What A Breath of Fresh Air: One Who Refuses to Share the Platform with President Obama!

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations." --- Jeremiah 1:4,5

It rarely happens, but once in a great while it does. It just happened in regard to the furor created by President John Jenkins of the University of Notre Dame when he invited President B. Hussein Obama to give the commencement address to the 2009 graduating class. For an added slap in the face at the Roman Catholic university, a militant pro-abortion president will not only address the graduates but will also be awarded an honorary degree!

However, things will not go as originally planned in the Notre Dame graduation event. Mary Ann Glendon, Harvard law professor, and former ambassador to the Vatican has indicated that she will not speak on that date nor share the platform with a pro-abortion president.

Ms. Glendon is a respected pro-life advocate and the university had hoped to reduce the flak it has received because of having our pro-abortion president on campus by awarding Glendon the Laetare Medal. This award is given annually in recognition of outstanding service to the Roman Catholic Church and society.

Glendon sent a letter to Jenkins in which she indicated she would not be participating nor accept the award and further, that the decision to have President Obama give the commencement address and honor him with a degee was in disregard of the U. S. bishops’ request in an earlier document that Catholic educational institutions should not give platforms to those who support and advocate abortion!

The honor and special recognition on the day of the Notre Dame graduation should be reserved for only one person. That person is Mary Ann Glendon, though she will not be present. Among other things, she has clearly sent a signal that she will not bow down to a president who has launched the most pro-death administration in the history of the United States of America!

Just maybe her act of standing for what is right and holy will be the means God can use to cause a blinded university president by the name of John Jenkins to lose many, many nights of sleep – at least until he does some repenting and makes a public statement that he made a very serious and damaging mistake in having President Obama deliver a commencement address to graduating students from an institution that teaches all human life is sacred and the Creator of the universe has a plan for each conceived human life!

Kudos to Mary Ann Glendon in standing for her convictions regarding respect for human life -- may her tribe increase in great numbers every day!

And a PS on this - mention was made about John Jenkins losing many nights of sleep over this -- let's pray that Barack Obama will also lose many nights of sleep until he repents of his sanction and approval of the destruction of thousands of unborn children every week of the year and rids his administration of those who support the slaughter of the innocents just as a health-conscious citizen would rid his/her home of filthy disease laden vermin!

Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD. --- 2 Kings 21:16

Needed: A Prophet to Confront the President Face to Face!

Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?" And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and you have followed the Baals. --- 1 Kings 18:17, 18

There is no want to the expression of what is needed in our republic. Everyone has thoughts and opinions as to what is needed to bring about much longed for improvement in our nation of over 306 million people.

Unfortunately many look to the president and his administration to devise and implement policies which will improve economic and social conditions of the country.

What is most needed at the present time is a prophet sent by Almighty God to confront the president face to face as to what must be done to bring about a transformation of the United States ethically, morally, and spiritually!

Biblical history gives us considerable insight into ways that God raised up certain persons identified as “prophets” and in many instances these confronted the political heads of kingdoms with the call to repent and start doing things the way God wanted them done!

The above example of Elijah confronting Ahab is but one instance of a prophet bluntly telling a king that his ways and those of his citizens are badly out of step with a righteous God! Others were Nathan confronting David in the Bathsheba/Uriah incident, Jeremiah confronting Zedekiah, Micaiah confronting Ahab and Jehoshaphat, and John the Baptist confronting Herod and his immorality.

We have a president and an administration that have embarked on the most ungodly course of action of any in the history of our beloved republic. Human life has been devalued at the lowest level ever and this is substantiated by statements and actions on the part of the president as well as by special appointments he has made. Appointees support his philosophy that human life is a disposable commodity and we can preserve it or discard it for whatever reason, rational or insane!

So it is most appropriate that we pray that God in His sovereignty will raise up a prophet who will confront the president face to face about the ethical, moral, and spiritual shortcomings of the nation he is attempting to lead. We’re not talking about the some big name TV evangelist or preacher or the head honcho of some mega-church, but rather some individual who comes from out of the wilderness as was the case with Elijah the Tishbite or John the Baptist!

