Monkey See, Monkey Do Continued!

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! --- 2 Timothy 3:1-5

The monkey above appeared recently in a post which was titled in part with the term, "Money See, Monkey Do!" You'll have to go back a ways to see it or hit the word, monkey, in the label list. In light of developing events, the title is appropriate for today's comments.

This past Monday it was reported in Waycross GA that nine 3rd-grade students conspired to hit their teacher over the head with a blunt object, handcuff the teacher and then stab the teacher! The plot was discovered before the little tykes (or substitute monsters for this one!) were able to execute the plan. Investigation continues with the students (word used loosely) suspended. One theory is that the conspiracy was hatched because of a student being punished.

In addition to the knife discovered in the backpack of a student, other items recovered were duct tape, handcuffs, ribbon and a heavy crystal paperweight. Well now, where do you suppose those young 'uns ever got an idea such as that? Some at least will admit there is a lot excessive violence available for our young to experience by way of "musical lyrics," gaming and supposed "entertainment!"

April 3, 2008 news report from WJAC-TV in Johnstown PA -- three kindergarten boys cornered a 6 year-old girl, exposed themselves to her, and demanded that she touch them in their private area and give them oral sex! Where was the teacher while this little drama was playing itself out? It seems the teacher wasn't paying very close attention to just what the activity time involved for three who were her responsibility!

Same question as asked above -- just where did those little guys come up with all that, or are they starting graphic sex ed classes at the pre-school or kindergarten level now -- you know, teach those kids how to do it, do it right, and do it safely, right?

In the case of the three with their little hormones going crazy, perhaps they got instruction off the Internet -- it is now possible for them to access some very graphic stuff for free in spite of so-called "controls" put in place!

Have you been getting any feelings lately that something has gone a bit awry -- that the ship of a republic known as the United States is listing a bit -- or maybe a more dramatic example -- we resemble a modern day Titanic which has struck some spiritual, moral and ethical icebergs and are unable to plug the gash -- just ain't enough duct tape around to seal those gaps!

Things haven't improved a whole lot have they since those days decades ago when we decided to banish God, His Word and the practice of praying to Him in our public schools? Activities that now fill in the vacuum left by that debacle are not all that attractive are they? And then we followed up with the systematic extermination of what amounts now to about 100,000 unborn children on average per month throughout the year -- tally is now pushing up toward a grand total of 50 million victims! When we reach that, is it possible that God might step in and say the slaughter has gone on long enough -- time to stop it! Time will tell -- but speaking for myself and my family, we really don't want to be around at that precise moment when God makes a direct response to these abominations -- and rest assured, He will be making a response -- not whether He will, but WHEN!!

How do you avoid such tragedies as those just mentioned? The formula has been around for a long, long time -- but as a culture we have rejected the formula and chosen rather to give God an obscene gesture by way of response!

"Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you; 'a land flowing with milk and honey.' Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." --- Deuteronomy 6:1-9

More Power to the Feddy, But Will It Actually Work?

Washington DC - March 31, 2008 - Big news release focused on a proposal by the Bush administration to do a major "make over" of the financial regulatory system -- about the biggest thing yet since that infamous "crash" of 1929! Treasury Secretary Paulson had a 218-page plan (could you expect anything less from the federal government?) which spelled out the way the Federal Reserve will do this new "regulating." Its additional tentacles will now reach all the way down to local insurance agents and mortgage brokers!

It can very well be documented by a fully authoritative and totally reliable source -- if you are in agreement with and obedient to Almighty God, then things go rather well and blessings are experienced in great abundance. BUT if you are not in agreement with God and persist in ignoring His spiritual, moral and ethical standards for a sane, strong, stable, sensible, satisfying, serene, superior and successful cultural experience, then chaos and calamity will be the inevitable outcome!

Persons in elective or appointive positions of power and authority in the republic of the United States have yet to learn a very fundamental fact as best expressed by a man named Jeremiah who lived a long time ago and witnessed first hand what happens when a culture says a loud and very defiant "No!" to God one time too many! Listen to this:

O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. --- Jeremiah 10:23

The Federal Reserve time and again has stepped in and cut interest rates -- then the DOW rebounds a bit, but then slips back into the red. The "news" of the impending major "overhaul" will probably bring the DOW back into the green area, but for how long?

When money has become a prominent "god" in any culture, the time comes when the living God does some things which are a shocking reminder that when you embark on a course of pleasure seeking, materialistic expansion and money grabbing while at the same time you draw your moral standards out of a sewer and you don't blink an eye at the destruction of a hundred thousand of your future citizens per month, a price will always be paid! No person and no culture has ever beat the law of sowing and reaping yet and none ever will -- the law applies whether we want to acknowledge it or not -- there is always a pay day someday, for each person and each nation!

