The Fall Of Western Civilization

From World Net Daily:

"Dr. James Dobson, who founded the highly influential groups Focus on the Family and Family Research Council and now runs Family Talk Radio, is warning that if the U.S. Supreme Court redefines marriage as analysts predict, the ruling will presage the “fall of Western civilization.”
“I do not recall a time when the institutions of marriage and the family have faced such peril, or when the forces arrayed against them were more formidable or determined,” he writes in a letter distributed to his hundreds of thousands of supporters.
“Barring a miracle, the family that has existed since antiquity will likely crumble, presaging the fall of Western civilization itself. This is a time for concerted prayer, divine wisdom and greater courage than we have ever been called upon to exercise,” he writes."

Dr. Dobson, I have a lot of respect for you and for your work. I do not doubt your sincerity. But with all due respect sir, western civilization has already fallen. To be sure, it went down the tubes in Eurpoe some time ago and it is just finishing up here, but the West is finished as Christian culture.

The problem is the nation you live in and the church's support of government policy since the end of world war II. When the United States government chose the path of empire after that war, that is when your trouble began sir. The US could have disarmed at the end of the war, but instead we decided to create socialist governments in Europe and Japan and rebuild those nations. The Marshall plan in Europe and the work of McArthur in the Pacific created an amazing economic engine, but it also lead to the state of affairs we have today. The Church in America supported these plans and the work of our government in these areas as the Christian thing to do. We thought we were keeping godless communism out of western Europe and Japan. We did succeed in that, but we created socialist amoral nightmares instead. We sent no missionaries. We did not spread the gospel in these areas. The result was freedom from both communism and God. Europe is a post Christian wasteland. Japan has a moral society, but it is not a Christian one.

Now that America is adopting the same socialist policies and using government authority to redefine marriage and family, you seem surprised. Brother Dobson, the Church surrendered years ago to this government and the evil growing within. We stood by as the socialists captured American universities. We stood by while Eisenhower, a Republican president and WWII hero, appointed socialist judges to the Supreme Court. We watched as LBJ and Nixon did the same thing. We watched while Nixon disengaged us from the gold standard and expanded the scope and power of the federal government more than FDR or any Democrat in history. We lent our support to a government bent on waging unwinnable wars in Asia and the middle east for the enrichment of corporations.

Dr Dobson you baffle me. How can you cry out about the fall of the West when our churches and families are in much the same condition as the nation they live in? I assume you pay your taxes sir? You realize of course that when you do that you are paying for someone else's abortions and cluster bombs that will annihilate families half way across the globe. This is the government that you have supported for so long.

Why is it only now that you recognize the fallen state of our nation? Is it merely the last straw or what is it? Could it be the specter of same sex couples having families? Is that it? Is it their invasion into the Church? What is it Dr Dobson?

All empires fall. The same thing will happen to the United States. It may not be now, but it will happen. Whenever it happens Dr Dobson, you will be powerless to stop it.

Civilized Christian behavior in the west is disappearing. The culture is overwhelmingly nihilist. We must now work in that godless vacuum.

The problem Dr. Dobson is that we have been wasting all that time telling people how they should behave in our Christian world when they were not Christians. They saw us as bitter, angry, hateful, controlling and self righteous. We did not present the love and grace of Jesus Christ to them. We did not offer them His salvation. We only gave them rules to live by. Is it any wonder they hate us and are turning against our way of life?

This cannot be fixed now. It's too late. Instead of screaming that you will be civilly disobedient, you need to begin preparation. Preparation for Christian persecution. Do not waste time protesting. The time to get ready is now Dr Dobson.

The West has Fallen.  

Do You Want To Live Forever? Drink Coffee

I don't think I would call it the nectar of the gods, but I like me some coffee. As of late, I have had a particular fondness for large cappuccinos with an extra shot of espresso. For the neophytes out there, that's five shots of espresso and some foaming milk...mostly foam though. I like it dry. Occasionally I will drink two of those in a day, in addition to the obligatory morning wake up cup of coffee from my French press, but I digress.

I never really believed that drinking a lot of coffee was good for me, but I really wasn't all that concerned either. I like Egg McMuffin too and have little concern for the damage done by these delightful little breakfast sandwiches.

But it turns out that coffee is, in fact, good for you. It will actually extend your life in addition to keeping you awake for it. Science is a wonderful thing.

" There are several studies showing that when people drink coffee, they have a lower risk of dying from a range of serious diseases. A groundbreaking study, the largest of its kind, was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012: In this study, 402,260 individuals between 50 and 71 years of age were asked about their coffee consumption. The results were fairly remarkable… after following the people for 12-13 years, those who drank the most coffee were significantly less likely to have died."

But wait....I have a chart

So you see, at the rate I am consuming coffee, I should live to be at least 200 years old. I hope coffee also acts as a preservative and hair growth tonic because I am already on the road to looking like a wrinkled boiled egg. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

So drink up. Don't feel bad about that extra cup of Joe. It's good for you. Just get yourself up past the 4 to 5 cup daily and you will be set. We will be the wonders of the nursing home. See you there.

