Friday, October 31

Yes, another political post........

Eric Williams, one of my coworkers and a passionate young man, sent out an email regarding Senator Barrack Obama. I agree with his statement regarding Obama's name......

"I'd like to clear up a couple of misconceptions about Senator Obama. First, PLEASE stop attacking his name. His name is rooted in Arabic/ Swahili wording (Swahili is VERY similar to Arabic, in the same way the Hindi language is). People who attack his name because of the similarity to Saddam or any other Hussein are doing so strictly from ignorance. Hussein is a widely popular name amongst Arabs, due to the name of Muhammad's grandson's name and the desire to honor him. Attacking Barack because his middle name is Hussein would be like attacking someone with the name Joseph because of Stalin."

There is plenty to cause doubt on the fitness of Senator Obama to fulfill the duties and character of the President of the United States. For some reason, several voters have decided that it is only his lack of military service that is a viable reason behind such doubt, rather than his liberal, socialistic, and executive inexperience or nature. Eric points out that Obama would not be the first President not to have military service on their resume, but he is the first to have a decisive lack of either military or governmental service in and out of conflicts that have peppered this young nation's history; from the 1676 King Philip's war in which American colonists fought on through to the 2003 Iraq war. We have had 43 Presidents serving in the White House during that time, and only 12 of those Presidents have no military experience…

John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, and William (Bill) Clinton.

Every serving president since 1941 until 1992, or from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to George H. W. Bush, has served actively in the military, either in wartime or in peace. Roosevelt served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy during World War 1 at age 35 and George H.W. Bush served as a pilot in the Air National Guard. Neither had any combat experience in uniform.

Ten of the twelve Presidents selected by my colleague served in a variety of political postings; Adams as an ambassador, representative from Massachusetts; Jefferson and Van Buren are the only Presidents to serve as a governor, vice-president and Secretary of State. Jefferson also served in the Contential Congress and Van Buren as a senator from New York; Quincy Adams as secretary to the Minister of Russia and the Minister of Russia himself; Taft served as negotiator for McKinley for the Spanish-American War, chief counsel for the commission to establish a government in the Philippines, Governor-general of the Philippines, and Secretary of War; Wilson served as Governor of New Jersey, as well as the President of Princeton;

Harding was a Ohio State senator, Lieutenant-Governor of Ohio, and a US Senator; Coolidge was a city councilman in Northampton, Massachusetts, State Representative, Mayor of Northampton, State Senator, Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts, Governor of Massachusetts, and Vice-President under Harding; Hoover was the Head of the US Food Administration and known as one of the Top Ten Living Americans at the conclusion of WW1 for his humanitarian efforts in feeding Europe; Franklin Roosevelt, as mentioned, was Assistant SecNav and is the only President who was elected four times.

Only two served in no government posting during the conflicts that they were eligible for military draft.

Grover Cleveland was practicing law in New York during the Civil War. The Conscription Act of 1863 required all able-bodied men to serve in the Army if called upon, or hire a substitute and Cleveland paid George Benninsky, a 32 year old Polish immigrant $150 dollars to serve in his stead. In 1870, Cleveland would serve as Sheriff of Erie County, beginning his political service after losing a bid for District Attorney in 1865. Cleveland and the law firm he started with his friends were well-known in the elite among New York's finest.

Even so, as his biographer Allan Nevins wrote, "probably no man in the country, on March 4, 1881, had less thought than this limited, simple, sturdy attorney of Buffalo that four years later he would be standing in Washington and taking the oath as President of the United States." Cleveland is the only President to win two nonconsecutive terms to the Presidency, 1885-1889 and 1893-1897.

Some may want to compare Senator Barrack Obama's rise to vie for the highest political office as a similarity of Cleveland's, whereas Obama never had realized such lofty dreams. Yet, if we compare the historical stature of Cleveland as an attorney, we find a elite, well-known man who's propelling into such national spotlight could readily be seen as uncommon, but expected. Obama has no such claim to his earlier years prior to his first run for political office, funded and supported by the more liberal and socialist political players in American politics.

William Jefferson Clinton is the most narifous of the twelve 'non-military' Presidents. After registering for the draft in 1964 and being given a 2-S deferment due to his college enrollment, Clinton faced possible induction with Johnson rescission of the exemptions in 1968. Being reclassified as 'eligible for enlistment', Clinton dodged one induction notice and brought in heavy influence to the other to beat the induction. His pre-induction physical was delayed twice as long as others and five times as long as qualified males of comparative eligibility.

Clinton would join the ROTC at University of Alabama to obtain deferment, even though Army regulations state that to be eligible the person must be enrolled at the University and be a full-time student. Clinton was a student at Oxford, and never attended ROTC, being overseas in London organizing and leading anti-war protests, traveling to Norway to meet with 'peace' organizations and winding up in Russia in December of 1969, saying that "a time of détente," existed in 1969-1970, despite strained relations between the two superpowers because Russia was supplying the North Vietnamese with tools of war.

Colonel Eugene Holmes, commander of the program, admitted that there was pressure from the Hot Springs board and the office of Senator J. William Fulbright (D-AR) to admit Clinton into the program. Holmes, a decorated office in the US Army, has a stunning resume; survivor of the Bataan Death March, 3 ½ years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and awarded of the Silver Star, 2 Bronze stars, 2 Legions of Merit, and the Army commendation medal among others. He inducted both sons during the Vietnam War, one as an enlisted man and the other as a commissioned officer (the son completed ROTC).

Clinton apparently changes his mind about the draft, writing his commanding officer, Col. Holmes, in the ROTC program at UofA. "The decision not to be a resister and the related subsequent decisions were the most difficult of my life. I decided to accept the draft in spite of my beliefs for one reason only, to maintain my political viability within the system. For years I have worked to prepare myself for a political life characterized by both practical political ability and concern for rapid social progress. It is a life I still feel compelled to try to lead. I do not think our system of government is by definition corrupt, however dangerous and inadequate it has been in recent years."

Sound familiar? Obama says the same thing about his time as a 'community activist' and his associations.....often distorting his voting record.

During Clinton's administration, spanning two terms, he signed H.R. 4655 into law to institute a policy of 'regime change' against Iraq. He launched Operation Desert Fox, a four day bombing campaign against that country. The Battle of Mogadishu, in Somalia, was another conflict the Clinton Presidency experienced with a black eye as 18 soldiers were brutalized and killed by natives when two Black Hawk Helicopters fell behind enemy lines. The US was involved in stopping the ethnic cleansing of Albanians by Serbians in Kosovo with a NATO bombing campaign named Operation Allied Force.

Biden says that we can expect a President Obama to be tried by those in other nations as they bring a crisis to 'test his metal'. Even, apparently, from those nations were he would open diplomatic lines with known terrorists, countries where he is celebrated as their choice for President of our country.

Look at the twelve non-military Presidents and compare their pre-Presidential lives to that of the upcoming Senator who was labeled the Most Liberal Senator in 2007. Look at their associations and compare to Senator Obama's. Look at his non-siding, liberal voting record…….and then again marvel at his rise to fame.'

Can you really say, regardless of military inexperience, that Obama has so much more to offer as character reference to his viability as President? Other than a historical 'first'?

Vote your values, not publicity. Vote your morals, not surrender them in compromise. Vote, not for image but for the best of us to represent us. And if you don't find them on the Republican, Democrat, or even third-party tickets…..write your candidate in. Yes, some will say you are just throwing your vote away. Then throw it away for a purpose; to declare that the American people want the best leaders leading and not the savviest politician…….

Compare the past Presidents to these two future hopefuls. Compare and be warned………you get what you vote for…….

As my colleague Eric closes his email with: "That's not to say that the Obama camp is without fault. I could go on and on with a list of previous voting records, previous recorded statements, etc of things he's said that have gone against history……….Above all, vote……. Good luck to all of us, we'll need it."

Resources:
http://mazurland.typepad.com/myweblog/2007/11/military-servic.html
http://ohnestaeb.newsvine.com/_news/2008/07/09/1650176-military-service-and-the-presidency
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/896151/why_military_service_should_actually.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080714141446AAORINB
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_president_served_in_both_the_revolutionary_war_and_the_war_of_1812
http://books.google.com/books?id=xFxtqw-5NcEC&pg=PA111&lpg=PA111&dq=John+Adams+a+dove%3F&source=web&ots=Wxn-lB-0e5&sig=GYHuRQWas_Wvlq4WxxSEGZjyaYE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=11&ct=result#PPP13,M1
Congressional Record (Page: H5550) 7/30/93 William Clinton's letter to ROTC commander at UofA.

Wednesday, October 29

A little piece of Heaven here on earth......

