PA UM Bishops' War on Gambling in Pennsylvania continued....

"Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! --- Jesus speaking in Matthew 23:24

Yesterday the focus was on four UMC bishops who have issued a pastoral letter urging all United Methodists in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to oppose Gov. Rendell’s proposal to expand gambling by means of video poker machines set up in a number of business establishments.

Many years ago before my retirement I, along with all W. PA Conference pastors, received a “pastoral letter” from the three UMC bishops in Pennsylvania. We were told to read the letter to our congregations and urge opposition and call for ultimate elimination of the death penalty in the state.

I wrote to each of those bishops personally and told each one that I would be most willing to read their letter to my people IF and WHEN I received a letter from them equally strong and forceful in opposing abortion on demand. After all, a "death penalty" of a kind is involved when an unborn child is executed in the womb, is it not?

Time passed and eventually I received a reply from the bishop of the Central PA Conference. The letter contained a few terse phrases which when translated clearly declared, “Who are you to question us?” That is a temptation some bishops seem to have once they take office – they now have a “kingdom” and when they say “Jump!” everyone snaps to attention and says, “Yes sir/madam – just how much altitude does your honor desire from us in that jump?” Pastors and congregations are expected to march in lockstep with no questions to be asked nor any objections to be raised when the bishop speaks!

The female bishop at the eastern end of the state never did send a reply to my letter. And as I followed her career in later years I understood why she did not respond.

More time passed and eventually my own bishop responded. He conceded that the issue was a serious one, but felt maybe I was making a little bit too much of it – you know, a matter of making "a mountain out of a mole hill" sort of thing!

And so, I didn’t read the letter. I did post it on the bulletin boards of my churches along side of the letter I sent to the bishops and informed my people what had transpired.

That is how it has been over the decades – United Methodist bishops have spoken out on issues of all kinds – pastoral letters have been drafted and congregations have been urged to take action to bring about changes toward improvement of some kind within our culture.

But on the issue which will bring the wrath of a holy God upon this nation more quickly than any other offense, the bishops seem to have a Mafia type “code of silence!” Not a one will boldly speak out in vehement protest about the horrors of the mass destruction of the unborn, nor urge those within his/her conference to do so.

At the present time W PA Annual Conference has been on a campaign to send treated mosquito netting to Africa in the battle against malaria with Bishop Bickerton hammering on the fact of huge numbers of persons dying each year from malaria. Jean and I have supported this effort financially. But why does the bishop not express at least equal concern for over a million unborn children in the United States being mutilated and murdered in the womb each year?

Maybe I have it all wrong – and that is, that it is much more a serious matter as to what a mosquito does to a person in Africa than what a hypocrite posing as a “doctor” does with a custom made vacuum cleaner in tearing to shreds an unborn child whom God is forming in the womb in the United States of America! For further discussion on this issue see
A Mosquito Does Not Rationalize, Resist Or Retaliate! Use return feature on your web browser to come back to this place.

Will someone please explain this mystery to me as the United States’ version of “holocaust” continues with enthusiastic support from our president and very little serious objection while we United Methodists with overwhelming enthusiasm fight the evils of gambling in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?

"For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit.” --- Jeremiah 7:5-8

A Mosquito Does Not Rationalize, Resist Or Retaliate!

“All these people were at the same table at the same time to talk about the same issue and that was to eradicate malaria….The United Methodist Church is a very important player on the world scene to eradicate malaria…” --- statements by Bishop Thomas Bickerton in article, “Nets Success Points United Methodists to New Goal” – October 10, 2008 issue of InterLink.

The Western PA Conference October 10th issue of InterLink had much space given to the subject of “Nothing But Nets” campaign. This is the effort to provide treated mosquito netting in parts of Africa where malaria takes a heavy toll yearly in human lives – an estimated 2.7 million per year.

Bishop Thomas Bickerton has been very deeply involved in promoting the campaign and has traveled extensively in promoting the cause outside the boundaries of the Western PA Annual Conference. Response has been most positive and huge sums of money have come in for the purchase of the nets. Comments from time to time mention this effort to “eradicate a killer” – never any hesitation to speak out and to state the need to totally eliminate malaria by getting rid of the mosquitoes which spread the disease.

This is not to raise any objection to the Nothing But Nets campaign – in fact, Jean and I have financially supported the effort through the W PA Conference. But there is a legitimate question to be raised and perhaps an explanation as to why Bishop Bickerton and the other UMC bishops are not concerned about another extremely critical issue which results in the very heavy loss of life each year here in the United States.

No statements have been made drawing attention to this issue and no campaign has been launched in an attempt to reduce the number of lives lost as in the case of malaria victims in Africa.

I refer to the fact that Bishop Bickerton and his fellow bishops have been tongue tied on the moral abomination of about 100,000 unborn children being brutally mutilated and murdered each month of the year in the United States!

And why is that? May I suggest the following as partial explanation:

A mosquito is an easy “killer” to attack for the following reasons:

• A mosquito will not rationalize in regard to what it does in spreading a disease that wipes out huge numbers of people every year. On the other hand, there are any number of people (including politicians and church people) who will rationalize until your head nearly spins off your shoulders as to why thousands of unborn children should have their lives terminated each week before they are born and have a chance to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. It is obvious that some leaders do not want to contend with that spirit of rationalization!
  
  
• A mosquito will not resist efforts to curb its deadly work. We can ship millions of nets and employ other methods to halt the spread of malaria and you’ll not run into any resistance from the carrier of malaria. But once you begin to speak out and support efforts to control the widespread killing of unborn children, you run into intense resistance. Well organized and powerful people will stand in the way of any attempt to control the “shedding of innocent blood.” It appears that among United Methodist leadership there is no desire to run the risk of stirring up resistance in an honest effort to put the brakes on a massacre which is now close to 50 million victims since January of 1973!
  