May The 4th Be With You...

Today is Star Wars Day. Wow. It has it's own day. I can remember when the Star Wars saga began. I was but a young Jedi, not wise to the ways of the Force and still checking my options on the Dark Side. May 25th, 1977 was when the first movie hit the theaters. We were bedazzled. Until then, special effects in science fiction film had been awful. But now, the whole spectacle seemed all too real and light sabers....well I guess I still want one. Star Wars was cool.

Adding to my initial 20 year old awe struck and cannabis enhanced Star Wars experience was the theater itself. Here in my hometown, we had what was called a Cinerama theater. It was nothing like the domed experience of the IMAX theaters of today, but it was incredible for it's time. The screen was 120 feet long and curved. It was made out of thousands of thin white vertical strips stretched from the ceiling to the floor. The reason for this was the speakers behind the screen. It allowed the sound of the action on the screen to emit from it's location on the screen. Working in tandem with the wall mounted and floor mounted speakers, it was a sight and sound experience that was top of the line for it's day. You felt like you were there gliding though space in the Millennium Falcon with Luke, Han, Chewy and the Princess. And Vader...well, I was never more impressed with the portrayal of evil.

Star Wars was an opera. It was a western. It was science fiction. It was what American films should be about...destruction of evil.  That was then...1977.

I wonder what a politically correct version of Star Wars would be like today? I'm sure it would be neutered of it's otherwise magnificent potency.

But it's all lost on me now.

I have no interest in the franchise. I do not even have the desire to view the original 3 films. Looking back, all I can think about is bad acting and bad script writing, Some of Harrison Ford's worst work is in those films. Have you seen Mark Hamil or Carrie Fisher lately? They are nursing home material....kind of like me. 

It was fun back in the Day, but I would not care to relive it. I have become ancient like Obi Wan. I use the Force for good. And while that can be boring and uneventful, it can also be peaceful and joyful.

May the Force be with You!

 

Darth Vader: "Mine's Bigger"   
Obi Wan: "Darth, size is irrelevant. Mine is of higher quality and my skill is superior"

Same Sex Marriage Addendum - Freedom to Associate

There are some follow up issues from yesterday's post that I would like to address from a Christian Libertarian point of view. They are political and rights oriented issues that should have been addressed yesterday, but I failed to do it. They are also faith oriented.

First, I do not think that anyone should be forced to serve or associate with anyone else that they do not want to serve or associate with. This means that if a Christian business person, say a baker, does not want to make a "gay wedding cake" based on their Christian beliefs, they should not have too. Neither should a gay baker have to make a "straight wedding cake" if it violates their personal principles. I would say it's the same with pizza, cars, and even houses.

People should be able to associate and do business with whomever they like.

I know this sticks in the craw of egalitarians. That is exactly what I intended it to do.

We are not all the same. We are not all equal. We are all different and differently enabled. We have different belief systems. We have different notions of what is right and what is wrong. I think that my Truth is the Truth....and it is. But if I want others to join me in that Truth, I have to be willing to engage them and not club them over the head with laws aimed specifically at their beliefs and behavior.

As a Christian, I know what is right and wrong in the eyes of God. It, many times, clashes with what other people that are not Christian might think is right and wrong. I can choose not to associate with those people or choose not to do business with them and I should be left to make that choice without the judgement or interference of society or the present culture.

On the other hand, I could purposely choose to associate with people that disagree with me in hope of convincing them of my Truth. I could engage them in business and in life and try to persuade them of my Christian point of view. If it does not work, then I would need to leave them to their own destruction and let God deal with them.

Whatever happens, I need to be willing to leave it when there is no hope of convincing them and let them live as they choose as long as the way they live harms no one but themselves.

The Lord God has always allowed human choice. He is not happy when we do not choose Him, but He does allow us to make that decision. It is unfortunate on a number of levels when that happens, but the bottom line is that God does not want to see anyone perish in their sin. 

Secondly, we as Christians need to admit to ourselves that we have lost the culture war in North America. Instead of fighting with each other and fighting with non-Christians over how our country should be run, we need to come up with another plan. We need to be evangelical. The great commission was not to create a Christian culture where even non-Christians have to bend the knee to Christ. That day is coming, but it is not now.

We need to teach and preach the gospel everyday in the way we live. We need to love each other and we need to present the love and the grace of Christ to an unbelieving world. That does not happen by trying to manipulate supreme court decisions or congressional legislation or presidential elections. Our hope is not in the Republican party. If we are looking to the world and it's mechanisms to create for us a perfect Christian society, it will fail every time.

Only Jesus can change hearts. Expressing your love and obedience for Jesus by hating is not what He had in mind.

Get your Bible out brethren. Do you see anywhere in there where the apostles or the early Christians wasted their time lobbying the Roman senate or the emperor to change ancient culture?