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. The people of every nation will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right but the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home. I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' Then the people who have God's approval will reply to him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you into our homes or see you in need of clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' The king will answer them, 'I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant [they seemed], you did for me.'" Matthew 25:31-40 (GWT)

My eyes are still not dry from the ride into work, an hour trip on way that I often do on autopilot. Since I 'splurged' the five dollars for a cheap attachment so that I can plug my nieces' gift of an used MP3 player into my 1995 'classic' radio system, I can listen to my favorite tunes on the way....connecting with God in a way that life doesn't seem to allow outside of the worship services of my new church, The River. I'm probably a sight, driving down Dixie Highway, Telegraph, M-10, and the Southfield Freeway.....arms popping up to the sky and belting out the song louder than the radio itself!

It wasn't the events; so many within the last few months that have my eyes in tears, raising my hands and voice in praise to our Lord and Savior...though one would understand surely if that was indeed the reasoning and approve of it.....

One song, listened to over and over and over.....hit me as God wrapped His warm and loving arms around me this morning and for the first time in a while.....I drove along in silence, playing the same song over and over again.............for the hour's drive......

"I can only imagine what it'll be like when I walk by Your side. I can only imagine what my eyes will see when Your face is before me. I can only imagine. Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still? Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing Hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?" I Can Only Imagine MercyMe The Worship Project.

I've often felt that wonder, that wonder of what the awesome and powerful impact of having my Savior standing before me and speaking to me person-to-person in a physical, relational way....far beyond the times His Father has spoken verbally to me or the Spirit has impassioned me......that day I long for, strive for, and know in my heart will eventually come; in His time and not my own. It is why I hang on by that fingertip on the ledge of this broken world....it is why I struggle against the flesh. For that moment in time, that place in the Heavens. Something my heart longs for, yet has never yet known.......

Or has it?

There is that saying, "A little piece of Heaven here on Earth." It has been used as a slogan for a destination vacation spot or some fancy new treatment at the local spa, inferring that the blissfulness and joy of Heaven has been 'recreated' at that spot or with that treatment.....

God told me this morning, as I listened to MercyMe......"A piece of Heaven here on Earth for you, My Beloved son."

And I knew how I will act when Jesus stands before me, face-to-face. I will fall to my knees, eyes in tears of joy, and be unable to speak..........

A month or two ago, a brother of mine in the ministry M3 sent me an email asking about how things were going. I mentioned that I was okay, not buying up Lincolns to drive and huge homes to dwell in; but 'struggling well' as one of our mentors says. Things were tight, but not disastrous........I mentioned needs that were unfulfilled but being worked towards............

He said that he had some clothes his kids had outgrown for my son, who seems to have experienced a major spurt in his growth.........we made plans to meet to exchange them as the months progressed, emails of clothing sizes and such flying back and forth in the air of the Internet age.

We met up last night as my son practiced flag football with his team on the field of The River's eventual home a short jog away on the highway. Recently my thoughts, as I am sure the thoughts of parents everywhere have, turned towards the looming holidays and how they were going to be so different from the holidays in the past recent years.....as I remarked, somewhat bitterly to a friend, "This Christmas is going to rely on the charity of strangers."

Don't get me wrong....it isn't that such isn't appreciated, far from it. I'd rather focus my attention on giving to others than having to ask for gifts for my children, for that is the only reason I'd ask for it in the first place.

It was a blessing in disguise....a brother in Christ I haven't seen since the Story Weekend we both went on a year ago, Vito, was there as I arrived. A brother who's story touches my own and who's heart is reflective of God's powerful light. It was great to reconnect with my brother-in-arms, and to be reminded that lives touched are lives changed.

The gentleman, Tim, who's house we met at said a comment that describes best the connection that, untapped for a year, still exists between a burly, Italian powerful man of God and I; "You can always tell the guys who have shared a story weekend."

As I travelled back to the practice field to watch the remainder of practice, I peeked in the bags that my brother had helped load into my car. It struck me as odd that there were tags sticking out of the bags......and the clothes, supposedly used, had that 'new clothes fold' to them. I arrived at the field and parked. I noticed one smaller bag within one of them, so I pulled it out.

Inside were some gloves and a head band thingy from Isotones....you know, keeps the ears warm....as it was colder, I grabbed the head band thingy....I had to remove the tags though......

Practice ended early, the coach citing the cold and the falling darkness (the field is unlit). My son, as my dear child is oft to do, was excited about the practice just completed....and the adventure awaiting ahead trying on what he assumed were used clothes from another family who's son had outgrown them. He was excited, after the introduction of the head band thingy.......which he was quick to inform me was his favorite, since it kept his ears warm.

Long story short....the clothes were new, with the store tags still attached. My BIC said that his friend that was giving the clothes didn't have any used, so went out and bought new. It was a soothing balm to this Dad's soul to watch his son's excited and delighted face as he tried them on and made plans for what he would wear for his next month's worth of schooling.......and his comment of 'can I make a card to thank your friend?'

A little piece of heaven here on earth.................

When I called my friend about how the 'used' clothes were new, my friend told me that a brother wanted to bless me and had arranged with my landlord to take care of my December obligation.

A little piece of heaven here on earth.................

The biting cold of another Michigan winter is whispering at the doors of the season and yet I am warm inside. Because a few of my brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ followed the example of the Groom Himself, and displayed the light of His love, the power of His touch, and the compassion within His heart in a darkness of a broken world.

Proclaiming the Gospel without uttering a word, without a handshake in appreciation.

Showing the love of Christ in a simple way, maybe, but in a way that is undeniably God's. It isn't the clothes in and of itself.

It is a group of people who moved where God told them to go; without question and without qualm.

I don't have to wonder what I would do when I come face to face with the Savior, His hands and feet bearing the nail marks and the wound in His side. I don't have to think about whether I would sing His praises or be in utter awe to the point of silence.

I am seeing Christ reflected from the actions and words of silent beacons in the darkness of the world, I feel the whisper of the robe of the One who walks beside me in the words of those who interact with me during meetings and discussions.

Maybe it is just that being at the bottom, I can hear my God more clearly because I have no where to look but up. It may be, as I see how I can't do this life alone, that I rely on God's mercies each day.

It may be, but I don't think so.

The deeds of loving kindness, true benevolence, and agape love are what we, as church, called to in service to our King. They can be done in many different ways by all types of people, regardless of financial status or inclination.

As Chrysostom said, "He said not I was sick and ye healed me; or in prison and ye set me free; but ye visited me and came unto me." Personal and real service, involving some sacrifice of ease, time, or even property.

We aren't to do such things, such acts of unparalleled beauty and mercy, because they entitle us to eternal happiness but rather for the sake of God as a mark of our holiness as believers under the effects of grace.

A light upon the hilltop, shining into the darkness.

Exposing a piece of heaven here on earth............

"Thus life and death, good and evil, the blessing and the curse, are set before us, that we may choose our way, and as our way so shall our end be." Matthew Henry.

A taste, real and savory, of the Kingdom yet to come..............

Some people try to hide their failures, sinful nature, or mistakes made. Not me, I want people to know 'why' I look this way. I've travelled a long, long way and some of the roads weren't paved. The joy isn't in the road travelled, but the blessedness of those met upon the journey home.

In this life, regardless of your 'lot', make sure that you direct your light in a manner befitting the King you serve. Do something that is honoring to your God and King. A smile over the handing out of a warm, home-cooked meal to those displaced from a home, a blessed word to the 'grumpy' co-worker who is worried about their job, or a contribution of funds to a shelter, food bank, or clothing store for the poor.........something that stretches you in a way that makes you reach beyond what you can do so God can show you how to do it.............

In the darkest recess of a broken, fallen world is where the smallest light can shine the brightest .......


Bring a little piece of heaven to those you know here on Earth.

And find out how you will act when you meet Jesus face-to-face!

Tuesday, October 28

A death worth dying for......................

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (WEB)

One of the few verses in the Bible that I can quote without looking, without mistakes. Though I'd be hardpressed to quote the chapter and verse, I'd get the book at least right, because John was known, among all the disciples and apostles, as the "Beloved".

"Love" is mentioned over seven hundred times in the NIV Bible translation, and is the corner post of probably 99% of the sermons in every church in the world that claims at least a passing fancy to the Christian faith. It is the cornerstone of our creation, our lives, and our salvation. It is, for all intents and purposes, the glue that holds it all together.

Romeo and Juilet, the passionate forbidden love that ended in an eternal embrace. Napoleon and Josephine. Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Examples flood our society, often rising above the 'common' experience, of love......it's not just a warm and gushy feeling anymore. It is the mortar that holds the brickheads called Humans together.

Love makes the world go round.........

Merriam-Webster defines love as strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties or an attraction based on sexual desire, admiration, benevolence, or common interests. It is a noun, coming from the Old English lulu and Latin lubere, meaning to please. Of course, it is also a tennis term, a way of saying one side has no points scored............

"What is the real definition of love?" asks Blade31 in her article, The Real Definition of Love, on the blog Purple Slinky. "Love has many different meanings to all different types of people. There are many stages of love at different ages and different types of love. My definition of love is what I personally think of it."

