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January 24, 2007 Mini Edition by Joseph  Harris    Number 169      
                                                         
        The Wickedness of Nothingness
 
     The English philosopher and politician Edmund Burke once said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."  This often used quote from the 18th century is still true today.  Look at this spiritual parallel in a parable from Jesus found in Matthew 25:14-30, as I borrow, then expand upon a few thoughts from Harold Leytham and Danny Cresswell.
     A master left different numbers of talents with three stewards, with expectations for all.  The first two multiplied their talents, but the third steward buried his so he could return it to his master.  Upon returning, the master was displeased, because he had expectations and they were not fulfilled.  The point of the parable: it is wicked to do nothing when something can be done.
     The word "wicked" can mean evil, lewd, malicious, or hurtful.  Jesus did not use the word often and used it only three times when referring to individuals.  Why was this servant wicked?  Not because he lied.  He was actually honest and admitted to burying the talent.  Did he receive it dishonestly?  No, it was given to him in good faith.  Was he immoral with the talent, like the prodigal son?  No.  So why was he wicked?  Because he did nothing with the talent.  Doing nothing when something can be done is wicked, according to Jesus. 
     There is a high cost in nothingness.  If anyone has gifts or talents and they do not use them, there will be a cost, "for it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful."  How could it possibly be costly to do nothing?  Consider these examples:
 
Physically, there is a cost in nothingness.  If you sit in a wheelchair or stay in bed for six months and never get up and use your legs, it will cost.  Your legs will become useless and you will have to learn to walk again.  If you place a patch over one eye and stop using the eye, the eye will get weak and have to be exercised for use again.  It will cost to do nothing.
 
Socially, there is a cost in nothingness.  If you ever purpose in your heart to lose friends,  there are two options.  First, be mean and hurtful, curse and slander them and tell them to get lost.  That would probably work.  Or you could try option number two.  Do nothing.  Never visit with them, do not return their calls, ignore them, and eventually they will go away.  Simply doing nothing can cost greatly.  Many have been lost to nothingness.
 
In your family, there is a great cost in nothingness.  If you as a reprobate wanted to corrupt your children so they would turn out rotten, you could teach them to do wrong, steal, give instruction in lying, etc. or you could do nothing.  Just let them go and let depravity run its crooked little course.  Never teach them standards, convictions or restraints.  Let them do anything they want to do and let them watch anything they desire to watch on TV or video and they will move on from Sesame Street to MTV and graduate on to HBO.  Just do nothing and they will corrupt in a natural progression of events.
 
Agriculturally, there is a cost in nothingness.  After planting a garden, you could transplant Johnson grass, clover, briars and weeds, in order to choke out the vegetables and lose your crop.  Or if you really want to lose your garden, just do nothing.  Never fertilize, never irrigate, never cultivate, and I guarantee you will lose the garden.  It will cost to do nothing. 
 
For any church, there is a severe cost in nothingness.  The pastor could run ads and pass out flyers advertising the closing of his church, followed by members passing along the closing by word of mouth.  Or everyone could just do nothing.  Don't win souls, don't tithe, don't attend, etc., and eventually the church will close.  Just do nothing.
     If you could donate blood to save a life and you did nothing, would you be guilty of a death?  If you could call 911 and save a life and you did nothing, would you be guilty?  Do you know what you need to do to go to an eternal lake of fire?  You could sin like the devil, drink, dope, fornicate, lie, steal, or you could do nothing.  Just never repent and accept Jesus as Savior and you will go to an eternal lake of fire of punishment as a member of Adam's fallen race. 
Is nothingness wicked?  Jesus said it was.  Are you doing something or nothing?
  Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS. (This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)  
 
 
January 17, 2007  Mini Edition by Joseph Harris              Number 168      
 
     If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It    or    Home Education Works
 
     I never cease to be amazed at the logic displayed by people in power.  Bureaucrats design car seat laws to protect the lives of children outside the womb, but fight tooth and nail for laws to kill them while still in the womb.  "Just say No" was an anti drug campaign supported even by liberals, but these same geniuses kick and scream when you call for sexual abstinence among teens.  And then there's the insane logic of insisting on fixing what is not broken  by creating regulations, requirements and guidelines for those who home educate, even though home educated children leave "Every Child Behind" in government schools,  when it comes to performance.   "More money and more rules" seems to always be the government's philosophy, though more regulations and more money has never guaranteed success.  Though they are not offering money to home educators, they are always offering to implement more rules and regulations.  The bottom line should be, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
     But what if it is broken?  Or what if it is smashed beyond repair?  Broken appliances can be repaired, but anything broken beyond repair has to be replaced.  Replacement is exactly what home educators are doing.  They are replacing the government education system with a program that educates efficiently and costs far less per student.  Increasingly, state and national politicians and educators are calling for more regulations for home educators.  They need to spend time cleaning up their own backyard and focus on trying to effectively educate the millions of children entrusted to their care, instead of diverting attention from their own failing system by focusing on the miniscule number of home educated children who are not being "properly taught" and might not receive the "quality" education their system offers. 
     The state superintendent of education of Mississippi recently stated that he was concerned about the students not attending Mississippi schools who are either being taught by unqualified parents or are being neglected in their education at home, even though there is no evidence that neglect is a widespread problem.  Does he really believe that if he can just get them inside a building that has a school sign out front, it will automatically increase their chance of education?  Maybe if schools focused more on an academic education, rather than social engineering, more learning would take place, and the powers that be would not have to take time to attack and hinder home educators from their serious business of education. 
     Here is the hard and unpleasant truth that is ignored, but cannot be denied: HOME EDUCATED CHILDREN AS A WHOLE, OUT PERFORM CHILDREN FROM GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS.  PERIOD.  No amount of kicking, crying, screaming, and diverting attention can change this fact.  And what about socialization?  I've yet to hear an opponent who does not proudly pull this "unanswerable" argument from their arsenal.  It certainly does not deserve the attention it receives as the "felling blow" to home education.  Well rounded home educated children experience socialization with all age groups during their education, not just with their same age peers.  Studies of adults who were home educated have shown this is hardly the major issue it is touted to be.  As adults, they perform average and above in social skills.
     So leave us alone.  We, as home educators are not trying to change or even repair the current government school system.  We have chosen to replace it with what we believe to be a more effective, efficient, and in most instances, Biblical world view education, that produces good, productive, moral citizens.  If this end does not fit the mold of those in power who think they know best, they need to rethink their goal.  I also realize that the 11,000 plus children in Mississippi who are home educated, can affect the flow of money into the system to the tune of millions of dollars a year, but whose money is it anyway?  Where does the state get it?  We all know the answer.  The money comes from the people who earn it and the children belong to their parents, not the state.  Leave us alone and we will get on with the job of educating and the state can continue with it's business of socializing.      
  Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS. (This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)  