You will not find it. What you will find is that they preached the gospel. It was simple but effective and it changed society in the places where it was successful. It can work again.

Same Sex Marriage

I am going to say this once. It will irritate many people on both sides - all sides - of the argument. So be it. I am not noted for wishing to please....necessarily.

The blame for the current cultural kerfuffle over same sex marriage lies squarely in the lap of the Church. Oh yes it does. Somewhere in history, maybe the 14th century, the Church in the west allowed the state to take control of who could marry whom.

This is the tragedy. As a Christian Libertarian, it is repugnant to me that the Church, any church, would allow the state to control any covenental cultural institution - especially one as important as marriage. If we, as Christians, strive for anything in the political arena regarding the same sex marriage issue, it should be the revocation of state control and licensing of marriage. The state should have NO PART in saying who can marry and who cannot marry. They should not be allowed to license it. Marriage is a covenant between two people in the eyes of God (or whatever they worship, be it themselves or some false god) and their respective families. It is none of the state's business!!!

Some will raise hands pawing the air, "...but Ghog, how would divorce be handled then?". First, as a Christian, let me advise that God hates divorce, so you really should rethink any contemplation of that act. Beyond that, I am a realist and I know divorce is always a possibility, mostly due to the hardness of people's hearts, but there is an answer here.

Marriage is convenental....contractual if you will, and I know many believe there is a difference, but not in the eyes of the state. So if divorce becomes necessary, the state must treat those divorcing as contractors and sort out how the contract should be ended. If the state does not control or license marriage, I would imagine that prenuptial contracts would become very popular for the protection of everyone involved. I do not care. As long as the state is out of the mix, I do not care.

My Christian brethren will say, "but Ghog, how will that help? It will not stop gay marriage."

To which I say, that is correct. It will not stop same sex marriage.  It is not for us to say whether they can or cannot marry if they are not Christian and not a part of our church. Again, as with the case of the state, it is none of the church's business....unless these people are part of the church.

Same sex attracted people live in difficult times. If they are part of the church, they must walk a fine line of chastity and purity to remain within the correct definitions of God's will. If they are not part of the church, they can do as they please and face the same Judge we all will face on the great and terrible Day of the Lord. Either way, dependence on God's grace will be required. My view is that resistance to the urge is necessary. Sex is always a choice whether you are married, straight or gay or something in between like Bruce Jenner.

As a single man, I can tell you that you will not die if you do not have sex. I'm 57 and have avoided it since I was 23 years old. It was a rough ride, but it can be done.

All that aside, for us Christians, marriage is a sacred thing and it should be treated as such. Others have different views. If they are not a part of the faith, then we must let them live as they wish until such time that they receive a call by God and are convicted of their disobedience. 

One more thing. The state should not subsidize marriage or the production of children. They need to stay out of our families as much as possible. No one should be penalized or rewarded for marrying or reproducing. No more tax rewards for people that can't control themselves....(that last bit was me having a joke at the expense of all you breeders out there).

So there you have it. Do with it what you like. I will always opt to keep out the state. They should have as little control in these personal issues as possible in my view.    

Apologies

Yes, I know. I've written nothing today. Sorry. I have industrial engineers in the office from corporate and I need to appear productive or they will advise HR to externally redeploy me. Thanks for understanding.

Did Jesus Have Fun?

As I read the New Testament and particularly the gospels, I find myself wondering if Jesus had a sense of humor, and did He like to have fun? It's a worthy question, but any kind of answer is buried, I think, in the nature of inspiration and how the Word of God was delivered to men.

To be sure, there are books in the Bible, and particularly the Old Testament, that are fraught with emotion. Jeremiah the prophet was a man given to sorrow and it comes through strongly in his prophecies, but one has to wonder if he is merely relaying the sorrow of God Himself over the behavior of His people.

The momentary illicit passions of David in a difficult time is portrayed masterfully in 2 Samuel and God's response via the prophet, Nathan, is superbly illustrated.

But with Jesus, the gospel writers seem to be very matter of fact and almost emotionless as they relay the events of Christ's life to us. To be sure, Jesus was a man of many sorrows. He bore the burden of the world on His shoulders even as He tried to bring hope to a people hopelessly lost in their sins. There is so much about Him in the gospels and most of it seems to be very serious and pointed toward making people see that they need to come back to God and realize the desperateness of their situation. And that is as it should be.

But if you look closely....if you try to read His life in first century eyes...you can find humor, irony, sarcasm and even satire in His life and most especially the Stories that He tells.

One of event comes to mind. In Matthew 14:27-33, the disciples are on the sea of Galilee on a boat when it suddenly gets very windy. It is so bad that there lives are in peril. Jesus, who was not with them, walked out onto the wind tossed lake to bring them hope. Peter sees him and asks to join Him on the water. And for me, this is where hilarity ensues. Peter is always all full of himself, especially when others are watching. Jesus knows this and He also knows that Peter is perceived as a leader in the group, so Jesus accedes to Peter's request and invites him to step out of the boat. You all know the result. My personal amplification of the Matthew passage goes something like this...

