CHRISTIANWITNESSES NEWSLETTER
(FORMERLY: WEEKLY BIBLE READER)

Hi, Everyone, and a special Welcome to all our Newcomers, several being from
India, one from Africa, many in the U.S. etc. You are welcome to greet them on
a one-to-one basis; just come to the website at then sign or log in there up at
the top: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChristianWitnesses/

Once in, click NEW MEMBERS up at the top to see their emails, some of which have
extra profile information such as the nation they live in. Also remember that
on the far left is PHOTOS to see what some of us look like, FILES for lots of
free Bible leaflets and other literature etc.

As said previously, given that the newsletter is not always once a week now, the
name has recently changed from the Weekly Bible Reader to Christianwitnesses
Newsletter. It will still carry the Bible reading section that we can all share
in common, giving us a common focus for fellowship online, etc, just having a
name change to recognize the change in frequency.

Outside not only have the leafs changed here near Kansas City but we can "taste"
an early winter coming at us. Word is that Nebraska is getting snow and ice; in
fact I see it on the radar. We are south of the snow but our turn should come
before long.

So, too, with life and even if we're in warmer climates. Generally most of us
live long enough to find the snow of human aging turning our hair white etc. It
sometimes even happens before we expected. It seems as I approach my 59th
birthday that it was only yesterday when I was small blond-headed, green-eyed
little boy climbing the ladder of a hayloft when the wasps stung me.

My dear human father passed away years ago; and these days I pray that the
Father of all humankind, God in heaven, will at the end look upon my whitening
head, and say well-done, Joe, come on up!

But that journey is not yet done, and I can only hope that imperfect though I
am, I will make it and that my overall life's story will be seen as to His
glory. By prayer may it be so even with all of us who so yearn.


CHRISTIAN SONGS: Some good traditional songs are: Give Me That Old Time
Religion, which is an African-American spiritual heard in South Carolina and
written by Charles D. Tillman in 1889.
http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/l/oldtimer.htm
Music: http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/l/oldtimer.htm

Another Oldie But Goodie is A Parting Hymn We Sing, by Aaron R. Wolf in 1858.
http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/p/h/phwesing.htm
Music: http://cyberhymnal.org/mid/s/c/schumann.mid Music:
http://cyberhymnal.org/mid/b/o/y/boylston.mid


OUR BIBLE READING: The apostle Paul wrote the following which as usual we will
be reading while each considers how s/he may somehow make a personal
application:

1 Corinthians 4:8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!
You have become kings—and that without us! How I wish that you really had become
kings so that we might be kings with you! 9 For it seems to me that God has put
us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die
in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as
well as to men. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We
are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this
very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we
are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless;
when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer
kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of
the world.

14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15
Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many
fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16
Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I am sending to you
Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of
my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in
every church.

18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I
will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not
only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the
kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer?
Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

RECIPE FOR GET-TOGETHERS: And for this, we have how to make Shrimp Pasta Salad:
http://www.garvick.com/recipes-fps/chi2f114.htm


RELIGION AND OTHER NEWS:

Virus Isolated In Chronic Fatigue Sufferers:
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre5974wc-us-fatigue-virus/

Verdict In On Faith-healers: A judge sentenced Dale and Leilani Neumann, called
unremorseful for killing their 11 year old by the prosecution, to just probation
10 years and some time in jail instead of up to 25 years in prison. Defending
attorneys plan to appeal their convictions. "Even if she would have been taken
to the hospital, as everyone thinks should have been the case, there's only
hypothetical speculation. There's no substantiating facts, just hypothetical
speculation as to whether she would have even lived," said the father, Dale
Neumann. Judge Vincent Howard said the US Constitution protects a person's
right to believe in a religion, but not necessarily the conduct and practice of
that religion, for example, people can believe in human sacrifice but not
practice ot. (Comment: Accompanying photo shows the Neumanns smiling and
shaking hands with and greeting people as they entered the courtroom. Likely
many of their pro-faith-healing friends and allies were there.)
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20091006/WDH0101/91006029/Live-Blog--Ne\
umann-sentencing-today&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=11268908

Canadian Woman Formerly In Jehovah's Witness Watchtower Legal Department Blows
Whistle In Canada's Nation-wide Paper, The National Post!!!!
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/medical/182165/1/Ex-Wife-of-Canadian-\
JW-Attorney-Speaks-to-NATIONAL-POST-about-KIDNAPPING-sick-JW-kids Coloradan
Brenda Lee In WE-TV Documentary On Cults; reveals more of her experiences:
http://www.milehighnews.com/Articles-i-2009-10-08-212170.114125_Finding_hope_in_\
a_hidden_journey.html

Watchtower Society Over JWs Has Embarrassing Annual Meeting: Most notable, a
recently posted annual meeting summary of the Watchtower Society over Jehovah's
Witnesses gives no figures for Europe or worldwide.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/182601/1/Notes-From-the-Annual-Meetin\
g-Oct-3-2009 David Splane of the Watchtower's Gov Body professed a 4% growth in
the U.S., likely from Hispanic immigrants as English speaking members fall.
Also, likely from now allowing mothers to count time spent with kids in 2009
along with the usual counting of dads conducting "family Bible studies," they
claimed 9% growth in studies. They used 96 year old Jack Barr to give an
embarrassing new interpretation for the 1914 Generation teaching. Also noted
was that branches around the world are complaining that "not all are singing,"
often a sign that people are not happy.

