Proverbs 1:5 “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:”

---

Today is my 48th birthday (old picture above) and while many people (women) dread getting older, I love it.  I love it not just for the sake of age, but because I seem to learn so much more every year.  Each year it seems I look back and say to myself, “wow, I was really ignorant then.”  So I’m sure it shall continue to be.  I thank God for giving me this reflection because I don’t think everyone has it.  Witness the news and you’ll see prominent people (I won’t mention any names today) my age and much older than I am, getting caught up in childish things that should have been put away long ago.

I used to remark to my high school students that they should count it a privilege to “grow up,” because I know people in their 60’s and 70’s today who never did.  I heard a quote that said, “getting older is mandatory, but growing up is optional.”

Life is a great teacher and we must be willing students.  God’s classroom is the world in which He has placed us and it’s all about learning what His purpose and plan is in our lives and for this world.  In 48 years, one can learn a lot about God if they understand that this is the ultimate purpose of each and every year and when it is, boy does life get exciting.  I’ve got plans for things I want to do until I’m beyond 80 so there’s no time to be trifling.

I pray that my next 48 will be more productive than the past and I continue to march.

Ephesians 1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”

---

I received a phone call the other day from one of my former high school students.  He is now a Private First Class (PFC) in the U.S. Marine Corps (displayed in picture above from his boot camp graduation).  He was in my Junior ROTC program and he always referred to me as Col, as did most everyone at the school.  That happens in the Marine Corps for Lieutenant Colonels as well as full-bird Colonels, which some of my friends are now in the Marine Corps.

Anyway, the subject of his phone call was to tell me his amazement that he, as a PFC in the Marine Corps, has direct access to a “Col.”  He went on to say that “some of these Marines will never ever get to talk to a Colonel their entire lives and I can call one up and talk anytime I want.  I thought about this for a second and told him, “you just didn’t understand the incredible privilege you had until now.”

What a message that is for us as believers.  We just don’t really understand the “incredible privilege” we have right now that we can “call Him up” and talk to Him about anything on our minds.  This is the incredible privilege offered to us by His grace.  We talked about this in bible study last week and how special we are that God chose us and it’s clear from scripture that He didn’t choose everyone so we have an incredible privilege that many don’t have.

Today just ponder the thought that you have access to the Greatest Source of everything.  That is mind-boggling in itself and it is so much greater than knowing some Colonel or even some General, some famous actor, politician or athlete.  It is some Super-Special privilege and it doesn’t stop with us just knowing Him, but to be chosen by Him to be called His own; now that’s INCREDIBLE!!!

Luke 6:42 “Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.”

---

Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.  This is one of the 11 Leadership Principles that I learned while in the Marine Corps and it, along with the other 10, are in  a frame in my upstairs study at home.  I spent the last five years teaching this particular principle to high school students because I was convinced and evidence proves me correct, that much of the world is now steeped in a culture of irresponsibility or more easily stated, “blaming.”

It seems that there isn’t a day that goes by that you don’t find a politician, entertainer, athlete or a businessman trying to clear him/herself by blaming their problem on someone or something else.

Leadership is all about taking responsibility.  President Obama to this day still continues to harp on the actions of his predecessor as the reason thinks are as bad as they are in our country.  I don’t think the American people voted him in office so that he could tell us how bad the former President was.  They voted him in to fix the problems, but given that in most all areas things have worsened, I guess the “blame card” has to be played.

Then look to the south at our neighboring country Mexico.  Their President, Caulderon, came to our country last month and blamed us for lax gun control laws and discriminating against illegal aliens with the Arizona immigration law.  If you read this article, you’ll see that he’s got more than enough problems to fix inside of his country before he starts blaming those outside of it.

But here’s the clincher for irresponsibility.  Jesse James, the former husband of actress Sandra Bullock, blamed his infidelity on “whuppins” he got from his dad when he was seven years old.  He is now 40+.  You’ve got to be kidding me!  Even by his own admission, he cites no abuse unless you want to count spankings, but that’s a good enough reason for him to cheat on his wife 33 years later.

RESPONSIBILITY PEOPLE!!!

I don’t know how else to fix this except for us all to “do the scripture” above.  See the truth is that we’ve all got problems to fix, but the first step to fixing them is to own up to the responsibility that it is “MY” problem to fix.  Whether you were born into the problem or elected to fix problems, you are now responsible for them.  Lets seek responsibility and take responsibility for our actions.  Of course everyone can’t be a Marine, but you can do this.

Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

---

You might remember the quote from Attorney General Eric Holder.  He made the bold statement, “that on issues of race, we have always been and continue to be… a nation of cowards.” So if that is a true statement, I think that the followup question to that statement should be “why?”  Why are we a nation of cowards when it comes to matters of race?  To me the answer is quite simple.  When people are put in positions, situations and circumstances to deal with racial matters, they don’t do it.  Now that should feel pretty condemning to Attorney General Holder given what he just did with the voter intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party.  If there has been a racial travesty since the administration took office, and there have already been a few, this one is the biggest.  Here is one simple exchange that AG Holder had to overlook in order to dismiss the case:

Chris Hill, a Caucasian, testified about what happened when he got to the polling place.  He was responding to a desperate phone call for help from one of the two black poll watchers who were stationed at the polling place.  He was greeted by two uniformed, armed-with-night stick panthers who said, ‘What are you doing here, Cracker?’ Mr Hill in his boldness walked through them inside to see his poll watchers whom he described as visibly upset.  One of the New Black Panthers had stated to the black poll watcher that he was a race-traitor for being a credentialed poll watcher for the Republican Party and that he would “have hell to pay if he stepped outside.“  This happened outside of a polling place and no one in the administration sees this as voter intimidation?  This gets dismissed by our Justice Department?  We are a nation of cowards?  I can only shake my head.

Just in case you want to know more about the kind of people we’re afraid to challenge on racism, go here to find an article on Minister Shabazz, who happened to be the New Black Panther Party adherent that you saw in the video above intimidating voters.  While many liberals push “hate” crimes and “hate” speech, I wonder what they think about a man who stated this just recently, “You want freedom? You’re gonna have to kill some crackers! You’re gonna have to kill some of their babies!” Perhaps this doesn’t qualify as hate speech, but saying homosexuality is a sin does.  Incredible!!!

We are a nation of cowards because there seem to be few willing to confront racism with the proper motives wherever it takes place.  The idea of combating racism draws many to it’s cause, but actions that may affect your standing in your community or among your ethnic group leaves many “dismissing” cases that need to be addressed.

We are cowards because we are not bold.  We are not bold because we are not righteous.  We are not righteous because we don’t fear God.  Bottom line, we are not tackling issues of race in this country because we’re scared.  Of course we won’t say that, but that’s what happens when we forsake God’s agenda for our human one.  Want to be bold?  Get right with God and we’ll stand toe to toe with injustice and not turn a winking eye to it instead.

1 Timothy 2:1-5 ¹I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

²For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

⁴Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

⁵For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

---

I remember sitting there with my wife listening to the “The Great Race Speech” by then Presidential candidate Obama.  I was shocked when my wife blurted out, “I’m buying it.”  I replied, “you’ve got to be kidding me.”  I went on to talk about how disingenuous and inauthentic the whole thing seemed to be.  I then told my wife that we would see how serious he was about the race issue by his actions.  Sadly, there have been none, only “re”-actions such as they did yesterday with the firing of USDA employee Shirley Sherrod.  I’m sure I need not remind you of the Professor Gates race issue that was resolved by the President with a beer bash (not really a solution).  And that was after he “misspoke” and said the police officer made a “stupid” decision.

This Sherrod race story is really fresh and I’m waiting to see what’s going to happen because “racists” on both sides are jumping the gun and tripping all over themselves.  The NAACP retracted it’s initial condemnation of the remarks and then came back and said they were “snookered” by Fox News.  On the other side, many are “simply” calling the woman racist.  I don’t see that from the transcript and from some comments I’ve seen, they want to lop her in with the NAACP.  That’s painful to do to anyone.

The Obama administration for their part acted very decisively and it appears a bit too hastily.  Watching the full transcript shows only that she is human and struggles with issues as we all do.  It appears that she did the right thing after having thoughts of what or what not to do.  Is she being punished for exposing her thoughts?  We’re all in trouble.  The bottom line is, if you get the NAACP in your corner these days (unlike the days of old when they had a purpose) then you should probably change corners.  They are an organization fighting for relevance and since last week when they made the Tea Party out to be the new KKK, they feel some sense of importance.  They’re not.  They’ve got issues as evidenced by the fact that they changed their mind within 24  hours of this story breaking.