Jesus: "Guys, chill out. Everything will be fine. It's Me. I'm here."

Peter: "Lord, It's you? Can I walk out there with you? Let me try"

Jesus: Big smile on his face. Almost laughing. " Really? That might be fun. Step on out. Take a walk with Me"   

Peter: "Wow...amazing. My feet are barely touching the water. I feel lighter than air"

Jesus: Now laughing. "Dude, quit lookin at the water. Keep your eyes on Me or you will go down. I'm tellin ya..

But it was too late. He was already sinking, but Jesus...He did what He always does...He saved Simon Peter. Then, with a smile on His face and an arm around a wet, embarrassed Simon Peter Jesus says, "you doubted Me. Where is your faith man? You've seen what I can do. Why didn't you trust Me? It's OK. You've come a long ways. I know there was a day when you wouldn't have even gotten out of the boat! I am so proud of you. Next time, you will know what to do. I love you."

That's the way it plays out in my mind when I read it. Jesus does have a personality. He has a sense of humor and a deep sense of empathy for us as men and women. He feels our joys, our sorrows, our pain and He allows us to cling to him when we are sinking in life's turmoils. He is there for us. We are His little brothers and sisters and He takes much pleasure in teaching us and yes, I'm sure He laughs at us from time to time.  

What is Truth?

In conversation with Pontius Pilate (John 18:37, 18), Jesus said, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”   Pilates' answer to this was, "What is truth?"  I don't know if he was being sarcastic or serious, but it is a fair question.

What is Truth? Is there absolute truth? Are there many truths? Is what is not true for one, the absolute truth for someone else?

Well, yes and no. We go through our lives learning things, experiencing events and behaving in various ways and this process teaches us what things are true and good and useful and what is not. There are other things that seem to be  hard wired into us and which we feel we have little control over. It is what it is. All of these things point us to and develop our sense of what truth is and so, in that sense, truth can be a relative thing to the experiencer (if that's a word).

The reality of all this...the truth if you will...is that no matter what we experience here in this life and no matter how much we believe that we are hard wired to behave in certain ways, there is only one absolute truth and that truth is God.   

So how do we know the truth of God? There is only one way in our day and that is through revelation from Him. That revelation is His inspired, written Word delivered through various prophets, scribes and apostles and collected through divine providence as one unit known as the Bible. God's truth resides in these pages, delivered for all time. It is in the Bible that we learn of the sinful state of humanity. We learn how it all happened and we also learn the remedy. And that remedy is Jesus Christ. His teaching and His personal sacrifice make it possible for us to remove the barriers between God and ourselves. All we have to do is believe the TRUTH.

Jesus is the Christ - the Messiah - the Son of the Living God! He offered Himself in sacrifice for our sins and after His death, he rose from the grave victorious over both sin and death.

If you believe that, then you do well, because it is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man.

God is a number of things, but it all starts with His Truth. If you accept His truth, then you have faith. If you have faith in Him, then you learn to love Him and eventually others. Faith and love produce trust - trust in God and in your fellow believers. And that trust creates unity within the family of God and a general sense of joy begins to pervade the individual as well as the whole body of Christ which is His Church.  All these things are bound together in obedience to God's commands and as Jesus said, "my commands are not burdensome". 

The whole process of learning to live and love within God's Truth is an amazing journey and it has been a long one for me. I am still struggling with a few things, but I know this:

Jesus Christ is my savior and the knowledge of His Father's Truth resides in me. I am saved by His grace through faith and that....is The Truth (Ephesians 2:8)

Why not join us in the Truth...? Jesus said,

Matthew 11:28, 29 

 ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

There is still time to learn the absolute truth, the flesh not withstanding. Pick up a Bible. Read the gospel of John. Read the book of Acts. Find out for yourself why, after 2000 years, the idea is still alive and then join us. 

I think this is in Isaiah...."The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of God will stand forever." 

God keeps His promises to those that believe and love Him.

He's waiting.

Who Is Reading TDGH You Ask???

I find this fascinating. I do not know how they get here or what they are searching for that brings them here, but it's nice to have them visit. I have been viewed  throughout Europe and Russia this week as well as the United States. Just wanted to say thanks for stopping by.

Pageviews by Countries

Entry	Pageviews
United States	157
Russia	33
Belarus	3
France	3
Turkey	3
Austria	1
Germany	1
Spain	1
Italy	1
Ukraine	1

Oh Bruce, We Hardly Knew Ye..

From The Daily Caller

"After months of speculation that he was transitioning into a woman, Bruce Jenner confirmed the news in an interview with Diane Sawyer that aired on ABC Friday night, clarifying that he is also a Republican and a Christian."