It appears that the line to the pay out window has been forming for quite some time and the question will increase in volume all the while -- "Why is God doing these things to us?"

The overhaul of the Federal Reserve and granting of more powers to that financial albatross around our republic's neck will be as effective as a doctor slapping a band aid on the finger of a terminal cancer patient, giving him an aspirin tablet and then saying, "You look fine, come back and see me tomorrow and we'll check how much you have improved!"

"The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it. Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good."' And they said, "That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart." --- Jeremiah 18:7-12

Will the Feddy Be Able to Overcome the Eddy?

News of a fire sale at Bear Stearns (BSC, news, msgs) had global markets in pandemonium today, even after the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank stepped in Sunday night to try to restore confidence in the financial-services sector.

After a rocky week for Bear Stearns, JPMorgan Chase (JPM, news, msgs) announced on Sunday that it would acquire the Wall Street giant for a mere $2 per share in a stock-swap deal.....--- opening atatement in news release on finance matters during morning of March 17, 2008

eddy - a current of air, water, etc. moving against the main current and with a circular motion; little whirlpool or whirlwind. --- Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary

Ok, ok -- so it's a bit of a game with words and expressions -- "feddy" is my coined expression for the U. S. Federal Reserve and "eddy" of course is defined as noted above. Eddy represents the financial "current" which these days often goes against the flow of the goals of government, corporations and powerful individuals when it comes to a commodity called money.

The stock market continues to lose ground with what are considered "bad news" reports related to finance. The Federal Reserve then cuts interest rates a half point or so. Then there is a surge and the Dow "rebounds" -- this may be as much as 100 to 200 points or more! But as time passes there is another slide.

There is no lacking in the field of professed financial "experts" -- the guys that tell you how best to invest your money and what the hot stocks are, etc. Cable channels have programs devoted to this subject and there is an endless parade of discussions on the economy and the world of finance. The one thing they do not or are unwilling to face -- this so-called wealth (fat portfolios with "profitable" investments) thing is mainly on paper plus the fact that our nation is trillions of dollars in debt with some foreign countries owning a lot of that debt, including a major player called China!
Now the question is this -- how long will the Federal Reserve (Feddy) have to cut the rates to keep things on an even (and prosperous) keel so far as the United States' economy is concerned? Will they reach a point where there can be no more "cutting" because they have reached the big "0?" Will they reach a point where lenders will have to pay people or companies to borrow money? Yea, I know that is an absurd and very stupid question, but since I was on a roll with this -- I just had to toss it in!

On a more serious note -- when enough people and those who are in control of corporations have made money their god, the time does come when the Creator, Who owns all things including that which is finance related, of this universe begins to bring on some unpleasant happenings. It starts with something called chastisement and often will be directed to those things which have become an idol -- you know, something (or combination of things) which have priority in our lives and God and His revelation to us are placed in the corner somewhere to gather dust!

Note a few statements about this matter from God's point of view -- please understand that most people who hold all positions in life are not the least bit interested in God's point of view on anything! This alone mainly explains why our republic is in the chaotic condition that it is at the present time!

He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage... He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty... A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, and does not consider that poverty will come upon him... There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction... Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days... "The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' And every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?' And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.' Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!" --- Proverbs 11:28; 22:16; 28:22; Ecclesiastes 6:1, 2; James 5:1-3; Revelation 18:15-20

A conclusion to all this? Simply, that when money has become a prominent "god" in a culture, then Almighty God Who put this universe together by spoken command will so arrange things that even Feddy cannot overcome the Eddy!

The solution, of course, is a deliberate choice of action called repentance from sin -- but that is something which about all cultures at any given time refuse to do -- there are ruins from out of the past that bluntly remind us of this unchanging fact!

Look! Is that your money going down that bathroom piece of furniture? Quick, call "Feddy" -- maybe it can put the brakes on it!

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

Let Us Make Us a Captain!

And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. --- Numbers 14:1-4 (KJV)

It was their greatest crisis since their liberation from bitter slavery which had extended over a few centuries in the land of ancient Egypt.

The Israelites were now in a state of panic upon hearing a negative majority report from ten of twelve men who had checked out the land which God had promised them -- a promise dating back to their ancestor, Abraham. The report which caused knees to knock and hearts to skip a beat was that the inhabitants of that land were like giants with walled and well defended cities, etc.