The point I want to make about this whole thing is that millions of people thought that Presidential candidate Obama would make this country better concerning race issues by tackling them head-on.  I also thought that would be a possibility until the day I heard “that speech” and was able to look at him, hear about his background and realize that he still has unresolved issues in that area.  It’s tough to  help someone out with a problem when you can only talk about the problem really well, but don’t have a clue on how to fix it.

I believe that we should pray quite simply for the salvation of our President.  He simply needs to know Jesus.  I know that statement will catch a lot of flak from some, but that’s how I’m praying.  George W. Bush did a lot of stupid things  and things I strongly disagreed with while he was President, but it was somehow consoling to know that he knew Jesus and talked that way.  I don’t have the same feeling with the current President so I pray for his salvation; that he come to an intimate knowledge of who Jesus is.

I will also pray for those bristling at reading this because they probably need Jesus as well.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;  speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.

---

The goal is to change our conscience.  The goal is to ensure that we are no longer alarmed by sin; to make sin seem normal and a viable alternative to righteousness and I must say to some large degree it has worked.  How else can you describe the appalling silence of the church to our country’s establishment of LGBT pride day?  I heard absolutely no one spark outrage about such.  We are implored by our national leadership to take pride in what God Himself called an abomination and there is no outrage by God’s people.  This is not the only issue that should spark action from God’s people but like this one, I’m not hearing much from Christians on the other matters.  Here’s the problem.  Our consciences have been seared.  What used to be wrong is not only allowed in the name of “tolerance,” but it is now downright endorsed.  We are scared to have others say that we are “judging,” so we have settled in at the altar of compromise; compromising God’s truth and compromising God’s message of wrath against those who disobey Him.  Do we even know; are we even aware that God’s plan is for His people to one day in eternity sit in judgment of angels?  Yet here we are letting the world call wrong right and calling right wrong and we are afraid to stand in the streets as the prophets of old and speak God’s truth.  Luke 12:4-5 “…Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

This country is headed for disaster, the likes of which will make 9/11 look like a second page story on the local newspaper.  God’s people better arise and do the 2 Chronicles 7:14. We are the only hope this country has.  The rest of the country is ignorant of our purpose and power so they will continue to try to shut us down and shut us out, but there is nothing Washington D.C. or any other state or local government can do for this country except that they be led by men and women of God acting in that capacity.  Unless that is the case, they are powerless in the places that matter most.  Our technology and braggadocios can’t save us from our current catastrophes and this is only the beginning unless we get dependent on Him and begin to invoke Him in all that we do.

This is contrary to the path we are currently on.  The national dialogue is to ensure that “God” is removed from documents, buildings and the national discourse.  Because our consciences have been re-educated, we (some judges, citizens and any who fight to ensure that God is removed from the public square) think that this is no big deal and the way it should be, but little do these people know that they will soon face judgment and the wrath of God unless they come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and His plan for them.

As for our leaders, they need to do the 2 Chronicles 20 thing.  I was pleased to hear this past week that a congressman or senator entered a resolution that called for us to pray as a nation.  Sadly, some people who call themselves Christians will oppose even this because the politician might belong to a different party than the one they normally support  That’s how twisted a “mis-informed” conscience can be.  Some of God’s people have become utterly disgusting in their support of sin as they choose their favorite politician over the word of God.

Today, on this, the 234th birthday of our independence as a free and sovereign country, the call is for us to return to total and utter dependence on Almighty God.  I love this quote by Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President:

“…the strength of our country is the strength of its religious convictions. The foundations of our society rest so much on the teachings of the bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country…“

Perhaps this is why the foundations of our society are being shaken today; the teachings of the bible are no longer practical to our wayward country.  Wake up Christians and be ye not concerned with taking our country back.  Leave that to God.  You let Him take you back and the rest will follow.

Many pastors and teachers are calling for prayer and fasting for our country and I’ve included a couple of links where you can go and commit to praying for our nation.  Remember, one man or woman submitted to God has never ever lost a fight and never will.  One day we will see and know how it was won.

Dr Charles Stanley and the In Touch Ministry prayer call.

Dr Michael Youssef and the Winning Walk Ministry prayer call.

1 Samuel 17:40  “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.”

---

Boy I can’t miss a week’s period of time before I blog out here.  Too much happens in our world and a lot of it is simply ridiculous and it is my self-appointed job to point out the ludicrous acts of  “the world.”  Where shall we start?

