More Than Just Tissue!

Leviticus 17:11

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

This sentence, which contains a most important truth, had existed in the Mosaic writings for thousands of years, before the attention of any philosopher, phlebotomist, bio-ethicist or activist judge was drawn to the subject. That the blood actually possesses life, and that the life of the whole body is derived from it, is a doctrine of revelation by God Almighty. And it is a doctrine which the experiments of the most accurate anatomists have served strongly confirmed.

The value of the life is the measure of the value of the blood. This gives the blood of Jesus Christ its inconceivable value. When it was shed the sinless God-man gave His life. Confer with Hebrews 10:4-10,

"⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

⁵ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
⁸ Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
⁹ Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
¹⁰ By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

Even poets & novelists - Sinclair Lewis, Edith Wharton, Christopher Marlowe, Bernard Shaw and Sherwood Anderson - have alluded to the symbol of bloodlessness as a metaphor for lifelessness. Think about the common & familiar phrase, "A bloodless marriage".

You could, to be sure, modify the phrase and consider that liberals and progressives as bloodless! They are fixated with death, moreso ironically, because they accuse Christians of the very thing they're guilty of. Their death obsession includes Abortion. Euthanasia. Right to Die. Eugenics. And, Godlessness, which is the death of the soul. It's sad, but true, friends.

To Be Or Not To Be

Arizona's ban on abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy will take effect this week as scheduled after a federal judge ruled Monday that the new law is constitutional.

U.S. District Judge James Teilborg wrote that the state provided "substantial and well-documented" evidence that an unborn child has the capacity to feel pain during an abortion by at least 20 weeks.

The abortion-rights groups' lawyer said during the hearing that the ban on abortions crosses a clear line on what U.S. Supreme Court rulings permit, and it intrudes on women's health decisions at a key point in pregnancy. Read the entire article here.

However, what about the unborn child? What about intrusions on the child's right to due process?

Under the 14th Amendment, guarantees are made that no state shall “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” The fifth section gives Congress the power to enforce, “by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.” The framers of the Constitution had no idea that there would be a day in which the godless would be sitting in court benches, legislative chairs and even behind that famous oak desk in the Oval Office. Had that known what treachery against the unborn would be perpetrated, I think (in my humble opinion) that a clear definition of "person" would have been included to remove any doubt. Remember, the majority of the founders of this great Nation were Christian.

And, while the Arizona law is a good starting point, it neglects to address the problem head on. An unborn child is a person at the point of conception, as per Leviticus 17:11, among other Scriptural reference.

The Blood That Gives Me Strength From Day to Day

Blood carries gases, nutrients and waste products through the body. Blood also fights infections, heals wounds and performs many other vital functions. There is no substitute for blood. It cannot be made or manufactured. Donors are the only source of blood for patients who need it. One unit of blood can be separated into components: red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.

Blood becomes vascular. Those vessels open into the stream of the circulating blood. Critical exhange of gases, nutrients, etc. take place every second at this juncture.

The American Blood Center, in its website, makes this plea to its readers:

While you're reading this, someone in America needs blood:

• Blood is needed every two seconds.
• About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital needs blood.
• Blood is always needed for treatment of accident victims, cancer patients, hemophiliacs and surgery patients.
• Blood cannot be manufactured or harvested.

Our blood supply comes from caring donors like you. When you give blood, you give someone another laugh, another hug, another chance.

Donate blood. It's about one hour of your time. It's About Life.

Indeed, it IS about life!

It's very telling that these folks are very concerned about helping those in dire need of blood. As Christians, shouldn't we be just as concerned about the eternal life of these same individuals who have a dire need of the Blood of Jesus Christ? Of course they do! What are you doing about it, Believer? Remember in Hebrews 9:22, which states, "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."

Who are you goint to tell today about their need for the Blood?

A Christian Blood Drive

In reaching out the unsaved, think about it in this simple flow chart:

1. Ecclesiastes 12:7 states, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."

2. Hebrews 9:27 declares, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

3. Romans 14:12 concludes, "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

So, Reader, if you were to die today, how would you say you've lived your life: for yourself or for God? There is no admittance to heaven without the necessary, prerequisite seal of the Holy Spirit: salvation through faith in Jesus Christ's atoning death for your sins (Rom. 10:9-13). Without it, you are lost and condemned to go to hell (John 3:36; Rev. 20:11-15).

4. John 10:10 indicates, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

5. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Will you be the one to stand up for Jesus? Christ demands it and the world needs it. And millions of unborn children are waiting for someone to defend them.

Well, what have you decided?

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus!

Sources: Fox News, Bartleby's, Wall Street Journal, National Review, Red Cross, American Blood Center

Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1I [Ideas Series, #9]

Psalm 109:8

"Let his days be few; and let another take his office."

Who would desire a persecuting tyrant to rule long? We might as well wish prosperous days to a mangy, rabid dog. If he will do nothing but mischief the shortening of his life will be the lengthening of the world's tranquillity. "Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days." This is bare justice to them, and great mercy to the poor and needy.

Think of Mubarak, Hussein, Kim Jong Il, Castro, Khaddafi as recent tyrants. Some were removed violently, some peacefully, and others, through ailing health.

And let another take his office. Perhaps a better man may come. At any rate it is time a change were tried.

So used were the Jews to look upon these verses as the doom of traitors, of cruel and deceitful minds. Peter, too, saw at once in the speedy death of Judas a fulfilment of this sentence (Acts 1:20). A bad man does not make an office bad; another may use with benefit that which the former perverted to wrong uses.

