Or is it the end of the beginning?
In the spring of 2008, I could see the beginning of my company’s demise. But I had no idea what that would mean to myself, my wife, family and friends. Neighboring retail stores were closing up shop; many to retire, others relocated, and more just shut down. In total, seventeen stores would close down in a three block stretch of this downtown over a two year period. Ours was the 14th of 17.
The seeds of this demise started before we started our business. They were sewn before I was born. These seeds were planted in the early 20th century, when a few key people decided we didn’t need God anymore, man is now intelligent enough to solve all of man’s problems. Man can create a perfect paradise right here on earth.
Meanwhile, while God is watching all of this, He orchestrates the return of a remnant of His people, the Jews; Israelites scattered from 2000 years prior; to return to their native land, Israel. (No, not Palestine. Palestine was only a name given to the area by Rome.) As other nations went to war against this tiny country, they have always been soundly defeated. God promised He would bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. As you can see, God is still keeping this promise.
These same intellectuals who tell us we evolved from apes are preventing us from praying in public or displaying anything Christian in nature (in the name of separation of church and state); while we spend millions of taxpayer dollars funding an Islamic (trophy) center near the World Trade Center (in the name of freedom of religion). Do you see a pattern?
Since God got kicked out of our schools, crime has skyrocketed, we went from being the largest creditor nation to being the largest debtor nation, selling our children and grandchildren into a state of bondage where we will work for other’s prosperity and receive crumbs for our efforts. Our largest exports are frivolous entertainment, computer software and printed, paper dollars. We import 70 of our energy in spite of having all the resources we need within our boundaries. Our very government who has created these energy shortages will not permit us to access them, due to their “Environmentally sensitive nature”. We produce half of the world’s food yet we import more food than any other country in the world. This reversal of fortune has taken place in less than 50 years. Abandon God, and He abandons us. (Read Deuteronomy 28 for a list of rewards for following as well as the list of curses for abandoning God.)
But I too, thought I had it all figured out. I believed, like the bankers, a huge inflation was on its way, not a recession/ depression. I used as much of other peoples’ money as I could, thinking I could pay it all back in diluted dollars. So while I leveraged my finances 8 fold, the banks leveraged themselves 80 fold! And we all fell like the house of cards we were. It was only when I realized how much of our wealth has been being sucked out of the United States did I figure out why things happened the way they did.
1. We abandoned our Lord and our God and we are now paying the price for it.
2. No money left. We wasted it all. We borrowed more, and wasted it too. We print even more and waste that as well.
3. Our arrogance and self pride have given every two bit dictator the challenge to “take pot shots” at us, in order to knock us down a notch or two. And they’re succeeding. In many instances we actually pay them for their efforts at “taking pot shots” at us!
There are actually multiple solutions to this predicament we face ourselves with. God is in the miracle business. He is also in the blessing business. Our Lord and our God will return to us, if we return to Him. He will bless us as we bless Him, and His nation Israel. The other alternative is the United States will come to an end, very soon. If this is what happens, we should all pray that he blesses and protects all of us who honor and love Him in all we do. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
December 28, 2010
December 19, 2010
The Sin Addiction - 2
Exodus 22:8 "You shall not permit a sorceress to live.
Do you read your horoscope? Consult a spirit guide? Or tarot cards?? These are forms of sorcery (or Pharmakia, in Greek) and they have no place in a Jew’s or a Christian’s life.
This is a very real domain. It’s a domain that will be truthful at times, deceptive at others, and always very manipulative. It will give you just enough information and advice to have you turn away from the truth and go after great deceptions. It will give you enough supernatural power to make you want more, and in return you sell your soul and spirit for that power. Once you have it, often a demon takes over and controls you via fear and depression. Thoughts of suicide become more common. Drugs (pharmakia) can control much of the depression and anxieties, but they wear off, in a matter of hours.
The Bible has numerous references to witchcraft and sorcery. None of them are good. All of them have ugly circumstances. See I Corinthians 6:9. Or Revelation 22:15. So, if you claim to be a Christian, and engage in such abominable activities, do you think Jesus will welcome you with open arms and the words, “Well done, faithful servant”?, Maybe not. After all, on one hand you confess Jesus, on the other hand, you cling to Satan. You end up giving lip service to God and nothing more (Isaiah 29:13). Do you think God will honor you?