"Love to me is always caring about the person not wanting to be without them," this 18-year old author continues, "and not being mad or staying mad at the person." Of course, even she recognizes that such purity of love doesn't exist in the world today. People, even in the highest and best of love's expressions fight, argue and hurt each other. But love, in Blade31's opinion, is worth it....the trouble, the baggage, and even the pain because love gives meaning to live and without it "Life would be so boring."

Therein lies the human expression of love; it is what we want it to be which is often not what we dream it should be. Love is never painful, never hurtful, and never judgmental. Love is the koombiya...koombiya type of feeling; always welcomed and never burdensome.

Love doesn't cause someone to seek out its physical expression in the arms of someone else. Love doesn't divide a family because it is the best for the survivors. Love doesn't say things in an email like "It is because of me you have your children", "You're unfit to be a father" or "Don't contact my family because we don't want any contact with bad seed."

Love doesn't say or do such things.

Love isn't a double edged sword in the hands of someone else, slicing you in two and leaving you broken and wounded to bleed out upon the wooden uncaring floor of what once was your life. No, love isn't anything like that.

Love doesn't leave you empty, fearful of the judging eyes of former friends, family, and colleagues. Love isn't supposed to be like that, by any sane person's idea.

But Love often does.

I have been told that I am a 'bad seed' because I won't have contact with my soon-to-be ex's family, and haven't gone out of my way to make a way for my children to have contact with them. Though there has been no phone calls, no letters of interest, or any other attempts on the 'other' side to give assurance that the fears and pain that was caused with the separation and pending divorce would not be carried over into such contact.

Love doesn't cause pain.

The truth is that love has become passive, abusive, and a shadow of its former self.

If love doesn't make you feel good, delight and tantalize you with the newest and strength of its beckoning allure, it isn't love.

If we look, though, to the highest expression of love by a human being....a human that was fully human and fully God.....we see what love truly is and find ourselves with our own limited, blinded, and foolish definitions of love to be sorely missing of the mark.

Christ hung for three hours upon a cross of wood, iron spikes brutally hammered into his hands and feet with a crown of thorns mashed into his head. He did this only after hours of beatings, verbal and physical abuse, and an assortment of horrors that only humanity can be capable of upon itself.

In the most painful form of applied death known at the time, he hung by those iron spikes.....and gave a thief hope while allowing the other the fruit of his hatred.

When he knew that his human life was ending after thirty-six years of living, he saw his mother's pain and gave her solace in the arms of another he loved.

He looked out upon the landscape of the arrayed humanity watching their 'justice' being fulfilled and begged his Father's forgiveness for them......."for they know not what they do..."

That is love. Pure, uncorrupted Love.

It was this highest expression of love that caused Christ to shout out as his final breath was drawn and cry out in anguish, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Rejected by a Holy and Pure Father as he had to have been, taking the stain and death of mankind's sin upon his body.

That is love.

It was that love that kept him upon the path to that cross, even after he asked for 'this cup' to pass away from his lips, but only if it was in the will of the Father who sent him. It was this love that caused him to heal the solider's ear which Peter had sliced off, as they gathered around with irons and chains clinking in the night air. It is this love that caused him the greatest pain.

That is love.

Yet his love for us caused him not to stray from his course and complete the mission that he had undertook three years prior. Death upon the Cross, to be offered up as the blameless Lamb for the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

We are saved by that Love and called to live that Love.

It isn't easy.

I often feel like I am hanging on a cliff, by one single digit of my weakest hand, just the tip of that finger gripping the edge and holding me from the impending drop to certain and painful death. I am tired, sore, and weary of hanging on. Yet, I won't let go. I will not give up that fragile hold upon the life that I have been given.

Unless another was ready to fall..........................

Then I will, to save another.....physically, or spiritually...I will let go of my selfishness and save another.........

All I have left to give in this world; far beyond money, shelter, food, and clothing............

Is my life, in service and in sacrifice for another.

We are all called to serve as Christ served the church; to love our wives with that purest expression of love, to give our lives so that another might live. It may not be a physical death.......it may be a living 'death', of denial of self for another's sake......but it is death all the same.

So our hearts will not be hardened. So our love will represent God's love.

A complete, encompassing, and purest love..........................

Agape love

Divine love.....................................

And within that death that love causes us to experience, we find ourselves alive in His wonder and His grace.................

to save the hearts of those lost in the darkness.

"Plusquam ferrea aut lapidea corda esse oportet, quae non emolliet tam incomparabilis divini amoris suavitas"

(Those hearts must be harder than iron or stone which are not softened by such incomparable sweetness of divine love.) --John Calvin, French theologian

Monday, October 27

A fellow warrior......designed and equipped by God.

"One cannot disregard the role of Holy Scriptures, Tradition, Culture, and a male God. From birth onwards, they define the role of the female as secondary and inferior, they define the role of the woman as secondary and as supportive of that of her husband or men in general." Renate Volpe, leadership coach, facilitator, author and CEO of the HIRS Women's development consultancy; "What do women want and need?" Business Report article 8/5/2008

Apparently Ms Volpe reads a different Bible than I do, because I don't see where it says in the "Holy Scriptures" influenced by a male God that the female gender is inferior or secondary to the male. Of course, according to Ms. Volpe, boys are allowed to run roughshod and empowered to 'be all they are', while women are taught their role is to take care of the rest of the world......and ".....it is therefore not surprising that, when you ask a woman what she wants, she often has no clue," Volpe concludes.

It is a question that men, being the 'brutes' they are, grunt and mutter under their breath about for the generations that have followed Adam. Even the 'greatest' mind in psychology, Sigmund Freud, threw in the towel. "The great question that has never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is 'What exactly does a woman want?'"

The Feminist movement failed to define the 'needs' of its believer's and caused more damage than it was originally intended to. While triumphing 'equality of the sexes', such a movement further muddied the waters of physical and mental inferiorities and concentrated on a concerted attack upon professional and ethical demands. By maligning boys and their older selves, men, such feminists devalued themselves and the God-ordained strengths. "I am woman, hear me ROAR!" became the battle cry and the superwoman; mother, wife, career woman, and activist; was born. And women began to die.

What does a woman want? is one of those questions that bring perplexed looks to anyone, of either sex, that it is asked to. No one knows what a woman wants, even though the answer is given in the very 'holy scriptures' that Volpe mistakes as a source of inferiority. Such biblical quotes as scripture stating women should not speak up in church, should not hold leadership roles in the biblical community, and should 'submit' to their husbands lead such angry women as Volpe to such claims. They are far from the truth and further away from what God spoke through the writers of the Scriptures. True; culture has created the 'war of the sexes' and with that distortion of biblical creative design of each is giving way to homosexuals, lesbian, gender-confused, and trans-gendered distortions of Godly creation. It has created the 'feminized man' and the 'manly woman'. Gone are the traditional thoughts behind the raising of male and female children to a morph of gender ambiguity. Both sexes are far from the traditional and biblically designed roles they had. And the world is hurting because of it. "Behind every man is a p*****-off woman," as the saying goes. Unfortunately, that is the only thing that society and the feminists got right.

Most pastors won't even go deeper with this topic; simply shrugging their hands in surrender as they try and equate 'helper' as an 'equal and important' partnership. Several have excellent oration of this; women, in no way inferior in the eyes of God, are to willingly submit themselves under another's authority....an equal serving another by allowing them to lead. Some point out that men are to be servant-leaders in the role of Spiritual head of the family; serving the needs of their wives, their children, and their communities first before themselves. Each is a step in the process of reclaiming biblical gender design for both sexes, but neither fully gives to me an adequate answer to the age-old cry of both men and women.................

What do women WANT??!??!!!!!

If we can discover that, we can rebalance the structure of the family from falling over the cliff into universal disaster. If we can find that reasoning, that answers that ancient cry within the bones of all mankind, we can find restoration of marriage...far beyond an 'equal, universal' societal definition. It goes far beyond men reclaiming masculinity and women defining feminity. It lies in rediscovering the God-designed definition of what is a man...and what is a woman.

There the answer lies dormant and in clear view.

I have often said that men were designed to move in chaos and darkness, protecting the beauty and order which is woman. It is the baseline reaction of any man, except those distorted by evil, to react to the 'damsel in distress.' We want to fix, fight for, and gain the victory 'kiss' of the princess in the ivory tower to which we are owed for fighting the evil dragons and overcoming the traps and snares waded through along the way. We make the woman the prize of the fight. We lose the battle as we turn to this woman and receive a right roundhouse to the jaw.

Women, I have said, are the beauty and order of the balanced equation that God designed into His more troublesome creation. They bring nourishment and nurturing to all things and are the source of support, edification, and adulation that all successful and balanced men yearn for. This is represented in the marriages that are successful through the years; no matter the trouble, no matter the trials. It is why Noah sits beside the bedside of his love, ravaged by Altimer's, and gently falls into death's sweet embrace with her as their journey on this life ends (The Notebook).

