SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #90 ---- 10/4/99
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
As We fight The Good Fight
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #90 ---- October 4, 1999
TITLE: "Let Your 'Yes' be 'Yes'."
My Dear Partner in Ministry Fellowship:
I am grateful last week's letter on removing the veil of pretense was
such a blessing to so many. Comments I received, such as the one below,
further confirmed in my heart both the awesomeness of that experience I
had more than fifteen years ago, but also the truth of how God will use
our total transparency and vulnerability to far greater benefits that He
will ever use our futile efforts of image and performance. One reader
wrote:
"[I just] wanted to say this article is one of the best yet. I really
enjoyed the thoughts about the veil. Do you mind if I use some of your
thoughts in a sermon sometime in the future? I believe you hit the nail
(or the Spirit did) right on the head. If only we could learn to be led
by the Spirit and give God the glory. So many worries could be dropped
and so many miracles of God could be seen through His servants and His
people. Thanks for sharing what the
Lord gave to you. ---- Ben"
CHRISTIANITY OR COMMUNISM FOR UKRAINE:
I picked the following news report off of the "Religion Today" e-mail
service last Monday morning.
+++++++++++++
Christianity or communism? Ukraine must decide
Ukraine will vote next month on whether to re-elect
pro-Christian President Leonid Kuchma or replace him with one
of three hard-line Communist candidates. Polls indicate the
vote could be extremely close.
Read more at http://www.religiontoday.com/CurrentFeatureStory/
+++++++++++++
Jo Ann and I have ministered in Ukraine, and the people are very dear to
our hearts. I was not aware of this impending event until Monday ---- it
looks like next month is a crucial time. Please join me in interceding
for this nation during the next several weeks. Much more is at stake
than simply the election of a president ---- freedom to minister to the
needy, training men and women for ministry, and freely proclaiming the
Gospel through evangelistic and missionary endeavors will ultimately be
affected by the outcome of this election.
HOAXES GALORE:
It seems they're like roaches ---- once they get started, they're almost
impossible to kill out. I'm talking about the myriad of hoaxes being
spread over the internet and snail mail. I got more notices this past
week on some that are years old ---- and known to be hoaxes. I feel that
I need to take the space to deal with that issue, because, for me as a
believer, it is more than just a nuisance ---- it is a matter of
Christian integrity.
I just concluded a mini-series yesterday on "Speaking To One Another"
(Eph 5:17-21) within my ongoing maxi-series on the "One Anothers" of the
New Testament. I am compelled with the importance of believers learning
to speak properly and in keeping with Biblical principles. Of the more
than 94+ "one another" commands of scripture, 19 of them pertain to our
conversation ---- more than any other general subject.
We as believers have jumped on various bandwagons (Second Coming, Y2K,
apocalypse, etc.) so many times, all the while crying "Wolf!" that we
have systematically shot ourselves in the foot and dismantled by our own
hands any sense of credibility and integrity to the unbelieving world.
In early years they ridiculed us. Then they laughed. Next they yawned.
Today they pay no attention.
The Bible is so clear about the way we need to talk. Space won't allow
me to even consider examining the shortest of these passages. Let me
quote just one as a reminder:
Eph 4:29 ---- "Let no unwholesome (lit. "rottenness") word proceed from
your mouth, but Only such a word as is good for edification according to
the need of the moment, that it may give grace ("an extravagant offer of
unconditional love and inexhaustible resources") to those who hear."
I believe this not only applies to how we talk face to face, but also how
we "talk" via the internet. Paul is clear in telling us we should let
our "Yes be yes, and our No be no" ---- which requires telling the truth.
One way we fail to meet that standard is by passing on unsubstantiated
material through the internet.
The following may not be very inspirational, but hopefully it will be
convicting and helpful, enabling us to take seriously our
responsibilities to make certain our speech is Christ like.