While accepting Christ as your personal savior does grant you eternal life, it doesn’t grant us license to do whatever sounds good at the moment, knowing God’s grace will cover all our sins. (Romans 6:1-3) The proper balance is to seek the Lord Christ with all your heart. Develop the personal relationship that Jesus wants to have with all of us. Don’t sweat the good deeds and works, simply do the best you can to keep His commandments. The Holy Spirit will guide you away from all evil including psychic divinations while pointing you towards the good. You will find yourself doing works and deeds, not because you “must”, but because you want to. That is when you experience pure joy, knowing it comes from God alone.
Do you read your horoscope? Consult a spirit guide? Or tarot cards?? These are forms of sorcery (or Pharmakia, in Greek) and they have no place in a Jew’s or a Christian’s life.
This is a very real domain. It’s a domain that will be truthful at times, deceptive at others, and always very manipulative. It will give you just enough information and advice to have you turn away from the truth and go after great deceptions. It will give you enough supernatural power to make you want more, and in return you sell your soul and spirit for that power. Once you have it, often a demon takes over and controls you via fear and depression. Thoughts of suicide become more common. Drugs (pharmakia) can control much of the depression and anxieties, but they wear off, in a matter of hours.
The Bible has numerous references to witchcraft and sorcery. None of them are good. All of them have ugly circumstances. See I Corinthians 6:9. Or Revelation 22:15. So, if you claim to be a Christian, and engage in such abominable activities, do you think Jesus will welcome you with open arms and the words, “Well done, faithful servant”?, Maybe not. After all, on one hand you confess Jesus, on the other hand, you cling to Satan. You end up giving lip service to God and nothing more (Isaiah 29:13). Do you think God will honor you?
While accepting Christ as your personal savior does grant you eternal life, it doesn’t grant us license to do whatever sounds good at the moment, knowing God’s grace will cover all our sins. (Romans 6:1-3) The proper balance is to seek the Lord Christ with all your heart. Develop the personal relationship that Jesus wants to have with all of us. Don’t sweat the good deeds and works, simply do the best you can to keep His commandments. The Holy Spirit will guide you away from all evil including psychic divinations while pointing you towards the good. You will find yourself doing works and deeds, not because you “must”, but because you want to. That is when you experience pure joy, knowing it comes from God alone.
December 12, 2010
The Sin Addiction
We are all sinners. (Christians just so happen to be forgiven sinners.) We were born sinners, so when a gay/ lesbian; alcoholic, drug addict, sex addict, porn addict, pathological liars, kleptomaniacs and even food addicts tell you they can't stop their "lifestyle", they're right. They can't.
But God can! Jesus can!! Remember what Jesus said, "With man, nothing is possible but with God, all things are possible." (Mark 10:27) Have these "addicted sinners" taken the time to turn over their sins to God? Even the secular organizations recognize the use of a “higher power” as part of their programs to separate the members from their vices.
Romans 7:14-17 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
Acknowledging Sin requires humility, humbling ones self before God, and often their peers. Once brought to this level, amazing spiritual growth transpires. The sin is often stopped dead in its tracks. The addiction is removed for good (unless the sinner invites it back into their life, a trait all addicts fight and usually on occasion succumb to. Proverbs 26:11; 2Peter 2:22)
Jesus promises us we will be tempted, but no more than He knows we can bear. In addition, He always provides a way out. (1Cor. 10:13) These struggles with the flesh help us know both good and evil, as promised in Genesis 3:17-19. Temptations can remind us to place our focus, our mindset on Christ in all we do. Haven’t you noticed temptation may be present, but easily defeat able when in prayer of study? Don’t you wish Christ can be with you at work, in play, in the mall to beat back temptation? Guess what? He can and is! He is our “way out!”
Just because we're forgiven sinners doesn't give Christians a license to sin (Romans 6:1). We need to stop sinning as much as we can, and God's grace will cover the rest. It's a struggle; yes, but one we can all win if our Lord Jesus Christ is first in our lives.
But God can! Jesus can!! Remember what Jesus said, "With man, nothing is possible but with God, all things are possible." (Mark 10:27) Have these "addicted sinners" taken the time to turn over their sins to God? Even the secular organizations recognize the use of a “higher power” as part of their programs to separate the members from their vices.
