No, Joe! You Don’t Realize That God Is Going to Trump Your Trump!

“Gay rights trumps culture!” – uttered by Vice President Joe Biden in the waning days of June 2014. The VP continued to expand on this by declaring that the Obama administration plans to press for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender) rights all over the world!

Just recently Vice President Joe Biden made one of the most brazen as well as one of the most idiotic statements of his entire career. It is no secret that the Obama administration now supports same-sex marriage and has sought legislation that is favorable to same-sex couples at all levels of our society. Joe summarized it very well in his public declaration, “Gay rights trumps culture!”

By that statement VP Joe is saying that anything within any culture that is opposed to the same-sex lifestyle is wrong. Further, he went on to say that the present administration will be pressing for LGBT rights throughout the entire world in the future.

There is a very significant Person Whom VP Joe has not intelligently considered in this very critical issue. His name is Almighty God Who brought a mind boggling universe (with boundaries still totally unknown to us finite human beings) into existence by simply speaking a few commands! This same God is also One with very high moral standards and He has clearly established boundaries when it comes to human sexuality as it is expressed and experienced.

As God has spelled it out, the only acceptable activity involving sexual intimacy is that taking place between one male and one female within the sacred covenant of marriage! This is revealed early on in the book of Genesis and reaffirmed by the Son of God, Jesus Christ, during His ministry on earth two thousand years ago.

There is no such thing as a “right” when it comes to violating God’s moral laws – only an intentional choice to do so. The term “gay rights” is a fatal deception due to God labeling same-sex intimacy as an abomination, not merely sinful transgression!

Other sexual offenses, in addition to same-sex intimacy, as explicitly revealed in God’s special revelation via holy Scripture are:

1. Fornication – sexual intimacy between two unmarried persons.

2. Adultery – sexual intimacy between two persons, with at least one being married to another person other than the one with whom he/she is being intimate in that moment.

3. Incest – sexual intimacy between immediate family members, such as fathers & daughters, mothers & sons, brothers & sisters, etc.

4. Bestiality – sexual activity with animals.

5. Rape – forcing a person to be sexually intimate against his or her will.

There is one type of sexual offense that is not mentioned specifically in Scripture but is certainly covered in those areas of offense already mentioned. Sexual abuse (and intimacy) with children is not mentioned nor described as are the others, but really that is not necessary since it is certainly covered under the subject area of rape. Even many unregenerate persons, while they may engage in such things as fornication or adultery, are greatly outraged when children become victims of sexual predators!

It is a fact that God has given many sacred gifts to the members of the human race. Of these, one of the least appreciated, most abused and horribly misused has been the gift of human sexuality.

The burned debris and ashes that comprise the ruins of a once prosperous city by the name of Sodom are a mute reminder that just when you think your sexual trump card has won the game in life, then Almighty God trumps your card and the game is now concluded, ending in a catastrophe that our feeble minds cannot begin to comprehend!

If Joe and his boss get their way in this campaign, then they should further announce that fornication, adultery, incest, bestiality, and rape are also quite acceptable – who can object? An appeal to the Scripture? No, it won’t fly – the same Scripture that condemns these aforementioned sexual activities also with equal clarity condemns same-sex activity!

However, as Joe continues in his LGBT rights campaign, there is one thing I actually would pay admission to see – I would like to see Joe lead a public demonstration for LGBT “rights” in one of the major cities of countries such as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia – you know, with large signs and slogans, which denounce the Islamic position on same-sex relationships and intimacy! Did he not say they were going to push this thing all over the world? Go get ‘em, Joe!

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. [Galatians 6:7-8 (KJV)].

And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. [Numbers 11:32-33 (KJV)].

A Group of United Methodist Bishops Now Qualify As Heretics!

“…The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.” --- Par. 304.3, United Methodist Church Book of Discipline 2008 Edition

Heretic: one who holds to a doctrine or opinion that is contrary to the fundamental doctrine or creed of one's church... --- Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary

A group of retired United Methodist bishops has issued a joint statement which is titled, "A Statement of Counsel to the Church - 2011."

Here are the opening statements in that declaration:

(quote) "Out of concern for the welfare of all God’s people, and, out of special concern for the people of The United Methodist Church, we, United Methodist Bishops – retired, believe The United Methodist Church should remove the following statement from The Book of Discipline (2008):

“…The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.” ¶304.3

Our lives and ministries over the years have included prayerful, thoughtful consideration of our Holy Bible, our Wesleyan heritage, reflection on our experience of the church and world, and our conviction of God’s intention for a world transformed."(end quote)

Later the bishops get to the heart of the issue which amounts to full acceptance of sodomy and lesbianism as a legitimate moral lifestyle and that such persons should be ordained into the ministry if they feel they have been "called" to serve in this manner. Further, they are to be accepted into the congregational life of the church without objection -- that is, if two persons of the same gender are practicing a lifestyle of sexual activity, we are not to object to that in any way negatively or even hint that it is morally wrong!

While, they do not specifically indicate support for the marriage of sodomites or lesbians, it is easy to see that the road these church "leaders" are traveling will eventually lead to that destination, and that they would have no objection to same-sex marriages.

And while rhetoric on this issue dwells much on "love" and "commitment" the plain fact is that the practices of sodomy and lesbianism are not supported at any place in God's total revelation to us. Same sex practices are always condemned and never one time held up in a positive and acceptable light. There are vain attempts to "interpret" Scripture in favor of practicing same-sex activity, but this is simply twisting the Scriptures to one's own destruction. Peter notes that there are people who do that kind of thing from time to time! (2 Peter 3:15,16). It is obvious that some United Methodist bishops are now a part of this crowd.

For United Methodist pastors and lay folk who believe the Bible does mean what it says and who believe the present "official" position of the United Methodist Church is in agreement with the Scriptures regarding the boundaries God has established for sexual expression and experience, we have one main weapon -- it is called prayer! Pray that God will purge the church of all that is contrary to His holy Word and that He will return upon the heads of those who teach and preach false doctrine the "fruit of their doings!"

