MUSLIM WOMAN LEADS PRAYER IN ISLAMIC WORSHIP

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

It’s unheard of. It can’t happen. It never should be.

No female is worth that much. A demonic curse has been put upon the female from conception. She wears ten curses throughout her existence. If she marries, one curse is lifted, others remaining.

If she gets out of line, a male can shoot her in the head or do away with her by some other killing instrument. If she shows her ankles, a male standing nearby can beat her. She’s not entitled to an education. She’s identified by her household, particularly the closest male.

But there seems to be a change in the wind.

In New York, a Muslim woman prayed. She prayed aloud with about 80 men and women present. She prayed in an Islamic gathering.

Muslim leadership elsewhere leveled severe criticism against her as well as the men endorsing her act.

Nevertheless, the female professor of Islamic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, proceeded undeterred. She is not going to be tradition-bound by a custom that endangers females’ existence, let alone their furtherance in education and vocation.

Therefore, Amina Wadud "did her thing" in the name of Allah. She prayed aloud before males and females in a religious meeting. Actually, there have been some other such gatherings, but usually kept rather quiet. This one was notable because of the professorship of the female and because of the New York City cosmopolitan setting. Whatever, such gatherings in which females take part, especially in open prayers, are extremely rare and basically confined to the West.

According to the Associated Press, "’The issue of gender equality is a very important one in Islam, and Muslims have unfortunately used highly restrictive interpretations of history to move backward.’ Wadud said before the service. ‘With this prayer service we are moving forward. This single act is symbolic of the possibilities within Islam.’

"’The event was meant to draw attention to the inequality for women in Muslim spiritual life and Muslim life in general,’ said Asra Q. Nomani, an author and former Wall Street Journal reporter who is the lead organizer of the prayer. ‘We are standing up for our rights as women in Islam. We will no longer accept the back door or the shadows. At the end of the day, we'll be leaders in the Muslim world."

Not all agree, of course. One of them, Nussrah, providing to the press only one name, stated emphatically that what occurred in the woman leading in prayer was abhorrent. "’She is tarnishing the whole Islamic faith,’ he said."

Stay tuned.

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PALM SUNDAY PARADE

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

The character of Jesus comes through in bold relief when riding on the back of a donkey’s colt. It’s the first day of the week. Jesus rides into the Holy City.

It’s His city, though it rejects Him, by and large. "He came unto His own and His own received Him not."

It was this city over which Jesus cried, saying He would have yearned to take Jerusalem to His heart as a hen feather-covers her chicks. But the inhabitants, starting with Temple guard, would not hearken to Jesus’ invitation.
Nevertheless, Jesus’ character remains loving and kind, hungry for a people who resisted His embrace. On that Sunday we refer to as "Palm Sunday," Jesus entered the busyness as some hailed Him as King of Israel.

Who were these? No one really knows, except they obviously were ones who had faith in His mission. They had heard Him preach, teach and watched Him heal the sick. They caught at least that much of His message.

Therefore, they cried out in joy that He was the long-awaited One, the Monarch portrayed by prophets of old.
Jesus, humbled, climbed atop the beast. With that, peasants threw their shawls over dirt paths, as if honoring Him with a royal carpet. He, the Servant. He, the Sacrifice to be slain. He the young man from other side of the tracks — Galilee — Nazareth, to be exact.

He was on His way to death by crucifixion. Mixed with the confusion were singing and shouting, smiles galore and festivity in the air. "Praise God! Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel."

Humble Jesus. He made the city. He molded the people. He breathed the air. He brought everything into something from nothing. He, the embodiment of the Second Person of the Trinity, was the agent of creation from the very start. He, Alpha, was source of existence itself.

Yet to the city He humbled Himself, even to their bloody scheme. Yet to the people, including the murder-hungry, He placed Himself upon their wood piece. Yet to the air He breathed His moan: "Father, why have you forsaken Me?"

The character of Jesus comes through in bold relief when riding on the back of a donkey’s colt. It’s the first day of the week. Jesus rides into the Holy City.

Yes, He owned the city yet He bowed to its free wills, allowing them to choose their own eternal destinies by receiving Him as Savior or rejecting Him as refuse.

How interesting that He does the same with us. He presents Himself as lowly of heart, knocking upon our hearts’ doors. Will we open to His saving grace? Or will we seal the door tightly shut, turning to our own nuisances to call them "salvation?"

Jesus was not betrayed by all of Jerusalem. There was the righteous remnant. There were those who clung closely to His frame upon the cross. They hunkered down in its shadows as blood dropped from His body. They wept. They wept until there were no more tears.

They groaned as their bones ached in travail. They peered into a black sky that Friday, wondering what in heaven’s name was going on with their Kind One. From noon till 3 o’clock, the sun blinked out its light. Nighttime in mid-day fell upon the world as the remnant wrestled against hell’s doubt grip.

However, even though the power cliques of politic and religion won the day with His murder upon a rugged cross, there were still the lowly who believed. They believed against all logic. They trusted against all that was visible. They were the fools of faith, if there were ever fools of faith. They were those who had lost their heads to save their hearts.

And so it is today. The remnant is regarded as the stupid, provincial, intolerant, stubborn and dull of senses. The remnant is not posh nor politically pleasing. The remnant is considered coarse and unkempt, sometimes riff-raff and tawdry. Yet the remnant, no matter, clings to the blood stains, the wood, the illogic of it all. In that, they remain true to the close and then some.

The character of Jesus comes through in bold relief when riding on the back of a donkey’s colt. It’s the first day of the week. Jesus rides into the Holy City.

He heard the shouts of acclamation; but He would not put trust in their smiles, shouts, applause. He lived for only one daily siting. It was the will of the Father. "I came not to do My will but the will of the Father." How long does applause last? How fleeting are shouts of approval? If ever anyone knew the brevity of the fickle it was Jesus.

In His character sterling was His fine-tuned allegiance to the supreme — Father’s will only. "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven." Even as mortal as well as divine, living out the doubting fears of the mortal, when He cried, "Father, why have you forsaken Me?" he kept true to the Father’s will. He did not renege. He did not recant. Even through hell’s darkest hour, Jesus remained loyal to the unseen but eternally secure Father’s will.

Yes, the character of Jesus comes through in bold relief when riding on the back of a donkey’s colt. After all, it was the Palm Sunday Parade.

Thank you, Jesus.

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SCHIAVO: CONGRESSIONAL LAW DEFENDS LIFE, MOVES ISSUE TO FEDERAL COURT

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

"Rep. James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the legislation would move the case to federal court where a judge would determine who has the legal right to decide the question of nutrition and hydration for Schiavo and whether they can be terminated," reported Siobhan McDonough, Associated Press Writer.

With the Republicans leading the way, and Democrats in the main following, Congress stalls its Easter recess in hopes of rescuing a life — Terri Schiavo, 41.

"’We think we have found a solution’ to the Terri Schiavo case, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said at a Capitol Hills news conference. ‘All sides agree that this is the best way to proceed.’"

"Most Democrats joined Republican attempts to pass legislation about Schiavo's case, though the GOP led the effort," Gannett News Services reports.

In other words, there are scores of individuals, with power and with little power, clamoring to keep life alive. That is such a commendable message from America to the rest of the world as well as, of course, the decent move to make regarding a human being hanging between life and extinction.

As soon as the law gets to the United States President’s desk, he has stated he will sign it.

While some other nations stash away citizens, in the case of Saddam Hussein even feeding mortals to shredding machines, America represents the defense of life — period. Sadly, there are those within the country who work night and day for death of one human or another, including womb babies; but this Schiavo issue has brought to the fore the culture of life advocates. In that, once again the killing enthusiasts are put to shame. They don’t represent America.

"Yesterday's flurry of activity brought the most powerful Republican leaders in the country into the case, putting the party strongly on record against allowing her to die. But it also raised anew the fundamental question of government's proper role in private matters of life and death."

This is the primary measure that continually should be dealt with in a democracy. We exist to defend, not only freedom for the well and advantaged, but freedom for everyone. That includes the freedom to all to remain alive by all means.

"’The American people have screamed at the top of their lungs and asked for a federal legislature, a state legislature, anybody with any authority to get involved and to save this woman's life, and now the Congress has acted, the state is acting, and in relationship to life, that is a positive thing,’ said Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion group that has been sending urgent appeals to its members to help Schiavo."

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I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES: DAMNING DEMONS

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Demons. They crawled all over his paper. But this was no one-stroke teen messing around with adolescent symbols of dark abodes. This was Bruce.