 

Nothing is set in stone. Not even one's gender apparently. I know they've been doing gender reassignment surgery since the 70's at least, but there is something special about this one. It's more annoying, particularly for men that idolized Miss Jenner when they were teens. Nothing is safe. Not even testosterone.

She says she's a woman now. Really? Is that all it takes for a man to become a woman? Take some hormones. Grow some head hair. Grow some breasts. Have some electrolysis. Find the right doctor to lop off your 3 piece set. Poof you're a woman?

I don't think so. Women are born, not made.

Eunuchs, on the other hand, are made. I think that's what Ms Jenner really is. A eunuch.

Women have ovaries, a uterus and a vagina among other anatomical items. Bruce, you will never have these organs.

A woman can reproduce human beings. They can make breast milk. All Bruce can do is feel pretty and feminine.

He has mutilated his body so he can feel better about himself.

I do not understand and really...well never mind.

Bruce, you will never be a woman. And now you will never again be a man either. I feel badly for you. I do not think you will be happy. It remains to be seen.

I wonder...as a female, will he be a lesbian or a heterosexual? There are so many issues. You could make a TV show out of it...oh wait...he is.    

My very favorite part though is that she claims to be a Republican. Now there's some justice. I wonder if he supports Ted Cruz. That would be sweet. I can hear it now..."Get your Tranny on with Bruce...vote Republican in 2016"

I am so funny...

As for the Christian part...well, God's grace goes a long way. Jesus Christ will be his/her judge; not me. I wish him/her the best on judgement day. There are worse things. You could be a genocidal maniac like Hitler and Obama and the Bushs.

Ms Jenner should probably steer clear of the Muslims though...they would probably do something nasty to him/her.

What was that song that the Kinks did back in the 70's? Lola?

1000 Leaks

If a ship has 1000 leaks and the crew cannot not patch the leaks quickly enough or keep the incoming water baled, then they need to go to Plan B. The obligation to the passengers and to the crew members should be to save as many lives as possible. This should become the first priority. There are any number of reasons why the ship might be leaking. The boat might be old or poorly maintained or someone may have sabotaged it. Whatever the case, if hull integrity cannot be maintained, then the crew and passengers must abandon ship and save what is savable. It is not a time to become obsessed with the leak problem to the point that you go down with the sinking ship. Save yourself. Save others. Get in the life boats and move away before you die.

Makes sense does it not?

The American Christian Church is in such a boat. For centuries it has been in lockstep and love with the American Idea. Our culture was Christian. Even people that did not believe in our country would still hold fast to Christian morality and Christian principles.

This is no longer the case. Yet we remain in this boat trying to fix the leaks as it slowly sinks into the sea.

Brethren, the leaks are not our problem. We know why the ship is leaking, but many of the crew and passengers do not care and we cannot fix it alone. It is time to abandon the American ship and take as many with us as possible before she goes down. We have to untie our Christian faith from America and let it drift and sink. We can rescue the "floaters" as we find them and then go ashore a build a new ship.

Yes, this is what it's coming to. We need to separate ourselves from them and let them die or grab one of the life preservers that we throw out. America is dying. It has been a slow suicide attempt, but we are unable to stop its success. We have to cut our losses and move forward. The dream of a Christian America is dead. It failed and frankly, it is in good part our fault. We spent so much time fighting with each other and fighting with the world that no one outside our churches wanted to be part of the faith and they saw no need to bend the knee to a God they could not see. The faith should be attractive. It should be covered in God's grace and love and it should be presented that way. It should never be yielded as a weapon except in spiritual battle with the Adversary. God's love was missing from our approach. We will need to remember that when we get ashore and build the new boat.

We also need to prepare. Even if we separate from them, they will not be happy with that solution as we continue to take their people for the Lord. They will be coming for us. They will blame us for their sunken boat and persecution will begin.

We need to sharpen our survivalist skills. We need to form networks that work beyond the scope of the prying eyes of corrupt governments and the evil social organizations within the world. We probably just need to get off the grid. This will be hard. I love the Internet, but as governments assume more and more control over it, it becomes dangerous to be there. I love electricity and indoor plumbing. I have used an outhouse. It's pretty awful. I like a hot shower everyday.

Maybe I will be dead before the new boat is ready to go. Who knows.

Whatever the case, we need to rethink our plans. We should not go down with this ship. Yes, we have loved America. Many men and women of faith have given their lives for this nation. But it is no longer ours. It is time to move forward and beyond America and prepare the way for Christ. When He returns, the nations will no longer rage and His justice will prevail, but for now, we must prepare for that Day.

Romans 13 and Speaking Truth to Power

Many Christians will fold up and go all quiet at the specter of the hand of government. Others will stand firm on what they call the Judeo-Christian moral principles found in scriptures. Both groups fail to grok the full meaning of Romans 13.

