Brian and Ruth Christine Newsletter, February 2003, 4th Edition

Hello there! It seems like our Indian winter has faded here in eastern Oregon. I often think about how much difference in weather there is between where I am and where Ruth is closer to the coast. I hope everyone's holidays went well and that the new year is off to a good start. Just like everyone else I reckon, I let my diet and exercise go during the holidays and about the only real exercise I saw was my bed springs stressing every time I rolled over... oh I guess I also exercised my fingers turning the pages of books and magazines. I fed my brain lots of good food! I did do a lot of studying I guess. Ruth was moved to a better area of the prison this new year and she got a cell-mate who is a believer whom she gets along quite well with. That's a relief for her former situation was very stressful for her. I am really looking forward to spring. This is my least favorite time of year. Just looking out the window I see a string of large six-wheeled military vehicles rolling down the highway. Earth is also approaching closer to mars than it will for another 50,000 years! Mars represents war. I wonder what the future holds? I believe the white horse is riding. Time will tell. Let us hold fast to the faith that sustains and preserves. 

Brian Christine -

This newsletter is not published by an organization, a religion, a group, a company or an association. This newsletter is nothing more than words on paper. Readers are not members of any of the above and shall not be labeled as such.

"The simple step of a courageous individual is to not take part in the lie. One word of truth outweighs the world." Alexander Solzhenitsyn -

Derek Jones Writes: Ten Things That Are Important To Me.

1.) The most Important thing in my life is the Holy Spirit. Its direction because Spirit is our cosmic form, because we were created in the Very Image of God, and God is a spirit. He must be worshipped as His form and in His form.
2.) Listening to the Spirit Who is the ruler of my life. He never leads me astray of God's order which is life abundantly good.
3.) The Word of God because without it darkness or evil would consume us because of our human nature which we were clothed with after the first sin which only seeks to destroy us and bring us death.
4.) To obey the Spirit of God which is to seek life, because God (g life, in every aspect of His creation.
5.) Love. Love is a bond that connects hearts. Love builds and reflects. It is the essence of the Father who is Ruler of all cosmos spirit. It is love that builds healthy children, protects, nurtures and nourishes and never destroys or creates fear. It is perfect in holiness and is found in Truth. Love builds true friendships and relationships.
6.) I value the gift of kindness. Helping people whom others mistreat shows them that they are important. We are all God's children and I believe that as we treat others, so we also treat the Father in heaven, because Christ lives inside each of us and when we are in unity with each other, we are also in fellowship with the Spirit. Christ came to save, heal and love.
7.) Prayer. Prayer is communication with God. It is what moves the Spirit. It is where God sets in order the Amen, so it is, and so it will be. Life.
8.) To be clothed in Christ. Many only understand Christ as Jesus, though Christ is the Spirit, Christ isn't limited, and is the essence of God. Christ is our savior. He protects. He is also light because He isn't subject to darkness. That is why He is so perfect in all His form. To be clothed in Him is to be in soundness.
9.) My two sons because they are a reflection of me as I am a reflection of my father. They don't ask to come to this world so it is my responsibility to love them and pass down all my knowledge. To direct them even as Christ directs me.
10.) My mother because she is the bearer of my life and should be esteemed Highly.
Derek Jones, E.O.C.I. Inmate

Coming soon (I hope!) Ruth Christine's Top 10 list of things that are important to her... if she ever writes it!!! I think it's neat to see what is important to different people. If you want to write your own list, please do so and feel free to send it to me to possibly include here.

Letter Excerpt from my letter to Lilith of Jan. 4, 2002.