How about this one from the President?  In his Father’s Day Proclamation, he states that, “Nurturing families come in many forms, and children may be raised by a father and mother, a single father, two fathers ,...” (as if I needed to put that in bold letters).  What is it with this President and the homosexual agenda?  I mean can he take a break sometime from attempting to forge the idea on the American people that homosexuality is OK?  Some of us just won’t buy it when God has said differently.

Then there’s this one for crazy:  Mexico has filed an “amicus curiae (friend of the court)” brief to a U.S. Federal Court charging that the Arizona immigration law is unconstitutional and would damage bilateral relations.  Is the leadership in Mexico really that stupid?  Listen to this statement made by the Mexican foreign ministry, “Mexico has a duty to protect its citizens and ensure that their ethnic origin is not used as a basis for committing discriminatory acts.”   Simply crazy!!!  They went on to say that they “would respond forcefully to any violation of the fundamental human rights of all Mexicans in Arizona, independent of their immigration status.”  So in other words, even if they are illegal you don’t have the right to do anything to them because of it.  What???

OK so how about this one?  In California, five high school students were sent home from school for refusing to remove their t-shirts and bandannas with a picture of the American flag.  They wore the shirts on Cinco De Mayo and some students wore the Mexican flag,  which was okay, but the U.S. flag-bearing students were sent home.  A lawsuit is imminent I’m sure.   What is going on?

I’ll tell you what is going on?  Too many Christians are on the sideline in this battle.  That’s what’s up.  I know, we’ll use the excuse, “we just need to pray” and no Christian rejects the significance of talking and hearing from God, but I wonder how much of that is happening.  The Christian attitude to our country’s spiritual disintegration reminds me of the men of Israel as Goliath taunted and challenged them.  They all stood in fear except for the youngster David who thought there was no way he or his nation could idly stand by while these “heathens” challenged their God.  We are not so protective of our God today.  Today we would watch some crazy Christian standing against ridiculous acts and we would suggest that they simply need to “pray.”  Yeah right!  Do you think David prayed when facing Goliath?  He lived a life of prayer so his  heart was set to defend the principles of God.  Not only did he pray, but he picked up five smooth stones also.

What are we doing today as believers as we stand against the world?  We should always pray, but we should pick up some stones also, because out in this world in which we live, there are giants that need to be killed.

Genesis 19:11  “And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.”

---

Were I a really famous person, I would get in a lot of trouble for speculating as I’m about to do, but of course I’m not sure that would prevent me from doing it.   After all, what could “they” do to me?  Lock me up and tell me to stop preaching in Jesus’ name?  Yeah “they’ve” tried that one before with God’s people and it didn’t work.

Anyway, I was just looking at the mess (BP oil spill), literally and figuratively,  that we’ve got going on right now and how difficult it seems to be to get it fixed.  I watched bits and pieces of the President’s address to the nation last night and there were seemingly no answers from him except, “I’m really mad at BP as you all should be.”  That’s not really an answer to fix the problem, but I suppose it’s all he can do when the solutions are limited.  Limited solutions???  How could something so seemingly easy (stopping a leak) be so difficult to a technology-savvy country like America?  My speculation:  Perhaps we’re being blinded.

Maybe we just can’t see the solutions because of the “other issues” that we have going on.  If you remember the scriptural passage above, a group of men were trying to get Lot to bring out the guests in his home so that they could “know” them.  This is the same “know” that our country now wants to endorse and make acceptable (same sex marriage, acceptance of gays in the military).

I’ve listened for years as many Christians and non-Christians alike thought that “the gay thing” was no big deal.  Well maybe God doesn’t see it that way.  Maybe it is a big deal to Him.  I think as a country that we’re symbolic of those men in Sodom and because we’re trying to do things that are in direct disobedience to God’s commands, we’re just as they were, blinded and groping for the “door.”  The “door” is the solution to our problems, but we can’t find it because we’ve got all of these disobedient agendas that conflict with God’s plan.

I really could go on with this analogy, but I will end it here with the way the men treated Lot who is symbolic of the believers.  Just as our country has begun to persecute believers more and more, so were the men attempting to do to Lot if he didn’t give them what they wanted and we know what they wanted.  That’s where you and I are here in the U.S. as God’s people.  If we don’t give them what they want, they’re going to deal with us harshly.

Today, don’t fret, because even if we’re in the midst of Sodom, as we very well could be, if we are more concerned about God’s purpose and plan and taking care of God’s people, “they” will be blinded so that we can go about our business, which happens to be or should be His business.  And as for “them,” well you know how this story ends (read Genesis 19).  It’s not pretty and we can try intercession like Lot, but hey God does His thing.   Think about our country and its behavior.  Maybe we’re now blind.