Romans 7:14-17 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
Acknowledging Sin requires humility, humbling ones self before God, and often their peers. Once brought to this level, amazing spiritual growth transpires. The sin is often stopped dead in its tracks. The addiction is removed for good (unless the sinner invites it back into their life, a trait all addicts fight and usually on occasion succumb to. Proverbs 26:11; 2Peter 2:22)
Jesus promises us we will be tempted, but no more than He knows we can bear. In addition, He always provides a way out. (1Cor. 10:13) These struggles with the flesh help us know both good and evil, as promised in Genesis 3:17-19. Temptations can remind us to place our focus, our mindset on Christ in all we do. Haven’t you noticed temptation may be present, but easily defeat able when in prayer of study? Don’t you wish Christ can be with you at work, in play, in the mall to beat back temptation? Guess what? He can and is! He is our “way out!”
Just because we're forgiven sinners doesn't give Christians a license to sin (Romans 6:1). We need to stop sinning as much as we can, and God's grace will cover the rest. It's a struggle; yes, but one we can all win if our Lord Jesus Christ is first in our lives.
December 2, 2010
Is it time to Pray, Praise, or Party?
Soooo...the economy is is lukewarm, probably on its way to being vomited (ala Revelation 3:16); the world is not too happy with the ObamaNation right now (can you blame them?); and there are more and more earthquakes, new diseases, new wars, and new food and energy shortages. The unholy shinola is hitting a very big fan. Whatcha you gonna do?
Rejoice! Be happy!! Sing!!!
God loves a joyful heart! He knows what you need and He has never let anyone down tho puts their faith and trust in Him. (Besides, I don’t know about you, but I like a good party!)
This doesn't mean you don't have to participate in life, however. If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (2Thessalonians 3:10) What you should do is know and understand that God - Jesus - has your back and will protect you as long as you depend on Him. And that means taking care of yourself and your family, too!
Jesus said when you see these signs, these trials and tribulations, to "rejoice, for the day of your redemption draws near". (Does that mean party?) As a Christian, we know we have a way out of this mess coming up. But we have to rely on and completely depend on Christ, for we have no idea when!
Three things we need to remember that will see us through these times:
1) Its all God's. He's just loaning to to us while we're here, and He can take it away from us at any time. So whatever we have an excess of, the least we can do is share it with others!
2) Focus your life and your activities towards God. While at work, doing daily chores, out on the boat or the golf course, keep God and Christ in your thoughts. This is part of praying without ceasing. Enjoy the landscaping, the water, the snow capped mountains, the ski slopes, whatever your heart chooses, knowing that none of it would exist without our creator, God. God loves it when you take him with you. (So does the dog, yes, but the boss doesn’t! like the dog slobbering all over everything. God knows how to behave in public!)
3) Jesus said there'd be days like these! So rejoice! Be happy! Don't worry about it. Christians will be persecuted, ridiculed, imprisoned and killed. Remember, they hated Jesus first. Accept that and rejoice! No better way to annoy a godless liberal than to work hard, pay your taxes, and let them get nasty in front of you, and all the while you're happy!
Our days are very limited on earth. We have no idea when this rapture of the church will happen. It may happen in a few hours, or 40 years from now. It may happen before the tribulation, or the tribulation may have started; it’s not for us to now. (Methinx if we knew all this, we’d spill the beans to Satan...albeit unintentionally... and things would get messed up if some of the details were given away) But we must get ready and be ready for that day.
And yes, have fun while you wait!
Rejoice! Be happy!! Sing!!!
God loves a joyful heart! He knows what you need and He has never let anyone down tho puts their faith and trust in Him. (Besides, I don’t know about you, but I like a good party!)
This doesn't mean you don't have to participate in life, however. If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (2Thessalonians 3:10) What you should do is know and understand that God - Jesus - has your back and will protect you as long as you depend on Him. And that means taking care of yourself and your family, too!
Jesus said when you see these signs, these trials and tribulations, to "rejoice, for the day of your redemption draws near". (Does that mean party?) As a Christian, we know we have a way out of this mess coming up. But we have to rely on and completely depend on Christ, for we have no idea when!
Three things we need to remember that will see us through these times:
1) Its all God's. He's just loaning to to us while we're here, and He can take it away from us at any time. So whatever we have an excess of, the least we can do is share it with others!
2) Focus your life and your activities towards God. While at work, doing daily chores, out on the boat or the golf course, keep God and Christ in your thoughts. This is part of praying without ceasing. Enjoy the landscaping, the water, the snow capped mountains, the ski slopes, whatever your heart chooses, knowing that none of it would exist without our creator, God. God loves it when you take him with you. (So does the dog, yes, but the boss doesn’t! like the dog slobbering all over everything. God knows how to behave in public!)