Sin is the great shortener of human life (Rom. 6:23; Heb. 9:27). After the flood the whole race lived a shorter time; iniquity shortens life, and some sins have a peculiar power to do this, such as lust, drunkenness, etc.

But a proud look, God hates (Prov. 16:5). Different standards (i.e., scales, balances, weights) are an abomination to the LORD (Prov.20:10, 23).

1984

In his famous novel “1984,” George Orwell described a nightmarish totalitarian world in which words were redefined – and some banished from use altogether.

This language was called newspeak.

It was a political novel written with the purpose of warning readers in the West of the dangers of totalitarian government. Having witnessed firsthand the horrific lengths to which totalitarian governments in Spain and Russia would go in order to sustain and increase their power, Orwell designed 1984 to sound the alarm in Western nations still unsure about how to approach the rise of communism. In the 40's and 50's many American intellectuals supported communism, and the state of diplomacy between democratic and communist nations was uncertain.

In the American press, the Soviet Union was often portrayed as a great moral experiment. Orwell, however, was deeply disturbed by the widespread cruelties and oppressions he observed in communist countries, and seems to have been particularly concerned by the role of technology in enabling oppressive governments to monitor and control their citizens. China is presently the grand failed experiment that's been repackaged with the bright gift wrapping of global opportunism. Its arms may reach across continents, but its heart is dark and godless as ever.

As to the protagonist in 1984, Winston Smith is a low-ranking member of the ruling Party in London, in the nation of Oceania. Everywhere Winston goes, even his own home, the Party watches him through telescreens; everywhere he looks he sees the face of the Party’s seemingly omniscient leader, a figure known only as Big Brother. The Party controls everything in Oceania, even the people’s history and language. Currently, the Party is forcing the implementation of an invented language called Newspeak, which attempts to prevent political rebellion by eliminating all words related to it. Even thinking rebellious thoughts is illegal. Such thought crime is, in fact, the worst of all crimes.

Sound familiar?

Obama Meets Orwell

Some observations from President Obama's press conference (tagged by LA Times' liberal writer, Andrew Malcolm, "Barack Obama's delivery of no news is quite smooth"): In messages reminiscent of George Orwell's "1984" or "Brave New World," Obama tried to convince us that he'll cut the deficit by growing the deficit, he'll get entitlement programs under control by enrolling more dependents, and he'll grow America's private sector of the economy by increasing the size, budget, and reach of the federal government to historically unprecedented levels. What's next? Proclaiming that "Freedom is slavery," "War is peace" or "Poverty is wealth"?

Think about the drones buzzing about our Nation (Click Here and Here) and monitoring our every move.

Think about the The National Defense Authorization Act [NDAA], which was signed into law on December 31, 2011, greatly expands the power and scope of the federal government to fight the War on Terror, including codifying into law the indefinite detention of terrorism suspects without trial. Under the new law the US military has the power to carry out domestic anti-terrorism operations on US soil. Even worse, the NDAA authorizes the military to detain even US citizens under the broad new anti-terrorism provisions provided in the bill, once again without trial. Don't believe it? Click here for more information.

Think about Obama taking control of the internet in case of national crisis. On July 6, 2012, the president signed the executive order — “Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions” — which gives him the power to seize the internet. Essentially, it says the government can take control of private telecommunications technology, presumably including those used for the Internet, for government communications in an emergency. Under the Executive Order the White House has granted the Department of Homeland Security the authority to seize private facilities when necessary, effectively shutting down or limiting civilian communications. Again, having a hard time believing what you're reading? Click here.

Now, I'm no conspiracy theorist. The news articles I cite are not from a fringe right-wing or left-wing blog or crazy rag like Mother Jones. These are mainstream news outlets, Friend. Connect the dots and come to whatever conclusion you want to. Know this, that if you're looking to a man or group of men to solve your problems then you're in for a real surprise. Neither Romney nor Obama know the future and its winding, unpredictable curves. Only God knows what's best for us. It is to Him that we need to turn to in times of distress (John 14:6).

I'm no alarmist either. So, this isn't the time to panic; it's time to pray (I Thess. 5:17). Indeed, Psalm 121:1-2 states, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

Looking, that is, to the hills of Moriah and Zion and the holy hill of God. Therefore, I will not worry nor lose sleep. The LORD keeps me in His mighty hand (Rom. 8:35-39). Jesus Christ is my Rock!

From the White House to the Great White Throne

Let me make one thing clear. Well, a few things clear.

1. I'm aware of how Psalm 109, verse 9 continues: "Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow." Make no mistake, I am not wishing ill on the president. Even though the psalmist's sentiment is an extreme one, think of the context of why he writes this way: The leader has led the people astray; the ruler of the nation has forgotten God; the prince of the people has forsaken the Law and instead chosen to rely and lean on his own understanding. There is nothing so bitter than to abandon God's wonderful precepts. It is truly a sickening thought to consider.

2. God gives people, including Mr. Obama, time to repent. In II Peter 3:9, the apostle writes, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Thus, there is a time to humble oneself before the great and living God; that time is now. There is a way to seek God's forgiveness and it is through His only Son Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). What Good News, indeed! There is only one way to salvation, but it is tried and true. God's Word promises it to you and me and everyone else.