Romans 13:1-7

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. ⁴ For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

⁶ This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. ⁷ Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Put simply, we are to obey our governments, pay our taxes and to honor the political leadership of our nation. This is so regardless of who is in power or whether they honor Yahweh, Allah or Vishnu or even only themselves.  This is difficult for me as an American. We tend to dislike the political leadership, regardless of what party they are in. We do not like to be told what to do and what to approve and not to approve. It is the same on the right and on the left. We all have things we wish the government would do or leave alone and stay out of. Much of today's issues based politics is centered around these things.

But the fact is that we, as Christians, have to obey, we have to submit and we have to pay if we wish to honor God.

In the Church Age, God is not about changing nations and cultures and governments. God is about changing men and women one person at a time through faith in Jesus Christ and then saving them for eternal life. God can make this happen in a power vacuum or in a totalitarian regime or even a place like Rome in the 1st century. A Christian culture is not necessary and we should not be trying to make one. Our goal should be merely to make more Christians and let God sort out the other stuff.

The only time that it is acceptable for us Christians to disobey the governing authorities is when, they demand that we stop preaching in the name of Jesus or when they demand that we repudiate our faith. When this happens, all bets are off. Disobedience to the governing authorities is demanded and required. This can be dangerous and even deadly. Peter and Paul both felt the cold, dead hand of the state's power as did John after them. The day may come when we have to die for the cause of Christ.

That day is not today.

Today we need to spend our time preaching and teaching the love that Jesus Christ has for everyone. We need to put aside all the moral issues of our time and present unbelievers with the risen Christ. Let them deal with Jesus and let Jesus deal with them. We are not to be an unbeliever's judge. Who are we to judge another man's servant?

If we spent money spreading the gospel instead of creating an environment of hate by demanding that non-Christians obey our moral code, the Church in America might begin to grow exponentially.

Christian organizations that spend our money lobbying government authorities are wasting God's money and their time. This is not what God wants. The government and the culture is what it is. It will only change when people have a reason to make that happen. Only Christ can give them that reason. Preach the gospel. Leave hate and the anger with the devil where it started.  

The Evil Empire

Ronald Reagan said it was the USSR. Today, Putin says it's the USA. George Lucas said it was in a galaxy far, far away, and each time there was truth in it. But are governments really what makes this world an evil place?

To my mind, governments are merely a reflection of the character of the people that are governed. As people become more self seeking and security minded, they also become more totalitarian in their outlook and true freedom begins to die. This is happening throughout the world today and I have my own theories as to why this has happened. In the US, it goes back to Oklahoma City and 9/11. I have reason to believe that both of these events were false flags - staged events designed to make people demand what has become the national security state. Whether these events were by design or actual events plotted by devious terrorists, the result has been nothing short of a complete surveillance of all communication and human activity worldwide. If you use a cell phone, computer, tablet, car, etc, you are being watched. I am being watched. People know our secrets now. The day of personal information has ended. There is no such thing. We are being monitored.

My thought is that this has nothing to do with terrorism. It has everything to do with continuity of power and control of anyone that might stand in opposition, peaceful or otherwise, to those that are driving our surveillance age.

Those with the greatest ownership of the national security state are not what you might think of as the usual suspects. Normally, we think NSA or CIA or FBI or military intelligence when we think of national security concerns. In our age, the real culprits are corporations. Without their cooperation, no government on earth would be able to do the things they do in the name of national security.

Corporations like Intel, Microsoft, Apple, Hewlett Packard, Samsung, and most importantly, Google have created an information gathering capability unmatched in human history. A company like Google knows everything about anyone that regularly uses a computer. In our age, that is about everyone that is not in a nursing home.

My point is that nations are no longer the evil empires. The corporations and banks that control these governments are the real evil empires. And they are genuine multinational empires. Who is there that can stand against them? They have a true strangle hold on everything. They can make you an unperson more quickly than any government because of the information they possess about you.

Some will say they have nothing to hide. Doesn't matter. Companies like Google can collect information about you and then change it to suit whatever purpose they have in mind. It's like collection of our DNA by the government. Once they have it, they can plant it anywhere they need it to prove whatever they want to prove. Not good.

So as I sit here typing my subversive thoughts into Blogger, a Google platform, my words are being stored in a server somewhere for all time. Then Google will allow the government to scan that server at will at any time they so desire. When all the trigger terms I have used in this post are then viewed by the government computers, I will become a "person of interest". I will be watched.

It may already have been happening for awhile. Who knows? I do not.

It used to be that only God knew all our secrets. Now we got Google.

Google is the new evil empire,

   “We don’t need you to type at all because we know where you are. We know where you’ve been. We can more or less guess what you’re thinking about … Is that over the line?” 

 “Google policy is to get right up to the creepy line and not cross it. I would argue that implanting things in your brain is beyond the creepy line … at least for the moment until the technology gets better.”

– Google Chairman Eric Schmidt

Old Eric said this stuff publicly several years ago. You have to wonder what they can do now. 