THE PROBLEM:
Here's part of a letter I wrote recently to Steve Hewett, Editor in Chief
of Christian Computing Magazine (a magazine I highly recommend, by the
way):
"August 31, 1999
"Steve:
"I am disturbed at how many believers pass obsolete or bogus reports and
prayer requests on to their many internet friends as if they are all true
without checking their veracity. To me it is a form of the abuse of the
tongue by biblical standards ---- bearing false witness, etc.
"Several very old messages have come my way ---- again! ---- recently,
all of whom had been passed on to me with great urgency ---- and yet
totally false. Maybe you'd like to consider an editorial or article on
this issue. It's getting to be epidemic. Christians are making fools of
themselves and using up precious space and time on the internet
distributing these things.
"Also, if there isn't already one such clearing house web site, maybe
there needs to be a web site where we could check some of these messages
out for credibility before sending them on.
"The best solution, of course, would be for every Christian to personally
take the time to verify this stuff before sending it back out on the net
waves as "gospel truth".
"Thanks for your consideration.
"In Christ's Bond,
"Bob"
Steve responded favorably, indicating he had received similar letters.
There still hasn't been a feature article on the subject, so maybe if you
wrote him, he might do it. Drop him a note at <[email protected]>. Steve
indicates in the October, 1999 issue that it is dealt with periodically
in smaller articles, and noted that this matter was discussed in the
July/August, 1999 "Novice In Mind" column, available online at
<http://www.ccmag.com/mags.shtml>.
One brother, Dick Murphey, took the time to check out the Proctor &
Gamble farce and found a web site (http://www.pg.com/index.html, choosing
the Trademark Facts option) that exposes the total thing as being untrue.
SOME EXAMPLES:
Here are some of the false stuff that I personally know of. I'm sure
there are many, many more. I'm passing this on to you with the hope that
you will, in turn, forward this information on to your friends. Somehow
we as believers need to stop participating in forwarding hoaxes and
unverified reports such as these ------------
++ "OPEN: VERY COOL!" ---- Hoax!
++ "Win A Holiday" ---- Hoax! Around for years!
++ Proctor and Gamble rumor that half the CEO's profits go to the church
of Satan ---- Hoax! Ancient!
++ Missionary David Allen "dying" prayer request ---- totally obsolete.
David is fine.
++ Little girl (Amanda Bundy) who is full of tumors ---- totally
obsolete for well over a year. A good report was given September 28,
1998.
++ The Y2K Windows date setting ---- Hoax! Totally false.
++ A note from JUDY WADE warning of a virus ---- Hoax!
++ "IT TAKES GUTS TO SAY JESUS" ---- Hoax!
++ "The Budweiser Frogs".(BUDDYLST.ZIP) ---- You've got to be kidding!
I'm not sure, but it's probably a hoax.
++ The $1,000 and free Windows 98 deal from Microsoft.
++ "PENPAL GREETINGS!" ---- an Ancient Hoax!
++ "JOIN THE CREW" ---- a variation on "PENPALS" ---- a Hoax!
++ CELCOM Screen Saver. It shows a NOKIA hand phone. The filename is
CELLSAVER.EXE. ---- A new one to me, but probably a hoax.
++ asks you to check out his page at
<http://www.geocities.com/vienna/6318> ---- A new one to me, but probably
a hoax.
Last April I wrote to several, passing on information I received two or
three years ago from a Canadian friend, Greg Slade, whose brother has
written a book on virus hoaxes. Here is what I wrote. I also have a
couple more detailed letters from Greg which I would be happy to pass on
to you if you write and ask.
SOME GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTIONS:
There are some guidelines to follow when trying to determine the validity
of a virus warning. While they do not guarantee complete safety, they do
help you discern the real from the hoax.
1. Does it name a major company, product, or person in a negative slant?
2. Does it warn of uncontrolled and total destruction?
3. Does it name a specific source without substantiation? .
4. Does it encourage massive mailings which could clog up the lines?
The more of these questions can be answered "Yes", the more likely it is
to be a hoax.
In the final analysis, you can do some very simple things that will
diminish your frustrations.
