><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> FreEzine -FreEzine -FreEzine -FreEzine -FreEzine -FreEzine - ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Issue Vol 3 # 5 May 2002 ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> FreEzine is a free email magazine/newsletter containing articles of interest from a Christian perspective and is published no less than monthly. FreEzine is NOT Spam and is only sent to people who request it. If you ever want to stop (or start) receiving FreEzine you'll find instructions at the end of this newsletter. A special "hello" to all of our new subscribers. We welcome and appreciate feedback on how we can improve this e-zine for you. IF YOU FIND THIS NEWSLETTER USEFUL... ... PLEASE FORWARD IT TO FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES! ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> IN THIS ISSUE: Guest Editorial: Don't We All? Newsbreak: Expansion of Islamic Law What's On? Seminars & Workshops: Repeatable Quotable: Communication Article: Directions for Congregational Singing by John Wesley Havagiggle: Can You Say... The Extensive Exposition: Doubting God, by John Chapman The Funny Bone: Rules are Rules Split Second Wisdom: Love Reader's Write: We Often Wonder, Father Sermon Snippet 1: Preaching Certainty Sermon Snippet 2: Intuition Theologically speaking: Translation Readability Index Take a Hint: Have You Had A BP Check Lately? For the Children: A Child's Thank-you Prayer Freebies: FREE Scripture Memorisation Tool From My Case Files: The Wrong Finger Letters to the Editor: Who are you? Watch This Space Subscription & Other Information Penultimate: Of Turkeys and Doctrine The Last Word: Where Am I? The Back Page: Text Art ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> FreEzine -FreEzine -FreEzine -FreEzine -FreEzine -FreEzine ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Guest Editorial: Don't We All? By Andychap One evening I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a tramp. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of the "Don't want to be bothered" times. "I hope he doesn't ask me for money," I thought. He didn't. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop and he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a very nice car," he said. He was ragged but had an air of dignity around him. I said, "Thanks," and continued wiping off my car. He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, 'ask him if he needs any help.' I was sure that he would say yes, but I held true to the inner voice. "Do you need any help?" I asked. He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments. I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke three words that shook me. "Don't we all?" he said. I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help. Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that. You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see. Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that. Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves. Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a tramp, then said, "Go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help." "Don't We All?" -- Andychap ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Newsbreak: Expansion of Islamic Law A recently released report warns that the rapid spread of Sharia--or Islamic law--in Nigeria could provoke further inter-religious conflict. Over the past two years, thousands of people have been killed in violence prompted by the adoption of Sharia in 12 of Nigeria's 36 states. "The Talibanization of Nigeria: Sharia Law and Religious Freedom" is a 101-page report compiled by Freedom House, an international human rights organization. It notes that while Sharia has always existed in Nigeria's civil law, some Nigerian states are expanding Sharia jurisdiction to criminal law matters in ways that violate the country's constitution and international human rights standards. Christians in some states fear that the Sharia-based laws will be applied to them, and will produce an atmosphere of discrimination and "second class" status, creating the potential for violence. The report concludes that if left unchecked, the rapid spread of extreme Sharia could push Nigeria into civil war. "The majority of Muslims are moderate people of faith who promote peace," says Karim Bromund, director of inter-religious affairs for the Islamic Supreme Council of America. "While the Sharia is based on the Qur'an and prophet Mohammed's teachings, extremists' interpretation has led to confusion, and in some cases conflict." Bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon, Nigeria's more than 126 million citizens are made up of 50 percent Muslims, 40 percent Christians, and 10 percent followers of indigenous beliefs. -- Viola Hughes, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria (ANN Bulletin ) ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> What's On? Seminars & Workshops: For FREE lifestyle seminars in your area, locally, nationally & internationally, visit . ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Repeatable Quotable: Communication "What we call 'language' is, in fact, a formal collective of imprecise verbal signals that serve as oblique coefficients of intuitive states wedded to analytical and discursive figurations of thought and secondarily referential to perceived experience. This is why communication is so difficult." -- Dr Sandra Boynton, Don't Let The Turkeys Get You Down, Methuen, London, 1986, p35. ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><>? Aside: Knowing God "They that know Thee not may call upon Thee as other than Thou art, and so worship not Thee but a creature of their own fancy; therefore enlighten our minds that we may know Thee as Thou art, so that we may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise Thee." -- AW Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, Back to the Bible, Lincoln, NE: 1961, p 7 ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Article: Directions for Congregational Singing by John Wesley That this part of divine worship may be more acceptable to God, as well as more profitable to yourself and others, be careful to observe the following directions: - 1. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find a blessing. 2. Sing lustily, and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being, heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan. 3. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above, or distinct from, the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound. 4. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before, nor stay behind it; but attend closely to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can. And take care you sing not too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first. 5. Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to this, attend strictly to the sense of what you sing; and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve of here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven. --John Wesley, The Complete Works of John Wesley, Volume 14 Grammars, Music, Letters, p466 <> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Havagiggle: Can You Say... The longest place name in the world is: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. Yes, I am being serious -- and yes, that's all one word. It's the name of a hill on New Zealand's North Island. The name is a Maori word for "the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as land-eater, played his flute to his loved one." Now that is romantic! By contrast, the shortest place name in the world is U, one of the Caroline Islands. Interestingly, the college on the island of U is known as the U of U, and (predictably) they have a ewe for their mascot. -- Adapted from "Strange World," Campus Life, Vol. 53, no. 6 ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> The Extensive Exposition. Each issue we will make available a longer article available by email free to those who request it. This is to keep the FreEzine a readable length yet make available more in-depth material for those who are interested. Articles provided under this section do not always reflect totally the beliefs of the editor. In some issues more than one article will be available under this section and articles will need to be asked for by name to save confusion. We have no separate mailing list for the automatic email despatch of articles in The Extensive Exposition so a separate request will need to be made for each article. This month's article: Doubting God, by John Chapman. In the Garden of Eden, Eve doubted three things. In this article, John Chapman discusses these three things to help the reader avoid falling into the same doubting trap as Eve. Articles may be obtained free by writing to the editor and asking for the article by name. ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Aside: Now is the Day of Salvation Just as the Titanic was deemed unsinkable and was promised to be afloat forever, many people go through life thinking there is time to get right with God and serve the Lord after all the fun has been fulfilled, but that is a trick of the enemy. He will do anything to try to postpone your decision for Christ, so be alert of his evil devices and know that today is the accepted time for salvation (II Corinthians 6:2). -- Dwayne Savaya . ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> The Funny Bone: Rules are Rules Two attorneys went into a diner and ordered two drinks. Then they produced sandwiches from their briefcases and started to eat. The owner became quite concerned and marched over and told them, "You can't eat your own sandwiches in here!" The attorneys looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and then exchanged sandwiches. -- Anon (Editor's files) ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Split Second Wisdom: Love is the foundation of the world -- Italian poet Alighieri Dante (1265-1321 AD) ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Reader's Write: We Often Wonder, Father We often wonder, Father What's it all about? Why are we put upon this earth To fuss and rush about? There just has to be a reason Why You have made me With arms and legs and vocal chords Good ears and eyes to see. Are the arms to hold someone in need Give comfort, strength and love? Are the legs to carry me anywhere I'm sent by God above? Should I use my voice for gentle words Encouraging others on their walk? And use my ears for listening When others need to talk? Should I use my eyes to see the needs Of others before they ask? And use the gifts you've given me To lighten another's task? Yes, I think that's why I'm here, Lord, And I know without a doubt There's many things that I can do To help all those about. Please help me, Loving Jesus To be much more like You And never get tired or lazy For there's so much work to do. And while I'm busy to and fro Helping where I see the need Help me to always remember That you're looking after me! -- Terena Burger, Tasmania, Australia. If you have something you have written that you would like us to consider publishing, a free 60 page Style Guide is available online at , or from the Editor of this FreEzine. Submissions for FreEzine must not exceed 500 words and may be sent within the body of an email addressed to . ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Sermon Snippet 1: Preaching Certainty Imagine if John 3:16 was to read, "It is possible, even likely, that God so loved the world (or at least some of the world), that it appears that maybe there is a possibility that he gave his only begotten Son, which presumably implies that possibly whosoever believeth in Him (it seems) might not perish, but, in all likelihood, may probably have the most acceptable reward - perhaps, through chance, eternal life (although no explicit proclamation to this effect is available)" -- Expanded further by Lionel Hartley from an illustration by Dr Des Ford. ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Sermon Snippet 2: Intuition We know God exists due to man's intuition. All men of all ages have had a sense of God. There have been burial sites of hundreds of civilisations that have shown the people prepared their dead for the afterlife. Intuition is ". . .what the normal natural mind assumes to be true." -- Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, (John F Walvoord, editor), Wheaton: Victor Books, 1988, Vol. I, p 111 ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Theologically Speaking: Translation Readability Index For those who may be studying the Bible with people of different ages or possibly people with diminished mental capacity, here is a readability index for some of the more popular translations and paraphrases. King James Version - 14.0 years of education American Standard Version - 11.6 years of education New American Standard Bible - 11.3 years of education Revised Standard Version - 10.4 years of education Jerusalem Bible - 10.1 years of education Phillips Translation - 9.6 years of education New King James Version - 9.1 years of education New English Bible - 8.5 years of education Living Bible - 8.3 years of education New International Version - 7.8 years of education Today's English Version - 7.3 years of education International Children's Version - 3.9 years of education --Adapted from John Kohlenberger III, Which Bible Translation Is Best For Me?, Moody Monthly, May 1987. ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> For the Children: A Child's Thank-you Prayer Dear God, My kitten is so warm and snug Whether on the windowsill or rug I love to watch her night and day And for her safety, Lord, I pray. Thank you, God, for the warm snuggles of my kitten. Amen --Anon. ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Take a Hint: Have You Had A BP Check Lately? High blood pressure (hypertension) is often called "the silent killer." That's because for most people it produces no clear warning signs or symptoms at first. Too often, a person finds out that they have high blood pressure only when it has caused other health problems such as an heart attack. That's why regular blood pressure checks are vital. They can show whether your blood pressure is too high, well before other problems begin. A device called a sphygmomanometer measures blood pressure. It gives two readings: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. The systolic pressure is the number which is written on top, recorded when the heart beats and squeezes blood out to the rest of the body. The diastolic pressure (the bottom number) is recorded when the heart relaxes between beats and refills with blood. Since your blood pressure changes all the time, the first step is to find out if it's too high most of the time. Your doctor may take many readings during several weeks. But sometimes, just being in the doctor's office can raise your pressure, an effect so common that it has the name: "white-coat hypertension". If you and your doctor suspect this is happening, you may need to take home a device that records your blood pressure over a 24-hour period, or rent (or buy) a machine from a chemist. Doctors divide blood pressure into levels of risk. They define normal blood pressure as less than 130/85, but some experts think your risk for problems begins to go up even when your blood pressure is still "normal" but above the ideal of 110/70. The higher it is, the higher your risk for disease and the harder it is to bring down to healthier levels. When your blood pressure reaches Stage 1 (140/90) or goes higher, then you have what doctors call high blood pressure. They strongly urge lifestyle changes and perhaps treatment to bring it down. You may not be able to get it down to the ideal, but lowering it even a little will help. Take a hint. If you have not had your blood pressure checked recently, have it done as soon as it is practical. Experts recommend at least annually if your blood pressure readings are within the normal range, and more frequently if above (hypertension) or below (hypotension) normal. ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Freebies: FREE Scripture Memorisation Tool. Computer programme: InVerse 3.2.06 It comes with more than 2,400 pre-loaded verses in 360 passages. You can track your progress on each passage and overall. It automatically adjusts to provide for less-frequent recitation of mastered passages. There is extensive context information for each passage along with the correct reference, topic and translation. This tool is supported with frequent updates and a Yahoo e-group community with developer and peer users. -- A free 238.8K Download from . ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> From My Case Files: The Wrong Finger After three decades of counselling, your editor (a retired sociologist) sometimes ponders some of the things which have come up in counselling that, in retrospect, contain an element of humour. This feature section will be included from time to time to share some of these snippets. Names have been changed to protest privacy. Egbert complained that his wife Maggie always 'gets things back-to-front'. 'She even wears her wedding ring on the wrong finger!' he cited as an example. Maggie just sat there and smilingly replied, 'That's because I married the wrong man'. ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Letters to the Editor In reply to the reader who asked, "Who is Lionel Hartley?" a photograph and profile may be found on a number of sites on the World Wide Web, including: or ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Watch This Space: Future issues will include other sections not listed here. Why not write to us suggesting what you would like to see included. ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Subscription Information: (NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!) FreEzine is a Free ezine magazine/newsletter, published no less than monthly and sent out only to those who request it. As FreEzine uses an opt-in email list, we never buy or otherwise obtain email addresses. We have a strictly No Spam Policy. To subscribe, please send an email telling us where you heard about FreEzine, to and type SUBSCRIBE FREEZINE in the subject line. To change your email address, please send a blank message to and type ADDRESS CHANGE FREEZINE in the subject line. To unsubscribe, simply send a blank message (we invite your comments also) to and type UNSUBSCRIBE FREEZINE in the subject line. It is NOT necessary to access a website and/or go through a complicated ritual to unsubscribe from FreEzine! Privacy: Protecting your privacy is very important to us. We will not share, rent, sell, or exchange your e-mail address with a third party for any purpose. Unsubscribing permanently removes your name and address. A note on the format: Your editor has considered many possible formats, including a colourfully illustrated E-book, webpage, Portable Document Format (.pdf), etc. Reluctantly, plain text was chosen to make this ezine available to the greatest number of users - DOS, Windows(R), Macintosh, etc. Address all correspondence to the editor Please do not use "Reply To Sender" email option as this magazine may occasionally be sent out by a commercial or other distributor, unrelated to FreEzine. Free offers in FreEzine of CD-ROMs, Back issues, software, posters, additional articles, screensavers, etc. have a time limit which is normally until the issue of the next edition of FreEzine. Special exceptions are sometimes made. Contact the editor for information. In order to cater for a variety of tastes and beliefs, the content of FreEzine does not always reflect totally the beliefs of the editor. Contents of FreEzine are COPYRIGHT and we make every endeavour to acknowledge sources. You may freely quote from FreEzine PROVIDED is cited as a reference source. Occasional contributions from Good News Australia are used with permission. YOUR contributions and comments most welcome. E&OE PS. This could be your next home: Check out ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> Penultimate: Of Turkeys and Doctrine "When a cook prepares a turkey for Thanksgiving, first he kills it and then he stuffs it with whatever he fancies. Doctrinal errors are started just like that; when someone takes a verse of Scripture, kills it stone dead, and then stuffs the verse with whatever he fancies." -- Dr Desmond Ford, Riverside Meeting May 1989 ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> The Last Word: Where Am I? I am lost! I have gone to look for myself. If I should return before I get back, Please ask me to wait. Thank you. -- Kathy Collard Miller, God's Vitamin C for the Spirit of Women, Strand Publishing, Sydney, 1998, p135 (Available from ). ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> : <>< : ><> The Back Page: Text Art When your editor first started FreEzine, he considered many possible formats, including a colourfully illustrated E-book, webpage, Portable Document Format (.pdf), etc. Reluctantly, plain text was chosen to make the ezine available to the greatest number of users - DOS, Windows(R), Macintosh, etc. Over time a few readers have been frustrated with this decision, however a survey of a randomly selected group of readers confirmed the need to remain with the plain text format. Plain text normally excludes the possibility of illustrating the magazine with pictures, unless we use what is known as 'text-art' or 'ASCII-art'*. As some readers enjoy the challenge of this art form, we plan to trial a section at the end of each issue where readers can contribute their artwork. Contributions should be sent to the editor and should not exceed 50 lines in length. Text-art is best viewed in the 12 point Courier font (you may wish to squint your eyes also). (*ASCII stands for the American Standard Code for Information Interchange.) This month's drawing is 'The Church', by Normand Veilleux. + | ,|, ||| / | \ | | | | | | / | \ | | | | | \ / \ | | | | | | \ / | | 8 | | | ""8"" / | \ 8 / \ ,\ ,d8888888888888|========|="" | ,d" "88888888888| ,aa, | a | ,d" "888888888| 8 8 | 8 | ,d8888888b, "8888888| 8aa8 | 8,| ,d" "8888888b, "88888|========|="" | ,d" "8888888b, "888| a a | a | ,d" ,aa, "8888888b, "8| 8 8 | 8,| /| d" "b |""""""| |========|="" | | 8 8 | | | ,aa, | a | | 8aaaa8 | | | 8 8 | 8 | | | | | """" | ,,=| |aaaaaaaaaaaaaa|======"""""""""""""""""