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Our Empty-Hearted, Disillusioned World The Western world is beginning to realize that the false god of materialism has failed. Countries of the Far East are realizing it, too, as evidenced by the suicide rate in Japan. And more and more in the coming days, the Third World, which is desperately grasping for material wealth as a solution to their problems, will understand that "as goods increase, so do those who consume them" (Ecclesiastes 5:11). The upsurge of militant Islam is a testimony to the disillusionment brought about by the failure of materialism. Communism, too, has greatly influenced much of our world. Its seduction lies in the failure of governments and people to meet the hopes and needs of the masses. But it is a false god. It maintains its power only by force, lack of freedom, and dictatorship, and much of the communist world is already disillusioned and empty-hearted. They cry for change, for more freedom, and for something to satisfy. Years ago an ex-Marxist wrote a book entitled The God That Failed. For millions under communism, their god has failed them. Undoubtedly this is one of the reasons for the tremendous spiritual harvest in China during the past decades---perhaps the greatest harvest in such a short time in the history of the world. Of course, the faithful life, witness, and suffering of believers, the volume of continuing prayer both inside and outside of China, and the ministry of missionary radio have all had major roles. Other millions have been disillusioned by the false gods of education and materialism. Reactions have come in the form of militant revivals in some of the old religions. Yes, the people of the world are perhaps more empty-hearted and disillusioned than ever before. Their gods have failed them. We know that Jesus is the answer they have been seeking. What a time to reap earth's harvest for Him!!! :angel:

God Is Preparing Harvest For You Your prayer for world harvest can be more effective today because God in His sovereignty is coordinating world trends to make rapid fruitfulness available to His children. If we will put priority on prayer and obedience, this can be earth's greatest harvest time. Not every Christian is called to go. Not every Christian is able to make a substantial financial contribution to the work of Christ's kingdom. But there is no limit to what any Christian may accomplish through prayer! Earth's Population Explosion Statisticians of world population growth tell us that earth's population at the time of Christ was about 250 million. It took over eighteen hundred years, or until about the year 1850, for the total population to reach one billion. Eighty years later, approximately 1930, world population rose to two billion. By about 1960---only thirty years later---world population climbed to three billion. Four billion was reached about 1975. By this year we have passed six billion, and the next billion may be added in less than ten years. Earth's population has exploded so fast that the billions who must be reached for Christ almost overwhelm us. How can we catch up? Only by multiplying harvest through prayer.

Delivering the gospel message to every human being is not enough, however. The crucial factor is assuring that the message will be understood and accepted. Prayer is the answer. The Holy Spirit is given as God's people ask (Luke 11:13). Undoubtedly this is not only true when we ask for ourselves, but also when we ask for others. So the effectiveness of present mission efforts depends on our prayer, enabling the Holy Spirit to work in power. In other words, the key to world evalgelization, thus clearing the way for Christ's return, may be your prayer and mine. If the main delaying factor is lack of prayer, do not be surprised if God makes special provision for prayer to be more effective today than ever before.