3. Unfortunately, there are those who believe that there is no God (Ps. 14:1; 53:1) or that there are many other ways to salvation but this is not so (I Jn. 4:9, 14-15). Those who refuse the salvation that Christ offers will be judged at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15). Any leader or any person "great and small" who are not saved will find themselves standing before God at the Great White Throne. Afterwards, they will be hurled into the Lake of Fire where they will burn forever and ever. What a tragic mistake to reject the love of Jesus!

Don't be one of them. Don't be a fool. Exercise good judgment and ask God to forgive you. He is ready to forgive you. All you have to do is humble yourself and ask for mercy. According to the Holy Bible, you shall receive forgiveness.

Stop delaying the decision. What's holding you back? Click here: The Plan of Salvation

Sources: LA Times, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, newsmax, Free Republic, Heritage.org

Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1H [Ideas Series, #8]

Exodus 32:2-4

"And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."

As we saw in the previous post, the people lost patience with Moses (and with God) and confronted Aaron about making them gods. He acquiesced. However, God gave Moses instructions for taking a free-will offering to be used in making a holy place for God (Exodus 25:1-7). Here Aaron received a collection, an offering of gold to make an idol.

All the people broke off the golden earrings and turned them over to Aaron. Suddenly there was a gold rush! It was more important to have something to look at (ie, a golden idol) than Someone to look to.

Aaron fashioned the gold with an engraving tool. It was all manual labor; that is, all hands and no heart. I'm talking about how this wasn't the Spirit-inspired craftsmanship of Bezaleel and Aholiab. It was the flesh-inspired work of Aaron. He thought it out, melted the gold, molded it, and fashioned it carefully with an engraving tool.

Upon completing his community project, he said, "This is your god". Again, notice that Aaron did not anoint this thing as their god. He simply went along with the people as they proclaimed it as their god. Also, take note that he deflected the idol worship on the people as if he was washing his hand of the entire spectacle. Pontius Pilate attempted to do the same thing, but history has not been kind. It was after all his hands that wrought the idol. Aaron in just as culpable in creating the idol as the people were in demanding one.

True leadership would have cried out, "This is idolatry! We must destroy this golden calf. You people are wrong in calling this creation of man your god!" But Aaron wasn't a true leader. He is an example of the one who leads by following popular opinion. If you put yourself in Aaron's shoes and you were accosted and confronted by hundreds, if not thousands, of men demanding an idol, what would you have done? Consider where you're at right now at work or your sphere of influence: Are you being a light in a dark, wicked world (Matt. 5:16) or a you like Aaron, hiding behind the idolatrous veneer of conformity?

Leading From Behind

President Barack Obama's infamous saying caught the attention of many here in the U.S. as well as abroad. To be clear, the "Leading from behind" quote was not stated by the president, but did in fact come from a White House official who was quoted in a a "journalistic" piece in "The Consequentialist: How the Arab Spring Remade Obama’s Foreign Policy" by Ryan Lizza. So, even though it was explicity stated, the president sure has practiced this philosophy quite consistently. The only people who "lead" from behind, as far as I can tell, are the carnival workers who follow elephants at a parade, if you catch my drift.

From Syria to Iran and the broader Middle East policy, Mexico, Russia, and China, America has been less assertive in the world. The attitude behind this line of thinking is that the relative power of the U.S. is declining, as rivals like China rise, and that the U.S. is reviled in many parts of the world. Therefore, the logic follows, if the U.S. is weak and hated then we have to lead from behind, taking the back seat to atrocities that are committed around the world (Syria as a case in point). Thus, the U.S. gains power by "acting modestly", by acting powerless. Huh?

Truly, the liberal line of thought is corrupt, dishonest, childish and dangerous. Heaven help us if we're going to face another 4 years of this debacle of a presidency.

Put simply, someone who leads from behind is a coward.

The Cult of Personality

As Barack Obama did not become president until January 20 of this year, it seems irrefutable that his cult of personality was bestowed upon him by so-called journalists who in order to help him get elected abdicated their solemn responsibility to report the truth to the American people.

As this typically occurs in a totalitarian nation, that country's ruler, with complete control of the media, is able to mandate what images of him or herself are being disseminated thereby furthering his cult-like status. Think of North Korea's late leader Kim Jong Il.

The Obama team is formulating its campaign strategy convinced that their guy's charisma and delivery combined with a willingness to say anything will result in re-election.

The Obama Team knows it will not be able to honestly campaign on the President's record of accomplishments. Their campaign will be solely based on blaming everything on President Bush and the mantra that things would have been worse if they had not pursued their policy agendas.

The Cult of Personality strategy works something like this:

1. Contrasting Obama against the dull and bland personality of the Republican candidate.

2. In concert with the once-mainstream media and the unions, leveling the well-worn and threadbare accusations of the Republican nominee as being mean-spirited and in league with the "rich" will be on full display. Consider the Bain Capital attacks presently being waged on Romney by the press.

3. Racist accusations being used to create headlines and sidetrack the Republicans whenever the opportunity, real or imagined, presents itself.

The Murder of Naboth

In I Kings 21, Naboth is murdered for his vineyard because he refused to give up his land.

King Ahab wanted the vineyard near his royal house in Jezreel that he might have it as a vegetable garden, and was willing to trade for the land or pay for it. Naboth's response was an emphatic "No." His rejection of the otherwise reasonable offer was rooted in the ancient Israelite idea of the land. They believed that the land was an inheritance from God, parceled out to individual tribes and families according to His will. Therefore land was never really sold, only leased - and that only under the most dire circumstances. You can imagine that the Real Estate offices in ancient Israel didn't do very good business.