The brokenness of the balance that God designed into the makeup of man and woman is, as is all sin and corruption that feeds this fallen world, a result of the Fall. But, understanding what that balance is requires that we go back to and examine the reasons why God told Adam, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life" and why He told Eve, "Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you."

I have stated, if you have followed this blog in the journey I've undertaken, that Adam was created outside the Garden of Eden.....in the chaos and darkness of the creation world. As John Eldredge accurately describes, "Men were born to be wild..." He was created from the dust of the earth, shaped and molded into the human image of God Himself. The Garden was created for Adam's purpose, for him to tend and work to keep the chaos and darkness away. God declared everything 'good' up until Adam. And then God recognized that an imbalance had occurred...which was bad. The first time in the creation account that God says something is other than 'good'.

Women, far from being secondary or inferior, are far more. In the creation of Eve, Scott Engelmann; Spiritual Director of Awakened Hearts Ministries points out that "according to God something more was necessary if a man was going to fulfill all that God had planned for him as God's representative here on the earth." Paul points out what is necessary in 1 Corinthians 11:11-12 "But in relationships among the Lord's people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. For although the first woman came from man, all men have been born from women ever since, and everything comes from God." As in the beginning, as Engelmann points out, "Eve was created for Adam, as Adam was designed to meet Eve's needs." God created an interdependent balance in the creation of mankind, each equipped to fulfill the needs of the other and both with distinct and intertwined identities that desire such balance. Distinctly separate, made to complement and balance each other.

"And the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. And the man said, 'This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.'" And, since the Fall, both sexes have desired that balance and tension that was created in our design. This is why same-sex relationships of a sexual and physical nature never seem to work, because the 'like me, but different' tension created into our beings is never accurately portrayed in such unions. "It is the woman's 'similar-yet-different nature," Engelmann says, "that makes her the 'suitable helper' or 'companion' for the man."

And it is understanding what a woman was designed to be, beyond the cultural and societal mutterings of human declarations, that will enable even women themselves to understand what they want and need, far beyond the scope of a distorted and crippled feminist movement of equality. It is beyond the realm, in my mind, that women were created as equal partners; although physical and mental capabilities lie distinctly different between both sexes. The differences do not equate to secondary or subservience through domination but rather enhance and delight each balanced marriage as God intended.

Far beyond the distortion and misunderstanding given to Peter's declaration of this unique balance is the truth of his insight. "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers." (1 Peter 3:7 NIV) As most theologians point out, this 'weakness' does not refer to moral stamina, strength of character, or even mental capacity but most likely to the medically proven physical strength. But, even that human truth excites and inflames the passionate rejection of feminists of a Godly design.

It is this misunderstanding and ignorance of this 'feminine design' that hasn't been "taken into consideration and [seriously] honored as [men] daily relate to the women in our lives" that have hampered our relationship with God, because we have amputated part of a balanced Godly design. Women have had to step into the gap created and serve against the purposed design; longing for the balance their souls crave.

In the quest to discover the answer to the question, we have to seriously look at how men relate in an considerate and honoring way to women; especially their wives and how the designed role of women have been distorted by the inactivity of men, the forced role of women to live the man's role, and the mess created because of it.

Why, if women demand equality with the sexes do they spend their time with their friends lamenting the lost 'manly man'?

A warrior should not fight the battle for the world against the fallen and broken design of the Enemy alone, and they aren't equipped to.......women are warriors too and uniquely designed to struggle in the fight with men, not against.

As Engelmann points out, far beyond the point of man being created from the dust of the earth, women were made.......... in God's image, also.

"So God created people in His own image; In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. God blessed them and told them, 'Multiple and fill the earth and subdue it. Be Masters over the fish and the birds and all the animals."' (Genesis 1:27-28)

Both man and woman were created as image-bearers of God; one the warrior of 'creating life in chaos' and the other the warrior of 'relationship', i.e. enhancing life. It is far beyond a biological mandate, being a foundational balance of the empowerment of the creational mandate. Both man and woman are necessary for the subduing and ruling of creation, interrelationally, and yet designed to represent and play an unique role in its equal fulfillment. Both were made to represent God and, as many marriage counselors, programs, and studies show.......it is the godly design of marriage that shows us the balanced image of our God.

Engelmann points out that the word 'helper' isn't what it has been distorted to mean in today's society, that of a 'subjugation of one to another'. Ezar, the Hebrew word for 'helper' is used only six times in the Hebrew Old Testament, referring to God as a 'Mighty Warrior' except in the verse found in Genesis 2:18. God, in those other verses, comes to His people's aid in times of trouble and desperation in a warrior fashion, triumphing their needs.

Even in Ancient Middle Eastern culture, 'helper' didn't mean inferiority but exalted. It referred to a warrior, mighty and powerful, who came to the aid of the desperate with the ability to deliver them from the troubles they faced.

In that context, the woman being a 'helper' to Adam takes on a larger, deeper meaning; a fellow warrior who is uniquely designed and gifted to give "deep and engaging relationship" to Adam, who's greatest enemy was the loneliness that he experienced in the inferiority of animals (who weren't created bearing God's image) and the great superiority of God Himself.

Eve becomes, as Engelmann states, "a suitable relationship with an equal" that Adam desires in his loneliness. "A woman reflects God's heart for relationship," Engelmann continues, "and His hatred for loneliness."

And it is the human distortion of God that is created by the 'male superiority' and 'female inferiority' definition of worth that plagues society today as a generation raised on such sinful distortion comes of age and wonders who they are.....................

It is in this understanding that the complaints of Volpe and others about the scientific and medical differences between the sexes becomes understandable and even logical. A balanced design of a complexity that no human can recreate and only a human can fully enjoy.

What does a woman want?

Far beyond being part of the story of a man, or being treasured as a prize won….. A woman wants to live her heart; "invite and unite others in relationship ---and to enjoy meaning in life through connection with others."

Esteemed by a fellow warrior, a man, who acknowledges the beauty of the equality of their creation and honors the complexity of her feminine design; distinct and uniquely different….but necessary to the balance of life.

This is my take on a study given by Scott Engelmann, Spiritual Director of Awakened Hearts ministries, at the last M3 meeting on October 25th, 2008. The topic was "Understanding Women" and was given at the National City Bank in Troy, Michigan. You can obtain a copy of the talk thru the www.M3ministries.org or www.ahmministries.org.

The right to vote, a thought from my friend Steve Coffman....

The Right to Vote, a Patriotic Gift



How much do you appreciate your right to vote? Is it something that you truly cherish, or is it something that you just take this for granted? Consider this fact; throughout our American history, many average citizens like you and me fought for this right, and in some cases, even died for the right to vote! This is a patriotic gift from the struggles of many patriotic citizens that we should never be taken for granted.



Did you know that there are no laws for "the right to vote" in our United States Constitution? These rights were added only in the Amendments to the Constitution. Each state's standards have evolved separately, unless federal laws were passed that applied to every state. When our country was founded, only white men with property were routinely permitted to vote, (although freed African Americans could vote in four states). White working men, almost all women, and all other people of color were denied this right, that some take for granted today.



At the beginning of the Civil War, most white men were finally allowed to vote, whether or not they owned property, due to the efforts of those who championed this cause for frontiersmen and white immigrants, (who had to wait 14 years for citizenship and their right to vote, in some cases). Literacy tests, poll taxes, and even religious tests were used in various states, and most of the white women, people of color, and Native Americans still did not have the right to vote.



Black Suffrage; The patriotic gifts of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were passed following the Civil War, in the later 1860s. Besides outlawing slavery, these Amendments extended civil rights and suffrage (voting rights) to former slaves. Even thought the right to vote for African-Americans was established, there still were numerous restrictions that kept many black Americans from voting until the 1960s Voting Rights Act was passed. Thanks to the pressures of Dr. Martin Luther King and a powerful civil rights movement, the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned literacy tests and provided federal enforcement of voting registration and other rights in several Southern states and Alaska.



Five years later, the patriotic gift of the Voting Rights Act of 1970 provided language assistance to minority voters who did not speak English fluently. Asian Pacific Americans and Latinos were major beneficiaries of this legislation.



Women's Suffrage initiatives to promote voting for women have been traced back as far as the 1770s, but the modern movement for a vote for women traces its beginning to the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, when supporters of a Constitutional Amendment to allow women to vote finally came together. While this movement was slowed during the Civil War years, the two major suffragist organizations united after the war and pushed forward with a movement that culminated, and after many difficult years, the patriotic gift of the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920.



Native Americans had to become American citizens, and give up their tribal affiliations for the right to vote in 1887, but many did not become U. S. citizens until 1924. Most of the Western states continued to deny the right to vote through property requirements, economic pressures, hiding the polls, and condoning of physical violence against those who voted.