If it did happen, how would the president respond? From his past actions and statements all indications are that he probably would have the prophet thrown out of the White House or jailed! But that would not be unusual by way of response – it’s happened many times before – just read up on how prophets of old times were often treated, and don’t forget, John the Baptist lost his head because of faithfulness to God's calling and confronting a leader with the issue of ungodliness!

So, how about doing some praying about this – surely somewhere in this country there is a person – a prophet whom God might raise up and bring that one into a face to face encounter with the president of the United States with a message that begins with “God says that you and the people of this nation are to repent immediately!”

Like it or not, it is time to be realistic and think in terms of the very real possibility of judgment at the hands of the God Who in mercy raised this nation up nearly 232 years ago, but Who is most upset with how it and its leaders have rejected His revelation and ignored His standards for sane, sensible, serene, and safe living! It is also time that we all be reminded that Jesus Christ will be returning to this planet in the future and all nations will be under His control. At least a few of us refer to this exciting event as the "blessed hope" -- you can check out Titus 2:11-15 on that. See, we have no reason to act as though there is no bright tomorrow -- you just have to look far enough ahead -- look over the mountains!

And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." --- 1 Kings 17:1

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. --- James 5:17, 18

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Continues to Strive to Set Record for Notoriety!

Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them. Isaiah 1:23

Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain. Ezekiel 22:27

For some of us in Pennsylvania, it came as no surprise that Senator Arlen Specter is switching his party affiliation. A number of us PA residents have known for a long time that Arlen was in reality a closet Democrat. He will fit right in with the Obama crowd without any hindrances. He will support Obama’s pro-abortion agenda and the ongoing destruction of the unborn at all stages of development – from the early weeks to full term. And Arlen was one of three turn-coat “Republicans” supporting the grotesque stimulus bill. Those 2 females from Maine ought to follow Specter’s lead in this matter, and remove their masks for the sake of citizens who have failed to see them as they really are!


And then there is Representative John Murtha who represents the district in which Johnstown PA is located. Local news reports recently indicated that Johnstown may become the “poster child” of pork barrel spending due to Murtha’s manipulating tactics which have resulted in millions and millions of dollars being channeled into the Johnstown area over the years. One interesting project is a radar system at the airport which bears his name. It cost a few million dollars but has never been used – it just sits there, rusting away!

But ask the locals about this Washington DC “pork” landing in Johnstown over time and it is practically unanimous – Big John has done many good things by bringing all that government money into the area and no person should question that. You see, John Murtha holds a status that is at least equal to Almighty God in the Johnstown area – and just maybe in some cases, there are those who hold John Murtha in even higher esteem than God Himself!

In the race for setting a record for notoriety, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is ahead by at least a length or more! There are some of us, however, that feel it isn’t fair that we are saddled with the likes of a Specter or a Murtha and the other 49 states don’t have a taste of them – then the other states would know what we have to endure – maybe a trade could be worked out for a while!

But in spite of having such representation as Specter and Murtha over the years, there is good news which must always be kept in mind – it won’t go on much longer like it is now. The day is coming when all politicians will be removed from office. In fact every nation in the world will be impacted by this dramatic change in governing authority – Jesus Christ is scheduled to return to this world to take full control – He declared that He has all authority in heaven and on earth and promised He would come back. We don’t know the precise time when that will be – His word (and warning) was to watch and be ready, which implies that we are to live and work in anticipation of His return at any possible time. At least a few of us hope that it would be within the next 24 hours – to say the least, it will be a most dramatic change as to how things are done in the world when it comes to government!

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. --- Revelation 20:11-15

Any Friend of Bill Is a Friend of Mine!

Port-of-Spain, April 18 (DPA) With two broad grins on their faces, the presidents of Venezuela and the US greeted each other with a traditional “solidarity” handshake Friday. Hugo Chavez and Barack Obama were seen in an informal, animated exchange and sideways handshake in a series of photographs released just as the Summit of the Americas got underway in Trinidad. --- news release from Trinidad on April 18, 2009

Just a few things to ponder as President O. continues his world wide travels, making apologies for us nasty, arrogant, and belligerent Americans:

The president and his people have tried desperately to distance himself from Bill Ayers who became notoriously famous as an activist in the Weather Underground and planted bombs in the Capitol and the Pentagon in the early 70’s. He was never prosecuted and never expressed any regret at such actions. In fact in an interview with the New York Times, Ayers said in an outspoken manner, “I don’t regret setting bombs.”