See Leviticus 25:15, 25:23, 25:25; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18 for further study.

What does Ahab do to this legitimate decline to sell him the property? He pouts before Jezebel.

So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food. He seemed to be a spineless, pouting man who reacted this way when he met any kind of adversity or denial of self-fulfillment. He was like a sulking child who could not get his own way. Trust me, I've got eight kids. I know what sulking looks like!


"You now exercise authority over Israel . . . I will give you the vineyard of Naboth" Men, take note. Jezebel's manner of speech revealed who really exercised authority in the palace of Israel (Michelle Obama, are you listening?).


Friends, Jezebel plotted the plan and Ahab executed it. It's a little stretch, but see it this way if you can: President Obama is trying to steal our great Nation right from under our noses. What are you going to do about it? Believe the mainstream media? Or, put your trust back in the only One who is trustworthy: Jesus Christ?


The choice is yours. Make no mistake, though. I'm not referring to the choice of voting between a Muslim or a Mormon. What I'm talking about is humbly & quickly returning to God and begging for mercy on this great land.

America's Prestige Is On the Line

America is weak because we have a weak leader in Obama. But, he's doing it purposely, to transform this Nation from being a Superpower to an Impotent One. America needs to be taken back from the godless Liberals, Progressives, Democrats, Republicans and yes, the carnal-worldly Christians.

A weak leader who depends on God for strength and wisdom is truly a strong leader.

A weak leader who perceives himself as strong, because he sees himself as the answer to the nation's problems is in reality a fool.

Brace yourselves, folks. We're in for a rough landing come November 2012. Stay on your knees and keep looking up. Christ is on the way. God bless you!

The Plan of Salvation

Sources: The New Yorker; newsbusters, Washington Free Beacon, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Fox News, Smith's Encyclopedia

The Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1G [Ideas Series, #7]

Exodus 32:1

"And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him."

When Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, it troubled the people of Israel. The people couldn't see the reason for the delay; as a result, they allowed it to stumble them. Moses was gone for forty days. This probably seemed like a long time to the people, but a short time to Moses. Certainly it was a short time related to the outworking of God's plan for Israel. And, yet...

The people gathered together to Aaron, and had him make them a golden calf. This sinful impulse came first from the people, not Aaron. Even so, Aaron succumbed easily to the pressure. The episode of sin described in this chapter happened because the people demanded it. This is an example of where it is not good to rule by democracy and to give the people what they want. It is very popular and fashionable right now in this juncture of American life to throw other people's hard earned money around to curry favor and buy a vote. If only Ol' Aaron could see things now!

Furthermore, when it comes to ministry, it can be so dangerous to start with what people want or what they feel they need. Instead of being fed the truth and living by it, people expect to be entertained and to have their ears tickled by their pastor. After all, it's not about how high you jump, but how straight you walk.

Also, be mindful that God's delay is not necessarily a denial. His ways are not our ways (Isa. 55:8-9). The people wanted gods to go before them. They knew the Lord led them out of Egypt and they knew the Lord God had revealed Himself at Mount Sinai. Yet, they were willing to trust a god they could make with their own hands to finish what the Lord began with His hand. Isn't that something? We want to finish God's work in us! We're truly an arrogant and reprobate bunch.

Consider Paul's dealing with the Galatians: "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3) It is possible to begin the Christian life trusting Jesus, and then to begin to trust self or one's own spirituality. Following our own gods is no better for us than it was for ancient Israel.

And so, instead of leaving this uncomfortable uncertainty with God, instead of waiting, Israel turned to the flesh. God tells us "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."  (Psalm 27:14)

An End Run Around the Constitution

Obama is motivated not just by kickbacks. His actions are consistent with his rhetoric. He states that the overarching principle directing his personal and political life is his sense of social justice. There is every reason to believe him. His actions and demeanor are consistent with a man who believes that his goal is of such high purpose that it justifies all manner of subterfuge and end-runs around Congress and the Constitution.

One cannot peer into the soul of one's fellow man, but certainly Obama's demeanor, rhetoric, and actions are consistent with an understanding of Obama as a man who is convinced that he has a superior vision for America. Obama seems every bit the moralist. He works for his just society with what appears to be moral conviction. During his years as a community organizer in Chicago, he saw the great inequities in American society -- inequities which, along with bigotry, he attributed to the American capitalist system. The people on the bottom rung, and especially their children, don't have a chance.

For Obama the cure is more government, more regulation, more intervention, and less individual freedom.

For instance:

1. Obama's failed proxy war on the 2nd Amendment viz-a-viz Eric Holder's debacle of a program in "Fast & Furious". The Obama Administration is stonewalling this investigation by declaring executive privilege.

2. Obama's end run around the American people and the legislators they have elected by having the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declare carbon a toxic pollutant, despite the fact that all life on the planet is basically carbon-based. But fascists can never be swayed by facts and Obama has shown that when it comes to imposing his self-righteous agenda he isn’t particularly squeamish about violating the principles of the Constitution or the rights of the people. Rather than just fine industry, the EPA ruling gives that agency the power to impose limits on the amount of carbon and other so-called “greenhouse gases” that can be released into the atmosphere.