Bruce was committed heart and soul to the devil. He told me, "Paganism is my religion. I worship the devil." And he meant it. Other youth scrawled irreverent images on occasion; however, to Bruce it was a soul surrender.

Therefore, when I noted his full-paged "art," I took it in stride.

After all, I was teaching at a public school — an alternative learning school. No religion. No God. No Jesus. No Christmas. No Bible. To keep the job, mouth shut. Sealed.

Of course, in front of me was Bruce. This Bruce needed just what I had to offer him — God in Jesus, Bible promises of salvation, the hope of an eternal Christmas in heaven. Nevertheless, I was of course between the usual rock-and-a-hard place in America’s freedom scramble of what’s "appropriate" and what’s not.

Therefore, I prayed for Bruce. He counted me as friend, a buddy of sorts. He knew me to be a Christian. Not only that, he knew I was a pastor. Somehow I did manage to muffle that out on an occasion; but other than that, systems down.

As far as his personality, he was a winsome chap. Perfect in manners. Tall, slender, good-looking and quite intelligent. However, he had some "issues." In short, any student at the alternative learning school had "issues;" otherwise that student would be in "the other school." Alternative learning youth were those who had howling troubles pounding away at their innards.

Bruce was "kicked out" of his host school some months before I got on the job. I was aware of the major detail. Mainly I saw him as a young man of potential. He was especially astute in math and history. English gave him a few twisted moments; however, many of the fellows grappled with writing an essay.

Behavior was his problem. Or I should say "misbehavior," hence the alternative learning context.

What was so utterly sad at that school was that we staff had practically no teaching materials. We had a director who prided himself on keeping "within his budget." Therefore, the school district officialdom patted him on the back for saving the system money.

It did not matter that we teachers had no texts, no teachers’ manuals, little in the way of staplers, paper, pencils, pens, magic markers. We wrote our own curricula or else we had nothing. Nothing. Visual aids were non-existent. Other schools were laden with flashy materials of multi-dimensional choices; but not the school where the extremely troubled kids hung out. Just caging them for a day was enough.

I called it "warehousing troubled teens." When I left the system, I told the director and union representative that.
I then sent a specifically detailed critique of the school to the governor’s office. That then went to the state education department. Interestingly, the head of that department had just moved from my school district superintendency to the state position. Therefore, my lapsed school was indeed her former lapsed school in her former district that prided itself on saving budget funds because our school director refused to provide staff with teaching supplies.

Round and round the injustice wove itself — injustice against staff and students. Teachers and teens both lost out every day we opened the front door of that school.

We staff were there to oversee classroom "cages" in which adolescents with learning disabilities were forced to strike out for another few hours. No wonder desks flew through windows and police cruisers frequented our halls. No wonder swearing was rampant, teachers screaming at students was expected and youths, one by one, gave up. They’d storm out. They curse their ways out. Many left. I’d see them fling open the front door, yell back obscenities and then head for the open road.

I looked at Bruce. I knew he needed math materials to work on. He asked for them. He liked math. I had none to give him. I went to the local mall and bought some math materials for Bruce. He tried. But the school was not up to the challenge of a special person named "Bruce." The system let him down, as it did every other person under that roof.

Then Bruce disappeared. One day he was with us. Then the next day he disappeared.

I knew where he lived. I drove by his house on occasion. Sometimes I stopped by, knocked on the door.

Sometimes somebody answered. With that, I left my pastor’s card with name, address and phone number. After all, he was no longer a school student. I was no longer his teacher. I was "friend." So I could now approach him as "Christian."

More times than not, when I stopped by his home, no one was at home. I wedged another card in the door jam and went on my way.

Then came the day when I knew I had to pull into his drive. Just had to. God made me do it. Couldn’t travel on to Hiram. It was Bruce’s front door — another knocking, another attempt.

This time I heard a voice. It bellowed, "Who’s at the front door? No one ever knocks on the front door!" With that, the door opened. There stood startled Bruce, smiling broadly as he took in his visitor.

"Bruce!" "Grant!" Greetings exchanged, a few updates on this and that. Bruce was now 21, unemployed, having some problems, no specifics divulged. Then in a few minutes, knowing I had done what I could do, I hugged him, shook his hand and told him I was praying for him. I handed him my card — another card.

"There’s my phone number, if you’re ever interested. I’d really like to have you worship with us."

I had just spoken the unthinkable to Arch Pagan, Demon Worshiper, Devil Enthusiast. Bruce had spent his teen years studying every book he could find on demons. He had quite the dark-threaded library. He also had markings on his skin to prove his allegiance to hell.

"Someday I’m going to live in Amsterdam. I understand there I can open up a drug business. Illicit drugs, you know. It’s legal there, I think. And I can sell drugs, use drugs and do as I want." That was the litany Bruce gave forth daily when at the school. I could recite it backwards. I had heard his refrain so frequently.

A couple weeks after handing Bruce my card, Bruce called me. "When is your worship?" I told him. Sure enough, that Sunday Bruce worshiped with us. "I want you people to know that this is the first time in my life I have ever been in a church."

As we sang hymns, Bruce followed, trying his best to get hold of the melodies, the lyrics. As we bowed our heads in prayer, Bruce bowed his head in prayer. As we studied the Scriptures, Bruce looked on the Bible I had just handed him. At the close, Bruce said, "I’ll be back."

And he was. He was back.

"But Bruce, you’re pagan," I said. "Your god is the devil. You know that. What’s going on? Say, do you know that Jesus can be your Savior? You can live for Him. He can give you the hope of heaven."

"I want that."

"Then let’s pray."

We prayed as Bruce committed his soul to Jesus as Savior. We thanked Jesus for His mercy in saving grace. Then Bruce thanked me, promising to read the Bible and pray every day, worshiping with us faithfully.

And so he does. In other words, the damning demons lost out — major.

Another miracle.

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RICE ON N. KOREA: US HAS DONE WHAT IT CAN DO

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated to the press that the United States has done what it can do to date regarding the North Korean nuclear threat.

She was realistic in stating that she does not believe her present Asian tour will bring about significant changes regarding the North Korean nuclear build-up. Other nations must get into the play. The United States government has made its conditions extremely clear all along; therefore, other leaderships must exert their leverage upon North Korea.

According to the Associated Press report dated March 19, Rice awaits the next move from the Pyongyang government. She will talk and listen. But the crucial turn must eventuate from Pyongyang.

Rice’s visits to various Asian capitals has yielded much media hoopla. But as for earthshaking changes concerning major issues, she doesn’t expect the tour to bring about such and her host countries don’t either. Nevertheless, the ‘greasing of the goodwill wheels’ still are necessary in order to keep the North Korean nuclear debacle top on the world agenda.

"As for North Korea, Rice indicated before Saturday's speech that the next move in a standoff over nuclear weapons would be up to the Pyongyang government, and she played down expectations that her visit to Asian capitals will produce a breakthrough."

The six-nation nuclear talks were on schedule; however, North Korea pulled out of such discussions. Further, North Korea has informed media that it has now constructed a nuclear weapon. With that, Rice stated in a Saturday speech that she believes the already-proposed six-nation forum to be "the best option."

Would the United States move ahead more speedily and substantively if it conducted one-on-one talks with North Korea? Rice responded to that question in the negative. "’We bring different incentives, different leverage to North Korea, each of us ... I would be first to admit it is not easy to deal with North Korea,’ Rice said."

The Bush administration continues to reiterate that America has no intentions of attacking North Korea. In other words, there is no need for North Korea to construct its own nuclear arsenals. Instead, that leadership should formulate its own alternative "security guarantees" and "renounce nuclear weapons."

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JESUS’ BLOOD TEST

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

I was in a hurry. Nevertheless, my three-year-old, Heidi, decided that it was time to have a conversation. I did not give heed, but this did not stop Heidi. Instead, I heard her talking to herself, "I guess Daddy is deaf today.
He won’t talk to me."

I knew then that my schedule could wait.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"What does the bread mean, Daddy?"

"The bread?"

"Yes, like you have in commom-onion, you know!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, you mean communion."

"Yeah, comm-om-onion. What does it mean?"

"You tell me, " I prodded.

"It means Jesus’ body, ‘member, Daddy?" she reminded me.

"That’s right," I affirmed.

"And what does the juice mean?"

I played along with the game, recalling that I had gone through this same lineup with her several weeks before.

"Come on, Daddy, what does it mean?" she begged, breaking into my recollections.

"Well, you tell me."

