Who Will Be the New Supreme Court Justice?

NOTE: Some time after news reports indicated the nomination of Rashad Hussain to the Supreme Court, it was then later reported that the POTUS had nominated Merrick Garland who is chief judge of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. He was born in Chicago (does that sound familiar?) and did his undergraduate work at Harvard as well as obtaining his law degree there. Again, it matters not whom the POTUS appoints -- the individual will share his deadly views in regard to the practice of homicides of hundreds of unborn children each week, the violation of God's standard regarding marriage, a soft approach to Islam, etc.

Original post starts here: President Barack Hussein Obama has nominated Rashad Hussain to be the next Supreme Court justice, filling the vacancy created as a result of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia recently. Rashad Hussain is an attorney of Muslim heritage and was appointed by President Obama on February 13, 2010 to serve as U.S. Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the second largest intergovernmental body (with 57 member states) after the UN. In January 2009, Hussain was named deputy associate counsel to President Barack Obama. --- Misc. news sources

Tongues now wagging at full throttle since the announcement has been made that the POTUS has named Rashad Hussain to be the next Supreme Court justice. Republicans are pretty much on record as opposing this nomination and will likely attempt to block it. So a battle is shaping up and we can be assured that the mainstream media will be giving major attention to all the drama that this will involve!

But does it really matter who occupies that vacant seat in years to come? Yes, there will be the cries made that we need a “conservative” as set by the example of Justice Scalia. Others who have written him off as possibly one of the worst justices ever to serve with labels such as “racist,” “bigot,” a denier of “human rights” and “gay rights” applied to him insist we need a “progressive” added to the court!

There are 3 solid reasons why it really no longer matters who the next Supreme Court justice will be. They are based on past SCOTUS decisions.

Reason #1: The Supreme Court in 1963 handed down a decision that literally kicked God out of all public school systems throughout the entire United States. No more prayer and no more Bible reading will be permitted. Obviously the justices did not consult God as to whether this was acceptable with Him! A few of us are convinced that this has helped to pave the way to a future disaster which is of the first magnitude in scope and inconceivable to the human mind! There is a refusal to face honestly the fact that conditions in our public schools are much, much different than they were at the time of the 1963 decision – and not for the better either!

Reason #2: Just a short ten years later the Supreme Court handed down a decision that declared a female has a “constitutional right” to have her unborn child murdered, if she so chooses! This has been about the most dividing issue ever to take place within our republic. And obviously we can no longer point the finger at Nazi Germany and accuse them of being savages by the intentional murders of at least 15 million people in death camps, with this including 6 million Jews! Our version of “holocaust” far exceeds that number – our total number of unborn children intentionally murdered is moving toward 60 million since January 1973 when some justices said it is ok to dismember and murder unborn children – the U.S. Constitution gives its approval!

Reason #3: In 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision regarding marriage. As a nation for a long time since our beginnings back in the latter part of the 1700’s marriage was based on clear Biblical revelation that marriage was a covenant entered into by one man and one woman. That revelation started at the beginning of the human race as God revealed that a man would leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and the two would become one flesh. (Early chapters in book of Genesis). This was further confirmed by Jesus in the New Testament as He made reference to the Genesis statement. Now some individuals holding the title of “justice” on the U.S. Supreme Court have nullified God’s design for marriage and say that sodomites can marry each other and lesbians can marry each other in the United States! God’s position on human sexuality and the boundaries He has drawn for sexual expression and experience are crystal clear with nothing left to the imagination – it is one man and one woman within the covenant of marriage! Anything outside of that is regarded as sinful immorality and condemned by the Creator! In fact, same sex intimacy is not merely regarded as sinful – it is labeled to be an abomination in God’s sight!

These 3 decisions have brought us to the threshold of experiencing the pouring out of God’s undiluted wrath in judgment! God has been speaking in various ways – issuing the call to repent and turn back to Him, but is anybody really listening? That means among other things that those decisions have to be reversed, but reality tells us that it likely will never happen! And whoever is appointed to the Supreme Court will make no difference in the ungodly and very deadly decisions made over the last half century!

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God………..The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. [Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 12 (KJV)].

But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me………..[Deuteronomy 28:15-20 (KJV)].

