Hello,
SOON AND VERY SOON, WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE KING
SOON AND VERY SOON, WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE KING
SOON AND VERY SOON, WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE KING
HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE KING.

The lines above are by Andre Crouch, America's finest black gospel songwriter 
of today.
Note the spare words that lend themselves to variation in joy of rhythm. Add 
verses that say "No more dyin' there" and "No more cryin' there" and you have 
several minutes of expression of glad anticipation. Some years ago, while 
preaching in Brooklyn at Rehobeth Church that was made up of Jamaicans, I 
confessed to being born the wrong color.

CREDENTIALS-I received my complimentary credentials for 2002 from Evangelical 
Church Alliance. This 113 year old group of over 2,000 ministers around the 
world, has been most gracious to me in my retirement years. Curious? 
ecainternational.org on the web.

HOME, PLUS-Last week I told you of family members visiting in S, Dak. They 
have returned safely, plus some special friends drove with them. Everett and 
Annita Blaylock are adopted family members. He tunes pianos at age 89 and is 
going strong. Annita is okay even though she is a native of a New Zealand 
and talks a bit strange. Best of all, they are fine believers that you love 
being around. The family move etc. is done.

SURFING-It is a challenge to get on the web and find something decent. Try 
www.interviewwithGod.net

PRAYER NEEDS-We are involved with him as Dr. Wendell Kempton goes to Laos. 
This adamantly communist land is holding more than 90 pastors prisoner for 
preaching the gospel. He will seek their release as we pray. A church 
elder for whom we prayed as a tumor of grapefruit size was removed fom his 
skull is doing well. A dose of steroids was needed at holiday time, but his 
condition is good. A cancer patient for whom we prayed is getting good 
reports fom treatment. Miracles abound and are available. I just learned 
that a longtime friend of ours is having heart surgery in McAllen, Texas . 
Jack Fisher and his wife of 52 years had stopped to see us on their way to 
their winter home.

Board member, bus driver, ballplayer, head usher, friend. We enjoyed many 
after church lunches together on Sunday nights.

They reminded me that I had performed wedding ceremonies for each of their 
four children during my time as their pastor, and that each of those four 
couples have cele-
brated 25 years.

I will keep you informed on these needs. Jack is doing well.

A SAD NOTE-Is it sad when a believer dies? Yes, but we "sorrow not, even as 
others who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). My cousin, Kenneth Piper, 
died this week in St. Petersburg, FL. H e had waged a battle with leukemia 
the last eight years. Ken had served as Regional Director for Open Bible 
Churches for a quarter century. He leaves his brother, Mark, his wife of 
fifty years, Patricia (Trudy), five sons and one daughter (a missionary in 
Bangkok, Thailand with her husband).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY-Jeanene celebrates? her birthday on January 10. For about two 
months, she is younger than I. Now I am married to a woman of my own age. 
She does not want her age to be told, but I am 67.

YOU ARE READING-Daniel. My invitation last week has not opened "flood gates" 
of mail, but I have learned that you have learned: 1. That the book makes 
sense by the languages used. It is nearly half-and-half, with Gentile areas 
that are dealt with in the early chapters written in Aramaic and Jewish parts 
in chapters 7 - 12 written in Hebrew. 2. He gets a picture of all times at 
the first as God shows him a long look at history and the future. About 
chapter 7 he begins to see the secrets of God as the theme switches to focus 
more narrowly on Palestine. 3. That there are pictures of events that are for 
"latter times" that are difficult to interpret.

The events today in that middle eastern part of the world are difficult for 
us to grasp. History has etched some lessons very clearly. Shifting sands 
of time and tyrants have blotted out much that was clear. We once again are 
squinting to recall. The future events that Daniel saw left him physically 
ill and leave us dizzy. All and in all, this is a difficult path for us in 
interpretation. 

A slow pace that does not allow us to "jump to any conclusions" may prevent 
our own destruction. I taught Daniel and Revelation for several years in 
seminary settings. We called it "Apocalyptic Literature". I said that term 
was shorthand for "Beware all you who dare to enter here".

Please let me add that these writings are written for our benefit. We must 
read and study them in our quest to be "rightly dividing the word of truth". 
(2 Timothy 2:15)

His,
Ron Krantz