"It means Jesus’ blood test!" she proclaimed, proudly and sincerely.

"Thank you, Lord," I said to myself, laughing out loud at the tyke beside me.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked.

"You said that the juice represents Jesus’ blood test. You mean that the juice represents his blood, not his blood test," I corrected.

"Oh," was her simple reply.

Then I realized that God had just taught me a lesson--a new one concerning the meaning of communion. The blood indeed represented Jesus’ blood test!

And so he endured that test, even to "the death of the cross." Thanks be to God eternally that Jesus passed the blood test to secure salvation for all who live by its power.

My three-year-old had instructed her minister-father in another layer of God’s communication. And I had almost missed it.

Had I persisted in being in too much of a hurry to listen, I would have missed it altogether.

MARCH 19: 2ND ANNIVERSARY: NEW IRAQ

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

"The positive changes under way would certainly not have happened … without the hard work and the dedication of America’s men and women in uniform, their families, and indeed, the efforts of all of you who have devoted your lives to our country’s defense," US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said to Pentagon servicemembers and Defense Department civilians. He was marking the second anniversary of Iraqi Freedom Operation.

Saddam Hussein is caged. His Baathist murderers are replaced with Iraq’s National Assembly.

"Since the early days of Iraqi Freedom Operation, the coalition has engaged in a test of wills with an enemy determined to derail Iraq’s progress," Mr. Rumsfeld said. "Their goal was to force the coalition into retreat, but their mission failed. The enemy sought to test America and the Iraqi people’s will, and they found it firm."

Iraqi citizens voted in a truly democratic election. They breathe freedom’s air. Their future is laden with liberties forthcoming. It’s been a blossoming midst blood; but anything worthwhile costs. There’s sacrifice at every turn.

While killers international scrawled threatening graffiti on public walls: "You vote, you die," locals bravely went to polling booths and registered their ballots. Courage. Patience. Perseverance. Hope. The result: an historic January 30 Victory Vote.

According to American Forces Press Service reporter Samantha L. Quigley, Mr. Rumsfeld told his audience: "Since the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the coalition has engaged in a test of wills with an enemy determined to derail Iraq’s progress. Their goal was to force the coalition into retreat, but their mission failed. The enemy sought to test America and the Iraqi people’s will, and they found it firm."

All the while, United States President George W. Bush fought off prolonged skepticism in Europe and entrenched hate speech at home. Mainstream media worked against the President’s agenda. Yet he stayed true to his convictions. He remained firm in his goals. Now, only two years after the start of Iraqi Freedom Operation, millions have been freed from Hussein’s daily blood bath. Other nations are taking the cue that democracy indeed is a possible dream. Only two years! And we’re now celebrating such achievements global.

Iraqi military now numbers more than 200,000. Moreover, the US-led Coalition along with the Iraqi forces are involved in building a democracy as well as eliminating the enemy. That includes education, health, local government, business and managing the peace.

"Defense Intelligence Agency Director Navy Vice Adm. Lowell Jacoby praised the increasing capability of Iraqi security forces, noting that since the January 30 elections, daily attacks by insurgents continue to drop and ‘are now considerably below the high level of activity that existed last November.’

Two years and counting.

Thank you, Mr. President and colleagues, on this second anniversary of Iraqi Freedom Operation.

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HOLY WEEK PREPARATION: LOVING GOD -- THE CROSS IN OUR LIVES

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

". . .to those who love God. . ." Romans 8:28

Loving God is not a feeling; it is a faith.

Loving God is not a tingle emotion in a worship context.

Loving God is staying true when the chips are down, when life is intolerable, when friends forsake and all appears hopeless.

Loving God is to spread one's very life before the cross, asking God to pick up that life for the cross-purpose.

Loving God with all that is within one's self is to become bankrupt of all this world's props. There can be no reliance upon the sticks that earth pokes into the ground, naming them securities. They are not your securities. They are bogus to you.

Your security is one stick-the tree upon Calvary. That is where you reside. Then if you reside there, you seek not your own. You do not care today about your preening or your prize. You care only about loving God with all that is within you.

That is your love gift this moment and every future moment.

Jesus looks upon you now to see if you are where you ought to be. Are you breathing for your good or the good of the gospel? Are you doing what you are doing to get ahead in the eyes of men or to get ahead in the cross walk?

What is it that drives you? Is it conceit or comfort or the rubdown for another sprint at nighttime pleasures? What is it that energizes your life?

It must be the cross scene. There you see Jesus strapped to the wood. There you crouch before the cross base, taking your place for the Spirit's energizing for eternal good. There you commit your all to whatever it takes to carry that cross to some other lost soul.

That is loving God. "All things work together for good to those who love God. . ."

Such is an awesome claim to make, that is, that one loves God. Those are but one-syllable words, but they are to extract blood from us, as it was from Jesus.

Our lifeblood is to flow daily for the eternal cause, not the earthly, fleshly goal. There is nothing here finally that should entice us, nothing at all. We are caught up in the divine purpose, loving God with every ounce of energy coursing through our veins.

Such a sight is rare. God knows that. We know that. We feel the integrity gap within as we think it through. Such is necessary to bring us back on course.

Can we have the wherewithal to come back on course, as He would have us love Him? We can see to it if we will it to be so. The solution is in the position of the will.

Religion is not enough.

Worship attendance is not enough.

Verbal profession is not enough.

Church office holding is not enough.

All of this is but dung in the sight of God if the surrendered, bloody heart is not present for gospel use.

How empty Peter's profession was when he offered to go to jail or death for Jesus. Then an errand girl by the fire did him in within a second. Only when Peter came to his holy senses did he come to his total love for God. And with that, Peter was strung up on a cross plunged upside down into the dirt. There Peter put his motives where his mouth was.

God looks upon the heart. What does He see? He must see the whole burnt offering sacrifice, your entire being placed upon the grill for the gospel purpose. God must see there the honest consecration-complete and entire, caught in the sanctifying flame. Anything less is not worthy, not acceptable.

Our High Priest makes the final judgment as He appraises the sacrificial scene.

But when God does see the whole burnt offering sacrifice coming from the humble, broken soul, then the heart of God is made glad.

Then, and only then, it is appropriate for the Christian to sing, "Bless the Lord, all my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name."


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IRAQI NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SUCCESSES. BRAVO!

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Iraqi Freedom Operation was only 2 years ago. That liberated millions of Iraqis from Saddam Hussein’s human shredding machines. Then came the historic January 30 Victory Vote as Iraqis defied killers international. Now the first National Assembly has gathered in Baghdad, celebrating democracy for the first time.

Those in the Assembly were so elated over their chance to experience personally freedom’s breezes that they spent much time reveling in just that. Who could blame them?

In addition, they saw through some groundbreaking successes for the new government. According to the Associated Press, "both Kurds and Shiites reported progress on a range of issues, including the shape of the Iraqi government.

"‘We will be seeing a government formed next week,’ predicted Haitham al-Husseiny, who heads the office of Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Shiite-dominated United Iraqi Alliance.

That is amazing and cause for accolades to the US-led Coalition under US Defense Secretary Donald Rumself as well as much deserved thanks to US President George W. Bush.

Though the political opposition downplays any New Iraq successes, those attuned to reality for the past four-years-plus in particular understand the truth. Mr. Bush has ushered into existence the actual freedom experience yearned for by millions.

What other most powerful nation leader would spend himself in outright giving — energy, funds, expertise to set loose humans from despots’ cages? Yet that is exactly what takes the lead in Mr. Bush’s first and second administration. While not forsaking the domestic, but instead charging full force ahead for America’s good, Mr. Bush continues to maintain vigilance over worldwide liberty opportunities.

"Azad Jundiyan, a spokesman for Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, said he thought the government will be named after Kurds celebrate Norwuz, the Persian new year, on March 26.

"Deliberations focused on whether to allow the Kurds' peshmerga militia to remain in Kurdistan as part of the Iraqi police and army, along with setting a timetable for Kurds to assume control of the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk and permit the speedy return of nearly 100,000 refugees — conditions included in an interim law that serves as a preliminary constitution."

With unbelievably weighty issues before them, the Assembly members continue on course with cordiality and intelligence. This week it was a remarkable display of maturity in democracy fine-tuning at the National Assembly.

"’Negotiations were very constructive and the differences in the interim law and peshmerga were solved. We have agreed that some peshmerga will join the Kurdistan police and some will be part of the Iraqi army, with the same equipment and salaries and take orders from the defense ministry in Baghdad,’ it was reported."

