Excerpts from Psalm 9

Psalm of David:

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart;... I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High... for thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them. But the Lord will endure forever: he hath prepared his throne for judgement. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness.

The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Sing praises to the Lord, .. declare among the people his doings... He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

Have mercy upon me , O Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer... I will rejoice in thy salvation. The Lord is known by the judgement which he executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail... Put them in fear, O lord; that the nations may know themselves to be but men.

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Accepting the Judge- Dr. Timothy Keller

A talk by Dr. Timothy Keller about the justice and judgment side of God’s nature, reconciled with the love and mercy of Jesus. Ultimately, Jesus is the judge who gets down off the judgment bench and comes down to the dock, weeping for you. Good points about how to live with integrity and yet humility, “knowing that a judgment day is coming, but you have already been judged by the Judge who was judged for you.” Run time is 45 minutes.

(Note: The streaming version of this audio seems to have some glitches in that it goes back and repeats partway through. But you can download the file and then it works perfectly.)

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Spain Holds Trump Card in Bank Bailout Negotions

By Nicholas Kulish and Raphael Minder, NY Times, June 6, 2012

BERLIN—The bargaining has begun over a deal to rescue Spain’s ailing banks, confronting Europe with urgent choices about whether to try to enforce onerous bailout terms on Madrid as the crisis spreads to the region’s largest economies.

The question has seemingly become one of when, and not if, Spain’s banks will receive assistance from European countries, with investors on Wednesday predicting an imminent rescue and pushing up stocks and bonds on both sides of the Atlantic.

Spain, the euro zone’s fourth-largest economy, is too big to fail and possibly too big to steamroll, changing the balance of power in negotiations over a bailout. Political leaders in Madrid are insisting that emergency aid to their banks avoid the stigma in capital markets that has hobbled countries like Greece, Portugal and Ireland after accepting tough rescue terms. They are also fighting to slow the pace of austerity and economic change that have pushed those smaller countries into deeper recessions.

Spain has the added advantage of seeking help in a changed political environment in which calls for growth have begun to outweigh German insistence on austerity. Unlike Greece, Spain’s government did not run large budget deficits before the crisis, giving it leverage to argue that European aid to its banks should not come weighed down with a politically delicate loss of decision-making power over its own economic and fiscal policies.

Madrid’s trump card in this latest game of euro-zone poker is that the consequences of a Spanish default and exit from the euro zone would probably be so catastrophic that policy makers in Berlin will be willing to bend their bailout rules for Spain, and are on the verge of doing just that.

German officials have said they are prepared to weather a Greek exit from the euro if necessary, but no such claims are made about Spain. As such, Spanish leaders, who feel Madrid has already made many painful changes and spending cuts, are holding out for a deal that requires only a tightening of oversight on the financial sector and no strings attached to the country’s budget powers.

The wrangling over Spain underlines the way the European Union stumbles to solutions for each problem as it arises. Frustration has grown over the uncertainty afflicting the global economy as a result of Europe’s instability and the toll it takes on an already slowing growth rate.

“The strategy of plugging holes only works for so long,” said Friedrich Mostböck, chief economist and head of research for the Erste Group in Vienna. “Eventually, you come to the point where a common euro area requires a common fiscal policy.”

The ultimate solution will hinge on Germany and how much its leaders are willing to bend. Berlin has an incentive to get the Spanish problem under control before Greek parliamentary elections on June 17, to help contain contagion in the event of instability after the vote, said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank.

“I’m naïvely optimistic that it would be good to have the Spanish problem solved before the Greek election,” he said, “and my impression is the relevant policy makers think the same.”

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Study examines vocational certificates´ big rewards!

By Mary Beth Marklein, USA TODAY, June 6, 2012

Good news for new high school graduates who don’t think college-level algebra or freshman English is their thing. A study released Wednesday finds that certificates awarded through short-term vocational training programs can reap a bigger payoff than a bachelor’s degree.

It’s more true for men than women, for Hispanics than blacks. And technology fields are more lucrative than, say, cosmetology. But generally, short-term degree programs that focus on specific occupations can be “the fastest, cheapest way to get a job that pays,” says Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

Certificates also have grown in popularity, particularly in the South and West, says the report, based on four federal data sets. One million certificates were awarded in 2010, up from 300,000 in 1994, the researchers found. Of all college degrees and credentials awarded in 2010, they calculated that certificates represented 22%.

Yet the credential is rarely counted in government surveys looking at educational attainment, the report notes.

“This an element that deserves more focus and attention than it’s gotten,” says Jamie Merisotis, president of the non-profit Lumina Foundation, which is seeking to increase the number of Americans who complete college degrees—or other credentials beyond the high school diploma.

