The English language is a marvelous instrument in the hands of an expert wordsmith. It is capable of tremendous subtlety, and over the centuries the lives of countless men and women have been affected in numerous ways by the manner in which its vast collection of words have been manipulated and shaped – whether to rally the faithful to the arms of war or to sooth the troubled and hostile crowd.

We are living in frightening times. Events taking place in our world today give people many reasons to be fearful.

Our end-time generation faces the prospect of imminent calamities, on a global scale, unlike anything mankind has seen before in all of history. "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened" (Matthew 24:21-22).

A recent headline in the "Faith and Values" section of a major newspaper asked this question, and it is a very good one. How do you decide which church is teaching and practicing the truth?

As Pontius Pilate asked long ago, "What is truth?"

Sadly the article, though well written, came to a wrong conclusion and may serve to mislead the readers.

An observer of the modern scene recently opined that people today don't have many friends; some have none. In the hectic pace of modern life, it seems that many do not take the time or have the opportunity to develop lasting friendships.

The headlines glaringly scream: "Sex Offenders See New Limits for Halloween"; "Plan Ahead and Avoid Halloween Violence"; "Halloween: A Very Dangerous Day for Children"; "Halloween Costumes Cause Pedestrian Accidents"; "Police Warn about Drugged Candy."

It's that time of the year again; pumpkins, witches, goblins, black cats, bats and vampires swirl around in the heads of children as they plan their annual assault on the neighborhood to get treats while threatening tricks.