"...Thank you for telling others about our family and the Dateline. I was blown away that your mother's pastor preached a sermon about us! You don't know how much of a blessing that is to know! You see, from the very beginning in 2000 when they took our kids, we decided together that everything we did, we were doing it for God and for all families and all children everywhere. We also have always had a huge burden and desire for America to wake up and repent. Even all that you read is only 1/4 of the true story and tragedy. They harassed us, pointed sub-machine guns, did dawn raids on the property trying to get our newborn Olivia and so many 100's of other things that no one even knows about. But my point is, that it's a helluva lot of suffering and seemingly for nothing because here we sit in prison all split up and broken apart. But when I hear that its affecting people such as yourself in ways that nothing else ever has then I see the grand purpose in what we've done. I've now accepted that Ruth and I are simply pioneers and visionaries, and these types of people always pay a price for cutting a new path, suffering scorn and humiliation or worse. But in the end, it's all for God's Glory and that is MORE than worth it! After all, He didn't cover before the cross and He did all that for ME! :) Hallelujah!!!

So I rejoice in the fact that my actions, not my words are causing people to wake up or even to preach on it. I hope and pray that my actions empower all believers to be real and fearless before men, to stand up for right no matter the cost. I will not shrink in fear before any oppressor and if Satan or this ungodly system thinks they've beaten me down, they haven't seen anything yet!"

-Brian Christine

Anger - What's The Use?

Yesterday I read a letter from a wonderful lady who heard of our case from the recent Dateline show and subsequently embarked on a quest to read all the information available on the internet about us to find 'the rest of the story'. She said it took her a few days, but at the end of it all, she paused and then wept. Then she became angry and she said that the anger didn't go away, even after days. In fact, she's still angry but she said she's realized that her anger doesn't do anyone any good. I wrote her otherwise. 

I hope here to dispel a few common misconceptions about God, anger and the human condition (maybe even a few of my own! :) All things exist because God created everything we see and all the unseen things that hold together what we see. He created matter and the laws of physics that maintain it. Certain boundaries are set which cannot be crossed. 

As far as humans go, we are created in His image. This means that we are inherently bestowed with the attributes of God. That includes emotions. It is popular in Western Churchdom to teach that God is a fuzzy ball of love in some distant place who kind of watches as things go by here on Earth. This is a pathetic image of the God and King of the Universe.

First of all, God is Holy which means 'set apart', and He is. He's set high above all things, "Most High", He is exalted and worthy of the title and position. The very fact of how Powerful and Mighty He is commands respect and fearful reverence. I've heard many 'christians' say, "I don't fear God because perfect love casts our all fear." (I call B.S. look at the Israelites when God came to the mountain... are those today any higher or better?) This is a Biblical truth, but one would have to understand perfect love before he could perceive it. Frankly, people who say this generally have no idea who God really is. Throw them in the very presence of God and they are going to be filled with holy terror and an awesome fear, I don't care who you are! To believe otherwise is arrogance.

Even in the presence of an earthly king, people bow down and pay homage, for the king holds the power to life or death. If He does not extend the scepter to show you favor, you're done! How much more is this true with the One who commands eternal life or eternal death? Whenever I've come into the clear and real presence of God, I've fallen prostrate or knelt down in homage. God is greatly to be feared. Know Him. He is worth our all. 

I am young and still have a lot to learn. I'm a 'fresher' as they'd say in England (a 1st year university student). Nevertheless, I've been studying the Bible for over a decade and I've paid close attention to studying the character of God. I've done character studies on Jesus and on God. 

One thing I've learned from reading the Bible is that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all persons with aspects that we might consider human, but that is a narrow-minded and proud, veiled way of seeing. The truth is, our aspects are Godly because we are created in His image! God is the originator of our emotions. All of them. Love is not among them. Love is a choice, an action, a sacrifice, not something that just happens. In fact, emotion is really an inadequate word to embody all we consider emotions; joy, happiness, grief, depression etc. To me, an emotion is an involuntary reaction to a stimulus, somewhat like a reflex, but that's just my own interpretation. Did you know that God gets angry and it's not a sin? Jesus got discouraged and experienced fear when He sweated blood in the garden of Gethsemane, but look at His self- control; "Oh that you would take this cup from me, yet Your will Father, not mine..."

Something that is fundamental to rightness with God is self-control. An easy way to see how self-controlled a person is is to watch how they eat. Do they eat healthfully? Do they fast as commanded? Or do they make excuses for all of these costly self deprivations? Self control is also to be exercised over every aspect of our lives including our emotions.

