Newsletter   I   AUGUST 2003

THE PLATINUM BAR "As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”      --- Isaiah 55:10,11                                            In Washington, in the Bureau of Standards, there is a platinum bar that is used as the standard meter for all measurements in the United States. It is approximately 39.37 inches long. This bar is kept in a high vacuum at a constant temperature. An argument about the measurement of any object must be settled, ultimately, by comparison with the standard meter in Washington. If your bar differs from the one in Washington, it is in error. If your bar is exactly the same as that in Washington, you can say that your bar is without error. But it would be wrong to say that the measure in Washington is without error, for that would mean that you are constituting yourself the judge—measuring the Washington meter by some other standard that is above it. We must come to the conclusion simply that the Washington meter is and that it cannot be judged. God has given us His Word; it stands as the only infallible rule of faith and practice. Our lives are tested by its truth. All of our thoughts and philosophies are tested by the Word of God. If we find a human thought that is opposed to what is set forth in the Bible, we say that the human thought is in error. If we find that the human thought is in agreement with what is set forth in the Bible, we say that the human thought is truth. Every little particle of human thought must be judged by the entire revelation of God’s truth. But the Bible stands alone as the final court of appeal.                                                                                                --Let Me Illustrate

LETTER FROM THE ISF ASSISTANT Dear International Friend, Our warm greetings to you as we enjoy the beautiful summer weather we have been experiencing. We think of many of you no matter where you are located and our prayer is that you are well and God is helping you from day to day with your many responsibilities. It is easy to get caught up in our own personal lives without realizing that others around have problems and concerns. We hope you will know that we are thinking about you. Our August ISF Gathering will be very special for it is the time for our Annual ISF Picnic! The date is Friday, August 8th at the Veteran’s Pavilion in Schenley Park. The pavilion will be open at 1:00 PM and the picnic meal will be served at around 6:00 PM. This is always the ultimate summer “family time” and it’s all free. So invite your friends to partake of some good old-fashioned American hamburgers, hot dogs and other traditional picnic food. Even if you don’t usually eat meat, there will be plenty of other food for you to enjoy. If you like, feel free to bring something from you own country to add to the table. There will also be games and swings, etc. for all to enjoy. (Below is a map to get to the Vietnam Veteran’s Pavilion in Schenley Park.) If you need a ride, the ISF van (light blue) will also be making several trips from Hillman Library to the park starting at about 5:45 PM. We look forward to seeing you on August 8th!                                                                                                       --Terry Tiberio, ISF Assistant