Mc Donalds

When I was in high school, I remember there were a lot of teenagers that worked at Mc Donalds restaurants throughout the city. Usually the only adult in the place was the manager or assistant manager and more often then not, they would be struggling college students. It was that way in many local businesses and grocery stores.

Today the picture is very different. If you walk into a Mc Donalds today, what you see is adults behind the counter. Some of them are very old...like me. Some are housewives. Some are immigrants; yes immigrants that can barely speak English. There are also embittered middle aged white men that most likely lost good jobs elsewhere because their former employer outsourced their work to China, India or Mexico.

Whatever the case, the Mc Donalds demographic has changed. This is not a good sign for our country in my opinion. The youth that get driven out of jobs like these end up on the street and that invariably leads to trouble. The adults that have no other options but to work there are poorer and still most likely on some kind of public assistance. And...quite frankly...the food is terrible...not good for you either. I do like me some sausage and egg Mc Muffin, but that's about the extent of it.

I guess my point is that this is a sign of the beginning of the end. I'm not talking biblical here, but nations do come and go and I think America is beginning to "go" if you know what I'm saying. I do not think we will be 3rd worlders for a while, but I sense the downward slide. Odd that it's all happening in the last part of my life. Somehow I feel at least partially responsible. What could I or anyone else have done differently that would have stopped this? I'm not sure. It might just be a case of having the wrong people in charge from the beginning.

Whatever happens, the vacuum that we leave on the world stage will have to be filled. Who do we give the keys to? I don't have that answer either. The Chinese and the Russians worry me and the Arabs are A1 nut jobs. Everyone else is way too backward and poor or both.

The future will be interesting. 'Interesting' is not good. Boring is good. Boring is the absence of trouble. Trouble is coming. I hope it waits for 30 years to hatch, but I don't have a good feeling about that.

White People

This is not going to be a racist rant. I do not believe myself to be a bigot, but I am a Caucasian of European extraction and that is enough in many minds to qualify me as a hater and a bigot. Let me add to your suspicions. I am also a Christian, a Libertarian and a strict constructionist with regard to the constitution of the United States. Even so, I do not believe I am a racist, sexist, homophobe.

I am however, a very discriminating person. I have certain standards. This does not mean I would discriminate against you and whatever you are or that I believe you are less a human being in God's eyes or my own. We are all sinners. Some of us are sinners saved by His grace. Others are just sinners and I'm not sure what you "just sinners" are waiting for, but come on - get some salvation now while it's still available.

But that's not what I came here to talk about.

I think white folks are disappearing. We are not just turning into a minority due to immigration or birth control or abortion, though these things are not helping. No, we are disappearing. There is a reason for this. We are one subspecies among Homo Sapiens Sapiens that is difficult for those in power to be able to control.

Genuine biologists (not the PC, science is what you say it is types) will tell you there are differences genetically and right down to the DNA between the different types of humans that live on the planet. The most intelligent subspecies of the human species are the Caucasians and the Mongols. Between those two, the most fiercely independent and individualist are the Caucasians.

This is not environmental. It seems to be by design in my opinion, but even if you are an evolutionist, it is really strange how us white folks have managed to dominate the planet over the past 1000 years. Even the Romans before us lasted about that long.

Us western white boys are an enigma. We have been the most creative, free thinking peoples in the history of the planet, but we have also been the most destructive. Those among us that have managed to rise to the top in terms of planetary control, seem to have decided that the rest of us whites are a threat to their power. They are determined to wipe out - exterminate - white people as a individual race, regardless of what it takes. The chief weapons against us seem to be poverty, sexual freedom, inbreeding of the races, birth control, immigration and abortion. Destruction of white culture in Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand is not helping. The world is about to become an essentially gray race whose aspirations to greatness will be crushed by a mongrelized gene pool.

The distinctness of the races was one of the beautiful things about humanity. It will soon be gone.

What will also be gone is individual thinking, individual liberty and personal control. When the "whiteness" of the human race is gone from a genetic and DNA point of view, the drive for human greatness and resistance to slavery will also die.

It is, after all, about control. To be sure, there will still be white people, but they will be from among the very worst stock. Those that survive the great intermingling will form a breakaway civilization that lives in victory over what remains of mongrelized humanity. They are already moving. It may already be to late to resist. Time will tell. My peeps are disappearing.

Bubba, pass me a brewsky....:^))))

Screendoor - Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffins on Faith and Works

Love Drives Out Fear

1 John 4:16b-18

...God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made prefect in love.

There are many people that walk around always fearful about one thing or another. Sometimes the fear makes sense. If you live in a place noted for the presence of rattle snakes, a little fear will keep you on the look out for the poisonous serpents. Other times we find that we fear things that are nothing at all like an ISIS attack at Wal-mart or a sinkhole opening up and swallowing the house we live in. Neither are likely, but the news media would have us live in fear at all times of these things.

