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Saturday, December 31, 2011

What Do You Worship?


Everyone and I DO mean everyone, worships something. Even if you are not literally getting on your knees to venerate a person, object, activity or even an idea, there is still something in your life that you put on a pedestal above everything else.  That ‘thing’ is what you live for and where you derive your greatest satisfaction.

Most people associate the word ‘worship’ with religion but Webster’s Dictionary carries the meaning a bit further. It says when we worship, we express intense devotion, esteem, love and admiration to a person or thing.  We were designed to be in a love relationship with and worship our Creator and as a result, the ancient, overwhelming compulsion to pay homage to something other than ourselves is wired into our being.

We cannot help but do so, even when we aren’t aware we are doing just that!  It seems that most people worship that which they’ve been taught by their parents or their culture. For instance, most people in India have been raised to give recognition and honor to the gods of Hinduism. They give offerings to these gods in exchange for the hope of good weather for their crops or protection from disease or other calamity.  It would most likely not ever occur to them to question why this is so, and if what they believe is true. They just do it because it is what they are expected to do by their elders.

The same principle applies to different religions all over the world. You tend to stick with what your parents taught you, even if you don’t fully understand the reason or logic behind the ceremonies. This explains why blindly practicing religion leaves people so empty. Of course, there are a large number of people who don’t believe God exists at all and if there is a God, which one is the ‘right’ one?

Those who don’t subscribe to any particular supreme being are still involved in worship. In America, the god of money and prosperity is quite popular. People will sacrifice their families or integrity to this ‘god’ in order to be as successful as possible and get ahead in business. They want to climb that corporate ladder all the way to the top. Unfortunately, they end up realizing there is no ‘top’ and no prize. They end up with loads of money and material things but find themselves alone because they neglected the relationships they were blessed with.

Others are more pleasure oriented and worship the god of their appetite, whether that be some type of intellectualism, recreation, food, electronic entertainment, drugs, travel or sex.  Whatever makes them feel good is what they pursue with passion and excitement. They are convinced that, other than the government and their bosses, they are in charge of their own lives and no one tells them what to do or what decisions to make.  They feel they are accountable to no one. Unless they are attending a funeral or other memorial service, there is rarely any consideration of what will happen to them when they die. Why think about something so depressing?  Besides, their ‘worship’ need is being met even though they don’t realize it.

Even in Christianity, there are a huge number of people who profess to be believers in Christ but are participating in the rituals by rote and without true understanding or interest in what they are doing. They attend church every week, making sure they are dressed in outfits that look ‘churchy.’  They bring the obligatory covered dish to the fellowships and volunteer in the nursery or kitchen as a good Christian should, but if someone in the congregation is experiencing tragedy, well, let someone else sacrifice money or time to help them. They are too busy with carpool and tennis lessons to assist or even pray for that person.  They worship the god of pious religious appearance and reputation.

I have some mighty bad news for most of you and you’re not going to like what I am about to say, but I say it out of a burning need to warn as many people as I can while there is still time.  I am not out to offend. It matters not to me what you think about me personally. You can discount this news and disparage it all you want. You can laugh in my face and scoff and call me every name in the book. I am past caring about temporal appearances or reputation. I am privileged to make a complete fool out of myself in your eyes for the name of Christ.  BUT…what I tell you is truth.

 I can state unequivocally that there indeed IS a God.  He is known by the following names:  Jehovah, YHWH, I AM, Almighty God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ.  He is the “ancient of days” and has always existed, exists now and will always exist. He is the Creator of all things seen and unseen, and that includes YOU.

There are NOT many different paths to reach this God. He is NOT the same god as Allah, Buddha, nirvana, perfect nothingness or any other god mankind has come up with. Every single person is born a sinful creature, even that seemingly innocent little baby. I’ve had a child and was amazed to see the willful, rebellious nature rear its head when my son was just a couple of months old. It is what it is and we cannot fix it. Only God can.

Every single religion represents mankind’s instinctive need to reconcile with God.  Deep down we know there is something bigger than ourselves ‘out there.’  The Bible says in Romans 1:20, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal person and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”  Vs 21-22 go on to state, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

In other words, as far as God in concerned, He has provided plenty of sufficient evidence in the natural world to clearly prove His existence.  If mankind willfully refuses to acknowledge that little tug of worship in his heart and open his eyes to obvious proof of intelligent design in all of nature, creatures and even the universe itself, then he is without excuse. 

Every single one of us has an innate, nagging feeling that we will stand before Almighty God and answer for how we lived our lives.  Those who have given themselves to the god of so called “intellectualism”, cultured in the arrogant medium of liberal universities, are usually the ones with the biggest mouths, denying the existence of God.  “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”  For every intellectual, scientist, medical doctor, chemist, astrophysicist, etc. that denies the existence of God, there is a colleague of equal education and intellect who would refute their claim. I am not writing this to argue the point.

I am writing this to declare a stark warning. The only way to be made right before God is through Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6)  Period. Like it or not. Believe it or not. End of conversation.

