The Issue Is Not the Ability to Serve, But Rather a Moral One!

Military's Gay Ban Lifted --- Internet News Headline ----- President Obama signs into law the banning of the DADT policy that existed in the military for a number of years which prevented sodomites and lesbians from serving openly in the military --- news release December 22, 2010

Few if any would dispute the fact that those who are sodomite or lesbian in their sexual practices can pull a trigger on a rifle, dig a fox hole, drive a Humvee, maneuver a tank, fly a bomber, run a military computer, or steer a battleship as well as any heterosexual person. And in some cases they may do these and other tasks even better than a heterosexual counterpart. And such individuals can, in most instances, get along quite well with their heterosexual comrades. But these are not and likely have never really been the issues.

The issue is a moral one. God's special revelation made available to the human race reveals the sexual boundaries which have been set up by the Creator of this vast universe. There are sexual moral issues that are defined and God spells out clearly what is acceptable conduct in sexual experience and expression and what is not. Of the various sexual violations of God's moral code there is one that stands separate from the others. Sodomy is not regarded as just a sinful violation (missing the mark; or lawlessness), but as an abomination!

It is difficult, if not impossible, for the human mind to grasp the significance of God's choice in using such a word for a specific sexual transgression. Perhaps we can start by picturing this offense as not just a sin, but sin intensified many, many times over. That it is a horrible and most destestable stench in the nostrils of a holy God! Those who are natives in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania know that if you drive by the rotting carcass of a deer hit on the highway in 85 degree temperature in the summertime, the smell is most unpleasant. The Bible at times describes offenses on the part of humans rising before God as a stench that is most repulsive!

There is not one place in all the Scripture where sodomy and lesbianism are revealed and described in a positive light, or that such conduct is ever acceptable to God. The reason is really rather simple -- God's design for His creation involved male and female humans with the capacity to be sexually intimate. But the boundary which God established on this limited sexual intimacy to a male and female who were committed to each other within the covenant of marriage! The Bible records a number of sexual encounters taking place in the history of the human race with the only acceptable ones being those who were married. Anything outside of the marriage union was a moral offense. But as mentioned earlier, God placed sodomy in a separate category by labeling it as an abomination.

I am fully aware, due to the massive and successful brain-washing that has been under way in our culture for years that, first of all, to state what I have just stated places me in the category of being a homophobe and a hate-monger. Second, there are those who have attempted to "interpret" the Scriptures so that sodomy and lesbianism are quite acceptable so long as the "couple" involved are "monogamous" and "committed." The same Scriptures do warn of those who will twist and pervert the Scriptures to their own destruction. So, not just in the public at large, but within church circles we have the growing acceptance of sodomy and lesbianism as legitimate and morally correct lifestyles!

It was simply a matter of time until the issue of the military's approach to sodomy and lesbianism would be addressed and altered by the U. S. Congress and a president's signature. But remember this - God will be making His response to this as well as to other national expressions of defiance against Him Who makes our life and existence possible -- the One before Whom we will appear ultimately to be judged!

Mentioned at the beginning was the fact of God's special revelation being made available to the human race. That is where the problem really lies -- massive refusal to accept God's revelation. To obey and put it all into practice evokes a response that is akin to the ancient Romans in their Coliseum. When they looked to see the emperor's response to a fight between gladiators and one was down with the opponent holding a sword to his throat, the emperor would turn thumbs down which meant the defeated gladiator was to be killed for such a "poor fight!" The crowd would follow the emperor and give the thumbs down response as well. To God, the vast majority is giving a thumbs down on His moral code for human sexual behavior and that includes same-sex intimacy! By the way, which way is your thumb pointing these days -- the same as the U. S. Congress and the president, or is yours pointing up in response to God's moral code?

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! --- Isaiah 5:20

And He (Jesus) said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." --- Luke 16:15

Is It Really a "Win?"

The United States Senate voted to end the DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell) policy of banning homosexuals from serving openly in the U. S. military --- news releases on Saturday, December 18, 2010

There is likely dancing in the streets in places and a number of members of the U. S. Congress celebrating the end of the DADT ban which prevented homosexuals from serving openly in the U. S. military for a number of years. After all, it was reasoned, this was a form of discrimination of the most serious kind, and we certainly can't have that, can we?

The reality of what this means may not be revealed for a while, depending on how soon God chooses to respond fully to a nation that has given Him the traditional obscene gesture time and time again by defying His standards of ethical, moral and spiritual behavior on the part of human beings.

But eventually there will come a day in which God will deal with this country and the deadly mistakes made by its leaders, political and church, in which they have been leading our nation down a road to absolute disaster of the first magnitude!

God is fair and God is loving, but there is a time when He in effect draws a line in the sand and says, "Enough is enough!" The history of ancient Israel as given in the holy Scriptures provides shocking details as to what happens to a culture when the standards of holy conduct and relationships are totally rejected. Our leadership is presently duplicating the patterns of those leaders of Israel centuries ago. The day came when the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah were both destroyed by God's judgments, this mainly due to the fact that the people and their leaders refused to heed the warnings of the prophets! God has been calling out today and giving warning, but who is seriously listening?

The sodomite/lesbian cartel has been gaining momentum and winning so-called "victories" for some time. This "victory" in regard to the military DADT policy is simply the latest.

What will be next? Certainly the recognition of "marriage" between 2 males or 2 females is a priorty -- could it be that the time will come when the U. S. Congress will pass some sort of legislation that will require all clergy, magistrates, and judges to perform "marriages" for sodomites and lesbians? Don't ever say "Never!" in such a country as the United States because this republic has again on this date, December 18, 2010, demonstrated that the truth as clearly revealed by the Creator of this mighty universe is to be regarded as nothing more than a temporary irritation and should be tossed into the garbage can as quickly as possible! Can you picture "couples" in the military of the future who are "married" -- sodomites and lesbians?

So, as asked at the beginning -- was it really a "win?" Don't be too hasty to say, "Yes!" Wait until God makes His response and then give your answer -- that is, if you are in a position to be able to do so at that time! It is very wise to remember that God will write the last chapter in human history, and adjust your lifestyle accordingly.

But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was aroused against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague. --- Numbers 11:33

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. --- Galatians 6:7,8

But Nancy, What About God's Discrimination?

Nancy Pelosi has stated that we need to do everything we can to eliminate discrimination. This statement was made in the context of the U.S. Congress voting to end the DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell) policy in the U. S. military. This present policy is considered by her and others such as she as being discriminatory against homosexuals serving openly in the military. --- news video clip of Mrs. Pelosi commenting on ending discrimination in every way possible.

Nancy Pelosi has gone repeatedly on record as opposed to the U.S. military policy of DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell). This prevents homosexuals from serving openly in the military. So, presently if one is a homosexual, that "orientation" must be kept secret if one wants to remain an active member of the military. Mrs. Pelosi believes this to be a form of discrimination that needs to be ended.

A question that she and others in "her camp" have not faced is this -- what do you do about the glaring discrimination that God has shown in regard to same-sex practices?

An honest reading -- and note, I said, an "honest reading" of the Scriptures reveal that God does discriminate against those who engage in same-sex activity. God labels it as an abomination -- not just sin, as such, but as an abomination! Both the Old Testament and the New Testament provide information on how God views same-sex intimacy and the response from God is always very negative!