It was in 1995 that State Senator Alice Palmer indicated that the person succeeding her in office should be Barack Obama. The location of the meeting where this was announced to some influential people was the home of Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, who is Bill’s wife and partner in the former Weather Underground outfit.

B. Hussein Obama won a seat in the Illinois legislature and continued to make a name for himself with the help, of course, of very influential people in Chicago.

Between the years of 1995 and 1999 Obama led an education foundation known as the Chicago Annenberg Challenge and was on the board of that group until 2001. This group is known to have channeled more than 100 million dollars toward community organizers and those described as “radical education activists!”

Documents clearly indicate that the relationship between Bill Ayers and Barack Obama was more than just a casual “Hi, how are you?” acquaintance – they were partners in CAC!

An Education Forum in Caracas, Venezuela, took place in November of 2006 with Bill Ayers, University of Illinois professor, in attendance. He indicated his support for education reforms taking place under President Chavez. Ayers then said, “We share the belief that education is the motor-force of revolution…I look forward to seeing how you continue to overcome the failings of capitalist education as you seek to create something truly new and deeply humane.”

After that statement, as he stood beside Chavez, Ayers raised his fist and yelled, “Viva Presidente Chavez!”

[Source: journalists as quoted by Bernie Goldberg in his book, “A Slobbering Love Affair starring Barack Obama” (True and Pathetic Story of the Torrid Romance Between Barack Obama and the Mainstream Media) pp 89-103]

So why shouldn’t B. Hussein Obama cozy up to the president of Venezuela? After all, they have a close mutual friend and share similar values and goals. Why get all bent out of shape over a simple handshake?

And the power-grab adventure continues – we citizens in the United States haven’t seen anything yet!

For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed. Therefore the LORD will have no joy in their young men, nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. --- Isaiah 9:16, 17

Make sure you look far enough ahead and beyond the years of the Obama fiasco – there is a great time scheduled for those who have chosen to see things God’s way and seek to do His bidding – it’s a wonderful hope:

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" --- Revelation 11:15

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” --- Revelation 21:3-7

Change in Washington DC? Only One Way to Do It!

Barack Obama made “change” the theme of his campaign for the presidency of the United States. Already into the beginning weeks of the new administration we are witnessing great change, but many are not persuaded that it has been for the better!

Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. --- Psalm 12:1, 2

Tea parties have been prominent in a lot of news reports immediately prior to and then following the most notorious date on our calendars – April 15! These also sparked debate and among what has been known as the “mainstream media” have come very negative comments by way of response.

Queen Nancy Pelosi also had some well chosen statements to make as she attempted to downplay the gatherings which took place all over the country and the protests against excessive taxes and government spending which is clearly out of control. The “Queen” has made her own significant contribution to the financial chaos which presently exists.

At the heart of the protests is the demand for change, particularly as it has to do with taxation policies and how money is to be spent. Appeals have been made and continue to be made that citizens need to personally contact their representatives in Congress. This means contacting two senators and one member of the House of Representatives. There are those who believe it can be done. Will it?

Here’s a better way to do it – that is, if you want real change unlike anything this country has ever witnessed before. Begin making it a practice to always vote anti-incumbent at the state and federal levels in every election – no exceptions! I have been doing this for some time. There comes a deep sense of satisfaction in voting this way.

Of course, there will be objections with some saying, “But there are some good politicians doing a good job, etc.” That may be so, but in order to make the message clear, do a complete housecleaning with no exceptions!

Will it work? It would if everyone voted anti-incumbent with consistency. It’s possible, if it happened, that the new bunch elected might just reason this way – “I managed to get elected – I’ve never had this office before – if I don’t do a good job in faithfully representing the people then I’m out the door the next time around!”

Think how interesting this situation would be – think of the scrambling that would go on in state capitols and in Washington DC – think of real changes for the better which just might come about!

OK, I know I’m just dreaming – but this non-affiliated registered voter will continue to always vote anti-incumbent as long as he is able to enter the voting both. And in his mind will be an uplifting thought – the day will come when I no longer will cast a ballot and all politicians will be removed from office, because Jesus Christ will have returned to earth and has taken full control of all governments!

