stardust - Big Band

Bolero

Brazil

Rhapsody in Blue

Sleepy Lagoon

My Foolish Heart

Lisbon Antigua

La Mer

April in Portugal

Because of You

Poor People of Paris

Unchained Melody

Stranger on the Shore

Solace

Maple Leaf Rag

Voices of Spring

Radetzky March

Water Music (Excerpt) George Frideric Handel

Finale - William Tell Overture

Overture - My Fair Lady

The Rain in Spain

The Lonely Bull - Herb Alpert

Tijuana Taxi - Herb Alpert

The Happy Whistler

So Rare

Mona Lisa

Ghost Riders in the Sky

Walk, Don't Run

Wonderland by Night

Canadian Sunset

Blue Tango

The Happy Wanderer

Down Yonder

Midnight in Moscow

Crazy Medley

Tequila

That's for Me

Quiet Village

Harbor Lights

Dueling Banjoes II

Autumn Leaves

My Foolish Heart

Don't Know Much

I WALK THE LINE

EL PASO

TENNESSEE WALTZ

STAND BY YOUR MAN

Close To You

Rainy Days & Mondays

Sing A Song

Yesterday Once More

We've Only Just Begun

Goodbye To Love

Only You

As Time Goes By

As Time Goes By II

As Time Goes By - Original

After Loving

San Francisco

Stranger In Paradise

Mrs. Howdy

Rags To Riches

The Good Life

Hello Dolly

All Of Me

Thank Heaven For Little Girls

Beyond The Sea

Everybody Loves

Return To Me

That's Amore

Autumn Leaves

Love Me With All Your Heart

If I Give My Heart To You

Autumn Leaves II

Autumn Leaves III

See The USA

My Prayer

You Always Hurt

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

Love Me Tender

Its Now Or Never

Old Shep

Dont Be Cruel

When I Fall In Love

When I Fall In Love II

When I Fall In Love III

A Fool Such As I

You'll Never Know

Fascination

I'm Yours

Wish You Were Here

Lady Of Spain

CanadianSunset

It's Magic

Secret Love

This Magic Moment

My Prayer

Twilight Time

Great Pretender

Harbor Lights

Little Darlin'

Wanted

No Other Love

Magic Moments

Till The End Of Time

Dont Let The Stars

Overture - Barber of Seville

Back In The Saddle

You Always Hurt

When I Fall

When A Man

True Love

Sincerely

Sweetheart

In The Mood

A Taste Of Honey

The Lonely Bull

Lollipops And Roses

This Guys In Love With You

What Now My Love

Three Coins In The Fountain

You've Gotta Have Heart

HeartOfMyHeart

Stranger In Paradise II

Love Is...

Unforgettable

Georgia On My Mind

Sentimental Over You

Thanks For The Memories

Too Young

Because

Never On Sunday

Yellow Rose Of Texas

Windy

My Little Corner

Speak Low

Moments To Remember

HernandosHideaway

Be My Love

Embassy Waltz

Misty

A Certain Smile

Chances Are

Not For Me To Say

Stranger On The Shore

I'll Be Seeing You

Cherry Pink

Downtown

Moonlight Serenade

Last Date

Naughty Lady

Til I Kissed You

All I Have To Do Is Dream

Dixie Land Band

Ghost Riders In The Sky

The Happy Wanderer

Lollipops

Santa Catalina

Band Of Gold

Auld Lang Syne

The Wayward Wind

P.S. I Love You

Harbor Lights

Ebb Tide

Lime Light

Green Door

My Heart Cries

Down Yonder

Silvana Mangano Anna

Does Your Chewing Gum?

Grand Night For Singing

Purple People Eater

Orange Blossom Special

I'll Get By

'Til Then

Katie At UNC

Love Letters

As Time Goes By

Cheek To Cheek

Mission Impossible

The Way You Look Tonight

Frenesi

Glad To Be An American

Battle Hymn Of The Republic

How Great Thou Art

Have Thine Own Way

Beyond The Sunset

Amazing Grace

He's Got The Whole World

Peace In The Valley

How Great Thou Art II

Stars & Stripes Forever

Tennessee Waltz

Beverly Hillbillies Theme

El Paso

Happy Trails

Big John

Sixteen Tons

Which Doctor?

Wonderful! Wonderful!