Those who practice or those supporting persons who engage in same-sex activity react with fierce hostility when it is suggested that God labels such conduct as abominable and that such will be severely judged. Defense mechanisms instantly come into play by labeling any who object to homosexual behavior as being homophobic, bigoted, hate-mongers and whatever other negative labels can be hung on the opposition, whether that opposition is expressed within church circles or in the public arena!

Further, there is no want to those who attempt to twist and pervert the Scriptures in order to justify same-sex practices. But none of us will be dead more than a few seconds at most and then, too late for many, comes the "wake up call" that God indeed meant every word He said in regard to the issue of homosexuality. The ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah are mute evidence that God does discriminate when it comes to certain sexual practices.

And it appears, with the help of a lot of elected officials as well as a number of church leaders, that the United States is going to walk down the same path as did Sodom and Gomorrah. One thing is sure, the destiny of the United States will also be the same! If for no other reason than the fact that we have had access to God's revelation and how He regards the issue of same-sex intimacy from the time our republic was put together in the latter years of the 18th Century!

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed with the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds); then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.... --- 2 Peter 2:4-9

The Virgin Birth Revisited!

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. --- Isaiah 7:14 (written approximately 800 years before the birth of Jesus Christ)

It was one of the great events recorded in the Bible which began to be questioned and eventually denied in the closing years of the 19th Century. There were those "scholars" and supposed "intellectuals" in the religious realm who simply could not accept the fact that God chose a humble young Hebrew woman -- one likely still in her teen years -- to be the human instrument through whom His Son, Jesus, would be born into the world. The miracle was in the fact that no human father was involved in the conception of this child. As spelled out in the Scripture account the Holy Spirit would come upon Mary and the miracle of conception would take place, bypassing the usual biological means by which a baby is conceived through the union of a human male sperm and a human female egg!

Like a cancer which begins with just a cell or two, the spirit of unbelief in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ spread, eventually reaching the shores of the United States. The beginning of the 20th Century saw a "war" break out within those churches which claim to be Christian in faith. In those days the conflict was commonly referred to as the "modernist-fundamentalist" controversy. And over time those groups identified as "mainline denominations" really took a hit. But the nature of this spiritual "cancer" is such that you never can be quite sure as to where it will rear its ugly head!

Persons involved in this were church leaders, seminary professors, and pastors. And to lend authority to this "new light" that the virgin birth never literally happened a strange breed of persons known as "theologians" affirmed under the guise of some wild explanations and interpretations that Jesus was actually conceived in the old fashioned way, the same as the rest of us sinners! One of these went so far as to suggest that Jesus might have been conceived as a result of Mary becoming intimate with one of the mercenaries under hire to the Romans! Oh well, if you are going to demonstrate pure insanity in your thinking, you might as well do it first-class and leave no room for doubt that your elevator can't get any higher than a few feet off the first floor at best!

And so as the seed of unbelief was sown in seminaries and in churches over the years which included not only the virgin birth but other miraculous works of Almighty God, we have come to the place today where it is not that uncommon to find that the Bible is simply regarded as a human produced book with a lot of stories that fall into the category of myth and fable. Oh, we might experience a temporary uplift from them, but we need to remember one thing - they never actually happened -- someone just got carried away with his imagination when writing about such things when it was all put together somewhere in the ancient past!

There are still a few of us (the number seems to be diminishing) who believe beyond all doubt that Jesus was conceived by a mighty work of the Holy Spirit. The God Whom we few choose to believe is capable of doing things that are far beyond our puny and limited minds to even begin to understand! Maybe one main reason for this element of trust is the fact that we have become personally acquainted with this God through Jesus Christ -- when you really become acquainted with a close friend, among other things, you know what that friend is capable of doing.

One key to this confidence is seen in Jesus' own statement during His ministry -- "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3). Ah, so that's how it works - the moment I become inflated with my pride in being "sophisticated" and "intellectual" -- and the moment I take the position in regard to the Bible in which I say, "What do I have to say about this Book, rather than what does this Book have to say about me?" I am in a giant heap of trouble!

But when I become as a child through an act of God's grace in conversion, and I read that God did a miracle 2,000 years ago and used a young virgin as the means by whom He brought His Son into the world, then I have no problem -- my view has become one that God can do anything He wants to anytime He wants to, and is under no obligation to explain to me all the ins, outs, wherefores, and whys about what He did!

One of the big surprises for many after death is facing the fact that God meant every word He said and did every deed recorded in the Book, which means there will be a crowd that will be highly embarrassed as they find themselves now facing the Creator of this mighty universe in judgment and being pressed as to why they chose not to believe the revelation to which they had total access over the years of their existence on a lowly planet called Earth!

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." --- Luke 1:26-37

Will We Soon Have to Ask Permission to Use the Rest Room?

There is a nutrition bill moving along toward President Barack Obama which would allow the government power to limit school bake sales or other fundraisers that some say can replace wholesome meals in schools. This legislation is part of Michelle Obama's anti-obesity campaign. --- Internet news release

So, should anyone be surprised as the federal government continues to boldly infringe on the rights of United States citizens. None of us fully realizes the extent of the "invasion" that has taken place over the past few decades let alone the past few months.

It is an ongoing "cancer" of a different kind -- the predominant thinking and attitude in Washington DC that elected officials are more intelligent than the citizens they were elected to represent, starting with the president of the U.S. and his wife!

Therefore they know far better than we what is best for us and new laws and regulations are necessary in order to establish a higher "quality of life" for us -- stated simply -- "The federal government is resolved to save us from ourselves!"

Mentioned at the beginning is one of the latest debacles -- the government is going to seek to limit school bake sales which are one of the common ways fundraising has been done by various groups connected with our schools. This on the pretense of fighting off obesity!

Could it be as time moves on that the government will want to control our lives to the extent that we will actually have to ask permission to go to a rest room? At the risk of giving some politicians or the president or his wife a hint for pressing for new legislation, the grounds for this would be that we might contribute to further polluting the environment by our use of the rest room -- if we are merely going to wash our hands or comb our hair, that might be OK -- but don't do anything more than that!

Hey, don't laugh -- we're dealing with a government that has moved well into the area of what is most accurately described as the "lunatic fringe!" It might just happen, so get ready to raise your hand as we did in the old one room country schools of long ago and ask permission to go to the toilet -- we didn't actually say the word -- it was just, "May I leave the room?" And the teacher understood what our destination was, and that we would be returning to the school room in a short time after we had completed our "mission." Also it is highly unlikely that the so-called Republican "victories" of November 2010 will make any real significant difference in the future

But the good news is that the day is coming when there will be no legislating and passing of stupid laws -- all politicians will be out of a job. God has future plans for His creation and for this world, and that includes the control of this world under the direction of His Son, Jesus Christ. All dictators, prime ministers, presidents, members of parliaments and congressional bodies will be removed from their positions! At long last the world will know peace and God's standards will be in place and enforced -- a very healthy and profitable change. I hope it happens before the United States government tells me I have to raise my hand and ask for its permission to go to the rest room!

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

An Ego Distinctly Qualified for a World Record!

Ego: the self; the individual as aware of himself...
Egocentric: dwelling upon one's self or upon one's own personal interests almost to the exclusion of everything else; viewing everything in relation to oneself; self-centered. --- from Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary

All world leaders, as is true of each individual, have to deal with the issue of ego -- to what extent is the ego going to dominate one's life and influence one's decision making. History is strewn with the wreckage of cultures due to leaders who miserably failed to bring the ego into submission to the will of the Creator of this mighty universe. God has revealed quite a few things about the ego and how it is to be dealt with in human experience.

