In the Stream of a Melody

Tear Down the Facades!

2011-04-18T20:57:00.004-05:00

I had an interesting conversation with an old friend recently about American culture. I've never looked at it so holistically, but I have in parts. America's current day culture is based on presenting a false image. It's completely fake, like a movie set. We promote synthetic music from "artists" who can't sing, save help from a computer program. We search for new stars on TV when these people have never put in the work to earn it. The inevitable following train-wreck is hardly an isolated story.

New building developments are often covered by a facade that hides the real building, creating fake little communities of shopping centers. What we really need is to concern ourselves with the building behind. That's reality. That's where real life happens. Instead we are consumed with Dancing With the Stars, American Idol, and ESPN. That's our reality, a house based on shifting sand.

I think that's why our churches are empty. I believe that if people saw something real, they would run to it. Every Sunday we, like those buildings, put up the facade and put on the good show. We say the right things and sing the right songs. Our sanctuaries look just right. Unfortunately, that's all we have to offer. When someone leaves church on a Sunday, does it carry over to Monday? Church done right is God's people, doing God's works, out in the community.

When we pray for the broken on Sunday, what's next? Do the broken feel comfortable around us? They should... because we're ALL broken! We should be coming alongside the hurting and stick with them. We should be helping people foster their gifts. If you feel threatened by the exercising of someone else's gifts, then you had better check your motives. The church is no place for an exercise of power, unless it's God's power to heal and restore.

I've been in places where I've had ideas and had them swept under the rug. God has a plan for each of us, and we need to help people get in touch with this purpose instead of hinder them. This is why there are so many that claim to love God and hate The Church. This should be impossible, but we hate whatever looks different. If it doesn't match the facade of our perfect little church, we reject it. We ostracize those people.

It's time to get back to what's real. We must tear down the facades and allow things to operate outside of our comfort zones, so long as we don't endorse things that are contrary to scripture. We must change our ways before we lose an entire generation.

"Happy"- Jason Bradley acoustic video

2011-04-05T22:43:00.000-05:00

Here's an oldie, but a goodie!

Talking to Transportation part 2

2011-03-21T21:05:00.004-05:00

Here is part 2 of my transportation discussion with Andrew Richter and Dennis Holman.

Transit-Oriented Development

2011-03-16T23:52:00.002-05:00

Part one of my rant on Transit-Oriented Development.

Sorry 'Sconny

2011-03-01T19:25:00.004-06:00

I recently appeared on the Andrew Richter Show to discuss a wide array of issues. Among them, we discussed the demonstrations in Wisconsin. This may not be popular with a lot of people, but we are a constitutional republic. That means that we use the democratic process to elect leaders to make our decisions for us. I love the first amendment, and the right to petition government is among our most essential rights. To mob the capitol building, however, in an attempt to shut the government down and coerce the politicians into changing their position is antithetical to the foundational values America was founded upon. Do not be fooled. We are not a democracy. Democracy quickly transitions to anarchy. Then you get some form of tyranny, when the leadership void can no longer remain unfilled. A lot of these "organic" revolutions are started by groups that are prepared to step into power when this void occurs. Be very watchful who you join sides with.

Come...find Sanctuary

2011-02-04T16:32:00.002-06:00

Will attempt to live stream tonight's "" event at www.livestream.com/paperlanternsintl. Tune in around 7pm!

Six Symptoms of an Ailing Church

2011-01-19T21:30:00.002-06:00

If, indeed, people are leaving the Church, and America is slowly becoming unchurched, we have to figure out why we are less effective. We can listen to the complaints of those that have a bone to pick with us. Some of those complaints are valid, and some we must consider and take with a grain of salt. What causes these feelings? How can we regain the influence we once had in our communities? The linked article is a pretty good indication of some of those symptoms. What else is weakening the Church and how can we fix these issues?

http://charismamag.com/index.php/news/29762-six-megathemes-emerge-from-barna-group-research-in-2010-

Is Christianity Dead?

2011-01-13T21:10:00.004-06:00

I read this article today from The Christian Post: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20110112/few-millenials-interested-in-religion-study-finds/

This is a sad trend, but one that we must be willing to take an honest look at ourselves and ask what we can do to fix it. If we do nothing, the American Church will continue to shrink, and will become irrelevant (much like Europe's). We cannot allow this to happen, or we will have no shot at restoring our country to the ideals that have kept us going for 200+ years. The answer is inside each one of us. We must do the hard work now, before we pass the point of no return. Read and ponder, my friends...

Is Libertarianism a Christian Ideal?

2010-08-02T16:57:00.001-05:00

Is Libertarianism a Christian Ideal?

Recently, I read an article by Jim Wallis called, “How Christian is Tea Party Libertarianism?” (http://blog.sojo.net/2010/05/27/how-christian-is-tea-party-libertarianism/). I normally don’t give credence to articles like this. I write it off as a lone crack pot spouting off a skewed version of Christianity that most people will see through. Jim Wallis, however, is a spiritual advisor to our president. His views have gained traction in some of our country’s seminaries, and among some of our denominations. Jim is also a self-avowed Marxist.

Karl Marx was an atheist. He wrote the Communist Manifesto. He said, “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” He also said, "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness." Does this sound like someone whose beliefs should be incorporated in any Christian’s world view? Can someone whose views on religion were so destructive, have formed the foundation of an economic/political philosophy based on Christian ideals? Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Castro, and Guevara are leaders that have espoused some form of Marxism in their versions of communism/fascism. Millions upon millions of people were killed at the hands of these brutal monsters, yet we allow someone like Jim Wallis to lecture our churches on what is a proper exercise of faith, and what is a lie straight from the enemy. It is this same faction of theologians that bring us theories like “America is a post-Christian nation”, and the “Bible is not the actual word of God for His people, just a good book that helps us understand the spiritual part of our lives.” They have used these statements to justify sin in The Church, and to bring in government as head of The Church.

In his article, Jim asserts that libertarians believe, “Just leave me alone and don’t spend my money”. This is only a half-truth. A more accurate statement would be, “Just leave me alone and don’t spend my money, because I can do it better”. Nowhere is it a tenet of libertarianism to pocket and hoard all the cash we can get our hands on. It’s no secret that government spending is rife with waste and abuse. If we are charged by Christ to be good stewards of what we have been given, why would we champion that kind of irresponsibility with our hard-earned money? Sure, there are libertarians that will choose to hold on to their money. There are libertarian atheists that don’t espouse all of the causes that Christians support. Despite all of that, Americans have given more in private charity than anywhere else in the world for decades on end. The less of our money the Government leaves us, the less we’re likely to give to charitable causes, because we still need to be able to meet the basic needs of our families.

His first point on libertarian ideals is that “The Libertarian enshrinement of individual choice is not the pre-eminent Christian virtue. Emphasizing individual rights at the expense of others violates the common good, a central Christian teaching and tradition. The Christian answer to the question ‘Are we our brother’s keeper?’ is decidedly ‘Yes.’” This is fundamentally flawed, as evidenced by one of the first Bible stories we ever learn as children. God tells Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Does God dig a moat around the tree? Does He build a fence? Does He put it on the face of a cliff, where no man could reach it? No, He placed it in the middle of the Garden of Eden, and left the choice in our hands. God didn’t build the ark for Noah. He could have decided to disobey God and die in the flood. Moses was not forced into going back to Egypt to rescue his people. In fact, God allowed Moses to argue with Him about it! David decided to commit adultery and have Bathsheba’s husband murdered because of it. He also decided to pursue God’s heart, and received a line of kings that will extend forever, through Jesus.

In fact, I challenge Jim to show me a single example in the Bible where God charged a government with coercing a people into anything that didn’t end in slavery. We are indeed our brother’s keeper, but as individuals, not a collective. Let’s look at collective attempts to take care of others in scripture. In the midst of a severe famine, Jacob brought his entire family to Egypt for aid at the request of his son Joseph. This aid program started with the best of intentions. It eventually ended in the slavery of an entire nation. Where Josiah was praised in Jeremiah 22:16 for “defending the cause of the poor and needy”, it was not for giving economic aid to anyone having difficulties. In fact, the infirm were often forced to live outside of the city, because they were considered unclean. Josiah provided a safety net for the widows and orphans. That is what the Bible calls “pure and faultless religion” (James 1:27). The same verse also lists pure and faultless religion as keeping oneself polluted from the world. Yet, the denominations that side with Jim Wallace have embraced culturally current ideals that are in opposition to scriptural teaching and millennia of theology.

Jim’s second point is that “an anti-government ideology just isn’t biblical.” Then he goes on to quote Romans 13. Statists love to quote Romans 13:1, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” It has been used to coerce the church into fear of standing for what is right since Paul wrote it. This passage was written in a time when kings and dictators ruled every nation. Here’s what everyone seems to forget, we have a form of government unlike any other in the history of this planet. The governing authority of the United States of America is the Federal Constitution. Every elected official swears an oath to uphold and protect it. Laws enacted within the bounds of the constitution are right and good. We must follow them wholeheartedly. The majority of the text of our constitution was taken out of Deuteronomy or from other authors that were quoting the Bible. Romans 13:2 says, “Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” For our leaders that are trying to remake the constitution in their own vision by continually finding ways to get around it are rebelling against the authority of this land.

So what are we to do about laws that infringe upon the constitution? Deuteronomy 13:5, 17:7, 17:12, 19:19, 21:21, 22:21, 22:22, 22:24, and 24:27, all say “You must purge the evil from you.” Is rebelling against God (as Romans 13:2 states) evil? Yes. In fact, 2 Samuel 22:22 says, “For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God.” Throughout the account of the Kings of Israel and Judah we see the rebellious kings as kings that “did evil in the sight of the Lord”. As Christians, we are to be dedicated to fighting evil. We are not designed to blindly follow the government, but to uphold that which is right and purge that which is evil. That is why free will and liberty are so important! It allows us to dissent to stand for righteousness. Why are the acts of a government that steps outside the bounds of the constitution on behalf of common good evil? Because the funds obtained for these purposes are obtained by theft. It is theft, because it is outside the bounds of the constitution that we pay taxes to cover abortion, send money to foreign banks, prop up private business, or provide healthcare. I think few would argue that paying taxes to fund the military and other constitutionally provided functions of government are necessary. I believe that most would be happy to pay those taxes, if the proper limits around scope of government funded activities were enforced.

Jim’s third point is that the free market is evil, because man is evil. We need government intrusion and regulation so as to be safe. We need to be policed. Benjamin Franklin said, “They who can give up a little essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Do we want to be protected, or free? That’s the question. What is God’s intent? Look at the original state of man. Adam and Eve were designed to fellowship directly with God. Abraham never lived under the rule of a king. He followed God. There was no king over Israel until they demanded one. Moses, Joshua, Sampson, Gideon, Deborah, and all of the other judges rose up to lead the people in their moments of greatest need. The people were the ones that wanted a king. God was angry with them for demanding a man over them, rather than being led directly by God. We have always been meant to be free. That was why we were given free will. We’re free to sin, but sin brings punishment.

The market doesn’t work? We haven’t had a true free market in a hundred years. Ever since the Federal Reserve starting tinkering with the economy in 1913, the Federal Government starting meddling in how business is transacted. Jim brings up Chinese companies putting lead in toys. Just how long do you think a company like that would stay in business? No parent in their right mind would knowingly buy poisonous toys for their children. No business that wants to keep their doors open and turn a profit would purposely do something harmful to its customers. Liquor stores selling booze to minors? Those regulations are imposed by the individual states (small “s”), not the Federal Government (per the tenth amendment of the constitution).

He creates straw man arguments to scare people into believing the government needs to keep us safe. That kind of “security” always leads us into the Soviet Union, 1940’s Germany, or the Coliseum in Rome. Look at Europe. Communism and Fascism are both on the rise again. Think it can’t happen here? Both the Woodrow Wilson and FDR administrations imprisoned political adversaries. The Japanese and Germans were put into camps. That doesn’t sound like any kind of Christianity I’ve ever heard of. We have adequate laws on the books, but the abuse of the legal system by special interest groups and activist judges keep us from enforcing these rules evenly and fairly.

His fourth point is full of assumptions and inaccuracies. Libertarian philosophy does allow that someone may choose to keep every cent earned. As a responsible Christian, however, it is our duty to help the poor and disadvantaged. The scriptures he quotes are directed at individual charity. It implies a generosity of the heart. God does not override our free will, why would he approve of a government that does that? When he asserts that there is not enough private charity to address all of the need, he is directing his accusations at an over-burdened, over-taxed people. Freeing that money up would produce more time and money in charitable ventures by individuals. Psalm 128:2 says, “You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.” There is a difference between poverty born of helplessness and that of laziness. Proverbs 12:24 says that, “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.” It is passages like this that make some uncomfortable, which results in the disqualifying of scripture as the Spirit-breathed word of God.

The last point Mr. Wallace makes is nothing more than an opinion, trying to bully people into agreeing with him for fear of being linked with something negative, like a racist or bigot. These are words that mean something to decent human beings, and they don’t just throw those words around without any proof. Progressives, however, have used the “bully tactic” since their inception. If they can tie the opposing viewpoint to a negative connotation, they win. Good people backed off, for fear of being linked with those words. Now, we are starting to see some that are saying “enough” and allowing themselves to be slandered that the cause goes forward. We cannot back away from living out God’s will. The Apostles endured far more than words in their defense of the gospel. As to whether libertarianism has ever been a multi-cultural ideal, there are many examples of blacks (i.e. Lemuel Haynes, Crispus Attucks, Peter Salem, Prince Whipple, etc.), women (i.e. Molly Pitcher, Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, etc.), and others that fought for our freedom. The entire emancipation movement was birthed in libertarian philosophy. This lie has been perpetuated by history revisionists over the last one hundred years.

Many modern day theologians and “religious leaders” like Jim Wallace believe that they are smarter than Moses, David, Solomon, Peter, John, and Paul. They state that the Bible, while filled with good ideals, is not applicable today. By separating us from the true meaning of scripture, they believe that they can move us from a Christian point of view to a “Post-Christian” point of view. This is one where religious leaders and government work together to retain power for themselves at the demise of the people. They don’t believe that God is big enough to work miracles here and now, and that He is some watchmaker up in the sky that set things in motion, and has backed off to let us solve our own problems without Him. The only way we can regain a just society is to center ourselves, again, on Biblical principles. We are flawed people with little understanding, compared to God’s ways. Belief in ourselves over God’s eternal truths are not only denying the power of God, but making themselves gods above Him. We need to make our stand here and now, before all is lost beyond the point of no return. We must be willing to face ridicule, jail, and even death, rather than give up another inch of ground to those that would see Christianity, as we have known it, buried with us.

Jim Wallis gives a wildly inaccurate editorial, supported by a couple of Bible verses that he plucked out of context to support his views. We need to look at the evidence in the entire Biblical account. We were created in God’s image. There are historical accounts of freedom intersecting with God’s will that run all throughout the Bible. God wants us to freely choose to live rightly and help one another. Government forcing us to do so robs us of the opportunity to show that our hearts are aligned with God’s. Proverbs 28:9 says, “If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.” I suggest that you really do your research to make sure you are on the right side.

Real Strength

2008-10-01T18:49:00.002-05:00

"And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. The heart also of the rash shall understand, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly."- Isaiah 32:2-4.

Where are the men of integrity? I know they are here. Where are they? It is difficult to be strong and virtuous when men are ridiculed and belittled. Not much is expected of us. Many times when virtue is exercised, we are scolded for sticking out our neck. In these days, morality, goodness, and virtue are not popular. Putting your family first shows weakness to a world that demands you put yourself first. Serving the weak without expecting accolades and praise seems foolish to those who live to get a leg up. Everything leads back to "What do I get out it?" We don't understand the above passage in current times. We can't comprehend real strength. A man should come to the rescue of all in need without expecting anything out of it. We should be able to be counted on in times of trouble. Being counted on means that we have a track record. We are trusted, because we have shown over and over that we are trustworthy. Yet, so many of us never keep our word to our friends, our spouse, our children, or our neighbors and can't understand why they give up on us over time. How many times can we burn those around us and expect to keep our good standing. Truth is, we won't.

When Gotham City shines the Bat Signal, Batman shows. If he didn't, they would quickly look for another who could address their crime problem. That's the thing, people are looking for heroes in times of trouble. It's scary to go through dark times alone. Sure, being a superhero seems unrealistic. Nonetheless, it is our duty, as men of principle, to be dependable. That means that we are there like clockwork- everytime. It means that we do what we say we are going to do, not do what we say we won't, be where we say we will, and always do our best job to help our neighbor. We will not begin to really see, hear, understand, or speak this love until we become steadfast and dependable. When we force ourselves to start doing what is good and right, we will begin to see the value we provide to others, and finally our eyes, ears, mind, and tongue will be freed to finally know the importance of this kind of life.

We can never hope to do something great with our lives, if we don't push ourselves to greatness. Again, greatness is not for personal gain, but to serve as an example to our children and to those around us of what real freedom is, making a positive difference in the world based on the good we did while we were here. A legacy is our testament to the world to what is possible when we are men of strength and principle, reliable in all we do. When we die, no one will care about the money we made, the position we attained in our carreer, or how much stuff we had. If that is how we live life, we are missing the mark, and are destined to feel empty.

There is more need than what we know what to do with. Because we have retreated, rather than ran to assist in the world's problems, government has stepped in to fill the void. They have done it poorly and ineffectually. Where are those men of integrity again? Start with those around you. Be there when they need you. Build your reputation again on being rock solid. As you do, you will be given more to do. God's gift to us is our abilities to help and heal the people around us; to build the world back toward the perfection of the garden. That can not be done if we are living for ourselves. Determine that you will change the direction we are headed in, even if you are the only one.

We are the World?

2008-08-27T21:31:00.002-05:00

I’m sick and tired of being made to feel embarrassed about being an American! Foreign interests, environuts, special interests, and certain politicians have been trying to convince us that we are a bunch of backwards thinking, closed minded fools. They pull this “I’m so much more civilized than you” attitude. We are made to feel that any affection towards the U.S.A. is a disgusting, jingoistic, display of intolerance. It is “in” to consider oneself a responsible world citizen. The deliberate erosion of national identity has caught on.

I am not, and never will be embarrassed to be called an American. I’m proud of the origins of our country. We were tired of being over-taxed and pushed around by Britain, and told them to get out! We bought our freedom with many lives. We haven’t done everything perfectly. What happened to Native Americans and slaves was awful. We didn’t treat the Irish well either. But you know, that didn’t negate what this country was founded on. We had to learn as we went. We’re still not perfect, but we’ve worked a lot of that stuff out. Unfortunately, we’re starting to over compensate and go the way of stripping America of its identity and rich history. I love reading about the Revolution, the Wild West, and how our veterans have kept us safe by risking their lives overseas.

I am a free speech loving, gun toting, red-blooded American. I am unapologetic about that. I will not be intimidated into feeling bad. America has a long history of standing up to bullies. Where we went wrong is when we became identified as equals with our government. They are there to serve us.

From Kennedy and The Bay of Pigs through Bush in the Middle East, our government has been ruining our image in the world. There is a time to raise a fuss and a time to let people live. We had no business messing around in Iran in the 50’s. They were a modern nation, unlike the stone aged leadership we see today. Mozadek had to go, because they wanted to nationalize their oil industry. Well, that wasn’t because of the communist scare our leaders put into everybody. It was because they wanted to reclaim their oil from American oil companies over there with our government’s blessing. Now look what we’ve got to deal with. Good job.

Maybe we should be urging China to stop killing Christians and Falun Gong members for their organs. Maybe we should tell Uganda to take care of its problem with the Lord’s Resistance Army, so that innocent children are no longer put through the torture that Joseph Kony has brought upon them. There are real humanitarian crises around the world that we could be helping to solve. Children from Nepal and India are daily being sold into slavery and the sex trade. Have we heard anything about this? No, we’re too busy fighting the Taliban and Al Qeda, which we happened to equip and train to beat the Soviets in Afghanistan during the Cold War. Again, good job.

It’s up to us to claim America’s good name back. Only we can give the humanitarian aid the world needs. We cannot and should not wait for the government to do it. They always screw everything up. How much of your money do you keep? If they take so much and still have ruined education, health care, social security, and countless other programs, shouldn’t that be an indicator? Something has gone very, very, wrong.

Crime here is reaching uncontrollable heights because we are told that as law-abiding citizens, we have no right to protect ourselves. If we do, we can go to jail. We are taught that crime is a sign of poverty and being disadvantaged. Could it be that it’s a sign of bad parenting in a violent culture? Could it come from under-achieving? Instead, we do what we always do. We throw money at it, pat their heads, and tell them that it’s okay that they terrorize other people. Criminals are the problem, as are those that coddle them! All of the writings from Jefferson and Madison indicate that the second amendment is for us to protect ourselves from criminals and from the government. Jesus instructed his disciples to sell a cloak to buy a sworg if they didn't have one in the book of Luke.

We are told that if we don’t accept immigrants who come here illegally that we are bigots. The word “bigot” has become another scare tactic word, used to bully good people around. America has a rich tradition of immigration. My ancestors came here from England and Sweden. They came here legally, and worked hard to improve their lives. Places like San Francisco and New York City don’t allow for illegals to be prosecuted for crimes, because deporting them would break their sanctuary city statutes. Yet, thousands upon thousands of people with a dream of a better life follow the correct channels to come here legally, and sit and wait. Although many illegals come here with good intentions, many come here to commit crimes, bring unchecked disease, and bring down wages for American workers. Yet, we are supposed to look the other way and keep our mouths shut.

Then there are my friends in the environmental movement. This group of people is single-handedly increasing the costs of fuel, food, and energy. They are making us switch to sub-par $5 light bulbs. They want to control our water, air, and land use. They want taxes on carbon emissions. Trees breathe CO2! It is not a poisonous gas! We get our oxygen, because trees release it after taking in carbon dioxide. These mandates are coming down from international bodies that want to take the wealth of America, and distribute it how they see fit. All hail the new religion! Everybody repeat the mantra!

These fake environmentalists just go around making life miserable for everybody else. A true environmentalist picks up trash, plants trees, helps to control animal populations through hunting and fishing, supports clean air and clean water, and recycles most of the time. The fakes follow you around at the LPGA U.S. Open in Edina harassing you about what bin you throw trash in.

Yes, I am unashamed to be an American! Americans must not be afraid to celebrate their heritage. We must reclaim our country. I’m no hypocrite here. I believe that every country should be free to celebrate its culture. That, to me, is the beauty of the world. I love to experience and study the different flavors that the world has to offer, from the dress, food, architecture of one country to another. I want to see the world, but not a homogenized version where we’ve been stripped of all our differences. I believe in each country to hold on to what makes it special. That includes the United States of America. I am proud to be an American. I will not allow myself to be pushed into giving up any ground to anybody that wants to strip us of our uniqueness!

So, take some time to think about America’s ideals and what makes it special! Decide to be proud of your country! Resolve to defend American culture! Do not give in to the accusations sent your way. You can do good for the world without giving up what makes America special. Send the “World Citizen” proprietors packing. It’s not too late to take this country back!

What it's Gonna Take

2008-07-12T21:50:00.003-05:00

I'm tired. Maybe it was the constant rain, or the global warming (insert heavy cynicism here), but I'm feeling a bit more cranky than usual. I had been waiting to bask in the warmth of the summer sun for months, and rarely had we seen more than 65 degrees Fahrenheit into June. It's rather depressing. As if that weren't enough, I have to sit and listen to the continual calls to do something about our global warming problem. The same global warming problem that brought snow to Baghdad, the coldest winter to China in 100 years, and an increase in the polar bear population that these Enviroterrorists seem to care so dearly about. Every time I hear about how I’ve got to "Go Green" and reduce my carbon footprint, I turn red. The media has done such an effective job of shutting out the thousands of scientists that are not on the UN payroll and have done their best to debunk the junk science that is the new environmental religion. Al Gore won't even have a proper debate. He just claims that there is a consensus, and blindly acts like there’s nothing more to be said. If his theory is so air tight, what is he afraid of? The truth is that we are being set up for one of the biggest money making scams of all time. Al Gore has been quoted that he would like to see both a global carbon tax and Cap and Trade system. The enlightened Envirobrains running England are talking about instituting a carbon ration card, complete with top-ups for the "extremely wasteful". I’m tired of the rules being made by those who will never have to live under them.
Romans 13 tells the Christian to respect the authorities placed above them. The authority of the United States is the Constitution. Everyone from the President to the local police take an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution. The Constitution IS the law of the land. It is our authority. Those that violate the Constitution are the ones in the wrong! Our nation is being sold down the river by an elite group of people that have no concern for the people they are supposed to serve. It doesn't matter if we get John McCain or Barack Obama as president. They are both beholden to the central banks and the multi-national corporations. Obama's policy is being formed by Zbignew Brezinsky, a major globalist. McCain is in league with Henry Kissinger. McCain and Michelle Obama have been active with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) for years; the same CFR that has called for a one-world currency and a North American Community. Think I'm full of garbage? Visit www.councilonforeignrelations.org. Look up what CFR president Richard Haas and fellow member Robert Pastor have written- http://www.cfr.org/publication/7912/creating_a_north_american_community.html.
The time has come to be attentive! You see, good people often get screwed over because they just want to live their lives and be left alone. It is those with a lust for more power that sit and scheme towards our enslavement. They think the greatest good is in Government correcting the ills of the world. I believe that the greatest good is in people working to correct the ills of the world, and Government doing little to nothing to interfere in our daily lives. They have come to believe that they have got to protect us from ourselves. I tell them here and now that they have grossly overstepped their bounds. What will it take for good men to take a stand and defend the rights given us by God himself? The time has come to speak out to friends and family! Get passionate and never let up!

Fourth Amendment Suspended In Minnesota City

2008-02-21T19:14:00.003-06:00

Fourth Amendment Suspended In Minnesota City

http://www.ci.crystal.mn.us/vertical/Sites/{4335EAE6-DE23-4C0D-8A7C-FED379590A1D}/uploads/{C8747DA6-6FDA-4713-9160-3 E82590AA969}.PDF

Crystal, MN- The fourth amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America states, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Unfortunately, the City of Crystal, MN does not think the Constitution carries much weight. The latest city newsletter proposes the following program to gain control over its residents: "The City Water Utility and Engineering Departments have finished the development of a program to replace all the water meters in the City with an automated meter reading (AMR) system. The final plans and ad for bids were approved by the City Council in December. Many existing water meters are original with nearly 70% being over 40 years old. Older meters typically give a consumption reading lower than actual usage. The new meters will be equipped with a small radio transmitter to automatically send the reading to a utility vehicle as it drives through the neighborhood, or to strategically placed 'collector' antennas."

Under a free market system, the entity that collects for water payments (even if it is an oppressive monopoly) should have the ability to decide the cost of its product and the way it is measured. They do not, however, have the right to "deputize" the contractors to look for other issues while in your home. The article continues as such, "In addition to meter replacement, the City (via the meter contractor) will be conducting an inspection for illegal sump pump or footing drain connections to the sanitary sewer. These illegal connections are often done via a floor drain or wash tub. It is against city and state code to discharge footing drain, sump pump, or surface runoff water into the sanitary sewer. The metropolitan sewage treatment utility is imposing large fines on cities that do not enforce the illegal discharge provisions of the law." Illegal sump pumps or footing drain connections may be against city and state code, but that does not give a city the right to send a contractor into your home in the name of upgrading a meter in order to search for violations. This is in violation of the fourth amendment to be secure in your home from unreasonable searches.

The City has made sure to put pressure on its residents to force compliance to this illegal search. The newsletter states: "Failure to allow inspection and comply with the findings will result in a $100-per-month fine." The City of Crystal is trying to strong arm dissent by imposing a fine almost nobody in that city would be able to pay. This is why it is important to be aware of what is going on in your city, and to be involved in the governmental process. These things are not just happening in America's ten biggest cities. Tyranny has come to our door step, and it is up to us to take back the ground we lost.

Our Brave New World

2008-01-08T20:16:00.000-06:00

How many of you have ever read Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”? This book was released in 1939, yet Aldous had the foresight to see what direction society would be headed in. Sure, his knowledge is limited in some ways by the level of technology that was available. Sure, he’s writing a science fiction book about the future. But you know what? The concepts are there. The ideas have been around for a long time, even if shrouded in the cloak of a science fiction story. How would Aldous Huxley know about the trend towards world government, the social and intellectual dumbing down of the majority of the world’s population, and a plan for world population control? He’s just a writer. Right?

Let me shed a little light on history for a moment, if you’ll allow me that opportunity. History holds the answers to the future. You must know history to understand how things got to be how they are. Thomas Henry Huxley (Aldous’ grandfather) was a good friend of someone else you’ve probably heard of… Charles Darwin. After Charles Darwin printed his evolutionary theory in “The Origin Of Species”, it really didn’t catch on. It was the passion and cunning plan from Thomas Henry Huxley that swayed the minds of scientists to leave their belief in God’s creation of the universe for Darwin’s unproven evolutionary theory. That’s connection number one.

Connection number two is his brother, Sir Julian Huxley. Julian Huxley was the first Director General of the of United Nations’ UNESCO. (Google “UNESCO Eugenics and look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics). Julian was quoted as such, “Even though it is quite true that any radical eugenic policy will be for many years politically and psychologically impossible, it will be important for UNESCO to see that the eugenic problem is examined with the greatest care, and that the public mind is informed of the issues at stake so that much that now is unthinkable may at least become thinkable”. As you can see Aldous was rather well connected with those that have shaped public thinking for a century. The question we need to ask, is if this book is just a story, or an allegory that sheds light on some of these folks most sinister plans?

It’s fun to speculate. As I’ve read this book, I see so many parallels with today’s society, or at least the path that we’re on. Let me show you a place in the book where I think he got it right on. In “Brave New World” the world’s population is genetically engineered into worker classes from alpha to epsilon. All of their hard held beliefs come from years of strict conditioning. Enter John, brought back as an experiment from a native reservation in New Mexico to London. The reservation has not been affected by the practices of “civilization”. In this part of the book, he is talking with the head guy for his area of the world (The Controller). They are having a discourse about the way society is, and was, and John finds out that The Controller knows what life was like, and how dangerous it is to keeping control of everybody.

“Othello’s good, Othello’s better than those feelies.”

“Of course it is,” The Controller agreed. “But that’s the price we have to pay for stability. You’ve got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art. We’ve sacrificed the high art. We have the feelies and the scent organ instead.”

“But they don’t mean anything.”

“They mean themselves; they mean a lot of agreeable sensations to the audience.”

“But they’re… they’re told by an idiot.”

The Controller laughed. “You’re not being very polite to your friend, Mr. Watson. One of our most distinguished Emotional Engineers…”

“But he’s right,” said Helmholtz gloomily. “Because it is idiotic. Writing when there’s nothing to say…”

“Precisely. But that require the most enormous ingenuity. You’re making flivvers out of the absolute minimum of steel—works of art out of practically nothing but pure sensation.”

The Savage shook his head. “It all seems to me quite horrible.”

“Of course it does. Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn’t nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand.”

This is an amazing passage of literature. The popular music of today is all about moving your body for sensation. The message takes a back seat. We can’t have people thinking, now, can we? That would ruin everything. An informed public is a public not ready to give up their liberty. We have to be “drugged” into a state of not caring about what is going on around us. We wrap ourselves up in entertainment that feels good. Music used to be the language of the counter-culture. Now, it’s the language of shake ya booty, cash money, and oooo baby. Clubs are packed with young people wanting to move with the music. Cars drive around on “dubs”, with the bangin’ stereo, but play the soundtrack to vapidness, instead of projecting the sounds of free humanity. The celebrity culture and pop music are empty… bankrupt.

We need to get back to things that mean something. I’m finding more and more, however, that people don’t care. They don’t see a problem. They don’t want to rock the boat. We’re comfortable. We took the drugs they fed us. Their entertainment makes us feel good. Not that entertainment is bad, but it has become a crutch, a way to deal with the unpleasantness of the corporate culture and reducing civility in the world.

1 John 3:16 states this, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” I used to think that this passage meant that we should be willing to die for the sake of those we love. On it’s surface, it does. I also believe that it digs much deeper. I believe that it means that the things we hold onto in this life, which create our lifestyle, need to be laid down if they ever come in the way of protecting and helping those that God asked us to protect and help. There’s no end to the need in this world. There’s nothing wrong with watching a movie, going jet skiing, or playing Guitar Hero. If those things, however, consume a great deal of your time, then you need to be willing to put those things down in order to keep our priorities straight.