3. Obama's violation of the law through the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] and the enactment of its de facto amnesty through his executive order, something the citizens of this country have opposed for decades. The outrageous announcement is that he will be granting backdoor amnesty to nearly 1 million young ILLEGAL aliens. Faced with falling support for re-election, he is making a play to boost his popularity among Latinos by doing yet another end run around Congress and the Constitution. What’s most troubling about the President’s announcement is that there was no debate, no opportunity to examine the policy, and once again he has completely circumvented the checks and balances in our Constitution. Unable to pass the Dream Act for the past two years, he has ordered his DHS to halt deportations and, in the next 60 days, they will begin handing out two-year renewable work permits to ILLEGAL youths. Just a coincidence, we are led to believe that this action that couldn’t pass the Congress LEGALLY will be enacted just in time for a presidential election. The coincidence deepens with the realization that the Department of Justice has blocked states from removing unqualified voters from their rolls, also in time for the election. The only consistent Democratic voters appear to be foreigners, dead people and multiple voters.

4. Obama's signature legislation that he signed back in March 2010. ObamaCare is designed to take away Constitutional freedoms and replace them with Maoist-style restrictions, and big, authoritarian government. This monstrosity of an abomination needs to be repealed. It was drafted behind closed doors; rammed through the reconciliation process; purchased with tax payers money by bribing recalcitrant and wavering congressmen (think Corn Husker Kickback, Louisana Purchase & the like); and sealed with a deadly kiss by a spineless Chief Justice John Roberts.

Beating A Dead Horse

And, why, pray tell, am I belaboring the point? Why am I beating a dead horse?

Because the people of this great Nation have failed to wait for God's best and His will. That's why. Instant gratification is something the American culture has lowered and debased itself to. And, the pandering, cynical politician know it and are using it to their gain. We are as much fault as the politicians doing end runs around the U.S.Constitution.

The Declaration of Independence states it plainly -

"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Can I ask you something, Reader? Do the politicians in D.C. have our consent for conducting the people's business the way they are? They claim to know better than we do, but do they really? Did we give them that consent to think for us? I believe that our silence was interpreted by these fool that we condoned & consented to their decisions. The best way to show them our discontent is at the ballot box and by staying in contact with our elected officials when issues, policies, etc. that we disagree with come up for votes. We cannot afford to let them off the hook after election. Even the best intentioned elected official can go astray in D.C.

All these might make for a hopeless case against doing something, though. But, no fear, consider what God's Word says -

Proverbs 16:5 says, "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished."

Proverbs 16:12 declares, "It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness."

Proversb 29:3 states, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn."
Proverbs 29:12 indicates, "If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked."

Here's a sobering quote from the tyrant of tyrants, Adolf Hitler: "What luck for the rulers that men do not think."

So, What Can I Do?

1. Repent and Pray. See II Chron. 7:14; Jer. 6:16; I Thess. 5:17

2. Vote and Stay connected with your elected officials. Prov. 29:18

3. Get Involved In A Ministry At Church. Acts 20:28; I Cor. 12:12-26; Heb. 10:25.

What people need isn't more Government; they need Jesus Christ. Be a light in a dark and dying world (Matt. 5:16).


I Know I Need Jesus Now!



Sources: Washington Post; Washington Examiner; Washington Free Beacon; Canada Free Press; David Guzik; Quotes.com

The Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1F [Ideas Series, #6]

Matthew 11:20-24

"Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."

Thus began Christ to upbraid . That is, to reprove, to rebuke, to denounce heavy judgment on the cities. Why?

When He had sent forth His disciples to preach, and had been in these several cities Himself, and had taught and preached in them, and confirmed His doctrine by many wonderful works; when He had observed how ill they had used both John the Baptist and Himself, (accusing the one as having a devil, and the other as a licentious person); when they could not be pleased with the ministry of the one, nor of the other, Christ began to reproach them and their ingratitude to Him, their unbelief in Him, the hardness of their hearts. These people - witnesses to His goodness and miraculous acts - could not be moved to repent of their evil ways, and believe in Him, and acknowledge Him as the Messiah. What a tragic, pitiable breed these folks were!

The more God has done to draw men unto Himself, the less excusable are they if they continue in iniquity. If our blessed Lord had not done every thing that was necessary for the salvation of these people, there might be a glimmer of excuse. But, there isn't. Christ condemned these unbelieving cities because they repented not. All He did was, in order to bring men to repentance of their sins, and faith in Himself, was to work miracle after miracle in those same cities that they might be saved. He did not come to be applauded and to entertain, but to bring men to repentance. Lo, it never happened because of men's hardened hearts. What they wanted and didn't get were freebies.

As this great Nation slides into oblivion, it is sad to note that we are in the very position of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. God indeed has wrought a miraculous work in America. To ascend into incredible heights in such a short time can only be attributed to His providential hand.America has stood for the promise of escape from tribal loyalties and hatreds, the limitations of social heredity, and from the cruelties of religious intolerance. To be sure, America remains true to its cultural underpinnings - founded upon Judeo-Christian values - while still welcoming new citizens through a legitimate assimilative process. Generations of people came here not merely in search of new space to grow, but on a quest to realize the American Dream that defines this Nation. The institutions established by the U.S. Constitution take their cue from Biblical sources.

Our Founding Fathers acknowledged God as the source of our rights. In fact, they were careful to place Biblical morality directly into our founding documents and laws, and into our values and culture precisely to help prevent a future of totalitarian or tyrannical rule in America. The Founding Fathers declared that our political and human rights come from a power higher than human government; they come from God Himself.

If we are to avoid the same fates of the aforementioned cities, then we need to forsake the path that we're on and humbly seek God. Think about it: In November 2012, the Nation will vote for either a Muslim or a Mormon to lead this Christian Nation. Read II Chronicles 7:14 and beg God for mercy!