We are presently saddled with a president whose ego demands attention on a 24/7 basis. Some have suggested that he has never really shifted out of "campaign" mode. There is the felt necessity to be always traveling somewhere and personally face crowds of people for whatever reason, and those reasons can be as varied as a giant box of Crayola crayons!

The latest expression of the Obama ego is seen in the planned Asia trip of 10 days which will take him into such countries as India and Indonesia. Controversy has erupted over the magnitude and expense of such a venture when in reality it isn't really necessary. While speaking platitudes about the economy and the need to get things up and rolling, the president fails to recognize that he can do some things or refuse to do some things that will not further burden the way things are financially at the present time in our republic.

Here are some things involved in the trip: already three visits have been made by security personnel to plan for "The Visit." Some hardware involved are 34 warships, 40 aircraft, a bunch of limos including the $300,000 "Beast," and of course Air Force One which gets a tad less than 28 miles to the gallon while in flight!

The entire 5-star Taz hotel has been booked for the entourage. This involves at least 500 people which includes Secret Service and White House staff persons. It was the Taz that was the scene of bombings and riots last year. So it figures that security will require not only a huge number of our people, but those from India as well.

One figure tossed around which is being challenged is 200 million dollars a day. But is it really possible to calculate the grand total which involves the expense of the hardware and the time and salaries paid to all involved somehow in this debacle of the first magnitude? One thing sure, you have more than a figure of $39.95 involved here.

As an aside - the ego rose again to the occasion at the press conference following the day of the election. The message sent by the voters was totally ignored with the "ego" suggesting that we citizens did not really understand what he was trying to do through what we interpret as "government intrusion" -- so there you have it again, we are a bunch of stupid people -- he's the smart one and knows what is best for us and the country.

Fortunately, there is a change coming at some point in the future and he, with the record setting ego, will not be the one who brings it about! Just take a sobering, prayerful look at Revelation 11:15 -- it tells of the time when all world leaders will be out of a job!

Then He (Jesus) said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what advantage is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels." --- Luke 9:23-26

Can You Really Trust a Mudslinger?

A restaurant conversation centered at one point on the subject of the political campaigns with one person making a statement that there has never been a time when the ads have been more negative than during the weeks preceding the elections of 2010!

I told some people recently that I would like to meet and shake the hand of the person who invented the mute button on a TV remote control. I would also express deep appreciation to that person for the great contribution made through such an invention, because I use it constantly -- not only to silence the commercial ads that drag on and on and on for minutes, but especially the political ads that have come upon us like a tsunami generated by an 8.7 magnitude earthquake under the ocean!

These political ads all have a common thread -- commonly known as "mudslinging" which reveals more about character of the politician who is involved in such tactics than he or she would honestly admit. Mudslinging is the vain attempt to paint one's opponent as being the very worst person possible and totally unqualified to hold public office. The person who is doing the mudslinging portrays himself or herself as the "savior" who will transform our government into an institution controlled by the holiest of saints and will usher in an utopian era for all Americans! Literally, as they tell it, we will indeed have a heaven on earth -- so God can just stay in His Heaven because we have already set up our own and we don't need Him around. But then, haven't we in the United States made decisions in the past in one way or another that have essentially told God to mind His own business and that certain areas are off limits to Him to start with?

So the question -- can you really trust a mudslinger? The answer is quite obvious -- any person who engages in such tactics or places a stamp of approval on such ads which are promoting his/her candidacy is immediately suspect as to what kind of moral and ethical standards are being practiced in every day life. It does present a dilemma when one goes into the voting booth this year, because there are no exceptions to this bombardment of very negative ads of attack. It comes down to this -- while I would much prefer not to vote at all, yet I will exercise my right as a citizen of this republic to vote -- but I will be approaching the ballot with this thought in mind -- "Which of these is the lesser of two or three evils (or however many are running for the office). This has been the problem for decades at the state and federal levels.

Be assured that the person who has engaged in mudslinging tactics to get elected will be untrustworthy when taking office. He/she will employ lots of rhetoric to try to convince us that he/she has our best interest at heart -- yea, sure!

Is it too much to ask of a person seeking public office that they simply stress point by point what he/she will do if elected and not mention a word about the opponent, nor engaging in the mudslinging tactic of trying to convince us that the opponent is in reality a disguised Frankenstein monster? Yes, I guess it really is too much to ask, since no candidate is willing to do it!

But there is good news, folks -- the day is coming when all politicians will be removed from office -- a different Administration will be in charge, and it will be world-wide in scope. The summary is found in the concluding statement just below from the book of The Revelation which spells out clearly that God indeed does have the last word, not humans and this includes politicians!

By the way, in the meantime we can pray that God will return upon their heads the fruit of their doings (such action is Biblical) -- it will be interesting to see what happens as praying people begin to make such an appeal to the Creator of this mighty universe!

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

Here, Kitty, Kitty!

Picture taken on August 18, 2010 at 6:40 AM near Smithport PA

Yes, that is what it is -- there is no way you can mistake this one for grandma's little tabby cat she keeps with her in the house! Besides, think of the size of litter box you would have to have if you kept the one in the picture in the house -- granted, it would probably make a good guard cat, if it accepted you as being friendly!

Anyway, a family in our church at Gipsy set up a trail camera and surprise, surprise, surprise, as Gomer Pyle would say -- one morning in August this fellow got his picture taken. In our area a number of people are using these special cameras with sensors in order to get pictures of game such as deer, bear, etc. Deer hunters are especially interested to see if any sizable buck deer with trophy racks are in the area.

Now it has been said that the Pennsylvania Game Commission denies that any mountain lions are in our Commonwealth. Such evidence as the above photo would bring a response something like this -- "Well, that one is just passing through!" Oh, really -- let's see now -- there are a lot of miles in any direction from this cat to a Pennsylvania border! Some of us have concluded that the PA Game Commission is about as bad politically as those guys who are supposed to represent us in Harrisburg but really do not!

It is not all that uncommon anymore to hear of denials of one kind or another. Denying the existence of a mountain lion in central Pennsylvania will not mean the end of the world is about to happen and certainly our welfare is not dramatically affected by someone supposedly in authority saying the creature ain't when in reality it indeed is!

But there are other kinds of denials that not only have an impact in time but more importantly -- for eternity! There are persons who down through history have denied the existence of God and they have had a negative influence on the lives of some people. But worse than this are those persons who claim to be clergy and in positions of pastoral leadership who deny basic truths as revealed in God's Word, the holy Scriptures!

The war has been raging for quite some time. Many of the denials have to do with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who became the sacrifice for the sins of the human race so that each one of us could be totally forgiven of every offense of which we are guilty and live in Jesus' Kingdom forever.

Some of the denials involve Jesus' miraculous birth (born of a virgin and having no human father), His sinless life, His atoning sacrifice for the sins of every human being, His literal resurrection from the dead three days after crucifixion, His ascension back to Heaven where He now sits at the right hand of God the Father, and His promised return to this world again at some point in the future to take control and rule forever!

What the deniers cannot ever explain is the miracle of change that has taken place in the lives of the few of us who have received Jesus Christ into our lives as Savior and Lord, the assurance we have each day of Jesus' presence with us, and the rock solid assurance that death simply involves our leaving this world with all its chaos behind and moving into the presence of our Lord in a perfect environment where pain, trouble, and sorrow do not exist!