Here are the ones who signed the statement: Sharon Z. Rader, Donald A. Ott, Beverly Shamana, C. Joseph Sprague, Melvin G. Talbert, S. Clifton Ives, Joe A. Wilson, William Lewis, Forrest Stith, Susan Morrison, Susan Hassinger, Judy Craig. Dale White, William Boyd Grove, C. P. Minnick, Kenneth L. Carder, Roy I. Sano, Joe Yeakel, Kenneth Hicks. Joseph Humper, Monk Bryan, Jesse DeWitt, Jack Tuell, J. Lloyd Knox, Charles W. Jordan, J. Lawrence McCleskey, Marshall L. Meadors, Jr., Franz Schafer, Sheldon Duecker, Fritz Mutti, Cal McConnell, Leontine T. C. Kelly.

But another disturbing thought comes to mind on this subject - how many active United Methodist bishops do you suppose are in agreement with this bunch, and eventually will add their signatures to the list?

The entire statement can be viewed and read at A Statement of Counsel to the Church - 2011 This will take you to the Reconciling Ministries Network web site.

.... who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. --- Romans 1:32

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 the New Crop of United Methodist Bishops Be Any Different?

But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. --- 1 Timothy 1:8-11

It’s just a matter of days until they take over and some others hang it up. A new crop of bishops was recently elected to that very high office and as they assume responsibility as of September 1st, what will happen under their respective “watches?”

Will they be unified in their agreement with the standards of morality which our Creator has plainly established, or will there be those who will be very supportive of the sodomite/lesbian “agenda” as a number have already done by means of vocal statements and participation in “witness” demonstrations on such occasions as General Conference?

Will any be VERY different as is the case of Bishop Tom Bickerton of the W. PA Annual Conference and schedule annual conference over Father’s Day coupled with the demand that all pastors be present on Father’s Day morning for an ordination service at the conference? This has happened 3 out of the 4 years that Bickerton has been at the helm of the W. PA Conference! Ask the congregations of United Methodist churches in western Pennsylvania how they feel about their pastors being absent from their pulpits on Father’s Day?

Will any take a departure from what the Scripture teaches about the Person and Work (as it pertains to our salvation from sin) of Jesus Christ? Further, will any dismiss the parting command of Jesus to go into the entire world and preach the Gospel to all, without exception? It can be documented that there are bishops guilty of such positions!

And will there be any who will speak out with deep conviction and without apology, protesting the wanton and senseless slaughter of unborn children. Grand total of victims is now fast approaching 50 million. But to what extent have you heard UM bishops speak out against this, the United States' unique version of “holocaust?” The Council of UM Bishops has been very tight-lipped on this issue as well. You can see how many unborn have been mutilated and murdered under the term of each active bishop at A Quick Look at the United States' Massacre Tally! --- the numbers are all there as you scroll down past the politicians – go ahead, you can survive – you could be shaken up a bit, but you’ll survive! Use the reverse on your browser to return to this area.

It has been said, with a great sense of pride at times, that we are a denomination of “diversity” and that this is a good thing – a wide variety of beliefs and interpretations, etc. A cancer patient in the terminal stages of that horrible affliction can say that he has a wide diversity of cells in his body, but it is highly unlikely that he will say that it is a good thing to have such diversity in his situation!

For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. --- Titus 1:7-9

B. O. Courting "Evangelicals?" Surely You Jest!

"Obama Courting Evangelicals" --- Internet news headline - July 1, 2008

DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Barack Obama has promised a more active approach to faith-based social programs in a bid to bolster his support among evangelical and religious voters. --- opening statement of news release - July 1, 2008

Yes, Virginia, it's really happening -- B. O. is going after the "evangelicals" -- you know, that group of persons which claims to believe the Bible and at times mentions that evangelism is a mission in which all Christians are to be involved!

B. O. and "evangelicals" make for strange bedfellows, to say the least. Part of B. O.'s latest strategy is to suggest that faith-based groups ought to be involved in bringing about some degree of improvement in the condition of our republic.

Religiously speaking, B. O. has yet to be explicit in going on public record that his faith is centered in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, that he is committed to serving Jesus Christ in whatever capacity he finds himself as a politician, and that he views the holy Scriptures to be the inspired Word of God. Further, that the Scriptures are the final authority in all matters having to do with human relationships, personal and collective accountability to Almighty God, faith and the practicing of that faith in daily experiences wherever one may be.

Will "evangelicals" scramble to get on board the B. O. bandwagon as it gains momentum heading toward the presidential election in November 2008?

They might as well since they have pretty well caved in on a number of rather critical issues already.

There are signs of backing away from the central truth that Jesus Christ is exclusively the way of salvation for all human beings -- no exception whatsoever! Doing "dialog" with representatives of various world religions has helped to bring about compromise on this issue -- after all, it's not nice to be so narrow-minded in times such as these, is it? So bend a little bit on this one.

Doing "dialog" also with those who practice sexual behavior that is condemned by Almighty God is further indication that there are those in the "evangelical" camp who should have little objection to B. O.'s approach to same-gender issues. And he has gone on record as to what he intends to do about helping same-gender "couples" with their various dilemmas.

One thing is certain -- for whomever the majority of those who claim to be "evangelical" cast their votes, that presidential candidate will have a powerful asset in his quest to be the one who sits in the Oval Office in January 2009.

B. O. and "evangelical" support? No, Virginia, it may not be as far fetched as you tend to think!

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty." --- 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Flat Toad on the Road!

Image by: Stolz, Gary M – USFWS and courtesy of We For Animals located at www.weforanimals.com

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. --- 1 John 2:15-17

This morning was a very beautiful morning for a walk at 6 AM – bright sunrise – temperature about 63 degrees after yesterday’s high of 91 degrees!

I’m always in the observing and listening mode as I walk along in addition to being in conversation with my Lord.

Often I see deer and listen to the birds – and at times the staccato sounds of woodpeckers who seem to compete as to who can peck the loudest on dead tree trunks.

Today was different for 2 reasons – a young black bear (about 175 lbs. or so) came out on the road ahead of me and walked up the road just ahead of me by about 50 yards or less. He stopped momentarily by a curve in the road and then went into the woods as a car came around the turn toward him.

But the other thing that caught my attention were two toads on the road – both very flat due to being in the direct path of vehicle wheels! These tragic happenings likely happened during the night. Neither of these very flattened creatures were on the road yesterday when I walked.

