This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast

Articles and Commentary

• Doctors Are Not Prophets - (Read)
• Al-Qaida Turns 21 - (Read)
• To Pray Or Not To Pray In Public Places - (Read)

Important News Headlines

Memory Verse of the Week

DOCTORS ARE NOT PROPHETS - (Print)

Sometimes doctors are right. Sometimes the man with pancreatic cancer really has only four months to live, or the injured baby survives just 10 more hours. Despite all their medical training and experience, though, doctors are not prophets. Stories abound of people who have defied the doctors' worst predictions and have gone on to improve and continue their lives. When life and death decisions have to be made, it pays to not give up, but to have hope and - most importantly - to trust God.

The Soldier:
Ben Parkinson, a British soldier from Bessacarr in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, was horribly injured in an explosion in Afghanistan three years ago. Parkinson lost both legs in the blast and suffered brain damage, and doctors said he would never walk or talk again. After undergoing a surgery to straighten his back, which experts said could have left him paralyzed, Parkinson has recovered quickly. He is in the gym every day, determined to walk on prosthetic legs by the end of the year. Through speech therapy, the muscles in his face are strengthening and he's learning to talk again.

"A lot of people would have laid down and just given up if they'd suffered the injuries Ben has," said his mother, Diane Dernie. "But it's just the way he is. He was always such a happy little boy and he was always determined to make the best of everything. Nothing ever got him down. It's quite extraordinary to think about what he has been through and that still remains the case. He's still the same Ben."

Cerebral Palsy:
Doctors originally thought six-month old Annie Mae Cortez's cerebral palsy would leave her a blind quadriplegic. Catching the problem and starting therapy early made a great difference. Five years later, she's living a pretty normal life despite her disability. Anna Mae still has vision problems as well as other difficulties associated with her disability, like seizures and an urgenic bladder, but she's a very happy little girl. She loves to ride her bike and swim and play with her little cousin Kyle. Annie Mae is about 18 months behind in her mental development, but she attended pre-K last year and will go to kindergarten this year at the local elementary school.

Annie Mae's parents call her their "miracle child", and Louisiana Cerebral Palsy asked the Cortez family if she could be their poster child for fundraising. "It's exciting and an honor," Marsha Cortez said. "If we can just give one family hope that things can get better, then it's worth it."

Down's Syndrome & Pulmonary Hypertension:
When he was two-years-old, Greg Fears parents learned that their little boy with Down's syndrome also had pulmonary hypertension, a condition which can result in low blood oxygen levels and commonly leads to heart failure. The doctors told the Fear family that Greg would probably not live past 8-years-old. In July, Greg celebrated his 18th birthday with a huge party that included 100 guests.

"He was king for the day and got loads of presents and cards. He lapped it all up," said Greg's father Paul.

Greg's 15-year-old little brother Tom said, "He's everything to me. When I feel down or upset about anything I just go and see Greg."

Sister Megan, 10, said: "I love him to bits."

Mom Jackie added: "I wouldn't change Greg for the world. I would have 10 of him."

Multiple Organ Failure:
Twenty-six-year-old Cheryna spent 21 days in the ICU of a Fort Worth, Texas hospital after heat stroke caused a seizure that led to a variety of problems, including kidney failure, acidosis, and septic shock. Cheryna's organs all began to fail, her skin turned nearly orange, and the doctors' prognoses were dim all-around.

Her mother Charlotte Stewart, who edits the Religion section for the Longview News-Journal, writes, "There is nothing quite like looking at the battered body of your child, too ravaged by too many medical maladies to donate even one body part, and considering a 'do not resuscitate' order."

And yet, people were praying. Stewart's own church and several others began praying for Cheryna. Prayer came from a variety of places; the cashier at the clothing store, a lady in the hospital cafeteria, a lady filling out paperwork for her own upcoming surgery all volunteered to pray for the dying girl. And amazingly, miraculously, Cheryna recovered. Even the doctor who said, "We might need to amputate her legs below the knee" agreed that Cheryna's recovery was like nothing he'd ever seen. Stewart writes:

"Without discounting one thing any doctor, nurse, respiratory therapist, EMT or any other medical professional did, I firmly believe my daughter's recovery is nothing short of divine intervention. I believe when my friends, family and some strangers boldly went before the throne of God and asked him to intervene, he intervened. Furthermore, I believe when we asked for a healing of my shattered mind, we got it."