Asian Pacific Americans were considered "aliens ineligible for citizenship" since 1790. Interim changes to naturalization and immigration laws in 1943, 1946, and 1952 give the right to vote to some but not all immigrant Asian Pacific Americans. Because citizenship is a (precondition) for the right to vote, immigrant Asian Pacific Americans did not vote in large numbers until 1966 when the immigration and naturalization laws were changed.



Asian Pacific Americans born on American soil were American citizens, and had the right to vote. When 77,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were put in American concentration camps during World War II, their right to vote was withheld during there captivity.



Mexican Americans in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas were supposed to get voting rights along with American citizenship in 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the Mexican American war. Property requirements and literacy requirements were imposed in those states to keep them from voting. The Sons of America, founded in 1921 fought for equality and the right to vote, but all Mexican Americans did not receive the right to vote until 1975.



Americans under the age of twenty-one in the late 1960s protested over their lack of suffrage. Many truly felt that if they were old enough to be drafted into service and go to Vietnam, then they should be able to vote. A series of protests ensued, most notably at the Chicago Democratic Convention, where protestors screamed and chanted many slogans of President Johnson's handling of the Vietnam War, and the right to vote. In 1971, President Johnson signed our patriotic gift of the 26th Amendment granting Americans the right to vote at age eighteen.



I hope you now realize that even in "The land of the Free", the evolution for the right to vote in the America has cost a heavy price for many, and should always be considered a true patriotic gift from those that struggled, endured and gave their life for this privilege that we have today.


Steven Family-eStore

Friday, October 24

All in the name.....

Psalm 143 A psalm of David.
" O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah. Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant"


Another installment in the 'stretching your mind and your faith' from Andrew and Garry, the writers and drivers behind the Men to Men blog. Still digging into the Psalm 143 written by David, we are asked some additional questions.....

What did David ask God to do in verses 9 and 12?

Of course, that one is easy......rescue and the total destruction of his enemies.....'Silence' and 'destroy'. As we can see in the verses referenced: "Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you." and "In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant." David wants total and complete removal of his 'situations' under God's power. To vanish without recurrence, never again to trouble David's head again.

The next question, What reasons did he cite (check verse 11) for why God should rescue him?

Geez, I thought it was going to be harder......as we can see in the reference, for God "name's sake," as expressed; "For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble."

But, what does that mean......."for your name's sake." Why would David be so concerned to declare God should rescue him because God's name might be tarnished? The omnipotent God? Come on! There's no way......yet, David calls out for rescue based on that declaration.

I guess one could make a case that David gives more reasons that just for "your name's sake" as justification for immediate and total rescue from God over his enemies and foes. He reflects in verses 9-12, such personal pluses as "I hide myself in you", "I am your servant", "I have put my trust in you", and "I lift up my soul". All good and worthy efforts in the pursue of God.....we are all servants who trust in God to deliver His promise and we lift our soul's to a higher standard than the lost......even if we fail to stay in such lofty places.

My grandfather drilled into me the honor, glory, and uniqueness of my family name, traced back to a Dutch philosopher named Hugo de Groot, who (as best I can discover) was commonly referred to as Huigh de Groot (Dutch) or Hugo Grotius.

The Columbia Encyclopedia, sixth edition, list this notable figure who lived from 1583 to 1645, as a Dutch jurist and humanist who is often referred to as the father of international law. Grotius was a leading student of theology and biblical criticism, professing natural rights, where things are good or bad by their own nature, breaking from the prevailing Calvinistic theology that God was the only source of ethical qualities.

On May 18, 1619, this would land Grotius in prison for life, due to a Calvinist coup d'état in August that led to his arrest. Several years later though, in 1621, Grotius escapes to Antwerp and eventually to Paris.

Grotius' political literary works include a treatise, The Law of Prizes, for the East India Company (defending Dutch trading and sailing rights), one chapter of which was published under the title Mare liberum (The Free Sea) in 1609, though the rest would remain unpublished until its discovery in 1864; published until its discovery in 1864; 1610, in De antiquitate reipublicae Batavae (The Antiquity of the Batavian State), written in 1610, in which he argued Holland was sovereign and independent since the times of the Romans.

His theological literary works include such heavy tomes as "Prolegomena to the Law of War and Peace" and "De Jure Belli ac Pacis (On the Law of War and Peace)" published in 1625; "True Religion Explained and Defended against the Archenemies Thereof in the Times (The Truth of the Christian Religion)", published in 1632; and "De Jure Praedae (Commentary on the Law of Prize and Booty)", published in 1968.

At the end of an eventful life, Hugo Grotius dies from exhaustion on August 28th, 1645 in Rostock, Germany. The final word of this famous figure is "By understanding many things, I have accomplished nothing."

Upon the shores of a new country, Joseph Hutson began the American legacy of the de Groot family in the 1800's. My grandfather would impress upon me the importance of keeping the 'family name' honorable and clear of stain, though I would fail to do so for most of my life.

Throughout the Psalms, this reference of 'name's sake' is made over and over, about ten times, like Psalm 23:3, "He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.", or Psalm 79:9, "….deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake".
Psalm 106:8 seems to highlight a bit of reason behind such actions by God, "Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known."

His name's sake is further developed in Isaiah 48:9, "For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off."

God talks further about why this is important in Ezekiel 20:44, "You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD"

But this phrase is more than just God emphasizing the authority behind His name's sake, the righteousness and incorruptibility of His holiness. It is through and because of His name's sake that we are saved by grace.

Romans 1:5 "Through Him and for His name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith."

So, maybe this is why Andrew and Garry chose to highlight that one important and life-altering reason as to why God should move to rescue and destroy David's foes……….not for the health, wealth, or fame of David. Not for his future goals both personal and kingdom purposed. No, something much greater and more powerful than being a servant, keeping the trust, and hiding oneself within the grace and mercy of God's powerful hands.

Deuteronomy 4:29-39 perhaps captures the essence of God's 'name sake:

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today. Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other."

Because, it is because of who God is, and the holiness and authority by which His name, I AM, is known. The absolute authority of His holiness and righteousness, through which He can deliver the promise of redemption through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, and by 'His name's sake' be unchallenged in his authority to do so.

1 John 2:12 (NASB) "……..your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake."

We have been forgiven under, by, and because of "His name's sake."

For personal ponderance, Andrew and Garry ask......

"Can you tell some reasons why God should rescue you in your present situations?"

And just another thought to close this with……the difference between a worldly, wicked man and a righteous, God-fearing man is the direction in which they run when fear and persecution rear their heads.

Each man has a choice as the grips of fear and failure encircle their hearts. One with no hope will run in flight from such a heavy obstacle while a man of God will stand, with hope, to fight against such as these.

Why?

Because the hope he has in the God I AM, Jehovah, is not secured by worldly assurance or the enemy's defeat, but is secured by the authority, holiness, and absoluteness of God's name.

Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion."

Thursday, October 23

What you are voting for this election from American Family Association.

Please take a moment to watch this short video.


http://www.valuevotersusa.com/


Sincerely,



Donald E. Wildmon,
Founder and Chairman
American Family Association

Wednesday, October 22

Brueggemann revisited.....

"No matter who you are, if you judge anyone, you have no excuse. When you judge another person, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things." Romans 2:1 (GWT)

I am opposed to the emergent movement within the Church today; there are many articles where I have discussed that 'opposition' and consider it a false movement away from the true worship and praise of God. Though the movement's doctrines are what I believe are flawed, I've had to reexamine my opposition to some of its 'labeled' theologists, such as Walter Brueggemann, noted Old Testament theologian and scholar.

I read his book, Prophetic Imagination, for the leadership class and have another one in the 'required reading' list. One of my friends, at least I believe he is, is pursuing a Masters and studying currently under Brueggemann for what might very well be his last teaching class. Josh Graves; newly 'minted' father-to-be and minister at Rochester Church of Christ, among other noteworthy pursuits, speaks of his first class under this giant of the Old Testament and passes on some of his handwritten notes during the lecture.

You can peruse them at his blog, www.joshgraves.blogspot.com

One that struck a chord with me that Josh posted is:

"The Bible, just like the humans who wrote them under God's influence, is complex. Therefore, just as we move beyond judging people for their complexity, we must move beyond judging the Bible and move into a living, breathing relationship. We must allow the Bible to critique us. To ask questions we would not dare ask if left to our own devices."

Ummmmmmm, does 'WOW' really express the bingo I felt when I read that comment.....and re-read it because of whom I knew Graves spoke. I've expressed to one of my fellow brothers who is in the leadership class with me that Brueggemann bothers me....not because of what he says, per se, but rather the words and the way he says it. Psycho-babble in bibli-speak. It still does, but that comment above, along with so many others that Graves graciously imparted to his reading audience, smacks not-of-biblispeak, but of human conceptualizing of the understanding of God.

Too much longer and I'll be speaking like Brueggemann.