Here, Kitty, Kitty! Are you real or just a figment of some camera's imagination?

If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. --- 1 John 5:9-12

There Would Be No Mosque Controversy IF….!

For weeks intense controversy has raged over the intention to build a mosque very close to the “ground zero” site where the World Trade Center was destroyed on September 11, 2001 due to terrorists hijacking loaded commercial aircraft and flying them intentionally into the Twin Towers --- from a myriad of mass media reports on the issue.

Muslims are resolved to put up a mosque near the location of the World Trade Center where the destruction of the gigantic Twin Towers took place nine years ago on September 11th.

The real tragedy is not the destruction of the Twin Towers, as horrible as that event was, but in the fact that we have arrived at such a place that the building of a Muslim mosque is a very real possibility and will likely be brought to completion with a great deal of fanfare!

When this nation was put together in a formal statement on July 4, 1776, the persons responsible were nearly unanimous in agreement in their identification with the Christian faith as Protestants.

They further acknowledged the need to depend upon and be obedient to the God Who had revealed Himself in two very special ways – through His inspired recorded Word (the Bible) and by becoming incarnate in the Person of Jesus Christ – that is, the belief that Almighty God chose to become human and personally visit this planet which He had created!

For some time such beliefs and convictions were held by the larger number of leaders and it was not unusual for them to make statements of the need to acknowledge the existence of God, but also that it was imperative that the entire nation seek to comply with His commands in order to experience His blessings and insure a positive future in years to come.

The Christian faith was embraced by a large number of the growing population. As migration toward the west took place so did the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as demonstrated by such persons as the Methodist circuit riders.

The influence of the Christian faith in the early decades was evident in at least two significant ways. Sunday was a day set aside to provide opportunity for families to worship and to rest after a week of work. In the public school systems the practice of reading from the Scriptures and praying the Lord’s Prayer was instituted. So, if a school pupil came from a heathen home, or his/her family was identified with some religious expression other than the Christian faith, there still was daily exposure to God’s revelation during the school year.

But the time came when at the end of the 19th Century heresy began to be imported from the European continent and certain truths in the Christian faith began to be questioned. The skirmishes in the early years of the 20th Century became known as the “fundamentalist-modernist” controversy – or perhaps “war” is a better term to apply. The rebel seed began to be sown and terms used were changed a bit. A pastor became known as being “liberal” if he could not accept certain things in the Bible as literally taking place. One of the early facts questioned was the virgin birth of Jesus with liberals concluding that it really didn’t make any difference and probably Jesus did have a human father -- either Joseph or someone else!

Time rolled on and eventually insane and bizarre court decisions took place that altered the religious landscape of the United States permanently. Two most significant decisions were the banning of Bible reading and reciting of the Lord’s prayer in public schools and a few years later the decision that it is a “constitutional right” for a female to deliberately arrange to have her unborn child mutilated and murdered! Strangely there were and are church leaders who support such decisions. A host of politicians support and attempt to defend the practice of destroying about 25,000 unborn children each week!

Compromise had been extremely common within church circles as the last half of the 20th Century came to a conclusion. Doing “dialog” is the big thing as we sit down and discuss our “common ground” with other religions in the world and how we can work together for a better world. We discuss controversial moral issues and seek to find a way which is acceptable to all by concluding that God did not really mean what He said when He drew the boundaries for acceptable sexual expression and experience!

So today, after decades of sowing the rebel seed within professing Christian circles, the Christian faith is regarded by most as simply a religion on a buffet table with many other religions in which you simply pick and choose what suits your fancy – or if you don’t want to choose any, that’s ok too. We can still work together to build a better world!

If the Christian faith had not been compromised, divided, and greatly weakened as the result of imported theological garbage from Europe in the closing years of the 19th Century and early years of the 20th Century, there would be no controversy over the building of a Muslim mosque near “ground zero” in New York City!

Do not spend any time fussing and fretting over the mosque construction plan – rather, be more concerned about the fact that this nation is going to experience the outpouring of God’s wrath due to its unwillingness to fully repent of its abominations which are so widely accepted and practiced at the present time. Our leaders, elected officials and church, show absolutely no real concern about this, nor is there much of any genuine concern among us, the ordinary citizens either!

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down," says the LORD. Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.' Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, 'listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.' --- Jeremiah 6:15-17

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."..... Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." --- John 8:12; 14:6

Burning the Koran (Quran)?

Pastor Terry Jones, after days of intense and very negative publicity, has announced that he will not conduct the Koran (Quran) burning event at his church as planned on September 11 on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the year 2001. --- various news sources on the internet

Even President Obama spoke out against the planned burning of copies of the Koran (Quran) by Terry Jones and members of his congregation on September 11th. In fact different government officials went on record expressing great anger over the intention to destroy what are clearly considered "holy books" in the faith of those who worship Allah in the world of Islam. And, as might be expected, a mighty chorus of voices from different organizations and churches joined in the protest as well.

As this is written the announcement has been made by Jones that he and his people will not carry out the planned burn on September 11th. The claim is being made that an "agreement" has been reached and the controversial building of a mosque at "ground zero" in New York city will not take place at that location. Sources supposedly close to those intent on building the mosque at the site deny any deal has been made.

A major problem in the whole incident is the witness that Jones and his people are making as professing Christians. It is highly unlikely that many Muslims will be brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through such antics as that!

Jesus, of course, instructed us as to our conduct in regard to those who even persecute us and think that they are doing service to God by killing us. Such commands as loving the enemy and praying for them are not easy to put into practice when it is really happening, but the commands to do such have not been rescinded.

What Jones and his congregation have done is to build a case against Christianity on the part of those who have concluded that Christians are nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites anyway!

Christianity and Islam in their purest expressions of faith are totally incompatible with each making the claim of being the "true" faith. There is a difference in how those outside the faith are to be regarded and treated. Islam labels all who are not Muslim in faith as infidels and there is sanction on occasion to kill infidels if they refuse to accept Islam as the true faith and practice it as such. The Koran (Quran) at one point specifically instructs Muslims not to take Jews or Christians for their friends because of the corrupting influence such persons might have on the one who worships Allah!

While Christianity would apply the term "unbeliever" to all who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, there is to be no violence committed in advancing the faith throughout the world. The motivation for confronting unbelievers is out of love and the desire that they experience total forgiveness through Jesus Christ and have the assurance of everlasting life and a place in His eternal Kingdom.

The approach to the Muslim on the part of a Christian is the same as that to those of the many other religious expressions existing in the world, and also including professing atheists -- "Jesus Christ loves you as much as He loves me -- He died on the cross to pay the penalty and satisfy God's justice in regard to your sins just the same as He did for mine, which were many! Receive Him as Savior and Lord into your life and know peace with God and the assurance that you have everlasting life."

Terry Jones and his people have created a stumbling block in this matter that will take a very long time to undo, if ever!

Now then, another question to think on -- the president and individuals as well as groups were quick and very loud to protest the planned burning of copies of the Koran (Quran), sacred book to those who identify with the religion of Islam. Do you think President Obama and all the others so upset over this issue would express the same outrage if there were a planned public burning of Bibles? Since Christianity has been assailed in numerous ways over recent years here in the United States, most of us know the answer to that one, do we not?

