Adversity Builds Character

          “The notion that adults should do all they possibly can do to advance the self-esteem of children is dying a slow but hopefully unavoidable death.

          Research done by a number of objective folks, most notably Roy Baumeister at Florida State University, has clearly shown that high self-esteem is closely associated with anti-social inclinations.  Unfortunately, it’s taken more than a decade for the research in question to bridge the gap between academia and popular culture.  At this writing, two generations of parents were persuaded to devote themselves to creating child-rearing environments that were rich in praise and reward but lacking in reality, elevating their children to idol status in the process.

          Thankfully, I am a member of the last generation of American kids who were not allowed to possess high self-esteem.  My mother and later her second husband did all they could to repress my Inner Brat, for which I am most grateful.  (I did not, however, appreciate their efforts at the time.)  When I had an outburst of high self-esteem, one of them would tell me I was ‘acting too big for my britches’ and needed to size myself to the psychic garment in question before they were forced to lend a literal hand.

 

          Then there were those occasions when, without reprimand, one or the other of them would say, ‘It would be good for you to always remember that no matter what you accomplish in this world, you are really just a little fish in a big pond.’  It’s very helpful for me to remind myself of this on a regular basis.

          Everyone in my generation heard these very healthy things from their parents.  I estimate that there are fewer than 10 parents in America who say these psychologically incorrect things today.  Today’s typical parent seems to think his/her child is the only fish in the pond worth noticing, which is

really too bad for his/her child.  It’s bad for all of us, actually, because the research also finds that the higher a person’s self-regard, the lower his regard for others.  (It is also noteworthy that high self-esteem puts the individual at high risk for bouts of severe depression.)  People with high self esteem want to be paid attention to and served.  They believe in their entitlement.  On the other hand, folks with high regard for others pay attention to others and look for opportunities to serve them. 

          It is unarguable that culture is best served, preserved, and advanced by folks who fit the latter category.  Entitlements weaken, and a culture-wide entitlement mentality weakens the entire culture.  Along these lines, every single manager, employer, and supervisor with whom I have talked in the last decade or so has told me that today’s young college graduates, by and large, are not looking for work; rather, they are looking for benefit packages

(i.e. entitlements).  They can’t handle criticism, I’m told.  They are loathe to do more than ‘the minimum,’ yet they expect promotions.  The list of high self-esteem symptoms goes on and on.  This is corrosion.  It threatens America’s future.

          Raising a child who possesses high other-regard simply requires that parents do what our great-grandparents did.  They put their Marriages first, not their kids.  They gave their kids all that they truly needed and very little of what they simply wanted.  They assigned daily chores from age 3 on.  They expected their children to always do their best, in whatever setting.  Their beds were for adults only.  They rarely helped their kids with their homework.  They did not serve them individualized dinners.  Family came first, not after-school activities, and so on.  This parenting paradigm is as workable today as it was when I was a child.

          In fact, a small number (but I sense it is slowly growing) of parents have made the conscious decision to create this retro-revolution in their families.  Surely, they are the salt of the earth.”[1]

          I was directed to the above article by a very special family member.  Since I can’t agree with it more and couldn’t state things better, I copied it here.   Expound though I might, the basics are all stated in it.

          I have always heard, and know it to be true, that adversity builds character.  Those who are sheltered from the constantly occurring consequences of life will always be at a disadvantage.  The lack of building coping mechanisms in childhood renders one incapable of appropriate responses and reactions in adult life. 

          I am not advocating that beating the ‘holy bajesus’ out of your children is the answer, but rather the firm yet gentle admonition of a loving parent.  Corporal punishment is not however out of the question (with restraint) in those situations where deemed necessary and all else has failed.   I have lived long enough and seen enough to have seen the differences in the work ethic of recent generations as compared to mine.  This same lack of personal responsibility in the work place bleeds over into personal and community relationships.