Survey Ranks Most, Least Prayerful Colleges By Kat Glass Religion News Service Considering that 98 percent of the students are Mormon, some classrooms are converted into worship spaces on Sundays, and alcohol and drugs are banned from campus, perhaps it's not surprising that Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, received the sacred No. 1 spot on the list of schools where "Students Pray on a Regular Basis" in the Princeton Review's 2007 college rankings. Meanwhile, the liberal arts Reed College in Portland, Ore., where the Christian student group is called "Oh, for Christ's Sake," ranked atop the "Students Ignore God on a Regular Basis" category, according to the same rankings, which were released this week (Aug. 22). The Princeton Review rankings categorize schools into quirky lists such as "Dodge Ball Targets" for non-athletic schools and "School Runs Like Butter" for well-organized administrations. The lists are compiled based on students' responses to an 80-question survey. For the religious questions, participants were simply asked, "How religious are students on your campus?" Both BYU and Reed topped their respective lists for the fourth year in a row. The top 10 religious list also included evangelical hot spring Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill., and three Catholic schools: University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Ind., the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas, and Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Carri Jenkins, spokeswoman for BYU, said she was happy to hear the news of the most-religious designation. "We're very pleased," Jenkins said. "We do believe that it reflects the student body here at the university." BYU, which is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), requires students to take 14 credits of religion classes, translating into about one class per semester, Jenkins said. A Mormon temple is within walking distance of the campus. A centerpiece of the BYU education is its honor code, which students sign annually, Jenkins said. The extensive code directs students to practice academic honesty, use clean language and refrain from substances that include alcohol, drugs, tobacco, tea and coffee. Edward Hershey, spokesman for Reed, attributed the godless designation to the highly intellectual atmosphere and general skepticism of the students. "It's probably more about the willingness of our students and faculty to question everything, including religion, rather than the anti-religious fervor," Hershey said. Hershey said the survey actually contradicted recent trends. "On one level it's kind of ironic, I guess, because in fact, even though Reed has a well-earned reputation as being iconoclastic -- I think that's probably where the notion of our Godlessness comes from -- religion is a growing major here," Hershey said, noting that 34 of 287 graduates in the class of 2006 were religion majors. Religion also often enters the classroom, especially when students read texts in the humanities. "It's a secular place for sure that studies religion a lot," Hershey said. The religious designations also tend to match up with political affiliations. BYU was the No. 3 school under "Students Most Nostalgic for Reagan," while Reed received seventh place for "Students Most Nostalgic for Bill Clinton. "I think we see more crossover on the liberal list," said Robert Franek, author of the Princeton Review's "Best 361 Colleges." Alexis Plowman, a junior at BYU studying English, said religion plays into the students' academics. "You may notice that we'll use principles that we learn in the Gospels to what we learn in the classroom," Plowman said. One of Plowman's favorite events is an evening "BYOB" barbecue on campus. Normally BYOB tells guests to bring their own beer or booze bottle. At BYU, it means "bring your own beef." The 10 most religious colleges, according to the 2007 Princeton Review rankings: -- 1. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah -- 2. Wheaton College, Wheaton, Ill. -- 3. Pepperdine University, Malibu, Calif. -- 4. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind. -- 5. University of Dallas, Irving, Texas -- 6. Catholic University, Washington, D.C. -- 7. Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Mich. -- 8. College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Mo. -- 9. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah -- 10. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas The 10 least religious colleges, according to the 2007 Princeton Review rankings: -- 1. Reed College, Portland, Ore. -- 2. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. -- 3. Bennington College, Bennington, Vt. -- 4. Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Ore. -- 5. Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, N.Y. -- 6. Eugene Lang College/New School University, New York City, N.Y. -- 7. Emerson College, Boston, Mass. -- 8. Simon's Rock College of Bard, Great Barrington, Mass. -- 9. New College of Florida, Sarasota, Fla. -- 10. Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

We do not know what in God's view constitutes adequate witness to the comparatively unreached nations, but by means of radio we are today able to beam the gospel message to practically every corner of the earth. Millions unreached by resident missionaries have access to the gospel through missionary radio. Virtually every province and village in China has been covered in this way. Millions of others in Russia, Albania, and the Muslim lands are known to be listening to Christian messages, broadcast in their own language or in one that may be understood in part. It is always far more effective when people can hear the gospel in their mother tongue. Although it has been reliably estimated that 95 percent of the people of the world now have available to them some portion of the Scripture printed in a language known to them, may God speed the efforts of those giving their lives to completing the task of putting Scripture into all remaining dialects and languages. In addition, GospelRecordings reports that Christian music has been recorded in more than 4,362 of these dialects and languages.

God's timetable of the ages may be rapidly nearing the countdown toward Christ's return. God's great plan, for which He created the world and man, has been delayed and frustrated by the long reign of sin and Satan since Adam's fall. But according to the Bible, the delay of Christ's return is not so much because God is patiently waiting for the world to repent as because He is patiently waiting for us to lead them to repentance (2Peter 3:9). This is further emphasized by the fact that, of all the conditions and signs that must precede Christ's coming, perhaps only one remains to be fulfilled: "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).