Mark 6:34 “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.”

1 Peter 3:8  “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.”

---

I really just wanted to write about God’s compassion this morning, but as I researched this, I realized in the Mark  passage how that His compassion is driven by the dire circumstances in which man finds himself.  There were quite a few of these passages throughout the New Testament where Christ was moved with compassion because of the infirmity of mankind.

As I read the Mark passage, my immediate thought was that the passage makes man sound so pitiful; (like sheep with no shepherd).  Of course our modern-day connotation of that word, pitiful, is much different than the scriptural connotation which I ran across in the second passage.   That passage actually exhorts us to be “pitiful,” i.e. to have pity on others and that is the move of compassion.

I’ve been talking about how “pitiful” we are here in the U.S. because we can’t stop an oil leak.  We keep trying different methods and it seems nothing works.  Pitiful.   Now I think whenever I’m inclined to say that someone or something is pitiful, I will remember that it is a call for compassion.

The children in the picture above aren’t pitiful.  We should be pitiful towards them as our hearts are moved with compassion because of their circumstances.

So as I understand it, it’s not that others are “pitiful” because they are facing dire circumstances and situations.  If I have the type of compassion that I am supposed to have as a follower of Jesus Christ, I am “pitiful” and that’s a good thing.

Proverbs 24:21  “My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change.”

---

Please!  Not again.  The voters are once again demanding “change.”  You can see in this article that we haven’t had enough “change” or maybe we have so we’re asking for more and the cycle continues.

You’ll notice also in this article that less than one third of Americans plan on voting for their current representatives in Washington in the November elections.  We’ll see if that happens.  I think the American people are much like their politicians in this regard; they say one thing and then do another.

The problem here is that we are fickle; plain and simple.  The love affair with the current President is over and while that’s probably a good thing, Americans will find “someone else” other than The King to fall in love with.

The Proverb says not to meddle with them that are give to change.  I think it is supported by the scriptures that talk about a “double-minded man being unstable in his way (James 1:8)” and the other one that says that “we shouldn’t be like children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph 4:14).”  We need to grow up.

The only change we need today is the change of heart that God brings through Jesus Christ.  As for these politicians, if they don’t have that change themselves, then you can best believe that we’re in for a whole lot more change than we’re asking for.  You can do what you want, but I’m voting for Christians who believe like I believe about Jesus.  I’m not meddling with the rest of em.  We’re in this mess now because too many Christians are “given to change.”

Romans 10:3  “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

---

You know how people sometimes talk about something trying to show you that they know about it and in your mind you’re sure they’re clueless.  That’s the feeling you’ll get when you watch this video clip of the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi as she tries to explain what her favorite, “word” is.  It’s quite interesting that she never references chapter or verse.  I’m convinced that she’s simply heard of this somewhere before.

Of course Speaker Pelosi isn’t the first politician to “use” Jesus, but we know when it happens because it just doesn’t seem to work for those of us believers who know what Jesus is about.  In contrast to the Speaker’s view of what the verse means, you can’t “fill it in with anything you want.”  And it surely isn’t a “given” that we all know what it means.  Evidently it means different things to different people because her next statement, “we have to give voice to what that means in terms of public policy that would be in keeping with the values of the Word,” would lead me to believe that she thinks that gay marriage and abortion, two of her views, are in keeping with the “values of the Word.”  I disagree with her, but of course opinions don’t matter when you can “fill it in with anything you want.”

I must tell Ms Pelosi that contrary to what she believes, none of us will measure up in the end so it’s only by His grace, that we have been chosen.  This is the mystery.  The other mysteries have been revealed through the work of Christ.  Much was a mystery to those before and even to the disciples, but that mystery was revealed when they saw the resurrected Christ.

Well I really don’t want to get into a theological discussion with the Speaker except to say, ma’am, don’t use Jesus; just follow Him.

Here are her statements:

Romans 11:28  “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.”

---

It’s really amazing to me how the good guys so often get made to be the bad guys, especially as it pertains to Israel.  The latest raid by Israeli commandos on an alleged “aid” flotilla has ignited an international firestorm against Israel.  Not that it takes much for that to happen.  If they start building more houses in Gaza or doing anything these days, it seems much of the world gets upset.  That, my friends, is all due to ignorance of what God is doing with Israel.