          Personal responsibility is absolutely necessary in a free and just society.  That is why our founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with the wording that they used.  I am absolutely convinced that they would be astounded by the society in which we live.  When they referred to Providence, God, the natural laws of man, and others, they were in reference to the established thought patterns of the day which were based on the recognized basis of Judeo/Christian principles.  In the same way that Jesus used “hinting” (a Jewish method of referring back to Old Testament passages that in those days almost everybody knew) and parables that could be universally understood, the founding fathers knew what each was referring to in the vernacular of the day.  Far be it from our current society to recognize the Bible, and our founding documents, as the basis for our everyday lives.  Ridicule and condemnation are the by product of this type of behavior.

          "I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death."[2]  As I said, adversity builds character.  It takes a good character to benefit society. Those self absorbed, self-delusional and high self-esteemers just don’t qualify for true leadership.  To be a true leader one has to know and understand the value of serving others rather than being self-serving. Being self-serving only leads to further aggrandizement and power seeking of the individual.  Thus, they are the ones who think they know better what you need than you do, and therefore try to legislate your freedoms.  Your freedoms come from God, not from man or any government.  “Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.”[3] 

---

[1] Family psychologist John Rosemond, The Lakeland Ledger – 9-29-2010.  re:www.rosemond.com.

[2] Thomas Paine, The Crisis, No. 1, 1776

[3] Benjamin Franklin

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE >>

Political Rape

Anyone who accuses some person or group of being racist, without complete documentation, is a political rapist. Since rape is possibly the most personally damaging crime and racist is possibly the most personally damaging thing you could be labeled, the correlation seems right. The following shows the difference between date rape and political rape:

1. a. The date partner presents himself as someone whom you can trust.
b. The politician presents himself as someone you can trust.

2. a. Regardless of your protestations he does to you what you don’t want.
b. Regardless of your protestations he votes for what you don’t want.

In both cases the perpetrator has decided that you are of no significance in determining your own fate and that your desires are of no importance. Also, in both cases, the victim is left frustrated, injured, unable to trust and victimized.

To accuse some one of being racist without presenting accurate evidence should be punishable by law. It probably is, under the slander laws. Recently, Ben Jealous, president of the NAACP, accused the Tea Party movement of condoning racism. He presented accusations that were devoid of proof. This is a typical ploy of progressives as they believe that the end justifies the means. Attack and destroy the enemy is their call to action.

Rape when done to a man or woman is despicable and hideous. Political rape is on the other hand insidious. Any new limitation of our freedoms forced on our people, when the people are clearly against it, is political rape. Just as our forefathers were being politically raped by England, our government has been politically raping the American people for many years. Some recent examples of this would be health care legislation, cap and trade, federal funding of abortion, hate speech laws, the food police, separation of church and state and other usurpations of power by the government.

Every new law passed by the government diminishes our lives. As far as I am concerned, attempts to enforce these unconstitutional laws are tantamount to assault. Law enforcement officials should keep in mind that ‘I was only obeying orders’ was not found to be a sufficient defense. Any law passed by state and local governments that infringes on federal guarantees is not legal. A state for instance cannot pass laws limiting our constitutional rights or other federal guarantees. Our constitution clearly spells out the duties of the federal government. What is not spelled out as a federal duty is up to the individual states to handle. The separation of powers was designed as a balancing system to keep one branch from gaining too much power. If you haven’t read our country’s founding documents; you can’t know how bad our government is screwing you. If you read them you will realize you are being screwed without your permission. Where I come from, that’s called rape.

The duties of the Supreme Court system are to make sure that the laws, brought up to be in question, are in sink with the constitution, not to legislate from the bench. The Court system has no law making powers. Legislation is the job of congress. The executive branch is to handle the safety and security of the country in addition to other well spelled out duties. Any deviation of these assigned tasks is not in the interest of the people, is unconstitutional and against the law.