Just about every adult on the planet has noticed in the past 10 years or so, an increase in natural disasters, some of which have been of “Biblical” proportions. You see the moral degradation of society and the increase in crime, particularly violent crime. Every night on the news, you hear of yet another war and the escalation of tensions between countries and cultures. You worry about the financial collapse of the Euro and the Dollar, which would ruin the economies of all nations. Record droughts. Record floods. Famine. Disease once thought eradicated rearing its head. What is going on?

The Bible is quite clear about the signs portending the end of civilization as we know it.  We're living in Disney Land compared to what is coming.  God is incredibly patient and does not want anyone to be lost to hell, so He has allowed society to toddle on for centuries enjoying prosperity, advances in technology and travel, giving mankind time to turn to Him. BUT God is not only love. He is also perfectly just.

The rejection of His Son’s sacrificial death to cleanse us from all sin so we can be presented to God and live up to His Holy standards, has just about caught up with this world. God is eminently just and His patience has about run out. The Bible tells us of the wrath that Christ will pour out on this earth and sinful mankind. But first Jesus will snatch those whose hearts and minds belong to Him up to heaven to spare us from the mind boggling horrors to come. The signs that this ‘snatching’ will take place VERY soon is all too clear. There is not much time left for you to choose this day whom you will worship.

We ALL will end up worshipping Jesus Christ.  Some of us will do so with endless joy and adoration. The rest of you will bow your knee and be forced to confess Jesus is Lord.

Yes, it’s all real. It is really true. And whether you choose to believe it and accept the pardon Christ died to provide you or scoff and go your own way, these things WILL take place. Mark my words…if you choose to laugh this message off as the ranting of some evangelical Christian nut-case, be my guest. But there will come a day when you find yourself face to face with an Almighty God, and you’ll remember my warning. And for all of eternity, you will live with the knowledge that you flagrantly threw away your chance to live in heaven.  I’ll be blunt. Don’t be stupid, people.    DON’T. BE. STUPID.


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Look Around

It seems this time of year brings out the generosity in folks.  Most of us put a little something in that red kettle as we smile at the bell ringer. Others actually take time to read the plethora of donation requests from various organizations they received in the mail. Some even consider what, if anything, to give. We might tuck a modest check into the return envelope and enjoy the momentary satisfaction of giving to a cause bigger than ourselves, then the rest of the year it's every man/woman for themselves!

When you talk to Joe Average, he says he doesn't have money to spare except, well, maybe he can spare some change at Christmas. After all, he says, there are so many starving children in Africa, any donation he might give would be like a drop in the ocean so what's the point?  It really won't help and everyone knows the CEO's of most of those charity organizations dip their greedy little fingers into the pot so just a few cents on the dollar actually reaches the needy. Right?

So what, in this tight economy, when folks are being laid off or hours and salaries are being cut back, can we do to make our little corner of the world a better place?  How can we leave this earth a little brighter because we lived?  How can we extend that warm glow we get when we go out of our way to give to the less fortunate during the holidays?

The answer isn't necessarily giving money to huge charities. Most of us don't have it to spare! The answer is very simple. Look around you. Notice the single mother at your kid's school, trying her best to juggle a job and the endless important obligations that go along with being a good parent.  You think she might appreciate her yard being raked?  Or maybe she might be delighted to have you watch her kids for a few hours so she can have a little time to herself, for once?  What kind of wonder would you see in her weary eyes if you offered your help?

What about the little old widower two houses down the street?  You know his wife passed away a year or two ago and his kids and grand-kids are spread all over the country; how about inviting him for a home cooked meal at your table, with all its chatter and chaos from kids and pets vying for attention?  Can you imagine for just a minute, the memories that meal would bring back to him? The loneliness that would be pushed aside for an hour or two because of your kindness?

Whether you are a serious follower of Christ or not, we all know life can be a dark, scary, lonely place. You don't have to go to Africa or Haiti to find people in need. They are all around us and if you just open our eyes, you'll see opportunity after opportunity to brighten the day and lives of those outside of your own family.

As you become more aware, don't let the needs and circumstances of others overwhelm you!  It's very easy to see the misfortune of others and let it get you down. You CAN make a difference in your little corner! You really can!

You can enjoy that warm, satisfied feeling of giving to others all year 'round. Don't wait for the holidays to do something!  There are so many people that would greatly benefit from your help. You might end up being a real hero or friend to someone who is suffering from a desperate need or broken heart. It's so easy to do. Don't worry about your wallet! Money is tight for everyone. Open your eyes and look for opportunities.

Again, you don't have to save the world to make a difference! Just look further than your front door and get to the beautiful business of giving!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Thursday, December 22, 2011

This Jesus Does Not Exist

In reading the comments from different news stories for AOL’s Huffington Post, I am amazed and appalled at how the teachings of Jesus Christ have been twisted. If you dare stand up for any kind of traditional morals and family values, you are immediately castigated as some imbecile, completely out of touch with today’s compassionate, tolerant society.

The persecution and vitriolic hatred of Christians that is spewed in our direction is like being sprayed with some type of corrosive acid.  I’ve tried to make cogent, gentle but truthful statements and the overwhelming reaction is akin to a vampire’s rage when presented with a cross!  But the thing I especially enjoy, is being told who Jesus was (not ‘is’) and what He would think about this or that issue.