So a decision was made -- elect a "captain" to lead them back to Egypt! They never made it -- God's judgment in this case resulted in their wandering about in the wilderness for 40 years. Their daily "activity" primarily involved attending funerals until the whole adult generation died off with the exception of Joshua and Caleb -- the only two of the original twelve men who had given a positive report after the spy mission had been completed.

We in the United States are in the process of electing a "captain" to lead us over a period of four years.

There is no evidence that any of those persons who are seeking to be that "captain" takes even the basic commandments as given by our Creator seriously! It's much more about what "I" will do if "I" become your "captain" -- "I will (insert anything here -- the sky's the limit!) and we will reach our 'promised land!'"

UNLESS the next "captain" is resolved to personally set a God-fearing example and boldly exhort all of us citizens to set about seeking the will of Almighty God as the top priority, individually and collectively, then we can only expect to experience increased chaos and eventual collapse -- a wilderness disaster of our own making!

While the majority of U.S. citizens are indifferent to, if not adamantly opposed, to the standards established by God for a sane, sensible, peaceful, prospering and surviving culture, it is becoming more obvious as time passes that we are not exempt from those standards and laws. The eternal law of "sowing and reaping" still applies to individuals and nations!

So, to you who are seeking to be selected as our "captain" beginning on January 20, 2009, what do you say that we as a republic should do to insure future peace, tranquility and blessings from above? Our "captains" during the past decades have not been successful in helping to get us back on track and into an acceptable and favorable relationship with the Creator of this mighty universe!

If anything, the financial, ethical, moral and spiritual grave we have dug for ourselves is deeper than ever before in our history! Is there a truly God-fearing "captain" out there somewhere who will lead us out of this wretched "grave" in which we presently find ourselves rotting?

The way present "campaigning" (if it really qualifies for the term) is going, we are in about the same dilemma as were those Israelites many centuries ago who wanted a "captain" to lead them back to a life of bitter bondage!

"But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.' Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. 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 7:23-28

The One Statement Most Avoided in Any Man's Language!

I listened and heard, but they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, saying, 'What have I done?' Everyone turned to his own course, as the horse rushes into the battle. Even the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times; and the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the LORD. How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us'? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; so what wisdom do they have? --- Jeremiah 8:6-9

There is a statement which a majority of persons in all walks of life adamantly refuse to say. The whole world is in chaos because of such refusal to say just a few words and really mean what is said! This refusal not only impacts individual lives but families, communities, cities, and entire nations.

And just what is that statement which has such far reaching influence, you may ask?

Here it is -- read slowly and carefully:

"I/We have sinned against Almighty God!"

What is behind the refusal to say those words with meaning? There are a number of possibilities -- here are some:

• just plain old pride -- we refuse to admit we are guilty before God, and usually we are quick to look around and point to someone who has done worse things than we have done!
  
  
• self-righteousness by which we make the stupid claim that we haven't really done any "sinning" -- we have a "clean slate" so we don't have to admit to any wrong doing!
  
  
• there is no such thing as right or wrong, so we just do what we think is the best thing for us and that settles it!
  
  
• there is no God and therefore there is no accountability -- the damnable doctrine and misleading teaching of evolutionary theory suggests to our young folk that there is no God, so therefore the statement "I/We have sinned against Almighty God" is totally irrelevant and without meaning whatsoever!
  
  
• it's a religious issue and we ought not to air our "dirty linen" in public -- keep it private and out of public scrutiny!
  
  
• sin has become so common place and so accepted as well as widely practiced that it is the "norm" by which people live, therefore the word itself simply doesn't register as something offensive to a holy God!
  

There was a culture many centuries ago in which the people claimed they were God's people, but they had drifted off course over time and through compromise came to the place where God's Word was no longer a priority matter in their daily lives and in all relationships. When a few "radicals" drew attention to this and said there was a need to repent of all sins, individually and collectively, the response was, "What have we done?" It is noted that no one was really willing to repent of sin and get things squared away in relationship to the God in Whom they professed to have faith! That culture eventually collapsed and the city which was the capitol and the center of worship was totally destroyed -- all because they would not say, "I/We have sinned against Almighty God" and then follow through by turning from all that was detestable in the sight of this God! (Read 2 Chronicles 36 in the Bible for testimony of this event).

How often throughout the United States do you hear the above statement about sinning being made? And to what extent is there evidence being produced that the statement is being made individually and collectively with a desire to abandon sinful conduct, manner of speech, lifestyles and desires? And that is followed by a fervent desire to seek holiness of heart, obey God, and honor His Son, Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and our soon returning King?