The U.S. Constitution DOES NOT Supersede the Moral Laws of Almighty God!

A federal judge, John E. Jones III, recently ruled that the ban against same-sex marriages in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is unconstitutional. In this ruling the judge noted also that by restricting marriage to male/female couples the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment have been violated. Same-sex couples who desire to marry in Pennsylvania now can do so and those couples already “married” will be recognized as being legally married.

Over many decades of time the U.S. Constitution has been cited as a source of authority which grants “rights” to the citizens of our republic. And indeed it does grant many legitimate rights to us – freedoms and privileges which some people in other places throughout this sin ravaged planet do not have. Unfortunately this has been applied in areas that clash with laws and principles as set forth by Almighty God Who brought a vast universe into existence by simple spoken commands a long, long time ago!

It is extremely important to keep a proper perspective and remember that the Constitution does not supersede the moral laws of God nor does it legally shift the boundaries God has set in place regarding human behavior and relationships!

Judges and politicians with less physical vision than that of a bat and with less moral sensitivity than that of an alley cat have declared that the U.S. Constitution grants sodomites the right to marry each other and lesbians the right to marry each other. And there are not a few within churches that profess to be Christian in faith that agree on this!

God has explicitly revealed what the moral standards via the holy Scriptures are and where the boundaries have been established. Same-sex intimacy is absolutely forbidden and is labeled to be an abomination, not merely sin as such. An abomination is sin intensified many times over! Further, marriage is strictly between a male and a female – a “one to one” arrangement as originally revealed in the book of Genesis – a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife and the two shall become one flesh. Jesus confirmed this in His teachings as revealed in the New Testament. Even the Old Testament personalities violated this by taking more than one wife and also taking unto themselves concubines! And this always led to trouble and conflicts within the family structure.

At no place in the entirety of God’s revelation is there even a tiny hint that same-sex intimacy and marriage are acceptable and given God’s approval and acceptance. But judges, politicians, and church people in sheer ignorance send a message to the mighty Creator of the heavens and the earth, saying, “Your standards are now null and void!”

The other critical area whereby the Constitution has been interpreted as giving “rights” which conflict with God’s standards is in the matter of human life itself. Back in 1973 the most tragic decision ever to take place in U.S. history was handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court – in summary that decision said that it is the constitutional “right” of a female to destroy her unborn child! For over 4 decades we have, as a republic, sanctioned the intentional mutilation and murder of over 56 million unborn children! Killers are paid big dollars to do this with no charges ever filed. Judges, politicians, and even church people give whole hearted approval to this, the United States’ unique version of holocaust!

God claims to be involved in the formation of a human in the womb from the time conception has taken place (Jeremiah 1:4,5; Psalm 139). And if God claims to be involved in the formation of human beings and He has a purpose for each one so conceived, what is going to happen eventually when other born human beings decide that certain unborn human beings should no longer live? And how will God eventually deal with a nation that has made a deadly decision which states that it has a “document” that overrules God’s plan and purpose for human life? Want to try sleeping on that tonight?

The satanic tactic is still quite effective from the time it was first used long ago in a place known as Eden – “Has God really said that?”

The only thing our corrupted society has to look forward to in the future is God’s full response to our deadly choice in making our Constitution the rule rather than His laws – one thing guaranteed – it will be no Sunday School picnic when it happens!

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)]

I Am Sold 100 Per Cent on Marriage!

"Foreasmuch as Clayton and Jean have consented together in holy wedlock...... I pronounce that they are husband and wife...." --- statements made at conclusion of a wedding ceremony held at Monroe Chapel Methodist Church, south of Clarion PA, on June 13, 1953 by Pastor Paul B. Dunlap.

I confess to a long standing conviction -- I'm 100 per cent sold on marriage for some solid reasons!

First, my life is richer and fuller because of a very special person by the name of Jean who has been my wife for 58 years. That means she has worn many "hats" in her experiences with me over these years. She has been confidant, friend, lover, comforter, supporter, partner, mother of our five children, nurse at times, prayer warrior, and the "always there" person whom I so often needed!

Second, marriage is that very special arrangment in which two persons become as "one." It is a perpetual sharing experience over time. Each day is an open door to new adventures and opportunities. Sometimes the experiences are trying, difficult and painful -- but the comfort is in knowing one is not alone -- the "partner" in this special arrangement is there to share and to give support -- so together, you press on. But there are the blessed times and those numerous occasions of joy and delight which make the painful moments fade away into the valley of insignificance!

Third, this is a great institution because God Himself so arranged it to be. In the book of Genesis we are informed that a man will leave his father and mother and be joined unto his wife and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). Jesus confirmed that this is how it is to be when it comes to the issue of marriage as He made reference to that early declaration in the book of Genesis -- a man leaving his parents behind and being joined to his wife with the result that they are no longer two, but one in that special union known as marriage (Matthew 19:4-6).

However, in unstable times such as these there are those persons and groups that want to alter this special arrangement which God has clearly established. These are days of "redefinition" and the vain attempt to say that marriage must also include 2 sodomites or 2 lesbians being permitted to marry! There is absolutely no Biblical revelation that permits this to take place. God has explicitly set the boundaries for marriage and sexual expression and experience. Those are limited exclusively to a male and a female within the covenant of marriage.

Yeah, yeah -- I know, such statements as these place me in the category of a Bible-thumping, mean-spirited, homophobic radical. But I can live with that knowing that the day will come when God will have the last word on this issue and will confirm that the arrangement of marriage that He originally revealed through His inspired Word is indeed true.

We are warned that the time would come when there would be those persons who would, by their very conduct and attitudes, cause the earth to become defiled -- "The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." (Isaiah 24:5).

I'm sold 100 per cent on marriage and the fact that it is limited to one male and one female -- and the best wife I ever had agrees with me on that. We claim that we are living proof by the grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ that it is indeed very true!

And now a PS on that wedding, preceding events, and later ones -- I was on a short leave between my schooling in TN near Memphis and my orders to report to Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station near New Bern NC. We had to get blood tests, apply for marriage license and all those details in a short time. We made it to the court house about 45 minutes on Saturday before it closed to pick up the license. The preacher was about 20 minutes late for the wedding which was scheduled for 8:00 PM. We had a fender-bender accident turning into a motel that was closed for our wedding night and then went back to Clarion to the hotel. Some neighbors surprised us with a serenade on Sunday night. We left early on Monday morning for North Carolina. It was raining in New Bern when we arrived. We got a newspaper and started looking at apartment ads. Found a kind of broken down place and rented it for a while, and set up housekeeping -- a chair collapsed the first time Jean sat in it -- and no, she was definitely not overweight! Anyway, I thank God that in His great mercy and goodness, He arranged for Jean and me to meet, fall in love, (at our home church) and eventually enter into a very special covenant known as marriage reserved exclusively for one male and one female!

Oh, and now a PPS: I heard an unusal tribute to marriage a few years ago -- a man was asked, "If there is such a things as reincarnation, what would you like to come back as in the next life?" Instantly without hesitation the man answered, "My wife's second husband!" Sounds like he was sold on marriage also, does it not?

Finally, a PPSS: A while back I got a card for Jean which was very simple in its design and in the words expressed -- it said this, "I wonder where all the years have gone, but never how else I might have spent them." On this day of June 13, 2011, those words still very much apply!

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."
--- Matthew 19:4-6

Still in Honeymoon Mode After 56 Years!

Clayton & Jean - June 13, 1953

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." --- Jesus speaking in Matthew 19:4-6

Today is Jean's and my 56th wedding anniversary. It was 56 years ago today at about 8:30 PM in evening at a little country Methodist Church 6 miles south of Clarion PA that God joined us together to be husband and wife. The wedding had been set for 8:00 PM, but the pastor, Paul B. Dunlap, was over 20 minutes late due to driving from the Erie Annual Conference session which was being held at Allegheny College in Meadville PA.

We still regard this as being in honeymoon mode in spite of the years involved -- more in love with each other than ever, if that is possible! We dated for two years before taking the big step into marriage and even then people thought we were too young for such responsibility. The summer we started dating Nat King Cole's song, "Too Young," hit the top in the charts. It's always been one of our favorite secular selections of music.

We did get a bit of a running start in the world since both of us graduated from high school when we were 16 years of age. So here we were standing before the altar in the church at ages 19 and 17 and taking vows of love and loyalty to each other as long as we would live.

God did not become real and personal to us until a few years later when each of us accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and He did a miracle of change in our lives. Shortly after becoming Christian the call to serve the Lord in preaching and teaching His Word came and within about 22 months after accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord, we were appointed to serve two Methodist Churches in New Castle PA.

As a wife and mother of young children, Jean never complained about our being in the ministry. She often sacrificed in ways I cannot describe in this space. Her love never wavered. No man could ask for a better wife than she. God has so wonderfully blessed us through these many years, undeserving as we are!

That is why we are still in honeymoon mode after all these years. Earlier today on Facebook I mentioned what I consider one of the greatest testimonies to the special nature of marriage and why it is so valued by a couple who are deeply in love with each other. A man was asked one time this question: "If there was really such a thing as reincarnation and you came back in a second life on earth, what would you want to be?" His answer was immediate as he said, "If there were really such a thing as reincarnation, I would want to come back as my wife's second husband!"

I rest my case!

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD. --- Proverbs 18:22

Same couple above a few years later down the road of life!

The Battle Will Continue Unabated Until…!

Carrie Prejean's comments about her opposition to same-sex marriage ignited a media firestorm after a celebrity judge suggested her response may have lost her the Miss USA title; she finished as first-runner up. The photos from her teenage years surfaced later and led to the review of her state title, but pageant owner Donald Trump said Tuesday that Prejean may retain it. --- quote from AP news release, May 13, 2009

Miss California, Carrie Prejean, will keep her crown due to a decision by Donald Trump who says what is or isn’t concerning the Miss USA pageant. It was Miss Prejean’s answer regarding marriage being between a man and a woman that stirred a pageant judge who advocates same gender coupling as a legitimate way of life. His negative response and the resulting fall-out dominated the media news for some time.

While all this was happening the Hate Crimes Bill is making its way through the U. S. Congress with provisions of special protection for those who practice same gender coupling as a way of life.

We also have witnessed the acceptance of same gender “marriage” in some states and pressure being brought to bear for others to do likewise – it is no longer an issue of “civil unions” – it is the goal to have same gender couples enter into a marriage covenant and that ultimately these would be performed either in a civil setting with a judge or magistrate presiding or in a church with a clergy person officiating!

Church groups that have “held the line” on refusing to ordain those who practice same gender coupling while indicating that such a way of life is incompatible with Christian teaching find themselves under assault. Protests are increasing and pressure is mounting to change the standards and accept this “alternate lifestyle” without objection. The United Methodist Church is at the forefront of controversy on this issue during its General Conference every four years. The alarming thing is that the will to resist becomes weaker at each of these gatherings. It is obvious that eventually a cave-in will take place.

What does it all mean for the country? With laws that provide special protection for the same gender couplers along with their well organized groups, high profile supporters in the mainstream media, almost unlimited financial support, and highly intelligent people to map out future strategies, it is simply a matter of time until all are forced to comply and accept the same gender coupling philosophy of life! We will march in lockstep with them without objection, or else face extremely serious consequences, including severe penalties!

To object or speak against it is to open yourself up to criminal charges if that objection should be raised in a public arena. This seems to be wild and far fetched now, but a pastor in a Scandinavian country actually did some jail time for preaching from Romans 1 in a Sunday morning worship service in his church. He had charges brought against him for negative statements made about homosexuality as based on the Romans 1 passage of Scripture! And so he did time in jail as a result of that “offense.”

The message? Don’t speak against same gender practices regarding sexuality – accept it and we’ll all be one big happy family, right?

If someone had told me when I started in the pastoral ministry 50 years ago this coming June that the time would come when a battle would rage over the legitimacy of same gender sexual practices, I would have said to that person, “You’re crazy – it will never happen!” Obviously, my prediction was very, very much in error!

But as I often do – I try to close out on a positive note – it will be rough for a while – but it is like the dark night for a brief time, and then the bright dawn breaks with the sun shining brightly. The day is coming when the Lord Jesus Christ will confirm the truth of His Word and His promises – this mess we have to put up with now and the battle in which we are presently engaged will be ended – the wheat and the chaff will be separated, and He will rule with His people living in peace and prosperity forever!

And don't forget the other good news -- when that event happens it means also that all politicians and judges (Supreme Court included) will be out of a job -- isn't that exciting to think about?

Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." --- Psalm 2:1-6

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

I'm One of Those Lower, Lower Middle Class White Guys -- Can I Get Special Protection Too?

(Sec. 5) Authorizes appropriations for FY2010-FY2012 to increase DOJ personnel to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in combating hate crimes.
(Sec. 6) Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit willfully causing bodily injury to any person through the use of fire, a firearm, a dangerous weapon, or an explosive or incendiary device because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of any person. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to 10 years for violations and a life term if a death results from a violation or certain other violent crimes are involved. --- from H. R. 1913 which was recently passed

For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity. No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. they trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity. --- Isaiah 59:3, 4

There's a high pitch level of excitement in the air and the end is not yet! The House of Reps gave their nod to a piece of legislation identified as H. R. 1913 and referred to as the Hate Crimes Bill. Incorporated into the bill are provisions in the federal criminal code for heavy penalties against anyone who has caused bodily injury to another person because of "actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability."

For years those who are aggressively pursuing an agenda favoring the concerns of homosexual, lesbian, and transgender persons have been putting the pressure on to have the "sexual orientation" category included in such legislation as H. R. 1913. So these come under the scope of special protection that many other persons do not have at present.

This is but one more step in the direction of reaching the ultimate goal -- which is forced acceptance of sodomy and lesbianism as a legitimate way of life. This includes marriage being recognized by both state and church. The "couples" should have the right to adopt and raise children. Finally, these units should be considered "families" in every sense of the word as would be the case of a man married to a woman with children being born to them in the course of their marriage.

For anyone to question same gender coupling or to speak against it in any way is to be considered guilty of being homophobic and inciting hateful attitudes and/or acts!

Now the question – why can’t I be given similar special protection by law? The chance of that happening is as great as that proverbial snowball surviving in that very hot place you have heard about from time to time!

Here are the basic reasons I won’t get that special protection although prejudice against my kind is growing day by day.

• First, I am a white guy – it’s mainly my fault that the country and the world are so badly messed up – therefore I deserve no special protection because of that alone!
  
  
• Second, I’m a heterosexual in my “orientation” and that’s also a solid reason as to why I deserve no special consideration and protection under the law.
  
  
• Third, I am married to a person of the opposite sex and have been so for many years. The fact that I don’t feel pangs of guilt because I enjoy this privilege which is denied others of a different orientation provides solid grounds as to why I should not be given any special protection under the law.
  
  
• Fourth, I am a pastor who has proclaimed the truth of God’s Word regarding human sexuality and the boundaries which God has clearly established for sexual experience and expression. Rather than being afforded any special protection it would more likely be ruled that lynching a person such as I would be justifiable and adding an amendment to that effect in Hate Crimes legislation would be appropriate as well as necessary!
  

Fortunately the One Who established all moral law to start with is slated to return to this planet and among other things, He will set the record straight on what is or isn’t a hate crime!

Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil." --- Isaiah 56:1, 2

55 Years of Honeymooning and Still Counting!

Clayton (age 19) and Jean (age 17) (Botzer) Harriger - June 13, 1953

Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love....... He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD. --- Proverbs 5:18, 19; 18:22

Yes, it's true -- as of today, Jean and I have been honeymooning for 55 years! No, it's not been a quick get-away to Hawaii or Acapulco or wherever the so-called "romantic" places are found that are associated with honeymoon travel packages. But our love for each other is such as I attempt to tell couples who want me to do their marriage ceremonies -- love for one another is somewhat like a rosebud -- not yet fully matured, but as time passes the rose breaks out into full bloom -- in marriage the rose continues to bloom and bloom and bloom (add many more blooms if you want)!

Fifty-five years ago today we violated the standard custom that the groom was not to see his bride before coming down the church aisle to become his wife. Because of a tight schedule between my leaving airman training school near Memphis TN and reporting to Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station in NC, we had to pick up our marriage license on the day of our marriage at the court house in Kittanning PA -- both of us had to appear to get the license.

It was a hot day, but sunny. The wedding was scheduled for 8:00 PM in the evening mainly because the pastor was at the Methodist Annual Conference in Meadville PA, some miles away. He was 20 minutes late getting to the church -- a frantic pianist was just told to keep playing until he arrived.

Finally the ceremony got underway at Monroe Chapel Methodist Church midway between Clarion and Sligo PA on Route 68. And so a young couple who had been dating for 2 years finally became husband and wife. The rose was still in the budding stage!

We left for NC on Monday, June 15th. We got an apartment in New Bern which was about 20 miles from Cherry Point. Jean got a job at a movie theater close to our apartment. Those who were married and living off base did not have to stay on the base with one exception. I drew 60 days of guard duty in October of '53 and spent 3 days on base with 2 days off each cycle.

Even though we were not Christian at the time, God extended a host of mercies of which we were totally unaware -- we now refer to that as experiencing the prevenient grace of God. We were blessed with a son, Richard, nearly 2 years later at the base hospital.

Many, many stories could be told over that span of time as God in mercy brought us eventually to the place where we saw the need to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives. Shortly after that came a clear and specific call to preach God's Word in pastoral ministry. Approximately 21 months after Jesus changed our lives, I was appointed to serve two Methodist Churches in New Castle PA.

Out of this marriage union have been born 5 children, 9 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. The Lord willing, on July 19th I will perform the marriage ceremony of a grandson, Andy. That date will also be birthday #1 for our youngest grandchild, Owen. There is quite an age span among the grandchildren -- the oldest will be 28 this coming November and the youngest, Owen, as mentioned, will be 1 year old on July 19th.

It has made for adventure all the way. But the greatest has been facing each day with the firm assurance that we do not ever walk alone -- our Lord is present always to make a way. He has wonderfully blessed us over these many years, in the best of times as well as in those very trying times.

After honeymooning for 55 years, we can still say to each other, "The best is yet to be!"

I'm 100 per cent sold on marriage as God designed it for male and female -- don't try to expand on that -- Jesus didn't, did He?

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." --- Matthew 19:4-6

Yes, Indeed! It's True -- Monkey See, Monkey Do!

About 1 in 4 teenage girls in the United States - and nearly half of black girls - has at least one sexually transmitted disease, according to a study released yesterday, providing the first national snapshot of infection rates among this age group... --- opening statement in news release by The Baltimore Sun, March 12, 2008

Alarming details in the report should give parents of teenaged females from ages 14 to 19 cause to be deeply concerned. Even more alarming is the fact that not all STD's were covered in this study. The girls were tested for human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and herpes. By far, the most common sexually transmitted disease was HPV. Further, of those infected, 15 percent had more than one STD! An infectious diseases specialist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center referred to these sexually transmitted infections as a "hidden epidemic." About how many adolescent females does this involve? The CDC states that at least 3.2 million in this age group are infected! Consider the fact that this does not take in those under age 14 or those over age 19 who are infected. As the late Barney Fife was sometimes heard to say, "Andy, we have a situation!"

Syphilis, HIV, and gonorrhea were not included in the study nor were teenaged boys included in the study. So it is concluded that actual numbers could be higher since there would be infected persons not covered in the study.

However, there are a few persons who would not be surprised by such statistics. These are the ones who have developed a degree of knowledge and sensitivity to God's special revelation which was completed 2,000 years ago. It's called the Bible. It is a Book which has caused widespread debate down through the centuries among those who profess to be Christian in faith. If we are willing to let the Holy Spirit speak in regard to clear statements on sexual matters, it is easy to see where the boundary lines are drawn when it comes to human sexuality.

God has placed His approval and blessing on sexual intimacy under only one condition -- a male and a female who have entered into the covenant of marriage. All other kinds of sexual activity are prohibited such as fornication (sex between unmarried persons), adultery (sex between two persons, with one or both being married to other partners), same-gender sex intimacy which is labeled an "abomination," sex with animals (bestiality), and incest (sexual intimacy between family members).

But in this age of being "free spirits" and "liberated" our little tykes learn at an early age that adults are teaching by example and a myriad of visual images that "Sex is fun with anyone (or more than one anyone at the same time) anywhere and at any time!"

High profile celebrities in the movie and TV industries conceive children out of wedlock -- sex tapes of their activities are available on the Internet -- the pornography industry is a multi-billion dollar business that has invaded just about every nation on the face of this planet!

So our culture declares that we need to "educate" the little tykes about sex -- we'll teach them graphically how to put a condom on a banana, but it's against the law to tell them that God says wait until you fall in love, get married, and then be blessed in a most heavenly experience!

With the bombardment of a sex-saturated media each day, little wonder that the hormones rage quickly and the "instant gratification" philosophy kicks in! And before our very eyes we see the tragedy of sowing to the lust of the flesh and reaping a harvest which can best be described as being under the sentence of death!

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

Will the tide be turned back? Not likely -- the message of total abstainence in regard to sexual activity before marriage is greatly resisted -- so get out the bananas and the condoms -- and do it safely! After all, God is not welcome in our public school educational system is He? As for colleges and universities, far too many students seem to buy into the philosophy that "partying" (this includes alcohol, drugs and sexual activity) is a must on a regular basis. This time of year is "spring break" you know and not many of the older tykes will spend their time in Sunday School!

The one thing, and maybe it's about the only thing, that Christians can do is to pray and witness to God's Truth on this critical issue as the opportunity presents itself. It is legitimate to pray that God will visit the "fruit" of their doings upon those who immorally influence the young! Sometime you are reading the Scriptures, look for that expression -- it's in there more than once! You can start with Jeremiah 17:10!

"How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. They were like well-fed lusty stallions; every one neighed after his neighbor's wife. Shall I not punish them for these things?" says the LORD. "And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?" --- Jeremiah 5:7-9

"Families" without Men -- a Real Heaven on Earth or Is It?

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

It's just another step along the way toward disaster, the dimension of which is totally indescribable.

For quite some time our culture has been plagued with individuals and groups who want to deify women in every way possible, degrade and diminish men in every way possible, and issue proclamations from time to time that single parent "families" are just as fulfilling if not more so than the traditional family headed up by a dad and a mom -- especially if the head of that "family" is a female in pursuit of a highly successful career!

This whole debacle got a potent shot in the arm recently with the release of a top selling book with an eye catching title -- "Knock Yourself Up: A Tell-All Guide to Becoming a Single Mom." Now that's an expression some of us older fellows remember using when we were teenagers and the hormones were raging like crazy -- it was a very vulgar way to refer to a female who had become pregnant!

Author of the book is one named Louise Sloan who will make a fat bundle of bucks from this offering and become a heroine at the same time. She relates her experience of inseminating herself in her parents' home as she had moved into the fourth decade of her life and was not married.

She exhibits a spirit that is increasing in popularity -- that is, that men are not good for much of anything except in the case of extracting a little wriggling thing that is 50 per cent involved in the making of a baby!

The way some of these females are expressing themselves they would welcome the situation in which men would be by-passed completely when it comes to population expansion! Sorry, girls -- there has only been one Person born of a virgin and it won't happen again, ever!

Have you noticed how increasingly popular it is to advocate something, be involved in some activity, publish a book or have a talk show (radio or TV) that is against everything which God our Creator represents by way of high standards of personal morality, ethics and spirituality as based on His eternal, unchanging and clearly revealed truth?

A perfect explanation for these crazy things that have been happening and continue to get crazier as time passes is seen in statements by the prophet Isaiah:

The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. --- Isaiah 24:4,5

God's design for a family involves the following: marriage between one man and one woman and children born to the married couple with clearly defined responsibilities resting upon each member of that family. Isaiah 24 is being fulfilled before our very eyes due to a majority of persons choosing to intentionally reject the "blueprint" God has revealed concerning what is required for not only a healthy family but a healthy culture as well!

BUT for the faithful minority, there is some very good news -- this stuff is going to be permanently terminated by the personal intervention of Jesus Christ at some point in the future. Since many of the "movers and shakers" in our culture at the present time are insistent on turning our republic into a 21st Century version of Sodom and Gomorrah, the time may well be much closer than any of us might realize!

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