1. NEVER forward a virus warning or a prayer request (especially if you
can see it has been forwarded a large number of times) without first
checking it's validity. Go to the source.
2. Take SERIOUSLY the Biblical instruction about how we use our
"tongue", even if it's through the internet.
3. Get a Good ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAM and install it on your computer.
4. LEARN the facts about how a virus actually operates.
5 Always have a BACKUP of your hard drive!!! Nobody can really hurt
you if you backup faithfully!!!
6. NEVER just stick any floppy that someone gives you into your system
and use it without first scanning said floppy!
7. When you do receive such information that you believe is false, WRITE
BACK UP LINE to the sender, let them know what you know, and urge them to
do the same.
A FINAL "WARNING":
Finally, Glen Stewart, the guy who owns the e-mail service I use for this
letter, sent out the following warning last March. (Apparently a
"blindness virus" hid it from me on my computer until today, so am
passing it on to you.)
___________________________________________________________
***-- VIRUS WARNING from MeMail.com --***
Folks, I don't normally send out virus warnings, but this
one is extremely serious. Please read very carefully and
take care!
If you receive an email entitled "Crazy Times" delete it
immediately. Do not open it! Apparently this one is pretty
nasty.
It will not only erase everything on your hard drive, but it
will also delete anything on disks within 20 feet of your
computer.
It demagnetizes the strips on ALL of your credit cards.
It reprograms your ATM access code, messes up the tracking
on your VCR and uses subspace field harmonics to scratch any
CD's you attempt to play.
It will re-calibrate your refrigerator's coolness settings
so all your ice cream melts and your milk curdles.
It will program your phone autodial to call only your
mother-in-law's number.
This virus will mix antifreeze into your fish tank.
It will leave dirty socks on the coffee table when you are
expecting company.
Its radioactive emissions will cause your toe jam and
bellybutton fuzz (be honest, you have some) to migrate
behind your ears.
It will replace your shampoo with Nair and your Nair with
Rogaine, all while dating your current boy/girlfriend behind
your back and billing their hotel rendezvous to your Visa
card.
It will cause you to run with scissors and throw things in a
way that is only fun until someone loses an eye.
It will give you Dutch Elm Disease and Tinea.
It will rewrite your backup files, changing all your active
verbs to passive tense and incorporating undetectable
misspellings which grossly change the interpretations of key
sentences.
If the "Crazy Times" message is opened in a Windows 95
environment, it will leave the toilet seat up and leave your
hair dryer plugged in dangerously close to a full bathtub.
It will not only remove the tags from your mattresses and
pillows, but it will also refill your skimmed milk with
whole milk.
It will replace all your luncheon meat with Spam.
It will molecularly rearrange your cologne or perfume,
causing it to smell like dill pickles.(Remember Brut 33 ?)
It is insidious and subtle.
It is dangerous and terrifying to behold.
It is also a rather interesting shade of mauve.
These are just a few signs of infection.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!
--
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<[email protected]>
IN CONCLUSION:
Have a great week. Last week was a wonderful one for me, though I really
caved in over the week-end from weariness, and then contracted extreme
lung and sinus congestion Saturday. God was faithful, however, and we
had two wonderful services Sunday. I've crashed, though, and intend to
just lie on the runway today until the mechanic tows me to the hanger for
repairs.
God has just reminded me again of how unbelievably blessed I am to be
able to share my heart with you. Thanks. Let's guard our speech this
week ---- making sure that we speak only blessings that edify.
In Christ's Bond,
Bob Tolliver ---- (Rom 1:11-12)
Copyright October, 1999. All rights reserved.
If this letter has blessed you and you know of someone else who needs to
be encouraged, feel free to forward it in its entirety to all such people
you know.
If you would like a list of past issues which you could receive upon
request, just let us know.
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/ ^ ^
{ (O) (O) }
------oOOO---------U--------OOOo------
Hang in there! I'm with you!
-------.ooooO--------------- Ooooo--------
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