  
• A mosquito will not retaliate when its domain comes under attack and a large scale effort is launched to “eradicate malaria” – to use the words of a United Methodist leader. But once you protest publicly and support efforts to curb the extermination of unborn children, you become the villain – the bad guy who is to be labeled in the most negative terms possible. The paint brush used by those who vehemently support the ongoing destruction of unborn children is applied liberally to those who have adopted God’s view of human life, beginning with His identity and stated purpose for an individual while still in the womb of his/her mother. The labels are by no means flattering – we are fire-breathing radical fanatics, etc. There are leaders who simply do not want to be on the receiving end of such retaliation.
  

While the destruction of unborn children is a tragedy beyond human comprehension, a tragedy greater than this exists – the blindness on the part of church leaders and failure to see that Almighty God is going to respond to the U.S.A. brand of “Holocaust.” It will be far from a sunny afternoon experience at a Sunday School picnic!

Any hope that the United Methodist Church and its leadership will aggressively seek to end (eradicate?) mass killing of another kind taking place here in the United States? Highly unlikely -- whatever comments made will be in the form of "rationalization" as to why certain unborn children should live and others should die! See previous post about the spirit of Nazism in the "land of the free and the home of the brave."

And for more on this issue see A Quick Look at the United States' Massacre Tally! -- warning - you'll see a picture of a "victim" and this one looks a bit worse than a victim of malaria! Use return feature on your browser to return here.

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. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. --- Galatians 6:7-9

Like It or Not, He's Alive and Will Return Again to Planet Earth!

He Is Risen!

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. --- Philippians 2:5-11

It has been one of the most bitterly contested and opposed events in human history -- the literal bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, the One Who was brutally crucified and Whose body was placed in the tomb of a wealthy man from Jerusalem. Three days later He came back from the dead and appeared numerous times to quite a few people over a period of 40 days. As a chosen few assembled with Him on that last day He gave a few instructions and then visibly ascended up in the air as He returned to His heavenly Father.

A bit of a shock set in as a couple of angels appeared and reassured those followers of Jesus that the moment would come when He would return to earth, "in like manner" as they had seen Him go from them.

For a few of us, this Sunday will be yet another time to celebrate the greatest victory ever won over the greatest enemies of the human race -- the enemies of sin, death, and Satan and his vicious forces of evil!

We celebrate because we know:

• On basis of repentance of our sins, He in mercy has forgiven us.
  
• We now experience His peace -- condemnation and guilt have been removed!
  
• We experience His presence with us on a 24/7 basis!
  
• We experience His power to overcome the world with its many pressures and tempations -- that is, the promise of His Holy Spirit to dwell in our lives.
  
• We experience His purpose on a day by day basis -- life is not a "fate" whatever will be will be kind of thing -- Jesus Christ has a customized plan for us!
  
• We experience His promises, which are many, including His intention to return to this earth and establish His Kingdom -- this is referred to as the "blessed hope and the glorious appearing" -- see Titus 2:11-15 -- the Gospel in a nutshell and the responsibility of every Christian as he or she lives in expectation of Jesus' return to earth.
  
  
  
  • He will put down all opposing forces -- an international military machine which will be obliterated faster than a mosquito hitting the windshield of an 18-wheeler rolling at 80 MPH on Interstate 80 in Clarion Co. PA (I mention that due to traveling that section of I-80 from Brookville to Clarion occasionally and have nearly been blown off the road as those guys flew by me!).
    
  • He will judge all nations -- that is why it is good news that one of these days all politicians will be out of a job -- Jesus Christ will be in charge of the affairs of this world!
    
  • Jerusalem will be the "world capitol" -- another reason for reading the prophets of the Old Testament to see promises about the future glory of Jerusalem -- e.g. Jerusalem will be called a city of truth, a city safely inhabited, where nations will assemble to be instructed in the ways of God, etc!
    
  • Peace will be universal -- the dismantling of all military weapons -- no need for a military anywhere nor all the implements of war -- totally eliminated!
    
  • Even the animals will be at peace with one another -- the lion will eat straw like the ox, the wolf lying down with the lamb in peaceful co-existence! This isn't fairy tale stuff, folks -- it's promised in the Book -- see for yourself!
    
  • Just lots and lots of good things to look forward to -- because Jesus loves us, died for our sins to make forgiveness possible, rose again from the dead, and He's coming back again to earth -- AND no one will delay His return by even 1/10 of a second!
    

Yes, we will be assailed and the hostility coming from the world and sometimes from within the ranks of those who profess to be "Christian" will increase as time moves ahead. Jesus guaranteed that His followers will be hated and persecuted -- you can review that in John 15 and into John 16!

BUT there is one thing those who hate and despise us can never do -- they can't put Him back into the grave as much as they would like to -- and they can deny He is alive (and strange as it may seem, some preachers and church leaders even entertain this streak of raw unbelief) but when "He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own..." let the fools ramble on -- they won't be dead more than 2 seconds until they realize He is none other than King of kings and Lord of lords and the One Who will ultimately judge every human being born into this world from the time of Adam and Eve!

So, if you know Him personally as Savior and Lord of your life, celebrate that mighty victory anew this Sunday -- and rejoice with fellow believers -- we are a distinct minority, but numbers aren't the real issue -- the real issue is to be right with God, seeking to fulfill His purpose for our remaining days on earth while He tarries in His glorious return!

If you don't know Him -- ask His forgiveness and repent of your sins, in whatever form that rebellion presently exists -- ask Him to come into your life as your personal Savior and Lord. In the right column in this BLOG near the top is an area devoted to becoming a Christian and statements from God's Word as to how that can happen in your life, if you have not yet made that very critical decision.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. --- John 1:10-13