It is simply a matter of time, however, until the day arrives when Jesus Christ will personally return to this world which He originally created and take full control of it. There is an indication in the book of Revelation that there will be an attempt at resistence by a powerful leader and armies of nations. But as indicated elsewhere on my web site, it will be somewhat like a gnat or a mosquito trying to stop a loaded 18 wheeler barreling down Interstate 80 in Clarion Co. PA -- no loss in speed -- just a splat on the windshield and it's all over! Be sure to think of all the implications of the Scripture statement quoted below!

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

Taking Back America - Very Doubtful Indeed --

Organizations have been formed, "conservative" politics has been gaining momentum in anticipation of the November 2010 elections, books by the dozens have been written, and talk show hosts with a "conservative" reputation have been having a field day!

"Taking Back America!" has been a rallying cry for quite some time. The tea party gatherings were not the fly-by-night phenomenon that mainstream media people wanted us to believe. So then came the "labeling" of those involved in the movement to "take back America."

If you in any way disagree with or, horrors upon horrors, you dare to oppose the agenda being advanced by Obama & Co. then you are a bigoted racist filled with venom and undiluted hatred!

As of this date (Aug. 28, 2010) on which these comments have been written, Glenn Beck is at the center of a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Preparation and accompanying publicity for this have been going on for months. Beck's TV program on August 27 featured some members of the clergy. Expressed in the course of their discussion was the opinion that another "great awakening" is now taking place. Some details were revealed in an effort to support the suggestion that this is truly happening around the nation.

Is it happening for real? Will America actually be "taken back" as many attempt to spell it out in light of the chaos that now rules in government, business, industry, education, and even too many church groups?

There will be some stirrings here and there perhaps and emotions will run very high, but for the healing and restoration of the republic as God defines a culture that is in right relationship to Him, the "taking back America" thing is very doubtful to say the least!

The reason is rather simple. In the midst of the activity and rhetoric spewed forth, including Beck announcing that we "need God," there is no serious consideration of the need to repent of all sin! This is an absolute must on both the personal and individual level as well as the collective level in all facets of our society.

There is no remorse and regret that we have brutally mutilated and murdered at least 52 million unborn children since January of 1973, or engaged in widespread idolatry with our version of homemade "deities," or engaging persistently in sexual immorality of pandemic proportions, or massively profaning what is supposed to be a day of worship and rest, or teaching millions of our young that we have evolved from lower life forms which existed millions and millions of years ago! But worst of all is the fact that Jesus Christ is ignored as the exclusive remedy and answer to one's personal salvation from sin and admission into the eternal Kingdom of God!

Until there is brutal honesty starting with leadership in our churches and in our government at various levels in admitting the aforementioned sins and abominations and the fact that such offenses have to cease immediately, then all the talk (and debate) about "taking back America" is in vain.

Perhaps the time has now come that the person who chooses to face reality in this republic needs to think and anticipate judgment at the hands of a God Who is holy and Who will not endlessly tolerate rebellion -- especially on the part of a nation which claims to be "one nation, under God...!"

I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, 'I will not hear.' This has been your manner from your youth, that you did not obey My voice. The wind shall eat up all your rulers, and your lovers shall go into captivity; surely then you will be ashamed and humiliated for all your wickedness. --- Jeremiah 22:21, 22

Hypocrisy Rears Its Ugly Head in the Muslim World!

Sanam Gul, a 47-year-old widow, was executed on Saturday, August 7, 2010, as a result of alleged charges involving adultery which resulted in her becoming pregnant. --- from various news sources on the internet

The Taliban waved the flag of hypocrisy very high in a recent episode and demonstrated that Muslims can be anything but consistent in their professed "faith!" On August 7 Sanam Gul was executed after a 200 lash whipping. Mohammad Yousuf, a Taliban commander, shot her 3 times in the head after the whipping.

Sanam was a 47-year-old widow who had been accused of adultery which resulted in her becoming pregnant. So the "righteous" authorities with intense indignation determined that she should be put to death for this crime.

Now correct me if I am wrong -- or possibly things have so changed that I haven't been properly informed -- but my understanding is that adultery requires the participation of two persons -- a male and a female, at least one of which is married to someone else! In Sanam's case, she was a widow - her husband was dead -- so that means the male with whom she became intimate is married. Strange, is it not, that no mention is made of the man in this matter, much less bring charges against him, find him guilty of fathering a child to another female other than his wife, and then execute him for this offense?

Ah, I forgot - in the world of Islam, females have about as much status as a guy's bicycle -- or maybe less, so that the bicycle has more respect than the female does!

It is interesting that Jesus ran into this glaring type of inconsistency when He was here on earth. A bunch of indignant self-righteous individuals (all males) brought a woman before Him and accused her of adultery, having been caught in the very act. That means that there were two people there at the moment - the woman and the man who was intimately involved with her.

After the accusation and the reminder that the woman should be stoned according to the Law of Moses, Jesus was asked what He thought about the situation. He made no reply immediately but was writing something on the ground with the tip of His finger. The accusers were becoming impatient -- they wanted an answer right now from this One Whom they were beginning to hate with a bitter passion. Finally He made His response --"He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." Oooops! They were totally unprepared for that -- suddenly something began to happen within the heart and soul of each of the accusers -- a very disturbing feeling of guilt began to settle in -- quickly, they made their exit -- somehow they had to distance themselves from the woman they wanted so badly to stone to death. But even more so, from that One Who had made the suggestion as to the individual who should begin the execution procedure and throw the first rock!

Muslims, Christians, or whatever religious stripe with which one may identify -- the day is coming when each one of us will appear before Jesus Christ to be judged by Him -- He is the One Who will determine what our eternal destiny will be and the environment in which eternity will be experienced. Yes, even Mohammad Yousuf, executioner of adultresses, will make his appearance before Jesus -- minus pistol of course and the guy who did the whipping of Sanam Gul -- without his whip!

One of two possibilities exist when Jesus utters the final word in judgment - it will be either the incomprehensible bliss of a trouble-free Heaven or the indescribable agony in a place known as Hell! The determining factor as to which it will be is the choice one has made in this earthly life to repent of all sin and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord into one's life, or do as the vast majority of the world's population and its leaders are doing -- that is to defiantly reject Him and His sacrifice for the sins of the entire human race! What has your choice been regarding the most critical decision you will ever make in a lifetime?

By the way, here is an interesting little exercise on that confrontation with Jesus and the controversy that swirled around a certain female caught in the act of adultery -- what do you suppose He was writing in the sand with the tip of His finger? Could it have been a simple question -- "Where is the man?"

Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?" This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. --- John 8:3-6

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"--- Matthew 7:21-23

"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' --- Matthew 25:23

I Have Seen Over 7 Decades of Change -- A Lot of It Very Bad!

Clayton D. Harriger was born to Russell and Helen (Sedgwick) Harriger in a farmhouse in Monroe Township, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, USA on August 5, 1933

My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! --- Psalm 139:15-17

I celebrated my birthday on August 5 and was blessed with a great outpouring of well wishes on Facebook as well as receiving phone calls and greeting cards.

I was a Depression-era baby -- that is, I was born during the time the Great Depression had a tight grip on the United States. My parents were living on a rented farm. Life was a constant struggle for them. Eventually they were able to buy the farm at the end of WW II.

My early education took place in a one room country school in which one teacher took care of grades 1 through 8. After completing 8th grade we were bused to Clarion Jr and Senior High Schools in Clarion PA.