Pinocchio, Heidi Get Islamic Makeover in Turkish Books By Scott Rank Religion News Service ISTANBUL - The latest victim in the rising tensions between the West and the Islamic world didn't want to become an international symbol for the clash of civilizations; in fact, Pinocchio's only wish was to become a real boy. Book publishers in Turkey, reacting to controversy that arose over inclusion of such titles in the Turkish government's recommended reading list for schoolchildren, have reprinted several of the classics with Islamic elements inserted into the storylines. In "Pinocchio," when the wooden puppet arrives at the end of his quest, he exclaims to his maker, Geppetto, "Thanks be to Allah, I am a real boy!" Earlier in the book he says, "If Allah wills it, please give me some bread." In Alexander Dumas' "The Three Musketeers," as D'Artagnan is en route to Aramis' house, he is told on the street that he can't visit his friend because Aramis was in the company of religious men since he had converted to Islam following the recovery from his illness. When Johanna Spyri's "Heidi" asks if there is a benefit to prayer, she is told that praying to Allah is comforting. Turkish Minister of Education Huseyin Celik blasted the publishers of the Islamicized books, threatening them with a lawsuit since the publishers put the Ministry of Education's logo on their books without government approval. "If you like Heidi, then write your own `Heidi.' Don't work to Islamicize her," he said in the Turkish newspaper Radikal. Celik said the government only approved the book titles, not the altered versions printed by the publishing companies. While proponents of the books argue that "Allah" is simply a translation for "God," others say the word is used specifically with an Islamic connotation. Turkish columnist Ismet Berkan said publishers had a religious motivation because "Allah" was a special title only employed by Muslims, and not even Arabic-speaking Christians use it in their traditions.

I found this story on Beliefnet.com Study: U.S. Christians Guilty of "Overgrazing" By Daniel Burke Religion News Service On the way to the church picnic, some Christians may not be sidestepping one of the seven deadly sins: gluttony. A new study surmises that among Christians in the U.S. -- particularly Baptists, Pentecostals and Catholics -- there is a significant relationship between being religious and being obese. The study tracked about 2,800 religious Americans of various denominations for eight years. Baptists, according to the study, were most likely to be obese, followed by Pentecostals, Catholics, Methodists and members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Denominations that stress physical health, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Seventh-day Adventists, show low levels of obesity, according to the study. There is also a very low percentage of obese Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists in the U.S., the study found. Because religion is often associated with positive health factors, such as lower blood pressure, stronger immune systems and less depression, the results of the study were somewhat surprising, said Purdue University sociology professor Kenneth E. Ferraro, a leader of the research. "We usually think of religion as contrasting negative behaviors," Ferraro said. But "Baptists, as well as most fundamentalist groups, place great emphasis on separating the mind or soul from the body," which may lead to over-eating. The study found a significant correlation between obesity and people who use religious media, such as television, radio and magazines. These "couch potato saints," as the study calls them, tend to be less active and often watch "lots of obese religious leaders on TV," according to Ferraro. Ferraro said his study has received some negative attention from preachers who say that he has "the wrong priorities ... for trying to find fault with the church." But he said rising obesity rates in the U.S. present a dangerous health problem. "If you're a pastor you ought to be concerned about the condition of your flock," Ferraro said.

Prayer is the greatest resource of the church. It is the most effective means of preparing the way of the Lord available to us as Christians today. You yourself can influence more people for God and have a greater role in advancing Christ's cause by prayer than any other way. It is not the ONLY thing you must do, but it is the GREATEST thing you can do. It has often been said, The Devil trembles when he sees God's weakest child upon his knees. If that is true, think what could happen if every Christian really took his prayer role seriously and began to pray regularly and specifically, uniting with thousands or millions of others, all praying for the same priority needs around the world. Are you willing to be a part of such a prayer army? :angel: A few web addys.... http://dim.com/~bkelly/bgpage/hall.html http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~kago-usu/KushamiRoom/99/99-E.html http://www.payphone-directory.org/

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