While the country of Israel is Jewish, which means that they do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior, you’ve got to read Romans 9th chapter through the end of this 11th chapter to see that God is not finished with Israel, the nation state.  God has a purpose for the nation of Israel and the bible bears it out, but if you have politicians and countries making decisions in ignorance of the bible, then they will simply ignore God’s plans and purposes.

From a strictly “flesh” point of view, I’ve noticed that the media hasn’t played the video of the commandos boarding the ship and it’s obvious why.  As they were boarding they were getting beaten.  The mainstream media won’t show that because you might think that the commandos needed to defend themselves which they did.

We are “so” twisted in our alliances these days.  I witnessed President Obama say that we need to wait on the results of the investigation before he says anything.  I guess he could watch the video but that would be too easy.  He didn’t wait to make his opinion known on the Harvard professor incident.  Oh yea, that one was easy.  A white guy intruded on a black guy; the black guy had to be the victim.

When we have compassion and seek for understanding with countries like Iran and leaders likeAhmadinejad and we call states “misguided” like Arizona for doing what our federal government has failed to do, then we know we are most confused.

God’s got a plan and it’s going to happen.  I personally believe that God is still judging those that mistreat His elect.  We are His elect and so is the country of Israel but not in the same way, but that’s a different message for another day.    Bottom line, back off of Israel.

Judges 3:7a  “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God…”

---

Simply unbelievable.  I can’t believe that this is taking place in my lifetime.  The highest office in the land is now the vessel through which anti-Christian viewpoints are promulgated.  The words the President uses in his proclamation to make the month of June, Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender Pride Month just make you want to…well pray.  I just can’t believe that we have any “normal” people (Christians - even though they are not really normal for this world) who voted for the President who are proud that he is taking these actions.  Proclaiming that we are “not” a Christian nation was one thing, but never have we in the history of our country had a President who so overwhelmingly and publicly endorsed outright sin.  Nevertheless, we must understand that God put him in power for some reason.

The scripture above reminds us of what happens to a country that forgets God.  The bible talks about how frequently Israel would be “sold into the hand” of some other country as a punishment.  Perhaps the President’s move to weaken our military is so that this end can be accomplished.  Perhaps we are being judged for some national sin, because surely a man who leads us opposite God is not put there to bless us for righteousness.  So we can only pray and move as God directs us to combat these actions.

I’ve included excerpts of the proclamation on the LBGT Pride month for you to see.  Makes you just wonder what people were thinking about during the election because to his credit, he didn’t lie about where he stood on this stuff.  He’s always been an advocate of these and other sins.  Of course lots of black people (Christians) were overwhelmed with his skin hue so they ignored the fact that many of his viewpoints were against Christian doctrine and supported him.  I’m really interested in what they’re going to say after they read this: (By the way, I re-translated each paragraph in yellow  for those who prefer truth)

This month, as we recognize the immeasurable contributions of LGBT Americans, we renew our commitment to the struggle for equal rights for LGBT Americans and to ending prejudice and injustice wherever it exists.

This month we want to recognize those who are partakers of sinful deeds and renew our commitment to make those sins okay and acceptable to all Americans so that people who are against those sins will look silly and mean.

LGBT Americans have enriched and strengthened the fabric of our national life.  From business leaders and professors to athletes and first responders, LGBT individuals have achieved success and prominence in every discipline.  They are our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters, and our friends and neighbors.  Across my Administration, openly LGBT employees are serving at every level.  Thanks to those who came before us    the brave men and women who marched, stood up to injustice, and brought change through acts of compassion or defiance    we have made enormous progress and continue to strive for a more perfect union.

Sinners have always been a part of our country and have even contributed to this country as athletes, first responders, business leaders, and for the purposes of this proclamation, let me say that it’s really normal and there is probably one (LGBT) in your family or should be if your family is normal and endorses sin like most do.  I make it a point in my administration to show that “this” sin is OK with me and so it should be for the entire country.  I’d like to equate the efforts here with the pioneers who have gone before.  Forget that they were standing on Christian principles.  The principles don’t really matter.  Gay rights, even though we know those acts are detestable to God, should be treated the same as civil rights though we know that racism and things like that are wrong.  Lets not let the details get clouded.  We want to endorse these anti-God lifestyles.