One news item I commented on was about, Felisha Archuleta of Denver, Colorado, who is protesting a Denver Girl Scout troop’s decision not to allow her (get this!) 7 year old, transgender ‘daughter’, Bobby Montona, to join the group.  Quoting this Mother of the Year recipient, “I believe he was born in the wrong body, but the Girl Scout leader told us he can’t join because he has ‘boy parts’, but no one would know he’s a boy unless they pulled his pants down.”  *Sigh*  I wonder what would happen if she believed he should have been born a Chihuahua?  Would she protest when he wasn’t admitted to the Kennel Club??

This action prompted three leaders affiliated with the Northlake Christian School, in Covington, Louisiana, to resign and dissolve their troops. They feel this is, “extremely confusing,” and an “almost dangerous situation” for children that, “goes against what we [Northlake Christian School] believe.”

The Girl Scouts of Colorado subsequently released a statement through the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLADD) in support of Archuleta and her excluded ‘daughter’, noting, “If a child identifies as a girl and the child’s family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout.”  I wonder what happens when the kids hit the showers…

I am constantly reminded that today’s perception of Jesus Christ is completely different than the Jesus the Bible describes.  For instance, and these are quotes, He never condemned anyone-ever, was compassionate, tolerant, non-judgmental, accepting, loving and completely forgiving, even to those who didn’t ask for forgiveness.  Christians, on the other hand, don’t act like Christ because we are exactly the opposite. We are bigoted, hateful, intolerant, stupid, judgmental, old-fashioned, unwanted, hypocrites, homophobic, ignorant of what the Bible really teaches and even a bunch of “*%^^$”, whatever that might mean.

Several of the article’s comments stood up for the Louisiana troop leader’s decision to disband rather than face some politically correct situation of being pressured into accepting non-traditional members.  There is no doubt this would have presented itself sometime. The reaction to Godly opinions along these lines was explosive, to say the least. There were over 6000 comments on this story and I would estimate only 1 out of every 30 were supportive of the values of the Bible.

For this mother to decide SHE believes her 7 year old son was born in the wrong body is so absurd it defies any maternal logic.  The child’s opinion is not even mentioned. How long will it be before the brainwashing settles in and he begins to believe what the only person he looks to for truth and security is telling him?  What happens when he turns 13 and the testosterone kicks in?  Can you imagine the rage and confusion this poor kid faces? But I digress.

The point of this article is the overwhelming delusion that Jesus would have embraced this mother’s actions with complete acceptance.  He would never judge what she is doing to her son because He loves everyone equally.  Christians are the ones who don’t read the Bible correctly because we stand on the premise that mankind’s behavior is sinful and man is in need of forgiveness from God.

I’ve also heard the other side of the coin in which God is an ogre who ordered genocide, rapes, slavery and destroyed whole cities just because its inhabitants loved each other in a way He didn’t approve of. “What kind of ‘Neanderthal’ God is that? I want nothing to do with your God, which isn’t a problem because He is just a myth anyway.”

There were a couple of people whose unrealistic view of God I strongly refuted.  I informed them the Jesus in their head was a fabrication.  He never did and does not now exist.  They invented a false Christ because they don’t want to be told how to live or what a Holy God’s expectations of we humans are and they don’t want to be accountable to Him but they are, like it or not.  And yes, that is all in the Bible. WhooHoo, that went over well!  I won’t list all of the names I was called.

But you know what?  It honestly does not bother me.  I don’t care one wit what they think of me, but I do take great offense when the God who redeemed me is castigated, mocked, denied or despised. The ironic thing about speaking out is this: Christians are held to an impossible standard of perfection by unbelievers.  If we speak the truth in love about sin and its consequences as outlined by Scripture and even Christ Himself, we are hated and nearly threatened with bodily harm.  If we live lives that participate in and accept the status quo of society, we are called hypocrites.  I have to admit I’m getting weary of the fight.

It’s very comforting to remember that Jesus does not expect me to convince anyone of truth. That is the Holy Spirit’s job. My responsibility is to tell others about Christ’s redemption.  I pray at least one person, somewhere, is influenced by what I say and comes to know the real Jesus.




Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Source of Political Correctness