In school during those years we started our day with reading from the Scriptures, praying the Lord's Prayer, and pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. In the one room school we sang the first stanza of "America the Beautiful" before eating lunch each day.

The big social occasion of the week was Saturday night in Clarion. Families not only went to do some shopping -- they also went to visit with one another. Getting a parking spot on Main Street was a top priority. You ate fresh roasted peanuts from Maul's Dairy Store and sat in your car, observing the traffic as well as visiting with people who passed by.

Sunday was a quiet day with most families in the area going to church in the morning. After the noon meal there may be a trip to visit a neighbor or relative in the afternoon. Businesses in Clarion were completely shut down. The town was very, very quiet on Sunday afternoon in sharp contrast as to how it was the night before!

As I got older changes began to take place. Pressure mounted to permit Clarion's two movie theaters to show movies on Sunday and so in time it was done. Then came the pressure to allow retail businesses to be open on Sundays and so in time it happened. So at this point in time Sunday is no different than any other day of the week with focus being mainly on the expectation of fair weather so we can party and have lots of fun throughout the country!

Then came earth-shaking court decisions that made an impact on our republic that no person is capable of comprehending -- that is, the full consequences of such decisions have yet to be realized. The U. S. Supreme Court saw fit to rule that it is unlawful to have Bible reading and prayer in the public schools. This was considered a good thing and the country would be a much better nation because of it in years to come. "Religion" is a private matter, you know! And so, the question can be raised - is the nation healthier now ethically and morally, than it was at the time the practice of reading Bible and praying the Lord's prayer was in place?

And there was one of the most diabolical decisions ever made by a court anywhere in the history of the human race when certain black robed individuals got their pointy little heads together and decided that it is a "constitutional right" for a female to have her unborn child mutilated, murdered, and removed from her body! As I have stated in commentary on this elsewhere, we have yet to witness God's full response to this massive destruction of 52 million innocent victims since January of 1973!

Entertainment industries moved from what were considered G-rated programming for the entire family to increased display of vulgarity, violence, and immorality in very graphic fashion! And there is the very awkward question as to why our young often act very selfishly, immorally, violently and speak gutter language constantly. Monkey see, monkey do, you know!

Churches increasingly began to compromise the Biblical standards of ethics and morality, due in part by adopting positions that the Bible does not really mean what it says and that it is simply a human produced volume of material filled with contradictions and errors!

Government began to grow at the rate of a malignant tumor out of control. But not only was there unhealthy growth in government, but all the while it was growing it was also becoming more corrupt as time passed! At present time scandals involving government officials are common place and no longer are we shocked -- it is now the "norm" and we tend to accept such things as being normal!

These are but some of the changes I have witnessed in my lifetime. By God's grace in 1957 I received Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. A few months later He placed me in the ministry which began in June of 1959. Perhaps because of that I have been extremely sensitive to the changes that have been taking place over the last few decades -- changes that guarantee the nation in which I hold my citizenship is headed for disaster and cannot expect anything in the future but the outpouring of the wrath of a holy God in judgment!

But I look beyond that horrible prospect of devastation to the promised return of my personal Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, the living Son of God. He is going to return to this sin drenched world and set it right side up, ruling it with true justice. That is why from time to time I say to people that there is good news for the future -- part of it consists of the fact that all government leaders and their associates will be thrown out of office because the King of kings and Lord of lords is now in charge. It will be a great day -- make sure you don't miss out on it!

And there will be changes taking place when Jesus takes control that we cannot begin to even imagine. One of the greatest will be no more conflicts of any kind with the implements of war being destroyed and material being used in the making of implements of peaceful activity. Even animals will no longer be in conflict, but will live in peace -- e.g. the lion will eat straw like the ox!

So there is a bright future to anticipate, if you look far enough ahead!

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

Nazism Reborn in the USA!

On March 30, 2001, Obama was the only Illinois senator who rose to speak against a bill that would have protected babies who survived late term labor-induced abortion. Obama rose to object that if the bill passed, and a nine-month-old fetus survived a late-term labor-induced abortion was deemed to be a person who had a right to live, then the law would "forbid abortions to take place." Obama further explained the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment does not allow somebody to kill a child, so if the law deemed a child who survived a late-term labor-induced abortion had a right to live, "then this would be an anti-abortion statute." --- source: Obama Nation, by Jerome Corsi, p.238, Aug 1, 2008

To even mention the name Nazi and apply it to anything taking place in the United States is considered an offense that is equal to being guilty of blasphemy and on a par with that of slapping Almighty God in the face! But hang on and consider some comparisons that provide evidence showing indeed WW II Nazism has been reborn in the "land of the free and the home of the brave."

Recent decades have witnessed a deadly change occuring in government at the federal level in the United States.

First, Nazism rejected God's view of human life and the fact that each conceived human life is special in God's sight. Further, He has a unique plan for each human life. (Note such Scripture references as Jeremiah 1:4,5; Psalm 139, and Ephesians 1:3-6). Adolph Hitler and the Nazis took the position that they were the arbiters when it came to who should live and who should be exterminated from the society of the living. It is estimated that there were at least 14 million or more who were victims of the Nazi view of human life, of which at least 6 million were Jews alone! There seems to be a near unanimouse agreement that these were very "evil" people for having been involved in exterminating those millions.

The spirit of Nazism, having gained a foothold in the United States, has resulted in 52 million unborn humans being intentionally mutilated and murdered in their "mother's" wombs since January of 1973! Elected officials of both major political parties give sanction to this practice while some others who claim to be "pro-life" seem to be afflicted with a severe case of lock-jaw when it comes to speaking out and advocating aggressive action to stop the "shedding of innocent blood" throughout the land. G. W. Bush was considered to be a president who was "pro-life" but the millions continued to be destroyed in the womb during his presidency. He showed none of the aggressive spirit in putting the killer doctors out of business as he did in convincing the nation that we had to invade Iraq and take down Saddam Hussein who was guilty of an estimated 1 million victims during his reign of terror -- ah, there is a difference between 1 million and 52 million, is there not? And of course the present president puts his stamp of approval on the practice and will nominate judges to the Supreme Court who will guarantee that the slaughter of the innocents will continue. Well, that is, until God steps in and says, "Enough is enough!"

Second, Nazi leaders progressively took control of industry, business and finance in Germany as the months came and went. The media came under strict control as well. Joseph Goebbels was a master of deception as he directed the flow of propaganda so that the people would "feel good" about their country and its leaders.

We are witnessing increased control by the federal government in areas involving industry, banks, healthcare, etc. Remember the General Motors episode in which people began referring to GM as "Government Motors?" And while the government does not literally control the media outlets yet, they might as well since many of those involved in major media outlets have become so enraptured with Barack Obama that they resemble children enthusiastically following the Pied Piper! They would not want to be the least bit critical of the president, because if you convey the slightest hint of negativity, then you are a "racist" and extremely prejudiced!

Third, Nazi leaders were convinced that they were more intelligent than the German citizens and therefore in a position to know what was best for them. So they initiated their "programs" with the idea that these were best for everyone and the establishment of a Reich lasting a thousand years.

We have a president with strong support from other elected officials who believes that we citizens do not really know what is best for us or for the country at large. Since they are of superior "intelligence," they know what is best and we need to learn to trust them and go along with all that they propose without question or objection! And while there is talk at times of "bi-partisanship" there are persons in both major political parties that really don't believe it -- "It's my way or no way!" In the meantime, whatever goes wrong or is wrong presently, it is all George Bush's fault. Politicians presently in office will likely go the grave claiming they were unable to undo all the wrong that George Bush did -- it was all his fault and they simply did not have enough time to set things right side up.

