A Political Solution?

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A couple of weeks back my attention was drawn to some charges leveled against a gentleman I know, and a column he writes for a gun magazine. Now, knowing someone through the internet is a difficult proposition at best, and one can never really be certain if a person is who they say they are. Even when one knows someone face to face, frequently their true character is not known. Thus, the only real evaluation one can go by is the consistency of statements made and the consistency of the positions held. If a person is consistent time and again, it can be reasonably inferred that they are indeed what they claim to be. If not, then we know the answer to that one don’t we?

However, this article is not about a particular individual, but about appearances, misconceptions and underlying causes. The preface above is necessary as the following quotes illustrate a common problem today among individuals who say they support this or that, yet do not put enough effort in to really understanding the root cause of the problems of our day. This is particularly true of evangelicals and fundamentalists and their approach to resolving the problems of this nation.

In the following quotes, Mr. Codrea is David Codrea of War on Guns blog, and the quotes are excerpted from some Letters to the Editor concerning a column he wrote in which he contended that the Second Amendment did not grant the right to keep and bear arms.

I’d like to comment on Mr. Codrea and his recent article about the second amendment not guaranteeing the right to bear arms. My thought is maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. The fact of the matter is we don’t need clowns like this idiot pointing this out to the antigun crowd.

I would suggest you take a long, hard look at what Codrea writes in the future, because in my opinion he could very well be a Trojan horse. ((http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_4_54/ai_n24358964))

David Codrea’s article “Privileges” ought not to have been written. What’s wrong with this guy? He sounds like an anti-gunner. What he said may totally confuse some people. ((ibid))

Aside from the fact that the comments of the letter writers are ugly and unwarranted in their tone, they reveal an ignorance of where the Founders of this nation determined that all our individual rights come from. To be blunt, one has to be utterly ignorant and devoid of knowledge of the English language and its construction to not understand the plain text of the Declaration of Independence. Moreover, one would also have to ignore the documents that form the foundation of our constitutional form of government. One of the texts used was John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, in which Locke’s entire thesis is predicated upon the fact that God created man, and man exists in this world to fulfill the will and purpose God has for him. Hence, our individual rights existed long before the Constitution or Bill of Rights. Thus, the Second Amendment did not and does not “grant” anything. Rather, it only recognizes a pre-existing right God gave to man. Being that man is evil, and ever given to acts of evil, the right to keep and bear arms is essential for the control of man’s propensity for wickedness.

Now, how does this apply to fundamentalists and evangelicals today?

In Scripture, which is supposed to be the beginning and ending of everything a child of God does, it is very apparent — plain even, that all the problems of man spring from our wicked and unregenerate hearts. The Lord Jesus Christ was very plain and clear in explaining this:

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:20-23)

Now, it should not be necessary to recount all the references in Scripture that speak to this very thing and prove that it is our individual hearts which are the problem. Moreover, it should also not be necessary to prove that a man thinks and conceives of something prior to doing it. These things ought to be self-evident (like the statement in the Declaration of Independence), and need no explanation or proof by repeated citation of evidence.

So then, why is it that so many fundamentalist and evangelicals always want to seek the solution to America’s egregious moral and political problems through the vehicle of politics? Why is it that they want to hang their hats (so to speak) on the likes of Mike Huckabee, et al, instead of applying themselves to the task of setting forth Christ in every aspect of their lives? Is it that being a witness for Christ is not glamourous enough, or that it puts people off and makes them uncomfortable? Is it that playing politics is “fun,” whereas teaching the word of God isn’t? Or, it is really that you get to meet the “important, influential people” in government and society, and you don’t have to deal with “ordinary” people of you community?

You know, I have to ask: Whenever did politics change the heart of an individual?

If the statement of the Lord Jesus Christ is true and all problems spring from the heart, isn’t it also true that if the heart is made right so that it is not evil, those very problems would go away? Isn’t it true if you change the heart of an individual, you would also change the way they think about things, and thus the decisions they make would indeed be different? Didn’t Christ state that “evil thoughts” proceed out of the heart? Isn’t it true that, if we think well of our neighbor and fellow man, we would never do anything to harm them, or infringe upon their rights? Moreover, if we have Christ’s thinking in our hearts, wouldn’t we love our countrymen and respect the boundaries drawn by the Constitutions, State and Federal?

Beyond doubt, our “political leaders,” judges and such like do not come from Mars. No, they come from among us. They are our neighbors, members of our respective communities across the land. Our elected and appointed officials come from among us and our society, which is made up of — individuals.

Perhaps if fundamentalists and evangelicals put far more effort into reaching the INDIVIDUALS in our society, and less effort into politics, we would change the very character of those running for office in the first place. It is inarguable: if a society consists of predominantly good individuals, then those standing for political office are also going to be predominantly good as well. However, if all that is done is a continual chasing after political influence, then those standing for political office are more than happy to pander to another “special interest” group so that they can garner the votes needed to be elected. And, as we have seen, turn out to be not at all what they claimed to be.

No, I am afraid that the vast majority of fundamentalists and evangelicals are like the letter writers quoted at the beginning of this post — blind to the truth of the matter. Like the letter writers, fundamentalists and evangelicals cast away a solid foundation in favor of the whim of man. After all, if the right to keep and bear arms comes from Almighty God, who can take it from us? Instead, we would have to give it up by abdicating our responsibility. Even so, should a child of God cast away the most powerful, influential message ever to reach the heart of man — the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, in favor of a political solution?

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:8-11)

Fighting Crime? – Pt. 2

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Yesterday, I discussed the logic behind abortion and how abortion itself reduces our respect for the rights of others, particularly the right to life. I also demonstrated that abortion condemned the innocent and allowed the guilty to go free, and that we, as a nation, had codified it into law. The last statement I made was “I wonder what the LORD has to say about that . . .”

There really is no need to wonder. If we can figure out logically that abortion condemns the innocent, does not respect the right to life, and destroys the most defenseless among us, it is not difficult to know what the LORD thinks about abortion and allowing it to exist under legal protection. Nonetheless, we would do well to look into the word of God so that we can understand why we are being judged as a nation, and what our end will be.