It is that concept that we fight against the entire time we walk this earth as Christians, 'moving beyond judging people for their complexity', and judging according to 'biblical-critiques'; agape love judging not to condemn but to restore. Not to deliver circumstances but to bring healing.

I have been getting better at it, but still cannot do such 'judging' without human influences that I have to return back to God for the process of 'weeding out.' What I worry about what Brueggemann is saying is that humans are too complex to righteously judge, i.e. we cannot declare homosexuality sin even though the Bible states that it is....and that is what confuses me about his teachings.

He says "people for their complexity" i.e. complex human beings and then "We must allow the Bible to critique us." So, is it that we, complex beings that we are, have a commonality...an Absolute Truth....that is the standard to which we are to be judged? And, if so, doesn't that fly in the face of the true emergent? Who says that we, as complex human beings, cannot say with absolute certainty what is truth, because it is all subjective truth----based on one's perceptions. At least, the emergent movements I know of......

"To ask questions we would not dare ask if left to our own devices."

I agree that we, as humans, shouldn't follow our own divining, but rather stretch ourselves into the realm of the eternal and face God. But such questioning, designed to excite us as 'forbidden questions', those that we dare not ask....regardless of the context....seems to me to be dangerous.

We are not going to define, landscape, or otherwise bulid an accurate model of what God is, who God is, and how God is to act because our own linear humanity is flawed; living in a world in a design we were never intended to be in, but are because of our forefather's actions and the continuation of them throughout the generations.

There are two other comments that Graves posted on his blog that Brueggemann said. One I totally agree with and the other, totally disagree with.

"We are all selective fundamentalists. That is, we all choose which parts of the Bible we read and which parts we do not. Therefore, a healthy reader will confess to this problem, help others to see their own participation in selective reading of the Bible and courageously move forward to let all of Scripture serve as our guiding force."

This is an argument designed to cut off the opposition to anything that anyone says in doctrinal debates or theological arguments. I cannot accept one part of the bible as truth, therefore I am not a 'selective fundamentalist' and acknowledge that my human tendency is to part things according to my own need....but, pursuing God; I accept all the Bible as His word and authority....therefore I don't read selectively rather in-depth for understanding.

But, if I have a disagreement with another theologian such as a Jehovah Witness, Mormon, Islamic, or Emergent, then I am a 'selective fundamentalist' and therefore guilty.

Sometimes I enjoy the way that Brueggemann stretches me to new ways of thinking and other times, he leaves a major headache right behind the eyeballs.

"The text calls us to more freedom than we are ready to have."

I believe that Brueggemann has this dead on; we, as children of the Most High God, are called to perfection, to a freedom that lies beyond our humanity...and its ability to grasp and comprehend such freedom. It is beyond our corrupted and sinful flesh.

"The ruin of sinners is their walking after a hard and impenitent heart," Matthew Henry writes, "In the description of the just man, notice the full demand of the law. It demands that the motives shall be pure, and rejects all actions from earthly ambition or ends."

There are a bit of the absolute truth in everything theologians and teachers say, even in the false doctrines and liberal interpretations.

The key….is finding that kernel.

Tuesday, October 21

Under fire.....

Psalm 143
A psalm of David.
"O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant."


My brothers in Christ, warriors to the True King; Garry and Andrew, write a blog: Men To Men; and send out a devotional titled "Men's Prayers" They challenged the men getting the devotional to answer this psalm.....specifically, have you ever felt the way David did in verses 3 & 4? Do you feel that way now? Why?

"The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed."

I can definately relate to the way David is feeling in the beginning of this Psalm; the enemy, seemingly endless and powerful in its adaptation to my battle skills, has driven me into a place where my heart feels isolated, alone, and no voice of God's grace and guidance fill my ears. I feel weak, powerless to stop the advancing horde that will surely spell the end of this man.

Many things thrown specifically at me; though general in nature: Finances, family, job, and all the other considerations that I must deal with daily; for daily is how I am living now. Such thoughts are never far from my mind; how to fed me and my son, worry over my daughter, and the multitude of little things (i.e. hour drive to work/from work).

I can look back over my life and see...................

An increase in the enemy's attention in my life; where once he walked with free reign, convincing me that I was unloved, unlovable, and therefore flaw (one of the few of the Creator's hand), destined to live out life in sorrow and chaos, never to know peace, success, and freedom; now the lies don't work, but the enemy still runs through his Jim-specific attacks, finding those pinholes in the armor that I wear….pinholes I myself have put there by not properly using the protection provided.

But practice makes perfect. The armor, designed to be flawless, is becoming more effectively used.

As David represents in his psalm;

I remember the days of long ago; I mediate on Your works and consider what Your hands have done.

We have no way to deflect, defend, or vanquish the results of our deeds, sinful and self-serving, from the first breath we took in a world destined to oppose us. We cannot make promises that we later will try and fulfill; they are as empty as a breath of air……We cannot redeem ourselves; our humanity is flawed from the Fall on and therefore everything we have done, will do, has been corrupted or will become corrupted.

We can only plead for God's righteousness to deliver upon the promise that He has freely given and therein lies our only hope. Far beyond the capability of man is One who has the capability and demands nothing for it; expecting everything in gratitude and praise for it.

David declares the promise, remembers it, and then prays for the overcoming of his troubles, offering up his own admission to sins he's committed and acknowledging that it is only by God's mercy that he can ask for pardon.

He overcomes his fear of the power and force of the human force arrayed against him by remembering the power and force of Almighty God. This causes him to look forward to the realization of that favor.

We cannot, even as believers, forget that even at our best we are the worst sinners. It is the burdening of our souls, weighed by the corrupted nature of our flesh, that causes us to cry out in supplication; asking for a pardon we neither deserve or can command, for sinfulness that we strive not to do, but in the course of the day, will commit. All sin carries the same weight, the same punishment. Anger, pride, envy are on par with homosexuality, murder, and greed. Can you truly say you are sinless?

Christ tells us to have the faith of children. An infant will reach out in supplication for nourishment from their mother, a child will vocalize their needs to their parents. Neither are refused. Likewise, depending on whether you are a newborn Christian, or one with some 'years'; cry out for the nourishment that only the Lord can provide…….refreshing water to quench the unending thirst.

Monday, October 20

Men, will you lead?

"I see what you've done. Now see what I've done. I've opened a door that no one can slam shut. You don't have much strength; I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn't deny me when times were tough." Revelation 3:8

A brother in Christ sent this to me in response to a prayer request. It hasn't been a real 'walk in the Park' since that February day back in 2004 when I heard God call me back into the fold….especially since that October day in Illinois where He placed a call of ministry upon my heart.

It has been fraught with struggles, failures, and stress. There has been loss; there has been accountability and sorrow over my own failings and those of others. There hasn't been the abundance of wealth, health, or peace…well, at least the first two….that many gospels today proclaim is the Christian's 'birthright.'

It hasn't been pleasant, some of the places where God has taken me. It hasn't been without self-incrimination or doubt, a desire to 'not go there', and a fight to indeed 'go where no man has travelled before' in the depth of my dark soul……to shine the light upon the decay and sin there, and burn it in the righteous fire of the Most High.

My brother told me he didn't know what the 'door' would be, or what would manifest itself in my life to show God's favor for not 'denying Him in rough times.' God will bless me, this I know for sure; whether it is in this life or the eternal one that is open for debate. God will do what brings total glory and honor to Him, not what we feel is best for us, necessarily. The closer we get in our relationship to God, the more we realize how blessed we are even in the hurricane winds of trials and persecution.

Pastor Jim spoke of Hosea this Sunday past; a book most pastors he said weren't too eager to pursue in their sermons. After all, God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute, who then continues her trade and who Hosea has to eventually buy back from her 'pimp.' Not a very exciting or glamorous tale of following God's lead! Yet, as Pastor Jim said, there is a reason and he thinks the reason is so that Hosea would know how God felt about Israel. It wasn't the verses that Pastor Jim spoke of that hit me between the eyes, but one a few chapters in…a few verses down….

"Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery."I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes—a people without understanding will come to ruin!" Hosea 4:13c-14 (NIV)

I have said over and over in my blog that it is MEN who have the capability, under the authority and direction of God, to turn the cultural shift to the liberal, Universalist side back to a God-ordained, santicified path to restoration and healing. Men, who under the silence of Adam's sin, have given up their purpose as Spiritual leaders, and defenders of the beauty in a world of chaos and disorder, can redeem themselves and their families by being godly men.

It is through our own 'silence' that we are allowing this world to slide further and further away from God. It is not our daughters or our daughter-in-laws that will be punished but they will feel the effects of masculinity under sinful pursuits through our own failings to be men of the Word.

Maybe the verse my brother gave me wasn't intended just for me, but for all men in pursuit of a God most-powerful, most-holy, and most-merciful………

He has locked the door open for Godly men to step forward and lead. Not with the promise of renewed strength or power.....but the correct use of the power and strength already given....to the point of exhaustion.....