So it probably was only a few hours before that they had been sitting comfortably on the road surface. The surface had been warmed by yesterday’s 90 degree heat wave. But toads are not at all sensitive to the hazards of moving traffic which has increased on our road due to a detour now in effect. In fact, they are quite indifferent to the hazards of moving on to a highway and find it very easy to settle down on a warm road surface!

We humans sometimes don't do a whole lot better since we can allow ourselves to become desensitized to the hazards of a very deadly world spirit which focuses on self, money and pleasure – see 2 Timothy 3. This thing is like a plague and we become infected very quickly and without much resistance -- that is, unless we have properly prepared our spiritual immune system through disciplines initiated by the Holy Spirit.

But far worse and much more sinister is a malicious spirit which exerts extensive influence within professing Christian circles through denials of the truth revealed by the Holy Spirit in the holy Scriptures!
One warning of such things is given by the apostle Peter in his writings:

But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, beguiling unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, to whom the gloom of darkness is reserved forever. For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through licentiousness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:12-22

The denials are seen in saying such things as:

• many, if not all, miracles reported in Scripture did not really take place as stated – there is always a “natural” explanation for these events!
  
  
• Adam and Eve are mythological characters – one of many attempts to try to explain origins – we really evolved from lower life forms through millions of years of time!
  
  
• Jesus Christ had a human father as do we – He spoke of noble things and set an example that we ought to try to imitate and that’s about it – He really wasn’t resurrected from the dead and most certainly isn’t going to return to earth again!
  
  
• we need to forget about going to other countries with the intent of converting those people to Christianity (the mandate as given by Jesus in Matthew 28) – rather, we need to “dialog” with those of other religions and learn from them, while never insisting that Christianity is the only way, etc!
  
  
• that God’s boundaries regarding sexual morality have been realigned and what was formally condemned by way of sexual behavior no longer is! The new convoluted interpretations take you on a wild ride with “wolves in sheep’s clothing” now declaring that God is giving new revelation and insight how we relate sexually to others!
  

There are a lot of hazards out there, folks – both outside the church as well as inside the church. So watch it or you’ll end up in a worse condition than a toad ¼ inch thick on the road, splattered guts, brains and all!

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. --- Galatians 1:6-9

Flying Houseboat -- Debacle Oft Repeated in Other Forms!

The Caproni Ca-60 Transaereo 'Capronisimo'
Circa 1921
[Source: The World's Worst Aircraft
- published by Dorset Press, 1990]

Count Caproni had developed a reputation in World War I years for building large wartime aircraft. His warplanes were the largest ever built outside of Tsarist Russia. His company had built at least 400 or more of the huge bombers which eventually evolved to machines with wingspans of 72 feet and carrying half-ton bombs. As the war ended an even larger plane was built -- a tri-wing model with a gross weight of 8 tons and wingspan of 100 feet!

After the war the Count had a dream -- building a huge aircraft with a capacity for many passengers and the capability of flying to New York. What you see pictured above is the Count's dream plane after completion and ready for a test flight at Lake Maggiore in Italy. This was about 4,000 miles east of New York City -- the city to which the plane, if it can be called that, was to fly.

The cabin was essentially a converted houseboat with room for 100 passengers. To compensate for all the weight three tri-wings were mounted on the top of the boat. From tip to tip they measured 98 feet. To lift this monster which weighed 55,000 pounds off the water, eight American-built 400 hp Liberty V-12 engines were installed.

Finally the big day arrived on March 4, 1921 -- test flight time for Count Caproni's "dream machine!" The 8 engines with their 3,200 hp managed to get this thing into the air by an altitude of all of 60 feet or so -- then things went south in a hurry -- the ballast scudded into the nose -- the center wing section crumpled and the once mighty "Capronisimo" tumbled back into the lake in a pile of splintered kindling wood! As a result of this fiasco, Caproni and his company faded into oblivion never so much as producing a little balsa wood glider with a wing span of 15 inches which can be flown by an eight-year-old child!

Great lesson here but does anyone want to learn from it? Two areas in our culture at times greatly resemble the Count's houseboat with wings -- government and church!

Just something to think about as you picture the "Capronisimo" and then look at Washington DC. The federal government has expanded constantly over time until it is top heavy with committees, agencies, bureaus and departments -- it's been at times too much like a melanoma raging on and killing the body where it resides! The latest malignancy to spring up in the "land of the free and the home of the brave" is a thing called the Department of Homeland Security. A recent report indicates that this thing takes up space and spends millions of dollars but has not really accomplished much of anything by way of substance -- stopping terrorists and terrorism? How, when they can step across the borders in the southwest or the north and then plan to do their thing!

And the church? Let's take a major mainline such as the United Methodist Church -- I picked that one because I am somewhat familiar with it. For years now it has been hemorrhaging -- tens of thousands of members lost each year for decades. It prides itself on its "diversity" -- translated to reality this means simply that you can believe (or not believe) about anything you want to and be considered a good United Methodist in good standing! Now that will be denied by some, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating -- church leaders have gone on record as expressing "beliefs" which are diametrically opposed to the clear revelation given to us by Almighty God in His inspired Word!

So, just as with the federal government, we have committees, boards and agencies of all kinds with "requirements" for these in terms of "quotas" -- so many of gender, age and ethnic mix so that nobody will feel "marginalized!"

I have in my possession an 1856 Discipline of the Methodist Church which measures about 3 inches wide, 5 to 6 inches high and about 1/2 inch or less thick. UMC Disciplines now measure at least an inch or more in thickness, 9 1/4 inches long and over 6 inches wide!

Now here's the "kicker" -- back in those days of that little 1856 Discipline God was blessing wonderfully and the church was expanding -- those circuit riders were preaching God's Word faithfully (and they actually believed it too!) and sinners were being converted. They then became members of that growing church which was identified as Methodist!

Now we have a Discipline that resembles the Caproni Ca-60 "Capronisimo" in more ways than we want to admit! And how about that "growth" thing that everybody talks about? And how many million have we dropped from that big merger in 1968?