Whether it be our job, desire for material goods, or desire to escape that hinders our desire to help, we need to be willing to lose our current life, and create one in which we can be a positive influence in this world. I challenge you to challenge others. I challenge you to take John’s words to heart. You can do the things you enjoy, without getting caught up in the “feelies”. You can choose to submerge yourself in things that matter. Listen to music and watch movies that make you think and make you feel. Comfort = inaction. Don’t be afraid to get uncomfortable. Study history and current events. The people of the world are counting on you.

Chart a New Course!

2007-12-15T17:18:00.000-06:00

Thank you for your serfdom to the Microsoft United States of America, brought to you by United Parcel Service!

I’ve had it. I’m tired of fitting in, being just another face in the crowd, and playing by the rules that society dictates. I’m not talking about law-breaking behavior. I’m talking about putting up a standard. I’m talking about not letting the large corporations make the rules.

I’m a capitalist. I believe that people should be free to earn as much money as they want. Likewise, I am a believer in and practitioner of the First Amendment. People should be able to say whatever they want. I also, however, advocate that with freedom comes responsibility. With First Amendment freedoms comes the responsibility to not speak lewdly or offensively in front of others, especially children. Although people should be able to create the kind of life they desire through their hard work, those people need to be responsible with the money they have been given. There is so much money in this world, and so much need. There is an incredible disparity between the two. In fact, these multi-billion dollar corporations hoard a great deal of this money. Their profits are larger than the GDP of some small nations. Yet, what do they do? They take their phone queues and manufacturing business out of the country to hire workers that work for pennies on the dollar. They encourage slave labor in China that no one will speak out against. They hire illegal aliens that have driven down the wages of hard-working Americans, because these companies can do business cheaper. Truck drivers, landscapers, roofers, and other blue collar jobs are paying less and less for Americans to do these jobs. The large corporations are not people. They are entities that hold money for their own purposes. Corporations care about the bottom line, not all of the children in Africa with A.I.D.S. I do not side with entities. I side with people. Unfortunately, we have enslaved ourselves to them because it’s easier to work for someone else rather than ourselves.

These corporations put their name on everything. Everything is an advertisement. Stadiums, music festivals and tours, buses and bus stops, clothes, banners on television shows, banners on web sites, etc.; everywhere we look we see advertisements. People are willing to advertise for free for these corporations. Most people have nothing. They owe more than they own. Banks have traded us the promise of money for our actual cash! The banks and companies we do business with walk away with everything, leaving us with junk and still in the hole. We’re told what’s trendy. We’re told what we need to have. We’re told what type of music to listen to …and we listen.

Music is the most accessible bridge between the physical and the spiritual. Popular music has effectively conditioned people to listen to the beat, and that music, outside of music where there are lyrics, is undesirable. The expression of music, in and of itself, has been covered up. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Eagles, and others made records their way. They made records that people would sit down and soak in the music for many hours. Friends got together and listened, paving the way for deep discussions. Bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, Coldplay, and others have tried to put the music first. Rock and Roll was about rabid independence. Now every last “star” has sold out to corporations and political platforms. Each performer is a complete cookie-cutter imprint of the preceding one (except maybe Ted Nugent). Music isn’t about advertising for multi-billion dollar corporations. Music isn’t about form, at least strict form. Music has had verses and choruses since before the madrigals of the medieval period. Now, however, it’s the same form for every song, each song clocking in around 3:00 to 3:30 in length. What happened to a long bridge or outro in which the song takes a completely different turn? How about a decent intro? The instrumental?

People got tired of the strict sonata form, and drifted toward more fluidly composed works. I believe that we’re close to a change. We are ruled by minimalistic music that says nothing, mega-corporations that turn everything and everyone into advertisements, and banks that hold our money, while we trade it for junk. The music, the junk, it’s all designed to pacify us, to keep us from thinking, condition us so that we do not put up a standard. The time has come to change direction. The time has come to let them all know that they serve at our pleasure. They do not rule our lives.

Once upon a time, I used to worry about the trends of music and how a song I wrote fit in to those trends. I’m done worrying about that kind of stuff. Each song I write, I am looking for that song’s identity. What can I do, what can the guys I am playing with bring to the table to unlock the mystery of the song? We are people of value. This is not a one-size-fits-all world! We each have individual identities! We can not all be herded into the same pen! Stand up and change direction! Look for music that makes you think, makes you feel. Read things that broaden your world, not allow you to escape to another. You can not face the injustices of this world until you look this world in the face and see it for what it really is. You can’t say you want to see starvation end, and go home after work and bury yourself in your nightly television ritual. How many times can you watch Sports Center in one night? Do you really care about South Bumblebeetuna St. vs. East Pigsknuckle U? Why watch it?!? Did last week’s Desperate Housewives do anything to make your life better? I’m sorry if I hit a nerve. But you know what? The time is now! The sleeping masses need to open up their eyes! Choose a different course! I’m here waiving large orange flags in front of your face and screaming your name. Do not avert your eyes to the reality in front of you. Soak it in, no matter how painful. It will birth a purpose inside of you. Nothing is more urgent right now, than you awake, and your purpose discovered.

The Watchful Eye Defends His Keep

2007-12-07T10:18:00.000-06:00

You know, it gets harder and harder to post these things. The place where I spend most of my waking hours has blocked this site. It's nice to know that even if I want to speak my mind via this medium, on my own time, that my free speech is not valued there. Secondly, from home... Firefox does not like this site. Finally, I get through with Safari after a bit of prodding. I've had a lot on my mind, but it seems that it's all become old news by the time I can get access to this site. I'm not complaining... well, maybe a little.

Christmas is once again upon us, and so is the annual debunk Christianity season. This year's entry into the fray, The Golden Compass. This trilogy of books, written by Philip Pullman, is a series of stories directed at children in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia. One problem. Not only is Mr. Pullman a self-avowed athiest, he is is extremely outspoken in his hatred of all things Christian. In the final book of this series, the children kill God, so they can do what they want. In fact, in a 2003 interview he clearly states, "My books are about killing God." He also often states his desire to undermine the Christian religion. This movie will seem okay at first glance. The real hook, however, is that children will see the movie and ask their unsuspecting parents for the books. Unfortunately, many parents today are not discerning enough to do the research and tell their children no.

We see this all over in our society. People not doing the research. People too busy watching Grey's Anatomy and playing XBox to see what is going on around them. In this day and age, we have all the information we could want at our fingertips. Instead, we use the internet for looking up Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Fergie, etc., etc. (Don't believe me? Keep an eye on the most popular searches and videos on sites like Yahoo, Google, and YouTube over the next week.) Each of these things can be fine and good, IN MODERATION. Heck, I almost never miss an episode of Prison Break. The difference is that I don't watch it when it's on. I do what I need to do in my life and fit it in when everything else is done. Sometimes it's late Sunday night before I get to it.

I'm not saying that I'm better than anyone else. I'm just saying that I realized a long time ago, that if I want to accomplish anything, I had to work hard at it and use entertainment as a way to wind down late at night, once eveerything was done, if I had the time. Have you researched the SPP? Do you know that House Resolution 1955 makes room for a Congressional panel that will decide what groups or types of people will be considered home grown terrorists? Have you read the Law of The Sea Treaty? If it is ratified, we are giving the Unitied Nations control over every ocean around the world. Have you looked at their own legislation and websites (www.spp.gov, www.keeptexasmoving.com, www.kcsmartport.com, United Nations Agenda 21- http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/index.htm)? I don't listen to wacky conspiracies. I do, however, do my research. These things above are straight out of the horses' mouth. Be vigilant. Defend your rights with your knowlwdge and your words. There are groups that want us not to pay attention. All evil work is done in darkness. If it is brought to the light it will not prosper. Get tough, but never stop loving individual people. In the end, if we expose all the works of darkness and we do not turn each other toward love, we have lost. Make a declaration here and now to stand for something. Do your research, tell your friends, start a blog. Do something!

Until next time!

The Time Is Now

2007-06-07T11:44:00.000-05:00

U.S. Capitol Switchboard- (202) 224-3121

Allow me to talk candidly for a moment about a very touchy subject: immigration. This is a great country that owes a great deal of what it has to the foresight and genius of immigrants. I, myself, am a descendent of Swedish and English immigrants (along with my proud Cherokee heritage). I owe every opportunity available to me to those who have gone before me. They were people that saw the hope and value of a new land and a fresh start. Where would we be without not only our founding fathers, but the work of the worn and weathered hands that built this country? It’s those values of hard work and perseverance that still make America the land of opportunity. It’s new blood in the melting pot that stirs the waters, and keeps everybody reaching for success.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for all immigrants in this day and age. Don’t get me wrong, most immigrants who come here want to work hard and make a better life for their families. This is to be applauded. However, there are millions of immigrants who have come here illegally. They come here and are a drain on our economy. People say that they take jobs Americans won’t take. I don’t believe that. I believe that they get hired because businesses can pay in cash below minimum wage, and pocket more money. This drives wages down below what American citizens can afford to work for, and there’s little chance of these businesses getting caught. Because of the low wages, they are able to overload our medical, education, and welfare systems. These people are taking from the system, and not giving in through taxes. This should upset any of us who pay our taxes, and have to pay for their share too. They are literally reaching into our pockets and taking that which we have worked so hard for. For middle class families, it might mean getting your daughter a nice winter jacket. It might mean not being able to give money to a charity you actually want to.

Certain cities serve as illegal immigrant havens. The local law enforcement refuses to touch illegals. Why are they, all of a sudden, this protected class? There are many illegal immigrants who come to this country to cause trouble in the form of drug trafficking, gang activity, and other nefarious activities. To top it off these illegals almost never get deported. They are allowed to stay here and continue causing trouble. It is a known fact that terrorists gain access to this country though our porous borders and lax enforcement policies. That should worry you. Mexico, who criticizes us for wanting to control our border, is very tough on their southern border. That seems a bit hypocritical to me. Legal immigrants widely regard our turning a blind eye to illegal immigration as a slap in the face! They had to go through all the bureaucratic channels to get here, and work hard to make it. These illegals sneak in and get everything handed to them. I understand why they feel this way.

There is currently an important bill before Congress. It is touted as immigration reform. The truth is, however, that it does more to weaken our borders and culture than to strengthen it. The new bill proposes 300 miles of fence on the border. Great. We were promised 700 miles in a bill before this, and they have eleven miles surveyed and three miles built! What makes you think that if they haven’t done anything yet, that they will now? It grants amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. Sure, the head of household has to go back to their country first. Who’s going to enforce that? They can’t get people to return to their countries now. Plus, if the bread winner leaves their family here, won’t that be a bigger burden on our already over-generous social programs?

I don’t understand the need to have this comprehensive immigration bill that no one can agree on. Let’s get one bill into law that secures the borders, then we can discuss the best way to handle the current illegal immigrant population. We must make our borders a priority! For those of us that agree on the importance of securing our borders and relieving the strain on our economic system, we must let our senators know how we feel NOW! Despite record numbers of people calling Capitol Hill, we still have too few allies in the fight against this bill. They are voting this week, and we must let our elected representatives know how we feel about it immediately. Votes are the only thing that speaks to these career politicians.

John Cornyn from Texas introduced an amendment to the bill that would ban felons (terrorists, drug runners, murderers, etc.) and those under judicial order for deportation from ever gaining permanent residence in this country. IT WAS VOTED DOWN!!! Most of our senators disagree, and think that violent criminals have every right to come here illegally, AND STAY! Can you believe that? For my Minnesota friends, Senator Amy Klobuchar voted against this amendment! Wasn’t she the Hennepin County Prosecutor? This explains the rise in violent crime in Minneapolis over the last few years. Normie Coleman? He voted for the amendment, but still supports the reform bill as a whole. You’re on the wrong side of this battle, Norm.

President Bush, you are wrong on immigration. Don’t pass us off, as uninformed, behind-the-times, second-class citizens. You talk big about protecting the borders from terrorists overseas (thank you) but aren’t willing to stand up to protect our borders at home! Mr. President, Senators, Representatives, please listen to your constituents. Republicans, Democrats, and people of other political persuasion are coming together over this. Do not betray the will of the people!

Friends, I urge you to call Washington, and let them know how you feel. Speak in their language, votes! You don’t have long to make your opinion known. If you don’t call, you have to live with the consequences of an open border. Are you willing to take that chance?

U.S. Capitol Switchboard- (202) 224-3121
Bill information: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:S.1348:

Music's Importance (and the hole we're stuck in)

2007-05-22T09:35:00.000-05:00

The state of the music industry today is deplorable. Music is the thing that said the things that we couldn’t say. It spoke to the places in us that were empty and hurting. We identified with it and the people that made it. Now what does it say? “Dance, dance, baby?” “I got the benjamins all rolled up tight?” “Blah, blah, blah, blah”? Where is the artistic integrity of days gone by? It’s out there, but you really have to look hard. The record companies aren’t pushing it. They’re more concerned with pushing the small-minded tripe of Fergie, Gwen Stephani, or Mims. Where are songs like U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, Elton John’s “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”, or Counting Crows “Omaha”? King’s X is still making songs like “Sooner or Later” off of their most recent release. But they are not selling gold or platinum. Yet, they seem to be happy with what they are doing. Sevendust writes heart wrenchingly honest songs. Yet, they are on their own label, and not getting a huge push. They are a band that has a strong connection with their fans.

I remember going to concerts as a teen, and standing in the pit, with hundreds of other hot, sweaty, sticky people. It was a bonding experience. I don’t like being around huge throngs of people. I stay away from malls and avoid grocery stores. But I was always early to a concert, waiting to get in the middle of that mess of people, trying to get close to the music. (Except when the idiots started showing up, and thought that pushing each other with no regard for other people around them who were trying to pay attention to what was happening on stage instead of the idiots next to them was a good time.) I always dreamed of doing an arena-type tour, with all of the crazy kids up front who just wanted to be close to the front, close to the music. Now everybody has an assigned seat. The front is reserved for people that can afford to be there. When is the last time you saw a millionaire crowd surfing or for that matter, jumping around and pumping his fist? Acts like this have abandoned their fans. The front shouldn’t be reserved for the wealthy, but for whoever wants it the most. That person’s energy and enthusiasm will transfer to the performer and, in effect, produce a better show. Concert tickets should be beween $25 and $35, and that’s including Ticketmaster’s exorbitant fees.

Music should be for the people. Unfortunately, it’s for the record company execs to turn a quick profit on, for Ticketmaster, and for the rich who want to sit up front like they’re at a movie. The real music, the music that touches us, is out there. It’s just not very available. You have to hunt for it. Someday, there will be a vehicle for this music to reach the masses, but it won’t look like it did in the past. We won’t hear it on traditional radio and go find it in music stores. However, the want and the need for this music is out there. As popular and accessible as movies, television, and video games are, they can’t take the place of music. In fact, these things all use music because they are not sufficient means of entertainment on their own. There is something about music that can not be substituted by anything else. Music speaks to the soul. People want to do more than dance. They want to feel. They want to know that someone else understands what they are going through. Music is deep, but we can’t wait for the music industry sharks to go away before we leave the shallows. We’ve got to drive them out now.

From my friend Thomas in Nepal

2007-05-14T10:17:00.000-05:00

About a year ago, I was perusing the internet (one of my unofficial duties at work), and I came across a church in Nepal that caught my eye. I reviewed the website and was prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray for and encourage this church. Nepal is a very poor country that is deeply entrenched in Hinduism. I e-mailed the pastor, Thomas Rai, a note of encouragement, and to let him know that I'd be praying for him. Over the past year, we have talked much, and I am blown away by the work of the Holy Spirit in this small church. He regularly writes me to tell me about healings, deliverences, and his prayer needs. This is a church, that despite its small size and lack of finances, has done great things through the power of the Holy Spirit. They have planted (and continue to plant) churches in different parts of Nepal, some completely untouched by the gospel. Nepal has about 27.6 million people, most of whom need to hear about Jesus.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, in his latest letter, Pastor Thomas has asked me to share what his chuch is doing with other Christians, and that you might feel called to pray for him as well. Here is the web address for Grace church's website: http://www.grace-christian-church-ministry-of-nepal.com/. Please check it out. Also read the note below to hear what things God has been doing among His people in Nepal. His e-mails are filled with stories of healings, deliverences, and the growth of the kingdom of God. Thomas is just a regular guy who loves Jesus, and is willing to reach into his toolbox to allow God to use him among his people. If you feel so inclined, you can e-mail him letters of encouragement at his e-mail address, found on his website above. Thanks for taking some time to consider what God is doing among our brothers and sisters in another part of the world. I hope you find it as encouraging as I do. Have a great day!

Jason BradleyThomas Rai wrote:
From: "Thomas Rai" To: "jason Bradley"
Subject: Re: Pray for my trip to west NepalDate: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 11:55:58 +0545

Dear Jason Bradley,

How are you? We are find by the Grace of God. Thank you very much for your email. I am always encouraged when I receive the emails. Thank you very much for your kind prayer supports to our ministry. Thank you very much for your prayer support for my trip to Surkhet and Pokhara. God is with me. He protected me and leads me. Now, I have come back from trip. We are experiencing our God who with us. He always leads us in His way through the Holy Spirit. God is working here. We can sence and experince Him through life. I would like to send you our Grace Church Mission Trip Reports to West Nepal. I have found that there are very few Christians, millians of people are still living in darkness need light of Christ to them in west of Nepal. Means west of Nepal is less Christians. We have to need to send many evangelists there. Please pray for the West Nepal's people who are never heard the Gospel of God in their life. Now I have a great burden & vision for the west Nepal. Please pray for me. We would like to have a target for the west Nepal's people to win them in the Lord.

I have met one of very poor oldman on my trip to Surkhet who was carrying to orphan grand-sons from his son and daughter. He said that he was going to look for any orphanage in Kathmandu to put them in orphanage. I have asked him. I do not have orphanage but you may go to look for christian orphanage in Kathmandu. I gave his some addresses and phone numbers.

The story of his son and daughter is very sad because he said, His son was marry three years ago and also his daughter was married four years age. Both of them had one-one children. Later, his sons and daughter both of them were forced to join in Maoists and taken to jungle for training. Both of them were killed in the jungle war. After they were killed, their children became orphans. Nobody care for them. He heard that there is orphanage in Kathmandu. So, he was caring them to Kathmandu.

He said, there are hundred of children orphans now in his hometown. Parents were killed in the war.I was so sad in my heart when I heard his matters. But I could not do nothing right now because of lack of sources. Now, I am praying for those children. God may open the way for them. Please pray for them.

I would like to request you that would you please share to your friends about our ministries and the situation of Nepal to please for us. Is there any one who has interest to help those children and ministries here?

Finally, I would like to send some Grace Church Mission Trip to West Nepal. Please find out attached file. Please pray for me and our ministries. Thank you very much for your kind prayer supports.

Yours faithfully,

Pastor Thomas Rai
Grace Church Ministries,
P.O.Box 89075,
EPC. 397,
Kathmandu,Nepal

An addendum...

2007-04-13T09:54:00.000-05:00

(Sigh…) You know, I think that it’s probably time that we just honestly assess where we’re at as a nation and sign the deed to our country over to China, the Islamo-fascists, or whoever is next in line. Why draw out the suspense? Why keep us waiting on baited breath to see what’s going to happen? I’m so tired of mob rule coercion in this country. This is hopefully my last entry on this Imus thing, but I’m just so disgusted with the whole way this went down. The double standards for judging anything in this country are baffling me. What do I mean?

Don Imus got fired first by NBC from his TV gig. Then CBS followed suit with his radio show. Now, I don’t listen to this guy. I don’t even think we can get him in the Minneapolis area. Plus, he’s not been a bastion of good will over the years. Nonetheless, I feel that he got the shaft. If NBC and CBS really wanted to fire him over these comments, great. It’s their right to do so as a private business. This is capitalism at work. But the delay in doing so tells me that there probably wasn’t the outrage at network that would have led to this. Instead, there was an endless protest to have him fired. The phone calls, e-mails, letters, and picketing didn’t stop. What he said was stupid and awful, but I really don’t think that many people in America were so outraged that these words ruined their lives. How many people stayed up at night with their stomachs churning over this? I’ll tell you who. It’s the same people every time. People like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton that need to be in front of the cameras to keep their fragile egos going. This is the kind of thing that they made their reputation on. They are the equivalent of ambulance chasers, looking for any reason at all to whip people up into a frenzy and keep race relations strained.

It was the endless protests that coerced the networks into firing Don Imus. That, to me, is wrong. Use your free speech to voice your disdain for what he said, and leave it at that. In fact, don’t listen to Don Imus anymore if you feel that way. Let his ratings plummet. Let the system work itself out. This mob rule coercion… this playground bullying has to stop. If you don’t like what I have to say, don’t read my blog, don’t download my music, forget I exist.

Here’s the other thing. Al and Jesse, as Christians shouldn’t we forgive him? He apologized. We haven’t even given him a chance to see if he is truly repentant or not. That is today’s world. One screw up and you’re done. There are no such things as second chances. Isn’t Christianity all about second chances? Where would we be, if God had not forgiven us?

I just don’t see any consistency here. I don’t see Al and Jesse whipping up the troops to protest broadcast companies that play offensive music. I's like to know how many of these protesters listen to rap music? How degrading is rap to African Americans and women? Yet, these people aren’t protesting to have these vile songs pulled off the air. Our children are exposed to these songs everyday. Is that not more important than one misguided statement on a single radio show? I guess not. The shoe doesn’t fit on the other foot. These rappers have the right to make any music they want. I’m not saying censor them. It's their own duty to be responsible citizens. I’m saying, if you really believe that words that incite ill will among race and gender have no place in the public forum, then go after music with the derogatory message that is broadcast over these same air waves. Stop listening to it yourselves if the message is so offensive. It won’t ever happen. There’s a double standard in this country, and the world-at-large.

One more thing, did you see this morning that the governor of New Jersey was critically injured in a car crash? (I hope that he's okay, and has a speedy recovery.) And where was he headed? Why, on his way to take part in the meeting between Imus and the Rutgers girl’s basketball team. Was it worth it, Jon? Does the government really need to get involved in this? Shouldn’t adults be able go give and receive apologies on their own? It’s those New Jersey tax dollars hard at work! I’ve been offended a number of times, yet I’ve never had the governor of Minnesota come facilitate an apology session on my behalf. (And with the astronomical tax burden in the state of Minnesota, I know you’ve got the money sitting around to fund the thirty minute drive.) Oh, I get it. I’m not as important, because my offense wasn’t in the media. It’s the whole “I’ve-gotta-be-in-the-camera-lights” complex again.

We’ve got to stop politicizing events to create some sort of a show for things that happen on an everyday basis. There are normal people who suffer everyday, and no camera will ever capture their pain. No person will ever step in to make sure that everything is made right. Those are the real injustices, if you ask me. Jesse and Al, you got Don fired. Congratulations. Do you feel happy now? Is the world better off for your work? Have you eased the pain and suffering of the multitudes? When are we going to get down to the basics of our duty on earth to help the underprivileged, and stop acting like we’re winning the war on evil in the world by forcing our own agendas on something as inconsequential as Don Imus?

Free Speech vs. Criminalizing Hate Speech

2007-04-11T09:44:00.000-05:00

How much is freedom worth to you? I mean, would you trade in your rights to free speech just to avoid being offended yourself? Some people would, and that is scary. One of the beautiful things about America is that we can say anything we want at all, provided we’re not leaking national secrets, using lies to ruin someone’s reputation, threatening someone else with bodily harm, or harassing someone in a way that it cripples their ability to live freely. I can tell you that I don’t agree with something you’re doing, and not be punished for it… for now.

We’re going down a slippery slope here. When people like Al Sharpton want to come up with a set of words that no one, under any circumstances, can use (unless you are part of that group, which makes it completely alright then), it leaves us in a place to consider what else might offend someone and ban that too. I want to preface this with the following: I believe that it is our duty to be respectful of one another, and that true diversity is a beautiful thing. We should embrace our differences and magnify our similarities. Our cultural differences give the world color in a sea of blah. This fake, forced, diversity that is mandated upon us from the powers that be, however, is insulting. I think that what Don Imus said about the Rutgers women’s basketball team was offensive and despicable. He should be subject to whatever punishment his employers (NBC and CBS) want to undertake to protect their private business. To suggest, however, that he was speaking his views on all women or African Americans is absurd. It’s possible that is what he believes, but to infer that from what he said is quite presumptuous. He was speaking about a specific group of girls; the basketball team.

The second that we decide that there needs to be oversight on the things we say, we’re done; our freedoms are over. The moment we start to criminalize speech that someone might find offensive, we’re all in trouble. Everybody has offended someone in their lifetime. Take the recent marriage of Liz Hurley to Indian Arun Nayar. One local citizen was offended that they had a “showcase” wedding and that they insulted Hindu traditions by sitting on a couch, rather than the floor, kissed near the sacred fire, and had taken alcohol before the ceremony. In India, section 295 of the penal code makes it an offence punishable by three years in prison to “outrage” any group’s religion with deliberate and malicious intention.” Liz Hurley is looking at jail time for this!

In other countries, there are laws in place to uphold the major culture of that country. In the United States, we protect the weak and indefensible. The majority is often told to go take a flying leap in favor of anyone that doesn’t like how we do things. America bends to every fleeting fancy of any group not in the majority. I believe that the weak and indefensible need protection. They need to be made to feel safe and welcome in America, but that does not include changing way 85-95% of the population lives in order to accommodate a few people. That does not include allowing Sharia law to trump American law in some communities. That does not include eliminating Christmas, because a small population does not celebrate it. And it certainly does not include having to avoid offending someone with your speech! In America, a law similar to the Indian one would not protect the majority; it would protect minorities and alternative lifestyles. I want to restate my views: we should be kind to everyone and do our best not to offend. We can not, however, control what others will be offended at. For Christians, this may mean that we would face jail time for speaking such “bigoted” beliefs as Jesus claiming, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)” or Paul saying, “In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (Romans 1:27).” (I’m sorry if those passages offend you, but they are parts of Christian scripture, staples of our faith, the very words of God, himself.) Do you think it sounds inconceivable to go to jail for teaching these things? Believers in Europe and Canada have already been coming under fire for preaching things like this. Some are spending time in jail.

So, whether you are brown, red, yellow, black, or white, let us come together and realize that it is our free speech that keeps America free. It is our right to be offended at what others say, that gives us the right to speak freely. Censorship will only hurt each of us in the long run. It will only benefit the groups whose lobbyists spend the most money at Capitol Hill. Criminalizing speech will eventually make criminals of you and me.

Good-By-Default?

2007-04-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

Forgive my being forward, but this is something that’s been on my mind. How much good have you done lately? Now by good, I don’t mean “good-by-default”. I’m not talking about how much trouble have you stayed out of, or how many times have you kept from doing something that is impolite, impatient, or crass. I actually mean how much proactive good have you done? Have you been pulling your weight to make this world a better place? I’m not pointing fingers here. This is the question on my mind. What have I done lately? I always feel like not enough.

As a Christian, it can be confusing to balance doctrines such as “saved by grace” with “faith without works is dead”. It’s all in the frame of reference, you see. When we try to make ourselves “good-by-default”, we can never be made good. There will always be sin in our lives. This is where the saving grace of Jesus’ death and resurrection come in to play. We need Him to overcome the crappy things that we do on a daily basis. We’ll never be free of that while on this earth. That doesn’t give us a pass from self-improvement.

Rather, I argue that we improve ourselves the more we take the focus off of trying to be “good-by-default” and start being proactively good. The more we look for opportunities in the world to meet the needs of others, the more love we will feel for the people around us. See what I mean? The more we live in love, the less we act in our selfish, sinful nature. It’s not enough to just go through the motions every day. There are plenty of needs, both big and little, all around us. That’s what Jesus did while He was here. He did not sin because He was so focused on others that His “self” never got in the way. As God, He was fully capable of doing that perfectly.

We must protect the people. That is our job. We are to mend broken hearts, be there when our friends need our help, defend the defenseless, and other such activities. Now, I’m not advocating for social welfare programs, and such. That’s pawning off our work on the government. When is the Church going to start acting like the Church and take care of these things ourselves? We gave away THE thing that drew people to us. It wasn’t the music, the sermons, or the pot luck dinners. It was being proactively good in our homes, in our neighborhoods, and in the world. We gave that responsibility away to the government. Now everybody turns to the government, and expects money from them to fix whatever ills have befallen them. The government should never be the first place people turn for help. It should be us. When your community floods, when violent crime rises, when the local factory goes under, when children a half a world away are being forced into an army and made to kill their own families, when your child has a bad day… it’s up to us to be the first ones that these people turn to. If we’re not, we’ve lost our salt. We’ve become flavorless, and fit only to be trampled underfoot. We’ve become, at best, a pretentious social club no better than the Elks, the local knitting club, or Ducks Unlimited. But we are supposed to be the church of Jesus Christ! The living God affecting our world through us! Can you grasp how big a statement that is? I barely can, myself.

We, in the church, are so worried about not lying, staying pure, not cursing, etc. that we forget about others. I contend that the more proactive good we do for others, the less we will do selfish things that cause sin. Because then we are entering the kind of life that the Holy Spirit is urging us into; one He can use. So, I urge you in all faithfulness to not fall asleep. Do not become discouraged. Rather just find a need and fill it. Be proactively good. I am willing to guess that there are few American communities without churches in them, and even fewer without church-goers in them. Think of the difference we all could make! Start at home, start down the street, start anywhere. Just start! I know that we’re all busy. But you know, that can be a trap for us. It becomes an excuse, but not one that I think will sit well when we finally see God face to face. There, all excuses end. Our lives are laid out in black and white before yourself and God. What will you answer Him? You can’t get a doctor’s note to get excused from life, like you could from swimming lessons with an ear infection. The time has come. Humanity is on the brink of some place we can not come back from. Be strong. Finish well, my friends. Somebody out there is counting on your selflessness. Don’t let them down.

Mexamerida!

2007-03-12T14:32:00.000-05:00

How would you feel if you woke up one day and found that the U.S.A., as we know it today, no longer existed, but in its place was a "North American Union" (ala the European Union) made up of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico? It seems like a pretty far-fetched idea. Then again, maybe not. There are groups of people today that want just that. Why is illegal immigration such a non-issue? Why are the people that defend our borders prosecuted, and not the criminals from over the border that run drugs or murder people? The majority of immigrants that come to this country are great people. They work hard for next to no pay, and in horrible conditions. All this to help their families. However, the strain on our health, education, and correctional institutions are undeniable. Plus, employers that hire illegals will do so at a lower price than Americans are willing or legally able to work for. Does that mean that we should erase the border in favor of one North American Union? I should hope not. The liberties that we enjoy in this country are way too unique and essential to be influenced or changed by input from other countries. Canada has a horribly managed universal health system and worsening freedom of speech. Drug trafficers easily make their way through Mexico to the United States. Our border agents are sometimes all that stands between a shipment of drugs reaching our children or not. There are too many variables; too many negatives. We must make our stand now before this idea picks up any steam. We don't want to fight this battle once the opposition has strengthened. We'll be threatened as racist, and worse, if we don't go along with their plans. Below is one article of many I've read on the subject. Read it. Think about it. Call your representatives. Let them know that you like our borders exactly where they are. Thank you.

THE NEW WORLD DISORDER12 states oppose North American UnionEagle Forum working with legislators to halt globalists' plans
Posted: March 9, 20071:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

A dozen states are working on resolutions that would oppose not only the implementation but the idea of a "North American Union," or other plans that would lead to the integration of the United States into a larger structure.
"Americans are rapidly learning the new vocabulary of the globalists," Phyllis Schlafly of Eagle Forum told WND, "and they don't like it."
While President Bush, many members of Congress and Bush administration officials deny there are plans for a North American Union under the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, some state legislatures are taking no chances.

Already, 12 states have introduced resolutions to oppose the SPP, the NAU and even the idea of the amero, a proposed currency that could be used to replace the dollar.
The resolutions also typically oppose the creation of North American Free Trade Act superhighways along the model of the Trans-Texas Corridor, the car-truck-train-pipeline corridor four football-fields wide being built parallel to Interstate 35 from Laredo, Texas, to the border with Oklahoma, south of Oklahoma City.
Schlafly told WND lawmakers, and their constituents, are reacting against a wide range of concepts and structures generated by the increasing pace of the integration of North America they see under the Bush administration.
"That's why state legislators are responding with resolutions criticizing a 'North American Community,' SPP, 'harmonization' of regulations, NAFTA superhighways, foreign-owned toll roads, totalization of Social Security and speculation about the amero," Schlafly explained. "The groundswell is growing against measures that lead to 'economic integration' with other countries."
Schlafly also has joined with Howard Philips of the Conservative Caucus to create an organization specifically opposing the NAU and NAFTA superhighways.
"Phyllis Schlafly is doing a magnificent job leading the charge to oppose the North American integration at the state level," Phillips told WND. "Once again, we see the genius of Eagle Forum being able to communicate a message throughout America in terms that mobilize voters to take action."

