Hey everybody - if you are new to the HF family - welcome. The feedback from the last issue of "Hello Fridays" was awesome. If you would like to make any comments just e-mail them to kenmoody@juno.com. I may even start a letters section. I have got some great stuff for you this time. Both funny and serious. And remember if you want to receive the version that includes the graphics please hit reply, type in "graphics please", and hit send.

WHAT IS EVANGELISM?!?

This is the question I discuss in my upcoming article in the Indian Rocks Beacon. Since sharing our faith is critical to our obedience to Jesus I thought I would start off with an excerpt from that article:

……..Let's start with a story from the old testament to illustrate what evangelism is. In II Kings 7 we read about a terrible famine in the city of Samaria, the city had been under siege for a long time and the people were starving to death. There were these four lepers(men with a hideous, terminal skin disease) who decided that instead of starving to death they would go over to the enemy camp, surrender, and beg for food. They had nothing to lose - they were going to die one way or another. To their surprise God had chased the enemy away, and so quickly that they left all of their supplies behind. The lepers were ecstatic with joy, they gorged themselves on food, took whatever they wanted, and basically partied. Then one of them had a profound realization, he said; 'Hey, God has done something very special here. He has saved our lives, given us more then we could ever use, met our needs. We need to go back and tell all of the other disheartened, fearful, and hungry people to come out and share in God's miraculous salvation!"

That's evangelism. God has done something very special for you and me. He has rescued us from certain death, he has taken our sin and guilt away, he has given us a purposed and meaningful life. Now just like those lepers we have the joy (and obligation) of sharing this good news(gospel) to those who are hungry, hurting, and starving (spiritually) to death. That's evangelism!!!

…..Talk about sharing your faith, someone passed me the following story:

IT TAKES GUTS TO SAY "JESUS"

This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at USC. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply, committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. For twenty years, he had taught this class and no one had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had every really gone against him (you'll see what I mean later). Nobody would go against him because he had a reputation. At the end of every semester, on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, "is there anyone here, who still believes in Jesus, stand up!" In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "because anyone who does believe in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that he is God, and yet he can't do it." And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students could do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students were convinced that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up. Well, a few years ago, there was a freshman who happened to get enrolled in the class. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about this professor. He had to take the class because it was one of the required classes for his major, and he was afraid. But for 3 months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought. Nothing they said or did could ever shatter his faith, he hoped. Finally the day came. The professor said, "if there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, "You FOOL!! If God existed, he could keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hits the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleats of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away, unbroken. The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood up proceeded to walk to the front of the room and share his faith in Jesus for the next half-hour. 300 students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them and of his power through Jesus. "Yet to all who received HIM, to those who believed in HIS name, HE gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural decent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of GOD." "But HE knows the way that I take. When HE has tested me, I will come forth as gold." - Job 23:10. Please continue to pass this on from one Christian to the next as a message of encouragement and hope. Would you have stood up?

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE SILLY

ACTUAL COMMENTS FROM KIDS CONCERNING SCIENCE: SENT IN BY MELANIE HALE

Water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees. There are 180 degrees between freezing and boiling because there are 180 degrees between north and south.

A vibration is a motion that cannot make up its mind which way it wants to go.

There are 26 vitamins in all, but some of the letters are yet to be discovered. Finding them all means living forever.

There is a tremendous weight pushing down on the center of the Earth because of so much population stomping around up here these days.

Lime is a green-tasting rock.

Many dead animals in the past changed to fossils while others preferred to be oil.

Genetics explain why you look like your father and if you don't why you should.

Vacuums are nothings. We only mention them to let them know we know they're there.

Some oxygen molecules help fires burn while others help make water, so sometimes it's brother against brother.

Some people can tell what time it is by looking at the sun. But I have never been able to make out the numbers.

We say the cause of perfume disappearing is evaporation. Evaporation gets blamed for a lot of things people forget to put the top on.

To most people solutions mean finding the answers. But to chemists solutions are things that are still all mixed up.

In looking at a drop of water under a microscope, we find there are twice as many H's as O's.

Clouds are high flying fogs.

I am not sure how clouds get formed. But the clouds know how to do it, and that is the important thing.

Clouds just keep circling the earth around and around. And around. There is not much else to do.

Cyanide is so poisonous that one drop of it on a dog's tongue will kill the strongest man.

A blizzard is when it snows sideways.

A monsoon is a French gentleman.

Thunder is a rich source of loudness.

Isotherms and isobars are even more important than their names sound.

It is so hot in some places that the people there have to live in other places.

Wind is like the air, only pushier.

AN EARLY PRAYER - SENT IN BY SCOTT PTAK

Dear Lord.

So far today, God, I've done all right.

I haven't gossiped, haven't lost my temper, haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over indulgent.

I'm really glad about that.

But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on I'm probably going to need a lot more help.

Thank you, in Jesus' name, Amen.

SOME DRIVING FUN - SENT IN BY DUANE WILLIAMS

Traffic is terrible these days, and parking is even worse. The other day in Baltimore I saw a City tow truck impounding a car illegally parked. While the guy was hooking up the car, another motorist was stopped behind him, patiently waiting to pull into the spot.

My daughter asked me one time, "Daddy, before you married Mommie, who told you how to drive ?"

Actually if ya think about it, you really don't need a whole lot of manners if you're driving a 35 ton truck.

Why is it that when most people drive everyone going slower than they are is a moron, and those going faster are maniacs ?

The Police have stopped my wife so many times for speeding, they decided to just give her a season ticket.

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW

Well, have a great two weeks. Again thanks for all of the great feedback. Several of you have told me that you forward HF on to other friend in e-mail land. That's great! I hope they get blessed. If you have anyone you would like me to add to the list just send me their e-mail address at kenmoody@juno.com . God Bless - Ken

For those of you who are new to HF here is a HOT rerun from one of the earlier issues:

ACTUAL BUMPER STICKERS SEEN ON THE HIGHWAYS

"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine."

"I love cats! They taste just like chicken."

"As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in public schools."

"Laugh alone and the world thinks you're an idiot."

"I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car."

"I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian."

"Your kid may be an honor student but you're still an IDIOT!"

"It's as BAD as you think, and they ARE out to get you."

"When you do a good deed, get a receipt, in case heaven is like the IRS."

"I took an IQ test and the results were negative."

"When there's a will, I want to be in it!"

"If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?"

"Time is the best teacher. Unfortunately it kills all its students!"

"It's lonely at the top, but you eat better."

"Forget about World Peace! Visualize using your turn signal!"

"Warning: Dates in the calendar are closer than they appear."

"We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse."

"Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot."

"He who laughs last thinks slowest."

"Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else."

"Consciousness: That annoying time between naps."

"i souport publik edekasion"

"Be nice to your kids. They'll choose your nursing home."

"3 kinds of people: Those who can count & those who can't."

"Why is 'abbreviation' such a long word?"

"Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?"

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'nice doggie' until you can find a stick"

"2 + 2 = 5 for extremely large values of 2."