We wrote to Charlotte Stewart, and as of Tuesday, August 11, Cheryna still has her legs.  She will likely lose her toes, but her mother told us that Cheryna is able to stand, and she can talk again after weeks of paralyzed vocal chords.  Her story is simply amazing.

Tragedy is normal fare in this fallen world, and we all lose loved ones – sometimes through a long illness, and sometimes in a terrible, unexpected instant. Yet, it is vital that we not lose hope when difficulties come along that are too great for us to bear. These news stories are all recent ones from just the past month, and we left out others for the sake of space. There is great hope in this world of suffering, and God is always at work, even when we're not aware of it. He is faithful, He absolutely loves us, and He can hold us and our burdens when hope just seems pointless.  No matter what happens, we need to put ourselves in His hands.

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

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AL-QAIDA TURNS 21 - (Print)

Al-Qaida had its 21st birthday on Tuesday, August 11, but its supporters will probably not celebrate at the local pub since alcohol is verboten in strict Islam. The rest of the world will not celebrate at all because al-Qaida has caused constant grief since 1988.

Kuwait:
Most recently, Kuwait has thwarted an effort by terrorists linked to al-Qaida to bomb a US military base, as well as the headquarters of Kuwait's internal security agency. Six Kuwaiti men have been arrested and confessed their plans to officials. The main US base in Kuwait is Camp Arifjan, which houses 15,000 troops. According to The Daily Telegraph, the local media in Kuwait report that the group had purchased a truck, which they intended to fill with explosives, chemicals and fertilizer and smash into the US camp during Ramadan.

Kuwait was once a British protectorate, and it has strong ties to the West – especially since the Persian Gulf War (1990-91) when the Americans, British, and their allies came to Kuwait's rescue after Saddam Hussein invaded. Still, there are those sympathetic to al-Qaida within Kuwait's borders.

Iraq:
Eight people were killed and another 22 wounded in Baghdad when a car exploded and two other bombs went off within minutes of each other on Tuesday. Another 29 people were killed in Baghdad in bombings on Friday and Monday. Baghdad is not alone. Attacks on Monday and Friday in Mosul (ancient Ninevah) claimed the lives of 78 people total. Nobody offered responsibility for the bombings, but al-Qaida in Iraq is well known for its use of car bombs and suicide bombers. The Iraqi security forces have been working to fight terrorists independently since the end of June, when American forces pulled out of the major cities

"What's vital to realize is these attacks have failed to move the Iraqi people to ethno-sectarian violence," said Brig. Gen. Stephen Lanza, a U.S. military spokesman. "I believe the Iraqi people, regardless of sect, see their country moving forward and refuse to have their future stolen by violent extremists."

Somalia:
An Islamic group linked to al-Qaida has got the Somali government on the ropes these days. President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has called on Al-Shabaab to cease with its violence and begin negotiations, but the terrorist group has shown no interest in peace. Al-Shabaab refuses to deal with the government, which it plans to overthrow so it can make strict Sharia law the rule of the land. Right now, it doesn't look like the government has the ability to fight Al-Shabaab. The terrorists have been able to just go and take the military's weapons as their own.

Political analyst Ali Abdullahi told VOA News, "Al-Shabab has a lot of spirit and they have a well disciplined group of militants and the government is not well prepared to challenge them on the battlefront. So the best way they (government) they could think of is maybe to have a negotiation on the table. But I wonder whether the government will be ready to negotiate from a point of weakness rather than a point of strength."

Al-Shabaab continues to murder those who do not bow in the name of Islam. We reported in the July 28th eNews that Al-Shabaab beheaded seven Christian men on July 10th.  Even before that eNews was sent, four more Christians were kidnapped on July 27th and later beheaded because they would not renounce Jesus Christ. These Christians were working to help Somali orphans, demonstrating Al-Shabaab's utter contempt for human life.   