Before beginning, it ought to be understood that the LORD God used Israel as an example for all nations to look to pertaining to what He will tolerate, and what He will not. The LORD made this very plain in both Leviticus 18, verses 24-28, and Deuteronomy 18, verses 9-18, when He plainly told Israel what they could not do as the Canaanites did, as those were the reasons the Canaanites were being driven out of the land. In so doing, the LORD God lets us know that all nations are held to the same standard of conduct, whether they acknowledge the LORD or not. Indeed, we would do well to remember, the LORD God’s existence is not predicated upon whether anyone believes in Him. The LORD God is the I AM and nothing is going to change that.

In beginning, it is essential to understand that the LORD God is a God of judgement, and that plainly means that when someone is guilty, they are held accountable. Moreover, the innocent are never to be made to pay for the crimes of the guilty.

Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. (Exodus 23:7)

Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen. (Deuteronomy 27:25)

Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. (Jeremiah 22:3)

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

The above makes it very plain that the LORD God is not pleased with those who deem it necessary to destroy the innocent for the convenience of the guilty. But that is not all. It becomes even more egregious when it is a child who suffers for the sake of the parents. To the LORD, children hold a special place. In all His creation, a little child is a precious thing to the LORD:

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:10)

Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:14)

Now the statements the Lord Jesus Christ made sit in the context of the salvation the LORD offers to all through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Such a comparison, being drawn by the LORD Himself, shows the gravity of looking down upon children, and the egregiousness of killing a little child for the convenience of the parents. When the LORD compares the despising and destruction of little children and that loss; to the loss of a soul, it is a clear picture of what the LORD thinks of those who despise and kill little children.

The why of this is also plain in the rest of the Scripture.

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5)

This alone is enough to show what is wrong with abortion. After all, a child in the womb is a direct gift from God. It is a blessing he bestows. Yes, it is indeed a consequence of actions taken, but there are few consequences so full of joy and the potential for joy as this one is. Thus, to reject it — is to reject the LORD and is an affront to God. Moreover, as previously shown, it is to deny the responsibility for one’s actions.

However, that is compounded by the fact that children, particularly those in the womb, are the most innocent among us. No child in the womb has done anything to anyone, at any time. They did not ask to be there, and they have no choice in the matter. Hence, to kill them is to commit the most egregious of all crimes. The LORD condemned Israel for this — and they did not touch those in the womb. Instead they took their babies and sacrificed them to the “gods” of the heathen:

They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. (Psalm 106:34-38)

Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. (II Kings 24:3-4)

What innocent blood did Manasseh shed? It was the sacrificing of little children to the heathen gods so that Manasseh could be absolved of his sin. ‘Ah,’ the advocates of abortion would say, ‘we are not sacrificing little children to gods, therefore we cannot be held to this.’ However, they miss a very important statement made by the Lord Jesus Christ to the scribes and Pharisees when challenged about being the Son of God:

Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? (John 10:34-36)

Of course, the law He spoke of was Psalm 82:

I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. (Psalm 82:6)

Thus, the “gods” the little children in the womb are sacrificed to, are none other than the parent(s) of the unborn child. Like “gods,” the parent(s) take upon themselves that which belongs to God only — the determination of who lives and who dies. Indeed, this is worse than the slave owners of old, who the LORD instructed they were not to take the life of their slave, nor were they to arbitrarily punish those under their power. Here, we have a child that has done nothing at all, and yet the parent(s), decide to usurp a prerogative of God only, and put the child to death. Not to justify Manasseh and the ancient Israelites, but at least they allowed the child to be born. As we can see, the LORD God destroyed them for their wickedness.

No, for this thing there is no excuse. Moreover, in our heart and soul we all, even those who perform the abortions and those who have them done, know that this is egregiously wrong. The LORD God is angry at America for this, if for nothing else. Moreover, like ancient Judah, we will not be pardoned either.

Fighting Crime? – Part 1

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“London, England (LifeNews.com) — A trio of economists have released the results of a new study disproving the supposed link between the legalization of abortion and a reduction in crime. John Donohue and Steven Levitt first introduced the repeatedly-criticized theory in 2001 and another report shows it’s untrue.” ((http://www.lifenews.com/int692.html))

“The economists also note that US crime rates fell in the 1990s but that the rates fell not only among younger Americans born after Roe v. Wade, but fell among older Americans as well – indicating abortion likely had no effect on crime.

“Given all this, it seems highly unlikely that the legalization of abortion can, as Donohue and Levitt hypothesized, explain the dramatic drop in crime observed in the US in the 1990s,” the economists write.

The authors also reject the hypothesis that abortion reduced the number of unwanted children who were more likely to commit crimes.

“Prior to the legalization of abortion, unwanted babies did not necessarily become unwanted children,” they wrote.

The authors point to data showing adoption rates in England were significantly higher before abortion was allowed than afterwards — showing many so-called unwanted children were adopted by loving families who wanted them.

“The rate of infants under five who had been adopted at birth decreased from 16 per thousand in the mid-1960s to about 5 per thousand just 10 years later,” they said.

“Rather than just reducing the number of unwanted children, abortion legalization appears to have reduced the number of unwanted infants who would have ended up (through adoption) being wanted children,” they write.” ((ibid))

You know; we didn’t need a study to prove that. That apparently rare thing, “common sense” dictates that abortion would not decrease crime, and would actually increase it. How can that be? Let’s look at the logic behind abortion and see what is actually there.

The advocates of abortion claim abortion is necessary as the child is unwanted, and therefore would be a burden upon the mother and/or the family into which the child would be born. Moreover, since that child is unwanted, it will not be treated well and will grow up in an environment that would cause it to become a social misfit, and would be more likely to commit crime. The child would be a particular burden upon poor, unwed women who cannot provide properly, and would drag that family further down into poverty. We can even go so far as to say that the child, who is unwanted and not aborted, would themselves be far more likely to become a burden upon society as they, being raised in a poverty-stricken home, would also end up on welfare.

In all the justification given above, and I have read and heard all the above-mentioned justifications, it all starts with “the unwanted child.” You know, that’s funny, and not in the ha, ha sense either; it is funny in that the reason the child exists in the first place is ignored. Last I knew, children didn’t just suddenly appear in the womb. No, there is always a cause, and that cause demands the actions of two individuals. Otherwise, children simply don’t exist, and cannot exist. A child comes about as a result of a deliberate act committed by two individuals. Generally speaking, this act is freely engaged in, and usually without thought to the consequences. In other words, the child did not ask to be here, yet now it is here, as a result of the deliberate behavior of two other individuals.

So then, according to those who advocate abortion, the proper response to that is to relieve the responsible parties of their deliberate actions, and make the child pay for what its parents did. An analogy to this would be making the victim of a crime, pay for the criminal’s actions. It seems to me that this is turning justice on its head.

However, not to be deterred, the advocates of abortion have a rejoinder that goes somewhat like this: ‘It’s not really a child as it’s not viable while in the womb. It requires special conditions to live, and thus is not really a person, particularly under the law.’

Really? I suppose then we have had instances of women giving birth to snakes, turtles, pigs, ducks and the like? No? Why is it that every time, all throughout human history, women always give birth to little humans that look remarkably like their parents? Just why is that?

Perhaps it is because that fertilized egg in the womb is actually a person after all, and has all the processes of life occurring in it from the moment it was fertilized? Or is it that all our biology books, and the decades of biological research are in error? And as for special conditions for life, I would tend to think that needing an adequate amount of water every day is a special condition for life. I think that one ought to be able to subsist on coffee, and anyone who drinks water requires special conditions for life. Silly isn’t it? The reality is that determining what special conditions for life are, is very much like beauty — it is in the eye of the beholder. Moreover, if the life of a person you love is at stake, no condition required for them to live is special. On the other hand, if it is someone you hate, well, simply allowing them to breathe air is too much to ask isn’t it?

Perhaps it really all boils down to this: we don’t want to be held responsible for what we do, and the activities we engage in: no matter the consequences.

Isn’t that the logic of criminals? It certainly is utterly selfish isn’t it? It is the “I don’t give rip about anyone else, I want what I want, and I don’t care who it hurts.” attitude.

It seems to me that this kind of attitude fosters and engenders an increase in crime, and not a decrease. It also fosters the abdication of personal responsibility, which is precisely what we have observed since the decision of Roe v. Wade in 1973. Moreover, that attitude of ‘I’m not responsible’ permeates throughout all society and affects every portion of our life.

Additionally, we do know, whether we consciously admit it or not, that we are making the innocent pay for the crimes of the guilty. You know, we are outraged when a criminal sues the victim of his or her crime because the criminal was injured either on the victim’s property, or by the victim, and the criminal wins the lawsuit. But we think nothing of the woman who aborts her child because it is “unwanted,” or she “can’t afford it.” At least when the criminal brings a civil lawsuit, it doesn’t result in the death of the victim of their crime. This not to say that I think criminals should be allowed to sue victims of their crime — they shouldn’t. It is merely to point out a dichotomy in our thinking. We are outraged by one, but not the other — wonder why?

No, if we really sit down and look at our society and the changes it has undergone since 1973, we can see the outworking of the underlying attitudes and thought processes present in the whole concept of abortion. Common sense dictates that not only would crime not drop as a result of abortion being legalized, but would actually increase. Even if the way crime is reported is changed so that the statistics don’t seem so bad, we can still see the degradation of society and the loss of respect for the rights of others.

We all know, whether we are willing to admit it or not, that abortion is taking an innocent life. We have codified the ability of the guilty to take the life of an innocent, and that taking of life is entirely without consequence under the law. In short, we have said that certain innocent parties have no right to life under the law. Just how do you think that impacts the rest of our rights, since all other rights must have the right to life to be effective?

Think about it: what an oxymoron to say that we can reduce crime by killing innocents.

Wonder what the LORD has to say about that . . .

Who Do You Worship?

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In the Scripture it is made very clear that worship is to be directed to the LORD God and Him alone. Nowhere in scripture are we given to understand that worshiping anything, or anyone else is acceptable in the sight of God. The passages that state this are succinct and to the point, and are as follows:

And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:1-5)

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:21-23)

And he (the angel) saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:9-10)

To be certain, it cannot get much, if any, plainer than the above. This being the case, what are we to make of the following:

1. Queen of Peace, pray for us!

On the feast of your Immaculate Conception,
I come to venerate you, O Mary,
at the foot of this effigy, which from Piazza di Spagna
allows your maternal gaze to extend over this ancient, and for me very dear, city of Rome.

I have come here, this evening, to render you the homage of my sincere devotion.
It is a gesture in which I am joined in this Piazza by innumerable Romans,
whose affection has always accompanied me
in all the years of my service to the See of Peter.
I am here with them to start on the path
toward the one hundred fiftieth anniversary
of the dogma that we celebrate today with filial joy.

2. Queen of Peace, pray for us!

We turn our gaze to you with intense trepidation,
we take recourse to you with insistent trust
in these times marked by not a few uncertainties and fears
over the present and future fate of our planet.
To you, the first of humanity redeemed by Christ,
finally liberated from the slavery of evil and sin,
we raise a heartfelt and confident supplication:
Listen to the cry of pain of the victims of war
and of so many forms of violence
that bloody the earth.
Dispel the darkness of sadness and solitude,
of hatred and vengeance,
Open the minds and hearts of all to trust and forgiveness!

3. Queen of Peace, pray for us!

Mother of mercy and of hope,
obtain for the men and women of the third millennium
the precious gift of peace:
peace in hearts and in families,
in communities and among peoples;
peace especially for those nations
where every day combating and dying continue.

Help every human being, and all races and cultures,
to encounter and accept Jesus,
who came on earth in the mystery of Christmas
to give us “his” peace.

Mary, Queen of Peace,
give us Christ, true peace of the world!

Delievered by Pope John Paul on 8 December, 2003

Do the words venerate, homage and devotion mean anything? Yes, they certainly do, and they are all synonyms for worship. I don’t care what one chooses to call it, worship is worship, regardless of the label applied to it.

This puts the Pope in direct violation of the clear and express command of the LORD God, Who the Pope claims to serve. Moreover, this is not an isolated incident, but is well known despite the denials of some Catholic apologists. In fact the following excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church show plainly the worship of May as a equal with Christ:

969 “This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation . . . . Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.”

970 “Mary’s function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. But the Blessed Virgin’s salutary influence on men . . . flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rests on his mediation, depends entirely on it, and draws all its power from it.” “No creature could ever be counted along with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer; but just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways both by his ministers and the faithful, and as the one goodness of God is radiated in different ways among his creatures, so also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one source.”

* II. DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

971 “All generations will call me blessed”: “The Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship.” The Church rightly honors “the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of ‘Mother of God,’ to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration.” The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an “epitome of the whole Gospel,” express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.

I have to ask, if Mary was so special, why then did the Lord Jesus Himself make the following statement when His mother and brethren came to get Him one day?

While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Matthew 12:46-50)

Or, answer her in the way he did at the wedding feast of Cana?

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. (John 2:1-3)

Or even at age 12, where the Lord Jesus Christ had to remind Mary and Joseph that He was to be about His Father’s business?

And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. (Luke 2:46-51)

No, plainly, to the Lord Jesus Christ, other than the fact that Mary physically bore Him, as far as He was concerned, she was no different than anyone else on the earth — a sinner who needed the salvation He provided on the cross. Mary was not to be worshiped, and the Lord Jesus Christ did not accord her that honor, nor did He direct anything to be done through Mary. Instead, His instruction to the Samaritan woman at the well stands pre-eminent, and in perfect accord with the rest of Scripture — worship God, and God alone.

Anything else is blasphemy and idolatry.

Al Gore’s Flat Earth Society

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There are some things that simply defy explanation — and I am not talking about the processes of nature. Rather, what I refer to is human behavior. There are some things that men do that simply defy explanation, and this post is about one of those things.

As I am certain all know by this point, that Al Gore, Jr. has been on a crusade to war against “global warming” and has spared no effort is seeking to accomplish his self-appointed task of saving the earth against the ravages of modern human habitation. From his point of view, modern, industrialized man is producing excessive pollutants, particularly carbon (a basic element) and that is driving the earth’s overall temperature up, and will result in the destruction of civilization as we know it.

Now, I (as many others also) have pointed out that we cannot reliably predict the weather 5 days in advance, so how is this possible that we will know the weather 40 years from now? Moreover, it has been proven that the number one “greenhouse gas” is actually water. Sadly, it covers 70% of the earth’s surface and there is nothing we can do about that. (Since that’s not much of a bogeyman, and we can’t do anything about it, Al Gore can’t seem to use that in his campaign. Wonder why?) It has been pointed out by many that the entire database of information Al Gore and others use to promote their scenario is flawed in the way the data is interpreted. However, that is not enough to persuade Al and friends to hold their horses and wait for better data. Instead, they charge ahead full steam and say we must change seeing that when we finally get “good data” it will be far too late. This is a wonderful bit of self-justifying logic that is used to bludgeon opponents into submission (or at least keeping their mouth shut).

It is the self-justifying logic that requires question here — along with a lot of other things the “climate change” advocates state. Where I differ with the other opponents of Al Gore and company is the basis upon which to challenge the presumptions of global warming. Where most talk about data, statistics, weather patterns, and our overall lack of understanding of the earth’s weather, I see the necessity of a different approach.

Some centuries ago, a certain highly visible religious organization held to the belief that the earth was flat, and persecuted anyone who disagreed. This was in spite of the fact that the Scripture plainly and expressly taught (and still does) that the earth was indeed round, and a ball hanging in space.

Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. (Isaiah 40:21-23)

Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof. Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. (Job 26:5-8)

Of course, those who followed the Bible back then knew the earth was round, and held in space by the commandment and power of God. Everyone else holding to the view of the Catholic Church, is today ridiculed as being a member of the “Flat Earth Society.” Due to this, it is a little on the funny side of things for Al Gore to refer to his detractors as “Flat Earthers.” Now he means to do this as he believes global warming to be a fact. However, we can believe many things to be fact, when in reality they are not. The funny part about this relates to the fact that the Catholic Church absent the Scripture to come to the conclusion that the earth was flat, and Al Gore has come to the conclusion global warming is occurring absent the Scripture, yet he calls those who question the claims of global warming “Flat Earthers”. Kind like the pot calling the kettle black. It is made more ironic by the fact of his tailoring the presentation to the particular audience of the moment:

“His slideshows are tailored to his audiences. For example, when he talks to evangelical Christians, he includes passages from the Bible.

Gore is trying to redefine this as a moral and spiritual issue. “We all share the exact same interest in doing the right thing on this. Who are we as human beings? Are we destined to destroy this place that we call home, planet earth? I can’t believe that that’s our destiny. It is not our destiny. But we have to awaken to the moral duty that we have to do the right thing and get out of this silly political game-playing about it. This is about survival,” he said.” ((CBS, 60 Minutes, Mar. 30th, 2008))

Now, I will leave our stewardship of this earth to another time and another article. What I wish to focus on is the lack of understanding that Al Gore and others have of the Creator and His ability to create an environment that is well able to withstand man’s physical endeavors. This should not be surprising as they either deny the existence of the LORD God, or they acknowledge Him only long enough to invoke His name to deceive others into believing their cause. Nonetheless, the proof of the LORD God’s understanding was once again shown in an article which was published by the BBC this week:

“Global temperatures will drop slightly this year as a result of the cooling effect of the La Nina current in the Pacific, UN meteorologists have said.
The World Meteorological Organization’s secretary-general, Michel Jarraud, told the BBC it was likely that La Nina would continue into the summer.
This would mean global temperatures have not risen since 1998, prompting some to question climate change theory.” ((Global Temperatures ‘to decrease’))

Now, the article goes on to try to salvage global warming as a valid theory, but the evidence in the article is clear:

La Nina and El Nino are two great natural Pacific currents whose effects are so huge they resonate round the world.
El Nino warms the planet when it happens; La Nina cools it. This year, the Pacific is in the grip of a powerful La Nina.
It has contributed to torrential rains in Australia and to some of the coldest temperatures in memory in snow-bound parts of China.
Mr Jarraud told the BBC that the effect was likely to continue into the summer, depressing temperatures globally by a fraction of a degree.
This would mean that temperatures have not risen globally since 1998 when El Nino warmed the world.
Watching trends
A minority of scientists question whether this means global warming has peaked and argue the Earth has proved more resilient to greenhouse gases than predicted. ((ibid))

Well, what would one expect? After all, the Scripture is express:

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. (Psalm 147:4-5)

In the LORD God’s infinite understanding it is obvious that He already knew what man would do, and already prepared a regulator, a thermostat (if you will) to control the earth’s overall temperature. After all, He knew in eternity past that man would fall, long before He ever created man, or this world:

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (I Peter 1:17-21)

Now, it would be foolish to say that man is not damaging this earth, we are. However, it is not our physical acts, and so-called global warming that is doing the damage. Instead, the damage is being done by our own wicked hearts and the sin we engage in:

The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. (Isaiah 24:4-6)

No, it’s not our “technology” and “modern society” that is doing the damage, but the same wickedness that has existed in the heart of man since the Fall. This same wickedness brought about the destruction of the Flood, and will bring about the destruction of this universe by fire. Thus, it is Al Gore that is actually in the category of being a “Flat Earther” for denying and misusing Scriptural truth.

Socially Responsible?

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It is a source of never ending wonderment to me that businesses cannot be about doing business, ethically and morally, and leave social agendas out of their business. After all, what is business about anyway? Businesses exist for the purpose of production and trade of goods and services. That is all. So long as it is done morally and ethically, and has a legitimate product or service, there is nothing to hinder a business from functioning.

However, the leaders of business cannot seem to understand that they would do well to abide by the purpose of business and leave social agendas out of their business. The problem here is that business is not some faceless entity. Rather, businesses consist of individuals working in concert to promote, produce and sell a product and/or service to other individuals or businesses. As such, all decisions made by a business are ultimately individual decisions. One cannot cast off the responsibility of a decision a business makes if one was involved in the decision making process. Even when a decision is spread among the members of a board or committee, everyone involved in the decision shares responsibility for that decision — even when they do not agree with it.

One can argue with that, but from a Scriptural point of view, this is very much the case as the LORD God deals with entities in very much the same way he deals with individuals. We are shown this in the incident that was caused by Achan’s taking and possession of the accursed thing:

But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. (Joshua 7:1-5)

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. (Joshua 7:10-12)

The flip side of this coin is operable as well as the Scripture demonstrates in the matter of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech:

And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife. But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. (Genesis 20:1-7)

Throughout the Scripture, it is evident this is the way the LORD deals with the collective endeavors of individuals (entities), whether it is nations, churches, businesses, families, etc. If they are led by those who hate the things of God, then the LORD curses them. If they are led by those who wish to do that which is right in the sight of God, then He blesses. Even if they do that which is displeasing, as in the case of Abimelech, the LORD has mercy. However, we find that not to be the case with Israel and Achan’s sin. Moreover the really sad part is what happened to the thirty-six men who died because of Achan’s sin.

What is the difference between Abimelech and the Philistines, Achan and Israel, and how the LORD God dealt with them respectively? It is a little something called “prior knowledge.” You see, it was customary for men to take more than one wife at the time of Abimelech, and in his ignorance Abimelech took Sarah to wife unlawfully. This was not the case with Achan and Israel. All Israel was expressly instructed that no one was to touch any accursed thing in Jericho. That all spoil was to be burned with certain express materials reserved to the LORD. Failure to obey this command would bring a curse upon the individual and all Israel. Thus, all Israel had “prior knowledge” of what God required of them. This is in contrast to Abimelech and the Philistines who had no “prior knowledge,” and thus were not accursed for Abimelech’s error.

What then does this have to do with modern business and social agendas? Everything. The principles at work here are identical. It is not the purview of business to engage in social “engineering.” Rather, the concern of business is the production and trade of a product or service regardless of who benefits from it. The constraint upon business is morality and proper ethics in all their dealings. It should not concern a business whether a customer’s religion is “approved” by the majority or not. Nor should a business promote one “lifestyle” over another, and the same applies to the political views of its customers. No business should engage in promoting a particular belief over another unless that is expressly why they are in business in the first place. The requirement upon a business is to do that which is just and right in all its dealings.

So what are the consequences of not following the admonition given above? Well, it has everything to do with “prior knowledge” which is available to all in the form of the Bible. We have all already been told what is expected of us. We have all, already been warned by the word of God and history what happens when we refuse to heed the warnings. Moreover, when we refuse to heed them, we will not be treated like Abimelech and the Philistines at the time of Abraham. No, we will be treated more like Israel was in the trespass of Achan — we will be cursed.

The sad part of going against the express will of God is that whose who are not even involved in the decision-making process, will suffer. The employees of Wal-mart, McDonald’s, Cisco, AT&T, American Airlines, Merck and many others will suffer needlessly because the leadership of their companies refuse to heed the warnings given in Scripture about approving of, and supporting that which is an abomination to God. Instead, they have attempted to cover up their wickedness by the clarion call of “social responsibility.”

We should all remember that America was founded with a dependence upon God as her founding document so clearly states:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; . . .
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The leaders of certain companies in America may have forgotten this, but Almighty God has not. He will hold them accountable.

Losing the War

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Everybody knows that an individual or a nation does not, or should not set about to lose a war — right? It ought to be ingrained in everyone involved in a life or death struggle; that we do not conduct ourselves in such a way as to guarantee dying. This should be reasonable, understood, accepted, and the norm. After all, why would we want to commit suicide, both individually and nationally?

Yet we are. As a nation, the United States of America is doing an excellent job of aiding and abetting its own destruction. Does America have enemies? Certainly she does, and those enemies understand more about how to fight and win wars against a nation and society than Americans do. Back in the late 1950’s a former FBI agent wrote a book titled The Naked Communist, ((This is not an endorsement of his religious views. Mr. Skousen was a Mormon and that doctrine is about as wrong as it gets. However, his personal doctrine does not invalidate what he investigated and found out.)) in which he asserted there existed a strategy by the communists for destroying America from within. In his book, he detailed 45 current goals as of the late 1950’s, and in subsequent editions those goals never changed.

Now, one would think that the goals outlined would cover such things as infrastructure, logistical support organizations, government entities, etc. However, they did not. There were some foreign policy goals, a few goals applied specifically to law enforcement, but primarily the goals addressed societal issues and mores. Some of the societal goals outlined are listed below:

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policy-making positions.
21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV and motion pictures.
22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.”
23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.”
24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them “censorship” and a violation of free speech and free press.
25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio and TV.
26. Present homo-sexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy.”
38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand or treat.
40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.
41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. ((The Naked Communist, W. Cleon Skousen, Published 1958, Eleventh Edition 1962, pp. 258-262))

Well now, that certainly doesn’t seem like much of a way to take down a nation, does it? Actually, it is very much a way to destroy a nation. It will take a while longer than shooting war would, but no nation that has walked the path America is on has ever survived. The reason for this is quite plain in Scripture — the LORD God judged them for their wickedness:

Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her. And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, ((The modern day equivalent to this is abortion. Whereas in ancient time they sacrificed to an idol, today the sacrifice is made to the god of self. The unborn child is killed for the convenience of the parents. After all, having a baby in the house severely crimps the party lifestyle and brings considerable responsibility. Moreover, neglect of a child brings child abuse charges and possibly prison. How much easier it is to kill it before it is born and the law acquiesces to the murder.)) neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. ((And they claim the Scripture doesn’t condemn homosexuality! Yeah . . . right. Whatever lie is convenient.)) Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. (Leviticus 18:20-28)

Even as the LORD God judged the ancient nations, He judges nations today. If we are at all honest with ourselves, we must admit that we have either engaged in, or condoned all things the LORD condemns in both Leviticus, chapter 18 and Deuteronomy, chapter 18. Thus, without ever realizing it, America’s enemies hit upon a workable, effective strategy for the destruction of America. However, this strategy is not new, and they are not the first to use it.

In Numbers, chapters 22 through 25, the incident of Balak calling Balaam to curse Israel is recorded and the results of that event are made known. In chapter 25, we find that Israel departs from the LORD and the following is the result:

And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor. (Numbers 25:1-5)

However, we are not immediately told why they began to do this. It is not until chapter 31 that we find that Balaam, though he had no choice but to bless Israel, found a way to get money from Balak by telling him how to cause Israel to transgress so the LORD God would curse them.

And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. (Numbers 31:15-16)

This also is repeated in a warning to the church at Pergamos in Revelation, chapter 2:

But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. (Revelation 2:14)

So it is that the very same strategy that Balaam taught Balak and the children of Moab to use against Israel, is being used against the United States of America. But how is it that the communists would adopt a strategy that comes from the Scripture when they don’t even believe in God?

It is quite simple actually. You see, whether we believe in God or not is irrelevant to His existence. God exists no matter what. The spiritual world exists also despite what men believe. Moreover, in that spiritual world exists a creature who is opposed to all that God is and has done — Satan.

We seem not to understand that Satan hates man, as man is created in the image of God. Moreover, we also do not seem to understand that Satan is utterly deceitful and easily deceives man. In fact, this is the very thing that makes the atheist the perfect tool for the Devil. The communists do not even comprehend that they are being used of Satan, and the strategy they understand as a workable strategy for the destruction of the United States, comes straight from the Devil. After all, the Devil knows exactly what things a nation and society can engage in that are sure and certain to bring the wrath of God upon that nation.

The sad part of this is that we here in America have this information freely available to us, and we won’t even consult it to understand what is going on. We bemoan the state of our society, but cannot seem to understand why. We should, the answer has been there all along. Worse yet, when we say we understand what is happening, we still engage in, or condone the very things that bring the wrath of God upon us.

We are losing the war. Are we just to proud to repent?

What Constitutes Worship?

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There are many answers to the above question. Some are correct, some have elements of truth to them, and other answers one would receive are simply in error. Of course, it is this way with every subject from Scripture one might bring up. However, we would expect the answer from the head of a theological school to be more exact, and accurate than the average person. We certainly would expect their answer to be more centered around service to God than politics. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and it is certainly not restricted to the individual that came to my attention late last week. Now, to be fair, the subject at hand was not worship, but the addressing of the subject intruded into the arena of what constitutes worship, and the individual drew no distinctions.

Before getting going on this, it is only fair to give a brief background of the individual so their qualifications can be duly noted and kept in mind. The following is extracted from the brief bio posted with her column at the Newsweek/Washington Post website, Faith section:

Rev. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite is president of Chicago Theological Seminary and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. She has been a professor of theology at the seminary for 20 years and director of its graduate degree center for five years. Her area of expertise is contextual theologies of liberation, specializing in issues of violence and violation. An ordained minister of the United Church of Christ since 1974, the “On Faith” panelist is the author or editor of thirteen books and has been a translator for two translations of the Bible. ((http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/susan_brooks_thistlethwaite/2008/03/is_nothing_sacred.html))

I won’t even get into all that is in error in the writeup. Not that it is not her history. It is. It is that her endeavors run so counter to the express commandments of God. Perhaps that is why it never impinged upon her conscience to address the issue of “note takers” during the time of the sermon somewhat differently. Some quotes of what she wrote follow:

“A member of Trinity United Church of Christ, the church once led by Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright and where Senator Obama is a member, told me there are “spies” among them in the pews, strangers who take notes during the service and try to record the message.
Check it out for yourself. Go to the Trinity UCC website, select “Why The Black Church Won’t Shut Up!”, and listen to Rev. Otis Moss politely ask that there be “no recording equipment.” He repeats over and over, “We are in worship. We are in worship.” When visitors are asked to stand, you can see those with paper and pencil in hand. Are these folks members of the press or political operatives? Impossible to know if they don’t, as Rev. Moss requests, sign in.
This is what happens when politics intrudes into the sanctuary of the church, a sacred space.”

“Challenging your pastor’s freedom in the pulpit is bad. Spying on people at prayer is reprehensible.
Is this what the assaults of the past decades on the wall of separation between church and state has led us to? Is there no such thing as sacred space anymore?”

“A church is sacred space and to violate that space by engaging in “Swift-boat” type distortions and even spying is un-American. This is not us, this is not the bedrock principle of our founders and those leaders we have most respected. Our churches and our faith commitments are out of bounds in the tumult of political contests.”

“Let us pull back from this disastrous course of mixing religion and politics before we destroy something so unique and precious it has been the envy of the whole world.” ((ibid))

Notice something odd about her response to the issue at hand? In reading all the comments about her column, I noticed something missing there as well. What is it? It is the acknowledgement of a major component of worship — learning. Now, it is not necessary to take notes to learn, but it sure helps retain what was spoken. Moreover, we have the express invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ to learn of Him.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

You know, when you don’t care about someone or something, you don’t bother learning about them, or it — at all. To me, it is telling that Hannah of ancient Israel knew far more of what the LORD God is about than the head of a theological school.

Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. (I Samuel 2:3)

Somehow I don’t think the Lord Jesus Christ would have been at all upset if someone had sat in front of Him taking notes while he preached and taught. What mattered to the LORD was the heart of the person, and their desire to learn of God. After all, since He was preaching the truth, He had no concerns about what they wanted to do with His words, as He knew the effect the words would have upon them.

The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. (John 7:32)

So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. (John 7:43-45)

No, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke openly because He knew the time was not yet, and He knew that it was necessary that the word be preached openly. Moreover, since the LORD God is a God of knowledge, it is essential that people learn. I don’t see the Lord being displeased with this at all.

Knowing this, we can come forward to our day and time and understand that if people have to take notes, or record the message to recall what was said later, then there ought be no problem with that. If one preaches expressly from the Scripture, then all that need be done in defense of what was said is point to chapter and verse, and show that the Bible does indeed say that.

The problem here is that worship, and what constitutes worship is not at all understood. When someone is a “fan” of an actor, or performer, they try to learn everything they can about that person. If someone is a fanatic about golf, fishing or guns, we find that they always take notes, record, or otherwise preserve a record of the things said about the subject they worship. We also find they are devoted to their particular interest, almost to the exclusion of everything else. It is like some popular television shows — there are some who can never get enough information about a particular show (Star Trek and M.A.S.H. come to mind), and they record or otherwise obtain every scrap of information they can about the series.

Funny how that is not the case when people come into the house of God. Instead, they are discouraged from taking notes and recording the preaching, and are told they need to have a “worshipful” attitude. It makes one really wonder why doesn’t it?

You know, we needn’t worry what man will do with the words spoken from the pulpit. No, we need to be concerned about what God has determined about the words spoken from the pulpit.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19)

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (Matthew 12:34-37)

Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite misses the point.

Earth Hour?

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Well, climate change is that important, is it? It is so important that everyone was asked to turn their lights off for an hour to “make a statement against climate change?”

I really have to ask: Man, who do you think you are? Do you honestly think that you have that much influence over the weather? If you do, kindly stop the tornados and severe thunderstorms that occur in the central United States. While you are at it, stop some of the hurricanes. After all, compared to “climate change,” tornados, thunderstorms, and hurricanes are little tiny events that are very short-lived and ought to be easily controlled.

Oh, you can’t do that?

Really?

Not to be flippant, but it is awfully presumptuous of those who believe that man can somehow change the earth’s overall climate, when we can’t even begin to control a little local weather event like a severe thunderstorm or a tornado. It really is the height of arrogance to suggest that we “know” what is going to happen 30, 40, 80, or 100 years from now, when the National Weather Service cannot reliably predict the weather five days in advance. (They aren’t even reliable three days in advance).

Of course, that really isn’t the issue here anyway. No, the real issue is one of control. It is also a denial of Almighty God and His sovereignty over this world.

Why? Because the whole concept of “climate change” was manufactured by socialists (really communists — calling them socialists is just being nice) in an attempt to coerce individuals to accept more governmental control over their private lives. Of course, if they came right out and said that’s what they wanted, the vast majority of individuals would tell them to shove off. Since that is the case, they lie about what they are doing and create “emergencies” that demand a solution — and the solution always involves more governmental control.

But the biggest problem here is the particular lie they are telling about man’s influence over the earth’s climate. We (all mankind collectively) do not have that much control over the weather. In fact, we really do not have any. No, the LORD God has reserved that for Himself. Moreover, He tells us so in His word.

Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries. (Psalm 135:6-7)

We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things. (Jeremiah 14:20-22)

And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. (Amos 4:6-8)

Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. (Amos 4:12-13)

So why would the advocates of “climate change” not acknowledge that God is the one who controls the weather? Because they don’t even believe that God exists. The whole concept of “climate change” is driven by communists who want nothing more than to exalt humanism above everything else and create the new communist man who is totally devoid of any acknowledgement of God.

What evidence of this is there? For starters, one of the primary NGO’s driving the “climate change” agenda is the World Wildlife Fund. Of course, their history gives us a clear indication of the political ideology of the organization:

A History of WWF: The Sixties
One of the most important figures in WWF’s early history was the renowned British biologist, Sir Julian Huxley. The first Director General of UNESCO, Huxley had also helped found a scientific research-based conservation institution, now known as IUCN-The World Conservation Union. ((http://www.panda.org/who_we_are/history/sixties/))

Who is Julian Huxley? An article written by George Watson from the Dec 31, 1995 issue of National Review, contained the following paragraph:

Hitler’s allegiance, even before such sources were known, was acknowledged by socialists outside Germany. Julian Huxley, for example, the pro-Soviet British biologist who later became director-general of UNESCO, accepted Hitler’s claim to be a socialist in the early 1930s, though without enthusiasm (indeed, with marked embarrassment). ((Never blame the left))

Thus, the driving force behind the creation of WWF, was not someone who was apolitical or religious in the sense of believing in God. Rather, the driving force was a “pro-Soviet” socialist, meaning Huxley accepted and approved of Stalin’s methods of dealing with those who disagreed with him. It also means that Huxley did not accept the LORD God’s rule over this earth. It is also no surprise that those who allied themselves with Huxley have similar views. Thus the organization known as the World Wildlife Fund is actually a socialist organization that uses its influence to exert control in governments to further implement socialism under the guise of “conservation.”

Now, we should also note that all the proponents of climate change (global warming) are actually socialists. Moreover, as one can see in the United Church of Christ, even if they claim to believe in God and Christ, it is actually a cover for the advancement of the socialist/communist agenda. Last of all, we should not forget Al Gore’s father was a socialist who sympathized with the Soviet Union. The apple really never falls far from the tree.

So what does this all mean?

It means we are being lied to — and how. The idea of climate change in as far as climates changing is true. However, to assign the cause of “global warming” to man, is very presumptuous and a denial of the fact that God has full control over the weather. Moreover, He frequently uses it to judge man for being wicked.

Of course, if you believe in global warming; I have a bridge in Brooklyn and swampland in Florida that I will gladly sell you. However, you have a much bigger problem of denying the LORD God and His control over this world. After all, global warming has nothing on either Hell or the Lake of Fire.

Why Economies Fail

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Why do economies fail? It is an interesting question that economists, government officials, and particularly investors would love to answer. Yet, like most questions dealing with human endeavors, the answer will escape them as they are unwilling to look at the real answer, and instead favor the continuous searching for an answer that absolves them of any guilt. I say that as it should be obvious that we are all guilty before God, and we all need to face up to that. However, that is impossible to acknowledge, if one never acknowledges that God exists, or that the word of God has any bearing on them.

What does an economy have to do with man’s acknowledgement of God? Everything. Economic activity is one of the most basic endeavors of man, and the LORD God addresses it in His word. In James, the admonition is express that we should never assume that tomorrow is secure, and that we are guaranteed increase when we trade for profit.

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:13-14)

Here the rebuke is aimed at those who call themselves the children of God, and yet are focused on making money, instead of service to God. The fact is, none of us even have an inkling of what will happen in the next hour, let alone tomorrow. We know what we would like to have happen. We expect that certain events will happen, but we really do not know. Since this is the case, we are warned to be prepared to depart this world at a moment’s notice.

Yes, I know – the charge of “fear-mongering” cannot be far away. However, I would remind anyone that on the morning of September 11th, 2001, there were a considerable number of individuals in the World Trade Center who would not live past 10:00 AM. You know, none of them knew that at 8:30 AM that morning. Instead, they had plans for lunch with friends and co-workers, dinner with the family, trades to be made, deals to be completed, etc. The vast majority of them did not even consider that the LORD God would require their souls that very morning.

So what does this have to do with economies failing? Everything. It is the disregard for the LORD God and what He requires of us that causes economies to fail. You see, if we all regarded the LORD God and His word, we would never do anything that would bring His judgement down upon us. Moreover, because we regarded His word, He would bless us in our endeavors, and we would have in abundance. After all, don’t think the promises He gave Israel were only restricted to Israel. No, the LORD would bless any nation that sought to follow His word.

Instead, what happens can only be described as blind human nature let run loose — unchecked. Self-interest to the maximum. All in the name of making money and growing an economy. After all, the justification is given: It will make all our lives better. Not.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with money. Money is simply a medium of exchange, and can be any token we assign a value to for the purposes of effecting trade. It is more convenient than bartering, transportable over long distances, and convertible in other economic value systems. Nothing wrong with that. No, the problem is the love of money. Scripture puts it succinctly:

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (I Timothy 6:10)

Notice that it states that it is the “love of money,” and not money itself. We have another word for that: Greed.

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. (James 5:1-5)

Now, let’s think about this a minute. I used to work for a company that one year had a 24% increase in sales, and profits went up almost correspondingly. Yet, when it came time for the company to evaluate how much they were going to give their employees who enabled them to meet the demand for that increase in sales, they determined that the employees only deserved a 3% increase in pay. There is only one word for that: Greed.

Now, I know the money belongs to the company and they can do with it whatsoever they want. They can even burn it in barrels if they want. However, the LORD God requires something of the individuals running the company whether they realize it or not, and the above passage from James does make that clear.

You see, the only reason that anyone would be so greedy as to deprive their workers of a proper wage is because they are focused only on this world, and cannot even see beyond the moment. They do not acknowledge the LORD God and what he requires of them, and cannot understand that money will not buy eternity, nor alter the judgement to come. In short, they are fools of the first order.

But an economy doesn’t fail because of the rich. Rather, it is the out-working of the decision illustrated above where a company experienced a bountiful year, and kept back almost all of it from the people who enabled them to enjoy such a year. Why? Because it cut the purchasing power of the very people who drive an economy – the workers. Simply put, there are more lower and middle-class people than there ever will be rich people. If you deprive the lower and middle-class workers of purchasing power, what is left to drive an economy? The rich? Not hardly. There are simply not enough rich people to make an economy function properly.

But the primary reason for the failure of an economy is the judgement of God. When the individuals that run companies become so greedy that they rob their workers of wages, Almighty God hears about it. That is exactly what is stated in the passage from James, quoted above. It does not matter whether the worker is lost or saved, when they are not fairly compensated, God knows. Moreover, the very heart and attitude that drives the officers of a company to rob their employees, also drives them to cheat and steal elsewhere. One can only do that for so long, and God will bring judgement. When this attitude and behavior is prevalent across an economy, God brings down that economy and the nation in which it exists.

The most disheartening part of this judgement is the total lack of discernment on the part of those being judged who are the most responsible for bringing the LORD’s judgement down upon them. Instead of admitting that they lied, cheated and stole from their workers, customers and business associates, and that was utterly destructive, they justify their actions or seek to blame others for the failure. Sad for them as it indicates they are unable, or unwilling to face up to who they are and their need of a Savior. They are very much like the rich man the Lord Jesus spoke of:

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:16-21)

A failed economy is the LORD’s judgement, and a wonderful economy doesn’t do any good in Hell.

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