Ponder this one for a while – “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’" --- Revelation 11:15

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The LORD is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The LORD tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals, fire and brimstone and a burning wind; this shall be the portion of their cup. For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright. --- Psalm 11:3-7

Almost Like Judgment Day of a Kind, Isn't It?

Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city! She has not obeyed His voice, she has not received correction; she has not trusted in the LORD, she has not drawn near to her God. Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave not a bone till morning. Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. --- Zephaniah 3:1-4

Today is the day that politians look foward to more than kids on the day before Christmas. It's the day we citizens experience the horrors of a financial Dracula out of control as we endeavor to satisfy the ever growing demands of the Internal Revenue Service (the United States' version of the Gestapo) -- now don't get upset - there are enough tales of terror documented about IRS operations to verify that preceding remark!

If you want to read how elected officials operating out of Washington DC play fast and loose with our tax money, go to Citizens Against Government Waste -- these people at CAGW have done a fantastic job. You can enter the name of your congress rep or your senator and find out the ugly truth about the earmarks for some real crazy stuff. But then why should they care? It's our money they are wasting plus the added aggravation that we pay them lavish salaries and perks to do it!

Today is also the day of "Tea Parties" all over the United States. It started with an idea of sending tea bags to the people in Congress -- tea representing "Taxed Enough Already!" The idea evolved and now the tea party protest is taking place all over the U.S. Fox News people have played a great part in promoting this and of course, it has captured other media attention as well. Will it accomplish anything of significance with an out of control spender in the White House who talks the kind of talk that "spend like there's no tomorrow" members of Congress will follow like meek little lambs to the slaughter? Not likely!

It's time to return to the original Boston Tea Party days -- you remember, do you not, that the revolutionaries threw the tea off the ships into the harbor. I vote to repeat that with one difference -- instead, throw the White House administration people, the members of the U. S. Congress, and the members of the U. S. Supreme Court overboard and then start with a total fresh slate -- maybe then there might be a glimmer of hope!

I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" --- Revelation 6:12-17

A Corpse Is Not Good Company and Makes for Dead-end Conversation!

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain and your faith is also vain. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up; if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! --- 1 Corinthians 15:12-17

One very deadly heresy to penetrate the ranks of those churches professing to be Christian in faith is the doubt or outright denial concerning the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead three days after His crucifixion.

There have always been those vicious attacks directed toward Who Jesus is, why He came to this earth, what He accomplished while He was here, and what He will be doing in the future. His plans for the future definitely have much to do with the future of this world in which we live.

There are those who profess the Christian faith but who are skeptical at best and deniers at the very worst when it comes to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those in this camp simply say something like this: “It really doesn’t matter whether Jesus was actually raised from the dead or not. It was His life and the way He lived it that inspires us and challenges us to imitate His life, etc.”

What difference does it really make? As much difference as there is between day and night!

Because He lives:

• I experience His living presence with me wherever I may be each day – His assurance is, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” What a privilege it is to engage in daily conversation with Him and share expressions of praise and gratitude as well as the burdens of the heart.
  
  
• I experience His power in the midst of the temptations and trials that sometimes come my way in my journey of faith in this world. He promised the Holy Spirit would take up residence in the lives of His followers – they would be empowered, taught, and given guidance.
  
  
• I experience His provision when I am in need – His promises basically come down to this – I am never alone and He will take care of me, no matter what – He will make a way through the most vicious storms of life – one of my favorite promises is in Isaiah 41:10 which begins with these words, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God…..”
  
  
• I experience assurance that I eventually will be in His place which He said He was going to prepare for His people. Now this is a place that makes the most expensive and elaborate multi-million mansions of the rich on this earth look like tumble down shacks by way of comparison! Because He lives I have assurance about my future destiny – to live in a place especially prepared for those who have repented of their sins, received Him as Savior, and are committed to obeying Him as Lord of their lives!
  

Face it – a corpse can’t do such things for you and conversation with a corpse? It’s strictly a dead-end experience! I have seen again and again people who took their last view of a loved one or friend who had died lean over the casket and say some words and/or kiss the deceased -- you know what? I've never seen the deceased person make a verbal response!