Emotions are not wrong, they are indicators and motivators. Joy should move us to rejoice in and worship the Lord. Anger should motive us to action, constructive action. Unrestrained anger can lead to rage and rage is not good. We loose control in rage and give it over to dark forces. But in the case of my friend who wrote, her anger has several uses. For one, her anger at the injustice gives me peace and rest. Just knowing that someone out there cares is such a blessing! But more importantly, her anger is a motivator for her to pray and to pray with fervency and passion. Do you think God hears a difference between the flippant prayer and the heart's cry? I do.

In county jail I took a course called 'anger management' which is one of the few governmentally embraced programs that actually has some value. I was never taught that I have trigger points, that I could identify them and regain the power of self-control. Knowing your buttons is a key to a life of inner peace and God honors a faithful son who exercises control over his own actions. You can solve all kinds of problems just by learning to identify triggers and flashpoints and by accepting that your emotions are not wrong, we're all just learning in this fragile human state. I praise God for how much He's grown Ruth and I. If anyone would like to discuss this further or would like help with understanding anger and how to manage it, I'd be happy to correspond with you and discuss the few simple things I've learned the hard way. Then maybe you won't have to! God has lifted me out of a terrible pit and I'm happy to share what I've learned! :)

God Bless You,
Brian Christine -

"My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance" An Optimist -

A Story of Encouragement

The judge looked a Sajjad Husain, who was the only witness against the Christian Gul Masih. The judge liked what he saw: Sajjad was young and fervent, college educated, and with his full beard he looked like a true Muslim.

No one else heard the conversation between the two neighbours. No one confirmed that Masih had defamed the Islamic prophet Mohammed. It was Sajjad Husain's word against Gul Masih's word. The judge looked at Gul Masih. Despite constant persecution, Gul Masih had chosen to follow Jesus. In fact, his name - "Masih" means messiah. Many Christians in Pakistan, unashamedly use this as a public source of identification with Jesus Christ. Pakistan's blasphemy laws are harsh: Every critical word about Mohammed or the Koran is considered to be blasphemy and violators are sentenced to death. The judge nodded towards Husain and said "I have no reason to believe the witness". Then he turned to Gul Masih "I sentence you to death my hanging".

When news about Gul Masih's situation was published, Christians from all over the world wrote to the jail to encourage him that people knew of this situation, that they cared and were praying for him. He responded to a Canadian woman...

"First of all, I am so thankful to you that you have encouraged me. My Lord has come to me twice in my prison cell. One day, I was sitting in my cell thinking about this injustice in a sad and hopeless mood. Suddenly the cell filled with light and my body trembled. I saw my Lord. Four days after this, my Jesus came again and overshadowed me by raising His hands and blessing me.

From that day on I have been happy and at peace. My Lord is with me in jail. He does not leave me alone.

I am very grateful to my Lord. He has fulfilled all my needs in the best possible way. I am also thankful to you and my other brothers and sisters who have supported me."

People also wrote to the Pakistani Ambassador saying they were aware of the "unproven and unjust" sentences of Gul Masih and two other Pakistani Christians.

These letters were used by God to help facilitate Gul Masih's release after almost three years in prison. In a Miraculous turn of events, on November 29th, 1994, the Lahore High Court of Pakistan cleared Gul Masih of all charges of violating the blasphemy law and released him from death row.

(His life is still threatened by Islamic fundamentalists so he is in hiding even after being released from prison) - But praise God, those letters and prayers did make a huge difference in the life of Gul Masih!

contributed by Ruth Christine -

In prison here, I have been forced to slow my life down in certain ways. This is actually a good thing, especially for an American raised in 'busy-ness' business. One thing that changed is I am now very conscious of the people around me. In a dorm setting I observe the behaviours, mannerisms and movements of hundreds of other men whether I want to or not. I remember my grandpa used to sit waiting in the mall while grandma shopped for various articles. He would sit on a bench and just watch all the people go by. He'd sometimes make faces at kids to get them to smile. I really enjoyed sitting there with him, but it always seemed odd to me. Now I understand him totally (he left earth in 1994). He was simply fascinated by this peculiar human species.