Pakistan:
The leader of the Taliban in Pakistan is believed to be dead, and there is a scramble in the ranks to decide who will replace him. President Barack Obama's security advisor Retried General Jim Jones told the Fox News Sunday program that the US believes Mehsud to be dead. "Mehsud was a very bad individual, a real thug, responsible for a lot of violence, a lot of innocent people losing their lives," he said.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik says that al-Qaida wants to fill Mehsud's seat with one of its top people, even as Mehsud's own Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan leadership fight among themselves. TTP's deputy leader Hakimullah Mehsud said that Baitullah Mehsud is still alive, but Malik and Jones both argue that the most credible information has the man dead. Jones told Meet The Press, "We put it in the 90 percent category."

Twenty-one-year-olds can easily feel invincible and ready to take over the world, and al-Qaida is still fighting and winning some battles. In the end, though, the group is only made up of human beings.

Keep praying for the Christians in Somalia and Iraq, Pakistan and around the world. Extreme Islam is a threat to everybody, including those Muslims who reject its violent and tyrannical practices. Christians and Jews are particularly vulnerable in countries dominated by Islam, and they need our prayers and support.

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TO PRAY OR NOT TO PRAY IN PUBLIC PLACES - (Print)

Lodi, CA
Lodi, California has become a hotspot in the public prayer controversy. In May, the Lodi City Council opened its bi-monthly meeting with a public prayer like it always did, but that time somebody decided to make a stink about it. That person contacted the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation to get the city council to stop praying "in Jesus name." Since then, the pre-meeting prayers have continued, but without specific reference to Jesus or anybody else.

The city council was supposed to make a decision about its prayer policy last week, and crowds of people on both sides of the argument gathered to make their opinions known and to hear the final resolution. For two hours a huge crowd of pro-prayer supporters rallied right next to a smaller, but still large group of those who favored having a moment-of-silence instead. In the packed Wednesday meeting itself, people from each side had the opportunity to make their arguments. In the end, the city council decided to postpone their final decision until the September 30th meeting.

The Pacific Justice Institute, a legal defense organization that specializes in parental rights and defending religious freedom, offered the city council a solution to help them resolve the controversy. PJI suggested that the city council simply allow ministers or other members of the public to open the meetings with uncensored prayer of their own, giving the persons praying the freedom to pray in Jesus name or not as they chose.

Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, commented, "It is simply un-American for the government to censor speech, including the mention of God or Jesus, by private citizens in a public setting. We are offering the City of Lodi a practical, constitutional solution to this needless controversy so the out-of-state special interests can fold their tents and go home."

Pace, FL
Across the country in Pace, Florida, a similar and even more heated controversy has been going on. The principal of Pace High School, Frank Lay, is headed for a court hearing on September 17th because he asked the school athletic director, Robert Freeman, to "bless the food" at a luncheon for school personnel and booster club members at Pace High School. For those three words, Lay  and Freeman were accused of violating a court order to keep religion out of the school.

Sixty-year-old Lay comes across as a down-to-earth southern country man with a sparkle in his eye and a fun sense of humor. You can't detect a smidgen of pride or vinegar in him. He also loves Jesus and is very transparent about that fact, even as the principal of a public high school. As Lay put it during a speech at his church, his Christianity is who he is. It's "gonna ooze out" of him.

The southern town of Pace, Florida, where Lay was raised, is still a conservative, family-oriented community, and a majority of the teachers and students at Pace High School are also Christians. The idea of kicking God out of the schools had never really gotten through to Pace. Until August 2008, the high school had developed a fairly Christian flavor about it, and students and outside leaders were regularly asked to pray at school events. Teachers were free about discussing religious matters in class and did not shy from talking about their churches or encouraging students to join religious clubs.

That is, until two high school students contacted the ACLU, which sued the Santa Rosa County School board, the then-superintendent, and Frank Lay. By January of 2009, the school district had worked out an agreement to keep religion out of the schools. US District Judge Casey Rodgers approved the agreement and issued an injunction on January 19th, and Lay signed it. 

Then, nine days later, Lay made that fatal suggestion for a blessing over the booster club members' food. School Board member Jo Ann Simpson was at the luncheon and reported what she considered to be a violation of the consent decree.