It’s an extremely sad and hopeless situation for those who regard Jesus as being dead and yet in the grave. Some of us know better, do we not? He is risen!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. --- 1 Peter 1:3-5

Jesus Crucified? It Only Means Something If It Goes Beyond the Head!

Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS. With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with the transgressors." And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!" --- Mark 15:25-30

Today is a very special day in the lives of a limited number of persons in this world of confusion, conflict, and fear. I say “limited number” because for the majority it holds no significance and Good Friday is just a combination of two words, stirring no emotions nor memories in which life has been dramatically impacted and transformed!

Earlier this AM in my daily journal I noted some things about Good Friday and why my life is different because of what happened in the city of Jerusalem a little over 2,000 years ago.

I knew about God and Jesus dying on a cross at a very early age due to having been brought up in the church by my God fearing parents. I learned a lot of facts about the Christian faith in worship services, Sunday School, and Bible School. Those items were stored in the memory bank of my brain, but that was as far as it went for a few years.

The teen years and early 20’s were what could be appropriately called the “rebel years” – graduation from high school, a year of college, some time in employment, and three years in the U. S. Marine Corps. It was the experience of a “prodigal” in a far country – but I could still tell you there is a God, that His Son was crucified on a cross and came back from the dead three days later! But it didn’t mean a thing to me in terms of my way of life.

But the day came when God in mercy began to deal with me about my way of life and opened my eyes to the fact that I was guilty of countless sins. My final destiny because of this was a horrible Hell. But God did not stop at that point leaving me suspended with a sense of hopelessness and condemned – He went on to show me that when Jesus was crucified on that Roman cross He took all my sins upon Himself, satisfied the demands of God’s justice, and paid the penalty of those sins in full so that I could be totally forgiven!

I received Jesus as my Savior and my Lord – my life was transformed and I experienced peace with God for the first time and had the positive assurance of possessing eternal life! The knowledge of Jesus’ crucifixion moved from my head to my heart, and my life was miraculously impacted by that. It’s never been the same since that day many years ago.

Today, Good Friday, will not pass by without those few who follow Jesus Christ remembering and again giving thanks that He was willing to leave the splendor, purity, and serenity of Heaven, come into this sin-saturated world, and ultimately be nailed to a Roman cross on behalf of each member of the human race.

The tragedy is that the vast majority of the members of the human race living in the world today do not realize that nor do they in the least bit appreciate it!

How about you? Has the reality of Jesus’ crucifixion moved beyond some facts in the head to the heart and life is radically different and most hopeful because of that experience?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. --- 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

No Respect for the Man Who Disgraces the Office!

"However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die." --- 2 Samuel 12:14

It happened a long time ago to a man who held a very powerful position – he was king over a nation that had been proving itself to be superior over all other kingdoms at that point in time.

But one night unbridled lust invaded the life of king David of Israel and he committed adultery with the result that the woman, Bathsheba, became pregnant. To make matters even worse, David conspired to have Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, killed in battle.

Things seemed to go alright for a while until one day God sent a prophet to confront the king about what he had done. David confessed that he had sinned and sought God’s mercy and forgiveness, which was graciously granted to him.

But he had disgraced the office of his kingship and was undeserving of respect which was evident by a harsh rebuke from God through the prophet, Nathan. Note again the words, “However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” --- 2 Samuel 12:14.

In this year of 2009 we are saddled with a president who has disgraced the high office of the presidency of the United States in numerous ways. There are those who attempt to defend the president and declare that we must support him and show respect for him.

But how can you respect this man when:

• he has lied repeatedly, not keeping promises which at the time they were made, he adamantly insisted he would make good on them when he became president! God does have a few explicit things to say about lying, does He not?
  
  
• he has led us down the road of uncontrolled spending and plunged our republic into an abyss of indebtedness from which it will never recover. China holds about one trillion dollars of that debt and if that country ever says, “Pay up, right now!”, what do you suppose will happen?
  
  
• he demonstrated the epitome of disgrace on his recent foreign junket when he bowed to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia. In effect the president of the United States was saying by that act that King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and the Muslim faith to which the king is an ardent devotee are superior to the United States. This is nothing short of an image of the surrender of our national sovereignty!
  