The cities in the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee had, thus far, heard and seen the most of the Lord and had the least excuse for rejecting him. Interestingly, from the 4th century to the 11th century Capernaum had 3 earthquakes, which successively leveled the town until the people decided to stop building and instead moved away.

A Tempest In A Teapot?

A dangerous heat and electrical storm with winds over 80 MPH blasted Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC June 29 2012. The storm left over 61,000 residents in our county with out power, in the sweltering heat. Homes and businesses across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia lost power June 29 as one of the most powerful and punishing storms in months swept across the region.

More coverage here.

We know a number of facts about the June 29 derecho now. As many as 5 million lost power from near Chicago to the East Coast, at least 22 were killed, and it caused a yet uncounted millions or billions in damage. Yet, as of 24 hours prior and even the morning of, very little in the way of mass indication that it was coming.

While the United States moves toward becoming a weather ready nation, how could something like this happen with half a day or less of warning? Is it destined to happen again?

How apropo that this storm would hit the D.C. area the day after Judge Roberts turned the healthcare fight upside down with his siding with the radical left wing of the SCOTUS! Coincidental? I guess it's one question we can ask the Lord on that Great Day when we leave earth and join Him in Glory.

America Has Forgotten the God of the Bible

Back in 1993, an Appeals Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for Gideon International to hand out Bibles in public schools in Indianapolis. It was all right to hand out condoms to 13-year-olds. It was all right to graphically instruct junior high school kids on how to have safe sex. It was all right to give free abortion counseling to 14-year-olds without parental consent. And yet, it was wrong to give them a Bible in America in 1993. Guess what, folks? The landscape remains the same except godlessness is more rampant now than ever before. Without God's Word, we are truly lost and adrift.

Now to an extent you can understand why our children need to be protected from the dangerous doctrines contained in the Bible. Have you looked at it lately? After all, it has such "dangerous" concepts as "Love thy neighbor as thyself" and "Do not covet your neighbor's wife". And of course, young ears should never hear such words as "Do not commit adultery" or "Flee fornication". Oh, no we cannot, even under the principle of academic freedom which says that all competing ideas have a right to be heard, allow someone access to the Bible. Why, they might read and believe, and live by some of those "dangerous concepts."

If that were to happen, the world as we know it would come to an end! Think of the deadly ramifications of obeying the Bible. Parents would be respected and obeyed, as would teachers. We wouldn't need policemen (i.e, school resource officers) in every school. No need for metal detectors to check for guns and knives. Hatred and racism would die. Teenage pregnancy and the perceived need to hand out safe-sex materials would soon be gone. By all means please have the godless liberals protect us from such a horrific fate!

In the 1960's we forgot God by removing prayer and the Bible from our schools.

In the 1970's we forgot God by legalizing abortion in our hospitals.

In the 1980's we forgot God by removing the King James Bible from our churches and replacing It with the corrupted New International Version (NIV) that removes the important word “begotten” from John 3:16! There are more atrocities in the NIV but there is not enough space to delineate them here.

In the 1990's America forgot God by introducing the vile “Gay Agenda” into society.

And now in the 21st Century we are facing the abominations of legalized same-sex marriages and infanticide. Because of evolution, American has chosen to ignore God's revelation through His Holy Word (Rom. 1:20). Because of it, they have blown open the door to godlessness. Hypocritically, the same humanists who relentlessly place God on trial, unquestioningly accept the unproven theories of evolution.

America voted for a Communist U.S. president and is on the brink of re-electing him to a 2nd term.

Heed the warning in Psalm 9:17, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."

Woe unto America!

 

I Want No Part of Godlessness!

Sources: Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary; International Standard Bible Dictionary; Washington Post; Washington Times; myFOXDC.com

The Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1E [Ideas Series, #5]

Genesis 3:23-24
"Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."


If God threw Adam out of Eden on account of one sin, how can you expect to get into the Heavenly paradise with ten thousand? If someone out there says, "I haven't got anything to repent of." If you are  like the Pharisees, then I can tell you that this message will not reach your heart.

In I John 1:8, 10, the Bible states -

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us...If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

Alas, some people say, "I believe in the mercy of God; I don't believe God will send anyone to hell. I believe everyone will get to Heaven."

Or, "I believe that they are many paths to Heaven."

Look at those antediluvians. Do you think God swept all those sinners, all those men and women who were too wicked to live on earth - do you believe He swept them all into Heaven, and left the only righteous man to wade through the flood and its aftermath? Do you really hold to this notion, Reader?

And yet many men believe all will go into Heaven. Oh, Friend, don't believe the lie that comes from the mouth of the Devil himself! 

The day will come when you will wake up and know that you have been deceived by Satan. No unrepentant sinner will ever get into Heaven. Unless they forsake their sin they cannot enter there. The law of God is very plain on this point: "Except a man repent." That's the language of Scripture. And when this is so plainly set down, why is it that men fold their arms and say, "God will take me into Heaven anyway."

I can imagine some of you are saying now, Am I to repent today?"  The answer is a resounding Yes! My Friends, there are only two parties in the world. It's not the Republicans and the Democrats. Or, the Conservatives and the Liberals. Or, the 1% and the 99%. Indeed, there  is a great battle going on for your mind here today. And, yes, there are only two sides. Now, there are two parties in this world - those for Christ and those against Him, and to change to Christ's party is only moving from the old party to the new. You know that the old party is bad, and the new one is good, and yet you don't change. You don't have to wait for Election Day. Today's your day to vote, Friend. What's keeping you from casting the right vote?