Where did this terminal cancer, which has weakened American society for over 10 years, come from?  How did we get to the point where our 1st Amendment rights are literally being eroded out from beneath us?  And why are we intelligent, average, sensible Americans allowing it to happen?
Bill Lind wrote an excellent article back in February 2000, called The Origins of Political Correctness, from which he lectured at various Accuracy in Academia conferences during that same year.  I will be borrowing liberally from this work, so when you see words in italics, those are verbatim from that paper.
Even before the first shots were fired in the American Revolution, we in this country always took great pride in the fact that we could speak our minds with impunity. In fact, we’ve taken it for granted so long we’ve hardly noticed that freedom is all but a thing of the past. Like the frog placed in a pot of water who didn’t realize the heat was slowly being turned up and didn’t know he was being cooked until it was too late, political correctness will be the death of us.
There are some who have pointed out this scourge over the years, but we’ve apparently been too busy with our day to day lives and concerns to pay much attention. We’re beginning to listen now!  The demand for political correctness (P.C.) is getting louder and more intrusive than ever and unless we push back and speak the truth, we will be forced to live in fear of ‘offending’ the wrong person.
This insidious nonsense is precisely why tens of millions have died around the world.  We see the consequences on the news every day as hundreds are being slaughtered by their own military and government for daring to speak out against the repressive society in which they live.  History is witness to those citizens who have been harassed, arrested or even executed in places like Russia, North Korea, China and even in Europe and it all started with controlling what the populace could say publically.
Basically, political correctness is cultural Marxism.  Webster’s defines Marxism as “The political and economic view of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that society inevitably develops through class struggle from oppression under capitalism to eventual classlessness.”   Political correctness is a totalitarian ideology. 
An ideology posits that due to what a particular philosophy states, certain things must be true.  An example of this would be to say the entire history of human culture reflects the history of the oppression of females.  It is a gross exaggeration of a basic or partial truth.
Since reality contradicts the basic or partial truth, reality must be forbidden. Thus, to keep people from speaking out and refuting what they know reality to be, the power of the state must be put behind the demand to live a lie. That is why ideology invariably creates a totalitarian state.
Cultural Marxism or political correctness says that all history is determined by power, by which groups defined in terms of race, sex, etc., have power over other groups. Nothing else matters.
As classic Marxism philosophy teaches, certain groups are ‘good’ while others are ‘bad.’  For instance blacks, Hispanic, homosexuals and feminists are determined to be ‘victims’, and therefore are automatically good regardless of what any of them do.  Similarly, white males (and white females) are determined to automatically be evil.  Unfortunately, anyone who currently professes to be a true, practicing Christian is now considered the cause du jour of all the world’s ills.
Nowhere else is political correctness more prevalent than on America’s college campuses.  Any student or even faculty member who dares cross any line set by any of the ‘victim’ groups quickly find themselves in hot water with the ‘intellectual elite.’  Sometimes, the offender is even subject to formal charges and/or punishments.
As in economic Marxism, the P.C. crowd utilizes the tool of expropriation for control and growth.  Expropriation means taking someone’s property or depriving them of their possessions, especially for public use. When political correctness takes over a university campus, its proponents will expropriate through things like quotas for admissions.  When a white student with superior qualifications is denied admittance to a college in favor of a black or Hispanic who isn’t as well qualified, the white student is expropriated.  In society at large, Affirmative Action is another perfect example of this tactic.
Both types of Marxism have a method of analysis that manipulates and provides the answers they want.  For P.C., it is deconstruction, or taking any text, removing all meaning from it and re-inserting any meaning desired.  By doing this, they are able to once again show or ‘prove’ that all history is about which groups have power over which other groups.  This is how the history books in our public school systems have been re-written to reflect the ‘victimhood’ of certain groups due to the evil white man taking advantage for his own gain.
Political correctness has a history which, surprisingly, extends much further back than the 1960’s with its hippies and anti-war movement.  It goes back to the time of WWI. The people espousing economic Marxism were certain when war came to Europe, as it did in 1914, that the common people would rise up in their various countries and overthrow their governments. They figured the general public would feel they had much more in common with each other across national boundaries than with the rich and ruling class in their own country.  They were wrong. 
The people in each country happily backed their individual national flags and identities and marched off to fight each other.  The Marxists were puzzled because they couldn’t possibly be wrong about their dazzling ideology so two Marxist theorists put their heads together to postulate what the problem could be. 
Antonio Gramsci, from Italy, thought the workers would never see their true class interests, as defined by Marxism, until they were freed from Western culture and particularly from the Christian religion because these two forces blinded them to their potential.
Georg Lukacs, from Hungary, was considered the most brilliant Marxist theorist since Marx himself and stated in 1919, “Who will save us from Western Civilization?”  When the Bolshevik Bela Kun government was established the same year, Lukacs became the deputy commissar for culture. The first thing he did was introduce sex education into Hungarian schools, which the people were appalled by and, as a result, they turned against the new government. This was his aim.
In Germany in 1923, Felix Weil, the wealthy, spoiled son of a millionaire trader became a Marxist and spent a considerable amount of money sponsoring something called the First Marxist Work Week.  He was concerned about the division of opinions within Marxist ranks and brought together many of the key German thinkers, including Lukacs, to work out the differences.  He stated, “What we need is a think-tank”, thus establishing the familiar term which resulted in translating Marxism from economic to cultural,  creating Political Correctness as we know it today.