There has been a mixed reaction from the residents of Pace over the whole ordeal. Dana O'Keefe, the mother of two Pace High graduates, did not think Lay had done anything wrong. "A blessing over a meal to me is not evangelism or proselytizing. It's just thanking a higher power for a meal."

A huge portion of the community is behind Lay, but there are those who wonder why he still has his job. Philip Yale, father of three Pace High graduates said, "He is not above the law. There is only one God, and it isn't Frank Lay."

Lay is weary over the whole thing. "You are fearful what you can and cannot say," he said. "If a kid sneezes and you say ‘Bless you,' what then?

"You get tired of it — tired of hearing it, tired of dealing with it. We should be pushing on toward academic achievement, helping kids grow and develop, and moving on into the world. It's been a distraction."

Lay will submit to the judgment of Judge Rodgers in September. "I'm hoping she'll be very gracious that day," he smiled. "She will do what she is called to do. If that means hammering me, so be it. But I hope that's not the case."

Lay and Freeman could each face up to six months in jail or a $5,000 fine.  The Liberty Counsel is intervening on behalf of the Santa Rosa County educators.  "Pray for our schools" has become a common yard sign in the area, and financial and moral support is flying to Pace from all over the county. 

According to US Supreme Court rulings, public school teachers are not to proselytize students, but there are still a lot of religious freedoms that students and teachers retain in school. It's a difficult area, especially when people do not know where the legal lines are drawn. Read next week's eNews to learn more about how the rules apply to religion in United States public schools.

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New Site From Hezekiah's Time Discovered - August 12, 2009
The most recent dramatic archaeological find in Israel is that of a luxurious administrative center from the period of King Hezekiah, over 2,700 years ago. The center was discovered in Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, just south of Jerusalem. Over 100 students and volunteers from Israel and abroad are taking part in the dig, which is a joint project of Tel Aviv University's Archaeological Institute and Heidelberg University in Germany. Arutz Sheva

Poll Shows National Shift Against Abortion - August 11, 2009
A new national Harris poll finds a strong shift towards the pro-life position on abortion and reveals the shift is seen among members of both political parties. The poll also finds a majority of African-Americans and Hispanics oppose the Roe v. Wade decision that allowed virtually unlimited abortions. Life News

Russia Still No Respecter of Human Rights - August 11, 2009
On Tuesday, two more bodies of human rights workers were found in the southern republic of Chechnya, this time in the trunk of a car. This comes less than a month after the shocking death of Natalya Estemirova, a 50-year-old human-rights campaigner whose body was dumped by the side of a road... The New York Times

Three American Hikers Held In Iran - August 10, 2009
A week after three Americans went missing near the Iraq-Iran border, Tehran has officially confirmed that it is holding them -- amid concerns that the regime may view them as political pawns, just as North Korea viewed two US journalists it captured earlier this year. University of California-Berkley graduates Shane Bauer, Sara Shourd and Josh Fattal disappeared on July 31, reportedly while hiking in the vicinity of a waterfall in a remote part of Iraqi Kurdistan CNSNews

Muslim Population Exploding in Europe - August 08, 2009
According to the US's Migration Policy Institute, residents of Muslim faith will account for more than 20 percent of the EU population by 2050 but already do so in a number of cities. Another forecast holds that Muslims could outnumber non-Muslims in France and perhaps in all of western Europe by mid-century. Telegraph.co.uk

Iran Embassy Workers Accused Of Spying For West - August 08, 2009
An Iranian court on Saturday charged a French woman, two Iranians working for the British and French embassies in Tehran and dozens of others with spying and aiding a Western plot to overthrow the system of clerical rule. It was the second mass trial in a week aimed at uprooting the moderate opposition and putting an end to protests that erupted after the disputed June 12 presidential election. Reuters

Sotomayor Confirmed To US Supreme Court - August 06, 2009
The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic Justice on the US Supreme Court in a 68-31 vote. The 55-year-old judge will replace retiring Justice David Souter, a liberal jurist. She is not expected to alter the court's ideological split. Fox News

For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
Micah 7:6-7 KJV

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

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