Fourth, Nazi leaders for the most part did profess "belief" in God -- that is, they claimed that there was a God Who existed. They simply didn't take His special revelation (the holy Scriptures) seriously nor did they make any concentrated effort to apply the Scriptures to daily life and responsibility, either on a personal level or on a collective level. But then, as you look at the political circumstances involving elected officials at the state level and at the federal level in our republic, you see the identical drama played out -- presidents and others are fond of throwing out the expression, "God bless America!" After having done this, God is put back in his cage, the door locked shut, and He is reminded not to interfere in any of our affairs. He has been forbidden to set foot on the property of our public schools for decades and it is not "politically correct" to make reference to God in other settings as well -- that is, unless you want Him to "damn" something or someone, then that is considered appropriate at any time and in any place!

As the government continues to take more control and our freedoms are being taken from us, we are forced to face the fact that Nazism did not really die when Germany was defeated in May of 1945. It just seemed that it did as Germany was rebuilt, but it was lurking in the shadows and waiting for the grand opportunity to rise again -- and it has. We just don't wear armbands with a swastika stamped on them!

But in the midst of bad news there is good news -- Jesus Christ has promised that He will return to this world which He brought into existence by spoken command a very long time ago. He is going to take control of this planet and rule it, which means drastic changes are going to take place. Government leaders of all nations will be out of a job and followers of Him Who is described as King of kings and Lord of lords will be involved in His Administration. All implements of war will be destroyed and reforged into useful instruments for peaceful purposes. What a day that will be!

Time to let your imagination soar a bit -- do you suppose when Jesus returns that the elected officials of the U.S. government at that time (if the U. S. still exists then) will hastily draft and pass legislation that He is not permitted to enter this country unless He has a valid passport -- ooops! I forgot -- all He has to do is go over the fence, coming in from Mexico into Texas or one of the other border states and it will be OK -- if it has worked for millions of others, why not for Jesus?

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

Letter to a Bishop in W. PA!

Hello! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Theo and I am Administrative Assistant to the person who is in charge of the web site, Circuit Rider's Range. His given name is Clayton D. Harriger and he is an ordained elder in the Western PA Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. There are United Methodists, including those in positions of leadership, who get extremely upset with him about some things. If you ever go to his web site, you will see what I mean. Anyway, a resolution was passed in the 2009 session of the Western PA Annual Conference in which each clergy person was to pay $25 to support a fund which would assist clergy on what is described as "short-term disability." Each member of the clergy was expected to pay this, including those who are retired. CDH recently received a letter from Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton reminding him that he had not yet paid the $25.00. So, CDH responded with a letter and enclosed a check for $25.00. BTW, Theo is my shortened name which CDH gave me -- an explanation about my longer name is given at the web site. Now, here is the letter.

*** *** ***

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton
Western PA Annual Conference
The United Methodist Church

Dear Bishop Bickerton:

I received your letter reminding me that I owe $25.00 as my part in the one time contribution (pertaining to RS 404 – 2009 Annual Conference session) which is expected of all clergy in the conference. This is to inform you that I am paying this under protest. The reasons are as follows:

First, whoever dreamed this debacle up didn’t give any serious thought to fairness in such an assessment. There is a big difference between my income and yours, clergy with the “plush” appointments in the conference, the district superintendents, and even those clergy at the lower end of the salary scale. The last I heard, bishops are making something like a 6 figure annual salary, are they not? Therefore, let those in the upper salary ranges pay more on this “short-term disability” program and show some mercy toward us retirees.

Second, I own my own home and pay taxes on my property. I pay all expenses to maintain my home. I pay for all furnishings for my home. I pay all utility expenses for my home. I pay the insurance on my home. You and the active clergy on the other hand have some very nice perks – you have your home furnished with major appliances and you do not personally pay taxes on your home. You do not pay maintenance costs for the home in which you live. You do not pay the utilities for your home. And you do not have to pay the insurance on your home, except if you choose to have your personal possessions insured. But that is far different than the total insurance bill for a residence such as the one in which I and my wife presently live!

Third, you who are active clergy have advantages in health coverage that we retirees do not have. We were kicked out of the dental plan a few years ago, and finally someone decided that we retirees should have some coverage, but it is nothing to make the front page of the local newspaper. I have paid a few thousand dollars just for dental work alone because of extreme limitations in the plan as applied to retirees. So I am having expenses where you in the active clergy category do not!

Finally, there has been a heavy stress on the “connectional system” and “covenant” – you have been one to remind us in the conference of this. OK, why are such words as “fairness” and “equity” obviously missing when it comes to the “connection” and RS 404? The retirees’ share should have been in the $5 to $7 range maximum, while you active clergy could far easier pay $200.00 or $150.00 than I can pay the 5 bucks!

Enclosed is my check for $25.00 which is submitted under protest.

Still contending at www.crrange.com, blogging at http://cdharriger.blogspot.com and warning at www.crrange.com/USACoffin.html

Clayton D. Harriger, Elder in full connection, W. PA Annual Conference

PS – On another issue related to the “connection” – what hasn’t been realistically addressed is the “infection within the connection” which is why the United Methodist Church is in a state of decline!

cc: The Rev. Alyce Weaver Dunn, newly appointed DS for the Johnstown District

I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because of Your hand, for You have filled me with indignation. --- Jeremiah 15:17

That Gulf Oil Spill - A Certain Fact Commonly and Vigorously Denied!

"Then they will answer, 'Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.'" --- 2 Chronicles 7:22

Therefore thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. --- Jeremiah 11:11

"Because you have burned incense and because you have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD or walked in His law, in His statutes or in His testimonies, therefore this calamity has happened to you, as at this day." --- Jeremiah 44:23

It is dominating news everywhere on a worldwide basis and the longer the crisis continues, the more the assignment of blame and responsibility escalates! One wonders if President Obama's hatchetman, Rahm Emanuel, continues to play the favorite string on his fiddle which gushes a familiar tune, "Never let a crisis go to waste."

As the president continues to wear out Air Force One (will hundreds of millions have to be spent for a replacement before his term ends?) he is finding out as he walks along beaches with oil penetrating them that things just don't happen automatically when he opens his mouth and gives a command -- you know, like "Fix that ##$$@@%% leak!"

What is really pathetic in this happening is the fact that the president, his administration, the members of the U.S. Congress and the "experts" on deep sea oil drilling fail to realize another dimension in what is termed an environmental disaster of the first magnitude.

Since we have for decades as a nation chosen to give the Creator of the universe an obscene gesture as to our response to His claims and His call that we repent of our sins, receive His Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord, and commit to seeking His holy will and purpose for us, then we can only expect a series of calamities in our national experience as the blessings of God are withdrawn!

God has clearly established the fact that a sane, sensible, serene, stable, secure, and stellar society is experienced on basis of total obedience to Him. To reject Him is to become the target of unimaginable calamities and ultimately judgment and total destruction if there is refusal to repent. The principles as to how this comes into play are spelled out throughout the Scriptures, but especially in Deuteronomy 28. In that chapter a sharp contrast is drawn as to what happens when a nation obeys God as opposed to what happens when disobedience is chosen by the majority of the citizens and its leaders!