 That same year, 1923, he endowed the Institute for Marxism, which was associated with Frankfurt University.  However, after realizing it was not to their advantage to openly proclaim themselves Marxist, they changed the name to the Institute for Social Research so as to not seem threatening to the general public.
Weil stated in 1971 that, “I wanted the Institute to become known, perhaps famous, due to its contributions to Marxism.”  The first director of the Frankfurt School, as the Institute was informally named, was Carl Grunberg, an Austrian economist.  In his opening address, he concluded by clearly stating his personal allegiance to Marxism as a scientific methodology and that it would be the ruling principle at the Institute. This never changed.
In 1930, the facility got a new director, Max Horkheimer, whose Marxist views were thought to be too radical by the mainstream members.  The theorists at the Institute were expelled from the official Marxist party.  Horkheimer’s sin was to combine cultural Marxism with Freudism.  Freud thought everyone lived repressed lives, and Horkheimer and the Institute combined the two to create a new theory called, Critical Theory.
Critical Theory is quite simple.  It states that the best way to bring down Western culture and the capitalist order, which represses its citizens, is to sharply criticize the established order but explicitly refuse to lay down an alternative. It calls for the most destructive criticism possible, in every possible way, designed to bring the current order down. Critical Theory was renamed  Political Correctness.
Two key members joined the Institute in the 1930’s, Erich Fromm and Herbert Marcuse, who introduce the need for sexual liberation which is a strong theme in today’s P.C. thinking.
Horkheimer came up with the idea of environmentalism, also a popular element in modern thinking today. “Materialism had led to a manipulative dominating attitude toward nature” and the theme of man’s domination of nature was a central concern of the Frankfurt School in subsequent years.  He also expressed another criticism of materialism and common labor with the demand for human, sensual happiness and personal gratification to which he felt the leaders of government and society were hostile.
This is about the time these inane ideas were introduced into America and its universities. In 1933, the Nazis came to power in Germany and shut down the Institute for Social Research.  Its members fled to New York City and reestablished the Institute there with help from Columbia University.  Through the 1930’s the members shifted their focus from German society to directing Critical Theory toward American society.
Some of the members also went to work for the government, including Herbert Marcuse, who became a key figure in the OSS (the predecessor to the CIA).  Others, including Horkheimer moved to…wait for it….Hollywood, California.
Today’s political correctness matured in the student rebellion of the 1960’s which was largely due to resistance to the military draft and the Vietnam War in general.  The students needed to justify their rage with some theory that had a somewhat believable rationale to support it.  Herbert Marcuse had remained in America after the Frankfurt School relocated back to Germany after the war and was available to come to their rescue.
Marcuse saw the rebellion as a great opportunity to make the work of the Institute and its theories into the New Left in America.  One of his books virtually became the student rebel’s bible.  The book, Eros and Civilization: A Philosophical Inquiry into Freud, had its Marxist ideology downplayed, as the theories were disguised in softer language. Because the youth in the rebellion were not the sharpest tools in the shed, Marcuse’s book was much easier to understand than classic economic Marxism and the students lived by its tenets. 
See if the following sounds familiar: Under a capitalistic order, repression is the essence of that order and that results in the person Freud describes—a person with all the hang-ups, the neuroses, because his sexual instincts are repressed.  We can envision a future, if we can only destroy the existing oppressive order, in which we liberate Eros, we liberate libido, in which we have a world of “polymorphous perversity,” in which you can ‘do your own thing.’  In that world there will no longer be work, only play.  Sounds eerily like the Occupy Movement, doesn’t it??
This message for the radicals of the mid-1960’s sounded like nirvana.  They were students and baby boomers who grew up never having to worry about anything except eventually having to get a job.  And here is a guy writing in a way they can easily understand. He doesn’t require them to read a lot of heavy Marxism and he tells them everything they want to hear, which is essentially, “Do your own thing,” “If it feels good, do it,” and “You never have to go to work.” Marcuse is also the genius who coined the brilliant phrase, “Make love, not war.”   Groovy.
 He defined ‘liberating tolerance’ as tolerance for anything coming from the Left and complete Intolerance for anything coming from the Right, which is the attitude we are contending with today. Add the morality of the Bible and true Christian living as a target of Critical Theory and the average, upstanding, hard-working American with good common sense simply doesn’t stand a chance!
In the last 10 to 15 years, America has undergone the greatest and direst transformation in its history.  We have literally become a country with an official ideology which is enforced by the power of the state. For instance, we now have ‘hate crimes.’  Don’t ALL crimes stem from hate? Must we really have special laws covering this? When will speaking out become a crime?
Political correctness is here to stay and it will only get stronger as it seeks to destroy the freedoms our forefathers died to provide as well as the culture and way of life we have worked so hard for.  We had better wake up and start pushing back for the sake of our children and grandchildren.
The Bible clearly warns us that these attitudes will be part of the last days.  I guarantee a time will come in this country when anyone who makes their disagreement with the establishment known publically will be imprisoned or will simply disappear in the night, as those in Russia, Germany, China, North Korea and other totalitarian societies have done over the decades.
Those of you who claim the name of Christ had better get your house in order while there is still time.  I, for one, do not plan on hanging around to see these things come to pass.  Maranatha!