God calls for men to be Men of God

Will you be one of them?

Influences....

"Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17 (AKJV)

I am a product of those mentors and influencers in my life; Pastor Chris Cramer, who was the pastor of my first three years as a rededicated Christian and who was the speaker during God's entreaty to me to 'come back home'; Pastor Dave Bauer, who was the pastor of my second church and inspired me to battle against the complacency of the church today; Wendell Browning, associate pastor and mentor, who inspired me to write and pursue God's call to ministry; Kurt Burkett, who continued to press me to discover the path to true masculinity and edifies me as a 'leader' destined to be a powerful witness for God; Scott Engelman, who calls me to stretch beyond social manhood to realize godly manhood; Mark Jackson, who calls my wounded and timid soul within to serve as a true man in my community, home, and church; and Pastor Jim Combs, who calls me to larger faith and accountability to the Truth.

I am sure that you have several people who mentored and influenced your life, for the better or for the worse. It is part of the journey from child to adult, from protected citizen to productive citizenship, and from baby food to solid adult food.

In discovering the measure of a man, we (not being God, who looks at the heart) have to look at the man's influences and those characters that entered in and out of his life throughout the years; and combine our 'findings' with the physical evidence, i.e. books, comments, actions, and deeds, from which such spiritual and philosophical manifestations are viewed.

Barack Obama, once the unknown community activist in the city of Chicago, has risen to the height of potential President of the United States of America in an extraordinary rapid manner. His performance within the Senate and the House of Representatives is liberal, uninspiring, and seems to be in direct conflict with the overall American populous. His time prior to his governmental positions were not close to other people who charted a similar course, with no papers or books or successful community projects to dot his potential.

What were the influences and why is he such a dynamic, forceful personality upon the political landscape? Dismissing his political party's platform lets look at Barack's influences on the man.

There are the immediate influences; his parents. Barack Hussein Obama Sr., an African socialist and Stanley Ann Dunham, a liberal feminist and atheist, separated when Barack was young, but Barack Sr., kept in regular correspondence with his name-bearing son and his mother promoted a liberal, Universalist viewpoint to her son. While Barack Jr has downplayed his father's influence, except in his book, Dreams from My Father; he has praised his single, working-class mother as a pivotal influence in his life, in campaign ads and political speeches.

"You are the company you keep." This has been a foundational cornerstone of any upbringing, secular and Christian, as the recognized influences of those that one surrounds oneself with. Principles, ideologies, and even moral ethics are shaped by the company of those around us as we seek out something to belong to, to be affirmed by, and to be recognized as 'valued'. Senator Barack Obama is no exception, though he would have you believe that he is. There are the 'community activism' influences like;

Frank Marshall Davis, a Hawaiian 'poet', had considerable influence while Obama lived in Hawaii, as Obama himself mentions in Dreams from My Father as 'Frank' was "intriguing". Davis, who began his career in Chicago as a community activist, was a pro-communist writer and white supremacist, and friend/associate of singer Paul Robeson and longshore union official Harry Bridges, Communist Party members.
Saul Alinsky, an open and vocal socialist, is called the 'father of community organizing' because of his social activism having founded organizations, built on the 'street agitation tactics' of his socialist leanings, including the Industrial Areas Foundation, who trained Obama in 'community activism'. Alinsky wrote the book, Rules for Radicals, considered a bible for community activism and Obama authored of a chapter of the book about community organizing. Obama worked with the Developing Communities Project and the Gamaliel Foundation, Alinsky inspired organizations promoting socialist philosophies.

Alinsky's son, Lee David Alinsky, recently praised Obama in the emulating of Saul's tactics, saying Barack "learned his lesson well."

John L. McKnight, Obama's "community organizer mentor", worked with Barack at the Gamaliel Foundation, is a former ACLU director and board member of the National People's Action (NPA), currently teaching at Northwestern University. He wrote a recommendation letter for Obama for Harvard.

Such influences, in the scope of American patriotism, fly in the face of republic and democratic principles and are enough to bring a bit of doubt to the mind of those who feel Obama is the best patriot for the job of President. These are not chance and limited meetings, but people with which he worked, trained, and studied under.

But there are other alarms that should be sounding throughout the political, moral, and religious landscape of this once-great nation. Religious influences, seemingly such a 'big' factor in the 2008 political race, have been largely downplayed in the developing of Obama's faith.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright, often referred to by Barack as "Uncle J" until the 'disassociation' during the spring of 2008, was his former pastor and mentor while the Obama's attended Trinity United Church of Christ, which preaches a Black liberation theology taught by James Cone, who states that Trinity represents the BLT's most accurate interpretation. For those who don't know what BLT is, the creator of the theology describes it as a 'black religion and Marxist philosophy' mix. Cone believes that "to be black is to be committed to destroying everything this country loves and adores." Yet, such theology hasn't influenced Obama in the twenty years he listened to Reverend Wright.

Recent reports state that Cone believes that nothing Obama has said or written in his books and speeches contradicts Cone's theology but has a more 'radical edge', which seems to support the major influences such 'accurate theological' influence Wright had upon the Democratic nominee.

It wasn't until the media attention was given to Wright's fiery anti-white, anti-capitalist, and anti-United States sermons given over his twenty year association with Obama that the young Senator decided his political career was threatened by Wright's influence and denounced his controversial statements, and surrendered his membership at the Trinity UCC for 'the sake of the congregation' who was receiving 'undue' attention from the media.

No such denouncement of Wright's unheard, yet documented, work with Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan....who stumbled during a recent gathering in Detroit and called Barack the "Messiah" before retracing his steps and calling Obama a 'prophet for the Messiah.' Documented association cemented in the Trinity UCC magazine, who gave Farrakhan a lifetime achievement award.

The religious influences of Barack didn't die with his dismissal of Reverend Wright and his removal of membership at Trinity. Father Michael Pfleger, a priest in South Chicago who once appeared on the Barack Obama political website under the 'faith' category, is much like Reverend Wright in his fiery sermons and support & admiration of Farrakhan. In Trumpet, the Trinity UCC magazine, Pfleger says he 'got very educated by the [Black] Panthers." the militant black power movement. No disassociation with Pfleger has made headlines, though he too has a 20-year relationship with the young Senator from Illinois.

With religious views such a 'major' factor in the decision of millions of voting American citizens this election year, such influences like Wright, Pfleger, and Cone over the span of 20+ years should give the millions of voters pause.

Beyond the religious aspects, what does an image of an Obama, with his arms at his side during a rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner' and absent flag lapel pin, reflect of a darker influence, that seems to bring him in opposition with traditional and valued patriotic symbology? With the likes of William Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, Mike Klonsky, Marilyn Katz, Carl Davidson, and Bill Fletcher dotting the landscape of Barack Obama's career and political lifespan, one has to wonder of Obama's outspoken declaration in Berlin, Germany of being 'not just an American citizen, but a citizen of the world.'

Ayers, the unrepentant and anti-capitalist terrorist, led the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in the 60s and its break off militant group, the Weather Underground organization. The Weather Underground, a communist and anti-capitalist group of radicals, aligned with such black revolutionary groups as the Black Panther Party to fight against the 'white America' who exploited the black people with such terrorist actions as bombing police stations, the Capitol building, and the Pentagon.

Obama has stated somewhat sarcastically that he was only eight years old during Ayers' terrorist actions and therefore, should not have such association with Ayers being questioned. And, apparently the American public has chosen to throw such an association out the door of consideration. A recent poll shows that only 38% of Americans believe this relationship between Ayers and Obama is worth further discussion.

This despite, after 9-11-01, Ayers publicly stating that he was sorry that he couldn't have done more and wasn't sorry for what he had done in the past. In recent years, Ayers has been photographed stomping on the American flag and that the United States viewed as a fair and just nation 'makes [him] want to puke."
Obama calls Ayers 'just a guy' who lives in his neighborhood, downplaying his association with Ayers in such organizations as the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC); where they worked together on project funding, though in charge of different departments, from 1995 to 2001 and the Woods Fund; where Obama was a member of the Board starting in 1993 and Ayers joined him in 1999 until 2002. The Woods Fund gave grants in the 80s to the Developing Communities Project (where Obama had worked as a 'community activist') in support of the 1988 Chicago School Reform Act.

The Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC) was founded by Ayers and began its operations with Barack Obama as Chairman of the Board in 1995. Obama warmly endorsed a book on the juvenile justice system authored by Ayers and served with Ayers on a panel setup by his wife, Michelle Obama, to discuss its merits and current legislation with Ayer's wife, Bernardine Dohrn. Dohrn, a radical and communist, was the leader of the Revolutionary Youth Movement of the SDS and the Weather Underground and signatory of the Weather Underground's 'declaration of war' against the USA. Dohrn also held a position with Sidley & Austin, the law firm where Michelle Obama worked. Barack also served as a teacher at the University of Illinois-Chicago while Ayers served as a faculty member and Dohrn holds a position as adjunct professor. A panel discussion offered by UofI-C, labeled "Intellectuals in Times of Crises" brought Obama and Ayers in close contact. Recent history and adjoining projects, not usual for 'just a neighbor' guy, rather more reflective of goals of similarly driven activists who hold similar views. Yet, the Obama campaign protests any deliberation of an Ayers-Obama association.