Where there is unity of mind, heart and purpose God is pleased to bless -- the book of Acts demonstrates that ever so dramatically! Really, folks, there are no options when it comes to the following:

• full agreement on
  
  
  
  • Who Jesus really is
    
  • What Jesus came into this world to do
    
  • Where Jesus is now
    
  • What Jesus plans to do at some future point in time about this world
    


• the source of and authority of the holy Scriptures -- do they address all aspects of human behavior and relationships -- do they truly reveal that outside of Jesus Christ there is no hope for the future, both for time and eternity!
  

Get a large group of theologians, seminary professors and preachers in the same room and start dealing with the above issues -- then see what happens -- it will begin to resemble a bunch of tomcats thrown over a clothesline with their tails tied together!

So far as government and far too many church denominations are concerned, Count Caproni lives on -- his creations just don't have a cumbersome houseboat attached to three sets of tri-wings, but the results are the same!

"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!' Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." --- Jesus in Matthew 7:21-27

Another Response to Little Devil -- This Time It's About the Bible!

Little Devil (referred to in yesterday's posting) replied to me with an email containing a link which took me to a site comprised of a lot of writings which attempted to shred the Bible. As noted in my reply, this kind of stuff has been going on for centuries. Please note especially the quote from John 3 at the end of my response which clearly explains such shenanigans as these taking place!

December 28, 2007

Dear little devil:

I checked the link you sent me in regard to what certain reputed “scholars” have to say about the Bible.

As I moved about in those statements I was reminded of an observation made in the book of Ecclesiastes by King Solomon that there is nothing new under the sun!

Down through the centuries a two-pronged assault has been focused on the Person of Jesus Christ and the Scriptures which bear witness to Who He is, why He was born into this world, what He accomplished, and what He is scheduled to do in the future.

At times there is clearly a fiendish delight coming forth from that crowd which has totally rejected the claims and demands of Jesus as they indulge in their feeble efforts to shred the inspired Record that provides all the information necessary for a person to become personally acquainted with God.

The one thing they cannot explain is the miracle of transformed lives which have been touched by this Jesus of Whom the Bible speaks in the most explicit terms!

We can make reference to one such as Paul the apostle – a religious zealot who was determined to destroy Christianity and all who were identified as Christians in faith. But then after a personal encounter with Jesus this same Paul was just as zealous in declaring Jesus to be God in human form and the only way of salvation and hope.

Centuries later there was John Wesley, an Anglican clergyman, who testified to a “heart warming” experience in trusting Jesus alone for his salvation from sin and eternal hell. He and others began preaching Christ-centered messages that resulted in what came to be known as the “Great Awakening” which impacted England in the 18th Century. At least some historians agree that the revival may well have saved England from a bloody revolution similar to that which took place in France in those days when human blood ran by the gallons due to an apparatus called the guillotine!

And we need to consider a man by the name of John Newton. He was the vulgar captain of a slave ship and it was reported that when he got mad and the profanities spewed forth from his mouth that his sailors trembled, fearing that Almighty God would strike them all dead. But a mighty miracle took place as John Newton’s life was turned around 180 degrees when He repented of his wicked way of living and received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of his life. His testimony in part is revealed in a song which he wrote. The title is, “Amazing Grace,” and has been a great favorite among Christians for decades.

Time and space do not permit reference to so many others from all walks of life who have been miraculously transformed by Jesus Christ and who live with daily assurance of His presence with them as based on promises given through His Word.

I close with a quote from an unknown African pastor as he faced the year 2006:

December 31, 2005

I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me - my banner will be clear!

Anonymous African pastor –- statement was nailed to his wall.

I rest my case!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." --- John 3:16-21

Response to "Little Devil" About Jesus on Christmas Day!

I received an email from one whose name in the address included "little devil." It was sent to me just a few minutes before midnight on December 24th. I quote the entire email message as given below:

You must have read "The Da Vinci Code"

History says that Jesus Christ was a mortal man and not the son of God.

Any comment?

My response, which was sent out on Christmas Day, 2007, is quoted below:

Dear little devil:

Thanks for getting in touch. Your message centers on the identity of Jesus and those who insist that He is merely a mortal human being and nothing more. You asked if I had any comment, and so I respond as follows……

First, I have not read “The Da Vinci Code” in its entirety. I have read bits and pieces, reviews, excerpts, comments by others on the book, etc. Having spent time in the past researching select theologians who were much more expert and sophisticated in expressing their unbelief than does the author of “The Da Vinci Code,” I have chosen not to waste my time by reading the whole book.

Second, when you mention about “history” declaring that Jesus is just a mortal man, you need to remember that there are numerous historical records which testify that He is indeed God revealed in human form – the mysterious blending of the divine and the human into one very unique individual.

The primary and authoritative record is the holy Scriptures (Bible) which contain predictions of His birth hundreds of years before it took place, the facts of His miraculous birth, His sinless life as lived for a few years on earth (the earth which He created), His sacrificial death for sinners such as you and I, His resurrection following crucifixion, and His promised return to earth as some future point in time to take control and rule it as King of kings and Lord of lords!

There are many other written sources down through history which speak of Jesus in the same manner as He is revealed in the Scriptures.

My view of Jesus is not limited to what the Bible says about Him, but also through what I have personally experienced in my life. You see, many years ago I received Him into my life as Savior and Lord. I had been living a very self-centered life and indulging in a sinful way of life which I will not detail here.

Jesus changed my life and did a lot of amazing things then and continues to do them now – and the best is yet to be!

This is a faith experience by choice with His love going out to every human being. Each of us must choose what we will do with Jesus Christ. He’ll never twist anyone’s arm to force that person to accept Him and the plan He has for that person’s life. In the strictest sense, He is indeed a gentleman Who respects our power to choose for ourselves what we want or do not want.

The world and the majority of its population wallows in unbelief at the present time – atheism, agnosticism, and other various “isms” are very popular and widely accepted. The common thread that all share is the denial of Who Jesus Christ really is, what He has done, and what He plans to do in the future!

But once you make your personal acquaintance with Him, you will know He is God “dressed up” in human clothes! So I say to you that Jesus loves you as He loves me and all others – He died for your sins just as He did for mine – and you can be forgiven and live forever in His Kingdom just as He has forgiven me and assured me of a future place in His eternal Kingdom. Check out “God Dressed Up in Bones, Flesh and Blood!”