Robert Pastor is an American University professor who is using his book, "Toward a North American Community," to promote a regional government and adoption of the amero as a common monetary currency to replace the dollar and the peso.
The resolutions are typically worded to oppose, in addition to SPP and the NAU, the construction of NAFTA Superhighways and the creation of the Amero as a North American unitary currency.
Anti-NAU resolutions have been introduced in the following state legislatures:
Arizona: Senate Concurrent Memorial 1002 Click to check bill status.
Georgia: Senate Resolution 124
Illinois: House Joint Resolution 29 Click to check bill status.
Missouri: Senate Concurrent Resolution 15 House Concurrent Resolution 33
Montana: House Joint Resolution 25
Oregon: Senate Joint Memorial 5
South Carolina: House Concurrent Resolution 3185 You also can find the bill here under "H 3185"
South Dakota: Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 Click to check bill status
Tennessee: Senate Joint Resolution 88
Utah: House Joint Resolution 7 Click to check bill status.
Virginia: Senate Joint Resolution 442
Washington: Senate Joint Memorial 8004 House Joint Memorial 4018
StopTheNAU tracks state legislative motions to oppose the SPP and NAU.

The Taxman Cometh! (and he cometh for thee)

2007-03-07T13:13:00.000-06:00

I’m usually not the kind of guy to tell somebody, “I told you so”. I don’t even, really, mean this as an “I told you so”. But it’s so frustrating, because I saw this coming the whole time, and I feel powerless to do anything about it. I mean sure, I have a bit of a platform as a musician who is out in public, and I have a microphone, but I have been reluctant to use the stage as any kind of political platform. I have to get this off of my chest, however.

The lawmakers in Minnesota seem to have this crazy notion that they are welcome to any and all fruits of our labor. Like a child, they have been sneaking around for a long time, looking for an opportunity to steal cookies before dinner. Well, they have finally been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Minnesota is the 4th highest local/state tax burden in the nation (http://www.taxpayersleague.org/NewIssues/TaxFacts/TaxFacts.htm). Yet they want to increase the:
gas tax (http://ros.leg.mn/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H1469.0.html&session=ls85),
income tax (http://ros.leg.mn/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H1738.0.html&session=ls85),
alcohol tax (http://ros.leg.mn/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H1050.0.html&session=ls85),
and sales tax (http://ros.leg.mn/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H1463.0.html&session=ls85).

They want to create a mileage tax, a special prefab home sales tax (http://ros.leg.mn/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H1458.0.html&session=ls85), and a plastic surgery tax (to quote the author of that bill: because the people that can afford to get plastic surgery, can afford to pay the tax). This is their most brazen example of irresponsible behavior, to date.

Let’s look specifically at this gas tax proposal. The money from this tax is supposed to go to fix the roads. Everyone wants better roads, right? Remember an article I wrote in November called, “Just Vote No”? (You can scroll down to find it.) Here was my argument in a nutshell. We, the voters of Minnesota bought the “Vote Yes” campaign, hook, line, and sinker. It was a constitutional amendment to divert 100% of all vehicle taxes over to roads and mass transit. So far, so good. No one, however, seemed to read the small print. It stated that no more than 60% could be used for roads, and no less than 40% could be used on mass transit. So, there’s no floor on roads. They can spend as little as 0% on roads. There’s no ceiling on spending for mass transit. They can spend as much as 100% on mass transit.

See where I am going with this? No one seems to remember that we just appropriated a bunch of new monies to the roads. No one seems to be talking about that. What happened to those monies? Where are they? I want to see figures. Why won’t we? Light rail is eating up all of that money! They have nothing left for roads. Do you really trust them with more of your money? If your friend asked you for $100 to get his car fixed, and then came back to ask you for another hundred dollars, because the last hundred dollars was eaten up by a phone bill and a case of Corn Nuts, would you give it to him?

I demand accountability from those we send to represent us in government. The sneaking around has got to stop. No more money. You have a huge surplus of our money ($2.136 billion)that you’re already refusing to give back! Learn to use what you have better, before you reach your hand into my pocket.

If you live in Minnesota, here’s how to get a hold of your government officials and demand (politely) to keep your money- http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legdir.asp. After all, you worked hard for it.

If You Don't Pay Your Buck'O Five, Who Will?

2007-02-02T12:33:00.000-06:00

We live in a democracy, or at least last time I checked. Under the ideals of freedom and liberty we should be free to make mistakes. That is not the vision of the new government we live under, however. They think that they’ve got to save us from the biggest danger known to man; ourselves. They continue to pass more restrictive laws, governing what we are allowed to do, what we are allowed to eat, what we are allowed to see, and the list goes on and on.

As a Christian, I value the free will we were endowed with from our Creator. He could have made us pure automatons, not able to engage in any behavior that was against His perfect will. This was not, however, His plan. He gave us the ability to think, reason, learn, and, yes, screw up. He gave us the freedom to disobey, make bad decisions, and bring punishment upon ourselves. This, in His perfect will, was the only way to create us in His image. He wants us to choose what’s right, to choose Him.

Our government, in all their wisdom, thinks that they know better. It started with cameras at stoplights to catch anyone that might run a red when no one’s looking. Next, we’ve seen smoking bans put in place. I’m not a smoker, nor do I like it. It’s stinky and repulsive. I hate when people think they need to blow their smoke right in my face. As a singer, it makes my throat all dry and scratchy. But by banning it, first they told business owners how to run their own private businesses. Next, they want a statewide smoking ban. Some states are looking into banning smoking in cars, or in houses with children. Now I think that smoking with children present is plain wrong. That said, How are you going to tell someone what to do in their car or in the privacy of their own home? The onus should be upon each of us to be responsible and (gasp) teach our children responsible behavior. “Don’t blow your smoke in other people’s faces.” “Don’t smoke around children.” “Don’t litter. Dispose of your butts properly.” Smoking may be a nuisance, but it’s a legal nuisance in this country, and restricting when and how people smoke is a simple example of our being stripped of our liberty.

Banning trans-fats in New York and trying to ban incandescent light bulbs in California are more examples of legislating away our freedoms. We’ve already lost the privilege of true free speech in this country. Instead of parents teaching their kids how to be kind and respectful, we’ve had the powers that be legislate what is considered to be “hate speech” or a “hate crime”, and it’s become more and more restrictive to speak freely. Isn’t all crime based out of hate? What about eminent domain? Should the government be allowed to confiscate your land and your home just because they want it? Banning cell phones in cars and optical billboards because they are distracting? So are radios, bumper stickers, and passengers! But we don’t hear about those things. It’s all a tool to control our lives and shut down the critics. There’s an agenda.

Is global warming just another one of these tools? Not if you listen to Al Gore, the media, Hollywood actors, or scientists who are receiving big money grants to study this phenomenon. If you were receiving money to study something, would you stop signing your own checks by saying it doesn’t exist? Scientists who don’t believe in it have been shut out of the conversation, and been publicly shamed as hacks. Where does the truth lie? Why might the government need global warming to further its control over us, and to continue stripping away our freedoms? Why is everyone taking the loudest voice at its word, and not asking any questions?

The global warming idea was introduced by the United Nations. (If you read this blog, you know what I think of the UN.) Today, the UN-backed “international scientific community” released a report that said that that global warming is a man-made problem. An IPCC (International Panel for Climate Change) report says that water vapor is 270 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Yet, all they talk about is carbon dioxide. I can’t even find an IPCC report that addresses the impact of water vapor in global warming. In fact, they confess that they don’t know the impact. How can you put forth a study on global warming and leave out the most concentrated source of greenhouse gases?

There are records of the Vikings farming on Greenland. How do you think it got its name? Yet today, it’s all covered in ice. There are also records of a little ice age in the 1700’s. There are original source documents that tell of Scandinavian priests leading their countrymen southward, to avoid the advancing glacier ice. This certainly would suggest that the weather is more cyclical in nature. The same scientists that swear that the earth was a tropical haven for the dinosaurs, and went into an ice age, and out again, are the same scientists that say we are ruining the earth with our increased production of carbon dioxide.

Why would these IPCC scientists skew data, use inconsistent testing methods, use unusual data sources, and report bits and pieces of findings? They have something to hide! There is no proof that global warming exists! Creating a problem that these governments have the “solution” to already will scare the uneducated into willingly giving up personal freedom for safety. Banning incandescent light bulbs reduces carbon dioxide? Well then, ban it already! My SUV is bad? Well then, ban it! I could be wrong about my views on global warming. I do not professionally study global warming. I do, however, look at both sides of an issue. I do my research. I encourage you to do the same. Don’t ever take anything at face value. Know why you believe what you believe!

We are going down a slippery slope here. It’s all about retaining power. They need us to realize how much we need them. Wake up! Do we care about freedom and liberty enough to do our own research on this stuff and stand up for truth? There are plenty of resources out there, if you do a little digging. At what price are we willing to give up our freedoms? Do we need to be kept safe from ourselves? I believe in free will and personal responsibility. Those are ideals I’m willing to put my life on the line for. Those are the ideals we, and the U.S.A., were created under. Anybody else with me?

Learn To Live Your Life With Passion

2007-01-04T08:42:00.000-06:00

It's a new year, and as such, people love to make resolutions. Why? Because they desire more out of life. Unfortunately, poor planning and a lack of real desire and passion cause people to give up early. We were designed to be creatures with a purpose. We yearn deep down for something more. Yet, we rarely do the things necessary to make our lives any better than the status quo. People make broad New Year's resolutions like, "I want to lose 50 lbs." or "I want to quit smoking", yet have no detailed plan or milestones along the way to keep them going. If your goal is to lose 50 lbs., how many times a week are you going to exercise? How is your diet going to change? Do you reward yourself along the way (maybe every 10 lbs.)? Most importantly, IS YOUR PLAN AND PROGRESS WRITTEN DOWN WHERE YOU CAN LOOK AT IT EVERY DAY? We need to keep ourselves reminded to stay motivated. I'm passionate about doing a lot of things, but it take me making yearly goals and weekly/daily lists to map out the path to success and to see the progress along the way. I refer to my yearly goals list on a weekly basis to list out what I can do NOW to move closer to my goals. Then I prioritize, and assign certain tasks to each day. This way, I am taking small steps every day toward meeting my goals.

I list everything out: career goals, outside commitments, personal needs/goals, family, home improvements, etc. If you want to take a trip to Brazil, do some research. See what it will take to get there, and plan out how much you have to save, what you need to get there, etc. Write it into your plan. If you want to finish your basement, break down what you need to do it, and add what you can do now to your list (frame bathroom, add second layer of mud to drywall in closet, paint family room, etc.). Actually schedule it into your day planner. Keep your day planner open so that you can always see it (or better, that it can always see you). I know, it sound tedious. With a little discipline, however, it becomes second nature. I sit down one set evening per week and figure out everything that I can get done now, for that week towards my yearly goals. Does everything always get done? No, but I give it my best, and when I look back, I see progress. Then I try to finish that stuff up the next week.

The only way to get the desires of your heart are to do things that will get you closer to your goals. Planning is a vital part of making that journey possible. But a plan is only as good as the paper it is written on without the passion to make it go. Why do you get up everyday? I don't believe that it is so you can make your boss rich, pay bills, or to see your favorite tv shows. You have desires in your heart. You want more. You are just afraid to let yourself dream. You need to overcome that fear if you are to ever put yourself on the path to making a life, not just a living. It's not the money you make, it's how you live your life! However, if you're being crushed by debt, you'd better get passionate enough about it to put a plan together to pay that stuff off. If you want to accomplish something great, it may take some posturing to put yourself in a position to do it. Plan it out, but only if it's something you're serious about. Without the passion, it will seem like more things you have to do. The passionate person will see these things as opportunities, pieces of the puzzle, to achieving something great. The passionate person will crave the next opportunity to take one step closer. When the passionate person hits an obstacle, it will tear him or her up. The passionate person with a plan, however, will be able to make a plan to overcome that obstacle. It's not when you hit your goals, but that you do it at all, that is important.

This is not a once-a-year New Year's stunt. This is a way of life. Our lives are complex. It takes a complex amount of coordination to get our lives into focus, so that the things we really want out of life can happen for us. It's what we need to feel satisfied. It's ingrained into our make-up as human beings. It's what we are created to do. Don't cheat yourself. Decide here and now that you will not fail, and you can not be stopped. Happy New Year everybody!

R.I.P. Ira Love (Ira Ferguson)

2006-11-29T14:11:00.000-06:00

R.I.P. Ira Love (Ira Ferguson)

This past week this earth lost a great guy and a wonderful musician in Ira Love. The dude’s been around. He’s played with Mint Condition, New Nation, Ira N The Christo Palace, and many more. I’ve known Ira for about seven years. I saw him in his prime, and slowly deteriorate from his kidney issues. It was sad to watch. He knew that he wouldn’t be around late into life, but at 40 years old? It just doesn’t seem right. It’s bittersweet. He’s no longer in pain, but jumping around with his new body, pain free. He also gets to see his late son again. So, I’m happy for him, but kind of sad for us down here. We had always talked of doing some FTFE stuff together, but never got around to it. Maybe in the next life, bro. If you knew Ira, you know what I’m saying. His funeral was packed. I’ve never seen so many people stick around for a three hour service. But that’s how he lived his life. He left behind a legacy. Any less would have been an injustice. My prayers go out to his family and friends.

Take stock of your life, everyone. What legacy are you leaving behind? How much good did you do while you were here? We’re on borrowed time. Make the most of it.

I Forgot Something... (Just Vote NO!)

2006-11-07T13:01:00.000-06:00

Maybe you've heard of the "Vote Yes" campaign, if you're in Minnesota. It proposes to put 100% of vehicle taxes towards roads and mass transit. This seems like a great plan on the surface. Who wouldn't want roads that can handle our population better? What does this proposition really say? Is it really that simple as putting money back into our roads? Maybe. We haven't heard much about the inner workings of this thing since the signs started popping up around the state. But, here's what they're not advertising: There is a ceiling of 60% for roads, and a floor of 40% on mass transit. More can be spent on transit and less on roads, but not the other way around. They can put 100% into mass transit (i.e. light rail), and 0% into roads. I don't think that people in Duluth, Warrroad, or Mankato, MN should be funding light rail. Mass transit does little for the majority of people in this state. I don't like this sliding scale. They want to run light rail through my community. Stats show, however, that muggings and other crime have gone up around these light rail stations. I want that in my neighborhood why? The Metro Transit Council would gladly put 100% of this into light rail, given the opportunity. Now, I'm not saying this will happen, but with the language in the bill, it is possible. So, please join me in voting "NO" on Minnesota's transportation amendment. Demand they rewrite this thing to put a fixed amount toward roads. That is a solution where everybody wins. Thank you.

One Last-Minute Appeal

2006-11-06T09:42:00.000-06:00

I am going to make one more appeal to you, to thoughtfully consider your options and to be sure to vote tomorrow. Some of you may feel like sitting this one out. Some of you may not care about midterm elections. Some of you have made up your minds, because of party, and done absolutely no research. This is serious business. For those of you that are Christians, Jesus said to give Ceasar what is Ceasar's, and give God what is God's. Taxes, jury duty, and voting are all part of each American's civil duty. These are things we owe "Caesar". If you don't do your homework, however, you are again slighting your fellow Americans. What we owe God; to do our homework. To go over each candidate, regardless of party, and find out where he or she stands on issues that are important to our core beliefs. Being a one issue voter does not do justice to the amount of important issues that affect us as Americans.

Abortion
The role and purpose of marraige
Beliefs about God and religion (this may not seem applicable, and that politics and religion should not mix, but it will sure matter to you if someone gets into office that panders to groups that continually oppose and work to neuter your belief system).
Gives incentives to groups and individuals that are willing to help the poor.
Backing just judges or judges with an agenda to change our laws

Other issues that involve us as Americans:

More/less taxes
Regardless of what you think about war, weigh all available evidence
Homeland security
Benefits for/or crackdowns on illegal immigration
Reduce/Increse violent crime (look at their record)
Accepting money from what groups or kinds of people
Groth of economy (unemployment, consumer confidence, consumer spending, new jobs created, etc.)
Candidates past record (people can change, but the proof of burden is on them to show change)

Please do your research, and then come out tomorrow to help the right people get into office, that America might be a better place. Thank you.

R.I.P. Tower Records

2006-10-26T07:28:00.000-05:00

Man, I was just in the Tower Recors on the Sunset Strip a couple months ago. What a killer store. What a piece of history. Now it is history. I had a friend that worked there for a while, and he had so many stories about this celebrity or that rock star that he had got to meet and even get to know from working there. He even got to jam with Steven Adler (ex-Gun's N Roses) a couple of times. The reason that stores like this don't make it anymore, is because stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy undercut everybody else. Well, that's just good economics, isn't it? Not exactly. These megastores can sell CD's for less than everybody else for two reasons:

1) The major labels refuse to lower the wholesale cost of CD's, which puts at a disadvantage any store that makes music sales it's main source of income. Why?
2) The big stores have a lot of money! This allows stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy to sell CD's below cost. That's right, they take a loss on CD's and DVD's, to get you in the door to buy other stuff.

Why is this bad? The big stores that like to undercut smaller businesses discourage shoppers from paying more at a dedicated music store. This causes music stores to go out of business, as evidenced in the article below. Then we only have the big stores to buy from. These big stores only carry a limited number of selections. You want to buy Sevendust "Animosity"? Not at Target or Wal-Mart you won't (at least Best Buy does have a decent selection). You'll be lucky to find the last Sevendust album, "Next" on their shelves. Well, we'll just go down to the local record shop and... oh yeah, this store that was carrying what I want to buy is closed. These smaller stores could afford to carry more obscurities, because the slack was picked up from the popular album sales. Target and Wal-Mart steal away consumers of popular records, and then the music stores have lost the greatest chunk of their income.

Not to mention, that less competition is ultimately bad for business in a free market system. It is the presence of choice that regulates cost. American business is out of control. Granted, we live in a capitalist society, and we are all allowed to make any amount of money we like. That's a good thing. That being said, the current greed of the corporate way of business is bad for consumers and bad for business as a whole. I'm no way in favor of wealth redistribution. That's up to each individual, how we use what we make. I just believe that smaller companies should be allowed to compete. Eliminating companies that don't operate in billions of dollars a year, but maybe hundreds of thousands, is bad for our economy. Competition is healthy. This all boils down to the major label dinosaurs, once again, fighting the trends in music consumership. Instead of embracing the digital revolution, they have fought it. Instead of pricing CD's at a fair price (what people are willing to pay for them) they overprice them and collect loads of cash from the big stores that are willing to take a loss on them. The music industry needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. R.I.P. Tower. You had a good run.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061026/music_nm/tower_dc

Tower Records demise leaves indie labels in lurch
By Chris Morris Wed Oct 25, 8:15 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Asked what he will do to make up for the business lost in the demise of music retailer Tower Records, the head of sales at one prominent independent record label responded with an almost excruciatingly long silence.
"Man," added the executive, who declined to be identified. "I don't even know if I can answer that properly."
The closure of Tower's 89 stores, after its October 6 auction sale for $134.3 million to liquidator Great American Group, will mark the end of the country's largest deep-catalog music chain, which was traditionally indie-friendly.
Many indies said the retailer accounted for between 5%-6% of their gross business and few believed that such catalog-friendly chains as Borders Books & Music or Virgin Entertainment will pick up the slack.
"I don't see that another retailer is going to step up to make that commitment to physical goods," said Bruce Iglauer, who operates the Chicago-based blues label Alligator Records.
Now in the midst of nationwide going-out-of-business sales, Tower outlets will close their doors for good within two months, leaving many independent distributors and retailers uncertain about how they will replace a significant chunk of their sales in an already rugged business environment.
"We've just begun the conversations about where we think that (Tower) customer is going to go. Honestly, I don't have an answer for that," said Herb Agner, vp marketing and operations at Los Angeles roots label New West Records.
Others also are in wait mode. "Are we retooling? Not yet," said Mike Carden, North American president of Eagle Rock Entertainment, whose catalog features a large number of heritage hard rock and metal acts. "We better start thinking about it pretty soon ... It's not going to be good. Any time a significant section of our industry is restructured, it's not good for our industry."
Indeed, the impact of the Tower liquidation can't be underestimated, many believe. "A lot of people are going to take a hit," said Tor Hansen, a partner in Haw River, N.C.-based Redeye Distribution and its sister indie rock label Yep Roc Records. "There's one less really great record store out there, and we have to understand we're not going to sell as many records."
For Redeye and others, the short-term strategy involves an increased dependence on independent stores which, like Tower, take a chance on new releases from developing acts and stock a range of catalog titles.
"We're going back to wherever Tower had a store and repartnering (with the local indie stores) to make sure everybody understands we support those stores," Hansen said. "I still want to cover those markets on the physical side, to support the touring."
Alligator's Iglauer said he planned to work more closely with groups like the Coalition of Independent Music Stores and Music Monitor Network. "They're great stores for us, but there just aren't enough of them," he added.
Online sales continue to be a slow-rolling proposition in the industry, especially for independents, but some say they will now refocus their attention on Internet commerce.
Rob Miller, partner in the Chicago-based alternative-country label Bloodshot Records, said that online sales account for just 10%-15% of the company's business. He estimates that Tower accounted for about 5% of Bloodshot's sales.
"If it was a one-to-one trade (for lost physical sales), it'd be great, but it's not," Miller said of online sales. "It's a good bandage on a much larger hemorrhage."
New West's Agner said: "We keep doing what we've already been doing, which is (making) the experience of buying online a vital experience."
Michelle Haunold, who operates the Davis, Calif., punk label Gearhead Records, also is pushing online. "We're increasingly taking advantage of the Internet. It costs us nothing to do that," she said. "That's become absolutely essential for letting people know there's music out ... Thank God the Internet exists for people like us. If it didn't, I probably wouldn't be in business."
Touring -- and selling records at venue merchandise tables -- also now becomes an increasingly important part of the sales mix.
"We won't sign an artist now who won't sell actively and aggressively off the bandstand," Iglauer said.
Bands being able to sell on the road -- "that's kinda what's paying the bills," Haunold said.
Overall, independents agree that the immediate future, without Tower, won't be easy. "We're definitely walking into a desert," Hansen said. "I hope we can find some business on the other side of it."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Save Uganda

2006-10-25T11:35:00.000-05:00

Everybody has heard about the terrible crisis in the Darfur area of the Sudan. It is completely unimaginable and unacceptable. There is another terrible tradgedy next door in Uganda. In some ways, I think that it's worse because it lacks the coverage that Darfur gets. That, and children are being kidnapped by the Lord's resistance Army (LRA) to be made into soldiers and sex slaves. The children are put through atrocities so horrific, that it breaks my heart. We can't wait for goverments to take care of problems that we, as people, should be addressing. We need to bring these issues to the forefront of public conciusness. Education is the first step, second is gathering people and resources that can have an immediate impact, the third is putting the plan into action. Watch the video that I've attached, and pray about how you might help the people of Uganda. Start by spreading the word. Thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99yfE32gTw8

http://www.gnn.tv/headlines/9947/Uganda_Africa_s_Secret_Genocide

Further Proof That We Need To Be Actively Involved In The World Around Us

2006-10-25T11:14:00.000-05:00

Here's some evidence of the things I said yesterday, in case you don't believe me. (This is not an isolated incident; the ELCA, Episcopalians, Methodists, and at least one Baptist conference are addressing these issues right now, and I'm sure they are not the only ones.) We need to be involved!

Group pushes same-sex marriage, elimination of "fidelity/chastity" clause in PCUSA
http://www.layman.org/

A homosexual advocacy group is saying that it will seek General Assembly approval in 2008 for same-sex marriage, as well as the elimination of the "fidelity/chastity" clause in the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The board of directors of More Light Presbyterians, in a statement posted on the group's Web site, also vowed to take back "language that belongs to us: the language of marriage and family" in advocating for "the right of couples, regardless of gender, to have their relationships of love and commitment recognized for the marriages that they truly are.""Pro-marriage legislation and overtures," the statement said, "seek to extend the rights, responsibilities and values of religious or civil marriage to all adults regardless of biological sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. The group vowed to work "to reclaim the true meaning and values of marriage and family." More Light Presbyterians also hinted at what it called "a watershed moment in history" at that General Assembly in San Jose, Calif. – a 'More Light candidate' for moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA)." Calling such a candidacy "representational equality," the board said it "will encourage those who support full LGBT equality right now to stand for the office of Moderator of the 218th G.A. It is past time for our denomination's slate of moderatorial candidates to include a voice that advocates for an immediate end to all discrimination." Advocating what it called "ordination equality," the group again called for the elimination of G-6.0106b, the "fidelity/chastity" clause in the denomination's Book of Order. The clause calls for ordained church officers "to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness." A growing number of church sessions and presbyteries are adopting resolutions saying that they will abide by the constitutional "fidelity/chastity" ordination standards, with some declaring that "G-6.0106b is an essential, binding standard for all Inquirers, Candidates, and ordained Ministers of the Word and Sacrament." "It is this discriminatory policy that is dividing our church," More Light Presbyterians said. "We must stop rejecting our LGBT sisters and brothers and affirm as equals all baptized children of God." On the marriage issue, the group attacked those who believe in a traditional view of marriage between a man and a woman, not on Biblical grounds, but on what the group claimed was "equality" reasons. It said that "those who oppose acceptance and equality of LGBT people and their families have misappropriated the terms pro-marriage and pro-family in the service of an anti-gay agenda. Right now we reclaim the language of marriage and family as our own.
"For years," the statement said, "those opposed to equality for LGBT Presbyterians have submitted overtures and resolutions to deny them the right to marry. MLP reaffirms its continued support for both religious and civil marriage equality. Scripture teaches us that the heart of marriage is the love and commitment between partners. Experience has shown us that LGBT couples fully display the love and commitment known by all as marriage. It is time," the group said, "to send General Assembly an equal marriage overture, which includes transgender persons. MLP will provide a model for such an overture and encourage presbyteries to submit it to the 218th G.A."

Is Comfort Worth Your Freedom?

2006-10-24T08:17:00.000-05:00

It's stuff like this email below that puts a sense of urgency within me. It seems that all the wrong causes and those that want to legitimize sinful behavior have all the money and all the press to back them up. The time has come to develop our own voice. The time has come to refuse to let the slanted studies, the left-wing standard definers, and the mudslingers go unopposed. The majority of the world has either been deceived by their fancy talk or is too afraid to speak out, lest they lose their jobs or become threatened. Christians need to stand up and be heard from. This will not go away if we ignore it. We need to be willing to risk what we have now, before our way of life is smothered. Freedom is more important than comfort. Oppression is the alternative. Oppression to speak out about sin, to hire godly people into ministry, and to even preach these things from the pulpit are what looms on the horizon. We must make a decision to press forward now, or be willing to live with the consequences of our silence forever. Sometimes all it takes are a few with a voice to wake others up, and give them the confidence they need to stand up too. There are too many of us, if awakened, to ignore. Why are these huge corporations risking everything to promote 2% of the population, as though it were 30-50%? Why has Ford taken the biggest losses in 14 years for their stance on gay marraige? Pride and lust for power are their weakness. They don't fear us. They are used to us sitting down. If we ever choose to really fight back, it will either pull them back into the real world, or they will go down with the ship. Let's figure out what we need to do to get our voice, and then go wake up our brothers and sisters. With the left getting more and more radical, and the right moving more and more left, we don't have the luxury of sitting back and letting things come to us. The time has come to be proactive; to prepare the troops for the greatest battle of our time. A line in the sand needs to be drawn. Who in this world is for God, and who is against Him? I believe that once the battlefield has been marked and the sides have been chosen that it won't be long until we see His kingdom here on earth. It is human nature to want to have everything perfect before we move. It eliminates or greatly reduces risk. We should want to do our best for God. However, we can't let our pursuit of perfection become a reason for inaction. I can't think of a single Bible story that shows God's glory that started with a perfect situation or ideal conditions. The only one that did (the Garden of Eden), we messed up. We must be out in the world to affect the world. We must be joined together to acheive that which only unity can do. There are too many lone rangers out there, getting frustrated that noone seems to care.

Donald E. WildmonFounder and Chairman
October 23, 2006
Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire email list of family and friends.
Wal-Mart Rolls Out Red Carpet For Homosexual Marriage

When Wal-Mart announced their support for the homosexual agenda a few weeks ago, they meant what they said. You will remember that Wal-Mart asked for, and received, permission to join the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). The company announced they were giving two large grants to NGLCC. The world's largest retailer was rewarded with a position on the board of NGLCC. Wal-Mart also announced they would give preference to homosexual-owned businesses in purchasing products. Justin Nelson, president of NGLCC, said he expects Wal-Mart to use its influence to pressure suppliers like P&G, Johnson & Johnson, and Gillette to give homosexual businesses preferential treatment. Wal-Mart is also working on a plan to provide domestic-partnership benefits to homsexual employee "partners." The NGLCC is a leading promoter of homosexual marriage. A quick search for books sold by Wal-Mart found the following related to the promotion of homosexual marriage:
What God Has Joined Together: The Christian Case for Gay Marriage
Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gay, Good for Straights, and Good for America
Legalizing Gay Marriage
Why You Should Give a -amn about Gay Marriage
Civil Wars: A Battle for Gay Marriage
Gay Marriage and Democracy: Equality for All
Defending Same-Sex Marriage
Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry
Gay Marriage, Real Life: Ten Stories of Love and FamilyA quick search of Wal-Mart's website turned up the following number of items for sale: Gay - 1148 Lesbian - 468Transgender - 40 Bisexual - 38 Gay Marriage - 26

Take Action
1. Send your email to Wal-Mart expressing you displeasure with their promotion of homosexual marriage. If you've already sent an email on an earlier Wal-Mart issue, please do so again! 2. Call your local Wal-Mart manager and express your displeasure. 3. Print out and distribute the Pass Along Sheet about Wal-Mart. 4. Forward this email to all your friends and family. Let them know about Wal-Mart's funding of the homosexual agenda.
Click Here to Email Wal-Mart President Lee Scott Now!

The Slippery Slope

2006-10-11T14:33:00.000-05:00

Check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfnn7wTgoE8

This is part of what's wrong with the world. The lack of civility and manners is astounding. One group, in particular, seems to perpetually scream that their view is not heard, but screams so loudly, that all we hear is their point of view, because they shut everybody out. It's the same gang of folks that show up to force their beliefs on everybody else. I think it's time to grow up and grow together. We need to stop believing what we're told and do the research to make our own conclusions. If you are a Christian, everything should pass through the filter of scripture. We need to unite and fight to right the wrong direction we are headed in. We need to take back control of our lives and our freedom. I'm not talking about supporting any particular political candidate or party, but to make sure that we are united, and a strong front against evil in our land. If you choose to do nothing, they have already won. Peacefully speak out. Peacefully do what's right. Stand up for what you believe. Do good. If we keep going down this path, if we keep listening to the media, if we keep doing nothing, we will be sqeezed out. We can not let this happen. We must persevere.

The Ever-Watchful Eye

2006-09-21T12:10:00.000-05:00

I don't know if this is true or not. I'm not saying "Oh, everybody panic!" I am saying, however, that it is possible. You need to be aware of the times, our enemies, and how they perceive you. So read the following, watch what goes on around you, and decide for yourself:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52080

HOMELAND INSECURITYReporter: Don't underestimate al-Qaida nuke threatWarning to Muslims to leave U.S. is serious, says Pakistani who met bin Laden

Posted: September 21, 20061:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

WASHINGTON – The warning from an al-Qaida field commander in Afghanistan calling for Muslims to leave the U.S. – particularly Washington and New York – in anticipation of a major terror attack to rival Sept. 11, should be taken seriously says the Pakistani journalist who interviewed Abu Dawood.

Hamid Mir, a reporter who has covered al-Qaida and met with Osama bin Laden, told radio talk-show host Glenn Beck yesterday that he, too, had make the mistake of underestimating the terror network in the past.

He said he interviewed bin Laden prior to Sept. 11, 2001, and heard warnings about an attack on the U.S., but discounted them.

Mir took bin Laden more seriously after the bombings of the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, shortly after his first of three meetings with bin Laden – the last coming after 9/11.
"I would not underestimate these people," he said.

Mir also explained that his own independent research and knowledge of al-Qaida verifies the authenticity of some of the claims made by Dawood in their meeting in Afghanistan.
Dawood said the impending attack, which could involved nuclear or radiological weapons, is being coordinated by Adnan el-Shukrijumah and suggests it may involve some form of warhead smuggled across the Mexican border.