Misty

Gina

Colombo

Daniel Boone

Davy Crockett

Dick VanDyke

Donna Reed

Father Knows Best

Gilligan

Gomer Pile

Gunsmoke

Have Gun

Hawaii Five-O

Hogans Heroes

Do.Not.Forsake.Me

MyPrayer

Hopalong

Howdy

Lucy

Lassie

Law & Order

Lone Ranger

Magnificent 7

Magnum

Man From Uncle

Dobie

Maverick

Mickey

Mission I

Mr. Ed

My 3 Sons

Raw Hide

Real McCoys

Rifle Man

Secret Agent

Simon & Simon

Smothers

Spencer

StarTrek

Super Man

ThatGirl

Tonight

T-Zone

Untouchable

WagonTrain

Walton

WildWest

77

Ozzie

Andy

Beverly

Bonanza

Car.5.4

Victory I

NKC-Perfidia

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Mr. Sandman

Only The Lonely

Beyond The Sea

Pachelbel

Magnificent 7

Magnificent 7 - II

Rawhide

I Walk The Line




God loves you so much that He died for you!!!



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* * * Four Important Things To KNOW: #1) For ALL (Americans, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhist, Asians, Presbyterians, Europeans, Baptist, Brazilians, Mormons, Methodist, French, etc.) have sinned & fall short of the glory of God. #2) For the wages of above (see #1) are DEATH (Hell, eternal separation from God, & damnation) but the Gift (free & at no charge to you) of God (Creator, Jehovah, & Trinity) is Eternal Life (Heaven) through (in union with) Jesus Christ (God, Lord, 2nd Person of The Trinity, Messiah, Prince of Peace & Savior of the World). #3) For God so greatly loved & dearly prized the world (Americans, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhist, Asians, Presbyterians, Europeans, Baptist, Brazilians, Mormons, Methodist, French, etc.) that He even gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, that whosoever (anyone, anywhere, anytime - while still living) believes (trust in, relies on, clings to, depends completely on) Him shall have eternal (everlasting) life (heaven). #4) Jesus said: "I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, & THE LIFE. No one (male/female - American, Muslim, Jew, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, Asian, Presbyterian, European, Baptist, Brazilian, Mormons, Methodist, French, etc. ) comes (arrives) to the Father (with GOD in Heaven) EXCEPT BY (through) ME (no other name). *** This wonderful loving GOD gives you the choice - - - (Rev. 3:20) {Please note that church membership, baptism, doing good things, etc. are not requirements for becoming a Christian - however they are great afterwards!!!} *** Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction (Hell, damnation, eternal punishment), and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life (Heaven, eternal happiness, forever with God), and only a few find it.


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P U R P O S E
But these are written so that you may
believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the
Son of God, and that by believing in
Him you will have life. Jn 20:31

Seek the Lord while He may be found;
call on Him while He is near. Let the
wicked forsake his way and the evil
man his thoughts. Let him turn to the
Lord, and He will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for He will freely
pardon. "For My thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are your ways
My ways," declares the Lord. "As the
heavens are higher than the earth, so
are My ways higher than your ways
and My thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow come down
from heaven, and do not return to it
without watering the earth and making
it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed
for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is My word that goes out from My
mouth: It will not return to Me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire and
achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy and be led forth
in peace; the mountains and hills will
burst into song before you, and all the
trees of the field will clap their hands.
Instead of the thornbush will grow the
pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle
will grow. This will be for the Lord's
renown, for an everlasting sign, which
will not be destroyed." Is 55

O Lord, you have searched me and you
know me. You know when I sit and when
I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying
down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know
it completely, O Lord. You hem me in -
behind and before; you have laid your
hand upon me. Such knowledge is too
wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where
can I flee from your presence? If I go up
to the heavens, you are there; if I make
my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide
me and the light become night around
me," even the darkness will not be dark
to you; the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you. For you
created my inmost being; you knit me
together in my mother's womb. I praise
you because I am fearfully and wonderfully
made; your works are wonderful, I know
that full well. My frame was not hidden
from you when I was made in the secret
place. When I was woven together in the
depths of the earth, your eyes saw my
unformed body. All the days ordained
for me were written in your book before
one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts,
O God! How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would
outnumber the grains of sand. When
I awake, I am still with you. Search me,
O God, and know my heart; test me
and know my anxious thoughts. See
if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Ps 139

But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up,
that I may show My power in you, and that My
Name may be declared in all the earth. Ex 9:16


When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small:
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
- - Isaac Watts


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