If a man is not repentant his face is turned away from God, and the moment his face is turned toward God peace and joy follow. There are a great many people hunting after joy, after peace. Dear friends, if you want to find it today. Just turn to God, and you will get it.

Here's a final thought by Charles Spurgeon, "He who looks sinward has his back to God—he who looks Godward has his back to sin."

I can't put more plainer than this: Turn or Burn. What's it going to be? Cast your vote now.

I Choose to Turn This Day!

US State Dept to Iran: Release Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Immediately [UPDATE!]

Matthew 5:10

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Tue, Jul. 10, 2012 Posted: 01:43 PM EDT

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The U.S. State Department issued a statement Monday to Iran demanding that Tehran immediately release Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who has been imprisoned for over 1,000 days.

Noting that July 8 marked the 1,000th day that Nadarkhani had been imprisoned, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said, "Pastor Nadarkhani still faces the threat of execution for simply following his faith, and we repeat our call for Iranian authorities to release him immediately."

Nadarkhani, 35, is facing death simply because he converted to Christianity when he was 19 and has refused on multiple occassions presented by the court to recant his faith. The pastor from Radht, Iran, was born to Muslim parents and came to faith as a teen. As a pastor he led a network of house churches in Iran.

But what led to the pastor's arrest on Oct. 13, 2009, was not his house church activities, but rather becaue he protested the goverment forcing his children to read the Quran in school. He was charged with apostasy and given the death sentence, even though officially Iran's constitution upholds equal rights for religious minorities and there is no official law against apostasy.

The American Center for Law and Justice, a Christian legal group, has been spreading awareness and leading the advocacy campaign to free Nadarkhani. The ACLJ-led campaign "Tweet for Youcef" has over 2.5 million Twitter users from over 230 countries. On Sunday, the 1,000th day of the Iranian pastor's imprisonment, the campaign called for participants to tweet with hashtags #Nadarkhani and #1000illegaldays.

"We want to dispel any rumors that [Nadarkhani's] current apostasy charge, for which he was sentenced to death, has been removed," ACLJ's executive director Jordan Sekulow told CP last Friday. "Until the regime unconditionally exonerates and releases Pastor Youcef, his apostasy charge stands."

Present Truth Ministries, a Minnesota-based organization, said in a statement Thursday that Nadarkhani will likely be tried for crimes against security in September.

“Our sources in Iran have informed us that Youcef has been officially notified of a new trial for crimes against national security in September,” the ministry said. “We assume by implication that this means the charges of apostasy have been dropped since the new charges have been issued, but we have no confirmation of that.”

Back in February, influential American pastor Rick Warren tweeted a request for prayers for another imprisoned Iranian pastor, Behnam Irani, who is currently serving a five-year sentence for alleged crimes against national security.

"Pray for our dear pastor Behnam Irani who's been severely beaten in prison in Iran for preaching Jesus," Warren had tweeted on Feb. 1st.

Irani is a 41-year-old pastor from Karaj, Iran, who became a follower of Jesus Christ in 1992 and a pastor in 2002. He has been arrested for "crimes" against national security twice, all connected to him holding house church services and leading people to Christ. He is currently serving a five year sentence that began in May 2011. Present Truth Ministries, which also reports on the conditions of Nadarkhani, reports that Irani is often beaten and physically abused in prison. His family is concerned that he may die in prison if his condition doesn't improve.

Nadarkhani is next scheduled to appear in court Sept. 8th.

Sources: American Center for Law & Justice; Christian Post; Fox News

The Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1D [Ideas Series, #4]

1 Thessalonians 1:9

"For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;"

As stated previously, the word repentance is used to express the spiritual transition from sin to God.

Do not mistake penitence for repentance. They are NOT the same. Penitence signifies pain, grief, distress, rather than a change of thought and purpose. Thus Latin Christianity  has been corrupted (the Catholic Church being the main perpetrator) by erroneous thought of presenting grief over sin rather than abandonment of sin as the primary idea.

Repentance is that change of a sinner's mind which leads him to turn from his evil ways and live under the grace that Christ provides for all who believe in Him (Rom. 8:1-10). The change wrought in repentance is so deep and radical as to affect the whole spiritual nature and to involve the entire personality. The intellect must function, the emotions must be aroused, and the will must act. Each person needs to understand sin as unutterably grievous; recognize the divine law as perfect; and acknowledge that he himself comes short or falling below the requirements of a holy God due to sin (Job 42:5,6; Psalms 51:3; Romans 3:20, 23).

There may be a knowledge of sin without turning from it as an awful thing which dishonors God and ruins man. The change of view may lead only to a dread of punishment and not to the hatred and abandonment of sin (Exodus 9:27; Numbers 22:34; Joshua 7:20; 1 Samuel 15:24; Matthew 27:4).

There is a type of grief that issues in repentance and another which plunges into remorse. There is a godly sorrow and also a sorrow of the world. The former brings life; the latter, death (Matthew 27:3; Luke 18:23; 2 Corinthians 7:9,10). There must be a consciousness of sin in its effect on man and in its relation to God before there can be a hearty turning away from unrighteousness. The feeling naturally accompanying repentance implies a conviction of personal sin and sinfulness and an earnest appeal to God to forgive according to His mercy (Psalms 51:1,2,10-14).

The whole sacrificial system was intended only to point out the infinite mercy of God to fallen man, in his redemption by the blood of the new covenant. What a picture! Mercy is a matter of the heart; that is, God's heart. It can be said that the heart of the Lord is mercy.