Rick Rahn

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE >>

The Voice Of The Lord In My Life

Learning to hear from the Lord is an ongoing process that I pray will grow stronger within me throughout my allotted time on Earth. For the most part, I believe that He speaks to me through his Word. Given to those who believe in Him. His Word is as He is, the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is never old fashioned or out of date. Not merely a work of mere men as some may profess; it is given to us by the inspiration of His Holy Spirit. To proclaim that the Bible is simply a group of nice myths and symbolic stories produced by men is to place it in the same category as the works of Shakespeare. Furthermore, that assumption completely denies the power of the Holy Spirit as that part of the triune God and His ability to lead and guide us into all truth. The disciples of the Lord were told to go to the Upper Room and to tarry there until they had been empowered by the Holy Spirit. Remember how Peter swore to the Lord that He would always defend Him, and yet, due to fear, he denied the Lord three times before the cock crowed just as Jesus had foreseen. However, this same Peter, after receiving the Holy Spirit, was so changed and strengthened, he went on to spread the gospel even to his death without fear or intimidation. It is the Holy Spirit that draws us to the Lord and unfolds the truth of His Word to enlighten our understanding of God that we will not be left to depend upon our own infinite and limited abilities to think and reason.

There have been several times in my life that I have been given the privilege of recognizing that my thoughts were not of my own, but rather the voice of the Lord speaking to me. I’m sure that He has spoken to me more often than I realized, but I just didn’t recognize the difference between my own thoughts and His voice speaking and revealing truths and knowledge to me. I share the following moments to give the glory to God for His ever loving care and influence in my life, and to hopefully give impetus to the belief that He does and will do the same for others, as we learn to listen and yield ourselves to His will in our lives.

One of the first times that I remember hearing His voice telling me something that I had no way of knowing in the natural, may seem trivial and meaningless at first glance. Upon returning from college for the summer, I had decided not to let any of my friends know that I was home. Rick, who is now my husband of forty-five years, and I had broken up and I had no idea that we would ever see each other, much less reunite. I had also broken up with the boy that I had bee seeing at college after realizing that life with him was not what I wanted. That in itself was a gift from God. I have said many times that one of the greatest gifts I received through the experience of dating others was to gain a greater appreciation for my wonderful and loving husband. At any rate, that morning I chose to go to the pool with my brother, Dave. While there, this voice within said, “You need to go home and fix your hair. Someone is coming to see you today.” The first few times I just ignored it. Then this ‘conversation’ took place within me. “You better go home and get yourself ready. Someone is coming to see you today. I replied, “That can’t be as none of my friends even know that I am home.” Finally, I decided to take the advise of the voice within and went home to fix my hair and get dressed. I then decided to call Betty, one of my girlfriends. She asked me if I had seen or heard from Rick as he had been calling her to inquire if she knew when I was coming back home. I had no idea that he was still even interested in me. About that time, my Daddy’s voice announced that someone was there to see me. I asked Betty to hold on while I went to see who in the world it could be. I peaked out my bedroom door and asked, “Who is it Daddy?” He replied, “It’s Rick.” My heart jumped with unbelief as I said, “Tell him I’ll be down in a little bit.” I went back to the phone and told Betty the incredulous news that Rick was down stairs in my living room that very minute.” I quickly hung up the phone, finished “fixing my hair,” as the Lord had instructed, and went down to see the love of my life. From that moment on we never parted. A little over a year later, we were married. Lord, thank you for preparing me to be presentable to my future husband.

Now you may be asking, just as I did, why would the Lord bother to get involved in what appeared to be a trivial matter such as telling me to go home and get my hair fixed in preparation for a visit from someone? I knew without a doubt that it was the Lord, but the why was not revealed to me until years later. The Lord knew I was going to have to learn to listen and trust in Him for even the seemingly small things before I could learn to listen, obey, trust, and depend upon Him for the greater moments of my life. It wasn’t the fixing of my hair that was important, but rather learning to listen to Him and obey. It is not sufficient in our lives to just “know” the Lord, we must believe in Him and obey. Satan and his demons know who the Lord is, but they will never yield and obey Him.