"Our brothers are ready to attack inside America," Dawood told Mir. "We will breach their security again. There is no timeframe for our attack inside America; we can do it any time."
As WND has previously reported, el-Shukrijumah is a trained nuclear technician and accomplished pilot who has been singled out by bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri to serve as the field commander for the next terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

El-Shukrijumah has been mentioned as a key figure in what has been called the "American Hiroshima" plot – an al-Qaida plan to detonate one or more nuclear weapons in the U.S.
The terrorist was last seen in Mexico, where, on Nov. 1, 2004, he allegedly hijacked a Piper PA Pawnee cropduster from Ejido Queretaro near Mexicali to transport a nuclear weapon and nuclear equipment into the U.S., according to Paul Williams, a former FBI consultant and author of "The Dunces of Doomsday."

"He is an American and a friend of Muhammad Atta, who led 9/11 attacks five years ago," said Dawood. "We call him 'Jaffer al Tayyar' (Jafer the Pilot); he is very brave and intelligent. (President) Bush is aware that brother Adnan has smuggled deadly materials inside America from the Mexican border. Bush is silent about him, because he doesn’t want to panic his people. Sheik Osama bin Laden has completed his cycle of warnings. You know, he is man of his words, he is not a politician; he always does what he says. If he said it many times that Americans will see new attacks, they will definitely see new attacks. He is a real mujahid. Americans will not win this war, which they have started against Muslims. Americans are the biggest supporters of the biggest terrorist in the world, which is Israel."

Dawood said he was currently conducting operations in Afghanistan under the leadership of the Taliban. He warned of a series of upcoming suicide bombings there directed against government and coalition forces during Ramadan.

He is also quoted as saying the next attack in America will not be conducted by people like Atta.
"We have a different plan for the next attack," he told Mir. "You will see. Americans will hardly find out any Muslim names, after the next attack. Most of our brothers are living in Western countries, with Jewish and Christian names, with passports of Western countries. This time, someone with the name of Mohamed Atta will not attack inside America, it would be some David, Richard or Peter."

He said there will be another audio message from bin Laden aired within the next two weeks.
Mir reportedly interviewed Dawood Sept. 12 at the tomb of Sultan Mehmud Ghaznawi on the outskirts of Kabul. Dawood and the al-Qaida leaders who accompanied him were clean-shaven and dressed as Western reporters. The al-Qaida commander had contacted Mir by cell phone to arrange the meeting.

"You have witnessed the brutality of the Israelis in the recent 34-day war against Lebanese civilians," said Dawood. "9/11 was a revenge of Palestinian children, killed by the U.S.-made weapons, supplied to Israel. The next attack on America would be a revenge of Lebanese children killed by U.S.-made cluster bombs. Bush and (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair are the Crusaders, and Muslim leaders, like (Pakistani President Pervez) Musharraf and (Afghani President Hamid) Karzai are their collaborators. We will teach a lesson to all of them."

El-Shukrijumah was born in Guyana Aug. 4, 1975 – the firstborn of Gulshair el-Shukrijumah, a 44-year-old radical Muslim cleric, and his 16-year-old wife. In 1985, Gulshair migrated to the United States, where he assumed duties as the imam of the Farouq Mosque in Brooklyn.
The mosque, located at 554 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, has served as a hive for terrorist activities. It has raised millions for the jihad and has served as a recruiting station for al-Qaida. Many of the planners of the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, including blind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, were prominent members of this notorious "house of worship."

In 1995, the Shukrijumah family relocated to Miramar, Fla., where Gulshair became the spiritual leader of the radical Masjid al-Hijah Mosque, and where Adnan became friends with Jose Padilla, who planned to detonate a radiological bomb in midtown Manhattan; Mandhai Jokhan, who was convicted of attempting to blow up nuclear power plants in southern Florida; and a group of other home-grown terrorists.

Adnan Shukrijumah attended flight schools in Florida and Norman, Oklahoma, along with Mohammad Atta and the other 9/11 operatives, and he became a highly skilled commercial jet pilot, although he, like Atta and the other terrorists, never applied for a license with the Federal Aviation Commission.

In April 2001, Shukrijumah spent 10 days in Panama, where he reportedly met with al-Qaida officials to assist in the planning of 9/11. He also traveled to Trinidad and Guyana, where virulent al-Qaida cells have been established. The following month, he obtained an associate's degree in computer engineering from Broward Community College.

During this time, he managed to get passports from Guyana, Trinidad, Saudi Arabia, Canada and the United States, according to Williams. He also began to adopt a number of aliases, including Abu Arifi, Jafar al-Tayyar, Jaafar At Yayyar, Ja'far al-Tayar, and Mohammed Sher Mohammed Khan (the name that appeared on his official FBI file). He traveled to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where he met with Ramzi Binalshibh, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and other members of the al-Qaida high command. He also spent considerable time within al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan, where he received training in explosives and special operations.

Following 9/11, el-Shukrijumah was reportedly singled out by bin Laden and al-Zawahiri to spearhead the next great attack on America. One plan was for a nuclear attack that would take place simultaneously in seven U.S. cities, leaving millions dead and the richest and most powerful nation on earth in ashes.

"Muslims should leave America," said Dawood. "We cannot stop our attack just because of the American Muslims; they must realize that American forces are killing innocent Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq; we have the right to respond back, in the same manner, in the enemy's homeland. The American Muslims are like a human shield for our enemy; they must leave New York and Washington."

Mir, the journalist, has reported previously that al-Qaida has smuggled nuclear weapons and uranium into the U.S.

"I am saying that Muslims must leave America, but we can attack America anytime," he said. "Our cycle of warnings has been completed, now we have fresh edicts from some prominent Muslim scholars to destroy our enemy, this is our defending of Jihad; the enemy has entered in our homes and we have the right to enter in their homes, they are killing us, we will kill them."

I've been avoiding this subject, but...

2006-09-19T14:29:00.000-05:00

I've purposely stayed away from politics on this blog, but today I can't. We'll see how much I can as we move closer to this next election. Maybe I'm not supposed to steer clear of it. At any rate, here goes...

When it comes to politics, I go with my faith. What does the Bible say about politics? What doesn't it say!?! Jesus taught us a lot of lessons about loving our neighbors, the sanctity of life, and many other lessons. He also said "give to ceasar what is ceasar's, and give to God what is God's." Sure, this passage was in the context of taxes, but other places in scripture ask us to observe the laws of the land, and to pray for those that are in power over us. What is "ceasar's"? I believe that we fulfill our obligation to vote. That's about it. Any allegiance we have to a single party, whether Democrat, Republican, Independence, or whatever is not in line with the way God wants us to approach politics. We should be looking at each candidate honestly through the lens, how do his/her views line up with scripture? There's a lot to consider. I think many conservatives miss the mark on social justice issues. I think that many liberals miss the mark on moral issues. You almost have to go through each candidate on an individual basis, find a list of their views, and make a checklist. The candidate who has more pro's than con's should be whom we choose, unless God overtly places someone else on our heart. That's why praying through this process is so important.

I tend to go more right than left. Know why? It's hard for me to put someone into office who accepts money from groups like the ACLU, GLAAD, Planned Parenthood, and any other number of overtly anti-Christian organizations. I can't, in good conscience, give power to someone that accepts money from groups that want to shut me up, and outlaw my views. Tolerance is not enough. Acceptance and promotion are the new tolerance. I can't do that. So please, tell me where you stand on the issues, so I can make an informed decision! Enough of these manipulative ads!

Today I saw a Patty Wetterling ad that showed stills of her holding pictures of her abducted son. Some of them were from around the time this actually happened. I feel bad for Patty. I hope that no parent ever has to go through what she did. I will also admit that she's tried to do some wonderful things to protect children. However, trying to manipulate voters into backing you because of your missing son is wrong! Now, don't start calling me a heartless monster. That always seems to be the way it goes. They do a good job painting somebody as a victim, so that if we criticize their views, all of a sudden, we are all bigots, monsters, or worse. It is a bully tactic used to shut people up. How dare you speak against a poor, defenseless mother, who lost her child? Give me a break! Quit hiding behind the bushes and show us what you stand for!

Another scary proposition is this Keith Ellison in the 5th district of Minnesota. Does nobody care (here we go again, I'm so going to get flamed) that he is a Muslim that has received donations from CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), which donates to Hamas and possibly Hezbolla? Here's some exerpts from an article in the Star Tribune 9/17/06. http://www.startribune.com/191/story/683044.html

Ellison's 40 or so unpaid parking tickets, and his nine moving violations since 2000.
hit the campaign trail in June with a suspended driver's license
"I don't know how many prior suspensions I've had," he told the Star Tribune. "I don't keep count."
$25,000 in unpaid back taxes -- incurred some years ago and later paid
The state attorney general sued him twice over filings, and his record includes numerous warnings, a default judgment and a collection agency.
But it's Ellison's history of support for Louis Farrakhan -- and the notoriously anti-white, anti-Semitic Nation of Islam
In 1995, he was a Minnesota organizer for the Million Man March, which the Nation of Islam convened.
Ellison publicly supported the executive director of the Minneapolis Initiative Against Racism when she allegedly called Jews "among the most racist white people."
The Excuse Brigade has sought to counter these inconvenient facts by falling back on the nuclear option -- the B word. Folks who draw attention to Ellison's support for Farrakhan are bigots, they say.
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, appeared at an Ellison fundraiser, and he and at least one other CAIR employee have donated to Ellison's campaign. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) described CAIR as an organization "which we know has ties to terrorism."

Yep, this guy is the stand-up example of what God is looking for in someone to run our country. Such a fine Christian example. Yet many people, Christians included, will vote for this guy based on 3 little letters, DFL. Can we transcend our preconceptions and really look at each candidate based on his or her merits in relation to scripture? Or if you are not a Christian, it should be plain as day that this Ellison is not a good guy. He breaks the law and snubs his nose at them, he's not paid taxes, he's accepted money from organizations that have gone on the record as saying that they want Muslims to slowly take over offices of power in this country to institute sharia law. You don't think it's possible? Look again. You should be very frightened at the possibilities. Stand up. Shed all party loyalties. Find the best people from wherever they come from to run this country. Don't stand by people that want to ultimately bring you down. Don't trust in men.

Press Forward With Purpose!

2006-09-18T14:51:00.000-05:00

I've gone through the past number of months wanting to do something different, something great, but I had no idea what I wanted to do. Everytime I had a hint of something, I couldn't come up with anything specific. I'm usually great at goal-setting and planning. I can see the big picture and figure out the details that will get me there. I had nothing. It's like when you are trying to watch your favorite tv show and all you get is snow and ghostlike figures moving around, no matter how you move the antennae to focus in on the picture. I had a very fuzzy view of what I wanted, but I just couldn't focus in on the details, no matter what I did. Things I did to focus me in the past, just didn't work. I had moved from burnout, to desperately wanting to do something, and now, finally getting vivid pictures on direction and goals.

I want to encourage you... if you're in a place like where I was, keep believing. You can push on through. Focus on what is in your heart. Take a look at what others are doing. How can you do it better? Who do you know that can help? What skills do you have? Can you barter for other's skills? Write a detailed plan. List who you are and who you want to be. List what you are, and what you want to be. List your fears, and tackle them one by one. This stuff isn't as difficult as it may seem, and it will completely change your perspective on your life. There is no great reward without risk. Have faith that things will go according to plan. We're not here long enough to sit back and watch others do what has been on our hearts. Put your foot down. Declare a change! Move forward now!

Hand Over Your Keys

2006-08-30T09:55:00.000-05:00

People want you to think that we have it so bad here in America. And you know, it’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Our liberties are slowly being stripped away, not directly because of some oppressive government, but because of those that want peace and fairness above all, including the safety of the people of this nation. We haven’t left our government with much of a choice. I don’t like every move I make being scrutinized under a magnifying glass any more than you do. In fact, the whole thing should make you scared for your life! This could have been completely avoided, however, if we had tougher policies on immigration, crime, and put way less stock in the United Nations.

It’s important to work with our neighbors throughout the world, but we’ve appeased these peaceniks to the point that our national security has been weakened. Peace that brings about insecurity and destruction is no peace at all, but in reality, surrender. Don’t get me wrong, most of the people that come to this country are good people just looking for a chance to improve their lives. However, our immigration policies are so liberal, that along with the good, the bad come right in.

The civil “liberties” organizations are trying to make it so that we can’t even speak negatively about a group, much less put them under the microscope. Doesn’t that infringe on our liberties? No one’s really concerned about that. Well, they should be. If it’s one group that is causing the mess, they should be scrutinized. Sorry to all of the good people that belong to that group, but if you’re really concerned about it, you will do something to clear your name. Sitting silently on the sidelines does not help your cause.

In America, our hands are tied. We do nothing. However, take a look at some of the other countries around the world. They pull out all of the stops to ensure that their way of life is preserved. Yet nobody in these civil “liberties” organizations says anything. Why? It’s because these other countries are fighting against what America stands for. These organizations speak up for groups here that want to change our culture to theirs, but don’t say anything of the human rights violations that these same types of people in these same countries perpetuate on those who desire liberty in their own land. What a double standard! Civil “liberty” organizations time after time prove that they are not on the side of Mr. or Ms. Everyday American. Look at some of the things these countries do, and ask yourself the following questions:

Don’t we, truly, have it better here?
Shouldn’t we have the right to protect our way of life?
Am I prepared to accept the consequences of standing by and doing nothing?

I hope you think long and hard about this. This is not some little thing we can overlook. America’s had a good run. The battle for America has begun. Whose side are you on? Why? Don’t let them tell you what to think. Think for yourself. Come to your own conclusion. Be honest with yourself. Are you really ready to hand the keys over to someone else? Well, are you?

Do you want this here?

From The Voice of the Martyrs

CHINA (Compass Direct)On August 17th, Chinese authorities released Zan Aizong, a journalist who reported the Hangzhou City police using force to demolish an unregistered church building and beating hundreds of believers on July 29th. Zan, the former China Ocean News Zhejiang Province bureau chief, was arrested on August 11th for "spreading rumors and disturbing social order." Two days before his arrest, Zan received a notice from his employer that he was "no more suitable for the job." As a journalist, Zan said in a telephone interview on August 20th, "my responsibility is to report the truth, even though it means losing my job." According to Yu Jie, a founder of the Beijing Church of Ark, Zan was recently baptized in a house church in Hanzhou. Yu believes Zan's experience in jail will only make him identify more with the plight of the believers. Give thanks to God for Zan's release. Pray the Lord will provide a job for him and allow him to continue his ministry of countering the lies of the enemy. Pray Jesus will use Zan's increased compassion for suffering Christians to bring relief to many believers.

INDIA (VOM sources) Official sources reported that on August 20th, one person was killed and five others injured when unidentified persons fired at a congregation in Churachandpur district of Manipu. Evening services were being held in the Evangelical Baptist Church in Vengnuom area when some armed persons in combat dress came in a vehicle and started firing in the direction of the church. The incident happened when armed persons in a van were challenged by armed miscreants near the church. Immediately after they were challenged, the occupants of the van, whom local residents suspect to be security forces in mufti, emerged from the vehicle and started indiscriminate firing towards the church which was filled with people. One believer died at the spot, while another succumbed to his injuries at the district hospital. Four others were injured. In addition, one man was hurt when he was knocked down by someone evacuating the injured on a scooter. That same day, Pastor Jwala was conducting a morning worship service in Sheopur near Jhalsy when a group of radicals with a local leader entered the meeting with hockey sticks and mercilessly attacked Pastor Jwala and members of the congregation. After the brutal attacks, they were taken to the police station where pastor Jwala was booked under the Anti Conversion Law. Bail was not granted to the victims. Pray God will comfort with His deep peace those who mourn for the dead. Pray the Lord Jesus will touch the injured with His healing power. Pray the Christians will be faithful witnesses of the love and forgiveness of their enemies, leading them to repentance and salvation.

MALAYSIA (ASSIST News Service) Lina Joy (42), who was born Azlina Jailani to Malay parents, converted from Islam to Christianity when she was 26. Since Malaysian law requires a Muslim's religious matters to be decided in a Sharia (Islamic) Court, Lina had to get a certificate from the Sharia Court to show she had permission to convert to Christianity. As long as Lina is officially identified as a Muslim she is legally compelled to marry a Muslim man in a Muslim ceremony and be subject to Islamic Laws, including Islamic family law. Lina has been fighting for her rights. Two earlier court cases were dismissed, so her counsel is now challenging the decision in the Federal Court. The Federal Court ruling will clarify whether the religious freedom of Malaysia's Muslims is determined by the Constitution (which gives liberty) or Sharia (which denies it). The decision is still pending. As all Malays (50 percent of the population) are defined by the Constitution as Muslim, religious freedom is thereby denied them from birth on racial grounds. Meanwhile, in the northern state of Kelantan, state-funded Islamic missionaries are receiving financial incentives to convert tribal Orang Asli people to Islam. Islamic missionaries who agree to live and work among them will receive free housing, a monthly allowance of 1,000 ringgit (US$270) and a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Those who marry tribal women will be given 10,000 ringgit (US$2,700). Pray God will give Prime Minister Badawi the courage to stand for justice and religious liberty. Pray the Holy Spirit will move in the hearts of the judges to enable Lina Joy and all Malaysians to enjoy freedom to live under God's law without interference. Pray Malaysian Christians will be filled with supernatural love for those who oppose them, allowing them to see the One who loves them and longs to draw them close to Himself.

PAKISTAN (Compass Direct) In an attempted land-grab, Muslim attackers have terrorized a predominantly Christian village in Pakistan's Punjab province over the past two weeks and demolished its church. Three Christian men were hospitalized with serious hatchet wounds from an initial August 7th attack on a village 20 miles southwest of Lahore. The Muslim aggressors, led by Yaqoob Maher, came from a neighboring village. Another critically injured Christian, Bashir Masih, was abducted and remains missing since a second assault on the village on August 12th, when he tried to stop armed attackers from stealing his cattle. When Christian villagers tried to file an official complaint against the assailants, Sharaqpur police instead filed an official complaint against 10 of the villagers, accusing the Christians of "opening fire" on Maher. Pray the power of the Holy Spirit will give these villagers boldness and zeal for the Lord, not allowing the Muslims to have victory over their minds. Pray the Lord will keep Bashir Masih safe and quickly return him to his village. Pray for the Muslims whose eyes have been blinded by the enemy of their souls.

UZBEKISTAN (Forum 18) Uzbekistan intends to impose massive fines and jail people and the leaders of their religious communities for sharing their beliefs outside places of worship. The proposals were made at an August 4th meeting of religious leaders, called by the state Religious Affairs Committee. Those attending the meeting were representatives of state-registered religious organizations, including the Spiritual Administration of Muslims in Uzbekistan, the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Central Asia, the Catholic Church in Tashkent, the Jewish community, the Baptist Union and the Full Gospel Church. All unregistered religious activity is illegal in Uzbekistan. The state Religious Affairs Committee told the religious leaders that they and their clergy must stop their members and those who regularly attend places of worship from sharing their beliefs with anyone outside their churches. The fine for sharing their beliefs would be between 200 and 600 times the minimum monthly salary. Persistent proselytizing would impose jail sentences between three and eight years on them and their religious leaders. Leaders of religious communities are fearful of openly attacking the proposals because of the danger of reprisals against their communities by the authorities. There is currently a crackdown on religious believers of many faiths taking place in Uzbekistan.

Are you awake?

2006-08-24T13:05:00.000-05:00

We live in interesting times. There’s so much going on all around us, it’s liable to make our heads spin. Yet, most of us take for granted what we hear, and that we can trust the media to give us a clear and accurate representation of our world around us. There is a major power grab going on right now, and it’s up to us to open our eyes and recognize this, so that we don’t become a pawn in their plans to gain power over us. We used to feel safe in going to work, coming home, eating dinner, and saying “let’s go to a movie”. The world seemed to revolve nicely, as long as we knew our place in the world and didn’t try to cause any waves. However, we’ve kept our eyes and ears closed for so long now, that things have seemingly slipped far beyond our control. It’s time to wake up and realize that if we don’t stand up for freedom, some people will have stripped us of our very voice.

Try doing research on some of these fringe “special interest” groups like the Lucis Foundation:

http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/lucistrust.html

Seem far-fetched? The Lucis Foundation doesn’t hide from any of this. You can read about its ties with occultism and the United Nations on its own website. The occultism is overt. UN ties can be found by using the search mechanism on the site and searching for United Nations:

http://www.lucistrust.org/
http://www.aquaac.org/

From the UN website:

http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/asp/form.asp?RegID=all&CnID=all&AcID=-1&kw=&NGOID=1510

Still want to trust in the UN to be in charge of world government? This is only one such “special interest group” that wants to diminish our ability to operate in freedom.

The American Civil Liberties Union is another such organization. http://www.aclu.org/ Sure, human rights seem like a good thing, but this organization is not here for the rights of everybody. They fight to eliminate crosses from public cemeteries (http://www.aclu.org/religion/gen/26186leg20060717.html), parental rights over educational content (http://www.aclu.org/scotus/2003/13914prs20040324.html, http://www.aclu.org/religion/schools/23144prs20051220.html ), obliterating community safety over the rights of the criminal (http://www.aclu.org/prison/index.html, http://www.aclu.org/reproductiverights/abortion/26169prs20060718.html ), circumventing parental control in the home (http://www.aclu.org/reproductiverights/abortion/26228prs20060725.html), destroying Christianity (http://www.aclu.org/religion/gen/26316leg20060802.html, http://www.aclu.org/religion/schools/26063prs20060628.html ), and changing the landscape of the family forever (you know what I mean). In fact, they not only stand up for the little guy, it is their aim that you both accept and promote their views as your own, lest you be tagged as a racist and a bigot. They want to close your mouth if you disagree with them, making it unlawful for you to dissent! Whenever we hear language of inclusion, tolerance, and equality, it no longer means what it used to (peacefully coexisting together as equals). It means that you can not say anything negative about any person belonging to any group of people, no matter how much you disagree with them on a moral level, unless you are a traditionalist- more explicitly, a Christian. If you hold to traditional morality, their rights trump yours. Is that what we want?

The time is now! We must awake to what is happening here and stand up for ourselves before it is too late. This should get your blood boiling. You should feel infuriated! The trailer for the new Mel Gibson move “Apocalypto” has a couple of great quotes in it. The first is from Will Durant, “A great civilization is not conquered from without, until it has destroyed itself from within.” The other is, “When the end comes, not everyone is ready to go.” This movie is not just a biography of the end of the Mayan empire. It is supposed to get us to take a look at what we’ve become. No great civilization has lived forever. Rome, the Ottomans, Greece, The Mongols, Britannia… they are all gone. We’ve had a good run. I know that we are being destroyed from within. Many though are ready to go, because they have either chose not to see it, or they have bought into ideas that seemed good at first, but produced the conditions that make us ripe for the picking. Can we stop the bleeding? I don’t know. But this I do know. If this is the end of America, I’m not ready to go. I will go down swinging for what I believe in.

Has Europe Gone Crazy?

2006-08-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

I say "yes", and unfortunately the rest of the world is hot on it's heels.

From: http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/7/312006f.asp

Has Europe Gone Crazy?
Feature/Commentary by AFA JournalJuly 31, 2006

(AgapePress) - As the culture war in North America grows ever more intense, it might give pause to those in that part of the western hemisphere to note what sort of inanities are occurring on the continent of Europe, where secularists have already won.

In the Netherlands-
Pedophiles are in the process of registering their own political party in order to more efficiently push their agenda there. According to WorldNetDaily, that agenda includes legalized child porn, bestiality and, initially at least, lowering the legal age of consent from 16 to 12. Later, say leaders of the group, they want to remove age-of-consent laws altogether.
The good news, according to the article, is that a survey of Dutch public opinion found that 82 percent believe that the government should do something to prevent the party from forming.

In Spain-
The ruling socialist faction has proposed a law which would give fundamental legal right to "great apes." The socialists got the idea from the Great Ape Project, which demands "the extension of the community of equals to include all great apes: human beings, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans."
What would those rights entail? The website defines them as: the right not to be killed unless an ape threatens someone's life; the right not to be tortured or used in medical tests; and the right "not to be arbitrarily deprived of their liberty."
The latter "right" means that apes cannot be kept in zoos, unless moving those currently dwelling there might cause more harm than good. Apes should not be "imprisoned" if they "have not been convicted of any crime, or ... are not criminally liable." For apes who are incarcerated, they "have the right to appeal" through a human legal advocate.
An article in the London Telegraph said the law, if passed, would make Spain the first nation in the world -- and, no doubt, in history -- to grant such rights to apes.

In Germany-
Women who are unemployed must be willing to work as a prostitute or risk losing unemployment benefits. Prostitution is legal in German and, according to the Catholic news outlet Zenit, brothel owners have access to official databases of those who have registered for unemployment benefits.
"Germany's welfare laws oblige women under 55 who have been out of work for more than a year to take an available job -- including the sex industry -- or lose benefits," Zenit said. "The government had considered making brothels an exception, but eventually ruled this out."

Are You Kidding Me?

2006-06-29T14:54:00.000-05:00

This is why we need to be extra vigilant during these times, lest we too become decieved and walk away from the faith that we first knew. Please keep those in the Episcopalian church that still hold to the truth in prayer. A time is coming when the lines of division between truth and falsity will be drawn. The pretenders will be exposed. It is a good reminder to check the sin in our own hearts, so as to remain in constant communion with God. Pride must not overcome us. Be wary.

COLUMBUS, OH: Episcopalians refuse affirmation of Christ
By Hans Zeiger VirtueOnline Correspondent www.virtueonline.org

COLUMBUS, OHIO (6/20/06)-The House of Deputies of the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church today overwhelmingly refused to even consider a resolution that affirmed Jesus Christ as the "only name by which any person may be saved." "This type of language was used in 1920s and 1930s to alienate the type of people who were executed. It was called the Holocaust. I understand the intent, but I ask you to allow the discharge to stay," said the Rev. Eugene C. McDowell, a graduate of Yale Divinity School and Canon Theologian for the Diocese of North Carolina.The convention's Committee on Evangelism first heard the resolution and discharged it to the chagrin of that committee's chairman, the Rev. Colenzo Hubbard, a noted evangelist and director of Emmanuel Episcopal Center in the Diocese of West Tennessee. The Rev. Hubbard motioned to lift the resolution from the discharge list, but after heated debate, more than seven tenths of the House of Deputies rejected the motion. Drafted by the Rev. Guido Verbeck, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Western Louisiana, Resolution D058 declared the Episcopal Church's belief in an "unchanging commitment to Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the only name by which any person may be saved," and it acknowledged evangelism as "the solemn responsibility placed upon us to share Christ with all persons when we hear His words, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No-one comes to the Father except through me' (John 14:6)." The resolution further affirmed "the substitutionary essence of the Cross and the manifestation of God's unlimited and unending love for all persons," while calling on the Episcopal Church to renew its Scripture-based witness to "all persons." The Rev. Hubbard said that he voted for the resolution in committee because of his simple responsibility as a Christian. Hubbard quoted several verses of Scripture to demonstrate his conviction. "I do agree that Jesus Christ is both the substitutionary essence of the Cross and the manifestation of God's unlimited and unending love for all persons," said Hubbard, once a star on the University of Alabama football team. Echoing Hubbard, Canon Dr. Kendall Harmon, a leading conservative in the denomination, argued for a "reaffirmation of what some have called 'the scandal of particularity' of the Cross."Judy Mayo from the Diocese of Fort Worth also opposed discharge. "My friends, this is a church convention, and this is the very essence of our faith. This may be the most important thing we deal with at this entire convention...Surely we can say together that Jesus Christ is Lord. And if we can't, we have no reason to be here."But liberals outnumbered Hubbard, Harman, and Mayo by far. The Rev. McDowell of the Diocese of North Carolina told VirtueOnline after the floor vote, "In the Episcopal Church we don't do up and down votes on Jesus Christ as Lord, and to do so is potentially a mean-spirited approach, to ask questions that aren't meant to be questions."McDowell explained that how one lives his life is the more important issue than whether one affirms Jesus as Lord. To place a statement of belief over actions is the essence of "self-righteousness," he said. "Actions speak louder than proclamations...What Jesus calls us to do is to live our lives."McDowell outlined his basic theology of grace: "Salvation by grace is remembering that we are the children of a living God. Grace is already there. And salvation is realizing we now live into that salvation. And sanctification is the transforming of my life from one that's me-centered to one that's God-centered."But to acknowledge the exclusive Lordship of Christ in a resolution would be too much for McDowell and the majority of deputies at the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. The Rev. Robert Certain of the Diocese of San Diego told the House of Deputies that he refused to consider the resolution because the General Convention of 1982 had endorsed salvation through Christ alone, and a resolution was unnecessary. But the message was clear to the Rev. Donald Perschall, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Centralia, Illinois, as he left the convention hall Tuesday, shocked by the events of the day. "On top of leaving the Anglican Communion, we've decided to leave Jesus Christ behind as well." It was not a surprise vote though; the liberalization of the Episcopal Church predates 1982. Episcopalians have made it clear by their rejection of traditional marriage and other recent innovations that a new set of principles now dominate the Episcopal Church. Though the trend toward liberalism in the Episcopal Church has been ongoing for decades, it was in 2003 that the consecration of a homosexual as Bishop of New Hampshire crystallized the departure of the denomination from its bearings in classical Anglicanism. Dr. Michael Howell of the Diocese of Southwestern Florida and a member of the Special Committee that deliberated the Convention's response to the global Anglican Communion's Windsor Report, told VirtueOnline that the discharge of Resolution D058 is "very much related" to the failure of Resolution A161 moments earlier. A161 would place a moratorium on the consecration of homosexual bishops and the blessing of homosexual unions in a minimal effort to comply with the Windsor Report. It was soundly defeated on the floor of the House of Deputies Tuesday. "If we cannot affirm the unique salvific power of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are no longer a Christian church." Switching to a sarcastic tone, Howell declared, "We have no need for a Creed. Why do again what we did in the past?""This clearly shows that we are of a mind that does not affirm Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And we should not be surprised that our church is dying spiritually," said Howell. The final tally on the electronic vote was 70.5 percent for discharge (675 votes) and just 29.5 (242 votes) to consider the resolution affirming Jesus Christ as Lord.FULL TEXT RESOLUTION D058 SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST ALONE Discharged in committee. Discharge upheld by House of Deputies, 75th General Convention. Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church declares its unchanging commitment to Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the only name by which any person may be saved (Article XVIII); and be it further Resolved, That we acknowledge the solemn responsibility placed upon us to share Christ with all persons when we hear His words, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No-one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6); and be it further Resolved, That we affirm that in Christ there is both the substitutionary essence of the Cross and the manifestation of God's unlimited and unending love for all persons; and be it further Resolved, That we renew our dedication to be faithful witnesses to all persons of the saving love of God perfectly and uniquely revealed in Jesus and upheld by the full testimony of Holy Scripture.END

Don't Be A Hireling

2006-05-24T13:29:00.000-05:00

The devil has been looking for inroads to the Church since its beginnings. Unfortunately, he's had some success. However, he has not been able to, nor will he ever, have victory over that which really is God's. We know his motives. John 10:10 says, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it abundantly". We also know God's motives. An abundant life is one that is lived in the fullness of His Spirit. Why do so few get there? Jesus has entrusted pastors and teachers to guide us to life abundant. I believe that most of them desire to. The trouble is that many of them do not take that charge seriously. They don't love the people they serve enough to stand up for their spiritual well-being. In John 10:11-13, Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep". Many care about the church numbers, tithes, status, the appearance of the building, etc., and leave their people open for attack. They run from topics that would cause a stir or incite real growth, because they care more about these things than their people. With those that God has entrusted to us, have we done the same? Do we leave them exposed for the enemy because we are scared when we see him coming on the horizon (sin or indifference creeping into someone's life)? We must stand firm and lead His people toward the truth, so they may be set free to do the same.

We are truly in trouble any time we care more about the people that scratch our backs, than those that break their backs to get us to where we are. We should never be like the world, where a single mother of three can get laid off just to make one stockholder happy. We should bestow love upon all.

The True Value Of Your Work

2006-05-23T14:27:00.000-05:00

Here is another great link to add to my last post: http://www.ugandachurches.org/

...on to other things.

John 6:27 says, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." In America, we work and work, putting value into our labor. But so many of us labor, having nothing to do with the building of the kingdom through our work. The only thing that matters is furthering the kingdom of God. The pursuits of all other things are futile; fruitless. It was promised in Genesis, after the fall, that we would have to labor, working the land. But, we still need to realize that all we do must be dedicated to the Lord. We can't work for ourselves; to fill our own bellies and aspirations. There is so much more. Unfortunately, most of us never get that.