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    Mini Edition by Joseph Harris     Number 166      
                                                  
                 Creating Your Own Truth
 
     The Roman Procurator, Pilate asked the question, "What is truth?"  The average, sane, level headed common sense person of today should be able to answer this question, as well as give some qualities of truth.  One of my college professors, Dr. Elmer Towns, said, "Truth is that which is consistent with itself and corresponds to reality."  Professor Webster gives these thoughts for a definition of truth: "The real state of things; the body of real events or facts; CORRECTNESS." 
     Since God is the first cause of all things, He sets the standard for truth.  All truth ultimately comes from Him.  If God says something is right, it is.  If He says it is wrong, it is.  But man does not always agree with God.  Truth stands on its own, but never apart from God.  Truth is that which is verifiable by facts.  Notice also truth is absolute, not relative.  The presence of truth demands the existence of that which is false.  If one thing is true, then the opposite of that truth is a lie.   One of the first truths uttered by God to man was absolute, concerning death by disobedience in eating of the forbidden fruit.  Satan tried to counter the truth of God with his "yea hath God said...?"  statement, which has been repackaged and used on man millions of times since Eden.  
    Truth is absolute, else it cannot be truth.  Truth cannot be conditional.  When truth becomes relevant because of time, culture or situation, it loses authority and becomes a servant, not a master.  When any act can be wrong for me, but right for you, there can be no order or structure in society.  Murder, theft, adultery, etc. can be justified.  How can we know the truth of what is right or wrong for a society?  What sets the standard for that which is considered legal or illegal, and what is the standard for punishment?  If emotion or outcome determines right or wrong, then nothing can be ultimately right or wrong, anarchy is the result and no one has to adhere to any laws or principles, since no act can be said to be wrong, malicious, immoral, degrading, sinful or illegal. 
     Every time a law is broken or enforced, it is a statement of absolute truth.  The existence of moral law demands the existence of a lawgiver.  Either man has given the law or it came from another source.  If man gave it, then it is not absolute, for it can be changed by man.  If the consciousness of right and wrong came from another source, then what, who or where is that source?  If it came from a source higher than man, then the law transcends man, and man cannot alter it.
     In almost all societies world wide, it is usually wrong to steal, kill, defraud, etc.  In other words, every culture has standards of conduct considered to be good or bad.  Where did these standards originate?  Even atheistic humanists will usually admit it is wrong to steal, kill, etc.  Where did they  get this awareness of right and wrong?  What is their standard of measurement?  This universal awareness came from God, who put his law in the heart of all men to give them a general revelation of the creator who is also the divine law giver. 
     If there is a law and it is broken, then what?  Is there accountability and punishment?  The accountability is to God first, then man.  Notice what Joseph said in the book of Genesis when he refused to commit adultery with the wife of Potipher: "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"  If there is an absolute law higher than man, there must be a lawgiver higher than man and if man breaks His law, man is accountable to Him.  And now we have the rest of the story.  Man denies a higher law, thereby denying a higher power, resulting in denial of accountability to the divine judge of the universe.  Conclusion?  Man can now sin freely. 
     With the denial of a higher moral law, given by the divine law giver,the stage is set to creat your own truth.  Abortion is no longer seen as murder, but birth control or a woman's choice.  Being male or female is no longer an absolute, determined by God at conception and validated at birth, but gender can now be chosen by the person.  And since you are not necessarily male or female, you can now choose which gender you want to marry, that is, if the other person has determined their gender.  If neither has determined their own gender, then whoever can marry whatever, and become who knows what. ("You may now kiss whatever you determine your groom-bride-thing to be").  Stealing is no longer wrong.  Redistribution of goods is acceptable if one has more than another, especially if the one lacking was born into poverty, the wrong ethnic background, etc.. 
     People in the media tell us what is truth what we should believe.  Science creates truth and tells us the earth is billions of years old, that it came from nothing with no design, and is slowly getting better and better.  And you should believe it, because it's in a textbook.
     Before taking the stand of testimony in court, a witness has to swear to, "Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God" which is revealing.  Notice, this oath is a confession of man's depravity and his dependence upon God for help in telling the truth.  And man certainly needs help in being truthful.
     A good perspective on truth is found on the second page of our catalog for Southeastern Baptist College.  Here is printed this old Hebrew prayer: "From the cowardice that shrinks from new truths; from the laziness that is content with half truths; and from the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth; Oh God of truth, deliver us."
 
   Mini Edition by Joseph Harris   Number 167      
                                                        
  Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)  

                           
 
October 25, 2006 Mini Edition by Joseph Harris Number
165      
      
WHAT IS A VOTE?

We are approaching another important election in November. Some are discouraged, others undecided, still others cynical. Unfortunately, many will be swayed by personal charm and charisma and vote for the person, not principle. Still others with a government dependency mentality will vote for cash and not character. And then there will be the party loyalists who will blindly vote the party line, regardless.