Typically offered through community or technical college, for-profit college or nonprofit organization, certificate programs typically recognize completion of a course of study based on a specific field, such as auto mechanics, drafting and electronics. They don’t usually involve industry-based exams to prove mastery of a particular skill.

The center’s analysis confirms that average earnings for U.S. workers increased as their level of education rises. On average, workers who hold a certificate earned 20% more than workers with only a high school diploma. But certificate-holders earned more than some workers holding bachelor’s degrees:

•Male certificate holders earn more than 40% of men with associate’s degrees and 24% of men with bachelor’s degrees. Female certificate holders earn more than 34% of women with associate’s degrees and 24% of women with bachelor’s degrees.

•Men who work in computer and information services earn about $72,500 a year, which is more than what 72% of men with an associate’s degree and 54% of men with a bachelor’s degree earn. Women in that same field earn $56,664, which is more than what 75% of women with an associate’s degree and 64% of women with a bachelor’s degree earn.

About a third of certificate holders eventually earn either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, the study shows. It also suggests that more employers are placing a higher value on short-term credentials, says Jonathan Robe, spokesman for the non-profit Center for College Affordability and Productivity. “My takeaway (from the study) was there are a lot of students who are looking for alternatives to traditional college education,” he says.

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If Not You, Then Who?

By Ron White, June 6, 2012

It was a little after midnight some time ago and I was heading home after having dinner with a friend. One hand was checking my text messages on my cell phone and the other steering my direction. One eye glanced at my phone—in retrospect an unsafe move—and the other monitored the road and my path. In the next instant, I witnessed the life of a middle-aged woman I had never met change before my eyes.

One moment her minivan was steady in front of me and the next second she was bouncing off cars, jerking back and forth, then slamming into a concrete barrier. It was, without question, the most violent and horrific accident I have ever watched unfold. Perhaps she was checking her cell phone, had too much to drink or simply misjudged her distance between cars. Regardless, her life transformed from enjoying her ride and possibly singing along with her favorite tune on the radio to ending in a mangled wreck as cars continued to pass.

I pulled over and for a brief second stood in horror at the destruction that lay before me. Others pulled over as well and we all froze like statues as we looked at the mess. No one rushed to the car. Would it explode? The engine was running at a high idle and smoke was everywhere. When I realized no one was rushing to the car, I asked myself, “If not you, then who?” I darted to the car and at the last minute couldn’t bring myself to do it. I couldn’t bring myself to open the car door. What would I see? Would it be a twisted and bloody body? Would it be a body of a deceased driver? Would it be a baby thrown from a car seat? I have never been so scared to open a car door as I was that night.

I knocked on the window, hoping beyond hope that the driver would open the door.

Knock, knock… no answer. Knock, knock… no answer….

I peered in the window to see if I could see someone, still not wanting to open the door. I saw no driver and thus knew they must be slumped down in the seat. I was scared to death and slowly opened the door and as I took in one of the deepest breaths of my life….

It was a middle-aged woman with a body twisted and contorted in the most unnatural position. Blood came from her mouth and her body bore the marks of a brutal fight with an automobile.

“What is your name?” I asked.

“Laurie,” was the barely audible reply.

“Well, Laurie you are okay, you are going to be fine; help is on the way. They will be here in a minute….”

I placed my hand on Laurie’s side and looked at the only part of her body not harmed by the accident. That was her eyes. We looked each other straight in the eye for what seemed like an eternity. With all that I was, I wanted her to see in my eyes that she was safe and going to be okay, although I believed neither. Her grateful eyes replied without speaking that she was hurting and scared to death.

Soon other travelers made it to the car, not really to help Laurie but just to get a look at her. Within minutes paramedic help had arrived and I stepped back from the car and wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. I did not want to talk to the police, bystanders or paramedics. I just wanted to leave and leave now. I did just that as I sprinted to my truck. I slammed my door and sped away as I wondered how she would be. I will never know….

Yet, what I do know is that a dozen people could have held Laurie’s hand that night and comforted her with their words and eyes, but human nature often doesn’t implore us to do that. Human nature too often spurs us to wait and let someone else get involved, let someone else take action and simply let someone else live life.

Are you standing on the sidelines of life? Or are you diving in with the ‘If not you, then who?’ attitude?

In regard to:

Making a difference in your community—If not you, then who?

Achieving your dreams—If not you, then who?

You can live life watching others take action. Or you can watch others live life and watch from the sidelines. That is often the safe move, yet never the move of someone destined for success on the wheels of living.

Someone will make a million dollars, someone will make a difference in your community, someone will build a successful business and someone will achieve their dreams. Who will it be? It will be the person who steps off the sidelines and moves toward action when others are paralyzed with fear. Overcome your fears and run toward what stands before you. Will you still be scared? Most likely, yes. But just take a deep breath and open the door….

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His choice: Denounce Jesus or face torture!