Jesus had trouble getting people to really understand that too. Not that He couldn't explain it, but people were unwilling to believe Him. John 6:66-69 says, "From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also want to go away?' But Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God'." Jesus replied in verse 70, "Did I not choose you, the twelve?" He is our food. No matter what we do, let all labor lead to advancing the kingdom of God, that He will count us worthy to be chosen, not for the many that were looking for physical blessings for their own interests. That's not what serving God is about. All things work together for the good of God.

You Can Go Out Into All The World For As Little As $7.99 A Month!

2006-05-19T13:50:00.000-05:00

You know, we get all caught up that in doing missions, we've got to go on a trip or take part in some organized activity with our church. These are important things that need our consideration, but spreading the gospel of the kingdom of God should be an everyday activity! Mark 16:15 says, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature". We can easily share with the people that we have been given charge over; the people we come across in our daily life. We can go on missions trips, or do a servant evangelism activity with our church, but there's more. I believe that it's important to encourage the church, not just the church we worship in, but The Church, as a whole. There are some great ways to do this. You don't have to go to a foreign land. God may eventually send you there, but at first He may want you to be faithful in the little you've been given to test your faithfulness.

You know, we all have the capability to go into all the world. That's the beauty of the internet! So, maybe you spend 15 minutes less reading internet news and start building relationships with people. We can find other believers anywhere in the world, (with the possible exception of Antarctica). You can research other churches, and read all about them. You can know what they stand for, and what their needs are. You can then pray for them, or even email them encouraging letters. Here's a website that I found that lists churches not only in every state, but around the world! http://churchangel.com/welcome.htm
In fact, today I found a great church in Nepal: http://www.grace-christian-church-ministry-of-nepal.com/ . They are trying to do a great work in Nepal, where Christianity really isn't welcome. If you like, start with this link and and look over the site, add them to your prayer list, and email the pastor, Thoma Rai. I'm sure he'd love to get words of encouragement from you.

Another great place to look is http://www.prisoneralert.com . There is a list of many Christians that are in prison for their beliefs in Countries like China, Iran, Vietnam, and so on. In addition to each prisoner's story, you can write a letter of encouragement to each prisoner and email the ambassadors, presidents, or what-have-you of each country that has imprisoned these fellow believers. They really need to hear your encouragement. Many of them are completely alone. This is an offshoot of Voice Of The Martyrs at http://www.persecution.com , which has many outlets for you to help out in the world, as well.

So you see, there is no shortage of good you can do right from your own computer. You can have a profound impact upon the world sitting right where you are right now! Best of luck to you, and may the wisdom of the Lord our God guide you as you spread the gospel of the kingdom of God!

Flex That Muscle!

2006-05-17T14:10:00.000-05:00

One thing that Jesus emphasized was that we be vigilant. It's kind of human nature to push toward a desired result, and quit after we attain it. However, the enemy doesn't ever stop pushing us. He is completely focused on stealing our joy and interfering in our relationship with God. He longs to take our attention off of God, that we might stumble and fall into sin and separation from God's Spirit. We can't really be separated, but we can enter into darkness, such that we believe He has departed, even though He has not. We then need to rediscover truth to shed light on us.

So, once we have victory, we must be vigilant in daily protecting the ground we've taken, lest the enemy come and recapture his post. John 5:14 says, "Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, 'See you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you'." In war, if an enemy is beat, he will retreat, regroup, gather more troops, and have a detailed plan on how to take back what was lost. Once we've won, we've won. The devil can not take back that land, unless we take for granted that he won't come back. If we do become captured and lose ground, it will be under a stronger hold, and escape will be very difficult, let alone retaking the post from the enemy. But with God, all things are possible.

We must never give up hope. We must never quit fighting. Be vigilant. Hold fast to scripture and the words God has written upon your heart. Keep watch at the fences. Pray always. God will come to our rescue. He will come through our weakness, in strength, and beat back the enemy. We must live in the light of God's love, lest we begin to despair at the darkness of our times.

A Sound Example

2006-05-10T14:21:00.001-05:00

"I shall be with My people in China. Their devotion to Me, despite their persecution, shall be as an example to to all others as the persecution of My people everywhere continues to increase. They have been resilliant, even unto death. I will surely bless them, as they are rich in Spirit. Some will be among the greatest in My kingdom. Governments and nations come and go, but I am the Lord. I am forever. I have loved and knew each and every one of you before I formed the world. Go now, and preach the gospel, that My church will be ready for the war ahead. I am the Lord, your God." Praise Jesus.

Know That You Know That You Know!

2006-05-08T09:54:00.000-05:00

The upcoming film, The Da Vinci Code, sure has been stirring up a lot of controversy. The story's writer and the film company are saying that it is just that, a story. Yet, it is attracting many believers to check into the book and the movie. The attraction is there because of the spiritual power of the story. It is the enemy's ultimate goal that we be decieved and walk away from the faith. So, by making it seem like a harmless story, many are being drawn by their curiosity, and unfortunately, many are being decieved into thinking that this story is based on true facts and falling away from faith or rejecting it all together. We must not only know what we believe, but why we believe it. It is important to know the scriptures and know church history to keep from getting fooled by the doctrines of men and devils. 2 Peter 2:1-3 says, "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber." 2 Timothy 2:15-17 further encourages us, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer." Some versions say, "Study to show thyself approved...". We must be diligent in this time. We must be ready to give a direct and educated response to those that look to distort our faith. Our opinion doesn't carry any weight. We must know that we know that we know! Please read the below article by Rick Joyner. He has some good strong facts backing up not only the case for Christianity vs. this story, but also backing up the long tradition (and even the demonic goal) of destroying our faith through Gnostic thought. Check out Rick's site, it's very good.

http://www.morningstarministries.org/feature/wftw/index.htm#top

As we are in a place of looking at some of the ways that church history effects us today and because there are so many questions about the book, The Da Vinci Code, which makes many assertions about church history, I think we need to address some of these questions before proceeding. (NOTE: This is basically covered in a recent Special Bulletin also posted on this website. Click here.)
The Da Vinci Code may be a well-written suspense thriller, but for historical accuracy it is hard to imagine one that has so twisted and distorted the facts. Even though it is a compelling read, it is taken too seriously by many, which is a statement about our times that we need to understand.
In this book the author very cleverly uses characters who are supposed to be esteemed experts and historians to make bold and authoritative declarations about the church, its history, and the Bible which are not only false, but are wild exaggerations or outright fabrications. Is this acceptable just because it is a novel? Usually even novels that are based on historic events are held to a high standard in their representation of them. Why isn't this one? There is an obvious agenda in The Da Vinci Code that we need to understand. What is it? Why does it matter?
This may be one of the most demonically-inspired books of our times, with a profoundly evil agenda. It quickly becomes obvious that this book is a regurgitation of the ancient Gnostic doctrines, as well as the promotion and glorification of paganism and rituals associated with satanic worship, while at the same time seeking to undermine Christianity and faith in the Bible.
Gnosticism was a heresy that arose in the first few centuries A.D. when Christianity was spreading throughout the world, and it claimed to be Christian, but was not. It was rather a very basic departure from Christian truth, and promoted a salvation that was more of an elevation of the soul, through a secret knowledge rather than through the atonement of the cross. It also very basically attacked the deity of Jesus for obvious reasons.
Gnosticism was considered by many to have been the very deception that the Lord prophesied would seek to deceive even the elect (see Matthew 24:24). For the first few centuries of Christianity, this deception was effective in deceiving many new or unstable believers and even some of the leaders. It seemed especially prone to pick off those who on one extreme had a low self-esteem or on the opposite extreme were driven by selfish ambition.
It is important for us to understand why this same heresy is surfacing again today in The Da Vinci Code, and the spin that many are putting on the discovery of The Gospel of Judas. The Gospel of Judas that was discovered is probably authentic as far as being old, but it was not written by Judas as it is being promoted. We know that this "gospel" existed because it is referred to a number of times by the early church fathers, but always as a heresy, just like the other Gnostic gospels that painted a very different picture of Jesus than the biblical testimony. Just because something is old does not make its teaching true.
With a brief scan of the web, you will find a growing number of studies that have and are being done on The Da Vinci Code by serious historians and even art critics. It appears that they are all united in declaring the assertions in this book to be anywhere from inaccurate to outrageous. The book does not even get the architecture correct on the prominent buildings used in the novel, which could have easily been done with a little research through the Internet. The mistakes made by this book's assertions are so overwhelming it almost seems like they were done purposely. There are too many to cover in much depth, but we will look at just a few of the basic ones that are especially used to attack Christianity and the Bible.
Because Gnosticism is obviously being resurrected in our time, we should keep in mind that there have always been two main assaults of Gnosticism:
To undermine Christianity by attacking its most basic truth—the deity of Jesus, His death, resurrection, and exaltation.
To attack the validity of the Scriptures.
The purpose of the first attack is obvious as it is the very basis of Christian faith. The second is more subtle, but its result will always cause a fall just as it did in the Garden. We see in Genesis that the very first lie of Satan was an attempt to get Eve to doubt the Word of God. This is why there is such a massive and continuous assault on the validity of the Scriptures. If the "scientific" methods and standards used to determine authenticity of ancient writings are applied to the Scriptures, there are almost certainly no writings on the planet that pass these tests better than the Bible. However, science almost always uses a double standard when it comes to the Bible—the most flimsy evidence that attacks the Bible will be accepted, while the overwhelming evidence that confirms it is rejected. Why?
Though there are many intellectually, honest people in the scientific community, many of which have begun to speak out about such double standards in their profession, we can count on human courts to always try to condemn Jesus—even those who have faith in Him, just as the Sanhedrin did the night before He was crucified despite the overwhelming evidence they had seen with their own eyes. The truth of the gospel will never be accepted by anyone who is not willing to bow the knee and serve the truth.
Gnosticism seems to be an especially interesting parallel to the first forbidden fruit that brought all of the death into the world in the beginning. Satan seduced Adam and Eve into eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil by asserting that this knowledge would make them "like God." Gnosticism comes from a root word that means "knowledge," and it actually purports to lead those who acquire the secret knowledge to become like God. This perverted doctrine did much damage to the early church, and it is obviously being resurrected to do the same in our time.
The Da Vinci Code seeks to make heroes out of secret societies and groups like the Templars, but you can be sure that secret societies, or groups that have secret rituals, will be used for evil. If we are abiding in the light, then anything we do should be able to be exposed to the light or openness.
Even so, there have been societies, or orders, in church history that have done much good for the faith, but they were never secret orders; they were always very open about what they did. One of these is The Order of the Mustard Seed that was founded by early Moravians and was instrumental in the conversions of John and Charles Wesley. We should beware of any secret society or order, and can assume that if something has to be kept secret it is in darkness.
This book also asserts through its characters, who are supposed to be esteemed and celebrated intellectuals and historians, that the Roman Emperor Constantine at the Council of Nicea (in the early fourth century) forced on the church the doctrines of the deity of Jesus, and his own desired canon of Scripture. The facts are that the canon of Scripture was not even on the agenda at this council, and the "close vote" on the deity of Jesus was 300 to 2. Does that sound like a "close vote" to you?
The characters in this book also state that this council threw out the "80 some" additional "gospels" that disputed His deity, keeping only the four that confirmed Jesus' deity, which Dan Brown states (always through his characters) that neither Jesus nor His first disciples held to. Again, the canon of Scripture was not even addressed at this council, and the "80 some other gospels" mentioned in this novel are another considerable exaggeration. There were others, but the actual number is closer to 20, so the exaggeration of this was only by a factor of 4 to 1, which seems pretty good by the standards of accuracy set throughout the rest of this book.
The canon of Scripture was established by the early church fathers long before Constantine. Then the Catholic canon was established centuries later and the Protestant canon over a thousand years after Constantine. The Catholic canon is basically the same as the Protestant canon with the exception of including some books that the Protestant Reformers rejected, not as being invalid writings, but as not being worthy of being considered canon Scripture.
The reasons given for epistles or "gospels" that were not canonized by either the Catholic or Protestant canon varied. Some were not canonized because they had been written later than the first century, and therefore were not considered eyewitness accounts. The standard of justice established in the Law demanded that the testimony of any witness had to be an eyewitness account, not hearsay. Some were not canonized because they were believed to be redundant to the four Gospels that were chosen. Others were not acceptable because they contained obvious Gnostic heresies.
Contrary to the assertions made in The Da Vinci Code, The New Testament actually has an abundance of "scientific proof" backing up its authenticity, its dating, and the fact that it has not been changed since the first century. The "early church fathers" are those who lived and wrote between 70 A.D. and 150 A.D., a fact that is well- established and is not disputed in its dating. The early church fathers included some who were direct disciples of those who walked with the Lord Himself such as Peter, John, and the other apostles. From these writings, there are some 30,000 references to what is now considered the New Testament canon. From these well-established authentic writings, you can reconstruct the entire New Testament with the exception of just eleven verses!
These testify quite overwhelmingly that what we have in our New Testament today is the same that was actually penned by the authors. Also, contrary to the statements of the "experts" in this novel, the Gnostic heresies about Jesus not being divine were not corroborated by any of the writings of the early church fathers, but are rather disputed vehemently by all of them.
Even so, epistles that were not mentioned by the early church fathers were not necessarily considered spurious, fraudulent, or as containing false teaching. There were many writings that were considered good and edifying, but did not pass the high test required to be considered canon Scripture upon which the doctrine of the church was to be solely based. The many errors that later entered the church were not the result of rejecting epistles that should have been included in the canon, but were the result of neglecting the canon Scriptures.
In any case, the evidence that what we have in our New Testament today is the authentic writings of its authors is quite overwhelming, in contrast to the assertion of Dan Brown through his authoritative characters that the New Testament was repeatedly changed, modified, and is very different from the original. His assertion is not true, and there is abundant evidence that it is not true.
Other glaring flaws in The Da Vinci Code include almost every assertion about the Bible or early Christian practices including the fact that neither Constantine nor the Council of Nicea were responsible for changing the Christian meeting day to Sunday or establishing the celebration of Christmas. There is also not a single Christian writing included in the Dead Sea Scrolls, nor even a mention of Christ in them.
Brown's biggest distortion of the truth is the assertion that neither Jesus, Himself, nor the first Christians considered Him to be deity. The Gospel of John begins by asserting His divinity; He Himself not only refers to Himself as the Son of God, but states that He and the Father are one. As far as the Christians in the first century not believing in the deity of Christ as Dan Brown asserts through his characters, we have an abundance of testimony to the contrary. In the New Testament we have such clear statements as the first two chapters of Hebrews, the first chapter of the Gospel of John, and an abundance of other more brief testimonies such as Romans 1:1-4:
Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God
which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead (NKJV).
There have now been books written on the inaccuracies, misstatements, and exaggerations of The Da Vinci Code, and it does seem that every single point about Christianity in this book was not just distorted, but greatly distorted. Even other minor details that had nothing to do with faith were also amazingly inaccurate, such as the one that I'm sure irritated every pilot—a B-58 Baron is not a turboprop, but a light twin piston powered plane, which no one could walk around in as asserted in this strange novel.
From a Christian perspective, his agenda of attacking Christianity, and promoting pagan worship and other rituals that are associated with satanic worship, is not in doubt. When one serves Satan, the "father of lies," you will become like the one you worship. This book is full of lies.
Historical novels are generally held to a very high standard of conforming to the truth when it comes to actual historic events. Why isn't this one? It is expected that both the publisher and Hollywood which is about to release the movie, will defend the book with the protest that this is just a novel and Dan Brown is just taking some artistic liberties. However, this book crosses some very basic lines with its wild and flagrant distortions of history obviously intended to be against Christianity. Every Christian should be offended by this book and the movie.
I would not recommend any Christian being slimed by reading the book or seeing the movie. Just as these same Gnostic heresies deceived and led astray many weak and unstable Christians in the first few centuries, we can be sure that it will do so again if the true shepherds do not protect those they are entrusted to watch over by warning them of these things. The good that has come from this novel is that many Christians have been provoked into checking out some of the attacks made on basic Christian truths in this novel, as well as historic facts, and have resolved to strengthen their own foundations. We are coming to the time of the ultimate conflict between good and evil, between light and darkness, between truth and error. Good will always win over evil, light will always cast out darkness, and truth will always prevail over every lie. This we can be sure of.

Stop the madness!

2006-04-27T15:01:00.000-05:00

http://www.creativevisions.org/name/#

There are some things that happen in this world that seem to have no reason. Where demonic strongholds develop and set in over so many years, that it becomes difficult to speak the truth into the situation and begin to see things break. Luckily, we serve a God that is more powerful than any evil force at work throughout history or future.

Jesus said in Matthew 24 that "many will come in My name, claiming 'I am the Christ', and deceiving many". This passage has over time been interpreted that many false messiahs would come claiming to be Christ. However, if we really look at this verse we see that "many will come in My name". How can they come in Jesus' name and be the Messiah? They can't. This verse is saying that many will come in the name of Jesus, saying that he is the Messiah, but with the intent of decieving many.

1 John 2:11 says, "But he who hates his brother is in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." Please take time to study the information in the above link. It is one of the worst humanitarian situations in the world, right now. The "Lord's Resistance Army", as they are called, are not of the Lord at all, but are definitely resisting Him. So many Ugandans have died at the hands of Joseph Kony that it really becomes overwhelming. You may not feel like there's much you can do to help. Everybody can pray. Pray most of all that the children of Uganda would be safe, that the killing would stop, that the captives would be freed, that families would be made whole again, and that the peace of the Holy Spirit would consume the land. Pray that demonic strongholds that pit kingdom against kingdom would be pulled down. Pray for truth to be revealed. Pray for Joseph Kony to be convicted by the Holy Spirit, repent of his crimes, and pursue peace both in Uganda and within the situation in The Sudan to which he is also tied.

Joseph Kony may or may not have started with good intentions, but pride distorts all things. Pride unchecked and coddled give us Adolph Hitler, Charles Taylor, Osama Bin Laden, and Joseph Kony. But, Jesus said to love our enemies, and to bless those that curse us. Pray for Uganda and her children. Fast for them. They go without on a daily basis, wandering from city to city to escape the LRA. We can afford to go without for a short time for them, as well. We are called to defend the poor, the weak, and the despised. Please join me in stepping up for them. Thank you.

Perpetual Goodness

2006-04-26T11:35:00.000-05:00

We, as Christians, should be taking a more active role in perpetuating goodness. Our love and concern for others (and most importantly, God) should consume us to the point that we lose concern for ourselves. God will come to meet us, as we do good to meet others' needs. God's Word is full of promises for each of us that decide to lay down our lives, our ambitions, and our interests for the good of others in need. The following is one of my favorite passages in scripture:

Isaiah 58:6-12- "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in."

There you have it. He promises to come to those that practice doing good and delight in it. These verses tell of the type of life we are expected to lead. We can't truly be holy, healthy, or complete until we submit ourselves to the life that comes from the power of His resurrection in our own lives. "Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." This is the kind of legacy we are called to. We may only get one person saved in our lifetime, after a whole lifetime of trying, but that person could be a Billy Graham. You just don't know. Abraham, the father of our faith, was told that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars. He only had two children, and one was estranged. But, he had faith in what God had promised. He was willing to sacrifice his one son to obey God. Two generations later, Jacob had a son for each tribe of Isreal. By the time they left Egypt, there were too many to count. So, it is important to put to death every day all that keeps us from walking in God's path for us, so that we can live in the power of His resurrected life here and now.

This is not some good idea, this is the Christian way of life! 1 Peter 3:8- "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous." We are all to be unified in living like this. This is how a true Christian lives! Why? 1 Peter 3:12- "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” He will come to our defense, keeping us from evil, should we drop all to really follow Him. It's easy to become self-consumed in these days. However, to stay strong and follow Him takes determination. We must purpose ourselves to take these words to heart.

Happy Birthday to uhh...

2006-04-25T07:35:00.000-05:00

Here's an inspiring article I found. God is doing something. He is calling His body together. He is tempering His bride. Thankfully, we are starting to reap what we've sown into other countries, as they now are starting to send us missionaries, and not a minute too late. As we cross denominational lines and cultural lines, we will become this colorful, diverse, fully-functional body, equipped to meet every need. This is what God has seen coming, but we never understood. The days of blindness are finally coming to a close as we enter into a new age of understanding and resolve. Still, we only see in part, and know in part; which is why we desperately need one another across the body. Like an old King's X song says, "Everybody knows a little bit..." Enjoy the article.

Pentecostalism at 100: a major religious force -By Jane Lampman

As the 1906 earthquake shook San Francisco, another quake of sorts was occurring in southern California - tremors that reconfigured the Christian world.
This week, tens of thousands from around the globe are gathering in Los Angeles to celebrate the centennial of the Azusa Street Revival, an "outpouring of the Holy Spirit" that begat the modern Pentecostal movement.
Over the past century, that movement has sparked a fresh focus on New Testament "gifts of the Spirit" in many denominations. Its influence now embraces one-quarter of all Christians - more than 500 million of them.

"To everyone's surprise, Pentecostalism has grown at a rate no one predicted 50 years ago," says David Daniels, professor at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.
Today, a reverse missionary movement has begun - to bring revival to the West. The largest thriving churches in secular Europe, for instance, are pastored by Africans.
"We've not given up on Europe and North America," says the Rev. Roberto Miranda, senior pastor at Lion of Judah Congregation in Boston. "The legacy of Azusa is very much alive, and many believe that a huge revival is imminent."
Looking to the future at the Los Angeles meeting, Pentecostals will hear from US pastors like T.D. Jakes and leaders from Latin America, Africa, and Asia, home to the world's largest church. South Korea's Yoido Full Gospel Church, begun in a tent in a Seoul slum in 1958, boasts more than 700,000 members.

Each of the five evenings, a revival will be hosted by pastors from a different continent. During the day, celebrants will visit sessions on such topics as "The Holy Spirit and Healing," "Prayer Movements and Pentecostal Power," and "Spiritual Renewal in Marriage and Family." The last day will involve a community outreach in the city.
Pentecostals fit under the Evangelical umbrella, but they parted with their cousins in their insistence that first-century "gifts of the Spirit" - healing, prophecy, speaking in tongues - remain alive in Christian practice.

Disparaged in the early decades of the 20th century, their ethos of the Holy Spirit powerfully at work in worship and daily life eventually spawned the Charismatic movement within both Protestant and Roman Catholic faiths, and later, in the 1980s, a neo-Charismatic movement that created new denominations such as the Vineyard churches.

"Pentecostalism is no longer limited to the classic Pentecostal movement," says Dr. Miranda, who leads a Baptist church with a largely Latino congregation. "It's a biblical phenomenon that's gone beyond denominations and is part of the whole body of Christ."

Embracing a Charismatic outlook has "transformed our church from staid and traditional to very open to the moving of the Spirit," Miranda says. That includes "praying for physical healing, spiritual deliverance, allowing space for prophecy and tongues, and being open to changing the order of worship."

For Pentecostals, worship involves the expectation of "God's manifest presence." Praise and a lively, upbeat music characterized their services from the start.

At Lion of Judah church on Easter Sunday, jubilant singing interspersed with prayer filled the first hour of the service. Celebratory music (backed by a band with drums, flute, saxophone, violin, and guitar) gave way to quieter songs, leading up to the sermon on "being a disciple, not just a Christian." Then came the altar call for those seeking prayers, with gentle music continuing in the background.

Ushers with boxes of tissues moved in the aisles, a sign that the praise/prayer segment involved individual as well as collective communion with the divine.

Music is central to Pentecostal worship and, some say, to its inroads into people's hearts. Some scholars call it one of the two roots of gospel music. Elvis Presley visited the Church of God in Christ (CGC), the largest Pentecostal denomination today. It is largely black, though it has always had white clergy and members.

"Musicologists note that jazz, blues, and other singers talked of going to black Pentecostal churches to learn new riffs, runs, and chords because the style was open to improvisation," says Dr. Daniels, ordained a CGC pastor. "The liveliness and jubilance was attractive to many people."

Indeed, praise songs and the expressiveness of Pentecostal worship, including the lifting up of hands, has spread through Evangelical churches and nondenominational megachurches.
Yet the focus on "gifts" identified in the book of Acts is also characteristic and has resonated with people across the globe, while putting off some in the West.

The 1906 Azusa revival began with the preaching of William Seymour, a son of former slaves. Seymour had learned about Holy Ghost baptism and speaking in tongues from a minister in Houston. The speaking in tongues that erupted among the small group stirred controversy throughout Los Angeles and began drawing huge interracial crowds. Thousands came to the revival, which went on continuously, every day for three years.
The belief that Jesus' return was imminent spurred a missionary movement. Many departed for other countries to evangelize.

Barry Corey, a dean at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass., explains the zeal for spreading the gospel. In the Assemblies of God denomination, for instance, "after one becomes a Christian, there should be a second experience: the baptism of the Holy Spirit," he says. "This empowerment enables the believer to have an extra zeal that is miraculous - it's like a turbocharged faith."

Speaking in tongues isn't essential to be a Christian, but a sign of that second baptism, he adds. Some people may receive the gift of healing or prophecy.
Assemblies of God last year grew more rapidly than any other religious denomination in the US, though only by 1.81 percent.

As Pentecostalism matured, it also became more middle-class. Long known for its anti-intellectualism, recently the movement has developed colleges and universities. Most denominations have no formal education requirements for ordination, Dr. Corey says. "If God has called you, you go and preach."

Some Pentecostal pastors preach a "prosperity gospel" that stirs concern. "It's lending itself to corruption and leaders benefiting excessively," Miranda cautions.

Despite such challenges, this is an invigorating time for the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. Its dramatic growth in the developing world has come as millions moved from rural life into huge cities. "People living on the edge of life don't have a lot to fall back on, and they need the miraculous provisions of God just to sustain them," Corey says.

To the faithful, this is the work of the Holy Spirit. The movement's global appeal can be seen also in its adaptability and the fertile ground for its teachings.

"Pentecostalism has the ability to translate itself into the language and culture of the people being reached, drawing on local music," says Leslie Callahan, who teaches religious history at the University of Pennsylvania. "Also, most of the rest of the world believes in some sort of metaphysical healing."

While missionaries born out of Azusa (and a similar revival in Wales) planted the seed, indigenous leadership has taken over abroad, and the reverse missionary effort is under way.

Land Ho!

2006-04-21T13:43:00.000-05:00

A word from the Lord: "My people, the church, are as a piece of driftwood. Long have you been with Me. Long have I carried you. A time is coming, however, when you shall wash upon the shore. Those who are not transformed will be stranded. Someone may pick you up and put you on a mantle, so as to gaze upon you in rememberance of who you were. Some will be (and already have been) transformed by a wrong spirit and walk away from Me altogether. Purpose to be transformed by My Spirit, that you may come back and dwell in Me. Do not be fooled by the "wisdom" of men. Seek My face, and you will find Me. Desire truth, and you shall become wise. Come to Me. Become the bride I have commanded (spotless, without blemish or wrinkle); the bride I love."

Yeah, I know. I'm late. Blame technology.

2006-04-20T18:47:00.000-05:00

Easter Sunday. The holiest day of the Christian year. Jesus rose from the dead, solidifying our place in the book of life, for those who believe. He rose again and appeared to His disciples for the confirmation, go ahead, and final lessons to build His kingdom. One of the most important directives He gave is in Matthew 28:18-20: "And Jesus told His disciples, 'I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to observe all the commands I have given you; and be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' " That is a big order; one which we feel unable to see to ourselves.

The trouble is that we worry, when we need to not worry at all. We turn our eyes inward, which is in itself a prideful act. We need to keep our eyes on God. He is quick to supply all our needs. We must, however, step out in faith. Isaiah 55:3-9 says, "Come to Me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake. I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with you— I will give you all the mercies and unfailing love that I promised David. He displayed My power by being my witness and a leader among the nations. You will command the nations and they will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Isreal have made you glorious. Seek the LORD while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near. Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish the very thought of doing wrong! Let them return to the LORD, that He will have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. My thoughts are completely different from yours, says the Lord. And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 'For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts higher than your thoughts.' "

Isaiah continues in verses 11 and 12, "It is the same with My Word. I sent it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace." He will give us all the unfailing mercies and love that He gave King David! Just try to grasp that! All the times He saved David's life; how He turned David from the lowliest of the low into a king! Do you feel like a king? Then come to Him with your ears open. Follow Him wherever He might lead. Become a witness and a leader among the nations! He will give you the nations, because it is His will, and His word always bears fruit.

We are not only to preach the gospel of salvation, but the gospel of the kingdom! We are called to make disciples, followers of Jesus. Paul exhorts in Titus 3:8, "These things I have told you are all true. Insist on them so that Christians will be careful to do good deeds all of the time, for this is not only right, but it brings results." Here, Paul is training his disciple Titus, to train disciples. It is also a valuable lesson for us. Don't hold back. Don't give in to fear, only to God. That is how we are best conformed to His image, doing things greater than we ever imagined, through Him. Praise the resurrected Lord! Today is a great day!

How Can We Be Sure?

2006-04-17T15:18:00.000-05:00

http://www.cushingdaily.com/religion/cnhinsfaith_story_103123431.html?keyword=topstory

Solid evidence of resurrection
Apparently So

By Craig HarrisHERALD-PRESS (PALESTINE, Texas)
Today is Easter Sunday - the day we Christians celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. But did he really rise again? If he didn't, then he was a liar — or a madman. If he didn't rise again, then our faith is useless and there is no life after death. The whole Bible is a lie, in fact, if Jesus didn't rise again.So, is there any real evidence that the resurrection of Jesus actually happened – or is it just a myth? I want to share some of the solid evidence that Jesus’ resurrection really did happen:

• First, the reliability of the Scriptures. Did you know that we have more than 25,000 manuscripts of the Greek New Testament? That is a huge amount. Some manuscripts date to within 100 years of the autographs (the original writings) and all agree with each other. (Yes, there are minor differences, but there are so many copies available we can look at them and get a very accurate picture of what the New Testament writers said.) What this means is that the Bible is extremely reliable as a historical document.

• Second, we have writings of historians outside the Bible that corroborate the stories within it. These historians, like Pliny the Younger, Ptolemy, Tacitus and Josephus, not only mention kings, governors, dates and places found in the Bible, they also mention the disciples and Jesus himself.

• Third, the empty tomb. The Gospel writers all mention that the tomb was empty Easter Sunday morning. If there had been a body there, the Romans or Jewish leaders could have shown it and that would have ended Christianity right then and there. Remember, the tomb was well guarded. Also, in the Bible, women saw the empty tomb first — that would never happen in Jewish fiction of that day, so it must have been true.

• Fourth, Paul wrote in First Corinthians that 500 people saw Jesus after his resurrection. Paul wrote this about 20 years after the resurrection and points out that most of them were still alive and could verify what they saw. No one disputes the validity and historicity of Paul or First Corinthians, and 500 people do not have the same hallucination.

• Fifth, why would the early Christians have celebrated Communion and Baptism if Jesus had remained dead? History teaches that the Christians began celebrating The Lord’s Supper within 20 years of Jesus’ resurrection. Communion commemorates the sacrificial death of Jesus by celebrating the blood he shed and how his body was broken. Why would they do this if Jesus’ death had been meaningless? This would be like a John F. Kennedy fan club celebrating his death instead of his life and legacy. Further, the early Christians changed the meaning of baptism from a Jewish cleansing ritual to mean "buried with Christ and raised to life with him." (Romans 6:4).

• Sixth, why would the disciples die for a lie? We see in the Gospels that they were basically cowards. Why did these timid lambs suddenly change into the lions of the faith? Yes, people die for what they believe is true, but people do not die for what they know is NOT true. History says all of the disciples died for their faith except John.

• Seventh, the emergence and growth of the church. The church started with a small rag tag group of mostly poor people who were murdered and persecuted for their belief. Within two hundred years, it conquered Rome. We name our dogs Nero and Caesar and our children John and Paul. Thousands of churches and changed lives stand as a testament to the resurrection.

• Eighth, the conversion of skeptics. Scores of non-believers, including Jesus’ own brothers, Paul and atheists, have put their faith in Christ after seeing him alive or examining the evidence.

• Finally, the ongoing encounters with Jesus today. Millions of us throughout history have had a conversion experience. We know Jesus is alive because we have felt, known and experienced him.This is the good news: that God came to earth, redeemed us and can be experienced by us.

This Sunday morning, remember, we don’t celebrate the good life of a dead man, we celebrate the resurrection of a living Savior who made us, loves us, and wants to know us. Happy Easter from my family to yours.