There will be large numbers who will vehemently deny that God has anything to do whatsoever with what happened in the Gulf of Mexico. Granted, there are any number who deny that God even exists, or if He does, He just kind of looks on indifferently as to what is going on in this world. A greater number may claim there is a God and that they "believe" in Him -- but they live day by day as though He doesn't exist -- what some describe as being a "practical atheist" -- insisting there is a God but denying Him by personal lifestyle!

But what if.....?

Yes, the day will likely come that just maybe the leak will be "fixed" but the damage that has taken place up to that moment is impossible to fully and accurately calculate. Plus the fact that for those willing to face the reality, there is the recognition that Almighty God does interact with the members of the human race and the nations into which they are divided. What is on the divine "agenda" so far as the schedule of future calamities are concerned as Jesus Christ tarries in His personal return to this confused and chaotic world?

"And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them." --- Ezekiel 6:10

Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them.' --- Deuteronomy 32:35

Helen Thomas Telling the Israelis Where to Go!

On the May 27 video, Thomas says Israelis should "get the hell out of Palestine," suggesting they go to Germany, Poland or the U.S. --- statement in an internet news release on June 7, 2010

White House correspondent, Helen Thomas, is calling it quits after controversial comments about Israel became publicly known by means of a video which recorded the remarks on May 27th. Maybe some tolerance should be shown for an 89-year-old who is long overdue for retirement somewhere outside of the White House from which she did her "reporting" since 1960.

But on the other hand the remarks reflect the spirit of large numbers of people who aren't quite so bold as to state their feelings about Israel publicly. And this certainly is also true of the leadership of a number of nations in regard to true feelings about the Jewish people. It has certainly been revealed on a continual basis at the United Nations when the nation of Israel is the subject of "discussion," if it can be called that! Attitudes on the part of the U. S. government toward Israel have been obviously shifting in recent months with Israel expected to dance to the tune that is being played in the Oval Office of Washington DC.

For centuries the Israelite people have been despised and hated more than any other national identifiable group of people. Efforts to destroy them have failed again and again. For instance the Babylonians destroyed the ancient Israelite kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C. Can anyone identify a Babylonian in today's world? Yet the descendants of those Israelites are clearly identified today as being of the Hebrew race!

They live on a very small piece of real estate today with pressure being brought to bear upon them to give up even more land so "peace" in the Middle East can be achieved. Due to a very high level of ignorance on the part of world leaders and those who participate in the United Nations there is failure to realize that Almighty God has special plans for the Israelite people and a nation known as Israel. And in the future they will be occupying much more territory than what they have now! So what will actually happen is that there will be a lot of "giving up" of land, but it will not be on the part of the Israeli people!

A day is coming when the world will be made aware of those plans as God brings about fulfillment of His promises made many centuries ago concerning Israel. Jerusalem will be at the center of many of those promises and will be known as a city of truth with citizens of foreign nations seeking to go to Jerusalem to be instructed in the things in which God wants them to be educated. That certainly is not the desire of most people now -- to learn about God and His ways in Israel would be the very last thing the majority of people would want to do. But it will happen at a time determined by the mighty Creator of the heavens and the earth!

Obviously Helen was totally off base in her remarks and has apologized since for having made them. But she was "on base" by saying something that is in the minds of huge numbers, including a number of government leaders and participants in the United Nations, and reflects how they really feel about "those Jews" and their country!

And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are; northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you." --- Genesis 13:14-17

On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates; the Kenites, the Kenezzites, and the Kadmonites; the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Rephaim; the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites." --- Genesis 15:18-21

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; he will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. --- Isaiah 2:1-4

One Gusher Is Given Top Priority While Another Is Intentionally Ignored!

News is much dominated by the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico and fingers being pointed in all directions as to who is to blame and what ought to be done to stop the leak quickly. --- it's a shark in bloody waters situation with the mass media on the oil spewing into the Gulf

Broadcast media through major networks as well as internet sources are making the oil leak a priority news item. You can view a live stream video of the disaster on the internet. As is usually the case, there is a scramble to see who can outdo the competition in reporting the details. It is getting almost exciting as the blame game gets into high gear and the battle rages on with talk now coming from the federal government level of the pursuit of criminal charges possibly being filed. Ah, that makes great fodder when those evil oil companies become the target.

While that gusher continues to spew out the oil at the bottom of the Gulf there is another one that most citizens along with leaders (government and church) chose to ignore and have done so for decades.

That's the "gusher" of innocent blood that spews forth each day across our republic. It amounts to about 3,500 victims or more each day or about 25,000 every week on average throughout the year! These are unborn children who are intentionally singled out for mutilation and murder before they are born. The grand total since we instituted our own customized version of holocaust is now nearly 52 million!

It is a tragedy in more ways than one -- it's not just the huge number of victims but the fact that most, including our leadership (government and church), do not consider this a serious thing at all. If there is anything serious about it, that comes from a few who are considered to be fire-breathing radicals with an IQ rating of 65 at best and who need to be "educated" on why certain unborn persons do not deserve to live. There are government and church leaders who are "experts" at teaching us as to why this has to be and others who prefer to keep silent about the issue.

The tragedy is compounded by the fact that there is failure to realize that the mighty Creator of the heavens and the earth is going to make His response to this "gusher" of innocent blood in the future! One thing is sure -- the main question at that time will be something like this, "What have we done? Why is God doing all these bad things to us?"

Will you be among the crowd asking the questions, or will you be among the small number who will give a direct answer as to why calamities of the first magnitude are striking a republic known as the United States?

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

Do Not Be Too Disturbed That Obama Wrote off Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day!

President Obama will not be attending the traditional wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery due to going to Chicago for the weekend.... --- information from various news sources about the President's planned "get away" for Memorial Day weekend

A hornet's nest of a different kind has been stirred up when it was learned that President Obama will not be participating in the traditional wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown at Arlington National Cemetery this year. He will be in his hometown of Chicago and it was reported that he will be participating in an event at Abraham Lincoln Cemetery instead.

Stop and think it through for a moment. While many are very upset about this, is it not just as well that he didn't take part in the Arlington observance?

1. Here is a man who has had absolutely no military experience whatsoever and doesn't know the first thing about how the military operates. And one has to wonder whether he could even begin to hold up under the discipline of basic military training!

2. Here is a man who was raised in a generation in which the military was much despised and lacking in respect. And there is no hard core evidence that he is any different in his basic attitude toward the military. It has to be agreed that for political expediency he will make remarks from time to time that are "favorable" toward the military -- but remember, first and foremost he is a professional politician and one of the best at that -- which is why for a number of people, each time he speaks you feel nausea setting in quickly!

3. For this man to lay a wreath on the grave of a member of the military is nothing less than a slap in the face of that person who served honorably under the flag of the United States of America!

4. Let him go through basic training (I am a bit prejudiced on this - I would suggest United States Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island S.C. - many years ago I went through it and managed to survive!) -- spend a few years in the enlisted ranks and then he might be taken a bit more seriously when he enters the hallowed ground of Arlington National Cemetery!

Yes, he is presently the Commander in Chief - that is, the "big boss" of all branches of the military combined. That in itself has to be a bitter pill for career military people to swallow. Fortunately, the day will come when Obama will no longer be the Commander in Chief and preferably the person who then occupies the office of president will have had some personal military experience -- at least much more than a resume that has nothing on it other than community organizing experience and some shoddy political shenanigans Chicago style!

And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. --- Jesus speaking in Luke 16:15