Thank you, Mr. Bush

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BUSH WANTS PALESTINIAN STATE. . .IF. . .

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

That ‘if’ is what Hamas ignores. And PA Chief Mahmoud Abbas won’t bring it up in its entirety.

Abbas meets in Cairo present-tense. He’s working with Hamas and other Muslim murderers global in an attempt to get a Palestinian nation. Israel waits. The US waits. But it’s not happening. Why? Because of the ‘if’ that US President George W. Bush presented in his Roadmap to Peace.

It’s that basic ‘if’ that must be in place before the Bush administration can give final approval to a Palestinian state. It’s that basic ‘if’ that Israel is waiting for, that the peace-yearning world is looking for.

The ‘if’ is that Abbas and company mean absolute, real business when it comes to tearing down the Muslim murder machine. That means that a complete Muslim reversal must be made, dating at least back to May 14, 1948, when the UN established Israel as a legitimate nation. That means that the Muslims in and around Israel must quit the aim of riding the planet of "Jew-pigs," as they call them.

The ‘if’ is the Roadmap to Peace calling for the round up of all munitions meant to destroy Israelis in particular.

The Roadmap to Peace reads: "Palestinians declare an unequivocal end to violence and terrorism and undertake visible efforts on the ground to arrest, disrupt, and restrain individuals and groups conducting and planning violent attacks on Israelis anywhere. Rebuilt and refocused Palestinian Authority security apparatus begins sustained, targeted, and effective operations aimed at confronting all those engaged in terror and dismantlement of terrorist capabilities and infrastructure. This includes commencing confiscation of illegal weapons and consolidation of security authority, free of association with terror and corruption."

". . .visible efforts on the ground to arrest, disrupt, and restrain individuals and groups conducting and planning violent attacks on Israelis anywhere."

Hamas says NO.

". . .Palestinian Authority security apparatus begins sustained, targeted, and effective operations aimed at confronting all those engaged in terror. . ."

Hamas says NO.

. . .confiscation of illegal weapons and consolidation of security authority, free of association with terror and corruption."

Hamas says NO.

To realize the Roadmap to Peace, one would have to expect the conversion of an atheist to born again Christian. One would have to expect the change-about of a Mafia agent to the next Billy Graham. Some simply conclude, "It ain’t gonna happen."

But how can one even trust Abbas?

Of course, he’s in the impossible position of leadership planetary. But his background, unless he has a total change of heart, is Palestinian bloodletting. Recall in 1972? Recall the Olympic Israeli athletes murdered? Recall that Abbas was in on such fund raising for such carnage. "He himself served as treasurer of the PLO and helped secure funding for attacks such as the massacre of the Israeli athletes in Munich in 1972."

That’s a long time ago. Yes. But is there the same Abbas living in Abbas’ skin? Or is there a newly converted-to-peace Abbas waiting his place in the peace sun?

That’s what Israel is waiting for. That’s what Mr. Bush is waiting for. That’s what the peace-yearning world is waiting for.

In other words, will the real Abbas stand up? And if he has had a heart change for actual peace, can he bring about such a conversion in fellow Muslims, especially the Hamas committed unreservedly to Jewish cleansing (otherwise known as ‘killing them off’) worldwide?

Arutz Sheva News reports: "Hamas spokesman Mohammad Nazzal said yesterday, ‘The Hamas organization believes it is not possible to declare a full cease-fire. . .’"

Not a full cease-fire?

Yet that’s exactly what the Roadmap to Peace reiterates repeatedly in one different phrasing after another. However, Abbas can’t convince Hamas of it. Hamas won’t bow to it.

Israel waits. Mr. Bush waits. The peacemakers wait. But for how long?

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GOD-FEARING JEWS STAGE TEMPLE MOUNT TAKEOVER

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

"’We must conquer the Temple Mount to abort the withdrawal plan. If 50,000 people go to the Temple Mount, our Father in heaven will see and the (Israeli) institutions will not be able to remain indifferent,’ said one of the takeover planners."

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plans to oust Jews from their Gaza Strip homes starting July 20. Then Strip is the Palestinian Authority’s. Jewish police guards will yank "fellow" Jews from their dwellings. To go where? To motels and hotels. And what about their furniture? In warehouses somewhere. Sound bizarre? Yes. And it’s also illogical and unjust.

Therefore, devout Jews are rehearsing today how to take over the Temple Mount in order to draw attention to their righteous indignation against the Sharon agenda. The devout Jews’ scheme of course also sets up conflict potential with Muslims throughout Israel, particularly in Jerusalem. A Jewish civil war could result. A war between Jew and Arab could erupt.

According to Aljazeera.com, "In an attempt aimed at sabotaging Ariel Sharon’s planned Gaza withdrawal, Jewish extremists are plotting to take over a holy site in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem, an Israeli TV station reported Wednesday. . .(Jews are) plotting to bring as much people as possible to occupy the Noble Sanctuary which the Jews call the 'Temple Mount'.

"The move might spark outrage and violence throughout the Middle East, according to Channel Two, as the site is in the region of the Al Aqsa Mosque. ’We must bring 100,000 people to the site,’ said a rabbi identified as Chen Eliahu in the video of the meeting. ‘We must conquer the Temple Mount to abort the withdrawal plan. If 50,000 people go to the Temple Mount, our Father in heaven will see and the (Israeli) institutions will not be able to remain indifferent,’ said another participant."

The mosque covers the rock upon which Abraham was willing to offer his only son, Isaac, as a human sacrifice. However, according to the Genesis account, Abraham was prohibited from slaying his son. An angel intervened, thus Jehovah gave the clear message that Abraham and his descendants were never to offer humans as sacrifices. Pagan peoples elsewhere did offer humans as sacrifices to their deities; however, Jehovah pronounced just the opposite.

That rock then is a holy site to Jews and Christians. The Muslims regard it as their site for they claim that The Prophet ascended into heaven on a white horse from that rock. Tour guides still point out his foot print in the rock, for those who wish to see such a "print" in the rock. When I was in Jerusalem, inside the Dome of the Rock, I could not for the life of me see a "print."

To take over that geography is to bring out the military forces major. Yet that’s exactly what devout Jews are reasoning in order to bring leverage to bear upon the Gaza Strip Jewish yank-out atrocity. Time is running out. They know it. They are scheming the dramatic in order to prevent what they consider the impossible.

The Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, West Bank, Egypt Sinai and all Jerusalem was taken under Jewish control during the 1967 Six Day War. Now Sharon is whittling away at that geography for the Palestinian Authority’s sake. Jews incensed at such givebacks are vehemently planning their own takeover of the Temple Mount.

American Jews likewise are boarding planes to join in on the mob scene in Israel. Professionals such as doctors, teachers, lawyers are planning on moving into vacated dwellings in the Strip as well as lining the avenues and beaches in order to prevent Jewish police guards from ousting Jews from their houses.

"According to the report, extremist Jews will hold a ‘dress rehearsal’ on the Temple Mount, or the Jerusalem mosques complex, the third holiest site for Muslims, in three weeks time.

"Dozens of police reinforcements were deployed near the compound last month, fearing possible attacks by Jewish extremists, who might try to sabotage the Prime Minister’s Gaza plan."

In response to Jewish plans, Muslims protest. Sheikh Tayseer Al-Tamimi, Palestinian chief Islamic judge, states to media that Jerusalem "was and will remain an Islamic city. . ."

That in itself will fire up Jews — both secular and religious, in Israel and abroad — to demand that Sharon maintain Jerusalem as Jewish. Period.

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I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES: THE JACKET

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

He murdered a fellow. Would I visit him in prison?

I lived in Walpole, Massachusetts at the time. So being near the famous Walpole Prison was a given. Being a pastor was also a given. Therefore, the call came for me to make a visit to a man incarcerated for killing another.

Now those living in Walpole eventually got tired of being known as the New England village with the prison. So the name was conveniently changed. It moved from Walpole Prison to Cedar Junction. All in a name change!

That day I was on my way to, not Walpole Prison, but Cedar Junction. Just rolling the two words over my tongue made the drive more pleasant — "Cedar Junction." Sounds inviting, doesn’t it?

I had on a new jacket. At least it was new to me. Our church had a free clothing center. So the night before at prayer meeting, Mary Lou said to me, "Pastor, I was going through the clothing that just came in. There’s a really sharp jacket in there I think would fit you."

Sure enough. I tried it. It fit. And it was no shabby piece of thread. Actually, I pictured some rather well to do fellow casting off his attractive jacket for simply another new buy. I got the good part — his jacket leftover — and a clever fabric at that.