After Rick and I were married, he was drafted and sent to Germany. Thankfully, I was able to join him there. When it was time for me to return home, we were on the way to the airport when the tire blew out. At first I felt nothing but panic and fear that I would miss my flight. I certainly didn’t have the money for another ticket. Then just as suddenly as the panic and fear had gripped me, an all consuming sense of peace flooded into my inner most parts and the voice of the Lord assured me that I was not to fear or worry and He would provide. Within moments, a complete stranger pulled over to inquire if there was anything he could do to help.

Upon hearing of our problem, he immediately offered to take us the rest of the way to the airport. I was learning once more to listen to His voice. What a marvelous way to be assured that the Lord is always with us, and He is involved and cares about us at all times without ceasing. Yet I still had not learned to really trust enough to share those “truths” or words of knowledge with others.

Years later I was standing in front of the sink in our kitchen. The Lord told me that our 16 year old daughter was pregnant. I knew it was not just my own thoughts. There had not been anything to make such thoughts be from myself. I hoped that it was not true for her sake. Rick was out of town on a business trip. I decided that this time I would not keep the knowledge to myself. I called Rick and said, “Honey, the Lord has told me things before, but I didn’t share them with anyone else. I hope I am wrong, but I believe that he has told me that Lisa is pregnant. I wanted to tell you beforehand this time just as the Lord has told me.”

Of course he hoped it wasn’t so either, but still waited with me for the confirmation of the word from the Lord. You know Gods Word tells us that “to be forewarned is to be forearmed.” That was exactly what He was doing. Once again He was enabling us so we could be prepared to handle the trial to come. That night when Lisa got home, she sat down on the sofa. I didn’t mention anything about the message from the Lord. Her conversation was rather light and yet she acted fidgety and nervous as if there was something else really on her mind. I just looked at her and asked, “What is it that you really want to talk about with me?” She took a deep breath and finally just blurted out that she thought she might be pregnant. Very calmly I said, “I hope we are both wrong, but the Lord spoke to me today and told me that you were. In fact, I have already called your Daddy to let him know also what God had said. Having been forewarned had given me the ability to receive the news without completely losing it. I was able to remain calm and let Lisa know that we would get a pregnancy test and no matter what we would be there for her. She couldn’t believe how her Daddy and I were taking the news. She said, “I sure wish God had let me know that He had already told you so that I wouldn’t have felt so scared to tell you. I didn’t know what you might do.” Well, suffice it to say, the next day the pregnancy test confirmed the word from the Lord. Lisa was given all kinds of advice such as getting an abortion. She knew what we felt about that, but at the same time we knew that we had to leave the decision up to her. Rick and I prayed all that weekend.. Finally, she came to us and said the she believed that the baby was a part of her and she would not get an abortion. We breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the Lord for answered prayer. Now that little baby, Devin, is 19 years old.

Upon returning home from work one day, nothing of any real significance had happened that day. Yet as I reached for the doorknob, the Lord spoke these words to me so very clearly. I was meant to recall them several times over the coming years. It was as if the scene was recorded in my memory like a video tape that was to be rewound and revisited time and time again. He said, “If you were to loose this house and everything that is in it, still God is and will remain God no matter what.” At the time I remember acknowledging “Okay God, I don’t really understand what you mean or why you are saying this to me, but I do know that it is your voice.” No, we did not loose that house, but we were to face many a trial and tribulation. Eventually I would learn He was telling me that He, God, was not ever defined by or limited to or by my circumstances, experiences or situations. No matter what happens in life, God is always God. That one message from Him has helped me to learn that the important question is not “God, why me” or “Why did you let this happen to me,” but rather “Okay Lord, What is it that you want me to learn from this that I may glorify thee?” That question is always accompanied with His assurance that He will always be right there with me in and through what ever that trial may be. He will never leave me nor forsake me. He will help me to endure in the here and now, and promises to fulfill my eventual hope of eternity with Him in Heaven.