Much work remains to fulfill our Nation’s promise of equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.  That is why we must give committed gay couples the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple, and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.  We must protect the rights of LGBT families by securing their adoption rights, ending employment discrimination against LGBT Americans, and ensuring Federal employees receive equal benefits.  We must create safer schools so all our children may learn in a supportive environment.  I am also committed to ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” so patriotic LGBT Americans can serve openly in our military, and I am working with the Congress and our military leadership to accomplish that goal.

A lot of work remains to ensure that we become a country that ignores what God has said and do our own thing, but this is a good start.  Lets see if we can silence those Christians by showing them that a gay marriage, man’s creation, is just as good as a straight marriage, God’s creation.  I also plan on getting rid of that crazy Defense of Marriage act to support my aforementioned aims.  We can make sure that gays can adopt and do everything else just like those “old-fashioned” families, but they’re going out like dinosaurs and I will ensure that not only in homes, but I’m taking my fight to the military too.  See I’m really creating “the change” that I campaigned on.  You’ll never see your family or relationships the same once I’m done.  Yeah CHANGE!!!

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.  I call upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere it exists.

Now because I won the election and can do what I said I would do, I make June a month where the country can take pride in sin and I ask all Americans to take pride in this sin and to fight Christians wherever you see them not being tolerant of this sin.

Deuteronomy 4:4-8  “⁴But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.

⁵Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

⁶Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

⁷For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

⁸And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?”

---

Today we honor those who showed the ultimate measure of devotion to our country by sacrificing their very lives for it.  Today we invoke the blessings of God upon our very nation that we may forever keep His statutes and judgments.  As verse 6 above says, “this is our wisdom and understanding in the sight of nations.”  Most countries don’t know that they respect us simply because it is God who has placed that respect there and I’m not so sure that our politicians know either.  That might explain their current attempts to disregard and repeal many of the statutes that are based solely on His word.

What makes America so beautiful?  I think it is explained in verse 7.  “What nation is there so great, who hath God so near to them as the LORD our God is in all things…?  He makes our nation a beauty among nations.  It is a shame if we call not upon Him as a nation to direct our course.

Today, we should all give our lives as a memorial.  We should die in His service.  This will ensure that God will make America a nation among nations, as His chosen people give their lives in the fight for all to receive the freedom that only He can give through His Son Jesus Christ.

Consider this as you are serenaded by our very own Tanya Dallas Lewis as she sings America The Beautiful.

I just watched this a few minutes ago after getting it sent from my boy Shawn so of course it preempts any political, racial or otherwise stuff that I had planned for today.  We saw this lady live a few months ago when we went to the Get Motivated Seminar. You may remember how I talked about how “spiritually” motivating it was.  You can see that they know the source of motivation.  Check this out and be thrilled.

Nehemiah 2:17  “Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. ”

---

I thought for sure that verse was going to say “America” instead of “Jerusalem.”  Today’s post is a light-hearted, albeit serious, look at our illegal immigration problem.  Through prayer perhaps God will raise up a Nehemiah to build us a wall; perhaps literally but more especially figuratively.

It is kind of crazy that everyone else (other countries) has their doors shut to outsiders, but we have one wide open to anyone and people actually get upset if you tell them that they can’t come in.   Ridiculous.  Does anyone see that cloud forming over the horizon?

Proverbs 6:16-17  “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, ”

---

 

Note to self: If I’m ever caught in a direct lie while running for office, I must disqualify myself.

Can you believe it?  The Conneticut Attorney General as a candidate for senator in that state did just that and then characterized it as “I misspoke.”  Look at this line from just last year. 

“When we returned from Vietnam, I remember the taunts, the verbal and even physical abuse we encountered.” 

I don’t know if that sounds like someone who misspoke or if sounds like someone who decided they were going to lie and deceive.  Of course he’s not the first and sadly he will probably not be the last, but we should expect more of our politicians.  Listen to the words of his campaign spokesperson: “I think he wants to put this behind him. He wants to start getting back to talking about the issues that matter most to the people of Connecticut and start talking about who is going to best represent the people of Connecticut in Washington.”

I wonder if the spokesperson even realized how she just insulted the whole state of Conneticut by implying that integrity is not an issue that matters to them.  Doubtful.  She’s probably a politician too.

God hates lying and we should too, whether it’s my little white lie or a politician broadcasting their prevarication to the world.  It’s all ugly and we need not try to pretty it up.  You didn’t misspeak sir.  You lied.