Dressed up in my "new" jacket, and off to Cedar Junction, my morning was falling right in line.

When getting to the prison, I knew the rules, having visited numerous prisoners prior. So I shed my jacket, putting it on a hook in the long hallway. Then, giving up my watch and keys and other basic objects, I walked through the metal detector. Fine.

With that, I joined the rather large crowd that had gathered that day. Lots of visitors. The inmates were no doubt eyeing the visiting room in their heads, wondering if they’d get a caller.

I spent some time with Mike, a new person in my book. Of course, I learned a long time ago not to get into detail as to why an individual is in prison. That’s just not courteous. But I never found it difficult finding a myriad of other subjects. Therefore, the time went by quite interestingly — at least for me. And I believe it was for him as well.

After our time together, I once more walked with the others out into the hallway. Now we were on our way to freedom — home or wherever. Anywhere but inside the prison house. Not a very happy environs. Not, for sure.

I noted the woman guard ushering everyone to the exit door but me. Quickly, as if a master sergeant, she pointed her index finger in my direction. With crisp orders she chirped: "Sit over there."

I did. Believe me, I always did what I was told when walking toward the prison, entering the prison, in the prison, and exiting the prison. Yes, even in the parking lot one walked circumspectly. There were armed guards in towers perched skyhiked. So, a word to the wise. . .

Anyhow, I sat pronto on a little bench in the hallway while the female in uniform left me. She strutted to the other end of the narrow confines and then disappeared.

What were they holding me for? Everyone else had disappeared, like water down the drain. Just me, the good pastor of Walpole, sat there in solo.

In a few minutes, the henchwoman opened the far end door. She peered at me as if I were a worm near ground cover. "Come here." With that, I rose to my feet, walked toward her uniformed authority, and waited for the crime read.

Yet she did not say a word. Instead, she pointed me to a window with a shade. The shade flew up. Another guard — male — sat on the other side of that pane. He had not a smile upon his countenance. Not a one. He stared at me. He called through the speaker system into that narrow hallway.

"Do you know what we found in your jacket?" he bellowed.

"No."

I felt like a naughty urchin at the principal’s office. My knees buckled. My face flushed. My palms turned glassy with sweat. And my heart, young at that time, was leaping out for parking lot freedom.

"Look here." He pointed to a piece of paper on his desk. There in the middle of the paper was a mound of something.

"What’s that?" I asked politely.

"Weed. We found weed in your jacket. You can’t bring weed into a prison. Don’t you know that??"

I could have keeled over and said my final prayers. Weed? The pastor with weed? I figured he didn’t mean dandelions or wild grass.

"I can tell you what happened, sir!"

So with that I proceeded to tell him that I was a pastor at the church in the village, had overseen prayer meeting the night before when Mary Lou told me there was a nice jacket in the free clothing center that she thought would fit me. I tried it on. It fit. I figured that if going to the prison that morning I could try on my new jacket, I’d do just that. And that’s how the jacket came to be on my back, then on the prison hook, and now in his office.

In other words, I had never felt in the jacket pockets. Never. I did not know then there was weed in one of those pockets. Evidently the prior owner was not only some chic chap but also into drugs of a sort or two or whatever. But as for the good pastor, nix.

Would the grouch guard however believe that cock and bull story or what? Yet it was the gospel truth. I knew it. God knew it. But would he buy it? Prayer meeting? Clothing center? Mary Lou? Pastor? New-to-me threads? Nary a pocket felt?

He turned away from me. I stood all alone in the narrow hallway, not even the female guard there to stare me down. He lifted his phone. I could not hear a word. He shut off the system. Who was he calling? He didn’t know my district super. He did not know how to reach my wife. He had no contact related to me in the whole wide world. Who was he talking to?

In what seemed to be an eternity plus some, he put down the phone, opened up a shoot in the wall, shoved my jacket in it, then pushed it through to my sweaty palms.

"I just talked to my superior," he bellowed.

I thought: "And yes, I’ve been talking to my Superior, too."

"He says you can have your jacket and get out of here. If this ever happens again we’re taking you to court." (Several days later I got a letter on prison letterhead from the "superior" stating same. They meant biz).

I grabbed the jacket. Went through several more mechanical doors. And flew for my car. Turned on the ignition and got out of that parking lot as fast as a driver could muster considering armed guards positioned in cages in the sky.

Now there’s an old-time hymn that I’ve sung since a kid. I sang it — car windows wide open — all the way home. It goes like this: "Glorious freedom, wonderful freedom. No more in chains of sin I repine! Jesus, the glorious Emancipator, Now and forever, He shall be mine."

Ask me if I believe in miracles. The answer? I do.

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BUSH STANDS FOR LIFE, NOT DEATH: TERRI SCHIAVO

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

The consistency is there. It’s strong. It’s unbending. It’s characteristic of the President of the most powerful nation on Earth.

George W. Bush states to the world that life comes first and last. We are not a nation given to killing. We help, not harm. We are here on this planet to do all possible to keep mortals alive.

We are not here to make life convenient. Life is made up of triumphs and tragedy. Those who want only triumphs live in their fantasies. Those who confront here a spiritually damaged sphere are the realists. Those who are compassionate realists then join the President in championing life.

Therefore when it comes to Terri Schiavo, the President keeps to his ethic. It’s a biblical morality base. It’s what he’s known for. He has pronounced time and again that his position regarding life is to defend it. Therefore, he’s the pro-life President. If that relates to the unborn babies in females’ wombs, so be it. If that relates to the complexities of the Schiavo situation, so be it. Above all, life is precious and must be preserved by all measures.

There are countries bent on convenience as top priority. Therefore, if the disabled, crippled or weak get in the way of convenience, it is quite "ethical" to dismiss those human beings from the mortal family. In other words, there are those who discount completely, not only the traditional ethic, but the biblical ethic for their own immoral relativism.

Mr. Bush does not adhere to a immoral relativism. Being a professed Christian, his morality is not written by his own whim. His ethic is grounded in the Judeo-Christian divine revelation known as the Holy Scripture.

Therefore, without apology, the President reaches a very simple conclusion on the Schiavo matter.

Consequently, to the media in these crucial hours Mr. Bush states: "The case of Terri Schiavo raises complex issues. Yet in instances like this one, where there are serious questions and substantial doubts, our society, our laws and our courts should have a presumption in favor of life. Those who live at the mercy of others deserve our special care and concern."

". . .a presumption in favor of life."

Once that principle is whittled away at, then anything goes. Once that ethic is compromised, the nth is the end. Unravel one threat of that principle and death is at the close of that countdown. To begin the unraveling and not follow it through to its death conclusion is cowardly and illogical. Reason states that beginning with a premise should journey all the way to its conclusion.

However, keeping to that biblical ethic likewise leads to its logical conclusion — life.

Consequently, in this whole matter related to Schivao, it’s life or death. This is the stark reality confronting all who are aware of the complexities. Yet behind and above, to the right and left of the complexities, is a simple confrontation: life versus death.

Thank God we have a powerful President of a mighty nation who refuses to waffle, to compromise, to rationalize when it comes to defending all life. He remains firm in his conviction which means that life still champions finalities as long as he is President of the United States of America.

Thank you, Mr. Bush.

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I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES: BABY BRANDON

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Michael was such a handsome fellow. I think he had the broadest, most sincere smile I have ever seen.

I remember my teen friend working out at the "Y". He was lifting weights. His T shirt was off. He looked down at his slender teen arms and complained, "They're so skinny. I've got to get some muscle." What he did not realize is that the arms were not skinny; they were trim, perfect. I thought, "Beauty is wasted on the young, for sure."

At school I helped him with his English — how to construct a paragraph that made sense. It was for his journal. Or it was to prepare a book report.

Talk about Maine's Lakes Region having some of the most promising youths! It is true. That fellow was one of them. But he was also troubled about many things. Like where he was going to sleep, where he was going to eat.
There was no real family, no actual home for Michael.

Once I met a neighbor who had taken him to his apartment. The youth slept on the couch. "That's fine with me,"
Michael informed me without a trace of grimace. But after awhile, he wore out his welcome there. He was like many other teens — bad days and good days.

"I've signed it!" he shouted as he ran toward me with the state form. He had filled it out — now emancipated from any parent or guardian. Emancipation papers — legal. Freedom! On his own. Could sign his own signature without having to get permission.

I thought, "Freedom? Where is all this finally going to lead?" Michael, oh, Michael.