An Illustration

Suppose you go home, and you find that while you have been at work, your child has gone to your private drawer and stolen $5 of your money. You go to him and say: "Did you take that money?" "Yes, I took that money," he replies. When you hear him saying this without any apparent regret you won't forgive him. You want to get at his conscience; you know it would do no good to forgive him unless he confesses his wrong.

Suppose he won't do it. "Yes," he says, "I stole your money, but I don't think I've done wrong." The mother cannot, the father cannot forgive him, unless he sees he has done wrong, and wants forgiveness.

Reader, can't you see you're in the same predictament as that little child? Yes, you are! Are you troubled by that thought? Sinner, why don't you repent?

A test: Is it your sin that stands between you  and Christ?

It isn't, really. It's your own will. That's what stands between the sinner and forgiveness. Christ will take all your iniquities away if you will let Him. But, you've got to humble yourself before the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, and admit you're a sinner and ask for pardon. Men are so proud that they won't acknowledge and confess before God.

Don't you see on the face of it, if your boy won't repent you cannot forgive him, and how is God going to forgive a sinner if he doesn't repent? If God allowed an unrepentant sinner into His Kingdom, there would be war in Heaven. You cannot live in a house with a boy who steals everything he can lay his hands on. You would have to banish him from your house, right?

 

A Consideration of the Local Incarceration Rate

Facts about Washington State Offenders in Confinement

Number of Prison Facilities ..................................................................................12
Number of Work Releases Facilities..................................................................16

Total Offenders in Confinement ..................................................................17,838
Offenders in prison ..........................................91.9%.................16,391
Offenders in work release................................. 3.8%....................... 679
Offenders in out-of-state rented beds ............ 0.0%............................ 0
Offenders in in-state rented beds.................... 4.3%....................... 768

Prison and Work Release Operational Capacity ..................................16,837
Total operational capacity in prisons ........................................16,158
Operational capacity in work release capacity .............................. 679

Percent of Population to Operational Capacity
Total Prison Confinement Percent of Operational Capacity.................. 101.1%
Work Release Percent of Capacity ............................................................. 100.0%

Gender
Male.....................................................................................................................92.6%
Female .................................................................................................................. 7.4%

Race
White ...................................................................................................................71.6%
Black....................................................................................................................18.8%
American Indian .................................................................................................. 4.3%
Asian...................................................................................................................... 3.7%
Unknown/Other................................................................................................... 1.6%

Hispanic Origin.....................................................................................................11.6%

Average Age............................................................................................................. 37.8

Citizenship
United States .....................................................................................................94.7%
Mexico................................................................................................................... 2.7%
Other...................................................................................................................... 2.6%

Length of Sentence
Less than Two Years ........................................................................................15.7%
Two to Five Years ..............................................................................................23.9%
Five to Ten Years...............................................................................................20.4%
Over Ten Years ..................................................................................................24.8%
Life with the possibility of Parole or Release………. ...………………………...11.6%
Life without Release........................................................................................... 3.6%

Avg. Length of Stay for Offenders Released in the past year........ 23.8 mo


As you can see, most of the offenders are very young men, for the most part. The majority of them (12,308 persons to be exact) serve 2-10 years. Does it break your heart that these men and women might leave the prison without knowing who Jesus Christ is? They're in there no doubt for their wrong doing. But, have you stopped to consider that Jesus died for them, too? Did anyone visit them or write them or mailed them a Gospel tract? If they received Christ as their Lord & Saviour in prison, do you wonder whether or not they'll be discipled by someone in their community once they are released so that they stay on the straight and narrow? Do you think someone out there cares about them? And, how many of them did not get connected to a local New Testament, Bible-believing church once released?

The worst kind of bondage is sin. There is no prison worse than it because it goes with you anywhere you go. To be sure, nothing can be done to liberate you from sin than the blood of Jesus Christ (John 1:29, 36; Heb. 9:22).

Suppose the Governor of Washington finds a great number of criminals in prison, and he goes and says: "I feel bad for those prisoners. They cannot stay in jail any longer." Suppose some murders have been committed, and he says: "I am tender hearted, I can't punish those men." and he opens the prison door and lets them all out. How long would that governor be in his position? Wouldn't your blood boil and you'd be calling out for justice? Men would be the first to raise their voice against that governor. These men would clamor, "These murders must be punished or society will be imperiled; life will not be safe!"

And what about God's justice? Do you think He wants justice for men's sins? Oh, indeed He does!

Yet people believe that God will ignore men's sins. Just glance up Calvary's way. The Judge of the world did not look away at all. Reader, He hates sin, but loves you (Jn. 3:16). It is a hard way that Jesus Christ took for your sins, Friend. Don't go on under that delusion that you can keep on sinning (Num. 32:23). You can't. It is a lie of the devil. I tell you, the Word of God is true, and it tells us "Except a man repent" there is not one ray of hope held out for you.

Now let me say this: You are in a position to be reconciled to God right now. You are not in a position to deny this reconciliation a week, a day, an hour. God tells you now. In five minutes, for all you and I know, you may be in eternity.  Life is but a mist. So now God calls you to repent, and all your sins will be taken from you. May God help you to turn and live.

I Want to Turn From Sin and Live Right!

Sources: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; Oxford English Dictionary; Strong's Dictionary; WA State Dept. of Corrections Statistic and Report - Quarterly Fact Card (March 31,2012)