1 Samuel 12:8-10  “When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

 ⁹And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

 ¹⁰And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. ”

---

 

The Texas Textbook fight, as it has been called, is finally over and many are upset that “conservatives” were able to have their way on many issues.  If you would like to find an article agreeing with your viewpoint on this issue, whatever your viewpoint is, it’s quite easy to do.  Many people are saying that the new textbook curriculum standards installed by Texas are the best thing that ever happened and just as many are saying that the standards should be repudiated.  What’s the real answer?  It depends.

This whole flap boils down to each individual’s perspective on what they want foremost for their children and the children of this nation to learn.  Here is what a state senator in California said about the new Texas standards, “The new standards call for a misleading and exaggerated focus on the supposed Biblical and Christian traditions of the founding fathers.”  The senator went on to say that California would not accept the “backwards” curriculum changes of Texas.

Of course I haven’t seen all of the changes, but I would be hard-pressed to disagree with any change that puts more emphasis on God and our Christian heritage.  For Christians, it’s never a “supposed” biblical tradition.  For us, our “forefathers” consist of names like Abraham, Moses and Joseph and history itself reveals to us what happened in their lands and to their peoples when they “forgot” God.

Today, we need to go backwards if it takes us to God, lest we repeat history as described in the scriptures above.  God can sell us into the hands of Philistines or terrorists or perhaps He already has.   We need to remember that and so do our children.  How about some real education for a change.  Did I say “change?”

2 Timothy 3:13  “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. ”

---

The article was titled, “Calderon and Obama agree: Arizona Immigration Law is Wrong.”  I would like to follow that headline up with my own.  “Calderon and Obama are wrong: The Arizona Immigration Law is Right.”

The President of Mexico was in our country yesterday to assail the new “illegal immigration” law recently passed in Arizona.  He stated in his speech that it discriminates against “migrants.”  He was quickly supported in his ignorance by our President.   I’m not sure if it’s the Washington D.C. air that causes this confusion with people or what.   Mr Calderon, if someone enters this country illegally, they’re not just migrants; they’re illegal migrants and illegal means, “against the law.”  As for our President’s part, he tried to support Mr Calderon’s ignorance without seeming quite as lost so he simply stated, “the law has the potential of being discriminatory.”  OK and so does every single law ever written.

The reality is that most Americans support the Arizona law because it simply makes sense.  Most Americans don’t have to politicize or think about what their constituents are going to say so they can be straightforward and honest and more than anything else, logical.  No one has presented any coherent statements on what’s wrong with the Arizona law.  The fact that it could discriminate against Latino citizens is like saying that we wouldn’t want to stop an Arab-American getting on a plane with a briefcase with the letters TNT on it because we might be discriminating.  Washington get a grip!  If you’re a politician and can’t understand this, most of America is now officially smarter than you are.

I’m not calling the two Presidents evil men, but the part of the scripture that talks about deceiving and being deceived applies.  Perhaps the political process, played too long, prevents one from seeing his/her errors and deception and perhaps that’s why they continue in it.  At any rate, someone needs to tell the emperor he has no clothes on or at least tell him that the rest of the country disagrees with you.

Colossians 1:28  “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

---

I actually thought that once I began my business venture at the barbecue place, that I would be out of the world of teaching; especially the type of subject matter that I used to teach as a JROTC instructor.  My curriculum there was simply character-based education; things like, why integrity is important and where does it come from; what does it mean to be a leader?.  After yesterday I realize that God has me teaching the same things through a different outlet; the business.

I used to say that the kids at school were, “my kids” and now I feel the same way about my employees and as I talked to a few of them during a down period at work, I realized that they needed help.

We began by talking about how they need to properly manage their money and I told  them that my wife would be the perfect person to talk to them about how to remove debt and set their finances straight.  My wife is an expert at money management.   The conversation about money management soon turned really personal after one of my employees talked about how her husband kept his money to himself and so she lived off of her money.  That’s when I heard the “time for counsel” bells go off.  As I began to pray for the right words to say, I saw God grab the attention of the two young ladies as I talked about how He fits into and directs the plans of His people.  After about 15 minutes or so, two male employees had joined in and were listening and I thought to myself, “I’ve got a classroom again.”

Today God is giving us plenty of opportunities to teach others some of the things that we’ve learned in Him.  As the scripture says, it’s His way of bringing wholeness to others, but  more than that, it’s most always a better opportunity for us to learn more about Him in the process.   In Christ, to be a teacher is to be His student.  Keep learning and keep teaching.

Newer Posts »