One morning he fell into a really nasty day in class. That was not all that unusual at the alternative learning school where I taught. With that, he stormed out of the building, never to return. Months passed. I wondered about that young man with the broadest smile.

Then I learned he had a baby to Sharna. That would be one difficult bundle to handle, I thought. Baby. Teen girl friend. Michael but a mid-teen himself. Little or no money. No loving, caring family for support.

Michael, Sharna and little Brandon were trying to make a go of it bunking out in a local motel room. Imagine!
One evening he and Sharna had a fight. The baby was flung against the wall. Thankfully, the child was not hurt; but Sharna took the little one, went home to her parents and told Michael to lay low till he got his act together.

One afternoon I parked outside our village post office. Walking toward me was none other than my friend! "Grant!" he called out. With that he ran toward me, picked me up into the air with his manly hug, greeting me with that ever-present winning smile. Michael, the ever-cheerful Michael.

"So what's up?" I asked.

Well, this and that, but no steady job, a bit of a hassle regarding some relationships, not certain about a few other life basics. Hopefully he’d get back with Sharna, but nothing definite. He missed seeing the baby as often as he would like to. Once in awhile was the frequency, per Sharna’s stipulations.

Then one day at school, the phone rang. I picked it up. It was his familiar voice. It did not take long for me to garner the true facts; life was not spelling out a happy camper's tale.

Typical of Michael, he kept his voice sounding confident. He promised things would make a turn around. He was staying in a trailer. "Are you warm?"

"Yes, it's very warm." So he at least was warm in winter.

And Sharna?

"She told me I can’t see the baby any more." They had another squabble. Yet the baby boy was all Michael had. "She told me I can’t see the baby any more." That echoed over and over in my head: ". . .any more. . .any more. . .any more."

The next time I heard about Michael, late one Saturday night on Route 302 he'd darted in front of a car. Preparing for his final moment, he’d left a note in his pocket. No child left in his life. No girl friend. No family. No one, really. But especially never to see his son again.

Those English sentences, that journal, our mountain climb, his post office welcome, the last time I heard his voice on the phone — it all came rushing over me. It was one heavy burden.

"What more could I have done to rescue him?" I ask myself over and over. If I could go back in time, I would tell him he could bunk out at our place. I could try something more. It's just that all that's gone now. Totally gone.

One morning I was determined to find out where the baby lived. I did not know for certain but I figured I could feel my way out into the countryside.

Somewhere out there was a trailer where a girl friend and child lived with her parents. If only I could pull out of my memory seeing that trailer several years before. What road was it? What turn?

Eventually, I came upon a company sign. "That’s it. It’s down that road, I think." I followed my Guide. Sure enough, to my right was a trailer. Lonely, but there, nevertheless. Parking the car, I gingerly approached the front door, gently knocked.

Presently, a woman answered. "I’m looking for Brandon, a little baby, not so little any more, I suppose."

She, Sharna’s mother, smiled broadly. We had never met. But she immediately responded: "I knew you would come. I know who you are. You’re Pastor Swank."

With that, she welcomed me inside most warmly. Yes, Brandon was safe and growing nicely. Sharna was doing well, too. Then tears flooded her eyes. And as for Michael?

We both knew he had left us. The handsome young man with the broadest smile forever gone. Totally Gone.

We talked a bit more and then I asked if I could offer a prayer to God. It was one of the most difficult prayers I have ever attempted. But it was all I had.

Driving away, my heart sank. Tears streamed down my cheeks. Memories streamed across my mind’s screen. Such a burden. Such a weight. Michael had left us.

Crying, I had a residue left. It was not Michael, sadly, but it was something, someone. It was a connection to his baby boy. And so with that in my soul I thanked the Lord for His guiding hand.

Even in such a tragic plight, there was still mending to do. And in that I felt I’d come upon a miracle of binding up the wounds.

INDONESIA: CHRISTIANS OUT!

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Why?

There may be several reasons. One is that authorities claim that some Christian groups have been too aggressive with their Christian message in a Muslim environs. This cannot be tolerated by zealot Muslims. It is not welcomed by others who feel relief work in a tsunami-ravaged area is not the place to evangelize.

Another reason: Indonesia has a record of persecuting and executing Christians. Therefore, there is not a cordial backdrop toward Christians even prior to the tsunami disaster. Further, with the Christian presence very much there on turf, it may be that records of atrocities committed against Christians in the past could surface in greater detail.

Another reason: it may be that authorities want to wipe the slate clean of all helping groups in order to restart. In restarting authorities would then pick and choose more specifically those groups they want to help. That would mean pointedly informing certain religious groups that they are no longer welcome and opening the doors to those agencies having no religious message on their agenda.

According to The Washington Times’ Sharon Behn, "Christian groups and some other private relief agencies are being asked to halt their work in the tsunami-ravaged Indonesian province of Aceh and leave the area by March 26, Indonesia's defense minister said yesterday.

"The decision likely will target Western and smaller church groups as the government moves to tighten control over reconstruction work in Aceh, the home of a decades-old separatist insurgency.

"Bruce Campbell-Janz of the Christian Reformed World Relief program said there were some things Christian relief groups can do ‘to increase [their] validity in the eyes of the government. ... There needs to be significant sensitivity around religious issues.’ Mr. Campbell-Janz said he had heard reports of some Christian agencies setting up large banners with Christian references, something he said would be considered disrespectful."

"Human Rights Watch has said that both sides in the conflict have violated human rights with impunity. The organization has documented the security forces' role in extrajudicial executions, ‘disappearances’ and torture, as well as the separatists' role in killings, unlawful detentions and forced expulsions."

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EPISCOPAL BISHOP GRISWOLD: BIBLICAL BELIEVERS ARE LIKE THE DEVIL

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

It’s getting hot. Hotter than hell? Well, maybe. And that’s upping the temp when coming to the Episcopal fight going on right now.

It’s not a sweet rectory meeting. It’s not a nicey-nice doily tea. It’s that which could cause more of a wrenching cleavage than heretofore within the worldwide Anglican Communion.

While the American Episcopal Church goes its immoral way of confessing the homosexual lifestyle as divinely blessed, it then turns on biblical Episcopalians within its ranks as being of "the devil," according to the Episcopal publication, the Living Church, reports Julia Duin of The Washington Times.

Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, head of the 2.3-million-member Episcopal Church, told fellow clergy at a recent conclave that when biblically-grounded Anglican leadership met recently at the Northern Ireland conference, the latter was "’out for blood’ and (Griswold) likened six conservative Episcopalians to the devil.

"The six, all of whom were in Northern Ireland during the meeting, were Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan; Canon Bill Atwood, general secretary of the Ekklesia Society in Texas; the Rev. Martyn Minns, rector of Truro Episcopal Church in Fairfax; the Rev. David Anderson, president of the American Anglican Council in Atlanta; the Rev. Kendall Harmon, canon theologian of the Diocese of South Carolina; and Diane Knippers, president of the Institute for Religion and Democracy in the District and a member of Truro."

Anglicans who regard the Bible as divine revelation are outraged that the American Episcopal Church, part of the Anglican global church, would be so blasphemous as to honor homosexual unions of any kind that it is threatening to rid the Anglican body of the American presence. The biblical believers cannot stomach being a part of the apostasy and therefore want to cut off those disobedient to Scripture.

There are scores of laypersons within the American Episcopal Church who feel the same. However, they are betwixt and between. Where do they then go? So they want in. Yet they want out.

If they stay in, they’ve got the familiar — the church building, the rectory, the fellowship hall, the ritual and their friends. If they leave, they’re wanderers in search of a loving, biblical congregation. It’s not easy being a biblical believer within the American Episcopal framework these days.

The same can be said for biblical clergy in particular. But more is involved with them. If they stay, they are a part of the apostasy by association. If they leave, they lose their home, salary, health coverage and any other employment necessities attached to the ministerial position.

Yet the biblical laity and clergy are doing something. Some of them have left. I know of one former Episcopal Church near where I live that pulled out of the denomination because of the theologically liberal contingent here in Maine. They are now a part of a biblically aligned Anglican-tradition church headquartered in America. With that, I note that they have taken any notation of "Episcopal" off their church sign. They do not want any association with the American Episcopal Church. So it goes with scores of others — laity, clergy and congregations.

To stay with the American Episcopal arrangement is a painful journey for those who are convicted that God has spoken eternal truth in His Word. The journey is a daily and weekly reminder that the church believers once considered "home" is no longer home but has turned into "enemy territory." Suspicions fly through the air. It’s like living in the foe’s stronghold.