  
• he has placed a blanket seal of approval (and it’s not the Good Housekeeping one) on the mass destruction of unborn children at all stages of their development from a few weeks (embryonic stem cell research) to full term. Not only is his support given to such mass murder and destruction in our nation, but by his signature we now support the destruction of the unborn in foreign nations as well.
  

However such happenings should come as no real surprise since the blessing of Almighty God is being withdrawn and being replaced with increased chastising actions and calamities in an attempt to awaken the nation to awareness that full repentance must be the top priority on the nation’s agenda. If it does not become that top priority, then we can expect our future to turn out the same as that of ancient cultures whose ruins we can now explore and observe – ancient Babylon being one of the more infamous examples!

And a PS on this -- if you are among the many who say we should respect the president, then you show me how to respect Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong, each of whom was responsible for millions of deaths of innocent victims, then I will apply your logic and start respecting B. Hussein Obama!

"And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know Me," says the LORD. “Everyone take heed to his neighbor, and do not trust any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanderers. Everyone will deceive his neighbor, and will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.” --- Jeremiah 9:3-5

"And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, 'Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?' then you shall say to them, 'Because your fathers have forsaken Me,' says the LORD; 'they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me and not kept My law. And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one walks according to the imagination of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me.’” --- Jeremiah 16:10-12

Those Book, Radio, and TV “Conservatives” Are Missing the Key Ingredient!

"Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." --- Acts 17:29-31

Most of them are very popular and have to be rated as being highly successful. A number of them have written books which have been best sellers. Others have TV cable programs that rate very highly when those rating surveys are taken. And there is talk radio which has a number of rather high profile personalities. Among the latter the name of Rush Limbaugh is dominant and has been for some time.

These together constitute a mighty chorus calling for a return to values which made our republic a great nation. There is constant decrying of the expansion of big government, out of control spending, and loss of personal liberties. There is no lack of singling out by name those whom these professed “conservatives” consider to be responsible for the quagmire into which our republic has sunk!

But they in common share this glaring omission. Let’s put it this way – it’s like building an automobile without a transmission – it’s like manufacturing an aircraft designed to transport 350 passengers and not putting wings on it – it’s like building a modern day Titanic with all the new technology but not installing the propellers and rudder – it’s like preparing to bake a two layer chocolate cake and not adding the chocolate to the bowl of ingredients which make up the cake! In each case something very critical is missing and that being the case, there will be nothing but failure as a result.

The missing ingredient is genuine and sincere repentance from sin and rebellion which has been committed against the God Who brought this mighty universe into existence out of nothing by simple command!

You can talk about your values, principles and even occasionally refer to God Almighty all you want, but if you avoid the issue of repentance, it is all in vain and our republic travels down the slippery slope toward collapse and disaster at an accelerated pace!

Three critical elements are involved in repentance in which God grants mercy and forgiveness:

• intellectual – a crystal clear awareness that one is a sinner and guilty of countless acts which Almighty God condemns. The light has been turned on and what used to be so “acceptable” or what was felt to be OK if one could get away with it, are now recognized to be ethically, morally, and spiritually wrong in the sight of a holy God Who has us all under constant surveillance.
  
  
• emotional – that is, to feel remorse and regret over having sinned against God and one’s fellow human beings. The problem, however, is too often a sense of regret may come on a person, but it is only regret at having been caught in the act of doing wrong, not at having sinned against God!
  
  
• volitional – that is, by deliberate choice one ceases to do those things that are now recognized to be sinful against God and/or against one’s fellow human beings. This is the thrust of 2 Corinthians 5:17 which states that if a person is in Christ (having repented and accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord) then that person is a new creation with old things passing away and all things becoming new!
  

Repentance is not just an individual experience, though that is where it has to begin, but also a corporate experience in which groups of persons become involved. Anywhere you look the evidence is overwhelming of the need for corporate repentance – in business, corporations, education, government at all levels, the professions, and of course, churches!

But as mentioned at the beginning, you will not hear the high profile conservatives speaking of these things. In all likelihood they would have some “excuse” for not mentioning such a subject. And why should they since it is not mentioned all that often in the churches.