We all know the answer to that, do we not?

Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot's forehead; you refuse to be ashamed. --- Jeremiah 3:3

"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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is Your God the One Who Will Do It, OR Will Your god Be a Victim of It?

The LORD will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; people shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations. --- Zephaniah 2:11

Thus you shall say to them: "The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens. He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion. When He utters His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens: and He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His treasuries." --- Jeremiah 10:11-13

"As the thief is ashamed when he is found out, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets, saying to a tree, 'You are my father,' and to a stone, 'You gave birth to me.' For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they will say, 'Arise and save us.' But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble; for according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah. Why will you plead with Me? You all have transgressed against Me," says the LORD. --- Jeremiah 2:26-29

He has done it at times throughout human history and one of these days the republic of the United States will undergo a similar experience.

Cultures have only one extremely critical issue to settle and time is limited as to whether that issue is settled correctly for the citizens’ well being and ongoing survival or incorrectly with the result that disintegration and ultimate disaster takes place! That issue is simply choosing who will be the deity (or deities) that all the citizens will honor, reverence, love, and obey daily.

Will the choice be to worship and obey the living eternal God Who loved us humans so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be the atoning sacrifice for every sin committed by every human since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden for their disobedience to this God?

OR will the choice be to reject this true God and concoct a myriad of false deities as has been demonstrated by cultures down through the millennia of human history and continues at a vigorous pace in today’s world?

God has also demonstrated something most graphically. He targets His judgments not just at defiant human beings but also at the false deities they have created for themselves. What could be more explicit than this:

'For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. --– Exodus 12:12

Egypt was in a bad state of affairs after this incident. The Egyptians also discovered too late that they had made some very bad choices when it came to selection of deities around which they would rally! Can’t you just picture those Egyptians desperately calling on their sun god during those 3 days in which it was so dark you could almost slice it with a knife?

Now, are you ready for this? For decades a large number of U. S. citizens have established their own peculiar brand of false deities – no, not the kind that are crafted of wood, stone, or metal but nevertheless they are still very real in the lives of millions of all ages. The living God Who put this great universe together by simple spoken commands is ignored, insulted, and blasphemed on a 24/7 basis! The day set aside in which He is to be worshipped and honored has been trashed in countless ways – Sunday should be renamed Funday in order to more accurately reflect how low we as a society have sunk in the decades following WW II!

So how will it be in your case? Is the God Who will eventually bring all the deities now prominent on U. S. soil down and crush them into dust your God Whom you seek to honor and serve with all your heart?

OR will your god (or gods – you could have accumulated quite a number of them as did the ancient Egyptians) be the helpless and defenseless victim/s of indescribable judgment of the living God and Creator of this mighty universe?

Those who have made bad choices in determining their deities will be in a very precarious position to say the least. Don’t be one of them. Make sure you are “squared away” in your relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. And that you are living each day with the blessed assurance that He indeed is Savior and Lord in your life and the One Whom you are expecting to return to rule this world forever.

Further information on this eternal issue is found at How to Become a Christian! A link at the bottom of the area will bring you back to this location.

Further information with graphic details on the many deities to which citizens of the United States are giving enthusiastic devotion is found at Popular Deities of American Culture! A link at the bottom of the area will bring you back to this location.

"And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.” --- Daniel 5:23

"You shall have no other gods before Me. --– Exodus 20:3

Can Someone Explain It to Me?

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is His reward. --- Psalm 127:3

Our family in south central Pennsylvania recently had another celebration. In the above photo you see Owen being held by his sister, Madison (4 yrs). Also in the picture on Madison's left is her and Owen's brother, Trevor (6 yrs). They are the youngest of our grandchildren, which have quite a span when it comes to their ages. The oldest grandchild will be 27 years old this November.

Owen was just a few hours old when the above photo was taken. As I gazed upon this little fellow, so delicate and fragile, a question haunted me again as it has repeatedly for decades. That question was this -- how could anyone intentionally kill one such as this young one a few hours, days, or weeks before he or she was scheduled to be born?

Yes, I already know -- there are far too many individuals with rapid fire answers demonstrating once more that we are a culture of experts when it comes to the rationalization and justification of criminal acts of the most violent nature -- we can quickly provide very "logical" reasons as to why about 1 million little ones such as Owen should be violently mutilated and murdered each year in a republic known as the United States of America!

