Good Lord's Day,
I MAY-Be repeating this song, but it is worth it:

ALL THAT THRILLS MY SOUL IS JESUS
HE IS MORE THAN LIFE TO ME
AND THE FAIREST OF TEN THOUSAND
IN MY BLESSED LORD I SEE

My singing ability has been sharply limited since my stroke in March of 1991. 
At best, it was loud. Jeanene was talking this week how that the musicians 
viewed my efforts at direction. "You never know what he is liable to do, and 
everything must be pitched high to account that he has no lower range". 
Enough---That is probably one reason that I love this old hymn so much.

This chorus by David Ingles was taught by Jeanene to our youth choir at 
Pontiac, MI:

I'M A NEW CREATION, I'M A BRAND NEW MAN
OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY, I'M BORN AGAIN.
MORE THAN A CONQUEROR, THAT'S WHO I AM
I'M A NEW CREATION, I'M A BRAND NEW MAN.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are 
passed away; behold, all things are become new" 2 Corinthians 5 : 17.

BEGIN-With good news. We have joined with prayer about the trip for Dr. 
Wendell Kempton to Laos. After intervention, authoritiies released eighty of 
the pastors from prison. Sixteen still remain-please continue to pray. 
Twenty evangelical churches per year are started in Laos. He also shared 
with me that ABWE continues to new heights under the leadership of Dr. 
Michael Loftis. Missionary giving has shown declines in recent years, theirs 
was up about two million dollars in 2001.

BILLY-I told you it was on my "to read" list. Its off. A good look from a 
different angle. Even some facts I had not seen in print before. I am a 
"tough audience". Worthwhile.

BELGIUM UPDATE-The picture there is murky, at best. The Assemblies of God 
has seen a dispute over work permits used as an entry place for open 
criticism. This dispute has led to the deportation of their long-time leader 
of a staff of 75. Let me direct you to www.ag.org as a website that will 
link you to an official update on the matter. Thanks to those of you who 
have kept me "up to speed" here.

OLYMPICS-I am a sports enthusiast. Even so, I have surprised myself at the 
time I have spent watching skiing, hockey, skating and curling?. This 
Olympics will be remembered for the great athleticism and for the dark clouds 
of criticism. Newsweek used the word "sleazy" on the cover to describe the 
judging process. It seems that even this purest of all human endeavors has 
been marked from the beginning by dishonesty.

TITLES-We seem to classify and label one another. A reader complimented me 
highly by calling me a "veteran old pro" in serving the Lord. I, in turn, 
called them a "faithful servant". Our ministies are vastly different and God 
has seen fit for us to only touch briefly over the years, but we need to 
highly esteem each other in the faith.

ISRAEL-Has filled the international pages of news this week. The threat of 
an all out war looms over the situation. If interested, you can trace the 
reasons for our deep involvement as a nation and as a church over the past 
century.

JOE FRENCH-I introduced you to Joe and Wynne French last week. I heard from 
him in a nice e-mail message. Much of their ministry has been in the 
Caribbean in recent years. We will keep you up to date to make you effective 
as prayer support.

DESCENDING TRUTH-That is my own title for my first attempt at insights into a 
passage. I learn what I can see as I lift the story in my mind and the 
Spirit of God lets certain facts to "flutter". The story told in Matthew 19: 16-30,
Mark 10 : 17-31 and Luke 18 : 18-30 is a clear example. This 
account of a rich, young ruler and his contact with Christ is rife with 
truths that point up how it is possible to be oh, so right and miss it all.
1. He comes to the RIGHT PERSON.
2. He comes at the RIGHT TIME OF LIFE.
3. He comes at the RIGHT SPEED.
4. He comes in the RIGHT ATTITUDE.
5. He asks the RIGHT QUESTION.
6. He has done all the RIGHT THINGS.
7. He gets a personal RIGHT ANSWER.
And then EVERYTHING GOES WRONG. Words like "sad" and "astonished" come into 
the narrative. Perhaps you see truths beside these. I don't believe that I 
ever developed this theme for preaching or teaching. Please remember to be 
nearly all right is not good enough in eternal matters. "Jesus saith unto him.
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by 
me" John 14 : 6.

His,
Ron Krantz