In a sense He has served the ball into your side of the court – you have to make the choice as to what you will do with it! It puts one in an awkward position similar to a man 2,000 years ago who said, “What then shall I do with Jesus Who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:22). The overwhelming response to that question was, “Let Him be crucified!” And so it goes pretty much the same way in today's world, does it not?

Thanks again for writing. I am responding on Christmas Day and it is my prayer that Christmas will have the same meaning to you as it has had to me for 50 years – and it gets better as each year passes because of the best Friend I ever had – His name is Jesus Christ!

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

Clayton

Call Me Anything You Want, But Don't Call Me An "Evangelical!"

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. --- 1 John 2:19

There is a group of individuals within the ranks of professing Christianity known as “evangelicals.” They have been around for quite some time and have undergone a bit of evolution over the past few decades.

At one stage in their earlier identification “evangelicals” were considered to be quite radical in their faith and were at times the target of scorn and intense criticism by those of a more “liberal” persuasion in the profession of the Christian faith.

The group was made up of theologians, professors, pastors, and laity who occupied pews in churches of all sizes. They held to core doctrines of the Christian faith such as the divine inspiration and full authority of the Scriptures, miracles in the Scriptures taking place as reported, Jesus Christ being exclusively the way of salvation from sin, His literal bodily resurrection from the dead, His personal return to this world at some point in the future, etc.

As time passed these individuals became more popular and also recognized as a powerful voting block when it came to politics.

There was likewise an intense desire to shed the negative image of being radical and “narrow minded” on a number of issues. It became practically a goal that "evangelicals" be viewed as being “positive” and willing to sit down and discuss the issues where there were disagreements, and avoiding at all costs the appearance of being "judgmental."

Enter the process of “dialog!” And so, where we disagree with others on anything – just sit down at a table and talk about it with the understanding that all viewpoints must be respected – all have legitimate positions and a peaceful atmosphere is reached by adopting a loving “agree to disagree” approach to the issue at hand. Through this process we consent to work together for the common good of all in spite of differences that may exist. In so doing a spirit of harmony and good will are experienced and we all become “brothers and sisters in the faith” whatever that may mean! Compromise is a fundamental requirement when you travel this route! Perhaps “evangelicals” have learned from Washington DC politicians how to master this art!

After all George W. Bush, who is a high profile United Methodist and professed “evangelical” Christian, has expressed the spirit of the dialog principle on more than one occasion. He has gone on public record as saying that he believes Muslims and Christians worship the same God! George is the “poster boy” – the adorable delight of “evangelicals” who have had the privilege of meeting with him from time to time and this has resulted in glowing reports coming forth from those who have been in his presence.

And so it goes with “evangelicals” now willing to “dialog” on about anything, including the issue of sexual immorality!

The latest debacle has involved a few dozen very influential “evangelicals” signing a statement urging the formation of a separate Palestinian state in order to resolve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict over territorial rights.

These people obviously deny the reality that Muslims who take their faith seriously and the teachings of the Quran seriously do not want Israel to coexist – they want Israel obliterated from the face of this planet!

Also denied is the Abrahamic covenant which God said would be established through Isaac and his descendants, not through Ismael and his descendants. And this involves quite a piece of real estate stretching from what is identified as "the river of Egypt" on the west to the Euphrates River on the east! (Genesis 15 in which it is recorded, "And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there was a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 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...'") Check the final chapters of the prophet Isaiah to see how this is going to play out. Other prophets have addressed this matter as well. Now if God is not going to keep this covenant, as some suggest, then will He keep any covenant, including the one made through His Son, Jesus Christ? And is the Scripture in error when we are told that God declares Himself to be One Who changes not? (Malachi 3:6). I know there is a lot of foot shuffling going on by way of so-called "interpretation" on these things, but for once could we just take God at His Word, and that He really means what He says by way of His promises?

Finally, “evangelicals” make much about the example set by Jesus and our need to “walk in His steps” as it were. OK, how about His example of doing “dialog.” For starters, check Matthew 23 as to how He did “dialog” with those who were in sharp disagreement with Him. And the persons to whom He spoke were powerful leaders of the religious establishment. It is understandable that they would not have nominated Him to be Time Magazine's "Man of the Year!"

Also, where do you see Jesus backing off from the absolute demands He placed on all human beings – for instance, that one must absolutely be born again as mentioned in John 3 -- that is, if you expect to be a future resident of His eternal Kingdom! And where do you see Him in "dialog" and expressing a willingness to back off and give space to Allah, Vishnu, Buddha or others when He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”??? Well, come on, I’m waiting – or do we take the modern approach – grab a chair – sit down at the table and say, “Jesus didn’t really mean all those radical statements attributed to Him!”

Added to this, note His statement about bringing peace to the world in Matthew 10.

"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.' And 'a man's foes will be those of his own household.' He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” --- Matthew 10:32-40

And if we claim He is Savior and Lord and that we are to be His representatives here on earth, where does that put us when it comes to how well we will get along with others who take positions that are in sharp disagreement with the clear teachings of God’s special revelation to us via the holy Scriptures?

Call me anything you want, but don’t call me an “evangelical!”

"These things I command you, that you love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. --- John 15:17-21

The Most Vicious Battleground Ever!

Volumes have been written about wars taking place down through the centuries of human history. Battles have been singled out time after time with graphic details given and with the invention of photography, the descriptive articles contained pictures which underscored the horror of war all the more. An infamous example of this would be the U. S. Civil War with an almost endless parade of photos revealing huge numbers of bodies of Confederate and Union soldiers killed in combat.

The battleground which receives the least attention and certainly never makes the news on major TV networks or cable news channels such as CNN or Fox News is the human mind! You think not? Maybe you have already become a casualty without even realizing it!

Here is what is going on ----

With the vast majority of this world’s 6 billion inhabitants in an unregenerate state of mind, God is seeking to reach each one with His eternal truth and the message of salvation offered through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Standing in opposition are the deceptive and misleading “teachings” of humans which reject God’s special revelation to us through the holy Scriptures (Bible).

"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. --- Jeremiah 9:3

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. --- 2 Thess 2:9-12

This rejection takes place in many settings:

• The secular education system starting at the kindergarten level and continuing through graduate school at the university level. The great damnable “doctrine” which is repeatedly planted in learning minds is that we have evolved from a lower life form – you know, some stuff that started to wriggle in a mud puddle millions and millions of years ago! There is a strong anti-God sentiment mixed in this and the absolute forbidding of any suggestion that we are a special creation of God – created by Him and He has a special plan for each conceived human life!
  