In response to our "logic" for destroying thousands of unborn children each week of the year, turn this over in your mind for a while -- if we could resurrect a dedicated Nazi SS officer from the WW II era, he would provide a series of rational and logical reasons why certain persons -- Jews and other "undesirables" should not be permitted to live and exist! He may be one of whom it was reported that Nazi soldiers would throw infants up in the air and SS officers would shoot at them for target practice with their Lugers!

"Heinous!" you say in response.

But just hold on for a moment -- what's the difference between what the SS officer did and what the guy in the white coat does each day in a building called a "clinic" which offers something called "women's health services?" The difference is simply in timing and the fact that the guy in the white coat doesn't have a skull and crossbones emblem embroidered on his coat as the Nazi SS officer had on his cap! The results are the same -- well, there is a difference even there -- the infant victim of the Nazi has a 9 mm bullet hole or two in its body -- the infant victim of the white coated guy doesn't even have a body anymore -- it's been torn to shreds due to something called a "medical procedure!"

Try it some time -- the next time you see a very young infant -- ask yourself the question -- "How could anyone kill one of these at any stage of its development in its mother's womb?" In fact, try asking some other people the same question when you are in the presence of one of those little ones who has been in this world a very short time.

And if you want to see something interesting, try asking that question of a United Methodist Church bishop, with an emphasis on why bishops in the United Methodist Church are so silent about the United States' version of Holocaust, individually and also collectively as the Council of Bishops of the UMC. Be prepared to see that church leader squirm like a worm on a hot skillet!

So I ask again -- how could ANYONE kill one of those little ones in the early stages of its development in its mother's womb? Can anyone explain that with solid justification as to why our national tally of unborn victims now exceeds 48 million?

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations." --- Jeremiah 1:4,5

Obsessed with Fouled Up Celebrities in a Culture with a Fouled Up Justice System!

O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? even cry out to You, "Violence!" And You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds. --- Habakkuk 1:2-4

One has to wonder -- that is, if you have the stomach to view it all for a few minutes -- news media people are drawn to those fouled up celebrities more so than flies are to a rotting carcass on a hot summer day -- you know, those flies that lay eggs which hatch into maggots by the thousands and they eagerly gnaw away on that rotting carcass!

In the waning days of July 2007 a "celebrity" actress grabs the headlines with a second D.U.I. plus having cocaine in her possession. Instantly there is an assembly of "experts" to dissect this drama as to what this means in terms of possible jail time, etc. As the discussion is pursued the viewer is plagued with constant exposure to the actress in question as photos are splashed across the screen.

At the same time news breaks forth concerning a star NFL football player and his direct involvement in illegal dog fighting activities. Again, the "experts" are called upon to comment -- what will happen to this guy who has a multimillion dollar contract to toss around a piece of pig skin filled with air?

With the ongoing corruption of the judicial system and the favoritism that is always shown in regard to the rich and the famous, not a whole lot will come of these latest debacles. The maximum will be a slight slap on the hand with an admonishment in so many words, "You naughty little girl (or boy) -- you shouldn't do that -- now promise you'll try not to do it anymore!" We also need to remember that the number of lawyers without any real deep convictions between right and wrong keeps increasing -- with dollar signs in place of eye balls this bunch is willing to do whatever necessary to get a rich client off the hook, in spite of the client being clearly proven guilty -- ah, money -- that green stuff that we will do anything to get, even by questionable means!

The greatest tragedy of all is the powerful influence such warped personalities as mentioned above have on our young folk -- there is no conscience and no sense of responsibility in setting a high moral and ethical standard by way of example for those young and tender in age to follow.

Equally tragic is the fact that those in the news media so obsessed with the antics of those fouled up celebrities do not give any significant emphasis to the need of being a high quality moral example to the young who look up to those celebrities!

And we continue to wonder why our culture is unraveling at the seams. Has anyone made a connection that it is due to abandonment of those Judeo/Christian values which are absolutely necessary to the ongoing sober, sane, sensible, serene, and spiritual existence of a culture?

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.' "But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. "Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. "Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen," says the LORD of hosts. --- Zechariah 7:9-13

Why Fly a Shredded Flag?

OK - time to give you an update, especially since this is republished on Memorial Day weekend 2007. Yes, we got a new flag and to further show our patriotism, we have the front railing of our porch decorated with two red, white and blue bunting banners. Doesn't look too bad if I say so myself! But in case you missed it the first time around, see why it might be appropriate to fly a shredded flag, even over the Capitol and White House in Washington DC until there is a united voice crying out from political and church leaders as well as us average citizens saying, "We have sinned against our God and need to repent of many offenses committed against Him as individuals and collectively in many groups -- church, government, corporations, business, and in our education systems!"