I have received a number of inquiries from Episcopal laypersons asking "What should we do?" They can’t stand to live with the rank evil propagated by their spiritually fallen clergy and yet they just can hardly think of leaving locally what they have come to regard as Their Turf.

At the recent American Episcopal leadership meeting, there was hostility rampant. There were severe words exchanged. And so the conclusion was that for a year there will be a "moratorium" on "consecrating all bishops, saying such a refusal was preferable to discriminating against ‘our gay brothers and lesbian sisters.’"

Thus the deliberately sinful march continues downward, and more downward. With that kind of language, the American Episcopal leadership is pulling itself further and further away from the Anglican world body of biblical believers. And further and further away from the will of God.

With that kind of action, biblical believers simply regard the American body as attempting to bide time in its own power play plots. Instead of bowing to biblical truth and repenting of its sin, the American church stalls for time, fights with biblical believers, and claims the high road for spiritual truth.

In short, the Anglican Communion is in one hellish stew. And that’s not the usual image that the Episcopal / Anglican Communion likes to project to the world.

Nevertheless, it’s true.

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I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES: EASTER LEAVES

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

"What shall we give to world missions this Easter?" one of our children asked us after Sunday worship.

Those in the congregation were looking forward to the annual ingathering for missions support around the globe. Believers were planning to give largely and sacrificially.

"What is it that we usually give?" my wife asked the children.

"You and Dad give a week's salary, don't you?"

"That's right. But all of us in the family help in that giving, remember?"

So true. Everyone counted up pennies, nickels and dimes, even some greenbacks, in an attempt to make the world missions offering quite special from our household.

We projected our missions offering weeks in advance so that it would not catch us unawares. In that way, the giving did not cause too much of a squeeze; however, we did want to feel the pinch so that we could realize that our giving was sacrificial.

"It is rewarding to see the children setting aside some ice cream money, a roller skating rink ticket amount and some candy dimes," I pondered one evening after the children had gone to bed. They were doing their part. My wife and I hoped that it would be one more learning process in knowing that one cannot outgive God.

I had read that one writer believed that our affluent society had taken present-day money-hunger "over the line" into being psychotic; he pointed out that we had simply gone over the bounds in spending, most of it needlessly.
We had worked against that in our Christian home. We did not want our next generation to grow up with their priorities other than the Bible's. So it was that we constantly put before our children God's way of managing money, beginning with giving Him His tithe weekly, and then adding to that our love gifts besides.

"How are we doing?" my son asked me one week before the missions offering was to be received at church.

"We are fifteen dollars short," I explained realistically.

"Where are we going to get it?" was the next question. And it was a good one. I simply did not know how we could come up with that last fifteen dollars in order to make our commitment. So I left his inquiry unanswered until God showed us how to do it.

One evening that week I looked at our check book to realize that it would be a matter of hours until I would write out that missions check for the sanctuary offering plate. I did not want us to fall short. We had always given a week's salary; so there would be no slipping back this time.

I recalled over a quarter of a century before when my wife and I were first married. It was then that we covenanted with God to give that week's salary to missions. What a start we had one morning when being invited to lunch with some parishioners new to the congregation.

"Here, I want you to read this. It's a very good book," the hostess said as she passed me a hardback upon leaving her home that sunny afternoon.

I thanked her, got into the car and handed the book to my wife. She leafed through it, noting an envelope dropping from its pages. Inside that crisp, white envelope was a friendship card that held a check for the amount we needed to make up our missions giving that year.

What a surprise! And yet it was that beginning which proved an on-going adventure in faith with God. He had never let us down.

Therefore, one morning after taking the children to school, I felt a strong urge to get a large trash bag from the garage. With that in hand, I walked out of the house toward an empty lot beside our house, intending to pick up debris which had been collecting over the previous weeks.

As I stooped over to pick up a piece of newspaper that had flown against some thorn bushes, my eye caught sight of what looked to be money. "Must be play money!" was my immediate thought. So I took a second look.

It was a dollar bill. I picked it up, noting that it had been wedged between some wet leaves. I had to handle it carefully for it was about to tear apart because of the damage done to it by the weather.

Gingerly peeling back the dollar, I noted a second one-dollar bill beneath the first. And underneath that was a five-dollar bill. And underneath that was a ten-dollar bill! Seventeen dollars total!

I ran back into the house where my wife was baking cookies.

Without saying a word, I placed the decomposing bills in the center of the kitchen table. She turned around from the sink, walked slowly toward the table and said, "What is that?"

"I found it outside, beneath some leaves. Seventeen dollars in all."

She started to smile, the two of us thinking the same thoughts. God had indeed hidden his treasure, His wonderful blessing among the leaves--wet and gooey as they were.

"We have our fifteen dollars for the missions offering," she said, laughing with thanksgiving between each word.

"And two more dollars besides," I responded. "God gives just a little extra to prove His outlandish love for the children who love Him, too. He adds a bonus to remind us of His promise to supply all our need according to those riches in heaven provided by Jesus."

What a happy family we were that next Sunday when it came time to worship Him with our offerings!

But more: "I can't wait to tell everyone at school tomorrow," my daughter exclaimed when she came home from classes to learn of the finding. My son agreed he was going to share the good news with his pals, too.

I was glad then not only for the surprise blessing from above but the assurance that God was indeed teaching our children the lesson of giving with cheerful and faith-filled hearts.

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TRUST? EGYPT SUPPLIES GAZA WITH WEAPONS+

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Is Egypt fooling world leaders by being coy and quiet? Could very well be.

That’s the opinion of not only Israeli leadership but others, including the United States. Egypt all the while wears the gentleman’s face. However, can Egypt truly be trusted in anything when it has been discovered that Egypt supplies weaponry to Gaza Strip Palestinians just as surely as Syria does to Hizbullah, according to Arutz Sheva / InternationalNationalNews.com.

Egypt also was instrumental in supplying weapons to Saddam Hussein. Iraq used those means by which to slaughter thousands.

"The UN inspectors say their findings were confirmed over and over again by hard evidence and ‘frank and honest Egyptian scientists.’ They say they never announced the Egyptian connection in order to maintain Egyptian cooperation in future investigations. "Some Israeli officials have long warned against Israeli indifference to Egypt's stockpiling of dangerous weapons. MK Yuval Shteinitz, for instance, who is Chairman of the Knesset Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee, said last year that the Egyptians continue to allow arms-smuggling to Gaza because they are interested in the continuation of the Israeli -Palestinian conflict. ‘Egypt's policy is just like Syria's arming of Hizbullah,’ Shteinitz said, ‘except that the Egyptians do it more quietly.’"

Egypt plays the cool game. Its leadership maintains cordial contact with free countries as well as despotic regimes. Egyptian leadership has kept up a civil appearance while dealing underhanded against Israel, some believe for Israel’s eventual destruction."The estimated amounts of arms and explosives smuggled in to Gaza in the past four years are: 2,000 kilograms of explosives, 6,700 Kalachnikov rifles (including 5,000 since 2003), 750 anti-tank shell launchers, 33 mortars, 18 submachine guns, 5 anti-aircraft missiles, 580,000 bullets, and dozens of rocket propelled grenades(RPGs)."

How then can Egypt be trusted by anybody championing democracy planting worldwide? How can any free nation genuinely trust Egypt in the Bush administration’s freedom spread?

Arutz News headlines today read: "Egypt Found to Have Developed Chemical Weapons For Iraq."

Egypt supported Hussein in chemical weaponry. And this is according to the US CIA report. Poison gas was manufactured by Egyptian specialists for Iraqi use. Hussein implemented that to gas Iranians and Kurds. Egypt received $12 million from Iraq in the deal. Egypt also provided necessary "consultation, technology and oversight" concerning the materials.

"Iraqis used mustard gas, sarin and other chemical agents against the Iranians during the lengthy Iran-Iraq war. In 1988, Iraqi aircraft dropped sarin and mustard gas on Iranian-held villages in Iraqi Kurdistan, killing up to 5,000 Iraqi Kurdish civilians." Egypt maintained a critical connection in all of this carnage.

Question: Can Egypt be trusted present-tense in anything freedom-worthy?

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NEW IRAQ’S ANOTHER ‘GREAT DAY’ : NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Today is a glad day. It is also a sad day.

It is a sad day for on this date in 1988 Saddam Hussein slew over 5000 human beings. His chemical attack laid low those in the northern Kurdish town of Halabja. It is painfully remembered.