What is a vote? It seems such a small thing. It only takes a minute to mark the box, punch the card, or pull the lever. Just what does a vote mean?A vote is an expression of freedom. The very fact that voting takes place is a reminder that we live in a country of freedom. Afghanistan recently experienced its first presidential election in history, thanks to the toppling of the Taliban. Be reminded when you enter the booth, that you have freedom to do so without an armed guard standing over you.Voting is a privilege and right guaranteed by the Constitution of the United states of America. Check out the Fourteenth Amendment. You are exercising a guaranteed right by participating in the democratic process of this Republic. We hear a lot of mumbo jumbo today about the “constitutional” right to abortion (it ain’t in there) and the “constitutional” right for homosexual marriage (can’t find that one in there either) while being told it is unconstitutional to own a gun (now the right to bear arms is in there, buddy). If we do not use the constitutional right we have to vote, we will wake up one day and find we are no longer guided by the Constitution . . . Wait, we’re already there, thanks to liberal judges and courts who are “redefining” the Constitution?A vote expresses the beliefs of the voter and endorses the candidate. When you vote, you are supporting that which you believe. If not, then why vote? When voting for a candidate, you the voter, are saying you believe in and support what the candidate believes in and supports. Whether you vote Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Constitutional Party, Independent, etc., you are revealing your innermost core beliefs. If not, then your vote is a lie. People who really have conservative beliefs, vote conservative, and people who really have liberal beliefs, vote liberal. Period. This is true regardless of party or profession. If you want to know a person’s real beliefs, check their voting record. If God and Satan were running for office, I can’t imagine a believer voting for Satan and an unbeliever voting for God. Oil and water do not mix.

Christians should vote. Voting is the single greatest expression of power the little guy in America has. And be not deceived; every vote counts.

Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)
 
October 19, 2006                           Number 164      
     
My Dear Wormwater......
 
     I realize among conservative Bible believers and most fundamentalists, Clive Staples Lewis is not a staple in their literary diet.  I certainly do not agree with or endorse everything from his pen, however, "The Screwtape Letters" stand alone as genius. This work is an account of an experienced demon instructing his novice demon nephew  in the ways of sabotage and subterfuge against Christianity.  Below is my version of a Screwtape letter.  
 
My Dear Wormwater,

This is just a note of encouragement for you in your ministry. I have been hearing good reports of your evangelism for our master. Your massive, intense campaign undertaken over the past 40 years has been fruitful. It is evident that lives have been changed, families transformed, churches altered, and society affected as a whole. I notice as you have used phrases such as “reaching this generation” and “discovering felt needs”, people have been encouraged to “make a decision” for our lord. Cunning is your prestidigitation indeed.

Changes in your converts are manifested in lifestyles, churlish attitudes, dress, and worship. As a demon in training, you have excelled in converting the church in your outreach program. In bringing the unconverted to our master’s ways, many churches now look, act, talk, think and dress like the world. Instead of the church reaching the world, we have successfully reached the church with the world. The majority of churches today feel the pressure to conform to new and modern standards, with only a few still holding on to “the old paths”, as they like to say. How thorough is your work. I commend you for focusing on burning the forest, not just cutting down a couple of trees.

Your “methods change, but the message remains the same” mantra was a stroke of genius. It has beguiled many unsuspecting churchmen into introducing worldly devices into their ministries and worship services they might not otherwise have tolerated. Your perfidy is unmatched. Our father below may even take note of your progress, if your perseverance is relentless.

Man has an insatiable desire to worship. Your mission is to always encourage worship, but incorporate small changes that steer incrementally away from their “worship in spirit and truth”, but with the appearance of focusing on the enemy (and always cloaked in stained glass language), yet creating a god for them to worship who is strikingly similar to their divine, yet unmistakably different.

Patience, my dear Wormwater, patience. One cannot eat a whole elephant in one meal, but even the largest pachyderm can be ultimately consumed one bite at a time. Resist the temptation to change the enemy overnight, but continue with small bites.

Your affectionate Uncle and Demon mentor,

Slewtape

Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)

          ".....Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."  II Corinthians 2:11
October 5, 2006 Mini Edition by Joseph Harris Number 163      
      
What's Wrong With the Word Baptist?
 
     Recently, I passed a building with a bunch of cars outside on a Sunday evening.  This building had a steeple and   "New Life Center" was on the sign.  I have also seen names like "Community Church", and "Bible Church" on other signs.  I understand there are non-denominational churches, but some of these churches with generic signs claim to be Baptist.  What non Baptist churches do is their business, but since I am a Baptist, then I have an opinion to express about Baptist churches.  
     Why are some Baptist churches ashamed of their heritage and name?  I once confronted a pastor who claimed their church was a Baptist church, yet Baptist was missing from the sign.  His response was you don't have to have the name Baptist on your sign to be a Baptist church.    Technically, the sign doesn't make the church,  but why would you not identify yourself?
     As we continued talking, I realized they didn't need the word Baptist on their sign.  They accepted people into their membership who had not been scripturally baptized.  In other words, people who had been sprinkled for baptism was okay with them.  They only insisted on immersion if an individual was going to hold a leadership position in the church.  Baptism was not important enough for membership, but necessary to be a leader.  Personally, I think their real reason for lowering the bar was to increase membership by not offending Pedo-Baptists. 
     Often times, the motive for omitting the Baptist name is to get more members.  These churches don't want to be seen as denominational, narrow minded, and exclusive.  Fine.  They should just stop claiming to be Baptist out of one side of their mouth while denying it out of the other side.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
     Baptist is not only on our church sign once, but twice: Central Baptist Missionary Baptist Church.  We still insist on scriptural baptism, practice closed communion, and emphasize church authority and pastoral authority.  I believe if you are Baptist, you ought to say it.  I also believe you should say what kind of Baptist you are.  If you are Missionary Baptist, say it.  If you are Southern Baptist or Independent Baptist, etc., say it.  It just cuts down on the confusion of what people expect when they walk in the door.  Labels identify what's inside the can.   People are suspicious of unlabeled cans and should be suspicious of unlabeled churches.
      Bottom line: if a church doesn't advertise that it is a Baptist church, it isn't.
Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)
A rooster that won't crow in his own yard is not fit for anything but chicken and dumplings.  Curtis Hutson                                  
 
 
August 31, 2006  Mini Edition by Joseph Harris Number 162      
                                                         
Where is the Fight?
 
