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

Do You See the Red Flags Flying When Hollywood Jumps on the Bandwagon?

Hollywood's A-list was out in force at a fundraiser for Barack Obama with stars including Leonardo DiCaprio helping to amass an estimated USD 9 million for the Democrat's White House campaign. A dinner in a Beverly Hills mansion costing about 300 attendees USD 28,500 each also attracted director Steven Spielberg along with a bevy of actors such as Jodie Foster and Tobey Maguire, and comedian Chris Rock, reporters saw….. Singer-actress Barbra Streisand crooned at a USD 2,500 per-head reception at the swanky Beverly Wilshire hotel after the dinner, where the stars ate goat's cheese, roasted potatoes, filet mignon and asparagus. --- from Internet news release of September 17, 2008

Do you see those red flags flying – in fact, it’s like a sea of red waving in the breeze, is it not? Why are they there? Didn’t you know? Hollywood is jumping on B. O.’s bandwagon – it’s like a mass stampede!

It was reported on September 17, 2008 that B. O. attended a fund raising event at a Beverly Hills mansion in which those present paid $28,500.00 each to be in the presence of the Democratic presidential candidate. Later in the evening Barbara Streisand sang at the Beverly Wilshire hotel where many of the Hollywood elite were present. Again, raising money to help B. O. get into the White House in January 2009 was the objective.

It is estimated that 9 million dollars came into the Democrat Party’s pocketbook in these two gatherings and if so, would set a fund raising record for one night.

Why mention of the red flags – a kind of warning to us citizens in the republic of the U. S. A?

Keep in mind the following about the Hollywood bunch:

• they have made more than a tid-bit amount of contribution to the moral corruption of our culture by their example of playing musical beds and conceiving children out of wedlock accompanied by drug and alcohol abuse! All this amounts to a ton of grist for the rag sheets at check out counters which are gobbled up by people of all ages.
  
  
• they have manufactured what is supposed to be “entertainment” which is packed full of excessive violence, sexual immorality, and foul language including almost non-stop usage of the infamous “f” word!
  
  
• by lifestyle and life accomplishments in their works they have had an extremely negative impact on our culture, especially our youth and children. It’s been like feeding the young a daily diet of poison with the final result being their destruction.
  
  
• philosophically, these people have egos which make Mt. Everest look like a tiny mole hill by way of comparison and a world view which intentionally ignores the claims and call of a holy God Who created this mighty universe for His pleasure and purposes. If they took those claims and call seriously, the example they set and the work in which they are involved would be as different as a bright sunny day is from night at the midnight hour!
  

There are those who would quickly try to defend Hollywood to a point by saying there are some who do not live as described above and there are some who are involved in the producing of G-rated films etc. Granted, there a very few who may fall into this class, but it’s a bit like giving me a drink with a lot of arsenic and strychnine in it – you tell me those two ingredients are in the drink, but also quickly add that there are some vitamins also in the mixture and these are good for me! Thank you, no, but I don’t believe I will be helped because there are a few “good” things in such a deadly drink!

For the person who gives some thought to the issue – what Hollywood gets excited about, and is willing to pour millions of dollars into an “agenda,” is it good for us or will it lead to ultimate disaster further down the road?

"You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice." --- Exodus 23:2

No V. P. Slot for Him -- B. O. Claims to Be the Man!

In a soundbite B. O. (Barack Obama) reacted to suggestions that he be the Vice Presidential candidate on the ticket with Hillary Clinton occupying the #1 slot -- you have heard of the "Dream Team" idea, have you not? B. O. emphatically stressed that he is the leader, blah, blah, (add as many blahs as you wish) in the delegate matter and voting numbers! Translated another way B. O. is stating, "I'm the MAN!"

If the human ego could be transformed into a mountain, B. O.'s would make Mt. Everest appear as a miniature mole hill by comparison! Here is a guy who came out of nowhere, having spent a bit of time in the Illinois legislature, managed to get elected as a senator to the U. S. Congress, and was a keynote speaker at the Democratic Convention 4 years ago! He is truly a meteor in the political sky over the republic of the United States. More about that at the end of this exercise which has for its purpose taking a good hard look at this one who wants more than anything else in the world to rule and reign in a place known as the Oval Office in Washington DC.

There is a very real possibility that B. O. could be the next president of the United States, starting on January 20, 2009. If that should become a reality or a nightmare of unprecedented proportions (take your pick on this), this person will lead us down the road to sure and certain disaster!

It's not simply an issue of age or experience, since very few persons have ever been able to handle power and wealth responsibly, but it is primarily a spiritual and moral issue! On the power thing, presidents have in the last few decades abused something called "Executive Orders" -- this is akin to being a dictator without being really identified as such. This is an area where our freedoms are slowly taken away just as a cancer eats away at the body until death comes! But it is usally done under the pretense of providing more "security" for our nation. What they fail to realize is that when we are at odds with our Creator by reason of mass rebellion and defiance, there is no security! When Almighty God gives indication that He is against a nation, then a mighty military machine is as effective in providing security as a mouse would be in defending itself when tossed into a room filled with 3 dozen hungry tomcats!

But B. O.'s most tragic blunder will be when he continues to give sanction to the ongoing slaughter of the innocents -- the rate of destruction of unborn innocent children continues to be about 100,000 per month in a republic which has prided itself throughout history on the fact that every person should have the "right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!" We actually are demonstrating hypocrisy of the first magnitude if we believe that statement is still taken seriously by elected officials church leaders and the citizens at large!

B. O. has a rather bloody track record in the Illinois legislature, opposing all efforts which were made to somehow try to protect at least a few unborn children in the later stages of their mothers' pregnancy!

So when and if B. O. sits in the Oval Office in DC you can expect he will block any and all attempts to protect the unborn -- that is, until the Creator says the carnage has gone on long enough and be aware, that day will definitely come! If any of us are living at that moment, and if B. O. does hold that position (or someone else) it will be interesting to see what he (or she) says in a nationally televised speech.

You figure it out -- what does a president say as it finally dawns on most everyone when it is now too late, that we made the biggest mistake ever made in United States' history when 9 black-robed people said it is ok to destroy an unborn child at any time for whatever reason -- a child known, identified and for whom the Creator of this mighty universe had a high and holy purpose!

Even B. O. with all his rhetoric won't be able to get us off the hook on that one!

Have you checked the numbers lately -- no, then slip over to A Quick Look at the United States' Massacre Tally!

Have you spoken to anybody about this crisis? Have you been praying about it? Have you contacted any elected officials about it?

If B. O. is the "MAN" who moves in to the Oval Office on January 20, 2009 (or somebody else) then I will be sending letters to him just as I have been sending to Bush on a regular basis and as I sent to Clinton when he was there.

Oh yes, about that meteor mentioned earlier -- have you noticed? Each time you see one there is a brilliant flash for a moment and then it burns out -- all that is left is dust and ashes -- nothing of real substance!

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.... Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.... But they paid no attention, and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the LORD spoke by His servants the prophets, saying, "Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations (he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorites who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols), therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle...'" --- 2 Kings 21:1, 2, 6, 9-12

Oh yes, a PS on this -- I am a non-affiliated registered voter in Cambria County PA -- just in case you conclude that I must be a (insert name of party here) from the nature of remarks on the political mess in which our republic finds itself! At the present time neither major political party has anything of real substance that will bring the reformation, restoration and healing which the country needs!