Canadian Muslim Group Calls For Ban On Burqa:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/10/08/canada-muslim-burka-niqb-ban-governmen\
t.html One In Four Humans Now Muslim: The prestigious Pew Research reveals
this and other facts of interest. A handy map shows most Muslims are in lands
just south of both Russia and China. Some10-13% are Shia Muslims and 87-90% are
Sunni Muslims. Most Shias (68%-80%) live in just Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan.
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=450

Review Shows No Scientific Link Between Childhood Vaccines And Autism
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008131852.htm

China's Police Attack Christians: Citing reliable government sources, China Aid
Association (CAA) reported that the central government on Sept. 26-27 ordered
officials in "all relevant government agencies" to prepare to use military force
against Christians who might react to the attack on a Fushan Church branch
congregation in Linfen city, Shanxi Province. In the wee hours of Sept. 13 some
400 uniformed police and civilians bearing shovels, batons, bricks, iron hooks
and other weapons beat members of the church who were sleeping at the nearly
finished factory building used as a worship site.
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23750/worship-site-demolished-pastors-arrested-i\
n-china

BIBLE LEAFLET YOU ARE WELCOME TO USE:
(Also presented in the past close to Halloween)

Halloween: Given some of the costumes and the many articles stating "it's pagan
and darkness," it's not surprising some Christians choose not to celebrate
Halloween, although statistically the vast major still do. To help both sides
get along, it's important that each understand "WHY" the other has a different
scriptures-based view.

Originally Christian parents had their kids dress up as saints who, of course,
had been tortured and slain for loyalty to the Christian faith, so that, of
course, the costumes often were and still are sometimes quite scary-looking. The
idea was to encourage the kids to be faithful as the saints were, which sounds
positive and pro-Christian.

The word Halloween comes from Hallow which means Holy and E'ven, which means
Evening or Eve. Although, as said, most Christians let their kids participate
upon the day, some who otherwise don't care for Halloween now do substitute some
other party with or without costumes etc, calling them Fun Night, Hallelujah
Night, Costume Party Evening etc. In any event those Christian parents who allow
participation need to and generally do arrange safe, fun substitutes for the
kids. A major reason for it is probably because Joy is also a fruitage of God's
Spirit, second mentioned in the list at Galatians 5:22 only after Love, and the
two fruits are closely linked.

Going back to the costumes, those opposed to Halloween over the wearing of
costumes point out they are no longer tied to saintly living but sometimes
include masks etc mimicking the devil, demons etc. They are also naturally,
rightly concerned that kids may get hurt from needles etc put into
trick-or-treat candies, or even tempted to do un-Christian pranks that can hurt
other people such as put boards with nails on them upon roads or highways. Those
for Halloween accompany or watch over and see that their kids do not
engage in such misdoings or get harmed, for example, by checking candies and
fruits to see that there are no needles in those.

Although Paul said to let none be judging us over holidays or Sabbaths one way
or another, (Colossians 2:16), others in good conscience note that light has no
fellowship with the dark. (2 Cor 6:14) The majority who do favor Halloween
counter that they understand this but that the day replaced the pagan Samhain,
so that this is actually a matter of light having replaced darkness, even as
where many other holidays have also attacked and replaced paganisms with
Christian celebrations.

For example, those not celebrating Halloween may otherwise have no problem with
things of non-Christian origin that Christians commonly use such as wedding
rings, names of days and months, and Christian names in the Bible such Apollos
and Jason, which also all came from pagans. Romans chapter 14 says allow freedom
of conscience, and many scriptures say to not be highly judgmental.

So all in all, it's important to keep good balance and make whichever choice is
right according to each one's Christian conscience. In doing so it is also good
to remember that overall the Bible says that the strongest bond for Christians
is not by absolute sameness of beliefs on every imaginable thing or doctrine but
rather it is by the "greatest" bond, which is LOVE. (1 Cor 13:13)

Although knowing this information may not change the view of many to most
readers, it can, as said, definitely still help each of us to better understand
the other's position about Halloween, to help us continue with greater respect
of one another and so enjoy more Christian love and unity. Darkness as with
ignorance only serves to cause divisions or sects, something the Bible condemns.
With love unto all, and in Christ, you receive this.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Since it's getting cold, especially now, let's remember the poor, cold, homeless
(Ga 2:10). For example if you're laid off, why not give serious thought to
volunteering to work at a charity?