     Pacifism rules!  Where is the will to fight that which is wrong, sinful and ungodly?  What has happened to the fight in the average American?  The "rollover and play dead" philosophy abounds, therefore iniquity abounds.  The family, church and this nation are under a severe attack by unseen and seen forces and yet we are told to accommodate, open a dialogue, tolerate and understand and accept the enemy.  When the average Christian or patriotic American does go on the defensive, they are accused of having no love.  Billy Sunday, famous evangelist of yesteryear used to say "I love flowers, but I hate weeds." 
     Where is the fight against abortion, homosexuality, pornography, pedophilia, and alcohol?  Where is the fight for God to remain in the public square, for public prayers at state sponsored events, and where is the fight against ungodly humanism manifested in evolutionary teaching and philosophy?  What happened to the fight for Godliness in the church, striving for purity among the membership, establishing standards of dress and conduct that are decent and God honoring?
     Concerning this nation, why have the borders not been sealed and a wall built to keep out the invaders?  Immigration and naturalization laws mean nothing.  Why are lawbreakers allowed to remain in this country and not be deported back to Mexico or their homeland?  Liberal politicians, including our own President Bush are leading the way for the downfall of truth, justice and the American way, at a breakneck speed.  "Americo" is in the making and the powers that be who could do something are not just asleep at the wheel....they are in a coma.  The House and Senate both need purging by "We the People" if it's not already too late.  The Jimmy Carter philosophy of cut and run has prevailed.  Where is the will to fight for our vanishing liberties as they are challenged by the ACLU and other "freedom loving" entities? 
     Concerning the church, where are the pastors who used to follow the admonition of Isaiah 58:1 "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."    Oh, that was in the Old Testament.  Today in the church age, we follow the New Testament, some will say.  Does a New Testament pastor have any less responsibility of warning against the danger of sin as an Old Testament prophet?  Use a little common sense and decide.  A rattlesnake in the path is a danger to anyone approaching it and whoever does not warn of imminent danger is guilty of neglect, which is criminal.  Adultery,  the sale and use of alcohol among members, homosexuality and other sins can be found alive and well in the average Baptist church of today.  Pastors and parents have chosen the path of least resistance and have sacrificed the future of the church to Satan on the altar of accommodation and tolerance.  Preaching the Gospel includes preaching the Bible which includes the bitter and the sweet of the two edged sword.  Being instant in season and out of season means some teaching will be in season with the people and sweet to accept.  Other teachings will be out of season, but like a bitter medicine, will produce healing and that which is good.  So preacher, preach the word!
     Concerning the home, most parents have delegated the instruction of their children totally to the government schools and their churches.  Home education and good Christian schools are available for readin' writin' and 'rithmatic, taught from a Biblical world view.  Primary instruction in Scripture should come from the home, then be strengthened by the church.  Don't give up and give in to the world's philosophy that will indoctrinate children in anti-God thinking.  Where is the fight for the minds and souls of today's children?
     My stepfather once made a statement after hearing a young preacher's sermon: "He's got some preach in him."  Preachers need "preach" in them, but all Christians need some fight in them.  It's high time we got a dose of reality and realized the seriousness of the hour and the importance of standing for right against wrong.  After all, things are still either right or wrong.Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)


                                     
 
August 1, 2006  Mini Edition by Joseph Harris  Number 161      
                                                     
Israel, Terrorists and the Facts
 
     As we watch the daily news coverage of Hezbollah (which means party of Allah) shooting rockets into the land of Israel and killing civilians, most reports are almost always one sided.  Hezbollah fires 100 rockets to Israel's one air strike and the civilian casualities of the Israeli air strike are condemned as deplorable, inappropriate and too severe.  But what about the 100 rockets fired by the terrorists? Oh well, that's Hezbollah and we understand their plight.  They just want their land back.  Problem is, how can you get back what you never had? There has never been a historical indigenous group of Arab people called Palestinians. The people with historical roots deep in the land going back three thousand years, are the Jews, not this conglomerate of diverse nationalities erroneously called Palestinians (see From Time Immemorial by Joan Peters).  Historically, there has never been a sovereign Arab nation called Palestine, but there has been and is now, a sovereign Jewish nation called Israel.
     And the land is called Israel, not Palestine. When the Romans invaded under Titus in 70 AD (not CE) and finished in 120 AD, THEY renamed the land Palestine (derived from Philistia) to erase every vestige of Jewish ness from the land.  The Arabs, UN, Europe, the mainstream media, liberals, etc. all hate the Jews.  Why?  Because they are God’s earthly covenant people.  This same group usually hates Christians.   Why?  They are God’s Heavenly spiritual people.
     It’s amazing that this little strip of dirt, which holds .01 % of the world’s population, commands so much attention from the world. One third of the resolutions passed by the Security Council of the UN have had to do with Israel. Amazing how hate makes you focus.  Notice the following facts.

Fact 1The Jewish people in Israel are in the land of their ancestors.   They have an established historical connection to the land.  Hebron is where David was crowned King 3000 years ago.  Solomon ruled over most of the land almost 3000 thousand years ago,  not just the strip we see on the map today West of the Jordan River.  In establishing a homeland for the Jews in 1917,  and 1923, the Balfour Declaration and the Palestine Mandate of the League of Nations recognized, through common sense and history, that this was the ancestral land of the Jews.

Fact 2- The Israelis do not wantonly, intentionally attack civilians.  Before the airstrikes in Lebanon, leaflets were distributed warning civilians of the coming attack.  Hezbollah cowardly hides behind civilians.  Unfortunately, some civilians are always numbered in casualties of war.  How many leaflets have been distributed in Israeli cities by the terrorists before launching their rockets?  Zero.  How many were distributed in New York 24 hours prior to the 9-11 attack?  Zero.  There is simply no room for argument on this point.  Hezbollah,  Hamas and all other terrorist organizations are murdering, hateful barbarians beyond reasoning.  This is why diplomacy and dialogue will not work with them.  Defeat is the best defense.

Fact 3- The Israelis have no plans to annihilate the Palestinians or other Arabs.  They would, if at all possible, co-exist with them.  "Drive them into the sea" is the cry of the Muslim fanatics who are dedicated to the destruction of Israel.  Modern Arab maps of "Palestine" show the land as Arab Palestine with the name of Israel missing.

Fact 4- Israel has conceded land numerous times.  How much land have the Palestinians given?  Sane people know the answer.  They are takers, not givers.  Yet, as Israel continues to give more land, terrorist attacks intensify.

     Politicians and diplomats are crying for a cease fire from Israel.  Is this a possibility?  Absolutely.  Israel will cease firing when fanatics cease their unfounded acts of terrorism.  Even then, there will be no ultimate peace.  The reason is because the key element of peace is missing.  There is no peace without the Prince of Peace.  When He returns to the Mount of Olives, He will create peace by his presence as he judges the enemies of Israel and then Israel will have peace with her Messiah when she repents and accepts the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, JESUS CHRIST.

Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)


                                    "I say then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid."  Romans 11:1
 
  July 31, 2006   Mini Edition by Joseph Harris   Number 160      
                                                      
The Kinship of Liberalism and Radical Islam

As terrorism continues to escalate in Israel, the chance of it hitting home in America also increases.  Here in the USA, the twin enemy of terrorism is liberalism.  The two are strikingly similar.  Several years ago, I wrote the following Mini Edition describing the kinship of the two.  Nothing has changed since the original writing, except that maybe they are more closely related now than since 9-11. 

For the last few years, something has been eating at me. Since 9-11, the interest in Islam has surged,  I have noticed something most conservatives have also noticed and watched with chagrin. It has to do with the attitude of the mainstream media and other liberals toward Islam. Anyone with common sense and a touch of objectivity can see the obvious bias of the major old established print and broadcast media outlets in this country. They are agenda driven. They have consistently displayed animosity against Christianity and the God of the Bible, while covering for and promoting their new darling religion, Islam. I kept asking why, believing the answer was more than it being just another attack against Christianity. Though I may not have the full story yet, the reason has finally hit me: blood is thicker than water. Liberalism and Radical Islam are related. Notice the following similar characteristics. (Note: though the emphasis is on radical Islam, the same comparisons can be made with Islam, to a lesser degree).

Both Are Intolerant. Only the most biased or blind would object to the statement that Islam is intolerant. Look in the countries where Islam rules. Dissenting religious views are not allowed. In America, there is an organization called the Council on American Islamic relations, or C.A.I.R. Why is there no Council on Arab-Christian Relations (C.A.C.R.) in Arab Muslim countries? This type organization is about as likely to materialize as the First Baptist Church of Mecca. Notice also the intolerance of liberalism. While trying to hide under an invisible cloak of tolerance, liberals are the most intolerant ideologues to be found. Numerous are the accounts of conservatives on university campuses who have been shouted down and harassed by the "tolerant" liberals.

Both Are Exclusive. In arrogance, radical Islam purports to be the exclusive repository of spiritual truth. This philosophy results in a militant attitude that conquers by the sword or bomb. Liberalism, especially as evidenced in the media, is arrogantly exclusive. Before losing their stronghold on "reporting" the news, liberal news people have consistently displayed their disdain for all who disagree, flagrantly pushing their agenda. Thankfully, now some people have stopped being good little drones, have begun to think for themselves, and have armed themselves with information, forming intelligent opinions.

Both Hate America, Israel and Christianity. Radical Islam hates America and Israel and all they stand for. Liberty and Christianity have both made America a target to those who would enslave us in a religious/political system that would produce hate and ignorance as it has in many countries. Liberalism hates America, Israel and Christianity with a passion. Liberalism would try and destroy that which gives it the freedom to exist. For more info, read Why The Left Hates America by Daniel J. Flynn, www.primapublishing.com.

Both Play the Race Card. Radical Muslims, supported by C.A.I.R., have opposed profiling and cried "racism," yet, profiling is just good common sense. Though not all Muslims are terrorists, all terrorists have been Muslims. Muslim victimization has been the cry of the radicals. Liberalism is also an expert at dealing the race card. When Blacks are arrested, liberals cry foul and blame everything on oppression and racism. The liberals began this mantra, but it has been taken up by self-appointed Black leaders who care more about enriching themselves than liberating and empowering their own people.

Both Denigrate Women. Radical Islam is known for its lowly view of women. Polygamy is allowed, which denigrates the role of the woman as wife. Mutilations occur and women are abused physically and emotionally in the marital relationship. Liberalism is hypocritical concerning the treatment of women. If liberals were really concerned about women, they would cry against abortion because of the emotional anguish that naturally follows when any mother kills her own child. Liberals are strangely silent when women are immorally victimized by high profile liberals such as Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton. Even the feminists are silent, proving they dont really care about the treatment of women. Liberals also promote "free speech" through pornography, which is demeaning and humiliating to women.

Both Are Preoccupied With Sex. Polygamy is not unknown in radical Islam. There is also the promise of 70 virgins for one who will die in Jihad. Only the most naive would believe the polygamist would maintain a platonic relationship with multiple wives. And who believes the 70 virgins in paradise are provided just for decoration. Though Islam teaches modesty among women, sex is still an emphasis. For the liberal, sex has long been a priority. Liberals believe in free sexual expression and encourage sexual experimentation among school children. Liberals promote the perversion and abomination, of homosexuality, showing disdain for morality and traditional family values.

So the pieces of the puzzle finally fit. Blood is definitely thicker than water. Liberals and radical Muslims are siblings. They have fallen from the same tree of hatred, intolerance, arrogance and bigotry, and the apple never falls far from the tree.

Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)

 
July 20, 2006    Mini Edition by Joseph Harris   Number 159      
 
The Buffer Zone of Safety
    
     In South Mississippi, NASA has a facility called the test site, where rocket engines are shipped after they are built. These engines are then strapped to huge platforms and tested before they fire rockets into outer space. Needless to say, these testings can be heard and felt for miles around and can damage buildings and structures within a certain distance of the testing. An area called the buffer zone surrounds the test site. The buffer zone is a circle of "dead" space where no one is allowed to live and the only structures found are three sided sheds. The purpose of the buffer zone is to protect people and property from damage.
     Standards in Christianity also serve as a buffer zone. When standards for righteous living are mentioned today in Christian circles, the one who mentions them is sometimes called a legalist.  What is legalistic about having a standard?  A standard is a measure or rule of authority. Almost everyone would agree there is nothing wrong with living by a standard of authority......unless that standard leads them to separation. THERE! I've said the dirty "S" word. SEPARATION.  Now here is the real problem people have with standards. Standards cramp their lifestyle of living in the flesh, of the flesh and by the flesh.
     Standards protect. Can you imagine someone walking to the edge of a cliff 200 feet high and standing two feet from the edge. What if that person moved one foot closer? What if they hung their toes over the edge? I can guarantee if they continue, they will fall over the edge. I can also guarantee if they stay ten feet from the edge, they will never fall over the cliff. The buffer zone of ten feet will protect them. It's kind of like the drunk who's trying to quit. He is less likely to slip up and drink if he stays away from the presence of alcohol, than if he walks past the liquor store every day. One problem with getting too close to sin is being able to see it's "beauty" and smell it's aroma. When I pass a steak house and smell the meat sizzlin' on the grill, it doesn't take much for me to desire a T bone. "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" Proverbs 6:27.
     Often times, the reason some people fall into sin is because they are too close to it. However, we must remember, that resisting temptation is more than a matter of human will. It is a cooperative effort between God and man. "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof" Romans 13:14. James said that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us, but prior to that in the same verse, he said to submit to God. The power of God enables us to resist temptation, but we must do our part and not make provision for the flesh.
     I don't intend to sin, therefore I hide God's word in my heart (Psalm 119:11) and build a buffer between me and sin. I do not plan on being unfaithful to my wife, so I build a buffer and avoid getting emotionally attached with other women or spending unnecessary time with them, especially alone. My wife and I provide a buffer zone for our children.  We home school our children, monitor what they watch on TV and video, choose their friends and shelter them from ungodliness. I don't apologize for sheltering my kids. A shelter is a place of safety and security. Who would not want that for their children? As they grow older, they will be progressively exposed to the world, equipped under our guidance, at the right time.  I have been told repeatedly that we need to prepare our children for the "real" world.  Preparing means exactly that; training them, not throwing them to the wolves and hoping they survive.
     I am not surprised as I see sin taking it's toll and ravaging families and churches today. There is no buffer zone, therefore  it's not hard to sin. It's just a click away, to use computer terminology.
  Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear
 
 July 5, 2006    Mini Edition by Joseph Harris    Number 158      
                                                       
Savorless Salt and Covered Candles
 
     In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6, and 7, Jesus spoke of many things.  Above all, the main theme of this sermon is that God's people are to be different from the world in order to make a difference in the world.  Just as salt preserves meat from corruption, so Christians preserve society from moral corruption.   Also, Christians "flavor" the world with goodness, love, etc., supplying things not provided by the world.  The scripture speaks of salt losing it’s savor, which is the same as becoming tasteless and losing it's preserving power.  Can salt really lose it’s saltiness?   Mounds of salt south of the dead sea, exposed to the rain and sun, were found to be tasteless, therefore useless. When salt reaches this state, it is therefore good for nothing, as Jesus plainly stated. It has no use or any contribution to make to food, for taste or preservation. Tasteless salt is thrown out and walked upon like the dirt on the street (trodden under foot of men), since it has no value.
     A light that is lifted high or set on a hill, radiates and gives light to all below.   What good is that light if it is covered with a bushel?   A bushel measure was a common object found in most houses in  Bible times and when turned upside down, could double as a table.   Jesus said that no one lights a candle and then covers it with a bushel basket. 
     In speaking of salt and light, Jesus did not say that Christians should be the salt of the earth or ought to be the light of the world.  He said we already are.  Are you a preserving power in your group of acquaintances or in your family?  Are you providing a flavor within your own circle of people, that otherwise might not be provided?   Do you add to the morality in your community in a positive way?  If your presence effects a better environment, then you are salting your world.  I realize that the first priority of Christians is not to make this world a better place, but to bring people to Christ.  However, people who come to Jesus make better citizens and neighbors.  And as we win people to Christ, being salty makes us more effective and sets a high standard of righteousness, thereby revealing God to the lost. 
     Years ago, I refused to perform a marriage ceremony in a church setting for two professing Christians who were currently living together.  I gave counsel, advising them to repent, and show proof of their repentance by living in separate quarters,  then,  later I would consider talking with them about a church wedding ceremony.  Remember, these were professing Christians and I was not about to allow the bride to march down the church aisle wearing white, straight from a bed of fornication with her live-in lover husband to be.  Churches and individual believers have an obligation to hold up a standard of righteousness, which is a picture of the righteousness of God.  When righteousness is no longer seen, believers and non-believers begin to think everything is relative and there are no absolutes of right or wrong.  Churches dropped this ball years ago and relativism then crept into society. 
     Are you a beacon of light, as a lighthouse set on a hill, or a flickering flame that barely lights the way?  Light illuminates and reveals God to others.  Jesus said the purpose of letting our light shine was to show our good works and reveal the Father in Heaven (Matt. 5:16).  Are you a lighthouse, a torch, a match, or an ember?  Oh God give us lighthouses to rescue the perishing from the rocks of sin and hell.
  Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)  

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"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine....."

 
 
 June 22, 2006  Mini Edition by Joseph Harris  Number 157      
                                                              
The Good Ole Days of Common Sense
 
     As I was perusing over some old Mini Editions written back in 2001,  I came across "It Ain't Right", edition number 3.  This Mini Edition was a commentary on the decision of the San Francisco City Council to pay for sex change operations for city employees.  I made reference to the theme song from the old 70's show "All in the family", starring that ever lov'in bigot Archie Bunker.  I never cared much for Archeeeee (as pronounced by Edith) but was intrigued by the song.  "Those Were the Days" was written by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse, composers of many Broadway musical numbers.  The song is anything but politically correct, which is why I probably like it.   Archie and Edith never did sing all the verses so here is the entire set of lyrics:
 
Boy the way Glenn Miller played
Songs that made the Hit Parade
Guys like us, we had it made
Those were the days

Didn't need no welfare state
Everybody pulled his weight
Gee, our old La Salle ran great
Those were the days

And you knew where you were then
Girls were girls, and men were men
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again

People seemed to be content
Fifty dollars paid the rent
Freaks were in a circus tent
Those were the days

Take a little Sunday spin
Go to watch the Dodgers win
Have yourself a dandy day that cost you under a fin

Hair was short and skirts were long
Kate Smith really sold a song
I just don't know what went wrong
Those were the days
 
Let's examine some of the statements in this outdated song.
     Girls were girls and men were men, is an absolute statement.  There is nothing relative about gender.  Some colleges are offering gender neutral dorms for those students who are not sure of what they are.  Talk about confusion.  There are some things that just can't be questioned and gender is one.  There is a reason why "M" or "F" is checked on a birth certificate.   Ever since the Bible as the absolute authority from an absolute God was abandoned, relativism was road left to be taken. 
    Freaks used to be in a circus tent.  Now they are alive and well on the street and standing with you in the check out line at Wal-Mart.  Call him what you want, but any boy with earlobes containing holes big enough to pass a golf ball through is a freak.  Instead of calling them freaks, we might refer to them as alternative people. 
     We didn't need a welfare state because everybody pulled his weight.  Now, the working few support the undeserving many, with the prospect of their numbers growing faster than you can say "Si". 
     And what's wrong with short hair on men and long skirts on women?  Oh I know it's outdated, but masculinity and modesty are always in vogue in God's fashion manual.  The often repeated adage, "America is an insane asylum run by the inmates" is still true.  Maybe even more than ever.
  Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)  


Fasten your seatbelts.  Culturally, we ain't seen nuth'in yet.

   February 24, 2006     Mini Edition by Joseph Harris     Number 153  
                   
     Are You PC (Politically Correct)?
 
     Over the past few years, the scourge of political correctness has caused people to choose their words carefully to "fit in" with an understanding and tolerant society.  The real goal of PC is to redefine established definitions and effect a change in thinking, attitudes and philosophies.  Replacing well established words and phrases with less offensive, "more descriptive " words almost always changes the original understanding.  Consider the following list of words, some are PC, others are "dressed up" to sound better.
Animal trainer...........interspecies communicator
Animals..........non-humans
Bald...............hair challenged (this one gives me a higher self esteem)
Bisexual.........sexually non-preferential
Paper...........processed tree carcass
Bum..........displaced homeowner
Cattle ranch..........cattle concentration camp
False teeth.........alternative dentation
Prostitute....sex care provider
Sex change.........gender reassignment
     Communication through speech is powerful.  Speech is communication and occurs when one expresses thoughts of the mind with words from the mouth.  Words are important and do have meaning.  The word alcoholic is not harsh sounding and not as offensive as calling someone a drunkUnfaithful spouse certainly sounds better than adulterer  and promiscuity is more pleasing to the ear than fornication.
     Jails are no longer known as institutions which incarcerate prisoners.  They are adult detention centers where detainees are housed.  Why?  It just sounds better.  After all, we wouldn't want the detainees to bear an extra burden of guilt by reminding them of what they really are (criminals) and what they have really done (broken the law).  Notice also, the prisoners of war in the recent war on terror are called detainees.  Call me crazy, but I like prisoner of war.
     When I hear news reports of some Palestinian militant who has blown himself up along with innocent civilians and bystanders, I have to remind myself that he is a militant not a terrorist.  It just sounds better.  You've got to admit, militant and gunman both sound better than terrorist or bomber.
     How about those high school drop outs?  The battle is on to rename them so they will not be plagued with lower self esteem caused by a lifelong negative label.  Though I haven't heard the new title yet, I think diploma challenged is nice.  In the future I will no longer refer to myself as a professor or teacher, but a classroom facilitator, one who inculcates (teaches) recipients of knowledge (students).
     And Black people are no longer Black people, but African Americans, yet not a single Black American I know was born in Africa, and neither were their parents, grandparents or great-grand parents.  (Here's a question: if a white person born and reared in South Africa becomes an American citizen, is that person an African American?)  This would also apply to Chinese, Italian, Arab, Korean and other ethnic groups.  The correct classification should be Americans of African descent, Americans of Chinese descent, Americans of Arab descent, etc., with emphasis on American
     I think we should return to reality in plain speech.  The truth is becoming harder to find, yet it is the truth which will set us free.
       Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)  

 
Joseph Harris is a classroom facilitator at Southeastern Baptist College where he inculcates recipients of knowledge.