Maunday Thursday

2006-04-13T14:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Maunday Thursday. It is the day that we recognize Jesus eating the Last Supper with His disciples. It is the night that Judas betrayed Jesus to the priests. Jesus, even as God, had a difficult time with the coming fulfillment of His purpose. He felt every blow, the sting of betrayal, each lash as the cat-o-nine tails ripped away his flesh. He could taste His blood running down His throat, not to mention the pain af the crucifixion, and the worst of all, His separation from God, as He took our sins upon Himself. It's true He was overcome with grief. Matthew 26:39 & 42- "He went forward a little and fell downward on the ground, and prayed, 'My Father! If it is possible, let this cup be taken away from Me, but I want your will not mine.' " "Again He left them and prayed, 'My Father! If this cup cannot go away until I drink it all, your will be done.' " If He understood what was awaiting him, why did He go through with it? Because it was the Father's will. It was always the Father's will. This is what Jesus truly desired. Matthew 26:56- "But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the scriptures." They had to beat Him like that before they ever crucified Him? Isaiah 52:15- "They shall see my Servant beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know it was a person standing there. So shall He cleanse many nations." He had to fulfill these prophesies so that there was no doubt that Jesus was the Messiah, God's only Son. For those of us in the know, it is a somber day. Let us reflect upon our Lord and His anticipation toward His passion.

A Strong Foundation

2006-04-07T12:32:00.000-05:00

It amazes me that so many people who subscribe to Christianity cast away the foundations of their faith. This is why the church is in such disrepair. Christianity is, in and of itself, absolute goodness and peace. However, those that reject the foundations of Christianity distort the very faith that we are called to draw people to. Yet they refuse to call themselves something else, making us all look like hypocrites. 2 Timothy 3:16 says- “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. Yet the Bible is the first thing people cast aside. Acts 17:11 says, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Some want to make up all sorts of excuses why not to follow the scriptures. In reality, they are teaching a distorted view of the gospel that tries to cover up their own sin. You know what though? We’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We need to reconcile with this fact before we can move into any of the greater truths of Christianity. It’s a hard and painful process to hold up a mirror to our soul and examine it so closely. We uncover a lot of things that we wish we could have gotten rid of a long time ago. Fortunately, once we really give our burdens to Jesus, he nails them to the cross. They are crucified, and we don’t ever have to suffer through them again. The Bible is the mirror we must look into. To allow God to transform us to Christ’s image, we have to know what that image is. Each time we read we should be learning new things, and uncovering new truths. We need to objectively look at what scripture says in order to see where our lives need improvement. If what we’re looking for is to be restored to God’s image and to practice pure Christianity we must submit to godly teaching, and the scriptures are the beginning and end of all true teaching. Galatians 5:19-21 says, “19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,[c] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders,[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” If these things are evident in us, we are not transformed into God’s image. God’s image is found in verses 22-26, “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” The church has its share of adultery, fornication, contentions, jealousies, selfish ambitions, heresies, envy, drunkenness, and other actions like it. We need to get into the Word every day, so that we can learn how to act in and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. It is the only way to a true and victorious Christian life. So in all things, search the scriptures, search your heart in light of the scriptures and move toward that which gives life.

Why Would God Cast Any Away?

2006-03-29T09:56:00.000-06:00

People can’t understand why if God loves us so much, which He does, how he could allow some of us to perish in an eternal lake of fire. This is a tough roadblock to get over. Instead of trying to find the true answer to this question, they make up more comfortable doctrine that makes room for everybody without any real commitment on our part. “You can believe in any God, or none at all”, they say, “and it is all just as good”.

Consider this… A policeman had two children. He spent his whole life loving them, adoring them, and teaching them the ways in which to be good and productive citizens. One child grew up, went to school, and followed his heart to become a doctor, caring for many with great compassion. His father was proud as could be, and held his son in the highest regard, and with the utmost respect.

Another son, however, hung out with troublemakers and rebelled against all his dad had taught him. His father still loved him very much, and as a result, was saddened by this son’s lawless behavior. One night, the police man was on his night watch, when he saw his son walking down the street. He was happy to see his son. He wanted to run over and start talking to him, but as his son came upon another man walking down the street, his son took out a knife and stabbed the man. His son ran off. The policeman was grief stricken. He ran out to help the man who had been stabbed, but it was of no use. The man bled to death before an ambulance could come.

What was the police officer to do? What would you do? If he turned in his son, and gave testimony to what he saw before the judge, he knew that his son would be convicted and be put to death for his crime. On the other hand, he had lived his whole life for truth and justice, and he knew that if his son did something like that once, that he could easily do it again. After crying for hours, he knew what he had to do. As much as he loved his son, as much as this tore him up inside, and he didn’t want to even consider it, he knew he had to bring his son in and give testimony to what he saw. This was the hardest thing he ever would have to do, but it was the only thing he could do.

Could you have made that same decision? God had to. We, in this life have been given the freedom to do as we please. However, we have been instructed in being good and productive citizens. Yet we commit wrongs against God every day. He has no choice but to attest to what He sees, no matter how much it breaks His heart. He must stay true to His nature to live for truth and justice. We all would be put death. Yet, He is a God of mercy. He loves us too much to let us perish like that. All He wants is to walk and talk with us like sons and daughters. He wants us to be all that He purposed for us to be. So, he sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to teach us once more about what kind of life God desires of us. Then after living a perfect life, He died on the cross, took upon Himself all of our sin, that we might be pardoned of our own death sentence. All we have to do is receive His sacrifice for us, and we are free to go. Death and hell can not touch us after that.

So, you see, the choice is ours. God has done everything He can to find a way around our death sentence without compromising everything He is. However, we have to make the choice to ask for forgiveness of our sins and to receive the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We also have the choice to reject this free gift, and sit on death row, until our day of execution comes. Death and hell are forever. So is eternal life with God. We must come out of this commitment as changed people. We can’t pray a prayer and continue on as we were. We must make a commitment to God that, although we can’t be perfect right away, we will do what we can to learn to be restored into the person He intended for us to be.

If this meant anything to you, please pray the following:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I’ve fallen short of the glory that you created human beings to live in, I don’t have any answers. I’ve tried many things on my own, but still feel unsatisfied. I am so sorry. Please accept me as I am. I offer you my heart, that I may someday be restored to Your likeness. Help me to find my way, as this is all new to me. Please keep me from getting discouraged. Hold me in your hand and lay a new foundation for my life. I want to know You more. Thank you for your gift of eternal life.

In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen”

If you prayed that, congratulations! You have just stepped into eternal life with God. All the angels and beings in heaven are celebrating at your decision to accept Jesus. Here is the next step to make sure that the restoration process has begun:

1) You need to get a Bible. Everything we need to know is in this book. Granted we won’t understand it all at once, but by reading and studying some everyday, we can begin to know God.
2) Keep praying. The salvation prayer is the first of many you’ll have to make. The Bible says to pray without ceasing. Learn to pray as often as you can. This is how you communicate with God, Himself.
3) Find a good Bible-believing church. Part of our glory is to fit into the body of believers in a productive way. We need to fellowship with other believers to keep us encouraged in the faith and to help us up when we are down. You can research many churches in your area on the internet to find out what they believe. Talk to the pastor, tell him you are a new believer, so that he will know best how to meet your needs to guide you in restoration.

Again, congratulations! You have just taken the first step towards total restoration, greater than anything else we’ve ever known. Please email me or reply on this post if you prayed this prayer. I want to be able to pray for you. Throughout scripture we see people publicly confessing their new faith, as a show of solidarity with God. If you want help finding a church, I’ll see what I can do, just let me know. Peace be with you! Be blessed!

The Most Important Thing I've Ever Written!!!

2006-03-23T15:35:00.000-06:00

I’ve been doing this blog thing for a while, now. I feel compelled to write about something that I have not yet, something that I probably should have from day one. I’ve written much about the troubles and stress that we feel in today’s society. If we get too caught up in these things, we will quickly be brought down into despair. Millions suffer from depression. They have lost all hope of things ever getting better. We have been conditioned to be so consumed by our own humanness that we have turned away from the flashing neon exit sign to escape our dire situations.

(Now, I know some of you will feel like rolling your eyes and hitting the back button on your browser. Some of you will, but I encourage you to hear me out, consider what I say, and then make a decision, for I hope to present this in a new way to you. One that will finally click inside of you.) Our only hope of finding purpose, fulfillment, and true joy is through trust in Jesus Christ. Now, let me first say this: I apologize on behalf of every Christian that said he/she represented Christ, but was not really living a Spirit-led life, for they probably did more damage than good in you seeing Christianity as it truly is. Please don’t write us off because of the foolishness of a few. I’m sure that many of you have been told to accept Jesus because you will always be happy and all sorts of other flowery things that just are too good to be true. Well they are too good to be true! Being a Christian will often bring more trials, but will also bring greater rewards than anything else you can be in this life.

Why would you want to bring more trouble upon your life if you already feel crushed? In Matthew 11:30 Jesus said: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” This does not mean that He will take away all of our troubles. Rather, it means that He will build the type of character in us that will give us the patience, hope, and grace to work through our issues with His help. I would rather have evil hot on my heels, with all of the tools that faith in Christ brings, than to be left alone to handle a few problems, and watch them pile up as I keep screwing things up on my own.
You say, “That’s all great, but who says that this Jesus was even a real person?” Well, not only the Christians believe in Jesus, so do the Jews, and Muslims. All three people groups were in the area at that time. They have don’t dispute the actual person of Jesus ever existed. Now, the Jews and Muslims don’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah. That is a whole other matter. We have documented records of what Jesus said and did in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books are written by different people that hung around with Jesus, and have written four separate books that record a lot of the same incidents, and none of the books disagrees with the next. They all write of miracles, healings, teachings, and His death and resurrection. If we can get past the resurrection of Christ, we can come to believe He is the Messiah. He was dead on that cross. Water poured out of His side, as a sign he was really dead. He was buried for three days, and then arose and appeared to the apostles and over 500 other people before he ascended into Heaven. Each of the gospel writers visibly saw Him resurrected. If He wasn’t who He said, nobody would have followed Him after His death. If His memory was inflated to legendary status, the movement soon would have died out. Think of other cults where the leader dies. They disperse. However, this was different. His followers went around continuing to do the same things He did. They healed the sick, cast out demons, and preached the gospel throughout the land. This only would have happened had Jesus been who He said He was, Lord.

Jesus’ ministry was not one of coming to judge the world for all the evil in it. I’m sure that we’ve all heard John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him might not die, but have everlasting life.” The next verse explains why; “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” You see, when God created man, He created us in His image. This is not just His physical image, but His spiritual image as well. We were given the earth, to rule over and take care of it. After we sinned against God in the garden we became separated from that spiritual image that we had been molded into. We have been trying to restore ourselves to the image and purpose that God had originally intended for us ever since. Most, however, have been trying to find this on their own, and have accomplished little more than becoming as confused as ever.

This is where the message of God’s salvation through Christ is so important. There’s nothing that we can do to earn God’s forgiveness. Romans 3:23 says that “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. It doesn’t matter if we have only told one little lie, murdered someone, or lived a sinful way of life, we’ve all sinned. This means that anything we do to try and earn God’s favor is useless. He already gave the gift of His Son. It’s a free gift available to all. There’s not one person that has been so bad that God won’t accept them. Paul, the greatest apostle of all time, hunted down Christians to kill them, before Jesus changed his life. Sometimes we focus on the first half of the verse. “All have sinned”. But the second half is just as important. God wants to show His glory in us and through us. Salvation is the first step. Restoration is the rest of the puzzle. Many Christians don’t get that. They don’t move past the salvation experience, and that is why they have done things that have offended or hurt you in the past. They haven’t moved into the restoration process, because anyone that is becoming restored to God’s image would know how to handle themselves better.

Also, God wants you just as you are. He loves you. He doesn’t expect you to be perfect when you come to Him or immediately after. Restoration is a process of receiving God’s glory as we are transformed into His image. It takes time. We will just lose the desire to do the wrong things as we begin to act in the manner of Christ. Don’t worry yourself over things that aren’t in your control. You couldn’t keep from doing wrong before, and can’t now. God, who is in you, gives you the will and power to do it. Restoration will bring a new awareness to you that will empower you to meet and handle every challenge. Many more challenges will come our way to build Godly character in our lives, but we will have the power to deal with each one.

Do you want more joy? Do you want to receive a whole new view on life that will restore you to a place of being able to overcome every issue in your life head on? Then you must make a decision here and now to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. We’re not promised tomorrow. Putting this off only increases your chances of dying before you get a chance to make things right with God. John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Buddha, Allah, Gonesh, or L. Ron Hubbard can’t promise you what the only true God can. All the self help books in the world can’t transform you into what you are trying to become (Your soul is longing to be restored to God’s image). Unfortunately those who don’t want to be restored to God will not spend eternity with Him. Revelation 20:15 says “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 21:8 also says: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” There will be fear, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. Many ask how God could cast away those he loves. He has given people every opportunity to turn to Him. He is a fair God, and knows who has had a chance to accept Him and who did not. Those who rejected Him will receive the above fate. However, being restored to God will give us eternity with Him. He will bring us into all the completeness we were destined for from the beginning. There will be no more sorrow or tears. There will be more joy than we can comprehend forever and ever. If this made sense to you, and you wish to be restored, if you’re at the end of your rope and don’t have any more answers, or if you feel an emptiness inside of you that you wish would go away but won’t, please say this right where you are:

“Dear Lord Jesus,
I know that I’ve fallen short of the glory that you created human beings to live in, I don’t have any answers. I’ve tried many things on my own, but still feel unsatisfied. I am so sorry. Please accept me as I am. I offer you my heart, that I may someday be restored to Your likeness. Help me to find my way, as this is all new to me. Please keep me from getting discouraged. Hold me in your hand and lay a new foundation for my life. I want to know You more. Thank you for your gift of eternal life.

In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen”

If you prayed that, congratulations! You have just stepped into eternal life with God. All the angels and beings in heaven are celebrating at your decision to accept Jesus. Here is the next step to make sure that the restoration process has begun:

1) You need to get a Bible. Everything we need to know is in this book. Granted we won’t understand it all at once, but by reading and studying some everyday, we can begin to know God.
2) Keep praying. The salvation prayer is the first of many you’ll have to make. The Bible says to pray without ceasing. Learn to pray as often as you can. This is how you communicate with God, Himself.
3) Find a good Bible-believing church. Part of our glory is to fit into the body of believers in a productive way. We need to fellowship with other believers to keep us encouraged in the faith and to help us up when we are down. You can research many churches in your area on the internet to find out what they believe. Talk to the pastor, tell him you are a new believer, so that he will know best how to meet your needs to guide you in restoration.

Again, congratulations! You have just taken the first step towards total restoration, greater than anything else we’ve ever known. Please email me or reply on this post if you prayed this prayer. I want to be able to pray for you. Throughout scripture we see people publicly confessing their new faith, as a show of solidarity with God. If you want help finding a church, I’ll see what I can do, just let me know. Peace be with you! Be blessed!

Christianity on upswing in JapanGallup poll:

2006-03-20T15:09:00.000-06:00

Wow. I will reiterate my last post before you read this one. I can claim no responsibility for what I said. It seemed a bit silly to me, like I was setting myself up for extreme ridicule. But, it just proves that God is faithful. He can speak to us and we can either listen for it and obey, or disregard it. Disregard breeds distance from what God is really doing. I was lucky enough to be listening at that time. I am nothing special, but only God in me can produce such results. Prophesy is for today, unlike what some may say. God's gifts are for us today.

Written 3/10/06/blogged 3/17/06

"Japan is the land of 'The Rising Sun'. God wants to make Japan the land of the 'Risen Son'. He wills that the people would turn from their dispair and cling to a new hope. The hope in Jesus' death and resurrection. That Japan would be like a paper lantern to its neighbors. God wills that none should perish, but that all may be saved. Asia is consumed by Buddhism, Shintoism, and atheism. Japan has a chance to be the paper lantern in the midst of darkness to lead the world's most populated continent to Christ. Should the majority of of the most populated race on earth perish? Not if God has his way with Japan. May God's will come to fruition. Amen."

And now for the news:

Christianity on upswing in JapanGallup poll: Traditional religions show decline among teens

By Michael Ireland© 2006 Assist News Service
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – A poll conducted by the Gallup Organization has yielded some surprising statistics on Japanese attitudes toward religion, morality and spirituality.
According to a media advisory obtained by ANS, among the findings from one of the most extensive surveys of the country ever taken was a Christian population of 6 percent, a number much higher than reported in previous surveys.
Researchers were also surprised by high numbers of teens who claimed the Christian faith, while the traditionally dominant religions, Buddhism and Shintoism, though still claimed by many adults, suffered declines among teenagers. Some respondents answered that they belonged to more than one religion.

Of the 30 percent of adults surveyed who claimed to have a religion, 75 percent considered themselves Buddhists, 19 percent Shintoists, while 12 percent considered themselves to be Christians.
Researchers were especially surprised at the large number of Japanese youth who claimed the Christian faith. Of the 20 percent who professed to have a religion, 60 percent called themselves Buddhists, 36 percent Christians and followers of the traditionally dominant Japanese religion, Shinto.
Calling the numbers "stunning," George Gallup Jr. who assisted with the poll, noted of teenagers: "These projections mean that seven percent of the total teenage population say they are Christians."
The poll was conducted in association with American Trademark Research and MJM Group in 2001 for use in a documentary that is expected to be released later this year.
"According to the social scientists in Japan, this was the single largest study ever attempted," said Bill McKay, one of the documentary's producers and project research director. "The entire study examined preteens, teens, young adults, adults and seniors."
"In my 50 years of polling, there has been no study that I would consider as important as this one, because it provides insight into a fascinating culture," added Gallup.
"When they saw the design of the questionnaire, Japanese experts argued that the Japanese would never answer the socially delicate and/or the highly personal questions," observed McKay. "However, it was our professional hunch that the Japanese were ready to talk and when they did they told us more than we had asked for. The data is the most revealing look behind the face of Japan and shatters many WWII myths of the Japanese culture."

The poll also delved into popular attitudes toward a variety of subjects related to morality, spirituality and general views about life
"Most Japanese, judging by their responses to scales on happiness, are neither 'very happy,' nor 'very unhappy,' noted Gallup. "There is a degree of fatalism in their somber mood. Teen's perspectives on life tend to a sense of nihilism to an alarming degree. A note of hopelessness is found in the responses to a number of questions. And there is little evidence of eternal hope, although a considerable number do believe in some form of life after life."
On matters of morality, Gallup noted a strong relativistic streak: "Like much of the rest of the world, the Japanese tend to take relativistic views on ethical matters. There is little belief in 'absolutes,' and this is true across the all-generational groups. In the 'hierarchy of crimes,' those related to economic and family matters far outweigh those related to sexual activity."
Researchers were also surprised by teen attitudes which reflected an especially pessimistic outlook on life. While 22 percent of U.S. teens in previous Gallup surveys often wondered why they existed, the number for Japanese teens was 85 percent. Similarly, while 76 percent of U.S. teens always see a reason for their being on Earth, only 13 percent of Japanese teens agreed with the statement. A surprisingly high 11 percent of Japanese teens wished they had never been born, a figure that comes in at 3 percent for U.S. teens.

Another Word

2006-03-17T08:09:00.000-06:00

Japan is the land of "The Rising Sun". God wants to make Japan the land of the "Risen Son". He wills that the people would turn from their dispair and cling to a new hope. The hope in Jesus' death and resurrection. That Japan would be like a paper lantern to its neighbors. God wills that none should perish, but that all may be saved. Asia is consumed by Buddhism, Shintoism, and atheism. Japan has a chance to be the paper lantern in the midst of darkness to lead the world's most populated continent to Christ. Should the majority of of the most populated race on earth perish? Not if God has his way with Japan. May God's will come to fruition. Amen.

A Word

2006-03-16T12:14:00.000-06:00

"Oh My people, pay attention that you might know Me, and the hour in which I speak. I do not speak in vain, yet you refuse to listen. Give Me your hearts, for a day will soon come when I will not be found. You will cry aloud for Me, but I will not come. All things that are to happen, must first happen. Count yourself fortunate if your soul is already joined with Me. For I will not abandon you to the ravenous wolves. I hold them at bay for a time, that thou mightest believe upon the Lord your God and work to complete the work in you which has been started. Praise the mighty name of God from the mountain tops. Praise Him from the depths of the sea. Prepare yourself to receive Me, that you may indeed live."

An opportunity to get (stay) in rhythm...

2006-02-20T12:02:00.000-06:00

Now, I know that a lot of us that aren't Catholic don't take advantage of practicing Lent. I believe that we are missing a real opportunity to get in touch with the Spirit, and center our lives. I know it seems silly to give up TV or beer and eat fish on Fridays. Well, find something to give up that does require sacrifice. Fasting is an important part of bettering your relationship with God. The purpose of Lent is to get you prepared for the Easter season (Maunday Thursday, Good Fiday, and Easter). The more that you can do to incorporate reflecting on God into your daily life, the stronger your walk will become. Please join me in observing Lent this year. Study up on it. There is some ambiguity surrounding the practice, so take advantage of this to create a meaningful period of reflection and meditation for yourself. I plan on eating one meatless meal per day and (fasting from the other meals), completely fasting every Friday and Saturday (as well as Ash Wednesday), and Eating on Sundays to get in rhythm for the Easter feast. I will be diligent in prayer, meditation, and scripture study in the morning, at noon, in the evening, and before bed (which is a good practice everyday, anyway). Please join me. There's a pretty good article below. Feel free to read it and pass it along. Thanks!

BREATHING IN AND BREATHING OUT – 'Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness' (Matthew 4:1).
Jesus was anointed by the Spirit at the time of his baptism and then almost immediately, in Matthew's Gospel, the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. It is a pattern you see frequently in Scripture: exaltation, followed by withdrawal and testing, which in turn equips the Christ for his public work.
It is as rhythmic as breathing in and breathing out and this rhythm has been built into the life of the Church. Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, opens the door on a period of spring cleansing in preparation for Easter. What kind of preparation is appropriate for Lent, or should we just junk it as incompatible with our busy lifestyles?
Just over 100 years ago, the Church Times reported a scandal. The Scarborough Conservative Association had decided to hold its AGM on the evening of Ash Wednesday. Even worse, they planned to conclude the business with a 'smoking concert'. Now this last decision, in view of the judgment against Philip Morris, might be controversial now, but I doubt whether the violation of Ash Wednesday would cause the indignation expressed by the Church Times of a century ago, which thundered in a headline: 'Save us from the Conservatism of Scarborough'.
You and I know that while even President Clinton tiptoes around Muslim sensibilities during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, the Christian fast of 40 days is hardly visible. Some people embrace minor mortifications and give up chocolate in the run up to Easter, but even they are often apologetic about it.
CARNIVAL WITH NO LENT – When I was a curate in those prehistoric days before overhead projector screens, we used to bring out two cheerful cutout characters on the Sunday before Lent. They were called GUS and TOM. It was a threadbare homiletic device. They stood for the two sides of Lent – Give Up Something and Take On More. We tried, but the tide was against us.
In some ways this is surprising. We live at a time when for many people the spectacle of superabundance for some, of carnival with no ensuing Lent, has become rather nauseating. 'Carnival' literally means 'goodbye meat', and it used to be the festival on the eve of the period of fasting. Now the rhythm has gone and it is carnival all the year round.
At the same time, the destruction of the rhythms of the day, the week and the year in favour of a mere succession of passing moments (hyped, but ultimately deadening), has led to a spiritual exhaustion in which you might think that a little fasting and reduction of stimuli would have a fashionable appeal.
Lent chimes in with another modern movement for re-inventing and improving the self. So many of us are evidently dissatisfied with ourselves as we are. Working under the instruction of some guru, we hope to progress to some better 'me', with a fuller and richer life.
Some of these gurus are genuinely helpful. Many of you will have read or at least have bought the book by Steve Covey called, 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'. Over 5 million copies have been sold over the past 10 years. The teachings of this Mormon sage have impressed Clinton and Gingrich alike, with useful advice like: 'don't prioritise your schedule, but schedule your priorities'. OK, it is as difficult as the letters of St Paul, but the advice is not without value.
In such circumstances – disgust at over-consumption; the evident effects of the destruction of rhythms in daily life; and dissatisfied people struggling to reinvent themselves – the failure of Christians to market Lent seems strange and incompetent.
EMPTYING TO BE FILLED – Lent is the springtime of the Church year, a period of preparation for Easter. God's gift to us in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the sending of the Spirit is life in all its fullness, but we know that there remains an undertow in daily life which carries us away into negativity and forgetfulness. Our lives become old again. We need an annual review.
Perhaps, however, it is not so strange that Lent has not caught the popular mood. Centre stage for contemporary gurus is the individual consumer of life operating on his own profile and image to produce a trimmer, more effective figure. If a person takes up religion in this mood, then it is because God is an asset in this process.
By contrast, the Christian faith promises new life; life in all its fullness to those who open themselves up to God, emptying themselves so that they can be filled with the life that flows from the Godhead.
The Christian Lent is not a time for reinventing the self by a supreme effort. It is a time for opening up to God and seeing through some of the shadows inside us. Jesus the Anointed One faced a crescendo of temptations from desert, to temple wall, to high mountain. He saw through the daydreams about power and possession and emerged equipped by the Spirit for his work.
HEARING GOD'S DRUMBEAT – The Spirit drove him into the wilderness which is indeed a place for confronting oneself at depth. I went into the Sinai with a group of young East Enders, which included Muslims, a few Christians, mostly don't-knows. The experience had a profound effect on us all. The desert is a great leveller and revealer. When you all have to go behind the shadow of a great rock with your loo roll and a box of Swan Vesta matches (we were ecologically conscientious!) the barriers between people and the protections of status and normal routine fall.
Lent in the desert is not possible for many (but don't dismiss the idea that you could be in need of a pilgrimage). Even at home, Lent can be a time for reducing some of the chronic over-stimulation which is so much a part of modern living; a time when we protect ourselves a little more from the daily bombardment of images and stimuli, the pressures which keep us trapped on the surface.
You will know the pressure points in your own lives, but now is the time for deciding how to use Lent. Perhaps by not reading so many newspapers, hearing so much, watching so much, consuming so much, so that we can be liberated from the sick hurry which dulls our capacity to hear the still small voice.
Perhaps it is the time to live more simply in order to tighten up the drumskin, so that God's drumbeat can be heard more clearly in our lives.
Perhaps it is a time for carving out some solitude so that we can become aware of those senses which are deadened in daily life. The choice is yours. You have to decide what is most relevant. The London Diocesan team, quite apart from what they are doing individually, have decided to fast from routine meetings in order to spend more time to be with other disciples in the parishes of the Diocese on their Lenten journey to Easter.
Just giving up chocolate, which can be resumed in a great binge on Easter Day, does little good and can easily fill us with an unhelpful sense of spiritual achievement. Lent is an opportunity for Springtime cleansing and we can encourage one another in observing it. Why should Weight Watchers have a greater care for one another's progress than followers of Jesus Christ?

This had better be paranoid neighbors, because if it's not...

2006-02-17T12:44:00.000-06:00

HOMELAND INSECURITY- Probe finds terrorists in U.S. 'training for war'Neighbors of Muslim encampment fear retaliation if they report to police

Entrance to Hancock, N.Y., encampment (Courtesy Northeast Intelligence Network)The Pakistani terrorist group Jamaat ul Fuqra is using Islamic schools in the United States as training facilities, confirms a joint investigative report by an intelligence think tank and an independent reporter.
A covert visit to an encampment in the Catskill Mountains near Hancock, N.Y., called "Islamberg" found neighboring residents deeply concerned about military-style training taking place there but frustrated by the lack of attention from federal authorities, said the report by the Northeast Intelligence Network, which worked with an Internet blogger, "CP," to publish an interim report.
The neighbors interviewed, who asked not to be identified, said they feared retaliation if they were to make a report to law enforcement officials.
"We see children – small children run around over there when they should be in school," one neighbor said. "We hear bursts of gunfire all of the time, and we know that there is military-like training going on there. Those people are armed and dangerous."
The resident said his household gets "nothing but menacing looks from the people who go in and out of the camp, and sometimes they yell at us to mind our own business when we are just driving by."
"We don't even dare to slow down when we drive by," the resident said. "They own this mountain and they know it, and there is nothing we can do about it but move, and we can't even do that. Who wants to buy property next to that?"
Jamaat ul-Fuqra, or "community of the impoverished," was formed by Pakistani cleric Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani in New York in 1980. Gilani, who refers to himself as "the sixth Sultan Ul Faqr," has stated his objective is to "purify" Islam through violence.
Gilani also is the founder of a village in South Carolina called "Holy Islamville."
The encampment in Hancock, N.Y., is run by a front for Jamaat ul-Fuqra called Muslims of the Americas Inc., which operates a school known as the International Quranic Open University Inc.

Entrance to Hancock, N.Y., encampment (Courtesy Northeast Intelligence Network)
The facility is on 70 acres of remote land on the western edge of the Catskill Mountains, about 40 miles southeast of Binghamton, N.Y. A sign at the entrance identifies the place as "Islamberg." The other side of the sign says "International Quranic Open University" and "Muslims of the Americas Inc."
Every one of the neighboring residents interviewed expressed disappointment and additional concern that federal law enforcement is not investigating the activities, the report said.
"These people need to be investigated," a resident said. "They are training for war, either for war here in this country or against our troops. Who in the h--- is allowing this stuff to happen right here in our own backyard, and why?"
Headquarters in the USA
Though primarily based in Lahore, Pakistan, Jamaat ul-Fuqra has operational headquarters in the U.S.
The group seeks to counter "excessive Western influence on Islam" through any means necessary, publicly embracing the ideology that violence is a significant part of its quest to purify Islam. The enemies of Islam, the group says, are all non-Muslims and any Muslim who does not follow the tenets of fundamentalist Islam as detailed in the Quran.
Jamaat ul-Fuqra openly recruits through various social service organizations in the U.S., including the prison system. Members live in compounds where they agree to abide by the laws of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, which are considered to be above local, state and federal authority.
According to the report, there appear to be more than two dozen "Jamaats," or private communities, loosely connected and scattered throughout the U.S. with an estimated 5,000 members.
Guard shack at Hancock, N.Y., encampment (Courtesy Northeast Intelligence Network)
An investigation of the group by the Colorado Attorney General's office in the early 1980s found several of the communities operate covert paramilitary training compounds, including one in a mountainous area near Buena Vista, Colo.
Muslims of the Americas Inc., a tax-exempt organization formed in 1980 by Gilani, has been directly linked by court documents to Jamaat ul-Fuqra. The organization operates communes of primarily black, American-born Muslims throughout the U.S. The investigation confirmed members commonly use aliases and intentional spelling variations of their names and routinely deny the existence of Jamaat ul-Fuqra.
Members have been known to go to Pakistan for paramilitary training, but the investigation found evidence the U.S. encampments offer such training so members don't need to risk traveling abroad amid increased scrutiny following the 9-11 attacks.
The report says Jamaat ul-Fuqra members have "purchased isolated rural properties in North America to live as a community, practice their faith, and insulate themselves from Western culture. The group has established rural encampments that U.S. authorities allege are linked to murder, bombings and other felonies throughout North America."
U.S. authorities have probed the group for charges ranging from links to al-Qaida to laundering and funneling money into Pakistan for terrorist activities. The organization supports various terrorist groups operating in Pakistan and Kashmir, and Gilani himself is linked directly to Hamas and Hezbollah. Throughout the 1980s, JF was responsible for a number of terrorist acts across the United States, including numerous fire-bombings.
Gilani was at one time in Pakistani custody for the abduction of American journalist Daniel Pearl. Intelligence sources have determined Pearl was attempting to meet with Gilani in the days before he disappeared in Karachi. Intelligence sources also suggest a link between Jamaat ul Fuqra and Richard Reid, the infamous "shoe bomber" who attempted to ignite explosives aboard a Paris-to-Miami passenger flight Dec. 22, 2001.
Field investigation
Douglas J. Hagmann, director of the Northeast Intelligence Network and multi-state licensed private investigator, and others conducted their covert field investigation Feb. 8 and 9 at the Hancock encampment connected to the terrorist group.
Primary access to the compound is an unmarked road – labeled on county and state maps as "Moslem Road"
Two structures with capacities of up to 100 each appear to be used for religious training, education and meeting purposes, according to local sources. Investigators found a weapons firing range that is not visible from the road or any other publicly accessible vantage position. It appeared to have been recently used.
Near the eastern perimeter of the property – on a hillside – appears to be a military-style training area, including ropes hung from tree limbs, an obstacle course, wooden fences for scaling and other items and structures one would expect to find in a "boot-camp" setting. The area also appeared to have been used recently.
The report noted the property is near the Cannonsville Reservoir and Watershed Area, one of several water supply sources servicing New York City and adjacent areas.
The investigators noted men appeared to be designated to provide security for the compound, with some posted at guard shacks.
"Although no activity of extreme significance was observed (the presence of armed sentries guarding the perimeter of the compound excluded) during this period of surveillance, it was obvious that measures to insure that the activities taking place at this location were well insulated from public view," the report said.
Investigators interviewed six area residents, who each requested anonymity for the report, and found them to be consistent. The report summarized the information:
The encampment has been in operation for at least 20 years and appears to maintain a steady level of occupancy. Each source confirmed the existence of at least one armed guard at the main entrance, especially during "special events" that result in a significant number of visitors by vehicle. The events appear to be meetings or religious services held within the compound.
Nearly every weekend, sound of gunfire can be heard from the camp. According to one neighbor who stated he's a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, some of the weapons obviously are "automatic" and large-caliber. On at least two occasions last summer, area residents heard small explosions.
The occupants won't allow anyone not affiliated with their organization to enter the encampment. All of the residents stated they've never observed a marked law enforcement vehicle enter the compound at any time.
Visitors to the compound are numerous and frequent. All visitors appear to be black males operating late model vehicles, mostly SUVs, and many possess license plates from Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee.
At least once each week, private deliveries of unknown items are made to the camp by unmarked box-style trucks. The trucks, usually at the compound for two to three hours at a time, are operated by black males or men who appear to be of Middle Eastern origin.
Men of Middle Eastern origin appear to be "frequent guests" of the encampment, many in traditional Islamic attire. Some appear to stay at the encampment for three to four days or longer. During the visits, activity and security at the compound is heightened noticeably.
The report also says it found that a number of the residents of the compound work for the New York State Thruway, as tollbooth operators in the New York City area or are employed at a nearby center that processes credit card transactions and maintains vital confidential financial records.
The report concludes additional investigation by law enforcement authorities is required.
"The appropriate action must be taken now to insure the safety and security of the United States, or it is certain that we will be forced to deal with the consequences. …"

It's a good day to die... or maybe not.

2006-02-08T13:52:00.000-06:00

Can I see a show of hands? How many of you would like to die at work, sitting in a cube, processing paperwork or answering phones? No takers? Are you sure? Well, I heard of someone that passed away today at work. It's a sobering thought. You're sitting there and BAM! You check out and that's that. Your life is summarized in that moment. Whatever you accomplished or stood for is written in stone at that moment. You cannot add to or take away from anything you did or neglected to do during your life. I couldn't imagine putting years and years into doing paperwork or answering phones, and go out doing it. Not to diminish this person's existence, because everyone has infinite worth and family members will be mourning for her, (I'm going to seperate the situation from the person here) but what a waste! If my headstone says, "He worked in a cube for 25 years, doing someone else's work, and died there too", I will roll over in my grave. Me, I want to go down in a blaze of glory. I want my guns drawn, and charging the gates of the enemy. I don't want to fade away into oblivion. My guess, is that if this person was living for something real (whether somewhere else or with her work as her missions field) she would still be alive and kicking. Of course I don't know that, but having seen corporate culture, a lot of people lose hope for anything better in their life. The corporate life can breed depression. But for those that are obedient to God's call, and working hard to see God's kingdom come on this earth, Jesus promised, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and all over the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you". For those that are doing His work, why would He allow them to be overcome, lest it should prove to a greater glory? That could be the case here. I hope so. But to sit and watch days, weeks, months, and years roll by in front of our eyes and to do nothing about it? No thank you. My guns are out, and I'm looking for that fight, that when I go down (whether today or in 70 years) I will know that I completed my task here on earth. May you come to that same place, for the harvest is many, but the workers are few. It's time to roll.

Judge to Rule on Merit of Christ Case

2006-01-27T10:21:00.000-06:00

This is probably one of the most unwarranted, vicious, and completely rediculous things I have ever heard. What does he hope to gain by this? If he loses, he will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, which could possibly side with this nutjob. Of course the press is nice enough to include a link to his web site at the bottom of the article. Way to go unbiased journalism! What was that old Iron Maiden song? "Run to the hills, run for your life!" Yep.

Romans 1- "28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

Judge to Rule on Merit of Christ Case

By MARTA FALCONI, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 10 minutes ago
VITERBO, Italy - An Italian judge heard arguments Friday on whether a small-town parish priest should stand trial for asserting that Jesus Christ existed.

The priest's atheist accuser, Luigi Cascioli, says the Roman Catholic Church has been deceiving people for 2,000 years with a fable that Christ existed, and that the Rev. Enrico Righi violated two Italian laws by reasserting the claim.
Lawyers for Righi and Cascioli, old schoolmates, made their arguments in a brief, closed-door hearing before Judge Gaetano Mautone in Viterbo, north of Rome. They said they expected the judge to decide quickly.
Cascioli filed a criminal complaint in 2002 after Righi wrote in a parish bulletin that Jesus did indeed exist, and that he was born of a couple named Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and lived in Nazareth.
Cascioli claims that Righi's assertion constituted two crimes under Italian law: so-called "abuse of popular belief," in which someone fraudulently deceives people; and "impersonation," in which someone gains by attributing a false name to a person.
"The point is not to establish whether Jesus existed or not, but if there is a question of possible fraud," Cascioli's attorney, Mauro Fonzo, told reporters before the hearing.
Cascioli says the church has been gaining financially by "impersonating" as Christ someone by the name of John of Gamala, the son of Judas from Gamala.
He has said he has little hope of the case succeeding in overwhelmingly Roman Catholic Italy, but that he is merely going through the necessary legal steps to reach the European Court of Human Rights, where he intends to accuse the church of what he calls "religious racism."
Righi, 76, has stressed substantial historical evidence — both Christian and non-Christian — of Jesus' existence.
"Don Righi is innocent because he said and wrote what he has the duty to say and write," Righi's attorney, Severo Bruno, told reporters.
He said he told Mautone during the hearing that Righi was not asserting a historical fact when he wrote of Jesus' existence, but rather "an expression of theological principles."
"When Don Righi spoke about Christ's humanity ... he was affirming that he needs to be considered as a man. What his name is, where he comes from or who his parents are is secondary," he said.
Fonza said he countered that there have long been questions of Christ's existence and that the matter warranted discussion in the court.
"When somebody states a wrong fact, abusing the ignorance of people, and gains from that, that is one of the gravest crimes," Cascioli told reporters.
Righi's brother, Luigi Righi, attended the hearing and said his brother was "serene but bitter."
___
On the Net:
Cascioli's site:
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_re_eu/storytext/did_jesus_exist/17849507/SIG=10tge4s5e/*http://www.luigicascioli.it

Troubled?

2006-01-25T13:15:00.000-06:00

Why do we struggle so much? My guess is our lack of faith. God wants us to trust every move to Him. Look what He did for the Jews in 2 Chronicles 20:17-18- "Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, oh Judah and Jerusalem fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrrow, go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. And Jehosaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord." Jehosaphat had a huge problem. An army way larger than Judah's army was coming after them. It looked like they were done for. However, God wanted to show His glory. He wanted to rescue them Himself. By doing it this way, no one else could claim responsibility for the victory. But to claim the Lord's victory for them, the Jews had to have faith. They could have panicked and rushed into battle to try and head the opposing army off. They could have begged Isreal for help. But instead, they sought after the Lord. They prayed with passion and waited for God's response. God told the Jews that He would rescue them, but that they had to go and watch what He would do. The Jews had faith in God's provision. They trusted in what God said, AND followed His directions to them. If they had stayed home and waited for God to do His thing, I'm certain that God would have let Judah's enemies consume her, because of the disobedience of the people. They went to the cliff to watch God work, and He greatly rewarded them. Galatians 3:5-6- "Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? -Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to Him for righteousness." God wants to solve our problems for us. The problem is, in order to believe God, we must hear what He is saying. If we take the time to listen, He will direct our paths. Then we must have the faith to follow Him down that path at any cost. Rejoice in troubles. Thank God for an opportunity to hear His voice, follow His lead, and see His glory come. This is the path to overcoming our problems. This is the road to victory. Be resolute to place your feet upon the path and follow God's way out of it to the place of His glory shown in your life.

The Departure

2006-01-18T14:18:00.000-06:00

The Departure

The Scripture is haunting. It echoes and reverberates throughout the spiritual hallways of the Church with each passing hour.
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1).
This forewarning fits into the last-days pattern, also given by the Apostle Paul, in the familiar prophetic passage: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of Perdition…” (2 Thes. 2:3).
The “falling away,” apostasia in Greek, means a “departure from.” Paul prophesied in the 2 Timothy 4:1 passage that there will come a time at the end of the Church Age when people will depart from the “faith.” He foretells in 2 Thessalonians that this will be a general “falling away,” the apostasy of the endtime. What is this “faith” from which people will fall away, and who are the “people” who will fall away? Another crucial question is: Can the departure that God, through Paul, forewarned about be recognized when it occurs?
“Faith,” as here defined, must, by context, be the faith in the One who is at the heart of the Gospel--faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God, chosen from the foundation of the world to be the propitiation for the sin that separates fallen man from God. It is the faith you and I must have in order to confess with our mouths that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, and to believe in the deepest part of our spirits that God raised Him from the dead.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9).
A person can’t fall from a position (doctrinally speaking in this case) he never has attained. The “people,” then, whom Paul the apostle is writing about in his prophecies of 1 Timothy 4:1 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3 are those who have believed in Jesus Christ for salvation of their souls.
This brings us to the question: Can the departure God, through Paul, forewarned about be recognized when it occurs? To recognize that “falling away”–that apostasia, or apostasy— when it begins to happen, will almost certainly give the Christian attuned to God’s will a heads-up on the nearness of the Tribulation era, thus to the nearness of the rapture of the Church.
We have looked at the “faith” as faith in Jesus for salvation, and at the “people”who will "depart” from the faith as being the Church--that is, the true Christians who are alive at the time of the end, when the apostasy takes place.
Although there are those who think this departure includes the possibility of one losing one’s salvation, the “falling away” of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 cannot include that meaning. A quick look at Romans 8:38 and 39, to name just one security-of-the-believer passage, shows that God’s Word teaches that the believer can’t depart from the Heavenly Father to the point of losing his or her family status. Jesus, in John chapter 17, makes that absolutely clear. I suggest that if you have questions about this, read the Scriptures I just mentioned.
What, then, is meant by “departing from the “faith”? Glad you asked. The “faith” mentioned in 2 Thessalonians and 1 Timothy 2:3 is a collection of faith principles wrapped up in the Lord Jesus Christ. These principles are doctrines put forth by the Word of God. The Word of God is none other than the Lord Jesus: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
“People” at the time of the “falling away” will “depart” from the “faith” –the doctrines put forth by the Word of God, who is Jesus Christ. This departure will mark the generation of Christians at the very end of the Church Age.
The question that applies most relevantly to us today is: Are we seeing signals of the departure about which Paul forewarned?
We have analyzed, dissected, examined, and inspected every endtime signal found in God’s Word many times in these raptureready.com webpages: Israel again in the land of promise; the EU looking to be the reviving Roman Empire; Russia, Persia (modern Iran) and other nations looking to be a nucleus that will one day form the Gog-Magog force of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. These, plus, all of the other endtime characteristics of this generation.
However, I believe the most insidious of all the things taking place under the clever, devious hand of the devil –Satan—is the falling away, the departure from the faith being currently orchestrated by Lucifer, the fallen one.
This departure is evident to the spiritually discerning when looking at the church growth movement. This “seeker friendly” approach to both the saved and the lost (all who don’t know Christ) through New Age, corporation-type seminar seductiveness and brainwashing techniques that water down or completely eliminate true Bible doctrine is leading in a profound departure from the “faith once delivered” (see Jude 1: 3).
The new paradigm instituted by the champions of the church growth movement is the shift from New Testament Christianity to “New Spirituality-Driven Christianity.” Like in the modern corporate organization, invented in large part by German economic guru Peter Drucker, who mentored some of the leading designers of the church growth movement, the system is more an organism than an organization –adopting Drucker’s model based upon Freudian psychology and Darwinian evolutionary principles. The individual is assigned a value, and he must fit in, or be removed from the system. To put it as I heard one person of the movement say: “Pillars just hold things up. So, they need to be moved out of the way.” So, those who hold to doctrine must get out of the way so no one will have their feelings hurt by talk of sin, and blood atonement, and eternal punishment in the place called Hell, if repentance is not forthcoming. Again, the Apostle Paul wrote God’s view of this watering down of doctrine:
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8).
Are we at the point of departure from the faith that is prophesied for the very end of the Church Age? Maybe we can get a better sense by looking at one more area of Scripture pertaining to the matter: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:1-4).
There is another prophetically scheduled departure to consider. It’s the one we should be looking forward to. It is a God-ordained departure that will remove every child of God of the Church Age –living and dead—from Planet Earth in one millisecond of time:
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13).

Does This Mean I'm Old?

2006-01-10T09:44:00.000-06:00

Am I getting old? I find myself listening to more classic rock than new rock, nowadays. I actually like it when Fleetwood Mac comes on the radio. I've always loved The Doors, Led Zepplin, Van Halen..., but now I am finding myself liking The Eagles, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones. Just so you don't think I'm completely losing it, I do love some new music: Sevendust, Three Days Grace, Foo Fighters... It could be worse. I could be longing to throw on an old Gino Vannelli, Rupert Holmes, or Leo Sayer album (of course now that I say that, I have "When I Need You" stuck in my head. Help!) Although, I might be tempted to listen to some of them over some of the new "music". This new stuff is often written by the same people, sounds sterile, and formulaic. Most really creative stuff is sqashed by record companies that don't think it could sell. Well why, then, are record sales down if people are soooo happy with the output of these companies? I'm not talking about stuff that is way out in left field either! Just bands that take some liberties to evoke some emotion in what they do. If I start really digging Jim Nieghbors, somebody please do an intervention.

Authentic Apostleship?

2006-01-03T14:58:00.000-06:00

Authentic Apostleship (2 Cor. 5:20–6:10)
By: Bob Deffinbaugh , Th.M.
Introduction
We received a phone call one Saturday afternoon from a young lady who said, “Mr. Deffinbaugh, this is …” Because she pronounced my name correctly, I was sure I must know her. She had lost the directions to our house and asked if I could give her and her husband directions from where they were. After hanging up the phone, my wife Jeannette, who had been standing nearby, asked who was on the phone. I told her I couldn’t exactly remember, and I really didn’t know who the young woman was. I had assumed she was one of Jeannette’s tutoring students, or at least someone she knew. I really didn’t have a clue who she was; I had just told her how to get to our house. Jeannette couldn’t think of who it might be either. Our minds racing, we wondered, had we made an appointment for counseling we had forgotten? Had we invited someone to dinner and forgotten it and them? Was this all some terrible mistake, and someone we didn’t know was now on their way to our house for dinner?
The couple arrived, in two cars, with out-of-state license plates. The young woman greeted me warmly. Thinking to myself, “I must know who she is, but I don’t.” I finally swallowed my pride and asked, “Do I know you?” A terrible look came over the young woman’s face as she turned to her husband, realizing that she had made a most embarrassing mistake. The young woman was the daughter of some friends from the past, but we had known her only as an infant, not as a young married woman. She and her husband had just come to town, having made arrangements to visit other friends for dinner and to spend the night before coming to church the next day. They had forgotten they were to have dinner with the other friends, so when they became lost and needed directions, they called us by mistake. What a relief! I was not losing my mind after all. We had not made some terrible mistake. Fortunately, it was a happy reunion, even if we hadn’t planned on their arrival that afternoon. We were delighted to renew our acquaintance.
Mistaken identities are not always so humorous and enjoyable. The Corinthian church has a very serious problem with mistaken identities. In the church at Corinth, there is a problem of mistaken identity concerning spirituality. Some think they are spiritual because they feel free to participate in pagan idol worship (chapters 8-10). Some think themselves more spiritual than others because of the spiritual gifts they possess or because of the public nature of their ministry (chapters 12-14). Some criticize and look down upon Paul and his gospel, claiming they are genuine apostles when they are actually servants of Satan (2 Corinthians 11).
In our text, Paul defends authentic apostleship by defining what it is. Second Corinthians 5:20–6:10 sets down those elements of authentic apostleship which distinguish it from the counterfeit. In his earlier First Corinthian epistle, certain things made the apostles distasteful, even shameful, to some Corinthians (see chapter 4, verses 6-13). Paul now returns to these “offensive elements,” to show that these very things authenticate true apostles and set them apart from the false. Paul defends not just himself, but his fellow-apostles as seen by his use of the plural pronoun (“we”), rather than the singular pronoun (“I”).
My understanding of the structure and argument of this passage stems in part from an observation concerning the expression, “we are ambassadors.” From the English translation, one would expect that there are three words in the original text: the pronoun, “we”; the verb, “are”; and the predicate nominative, “ambassadors.” Actually, the expression reads, “we ambassador.” Ambassador is a verb, not a noun. As I interpret it, this detail is important because it is the principle statement of the passage, and the others are supportive. “Ambassadoring” entails: (1) begging lost men to be reconciled to God (5:20-21); (2) urging saints not to receive the grace of God in vain (6:1-2); and (3) not giving cause for offense, but commending oneself as a servant of God (6:3-10).
Viewing the structure of our passage in this way helps to explain the emphasis we find in verses 3-10. The most lengthy portion of our text is all about the sufferings of Paul and his colleagues in the gospel ministry. What does this have to do with the whole passage? If, as I am contending, the main verb is “to ambassador,” then these three segments define what ambassadoring is. Ambassadoring is about preaching the gospel to the lost, urging saints to live according to the gospel, and suffering in a godly way for the cause of the gospel. Let us proceed with our exposition based upon this assumption concerning the structure of our text.
Ambassadors Beg Men on Christ’s Behalf to Be Reconciled to God (5:20-21)
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
The “therefore” of verse 20 links these verses with what has just been written in the preceding verses:
18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
I wish to highlight two things Paul says in verses 18 and 19 in relationship to his words in verse 20. First, I believe Paul speaks of the ministry of reconciliation as being given to the apostles in particular, and only secondarily to all believers. The “word of reconciliation” is the message of the gospel, as defined and declared by the apostles in their inspired and authoritative writings (i.e., the New Testament) and in their preaching. This is why, when they entreat men, begging them to be reconciled to God, they do so as though God were speaking and entreating through them. Their word is God’s Word.
Second, I believe Paul defines here what he means by reconciliation. Reconciliation is the restoration of lost sinners, alienated from a holy God, into fellowship and relationship with Him, by faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection in the sinner’s place. It is possible to speak and think of wayward sinners being reconciled to God, but I do not think this is the sense in which it is used here. Indeed, the dominant meaning of the term reconciliation is the reconciliation of lost sinners. Reconciliation here is virtually synonymous with salvation.
I struggled with this conclusion, because it is clear in the context that the “you” in verse 20 refers to those in the church at Corinth. How can Paul beg people in the church to be reconciled to God if reconciliation is the salvation of lost sinners? The answer is not nearly as difficult as we might think. How can we possibly assume that every church member is saved? More specifically, how can we assume that every Corinthian church member is saved, especially in the light of the doctrinal and moral problems Paul has already exposed in his letters to this church? Paul does not assume that everyone who attends church is saved. He does not even assume that everyone who professes to be saved is saved. Paul assumes that in a church which has so many serious problems, it is likely that some who gather with the saints are not saved.
He assumes, for example, that there may be visitors who are lost:
23 If therefore the whole church should assemble together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you (1 Corinthians 14:23-25).
At the end of this epistle, he challenges the Corinthians to give serious thought as to whether or not they are truly saved:
5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5).
And so, my friend, if the Apostle Paul can appeal to those who gather with the Corinthian saints, begging them to be reconciled to God, is it not appropriate for me to urge you to be saved as well? This should certainly not offend anyone who is truly born again (John 3:1ff.), but it should give pause for thought to any who might not be. Just being with Christians does not make you a Christian. Even professing to be a Christian does not save you. What saves you is trusting in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in your place, for the punishment of your sins, and for the gift of God’s righteousness in Christ. I beg of you, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Ambassadors Work With God to Urge Men Not to Receive the Grace of God in Vain (6:1-2)
1 And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—2 for He says, “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU”; behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION.”
I pass on, leaving behind the richness of verses 20-21 only because I have dealt with this text in previous messages. If Paul’s words in verses 20 and 21 are spoken to the lost, his first two verses of chapter 6 are addressed to those who are truly saved. These words are Paul’s admonition and exhortation to those who truly have been reconciled to God by faith in Jesus Christ. Once again, Paul speaks on behalf of God. He writes, “and working together with Him …” In the context, I believe it is clear he means, once again, that when he says these words to the Corinthians, he is speaking for God and with God (see also 1 Corinthians 3:9).42 Paul is not speaking alone; He is speaking for God, and he is also speaking with the apostles. He writes, “we also urge you …” (6:1). Thus, all of the apostles speak the same thing when they speak for God to men.
As authentic apostles urge unbelievers to be reconciled to God, they urge Christians “not to receive the grace of God in vain.” The question, of course, is what Paul means when he speaks of “receiving the grace of God in vain.” The expression, “in vain,” consistently seems to refer to any actions taken which do not produce their intended result. This may be one’s labor or ministry, which fails to produce the desired results (Isaiah 49:4; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 2:2; Philippians 2:16; 1 Thessalonians 3:5). It may even be one’s suffering, which proves to be of no benefit (Galatians 3:4).
I believe Paul speaks here of the danger the Corinthian believers face of having started well and then being led astray, so that their lives fall short of what the grace of God is designed and provided to produce in them. Paul warns the Galatians of this very thing:
1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:1-5).
7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? (Galatians 5:7).
Here in Paul’s words to the Galatians is the same warning he sounds to the Corinthian saints. Jewish legalists have crept in among the Corinthians, supposing their Jewishness makes them superior to mere Gentiles who are in the faith. They advocate teachings and practices which they claim are a part of the old covenant and which they wrongly suppose are superior to the new. If the Corinthians buy this heresy, they will have been turned from grace to law, and they will fail to reach the doctrinal and moral maturity for which God made provision. Paul simply urges the Corinthians to press on toward the goal of their salvation—by the same means as they were saved—by grace (see Philippians 3:1-16; Colossians 2:1-23).
This is a very serious matter for Christians of all ages. All too often, Christians assume that once they are saved they have arrived. Salvation has three dimensions: past, present, and future. Salvation is the starting point, and salvation has a final goal. Having been saved, we must press on to maturity in Christ. We should not be like the Hebrews who became stagnant in their faith:
11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:11-14).
Sinners are called to be reconciled to God, to be saved from their sins by faith in Jesus Christ. Saints are called to obedience, to grow up to maturity in Christ. And this growth is not done in isolation, but as a part of a body that is working together in unity and harmony:
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love (Ephesians 4:11-16).
No wonder Paul is concerned about the Corinthians! They are divided into little competitive cliques. Some are looking to their leaders or to their own gifts as a basis for boasting over others. Those at Corinth who are lost need to be saved, and those who are saved need to grow up in unity to maturity. If they fail to do so, they have received the grace of God in vain. They have been saved from their sins, but they have failed to reach the goal of their salvation by grace. The apostles’ task is to call the lost to repentance, to be reconciled to God. It is also their task to call believers to growth and maturity. And this is what Paul and his fellow-apostles are continuing to do. Those who claim to be apostles and do not do the same clearly are not authentic apostles.
Paul buttresses his appeal in verse 1 with a quotation from Isaiah in verse 2: “For He says, ‘AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU’; behold, now is ‘THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,’ behold, now is ‘THE DAY OF SALVATION.’” Paul appeals to Christians in verse 1 not to receive the grace of God in vain. He then quotes this text in Isaiah 49, verse 8. I believe we can only grasp Paul’s understanding and use of verse 8 if we look at the broader context of the chapter from which this is cited. Look especially at verse 4: “But I said, ‘I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God’” (Isaiah 49:4, emphasis mine).
As I understand this chapter, an interchange takes place in the meaning of the term “servant.” Sometimes, the “servant” is the nation Israel; at other times, it is the promised Messiah. Jesus, the Messiah, is the “Servant” who fulfills what Israel could not and did not fulfill as God’s “servant.” In verse 4, Israel protests that it has toiled “in vain” (the same Greek term Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 6:2) and spent its strength for nothing, for vanity. God speaks to disheartened Israel to assure her that her labors are not in vain. They are not in vain because He is sending the Messiah, upon whom all of Israel’s hopes are pinned, and through whom they are realized. God promises Israel that in “an acceptable time” and in a “day of salvation” He will bring about their salvation. This “day” will be a day of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles (see 49:1, 6-7, etc.).
That promised “day,” Paul says to the Corinthians, has come. The promised “Servant” is the Lord Jesus Christ. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, God has fulfilled His promise of salvation. That day has come. This means that all our labors, all our sufferings are not in vain. They are certain. Why then should we become slack and undisciplined, so that we receive the grace of God in vain by not striving toward the goal of our salvation? The doubts and fears expressed by ancient Israelites, because the promised day was distant, are not excusable, but they are understandable. However, for those upon whom the ends of the ages have come in Christ (1 Corinthians 10:11), there is absolutely no excuse for doubting the certainty of our future hope. Christ has come, the day of salvation is now. We have every reason to labor diligently, knowing our labor and suffering are not in vain. We have no reason to give up and every reason to press on in our relationship with Christ.
Ambassadors Give No Unnecessary Cause for Offense, but Commend Themselves as Servants of God (6:3-10)
3 Giving no cause for offense in anything, in order that the ministry be not discredited, 4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; 9 as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, 10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
There are four major dimensions to Paul’s words in verses 3-10. First, Paul purposes to give no cause for offense in anything. Second, he and his fellow-apostles are suffering greatly as servants of God. Third, in the midst of all this, they are manifesting godly character through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in them. Fourth, they are employing godly means and methods. Let us pause to consider each of these four dimensions.
True Apostles Give No Offense in Anything
Paul tells us that he and the true apostles “give no cause for offense in anything, in order that the ministry be not discredited” (verse 3). It is very important that we understand what Paul does and does not say here. Paul does not say that he avoids offending unbelievers altogether. Paul says, in effect, that he is scrupulous to avoid offending anyone unnecessarily and in a way that adversely affects the gospel, which is the heart and soul of their ministry. Paul has already told us that the message of the gospel is offensive to the unbeliever:
22 For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:22-24).
The gospel does not flatter lost men; it condemns them as guilty sinners. Men do not come to faith through flattery and appeal to their egos; they come to faith in brokenness and humility. Paul does not and will not change the gospel to make it more appealing to lost sinners, and he strongly condemns anyone who does (see Galatians 1:6-10). Paul seeks to avoid offending men by his conduct and lifestyle, setting aside anything which hinders the gospel in any way. One of the best examples of Paul’s eagerness to avoid unnecessary offense to the gospel is found in 1 Corinthians 9:
15 But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things that it may be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. 20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. 23 And I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it (1 Corinthians 9:15-23).
In this chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul goes to great lengths to demonstrate his right to be supported in ministry. In the verses just cited, Paul explains that while he has the right to be supported in his ministry, he sets this right aside so there is no unnecessary hindrance to his ministry. Some people then, as now, think that all preachers are in the ministry for the money. They can hardly accuse Paul of this, because he labors with his own hands, providing not only for his own needs but also for those of others:
5 For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness—6 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. 7 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. 8 Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; 11 just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, 12 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory (1 Thessalonians 2:5-12; see also Acts 20:33-36).
What a contrast this is to the mindset and lifestyle of those who are false apostles. The false apostles more than willingly modify the gospel so it will not give offense to fallen men (see 1 Corinthians 15:12; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 4:2; 11:1-4). They seem to be taken with themselves and are far from humble. They advocate assertive leadership, not servant leadership. They may be involved in some of the practices which even offend the pagans of their day (see 1 Corinthians 5:1). They do not seem to be the kind who surrender their rights as Paul and others do, but may well be among those who insist on their rights, even when their “rights” are wrong (such as participating in pagan idol worship ceremonies—1 Corinthians 8-10). The false prophets are “wolves” who feed on the sheep, while the true apostles are shepherds, who protect, guide, and feed the sheep at great personal sacrifice. Authentic apostles seek to avoid any offense which hinders the gospel of Jesus Christ.
True Apostles Suffer for the Sake of the Gospel
We know that suffering was the rule for the Old Testament prophets: “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become” (Acts 7:52). Jesus made it very clear to His disciples that He would suffer, and so would they:
21 From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day (Matthew 16:21; see also Luke 9:22; 24:26).
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me” (John 15:18-21; see also Matthew 24:9).
False prophets have minimized sin and its consequences throughout biblical history, and they have promised peace and prosperity to the wicked (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 3:3-7). When Jesus spoke to those who would follow Him, He made the cost of discipleship very clear (see Luke 9:57-62), and so did the apostles (Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12). The apostles know what it means to “take up their cross” in following Jesus. But the false apostles are not interested in paying a price for following Christ, because they do not know Him (see Jeremiah 23; John 10:10-13). They are motivated by greed and self-indulgence. Thus, one of the ways of discerning an authentic apostle is to see how much he has suffered for His Lord.
Before proceeding, it may be worth noting the structure Paul indicates and employs in verses 4-10. Verses 4-7a contain the repeated term “in.” In verses 7b-8a, Paul employs the term “by.” And finally, in verses 8b-10 Paul uses the form, “as … yet” There are then three separate categories. The “in” list of verses 4-7a is a listing of the various forms of suffering which Paul and his fellow-apostles have endured, as well as the godly character they evidence in their adversity:
“In” much endurance: 43
in afflictions
in hardships (general trials)
in distress
in beatings
in imprisonments (persecution by men who oppose the gospel)
in tumults
in labors
in sleeplessness (self-imposed trials, from commitment to the task)
in hunger
“In” (godly character):
purity
knowledge
patience
kindness
the Holy Spirit
genuine love
the word of truth
the power of God
The “by” of verses 7b-8a enumerates the various means by which the gospel is proclaimed and practiced by the apostles:
the weapons of righteousness, for right and left hand (offensive and defensive?)
glory and dishonor
evil report and good report
In the final structural device (“as … yet”), Paul describes the popular perception of the apostles by unbelievers, contrasting it with the true perception of their standing and status in Christ:44
PERCEPTION
REALITY
as deceivers
yet true
as unknown
yet known
as dying
yet behold we live
as punished
yet not put to death
as sorrowful
yet always rejoicing
as poor
yet making many rich
as having nothing
yet possessing all things
True Apostles Manifest the Character of Christ by the Way They Suffer
We have already seen that authentic apostles are those who have suffered Christ’s rejection and persecution, while the false apostles avoid suffering and persecution like the plague. False apostles are intent upon experiencing the “good life” for themselves and using it as bait for those whom they would lead astray. It is not enough for one just to suffer; an authentic apostle (as well as an authentic Christian) must suffer for the right reasons, and they must suffer in the right way. This is a point which Peter forcefully spells out in his first epistle:
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls (1 Peter 2:18-25).
The last part of Paul’s “in” list in verses 6 and 7 contains those qualities evidenced in their sufferings, which mark the apostles out as those who are identified with Christ. They are guided by the Word of God, enabled by the power of God, indwelt by the Spirit of God, and characterized by the fruits of godliness: purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, and love. How easily we justify our bad temper or our impatience in times of trial. God’s authentic apostles manifest Christ-likeness in the midst of their adversities. They not only bear His afflictions, they respond to them as He did.
Authentic Apostles Employ Godly Means and Methods
The false apostles are gospel hucksters (2 Corinthians 2:17; 4:2). They modify the gospel to make it look good to men. They want to “sell” the gospel, appealing to the fleshly motives of men and, in the process, satisfy their own lusts. They try to make their “product” look good by making themselves look good. Authentic apostles refuse to dilute or modify the gospel message. They know that Christ crucified is not a popular message, but they rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit to convince and convert men (see 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:16). Thus, in using the term “by” in verses 7b and 8, Paul speaks of the means God employs in defining and declaring the gospel through His authentic apostles. Here are the means God works through His authentic apostles:
by the weapons of righteousness,45 for right and left hand (offensive and defensive?)
by glory and dishonor
by evil report and good report
The weapons authentic apostles employ are the “weapons of righteousness.” They are not like those of the false apostles:
1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, 2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:1-4).
The false apostles love glory. They boast in it. At times, God did manifest His glory through His apostles as a testimony that they were authentic:
12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles (2 Corinthians 12:12).
1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will (Hebrews 2:1-4).
But God also used His authentic apostles in situations which are far from glorious. Stephen’s stoning was far from glorious, but it brought about greater evangelism (Acts 8:1) and eventually the conversion of Saul (Acts 8:1-3; 9:1ff.). Paul’s imprisonment was used by his opponents who claimed that by this he was disapproved and should not be taken seriously; yet his imprisonment actually furthered the gospel (Philippians 1:12-18). Paul’s imprisonment led to the conversion of many in the household of Caesar (Philippians 4:22). It was in his imprisonment that Paul spent much time in prayer for the saints and in writing his epistles to them, some of which we now study as the very Word of God! Authentic apostles are not those who always seem to succeed or who have men’s approval; they are those who are faithful to the God who uses them in their honor and dishonor, for the sake of Christ.
Conclusion
The line between authentic and counterfeit apostleship is being drawn, leading up to Paul’s climactic conclusion in chapters 11-13. The Corinthian cliques, which Paul first mentions in 1 Corinthians 1, are being led (at least in part) by men who employ fleshly methods, who appeal to human reason and motives, and who distort and dilute the gospel to gain a following. At the same time, they look down upon Paul and his associates and ridicule his gospel as simplistic and offensive. They belittle Paul and the other apostles because they are not highly esteemed in the world. In fact, they are rejected and persecuted. Authentic apostles have none of the outward appearances of the counterfeit apostles. Paul outlines in 1 Corinthians 4 the things which he suffered, for which some of the Corinthians look down upon him:
6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to exceed what is written, in order that no one of you might become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. 7 For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 8 You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and I would indeed that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. 9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. 11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now (1 Corinthians 4:6-13).
Now, in 2 Corinthians 6, Paul raises these matters for which he is judged the “scum of the world, the dregs of all things.” These sufferings, trials, and tribulations of the Apostle Paul are now claimed as proof of the authenticity of his apostleship and that of his colleagues. Paul completely turns the tables on his opponents.
Is it not the same today? How do many professing Christians judge the authenticity of God’s servants, of the men (and women), of their message, and their methods? All too often, we judge on external standards, the very same standards employed by the world. Let us adopt the same standards Paul sets down, not only for those whom we will follow as our leaders, but as the standard for our own lives as well. Here in this text we learn not only what distinguishes an authentic apostle, but also that which distinguishes an authentic Christian. Let us live according to the standard of authenticity God Himself sets down for us through His apostle, Paul.

Not for the the comfortable.

2005-12-06T23:08:00.000-06:00

American Christianity is often less about true Christianity, but maybe, as my pastor suggested, an extension of the old Roman Empire. We desire the good things of life. We go to college to get a good job, to get good money, to get good stuff. Not that there's anything wrong with having money or stuff, but many of the churched have all but shut out the voice of God, because they have allowed themselves to get comfortable. We are comfortable in our homes, in our jobs, and in our pews. 2 Timothy 2:4 says, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." Although Corporate America may be the exact ministry field that God has called some of us to, I believe many of us have missed the boat. Is it our fault? Not totally. How many churches not only don't teach about a life of ministry, but don't help its people to be trained and equipped to follow God's calling in their life? Many of them are having a hard enough time teaching sound Biblical doctrine.

We live in a society where the smallest minority of people, are trying to push God out of public life. They will press into private life as far as they can. They have success, because so many Christians are too busy with their jobs, families, and other personal issues to worry about God's purpose for their lives. We've grown ambivilant to God in our country. Africa is sending missionaries here, to a country that is, supposedly, a Christian country. If we were doing our jobs, we wouldn't have the mess we have now. Acts 28:26-27 says, "Go unto this people and say, hearing ye shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see and not perceive: for the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." Though many have hardened their hearts, there are those that are truly looking. The Great Commission states that we should preach the gospel to the ends of the Earth. In 1 Corinthians 9:14, Paul says: "Even so the Lord has has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.", and in verse 16: "...woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!"

We lack workers to spread the gospel message. But, it takes being equipped. Many people shove Christianity down people's throats, because they haven't been equipped to spread the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:27 says, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." I have tried to institute a lifestyle of fasting, prayer, and mentorship- getting into the rhythm of the Holy Spirit, not that of the flesh, so that my words and deeds are consistent." God's word is important. It must be given and received. However to see God's kingdom come on this Earth, we need the power of the Holy Spirit in all we do. 1 Corinthians 4:20, "For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." We so often try to talk, instead of letting God do what He's going to do through us to show His glory.

What does this all mean? God desires that we become serious about our purpose; that we do some real soul serching, that we ask, wait, and listen for His response. We find somebody with a similar calling to learn from, and then we go and do. Faith is not only believing, but what we do once we hear God's voice. Be encouraged and strengthened by God's word, and by the promises He has for each of us.

You're a blockhead, Charlie Brown!

2005-12-06T17:37:00.000-06:00

When CBS bigwigs saw a rough cut of A Charlie Brown Christmas in November 1965, they hated it.

"They said it was slow," executive producer Lee Mendelson remembers with a laugh. There were concerns that the show was almost defiantly different: There was no laugh track, real children provided the voices, and there was a swinging score by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi.

Mendelson and animator Bill Melendez fretted about the insistence by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz that his first-ever TV spinoff end with a reading of the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke by a lisping little boy named Linus.

"We told Schulz, 'Look, you can't read from the Bible on network television,' " Mendelson says. "When we finished the show and watched it, Melendez and I looked at each other and I said, 'We've ruined Charlie Brown.' "

Good grief, were they wrong. The first broadcast was watched by almost 50% of the nation's viewers. "When I started reading the reviews, I was absolutely shocked," says Melendez, 89. "They actually liked it!"

And when the program airs today at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, it will mark its 40th anniversary - a run that has made it a staple of family holiday traditions and an icon of American pop culture. The show won an Emmy and a Peabody award and began a string of more than two dozen Peanuts specials.

Last year, 13.6 million people watched it, making it the 18th-most-popular show on television the week it aired; CSI was first. One advertiser on the show, financial services giant MetLife, has contracted to use Peanuts characters in its advertising since 1985 and will continue through at least 2012.

Schulz, who died in 2000, never doubted the power of his tale of Charlie Brown's quest for the true meaning of Christmas amid the garish trappings of a commercialized holiday. "It comes across in the voice of a child," says Jeannie Schulz, the wife of the cartoonist, whose friends called him Sparky. "Sparky used to say there will always be a market for innocence."

Peter Robbins, now 49, was the voice of Charlie Brown. "This show poses a question that I don't think had been asked before on television: Does anybody know the meaning of Christmas?"

Parents like Molly Kremidas, 39, who grew up adoring A Charlie Brown Christmas, watch it with their kids. "It's the values in the story," says Kremidas, of Winston-Salem, N.C. She'll watch tonight with daughter Sofia, 6. "Would there be any programs for children on today that could get away with talking about the real meaning of Christmas? I don't think so."

Erin Kane, 36, is eager for her 3-year-old son Tommy to watch the program for the first time tonight in their Boston home. "The Christmas season doesn't start," Kane says, "until Charlie Brown is on."

Hip but wholesome

On paper, the show's bare-bones script would seem to offer few clues to its enduring popularity. Mendelson says the show was written in several weeks, after Coca-Cola called him just six months before the program aired to ask if Schulz could come up with a Peanuts Christmas special.

Charlie Brown, depressed as always, can't seem to get into the Christmas spirit. His friend and nemesis Lucy suggests that he direct the gang's Christmas play. But the Peanuts crew is focused on how many presents they're going to get, not on putting on a show.

"Just send money. How about tens and twenties?" says Charlie's sister Sally as she dictates a letter to Santa Claus.

Charlie goes to find a Christmas tree to set the mood. He returns with a scrawny specimen that prompts his cohorts to mock him as a blockhead. In desperation, Charlie asks if anyone can explain to him what Christmas is all about.

"Sure, I can," says his friend Linus, who proceeds to recite the story of the birth of Jesus from the book of Luke in the King James Version of the Bible. "And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and goodwill toward men,' " Linus says. "And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

Scholars of pop culture say that shining through the program's skeletal plot is the quirky and sophisticated genius that fueled the phenomenal popularity of Schulz's work, still carried by 2,400 newspapers worldwide even though it's repeating old comic strips.

The Christmas special epitomizes the nostalgic appeal of holiday television classics for baby boomers raised as that medium gained prominence, says Robert Thompson, a professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University.

Thompson notes that other Christmas specials made during the same era - such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty The Snowman - also air each year to strong ratings.

"This is the only time in the year when TV programs from the LBJ years play on network television and do very, very well," he says. "For millions of baby boomers, these things became as much a holiday tradition as hanging a stocking or putting up a tree."

What makes A Charlie Brown Christmas the "gold standard" in Thompson's view is that it somehow manages to convey an old-fashioned, overtly religious holiday theme that's coupled with Schulz's trademark sardonic, even hip, sense of humor.

While Schulz centers the piece on verses from the Bible, laced throughout are biting references to the modern materialism of the Christmas season. Lucy complains to Charlie that she never gets wants she really wants. "What is it you want?" Charlie asks. "Real estate," she answers.

"A key element in all of Schulz's work is his sense of man's place in the scheme of things in a theological sense as well as a psychological sense," says Thomas Inge, an English and humanities professor at Randolph-Macon College who edited a series of interviews with Schulz released in 2000. "Then there's this slightly cynical attitude that makes everything work."

Parents say the combination of humor and bedrock values is what draws them and their children to the show. "It does provide a balance, but it's a balance that we as a society have forgotten about," says Patrick Lemp, 43, of West Hartford, Conn. He'll watch tonight with son Brendan, 13.

"This is one of the last shows that actually comes out and talks about the meaning of Christmas. As a society, we're taking religion out of a lot of the trappings of the holiday. This one is different."

A cultural footprint

Much about A Charlie Brown Christmas was revolutionary for network TV, even beyond its religious themes.

The voices of children had not been used before in animation, a technique Mendelson, Melendez and Schulz all wanted to try.

"Lee didn't want to use Hollywood kids. He wanted the sound of kids who didn't have training," says Sally Dryer, 48, who did the voice of Violet - the little girl who mocks Charlie Brown for not getting any Christmas cards. In later specials, she was Lucy's voice.

Mendelson sent tape recorders home with all his employees in Burlingame, Calif. Dryer, then 8, was chosen because her sister worked for the Mendelson crew. Robbins and Christopher Shea, the voice of Linus, were the only children with professional acting experience in the cast.

The show was also novel in that it used no laugh track, an omnipresent device in animated and live-action comedies of the era. Schulz strongly believed that his audience could figure out when to laugh.

Perhaps the most enduring aspect of the show has been its score - a piano-driven jazz suite that was absolutely unheard-of for children's programming in 1965.

Guaraldi, the composer and pianist, was best known for a 1962 hit called Cast Your Fate To the Wind. Mendelson liked it so much that he hired Guaraldi to score a documentary about Schulz that never aired. When the Christmas program was sold, parts of that music were incorporated.

The driving tune that the Peanuts children keep dancing to in the special, called Linus and Lucy, has become a pop staple that's been recorded countless time in the intervening decades.

A new version of the soundtrack was released last month for the 40th anniversary. It features Vanessa Williams, Christian McBride, David Benoit and others.

The song that opens the program, Christmas Time is Here, was written only for piano by Guaraldi, but Mendelson decided to add words to appease other network concerns. When he found his songwriter friends in California were all tied up, Mendelson wrote the words himself on the back of an envelope.

"So now it's a standard," says Mendelson, now 72. "Who knew? I tell people that I'm old and I'm lucky."

Jazz pianist George Winston, recorded a 1996 tribute album to Guaraldi, who died in 1976. He says that when he plays Guaraldi tunes at concerts, young children come up later and say, "Hey, that's the Peanuts music!"

Says Winston: "Vince made a stamp on our popular culture that will never go away. For an artist, that's the ultimate tribute."

A sweet memory

The Christmas special has become a key part of the Peanuts marketing empire, which racks up $1.2 billion in annual retail sales, $350 million of which come in the USA. Millions of VCR tapes and DVDs of the program are in circulation worldwide.

The 40th anniversary has spawned a long list of spinoff products, including a "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" at Urban Outfitters and a paperback version of a book Mendelson wrote, The Making of a Tradition: A Charlie Brown Christmas. And the Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, Calif., where Schulz lived, plans a special commemoration on Dec. 17 with Mendelson and several cast members. The museum also has an exhibit on the Christmas show that runs through Jan. 9.

"It's a tradition, along with White Christmas, A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life," says Marion Hull, 77, who toured the exhibit on Friday. "It's simple, it tells a simple story, and it's something that both adults and children can get something out of."

For those who worked to make the program - as well as fans who watch it - its material success seems ancillary. The word that keeps coming up is "sweet."

Robbins, who is single, has no children and manages an apartment building in Encino, Calif., loves that kids of friends squeal with delight each Christmas that "Uncle Pete used to be Charlie Brown."

Jeannie Schulz, who was the artist's second wife when they married in 1973, says their five children, 25 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren see the show as a holiday tradition as well.

"The reason it's endured is because of its simplicity and its very basic honesty to real life," she says. "Who would have thought this would last 40 years? How did that happen?"

For many viewers, it is the speech by Linus from Luke near the end that packs the biggest emotional wallop.

Christopher Shea was just 7 when he did the part and credits Melendez's coaching and his mom's doctorate in 17th-century British literature for Linus' lilting eloquence with a Biblical text.

Shea, who now lives in Eureka, Calif., with two daughters, 11 and 16, answers quickly when asked why the special has proved so enduring. "It's the words," he says.

Shea says that for years, in his teens and 20s, he didn't quite understand his soliloquy's impact.

"People kept coming up to me and saying, 'Every time I watch that, I cry,' " he says. "But as I got older, I understood the words more, and I understood the power of what was going on. Now I cry, too."

Merry What-was-that-again?

2005-12-05T13:31:00.000-06:00

People want to deny this is happening, but an honest look is apparent even to people on the "outside". Since when can 4% of people order 96% around, and why should they?

Jewish Group Condemns Anti-Christian 'War on Christmas'
By Bill FancherDecember 2, 2005
(AgapePress) - A group of Jewish Americans says its members are fed up with the war being waged against Christmas. Yesterday, at a National Press Club gathering in Washington, the group's president, Don Feder, voiced his organization's feelings when he declared, "Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation is here today to say, 'Enough already. If you're offended by a municipal Christmas tree or Santa Claus in a holiday parade or a manger in a park, get over it.'"
Feder went on to say that banning the word "Christmas" and other references to Jesus makes no sense in the United States. "This is an overwhelmingly Christian nation, and it's a matter of simple courtesy to acknowledge a holiday celebrated by 96 percent of the American people," he asserted.
In a recent column for GrasstopsUSA.com, Feder confessed to being among the four percent of Americans who do not celebrate Christmas. But he also admitted that while growing up, he sang Christmas carols and made Christmas ornaments. "And, guess what," he said. "I wasn’t emotionally scarred for life."
While speaking at the National Press Club, the head of Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation (JAACD) called on Jews across the U.S. to rise in defense of Christians' right to say "Merry Christmas" and to celebrate the birth of Jesus according to their faith and traditions without the threat of being prohibited or censured because of political correctness.
"Why would a group of Jews who don't celebrate Christmas care about the disappearance of Christmas?" Feder asked, anticipating the question from his listeners. "Because Christmas is disappearing," he proceeded to explain. "It's disappearing from our culture at an alarming rate, disappearing from stores, disappearing from schools, and disappearing from the public square."
The JAACD spokesman noted his group called the press conference because it wanted to speak out against what he calls the "War on Christmas" -- ongoing efforts to purge Christmas from the nation's public events and sites, retail establishments, and the culture in general. He went on to emphasize his organization's contention that Jews and, indeed, Americans of all faiths need to be concerned about this phenomenon.
Feder asserts that the United States was built on the principles of Judeo-Christian ethics, and it is important for the nation to maintain the right of its citizens to celebrate those principles and the birth of the one from whom they emanate. Meanwhile, he adds, hypersensitive non-believers need to get over their issues with Christmas and respectfully allow the expression of the beliefs of the majority of Americans.

Looking back, looking forward.

2005-12-02T22:01:00.000-06:00

The 40 day period of fasting and prayer is over. I can look back and see where I was, and where I am now. I feel stronger, and more focused. With this post, I have fulfilled my obligation to write about the period of fasting. I may now speak about music, society, or whatever. But, I can guarantee that posts about faith will not be in short supply, either. We have now entered the Advent season, meaning that there is more prayer and fasting ahead, as we prepare the way for the celebration of Jesus' birth. This is quite important, as we need to keep our spirits in rhythm with the Holy Spirit by following the Christian calendar. Also, we need to keep our bodies in subjection to the Spirit, that He may move within us. I have learned how, mostly, to stay in step with God as I walk through my day. However, I also have learned that I need to be equipped and trained so much more. I understand that there is a work that has laid dorment for a long time. One that God wishes to awaken within his people. We have pretty much neglected the work of the Holy Spirit both in the Church and in the world. As I have stated before, we each are created to do something special. We must not give up on the original calling upon our life. 1 Corinthians 7:20 says, "Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called". Likewise the Spirit wants to come through that calling and help us persevere in it. We are to be as soldiers behind enemy lines, aware of everything around us. I encourage you to take some time during Advent to pray, fast, and listen to what God might be saying to you. This is a wonderful opportunity to prepare yourself for service, as we prepare to remember the birth of our Lord. Stay strong. Be vigilant.

Why we've got it soooooooo wrong. (I'm serious!)

2005-11-21T15:24:00.000-06:00

Christians are too divided. We are never going to see the move of God the way we desire, or rather the way that God desires to move unless we unify ourselves of heart, mind, and, spirit. We must come together now. 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 says:

“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ’. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

Today we get caught up in what denomination we belong to, what church we worship at, or even worse, what political party we support! All these things are dividing the church! Our government is broken- some miss social justice and others reject moral tenets. None are good! If we rephrase verse 13 for today: “…Was Hillary Clinton crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Dick Cheney?” Absolutely not! Why are we divided over this? Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s! Once we become children of God we belong to Him. We are not Republican or Democrat; we are of the Kingdom of Heaven! We are not Baptist, Catholic, or Methodist; we are Christians! We belong to God, and should be putting His desires, teachings, and ways first. We shouldn’t put God through our political or religious filter. We should be putting politics and religion through God’s filter. This changes how we approach these things. We are to vote based on who lines up most with God’s ideals after prayer. Then, whether the person we voted for won or not, we are to remain in prayer for the winner of each election every day. God says to pray for all of our leaders, not just the ones you like. Don’t pray that they’ll come around to your way of thinking. Pray that they’ll come around to what God is doing, for His plans are bigger and wiser than all of us can comprehend. Be God’s and let that be that!

I'm busy, come again...

2005-11-17T14:14:00.000-06:00

Here's a cool story I found in a message board to illustrate what I've been saying about how we use our time. Take from it what you will...

"Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep then from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!" "How shall we do this?", shouted his angels. "Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then, borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work and the husbands to work 6 or 7 days a week, 10-12 hrs. a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work." "Overstimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, the VCR, and their CD's going constantly in their homes. See to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ." "Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hrs. a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogues, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering, free products, services, and false hopes." Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion." "Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family unity for the good of the cause." It was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge."

1 Timothy 2:4 (KJV)- "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." Even though I've been going through a period of fasting and praying, I haven't been able to cut out the distractions of my life to the point that I feel I should. It is truly a difficult thing to do. It is only by truly learning to pray all the time, even in the midst of distractions, that we will be able to hear God's voice consistently. Jesus was always surrounded by people. Sure, he got away by himself to pray and recharge his batteries, but still maintained a line of communication with the Father in the midst of the busy times.

Where do you belong?

2005-11-15T12:29:00.000-06:00

Day 31 of this period of fasting and prayer- I'm almost there (at the end of 40 days)!

I believe that the 7 churches in The Revelation don't represent actual geographic territories, so much as they do general states of (dys)function of the Church during the end times. It's as if you went to a Baptist church in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Toronto, or Manila. You are still a member of the Baptist church. Certain denominations certainly show the listed charachter traits, since the people of each denomination reflect what that denomination teaches. Again, this isn't indicative of everybody in that denomination, or a condemnation of an entire denomination, as there are good people that really desire to worship and serve God in all that they do wherever they choose to worship. I see all of these churches functioning all over the world. The church of Ephesus can easily represent hardline fundementalism. The followers of this church hate sin, but also tend to hate the people that sin. They have forgot the first works, all based out of love.Churches such as Pergamos and Thiatira can represent hardline liberalism. The followers of this church have distorted God's word, blasphemed God, and given up God's teachings to look more acceptable to the world.There are lessons to be learned here. Wherever we worship, we should desire to belong to the church of Philidelphia. We have to decide to place our lives in the rhythm of the Holy Spirit everyday. (Rev. 3:10) "Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those that dwell upon the earth." It is an ongoing challenge. It's so easy to get wrapped up in what we do everyday, that our senses become numb to how God moves and what God says. (2 Timothy 2:4) "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier". Prayer, scripture reading, and a fasted lifestyle keep us in touch with a God who has created each of us to do something special. If we get caught up in putting tv, video games, work, political activism, and other activities before tending to our daily relationship with God, that's where the tendencies of these other churches can come into our lives. The passions of our life become selfish and distorted.We can all name churches, denominations, and people that are full of the traits in the other churches (maybe even ourselves): niether cold nor hot, sexual immorality, celebrating activities that are dedicated to the prevailing god of the day (self), unbiblical doctrines, blasphemy, and unloving behavior. The key to these verses is this: John tells each church with God's own words how to avoid the fate he has spelled out. However, most people in these churches won't hear what is being said, and will continue down the path that draws them away from God. We just need to ask ourselves, "Am I really of the church of Philidelphia"? "What traits do I show from the other churches?" "What must I do to change my fate?" When we learn to follow God daily, we can then help others to that same place. That is what God desires for each of us.

Shhhhhh...

2005-11-14T15:06:00.000-06:00

We all feel an amazing amount of stress in our lives. That is because of the pace at which we live. I'm not advocating laziness, but I am saying that the pace of our lives needs to be slowed way down, in order to decipher the crap from the treasure. We think that it is enough to call ourselves God's, and live like we always have. I'm not talking about what we do, but when we do. That's the trouble... we always do. And when we don't, we find other things to do! We will only hear from God, and feel His presence change us, as we spend time in quiet reflection with Him. It is so easy to go, go, go. It is so hard to sit in silence while we wait on God. But, it is the only way to really know we are on the right track to becoming who He created us to be. We need to stop planning, doing, or distracting ourselves just long enough to hear what God has for us. Then we can be confident that when we do, we do as God has willed. We are so in a hurry, that even as we pray or read scripture, it's hurried. We must slow down our minds and bodies to get in touch with God. There are a couple ancient monastic practices to help with this. 1) Centering Prayer- In this prayer we just want to quiet ourselves and as we breath in we pray, "Jesus Crist, Son of God", and as we exhale we pray, "have mercy on me, a sinner". This is called "The Jesus Prayer". We do this over and over, and feel our bodies relax. Then we sit in complete silence and focus on what God shows us. Pick a word or phrase to center yourself with as your mind starts to wander (i.e. Jesus, love, Holy Spirit, etc.). Sit and wait on God. The Holy Spirit will come over you and you should feel at peace. Then you can begin to pray and read in a state that allows you to be more receptive to God.
In America, we tend to read really fast. The monks practised the Lectio Divina. It is a process of reading slowly, silently, and contemplatively, waiting for God to point out a verse or phrase to us. We focus on the verse or phrase, repeating it over and over again in your mind, until it sinks in deep. What does this verse say to you? Why is it for you? How can you bring this into your life? Rest and let God speak to you. Go back into a centering silence, and let God's words be all that you hear. Write out what you have learned, so as to not forget it.
These two practices seem foriegn to us, but are ancient. They seem odd, because it is exactly the opposite of how we live our lives. How much time do we waste everyday? Can you remember moments you've spent unwisely today? We need to get in the practice of praying all the time. Spending time with God like this 4 times a day (morning, afternoon, evening, and night) will help move you in the right direction, even if at times you can only spend 5-10 minutes. Try it expectantly, you won't be disappointed.

Don't bury your head!

2005-11-02T13:02:00.000-06:00

When 10,000 people are chanting "Death to America", shouldn't we realize that maybe there is a significant threat to our well being? Especially, when country of said protesters are working on atomic weapons! The longer we bury our heads in the sand and ignore it, the greater the risk. This country wants Isreal eliminated. They are a threat. To deny the time we are at in history, is to deny yourself a great opportunity. Take heed and do something great!

Iran Removing 40 Ambassadors From Posts
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 5 minutes ago
TEHRAN, Iran -
Iran's hard-line government said Wednesday it was removing 40 ambassadors and senior diplomats, including supporters of warmer ties with the West, from their posts in a shake-up that comes as the Islamic republic takes a more confrontational international stance.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced the changes to parliament, saying "the missions of more than 40 ambassadors and heads of Iranian diplomatic missions abroad will expire by the end of the year," which is March 20 under the Iranian calendar.
Mottaki, quoted by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, did not specify which ambassadors were among those being removed.
But IRNA said they included the ambassador to London, Mohammad Hossein Adeli, one of Iran's top diplomats and a leading member of the pragmatic foreign policy wing that supports contacts with Europe.
The moves give the new government of ultraconservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the chance to purge pro-reform figures brought in by his predecessor, moderate
Mohammad Khatami and install its own supporters.
Ahmadinejad has taken a tougher line on a number of issues, particularly negotiations with Britain, France and Germany over Iran's controversial nuclear program. Hard-liners have criticized Khatami's government for agreeing to freeze much of the country's atomic activities during the talks, and Ahmadinejad already has replaced much of the negotiating team with hard-liners.
The new president, elected in June, also generated a storm of international criticism last week when he called for
Israel's eradication, saying it should be "wiped off the map."
Tensions with Europe and the United States over the nuclear issue are high after Iran ended part of its freeze on nuclear activities earlier this year, resuming uranium conversion at a plant in Isfahan. Washington accuses Iran of secretly aiming to develop nuclear weapons, while Tehran counters that its nuclear program is for generating electricity.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, the
International Atomic Energy Agency, will review Iran's cooperation on the nuclear issue during a Nov. 24 meeting, and Washington is pressing for Tehran to be referred to the
U.N. Security Council, where it could face sanctions for violating the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Sanctions, however, are unlikely.
Iran is sending conflicting signals to an international community concerned about its nuclear agenda, granting U.N. inspectors access to a secret military site but also saying it would process a new batch of uranium that could be used to make atomic weapons, diplomats in Vienna, Austria, said Wednesday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
The diplomats said IAEA experts were allowed to revisit a high-security military site in Parchin as they try to establish whether Tehran has a secret nuclear weapons program.
Parchin has been linked by the United States and other nations to alleged experiments linked to nuclear arms. The IAEA had for months been trying to follow up on a visit in January for further checks of buildings and areas within the sprawling military complex as it looks for traces of radioactivity.
Iran also has handed over documents and granted interviews with several senior officials believed linked to black market purchases of uranium enrichment technology, the diplomats said.
Ahmadinejad's victory in June elections sealed the decline of Iran's reform movement and solidified the control of hard-liners over the government. Some Iranians fear Ahmadinejad — a longtime member of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards — will bring back the policies of restrictions at home and confrontation abroad seen after the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
On Wednesday, more than 10,000 demonstrators shouted "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" in front of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran in the largest such demonstration in years.
Hard-liners organize protests at the site annually to mark the anniversary of the Nov. 4, 1979 seizure of the embassy by student militants.
Demonstrators carried a large picture of Ahmadinejad emblazoned with his quote, "Israel must be wiped off the map." They burned U.S. and Israeli flags and effigies of
President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Arial Sharon. Some wore a traditional Palestinian kaffiyah headdress, symbolizing their readiness to fight Israel.
"We have to continue our confrontation with the United States and Israel. This could help the world get rid of the arrogant powers," the hard-line Jomhuri Eslami daily said in an editorial.

Blessed are the peacemakers?

2005-11-01T14:35:00.000-06:00

There are few things harder than living a life of love and being a peacemaker. In these times, few people are tough-skinned enough to take criticism. So many people are so sensitive and not mature enough to handle being offended. Guys used to be able to get into fights, which would often solve the problem. Now, I'd be afraid of a lawsuit if I ever threw a punch (Not that I should be throwing any). Because we can't ever express anger or displeasure without the threat of a lawsuit, our rage burns stronger. That is the nice thing about knowing God's peace. We can become offended and let it roll off our backs. God will settle our score someday, we don't need to here. But, because the people in this day and age are so thin-skinned, we may not be able to talk about important parts of our faith, someday soon, without it being classified as hate speech. This didn't stop the apostles. They were constantly in trouble with the Pharicees and Roman government. They were told to outright stop talking about Jesus. This eventually ended in the death of many apostles, because they wouldn't stop. This is the dichotomy we face; to love and be peacemakers, but to be relentless in furthering the word of God. How can we do both? That is the question we face everyday. They usually go hand in hand. Our actions should be our gospel. Very rarely do we have to step out and create waves by defending God's word. Those opportunities may increase someday. But for now, oddly enough, most of those oppotunities will come with the new apostate church.

Better late than never!

2005-10-26T14:38:00.000-05:00

So, I slacked off on my blogging for a few days. Never fear, I'm still with the program. I've not much time right now, but here's some things that I've thought about. The majority of mainline Christian churches are over. Haggai 1:4 says, "Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie in waste?" Many churches are in shambles; given over to sin and the values of this world. We're perfectly alright with laying back and enjoying what we have (which we should) without putting any work into the purpose for wich we were created (which is where the problem lies). In verse 5 it warns us to "consider our ways", and again in verse 7. If anything is said twice like this, it is meant to be extremely important. So we really need to make sure that we are being mindful of what we are allowing ourselves to become. Are we siding with those that knew Jesus best, or a bunch of man made "revelations" to make the church look more attractive, be more popular, and become more rich? Ask yourselves. There will be more to follow on this... oh yes.

Jump in the Fire!

2005-10-21T14:21:00.000-05:00

Day 6- I'm thinking of that old Metallica tune, "Jump in the Fire!", or rather "Jump in the Fi-yaa!" Yeah... It's tough having time on your hands. Alright, here's why I'm thinking of that. I was reading Habakuk 2:12-13 today, and I read the following: "Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." How many cities can we name that are known for their sin? Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Daytona Beach, Green Bay (ok, that's a Minnesota joke), not leaving my own Minneapolis out of the line-up. That's just a start. We didn't even get to foreign cities like Amsterdam, Bangkok, etc., etc. The glory of the Lord is a visable event. It went before the Isrealites. How can his glory cover the earth, if it doesn't go before us? How can it go before us, if we don't go labour in the fire? 1 Corinthians 9:14 says: "Even so the Lord has commended that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel." If we're out preaching the gospel it should be our living. We should not have to rely on filling our time up with a regular "job", unless that regular job is the mission field we are called to. Time is too precious to sit goofing off and living each day as though you have 50,000 more. We don't know. We must jump in the fi-yaa!!!

Are You Satisfied with me?

2005-10-20T14:52:00.000-05:00

Last night I got together with a bunch of other Bluerites. It was a great time. During a song, Dan Lukas told us to ask God if he was satisfied with each of us. It was really difficult. I didn't want to hear the answer. When I did ask, I filled my head with thoughts of what I wanted Him to say. I'm used to disappointing people. But you know, you can never really please anybody. Are we supposed to go through life trying to fulfill everybody's expectations of us? It would be impossible. How can we? We should only worry about living up to God's expectations. That will create charachter qualities in us that others will admire and respect. I was writing this morning, emptying my head of all the clutter and I felt a big resonding "YES!" through my body. That was the relief I was waiting for. God is satisfied with us. We are His creation. Because of sin we are incomplete and imperfect. But He sees us as we will someday be, once we decide to drop all and follow Him.

Diligence and Servanthood

2005-10-19T14:20:00.000-05:00

Day four of my journey- I learned a couple cool things, so far today: Proverbs 12:24- "The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor. By being diligent about dwelling in the presence of the Spirit, we will walk in peace, and rule wherever we go. The man who does not enter and walk in God's presence will never find God's calling. They will work for work's sake. They are content with earning a check for a day's labor. The diligent man's charge is to be in charge of spreading peace, good will, and the fruits of the Spirit. This is the value of faith over the law. The work of our hands is something we do to facilitate the work of the Spirit. It is a front for our true labor.

That also lead me to think about leadership by servanthood. Back when I was in Carpetbomb, we used to help Big Fat Jam carry their gear and vice versa, when we played together. That's why we were such good friends. I carried that over to FTFE, (that's how we became such good friends with some bands). That was a long time ago. We've gotten away from that. We need to think about the best way to serve each other, our friends, other bands, and our fans. Unbelievers are used to doing things for themselves. When you serve them without them asking for help, it catches them off guard and opens them up to you on a personal level. One in which they'll respect who you are and what you say.