By Lin Sung,* Baptist Press, Jun 5, 2012

EDITOR’S NOTE: Lin Sung* had just completed evangelism training. As part of the final assignment, the class dispersed to surrounding villages to practice sharing the Gospel. Sung sent a text message to tell a friend where he would be. When government officials intercepted that message, his homework assignment changed from sharing Bible stories to a fight for survival.

EAST ASIA (BP)—One day, I was out sharing the Gospel in some small Chinese villages when, suddenly, the police surrounded me. They grabbed me and threw me in the back of a van.

“We know that you have been trained for Christian evangelism, and we are taking you in,” they told me.

There was not much I, a simple farmer, could do. I had the evidence (class notes from the training course) with me, so I just leaned back onto the seat and prayed. That’s when God gave me an idea. I took the training notes out of my book and stuffed them into the cracks and crevices of the van.

When we arrived at the station, they tried processing me, but they couldn’t find the evidence. They kept going through my things, swearing they knew I had the formula for spreading Christianity written down. I told them truthfully that I did not have it on me.

Even without proper evidence, they threw me in jail. The officials told me that all I had to do to get my freedom was to recant my beliefs. I refused. So, they tried torturing me into submission.

They chained me to a pole. For the first few days, they did not give me water or food. Finally, they brought me food—but there was nothing to drink. This went on for another day or so—I can’t remember. Always they bring me food but nothing to drink.

I seriously thought I would die chained to that pole, so I prayed to God and He gave me another idea.

When the guard came with my food that night, I asked if I could clean the kitchen. They were surprised by the offer and granted my wish. They took me into a room where dirty dishes were piled high. Flies swarmed the overflowing trash bins and around the dishes with dried food. The stench was overwhelming. As soon as the officers left and locked the door behind them, I lunged for the sink.

I put my face into the dirty dishwater and took a long drink. I did not care about the pieces of food floating in the water. I did not care that the water was dirty and gray in color. This is how I survived—drinking dirty dishwater, and I was thankful that God provided for my needs.

The persecution and torture continued. I was interrogated day after day. Each time, they tried to get me to recant my faith. I refused to denounce Jesus as my Lord. They realized their current methods of persecution would not make me change my mind, so they changed tactics. They chained me outside the jail to a tree.

During the day, the hot sun scorched me. At night, mosquitoes feasted on me. When I slapped them away, the noise and movement caused the motion-sensored spotlights to light up. There was no way to get sleep. I was miserable and my body was weak.

Finally, they sent two officers to finish me off. They were big and muscular. They beat up my fragile body without even breaking a sweat. One of the officers put his heavy, metal-tipped boot on my neck and pulled my arms and shoulders in different directions. It felt as if he were going to snap my neck like a chicken’s.

“This is your last chance,” the big officer said. “Denounce Jesus and gain your freedom.”

I looked straight into his eyes and replied, “Your methods will not work on me. I decided to die for Jesus the day I decided to follow Him.”

I immediately felt the tension around my neck loosen. The guards were shocked at my outburst. They looked at each other and shook their heads in disbelief. The big, burly officer took his foot off my neck and pulled me upright.

“This guy has no fear of death,” the officer said to his partner. “Let’s let him go. No amount of persecution is going to change him. It is useless.”

They unlocked the chains and let me go home.

Brothers and Sisters, I share my story to encourage all believers to stand firm in the faith. God is victorious!

*Name changed. UPDATE: After being released from jail, Sung went back to complete his “homework assignment.” As a result, his team baptized more than 100 new believers and planted seven house churches in the same area where he was persecuted

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New evidence of authenticity for Shroud of Turin!

Catholic World News, June 06, 2012

A new scientific study has added to the body of evidence suggesting that the Shroud of Turin is the burial cloth of Jesus Christ.

Marzia Boi, from the University of the Balearic Islands, studied pollen found on the Shroud and found that the samples were consistent with the flowers and oils typically used in burying the dead in the region of Palestine at the time of Christ. The pollen samples “capture the image of a 2000-year old funeral rite,” said Boi.

The pollen evidence creates enormous difficulty for researchers who have claimed that the Shroud is a medieval forgery. It is highly unlikely that even a skillful forger of that era would have known which pollens to us, had access to the pollen samples, and thought to embed them in the cloth.

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Georgia Purdom: Can You Marry Yourself?

Can You Marry Yourself?

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT


Sadly, in our culture today the answer is yes. In Fargo, South Dakota, a woman married herself. She stated, “I was waiting for someone to come along and make me happy. At some point, a friend said, ‘Why do you need someone to marry you to be happy? Marry yourself.’” In talking about the one-sided nuptials she said, “I’m just a unique, awesome person who doesn’t fit anyone’s mold or idea, and I hope you’re OK with that. And if you’re not, that’s OK, too.”