Now, on to the original post which was published some time back.........
My wife tells me, "Get that ragged flag down and get a new one!" Most passers-by would fully agree. And as you view the picture, you probably agree also. It is a bit of a disgrace to fly the banner of the republic of the United States of America in such a condition, is it not?

Yes, I do intend to replace it after a bit of time has passed. Perhaps the word is going around the neighborhood already -- "Have you seen what that crazy preacher is doing now -- he's got a badly tattered and torn flag flying beside his house -- has he no sense of pride at all? Doesn't he care about how that looks to the people who are driving by his place?" Maybe the Blacklick Township supervisors will get after him about that!

On the other hand, perhaps all flags flying around the United States should be in a shredded condition such as the one pictured above. And it would be especially fitting if the ones flying at the White House, the Capitol building in DC, the Pentagon, all state capitol buildings and all post offices throughout the republic of the United States were in such a condition!

And why is that, you may ask?

As you look at that tattered and torn flag consider this:

• As a culture, we have shredded the spiritual truths which have been given to us through God's special revelation, the holy Scriptures (the Bible)!
  
  
• We have shredded the moral standards which provide a solid foundation for a sane, sensible, stable and surviving culture as we now move into a very uncertain future!
  
  
• We have shredded the ethical standards which are so vital in human relationships so that we have become a "slit the throat, knife 'em in the back" society with a driving passion to get all the money we can get by whatever means it takes to get it! As an example, have you bought a gallon of gasoline lately? See what Exxon-Mobile's profit margin is when they release their next report. But the Exxon-Mobile high command is not the only bunch interested in getting lots and lots of money!
  
  
• We have literally been "shredding" thousands of unborn children every week for decades, with the grand tally moving toward the 48 million mark -- for the latest see A Quick Look at the United States' Massacre Tally!
  

So that flag that has had millions recite a pledge in its presence and conclude by saying "...one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all." is a powerful symbol when it becomes shredded and torn -- it is reflecting in a rather dramatic way what the spiritual, moral and ethical climate of the United States of America actually is at the present time. It is also painfully obvious that the vast majority of elected officials and far too many church leaders are indifferent to this tragedy or simply don't care!

"Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down," says the LORD. Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.' Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, 'listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.' Therefore hear, you nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not heeded My words, nor My law, but rejected it." --- Jeremiah 6:15-19

Why Fly a Shredded Flag?

My wife tells me, "Get that ragged flag down and get a new one!" Most passers-by would fully agree. And as you view the picture, you probably agree also. It is a bit of a disgrace to fly the banner of the republic of the United States of America in such a condition, is it not?

Yes, I do intend to replace it after a bit of time has passed. Perhaps the word is going around the neighborhood already -- "Have you seen what that crazy preacher is doing now -- he's got a badly tattered and torn flag flying beside his house -- has he no sense of pride at all? Doesn't he care about how that looks to the people who are driving by his place?" Maybe the Blacklick Township supervisors will get after him about that!

On the other hand, perhaps all flags flying around the United States should be in a shredded condition such as the one pictured above. And it would be especially fitting if the ones flying at the White House, the Capitol building in DC, the Pentagon, all state capitol buildings and all post offices throughout the republic of the United States were in such a condition!

And why is that, you may ask?

As you look at that tattered and torn flag consider this:

• As a culture, we have shredded the spiritual truths which have been given to us through God's special revelation, the holy Scriptures (the Bible)!
  
  
• We have shredded the moral standards which provide a solid foundation for a sane, sensible, stable and surviving culture as we now move into a very uncertain future!
  
  
• We have shredded the ethical standards which are so vital in human relationships so that we have become a "slit the throat, knife 'em in the back" society with a driving passion to get all the money we can get by whatever means it takes to get it! As an example, have you bought a gallon of gasoline lately? See what Exxon-Mobile's profit margin is when they release their next report. But the Exxon-Mobile high command is not the only bunch interested in getting lots and lots of money!
  
  
• We have literally been "shredding" thousands of unborn children every week for decades, with the grand tally moving toward the 48 million mark -- for the latest see A Quick Look at the United States' Massacre Tally!
  

So that flag that has had millions recite a plege in its presence and conclude by saying "...one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all." is a powerful symbol when it becomes shredded and torn -- it is reflecting in a rather dramatic way what the spiritual, moral and ethical climate of the United States of America actually is at the present time. It is also painfully obvious that the vast majority of elected officials and far too many church leaders are indifferent to this tragedy or simply don't care!

"Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down," says the LORD. Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.' Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, 'listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.' Therefore hear, you nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not heeded My words, nor My law, but rejected it." --- Jeremiah 6:15-19

Keeping Pace with Morality & Apologies!

“I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts.........I do not believe that the armed forces of the United States are well served by a saying through our policies that it’s OK to be immoral in any way.” --- Marine General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Pentagon - March 12, 2007

He's a jewel -- one of a kind -- a breath of fresh air in a very stagnant room -- a magnificent keystone in the social arch of our republic -- a bright light shining in a very dark and dismal place -- he's Marine General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the U. S. of A!

He is also under very intense fire for the statements quoted above in which he stated that homosexual acts are immoral.


Also -- another tragedy -- here is a man in a very high profile position who has chosen to align himself 100 per cent with the moral position as outlined by Almighty God our Creator and he gets shot down for it.

It is added proof as to the fact that this nation is now dominated by a spirit of defiance regarding God's established boundaries for sexual expression and experience!

Voices of protest against General Pace for his remarks are coming from elected officials and other "high profile" persons who have intentionally chosen to exhibit their ignorance on sexual morality by running the mouth without engaging the brain.

Great example -- Senator John Warner who said, "I respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman's view that homosexuality is immoral." John speaks for a huge number of other people as well, who likely add an "Amen!" to his statement.

General Pace has said he will not apologize for such remarks -- that is good, because he does not have to. The reason? God has never in the past nor ever will in the future apologize for declaring the following to be an abomination or a sin (an abomination is sin intensified many times over):

• homosexuality (sexual activity between 2 persons of the same gender)
  
• fornication (sexual activity between a male and female who are unmarried)
  
• adultery (sexual activity between a male and a female, at least one of which is married to another person)
  
• incest (sexual activity between immediate members of a family)
  
• rape (sexual activity in which a person is forced to engage in such activity against his/her will - victim can be of any age from that of a small child to an adult)
  
• bestiality (sexual activity with animals)
  

By the way at the top of the listing is sexual activity which spawns a very large number of STD's (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) -- some of which are incurable and a few others that are fatal! And if all of the aforementioned "activity" is so good and not immoral as so many claim, why all those ravaging diseases? And why, for instance, is there a push on to vaccinate very young teen-aged girls with a drug that is supposed to prevent a certain virus from bringing on cancer of the uterus in later years due to sexual activity while still in the young stages of life?

Go ahead, search the holy Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation and see for yourself how many of the above mentioned sexual activities are presented in a positive manner and given sanction by Almighty God. What's the matter -- disappointed?

Certainly there are any number of efforts made to declare sexually immoral acts as "good" because we are committed and "love" one another very much -- therefore it just can't be wrong for us, and people such as General Peter Pace are narrow-minded and bigoted -- homophobes who have not seen the "light" in the 21st Century in which we are now a diverse and tolerant culture!

And so, as a culture that is dominated and controlled by that spirit of defiance mentioned earlier, we give God an obscene gesture, jump on our toboggan, and slide toward inevitable disaster! For a few of us, this is no surprise due to a solemn prediction made by Jesus Christ Himself! (see Luke 17:26-30).

Labels and Pigeon Holes!

So there was a division among the people because of Him. -- John 7:43

What kind of label do you wear? In a culture such as ours it is possible to wear about anything, whether it is something you have selected or what others prefer to hang on you.

Along with that is the "pigeon hole" thing with labels over each one. This is what I think of in the United Methodist Church where I am an ordained elder with membership in the W. PA Annual Conference. Over the years ministry in the UMC has undergone quite an evolution -- there were some "pigeon holes" for ministers when I began, but now it's like a plague running unchecked. We've got more labels for our pastors and the slots into which they are placed than that proverbial fellow who had a bunch of liver pills! They always make sure that the ordained elder is at the top of the heap and after that you have associate members, lay pastors, part time lay pastors, student pastors, deacons, etc. And I haven't named all the slots on this either!

Then to add to this quagmire, you have labels which are supposed to identify where you are on the theological totem pole! One is liberal, conservative, evangelical, middle-of-the-road, fundamentalist, orthodox, Bible-believer, etc. In politics it gets about as crazy as it is within church circles.

So what kind of label do you attach to yourself? And what do others put on you? This latter one can get pretty far out, depending on the first one you claim to wear. Ever hear the term "homophobic" applied to someone -- usually it connects to the choice of a special label a person has chosen to wear which has stirred up intense feelings from some who wear a label of a much different kind!