These are but a few of the times when I believe that the Lord has spoken directly to me. Lord I pray that you will always help each of us to listen and learn from your Word by the power of your Holy Spirit, and give us the wisdom and discernment to follow and obey thee and none other. Thank you for your written Word, and your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior who came to fulfill the promises of your Word.

Ginger Rahn

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE >>

Government Church

          The separation of church and state, if that is how you want to phrase it, is in actuality, a one way street.  The first amendment says that the government cannot interfere with our religious practices.  It also says that the federal government can’t set up a state church.  For some time now our government has been putting more and more restrictions on our churches.  To participate in a faith based program the church must follow government dictates.  To have the tax exemptions to which churches are entitled, you must limit what you say from the pulpit.  Apparently what the Word of God says can be determined by progressives, when they are in power, to be hate speech.  There is a simple answer to this – DON’T TAKE THE MONEY!  Render to Cesar’s what is Cesar’s and to God what is God’s.  The Church belongs to God, not Caesar.  Believers, you are the Church, and if also an American citizen, your rights are given by God, not the government.   Isn’t it about time you started standing up for your rights and freedoms?   Since we have the freedom of speech and free exercise of religion, the only way these rights can be limited is if we allow it to happen.  It doesn’t matter if you are a believer in God or are an atheist, if our first amendment rights are limited, we all loose. 

          I haven’t heard the expression ‘apostate church’ used in years but I am convinced that what is happening too many of our churches today qualifies under that heading.  We are told in the Bible that there will be many to come in the name of Christ, and if not for the Holy Spirit, even the ‘elect’ could be misled.  Since we know that there is only one Christ, we know to be vigilantly looking for these imposters.  Are we so lazy or frightened that we won’t confront what we know to be wrong?  If your church is not teaching Jesus as Savior, a personal relationship with the Christ and that the Bible is the inerrant word of God; it’s not a Christian church.  As I have said before, Jesus is an absolutist and so am I.  The current thinking, that everything is relative, is simply a lie of the Devil.

          As has been documented ad infinitum, we started out as a Christian nation.  Mostly because of this fact, we prospered and grew and the Lord blessed our efforts.  A creeping disease within our nation has been growing and today seems to be out of control.  Just recently our president announced that we were not a Christian nation.  How did we become this corrupt?  How did it come about that we accept Satan’s values over that of the Lord?  Did we forget that sin is anything that separates us from God?  Did we forget that our declaration of Independence declares our dependence on God (Providence) for our rights?

          “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man puts forth, that shall he also receive back.”[1] “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”[2]  This is our God and The God of our nation.  How long are we going to stand for the few who, knowing it or not, are working to remove His blessing from us.  If we keep going in the same direction the following is true - "The future ain't what it used to be"[3]. 

          Because of my relationship with Christ, I have a certain world view and outlook on life.  It is not my place to condemn you for your beliefs if they are different from mine, but rather to join with you to further our nation as our founding documents suggest.  This is one of the main tenants of our Christian nation.  I don’t care what your situation is; you could have a better and more fulfilling life if you had a relationship with the one true and living God.  It is not my duty however, to force you into that relationship.  Conversely, it is not our governments place to interfere with that relationship. 

          Recently, our leadership has started to distance our country from the state of Israel.  We as a nation, since Israel was restored as a nation, have been a supporter and protector of Israel.  God said He would bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel.  Since God considers Jerusalem as being His city, I think at this point we are sitting on the precipice of destruction.

---

[1] Galatians 6:7

[2] Chronicles II 7:14

[3] Yogi Berra

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE >>

Am I Angry?