It is a glad day because the "first freely elected parliament in half a century began its opening session" in New Iraq, according to AP reports from Baghdad. Further, Hussein is held captive in his own prison confines.

Though murderers global attempted to thwart the democracy planting assembly, they were not successful in undoing the momentous occasion. Instead, resolve hardened within the company of the freedom committed.

"’It is a great day in Iraqi history that its elected representatives meet,’ said Fuad Masoum, a Kurdish delegate."

Parliament’s 275 members gathered. These persons were elected on the historic January 30 Victory Vote. While killers international waged attacks to threaten the citizenry, voters cast their ballots jubilantly, determinedly. This was in follow through to Iraqi Freedom Operation’s three-week-win war less than two years before the historic ballot cast. It’s stunningly amazing and reasonable cause for the free world to celebrate grandly.

It is also reason for deserved credit to be extended to the United States President George W. Bush who persevered against seemingly formidable odds. While Mr. Bush was seeking to release millions from the bloody regime of Hussein, countries enjoying daily liberties cowered before Hussein or blatantly resisted Mr. Bush’s advance for freedom in Iraq. Democrats at home did the same — daily, at times using hate speech in their own threatening rhetoric.

However, Mr. Bush and his administration kept the course. Because of that, today the New Iraq National Assembly gathers to experience personally their own politic, their own freedom to speak, their own chance at a liberty-grounded future.

"The parliament's 275 members convened in an auditorium amid tight security in the heavily guarded Green Zone with U.S. helicopter gunships hovering overhead.

"Delegate Fuad Masoum said: ‘Today, on this occasion, we celebrate the inauguration of parliament after the fall of (Saddam Hussein’s) regime.’

"Jalal Talabani, the Kurdish leader who will probably become Iraq's next president, said deputies ‘all have a duty to achieve real national unity."

Thank you, Mr. Bush.

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BUSH OPTIMISTIC ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN SAUDI ARABIA, VIETNAM, ERITREA

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

These three countries are particularized in the latest move by President George W. Bush to provide religious freedom.

"’Freedom of religion does not exist’ in Saudi Arabia. Freedom of religion is not recognized or protected under the country's laws, and basic religious freedoms are denied to all but those who adhere to the state-sanctioned version of Sunni Islam. . .Frequent instances in which mosque preachers, whose salaries were paid by the government, used violent anti-Jewish and anti-Christian language in their sermons.’" That’s the news from The Washington Times’ Nicholas Kralev regarding the latest government report.

"On Vietnam, the report said ‘respect for religious freedom remained poor or deteriorated for some groups, notably ethnic minority Protestants and some independent Buddhists, though it slightly improved for many practitioners.’ John Hanford, the State Department's ambassador at large for international religious freedom, recently visited Vietnam and was encouraged by the steps the government there was willing to take. In September, Mr. Hanford said he was ‘especially troubled by government-sponsored forced renunciations of faith’ in Vietnam. ‘The sort of issues that made us feel that Vietnam deserved designation would include the number of religious prisoners.’"

"In Eritrea, ‘the government monitored, harassed, arrested and detained members of Pentecostal, independent Evangelical groups, the Eritrean Orthodox Church and Jehovah's Witnesses. There were also numerous reports of physical torture and attempts at forced recantations. There were numerous credible reports that over 400 members of non-sanctioned religious groups had been detained or imprisoned," the report stated.
Mr. Bush continues to move cautiously in the area of religious freedom in other countries. However, Mr. Bush and colleagues state to media that they are increasingly optimistic.

"’We are close to arrangements that respond to issues raised in the report, and we think that, with a little bit more time, we can take care of some of the issues that were problematic for us,’ State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said."

Other countries monitored closely for religious persecution include Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Burma and China.

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DEMS SHUT DOWN CONGRESS. THESE ARE THE ONES REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE?

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Dems say our country is divided, has to be united. It’s time to reach across the aisle for the nation’s good. Dems claim Republicans shut down common sense and genuine patriotism to remake the United States into an antiquated morality clique.

Of course, it’s the Republicans’ fault. GWB doesn’t have a clue. And the nation is on the slice through.

Then how do Dems have the face to shut down Congress?

That’s exactly what they are intending to do, starting now. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid "made the threat in a letter to Majority Leader Bill Frist," according to Charles Hurt of The Washington Times.

Threat? Yes, threat. On paper. In public.

So what’s irking the uniting, flag waving, ethical Dems? The filibuster. That’s what. They want the filibuster so they can talk like fools into the night, into the night, into the night, sleep on cots and waste taxpayers’ money on Congress turned into a day care center. While the world burns, Dems block Congressional action by clogging up crucial business with the worn, infantile game called "filibuster."

So since the Dems can’t get their way on the talk machine, they’re not going to do anything for America in THE legislative building of the nation. Of course, if matters have to do with military or troops or something like staving off missiles, they’ll shut up and behave as adults. But if anything else comes to the fore — like Mr. Bush’s judicial nominees — then back to day care.

I hope voters remember this for a long, long time into the next eon. In the meantime, may every grassroots Dem hang his and her head in utter shame. Their reps are acting like spoiled urchins in the alley for the world to be privy to the sight. This is absolutely disgraceful.

Reid wrote: ". . .we will be reluctant to enter into any consent agreement that facilitates Senate activities, even on routine matters." So there, Republicans. So there. And so there, local citizen. So there.

Reid not only sent the letter to Frist but made a public donkey of himself on the steps of Congress, 35 other donkeys hunched alongside him. On those marble steps Reid read his letter aloud. "We would decline to provide such cooperation in the future if you implement the nuclear option."

The nuclear option: Frist’s 51 votes that would "force the nominees through the Senate on a simple majority vote."

Frist has that many votes ready to do legitimate business in Congress instead of that body enduring stymieing by Dems yapping away for hours ad infinitum, gawking minute by minute to TV cameras their low-brow approach to governing America.

One Dem had the decency to call the Dem mouth-off as being nothing other than "the power of arrogance." Well, at least one Dem has got to the root of the Dem demented motive in this flapping circus. It is just that: the power of arrogance in place of the power to govern.

According to Senator Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, the realistic chances are that all nominees to the federal bench will get the YES vote finally. It’s just that Dems want to fist fight the way through.

Is that the way to behave in Congress? Is that what it means to take the oath of office? "’Senator Reid's threat may inspire the Michael Moore wing of his party, but it will anger and confuse mainstream Americans,’ Coburn said."

"Sen. George Allen, Virginia Republican and recent National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman, said Democrats ‘ought to learn a lesson’ from last year's election defeat of Minority Leader Tom Daschle, in part because Republicans tarred him as an ‘obstructionist.’"

Question: do Dem brain cells at present have the facility by which "to learn a lesson?" Answer: Not if they’re determined to run a day care and call it "Congress."

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HARVARD REMAINS AS NARROW-MINDED AS EVER: POOR PRESIDENT SUMMERS

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Harvard, proclaiming itself as the broadminded academic center of the globe, actually is an extremely narrow-minded academic community. Its braggadocio is bogus tripe. That’s a long-standing truth recognized by those who have been lambasted by the narrow-minded crew, beginning with faculty and going all the way "down" to student-in-desk.

The reason is generic. What goes for narrow-minded Harvard goes for liberals by and large. It is that political and / or religious liberals are so utterly boastful on how open they are to all views that they really rule the roost for hypocrisy. Just try disagreeing with their "broadmindedness" and see how patient they are, how understanding they are, how given to genuine dialogue they are.

They are not. They fume. They buckle. They rant. They stomp. They sneer. They pout. They wiggle up their noses and twist their tongues and breathe heavily as if ready to snort.

Now none of that fits in with their fabricated smooth voices, contrived cultural image, and intelligence quotients worn on their sleeves, foreheads and all about the rest of their personas in residence. But it is fact. They can be exceptionally crude, given to cursing when crossed, and not at all kind mannered when tested on their
hypotheses.

Take for instance a green horn student in the Harvard Divinity School questioning Genesis, chapter 1. Let us say that student speaks up in class to defend the historicity of Adam and Eve, that is, positing them to be actual homo sapiens Number One and Number Two. Further, positing that they actually walked and talked in a real Garden of Eden.

How long do you think that student would last as a highly regarded, intelligent member of the Divinity School community? How long do you think that subsequent questions such as the historicity of the flood in Noah’s Day and the historicity of Jonah in the large fish would hold him in regarded-highly-stead with faculty and students?

You see, there is a definite party line at Harvard. It is liberal liberal liberal a