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Excuse me??

I get my news from AOL and sometimes scroll down to see what comments people are making about the stories. Yesterday, 12/12/11, there was a commentary on how folks should lay off Tim Tebow for his displays of his Christian faith on the football field.

From what I understand, when he makes a great play, he will either point both forefingers skyward or quickly kneel on one knee in a quick prayer of thanks to God. In fact, he has garnered so much attention for doing this, the kneeling action is now called, "Tebowing."

One player on an opposing team was heard saying he planned to deliberately sack the quarterback and then kneel in Tebow fashion to mock this man's faith. How tolerant.  Can you imagine the nationwide  outrage had this guy run to the sidelines, grabbed a small rug and mockingly knelt in fake prayer the way muslims do??

Mr. Tebow's actions are not disruptive and are hardly original.  Some athletic players have historically shown their thanks to God when they do well so I'm not sure what the big, hairy deal is! Come to think of it, yes I do!  Silly me!  Tebow is a *gasp* Christian!

Speaking of tolerance, I added the following comment to the story: "I find it funny that Mr. Tebow's actions are causing such a hoopla. Perhaps he knows something that his critics don't. I'm not sure God is interested in football, but I guarantee you He notices one of His servants giving Him glory and thanks despite being mocked and maligned."  Now, that is hardly stuffing my views down anyone's throat. I was giving my opinion, as were many other readers.

Here is the response I got from some fool, mpmcrill: "You need to keep a grasp on real life. Keep your thoughts with those who believe what you do. You and others like you are wrong to try and make people believe what you think is right."  HUH?

How was expressing my o-p-i-n-i-o-n trying to make others believe as I do??  How about you, mpmcrill?  Why are you so intolerant of my opinion?  You're not a mean-spirited, bigoted, Christophobic hater, now are you??  Hmmm?

I get a laugh out of the hypocrisy of those who hate God and/or anyone who proclaims His name. Their virulent hatred oozes out of them like pus in the zit that is their heart. And it's just about as attractive.

No, mpmcrill, I will NOT keep my thoughts to myself, thank you very much. You've absolutely no business telling me what to do or say!  Besides, I rather like being the safety pin that pops your pimple...uh, I mean conscience.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Triumph of Evil

Just thought I’d let you know that the good ‘ol USA has taken a huge step towards becoming a totalitarian a police state.  What?  You don’t know what I’m talking about??  Well, listen up!
Last week, our illustrious Senate passed a 682 page resolution named the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, or NDDA.  Hidden within the plethora of pages is a Bill under the title ‘Detainee Matters’ in section 1031 and 1032.
If accepted as is by President Obama, the law will give the US military complete authority to indefinitely detain ANYONE, including US citizens arrested on American soil or overseas, without charge or trial.  All they have to do is accuse you of being a terrorist.  They will not need ANY proof.
You think I’m exaggerating?  Do a little research.  Congress has essentially given the Defense Department the power to take civilians into military custody, take them wherever they want and completely deny them their Constitutional right to a jury trial. They could literally imprison you for life and there would be NOTHING you could do.  Nothing. 
Section 1031 and 1032 means that all control would be taken from our civilian-controlled judicial system and placed under  secretive and unaccountable military control.  Benjamin Franklin warned against forsaking liberty for temporary security.  We in this country are all targets of Islamic terrorism. That is an unfortunate fact.  Does that mean we lose our collective minds, run to Big Brother and completely give ‘him’ even more control over our freedom in exchange for the illusion of security and safety? And that is exactly what this is about. The illusion of safety.
We live in a dangerous world.  Americans are despised with white hot passion in Islamic societies, especially in the Middle East.  The entire premise of the Koran, for those ignorant enough to have not read it, is total world control under Islamic Sharia law.  That is their overarching goal and I’d have to say they are making remarkable inroads, especially in Europe and even here in America.  Been to Dearborn Michigan lately? Know thy enemy.
We need to wake up to the sad fact that this so called ‘war on terrorism’ is an open-ended war which extends, for Americans, all over the globe.  The Senate has endorsed the notion that the government can do whatever it wants to any citizen it merely suspects of being involved in a terrorist plot or group, without the burden of proving its case to an independent judge.  This legislation not only treads all over the Constitution our forefathers bled and died to design and protect, it stomps, smears and nullifies some of the most basic rights and protections we citizens have.
How did this monstrosity pass?  Forty eight Democrats, forty four Republicans and one Independent voted in favor of it.  You reckon they are representing the ‘will of the people?’  I think not! Thank heaven some civil rights groups are beginning to speak up.  Let me give you a telling example of how surreal and crazy this is.
One of the most liberal, outspoken, lunatic fringe Senators is very opposed to this law.  Yes folks, Al Franken, Democrat-MN, made the following statement.  “I fear the detention provisions in this bill forget the lessons we learned from the mistakes we made when we interned thousands of innocent Japanese, Germans and Italians, or when we destroyed the lives of supposed communist sympathizers with nary a shred of evidence of guilt.”  God help us…the day has arrived in which I actually agree with something Al  Franken says!
President Obama has threatened to veto the bill if it still contains the problematic provisions.  He stated it would, “raise serious and unsettled legal questions and would be inconsistent with the fundamental American principal that our military does not patrol our streets.”  Let’s hope he actually keeps his word for once.  If he doesn’t, we are in big trouble!
Edmund Burke, who served for many years in the House of Commons in England and is best known for supporting the American Revolution, wrote, “The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.”   Giving away our constitutional rights under the delusion that we will be safer or more secure from outside threats will only lead to the downfall of the greatest nation this world has ever known.  Is that really what you want for your children?  Please, contact your Congressperson and let your voice be clearly heard!
We are on a slippery slope of destruction from within.  Edmund Burke’s most famous quote is very apropos, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”   WAKE UP!