  
• There are numerous religious groups ranging in size from a few score to millions of devotees. Among the larger groups are Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Shinto, Taoism, etc. The common agreement all have is this – they reject the truth that God took on human form in the Person of Jesus Christ, sacrificed His life for the sins of every human being, rose from the dead three days after crucifixion, ascended back to Heaven, and will one day in the future return to this chaotic world and rule it from Jerusalem! This very clearly indicates that all human governments presently existing will be dismantled – a great change for the better which we cannot begin to comprehend.
  
  
• Within the ranks of professing Christianity has been the importation of deadly heresies denying the basic tenets of Biblical Christian faith. These include denials of the divine inspiration and authority of the holy Scriptures, the Person and works of Jesus Christ, that He is exclusively the way of salvation from sin, and that He will personally return to this world, take full control, and rule it!
  

The human mind is bombarded daily with information from many sources. Decisions have to be made as to whether to accept or reject those many items of information. Most critical are decisions that are made regarding one’s eternal destiny and standing relationship with God. Upon what information will such decisions be made – what one personally thinks by way of opinion or what others think – what some Ph.D. in a classroom says about something – or some high profile entertainment figure or talk show personality – or some politician or some person of great wealth and influence?

Or will it be based on what God says through His holy Word? The battle continues to rage on and on – your mind and mine are the areas where the battle is most vicious – the victory is assured IF our confidence is centered in the right Person – that Person is none other than Jesus Christ, the Savior and only hope we have in this world and the one yet to be!

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. --- 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Yes, Virginia, in Such a World As This, Negatives Are Very Necessary!

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." Jesus speaking in Matthew 23:23-28

"Always be positive -- be an upbeat person -- have a perpetual smile on your face -- do as the song of long ago exhorts, 'Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative...!'"

Many are the voices that broadcast the "positive" message in our culture. Books by the ton have been mass produced on the subject. Not a few church leaders and pastors make no secret of the fact that being "positive" on a 24/7 basis is the only way to go.

Is there a place for negatives in today's world? As I mentioned one time in communicating with a TV news anchor person who told me I was too negative -- I said to him, "Negatives are necessary in our world -- try starting your car sometime without a negative post on your battery!"

An honest search and evaluation of the holy Scriptures will reveal quite a bit of "negative" material!

God is portrayed as a God Who can either be very positive or very negative depending on the response we humans make to His call to repent of our sins and receive His forgiveness, which for 2,000 years has been graciously offered through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Let's honestly face it for once -- God was pretty negative when He wiped out the world with a flood a long time ago with only 8 people surviving -- and He was quite negative when He destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, was He not?

If you dare, read slowly and ponder long on the messages of the Old Testament prophets -- a lot of very negative stuff is found in their statements.

But why did they so often talk a "negative" talk? The answer is really quite simple -- they lived in times of ethical, moral, and spiritual corruption. God called them to denounce the wickedness of their generations and to declare the need to repent and turn to God. Much more often than not the response was a negative -- "We will continue in our sin, and if God doesn't like it, that's tough -- we like things just the way they are with no changes being made in the way we now live!"

The best summary of the pattern is seen in 2 Chronicles 36 -- God's compassion (a very positive thing) -- His urgent appeal -- rejection of the appeal by the citizens and their religious and political leaders -- finally the crossing over the line -- and then judgment by God, which proved to be a very "negative" experience of the first magnitude!

More tragic than that historical event is the fact that the very same pattern is being repeated in a republic known as the United States of America!

Strangely, there are church leaders who, in their great emphasis on being "positive," attempt to point to Jesus as the One Who was very "positive" -- you know, all love and compassion all the time. Have you looked at Matthew 23 lately? And note especially that His remarks were directed toward the religious "elite" of the day.

Jesus also referred to King Herod as a "fox" -- a label which was not intended to be complimentary! Are political leaders deserving of such a negative term?

So long as our nation and the world of which it is a small part continue in their present courses of direction there will be a critical need for "negatives."

That's the way it is, Virginia, whether you like it or not!

"Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." --- Isaiah 58:1

George W. Bush the "Prophet!"

"And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: they prophesied by Baal and caused My people Israel to err. Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they also strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah. Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: 'Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem profaneness has gone out into all the land.'" Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the LORD. They continually say to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, "You shall have peace" '; and to everyone who walks according to the imagination of his own heart, 'No evil shall come upon you.'" --- Jeremiah 23:13-17

President George Bush at times seems to want to wear the mantle of a prophet. Recently he stressed the fact that history will prove that we did the right thing (or rather read, ‘George Bush did the right thing.’) by getting deeply involved in Iraq.

On the President’s part there is clearly an unwillingness to face both the bog of quicksand in which we find ourselves deeply mired in Iraq and the real reason for this deplorable circumstance!

Furthermore, as the nation’s #1 elected leader he has shown no sense of alarm nor even a hint of concern over the ethical, moral, and spiritual corruption that has brought us to the very brink of national collapse!

History is much more likely to record the United States as a nation richly blessed by Almighty God at its beginning and during many decades following that miraculous beginning. But in the latter years of its existence will be the tragic record of increased chastisements and ultimate judgment at the hands of the God it professed to trust as inscribed on coins and currency. This will be solely due to the fact that the majority of its elected officials, religious leaders, and citizens adopted a very deadly mindset which said, “What is purported to be God’s special revelation to us (the holy Scriptures) really is not so and we don’t have to pay any serious attention to it! We alone are the arbiters of what is right and wrong and will personally determine how we live and relate to each other.”

Yes indeed -- something for every spiritually sensitive person to bear in mind -– Bush the “prophet” would have been very much at home among a group of which it was said a long time ago,

“Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and note it on a scroll, that it may be for time to come, forever and ever: that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the LORD; who say to the seers, "Do not see," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us." Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: "Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perversity, and rely on them, therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.” And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter's vessel, which is broken in pieces; He shall not spare. So there shall not be found among its fragments a shard to take fire from the hearth, or to take water from the cistern." --- Isaiah 30:8-14

"I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings. --- Jeremiah 23:21,22

God Doing Bad Things? Surely Not!

"Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. and lack of bread in all your places; yet you have not returned to Me," says the LORD. I also withheld rain from you, when there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, and where it did not rain the part withered. So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, but they were not satisfied; yet you have not returned to Me," says the LORD. "I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, your vineyards, your fig trees, and your olive trees, The locust devoured them; yet you have not returned to Me," says the LORD. "I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt; your young men I killed with a sword, along with your captive horses; I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils; yet you have not returned to Me," says the LORD. "I overthrew some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning; yet you have not returned to Me," says the LORD. "Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" --- Amos 4:6-12

“God is a God of love – He would never do anything bad and He certainly would never send anyone to Hell – how could He be a God of love and do bad things that would bring pain and suffering into the lives of people?”

And so the reasoning goes on in broken record fashion. From theologians, seminary professors, influential church leaders and pastors all the way into church pews occupied by the laity, increased numbers are buying into a multifaceted heresy which boils down to one simple statement – “God would never do anything that would bring pain and suffering of any kind to humans because He is a God of unconditional love!”

This perverted view takes place due to:

• the acceptance of the apostate position that the Bible is simply a human production of writings which are contradictory and subject to a wide variety of interpretations.
  
  
• the idea that past cultures were victimized by superstitious practices and ideas about deities and these are reflected at times in the Scriptures. You know, the God of the Old Testament is a raging maniac who is mad all the time at somebody!
  
  
• the fact that there has not been a serious effort to examine the total revelation given to us in order to more fully identify the God Who brought a mighty universe into existence by mere spoken command. God is revealed to be a God of love and compassion which the human mind cannot begin to comprehend. However, He is also a God of chastising actions and ultimately a God of wrath and judgment if His chastising actions do not bring a people to full repentance and reconciliation with Him!
  

In this age of the Gospel it means personal and corporate repentance of all sin, the receiving of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and ongoing commitment to serve Him as Lord over all the affairs and relationships of life, personally and corporately!

Our republic is going through a lot of calamities of many kinds – military operations in confusion, financial uncertainty with a national debt in excess of 8 trillion dollars, environmental and weather instability, many diseases out of control, and social unrest of unprecedented proportions, to mention just a few.
Review carefully the conditions for blessing and warning of what will happen for persistent disobedience to God in Deuteronomy 28. Also notice the pattern which leads to God doing some very “bad things” as outlined in 2 Chronicles 36:11-21.

It's rather obvious that God has been speaking and calling for some time, but there has been no real desire to turn from our rebellion as a nation and seek His mercy and forgiveness, has there? How long do you think it will be before He drops the "other shoe?"

And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. --- 2 Chronicles 36:15-17

Good News! The Business of War Is Scheduled To Be Shut Down!

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. --- Isaiah 9:6, 7

Peace – a subject so often discussed and the professed “goal” of many a gathering of powerful and very influential people in the world time after time. However, it is also a most elusive item as well. It seems that so often even as peace discussions take place, the parties involved make sure they have a finger on the trigger, just in case!

War continues to be a very big business operation -- note the hard reality of how it is in today's world:

• billions of dollars (or other monetary units) to maintain military services in terms of personnel and locations where they live and work.
  
  
• staggering outlays for hardware in its many forms of existence ranging all the way from mass destruction weaponry, planes, ships, submarines, and tanks to the small arms used by individuals in combat scenarios.
  
  
• a tad more than a $1.98 is needed by companies in their R & D departments as more sophisticated weaponry and means of delivery proceed from the drawing board to actual deployment in times of conflict.
  
  
• companies also pull down astronomical profits in selling war making equipment to other smaller nations and this is done not only by those within the boundaries of the United States but by a number of other larger nations outside the USA boundaries as well!
  
  
• and there are those companies which have good “connections” in Washington DC which are now in places such as Iraq making gigantic sums of money in “reconstruction” work, whatever that is supposed to mean. Already millions of dollars are unaccounted for in Iraq. It doesn’t take many brain cells to see why there is a crowd that delights in war and wants more of it – the “fix it” guys who have personal and company bank accounts that are bulging at the seams!
  

BUT, one of these days the profitable war bubble is going to burst – all businesses related to production of materials for war will be shut down!

All military services will be disbanded – no more men or women wearing military uniforms and doing duty somewhere in the world.

Read closely how it is told by one prophet:

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 2:2-4

Quite a dramatic change, is it not, when implements of war are made into implements which help to promote peace and prosperity?

Remember that this wonderful event will not take place upon the initiative of the leaders of world governments. These characters will continue to mistrust each other and those of the more powerful nations will attempt to dictate to the smaller and weaker nations how to conduct their affairs, including, “We have nuclear weapons, but don’t you produce any!”

Jesus Christ, the foremost Authority on human behavior, declared how the latter stages of human history will play out:

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." --- Matthew 24:6-8

The Scriptures explicitly state that a military coalition will foolishly try to oppose Jesus upon the occasion of His return to take complete control of planet earth:

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. --- Revelation 19:11-21

Once Jesus eliminates all the ungodly (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10) and takes charge, then peace will be the order of the day all over the world. Wars and all implements for waging war will no longer exist.

Finally it will come to pass as many Christians have prayed through the centuries of human history, “…Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…”

And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be; "the LORD is one," and His name one. --- Zechariah 14:9

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. --- Habakkuk 2:14

Even so, come, Lord Jesus. --- Revelation 22:20b

Pressured to Give Up -- But Don't!

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." --- Matthew 24:12

For nearly half a century I have been in the work which God called me to do. There are three major things over that period of time concerning which I have never had any doubts whatsoever ----

• That Jesus Christ extended love and mercy to me which I cannot fathom nor did I deserve and saved me from a sinful and destructive way of life.
  
  
• That a few months after transforming my life God called me to a ministry of preaching and teaching His Word.
  
  
• That His inspired Word (the holy Scriptures) is the infallible authority on all matters having to do with the Christian faith and the practicing of that faith in a world ravaged by sin of every possible kind!
  

There were times of trial over the years in which I felt like quitting the United Methodist Church for more “attractive” situations, or just shutting up and saying nothing.