          I have been told that there are people who can’t read my rantings because of the anger I express and that I present everything as absolutely true.  First of all, why would I present something I didn’t believe was true?  This rant is to let you know that my heart and mind are open to anything that is true.  From what I can determine, the Bible is absolutely true and has never been disproved.  The founding documents and writings of our founding fathers state that what they were doing was what they intended.  "I entirely concur in the propriety of resorting to the sense in which the Constitution was accepted and ratified by the nation. In that sense alone it is the legitimate Constitution."  This is the true foundation of our nation; however, as with the Bible, you have to go back to the founding papers to determine what the writer intended instead of what someone tells you they intended.  The best example I can give of this fact is the fictitious separation of church and state.  It appears in a letter by Thomas Jefferson to a Baptist congregation, assuring them that the government was not allowed to mess with their church.  What is really in the religion part of the first amendment?  It states that the government has no right to control religion, not that the Church shouldn’t be involved in government.  Most of the founders considered Christianity to be a vital part of our government and several of them stated that being a Christian should be a prerequisite to holding government office.  The majority of the problems in the world today could be solved by Christian leadership[1].  Yes, I know that is a strong and controversial statement, but I believe it to be true.

 

          Jesus is an absolutist and so am I.  There is nothing wrong in believing in absolutes as long as you are sure that the absolute you believe in is absolutely true.  Yes there are such things as absolutes and facts that cannot be disputed.  There absolutely is such a thing as right and wrong.  Misinterpretation would have you believe that killing is always wrong.  It depends on the circumstances.  Murder on the other hand is always wrong.  There is a difference between killing and murder.  The Bible for instance says that ‘thou shall not kill’; however, the original language used (which was given by God) said ‘thou shall not murder’.  Now which do you suppose is the absolute, killing or murder?  Killing can be the only recourse in war and protecting ones self and family.   The first commandment states “I am the Lord thy God!  You should have no other god’s but Me!” Jesus said; “I am the truth the way and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Me.”  This definitely exposes the fallacy of the statement that there are many paths the heaven. 

 

          There is a lot of distortion, misrepresentation, political correctness, misdirected information and revisionist history as well as blatant lying being heaped on us from all directions.  As far as I can tell this is all coming from those who want God out of our lives and to bring about fundamental changes to our country.  The door swings both directions.  We welcome those immigrants who come to us legally and wish to become Americans, and we welcome those to leave (as our ancestors did) who think that the grass is greener elsewhere. 

 

          Our government has provided more liberty and more freedoms than any other in the history of the world.  Our rights which are provided by Providence (God) are in jeopardy at present by those who would like to ruin what we have in order to consolidate their power and wealth.  I know you have heard that money is the root of all evil.  This phrase is supposed to have come from the Bible.  The truth is that the Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil.  As Glenn Beck and others have said, in order to accomplish these goals they must discredit both God and our founders.  Just look at the record of Marxism (Socialism, Communism, Progressivism or whatever you want to label it), and you will find the history of death and destruction it has caused.  ”Government is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.”[2]  Our Marxist friends are trying to accomplish the task of changing our government from servant to master.  The United States and its Capitalist system may not be perfect, but it is undoubtedly superior to anything else devised by the mind of man.  One of the biggest lies being told is that we are a democracy.  We are a republic, not a democracy.  I won’t go into the details of the differences here.  Suffice it to say that democracy is no better than mob rule. "Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."[3] 

 

          I guess it could be said that I show anger in my rants.  I would rather refer to this condition as righteous indignation.  When I see that there are those who are out to steal, kill and destroy, it is a call to action and these rants are that action.  I am not saying that we are at the point where we need to use force of arms.  “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government,”[4]  The vote is by far the best method of retaliation against those who would destroy the country.  “If we don’t use our freedoms to fight for our freedoms we will loose our freedoms.”[5]

---

[1] Born again Christians – not CRINO (Christian religion in name only)

[2] George Washington

[3] John Adams 1814

[4] Thomas Jefferson

[5] John Hagee

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE >>

Satan

          Many people have been taught that Satan is red, has horns, a tail and carries a pitchfork.   Wrong!  The Satan of this world is good looking and appealing.  He dresses like you do, with jeans, Dockers and a Che Guevara tee shirt.  Sometimes he wears an Armani suit and Florsheims.  Suffice it to say that he will meet you where he thinks you are most vulnerable.  You, I am sure, have heard the phrase ‘silver tongued devil’.  Who do you think invented crooked politicians? 