 
 
Honor Thy Government
 
     According to an outrageous ruling by the infamous 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, parents no longer have exclusive rights concerning the education of their children.  A group of parents sued a certain school district because of a sex survey given to their first graders (coming soon to a school near you , so don't be shocked).  The court stated that parents not only have no voice in what schools teach, but they also wrote "parents have no due process or privacy right to override the determinations of public schools as to the information to which their children will be exposed while enrolled as students."   That should make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, if you are a parent.  If you are a good parent, it should burn you up.
     On the other hand, look at the flip side.  Government schools are just wanting to lay claim to their deserved parental authority.  Take note of how many children today are supported by the government.  Since government pays for their pre-natal care, birth, medical insurance, food, etc., why wouldn't the government be considered their mother?  Government, through it's many and varied give-away welfare programs, is the parent of millions of children in this country.  It is only natural that government, through it's educational arm would assert it's parental authority. 
     Mother government began conceiving children back in the days of FDR and has remained fertile to the present.  We are into 70 years of a government dependent mentality.  People think the government is supposed to handle their retirement through Social Security, their retirement benefits through Medicaid, provide their daily bread through food stamp programs, supply insurance through Medicare, provide housing through government subsidies, and that's just naming some of the more well known programs. 
     The parental government  has become a mainstream part of society.  After Hurricane Katrina hit, people turned to the government for relief and aid, and in an emergency, limited government assistance is not a bad thing.  However, I saw people shamelessly exploiting the system to "get back what I've paid in" as justification for their actions.  People who had good  chainsaws went and bought new ones, knowing they would be reimbursed by FEMA.  People who lost food in freezers and refrigerators stood in line more than once for EBT cards, (high tech electronic food stamps) to replace this food, yet many of them also received compensation for this same food from their private insurance company.  That's called double dipping and it is wrong.      
     This type of thinking, at least in part, is connected to the parental government philosophy.  The government does not owe social services to we the people.  I also watched as people loaded and stockpiled food as it was delivered, while others who had food, partook of prepared meals intended for those who had no food.  Two generations have had an umbilical connection for so long, they cannot begin to live and think independently.
     So when I see government schools try to usurp parental authority, I am not surprised.  Government has been playing parent for so long, it is natural for her to lay claim to that in which she has invested.  
    
  Joseph Harris is the Vice President of Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, MS.(This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and www.miniedition.net also appear)  


Government's view of the economy: if it moves, tax it.  If it keeps moving, regulate it.  It if stops moving, subsidize it.  Ronald Reagan.
 
                        
Thanks for the Validation of Christianity
 
     There is little doubt that enmity exists between the church and the world.  God is mocked, churches are belittled and individual believers are cast as backward and intolerant.  The ACLU is at the forefront leading the attack under the guise of protecting the civil liberties of Americans(and illegal aliens, muslim terrorists, etc).  In reality, civil liberties in this country are not in danger, but religious liberties are constantly challenged.  Psuedo science has waged war against God through an unproven theory on the origin of man, stating the existence of God cannot be proven, while demonstrating it's inability to prove the theory of macro-evolution through empirical evidence.  God, the Bible and morality have been kicked out of public schools and the public forum under the so-called myth of "separation of church and state" which is nothing more than a manifestation of hatred for God, facilitiated by liberal politicians, educators and eager members of the media.
     So for all the hatred, attacks and lawsuits against God and that which is Christian and moral, I say thanks for the validation.  I appreciate the validation given by this ungodly world to the God of the universe and His followers.  Jews and Christians have been attacked more than anyone in history.  The Jews have endured more attempts of genocide throughout their history than any ancient people on the face of the earth and true Bible believing Christians have been targeted throughout church history(See "Trail of Blood" by J.M. Carroll and "Foxes Book of Martyrs" by John Fox).
     Now look at some modern day feeble attacks against God and His people:
      (1)It was a representation of Jesus and not Mohammed that was placed in a jar of urine, some years back, as an "art" exhibit.  In a more recent display, the mother of Jesus was associated with elephant dung.  I hope the mothers of Mohammed, and Confucious and the mother earth goddess of the Wiccans weren't offended since they were ignored and not thought worthy of this honor.
     (2)Notice, also the commotion caused at the mention of the name Jesus in public Christian prayers.    Apparently there's just something about that name(with apologies to Bill Gaither).  Besides, what other name could a Christian use in prayer, but the name Jesus?  The problem is this: God hating, Christ rejecters have a problem with God.  Period.  That is the answer, simply put.  Franklin Graham and Bailey Smith are not afraid to use the name Jesus on national television.  See Acts 4:12.
      (3)Any attempt to take the name of God in vain is aimed at the God of the Bible, not Allah or any other wannabe deity.  Allah(who is actually an ancient Mesopotamian moon god, hence the crescent moon on the flag of Islam) is not in danger of being blasphemed.  We too often hear "gd" but who has ever heard anyone say "ad"?  (Some would say that Allah is God, but make no mistake.  The God referred to in "gd" is the God of the Bible.
      (4)And now we come to that special time of the year when we must stuff everything religious looking(of a Christian nature) into the closet.  The baby Jesus in the manger and every vestige of anything smelling of Christianity must be burned on the altar of sensitivity to the religions of others and the atheism of a few.  As usual, the so-called American Civil Liberties Union, possibly allied with some Muslims, will lead the charge this season, taking America to new heights of freedom from the shackles of the medieval Christianity that binds the civil liberties of everyone.  I admit there are some pagan connections with what is now called Christmas, so I don't fully endorse all the trappings that come with this holiday.  The main focus of this season at our home is not Santa.  However, ex