The tide of our times is a very fascinating thing to watch in this remarkable hour in the history of our troubled planet. In the midst of it all, the Christian, untroubled and confident, walks with the assurance that God is still master of the affairs of men and that He will not allow His own to be touched beyond the extent of His precise and perfect will. “The things which happened to me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel” (Phil. 1:12) said the Apostle Paul from the comfort and safety of his prison cell. Paul is now in Heaven after his life of glorious spiritual adventure--now it is your turn and mine to further the Gospel.

What is it that these terrorists so hate about America? It is our freedom to come and go as we please. It is our freedom to worship in the manner that we see fit. It is the freedom to speak freely without fear of government oppression. It is the freedom to work hard in an environment of bright possibility, so that we might secure financial freedom for ourselves and for our families. They hate Western civilization itself, and especially, the way we have supported their avowed enemy, the nation of Israel.

If we are to be victorious over terrorism, we must not submit to the tyranny of terror. We must not allow our precious freedoms to be abridged. We must not give in to the temptation to despair and live in fear. They call it “TERRORism” because the goal of terrorists is to strike terror in the hearts of their victims. They want to traumatize our society and paralyze our economy by making people afraid to continue living their daily lives in freedom.

“‘In the [time] since terrorists struck America, the most surprising public appearance hasn’t been made by a political leader, or a grieving celebrity or a foreign dignitary,’ Wall Street Journal columnist Gerald F. Seib writes.

‘The most striking appearance on the national stage has been made by God,’ Mr. Seib said.

“Just one year after a presidential campaign in which the question of whether religious beliefs should be mingled with public life was heatedly debated, Americans have accepted virtually without question a very public turn to religion by their nation and its leaders in a time of grief.

“The most remarkable thing about this development is how unremarkable it has been. Howls of protest aren’t being heard. There is no suggestion of a constitutional crisis. The nation seems relieved by the turn to religion. All told, it’s clear that America can handle more religion in public life than cynics and critics contend.” (Reprinted from the Washington Times)

Across our present world, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being lifted as never before. Global radio and television are now reaching millions. Faithful missionaries continue to labor effectively and evangelism grows in marvelous fashion. The result is that tens of thousands of people are being won to faith in Jesus Christ every day. It is surely true that THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST is still the most viable institution on the face of the earth. Indeed, it is not an institution, it is an organism, the Body of Christ. I congratulate you for being a Christian! We who name the name of Christ are still the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Why should healthy people whose blood is “Clean” donate blood?

“Of all the people who are eligible to donate blood, only 5% do. If you’re eligible to donate, I encourage you to do so, along with all your eligible family and friends, in hopes that donations will go up and the FDA, at their next vote on donor restrictions, won’t drop the current safety precautions.

… Studies have shown that men who donate blood on a regular basis (2-3 times/year) have far less occurrences of heart attack, stroke, and other serious conditions. This is because most men have a little too much hemoglobin (iron), and periodically giving some of it away is very beneficial.” (Reprinted from The Issachar File)

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! May the blessed holiday season into which we are now moving be a most wonderful one for you! “In everything … with thanksgiving,” says the Word of God and that formula will not fail to bring encouragement and blessing to any heart. Even in a world like this one, we Christians can truly sing … “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you, what the Lord hath done.”