The fact is that if we are really believers, we have nothing to fear because we are loved by God. As Paul said in Romans 8:38, 39:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

So Christian, are you living in love? Are you living in and enjoying the love of God? Or are you always fearful of the world or your life situation or what will happen tomorrow? Or maybe you are afraid that you just won't measure up when God's judgement curtain falls?

If you are living in that kind of fear, then I am concerned. It means that you do not understand the love that God has for you as His child.

My friend, you have been forgiven by your Creator. You are covered by His grace and love. Rest secure in that knowledge and know that He will bring you Home in the Great and Terrible Day. You are His and He is in you. Take joy in knowing that whatever life may bring, He is with you always. You were not baptized into vinegar, but into His Spirit. You have nothing to fear. He has conquered fear with His love. The only one that has lost anything or will lose anything is the Devil and we no longer serve him. He stands condemned. We do not. We have been saved from judgement.

So the next time you are feeling a bit fearful or dread washes over you as you go out into the world, think about what God has done for you and think about the eternal security that you have in Him. You are going to live forever. The grave will not contain what you have in you. You are sons and daughters of the Living God.  

 

I've Been Away

 Sorry. Things were all backed up at work. I had to get employee evaluations ready. Had to get the taxes in by the 15th. The grounds keepers showed up this week. It's like it's spring or something. Anyway, I will try to make up for lost time over the weekend and into Monday. Stormy skies moving in. Probably won't spend much time outside today.

Also, it's Dad's birthday. He is 79 today. Doesn't look a day over 85....(;^)))) He got a new coffee maker for his present. I grew tired of his old one leaking all over the counter.
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I think I am going to get a drone...with a camera. I have wanted one for awhile. If nothing else, I can tease the dog with it. Should be fun out in the yard. For some reason I keep thinking about flying it around in the auditorium at church ...during a service...without permission. The fact that I think about doing things like that without permission says much about my character and why I need to attend church regularly. Sometimes it's easier to seek forgiveness than it is to seek permission. My standard MO. Grace is a wonderful thing. 

The Days of Patriarchy

I still hear complaints from time to time about how our society is, even after all these years of reform and education, a patriarchal society. I would concede that men still run most everything and own the overwhelming majority of the property on the planet. This is probably more true on a worldwide scale than it is in western Europe and the US. There are two very powerful institutions in the west that are overseen by women; The Federal Reserve Bank of the United States and the IMF. You can call these women tokens if you like, but they head two of the most powerful financial institutions on earth.

I think that people who see patriarchy in western society do not realize what life was like in the bad old days when women and children were property along with the livestock and land. I was reading from Deuteronomy in the Old Testament of the Bible yesterday when I ran across what follows here. This is what passed for women's rights in ancient Israel. It was serious business back in the day, but it's kind of funny now in the age of egalitarianism. Women, you do not appreciate how good you have it.

Deuteronomy 25:5-10

⁵ If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. ⁶ The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.
⁷ However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me.” ⁸ Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,” ⁹ his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.” ¹⁰ That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.

It's interesting where the family responsibility falls here. If a man dies without producing a male heir, it is first the duty of the man's brother, to make sure his brother's widow gives birth to a male child. Refusing this duty was an option, but an option in which the brother is publicly humiliated by his sister in law. Fascinating. This is also a case where polygamy is commanded by God. Again...fascinating. The male heir was an insurance policy for the woman. It was the eldest male heir that would shoulder the responsibility of caring for his parents in their old age and if the mother was already a widow, a young son could work the family land and support what was left to him by the deceased father.

It was all geared to maintain male control of the property involved, but the woman held the upper hand in public. It was considered a shameful thing for a man to allow his dead brother's family languish in poverty, while he and his own continued to live normal lives. Woe to you if you are of the Family of the Uunsandaled.

So you see ladies, it could be worse :^) At least  in these days you are not dependent on your brother in law.

Love - 1 John 3:18-22

¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. ¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: ²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.


Does your heart condemn you? Is the heart a good barometer of who we are? Yes and no. It is perhaps a good measure of who we are, but it is not a good indicator of who we aspire to become. It is the heart that reveals the sinful nature of the flesh. It is where hate and anger are stored up. It is the place of lust and desire for things not your own. It is the home of envy and jealousy. 

Jeremiah said, 

The heart is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

Jesus said,
 
¹⁶ “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. ¹⁷ “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person;

A man's heart reveals the brokenness of the flesh that he rides in. Only the love of Christ can heal these things. There will be scars. You will need Him for the rest of your life. You will not be able to live alone. And if you truly encounter His love, you will not want to live without Him.

I have tried living alone, without Him, with only my pride to support me. I cannot not do it. The things that are in my heart almost daily condemn me. I need His grace and his kindness just to get me through a single day. I also need to share that grace and kindness. I try to do that here and in real life. I'm not sure how successful I have been, but I do believe He is working in me to teach me how to share myself with others. Maybe by the time I get to the nursing home I will finally be useful. That remains to be seen. This is why I am thankful that God is greater than my heart.