As I read this woman’s story, it brought to mind this verse: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). This reflects our society today that has abandoned the authority of God and His Word and defines “right” as what makes people happy but essentially nothing as wrong.

Over and over in our culture we see marriage being redefined because our society’s starting point is man’s authority and not God’s authority. Even President Obama recently joined the ranks of redefining marriage. He stated, “I’ve been going through an evolution on this issue. . . . At a certain point I’ve just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”

This clearly shows that evolution causes deterioration and not improvement! President Obama goes on to say,


[Michelle and I are] both practicing Christians. And obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others. But, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know? Treat others the way you would want to be treated. And I think that’s what we try to impart to our kids.

But what about Genesis 1:27–28; 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; and Romans 1:26-27 that clearly define marriage as between a man and a woman and homosexual behavior as sin? It seems that President Obama wants to impart to his kids that you can ignore certain parts of Scripture and twist others to justify whatever society thinks is good and makes people happy.

Of course, the line of reasoning by both President Obama and the woman who married herself leads to absurdity. Watch Rick Santorum, former presidential candidate, show this very clearly in regard to the issue of marriage during a question-and-answer session at New England College earlier this year.

Santorum showed the audience the absurdity of defining marriage according to man because then there is no objective standard and really anything goes! When we don’t start with God’s Word as the absolute authority, there is no foundation for determining how marriage should be defined. (See “Morality and the Irrationality of an Evolutionary Worldview” for more information).

That is why more than ever we need to call the church back to the authority of God’s Word and equip ourselves and our children to effectively defend the trustworthiness of the Bible. Be sure to check out our new apologetics-based Sunday school curriculum, Answers Bible Curriculum, available this fall. A great way to equip the whole family!

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

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Getting Even!

By Zig Ziglar, June 4, 2012

“One of these days I’m going to get even with you!” is a phrase all of us are familiar with. In life, people are always either threatening to or actually getting even with others. The problem with getting even is that you will never get ahead.

I love the story of what happened during the days of the Berlin Wall. One day some of the East Berliners decided they were going to send their West Berlin adversaries a little “gift.” They loaded a dump truck with garbage, broken bricks, stones, building material, and anything else with zero value. They drove the truck across the border, gained clearance and dumped it on the West German side.

Needless to say, the West German populace was incensed and were going to “get even” with them. They were going to “pay them back.” Fortunately, a very wise man intervened and gave an entirely different counsel. As a result, they loaded up a dump truck with food—which was scarce in East Berlin—clothing, which was also scarce, medical supplies which were even scarcer, and a host of other needed items. They took the truck across the border, carefully unloaded it all and left a neat sign which read, “Each gives according to his ability to give.”

The West Germans had taken Booker T. Washington’s philosophy literally: “I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.” The Bible says that when you repay evil with good, you “heap coals of fire” on the other person’s head. It makes you smile as you wonder how the East Berliners felt, along with the gratitude for the much-needed supplies. I’m willing to wager that they were somewhat embarrassed at their own attitudes.

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Locusts swarm in wake of libya uprising!

By Xan Rice in Lagos, Financial Times, June 5, 2012

The death of Muammar Gaddafi continues to reverberate across Africa—this time in the form of desert locusts.

The Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations warned on Tuesday that croplands in Niger and Mali were at imminent risk from locust swarms moving south from Libya and Algeria. The revolution in Libya played a major role in allowing the pests to breed, it said.

“The fall of Gaddafi was an enormous factor, to be honest,” said Keith Cressman, FAO senior locust forecasting officer. “It depleted the Libyans’ capacity to monitor and respond as they normally would.”

Insecurity along the Libya-Algeria border—a fallout from the uprising—meant that teams are still unable to properly spray the affected areas.

Desert locusts have the capacity to destroy vast areas of croplands. During a plague, a swarm can stretch for several hundred square kilometres comprising billions of locusts, each capable of eating its own weight in food a day.

A 2003-05 plague affected farmers in two dozen countries, mainly in Africa, and cost more than $500m to bring under control. The current infestation is nowhere near that level, but the FAO fears that the insecurity in Mali will hamper the response efforts there.

Desert locust swarms formed in Libya and Algeria in mid-May, after good rains and the resultant growth of vegetation on which they feed. The first swarms have already been sighted in northern Niger, which is currently experiencing a food crisis.

Small farmers are especially vulnerable since their entire crop can be wiped out. The FAO said that the number of locusts and their spread would depend on control efforts in Libya and Algeria, as well as rainfall in the Sahel region of West Africa.

During Muammar Gaddafi’s reign, Libya had an effective and well-resourced locust control programme, Mr Cresswell said. While the administrative structures were still there, the vehicles, sprayers and other equipment were no longer available.

“Before the revolution, Libya would even send large convoys with survey and control teams to other countries in north and west Africa,” he said. “But now they are the ones needing help.

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