But God never gave His approval to move to the more attractive settings and in regard to quitting or just keeping the mouth shut, He always reminded me of Jeremiah’s experience as noted in Jeremiah 20:

O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, "Violence and plunder!" Because the word of the LORD was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not. For I heard many mocking: "Fear on every side!" "Report," they say, "and we will report it!" All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, "Perhaps he can be induced; then we will prevail against him, and we will take our revenge on him." But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome one. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten. But, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, and see the mind and heart, let me see Your vengeance on them; for I have pleaded my cause before You. --- Jeremiah 20:7-12

Here’s how it is – on basis of Jesus’ warnings about the latter times of human history, we know it will be extremely trying times for Christians. Note the following as revealed by Jesus in Matthew 24:

• onslaught of false teaching, which is what He kept emphasizing repeatedly
  
• conflicts and wars constantly
  
• convulsions in the earth’s structure – an increase in frequency of the same
  
• rampant diseases and famines
  
• conditions duplicating those which were prevalent when Noah lived before the judgment of the flood and when Lot and his family lived in Sodom prior to it and Gomorrah being totally destroyed
  
• international hatred for those who identify with and are committed to serving Jesus Christ
  

Perhaps one of the most shocking statements made by Jesus was the fact that due to rampant lawlessness the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12). Equally shocking was a question asked by Jesus when He said, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

The clear implication is that as human history comes down the homestretch prior to Christ’s return, the pressure on Christians to give up or at least compromise their Bible based convictions will greatly intensify! Compromising one's faith is in reality a tragic "give up" experience!

For many, the beginning stage on the path to giving up will be to doubt that the Bible really means what it so plainly says regarding faith, responsibility and accountability to God.

Next, evil is so widespread and so entrenched we conclude that there is nothing we can do – if you can’t beat ‘em, then you might as well join ‘em! Again, compromise seems to be the convenient way to handle this dilemma!

Consequently the devil throws another dance in the street with the Hell-bound demon hoards screaming with joy and delight – another Christian has yielded to the pressure to give up.

Where do you presently stand in all this? Are you still in the war fighting the good fight of faith?

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels....To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." --- Revelation 3:5, 21

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. --- 2 Timothy 4:7,8

More Tremors Among the UMs of Western Pennsylvania!

In an earlier post about some happenings among United Methodists of western Pennsylvania it was noted that a group of lay persons had circulated a letter which questioned the stance on the issue of homosexuality taken by two prominent pastors and one lay person who is high profile in the "Believe Again" campaign being pushed vigorously by Bishop Tom Bickerton of the W. PA Annual Conference.

The bishop quickly responded by a letter in which in rather forceful and detailed language he defended the three persons and stressed the fact that they were persons of high integrity, etc.

A second letter has just been sent by the original group of lay persons as they continue to pursue the issue. In this one they take some space to explain the reason for remaining anonymous and it is a valid reason. They are fearful of retaliation being taken against their pastors and their churches. They cite the example of Ed Johnson and the calamity he experienced due to his position of refusing to receive a practicing homosexual into church membership.

In the W. PA Annual Conference there have been occasions in which churches have taken actions which were unpopular and retaliation has taken place in the form of appointments in the future or the threat of not appointing a pastor to what has been regarded as a "rebel" church!

So the group of lay persons in choosing to remain anonymous in this present controversy has taken an action that is wise at least for the present. But if the bishop and his cabinet ever find out the identity of these persons, then look out -- heads will roll!

This whole issue can be easily resolved with the bishop taking the lead:

• First, he can clearly define his own position on homosexuality and lesbianism, and specifically spell out as to whether or not such practices are a sin. After all, he signed, along with all other active bishops, the letter which condemned the Judicial Council for its decision in which it ruled that Ed Johnson was to be reinstated and reimbursed back salary etc. due to the actions of Charlene and her executive session in suspending him. This letter of response by the UMC bishops in effect said that anybody (including a practicing homosexual) should be taken into the membership of the United Methodist Church if that person makes such a request, and each pastor should honor the request!
  
  
• Second, the bishop can define as to whether it is acceptable to have practicing homosexuals and lesbians serving on church boards, agencies, etc. Just flat out state in plain words (no church-ese confusing language) -- is it or is it not acceptable -- yes or no!
  
  
• Third, the bishop can direct that the two clergy and one lay person singled out in the circulated letter also publicly define their specific positions on homosexual and lesbian practices -- no hedging or dodging -- just plainly state whether or not these practices are morally wrong and whether or not they agree with God's revelation on the issue. There is not one reported instance in the totality of the Scriptures where homosexuality and lesbianism are given a positive stamp of approval -- the practices are always regarded as being negative and soundly condemned!
  

Will the bishop do this? It is highly doubtful -- UMC bishops are beginning to take more and more a "popish" position when they speak -- if they said it, then it is settled -- and laity, you are to pay the bills and keep your mouth shut -- don't ever raise a question about anything, especially about moral issues in these days of calling what is black, white and vice-versa! Interesting, is it not, that all too many in the UMC hierarchy forget very quickly that their salaries and perks are paid by the laity who have every right to raise questions and issue challenges when there are things taking place which contradict the Scriptures and basic doctrines on which the Methodist Church was founded in the times of John and Charles Wesley!

So to you lay folks in United Methodist churches in W. PA, someone in your church has received this 2nd letter -- ask about it -- ask your pastor if he or she has seen and read it, and then ask whether the bishop intends to clarify this matter as suggested above! It is simply an honest question which deserves honest answers so that everyone knows where the bishop and the persons in question really stand on very critical moral issues which are tearing the UMC apart!

Further, you have the right to insist on total clarification as to where the bishop and the three named individuals in the controversial letters stand on the issue of homosexuality and lesbianism. You also have the right to make your personal contact and appeal to the bishop on this matter: write to Bishop Thomas Bickerton at 1204 Freedom Road, PO Box 5002, Cranberry Twp. PA 16066-0002.

Or you can give him a phone call at 724-776-2300. As mentioned, the lay folks are the ones who pay the bills, and they have the right to know precisely where the leadership of the conference and the denomination stand on moral issues!

And a friendly word of advice -- don't ever let any member of the United Methodist hierarchy intimidate you! Our ultimate accountability is to our Lord Jesus Christ, not to any church leader who holds some kind of power position within the denominational structure.

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