Speaking for myself -- I try to avoid any of those aforementioned labels having to do with a theological position, although some may have branded me as bouncing in between evangelical and fundamentalist! But really I chose not to wear either of those -- I prefer "maverick" -- it always evokes a response of some kind -- from raw hatred to a more positive "Amen!" type of thing! I am aware that there are those out there somewhere who want to identify with that term somehow. It's still a matter of choice.

The best Friend I ever had stirred things up in the culture He visited a long time ago -- the people just could not agree in their assessment of Him. Some said that He was a good person -- others said He was of the Devil and in league with him. May it be so with us who claim to identify with the Christian faith -- our exposure to others will result in a similar response, rather than people shrugging their shoulders and saying, "I have no response to make!" about ___________. (You don't want your name in that blank space, do you?)

And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." -- Matthew 24:4-14

In Possession of a Whore's Forehead!

"You have had a harlot's forehead; you refuse to be ashamed." -- Jeremiah 3:3b

What a scathing indictment! It is the ultimate of all reprimands -- the Mt. Everest of all circumstances in which a harsh rebuke has been issued!

Here is a culture that prides itself on being identified as the people of the living God of Israel -- the God Who had been their God for centuries dating back to the time when this God had called their ancestor, Abraham, and had established a covenant with him. This covenant assured Abraham that his descendants would be as the stars in the sky in terms of numbers and they eventually would own and occupy territory which stretched from the Euphrates River in the East to the Mediterranean Sea in the West. This last part about territory and the future glory of Jerusalem has yet to be fulfilled.

This God had spelled out specific spiritual, moral, and ethical standards which the people were expected to fully implement in their way of life and relationships with each other. How the people responded to this revelation and expectation by God was extremely critical for their ongoing existence and survival.

As time passed they gradually adopted lifestyles and worship practices of the heathen peoples surrounding them. Still claiming to be God's people they began sacrificing their children to a god named Molech and engaged in temple prostitution as well as sexual immorality in their relationships. The day of worship was increasingly desecrated and greed began to dominate as leaders and people focused on selfish desires at the expense of fellow citizens! Idolatry became a pandemic condition with God declaring,

"As the thief is ashamed when he is found out, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets, saying to a tree, 'You are my father,' and to a stone, 'You gave birth to me.' For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they will say, 'Arise and save us.' But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble; for according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah." -- Jeremiah 2:26-28

Now then, hit the FF button on your remote and speed into the 21st Century in the United States of America.

There, do you see them? They stand out clearly -- you know, those footprints on the path before us which we are travelling? Those were made by the ancient Israelites in the 6th and 5th Centuries BC!

We are proud of our heritage and it is not uncommon to hear expressions such as "God bless America!" and "We are a Christian nation!"

What other nation has "In God We Trust" stamped on coins and printed on currency? What other nation has citizens placing hand over heart and in pledging allegiance to its flag and to the republic for which it stands repeats a phrase such as this -- "...one nation under God...?"

But as we travel the same path as those 6th Century BC Israelites we find much duplication:

• we too destroy children -- about 100,000 unborn are mangled and murdered each month of the year!
  
  
• we too engage in idolatry with money being but one of many powerful gods to which we pay homage in our culture -- church, government, business, entertainment, and the many professions have all been impacted by the invasion of the "gods" that compete for our time, energy, and loyalty!
  
  
• we too engage in widespread sexual immorality involving many varieties of expression with "sexual buffets" being accepted as "normal" and our young getting sexually involved at younger and younger ages as time passes. An interesting by-product has also been taking place -- it's called STD's (sexually transmitted diseases) with some incurable and a couple or so proving to be fatal!
  
  
• we too desecrate the day of worship having turned it into a day of business activity, fun, and games with less than half our population entering a place of worship on any given Sunday!
  
  
• our professed "religion" too often resembles a trumpet with an uncertain sound which is interpreted by the world to mean, "Sin all you want -- God just wants you to be happy doing what you do and when it's over, He'll welcome you through the pearly gates of heaven!"
  
  
• we brainwash the majority of our young into believing their ancestry is traced back to a couple of wriggly organisms in a slime pit millions of years ago!
  

What objections can you raise as to why Almighty God should not say to us in these United States as He said to those in the ancient kingdom of Judah long ago, "You have had a harlot's forehead; you refuse to be ashamed."?

And we dare not -- in fact, we must not think of the possibility of God bringing judgment on a republic known as the United States, right? It's just too unsettling -- it makes us react like a worm on the surface of a hot skillet!