12/9/11








Saturday, December 3, 2011

New Gay Pride Parade

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Chicago is very concerned about the annual gay parade but not for the reason you would think. One would reasonably surmise that the church was taking a stand against homosexuality, as it should. However, the church’s concern is that the parade, which starts at 10 a.m. on the last Sunday in June, will force it to cancel morning mass because the New Pride Parade route will now pass directly in front of the church.

You read that correctly. One of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in Chicago is only concerned about the traffic jam and not the flagrant display of sin.  Oh my, we can’t mention the ‘S’ word. It might offend someone!

Before you get your shorts in a bunch, allow me to explain that I am not a homophobe. I am not frightened of homosexuals in the least.  Nor do I hate them.  Nor do I wish them ill. On the contrary, I deeply desire to warn them of the consequences of their lifestyle choices because I do NOT wish them ill.

Yes folks, get your Bibles out because that is where I’m going.  The Bible and Ten Commandments have always been the standard by which most societies measure their moral code.  It’s an ancient book, written over a span of approximately 1600 years with 40 different authors with a wide range of ages and from all walks of life.  There are hundreds of controversial subjects covered yet the authors wrote with agreement and harmony, whether they were writing in a dungeon, temple, on a hillside, on an island, during war or peacetime. 

Contrary to the most critical investigations of secular society, it has been proven the Bible has changed very little from the original manuscripts.  NO other book in history has as many copies of the ancient manuscripts as the Bible.  Whether you like it or not, it IS reliable.

The Bible states four different times that God does not change.  He is eternally the same, yesterday, today and forever. Therefore, His opinions don’t change and He made it quite clear that homosexuality and lesbianism are an ‘abomination’ to a Holy God.  What does abomination mean?  It means to detest or abhor.  God is disgusted by homosexuality because it is a perversion of the way He created and intended mankind to function.

Many claim that they were born homosexual; therefore God made them that way.  I say to them, so was I.  I was also born a murderer, liar, thief, adulterer, coveter, hater of my parents, and one who considers some things and people more important than God.  

We were all born with the propensity to sin in all sorts of egregious ways.  BUT that does not mean we have no choice but to give in to the sinful impulses that tempt us.  So what, you were born with an interest in the same sex?  What if you were born with a sexual interest in small children or animals?  Would God have made you that way too?  Wouldn’t those appetites also deviate from the normal male/female coupling?

Again, I do not hate homosexuals. Actually, I don’t hate anyone. I hate homosexuality and the black, satanic religion of Islam but if I saw a gay or Muslim injured in a car wreck, I would immediately stop to offer any nursing assistance I could. I wouldn’t even think twice, so keep your unjust, incorrect , Christophobic accusations of me to yourself.

Openly gay comedienne, Margaret Cho, wrote an article featured on AOL, called, We Deserve Rights. We Deserve Life.  In it she spoke passionately about growing up in San Francisco in the 1970’s and seeing the influx of gay men move into the area, celebrating the freedom to be and act as gay as they wished with few repercussions, and how they were happy and ‘living’ for the first time.

Then she described the unforeseen plague of AIDS that hit in the 1980’s and the heartbreak and devastation of seeing many friends become desperately sick and die of the disease. She states that the result of the AIDS epidemic motivated her to join the fight, organize, raise money, band together with others in the GLBT community to become a political force, demanding their ‘rights’ and to realize and finally attain equality.

Before I continue, you can also stuff the, “She thinks AIDS was a punishment from God on gays,” barb.  In all honesty, I don’t know whether it was or not. Because hetero’s and even children acquire AIDS, it seems to be an equal opportunity scourge. But I digress.

I must ask the gay community this; what ‘rights’ and what ‘equality’ are you referring to?  You are afforded the identical rights as a citizen of the USA that I enjoy.  If you will be honest with yourself, what you really want are special rights and equality based on your behavior.

You demand the right to marry.  You demand the right to adopt children.  You demand the right to make financial and medical decisions for your partner the way a married man and woman do.

From the beginning of time when God joined Adam and Eve as ‘one flesh’, the definition of marriage has always been the civil and spiritual union of one man and one woman. They were expected to establish a home and conceive and rear the next generation so mankind’s existence on this planet could continue in a healthy, orderly manner.

ANY sociologist or psychiatrist who holds any integrity in regard to their professional standards will testify that the mental, physical, emotional, educational and spiritual growth of children are best provided by the traditional family model of one Father and one Mother.

Unfortunately, because of the vile, selfish, sinful nature of mankind, children have, over the centuries, suffered the consequential misery of broken homes, step families, single parenthood resulting in lower socioeconomic, educational and cultural opportunities. Some of these situations lead their caretakers into drug and alcohol abuse, crime, prison sentences and the kids are usually shuffled within the foster care system or from family member to family member who really do not want the burden of raising someone else’s child.