Many years ago a pastor who was in his retirement years said that repentance was the lost doctrine in the church and mentioned by name a mainline denomination in which this problem existed.

Will the time come when all over the United States there will be millions of people declaring by words spoken and deeds done that their top priority is seeking God in a spirit of genuine repentance -- that a chorus of voices is in unanimous agreement that we as individuals and collectively in groups as well as an entire nation have grievously sinned against Almighty God?

There is a possible shocking response that God may make if that should happen due to the fact that He has been calling this nation to repentance for a long, long time and there has been no serious heeding of that call. Read carefully what that response might be:

Thus says the LORD to this people: "Thus they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet. Therefore the LORD does not accept them; He will remember their iniquity now, and punish their sins."
Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for this people, for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence." --- Jeremiah 14:10-12

But those conservatives will continue to write their best selling books, do their TV shows, and do their talk radio programs – they will be quick to tell us what ought to be done to set this nation on the right course, but will never, never mention the key ingredient that is absolutely necessary to get the country into a favorable relationship with the Creator of this mighty universe!

By the way, I have an automobile for sale – it doesn’t have a transmission in it – are you interested?

And it came to pass after many days that the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there." Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Thus says the LORD: 'In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. --- Jeremiah 13:6-10

An Avalanche of Violence!

"Have we become numb to tragedy?" --- Internet News Headline - April 5, 2009

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” --- Genesis 6:11-13

It’s getting to be a almost a daily routine with what we have come to know as “Breaking News Headlines.” Incident after incident of violence takes place with a number of lives lost due to someone’s loss of control and the venting of built-up rage. As of this date recent mass shootings in the state of New York were followed a short time later with the shooting deaths of 3 police officers in Pittsburgh PA. This simply underscores the fact that our culture is in a terminal state of moral and spiritual decay!

Recent months have seen an escalation of shooting sprees resulting in multiple deaths. In the midst of the shock come loud voices decrying the senseless acts along with appeals that “something needs to be done” in order to prevent a repeat of such tragedies. Often the focus is on the alleged “gun problem” and the need to legislate more control with the ultimate goal of banning private ownership of firearms.

However, even if it were possible by law to remove every firearm from the home of every law abiding citizen, the criminal element would still have their weapons. Common sense, which is often lacking in the minds of legislators, tells us that a large number of persons will still have access to firearms in spite of any number of laws that say you can’t have a gun in your possession!

Let’s consider the fact that it is not so much a gun problem as it is a people problem – people who are prone to express their frustrations in a violent manner. If they don’t have a gun to use they will give vent to bottled-up rage using something else. People have been known to kill other people with such things as baseball bats, knives, hatchets, hammers, poison, and even automobiles!

Think for a moment – we are living in a time when millions have been fed and raised on a “diet” of violence. Decades ago the entertainment industry produced more and more films which featured detailed and very graphic violence – at times it is shown in slow motion to make a greater impact as you see the splattering of blood, brains, and guts in all directions! The gaming industry began producing games that featured extreme violence. The music industry produced “music” (term used loosely) that had lyrics suggesting violence and immorality.

The end result? People who have feasted on that kind of “diet” from the days of being a toddler are much inclined to express frustration and differences with others in a violent way. We’ve simply been “conditioned” to react in such a manner. The increased frequency of what has become known as “road rage” is simply another symptom that we have bad “diet” habits which kill the conscience and set us on a sure and certain course that ends in disaster!

Will the tide be turned? One would hope so, but at this point there is no indication that significant changes will take place. It’s going to have to start with a change of “diet” which actually involves something called repentance, a heap of confessing of failure and sinful behavior to a holy God, and an admission that we need Jesus Christ more than we need anything or anyone else in life! Face it -- not many are willing to meet such conditions, and so we'll continue our violent way of life in the "land of the free and the home of the brave!"

In the meantime, a small remnant which knows Jesus Christ by personal acquaintance continues to pray that the nation, its leaders (state and church), and its citizens will come to full repentance, healing will take place, and violence will cease to be a way of life in working off our frustrations.

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” --- Luke 17:26, 27

"And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" --- Lule 18:7, 8

Icabod!

Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, due to be delivered; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her labor pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, "Do not fear, for you have borne a son." But she did not answer, nor did she regard it. Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel!" because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured." --- 1 Samuel 4:18-22

Tragedy had struck – the enemy had triumphed and the Ark of God in which the ancient Israelites had placed their confidence for victory had been taken away by that enemy!

To make matters worse, the two sons of Eli the priest had been killed and when their elderly obese father heard the news, he fell off his seat, broke his neck and died.

The wife of one of Eli’s sons died as she was giving birth to a son and the nurse named the boy Icabod. The name had deep significance – it meant that the glory of God had departed from Israel!

All the evidence in April 2009 clearly indicates that the name “Icabod” can be appropriately applied to the United States of America! Certainly this is not exaggerating one little bit.

Our political leadership has demonstrated in countless ways that it constantly gives Almighty God an obscene gesture with an attitude that speaks of dedicated defiance of all that is holy, just, and true! The political corruption runs rampant because there is no significant challenge from the church which is also corrupted due to the subtle and at times not so subtle infiltration of deceptive and deadly doctrines.

All this should not be surprising, however, because God explicitly revealed that there would be an onslaught of false teachers peddling their wares in the times preceding the personal return of Jesus Christ to this world.

Having had access to God’s full revelation from the beginning, and having been abundantly blessed by God over the decades since its beginning, the United States now is experiencing the identical ethical, moral, and spiritual deterioration as did the ancient Israelite kingdom of Judah in the 6th Century BC shortly before its collapse and destruction.

On one of the cable news networks there is an individual who is making much of our republic “repeating history” because of failure to learn from the lessons of history. Sadly he fails to see the primary reason for it – our prominent national mood and spirit are one of hard-hearted defiance against the God Who raised up and established this great republic!

Icabod! The glory of God has departed!

"And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, 'Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?' then you shall say to them, 'Because your fathers have forsaken Me,' says the LORD; 'they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me and not kept My law. And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one walks according to the imagination of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me,’” --- Jeremiah 16:10-12

Trying to Lead Without the Blessing of God!

Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Now, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations! Then say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "The city sheds blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself. You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries. Those near and those far from you will mock you as infamous and full of tumult.” --- Ezekiel 22:1-5

He’s off to bring many of the prominent nations of the world together and to convince them to work together – according to his idea of how the financial woes of the world ought to be resolved, or will he?

President Obama is totally on his own in this venture and so it is also with his administration as he and his key players attempt to govern a republic known as the United States of America.

Just a few simple things to keep in mind:

• he and his people are totally on their own in all that they do with the main reason being that no longer is the blessing of God upon the nation.
  
  
• rampant disobedience on the part of a majority of our population in part has contributed to the withdrawing of God’s blessing. Our mass shedding of innocent blood, idolatry, immorality, pleasure seeking, and indoctrinating our young with lies about our origins does more than stir the emotions of a holy God just a trifle!
  
  
• B. O. is the first president to aggressively support and further expand the destruction of the unborn at all stages of development from a few weeks (embryo destruction) to a short time away from birth. 50 million dollars has just been channeled to groups that do abortions in foreign countries.
  

Read again the statement from Ezekiel which is posted at the top of these comments – God made clear to a people long ago that because of their persistent disobedience the time would come when the nation would be a mockery among other peoples.

Stop and think for a moment – some of us who are older can remember a time when the United States was not only the most powerful nation on the face of the planet, but it was respected in most all places. Wherever the stars and stripes waved there was reason to pause and give thanks for what the nation stood for and the liberties for which it was well known. It was known to be the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”

That is no longer the case. Increased corruption within the leadership ranks, of both state and church, over the years has taken a heavy toll. Those corrupting influences have had a very negative effect on the citizens. As noted in previous postings, you can see an excellent summary as to how a culture unravels at 2 Chronicles 36, beginning with verse 11. Do some comparing and then remember that the tragedy is this -- the vast majority fail to see what has been happening and the reason behind it all!

We are now experiencing the reality of what was stated by a prophet of long ago by the name of Ezekiel. No longer can we claim to be under the blessing of Almighty God!

"Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you.In you they have made light of father and mother; in your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow. You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness. In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are set apart during their impurity. One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter. In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me," says the Lord GOD. "Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken, and will do it.” --- Ezekiel 22:6-14