          Apparently there are many people who don’t believe that Satin exists.  There are even many Christians that don’t either believe in Satan or simply don’t understand his place in this world.  It seems better for some folks to simply bury their head in the sand rather than admit that there are things they have no control over.  There is One who does have control; however, you have to know Him.  The who, and the why, will be explained. 

          According to the History book, Lucifer was not satisfied to be just one of the top angels[1].  There was an ensuing power struggle between Lucifer and God.  As you might have guessed, God won and Lucifer and those who chose his side were expelled from heaven.  Today’s demons are the angels that chose the wrong side.  Since Satan is now dealing with sour grapes and only has a limited time to have his place of authority on earth, he has to move quickly to do whatever he can to try to upset God’s plans.  Satan’s job, as he sees it, is to keep you from knowing the Lord’s plan of salvation through Jesus the Christ.  “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”[2]   He is out to steal, kill and destroy.  “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”[3] You and your children’s souls are what he is after.  Be sober and vigilant because Satan goes around like a roaring lion looking for anyone he can devour[4].  You must see that you can no longer live as the world does, in the vanity of their own minds.[5]  “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts”[6].  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”[7]  “We cannot live in sin here below and then expect to live in heaven above.”[8]

          “Satan's power is over all the nations of the earth. That could be very frightening when we realize he can influence men in such a way that they are not even aware that they are being influenced toward evil. His power is so extensive that he is over all the nations of the earth. Jesus calls him the ruler of this world (John 14:30). He affects people's attitudes by moving our reasoning processes toward satisfaction of the self. He gives disinformation and stirs up our spirit.

          Here is what is so perverse about this: It is not evil for one to take care of himself. What is evil is to make the satisfaction of the self more important than God or others. We are to serve God before all else (the great commandment), and the second is like it—we are on an equal par with others physically. Nowhere are we given the right or privilege by God to make ourselves greater than or more important than God or other human beings.”[9]

          There is a difference between Christianity and ‘in the name of Christ’.  I say this because of the influence that Satan has over the world and therefore over mankind.  I can’t find instructions for the inquisition anywhere in the Bible, although it was carried on in the name of Christ.  I have said for years that the trouble with Christianity is the Christians and that is because of the worldly or satanic influence the Devil has over mankind.   Some people say that the ’Church’ is filled with hypocrites, which is why they choose not to attend church.  Satan has captured a lot of souls with this lie.   There is no perfect church!  If there were a perfect church, it wouldn’t be when we arrived because you and I are not perfect.  The population of hypocrites is no larger in church than it is in the unchurched world.  We simply stand out more because we are not living what we profess.  Unfortunately we all have hypocrisy in our lives.  Churches are built by men and men are not perfect. “A denomination is nothing more than a monument to a dead saint.”[10] 

          The whole idea behind the Church is to be a place to gather, learn about the Christ, further your knowledge about Christianity, worship and fellowship with other Christians.  Judging others, discrimination, haughtiness, flaunting your personal power and or riches and gossip are all ways the devil infiltrates the Church.  Church is a place for being uplifted and sharing.  Good works are those things that are done because you have been inspired by God, not to earn salvation.  As you can imagine, Satan hates the church.  He would do anything to keep you out of it.  Where two or more are gathered in Christ’s name is church.  “Give no place to the devil.”[11]  The church should be a sanctuary from Satan so try not to bring him in with you. 

          The first amendment of the Constitution of the United States says that the government cannot interfere with the free exercise of our religion.  This is combined with the right of free speech.  Any idea why those who are influenced by Satan are fighting the first amendment? 