3) Jesus said there'd be days like these! So rejoice! Be happy! Don't worry about it. Christians will be persecuted, ridiculed, imprisoned and killed. Remember, they hated Jesus first. Accept that and rejoice! No better way to annoy a godless liberal than to work hard, pay your taxes, and let them get nasty in front of you, and all the while you're happy!
Our days are very limited on earth. We have no idea when this rapture of the church will happen. It may happen in a few hours, or 40 years from now. It may happen before the tribulation, or the tribulation may have started; it’s not for us to now. (Methinx if we knew all this, we’d spill the beans to Satan...albeit unintentionally... and things would get messed up if some of the details were given away) But we must get ready and be ready for that day.
And yes, have fun while you wait!
November 30, 2010
Is the narrow path to eternal life getting smaller?
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13,14
It seems a few years ago the narrow road and gate that leads to eternal life was much wider than it is today. As early as 20 years ago I saw evidence of the new age movement getting a foot in the door with mainstream Christianity. I didn’t say anything back then, as I was still “young and stupid” in my faith!
Well, that’s changed. When I see pastors start accepting the teachings from the new age, quoting Islamic scripture, associating themselves with the new world order as if they are endorsing it, it’s time to ask questions. They got some ‘splainin to do!
These very pastors, most of whom have very large followings, are compromising their faith, and it’s these compromises that have become a snare to them (Deuteronomy 7:16). It has been suggested these pastors have either become power hungry, or they have become intrigued by the power structure and wish to become a part of it. You can’t serve God and mammon, God will let mammon win every time, at your own peril!
Either way, they have sold their faith out for the equivalent of a single meal. (Hebrews 12:16; Genesis 25:28-34) And unless they repent of the path they are taking, they will doom many in their churches to destruction.
As I see the Christian church become more corrupted, compromised and commingled with anti Christian ideals, the path to eternal life Jesus talked about gets more narrow. Much more narrow. How are we to defend ourselves and therefore stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life?
1. Test the spirits. Does the sprit profess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, and is born of God? According to 1John 4 and 5, every spirit (or person) that doesn’t confess these things is not from God. And if it is not from God, where is it from???
2. Study the scriptures (Acts 17:10-13) Don’t take my word or anyone’s word for it. Look it up and read it yourself. This is one of the biggest reasons good and proper pastors will have you open your bibles when delivering a sermon. You get to read the actual scripture and see for yourself if it is true. Scripture on an overhead or power point display doesn’t count. Anyone can twist those words for their benefit. Those power point displays also don’t have the cross references included, important to verify the context of the message.
3. Put on and LEAVE on the full armor of God! (Ephesians 6:11-17) Be armed and prepared for anything an adversary will throw at you. There are plenty of wolves in sheep’s clothing out there, and Jesus taught us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Every pastor, teacher, commentator, blogger, and anyone else claiming to profess Jesus Christ as the Son of God, in the flesh, must be put on notice: Unless the aforementioned individuals are reading from God’s word frequently in every sermon, message or writing, you will leave him and seek other doers of the Word who will. There are many very good small churches that preach God’s words and they don’t mince words. We need leaders who will challenge us to break out of what’s comfortable and into the uncomfortable. But we also need reminders of God’s grace, unconditional love, and His slowness to anger.
It seems a few years ago the narrow road and gate that leads to eternal life was much wider than it is today. As early as 20 years ago I saw evidence of the new age movement getting a foot in the door with mainstream Christianity. I didn’t say anything back then, as I was still “young and stupid” in my faith!
Well, that’s changed. When I see pastors start accepting the teachings from the new age, quoting Islamic scripture, associating themselves with the new world order as if they are endorsing it, it’s time to ask questions. They got some ‘splainin to do!
These very pastors, most of whom have very large followings, are compromising their faith, and it’s these compromises that have become a snare to them (Deuteronomy 7:16). It has been suggested these pastors have either become power hungry, or they have become intrigued by the power structure and wish to become a part of it. You can’t serve God and mammon, God will let mammon win every time, at your own peril!
Either way, they have sold their faith out for the equivalent of a single meal. (Hebrews 12:16; Genesis 25:28-34) And unless they repent of the path they are taking, they will doom many in their churches to destruction.
As I see the Christian church become more corrupted, compromised and commingled with anti Christian ideals, the path to eternal life Jesus talked about gets more narrow. Much more narrow. How are we to defend ourselves and therefore stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life?
1. Test the spirits. Does the sprit profess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, and is born of God? According to 1John 4 and 5, every spirit (or person) that doesn’t confess these things is not from God. And if it is not from God, where is it from???
2. Study the scriptures (Acts 17:10-13) Don’t take my word or anyone’s word for it. Look it up and read it yourself. This is one of the biggest reasons good and proper pastors will have you open your bibles when delivering a sermon. You get to read the actual scripture and see for yourself if it is true. Scripture on an overhead or power point display doesn’t count. Anyone can twist those words for their benefit. Those power point displays also don’t have the cross references included, important to verify the context of the message.
3. Put on and LEAVE on the full armor of God! (Ephesians 6:11-17) Be armed and prepared for anything an adversary will throw at you. There are plenty of wolves in sheep’s clothing out there, and Jesus taught us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Every pastor, teacher, commentator, blogger, and anyone else claiming to profess Jesus Christ as the Son of God, in the flesh, must be put on notice: Unless the aforementioned individuals are reading from God’s word frequently in every sermon, message or writing, you will leave him and seek other doers of the Word who will. There are many very good small churches that preach God’s words and they don’t mince words. We need leaders who will challenge us to break out of what’s comfortable and into the uncomfortable. But we also need reminders of God’s grace, unconditional love, and His slowness to anger.
October 17, 2010
Remembering your first love.
When you spend much of your time focusing on how current events are more and more linking it all into end times prophecy, it becomes too easy for all of us (especially myself) to take notice of the wrath of God. But the “greatest commandment” in the Bible is, Love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
The Lord our God is slow to anger, and abundant in love. He encourages love first. It is said, God is love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” It is because of these words, I fear we may be neglecting our first love, out of our zeal.
The non - believer sees the zeal, and misinterprets it as hate, or worse, passing judgment. The weak or new believer may either get uncomfortable, or worse, join in the fray and become a zealot. Neither is good. Sure, the Lord is coming, and this time, He will come with a sword. But this does not mean He doesn’t want to love all of us, regardless of where we stand with Him. He is not the one condemning a non believer, the non - believer stands condemned already for not believing Gods only Son.
Love is a choice. God has chosen to love us, but we don’t have to love Him back. It’s Islam who teaches, “Submit to god, or die”, not Christianity. Christianity teaches, “Love one another” and “Love your enemies and forgive those who persecute you”. It is this message of love that will bring more and more into Christ. The prophetic message should be used to back up God’s word. One is not more important that the other, but love will attract more to the Lord It’s not too late for anyone to come to Jesus.
Everyone has until the moment before they die to choose Christ. That can be in fifty years or fifty nanoseconds. Let’s remember it's about the love of God first, as well as His prophetic word.
David
www.GodNCountryStore.com
The Lord our God is slow to anger, and abundant in love. He encourages love first. It is said, God is love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” It is because of these words, I fear we may be neglecting our first love, out of our zeal.
The non - believer sees the zeal, and misinterprets it as hate, or worse, passing judgment. The weak or new believer may either get uncomfortable, or worse, join in the fray and become a zealot. Neither is good. Sure, the Lord is coming, and this time, He will come with a sword. But this does not mean He doesn’t want to love all of us, regardless of where we stand with Him. He is not the one condemning a non believer, the non - believer stands condemned already for not believing Gods only Son.
Love is a choice. God has chosen to love us, but we don’t have to love Him back. It’s Islam who teaches, “Submit to god, or die”, not Christianity. Christianity teaches, “Love one another” and “Love your enemies and forgive those who persecute you”. It is this message of love that will bring more and more into Christ. The prophetic message should be used to back up God’s word. One is not more important that the other, but love will attract more to the Lord It’s not too late for anyone to come to Jesus.
Everyone has until the moment before they die to choose Christ. That can be in fifty years or fifty nanoseconds. Let’s remember it's about the love of God first, as well as His prophetic word.
David
www.GodNCountryStore.com
October 9, 2010
Have You Prayed for America Today?
In 1962, the Supreme Court Ruling of Engle vs. Vitale struck down voluntary prayer in schools. With this, the first amendment phrase, “…nor prohibit the free exercise thereof, the establishment of any religion”, was replaced with “separation of church and state,” a phrase which has Marxist roots. Almost immediately, the decline of the United States of America began.