The bottom layer of the consequence sewer very often exposes the innocent to physical, mental, emotional and sexual abuse. Is this right?  Absolutely not! Should the guilty be held responsible? You’d better believe it!  But are the ills of society reason enough to further complicate their lives by exposing helpless children to adoption by gay couples to grow up in circumstances which defy nature itself?  How do the kids explain to their peers that they have two mommies or two daddies?

 Contrary to the fondest dreams of the gay community, this type of ‘family’ will never be considered normal.  How can the child develop reasonable standards of what is healthy in terms of romantic relationships? How will they escape feeling the pressure of choosing the lifestyle their ‘parents’ chose?

How can we expect impressionable children not to grow up with completely skewed paradigms of the world and the relationships between the sexes and people in general?  If they don’t understand, what traditionally in the course of human civilization has been considered normal behavior, where will this lead mankind?  What will become of society 100 years from now? What about 200 years from now?

What is to prevent us from sliding a little further down the slippery slope of deviance to making marriage between adults and children, even very young children, acceptable? What about marriage between humans and animals?  There are already groups of people who aim to push those agendas to be normalized in our society. No kidding!  What is the difference between those behaviors and homosexuality?

Well, those are perverted, you say? Oh really?  Says who? Exactly where are we going as a civilization morally? 

Although I accept what the Bible says and view the homosexual lifestyle as sinful, I have to also accept it has been jammed down our collective throats and is not going to go away. It hasn’t in thousands of years but now, we are expected by the politically correct to embrace homosexuality as completely normal.  I can understand why gay couples want to be able to exercise civil responsibilities for their partners. Actually, I agree there should be laws passed to that effect.

Partners should be able to make medical, property and legal decisions with and for each other if one is unable to decide for themselves. As far as I am concerned, those of you who wish to join together, knock yourselves out in lavish commitment ceremonies.  But leave the legal term and traditions of marriage alone.  You don’t need to upend society to push your agenda. I would imagine most people, even most Christians, would agree with me on this.

The moral climate of America is sliding straight into hell itself.  Before long, the moral relativists will destroy any notion of what is right or wrong. This is to be expected according to the Bible but it is still sad to witness.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 states, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection--(homosexuals),  trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Anyone over about 30 years of age can testify that the world in general has sharply declined in normalcy and function in their lifetime.  In Matthew 24, the disciples of Jesus asked Him, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”  vs. 7-8, Jesus answered them, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Anyone with an ounce of sense knows crime is increasing in rate and cruelty and people in general are getting more and more selfish.  We all see on the news every night some new war or huge protest breaking out all over the world. Record storms, tornados, floods and droughts have killed thousands. We’ve watched on TV as tsunamis wipe out major cities, tossing cars and huge boats around like toys.

 Diseases once thought eradicated are coming back in new, virulent forms.  Antibiotics are becoming less effective on even basic infections. More people are starving to death because of weather or political corruption than ever before. And everyone can say with certainty earthquakes are increasing in number and severity.

I am not some unwashed freak in ratty clothes, standing on the street corner holding up a sign that says, “Repent! The end is near!!”   I am a down to earth, intelligent, kindhearted woman who is a sinner saved by the grace of Christ.  I was born with a heart as black and deceitful and violent as anyone who ever lived.  There is nothing, and I do mean nothing, in me that is good apart from the Holy Spirit who lives in my heart.  It is only because of God’s relentless mercy and the blood sacrifice His son, Jesus Christ, made on that cross over 2000 years ago that covers my sins, that enables me to stand clean,  righteous and acceptable in the sight of an Almighty Holy God.

I did not make the rules of this universe and I certainly don’t understand or always agree with the way God runs it.  I highly doubt that bothers Him! The Bible says that His thoughts are higher than my thoughts and His ways are higher than my ways so I suppose when I become intelligent and powerful enough to design, engineer and construct my own universe, maybe I’ll run it differently.

In the meantime, I trust in His wisdom, goodness and justice.  Bottom line, folks:  the Bible is true.  Life as we have always known it is spiraling to a close.   If you’re honest with yourself, you know in your gut ‘something’ big is going to happen, and soon. Even all of nature is groaning for God to liberate it from the original curse, and He most certainly will.

There are not many paths to God. That is a lie.  Jesus emphatically stated, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.”  Period.

Are you ready for what is coming?  If you died this very day and stood before a Holy God, would He find you innocent or guilty of breaking even one of the Ten Commandments?  Will you lie to yourself with the ‘ol, ‘I’m a good person’ routine and expect that to be enough? Because it won’t be.

We are ALL born sinners. We have ALL gone our own way. And even though the penalty for sin is death, God did not want us to die.  He loved us (YOU) so much that He sent His beloved Son, Jesus to die in our place so we would be able to live in pure joy in heaven with Him forever.  He paid the penalty for you. A commuted sentence.

It’s a free gift and yours for the asking. Accept the best deal you’ll ever find!  Invite Jesus into your heart to forgive you of your sins and He’ll give you a new understanding of His word as well as new desires to know and serve Him.  Tell Him you believe He died and rose again so you could have new life.  Then find a good, Bible believing church and start going and growing. You will never regret your decision.

The alternative….well, let’s just say you won’t like it!  Believe me when I tell you that you don’t have much longer to decide.