Obama, who has accused McCain of being another "George W. Bush" and decries four more years of Bush politics, has brushed off these past associations as irrelevant.
If these influences were 'nothing', then the political campaign make-up would likely be much different and diverse. So let's look at his political campaign make-up.
It is in the host home of the Ayers, in 1995 while both served at CAC, that Obama was knighted in a political 'meet-and-greet' by then Illinois Senator Alice Palmer, an official of a notorious Communist front group, the U.S. Peace Council. The U.S.PC is an affiliate of the World Peace Council, an international Soviet front identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Senator Palmer stepped down from pursuing a seat in Congress, nominating Obama as her 'heir-apparent.'

Current serving on the Presidential campaign for Obama are such notables as;
Linda Darling-Hammond, an educational advisor; writer and supporter of the "education debt" concept, so labeled by Gloria Ladson-Billings, that believes in reparations for African-Americans as discussed in such books as "The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks." Darling-Hammond was recommended by Ladson-Billings, President of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), to the governing council. William Ayers serves as AERA's Vice-President of Curriculum Studies.
Laurence Tribe, Obama's professor and mentors at Harvard, is on the short list of Supreme Court nominees for a Obama Presidency and serving in an advisor role for the campaign. Tribe is a progressive agenda founder and board member of the American Constitution Society (ACS) which wants to provide legal rights for animals to sue humans and businesses.

Charles Ogletree, another advisor to the Obama campaign, is another one of Barack's Harvard professors/mentors and an advocate for reparations for slavery.

And, Robert Malley, former foreign policy advisor to the Obama campaign who resigned in May due to proven allegations that he met with Hamas, a terrorist organization, as 'part of his job.' Malley is an anti-Israelist with op-ed articles co-authored by former Yasser Arafat advisors and promotes liberation 'struggle' against anti-capitalism and socialist movements

The personal and business associations from Obama's past continue into the present. Mike Klonsky is the 'official blogger' for the Obama presidential campaign website. (This has been disputed by Carl Davidson, webmaster for the Progressive for Obama website....see comments.) Marilyn Katz is a signatory of the Progressives for Obama and is a media advisor for the Obama campaign, Carl Davidson is currently serving as the webmaster for the website, Progressives for Obama, and Cornel West, the 'non-Marxist socialist', is a contributor/signatory of the Progressives for Obama website. Political ideology as "non-Marxist socialist." He is an anti-capitalist and honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America. He is a contributor/signatory to the Progressives for Obama website and has endorsed the Black Radical Congress' (BRC) call for a "renewed struggle.". Most are Maoist (Mao-Marxists), anti-capitalists, and former officers of SDS and its militant arms such as the "October League", other organizations such as the "Democratic Socialists of America" and have repeated connections to others involved in Obama's past.

Other supporters of Obama's presidential aspirations and his announced policies include extreme liberal and leftist names such as Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan dictator; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran and former leader of Hamas; Fidel Castro, Cuban dictator; Louis Farrakhan, Supreme Minister of the Nation of Islam; Frank Chapman, Executive Committee member of the U.S. Peace Council (communist front group); Mark Solomon, Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism national co-chair; and Joel Wendland, Political Affairs: Marxist Thought Online Managing Editor. CPUSA's online magazine. Obama has been endorsed by many liberal political groups such as the Communist Party USA (CPUSA); Democratic Socialists of America; and the Party of European Socialist.

In addition to such extreme and liberal organizations, associations that Obama has with such movements that have attempted to corrupt the political process are making headlines. Obama shows an extensive and long association with ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). ACORN worked closely with the Developing Communities Project and another Obama project "Project Vote."

Both the Woods Fund and Joyce Foundation (another organization Obama held a board position) frequently donate to ACORN. Obama filed and successfully concluded a lawsuit to enforce the "motor-voter" law in Illinois and trained former ACORN Chicago leader Madeleine Talbot's staff on organizing tactics. Talbot, if you remember, was arrested for a protest that broke into a Chicago City Council session in 1997.

Obama joined with ACORN in an unsuccessful bid to overturn Indiana's voter I.D. law, and has received help from ACORN with his political campaigns. ACORN's record of workers being indicted for charges related to voter fraud ranges from Missouri to Washington State, with twelve other investigations in process. In 2007, ACORN settled the largest case of voter fraud in Washington State history for 25,000 in restitution. In addition, ACORN's PAC (Political Action Committee) has endorsed Obama for President.

"All of [the] connections are family members, close friends and "mentors," and affiliations/organizations that Obama willingly participated with and in." Wes Vernon, Renew America writes, "and [Obama has] financially supported. If Barack doesn't know about their past and their political ideologies, then ...........[he] does not belong in the White House....................If he knew about these things but didn't think they mattered, then he is beyond naïve.................If he knew about these things and openly welcomed it, then he's just downright dangerous."

If you don't feel the same, at least such associations show you what type of man and President the Barack Obama of recent fame and charisma will be like. With a pattern of relationships with leftist radicals, corrupt political ideologies, and racially divisive religious doctrine, Barack's political philosophy and ideology have been shaped into a liberal, socialistic and communistic personality that will throw American freedoms and moral standards to the extreme left. His willingness to associate with socialist-minded groups of radical and extreme views opposite of the American republic and its democratic foundations are the making of a very dangerous man to the America way.

Just refer to his voting record, the acclaim for being the 'most liberal Senator' in 2008, and his political platform; being with his decision not to honor his promise to use only Federal Campaign Funds.

George Washington warned the newly formed nation of America that government was a 'useful servant but a fearful master.' And, in the intervening generations, that message has been slowly downplayed, and seemingly lost, as we enter another 'historic' election period in America.

The overwhelming impression of the charismatic pull of Senator Barack Obama has inspired, through the direction of adults, boys clad in 'militaristic' clothing chanting "Alpha Omega" and declaring how Obama has given them inspiration to be chemical engineers, scientists, and other things; and a California choir of grade schoolers who belt out "Sing for Change for Obama", a haunting parallel to another song sung to declare the praises of Kim Jong II the North Korea dictator.[1] There is even a woman who wrote for a college paper how she views Obama as the Savior.

"The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives." Proverbs 27:21 (NIV)

"Obama speaks in slogans and never explains the thinking that goes into his statements. That's what we need to know:" Herbert Romerstein remarks, "To what extent do these people influence him.......................... To what extent do they influence his thinking, and will he repudiate those people?"

The movement to convince the future that the present is the 'tolerant, loving' view of the right direction has been brought full force as the 'new' leader, who embodies the characteristics and universal appeal of the liberal view of humanism, has emerged upon the political landscape and seems undefeatable; like Teflon on a frying pan.... Such is the dawning of the U.S.S.A, the United Socialist States of America, as it enters the global community.

Has anyone forgotten the warnings of a one-world government, or a one-world religion? Barack Obama reads like a prophet of a dark future; a 'tolerant', anything goes and let's distribute the wealth nation of communist and socialist agendas.

The very platform for a 'world' government, with one religion of many gods.
There is still hope, though hard to see upon the gloomy outlook of a Nation under Obama. The Bible will still have all the answers to life.

Prayer will still work, with God listening to the praises and supplication of His people.

The Holy Spirit will still move, bringing blessings to the children of God.
There will still be praise and God-anointed preaching.

Jesus still loves us, even the lost, who will continue to be offered the room at the foot of the Cross.

Those who turn to Christ will still be saved.

It may be harder to do those things in the wake of the global community that Obama views the USA becoming, and will endeavor to help it be during his term(s) as President.

It may be unpopular.

But Jesus Christ will still return to reclaim His Father's creation for His children.
Not even the charismatic Barack Obama can stop that, even if he believed in the Jesus Christ, Messiah, who is coming. He, like all of us, will be judged before the White Throne.


Resources:
[1] "The Bad, the Good, and the Ugly" Fitzpatrick, Brian Culture and Media Institute. http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/articles/2008/20081009191419.aspx
[2] "Barack Obama's Communist Connections" Vernon, Wes, Renew America. http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/vernon/080526
[3] "Barack Obama's Connections to socialism, communism, and racial divisiveness" Gerrish, Dee, ArticlesBase http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/barack-obamas-connections-to-socialism-communism-and-racial-divisiveness-591732.html
[4] "The Case against Barack Obama" Freddoso, David Tower.com http://www.tower.com/case-against-barack-obama-david-freddoso-hardcover/wapi/112225660