Letters
Letter From the Editor
Letter From the Editor
Welcome to the April issue of MORNING STAR, our seventh edition.
Before going on the usual business, we have an announcement:

Congratulations go out to staff writer Mike Wilkinson and his
wife Kim. Lindsey Kay Wilkinson who was born on March 10, 1992
at 10:23 PM. She is 7 1/2 lbs and 19 1/4 inches. Both baby and
mother are doing well. Praise God!

This issue of MORNING STAR is dedicated to prison ministries,
their workers and inmates across the United States along with
their families. Of all the issues we have published to date,
this one was the most moving to me personally. The testimonies,
stories and poems are all wonderful and really show how God can
work in the lives of those who choose to trust Him. This issue
will be sent out to many prison ministries and we hope that it
will be a blessing to all who read it. Our prayers are for
those imprisoned who need to be set truly free by Jesus. He has
come to do this for all who let Him. (Luke 4:18) 

For anyone wishing to make literary contributions to MORNING
STAR, here is a list of our upcoming "themes" that we need
feature articles for, along with the respective deadlines:

Issue 9: Biblical Counseling (deadline April 18th)
Issue 10: Christian Womens' Issues (deadline May 16th)
Issue 11: Bible Study (deadline June 20th)
Issue 12: Prayer, Praise and Worship (deadline July 18th)
Issue 13: 1990's Evangelism (Television, Film, Radio, Faxes,
Computers, Networks, BBS, Software etc. - deadline August 15th)

Besides writing a feature article for one of these themes, you
can also help us out with one of our regular columns. We are
always in need of material for the Testimony, Music and Cooking
Columns. Articles for our Witnessing, Young Adults and Ministry
Profile areas are especially welcome. Do you know an
interesting Christian person? Why not set up an interview for
our People Profile column? And don't forget to send in your
news clippings for publication in the Morning Star Newsdesk and
prayer requests for our international Praise and Prayer report!

For those of you who are into the electronic bulletin board
system scene (BBS), here's an exciting press release from Walter
Bauer, our Director of BBS Distribution for the USA:

"Morning Star Magazine can be read not only with the software
that comes with it but for those of you that operate a bulletin
board using SuperBBS, QuickBBS, Remote Access, and others can
obtain a door program that would allow your callers to view
morning star right on screen. What is nice about this door
program is that it is free. The author, Alan Graff does not
charge you anything for the software although he does require
that you register it. The reason you should register is so that
he can keep track of just who is using his software. He will
send you the necessary file to stop the beep noise when the door
loads. Your callers will also see that you took the time to
register the door.

MSDOOR also requires a MS-DOS compatible computer, XT class with
640K memory, a modem and a hard drive.

To obtain your copy of MSDOOR look for it on your bulletin board
that carries this magazine or write to Alan Graff, Cross
Connect Software, P.O. Box 131, Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694. When
you write please send a Double density diskette for him to load
the door program onto it for you. Sorry he can not handle High
Density diskettes at present. You can also contact his BBS at
614- 776-7136 and download MSDOOR.ZIP directly to your system."

Anyone who desires a computer subscription should write to our
Post Office box for details. MORNING STAR is available in 3
formats:

HYPERCARD edition (version 1.2.5) for Macintosh
WINDOWS edition for PC's
DOS edition for all DOS-based computers.

Each DOS edition comes with a built in reader application which
makes it possible for all DOS-based computers to read it! 

Praise the Lord ... issues 1 to 7 of MORNING STAR are now
available in the new WINDOWS edition! Publisher Steve Paulovich
has been very diligent in this effort.

We are looking into the possibility of creating an audio
cassette version of the magazine. This would be of great help
to the visually impaired or those with learning disabilities. 
Anyone with ideas on this should contact me personally.

Finally, if you like MORNING STAR please send us a note! We
love to publish comments from our readers in our Letters section.


In service to Jesus the Messiah,

Toby Trudel
Editor in Chief
MORNING STAR


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

I read the Morning Star publication Vol I Issue 2, and found it
to be very informative. The publication addresses issues that
minister to the Christian from the babe to the mature. I
especially liked the Witnessing Column which shared some
concrete facts about how to effectively witness to Jewish people.

Bonnie Heard
Houston, Texas


Hi! I found your great uploads of MORNING STAR here on the GENIE
network; I have been uploading to MORNING STAR CHRISTIAN BBS in
Tulsa (918) 492-1749 Sysop: Dave Wenrick. This BBS is THE BEST
SOLID CHRISTIAN BOARD and I highly recommend that you look and
see for yourself. (The sysop is only 15!) Dave likes the
magazine so very much that he's set up a special online door
just to accommodate it.

Robert Edwards Ellison
Hartford, Connecticut
Commentary
Commentary
"Praising in Prison"


The theme of this issue of Morning Star focuses on prison
ministries and related issues. We praise the Lord for those who
are called by Him to minister to people in prison. These
ministries present the gospel of salvation, support for new
believers, and frequently assistance for the newly released.

Regardless of one's view on the prison system, I suspect that
each of us finds the idea of being imprisoned unacceptable. We
can therefore conclude that the primary desire of anyone who is
incarcerated is to be free.

What many of us may not realize is there are more ways to be
imprisoned that just being put behind bars. You may be
imprisoned by a bad marriage. You may feel like a prisoner
because you are tied to a wheelchair, or a sick bed. You may be
imprisoned by circumstances over which you have no control. 
What is the response to this kind of imprisonment? Usually the
desire to be free.

What we need to consider, however,, is that God may not want us
to be free from our prison. The Lord may have a purpose for
allowing us to remain bound in our chains.

Consider the case of the Apostle Paul. He said of himself; "I
have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been
flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and
again. " 2 Corinthians 11:23 Paul knew what it was to suffer
in prison. He knew what it was to suffer in general. (Read 2
Corinthians 11 for an account of all of Paul's sufferings.) Was
his response to want relief? Yes. Anybody's would be. But
getting out of difficult circumstances wasn't his primary
concern. Paul recognized that it was through his difficulties
that he was forced to depend on the Lord. Paul's dependency on
the Lord gave God the glory for his ministry. As Paul said: 


"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to
 go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.
 Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the
 two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by
 far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. " 
 Philippians 1:21-24

Paul recognized the same truth that we must accept. We may be
in prison, but it may only be in prison that we can serve the
Lord. What benefit was there to Paul's imprisonment? We know
that much of his writing was produced during the periods when he
was under arrest. Much of the basic doctrine of the Church is
grounded in the writings of Paul. God chose to allow him to
remain imprisoned for our benefit.

Think of the final days of the Apostle John. He ended his life
in exile. He was locked away from his own world, an exile on the
island of Patmos. Christ allowed John to remain there to serve
as His secretary. There John recorded the only letters we have
from Christ. These are the letters to the "Seven Churches." 
John, on Patmos, wrote down the entire vision of the last days. 
God chose to allow him to remain imprisoned for our benefit.

"All right," you say, "these men were the saints of the church. 
They could stand up to hardships. They were willing to be used
that the entire Church might benefit. But what about my
situation? Why should I stay imprisoned?"

Before answering the question, let me give some more examples,
of people who have accepted suffering for the Lord. John Bunyan
spent time in prison. Out of this period came the work that is
still considered one of the classic writings of Christianity,
"Pilgrim's Progress."

The Lord used Charles Colson's time behind bars to help him grow
in spiritual maturity. He made Colson into His man. Many
people have been blessed by the works Colson has produced over
recent years.

Joni Erickson Tada has been imprisoned by a wheelchair for many
years. But during that time she has established a ministry that
not only has led people to the Lord, but she too has written
several books. Her writings have helped others grow in the
midst of suffering. Her ministry has helped make life a little
easier for others who are physically challenged.

Many of us today have been blessed because of how God has used
the sufferings of others. Every trial we experience can be used
by the Lord for our benefit, and through us for the benefit of
those He puts in our path.

We may be imprisoned by jail walls, circumstances, or our own
bodies, but our soul remains free to serve the Lord. He will
use us in ways that we could never imagine, if we will simply
allow Him to be in control. We must be willing to let God
decide if and/or when we are to be freed.

God is loving and merciful. As a result, He may choose to free
us. After all, He did free Peter. (Read this account in Acts
chapter 12.) As the Lord kept Paul in prison, so He freed
Peter. In both cases the decision was not based on the comfort
of the individuals. God's concern was for their spiritual
growth. Both Peter and Paul desired, more than anything else,
that God would be glorified through their lives.

What a praise that God may choose to allow us to be freed from
our prison now. But, it may be a greater blessing when He is
willing to let us serve Him in the midst of our circumstances. 
Let us not rail against the bars in our life. Instead let us
praise God because He loves us enough to be willing to let us
grow in our relationship to Him. It is through the difficulties
of life that we find the greatest opportunities to serve Him.

You must decide right now what is truly important to you. Is
the most important issue in your life getting out of prison? 
What price are you willing to pay? If you truly desire to be
obedient, then the Holy Spirit will provide the resources to
remain where God has placed you. Life doesn't depend on
improved circumstances. Life depends on walking in obedience to
the Lord. Being in prison for the Lord is much less painful
than being free and not being able to be used by Him.

We can endure our prisons when our focus shifts from our need to
get out, to the needs of others. As we learn to see others as
the Lord does, we become more concerned about loving them than
protecting ourselves. Christ went to the cross because we
needed salvation. Paul remained in prison and gave us the basic
tenets of the faith. John continued in exile. As a result, the
book of Revelation was written. Therefore, we not only know
that Christ loves us, but that He will come again and restore a
fallen world. 

As our primary concern becomes serving the Lord, we may still be
in prison, but we will find opportunities there we would never
experience in "freedom." Freedom doesn't depend on
circumstances, it depends on your relationship with the Lord
for, "...if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. " 
John 8:36

You cannot be bound by your prison as long as you depend on God
to help you soar above the walls in service to Him. Rejoice
that while He may choose to let you remain behind those bars for
now, one day you will truly be free indeed. One day you will
stand before the Lord and hear Him say to you, "Well done, good
and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things;
I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your
master's happiness! " Matthew 25:21
Staff List
Morning Star Staff List
Morning Star Staff :
MORNING STAR STAFF LIST

EDITOR IN CHIEF
Toby Trudel - Nashua, NH

SENIOR EDITOR - Biblical Department
Geoffrey Kragen - Roseville, CA

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

SENIOR LITERARY EDITOR
Al Murillo III - El Paso, TX

ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Jerry Johnson - Modesto, CA
Clark Stephens - Huntington Beach, CA
Dale Strand - Dublin, CA
J.C. Trudel - Naples Park, FL
Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA
Dr. Charles Wootten - Matoaca, VA

SENIOR PUBLISHER - DOS and WINDOWS Editions
Steve Paulovich - Derry, NH

NETWORK DISTRIBUTION
AMERICA ONLINE Network:
Jerry White - Germantown, MD

COMPUSERVE Network:
Kay Hall - Cocoa Beach, FL

GENIE Network:
Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA

DELPHI Network:
Derrick Shipman - Greenville, SC

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

MSDOOR PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION
Alan Graff - Wheelersburg, Ohio

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION
Sharon Sanders - Jerusalem, Israel
Lars Storstrand - Minde, Norway
Peter Cunliffe - Noisiel, France
Roger J. Obe - Iloilo City, Philippines
Scott Walters - Punchbowl, NSW, Australia
David Faris - Yaounde, Cameroun

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

Features
Testimony of Randy Mitchell
Testimony of Randy Mitchell
TESTIMONY OF RANDY MITCHELL

Ellis II Unit
Huntsville, Texas

Well, I've had the Gospel preached to me many times before, but
I was just never aware of the truth that was behind it. After
being arrested and placed in the county jail, about two weeks
after I was there, I was laying on my bum, considering all the
problems and the mess that I had gotten myself into, and a
little Spanish fellow came up to me and he had a Bible in his
hand. He held the Bible out to me and said, "I've got something
here I want you to read." My first reaction was to tell him.
"No, take that away from me, that's not what I need right now." 
And he said, "Yeah, I think it is." So, to get him off of my
back, I pampered him and I took his Bible from him and read what
he had given me to read. He had given me the 24th and 25th
chapters of Matthew, which speak of the end times and the last
judgement. It's hard to explain, but something inside me
clicked, and told me, "This is real and you had better check
this out."

I gave the Bible back to him thinking, "This is just my
despondency, my reaching out for something, cause here I am in
jail." Later on that evening I found myself going back to the
man and asking him to borrow his Bible. I went over and started
reading in the book of Revelation. I had talked to some people
about the Bible before and they said don't read the book of
Revelation first, well that's naturally that's the first thing I
did. So after reading it, and not understanding it, the
majority of it, but knowing that I didn't want to go through
what that book was telling me, I went back to the beginning. It
was just a New Testament, so I went back to Matthew. I spent
approximately two weeks in the Word and then I had run across
some other little booklet by a prominent preacher out in
Houston. Through reading that book I was led to the sinner's
prayer. So, one night in my bunk, I felt the tug of the Lord on
my heart, which said, "You need me now, worse than you've ever
needed before in your life." I didn't know what that meant, but
I knew that something was telling me, "Yeah, that's what you
need." So as I lay there in my bunk, by myself, no altar call,
no preachers around, I asked the Lord to come into my heart, and
I went to sleep.

I woke up the next day and it was like I was in a whole new
world. I had been delivered from hate, because I had a terrible
hate for the people around me in the jailhouse. I was not a
hateful person out in the world really, but for some reason I
had hate in my heart for those people around me when I got
thrown in jail. But that hate was gone when I woke up the next
morning. People that I had chewed out, I went to them and asked
them to forgive me for getting mad at them. I told them I had
no reason for that. I didn't understand what I was doing. 
There were things going on in my life, that I didn't understand,
I didn't know why. But I knew it wasn't me doing it, because
even when I would sit and tell myself, "Don't go and do that", I
would still get up and go to those people and say, "I'm sorry."

Well, I continued reading the Word, got involved in the church
there and the Lord delivered me from a lot of things. In the
very beginning he delivered me from a mouth that was unfit for
most sailors, and their reputation for having bad mouths is well
known! I didn't worry any more what was going to happen to me.
I knew I was coming to prison. I was on probation when I got
arrested. I knew that they would revoke it. I knew that I was
looking at least ten years in prison. But I prayed and said,
"Lord, I don't know where I'm heading and I don't know where I'm
going. But if you just show me what it is you would have me to
do, then I'll do it. You're going to have to make it very
simple, because I'm not a very bright person."

He's honored that. He's given me peace in my heart, to put
total trust in Him. No matter what happens, no matter where I
go, no matter how much time I do in the penitentiary, I know
that God is with me. I know that Jesus has made a change in my
life. It's kind of hard for people to see it, because they
didn't know me out in the world. But I know in my heart that He
has, and I'm out to share that with others and show them that He
can do that for them too, if they really want him to.

Copyright 1991 
Printed with Permission of JEWISH VOICE BROADCASTS
Testimony of Larry Thompson
Testimony of Larry Thomspon
TESTIMONY OF LARRY THOMPSON

Hillsboro County Jail
Manchester, New Hampshire

On October 24th, 1991, facing a combined total of 25 to 50 years
imprisonment for three armed robberies and kidnapping charges, I
decided to board a bus heading to Montreal Canada. From the
time I left my parents house to catch the train to Boston, I had
second thoughts about my decision to take a vacation to a
country I had never been to, with only twenty dollars on me.

I can remembering praying to "God" on the way two or three
times, to give me the strength of courage to start my new life. 
I kept having flashbacks of my mother leaving for work that
morning. As she was leaving she leaned over and with tears in
her eyes kissed my forehead as she knew that she would not see
me for quite some time. Every time my mind flashed back I would
begin to cry and I knew in my heart I had made a bad decision,
but decided to stick with it.

When I got to the Canadian border and was asked questions
concerning my "vacationing" to their country, the immigration
official pulled me aside and asked how much money I had on me. 
I told him I had fifteen dollars and was subsequently detained
while they checked for warrants. I was then approached by the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who informed me of my warrants
and turned me over to the U.S. Marshall. After confirmation of
my identity I was brought to a correctional facility in St.
Albans Vermont, where I awaited extradition to New Hampshire.

I can remember that through this whole sequence of events, how
filled with fear and doubt I was, and how I felt very suicidal. 
When I got to my jail cell, I cried and cried to the point of
being completely drained. When I finally stopped, I looked
around and noticed all I had with me were some poems I had
written and a pocket Bible that was placed by the Gideons in a
jail I had once spent time in down in Massachusetts.

For some strange reason, I had taken this Bible with me. I now
began to read it and prayed, and confessed my sins. I asked
Jesus to come into my heart and soul and to guide me as I was a
very tired and broken man.

My life has since turned around to the point that my fear is
gone and my faith grows stronger every day. I have purpose in
my life today, and as far as the courts and the justice system
go, the Lord Jesus already knows what is going to happen and I
trust in Him that He will be with me. I believe today that all
the events I described happened the way they were supposed to
happen. They weren't by mistake or coincidence. This is Jesus
plan for me.
When Time Is All You've Got
When Time Is All You've Got
WHEN TIME IS ALL YOU'VE GOT

A Death-Row Redemption Story

Stephen Nethery could be anyone's son. His mother, Evelyn, is
church pianist at Pilgrim's Rest Baptist in Soddy-Daisy,
Tennessee, where his father, Hal, is a deacon. Stephen's
grandfather was a preacher.

Hal and Evelyn had high hopes for Stephen. Would he follow in
his grandfather's footsteps? Would he be a missionary in some
exotic land?

A missionary, yes. But under a cloud that darkens his mother's
world, a day-to-day dread that the phone will ring bearing news
of her son's execution date.

For 10 years Stephen has lived on death row in Huntsville,
Texas. Two execution dates have come and gone. He waits for a
ruling on his latest appeal. "It could come today," he says. "It
could be next year. You sit back and wait. I'm assured that if I
die, I'll be with Christ. But I know my family would be sad, and
I don't want to hurt them any more than I already have."

The hurt began when Stephen rebelled as a young teen, running
with the wrong crowd. Stephen remembers coming home late at
night, opening the door on a tranquil domestic scene: "Sometimes
Mom would be over there kneeling down praying for me."

Hal recalls his fatherly tack: "I would tell Stephen when he was
doing wrong. He'd answer, 'Well Dad, I've just got to sow some
wild oats.' " Hal had no idea how prophetic his retort would
prove to be: "Then you're going to reap a bountiful crop."

Finally, at age 19, Stephen left home. "I thought I'd die," says
Evelyn, "and it's been awful ever since."

Landing a riverboat job on the Mississippi, Stephen would binge
on drink and drugs and, within a year, armed robberies. One
favorite spot for reverie was Dallas, where an early-morning,
February 1981 tryst exploded. Routinely patrolling the shoreline
at White Rock Lake, a young police officer walked up to
Stephen's car window and said, "Why don't you two get dressed
and go on home?"

Drunk, stoned, and scared, Stephen came out shooting. The
policeman's partner, Officer McCartney, fell, dead. 

Five days later, Evelyn Nethery took a phone call from an
attorney in Dallas. Sensing catastrophe, she handed the phone to
Hal and began packing for their trip to Dallas.

In the headlines for days, Stephen's name and crime "cop killer"
caught the eye of Nancy Berry, a Prison Fellowship volunteer who
served as a Dallas County Jail volunteer chaplain.

She remembers how 21-year-old Stephen shuffled into the visiting
area in prison overalls, stooped and unshaven, his scraggly hair
drooped over his shoulders. "He just looked pitiful," Nancy
recalls.

Sensing Stephen's need, Nancy came back, visiting him several
times a week in the months before his June trial. When Evelyn
and Hal and Steve's younger sister, Susan, came for the trial,
Nancy and other PF volunteers arranged for their free lodging,
meals, and even diversionary entertainment for Susan.

At the trial, Nancy grieved for the Netherys and the McCartheys,
parents of the slain officer. At the end of the two-week trial
Evelyn expressed her sympathy to Mr. McCartney, who responded in
kind, saying, "If my son's death will help turn your son's life
around, then maybe his dying will not be in vain."

Nancy could see the Lord's hand at work in Stephen, who
struggled during the trial to make his peace with God. "But," he
says, "I was so full of guilt and anger and bitterness. I was
blaming everyone but myself."

On June 30, 1981, it was over: The jury's verdict mandated the
death penalty. But on July 1, the story turned around. Stephen
put his life and death in God's hands. Stephen remembers, "I
said, 'I cannot face God with all this sin. Lord, this is it.
This is when I can fully trust You. Until then I had hatred in
my heart for the judge, for the D.A., for the witnesses, for the
jury, and just everybody. I wanted to release that to God. I
wanted to be clean." And that day Stephen received the inner
assurance that he was.

Though Stephen's days seemed numbered, he set his mind to
redeeming them. "I have nothing but time," he says, "so much
free time to spend in the Word" and in "the Christians of old,
like Luther, Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, and the Puritans. And
there are plenty of people in a place like this that need help.
It's like a mission field. There are people who can't read or
write. They need you to help them write their letters."

Stephen himself writes about 30 letters a month, including two a
week to his parents. "Twice a week, every week, regardless."

Evelyn, who hadn't been able to touch her son for more than 10
years, being separated by miles or a glass wall in the visitors'
room, is amazed at his letter-writing avocation. But to Stephen
it is more than a hobby, it's a ministry given and received.

There's his correspondence with church members back home, who
help Evelyn and Hal with transportation money so they can visit
three or four times a year. Then there's his junior-high coach,
Mr. Fox. "He has taken some of my letters and read them to the
students. Maybe my life can make some kids look at what they're
doing, the drug scene, the alcohol, the sex, and turn to God."

He's written about a dozen kids who have responded to an article
he wrote, printed in a Tennessee magazine.

Stephen regularly corresponds with James Allison, a PF volunteer
and In-Prison Seminar instructor, living near Shreveport,
Louisiana. James drives 12 hours, round trip several times a
year to visit Stephen, who says, "From the beginning we just hit
it off. It's a real blessing, knowing that he comes that far to
visit me. It's not easy to feel sorry for myself when I know
that people love me."

James has even provided lodging to Hal, driving west to see
Stephen, and he went to be with Stephen the day before his
second scheduled execution, May 28, 1988. With only 12 hours
left, an officer interrupted their prayer session with joyful
news, Stephen had been granted another stay.

Stephen and the 300 other men on the Huntsville-Ellis I Unit
death row live with the tension that not every countdown halts
with a court stay. In his 10 years there, Stephen has seen 27
men silenced by execution. Nancy Berry describes two of them as
his "best praying buddies."

Men he led to the Lord?

"Well," Nancy says, "he's very humble. He doesn't feel he leads
people to the Lord. God just puts people there for him to tell
about Him."

Stephen misses yet another praying buddy, a man he met shortly
after he arrived on death row. As a long-time Christian,
Clarence Brandley had his own deep bitterness to surrender to
the Lord: He was innocent, his only crime being that he was
black and living in a racist town. Clarence was freed in January
1990, being exonerated by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

"We didn't have any church service or any group fellowship when
I first got to Huntsville," says Stephen. So he and Clarence
began to discuss and study Scripture together in the recreation
airhead. Then they started attending the church growing up
around their witness, as fellow inmates saw the peace and
purpose they preached.

"There are many guy real close to death here," says Stephen.
"They need to hear the message. One guy here didn't even know
there was a Bible. Another guy with the mental capacity of an
eight or nine-year-old was just baptized."

Stephen notes, "If we Christians won't love him and try to help
him, who will?"

Stephen rejoiced when Clarence walked out a free man, but he
mourned the absence of a comrade. There are so few Christians in
the Ellis block to help hold one another up. Death row is cut
off from most volunteer ministry. The burden for all religious
services falls on Chaplain Alex Taylor. Even though church
attendance has grown to 25 or 30, Stephen expresses impatience.
"I would like to see a great revival. Like you read about in the
Book of Acts."

As for his own fate, he's not impatient. "A lot of people here,"
says Stephen, "turn to God as a means to get out. I made up my
mind never to ask God to deliver me from death row. I don't feel
worthy to ask. It feels as if it would be a selfish request. I
leave it in God's hands."


Printed by permission of the Prison Fellowship 
Taken from JUBILEE, October 1991 issue
Copyright 1991
Accept Me As a Person, Not As a Convict
Accept Me As a Person, Not As a Convict by Glenn Ralph Mellot
ACCEPT ME AS A PERSON ... NOT AS A CONVICT

By Glenn Ralph Mellot

I know a lot of people have had a rough life. I know also that
even more have had a rougher life than mine. The message of this
testimony is for those who have had a pretty easy life. Those
who wouldn't know what a rough life is, except for what they
have seen on television or in a movie. I pray that my testimony
will help someone. The story which you are about to read is true
and documented.

First, I want to prepare you. Remember, this is for those who
have led a sheltered life and don't know what goes on in most
lives. Life has not been good to all of us.

At the age of eleven I was placed in a private school operated
by the sisters of Saint Joseph. I was sent there because my
parents couldn't handle me. I wouldn't go to school, and I would
stay out all night most of the time. The reason for this was, I
didn't feel any love at home. Although I know today that my
mother loved me then as she does now.

I spent three long years of my life at the private school and
hated every minute I was there. I learned to hate it so much
that no one could tell me to do anything. I had no respect for
authority. (However, most of what they tried to teach me rubbed
off on me, and in a way I am glad it did.)

After going back home. I got into trouble. I stole about $300
that my mother was holding for the church. She was the church
treasurer. I was caught an hour or so later. The reason I was
caught was, I stole from God my Father. I didn't have the sense
to realize it for quite some time.

Then I was placed in a reform school, Oakdale Boys' Industrial
School. near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The first day I was there
some of the other boys got me down on the ground and put
cigarettes out on my arm. I still have the scars from that today.

I was at Oakdale for about six months and tried to escape at
least twenty times that I can remember. Finally I was sent to
George Junior Republic at Grove City, Pennsylvania. I was there
about a year and tried to escape three times that I know of. The
last time I stayed out, because the judge said I didn't have to
go back. I had been out almost a year when I got involved in
stealing cars and transporting them across state lines. In the
meantime I joined the Army. But the Army soon discharged me for
being unfit for military service.

After being released by the Army I went back to stealing cars. I
drove a car until I felt like it was getting too hot, then I
ditched it and stole another. Later I was arrested in Seward,
Nebraska, driving a stolen 1969 Dodge Charger. I had been
stopped for speeding. The judge sentenced me to 30 days in jail
for giving false information to a law enforcement officer. After
serving my time in Seward, I went to Davenport, Nebraska, and
took a job with a paving construction company. I collected my
pay after a week's work and started hitchhiking.

A trucker heading for Salt Lake City, Utah, gave me a ride. I
rode with him to pick up his load and stayed to help him unload.
Then I went home with him to help out on his ranch near New
Braunfels, Texas. I stayed there about three days then stole his
car and drove it to Pennsylvania. When I got there I turned
around and drove to California. About a hundred miles out of
Bakersfield I stopped to rest. While I was resting the state
police stopped to see if I was all right. They arrested me on
the spot and put me in jail in Los Angeles. The judge gave me a
four-to-six-year suspended sentence and I was placed on four
years probation.

I went back to Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania, and lived about a
month. I Couldn't find a job anywhere. Finally I took a service
station job near the house where I was staying. The first day on
the job I stole a car and went to Charlotte, North Carolina,
with it. In Charlotte I was stopped for speeding again and was
arrested and put in jail. This time I was sentenced to two years
running concurrent with the probation that I had.

In April of 1975 I was sent back to California for a revocation
hearing for probation violation. At the hearing the judge
sentenced me to serve the four-to-six-years. Then they sent me
back to Milan, Michigan, where I was doing the two-year
sentence. When I first went down (to prison), in 1973, I got
interested in Christianity. But I backslid so far that I got
involved in satanism. I was so deeply involved that all my spare
time went to reading anything and everything that I could find
on the subject. I was considered Satan's high priest of a
dormitory of about 150 men.

While holding black mass one night something happened that
scared me so bad that I could hardly talk for about six hours or
so. I still get the shakes when I think about it. I had a vision
of me standing before God at His Judgment Seat in heaven. God
didn't say a word to me, He just pointed to a door. I walked
through the door that led to the eternal flames of hell. I hope
no one believes there is no hell, because there is. I've seen
it, I've felt it and I thank God that I will never have to go
there again.

That was when I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I praise God that I
was able to be saved from the fiery pits of hell through Jesus
Christ my Lord and Savior.

PRISON IS NO GAME

This is what happens when a man goes to prison. Prison is no
game! The people who are confined in prison play for keeps. They
are the type of people who think that if they have a problem
with someone else, they are justified in eliminating the problem
permanently. Everyone goes back to his animal instinct to
survive. I'm going to be perfectly honest with you and not hold
anything back that I feel would be of benefit to you. I want you
to be able to understand the different circumstances that occur
in prisons all over the world.

Maybe through this article just one teenager or someone else can
be saved by the Grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Then
maybe they will never have to go through what I, and many
others, have gone through. If this happens, then everything that
I have gone through and every day that I have been in prison
will be worth it.

A convict's reputation is very important to him while he's
behind bars. After all, his reputation is all he has. During a
period of about four years before I accepted Jesus Christ as my
Savior, I built a reputation for myself that has been hard for
me to get rid of now that I have given my life to Jesus. After
dedicating my life to Jesus about a year and a half ago, the
prison guards still held my past against me. It is very hard for
me at times not living up to the reputation that I had. They
keep wanting to shove it down my throat. I really get frustrated
at times. But with the help of Jesus Christ I will some day be
able to overcome this time of trial that I am going through. I
will stand my ground for Jesus Christ and will not falter.

My past life earned me the name "Hillbilly," because I headed a
clique. In prison there are groups of convicts who swear to
stick together through every kind of circumstance, even killing,
for the protection of each other. My clique was the "K's" (short
for Ku Klux Klan). I had gone so far as to start racial riots,
sit downs, work stoppages, and just about anything else that I
could think of to defy authority. Ever since I can remember I've
never liked authority or anyone that represented it. I never
liked doing anything that necessitated someone standing over me
telling me what to do. But now, thanks to Jesus Christ, I can
take orders without one word of complaint.

I've been in several Federal Prisons, from Milan, Michigan;
Petersburg, Virginia; Lompoc, California; Tallahassee, Florida
and finally Memphis, Tennessee, where I am presently
incarcerated.

These do not include the ones I have been in on the way to the
other ones as a holdover. These are Leavenworth, Kansas;
Atlanta, Georgia; El Reno, Oklahoma; Texarkana, Texas; La Tuna,
Texas; Terre Haute, Indiana and Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

The reason for my moving around so much is because the guards
could never control me, although I will give them credit where
credit is due for trying. They tried hard to break me, but they
would finally give up and transfer me to another prison so they
wouldn't have to put up with me any more, or have to worry about
me. I've fought, I've hurt people, and I've been hurt. My nose
has been broken so many times in fist fights that I stopped
counting. During all this time, my greatest fear was the night
time, as no one ever knows when they might be killed. I've never
been stabbed but I was "piped" once (hit on the head with a
metal bar).

People who have never been exposed to this kind of life tell
themselves, "Well, this doesn't go on in our free country."
Well, brothers and sisters, you're wrong. It does happen and
will keep on happening as long as all of us let it happen. This
will go on either, until we the people stop it, or until Jesus
Christ comes again, which I don't think will be very long from
now.

If I were to sit down and tell you about prison it would take me
a lifetime, and then it would be only about the things that I
have seen or experienced. For someone else to go to prison is a
different thing than what it was for me when I came in. Every
one does their own thing and everything is different because
every one is different. If you were to go to prison you would
have a complete different interpretation of prison than the one
I would try to explain to you. It is different for all who come
here and believe me, it is no joke.

I could never readily admit this before to anyone, but God has
given me the strength to tell you. Since my incarceration,
October 11, 1973, I have had about six "kids" (prison slang for
homosexual). In Tallahassee I stabbed an inmate for trying to
take my kid. There is a difference between an inmate and a
convict. An inmate will do anything that he is told by the
guards, with no complaint or rebellion. A convict would rather
go to the "hole" (maximum security). An inmate is considered a
low life, scum-of-the-earth type individual in a convict's eyes.
I used to be a convict, now I'm considered an inmate because I
accepted Jesus as my Savior. That used to be hard for me to
accept because of my pride. It also means that my time is a lot
harder to do as far as being in prison. But, to most I am still
considered a convict, as they have known me for some time and
they know what I am about. They can't understand it but they
accept it. I have led three convicts to Jesus Christ. Actually,
they brought themselves with the help of the Holy Spirit.

I stabbed the inmate in Tallahassee because he thought he could
take what was mine and get away with it without me giving any
repercussions. Therefore, to protect my reputation and keep the
respect of the other convicts, I stabbed the man. If someone
tries to disrespect you in any way, you do your best to do away
with that person. That way, you have no problems. Today I ask
God to keep that person I stabbed safe and free from all harm. I
am truly sorry that it ever happened. I know that it didn't have
to be, but I was not a Christian then and I felt it had to be
done at the time. Satan has a way of leading people astray and
people have a way of following his leading.

To give you a little more insight on what takes place in prison,
I will tell you a little about what a young person can expect if
he ever goes to prison. These are just some of the things that I
have seen or experienced myself. These things happen everyday. I
feel compelled to dwell on what happens to young men who come to
prison as I went through it myself. I might have handled it a
little different than most would have, but I did what I thought
was right. Before I start I just want to thank God for the time
that I have done in reform school as it taught me what I should
do if ever backed into a corner not knowing what to do. I used
to handle all situations as a convict would, now I leave it up
to God as He is the One that rules my life.

A "kid" is a person who comes to prison young and "pretty." He
is one who doesn't have the strength it takes to handle
different situations. He is not prepared for it physically or
mentally. This is how most kids are found or made. A young dude
comes to prison, he doesn't know what is going on. He just got
here and is scared to death, or just about. He is not a
homosexual and has never even thought about being one. He is the
typical all-american boy who made a mistake. The judge just
wanted to teach him a lesson.

The kid comes in with all his property or belongings. He puts
them in his locker and makes his bed. Then he might decide to go
to the yard or something. He comes back to find "zoo-zoo's and
wham-wham's" (candy, cigarettes, coffee and things of this
nature) on his bed. He picks the things up and puts them in his
locker. After he has eaten all the candy, smoked all the
cigarettes and drank all the coffee, the dude that put all that
stuff on the kid's bed to begin with comes and asks him for all
the stuff back. Naturally the kid can't give it back. But the
dude keeps insisting that he wants it now. There is no way the
kid can give it back so the dude goes to get his shank (homemade
knife). He comes back and pulls it out to let the kid see. The
kid gets scared. The dude says something like, "I'll give you
three choices. One, get my stuff. Two, get stabbed with this
knife. Three, do some kind of sex act for me. " Nine out of ten
times the kid does the sex act for the dude and becomes the
dude's "kid."

To be a Christian in prison is the hardest thing that a man can
do. A person gets tired of all the little games that the
convicts run on him to try to make him backslide. You see, when
a man becomes a Christian in prison he is considered weak. The
convicts think that they are stronger and can make the
Christians do whatever they want. I have seen this time and
again. I thank God that they don't try this on me any more
because I was totally fed up with it. God tells us in His Book
that He will not let us go through any more than what we can
endure. I think this is the reason that they stopped on me,
because God saw that I wouldn't be able to take anymore.

I used to get laughed at and criticized, I would have to
constantly swallow my pride, which at times is still hard for me
to do. But, now I think, "what did Jesus do when He was laughed
at, lied to, and spit on for me?" He did nothing. I forgive
those who make fun of me now, and I pray that someday, someday
they will see the light before it's too late. The Bible also
tells us that pride is the downfall of every man unless used for
the Glory of God. I put my pride in Jesus of Nazareth, Who arose
from the grave after dying on the cross at Calvary for the
redemption of all mankind.

I know there are many Christians in here and out there who put
their pride in themselves. They even think it's too hard to
confess they are Christians. Well, brothers and sisters, for
those who are doing this, I want you to know that having this
pride in yourselves will never get you to heaven. In fact, for
those of you who are putting pride in yourselves you are on a
one way trip straight to hell. I thank God for my pride because
I learned to use it for the glory of God, and not my own. We are
not here on this earth to please man. We are here to please God.
If we can't please God then there is no use for us being here.
God made man for His pleasure, not our own.

I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and gave Him my
life to run the way that He wants to run it, not the way I want
to. I will do everything within my power, and the power that God
has given to me, to spread His Word to every living creature. I
am doing this so that someone can be saved by the grace of God
through Jesus Christ so they will never have to endure the pains
that I, and so many others, have endured. All my pains will be
well worth it if I can save one person from going to the fiery
gates and pits of hell.

May God bless you all and hold all of you in the hollow of His
hands safely, always and forever.


From ACCLAIMED BOOKS
P.O. Box 18186 Dallas, Texas 75218
American Evangelistic Association
Don't Ever Give Up On People
Don't Ever Give Up On People by Jeanette McFarland
DON'T EVER GIVE UP ON PEOPLE

By Jeanette McFarland

Last December when Lieutenant Jim Mays arrested frail Tracy
Eichman the umpteenth time for prostitution, she begged him not
to take her to the Winnebago County (Illinois) Jail; she'd be
cut off from her drug suppliers. No one could have predicted
then that two months later Tracy would hug Jim at her baptism,
publicly thanking him for locking her up.

"I'm freer in prison than I've ever been in my life on the
streets as a prostitute and addict," she told members of
Rockford's First Evangelical Free Church on February 24. "I
believe that Jesus has died and forgiven me for my sins, and the
slate is wiped clean."

Tracy had heard of God's love, and even prayed at times, before
her last arrest. "But I was not a Christian; I thought I was too
imperfect to be able to accept His love, so for 32 years I
didn't," Tracy recalls. But in her jail cell she cried out to
God, "Please help me. Either I'm going to commit suicide or
You're going to have to give me some strength, because I'm
through. My way didn't work."

Tracy's case quickly made a splash in the local media, as she
was the first to be held and convicted under a new state law
making attempted criminal transmission of the AIDS virus a
criminal charge. But God was already orchestrating a team of
people to spur her spiritual growth.

Janice Mathis, the jail chaplain's assistant, visited Tracy
daily during her initial drug withdrawal. "She was so happy and
filled with joy," Tracy remembers. Then, within days of the
arrest, newspaper articles quoting Tracy's apology for what she
calls her "terrible sin" caught Lieutenant Mays's eye. He headed
to the jail to visit Tracy with his pastor, John Aker of First
Evangelical Free, and Jean Flores, who as coordinator of Martin
House's Magdalene program, a ministry to prostitutes, had
witnessed to Tracy on the streets.

As they walked in, Tracy pointed at Jim and said, "If you hadn't
arrested me, I never would have found Jesus." She said she was
grieving over the harm she'd caused others in her effort to
support her drug addiction. The visitors hugged their new sister
in the Lord, assuring her of God's saving grace.

Over the next two months Tracy anticipated visits from these new
friends and participated in Bible studies. Her understanding of
the Gospel grew under the counsel of Pastor Collins and Chaplain
Hoekstra who "explained the simplicity of God's plan."

As a new believer one of Tracy's first concerns was to be
baptized, in a church. After several phone calls, the sentencing
judge gave permission for two policemen to escort her to First
Evangelical Free. When it came time to walk down into the
baptismal waters, Jim and Pastor John escorted her, aglow with
the joy of the Lord. At the end of the Sunday morning service,
the congregation celebrated with gifts and hugs at a reception
held in Tracy's honor.

With her health declining and her transfer to prison imminent,
Tracy savored these hours of outside contact; within days she
was moved about 100 miles away to Dwight Correctional Center.

Her subsequent letters to John often mention her gratitude for
the congregation's love. "We have a sister with AIDS," he says,
"who is our missionary to the Illinois penal system. She is a
member in good standing, and we care about her."

Hospitalized twice since being moved to Dwight, Tracy says, "I
know this disease is going to kill me. But I choose to make
myself function. I have no (self-) pity whatsoever."

In fact, despite her confinement Tracy chooses to reach out with
a ministry of correspondence. To date she has received letters
from nearly 300 people, including 80 school children,
individuals struggling with pain or depression, and many new
friends from First Evangelical Free. Some offer encouragement,
others seek advice. "If they care enough to write me, I can take
my time to write them."

Tracy also takes advantage of every opportunity to grow in
Christ, participating in a course in Christian basics and
attending worship services. Soon after her arrival, Prison
Fellowship held its first seminar at Dwight. Tracy was able to
personalize the title of the seminar, "You Are Somebody"

She summarizes what she learned, "Take off the labels (that
other people give you); you are always someone in Christ's eyes.
That's when I started to believe that I could be someone.
I'd never had any self-esteem until I found Christ."

Tracy may not have long to live, but, she says, "I'm determined
to keep walking with the Lord until I can't walk anymore." Her
message to fellow Christians and prison volunteers is concise:
"Don't ever give up on people. They can always change, as long
as they find the Lord."

Printed by permission of the Prison Fellowship 
Taken from JUBILEE, July/August 1991 issue
Copyright 1991
Poems From Prison Cells
Poems From Prison Cells
The following letter and poem are from "Poems from Prison
Cells". Printed with permission granted by Chaplain Ray of
International Prison Ministry, P.O. Box 63, Dallas, Texas 75221.


WE QUOTE
(An Actual Letter)

Three months ago I sat in a court and heard a judge say, "Twenty
years." He was pronouncing sentence on my twenty-one year old
son, a punishment for drinking, gambling and robbery, which
ended in the shooting and death of a man.

The sentence might have been less, but my son took a sneering,
defiant attitude all through the court, ridiculing every law
officer who spoke to him. But the crowning, shocking climax
came when the judge sternly asked, "Young man, don't you believe
in God?" He laughed long and loud as he said, "God? Who's
that?" Every eye in the court room turned to look at me.

I went to Sunday school and church when I was small and learned
about God. After I was married I decided to go and take my
children. I could not persuade my husband to go, but the
children and I went regularly for a year. Then I skipped two or
three Sundays and got out of the habit, and then I only went on
special days.

Soon I joined a bowling team that competed on Sunday afternoons.
I could not go to church and get ready to leave in time to
bowl, and bowling was such fun!

If only I had those years to live over! Night after night since
that court trial, I have walked the floor with the words, "God?
Who's that?" echoing in my ears.

My son was thirteen the Sunday the policeman came as I was
leaving with my bowling bag. I waited impatiently while he told
me my son had been caught breaking a window just the night
before. I practically forgot it and went on my merry way. By
now the church was just a thing of the past. The years went by
- to end up in a court room! When I think of my wasted years of
having fun instead of meeting God at His appointed place I am
sick with shame. I'm trying to make restitution by urging other
people to go.

So many do not believe in making a child go to church and Sunday
school if he does not want to go. But how many would go to
school if they were not made to go? Ask any child that
question. And I do know that parents must set the example
themselves by taking their children to God's house with them. 
It's too late for my son now, but please take advice from one
who knows!

-(Signed) Mother

_________________________________________________________________


These men within the prison write about "walls, cells, dreams
and life beyond the strong, silent barrier." Those outside the
wall write to those within! The following is a piece written by
a father to his son, an inmate.


TO YOU IN PRISON
By Jimmy Palmer

Cry, Cry, Cry
Won't you ever smile, my son?
You know that the world won't end,
Just because you're in.

Lie, Lie, Lie
Won't you ever tell the truth?
You really want and wish to be,
Living here at home, with me.

Why, Why, Why
Did this cruel thing fall on you?
Remember all you planned to do
Has vanished from your sight.

Try, Try, Try
Try to open up your heart!
You can surely make a new start
Once you've changed your inner heart.

I Know, I Know, I Know
What's running through your mind;
Life can really be unkind,
So what's the use of living?

Alone, Alone, Alone
When you're all alone, don't think
I've turned my back on you.
Love is going to cut right through.

You know, you know, you know
That you'll always be my friend.
That our love will not end,
No matter what we be.

Take time, think
Think about the things I say.
Soon your life will fade away;
Will you then be free?

Cry, Cry, Cry
Someone else is crying, too.
Shedding tears for only you.
He cares, He cares, 'tis true.

Die, Die, Die
Blood and sweat upon a cross.
Run to Him, you know you're lost.
Yes, He died for me and you!

Biblical Department
New In Christ
New In Christ
"New in Christ" is a regular MORNING STAR column written
primarily for people who wish to learn more about the basic
teachings of Biblical Christianity. The editorial staff at
MORNING STAR encourages all readers to freely use this
information to help new Christians grow in their walk with the
Lord. In this issue we conclude our article, begun in the
previous issue, on living a Christian lifestyle.


LIFESTYLES OF THE POOR AND HUMBLE
(Part 2 of a 2-part series)

When we share the news of Christ with others we are not to do so
in a threatening or condescending manner. Rather, we are to be
pleasant and gentle when we try to persuade them to come to
Christ. (2nd Timothy 2:23-25) An important technique is to
find a "common ground" with people. This way we can gain their
trust, persuading them to listen to our message. (1st
Corinthians 9:19-23) This does not mean however, that we are to
try and trick anyone into believing, by "coloring" what the
Gospel says. (2nd Corinthians 4:2) We should simply present
its truth as it stands. Unfortunately, some Christians start to
take pride in how many "souls they've won." But, they forget
two important things. First, that they are only doing what they
are supposed to do as the Lord's servants. (Luke 17:10) 
Second, that they are only presenting the Gospel. It's the
Holy Spirit that does the actual soul-winning.

Being involved with "soul winning" is probably the most
important duty of a Christian. Some of us may be better at it
than others, because the Lord has given us different abilities
in life. Never-the-less we are all to make the best effort with
what He gives us, not sticking our heads in the ground. (Matthew
25:14-30) 

Christ said that if you're not part of the team "gathering",
then your part of those "scattering". (Luke 11:23) Sounds like
that old saying; "If you're not part of the solution, then
you're part of the problem". There are big rewards in store for
those who bring people to the Lord. (John 4:35-38) God is
especially pleased when you can bring someone back to trusting
the Lord after their having slipped away. (James 5:19,20) 
Soul-winning should be a priority in every Christian's life.

Here's the question in the back of every new or potential
Christian's mind: "Won't I be ridiculed by both friends and
strangers, if I go around talking about Christ to people?" 
Jesus gave these words of wisdom to those who follow Him: 
"Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye
therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Matthew
10:6) The Lord tells us that any suffering we encounter for Him
is microscopic compared to the size of the reward we will
receive from Him. (Romans 8:17,18, 2nd Corinthians 4:17,18) 
Many of us might express willingness to go fight and die for our
country. But, all of us should be willing to suffer for Christ,
who suffered and died for us. (Philippians 1:29, 1st
Thessalonians 3:3, 2nd Thessalonians 1:5, 1st Peter 4:16) Keep
this in mind if you ever start to "chicken out," when given a
chance to talk about Him, because of concern over what someone
present might think. We are to worry about pleasing God, not
people. (1st Thessalonians 2:4)

Of course not all the hours in our days are spent sharing the
Gospel. We still have our lives to live and many temptations
will present themselves before us as we go about our daily
activities. The subject of dealing with sinful "natural"
desires was mentioned in the previous part of this article
(MORNING STAR, Vol 1.6). Three of the most prevalent causes of
sin in the world today are desire for wealth, status (fame or
power), and sex. When you examine the New Testament, you will
find more written on these issues than any others. Not only
does the pursuit of these things lead to sin, but the failure in
acquiring them often causes many people to turn to crime,
alcohol, drugs, abuse of others and suicide. The Lord's position
on these three matters is something to be aware of.

God makes it quite clear, concerning the desire for wealth, that
our lives are not to be lived in the pursuit of money. There's
nothing wrong with earning a good wage and leading a comfortable
life, but we should be satisfied at that. Those fortunate
enough to have high paying jobs should be actively using their
money to do good. (1st Timothy 6:17-19) We are warned that the
desire for a lot of money is the source of all evil, and that
its pursuit will cause many people to turn away from God. (1st
Timothy 6:10) 

There's nothing wrong with saving or frugal investment, as long
as you remember to first return to the Lord His fair share of
what you earn. As we bring nothing into the world, none of it
is really ours, it all is "loaned" to us by the Lord. We take
none of it with us when we die. (1st Timothy 6:7) We are to
keep the less fortunate in mind, (Ephesians 4:28), and help
support the Christian Church's ministries here on Earth. We can
forget worrying about ever starving once we are part of God's
family of born again believers. Jesus said there is no need to
ever fear where our next meal is coming from or how we are going
to clothe ourselves, because our Father in heaven promises to
provide for us. (Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 12:6,7, Philippians
4:19, Hebrews 13:5)

Social status is so important in this world we live in. If you
can't keep up with the Joneses, at least give the appearance
that you are doing so. Television and magazines are just
littered with ads for material goods, telling both teenagers and
adults that they need this thing or that. The amount of money
that young adults spend today on the latest clothing, jewelry
and cosmetics is staggering. All this occurs so that they
aren't left out of the crowd. It used to be that these
advertising strategies were aimed exclusively at women, but
that's changed. A casual look around will reveal that more and
more men are becoming overly concerned with how "fashionable"
they look, or seeking to get attention by wearing ridiculous
amounts of jewelry. 

God made it quite clear that Christian women, (and nowadays
men), should not be concerned with the whims of fashion or
spending their money on expensive jewelry. (1st Timothy 2:9,
1st Peter 3:3) There's nothing wrong with looking sharp, but
when vanity enters your heart, it's not right. (Galatians 5:26)
Our lives should be humble as Christ's was, not seeking the
praises of men and women. (Matthew 20:26-28, Galatians 5:26,
Titus 2:12) Those who seek after such admiration will be
brought down by the Lord. Those who live humbly, will be
exalted by Him. (Luke 14:11) 

Finally, there's the area of desire for sex outside of a married
relationship. This is the Biblical teaching that more
non-Christians take exception to and try to undermine, than any
other. The morality of the world says that whatever goes on
between two consenting adults in fine. (Of course, they say,
"safe sex" guidelines should be observed.) God however, refers
to all sex outside of a male-female marriage as fornication. 
There are too many references to this being sin in the Bible to
list here. The most graphic one tells us that as Christians our
bodies are part of Christ. If a Christian should engage in
fornication it is the same as joining Christ to a prostitute. 
(1st Corinthians 6:13-20) God's position on this issue is quite
clear and as always unchanging.

Look at how the world is trying to cope with the problems of
aids, venereal disease, rampant abortion, teenage pregnancies
and illegitimate, unwanted children. Society is trying to
correct all of these problems by applying "surface remedies". 
Sort of like a doctor putting bandages on bruises caused by
internal bleeding as a "cure". The world hasn't dealt with the
real cause of these problems, which in each case is disobeying
God's law regarding sex. To whoever says that this is not a
practical solution, note that all of these tragic situations are
getting worse daily while we experiment with foolish human ideas
on solving them.

Obedience to God's standards is not just a practical solution,
it's the ONLY solution, because it deals with the problems at
their source. Of course the world will never turn to Jesus,
which is why the Bible tells us that our problems will grow
continually worse until the Lord returns. Our responsibility,
until He does return, is to share the Gospel, which is the only
means by which men and women can escape serving sin, and begin
serving the Lord.
Bible Study
The Word Distinctive - PSALM 1
The Bible Study column examines specific sections of Scripture.
This issue features a study of Psalm 1. Future studies will
include other Psalms, and books from both the Old and New
Covenants.

"The Word Distinctive" - PSALM 1

Consider the following. Isn't much of our behavior predicated
on the need to please others? Husbands want to please wives,
and visa versa. Children want to please parents, and parents
want to please their children. We want to please employers or
peers. We're concerned with the approval of family, friends,
peers, neighbors and everybody else in sight. Sometimes this
desire to please others is appropriate.

Often however, we get into trouble because we live as if winning
the approval of others is the most important need of our lives. 
But we may not be able to please them. And because of what
their approval requires, sometimes we shouldn't.

The lesson Christians ought to learn is this: the only one Who
must be pleased is the Lord. We please Him by walking in His
way. How do we know His way? By understanding, immersing
ourselves in, and living out the words of His book: the Bible.

Believers must be committed to grow as individuals and as
members of the local church. Growth is demonstrated by
obedience to the command of God as given by our Savior. 
"...'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and
greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your
neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on
these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)

A study of Psalm 1 demonstrates the importance of the Word in
the life of the believer. What is the difference between the
believer and non-believer? One major difference is the reality
of God's love worked out in the life of the Christian. Another
difference must be the commitment to the accurate teaching of
Scripture.

As we examine the Psalm, first let us look at the background. 
Next, we will examine the text itself, and finally we will see
the call to live a life grounded in God's word.

Background: The first two Psalms, of the book of Psalms, appear
to have been placed specifically as introductions to the book. 
The spiritual foundation of the Old Testament is the Law and the
Prophets. Jesus gave recognition to this when He said, "Do not
think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not
come to abolish, but to fulfill." Matthew 5:17 These two
psalms point out the importance of these foundational teachings.
The first psalm focuses on the Law, the second on the
Prophets.* The first Psalm deals with the one who is blessed
contrasted with one who is not. The second looks at the
specific prophetic issue related to the Messiah.

Psalm 1 identifies its theme with the Law. The psalmist is
probably speaking not only of the Ten Commandments, but also the
613 commands found in the balance of the Pentateuch, the first
five books of the Bible. In fact, sometimes the term Law is all
inclusive of God's word. Therefore in this study we will take
the broadest application and focus on Scripture as a whole.

Psalm 1: 1-3 The Blessed: The blessed man is contrasted by two
factors, what he doesn't do and what he does. These are an
outward sign of an inward condition. The man is blessed because
he chooses to obey God, not to please men. Actions are simply
the testimony to who he is. "But someone will say, 'You have
faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I
will show you my faith by what I do." (James 2:18) 

The one who seeks after God is called blessed or happy. This is
the same adjective that the Lord uses in the "Sermon On The
Mount." He uses it to describe the condition of those whose
goal is relationship with God. True happiness, joy, etc. comes
only from being in the Lord's will, not from circumstances
meeting expectations. Believers cannot demand that comfort
comes from circumstances going their away. Instead comfort
comes from going God's way. The righteous person is blessed
because of the quality and focus of his life.

The Psalmist, speaking of the blessed, notes the absence of
negative behaviors. He demonstrates a possible pattern of the
progression of sin. First, the believer doesn't walk in the
counsel of the wicked. He doesn't go to the unbeliever for
input, as it is tainted and can lead away from the Lord. Dr
McGee puts it this way, "Who are the ungodly? They are the
people who just leave God out. There is no fear of God before
their eyes. They live as though God does not exist." ** The
believer can not go to the unbeliever for advice in an area
which affects his walk. Why? Because the unbeliever leaves the
Lord out of the equation.

The next thing the blessed one doesn't do is stand with the
sinner. The downward spiral is first taking advice from the
unbeliever, and then as a result, the lifestyle soon becomes
aligned with the sinner. To stand with the sinner is to condone
and to practice a similar mode of living.*** The sinner is one
who misses the mark, who lives in a way that falls short of
God's standards. The Christian is called to hit the mark, so
happy is the one who doesn't identify with the sinner. One of
the difficulties with living in an open society is that it is
too easy to become identified with the world. It takes a major
effort of dependency on the Holy Spirit to live separate from
the world. "...do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove
what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and
perfect." (Romans 12:2)

If somebody takes advice from the unrighteous, then soon he is
identified with that life. Finally, having identified with this
way of life, he makes himself comfortable in it. He ends up
sitting in the seat of the scornful or scoffers. This is the
assembly which rejects God's law. These are individuals who
have turned their backs on all that He has to say. It is
obvious that one can only be blessed by being separate from this
group.

The righteous delights in God's word. The blessed person is an
Old Testament saint who really enjoys God's word and finds
pleasure in being obedient. He enjoys God's word is because it
is the focus of his life. It is a constant part of his walk. 
He meditates on it day and night. This is Biblical meditation,
not meditation as it has become today. Another translation of
the word might be ponder. "The verb 'ponder' (yehgeh) does,
indeed, mean 'moan, hum, utter, speak, muse' but all meanings
involve the same process. For the man is pictured as reading
over texts of this law to himself." ****

By focusing on God's word, with the intent of making it living
within ones' life, the believer can live as God intends. The
Psalmist uses the tree planted by water to illustrate the
believer who is nourished by God's word. He is not affected by
circumstances, but prospers under all conditions. The verb
"prosper" should not be taken to mean in a material sense, but
in carrying out the will of the Lord.

Psalm 1:4-6 The Wicked: Contrasting the healthy tree, which
represents the believer, are the wicked who are described as
being like chaff. The wicked has nothing of value to offer. 
They will be swept away.

The psalmist explains that when the unrighteous appear before
God at the judgment, they will have nothing to say in their own
defense. They wouldn't be able to stand. "They shall stand
there to be judged, but not to be acquitted. Fear shall lay
hold upon them there; they shall not stand their ground; they
shall flee away; they shall not stand in their own defense; for
they shall blush and be covered with eternal contempt." ***** 

Here the Psalmist points out the criteria for being in the
presence of the Lord. The sinner can't be there because this is
the assembly of the righteous. It is only the righteous who
can stand before God, and God is the One Who defines what meets
the requirement for righteousness. 

"But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been
manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; even
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all
those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a
gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ
Jesus; ..." (Romans 3:21-24)

The only one God knows, that is, who He will have a relationship
with, is the righteous, whereas the wicked can look to Him for
nothing but eternal judgment. By the working of the Holy Spirit
the individual is given the opportunity to choose which way he
will go. Only the righteous can look forward to an eternity
with the Lord. The unrighteous has only an eternity of
separation in Hell, to look forward to.

Application: There are two questions that must be asked. 
First, are you counted among the righteous? Paul says, "For
what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he
was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures,..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). If you have not yet
accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, then "...if you
confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." 
(Romans 10:9)

Next, believers must ask, "Is my life typified by living by the
Word? God's word needs to fill two areas of the believer's
life. The First is that it must be an integral part of daily
life. Like the tree planted by the stream, the believer must be
immersed in God's word. You can not put out fruit, or remain
alive, if you have no sustenance. Take every opportunity to get
into the word. And to maximize your time, it must be spent with
the involvement of the Holy Spirit.

Second, if God's word is all important, then we must be willing
to getting disseminate it as the Lord leads. Outreach isn't an
option, but a requirement of the walk of the believer. 
Christians are not called to go out and get converts. First, it
is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to convict someone unto
salvation. Second, the role of the believer is more complex
than giving out the message of salvation. Believers are to take
those that come to know the Lord and to help them mature as
believers. This requires the accurate use of the Word. "Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;..." (Matthew
28: 19-20)

Finally, there is the promise of prosperity for the believer who
is immersed in God's word. Yes! In the context of the Old
Testament, for Israel in the land, this was a promise of
material prosperity, but this is not true for the church age. 
The prosperity for the believer is a blessing of the Lord. This
blessing comes from obedience to Him. It makes sense that, as
you spend time in the Word, you will grow in your understanding
of God. The blessing will be the growth of relationship with
Him.

As the Lord becomes your focus, as His word becomes the
foundation and sustenance of your life, no longer will you be
overwhelmed by the waves of circumstances. You will be able to
say with Paul, "...for I have learned to be content whatever the
circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what
it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content
in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether
living in plenty or in want." (Philippians 4:11-12) Then you
will truly be able to rejoice in all circumstances, for you will
live in the reality of being a child of the king.

If you would like more information on how to become a child of
the king, contact us here at Morning Star.


*     H. C. Leupold, "Exposition Of Psalms," Baker Book House,
      1974, pg. 31

**    Vernon McGee, "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee,"
      Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1982, Vol II, pg. 661.

***   Ibid

****  Leupold, pg. 35-36

***** C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Macdonald
      Publishing Co., Vol. 1, pg. 3
Special Studies
The Abrahamic Covenant - Part 2
The Bible is an account of God's relationship to man, a covenant
relationship.  We find this from the day of creation to the
eternal relationship we can have with the Messiah.  This is the
fifth in a series of articles detailing the individual covenants
found within Scripture.  This is the second of the two-part
discussion of the Abrahamic Covenant.  Last time we discovered
that this covenant was revealed when God determined that it was
time for man to relearn how to trust Him.

------------------------------------------------------------------

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
By Doctor Charles A. Wootten

This is the second of the two-part discussion of the Abrahamic
Covenant. Last time we discovered that this covenant was
revealed when God determined that it was time for man to relearn
how to trust Him.

God delineated the blessings to Abraham. He specifically
identified victory over his enemies, (Genesis 22:17) and the
blessing of kings (Genesis 17:6). The best blessing of all was
the blessing of Divine Relationship (Genesis 17:7,8 JPSA): 

"I will maintain My covenant between Me and you, and your
offspring to come, as an everlasting covenant throughout the
ages, to be God to you and to your offspring to come. I give
the land you sojourn in to you and your offspring to come, all
the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession. I will be
their God." 

This is a promise we, the spiritual descendants of Abraham, can
securely hold to.

There is also a specific curse attached to this Covenant. It is
identified in Genesis 12:3. God said to Abraham, He would
"curse him that curses you." (JPSA).

The terms of this covenant were the same as the previously
identified covenants: faith and obedience. (see earlier issues
of Morning Star)

The Abrahamic Covenant is one of the few covenants which has an
oath attached to it. This makes its promises irrevocable. The
first statement of this oath is presented with the typical death
and resurrection of Isaac. He is called the only begotten son
of the Old Testament (Genesis 22:16-18; Hebrews 11:17-19). 
Because of God's immutability, (Hebrews 6: 13-18) the promises
of the Abrahamic Covenant can never be annulled (Galatians 3:
15-17).

Another interesting facet of this covenant is its associated
blood sacrifice. The sacrificial elements of the Abrahamic
Covenant were progressively unfolded during Abraham's lifetime. 
Here is seen the symbolism of the bread and wine (body and blood
of Jesus Christ) offered to Abraham by Melchisedek (Genesis
14:18; Matthew 26:26-28).

Abraham offered up animal sacrifices during the revelation of
the covenant (Genesis 15:7-17; Jeremiah 34:18,19; Leviticus 1-7;
Hebrews 10: 1-10). These which were later expanded in the five
offerings of the Mosaic Covenant. There is the sacrifice of
Isaac. This is a revelation of the compassion and love of God,
who would later send His Only Begotten Son. This is
demonstrated by the fact Isaac was redeemed by a ram (Genesis
22; Hebrews 11:17-19; James 2:20-23).

The rite of circumcision became the everlasting seal of the
Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:11; Acts 7:8; Romans 4:11). The
seal is called a token and a sign. Circumcision involved the
shedding of blood (Genesis 17:9-11). It included the invocation
of the name of the child. It was carried out on the eighth day
(Genesis 17:12; 21:4; Luke 1:59; 2:21). All of these practices
were the outward evidence of the Hebrews inward commitment to
the terms of the covenant (Genesis 17:14).

God is revealed in this through His desire for the new creature
to be circumcised in heart. This is "the seal of the
righteousness of faith" for "as many as walk according to this
rule." (Romans 4:8-12; Ephesians 2:11-13; Galatians 6:15,15
[NKJV]).

Due to its import, impact, and relevance to this discussion, we
are going to allow Alfred Edersheim to pick up this narrative
(Alfred Edersheim, Old Testament Bible History, I:69-72).

"It is far more important to think of the Kingdom of God, the
history of which is given us in the Holy Scriptures; for now we
are at the beginning of its real appearance. If God had at the
first dealt with mankind generally, then with one part of the
race, and lastly with one division of nations, He now chose and
raised up for Himself a peculiar people, through whom His
purpose of mercy towards all men were to be carried out. This
people was to be trained from its cradle until it had fulfilled
its mission, which was when He came who was the Desire of all
nations. Three points here claim our special attention:"

1. The election and selection of what became the people of God.
Step by step we see in the history of the patriarchs this
electing and separating process on the part of God. Both are
marked by this twofold characteristic: that all is
accomplished, not in the ordinary and natural manner, but, as it
were, supernaturally; and that all is of grace. 

Thus Abram was called alone out of his father's house--he was
elected and selected. The birth of Isaac, the heir of the
promises, was, in a sense, supernatural; while, on the other
hand, Ishmael, the elder son of Abram, was rejected. The same
election and selection appears in the history of Esau and Jacob,
and indeed throughout the whole patriarchal history. For at the
outset the chosen race was to learn what is the grand lesson of
all Scripture--that everything comes to us from God, and is of
grace, --that it is not man's doing, but God's working; not in
the ordinary manner, but by His special interposition. 

Nor should we fail to mark another peculiarity in God's
dealings. To use a New Testament illustration, it was the grain
of mustard-seed which was destined to grow into the tree who
branches all the birds of the air were to find lodgement. In
Abram the stem was cut down to a single root. This root first
sprung up into the patriarchal family, then expanded into the
tribes of Israel, and finally blossomed and bore fruit in the
chosen people. But even this was only a means to an end. 
Israel had possessed, so to speak, three crowns separately. 

It had the priesthood in Aaron, the royal dignity in David and
his line, and the prophetic office. But in the "last days" the
triple crown of priest, king, and prophet has been united upon
Him Whose it really is, even JESUS, a "Prophet like unto Moses,"
the eternal Priest "after order of Melchisedek," and the real
and ever reigning "Son of David." And in Him all the promises
of God, which had been given with increasing clearness from Adam
onwards to Shem, then to Abraham, to Jacob, in the law, in the
types of the Old Testament, and, finally, in its prophecies,
have become "Yea and amen," till at the last all nations shall
dwell in the tents of Shem.

2. We mark a difference in the mode of Divine revelation in the
patriarchal as compared with the previous period. Formerly, God
had spoken to man, either on earth or from heaven, while now He
actually appeared to them, and that specially as the Angel of
Jehovah, or the Angel of the Covenant. The first time Jehovah
"appeared" unto Abram was when he entered the land of Canaan, in
obedience to that Divine call which singled him out to become
the ancestor of the people of God (Genesis 12:7). After that a
fresh appearance of Jehovah, and of the Angel of the Covenant,
in whom He manifested Himself, marked each stage of the Covenant
history. And this appearance was not only granted to Abraham
and to Hagar, to Jacob, to Moses, to Balaam, to Gideon, to
Manoah and to his wife, and to David, but even towards the close
of Jewish history this same Angel of Jehovah is still found
pleading for rebellious, apostate Israel in these words: "O
Jehovah of Hosts, how long wilt Thou not have mercy on
Jerusalem?" (Zechariah 1:12). The more carefully we follow His
steps, the more fully shall we be convinced that He was not an
ordinary Angel, but that Jehovah was pleased to reveal Himself
in this manner under the Old Testament. We shall have frequent
occasion to return to this very solemn subject. Meantime it
may be interesting to know that of old the Jews regarded Him as
the Shechinah, or visible presence of God, --the same as
appeared in the pillar of the cloud and of fire, and afterwards
in the temple, in the most holy place; while the ancient Church
almost unanimously adored in Him the Son of God, the Second
Person of the blessed Trinity. We cannot conceive any subject
more profitable, or more likely fraught with greater blessing,
than reverently follow the footsteps of the Angel of Jehovah
through the Old Testament.

"3. The one grand characteristic of the patriarchs was their
faith. The lives of the patriarchs prefigure the whole history
of Israel and their Divine selection. In the words of a recent
German writer, amidst all varying events, the one constant trait
in patriarchal history was "faith which lays hold on the word of
promise, and on the strength of this word gives up that which is
seen and present for that which is unseen and future." Thus
"Abraham was the man of joyous, working faith; Isaac of patient,
bearing faith; Jacob of contending and prevailing faith." But
all lived and "died in faith, not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off; and were persuaded of them, and
embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and
pilgrims in the earth." And it is still so. Without ignoring
the great privilege of those who are descended from Abraham,
yet, in the true sense, "only they which are of faith, the same
are the children of Abraham;" "and if ye be Christ's, then are
ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.""

In that hour of Abraham's severest trial of faith, God revealed
Himself by another of His names: "JEHOVHAH-JIREH" (Genesis
22:13,14). When the Angel of the Lord had pointed to a ram as a
substitute for Isaac, Abraham called upon "the Lord that
Provides." This name reveals personal provision. The Lord sees
and provides for the necessities, not wants--but needs, of His
servants.

In Genesis 15: 8-18 a most amazing thing is seen. God entered
into covenant with Abraham, promising him the SEED and the LAND.
It was usual for covenanting parties to kill and animal, laying
pieces opposite each other, and to pass TOGETHER between the
pieces. This would be considered a most solemn, binding
covenant, or "blood covenant." 

But here God - told Abraham to prepare many animals signifying
the major importance of the act put Abraham to sleep - so that
he could not participate in the ceremony Himself walked through
the divided pieces! 

Thus God bound Himself to fulfill the covenant alone, and not
conditioned on man.

The next revelation of God is seen when God revealed Himself to
Moses, and, recalling His covenant with Abraham, sent Moses to
deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage.
Messianic Studies
Jesus Makes Us Kosher
The Messianic Studies column explores the world of the Messianic
Believer.  Like the church at large, Messianic Judaism contains
much diversity.  It is made up of numerous views as to what it
means to be a Messianic Jew, who we are, what we call ourselves
and what we believe.  This column will be used to explore this
variety, giving the reader a broader perspective of Messianic
Judaism than found elsewhere, exposing those of us who are
Messianic Believers to the wide spectrum of practice found
within the movement.  Hopefully we will succeed in helping our
Jewish brothers and sisters to understand why we follow Yeshua
as our savior.

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

------------------------------------------------------------------

JESUS MAKES US KOSHER

From the JEWS FOR JESUS NEWSLETTER
Volume 2:5752


One of our earliest Jews for Jesus broadsides announced, "Jesus
Made Me Kosher." The word kosher is the adjective of the Hebrew
noun "kashrut". To an observant Jewish person, kashrut means
"ritual cleanness", or "fitness." By proclaiming that Jesus made
us "kosher", our tract declared that accepting Him as Messiah
and Lord had cleansed us from sin and made us fit to be in God's
presence.

The Jewish kashrut laws stem from Old Testament laws for Israel
that banned certain animals as food. The eleventh chapter of
Leviticus defined clean (kosher) and unclean (non-kosher)
animals: All split-hooved animals that chewed their cud were
permitted as food. (Pork, a major meat source in many cultures,
was banned because the pig, though it has split hooves, does not
chew its cud.) Only fish with both fins and scales were
permitted. This precluded all shellfish, like lobster, shrimp
and crab. Chicken, duck, goose and turkey were kosher but many
other fowl, including birds of prey, were not. Certain locusts
were also permitted (John the Baptist ate them), but other
insects were not.

The Israelites were not to eat any dead thing except that which
they had intentionally slaughtered for food. (Deuteronomy
14:21). And they also were forbidden to boil a young goat in its
mother's milk (Exodus 23:19, 34:26). (The edict about not
boiling a kid in its mother's milk is somewhat obscure, but it
may have been given because the practice was part of an
idolatrous pagan rite.)

Beside the Old Testament dietary prohibitions, "halakhah"
(rabbinic law) added regulations about slaughter. Food animals
were to be killed by a ritual slaughterer (schochet) who knew
how to slit an animal's throat so it would painlessly bleed to
death. This was essential because of the admonition of Leviticus
17:11 that the blood of a creature is its life, given by God to
atone for sin. To make certain that no blood would remain
accidentally and be eaten, the rabbis also ordained that the
animals could only be cooked in ways that would entirely
eliminate all traces of blood. Unless the meat was to be
broiled, it had to be "kashered." This involved salting it for
an hour and soaking it for half an hour.

As protection against breaking the injunction of never boiling a
kid in its mother's milk, the rabbis also ruled that no dairy
products should ever be combined with meat. A kosher meat meal
could have no milk, cheese, dairy dressings, cream gravies, ice
cream desserts, or even cream for tea or coffee. (In modem times
many non-dairy substitutes have been approved for such use.)
Neutral (parve) foods like fish, eggs, all fruits, vegetables,
grains and nuts could be eaten in any combination. To insure
this total separation of milk and meat, the rabbis also decreed
separate dishes and utensils for dairy foods and meats.

To comply fully with all these laws, the strictest sects of
Jewry also keep separate dish towels, and some even have
separate sinks for meat and dairy food preparation and the
washing and drying of the utensils. Nevertheless, these
embellished kashrut rules ordained by the rabbis have become so
complex and difficult to observe in today's society that most
modern Jewish people have dispensed entirely, or at least in
part, with the kosher laws.

Closely associated with kashrut are the halakhic laws of
"shaatnez". These pertain to the wearing or mixing of certain
fabrics as forbidden in Deuteronomy 22:11, the mixing of seeds
in a field and the hybridizing of cattle as ordered in Leviticus
19:19.

Many have sought logical reasons for all the Old Testament
restrictions and dietary laws. Some think they were given for
health reasons, for Israel's physical preservation. Some have
reasoned that they were given because in order to follow God's
laws in all those small details His people would have to remain
constantly aware of Him.

Some Jewish people see keeping kosher as an exercise in
self-control. Others say, "Jews are what Jews do - and Jews keep
kosher. We are Jews, so we ought to keep kosher. That way we and
those who observe us will know we are Jews." From a strictly
Orthodox Jewish viewpoint, it is sufficient to keep kosher
because "God said to do it." Yet even the most observant Jewish
people often seek to find rational explanations.

As believers we can say that no rational explanations are
necessary. While there may have been valid health benefits to
many of the Old Testament dietary restrictions, other
regulations like "shaatnez" seem to defy logic. The underlying
reality is that God called Israel from among the nations to be
His special people. They were to be distinguished from the
heathen by difference in dress (fringes and shaatnez),
differences in dietary habits (kosher laws) and differences in
worship (no graven images, and sacrifices to be performed in a
prescribed manner and place - first, the Tabernacle and later
the Temple).

Today, at least theoretically, the Orthodox and Conservative
branches of Judaism keep the kosher laws, while the Reform Jews
usually do not. Many secular Jews do not identify with any of
these three branches of Judaism. They still maintain a loyalty
to "being Jewish," but seldom show an interest in kashrut.

Some Jewish believers in Y'shua keep kosher. They do so not to
observe the Law, which has been fulfilled in Y'shua, but as an
identification with the larger Jewish community. They feel that
by keeping kosher, they are living out their convictions that
accepting Jesus as the Jewish Messiah does not make a person a
non-Jew.

Occasionally some Gentile Christians want to keep kosher. Most
Jewish believers find this odd because Acts and Galatians both
proclaim that Gentiles are not required to become Jews in order
to be Christians. On the other hand, Paul wrote that the Law is
good (Romans 7:12). All Christians are free in Christ, not
merely from the Law, but to follow its example if they so choose.

The "bottom line" is that as believers we are not bound either
way, and we have no right to impose our preference as a legally
binding lifestyle on other Christians (Romans 14). It is a
matter of individual choice. We must decide for ourselves
whether "kashrut" is more healthful for us, or of more spiritual
value to us than exercising the liberty we have in Christ.
Ultimately, one must remember that a "kosher stomach" may
produce a healthier body, but it cannot provide anyone with a
"kosher heart" before God (cf Matthew 15:11) Only faith in
Y'shua can do that!
Anee M'Amin
Anee M'Amin
ANEE M'AMIN is Hebrew for "I believe". Every month this column
will feature the testimony of a Jewish believer in Yeshua (Jesus).

I was brought up in Cleveland, Ohio. My mother was a very
loving person but she knew little of Judaism. My father was
born in Russia and attended an Orthodox Synagogue on the High
Holy days. I was sent to Hebrew School four times a week after
public school from the age of 9 to the time of my Bar Mitzvah at
the age of 13. Our home however, was totally secular except for
some matzoh on Pesach. I hardly ever went back to synagogue.

While a professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson, I
attended both Reform and Conservative congregations. I was
active in the University's Jewish Professors+ Committee as well
as the ADL and Hillel.

On being denied tenure in 1982, I moved to Phoenix and became
the State Director of the Jewish National Fund from January 1983
to September 1984. Then I became the Endowment Director of the
Jewish Federation from September 1984 to September 1985.

I Have always considered myself a spiritual person although not
a religious one. Temple or synagogue always seemed to be a place
to talk about God, not to Him. I was searching for answers. I
became involved with New Age groups and philosophies. The
Kabbalah, the Zohar and all of Jewish mystical lore was a
fascination to me. I wrote articles, did pen and ink drawings
and even wrote a novel (never published, thank God!) about these
areas of spiritual darkness. When I began my present job three
years ago, I was going through a divorce, my three sons were
leaving Phoenix for the East coast, my father was dying and I
had been recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I was
living with another woman. My life was in chaos.

God wanted to get my attention. He did.

This company where I started to work was Christian owned and
operated. There were dedicated believers who prayed for me. My
clients prayed for me. I argued with them, I debated with them,
but I sensed their love. Unconditional Christian love was
always something that I admired. The Lord wanted me and things
began to happen.

I went to a seminar that we put on in Dallas. On the way back,
the president of the company asked me to sit with him. I did
not want to be preached to, so I said, "No, thank you." I went
back to my seat to find the woman next to me take out her Bible
and share her love of the Lord and the Jewish people. Shortly
afterwards I went to a friends house where after an evening of
fun he wanted me to pray with him and the others. We all closed
our eyes. I saw a man dressed in a suit of armor and holding a
sword. He took the sword and began slashing a being clothed in
darkness. Phillip told me that it was what is spoken of in
Ephesians 6:10.

The dreams and visions increased. The Holy Spirit had taken
hold of my life. I had a vision of Christ on the cross. It was
the middle of the night (black sky) and there was lightning all
over the sky. The next day I had another vision of Christ on
the cross. This time He lifted up his head and light beamed out
from His eyes. He came off of the cross. That night (October
22, 1988) I had a dream that changed my life forever. In the
dream I knew that I needed to be crucified in order that others
might live. I was ready to go but I could not anticipate the
stripes on my back and the nails in my hands. I knew that it
would be excruciatingly painful yet I knew that I had to do it. 
(John 10:15-17, Galatians 6:17) I woke up looking at my hands
and did so the entire next day. That day I accepted Jesus as my
Lord and Savior.

From that time on, I gave up all of my New Age pursuits. In
fact I had a dream in January of this year that I was holding
the novel I had written before I came to the Lord. I said if
there were any evil spirits in it they should come out. All of
a sudden I was bombarded by powerful forces of darkness that
tried to kill me. It was the most terrifying, real experience
of my life. I rebuked them in the name of Jesus Christ and they
scattered.

My health is great and I thank God every day for that. I got
out of the bondage of the personal relationship I was in and
have since married the most wonderful spirit-filled Christian
woman.

Paula works at the same company as I do. We had been friends
for about a year. Paula was the most Christ-like person that I
had ever met. She not only talked the talk but she also walked
the walk. I respected her greatly and often went to her to seek
counsel. Given my circumstance, we never could become any more
than friends. The odds of us coming together were next to nil. 
Everyone said than it was a miracle. Praise God. Her Hebrew
name is Peliyah, which means "miracle."

I sincerely believe that the Lord has work for me to do, but He
knew that I needed a strong, supportive helpmate in order to
proceed. Our first date was Friday, January 19, 1990. We went
to dinner and then to Phoenix Messianic Congregation. We were
engaged March 2 and married March 30. Praise God. I also thank
God every day for Paula. She is the best thing that ever
happened to me.

Over the past five months I have been very active in prayer,
reading the Bible and listening for God's Word. The Lord has
given me dreams and visions. On our first date at Phoenix
Messianic, I had a vision of a window in heaven with a dove in
it. The dove flew out and came to earth (Matthew 3:16). The
next Friday, I saw water rushing out of a window in heaven. 
(Jeremiah 2:13, 7:38, John 4,10,14) The next Friday that we
went, I had a vision of a Torah scroll with white Hebrew letters
in it. The letters came off and danced around the heavens. 
They danced around Jerusalem. They danced around Jesus on the
cross - around His head. He was off of the cross and walking
the earth and the letters still encircled His head (John 1,
Revelation 5).

Paula and I went to a prayer meeting at our brother-in-law's
house and I saw a crop in the field with white plants all in it
(John 4:35). These dreams and visions continued at Calvary
Church of the Valley and elsewhere. In the past month God has
given me Biblical passages. They just appear in my head (ex.
James 1-3). I then go and look them up.

As I said before, I thank God every day for all the blessings He
has bestowed upon me. I thank God for Paula, for good health,
for the discernment and wisdom He has given me, for all the
material needs that He has helped me with. God never gave up on
me no matter how far I moved from Him. He knew my heart. He
knew I was searching for Him and, praise God, I found Him. 
Thank you, Jesus! Once I turned my life over to Him, He has
continually blessed me. The adversary has since bombarded us
with all that he can. It hasn't been easy but our love in
Yeshua HaMashiach has enabled us to put on the full armour of
God and go to battle.
Witnessing Column
A Witness to the Prisoners
A WITNESS TO THE PRISONERS

Roger Houle is part of a group of Christian men who spend time
each week visiting the Hillsboro County jail in Manchester New
Hampshire. There, they bring the Gospel of Jesus to men who
have little or no hope in life. This is done through one on one
meetings, Bible studies and weekly worship services. Roger
shares some of his experiences with our readers in the following
article.

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Our work in the prison system here in New Hampshire began as a
Bible study in the Hillsboro county jail in Goffstown in 1987. 
At first, there were three of us involved: the pastor of our
church, another man and myself. Our study groups ranged from as
few as one person to as many as seventeen. We went on Fridays
at noon, and were allowed one hour with the inmates. The small
groups were effective as we had a lot of chances to talk one on
one with the men, many of whom had a lot of problems and
questions.

At that time, a new larger facility was constructed in
Manchester. We began to look into making contacts with prison
officials to assure that we would be able to continue our work
in the new, larger facility when it opened. The authorities
were very cooperative. We were very fortunate in that the head
of the prison system was a born again Christian. When the new
facility opened, we were allowed to actually hold a service, not
just a Bible study in the gymnasium. At first, we drew about
twenty to twenty-five people, but now it has reached the point
where we have to have two services, as about a hundred and
twenty attend on the average. There are only about 380 people
in the facility, so that is a remarkable average, almost one out
of three. There are several churches involved that alternate
conducting the service, including Christian Bible Church in
Nashua, Faith Christian Church of Bedford, Merrimack Baptist
Church and Trinity Baptist. The services are announced ahead of
time and the prisoners must inform the authorities the day
before that they plan on attending one of the services. The two
services are about equal in size now.

The first half hour of every service is a song service. It's
amazing to see these men singing and praising the Lord, many
with their eyes closed, some with hands in the air really in
tune to the Spirit, singing their hearts out. Others are quiet
and shy, but they still move their lips. The way they respond
to the messages is great too. There are a lot of "amens" and
"hallelujahs" and a lot of excitement. On their way out, we see
how they felt about the service--they thank us, sincerely.

What's really exciting is that many times we see these same men
after they are released from prison show up at our churches with
their wives and children. One thing we ask them about when they
are in the jail is that while they are in there, are they coming
because there's "no other show in town"? Are they coming just
because it's an opportunity to meet with their friends in the
jail? We have no doubt that often time it starts out to be that
way. But what happens is that the Word of God does not return
void. They sit there, the Word of God is preached, hearts are
changed, the Holy Spirit is there and draws them. They may have
come for many reasons, maybe as something to do on a Friday
night instead of staying in their cell. We don't care why they
come, as long as they get there.

It's something to see the looks on the faces of the men when
attending for the first time. As we shake their hands on the
way in, they look at you and you can tell they are wondering,
"What are you going to do for me? What are you here for? What
do you get out of this?" Many look mean, and of course they
have that real look of despair on their faces, as though there
was no hope in their lives. What's so exciting about this
ministry is that after a few weeks with some of these people,
they've heard the Word preached, and accepted the Lord. And
then, to see them actually embrace you, and know their lives
have changed. They are truly born again. It's real exciting to
hear them relate stories to us about how they now tell their
wives and children who come to visit about the Lord.

Many of these men are very young, they've been caught on drugs, 
often their wives or girlfriends have left them. Some are
facing long terms. They got into big trouble and it's like,
"What's there to life?" Many are even suicidal. But they come
in and hear the Word of God preached and their lives are changed
forever. You can see it in their faces--it's a different look
when they come in. There's a joy in their walk now, it's "Hi!
How ya doin!" when just a few months earlier they were like
zombies walking around wondering, "What's this going to be all
about?" Now, they can hardly wait to praise the Lord and sing,
and that's what excites us so much. It's really something to
see some of the stuff these guys write too, these letters and
poems. You can see that the Spirit is with them, these men
don't just imagine these things. They've learned that once they
start trusting in the Lord, they get that peace that surpasses
all understanding. They suddenly have hope. You can go without
water and food for long periods of time, but you can't go
without hope--you perish. That's the message we have, a message
of hope, a message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We've even seen some of the guards get the message. There are
always guards in the gymnasium, there to keep an eye on things. 
We've gone into the sinner's prayer and I've actually seen a
guard with his eyes closed reciting the sinner's prayer. Some
of the guards in there are Christians. Some even sing along at
the service.

We discovered that there were many Spanish speaking people among
those attending that we just recently started having a Spanish
speaking service. The Spanish service is the second service
now. We have a Spanish pastor that comes up from Massachusetts,
Jose Matos, to conduct the second service. Jose was in prison
himself once. In fact, he spent time in eight different
prisons. He wrote a book about his life experience. It's
unbelievable how the prisoners tune into what he says because
they understand him better. They sing in Spanish too at this
service.

There are many people who accept the Lord at these services
every week. Many there are born again - truly born again. Many
people there come forward at the end of services and give their
lives to the Lord. What's interesting about this situation is
that unlike a prison, this is a jail. There are many people
there who are just there awaiting sentencing. We have a such a
turnover because of this, that we make sure to always give the
salvation message of the Gospel and have an altar call at almost
every service. We explain at every service, for the benefit of
those who are there for awhile, why we give this message and
have altar calls so often. People come up for prayer at every
service and often pass along requests to meet with the chaplain
one on one during the week.

One thing we stress, especially to those who are soon to be
released, is that immediately, upon leaving, they get involved
with a good Bible-preaching church. We even recommend places
for them in the towns they are returning to. This is an area
where there is good cooperation between denominations such as
Assembly of God and Baptist churches.

The prisoners just started holding Bible studies among
themselves now. Some of them are so far along with the Lord
that they are able to conduct these. The chaplain showed them
how to get started and guides them when they need it. They have
a place they can gather and do this. They all have access to
Bibles too. I'm part of the Gideons and we see to it that the
prison has a plentiful supply. What the Gideons do is replace
worn out Bibles in hotels and motels, and place the older worn
ones in the prisons and halfway houses.

One area we try to teach the men is in the area of prayer. 
Oftentimes, they ask to pray when they are about to go off to
trial. We tell them that we aren't necessarily going to pray
about the outcome, but rather that the Lord would have his way. 
We teach them we are forgiven of our sin if we ask forgiveness,
but we still have the consequences of sin. It may be that God
wants them to have a light sentence, it may be that God wants
them to have a hard sentence. We try to impress upon them that
it could be that God has been trying to get them for a long time
but it took them coming to a place where there was no place else
to look but up. Now, all of a sudden, they're in a cell,
nothing to do but think and plan, and where did they look from
that point? That's when they finally stopped and looked up and
said, "You were trying to get my attention all this time. It
took your getting me to this place before I listened." We try
to tell them that the consequences of sin are still there. Not
that God can't see to it that they get off easy. It's like a
smoker who asks God to forgive him for years of taking part in
that habit. God forgives, but even after quitting, that person
may still face the consequence of destroying his body for all
those years. Not that God can't heal in such a situation, or
get them a light sentence in their case. We just pray that
God's will be done and that they should not be discouraged and
that whatever happens they should trust in Him. Most of the men
seem to understand this well.

Many facilities are welcoming prison ministries in because they
see the calming effect that these new Christians have in a
prison. They aren't wild troublemakers any more since getting
involved with the services and studies. The officials don't
always understand why this happens to these men, but they see
the effect it has, and they don't fight us being there. It's
the Word of God again. 

I encourage any Christian men who are interested in starting a
ministry in their local prison, to approach the officials
directly. They usually won't come to you. Of course, you may
run into roadblocks, so remember to really pray ahead of time
before embarking on this. By ourselves it may be difficult, but
through Christ we can do all things!
The WORD for Today
The High Road to Beginning Again by Chaplain Ray
THE HIGH ROAD TO BEGINNING AGAIN 

By Chaplain Ray

More than ninety-five percent of all the prisoners in our jails
and prisons today will walk out the front gate someday. What
kind of people will they be? What kind of neighbors will they
make? Will they continue their careers of crime, or will they
change to a lifestyle of labor and obedience to law? How can a
prisoner who has served years in penitentiaries and prisons find
the road back and build a new life? What can Christians do, and
what can churches do, and what should our churches do to help?

Most men doing prison time will get out sooner or later. How can
they stay out? What does it take to start over? That is what
every prisoner needs to know. If you wanted to know how to
repair an auto mobile, you would ask a mechanic. If you wanted
to know how to repair a clock, you'd talk with a jeweler or
watchmaker. If you wanted to know how to build a house, you
would learn from a carpenter. However, you are wanting to do
something much more complicated and serious than any of these
things. You are about to rebuild a life that has hen destroyed
in the past. You are about to change your future.

Coming from someone who has studied the problem of
rehabilitation for some years, I can tell you that you must have
a good foundation upon which to build a new life. There must be
a basis, a real starting point. The day that a man walks out of
jail or prison is not the time to run a game or to kid yourself
into a fantasy, into a make-believe, unrealistic plan. Starting
over is for real. It is serious business. Staying out of prison
is serious business.

I have a friend who was involved in crime in the streets of
Houston for years. He was a drug addict. He dealt in drugs. He
committed many crimes. His name was Joe. He went to prison. The
day he finished his prison sentence and walked out the front
gate his father and brother were waiting for him in the prison
parking lot. What kind of reception did he get? In the car,
they had hidden some drugs, for he was a drug addict. In the
car, they had some booze. He liked liquor. And in town they had
a prostitute waiting for him. That foolish father and that
ignorant brother thought that when a man comes out of prison, he
needs drugs, booze, and women.

It wasn't long before Joe was back in deep trouble again. That's
not the end of Joe's story. His story has a wonderful end. He
stopped running around with his father and his brother, and the
prostitutes and the drug pushers and the liquor dealers. He hid
out in a Christian Center in Houston, a place that we called
"The Pulpit In The Shadows." He and his crime partner hid out
there mostly to break down their drug habits, and to hide for a
few days from the cops. My friend, Freddie Gage, was the
director of that Center. I was honored to serve on the Board of
Directors . While there, hiding from the police, Joe met Jesus
Christ. He was totally transformed. He went to Lee Bible
College. Today he's a great evangelist and a minister of the
Gospel.

There IS a road to that wonderful land of beginning again. That
road doesn't start in the "red-light" district. You cannot find
a signpost of that road in the tavern or among drug dealers. You
will find the signpost of that road among those who are walking
that highway. Jesus describes for us in the Book of Matthew the
seriousness of building a life and building it right. Matthew
7:24-27.

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth
them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house
upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and
the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for
it was founded upon a rock. And every one that hearth these
sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a
foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew; and beat
upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

You can walk with me through any jail or prison in this land,
and look around you, and see the wreckage of houses that have
collapsed! Lives that caved in! Why? Because they were built on
the shifting sands of ungodly lifestyles, on unprincipled
living, and they could not stand the realities of life. The
foundation upon which you build your new life is of extreme
importance. That is why the rehabilitation rate among prisoners,
in all of the secular programs that leave God and the Bible out,
and that build on anything less than this foundation, is so
dismally small. Our government has abandoned its multimillion
dollar CETA program. They had vainly hoped to rehabilitate
prisoners by spending millions of your tax dollars. The history
of this nation and of other nations is littered with the
wreckage of such humanistic programs. The foundation upon which
you build your life will determine how well it will stand. If
the foundation is not solid, your life will collapse.

My prisoner friend, if you are going to start over, why not
start right?

My friend, George Meyer, who was a getaway driver for Al Capone,
a gangster in his youth, spent thirty years in various prisons
for robbing banks and armored cars, and other crimes. Then he
met Christ in Leavenworth Prison a few years ago. Today he is a
shining example of a rehabilitated ex-convict! His whole life is
built on the word of God. Seventeen years ago, when he left
Attica Prison the guard on duty said to him, "Well, goodbye,
George. We'll be seeing you soon."

George said, "No, you won't see me. I'm going home." The guard
laughed and said, "George, you're not going home; you are
leaving home! Prison IS your home!"

In two of three cases, the opinion of that guard would be valid!
Prison is home for two out of three prisoners in this land today.
Two out of three will be coming back because that is their
home. It fits their lifestyle of covetousness, of theft, of
permissive living, of unprincipled conduct, of ravaging the
rights of others.

That guard didn't know that God had put His hand upon George
Meyer and protected his life through many dangers up to that
same time - even when he and Willie Sutton tried to escape from
the Eastern Pen in New York State. They went down into the
sewers, so the guards just sealed the sewers and flooded them
with water. But they survived! And today, George Meyer is a
born-again Christian with a good Christian home. He is in demand
all over this land as a public speaker.

I had a letter just a few days ago from the chaplain of the
federal prison at Lompoc, California. He said, ''Your friend,
George Meyer, was just through this place. He spoke to our men
here." He added, "We really appreciated his coming. He had
something to say to prisoners."

He had found the rock on which to build, and that is the only
way that prisoners can be sure of staying out of prison. If you
continue the life that took you to prison in the first place,
that same life will take you back to prison again. But if you
build a new life on a new foundation, with a new Master, with
new values, with a new lifestyle, there is a rock on which you
can build!

Paul said in First Corinthians 3:11, "For other foundation can
no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.'' The
question is not "What is the foundation?", the real question is
"WHO is the foundation?" That foundation is more than a program!
That foundation is more than a principle! That foundation is a
person! His name is the LORD JESUS CHRIST!

Many prisoners think they will make it if they can just start
out in a new location. A lot of prisoners write to me and say,
"Chaplain Ray, I'd like to come to Texas when I get out of
prison, because I know if I go back to my hometown, I'll fall in
with the old gang and I'll soon be back in trouble again."

That's a good observation, and quite accurate. In many cases a
man does well, when coming out of prison, to go to a new town
and not get back among his old friends. If you are going back to
your old hometown, don't go back to the old gang. Go back to
those who are friends of God. Go to Christians. Go to church. Go
to Christian institutions. Work with Christians. Associate with
Christians. If you go back to the "old gang", you'll end up in
the same old prison cell. Only Jesus Christ can provide you with
the new life that every convict needs.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." II
Corinthians 5:17.

Your change is inward, and that results in outward changes. The
secret is in your heart, a new Lord, a new Master, new
priorities, new attitudes. Christ is the source of all that
change. He changed Zacchaeus, the crooked tax collector from
Jericho. He changed Peter, the boisterous fisherman from
Galilee. He changed the penitent thief from a guilty criminal to
a righteous child of God. He changed Saul of Tarsus into Paul
the Apostle. He can change anyone who will turn to Him in
repentance and faith and commit their life holy to God.

If you will do that, don't wait till you get out of prison.
Start where you are right now, as you are. As you commit your
life to Christ, pray, "God have mercy on me, a sinner. Take me
as I am. Wash me in the blood that Jesus shed for me, and help
me build my new life according to your Word and according to
your will." If you can pray that prayer from your heart and mean
it sincerely, in the next two minutes your life will be
wondrously changed. Half a million prisoners in jails and
prisons of this land need to find, and walk, this high road to
the land of beginning again. The sure guide, and the true road
map, is the Bible. The story of the Prodigal son, recorded in
the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke, is a
good starting point for every person whose life has collapsed in
ruin.

Many people talk to God without ever talking to themselves. But
before this prodigal son went back to his home and talked to his
father, he had a talk with himself!

I've seen men talking to themselves in many prisons and in jails.

Some of them are really talking sense. Some are talking
nonsense. But this prodigal son talked to himself, "How many
hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare,
and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father and
say unto him, "Father I have sinned against heaven and before
thee."

You see, he didn't just make a mistake . He didn't just take a
wrong turn in the road. He sinned. "I have sinned. I am no more
worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired
servants." That prodigal son found the magical road to the
wonderful land of beginning again!

How can convicts and prisoners, and others whose lives have
collapsed upon them and around them ... how can they pull
themselves together when their world falls apart? How can they
put their feet on the high road that leads to the land of
beginning again? How can a prisoner find the high road that
leads to the land of beginning again?

In Galatians 6:9, Paul wrote, "And let us not grow weary while
doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose
heart, or give up." One of the staff members at our
International Prison Ministry offices in Texas found a poster
that spoke a great message. He put it in the dining room. It's
still there today. It reads:

"A man may fail many times but he is not a failure until he
starts blaming somebody else."

That wasn't quoted in the Bible, but all of the Bible affirms
it. Eve blamed the serpent who tempted her. Adam blamed Eve, who
offered him the apple. And the sons and daughters of Adam and
Eve have been blaming others for their failures, from then till
now. A man may fail many times, but he is not a failure until he
starts blaming somebody else!

The most revered president in the history of this nation was
once considered a failure. As a young attorney, he went
bankrupt, applied for a civil service job and was refused. He
got married, and his wife died. He entered the political arena
as a candidate for the House of Representatives, and he was
soundly defeated. Then he put in his bid for a seat in the
United States Senate, and again he lost.

Then at the age of fifty one, he ran for the office of the
president of the United States, and Abraham Lincoln was elected!
He became a legend in his time and for all time to come! His
secret was, he would not quit! He put his trust in God. He said,
"I will prepare myself," and he did. When the country needed
an unusual man to lead it through a civil war, it called on
Abraham Lincoln.

Those who fail are those who quit, and that applies to prisoners
and convicts just like it does to politicians, preachers, or
anyone else. It does not take any special talent or ability to
be a quitter.

Paul the Apostle, who was oftentimes put in prison and finally
was executed as a Christian martyr, wrote, in II Timothy 4:7, "I
have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have
kept the faith.' He was not a quitter. And in Galatians, he
wrote: "Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season
we shall reap if we faint not."

You can become anything you want to be and everything that God
wants you to be, if you will not allow the causes of failure to
defeat you.

It is true of prisoners. It is true of all of us. To shift the
blame to somebody else, to poverty, to the ghetto, to wrong
associates, to an unloving father, to a working mother, to shift
the responsibility for our sins and crimes and failures to
somebody else is to choose to walk farther and farther down the
road of failure! The first step toward finding the high road to
that magic land of beginning again is to face reality. "I have
sinned. I have played the fool. I made the wrong choice. I've
sowed wild oats. I am reaping the bitter harvest."

That is the point at which prisoners, turning from crime to
Christ and from self to the Savior, make the first turn and the
first step toward finding that high road that leads to the land
of beginning again. The Bible calls that land THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

We helped a prisoner get out of prison twice, once on the west
coast and once on the east coast. Then we brought him to Dallas
to work at our offices. He had only been here a few days when he
said to me, "Chaplain Ray, I never knew that people in the free
world worked so hard." I said, "Well, of course we have to work
so hard. We have to support ourselves and our families and all
of you men in the prisons as well."

The dignity of labor is the key to rehabilitation. And let me
tell you frankly. When prisoners say that nobody will hire a
prisoner, that isn't true. It is much easier to get a job for a
prisoner than to get that prisoner to stay on that job. And this
is from practical experience!

I have little interest in halfway houses that attempt to
rehabilitate prisoners without a daily diet of meaningful,
productive labor. One of the first things that a prisoner must
learn, if he's going to rebuild his life in the free world, is
the importance of work. Some people say that all things come to
him who waits. Not a word of truth in it! I know men in prison
that have been waiting for ten years, twenty years, and thirty
years, and the good things they're waiting for don't come to
them.

It would be better to say, "All good things that are needful
come to those who labor and who work."

Work will never lose its magic power. I commend work, not only
to everyone in the free world, but to everyone in the prison
world. Set your heart and your mind to labor. Get all the work
you can in the prison, and do it with all your heart. Develop a
lifestyle of labor that will make you a winner when you walk out
the front gates of the prison.

But the one thing that determines the destiny of a man is his
personal relationship with God. Get that right, and live by His
Word, and all your other relationships will fall into proper
place, including your labor relationship with other human beings.

When a man is paroled or released from prison he needs three
things that are essential to a crime free life.

1). He needs a place to live. Preferably with his own family.

2). He needs a church family of believers, a church to which he
commits his loyalty, and a church that is committed to him.

3). He needs a job. The idleness that is common in prison must
not carry over into the free-world. He needs to immediately go
to work and earn his own way.

"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor,
working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have
to give to him that needeth." (Ephesians 4:28)

Prisoners who want to find the high road that leads to the land
of beginning again must totally forsake the old road. That road
led to prison. Forsake the old companions who also walk in the
old ways of sin, crime and lawlessness. Forsake the old hangout
and all of the old hang-ups. CHRIST makes all things NEW.

_______________________________________________________________


Chaplain Ray, director of the International Prison Ministry,
says, "When prisoners become New Creations In Christ, they
become creative. Many converted prisoners write powerful poems.
Others find they are gifted in art, painting, and in other
productive areas of life." Hundreds of poems from prisoners are
shared on the nationwide radio broadcast and in the many
publications of IPM. Each year IPM sends more than one million
life changing books, all free, to prisoners. Any prisoner in
America can write to Chaplain Ray for a free Bible and for Bible
study books. You can learn more about being personally involved
in jail and prison ministry by sending your letter to:

Chaplain Ray
International Prison Ministry
P.O. Box 63
Dallas, Texas 75221
Prayer Guidelines
Prayer and Thanksgiving by Michael Wilkinson
PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING

by Michael Wilkinson
Article 3 of the "Prayer and ..." Series


"Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!" 

(Psalms 107:8, 15, 21, 31)


No, the above is not a mistake. Four times in the 107th Psalm,
the Psalmist urges that men should be saying prayers of thanks
to the Lord. This Psalm gives four accounts of the Lord
rescuing those who called to Him for help. Some people were
wanderers seeking refuge. Some were prisoners of oppression. 
Others suffered from ill health. While the fourth group was
perishing at sea. Each story ends with the Lord saving the
people from their plight. Then comes the urging for prayers of
thanksgiving.

Since the Lord answered the people who called upon Him, why do
they need to be compelled to give Him thanks?

Years have passed since the writing of this psalm. Jesus, while
on His way to Jerusalem, healed ten men suffering from leprosy. 
They stood afar off and called out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy
on us!" Jesus healed them and sent them off to show themselves
to the priests. Those men had just called Jesus "Master,"
implying that they would be His servants. They received from
Him exactly what they had asked for. Jesus met their needs and
asked nothing in return. Yet 90% of those who were healed could
not even take the time to go back and say "Thank you." One
solitary man returned and fell at Jesus' feet worshiping and
giving thanks.

Why are so many prayer meetings today filled with requests, yet
so devoid of prayers of specific thanksgiving? There aren't
enough times when someone says, "Thank you Lord for answering my
prayer about..." If the Lord has answered as few prayers as He
receives credit for, his batting average would drop Him from the
Majors (please pardon the destitute analogy).

On the contrary, just like those nine men who went away
thankless, we, His servants, are to be blamed. Like spoiled
children we plead for the "showers of blessings." But we are
only willing to offer up a trickle of praise and thanks.

The crux of our problem is that we focus on the gift, not the
giver. 


"In the day of prosperity be joyful,
But in the day of adversity consider:
Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other,
So that man can find out nothing that will come after him."
 
(Ecclesiastes 7:14)

So all circumstances, joyful or painful, are appointed by the Lord.

Our joy in good times must be focused on the Lord. When times
are hard, we must continue to rely on Him. If we exalt Him in
all circumstances, our future is secure for we know we are His,
and He is ours. Failure to give due thanks is a sign we
consider our circumstances ahead of Him.

Even when we remember that all good things are from Him, we
still need to be thankful in our prayers. We must be "giving
thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20). Meditate on the
"always for all" part of that verse and compare that with your
own prayer practices. Surely God would not be pleased with
"sometimes for a few things" or "seldom for almost nothing." 
Most of us can certainly be thankful more often.

Please take a moment to remember Him and be thankful for God's
grace to you. "For all things are for your sakes, that grace,
having spread through the many may cause thanksgiving to abound
to the glory of God." (2 Corinthians 4:15).
SCUD Warnings
SCUD Warnings by Jerry Johnson
S piritual
 C ounterfeits
  U ndermining
   D octrine

   WARNINGS
By Jerry Johnson


AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHURCHES (especially the large ones)

PROGRAMITIS: A disorder most often found in larger, and/or more
organized, churches. This malady is usually accompanied by a
lack of flexibility, a narrowing of vision that results in
seeing only "the whole picture" with a concurrent fuzziness of
vision when it comes to seeing individuals, a loss of hearing in
regards to the cries of hurting servants, and a hardening of the
heart as a result of a steady diet of growth projection charts,
fiscal studies, 5 year plans and building drives.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Once upon a time there was a very kind and wealthy man who,
looking about, saw that the world was full of orphans needing
love and care. So, this man picked a dozen associates, orphans
all, and they began to care for the orphans of the world. One
day the kindly man had to leave for a time, and until he
returned, the orphans he had trained were to continue his work.

As time passed orphanages were created to care for the orphans
of the world... and as the time since the departure of the
kindly man increased, so did the number of orphanages and the
varieties of ways they were run.

Some of the orphanages became more like social clubs, while
others tried to redefine who the kindly man was, or what he had
instructed them to do, or if he had really existed. Still other
orphanages became like secret clubs that were closed unless you
knew just what to say and how to say it. Others called
themselves orphanages, although no one there would admit to ever
being an orphan.

However, in the midst of these, there were still orphanages that
remembered what the kindly man had said and strove to work with
the orphans of the world. This analogy is about two of those
orphanages. Both of these orphanages had done their jobs so
well that they had grown very large, caring for many orphans in
many ways.

At first glance these two orphanages looked very much alike, but
examined closely - there was a difference.

The one orphanage decided they would try to care for the orphans 
in the manner of the kindly man - responding to the needs, 
weaknesses and strengths of each individual, seeking to help
each orphan achieve a greater level of maturity. Each orphan was
of paramount importance, because that had been in the heart of
the kindly man.

The other orphanage had seen how well the kindly man had cared
for the orphans and how flawlessly he had dealt with all he met
and they strove to make sure the orphanage represented the
kindly man in that manner. The orphanage and its efficient
running was of paramount importance, because that had been the
skill of the kindly man.

The one orphanage saw all involved as fellow orphans, each
of them growing and in need of support, training and opportunity
to apply what they were learning. If serving orphans failed to
live up to their potential in an assigned task, others were
assigned to come alongside to compensate for their weaknesses or
lack of maturity and to permit them to still function in their
strengths.

In the other orphanage the orphans were seen as resources in
order to help the orphanage to run as smoothly as possible. 
When serving orphans failed to live up to their potential, more
skilled orphans were put in their place so that the operation
and reputation of the orphanage would not be disrupted.

The running of the one orphanage was somewhat bumpy and
uneven because orphans, trained or not, tend to make mistakes,
and helping each orphan to learn through these difficulties was
part of the process.

The other orphanage ran very smoothly because there were
organizational flow charts, request forms and all manner of
divisions of labor so that the running of this very large
orphanage would proceed in the same efficient manner as the
kindly man had demonstrated.

In the one orphanage the difficulties of a few orphans would
often refocus the attention of a portion of the orphanage, so
that the hurting orphans could receive sufficient help in time.

When there were hurting orphans in the other orphanage, if it
came to the attention of the orphans in charge, specially
trained orphans were given the task of helping, as soon as their
schedule permitted; for these were very busy serving orphans.

Outside the one orphanage was a crowd of scoffers, usually 
composed of people who denied they were orphans, who laughed
at the orphanage because they used partially trained serving
orphans at various levels and because the orphanage often didn't
run smoothly.

Outside of the other orphanage were a group of somewhat dazed
orphans. These had been serving orphans who, for various
reasons, the orphanage had moved out of their areas of service
so that the orphanage could run even more efficiently and
smoothly. Most often these orphans had been moved with little
notice, few explanations, and no acknowledgement of the service
they had done... that's why they were dazed. There were more
orphans in this group than the orphanage realized... they were
too busy seeing that the orphanage ran well.

Both orphanages serve many orphans and carry on the wishes of
the kindly man. The one orphanage cares for the orphans, the
other cares for the task of caring for the orphans.

Which do you think will please the kindly man more upon his
return?

------------------------------------------------------------------

Technically this column is not a SCUD, but a SCUR - a Spiritual
Counterfeit Undermining Relationships.

Let's take the definition one section at a time, starting with
programitis being a counterfeit. A workable definition of
counterfeit might when something tries to pass itself off as
being genuine, but isn't worth nearly as much as the real thing.

In my opinion, programitis fits that really well.

There are probably a goodly number of you reading this column
that have first hand knowledge, and frustration, of programitis.
That is when, in order to "minister" to people, a program is
developed, bought or borrowed, a few people are selected,
requested or shanghaied to run it and then for the people being
ministered to, it's get on, get off or get run over.

Quite often a pastor or member of the staff or board has this
great idea; "Let's start a youth drama league" or "Let's have
every person in the church study this book" or "Let's have an
inter-church sports competition" or whatever. The thing that 
fascinates me is that, in my experience, the people who get this
great idea rarely actually participate in it... they usually
delegate it and then hold the "volunteer" accountable for making
their own dream come to pass.

So, if I'm declaring programitis a counterfeit, what is the real
thing, or right thing ... uh huh, if you're a Pepsi fan (yes,
that was REALLY obscure).

Let's start by narrowing the numerous reasons people have for
employing programs into a few fundamental causes and compare the
counterfeit and the real.

1) To get the church or a sub-group to grow. Growth is most
often assessed by numerical count ... the single easiest and
most misleading way to determine growth. After all, if
successful growth is merely numbers, then various cults are
succeeding in getting people to grow. Also, if numbers are
paramount, then the program is often built to entertain people
and make them feel at ease ... something Jesus did not spend a
lot of time doing.

Yes, there are two very different definitions of growth being
employed here. Programitis usually has the ultimate, if not the
stated, goal of getting numbers to increase. I work with a
church sub-group that is growing numerically by leaps and
bounds, but there are still lots of hurting, confused and
frustrated people who are still just as hurting, confused and
frustrated ... but now they are part of a herd.

Jesus often talked about the narrow way and how few would follow
... he was not obsessed with numerical growth, but spiritual
growth. The trouble is, spiritual growth is a much slower
process than numerical growth and requires increased spiritual
growth, commitment and understanding on the part of the people
in charge ... and it is much harder to assess than just counting
heads.

I understand the official statement is to get the people in so
they can be guided into maturity, but most frequently once one
number-growth program is done, another is started and most
churches won't risk loss of their new numbers by teaching life
changing righteousness ... they hope it will just be assimilated
by associating with other believers. A kind of contagious
maturity.

I don't think so.

2) To deal with specific, predominate problems in the church
such as divorce, failing marriages, poor parenting, weak
tithing, not serving, etc. Most churches will seek programs
when a certain percentage of their congregation is having a
similar problem. They will get a fix'em kind of program and run
the people in need of repair through the assembly line. So
what's wrong with offering instruction and aid en mass to a
group of people with similar problems?


WARNING: THE NEXT STATEMENT IS HEAVILY LOADED WITH PERSONAL
ISSUES

Of course, since the church is too busy to research the Word to
find the solutions therein, they simply make Christian AA
classes or Christian Co-Dependency classes or Christian
Free-To-Be-Thin classes or Christian
Whatever-The-World-Is-Offering classes.

"So what's wrong with Christians being alcohol free, having
healthy relationships and being physically healthy?"

Nothing per se, by why is it that Christians wait for the world
to create something, complete with worldly suppositions and in
ignorance of God and his power and provision, stick a fish on it
and call it Christian? This has not been the pattern of church
history.

Public education and most early colleges were originally begun
to teach people how to read and understand the Bible. The
earliest charity movements and outreaches to the poor were done
as a ministry from the church. In Acts, deacons were assigned
to support widows and their children so they wouldn't have to
turn to prostitution to survive. Somewhere in the last century
or so the church has surrendered the lead in caring for people
and is now following the lead of the world... and let's face it
... we know where the world is leading: away from God.

"What about programs that are truly Biblical and effective?"

Wonderful!

With a singular reservation.

In the past couple of years there has begun a disturbing trend
in Christian ministry. WARNING: ONCE AGAIN, THE NEXT SECTION IS
HEAVILY LOADED WITH PERSONAL ISSUES. More and more "experts" are
going from church to church with seminars on a wide variety of
Biblical topics.

No problem.

They do charge a fee that will cover their time, expenses and
material.

No problem.

And they will charge anywhere from $50 to $200 PER HEAD for the
seminar.

Problem.

A local church recently had a seminar focused on helping
families. They charged $60 per person for about 10 or 11 hours
of teaching. 400 people showed up. Now do your math... for a
Biblically based teaching that was intended to help families,
the leader of the seminar got $24,000 for a day and a half of
work, or approximately $2,400 per hour. A laborer is worthy of
his hire... but $2,400 an hour?!

I will readily grant that the materials that were handed out
were excellent in content and presentation, and he had overhead
but he did not give out any more information or any deeper
truths for 400 people than he would have for 10, so why is the
profit margin, whatever it may be, allowed to expand for no more
effort or knowledge expended? Also, as a comparison, Christian
writers only earn about $1 per book sold.

I believe this trend probably began with popular Christian
music. It used to be that a Christian concert cost maybe 1/3 to
1/4 the ticket price of a non-Christian concert. Then, because
the Christians were willing to pay a comparable price, the
ticket price is now about the same as any secular musician.

Do I want talented Christians to live in poverty? No. I just
wish we wouldn't price gouge and get rich just because people
will pay.

I have a friend who has only been a believer for about a year. 
Her church is one that offers seminar after seminar ... for a
fee. This new believer said something very profound to me the
other day:

"I had no idea being a Christian would be so expensive."

That's sad.

In some churches if you don't have the bucks, you don't get the
help.

I believe that grieves the Lord.

------------------------------------------------------------------

That leaves us with the second half of the SCUR ... the
undermining of relationships.

I have always served in the churches I attended and when I
didn't fit the program, I was invited to no longer participate.

There are a lot of us around like that. We either didn't fit
the helper end of the program, or the program didn't meet the
need we had. Either way we kind of got left out in the cold. 
It takes too many resources and too much effort and time to deal
with individual after individual instead of working with groups.

Now, let's get down and dirty and look at the way Jesus did his
business. Time after time the disciples thought they had the
program figured out: the crowds were big and enthusiastic, the
mood was right and the people were ripe for the plucking. Then
Jesus would do something weird... like calling the children to
come to him, or calling a short tax gatherer out of a tree, or
addressing a woman who simply grabbed the hem of his robe. He
constantly interrupted the program ... to deal with individuals.

When Christ died on the cross, he wasn't just doing the program.
He died for every INDIVIDUAL that has had or will have
existence on this planet. Jesus loves people.

Programs are fine ... as long as they are subject to the needs
of the individuals. It's a lot less convenient, doesn't run
nearly as smoothly and is much more in the style of our Savior
... the ultimate people person.

NEXT TIME: Witchcraft in Jesus' name


HELP WANTED: I could use more ideas, issue and topics for future
SCUD Warnings. If you have suggestions please send them to
Morning Star. Thanks for your help. J.J.
Bible Quiz
Bible Quiz
This issue of MORNING STAR is centered on prison ministries and
Christian inmates. Rather appropriately, our BIBLE QUIZ topic
concerns "law". Fill in the blank with the correct word
concerning the law involved.

1. Jesus said He did not come to destroy the law but to ___ it. 
(Matthew 5:18)

2. Ezra was a ___ of the law of Moses. (Ezra 7:6)

3. The spiritual leaders, the ___, and the prophets had "done
violence" to the law. (Zephehia 3:4)

4. Moses said that God came with ten thousands of saints and
from His right hand came a ___ law. (Deuteronomy 33:2)

5. Paul said that the ___ of the law shall be justified, not the
hearers. (Romans 2:13)

6. When King Josiah heard the words of the law, he rent his ___.
(2 Chronicles 34:19)

7. Jesus said the greatest commandment in the law is to ___
wholeheartedly. (Matthew 22:36)

8. God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on ___. (Joshua 8:32)

9. Jeremiah sealed the bid for the purchase of the ___ of
Hanameel according to the law. (Jeremiah 32:9-12)

10. Not one ___ or tittle shall pass from the law until all be
fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18)

Christian Life Department
People Profile
People Profile - Chaplain G.A. Bennett
Morning Star Senior Editor Teresa Giordanengo conducted this
interview with Chaplain G.A. Bennett of Chattanooga, Tennessee. 
Chaplain Bennett earned a B.A. degree in Bible, English, and
Psychology from the Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Teresa: Chaplain Bennett, you are the Chaplain for the Hamilton
County Jail in Chattanooga. Tell us about your home life as a
child through your teenage years.

Chaplain Bennett: I was born and raised in northeastern Ohio,
the son of an Italian mother and English father. When I was
three years old, my father deserted my mother, my younger
brother, and myself. He was an alcoholic and just decided he
didn't "need" us anymore.

My mother's large Italian family took us in at times and gave a
lot of help in raising and caring for the three of us. I
attended a private Catholic grade school and high school and was
teaching catechism in the Catholic Church when I was first
confronted with the Gospel.

Catholicism is much more than a religion - it's a total way of
life when you are raised in an Italian home. I can still recall
my years as an altar boy and the Mass prayers in Latin. At one
time, I even considered the possibility of becoming a priest. 
But, no father, little discipline, being raised in a problem
neighborhood, and the desire to be "somebody" began to take its
toll on my life and my future. It seemed like I was always in
some kind of trouble with the law.

Two years after graduating from high school, I was married and
decided it was time to settle down. The fact was, it was
"settle down or be put down," as the police often promised. The
choice was mine and I was finally at a point in my life where I
decided to start making some right choices for a change.

Teresa: Later, when you were working in an oil refinery, what
caused you to change your goals and return to school?

Chaplain Bennett: Soon after marriage, I went to work in an oil
refinery where my father-in-law was a supervisor. I had a good
job and a bright future with the company. They gave me the
opportunity to receive as much extra training and to attend as
many specialized schools as I wanted. I took advantage of every
opportunity I could. 

Before I left the refinery, I was attending Akron University in
Akron, Ohio, with the goal of earning a degree in chemical
engineering.

I guess I was still striving to be somebody, to "prove" myself,
trying hard to fill the void in my life. Even though I had a
lovely wife and two beautiful children, a good job with a secure
future, and a good relationship with the church again, something
was missing. But, my goals changed when I became a Christian.

Teresa: When did you become a born-again Christian, and how did
this come about?

Chaplain Bennett: The most recent events leading up to my
conversion actually began in the fall of 1971. I'm always
convinced that God must have a sense of humor when I look back
over this incident.

My wife and I had stopped our car to use a pay telephone. I was
trying to make some last minute arrangements with a local
Catholic monastery to bring our catechism classes there for a
tour. We had done this several times before. The receptionist
there put me on hold for what seemed like a long time. While I
was waiting, I picked up a booklet entitled, Jesus Speaks on
Heaven and Hell, which someone had left in the booth.

I was surprised as I scanned its contents. I remember thinking
that surely, such statements and claims as this could not be in
the Bible, or at least not in my Bible. I was determined to
find out. Of course, my search only proved me wrong. Day after
day as I opened the pages of my Catholic Bible. I found myself
being drawn to it more and more in an effort to discover the
truths of God's Word.

I finally came to realize that my faith was only a relationship
with the Catholic Church and not really a relationship with
Jesus Christ. My pursuit of the truth culminated when I knelt
down on my knees in our home on April 23, 1972 to ask Jesus
Christ to forgive me of my sins and become my Lord and Savior.

As I read John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father, but by me," I remember finally
acknowledging this truth, crying and asking God to somehow help
me leave the church we were in. Shortly after this, we did
leave the Catholic faith and my wife and two children accepted
Christ as their Savior within the same month.

Teresa: Was there anyone who was influential and helpful now
that you had begun your new life in the Lord?

Chaplain Bennett: It's hard to believe, but I cannot remember
anyone ever sharing their faith with me up until this time. So,
I really did not have many good influences and certainly none
that were Christian. Therefore, at that time, Harold Henniger,
pastor of Canton Baptist Temple was probably the most positive
influence in my life.

We had been listening to the church's radio broadcasts for a
couple of months. Pastor Henniger's sincerity and clear Gospel
messages encouraged and challenged us in our new faith and to
become members there. We later became good friends. His son
Jim is now the pastor, and his father is Pastor Emeritus.

Teresa: Why did you go into the ministry and especially a
ministry to inmates?

Chaplain Bennett: I was still working in the oil refinery three
years after my conversion. My wife and I were both teaching
Sunday School at the time, and things were going very well with
our family and new church home. I had developed an effective
ministry at work, but still felt that God was preparing me for
something else.

His call became clearer in time, and I was soon convinced that
it was a call to full-time ministry. I was not sure about the
what or where of God's call, but I did know that whatever my
gifts and talents were, I wanted to use them to serve Him in the
ministry. He ultimately led our family to Chattanooga,
Tennessee, where five years later, I graduated from Tennessee
Temple College with degrees in Bible, English and Psychology.

During college I served on the staff of a Baptist Church for
three years and started my own successful business in
Chattanooga. I had also become a member of the Christian
Business Men's Committee (CBMC). Even though I had several
offers as pastor and assistant and several other ministry
related positions after graduation, I just could not get
spiritually excited about any of them.

Then early one morning at a CBMC prayer breakfast, Jim Hammond,
chief deputy for the Hamilton County Sheriff's department, asked
prayer for the department specifically for direction in creating
a new position: that of chaplain.

I listened intently. Never had I ever considered such a
ministry in my life. The chief deputy went on to explain that
sadly, there had never been a full-time chaplain in the
department's one hundred sixty-two year history, and that it
would not be an easy job. He explained how the chaplain would
need to develop a ministry for three hundred jail inmates and
also work with the staff as needed. As he continued, we all
commented that for sure both the department and especially this
chaplain would surely need our prayers.

I'm not sure what my response to such an opportunity like this
would have been if someone had asked me. But, most probably it
would have been, "No."

I mean, by this time I was pretty sure that God would sooner or
later use me in some kind of administration or management of a
Christian organization or ministry. But prison ministry? It
had never really been a consideration for me.

I could not, however, get this thought of chaplaincy out of my
mind all morning long. And the more I thought about it, the
more I seemed to feel that God was directing me in this way. It
was a very strong and deliberate leading, and I was very aware
of it, even though I could not understand it. 

Within a month, I had completed all of the interviews, become an
employee of the sheriff's department and was preparing for two
months of internship at a state prison in Georgia. I was
ordained shortly after my internship, and for the past eleven
years have been the Chaplain for the Hamilton County Sheriff's
Department.

Teresa: What are the Chaplain's duties at the Sheriff's
Department?

Chaplain Bennett: When I was first hired, my basic
responsibilities were to develop a program which would minister
primarily to the inmates and also to the jail staff as needed. 
Over the years God has greatly blessed and expanded this
ministry far beyond its original design - literally across the
United States and overseas. (Also see the Fellowship of
Christian Peace Officers-USA in the fifth issue of Morning Star) 

Today the inmate program alone, aside from our ministry to the
office personnel, jail staff and road officers (about
two-hundred fifty men and women) utilizes approximately twenty
churches and groups each year with about seventy volunteers. As
a team, the Chaplaincy Program ministers to a jail population of
three hundred inmates (ten thousand a year).

Through the week we teach and coordinate programs such as church
services, special Bible studies and groups, seminars, prayer
groups, alcohol and drug rehab groups, a certified GED program,
and a basic education program (READ). We also distribute
personal hygiene items, stationery and postage, shoes, eye
glasses, and other miscellaneous items to the indigent. 

Another major area of ministry is the distribution of religious
literature such as Bibles, Testaments, books, magazines, and
other miscellaneous literature. Within a year's time, we will
usually give out about one thousand Bibles and New Testaments. 
We also spend a lot of time in crisis and regular counseling
(usually about eight hundred to one thousand sessions a year). 
There is also an active ministry to ex-inmates and their
families. But that's another story.

Teresa: How do you relate to the inmates, and how do they
respond to you?

Chaplain Bennett: We have a very good relationship with both the
general population and with the men who are active in our
programs - because we stress relationships. Sure, once in a
while you might have someone who is trying to prove something to
his friends or who is bitter with Christianity. Some may try to
cause a little interference in a class or meeting, but as a rule
we seldom have any problems.

I really believe, and now know by experience, that when men who
are troubled in their heart and soul discern that you are
genuinely concerned about them, they will want to relate to you.

And let me assure you, men's hearts are hungry, hungry for
solutions to the problems in their lives which other programs
and schools, doctors and counselors, medications and treatments,
have never been successful in solving. Only spiritual
regeneration can release a man from guilt and fear and impart a
mental and spiritual attitude that reflects an inner peace and
confidence brought about by a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ. 

Teresa: How do the inmates respond to the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, and how receptive are they in comparison to the Man On
The Street?

Chaplain Bennett: Ministering to inmates who are confined behind
concrete walls and steel bars is often much the same as
ministering to those on the street. People are sinners wherever
they are found.

But the incarcerated do present other challenges as well. 
Statistics show us that three-fourths of these people have been
either physically or sexually abused, and the same percentage
come from dysfunctional families in which one or both parents
have some kind of addiction (alcohol, drugs, etc.). Therefore,
a lot of these people start out as victims themselves.

The average inmate I have dealt with over the past decade has
dropped out of school in the tenth or eleventh grade. 
Academically, however, I would only put them at a fifth or sixth
grade level. The majority have no real marketable skills and
most have a history of poor work habits.

In a sense, most of them are failures (and know it): Failures in
their schools, in their homes, in their jobs, and in their
communities. Why, they've even failed at crime - they got
caught. Little wonder that sixty to seventy-five percent of all
inmates released from prison are rearrested for new crimes
within four years (the recidivism rate).

While these people were out on the streets, they took little
time, if any, for God. Then they hit rock bottom, get caught in
a crime, or whatever. Now they are locked up, and have nothing
but time. Many lie in their bunks here and think about a
Christian relative or friend who was often kind to them,
different from the others. Many of these men have been exposed
to church or Sunday School as young people, and so they sit and
recall what those better days in church were like.

Combine this situation with our active ministry and the work of
the Holy Spirit, and quite frankly, a lot of men here do make
decisions for Christ. Some skeptics simply label these
decisions "jail house religion," and, no doubt, that may be true
for some. But then most of us usually react differently toward
God in a time of crisis, don't we? We try to become more
"spiritual" or at least spend a lot more time than usual talking
to God.

A lot of our work here is of a crisis nature. For most people,
jail is a real catastrophe. Many realize, only too late, that
besides doing time for their crime, they are in a position to
lose everything they have, including their families. That has a
way of really waking some people up. Others just get "tired" of
a life of crime and really do want to change but aren't sure
they can or don't know how.

Also, I have seen a lot of men so overcome by the realization
that God really will forgive them of all their sins and totally
cleanse them from the filth and stain they have carried for
years, that they humbly fall on their knees before the Lord. 
This always reminds me of what our Lord said of the woman
recorded simply as a sinner in Luke, chapter seven. As she
knelt and washed His feet with her tears and anointed Him with
precious oil, Jesus said, "Those who are forgiven much, love
much. The one who has little to be forgiven, loves only a
little."

I sincerely believe that only when a man can experience this
kind of personal relationship with God and forgiveness and
freedom from the bondage of sin can he truly be whole and
complete: body, soul, and spirit.

Only then can he have a real sense of purpose and meaning in
life which will result in achievable goals and direction, a
sense of purpose and well being, as well as self respect and
consideration for others.

Teresa: How does the community get involved in your ministry?

Chaplain Bennett: I really praise the Lord for this community. 
Chattanooga, Tennessee, is certainly blessed with many
Christians who are willing to give of their time, their talents,
and their money to the Lord's work.

I mentioned earlier about the strong volunteer support we enjoy
here. I overlooked mentioning that all of the items, from
Bibles to toothpaste, which we distribute to the population
throughout the year are donated mostly by Christians from this
community. That amounts to thousands of dollars each year.

Teresa: What training programs do you have in place, and are
there others who assist you?

Chaplain Bennett: I have one full-time assistant, Barry Smith,
who joined my staff in June 1991. Prior to this, he was a
correctional officer here for four years and has just graduated
from seminary. Therefore, he came to me already understanding
many of the dynamics of working with inmates. He has proven to
be a real assent to both me and this ministry. 

I also hold the position of Director of Chaplaincy Programs for
Chattanooga Prison Ministries. Through CPM, I often have a
chaplain in training who can assist me on a regular basis.

We also have a Practicum and Internship program set up with some
of the local colleges. Periodically, I will have a student here
in that capacity. Last year we had two: One was a graduating
senior from a Christian college and the other was a pastor
working on his Master's Degree in Psychology at the University
of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC).

Teresa: Where in life will your plans take you?

Chaplain Bennett: At this time, I see no change of direction in
my career. There is much to do here in the expansion of the
Chaplaincy Program, both in the jail and with our officers and
staff. This week we will be moving into the new City-County
Courts Building being constructed across the street. As I set
up my other office there, I will be able to spend a little more
of my time outside of the jail with the officers and staff.

The existing fifteen year old jail will soon undergo a major
seven million dollar, two-year expansion and modernization
program. This will almost double the jail's capacity and will
certainly add much to our work load in that area. We are
planning now for these changes.

Teresa: Is there a final thought you would like to leave with
our readers?

Chaplain Bennett: Yes. This is not easy work, but one which I
believe God has always called His church, His people to be
involved in. I do not believe that it was our Lord's intent for
the Great Commission to exclude any of the one and a half
million people locked up in America's jails and prisons today; a
population that is growing at a rate ten times faster than the
regular population.

Also, these are strange times we are living in. While ungodly
administrations are discreetly removing chaplains from
institutions across the country, we are also seeing a great
movement of God at the same time among the incarcerated. This
"movement," which began in the prisons about fifteen years ago,
is bringing about a real revival in those places. I even heard
that the warden in the very prison where I did my internship
recently became a Christian. He was led to Christ by a friend
of mine who is one of their prison ministry volunteers.

I would like to ask your readers to pray for me and for the work
here. Perhaps, they too may want to seriously consider becoming
involved in this type of ministry. I can think of few
investments which measure out a greater return.
Ministry Profile
Prison Fellowship by Charles Colson
PRISON FELLOWSHIP is a fellowship of men and women who,
motivated by their love for the Lord Jesus Christ and in
obedience to His commands, have joined together to exhort and
assist His church in the prisons and in the community, in its
ministries to prisoners, ex-prisoners, victims, and the families
involved, and to promote biblical standards of justice in the
criminal justice system.


PRISON FELLOWSHIP
By Charles Colson, Chairman


After leaving the White House, Charles Colson, former counsel to
President Richard Nixon, encountered Jesus Christ. Seven months
in prison for Watergate-related offenses changed the new
believer's vision. The prisoners he met needed to know about
the transforming power of Jesus Christ. 

God used this new Christian's prison term to begin a prison
ministry that, since 1976, has spread around the world. Through
Prison Fellowship International, dedicated volunteers in forty
countries are helping to rebuild the lives of those forgotten by
society. 

The Prison Fellowship logo is the bruised reed. The bruised
reed is mentioned in Isaiah 42:3, which describes the character
of the Messiah. The verse says: "A bruised reed He will not
break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. In
faithfulness He will bring forth justice." ... indicating that
the Messiah will not destroy the person who is "down and out,"
but lift that one up toward restoration. 

The bruised reed symbolizes the mission and vision of Prison
Fellowship ... to help all who are hurt by crime: offenders,
victims, and communities. Through the efforts of Prison
Fellowship (PF), volunteers assist prisoners and ex-prisoners
with their spiritual and physical needs. PF tries to help
restore the individual to a responsible role in the community
and to provide care and support for the families of inmates. 
And through church-based programs, victims of crime are helped. 

In the United States, Prison Fellowship trains and organizes the
work of forty thousand volunteers who express and model Christ's
love to prisoners, ex-prisoners, victims, and the families
involved. The relatively small staff of about three hundred
focuses on volunteer recruitment, training, program direction,
administration, and communication tasks. 

The PF volunteer training is organized in four parts:

In Part One prospective volunteers receive an introduction to PF
and its work. They also observe a prison-related event, which
might be an in-prison seminar, Bible study, support group for
ex-prisoners, or delivering Christmas gifts to prisoners'
children.

In Part Two the volunteers are given an overview of the special
problems faced by prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families. 
They also see how specific PF programs address these needs. 

In Part Three active participation improves participants'
listening and responding skills. Here volunteers also learn how
to help others set goals and accept responsibility for actions.

In Part Four the volunteer candidates have chosen an area of
ministry to concentrate on: In-Prison Ministry, Family Ministry,
or Aftercare Ministry. It offers an in-depth look at their
chosen area, equipping them for service.

From start to finish, PF training is interesting, informative,
and enjoyable. Videos, activities, and manuals for future
reference challenge you to give God ... and others ... your
best. One volunteer summed it up: "Although we depend on the
power of the Holy Spirit, training is necessary so that we may
have the knowledge and skills to minister effectively. And we
had a lot of fun while we were learning!" 

Through the motivation and organization of volunteers and
churches, PF provides an active and effective prisoner
assistance and service program. It is involved in:

-Prison evangelism, instruction, and visitation
-Prerelease counseling and support
-Aftercare (after release) and family assistance
-Criminal justice reform
-Volunteer recruitment and training
-PF product development and publishing

In prison people lose more than freedom. Inmates lose their
jobs, their dignity, and their hope. Many lose their families,
who may not have the resources or will to hold on. Upon release
prisoners struggle to walk away from the temptations that lure
them back into trouble.

Church volunteers can make a positive impact on these lives. 
Through PF programs you can make a difference.

* In-Prison Seminars: reach in to lift inmates up. These
seminars are a three-day special event that feature small-group
interaction, worship, and topical Bible study tailored to the
unique stresses of prison life. Seminars are led by specially
trained instructors who supplement short lectures with skits,
games, object lessons, visual aids, and other creative teaching
tools to pique the inmates' interests. In each session
volunteers lead small-group discussions, helping inmates find
answers to their questions and personalize the lessons. In
seminar after seminar, the Holy Spirit uses this setting to
break down walls that inmates have built around themselves. As
they share their hopes, fears, and faith with one another,
inmates and volunteers discover God's grace. All seminars
present the Gospel message and the importance of Bible study,
prayer, and Christian fellowship. Ex-prisoner Judy Pearson
heard the Word at one of these seminars and said, "I'd heard
that Christ died for our sins, that He loved us. But until now,
I'd never heard that He loves me."

* Weekly Bible Studies: centered in the Word to grow in the
Spirit. Follow-up weekly Bible studies pick up where seminars
leave off. Trained volunteers help prisoners dig deeper into
God's Word and encourage them to share personal concerns.

* Mentoring: Christians who live "outside" going "inside" to
share God's love. Here, possible inmates are matched one-to-one
with volunteers who contact them regularly and serve as role
models. 

* Mail Call Program: a First-Class ministry. Through PF, inmates
also can receive pen pals with whom to correspond. He wants to
know that someone cares; that his existence matters. Even in
prison, where self-esteem and the sense of God's love sinks from
sight, getting no mail sends the same discouraging message. 
Mail call can be a daily disappointment, another reminder that
he's been forgotten, until a first-class, personal letter
arrives with his name on it. Thousands of inmates ask to be
remembered in this way, to know that Christians don't see
prisoners as throw-away people. Thousands still wait. 

* Angel Tree: open a child's heart to Christmas love. 
Volunteers buy Christmas gifts for prisoners' children. This
ministry opens the door to a long-term ministry for volunteers
to meet the emotional, spiritual, and physical needs of
families. Angel Tree children also receive an illustrated
Gospel tract, "The Life of Jesus." Some churches choose to give
Bibles to the families, who may have no other contact with
Christians. 

* Marriage Seminars: building Christ-centered marriages that
stick together. Prisoners and spouses work through problems
aggravated by prison and learn biblical principles for marriage.
"I didn't think one weekend could turn a life around, but it
did," that's how Royce describes the PF Marriage Seminar he and
his wife attended when he was a new Christian serving time. The
seminar was taught by Eddie and Barbara, a couple who knew what
they were talking about. Their marriage had survived Eddie's
prison term. 

Many marriages don't. One study shows that 85 percent of
marriages, where one spouse is incarcerated, end in divorce. 
The stresses on a normal marriage are multiplied by money
problems, lack of trust, changed roles, and the strain of
long-term separation. 

Marriage seminars are sponsored by churches, which can provide a
number of supports: a place for spouses to gather, meals,
Bibles, transportation, and host homes in which furloughed
prisoners and/or spouses can stay. 

* Community Service Projects: Giving ... that's what Community
Service Projects are all about. Prisoners are furloughed to
work on service projects that help the needy. God answered Bill
and Edith Lawhorn's call for help. For two weeks a CSP work
crew pounded and painted, restoring the elderly couple's house
... and their faith. What's more, the furloughed Christian
inmates restored their self-esteem and symbolically paid back
the community for their crimes. And in the end everyone had
gained a few new friends. "It felt like family," says Edith. 
Says Richard, a CSP prisoner-participant who had spent his early
prison days mindlessly raking a field of stones, "I was able to
give back ... to give of myself."

* Philemon Fellowships: offering strength and stability to
ex-prisoners who want to get on their feet and stay there. 
Ex-prisoners meet together in support groups regularly, to find
strength and stability. Each group is assisted by local
churches that provide spiritual encouragement and practical
help, that might include meeting facilities, clothing, jobs,
tutoring, and counsel. Every one of the members would testify
that going back to criminal ways is not an alternative. They
have devoted their lives to becoming productive citizens of our
community, and are helping other ex-inmates do the same.

* Aftercare: reach out to help an ex-prisoner stay out. 
Volunteers work to keep ex-prisoners from returning to a life of
crime. Before release prisoners may attend a Life Plan Seminar
designed to provide tools for setting and keeping personal
goals. 

Personal relationships are key to the Mentoring program, where
volunteers "walk alongside" recently released prisoners, helping
them get established in a job and a church home. PF also has
support groups for ex-prisoners and their families.

"When you get off the bus tomorrow, there will be a Prison
Fellowship volunteer waiting at the station. He's willing to
help you find a place to stay and a job." That's what a prison
chaplain could assure inmate Steve the day before he was
unexpectedly released. With coaching from volunteer Don, Steve
found a construction job and a church home. He had taken the
first steps to establishing a new life.

Statistics show that 74 percent of released inmates will be
rearrested within four years of getting out. The highest risk
of returning to prison is during the first year after release. 
These men and women, walking a thin line to freedom, desperately
need Prison Fellowship's Aftercare Ministry to ex-prisoners.

* Justice Fellowship: is the justice advocacy division of Prison
Fellowship. JF promotes biblical standards of justice in the
criminal justice system by working for reforms that hold
offenders accountable, restore victims' losses, and protect the
public. JF promotes victims' rights, community-based
punishments for nonviolent offenders, and victim-offender
reconciliation programs.

In addition we are exploring new ministry outreach to crime
victims, juvenile offenders, and ex-prisoners. 

In 1989, six hundred thirty-three in-prison seminars were held
across the United States; 110,794 children of prisoners
received Christmas gifts from more than 4,200 churches through
Angel Tree; and 203 inmates participated in Community Service
Projects (CSPs), in which nonviolent prisoners are furloughed to
work on projects to help the needy, including the elderly and
victims of crime. The market value of these projects totaled
$227,146.00. There were 186 churches involved in the CSPs. 
There were 965 Mentoring matches in which volunteers were paired
with prisoners, ex-prisoners, or family members.

The main program is a three-day in-prison seminar, which
features worship, small-group interaction, and topical Bible
study tailored to the unique stresses of prison life. These
sessions are led by trained instructors who teach 1 of 13
courses published by PF:

-Christian Basics
-Steps to Christian Growth
-Prison Survival Guide
-You Are Somebody
-Building a New You
-Growing in Christ
-Surviving and Thriving (I & II)
-Knowing God (I & II)
-Loving Others (I & II & condensed)

The seminars are followed up by volunteer-led weekly Bible
studies, which further explore scriptural instruction. Prison
Fellowship is also well-known for its inmate correspondence
program, in which inmates are matched with pen pals on the
outside. Last year, 3,366 pen pals were matched; however, more
than 700 male inmates are still waiting for volunteer matches.

Prison Fellowship is supported by charitable donations. It
accepts no government assistance. The current annual operating
budget is $18 million. Funding is accomplished chiefly through
gifts from individuals and families, with an average gift size
of $25.00.

A founding member of the Evangelical Council for Financial
Accountability (ECFA), PF has been committed to financial
accountability since its inception. It is audited annually by
an independent auditor; the full audit is available to the
public in an annual report published each May. 

PF is virtually debt-free. Funds for the new office building,
completed in early 1987, were raised in advance of construction.

The United States ministry is a chartered member of a loosely
associated international group called Prison Fellowship
International. PFI now has chartered ministries in forty
countries. Each national group is directed by a national staff,
a situation still somewhat unique among international Christian
ministries founded in the United States.

As founder and chairman of the board, Chuck Colson is actively
involved in the ministry of Prison Fellowship. He visits
prisons regularly and works with the staff to guide the programs
and priorities of the ministry.

Because of Chuck's experience in government and work in the
prisons, God has given him a unique opportunity to speak to many
of the issues that are important to the church and society as a
whole.

Chuck spends much of his time writing and speaking, challenging
the church to act in obedience to Scripture, and confronting
contemporary thought with a viewpoint grounded in Christian
faith.

Colson's published books include as follows:

-Born Again (Chosen 1976)
-Life Sentence (Chosen 1979)
-Loving God (Zondervan 1983)
-Who Speaks for God? (Crossway 1985)
-The series Challenging the Church (Victor 1986)
-A series of books for children (David C. Cook 1986)
-Kingdoms in Conflict (Zondervan/Morrow 1987)
-Convicted: New Hope for Ending America's Crime Crisis (with Dan
            Van Ness, Crossway 1989)
-Against the Night (Servant 1989)
-The God of Stones and Spiders (Crossway 1990)

Prison Fellowship now has 55 field offices, managing programs in
632 of the 939 state and federal prisons in the United States.

Prison Fellowship ( National office)
P.O. Box 17500
Washington, DC 20041-0500
(703) 478-0100

Write or call the following number if you care to write a
prisoner: 1-800-787-1000, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, eastern time.
Education
Through Grace by Faith by David Carlson
THROUGH GRACE BY FAITH
by David Carlson

It's a college professor's dream: students carrying their books
like trophies; a classroom filled with rapt undergrads. 
Professor Ken Taylor smiles to hear an earnest student say, "I'm
not here for the degree. It's the learning." 

Picture the spartan campus - two rooms in the educational wing
of Indiana State Prison (ISP) in Michigan City. And the captive
audience - 22 inmates, including Norm Askew and Brian Davidson,
wearing school sweatshirts as if they were badges of honor. 
These jerseys aren't emblazoned with the seal of Harvard or
Stanford or MIT but with the shield of Grace College in nearby
Winona Lake.

The inmates have reason to be proud: Grace's unique associate's
degree program in biblical studies taught at ISP is their
brainchild. And the seed for the idea was planted and
fertilized through Prison Fellowship's (PF) work at ISP, which
long-term inmate Norm Askew claims has transformed the
institution: "When PF first came in here in 1981, there wasn't a
whole lot of Bible carrying going on. People shunned you if you
carried a Bible. PF opened this institution up."

Norm's close friend Brian agrees. "If you were a Christian, you
were weak. If there were Christians here, in a lot of cases,
they were closet Christians."

"Now," Brian continues, "all over the chow hall you see men
praying over their food. You see men on Sunday morning coming
from every direction carrying Bibles and going to church. You
see the chapel filled. We have Bible studies twice a week, PF
In-Prison Seminars twice a year, and Easter sunrise service,
plus a Christmas program, a spring revival, a fall revival, and
speakers and musicians coming in on a regular basis."

"All of that sprung from a kernel of PF involvement." So did
the college program. In 1985, when PF Indiana asked selected
inmates and volunteers - including Ken Taylor, professor of
behavioral science and criminal justice at Grace College - to
evaluate PF's programs at ISP, Brian and Norm came up with a
revolutionary idea.

"One night as the committee was meeting, the guys said they
needed more Bible training," recalls Ken, who would become a PF
seminar instructor after reading Chuck Colson's "Born Again". 
"The seminars were fine, the weekly Bible studies were fine, but
they wanted to learn more in depth, and on a regular basis."

Ken wasn't expecting what followed. "They said, 'Well, we have
taken correspondence classes before, but we really wish that we
could take classes right here.' I hemmed and hawed a little
bit, and Brian turned to me and said, 'You come here so often;
why not Grace College?'"

The challenge prompted Ken to test the waters at Grace,
developing a proposal for an accredited 64-hour associate's
degree program that was accepted by the college and the
Department of Corrections. "That's a tough thing to do in a
bureaucracy like the DOC," says Brian. "We were amazed at the
way it happened. The program was off and running, and before
you knew it, we were having class" - starting in September 1986.

Ken had accepted the inmates' challenge, and now it was time for
them to accept his. Learning had never been what Norm was good
at. "My whole life was about getting money, about pimping, the
whole nine yards that goes on in the streets today. I was on
drugs twenty-seven years."

In 1981 when thirty-eight year old Norm landed in prison, he
couldn't read. Becoming a Christian when he first got to ISP,
Norm wanted to learn to read the Bible. "I wanted to understand
more about where I was with God," explains Norm. "I had killed
a man, and I couldn't digest the guilt. I had heard about
forgiveness, so I wanted to know about the Bible."

As Norm put his mind to learning, he progressed from reading at
a fourth-grade level to earning a high school equivalency
diploma. Even so, he figured he was too old to begin a college
program. "I had low self-esteem and no self-worth, and I was
really afraid to take on something that big. I thought that
drugs had numbed my mind," he admits.

But with a little push from his friends, Norm enrolled. He
remembers, "Brian and Ken said, 'Man, you got to come on. All
these brothers in Christ are going to help you.' It's been like
that all the way through."

Brian had encouraged Norm before, befriending the older inmate,
new on the block. Norm smiles and says, "It seems like the Lord
put us together."

"Norm used to come to my cell and pray." says Brian, "or I would
seek him out because I needed someone to pray with. Even in the
beginning we were leaning on each other, trying to help each
other through. We were both new Christians. I had accepted
Christ in the county jail before I came here."

Behind bars and bored, Brian had been desperate for something to
read. "We weren't allowed to get any books from family or
friends, because people were putting drugs in the bindings. The
only books available were the stack of Christian paperbacks that
a Methodist minister would bring in every week."

Brian opted for Chuck Colson's "Born Again" for pragmatic
reasons: "It looked like a thick book with small print that
would last awhile." Brian could relate to Chuck's military
experience and fall from grace. "That's when I began to realize
the need for the Lord; and I accepted Him."

Men like Brian and Norm, growing in faith and knowledge, keep
Grace College professors coming back to the prison, teaching
classes once or twice a week. "The instructors love it," Ken
exclaims. "These fellows have such an insatiable desire to
learn that they have won-over the instructors in a fantastic
way."

The inmates may have surprised the professors with their
enthusiasm, but they've surprised themselves even more as
they've discovered their hidden abilities and potential.

Professor Ken relates the story of a struggling student: "Midway
through the first semester, he wanted to quit. He was failing
the classes. Rather than face the consequences and do something
about it, he was going to bail out. It was a class case: From
the time he was young, he had been used to the system telling
him he could not achieve."

The student stuck with the program - only because Ken wouldn't
let him give up. He is now getting Cs in class. "He came up to
me over Christmas time," Ken says, " and told me, 'Hey, I really
do love you. I wanted to quit, and you didn't let me. I'm
finally getting my act together.' He's now seeing that he was a
brain and that he can do it."

Norm also has noticed the difference the program has made in
inmates' self-esteem. "When these new guys come into the
program, you should see how proud they are. You see them
walking around with their books in their hands. Nobody can talk
them down now."

The program also gives Christian inmates the opportunity to
share their faith. "There are other guys not in the program,"
Norm observes, "who see the guys in the program and want to be
like them. 'Man, how can I get in there?' This whole thing has
caught fire. Everybody is talking about positive things, doing
something to better themselves. And we get a chance," Norm
smiles, "to tell them how we got started - through Christ. 
That's a witness."

For Norm and Brian, the Grace program is a springboard for
future ministry, after release. "I want to be a prison
psychologist," says Brian. "I want to come back in to the
prisons. Norm and I are in a counseling group together here. 
We noticed how much Christian issues come up. I see a need for
someone who can address those issues."

Norm has similar plans. "I really want to continue to go to
Grace to get my bachelor's in behavioral science. I want to
give something back to the community."

Norm and Brian have plenty to give, and they know it. "I've
always had the desire to give something," says Norm, "but I
didn't know I was given anything to give back. Now I have
something to give - and I want to be an asset to the community
instead of a liability. That's my goal."

And grace will lead him there.

------------------------------------------------------------------

PRISON FELLOWSHIP is a ministry to prisoners, ex-prisoners,
victims and their families, and is featured in our Ministry
Profile column in this issue of MORNING STAR.

Printed by permission of the Prison Fellowship 

Taken from Jubilee July/August 1991 issue
Copyright 1991 

Requested with permission:
Prison Fellowship
P.O. Box 17500
Washington, D.C. 20041-0500
(703) 478-0100
Testimony
Testimonies
Following are portions of correspondence from inmates who were
won to Christ at the Hamilton County Jail in Chattanooga,
Tennessee, and who are now released or transferred. Chaplain
G.A. Bennett answered every letter and keeps in touch as he can.
(See the People Profile column in this issue.)

------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Chaplain Bennett:

Greetings in the precious, precious name of our Lord and Great
God, Jesus Christ. How are you? I am doing super. Let me give
you a capsule update. Our Father has provided me with two jobs,
a super church, and opened the door so my son comes over every
week, which is super. We get to do bible studies together and
really we are getting to know each other all over again. Praise
God, our Father has also brought me and a Christian Rock Group (
Innocent Five) together and we are an entertaining prison
ministry. They will minister in music and I will preach. 
Please pray for us. I am going to Connecticut to be a counselor
for the Bill Glass Crusade for Christ and I am really excited
about this. Also our Father has brought a little band of us
together from church, we call ourselves Messiah Praise and
Worship Singers. We get to worship and praise our Father for
the first time in public at the service on Sunday morning. It
is great. He is so, so good and I keep falling in love with Him
over, and over, and over again. Amen. Keep your knees to the
floor and your eyes to the skies and have a great day in Jesus! 
(Joshua 1:9) God Bless. Love in Him, Dickie


Dear Chaplain Bennett:

God bless you Sir and your family. May the Lord bless you with
health, faith and all wonderful things, only He can give us. 
Sir, I will continue to pray for all the programs there and of
course I pray for you and your loved ones everyday. Please send
my best to Mrs. Bennett and the other brothers. Thanks again
Sir; thank you for being a Father figure to me, an example for
me to follow. Happy Father's Day. God Bless you. Your brother
in Christ, Ozzie


Dear Chaplain Bennett:

I hope you and your family are well and having a nice summer
full of things to do. This is the time to enjoy and be together
if you can. Well as you must know by now, I finally made it
out of that jail, ten months and it almost got me! At times I
came very close to doing something very stupid, but the devil
would be the only one to win then! His winning days are over
with! I can thank the Lord for this. I want to thank you
Chaplain Bennett for the kindness you showed me and the time you
gave me, when no one else would. You're one of the nicer people
in this old crazy world. Thanks again!

Here at M.T.R.C. a little fresh air and exercise can do wonders,
you can think more clearly, attitude can change for better. I
have joined everything they have here, and try to keep busy, I
am starting way back thirty-three years ago, taking math,
fractions, algebra, geometry and English, alcohol program AA big
book, FYI, bible study, church Wednesday evenings and twice on
Sunday, the law library everyday and an hour outside to walk or
jog! Classification is over with. I am minimum custody so I
will be able to have a little more freedom they say. I had the
complete physical and I am as strong as an ox. They took an EKG
and my heart is good. But, I still have a broken heart and I
know the Lord, slowly but surely, will mend this broken heart in
time. I guess all my questions will be answered someday, but
for now this burden I carry is in the Lord's hands. I know He
will help me with this self pity, guilt and grief, blaming
myself won't help. I only hurt myself and others. I feel
certain the Lord has forgiven me of my sins. So I turned my
life over to Him last Friday and I asked for forgiveness and was
baptized in the water with the Spirit of Christ our Lord God and
want to be able to share this with you, a new life for me with
Jesus and with God willing, I will go to heaven where I know my
beloved Jesus and wife will be waiting for me. The only thing I
live for now is to please the Lord till it's time! A pure heart
with the Spirit of God within me. No one can stop me now Gino. 
Well I'm going to stop for now. Take care and may the Lord be
with you and your loved ones every hour of the day. God Bless. 
You are a very valued and wonderful friend! Sincerely, David Haft  


Chaplain Bennett:

I want to thank you for everything you did for me while I was at
the County Jail. Being friends with you was the high point of
my stay there. I know you've heard this a thousand times
before, but when I get released I will look you up. I still
want to get involved with counseling young people about the
danger of prostitution and drugs. Hopefully you'll be able to
help me get started in the right direction.

I like it a lot up here. I wish I would have come up here two
years ago. We get to go outside to the ball field every day but
Wednesdays and Sundays. I'm on the volleyball and softball team
plus we can go to the gym and play basketball, shoot pool and
lift weights. I've lost seven pounds in just eighteen days. 
The fresh air and exercise are great for me. The first two
weeks my legs were so out of shape and hurting I could hardly
get in and out of bed.

It is hard to find one as good as you. Chaplain Bennett, as
good as you are, you really need to be working at a prison. You
could really help some men. You have the right attitude with
convicts. They listen to you. Maybe the Lord will open
something up for you. I hope so. Chaplain, please remember me
in your prayers. Now that I don't have you to go to with my
problems, I need your prayers more than ever. Your friend,
Grover Campbell

-about a year later ...

Chaplain Bennett:

I know it's been a while since I've written. What can I say. 
I'm lazy. I have great news I think you'd like to hear. I
studied for my G.E.D. for three months, took the test, and
scored the highest score in Tennessee. Two of my scores were in
the top one hundred in the nation. Talk about a lucky guesser! 
I haven't been in school for seventeen years, so I'm proud of
myself.

I'm now in barber college studying for my master barber license.
It's a fifteen month class with a test from the barbers' board
at the end. I'm also starting college in two weeks. Bryan
College comes here three times a week. I'll be taking two
classes. I'm now trying to do something useful with my time.

Thanks for everything you've done for me. You are partly the
reason that I'm doing as good as I am. I may not have acted
like it, but I listened to you. Keep me in your prayers. Your
friend, Grover Campbell


Greetings Chaplain Bennett:

This is to let you know that I haven't forgotten you. I've been
very busy working on the newspaper of which I'm the Sports
Editor, and with my group trying to prepare something for you to
let you know what we are doing. We only have one day out of a
week to practice and only two hours of that day. So it's been
hard work for the Spiritualaires, but we are being fired up by
the Grace of God and nothing is going to discourage our efforts
... "In the name of Jesus." I dedicate this tape to you and
your family with love ... I'm praying for you. Keep praying for
us. God Bless you. Freddy Mathis


Brother G.A.Bennett:

I thought I'd write to you and let you know how I'm doing. Well
I now have 125 certificates of completion of Bible
correspondence courses. I've been enrolled in since 1984 and I
received four certificates so far this year. Praise the Lord! 
He has brought this all to me and by the way of the Holy Ghost's
help all this was done.

I hope you like this poem I enclosed along with this letter. If
you can run off some copies of it and pass them out as a gospel
tract that would be great. It's entitled "That Red Spot" (see
below). Write soon and God Bless you. Your brother in Christ,
Vern Derryberry 

P.S. I'm still a Jesus Fan! Praise God!


THAT RED SPOT

It is said that at the height of his military power, while
looking at a map of the world with some of his military
associates, Napoleon exclaimed, "If it were not for that red
spot, it would all be mine!" As he spoke he put his finger on
the spot where the British Isles were located. He sensed and
afterwards realized the part those Isles were to play in his
career and overthrow. Satan and his cohorts might be imagined
as looking at the world in a like manner, with Satan exclaiming,
"All would be mine if it were not for that red spot," pointing
to the spot called Calvary!


Gino:

Received your note today, good to hear from you. After getting
here Wednesday I asked God what I could do for Him while I am
here. The next morning I was moved into a cell with Donnie
Campbell. Some challenge huh? I have taken this opportunity to
tell him about our Lord. He has not made a commitment as yet,
but I feel the spirit is dealing with him. Pray for him, he has
had a rough life in and out of prison. But I know my Lord can
change him, as he has me and many others. I start G.E.D.
classes Friday. I want to say thank you for having faith and
trust in me when no one else would. You've been a real blessing
to me these few months. May God bless you and your ministry.
Your friend, Terry


Dear Chaplain G.A.Bennett Sir:

My name is Darrell Harris and I am a child of God. How I know
is because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior,
and He did come into my heart. I thank Him for saving me by His
grace, and I am pleased for the church here. If there is
anything that I can do for the Lord, I am willing. So if you
can use me in the church at any time, my time belongs to God. 
Feel free to call me please. And again, I say thanks a million
Sir. God Bless You. Have a nice day. God loves us all. II
Thessalonians 3:10, "For even when we were with you, this we
commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he
eat." Amen.
Young Adults
Because He Lives by Jeff Brown
Jeff Brown is only twenty-seven years of age. All the tragedies
in his life took place by the time he was twenty-one. Today he
is a born-again Christian, having accepted the Lord by the
witnessing of Chaplain G.A. Bennett of the Hamilton County Jail
in Chattanooga, Tennessee (see People Profile in this issue). 
Jeff is paroled out to Miracle Lake Christian Training Center in
Etowah, Tennessee.

------------------------------------------------------------------


BECAUSE HE LIVES
By Jeff Brown

Because He Lives I can face tomorrow;
Because He lives All fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living 
Just because He lives.
-Bill Gaither

This is the first song I transposed and played on my viola after
being released from Brushy Mountain Prison on April 30, 1990.

The viola is slightly larger than the violin but with a deeper
tone and is played in the alto section of an orchestra. I
played in the symphony orchestra in Cedar Bluff Middle School in
Knoxville, Tennessee, and also while attending East Tennessee
State University in Johnson City.

Because most music is written in either the base or treble clef,
it is necessary for me to transpose on paper practically all the
songs I do into the alto clef. My instrument has to be
carefully tuned in harmony with all the other instruments in the
orchestra.

In God's plan of creation, He orchestrated all things to bring
Him pleasure but the sour note of sin in our lives has spoiled
that beautiful symphony. Most of my life has been out of
harmony with the family and society as well as with God.

When I was five months old my mother gave me up for adoption. 
She had other children to support and felt that I could have a
better chance in an adoptive home. My third and final mother
took me from my foster mother when I was eleven months old. She
said I cried practically day and night for five years ... slept
very little and was hyperactive.

I couldn't get along with my fellow students in elementary
school, which resulted in fights almost everyday. These were
followed by paddlings. My little gang broke into the school on
numerous occasions to vandalize and steal. I barely passed each
year but did maintain a high level of interest in my music. My
music teacher was an important lady to me and I wanted to be a
good example before her. 

My folks kept me in Sunday School and church regularly. But I
took notice that when my adoptive brother, who was six years
older than me, reached fourteen, our parents allowed him to stay
out of church and lie up in bed on Sunday. I began laying plans
to follow his example. 

By the time I was fifteen I was smoking pot everyday and
drinking beer when I could get my hands on it. I was slipping
out the window at nights and partying. My mother found my stash
after one of my burglaries and called the police. This episode
resulted in my being sent to Peninsula Psychiatric Hospital in
Knoxville, Tennessee for one month and then on to the
Commonwealth Psychiatric Center in Richmond, Virginia for six
months. I learned how to "beat the system" by going along and
cooperating but it was also at that time that I tattooed my body
and pierced my ear. 

I was then sent to Tennessee Military Academy in Sweetwater,
Tennessee where I was kept on antidepressant drugs. I was
expelled just two weeks before the end of the school year but
was given my credits.

Back at Farragut High School for my senior year, I was back into
the drug scene and party circuit but no criminal activities. By
this time I had dropped church completely. 

I entered Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee where the
beer and whiskey flowed freely. I plunged deeper into the drug
scene, experimenting with the psychedelic drugs; acid and
mushrooms. I was allowed to complete my year but the Dean told
me that because of my wild behavior, I would be arrested if I
was caught back on campus.

After my first semester at East Tennessee State University at
Johnson City I was banned from campus housing because I was
caught in the women's dorm the second time after being placed on
probation. My father was financing my education and he got me
an apartment off campus. My wild and erratic behavior continued
until I had completed my junior year requirements. Then tragedy
struck ... HARD!

On June 1, 1985 at 10:00 p.m. as I pulled away from Duff's
Restaurant where I worked, I passed through an intersection on
my motorcycle and was struck by an oncoming car that was making
a left turn into my lane. Fortunately I was knocked from my
motorcycle, because when the car came to a stop it was sitting
on top of my bike. Unfortunately, I was lying in the middle of
the street with my lower left leg severed from my body, dangling
only by a shred of skin. 

They sewed my leg back on at the hospital but within a week
gangrene had set in, requiring amputation six inches below the
knee. During that three weeks in the hospital the pain was so
excruciating they had to keep me on morphine. I was also
dealing with a savage hatred for the man that had caused me to
lose my leg. In addition, I was emotionally devastated. The
thoughts kept bombarding my mind, "here I am, a freak, unable to
do things others can do." It was so hard to look down and see
... no leg ... no foot. I could not even cope with the "stick
man" drawings that were used to illustrate my exercises. The
nurses could not understand why I insisted on drawing a leg and
foot on the "stick man." I went to live with my mom to recover.
She and Dad had split up when I was nineteen. 

As soon as I was able to be up and about I started on a wild
rampage of burglaries, dealing drugs, mainlining cocaine and
constantly burning with hatred for the man who made a cripple
out of me. How often did I plot his death! My tornado of
terror was brought to a halt in March of 1987 when the police
locked me up in the Hamilton County Jail. I admitted to over
sixty burglaries.

It was while I was being held in jail that I began trying to get
my life in harmony with God. I asked Chaplain Gino Bennett, "Is
it possible for me to be forgiven for all I have done?" 

Chaplain Bennett assured me that God could forgive me because
Jesus, God's Son, had paid in full for each and every one of my
sins. He said, "The wages of sin is death and Jesus has died in
your place, in order that you might live." Day after day I
pleaded, "Please, God, forgive me of all my sins." In the back
of my mind, I knew that God would never forgive the man who had
made me a cripple for life.

I found comfort in some books I found in my cell, written by
Chaplain Ray. He told of men, just like myself, that God's
grace had changed.

Then it happened. One day, after a hard rain, the clouds
cleared and the bright sunlight flooded my cell. I sensed God's
presence and felt an inner voice speaking, "I will never leave
you nor forsake you." I felt assured of my salvation and I made
a commitment to never turn my back on the Lord again.

Even though I could recall all those horrible things I had done,
the morbid pains of guilt were removed. I was experiencing the
promise of God, "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us
from all sin."

I did not immediately experience total relief from the craving
for drugs. They were easily accessible in the jail and I would
smoke a joint from time to time. It took a year of going
through the process that the Bible calls "the renewing of the
mind" for me to experience total freedom from all drugs,
including nicotine. I spent many hours in careful Bible study
and prayer. I had also been deeply rooted in the rock and roll
scene. Through the same process of "mind renewal," God
delivered me from that as well. He gradually changed me from
the mode of destruction and taking from others and replaced it
with a desire to help others and give to the poor.

It actually took nearly three years before God gave me insight
and knowledge that relieved the emotional trauma that I
experienced through the loss of my girlfriend. 

Within three months my case was settled in Chattanooga. I was
sentenced to eight years in the state pen on eight counts. I
was then sent on to Knoxville to answer to fourteen counts
against me there. They gave me twelve years at thirty percent
in the state pen to "run with" the eight from Chattanooga. This
meant I would be eligible for parole in three years. I knew
this was an act of God's mercy.

Within two days after I arrived at Brushy Mountain Prison I met
Richard Smith, a "volunteer" Chaplain who works with Tennessee
Prison Ministries, a part of Miracle Lake Ministries. Richard
was my first spiritual contact in prison. He prayed with me and
counseled me. He helped relieve and calm my fears of prison
life. He immediately signed me up to take the "Mail Box Club"
Bible Correspondence Course from Verna Pullen in Athens,
Tennessee. While in prison, I continued to get more in tune
with God. I completed the "Mail Box Club" and started on three
other correspondence courses. I attended Bible studies and
Church services. I made it a practice to talk to my fellow
inmates about the Lord and encourage them to attend Bible
meetings with me.

I took some college courses and raised my G.P.A. from 1.86 to
3.50. During my last year and a half in prison I developed a
friendship with Jack Bryan. Through him, I made arrangements to
parole out to Miracle Lake Christian Training Center in Etowah,
Tennessee.

After coming to Miracle Lake on April 30, 1990, I have continued
striving to tune my life with God. As a result He has given me
grace and favor with my adoptive parents and my relationship
with them is steadily progressing. I also truly know that I
have forgiven the man who caused me to lose my leg. I am
looking forward to going to heaven. There I will have two legs.

On May 10, 1990, while I was trimming the hedges around our
living quarters, I received a calling from the Holy Spirit to
preach the Gospel. It sure feels wonderful to be in harmony
with God, my family and my fellow Christians ... and life is
worth the living!

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new." -II Corinthians
5:17
Praise and Prayer
Praise and Prayer
The Praise and Prayer Column is our international prayer link. 
Send your request or praise report to MORNING STAR for
publication in the next issue!


PRAISE REPORTS:

Tim from Colorado praises God for the opportunities he had to
share the love of Jesus with people on the ski lifts recently,
while on a skiing vacation.

Karen's family from Virginia are happy and thanking the Lord for
the church they have become very involved in.

Ken of Pennsylvania praises the Lord for protecting him during a
50 mile drive in a company van with lug nuts loosened on the
back wheels. 

Steve from New Hampshire thanks the Lord for leading him to a
home church built on a solid foundation. 

Geoff from California praises the Lord for growth in his
Counseling Ministry. 

Thank the Lord for Jack's progress with the rehabilitation
therapy he is getting in California.

Walter's father-in-law in Texas praises the Lord for a clean
bill of health after being rushed to the emergency room at the
hospital. 

Ron from Pennsylvania praises the Lord for the recent witnessing
campaign in Pittsburgh.


PRAYER REQUESTS 

Pray for Harry in Indiana that the Lord will open doors for a
job for him.

Ed in Maryland asks for prayer for the new semester of "EE".
They have 10 teams this semester.

Patricia from California asks for prayer for her grandkids who
are being led astray due to two divorces and a lot of bitterness
involved.

Pray for JennMarie from Ohio who is drinking again and was asked
to leave home. 

Pray for Jack in California for strength as he continues in
rehabilitation therapy. 

Gina's 10 year old son in New York broke his arm in two places.
Pray that his arm will heal properly.

Pray for Bert in Orlando Florida who is very ill and also needs
salvation. 

Karen & husband from Virginia ask for prayer that they can reach
the young people, as Sunday School Teachers.

Pray for Dave, a Youth Pastor from Illinois, who has been
falsely accused and his children have been taken away from him
into foster homes.

Kat, a therapist from California who is involved in the new age,
was in an accident and needs prayer for salvation also. 

Leon from California needs salvation and the Lord's guidance in
his young life.

Ken from Pennsylvania has high blood sugar and asks for prayer
for good health.

Dan from Texas for a financial crisis and for his friend who has
gone to the mission field.

Pray for Dominic in California concerning his job.

Dan from Alabama requests prayer for 250 people who have lost
their jobs.

Ember's unspoken request for his wife in California.

Pray for Charley from Virginia as he applies for the Social
Studies Teacher of the Year, that the Lord will grant his heart's
desire.

Pray for Harold, a police officer in Texas, who has lung cancer.
Pray also for Walter, as he shares the gospel with this young
man for his salvation. 

Dan from Arizona for a non-profit corporation he started.

For a woman and her daughter in Texas who are hiding from her
ex-husband, who is involved in satanic events. 

Pray for Tim who is going through a struggle right now and needs
prayer intercessors.

Sister Booth requests we lift her marriage up to the Lord in
prayer. Her husband needs to be born again. 

Pray for Barbara who lost a son to AIDS this week.

Pray for Bob who is having lots of personal problems.

Paul asks us to please pray for him that God will provide him
with some work so he can pay his bills.

Paul is praying for God's timing and God's choice for a job. 

Bruce would greatly appreciate prayer for his son who has
decided to move his girlfriend into his apartment. 

Teresa requests prayer for her son who has turned away from the
Lord. 

Pray for Mark R. who recently lost his job.

Pray for Gene who recently had his brother and a close friend
pass away due to illnesses. Gene himself has bad back problems
and just underwent his 7th back surgery. 

Pray for salvation for Bev and Dan from Pennsylvania, and for
the Lord to keep their marriage intact. 

Pray for Crystalyn's brother and girlfriend from Florida, and
their two children who are addicted to drugs.

Pray for Angie from California who lost her job. 

Pray for Geoff from California for good health and strength and
help in his increased daily workload.

Pray for Wayne and his two daughters from New Jersey, since
Betsy went to be with the Lord.

Ken from New York asks for prayer for a closer walk with the
Lord and guidance in his church.

For Nellie in Maryland, 80 years of age, who will have surgery
for an aneurysm on a major artery.

Amy from Alabama asks prayer concerning her job. 

Pray the Lord will have His way in the life of Helen King from
Tennessee, who has had brain surgery. 

We pray for Angie, 17 years old, who is pregnant and her
boyfriend cannot be found. Drugs and alcohol are involved here
too.

Pray for Janet from New Hampshire that the Lord will help her
with her back problems.

Carol K. asks for prayer for the Lord's direction for her life
as well as prayer for her friend Leon.

Pray for the Kirsch's whose grandfather passed away. 

Pray for Kris who continues to fight lung cancer.

Pray for a job for Paul in Florida.

Pray that the Lord will find roommates for Wayne in Pennsylvania
or a family that will sublet the house so that he may move
elsewhere.

Continue to pray for Starr in Virginia, who is abused by her
stepfather. Pray for her mom, that the Lord will give her
strength and wisdom to avoid remaining in this abusive
situation. 

Remember Bret in Ohio as he leads a Bible study group.

Pray for Kim in Virginia who is expecting a child and has the
flu. 

Pray for Iva from California who has been admitted to a
psychiatric hospital.

Pray for the Hudgeons girl in Texas who is a very depressed
young lady.

Pray for "P.T." and family, that the Lord will heal some bitter
wounds and for the father to give his life once again to the
Lord.

Eric from Alabama, age 18, was in a terrible automobile crash,
probably alcohol involved. Pray for Danny as he ministers to
this young man. 

Bea for brain cancer and needs to know the Lord as her personal
Saviour.

George a policeman in Texas who was injured and has only a 50/50
chance to return as a police officer. He also needs salvation.

Liza for her new job in an advertising - marketing firm. 

Leon who has been sentenced to 90 days in the Youth Detention
Facility.

Pray for Carol who is going for an interview for a position as
chaplain's assistant. 

Judy needs guidance in ministering to her father who is 75 years
of age and unsaved.

Patricia from California wants prayer for her daughter and
son-in-law; that the Lord will reunite them in their marriage.

Pray for the salvation of Sidney, Joseph, Harvey, and Arlene.

For the AMMI Philadelphia witnessing campaign. 

Prayer requested for the financial support of Ron Elkin's
ministry.

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:6)
L'Chaim - To Life !
Diet Tips for a Healthier Heart by Dr. Carmine D. D'Amico
DIET TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER HEART

By Carmine D. D'Amico D.O.
Deborah Heart and Lung Center
Brownsmills, New Jersey

L'Chaim ("To Life") is our column dedicated to wholesome living.

High blood cholesterol, or hypercholesterolemia, is a major risk
factor for the development of coronary artery disease, as well
as the development of "hardening of the arteries" throughout the
body. Since virtually everyone develops some degree of
hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, as part of the
aging process, it is important to take every possible measure to
limit its progression to help reduce the risk of such
catastrophic events as heart attack or stroke later in life. 

In general, the easiest way to lower your blood cholesterol
level is to reduce your total daily intake of cholesterol "and"
saturated fats. By knowing which foods are highest in these
types of fats and limiting the consumption of those foods,
almost everyone can lower their blood cholesterol level. Listed
below are some tips to help lower the amount of cholesterol and
saturated fat in the diet:

Avoid fried foods when possible. When you do choose to fry
food, fry in oil which is cholesterol-free, low in saturated
fat, and higher in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat, such
as canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, or safflower oil. Never
fry in animal fat or lard.

Avoid butter. Although margarine is better for you than butter,
an even healthier substitute is butter buds or flakes.

Avoid sour cream. "Nonfat" plain yogurt is a healthy substitute.

Avoid cheeses and cream cheese. Use "light" or reduced-fat
alternatives when possible.

Avoid ice cream. "Nonfat" frozen yogurt is a good alternative.

Avoid mayonnaise. Substitute with a cholesterol-free, "light"
alternative.

Choose skim milk instead of whole milk. Although 2% milk is
lower in fat than whole milk, it still has greater than half the
amount of fat that whole milk has. (Whole milk is about 3 1/2%
milk fat.) If you do not like the taste of skim milk, first go
to 2% milk, then when you get used to that, go to 1% milk, and
so on.

Avoid egg yolks. Egg yolks are very high in cholesterol. 
Eating just 2 eggs would place you well above the maximum
recommended daily intake of cholesterol. Use cholesterol-free
egg substitutes or egg whites instead. Egg whites have no
cholesterol and 2 egg whites can be substituted for 1 whole egg
in most baking recipes. 

Avoid organ meats such as liver, as they are very high in
cholesterol. Limit the amount of "red meat" such as beef, pork,
and lamb in the diet. When you do eat red meat, choose only the
leanest cuts. Trim off as much visible fat as possible "before"
cooking. Avoid fatty meats such as hot dogs, sausage, kielbasa,
and bacon. 

In general, poultry and seafood are healthier choices than red
meat, although caution must be exercised:

Always remove the skin and fat from the poultry before cooking. 
Avoid turkeys that have been injected with butter or fats to
make them "juicier". 

Certain seafoods are high in cholesterol and other fats e.g.
shrimp, lobster, salmon, and crayfish.

Avoid frying.

Choose low-fat, "light", or cholesterol-free salad dressings. 
The "wrong" salad dressing can turn an otherwise healthy salad
into an extremely unhealthy and high calorie side dish. 

Nobody can be expected to adhere to the suggestions mentioned
above all of the time. However, if they are used as a general
guideline most of the time, the end result will most likely be a
favorable impact on blood cholesterol level, with an associated
reduction in risk for the development of coronary artery disease
later in life. 

Carmine D. D'Amico D.O.
Doctorate from the College of Osteopathic Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
CFI Reports
CFI Reports
CFI REPORTS is our monthly column dedicated to the ministries of
Christian Friends of Israel in Jerusalem. Our October issue of
MORNING STAR (Volume 1.1) presented a summary of the various CFI
ministries and explained the foundational principles and
objectives of CFI. In this issue we present the March 1992
Watchman's Prayer Letter from Sharon Sanders in Israel.

------------------------------------------------------------------

"I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall
never hold their peace day nor night ..." (Isaiah 62:6)

After setting about to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in the
face of great opposition, Nehemiah received his first good
report - "the breaches began to be closed". (Nehemiah 4:7). The
wall was becoming one united structure rather than several
detached segments. The many individual stones of the previously
broken-down wall were finally being put together as one. The
walls of Jerusalem were not rebuilt by chance or by accident,
but rather by the determined, conscious effort of mature men and
women of God. Today, you are those wall builders for the Nation
of Israel, as the Christian Friends of Israel-Jerusalem office
links you with the towns, cities and villages here to be their
prayer covering.

As you read this month's Prayer Letter, my husband Ray and I are
traveling in the United States. We ask you to seriously
intercede for the tremendous undertaking which as a ministry, we
have begun. It is extremely important that we be bathed in much
prayer as we build the Wall of Prayer for Israel. As we feel God
has commissioned us to work at this tremendous task, we need
your prayers that we build so that there are no breaches which
remain unrepaired or unstrengthened nor areas where the enemy
can come in and attack us while building.

* PRAY that the 2, 000 and more towns, cities and villages as
well as moshavim and kibbutzim will be adequately covered by
enough prayer groups and individuals and that many respond to
the Call of Prayer to build. May they say with us, "... come
and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem ..." (Nehemiah 2 :17) .

* BESEECH GOD to let His ear, be attentive to the prayers of His
servants, the prayer warriors and watchmen over Israel. "Oh,
Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive ... to the
prayer of thy servants..." (Nehemiah 1:1].

* INTERCEDE for Hannah, our Prayer Wall Coordinator, for
strength, stamina and a willing helper to do all that is
required for the work of linking, typing, researching and
posting the Prayer Wall information around the world.

* PRAY EARNESTLY that God will help anyone who does not keep the
Commitment to Pray and does not perform his promise for praying
for Israel. "... God shake out every man from his house, and
from his labor, that performeth not this promise ..." (Nehemiah
5 :13) .

* COVER STRONGLY the CFI ministry staff and volunteers, and
Distribution Staff against evil forces that would want to come
against us to hinder our work. "And conspired all of them
together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder
it. " (Nehemiah 4:8).

Sharon Sanders, Jerusalem


CFI Street Address: 1 Rechov Natan Hanavi
P.O. BOX 1813 - Jerusalem, 91015 Israel
TEL: 972-2-894172, 894187
FAX: 972-2-894955
Music Column
Music Column
The following songs were written by Horace Benson Hatcher, who
is an inmate at the STSRCF (Eastern Prison), Pikeville,
Tennessee. Mr. Hatcher accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior,
thanks to the witness of Chaplain G.A. Bennett (see People
Profile in this issue). In "Thank You Lord Jesus" and "The
Promise," Mr. Hatcher gives his own personal testimony of his
conversion. 


THANK YOU LORD JESUS
By Horace Benson Hatcher

Thank you Lord Jesus
Saviour of man
For loving me
And taking hold of my hand.

For I was lost
But now I'm found
My feet are now
Back on solid ground.

Thank you Lord Jesus
For showing me a much brighter day
Saving me from Satan
And showing me a much better way.

I thank you for the mountains
I thank you for the sea
But more than anything
I thank you for saving me.

Thank you Lord Jesus
For delivering me from sin
In order that I may have another chance
To live again.

Thank you Lord Jesus
For never leaving me alone
Assuring me life forever
And a heavenly home.


THE PROMISE
by Horace Benson Hatcher

I wanted fortune
I wanted fame
I wanted the whole world
To know my name.

So, I made a promise
One I didn't keep
After getting what I wanted
I put that promise to sleep.

Newspapers and magazines
Began to feature me
I was on radios and videos
From sea to shining sea.

Hot cars and fast women
Mansion on the hill
Smoking and drinking
Even making a big drug deal.

I began to gamble
Often I would win
Before I knew it
My whole world was in sin.

Soon my sugar
Began to turn sour
My world began to crumble
Hour after hour.

I began to slip
I began to fall
I began to lose
Till I lost it all.

Again, finding time to pray
I asked the Lord why
He reminded me of my old promise
Being nothing but a lie.

It's better not to have promised
Thank to make a promise a lie
What is it to gain the whole world
Then lose your soul and die?

Now I've got both feet
Back on the ground
I live a Christian life
Joy and peace at last I've found.

Found a good woman
We married in grand style
We have a great family life
Blessed with a little child.

I work hard daily
Sometimes ends are hard to meet
But now I only make promises
That I intend to keep.

CHORUS:

It's better not to have promised
Than to make a promise and lie,
What is it to gain the whole world
Then lose your soul and die?
Chef's Corner
Chef's Corner
This month the recipes are for the Passover/Easter Celebrations.
This Passover collection is from the Beth Israel Centennial
Edition, "The Way To A Man's Heart." 


PASSOVER CHICKEN IN GRAPE WINE SAUCE

2 tbsp. matzo meal
1 tsp. salt
pepper
1 broiler-fryer (3-4 lb.), cut in serving pieces
1/4 c. peanut oil
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/3 c. orange juice
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. slivered orange peel
1 c. halved seedless white grapes

Combine matzo meal, salt and pepper. Roll chicken in mixture. 
Fry chicken pieces in peanut oil in skillet. Arrange in baking
dish. Add grapes and orange peel slivers. Combine wine, orange
juice and honey. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle chopped parsley
on chicken. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or
until chicken is tender, basting every 15 minutes. Yield: 4
servings.


PASSOVER ORANGE CARROT SOUFFLE

2 c. slightly packed raw carrots
2 tbsp. matzo meal
1/2 c. sugar
8 eggs, separated
1/2 c. potato starch
1 tbsp. grated orange peel
3/4 c. fresh orange juice


Mix carrots in large bowl with matzo meal, sugar, egg yolks,
potato starch, orange peel and juice. 

Beat egg whites in separate bowl until stiff, but not dry. Fold
into carrot mixture. Turn into well greased 3 quart casserole.

Bake in 350 degree oven 40 minutes or until a thin bladed knife
inserted in center comes out clean. Yield: 6-8 servings.


PASSOVER SALAD DRESSING

2/3 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. catsup
3 hard boiled eggs, mashed fine
few drops Worcestershire sauce
pinch salt
3 scallions, chopped fine
juice of 1/4 lemon

Beat all ingredients together in bowl. Cover tightly at least 2
hours before serving. This dressing is excellent if tightly
stored overnight.


PASSOVER MOCHA NUT BARS

2 oz. bitter chocolate
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. instant coffee
1/2 c. sifted cake meal
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Melt chocolate and shortening; cool. Beat eggs and sugar. 
Blend in salt, chocolate and shortening gradually. Stir in
coffee and cake meal. Turn into well greased 9-inch square pan
sprinkled with nuts. Bake in moderately slow, 325 degree oven,
20 to 25 minutes. Yield: 18 bars.


PASSOVER WINE SPICE CAKE

9 large eggs, separated
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cake meal
3/4 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. potato starch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 c. wine

Beat sugar and yolks until lemon colored. Add sifted cake meal,
potato starch and spices with nuts. Then add wine. Mix well. 
Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

Bake in tube pan about 1 hour or until brown, in 350 degree oven.


LEG OF LAMB WITH APRICOT STUFFING

1 1/3 c. instant rice
1 1/3 c. sliced dried apricots
2/3 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. instant minced onion
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed rosemary
1 c. chicken bouillon
1 5-lb. boned leg of lamb

Combine rice, apricots, celery, parsley, onion, seasonings and
bouillon; let stand for 10 minutes. Stuff lamb with half the
rice mixture; wrap remaining rice mixture in aluminum foil. 
Secure lamb with string and skewers. Place on rack in shallow
roasting pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 3 hours or until meat
thermometer registers 175 degrees. Bake stuffing for 1 hour. 
Serve lamb on platter surrounded by dressing. Prepare gravy
from pan drippings if desired. Yield: 8-10 servings.


BAKED HAM WITH APRICOT-PECAN STUFFING

1 10 to 12-lb. whole cooked ham
1 1/2 c. coarsely chopped dried apricots
1 c. finely chopped pecans
1 8 1/2-oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 12-oz. can apricot nectar
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 c. honey

Have butcher bone ham, making cavity for stuffing. Have about
1/2 pound lean ham removed from cavity; grind 1 cup ham. 
Combine ground ham, apricots, pecans, pineapple and thyme; mix
well. Spoon into cavity in ham. Cover end with foil; skewer in
place. Place in baking dish. Pour apricot nectar over ham;
sprinkle with allspice. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 325
degrees for 2 hours. Remove foil; spread half the honey over
ham. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Brush with remaining
honey; bake for 30 minutes longer or until golden brown and
glazed. Yield: 20 servings.


SWISS-STYLE GREEN BEANS

6 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. grated onion
1 c. sour cream
2 pkg. French-style green beans
1/2 lb. Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 c. corn flakes

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet; stir in flour, salt,
pepper and onion. Add sour cream gradually, stirring
constantly; cook until thickened. Cook beans according to
package directions; drain. Stir beans into sour cream mixture. 
Spoon bean mixture into 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle cheese
over bean mixture. Melt remaining butter. Crush corn flakes;
toss in butter. Sprinkle corn flakes over cheese. Bake at 400
degrees for 20 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.


QUICK BUTTERFLY RING

2 1/2 c. packaged biscuit mix
Sugar
1 egg, well beaten
2/3 c. milk
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. flour
1/4 c. cherries
3/4 c. chopped walnuts

Combine biscuit mix, 1 tablespoon sugar, egg and milk; knead for
about 18 strokes. Roll into 11 x 14-inch rectangle. Brush with
butter. Stir 1/4 cup sugar and remaining ingredients together;
spread over dough. Roll up as for jelly roll, pinching edges to
seal seam. Place on cookie sheet, seam side down, joining ends
to form ring. Cut through ring almost to center in 2-inch
slices with scissors. Mark indentation in center of each slice.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 
Frost and garnish as desired. Yield: 8-10 servings.


RHUBARB SPRING DESSERT

5 c. diced rhubarb
1 c. sugar
1 pkg. cherry gelatin
3 c. miniature marshmallows
1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix

Place rhubarb in large greased cake pan. Sprinkle with sugar,
gelatin and marshmallows. Prepare cake batter according to
package directions. Spoon batter over rhubarb mixture. Bake at
350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or
ice cream. Yield: 8 servings.


LEMON POUND CAKE

1 pkg. lemon supreme cake mix
1 4-serving pkg. instant lemon pudding mix
1/2 c. cooking oil
1 c. water
4 eggs
1 c. confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice or milk

Combine first 5 ingredients in electric mixer bowl; beat at
medium speed for 2 minutes. Spoon batter into greased and
floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55
minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. 
Remove from pan while still warm. Combine confectioners' sugar
and lemon juice. Drizzle glaze over warm cake. Yield: 12-16
servings.
Potpourri - Part 1 of 2
Potpourri - Part 1 of 2
This months POTPOURRI column is dedicated to poems written by
Christian inmates across the USA.

Roger Houle, a prison ministry worker at the Hillsboro County
Jail in Manchester New Hampshire, submitted the following poem
given to him by David W. Surette, an inmate at that facility:


The man sat on his prison bunk
With pure hatred in his eyes.
He wondered why he couldn't change his life.
There were so many unsuccessful tries.
Suddenly, a bright flash lit the room
The man prepared himself to run
A figure emerged from the brightness and said,
"Fear not, for I am God's only begotten Son."
The prisoner, afraid, asked the barefoot man,
"Why have you come for me now?"
He told the robed man, "I'm not so sure
that I believe in you anyhow."
"That's alright," said the man known as Jesus,
"Just listen to what I have to say."
"Your life is a shambles," said Christ,
"And you can change all of that today."
Jesus said, "I have always been with you."
I even watched you being born.
I have waited for you to reach out to Me,
But refusing, your life quickly became worn."
The convict hung his head and began to cry.
He said to Jesus, as tears rolled down his face,
"I've wanted so much to believe in You,
But how could I while stuck in this place?"
Jesus told him, "Just surrender your heart to me.
You will surely feel a great change.
There is no need to worry about your future in life.
That is my responsibility to arrange."
The convict kneeled quickly on the floor,
At the feet of his Savior and Lord.
"I surrender to You, dear Jesus," he cried,
"And I'll do my best to live by Your Word."
"I love you," said the Son of God,
"I promise to be your Savior and friend.
You will never bear your burdens alone,
As I will be with you to the end."
When the man looked up, the light had gone,
And his Savior had vanished from sight.
He heard a distant voice that said,
"Follow Me, and you will be alright."


The following poems were taken from Poems from Prison Cells and
printed by permission of Chaplain Ray, Director of the
International Prison Ministry. Prison inmates can write to
Chaplain Ray of International Prison Ministries for free
Christian literature:

International Prison Ministries
Attention: Chaplain Ray
PO Box 63
Dallas Texas 75221

Tune in to Chaplain Ray's radio broadcast in Arizona at 4:00
p.m. on KXEG am (1010)

Ken Patterson, Laval, Quebec, Canada, wrote the following
paragraph and included the poem which follows:

"... for although I am an inmate, I'm freer now than I've ever
been in my life. Why? For I know the Lord as my personal
Saviour. My outlook towards life upon release has really
changed. I now know Christ in full faith, knowing in my heart
He is the only answer. I know that all men and women are trying
to find a place ... so I wrote this short verse." 

A PLACE

I was lying in the gutter!
Beyond the help of human hands,
Until one day I asked my Saviour
If His hand He would extend.

Yes! He saved me! yes! He saved me!
Saved me by His grace,
Washed away my sins forever,
Now at last I have a place.


The following two poems show a dramatic turn around in the life
of one woman serving time. Maria Diaz wrote this note to
Chaplain Ray:

"Dear Chaplain Ray: This jail is so old, they still use
buckets! So there are no recording facilities, and we are not
allowed to record anything to be sent out. This place is hell! 
You asked if I had any poems. I have a few. If you feel you
want to use this one, I would be flattered. I wrote it one day
when I was very much down and out ..."


COME DEATH, POSSESS ME
By Maria Diaz

I was a pusher.
I was a thief.
I was a rip-off.
I even turned tricks.
My past is scum,
But what is done, is done,
And must be left alone,
For it is all gone.
Or is it?

No, it will always be here,
To fill me with fear - year after year.
While doing my time, my heart's full of pine,
Trying to erase my hurtful disgrace.

But it won't go away,
Till I go to stay,
Where the dead lay,
Through every day.

Without any wounds, no memory,
No past, no future they see.
Oh Lord, among them I long to be,
Among those who sleep eternally.

With no today, no hard way,
No tomorrow, filled with sorrow.
No yesterday to grieve - I pray,
For thank God, it's all done ... I'm away.

Maria's letter to the Chaplain went on to say:

"... Chaplain Ray, I guess it's not a very cheerful poem. But
that is the reality I went through. Yes, I wanted to die. But
I have found myself once again! Here's another one, I don't
have a name for this one ..."


Today, I am dead.
I ain't got a head.
My heart no longer feels like lead,

I long to be free,
Like the bird in the tree.
It flies in the air, without any care,
How I wish ... I were there.

I long to fly high,
Away in the sky, where all is well.
But here I stay, day after day ...
So what can I say?

Lord, show me the way!

Maria's letter concluded:

"... Chaplain Ray, God has shown me the way. I live and love
for God. He has come into my life and I pray He will never let
me go. I know He won't! I pray that I'll get strong enough to
stay this way forever. Praise be His Name." - Maria Diaz,
Worcester County Jail 


Here are some more of Chaplain Ray's favorite poems by inmates. 
This one was written long ago and is from an inmate to his
mother.


TO MOTHER
By Clyde C. Thompson
Composed May 13, 1945

The mind of man the years may span
With thoughts of early day,
When Mother called him "Little Man"
In tones of loving praise.

The Queen was she of all the earth,
The Princess of the dawn!
And none can ever beat her worth
Tho' childish days are gone.

For she still lends those helpful hands
As in the days of yore ...
Her tender heart still understands,
As e'er it did before.

And she's the Queen of mother love
To little hearts now grown,
Who ask the blessings from above,
On her for good they own!


Another inmate wrote these touching verses to his wife:


PLEDGING MY LOVE
By Jesse Griffith

Prison walls may be between us,
Prison walls may keep us apart,
But each letter I receive, darling,
Brings you closer to my heart.

Love, there's no need to worry,
There's no reason to fear - 
When I offered you my heart,
I placed it in your care.

It won't be long now, sweetheart,
Our time is near -
I'll show you I love you,
And prove I'm sincere!

By Jesse Griffith
San Quentin Prison


Annie Nichols, who is an inmate in the Women's Reformatory -
Indianapolis, Indiana, wrote this beautiful poem:


AN ORDINARY DAY
By Annie Nichols

Today was just another ordinary day
I went about my work the usual way.
The path was one I had often trod
But what a difference, now I walk with God.

Today again was an ordinary day,
And nothing special happened on my way.
But oh, the joy you didn't see
Now that I know my Saviour walks with me.

Today, still just another ordinary day,
The usual work, and then a little play.
But ah, what peace at even tide,
To know that God and I walked side by side.


HAVE YOU????
(Dedicated to those in despair.)

Have you
lived for years with haunting fears?
sown love and in return reaped hate and bitter tears?
while pressing on in search of light,
known the grief of darkest night?
been freshly wounded each day
by hell's sharp darts along the way?

Have you
known sorrow that naught could erase
as sorrow reared its ugly face?
suffered the loss of all held dear,
while a smile you tried instead of a tear?
looked to the future and found no light?
felt you're wandering in the darkest night?

Have you
tasted the terror of a soul set free,
while a prisoner of God eternally?
had a spirit broken beyond repair,
weighed down with a load of sin and care?
while searching and hoping in vain,
sought a life of peace again?

Have you
lived without love for years on end,
hoping some day you would find a friend
who would understand all you've been through?
never pointing a finger at all you do,
offering hope and love and not condemn,
but simply accept you without any whim?

Dear friend, does this story your life portray?
If it does ... I bring hope today.
Such a friend has been found, so kind and true,
His name is Jesus and He died for you.
He'll walk by your side through life's narrow road,
Giving comfort and peace without any end.
Try Him today ... He'll be your friend.

By Michael D. Newbury
Oregon State Penitentiary


MY PRAYER

Prayer does not always come easily. Reuben Daniel Coley found
it easier to talk through this verse.

Oh Lord! Lord, my Lord, what have I done?
To bring my life to sin?
I know I've wronged and cannot run.
Forgive me once again.
I walk in darkness, I've lost my way,
The light I cannot find,
Please allow me, Lord, the light of day,
Let the past be gone again.

The light is near, my eyes behold
An everlasting shine.
Oh Lord, I have been told
My life will be Thine.
My life is new, I walk with God,
He shares my every step,
He saved me from the pits of hell,
No longer am I fearing death.

By Reuben Daniel Coley
Ohio State Penitentiary
Potpourri - Part 2 of 2
Potpourri - Part 2 of 2
The following poems, written by inmates in various institutions,
were reprinted from THE GOOD NEWS, a publication of PARDONED
MINISTRIES, a non-profit, non-denominational work of Jesus
Christ. This organization ministers to men, women and their
families that are in jails and prisons throughout the United
States. PARDONED MINISTRIES preaches the message that Jesus
taught that "You must be born again." Many men are receiving
the good news of God's love and forgiveness through a
relationship with Jesus. Families are being restored,
alcoholics and drug addicts are being saved, healed and
delivered. Alleluia! In 1989, PARDONED MINISTRIES gave away
317 English and Spanish Bibles, over 3,000 Newsletters and over
a thousand books, magazines and gospel tracts. There were 512
decisions made for Christ. Praise God.

For more information contact PARDONED MINISTRIES at:
PO Box 50746-433
Phoenix Arizona
85076


THE MELODIOUS MEDITATION OF LIFE
By Michael Swensen
Tucson Prison

When I think of the wonders all around me ...

The ambrosia of the flowers
The effervescent sea
The majestic peaks so mighty and so bold
The silvery clouds that give pure rain
The multi-colored eyes that twinkle bright
The deepest darkness of the night
The crystal streams flowing as living light
The many beasts large and small
The fruit trees that provide for all
The bluest sky and radiant sun
The stars as diamonds against black velvet
The gentle breeze so warm and mild
The heavenly music that comes from above
The children's faces filled with Jesus' love

From the deep depths to the distant world
From the microscopic to the universe entire
From trillions of cells making each unique
To the glorious breath that makes us speak
I quaff of creation!
I am quenched by the knowledge from above
I am humbled before the ineffable one
I stand amazed, enraptured in eternal love
I reach for perfection filled with awe!
In the SPIRIT I resound as I open my heart
Truly, my God ...
HOW GREAT THOU ART!!!


MY NUMBER ONE
By Larry Williams
Madison St. Jail

I must reach out to the Father
And pray to His Son
Pray to my hero, He is number one!
In life there is competition,
Every day we must compete.
One day I will get to tell Him,
Each victory with Him is sweet.
My hero is with me, I am not alone.
We have won this battle,
But the war still rages on.


KING OF GLORY
By Gabriel Gonzalez
Madison St. Jail

The King of Glory comes
and the nation rejoices
The gates before you open,
so lift up your voices.
Who is the King of Glory,
what shall we call Him?
Jesus is the King of Glory,
So let us praise Him!
Praise Him! Praise Him!


MY BEST FRIEND
By Rod Musselman
Madison St. Jail

It has been time and time again
I've turned my back on my best friend
The counsellor in all affairs,
The One who loves and truly cares
Now my life is turned around,
I know He'll never let me down.
He paid the price for me,
That I may be forever free.
In His resurrection I will sing,
He's my friend, my God, my King.
In His righteousness I will see,
What a friend can really be.
Jesus Christ has led the way,
That I may follow every day.
Knowing that Jesus is here with me,
I know that my best friend has set me free!
He is my Lord and King,
He is everything,
He is my best friend.


THE PRICE
By Bob Sims
Inmate - Arizona

I do not belong to this world anymore
Now to Jesus Christ I belong
He paid the highest price for me
He holds my life in his hands
For I have given it to Him
All of my cares, and all of my past sorrow.
My sins He has ever forgiven.
For He paid the highest price for me,
When at Calvary he hung.

You do not belong to this world any more,
Now to Jesus Christ you belong.
He paid the highest price for you.
He will hold your life in His hands.
He has given you a new life.
Hope and Faith of what is yet to come.
Your sins He has forgiven.
He made it possible on the cross,
When at Calvary He died

For you and I He has paid
THE PRICE, HIS LOVE, HIS LIFE.



NOTHING WITHOUT JESUS
Jerry Rosen
Douglas, Arizona

I am nothing without Jesus
Though with Him, I'm made whole.
I sing unto a Savior,
Who allowed His crimson blood to flow.
It's the sermon on the mountain,
The one for you and me.
That offers joy and happiness,
Throughout eternity.
When Jesus dwelt among us,
The living God in flesh.
He promised never to leave us,
Most assuredly you can rest.
The spirit of truth has come,
He's in the world today.
He in me inspired this poem,
The living God I say!


DON'T GIVE UP
Bill Thomas
Madison St. Jail

You may be tempted to,
but don't give up.
When you've lost the desire to try,
or you've misplaced your hopeful dreams.
Believe again on the impossible,
Catch a ray of sunshine and hold tight.
Jesus is the one who holds your hand,
and He will never let you go.

Resource Area
Book Reviews
Book Reviews
Francis A. Schaeffer and C. Everett Koop, M.D., "Whatever
Happened To The Human Race?" Crossway Books, Westchester, IL,
paperback 1979, and as part of a five volume series, "The
Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer, 1982. Also available:
six hour film/video series from Dr. Schaeffer, and Dr. Koop,
Gospel Films.

Randall A. Terry, "Operation Rescue", Whitaker House, Springdale
PA, 1988.

Today's headlines tell of the continued murdering of the
pre-born. Occasionally, we find stories of the killing of the
young. Sadly, we also read of the killing of the elderly. 
Currently, a physician is under indictment for assisting two
elderly individuals in committing self-murder. We don't know
how many children and senior citizens are being killed without
any public awareness. We do know that, in this country alone,
over a million and a half of the pre-born are being slaughtered.

The value of human life is no longer grounded in a recognition
of individual worth. This worth is grounded in the creative act
of God. "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our
likeness,..." " Genesis 1:26 Instead value is said to come
from utilitarian qualities, grounded in accomplishments, and
something called "Quality of Life." The problem is that quality
of life comes from a relationship with Christ. It does not
depend on circumstances.

In the early eighties a book and film series, sounded a warning.
The warning concerned the dangers of abortion, infanticide, and
euthanasia. Included with the warning was a call to the church
to act, to protect the defenseless. The title of this work is
"Whatever Happened To The Human Race?" It was written by the
late Francis A. Schaeffer and C. Everett Koop, M.D. in
pre-Surgeon General Days.

This book still maintains its relevance as a call to the church.
Broken down into six chapters, the first half deals with the
warning of the death of the helpless. The balance of the book
identifies the basis of human dignity, and the demand for
personal response and social action.

Chapters one through three deal in order with abortion,
infanticide and euthanasia. Drs. Schaeffer and Koop explained
how the future victims would be identified as non-people,
therefore allowing for the justification of their death. We
have certainly observed this as the pre-born baby has been
identified as an unviable tissue mass, a fetus. By naming these
babies as non-persons it is easier for people to stop the demand
of conscience to recognize murder for what it is.

The Drs. go on to warn how these practices, of declaring persons
to be non-human, will be expanded. They will move from the
child to the elderly, the physically challenged and anyone else
that the elite decides needs to be removed. If this sounds
familiar, it is because this same practice was carried out by
the Nazis as they murdered gypsies, Jews and anyone else
declared undesirable.

Dr. Schaeffer moves on from the problem to identifying its
source in modern philosophy, and its solution in the truths of
Scripture. A Biblical world view mandates giving value to each
individual. He moves on to Truth found in history, a history
that culminates in the work of Christ on the cross.

The final chapter of the book is the "so what" chapter. Having
defined the problem and it source, having shown what is truth
from Scripture, Drs. Schaeffer and Koop then sound the call to
the believer to action. The church and the Christian cannot
helplessly stand by and watch the murder of countless millions.

It is not to late to heed the warning and call to action of
"Whatever Happened To The Human Race." This book is one of the
most accessible of all of Dr. Schaeffer's writings and should be
required reading for every believer.

One response to the abortion holocaust is that of Operation
Rescue. This controversial group has saved the lives of many of
the pre-born. In spite of this, even Christians can't agree on
whether or not Randall Terry's approach to Christian social
action is appropriate.

It is not the purpose of this critic to validate or reject the
work of Operation Rescue. This is a decision each believer must
make for him or herself. But, anyone who is concerned with the
abortion holocaust, and this should be every believer, must be
willing to give Mr. Terry an opportunity to speak for himself.

This book is a history of the Operation Rescue movement. It is
also Mr. Terry's Biblical apologetic for its actions. Finally,
it is a call to save the lives of the unborn.

As with Francis Schaeffer, Mr. Terry identifies what he
perceives as the influence of the modern perspective on the life
of the pre-born. He is concerned with the effect of
contemporary thought as it moves into the church. He believes
that it this contamination that has made the church impotent to
influence contemporary society and to protect the oppressed.

The Church must be willing to becoming involved with stopping
the wholesale slaughter of the helpless. It must be willing to
stand against murder--be it of the pre-born, the children, the
elderly, or any others throughout the world who die under the
hand of the oppressor.

You may not be in total agreement with Randall Terry's methods,
but he is striving to stop the slaughter. Be willing to examine
his arguments and understanding of the mandate of Scripture to
act. You may not choose to take his approach. But, each of us
must ask what are we doing to advance the kingdom into the
world, to protect the helpless.

Many of my people, the Jews, died in the Nazi camps, as
Christians stood by. Let us as followers of Jesus Christ not be
guilty of the same inaction today. "Speak up for those who
cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are
destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the
poor and needy." Proverbs 31:9
NewsDesk - Part 1 of 2
Morning Star NewsDesk - Part 1 of 2
MORNING STAR NEWSDESK - APRIL 1992

******* PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS *******

MINISTRIES COMBINE EFFORTS TO REACH PRISONERS IN INDIA

A prison outreach program designed to bring God's Word to 2.5
million inmates, is under way in India. The project, "Here Is
Freedom", is a joint venture between the India offices of Living
Bibles International and Prison Fellowship International (PFI). 
Corrections India and India Prison Ministries, national
organizations, are also assisting in the outreach. Officials
plan to place an evangelistic booklet, printed in 11 languages,
in the hands of every prisoner in the 32 states of India. Bible
studies and prayer meetings are also being organized by Prison
Fellowship, India, a branch of PFI. Inmates indicating a
decision for Christ will each receive a copy of the Living New
Testament. (From DECISION magazine)


SOVIET PRISONERS GRANTED PERMISSION TO BE BAPTIZED IN PRISON YARD

According to Dave Foster, international director for
Eurovangelism, 17 prisoners in labor camps at Puksa, a remote
area 500 miles northeast of Moscow, protested that their
baptisms should not take place at a nearby lake or river but in
the prison yard in front of other inmates. In an unprecedented
move, prison authorities gave permission for this to take place.
A portable baptistry was shipped in by Eurovangelism and Doctor
Mikhail Zhidov of Moscow baptist Church baptized the 17
prisoners.


"JESUS" IN THE PRISONS

The JESUS film (See MORNING STAR volume 1.1, Ministry Profile
Column) was recently shown in a high security prison near the
Black Sea in the former USSR. There, 16 prisoners indicated
they received Christ. They formed a church and have been
meeting together weekly ever since.

JESUS Film Project teams, transported by Soviet military
helicopter, have also taken the film to the most remote places
in the country. The teams reached as far as the Kamchatka
Peninsula and then persuaded the military crew to fly them 305
miles out to the Bering Islands, adjacent to Alaska. The film
was shown for ten days to people who had not received a
Christian witness in over 70 years. (JESUS FILM PROJECT LETTER
- February 1992)


MORE ON "JESUS"

Missionaries who have been showing the JESUS film in Myanmar
(formerly called Burma) report that of 108,000 people who have
seen the Burmese version of the movie in less than a year, some
4,200 have made decisions for Christ. JESUS Film Project
officials also report that numerous cases of spontaneous,
supernatural healing have taken place during the screening of
the film. (From NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL RELIGION REPORT -
12/31/91)

The JESUS film continues to impact several countries which
formerly disallowed the Gospel. Campus Crusade for Christ has
been asked by top educators in Russia, the Ukraine and Georgia
to create a teaching curriculum for every one of their public
schools with the purpose of teaching Biblical morality and
ethics. Albania, formerly the most anti-God state in the world
has opened its doors to the JESUS film, including a December 14
showing for the country's leaders. In Bulgaria there have been
turnaway crowds. The JESUS film premiered in January in
Mongolia, a country with fewer than 100 believers. Hundreds of
thousands have seen the film throughout Cuba. In Thailand 7,200
new churches/house churches have been established as a result of
a cooperative between Campus Crusade's New Life 2000 project and
established denominations. In Nigeria over 3,000 pastors have
been equipped to train their two million members to reach others
for Christ. (From the February CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST letter)


******* ON THE MORAL FRONT *******

THE NEW MORALITY IN THE COMICS

The January issue of ALPHA FLIGHT comic book includes a
superhero named "Northstar" who discloses he is a homosexual. 
During a flight he says, "For while I am not inclined to discuss
my sexuality with people for whom it is none of their business -
I am gay." The magazine is designed to promote the homosexual
lifestyle as acceptable, natural, and even heroic, while
ridiculing as "bigots" and "homophobes" those who disapprove of
that lifestyle. The aids epidemic is not portrayed as a
behavior-based problem but as a social ill for government to
solve. (RELIGIOUS RIGHTS WATCH - March 1992)


AND IN THE CHURCHES

Jane Adams Spahr, a practicing lesbian, was approved as pastor
of the Downtown United Presbyterian Church (USA) in Rochester
New York. The call has been put on hold until appeals are
resolved. The Genessee Valley Presbytery voted 121 to 46 to
approve the call. Spahr is also the head of a pro-homosexual
social service agency, Ministry of Light in suburban San
Francisco. Her partner, Connie Staff, is a minister in the
homosexual Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community
Churches. (NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RELIGION REPORT - Dec.
30, 1991 and Jan. 13, 1992)


NARAL PUSHES FREEDOM OF CHOICE ACT

Pro abortion groups are supporting a bill introduced last
November in the House of Representatives called "The Freedom of
Choice Act of 1989" The legislation (H.R. 25 and S. 25) would
put the Roe versus Wade decision into law and prohibit any state
from enacting legislation restricting abortion. Rep. Don
Edwards (D-Ca.), the prime House sponsor for the bill, said on
C-SPAN last year that the bill "... is explicit. It provides for
no exceptions whatsoever. It is a classic one-sentence statute
that says a state may not restrict the right of a woman to
terminate the pregnancy - and that is for any reason." According
to the ACLU 1991 handbook, the bill would prohibit all
restrictions before "fetal viability" and that after this point,
states could apply restrictions except those that prohibit
abortions necessary for the "life or health of the woman." The
Supreme Court, when deciding Roe v. Wade and an accompanying
case, Doe v. Bolton, defined "health" in broad terms taking into
account "all factors - physical, emotional, psychological,
familial, and the woman's age - relevant to the well being of
the patient. All of these factors may relate to health." In
another decision the court said that the "distress for all
concerned associated with the unwanted child" would be a health
reason for a woman to consider having an abortion. (From
CHRISTIAN AMERICAN - March/April 1992)


U.N. SAYS PROSTITUTION OF CHILDREN IS GROWING

The fear of AIDS is increasing the demand for much younger
prostitutes, contributing to a worldwide increase in the sale of
children, the author of a United Nations human rights report
said today. The scholar, Vitit Muntarbhorn, is a law professor
in Thailand. Mr. Vitit said that children 9 or 10 years old
were frequently forced into prostitution. "The numbers are
increasing daily," he said in a report for the U.N. Commission
on Human Rights. In some areas customers are opting "more and
more for younger prostitutes, particularly virgins, in the
belief that they will protect themselves from the threat of
AIDS." But Mr. Vitit noted that many child prostitutes in
India, Thailand and the Philippines have tested positive of the
AIDS virus. (AP Geneva 2/18/92)


******* INTERNATIONAL NEWS *******

THE NON-REPORTED DETAILS FROM ISRAEL

Recently, following the collapse of a roof on a coffee house in
an Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem, the entire world press
convened and reported on the wonderful cooperation between
Israelis and Arabs to rescue people trapped in the rubble. 
These reports appeared on CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, and numerous cable
stations. What was not shown or mentioned in these stories were
the gangs of masked Arab youths who threw rocks at the Israeli
Army rescue teams as they came to the assistance of the disaster
victims.

The JERUSALEM POST recently ran an article offering praise to
one elderly Arab person who was brave enough to go on television
in Israel criticizing these thugs. This unnamed Arab however,
seems to have been the only Arab person to do this publicly. 
Privately, many Arabs have expressed their appreciation to the
Israelis and disgust with the rock throwers. As the POST
commented, "But the only way to break the ever-tightening grip
of fear, terror and violence is for the Palestinian leadership
to denounce and condemn it in public ... If anything, the
deafening silence of the leaders provides tacit approval and
encouragement ..."


NUCLEAR ARMS SALE DENIED BY RUSSIA

Russian and Kazakh officials denied a German magazine report
that Iran has obtained two middle-range nuclear missiles and
their delivery systems from the former Soviet republic of
Kazakhstan. STERN MAGAZINE stated that Vice President Paul
Muenstermann of Germany's federal intelligence service reported
the development to the Chancellory's security service. Iran,
however, has not obtained the codes needed to detonate the
warheads, nor does it possess a suitable launching mechanism,
the magazine said. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Ivan
Skrylnik said the information was not true and that all nuclear
weapons were under strict centralized control. (ASSOCIATED
PRESS)


MAGIC CARPET RIDES?

Magician Doug Henning Wednesday unveiled a proposed $1.5 billion
theme park for Niagara Falls, Ontario, based on the philosophy
of transcendental meditation guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The
Canadian-born Henning told skeptical reporters the investment
community is highly interested in Maharishi Veda Land, and he
denied the park would promote or propagandize the TM philosophy. 

"We're not trying to convert anybody to anything," Henning said.
"In Veda Land the feeling will be increased creativity,
increased intelligence and a higher state of consciousness.
You'll feel a sustained sense of wonder. You'll get a taste of
enlightenment." 

Henning said the 1,400-acre park, which he hopes to open within
1 1/2 years, will features rides, illusions, a 7,000-student
university, a health research center, hotels and a housing
development named "Heaven on Earth." The park is to be built on
the Niagara River, about 2 miles south of the famous falls. 
Henning said world leaders can hold summits at the park and gain
the benefits of the "field effects of large groups of
meditators" who will be involved in the practice of "yogic
flying." Adherents claim they can lift themselves off the ground
via mind power. It was not immediately known whether yogic
flyers would replace the helicopter rides over the falls. 

Henning said the investment community is very interested in the
project, but he refused to identify potential investors, citing
requests for confidentiality. Henning said the land has been
purchased or optioned. Henning said Price-Waterhouse is involved
in raising financing via a private offering of shares to a
"syndicate of investment dealers." The perpetually perky
performer became agitated when reporters pressed for more
information about the financing, and he refused to discuss what
level of federal or provincial government involvement he
expected. 

"All we're trying to do is something good," an exasperated
Henning said. 

Wayne Thomson, mayor of Niagara Falls, Ont., hailed the project,
saying the area needs a major development to attract more
visitors. Thomson said he was not aware of any opposition to the
project. Henning said the park will be open year-round, and
that winter visitors will move about via tunnels and
electric-powered cars. Daily admission price will be just over
$17, and it will take visitors about three days to see the whole
park. Henning said daily attendance will be about 20,000. He
said the park's theme will be "enlightenment, knowledge and
entertainment", and that the "Veda" in the name means
"knowledge". 

The park is based on the philosophy of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
the guru who inspired the Beatles in the mid-1960s. In a
rambling dissertation by telephone link from his headquarters in
Vlodrop, Netherlands, Yogi told reporters the park will help
unify the world. Henning said Veda Lands are also planned for
Orlando, Fla., adjacent to Disneyworld, Japan and the
Netherlands. Planned attractions at the Niagara Falls park
include a building that levitates over water, magic chariot
rides down the molecular structure of a rose, and other features
combining illusions and high-tech entertainment technologies
such as 3-D. Henning estimated that more than 6 million people
will visit the park annually and that it will create about
5,000 permanent new jobs in the area. 

Henning has created illusions for Michael Jackson, Disney and
Chrysler, has staged three Broadway shows and has produced eight
NBC-TV specials. Henning said the design team includes Roy
Field, a veteran special effects director who won an Oscar for
the first "Superman" movie.

(UPI - March 19, 1992)
NewsDesk - Part 2 of 2
Morning Star NewsDesk - Part 2 of 2

****** ON THE PROPHETIC SCENE *******

U.S. and RUSSIA SEE NEW ARMS ACCORD

The United States and Russia agreed to try to complete an
ambitious set of new arms controls accords in time for a July
summit meeting. These new agreements include, the idea of
establishing a ballistic missile early-warning center and tie
together all NATO and Russian radar, satellite and other early
warning systems in a single location where all participants
could monitor virtually any ballistic missile launching
worldwide. (NEW YORK TIMES - 2/19/92)


AN IDENTITY CRISIS

In a series of raids, the U.S. Immigration Service seized two
printing presses and more than 250,000 phony identity cards that
could be used to circumvent the Federal law prohibiting the
employment of illegal aliens. The Federal government is looking
into issuing resident aliens a single new identity document
which they hope will be counterfeit-resistant. The new card
will contain a hologram and magnetic strip that is read
electronically, similar to credit cards. Michael Fix, an
immigration official from the Urban Institute in Washington
says, "Many suspected it from the start, but now it is
increasingly apparent that document fraud is the rock on which
employer sanctions could founder unless the government is
willing to tackle some very nettlesome issues."

There are currently 29 documents that can be used in various
combinations to satisfy the 1986 immigration law which requires
employers to ask new workers for proof of citizenship or legal
residency. (NEW YORK TIMES - 2/19/92)


A FOOD-FRAUD CRISIS

The 25 million food stamp recipients around the country will
soon be buying their groceries with a plastic card instead of
paper coupons. Proposed Federal rules published (Dec 13, 1991)
will allow states to computerize their food stamp programs so
recipients can purchase food with plastic cards similar to those
used to access bank accounts electronically.

Officials of the Agriculture Department, which administers the
food stamp program, believe the Electronic Benefits Transfer
system (EBT), will streamline administration. Agriculture
Secretary Edward Madigan stated that EBT, "... is also an
effective tool against fraud and trafficking because it
eliminates the coupon, which has become a secondary currency to
some people." Regulations take effect next spring, and sixteen
states have already expressed an interest in converting,
including California and Texas.

Pilot programs are already being tested in Pennsylvania, New
Mexico and Minnesota. When paying for groceries, food stamp
customers would have their cards run through an electronic
reader and would enter their personal identification number. 
Their account would then be charged for the purchase. (AP -
Feb. 92)


NEW ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY ASSURES CORRECT IDENTIFICATION

Anitech Enterprises Inc. of Markham said Agriculture Canada has
approved commercial introduction of the company's implantable
electronic identification technology for cattle. The approval
was based upon the results of combined field trials conducted
over the past year by the company and the Holstein Association
of Canada, Anitech said in a news release. With government
approval, Anitech said it has been able to begin its electronic
ID program in the Canadian dairy ministry. (TORONTO STAR
12/16/91)


THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS

French and Italian scientists called for urgent action to
eradicate a tropical seaweed they say is rapidly killing off all
marine life in parts of the Mediterranean. The alga, caulerpa
taxifolia, which has proliferated on the French Riviera between
Toulon and Menton since it first appeared in 1984, could lead to
"a major ecological catastrophe." Professor Francesco Cinelli
of Pisa University, told a scientific gathering in Nice France
that "once the caulerpa becomes established, there are no other
algae, no invertebrates, no shellfish, and practically no fish
left." The alga is thought to have been brought to the region
in the ballast of ships from the Caribbean or Indian Ocean. (AP
- 12/9/91)


A new strain of malaria that is resistant to all the standard
drugs used to cure the disease has emerged in Cambodia, and
could spread to other parts of the world, the World Health
Organization (WHO) announced. The fear of its spreading is
especially acute due to the arrival of 22,000 soldiers and
civilians of a United Nations peace-keeping force in the
affected region. WHO officials fear that these U.N. forces
could carry the new strain with them when they return to their
homes all over the world. (BOSTON GLOBE 3/17/92)


An international conference on AIDS in Africa starting today
will focus on HIV-2, a strain of the virus sweeping parts of
Africa that is resistant to drugs and does not show up on
routine screening tests. In Europe and North America, acquired
immune deficiency syndrome is almost exclusively caused by the
HIV-1 virus, passed through the bloodstream either by sexual
contact, blood transfusions or infected needles. But in parts
of Africa, HIV-2 is even more widespread. Although HIV-2
destroys the immune system in the same way as HIV-1, it has a
very different structure and most of the drugs and vaccines
developed or under development are ineffective against it,
scientists say. Routine AIDS tests used to screen blood
supplies in the West are only designed to pick up the presence
of HIV-1. (TORONTO STAR - 12/16/91)


THE EMPIRE THAT WAS AND IS AGAIN

The emerging unified Europe has issued four coins as foreshadows
of a future European Currency Unit (ECU) for a unified Europe. 
What is significant are the figures chosen to be honored on the
coins since coins are usually dedicated to people of the
greatest honor. Generally, the lower the value of the coin the
greater the hero since these are the coins most likely to be
most common. The four coins were minted in 100, 50, 25, and 10
ECU units. The 50 ECU coin has the image of Charlemagne, who
attempted to unite Europe into one empire, who had himself
crowned as emperor of Europe and who laid the foundation of the
Holy Roman Empire.

The 25 ECU piece bears the image of the Roman Emperor Diocletian
who attempted to organize and reunify the Roman Empire. 
Diocletian is famous for bringing about some of the bloodiest
persecutions of early Christians. The 10 ECU coin bears the
image of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor who rules over an
empire that embraced Austria, the European Low Countries,
Germany, Italy, Spain and parts of North and South America. 

It appears from these developments that a new European
psychology, spirit, identity and passion is quickly forming. 
The new Europe is viewing itself as being a continuous entity
spanning 2,000 years. The EC is beginning to link itself with
the Roman Empire - something long awaited by students of
Biblical prophecy and is in fact beginning to show not a
post-Christian spirit but an anti-Christian one. (From THE
WATCHMAN WORLD REPORT - Vol 1, Issue 12)


AN INTERESTING COMPARISON

The following statement is from a U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
story, "Europe's New Flags" in the February 24, 1992 edition,
which concerns the struggle between the desire for unity in the
European theatre and the demands of many groups for
self-determination.

"The contest between unification and separation, and the extent
to which the two forces can be reconciled, will shape the Europe
of the 21st century. That Europe may well defy today's accepted
view by finding stability and strength not in unity, but in a
measure of separation."

The US NEWS comment is reminiscent of a comment from an older
news source ...

"And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay,
so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken. And
whereas thou saw iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle
themselves with the seed of men, but they shall not cleave one
to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay." (Daniel
2:42,43)
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