IN TOUCH IMPACT TEAM

Know What You Believe

Do you have confidence that God hears your prayers?

My older son Jay grew up in the church and received wonderful biblical teaching his entire life. At 17, he learned he had cancer. Suddenly he found himself in the middle of a "fire."

Until our faith is tested, it remains an intellectual exercise. Because of this crisis, Jay's beliefs were transformed from "head knowledge"
to "heart knowledge." He had invested his life filling his mind with Scripture and godly principles. However, not until he was diagnosed with cancer did he truly come to "know what he believed"?then he personally experienced God's faithfulness and dependability, and his relationship with the Lord deepened a hundredfold.

Until we apply scriptural principles to our life, our faith remains theoretical. Because of our different backgrounds and experiences, we may have varied perspectives about who God is. That's why God allows "fires"?every hardship is an opportunity to burn off impurities that don't fit who we are in Christ. The "heat" allows them to surface so that God can skim them from our life. When this happens, chains of bondage are broken?we focus less on who we are and what we feel we deserve, and we begin to understand who God is. Then we know what we believe.

So the question is, "Do you know what you believe?" The only way you'll truly find out is to trust God and know that He is able. Faith isn't about what we do or how many good works we perform; rather, it's about who God is. If you're going through adversity, focus on the Lord, not on your circumstances. Surrender everything to Him, and find rest. As Psalm 46:10 advises, "Cease striving and know that I am God."

As a result of his trial, Jay has confidence that God hears his prayers. He emerged from his fiery trial with the keen awareness that, yes, God is in control and sufficient for even our greatest needs.

Your prayers make a difference; if you have not joined the Prayer Team, please don't wait another day. God can and will use you to impact other lives throughout the world. To join, please see the insert in the center of this magazine, and check the box indicating that you would like to be a part of our Impact Team/Prayer Partnership.

Robert J. Schipper
Chaplain/Executive Assistant to the President

Popcorn and Clean TV

Growing up in Buffalo, New York, in the mid-60s, I considered television viewing a major family evening event. While our channel choices were few?just four local channels plus a distant signal from Toronto?we really enjoyed watching TV as a family.

On many snowy winter nights, my mom would make Jiffy popcorn and cinnamon twists, while my three sisters, my brother, and I would jockey for position around our 19-inch black and white RCA television set. We would watch, for what seemed like hours,
programs that communicated redeeming values and moral lessons, all while providing role models.

Fast forward 40 years . . . 2004.

Today, most households have multiple television sets; many receive over 100 channel choices, which broadcast prime-time program lineups that, more often than not, degrade human relationships and life-guiding principles. This presents today's parents with a dilemma that my parents never faced. When there are so many choices and television sets in almost every room of the house, how do you bring the family together to view programs that are both entertaining and redeeming?

Sky Angel, America's first and only Christian direct broadcast satellite service. This subscriber-based television and radio system offers a wide selection of Christ-centered and family-friendly channels designed for all age groups.

Sky Angel's 24-hour television channels include Guardian Television Network, the Worship Channel, Safe TV, Cornerstone TeleVision, Angel One, and INSP, along with other Christian programming choices. They feature IN TOUCH as well as many other teaching and preaching programs. On Sky Angel, you will also find Christian music video channels: The Gospel Music Television Network highlights singers such as the Gaithers, the Bishops, and the Hoppers; SPIRIT plays 24-hour contemporary hits by artists like Steven Curtis Chapman and Selah; and TVU, by offering alternative Christian music videos for teens, at last provides an alternative to those "other" youth music channels.

Exclusive to Sky Angel is KTV?Kids and Teens Television, the world's first Christian TV channel for youth. Teens enjoy Christian programming geared toward their interests and age-appropriate needs. And for the younger ones, there are cartoons, puppet shows, and sing-a-longs.

In Touch Ministries is excited about partnering with Sky Angel to achieve our goal of taking the Gospel to as many people as possible. To find out more about Sky Angel, visit www.skyangel.com or call (888) SKY-ANGEL.

?Van A. Mylar
Senior V.P., Communications & Marketing