P.S.  Our President recently said that we are being exposed to far too much information.  If my rantings are giving you so much information that it clouds your ability to think, I apologize.  I personally believe that knowledge is power.

---

[1] Isaiah 14:13-14

[2] II Corinthians 4:3-4

[3] John 8:44

[4] 1 Peter 5:8

[5] Ephesians 4:17

[6] Ephesians 4:18

[7] 2 Timothy 3:16-17

[8] D. James Kennedy

[9] John W. Ritenbaugh

[10] Jean Mulholland

[11] Ephesians 4:18

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE >>

American?

       “A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.”[1]

"To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian. The signal Instances of providential Goodness which we have experienced and which have now almost crowned our labors with complete Success, demand from us in a peculiar manner the warmest returns of Gratitude and Piety to the Supreme Author of all Good."[2]

           Arkansas recently passed a law cracking down on illegal immigration.  The emphasis here is on illegal, as in those who break the law of the land.  There has been a lot of demonstrating by illegal aliens and others against this new law.  It seems that there are many people that don’t understand we are a country of laws.  “American immigration (immigration to the United States of America) refers to the movement of non-residents to the United States.   Illegal immigration to the United States refers to the act of foreign nationals violating U.S. immigration policies and national laws by entering or remaining in the United States without proper permission from the United States government.”[3]  That is, a government of the people, buy the people and for the people.  Those who enter this country by going through the proper and lawful procedures are more than welcome.  Glad to have them.  Those who wish to start their new lives by breaking the laws of their new country have no idea what America stands for.  “Authorities whether federal, state or municipal…are required to demand that foreigners prove their legal presence in the country, before attending to any issues.”  Oops, that’s the Mexican Population Law, article 67. Apparently other countries think that their boarders are more important than ours.   The new Arkansas law on the other hand is very similar to federal laws already on the books.  The problem seems to be that no one is doing anything to protect us under the existing laws.  If you can’t get protection from the existing authorities, you have to protect yourself. 

          ‘Students Kicked off Campus for wearing American flag clothing on the Mexican holiday of Sinco de mayo at Live Oak high school in Morgan Hill.  "They said we could wear it on any other day, but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today.”’[4] Some Mexican students said they were offended.  The celebration of Sinco de mayo is a celebration of Independence Day.  Not America’s independence, its Mexico’s independence.  In case some of you don’t know – July 4^th. is the Independence Day for Americans.  Americans celebrate July 4^th, not May 5^th.  What’s next?  Guatemala’s Independence Day, Germany’s, Australia’s, China’s, or how about Canada?  This is the United States of America.  Join us or leave us, but don’t keep trying to divide us and destroy us.

 

           Should we be Americans or hyphenated Americans?  As far as I am concerned, hyphenated Americans are not whole hearted Americans; plus I don’t want the burden of being an English, German, Scottish, Irish, and Austrian-American.  I’m not saying that it’s not good to recognize ones heritage.  Part of my heritage is that my family has been here since the 1620’s.  They broke away from the country they left.   It’s all about a new life.  Out with the old and in with the new.  It’s about time that people coming to this country make the decision before hand as to whether they want to be Americans, or not.  Why would you want to come to America and not wish to be a whole hearted American?  If you like where you are; bloom where you are planted.   In both the past and present, many came here for a better life and the American dream.  It’s not a good idea to drag a bunch of old baggage with you when you are trying to change your life.  I personally celebrate Independence Day, Armistice Day, Veterans Day, D Day, V Day and any other day that commemorates the victory of America over any form of oppression.  Notice that two of the days I celebrate are the overcoming of two of the countries in my heritage.  "Let the American youth never forget, that they possess a noble inheritance, bought by the toils, and sufferings, and blood of their ancestors."[5]   

---

[1] George William Curtis

[2] George Washington

[3] Wikipedia

[4] http://www.breitbart.tv/students-kicked-off-campus-for-wearing-american-flag-tees/

[5] Joseph Story

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE >>