That Rich "List" -- Are They Really?

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." --- Matthew 19:23, 24

It's almost the same thing as a religious annual ritual -- the Forbes listing of the wealthiest people and who moved up, or down on the list in 2007 -- also the newcomers are mentioned as well. The wealthiest of the bunch has a fortune estimated to be about 62 billion dollars! And, no, it's not Bill Gates who has been #1 in the money making department for a long time, but in 2007 he came in second. Of the 2007 crop of billionaires, six are in their 20's age-wise.

But enough of that -- if you want to get all the details, journey over to the Forbes web site -- get pictures, figures, what they are into, what kind of houses (translate mansions) they live in and how many they have, etc.

God has revealed that true wealth is never measured in terms of how many dollar bills you can rub against each other, or how thick your stock portfolio may be, or how much acreage you may own, or how big your company may be!

While the making of money by the ton drives a majority of people in today's world with greed often proving to be the merciless taskmaster with whip in hand, Jesus explicitly warned about this deadly danger and what the realistic goal in life should be during our journey on this earth:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." --- Matthew 6:19-21

Wealth that counts beyond the limitations of earth and time is defined in terms such as these;

• a future residence which will make the most expensive mansions found in this world look like dilapidated shacks by way of comparison -- read it for yourself in John 14:1-3 -- Jesus promised to go and prepare a place for us!
  
  
• we share in Jesus' possessions -- since He made the entire universe, that takes in quite an inheritance -- "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. --- Romans 8:16, 17
  
  
• more on the inheritance -- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." --- 1 Peter 1:3-5
  
  
• and the reward for faithful service -- more than a gold watch! "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'" --- Matthew 25:23
  

Another important thing to remember about handling this thing called money -- God uses a far different standard of measurement when it comes to how we have used it and to what extent we have shared our money for use in His work.

There was a day when Jesus and His disciples were observing those giving their money for God's work. The rich dipped into their money bags and put in their offerings, which seemed to be quite generous. A poor widow woman gave her offering which was described as being two mites -- in our coinage it was maybe about 2 cents. What a shock when Jesus told His disciples that the widow have given more than all the rest of the wealthy people added together! He further explained that they put in some out of their abundance, but she put in all that she had -- her purse was totally empty when she left the temple that day. But the rich still had money jingling in their bags!

It is obvious that whatever your state in life may be -- an income measured in billions, millions, many thousands or a few thousand, or maybe just a few hundred dollars, God doesn't take so much notice of the amount you give, but how much do you have left over after you have done your giving for the expansion of His Kingdom in this chaotic world!

The apostle Paul addressed the issue in these words:

"But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows..... Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." --- 1 Timothy 6:9, 10, 17

For more details on this issue see Reminders When Mansion Shopping! A link at the bottom of that area will bring you back to this place. Enjoy a look at what real and lasting wealth is all about!

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."' But God said to him, 'You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." --- Luke 12:16-21

42 Million Dollars to Tell Us What We Already Knew!

Yes, most all of us have heard the term, "monkey on your back." Most often it has been applied to a human situation where a person is addicted to something from which he or she cannot break free. These days it can be just about anything -- in times of old it seemed to be limited to certain habits such as alcohol, tobacco or drugs. But that has been expanded a bit.

The one M. O. B. we all share is something called the U. S. federal government. In my post yesterday it was compared to a special airplane designed and built back in 1921. Just to refresh your memory, here is the photo of the "monster" sitting like a duck on a lake in Italy before its first (and last) attempt to fly!


As noted, the federal government is not just like the cumbersome flying houseboat pictured above, but it is a monkey on the back of every citizen.

The latest debacle was the spending of 42 million dollars to send us letters to tell us how much we would receive in this big refund that is supposed to get the economy back into high gear, and then immediately shifted into overdrive! We had already been given the details days back right after Bush signed the bill -- printed and broadcast on radio and TV again and again!

Is it true, as some have suggested, that once you take office in Washington DC you store your brains (what few there may be) along with all common sense in a mason canning jar, screw the lid on tight, and bury it in your back yard before leaving for that place where the dominant philosophy practiced is, "To get along, go along!"

You know, don't you, that the day will come when those people will shuffle things around and we'll be hit with tax increases somewhere, somehow -- it's the name of their game! We are a nation wallowing in trillions of dollars of debt and this increases steadily month by month. Yet there is no hesitation when it comes to spending billions here and there.

And don't forget -- each member of Congress has his or her "pet" projects -- those infamous "earmarks" you hear about from time to time -- I have the misfortune of living in the district in PA which is represented by John P. Murtha, the "earmark" champion in the U. S. Congress!

As you will note if you browse around in this blog or take a look at some things in the related web site, "Circuit Rider's Range," there are a number of negative comments made on matters related to government and church -- the kind of things which bring about "negative" responses from government people and church leaders in particular!

So how about a positive comment before we close this one out -- would you like that? If you will look at the links on the right side of the blog you will see at one point I have a subject area titled, "A Short Range Pessimist with a Long Range Optimism!" It's just below the picture of the "older" CDH -- being a preacher for nearly half a century can cause a thing called "aging!" In that area are some subjects which will produce evidence that I am deep down a positive person -- no, really I am! But I also am a realist when it comes to facing the national and world situation politically as well as the overall church situation.

The good news is that there will be a change come about one of these days which even the most dedicated Christian cannot fully grasp! Jesus Christ is going to interrupt the flow of human history as it is presently being played out -- He will take full control of this world and all the nations existing at that time when He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords!

Just think -- no more elections ever -- that in itself will help create a heavenly condition, will it not? But there is so much more -- make sure you don't miss out on it!

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

The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! --- Psalm 110:1, 2

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!" And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth." --- Revelation 11:15-18

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

JOB DESCRIPTION: Critical Responsibility with Guaranteed Failure!

"Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you. So you shall say to them, 'This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.’” --- Jeremiah 7:27, 28

"For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.” --- Ezekiel 3:5-7

How would you like to be told by an employer that your job requires a lot of effort and the best you can give, but you are going to totally fail! That is what happened to men such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel and others a long time ago.

And what was the “job” these persons were supposed to do? They were to call the people of their time to repent of all sin and turn to Almighty God for mercy and forgiveness. That in itself was no easy task – but to make matters worse – they were told in advance that their message would not bring about the desired results. After people have been living in their sin for an extended period of time, they do not want to be reminded of the need to quit their rebellion and they often will turn on the messenger as would a dog infected with rabies!

And what does all that, if anything, have to do with U. S. citizens living in the opening decade of the 21st Century? Didn’t you know, it has everything to do with us – in fact, every bit as much as back in the 6th Century B.C. when God was attempting to bring a nation of people back to Himself – His “employees” were told in advance, however, that the mission would be a failure! In fact, Jeremiah was told 3 times not to pray for the people -- that God would not hear him, nor the people when they cried out in their panic! You don't believe it could happen? How about taking a little side trip into chapters 7, 11 and 14 of the book of Jeremiah and look for those statements!

We in the United States have had full access to God’s total revelation from the beginning in the 18th Century. Therefore we cannot plead ignorance when it comes to our widespread rebellion against His moral and spiritual standards. As a small spot of rottenness begins on a fruit or vegetable and is not removed, it is simply a matter of time before the whole fruit or vegetable becomes completely rotten and good for nothing but to be tossed into the garbage can!

Our national “rotten” condition is due to such things as:

• the increased tolerance within the ranks of those professing to be Christian in faith of many things which are contrary to God’s clear revelation – unbelief is spreading like a plague – that unbelief can simply be refusal to accept certain past actions and works of God as reported or a defiance in practicing a way of life which is explicitly condemned by God
  
• widespread idolatry in a great variety of forms of expression
  
• pandemic sexual immorality
  
• the trashing of the day of worship – less than half our population can make it to worship each week
  
• massive corruption of our young through many avenues of negative influence
  
• the greatest abomination of all – destruction of thousands of unborn children every week of the year!
  

God is calling persons to rise up, boldly bear witness to His truth, issue a clarion call to repent of sin (both individually and collectively) and commit to a life of obedience to His Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord!

Will you be one of them? A long time ago a man heard God ask, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Instantly Isaiah said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Are you willing to make a similar response? Remember, we are living in a setting that is identical to the ancient kingdom of Judah in terms of ethical, moral and spiritual conditions. So the response in all likelihood will be as you read above at the very beginning!

Remember too that Noah probably holds the record for keeping at it for the longest time with absolutely no success in the proclamation of his warning message beyond his immediate family of wife, 3 sons and their wives! He preached for 120 years while he and his sons prepared the ark. At the end of that time there came the moment when we are informed that “God shut him in.” That means that God had shut everyone else out and all they had to look forward to now was a devastating judgment and no hope of survival!

There will be a large number who will still insist that all of what has been discussed previously doesn’t have anything at all to do with us – this is a Christian nation and so, as the president has said many times over the years, God bless America!

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” --- Luke 17:26-30

B.O., Obscure Scriptures and Jesus!

"I don't think it [a same-sex union] should be called marriage, but I think that it is a legal right that they should have that is recognized by the state. If people find that controversial then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans." --- Senator Barack Obama at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio on Sunday, March 3, 2008

B.O. is literally taking the "bull by the horns" when it comes to the same-gender coupling issue. He is supportive of those who have an agenda which includes the goal of civil unions and ultimately legal marriage between same-sex couples. The bottom line is that he will seek (if elected as president) to repeal the DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) and press for full equal rights and privileges of same-sex couples such as heterosexual married couples now have, including the raising of children.

Here is a part of his "open letter" on LGBT issues:

"As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage. Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I have also called for us to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system."

Ooops! I forgot to tell you to sit down before reading B.O.'s intentions on matters pertaining to those practicing same-sex intimacy -- sodomy and lesbianism!

In an attempt to Biblically defend his position, he refers to the Sermon on the Mount as to preference as opposed to what he refers to as an "obscure" reference in the book of Romans.

As a typical politician and others rejecting the truth would do, he refuses to face the plain fact of what is revealed in Romans 1 -- a bunch of people chose to turn their backs on God and walk in defiance of His revealed truth -- consequently it is noted 3 times that God "gave them up/over" to pursue their destructive ways of life with the end result being, "...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).

B.O. made reference to the Sermon on the Mount which was declared by Jesus. Let's take a look at a few of those statements:

"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden....Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled....Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" --- Matthew 5:11-14, 17, 18; 7:13-23

There is the claim by those supporting the sodomite/lesbian agenda that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality and never condemned it in any manner. True He did not use any term that refers to same-sex activity, but He covered it very well in one statement which B.O. and his supporters would never admit -- it's that statement, "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." All possible sexual activity was covered under the moral law. Everything was condemned except sexual intimacy between a husband and wife within their covenant of marriage!

Hey! Don't get upset with me about it -- you'll have to take the issue up with God -- after all, He's the One Who laid out the ground rules on the subject of human sexuality!

B.O. indicated that he prays to Jesus every night. In light of referring to some of God's Word as being "obscure" and by implication, you just ignore it, the question can be legitimately asked, just who is this Jesus that B.O. talks to? There is more than one Jesus, didn't you know?

In connection with this critical issue see:

• Watch Out for That Other "Jesus!"
  
• God Dressed Up in Flesh, Bones and Blood!
  
• Jesus Meets the "Committee!"
  
• NOTE: A link at the bottom of each of those areas will bring you back to this place.
  

Now do you see why it can be asked just what kind of "Jesus" it is to whom B.O. talks?

And in light of 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 can it really be said that any section of God's Word is "obscure" -- maybe at times a bit hard to grasp, but never "obscure" -- especially in those areas that are more plain than the proverbial "nose on one's face!"

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! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away justice from the righteous man! --- Isaiah 5:20-23

Oprah Who?

"Oprah Winfrey has more credibility than anyone else in the country!" --- Statement by one of the staff of "talking heads" belonging to the Fox News network on Sunday evening, March 2, 2008

The setting: a discussion hosted by a couple of Fox News staff people and an audience of persons who were responding to and/or commenting on the Election 2008 fiasco. They also had access to electronic dials that could indicate the degree of positive and negative responses to campaign clips and other nonsense as mentioned by the hosts.

During the course of this activity a clip of Oprah Winfrey was shown in which she went on public record endorsing Barack Obama for president of our republic. As she expounded on this matter, cheers and yells erupted that would have drowned out the yelling and screaming of New York Giants fans when their team beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl a few weeks back.

That Oprah holds the status of "deity" in the minds of a huge number of people cannot be denied.

Her accomplishments are many such as:

• long time and highly successful TV talk show hostess!
  
  
• a gigantic following of all ages that regards every word coming out of her mouth as absolute gospel truth!
  
  
• accumulation of wealth that places her in the billionaire class!
  
  
• numerous works of charity and do good projects that have helped others in some area of need!
  
  
• the planned launching of OWN in 2009 -- her own cable network known as Oprah Winfrey Network -- does this come as any real surprise?
  
  
• a political power house and great asset to whomever she supports in a run for public office -- in 2008 the privileged character is Barack Obama -- as a result, a large number of people won't do much serious thinking about the election -- they will vote for B.O. simply because Oprah has placed her "imprimatur" on this person who aspires to be our next president and has said they should -- you don't have to think, Oprah will do all that for you!
  

But in the area that is most critical -- the top priority matter each person absolutely has to address when it comes to what life is all about and how we influence others -- like Casey at the bat, mighty Oprah has struck out!

In what way has her far reaching fame and influence moved people to repent of personal and corporate sin -- and following that experience, to deliberately seek the will of Almighty God?

Devotees will spastically object and say that she is not an evangelist! Oh, but in reality she is -- recent proof would be the high profile promotion of a book titled, "A New Earth," authored by one, Eckhart Tolle. An excerpt from the stated purpose of the book says,

"In his insightful look into humanity's ego-based thinking, Eckhart Tolle provides practical teachings for waking up to a new, enlightened mind-set. If you're seeking a more loving self and a more loving planet, A New Earth has the tools to begin your transformation..."

This is a strange blend of all kinds of "religous" stuff, but definitely not Christian. Jesus is mentioned but in no significant way and certainly not viewed as being God incarnate and ultimately giving His life for all the sins of the human race so that forgiveness and reconciliation with God is possible. Incidentally, Mr. Tolle speaks of a "more loving self" -- now then, take a look at what Jesus says about the "self" in Luke 9:23! You'll find more than a slight disagreement between Mr. Tolle's view (and that of his disciple, Oprah) of self and what Jesus says about it!

An honest and serious examination of the New Testament of the Bible clearly indicates the will of God to involve these elements, no matter what our position in life may happen to be:

• that ALL repent of sin and self-will (Acts 17:29-31; Luke 9:23).
  
  
• that ALL believe in Jesus Christ (1 John 3:23).
  
  
• that All confess Jesus Christ publicly (Matthew 10:32,33).
  
  
• that All seek to impact the world for Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:13-16; 28:18-20).
  

There are clearly no exceptions to this -- the will of God applies to every person living on this planet, including high profile, wealthy and powerful people such as one by the name of Oprah Winfrey!

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

Sue Gun Makers? How About More Destructive Products Which No One Wants to Mention?

"Democratic mayoral nominee John F. Street announced yesterday that if elected, he would sue gun manufacturers for flooding the markets with guns that fall into the hands of criminals and children.

Standing with State Rep. Dwight Evans, a former Democratic mayoral candidate who made guns the centerpiece of his primary campaign, Street said the suit also would take manufacturers to task for not providing safety locks on guns and for 'misleading advertising as to the safety of guns in the home.'" --- part of a news release "gem" from out of the past in a city in south eastern Pennsylvania which is representative of the gun control crowd that is determined to save us from ourselves -- the disease with which they are infected has spread throughout the country at large!

Common sense would dictate that if you are in the timber business and you are going to cut trees down and sell them, you don't go for a sapling about 4 inches in diameter or so -- sure would take a big pile of them to load a Peterbilt powered log truck! No, you concentrate on those trees that are at least 15 inches or so in diameter at the base -- preferably you are in an area where the trees are even larger than that -- the more inches, the more gold that will be put in the treasure chest!!

So we have these people that take fits like a dog frothing at the mouth when someone shoots someone or a number of persons. In such a frenzy the cry goes out to get rid of the guns, etc. And the media help to publicize these things most effectively.

How about we start with the big timber first? How about we get rid of all alcoholic beverages or at least sue the manufacturers of such products? Anybody out there man enough or woman enough to dig up all the deaths in a year's time in this country that are the result of drinking alcoholic beverages and compare those numbers with how many have been shot by firearms? Let's start with those killed in auto accidents by drunk drivers. But there are other circumstances in which someone took a few drinks of booze, and then in a rage killed somebody -- yes, they may even have used a gun -- but then again, maybe it was a knife, a meat cleaver, a hammer, or a ball bat! Or the drunk who stomped another guy to death in a bar room "confrontation" as happened years ago in the area where I was born and raised.

However, it is not just violent death at issue here as a result of the consumption of alcohol. It is impossible to calculate the damage done when families are abused in many ways by a member who has to have his or her booze, marriage break-ups, loss of employment, property damage, injuries due to fighting, rape and molestation -- are you getting the picture here?

Add it ALL up and the gun problem quickly fades into the background -- now the "big timber" dominates the scene! But nothing will be done, in part because most are unwilling to face reality on this, such as the politician mentioned at the beginning who shot his mouth off about suing gun manufacturers. Suing the makers of alcoholic beverages would be unthinkable to him and others of his breed!

Further, nothing will be done because:

• too many politicians like to have their own little (or big) nip on a regular basis -- so while some would be willing to sue the gun makers, they would never sue the booze makers!
  
  
• too many parents also like their booze and keep it around the house and then wonder why their little tykes get into trouble for drinking and "partying!"
  
  
• media executives would not want this deadly menace eliminated because they get tons of money in revenue from advertising -- ever watch a NFL game and observe who are big advertisers during those hours?
  
  
• at least some states would not want the stuff banned, such as my home state of Pennsylvania which is in the business of selling hard liquor and wine for profit!
  

But the day will come when it will be ended -- the booze business will be out of business, just as noted elsewhere in this blog, all politicians will no longer hold office -- you don't believe it? How about consulting the Creator of this universe about the matter and listen to what He says and ask Him precisely what His future plans are for this world!

With that I rest my case!

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