Not only do I notice the movements of people here, but now I notice things like hairstyle, head-shape, body-form and skin hues. It's actually very remarkable. Truly we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Nevertheless, I often find myself shaking my head in dismay... "how did this one make it through the quality control section???" There are some sorry creatures in here. Last night in church I was thankful for that, almost moved to tears. You see, Jesus was surrounded by
such ones.

Lately, I've been observing how 99% of all humans in here are governed ruthlessly by their stomach. Come chow time, one will observe frantic pacing back and forth, a nervous disconnected chatter that abruptly gets cut off the second the infamous "Chow Time" is hollered. It's funny too cause there's a phone call placed that lets the officer on duty know it's chow time and often the phone rings for other reasons. But every time it does ring around chow time, there's a sudden hush and an anticipation. If it turns out not to be the call for chow, someone will usually yell "chow time" just to pacify their utter disappointment. This behaviour is hilarious to watch.

Does it show I'm married to a cultural anthropologist? (Ruth's degree is in Anthropology and Sociology). I took those in college too and both of us are always interested in other cultures and ways of life. In fact, we prefer a traveling nomadic lifestyle. You know, we really are simple creatures. It's easy for me to sit back (or any 'scientific observer') and criticize all these other people, but when it comes down to it, I'm just as easy to provoke into manifesting the behaviour of the dust that I am. However, this situation here has taught me to be more honest about myself and others.

As an example, a neighbor said to us recently... "nobody cares in here". Instead of saying, oh yeah, people care about you, yadda yadda, I said "I care about you, a little bit." And that's true, I do care enough about everyone to make small stands for them. But ultimately, I'm responsible for my own actions and I have to live my own life, which is quite a challenge presently :)

Now observing the officers is another funny one. I won't go into that here. But truly, the only difference between us and them is the color of our uniforms and the fact that anything we say or do is wrong and everything they say or do is right. My ramblings here haven't really carried me where I had intended to go... ooops!

What I really wanted to talk about is what's been on my mind lately, the state of America. I've carefully been watching what's going on in my country from within these walls and I am truly appalled at what I've witnessed. A government out of control, a people with no self-control, completely base, and the ones who ought to be setting the moral precedent are too busy in their man-made religious worlds to 'get involved' setting things straight. A bunch of pansy-assed wuss pusses. Am I the only one in American who cares enough to stand up and say NO? No, you can't take my family, No, you can't take my freedom, No, you can't take my honor, my nobility, my dignity... NO! NO NO NO!!! Anyone who's not armed, arm yourself, do it for your family. There are terrible frightening things coming. Learn how to grow food, how to eat healthy, how to home-school, how to really live life instead of letting life live you. I can't stress how important this is... The time is now to change you life! There is so little time. We could have global war in a matter of months! Be prepared for anything.

God help us all in the coming days. As I watch the leaders and nations stirred by the white horse-man I can't help but chuckle knowing Psalm 2:1-4. Very soon the red horse will ride and that will be a terrible day. Are you ready? As the kings of the earth sit down and plot together the fate of humanity (vainly) I leave you with the chilling words of Henry Kissinger from a speech of ay 21st 1992...

"... Today Americans would be outraged if UN troops entered Los Angeles to restore order, tomorrow they will be grateful! This is especially true if they were told there was and outside threat from beyond, whether real or promulgated, that threatened our very existence. It is then that all peoples of the world will pledge with world leaders to deliver them from this evil. The one thing every man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenario, individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their well-being granted to them by their world government."

Sounds like a good blueprint for 9-11 doesn't it? Well, ole Henry wasn't the originator... like Solomon said, "There's nothing new under the sun". Here's a quote from Hermann Goering, 50 years ago. . .

God bless you all and keep you. If you don't know who Jesus is, pick up a New Testament and find out about Him, He's a way-cool dude!

In Jesus,
Brian Christine -