The War on Poverty soon began, extracting more wealth from our successful industries in order to create a better life for those impoverished, not through faith in God, but through the efforts of man, and government. Later, a health care plan for Senior Citizens was created, placing a larger burden on society to support the retired. More works of man to replace faith in God.
What followed was a sexual revolution of the young, resulting in increased disease, unwanted pregnancies, unwed, single mothers with no fathers in the household, and a greater burden on the government. Less God, more man.
David Barton’s 1988 report entitled, “America: To Pray? or Not to Pray?” illustrates increases in illiteracy, crime, premarital sex, and venereal disease. It also documented the increases in depression, hopelessness, suicide, drug use, government corruption and a slew of other social ills since the Supreme Court ruling that ended up replacing God with government.
Fifty-eight years later, without fathers in the house, we now have a huge criminal class, three generations of families permanently on welfare, 50 million aborted babies, and a government that has spent 13 trillion ($13,000,000,000,000) dollars on what it has described as an assortment of “crisises” and has obligated itself to spend an additional 100 trillion (that’s $100,000,000,000,000) more over the next 40 or so years. All Man, No god.
$100,000,000,000,000 is more than all the wealth in the world in 2010. It is more than the wealth of 3,000 Bill Gates. It is more than $300,000 of debt for each US resident, which should be enough for all of us to abandon the land once blessed by God Almighty; and now abandoned by God, for we abandoned Him first.
At the very least, we should abandon our government. And return to God. Return to the foundations that made the United States of America the greatest nation ever on planet earth. It appears at the time of this writing Americans could potentially abandon the very government that two years ago offered up this false hope for real, positive change. May each of us humble themselves and pray, and turn from their Godless ways, and in turn may the God of Heaven, hear these prayers from earth reaching Heaven, forgive them their sins and heal this land. All God, no man.
The War on Poverty soon began, extracting more wealth from our successful industries in order to create a better life for those impoverished, not through faith in God, but through the efforts of man, and government. Later, a health care plan for Senior Citizens was created, placing a larger burden on society to support the retired. More works of man to replace faith in God.
What followed was a sexual revolution of the young, resulting in increased disease, unwanted pregnancies, unwed, single mothers with no fathers in the household, and a greater burden on the government. Less God, more man.
David Barton’s 1988 report entitled, “America: To Pray? or Not to Pray?” illustrates increases in illiteracy, crime, premarital sex, and venereal disease. It also documented the increases in depression, hopelessness, suicide, drug use, government corruption and a slew of other social ills since the Supreme Court ruling that ended up replacing God with government.
Fifty-eight years later, without fathers in the house, we now have a huge criminal class, three generations of families permanently on welfare, 50 million aborted babies, and a government that has spent 13 trillion ($13,000,000,000,000) dollars on what it has described as an assortment of “crisises” and has obligated itself to spend an additional 100 trillion (that’s $100,000,000,000,000) more over the next 40 or so years. All Man, No god.
$100,000,000,000,000 is more than all the wealth in the world in 2010. It is more than the wealth of 3,000 Bill Gates. It is more than $300,000 of debt for each US resident, which should be enough for all of us to abandon the land once blessed by God Almighty; and now abandoned by God, for we abandoned Him first.
At the very least, we should abandon our government. And return to God. Return to the foundations that made the United States of America the greatest nation ever on planet earth. It appears at the time of this writing Americans could potentially abandon the very government that two years ago offered up this false hope for real, positive change. May each of us humble themselves and pray, and turn from their Godless ways, and in turn may the God of Heaven, hear these prayers from earth reaching Heaven, forgive them their sins and heal this land. All God, no man.
May 26, 2010
How Relevant is God?
Is God Irrelevant?
Is Jesus meaningless??
Is Church boring?
Today, less than 30% regularly attend church and that number is rapidly declining. It appears that more and more believers in God are seeing the local church as irrelevant to the world they live in. Surveys reveal that up to 90% of church members believe they are not being taught how to apply the Bible to the complex world of work where they spend 60-70% of their time.
It’s not that society has left the bible behind, those that teach the bible have failed to show its relevancy.
Are the ten commandments no longer relevant? Is fidelity, integrity, respectful of innocent life, personal property, monogamy, honesty and having lacking envy over the property of others no longer relevant? Is loving your neighbor as yourself unimportant? Is an understanding of world history to be trated like garbage (especially when it says things we don't like)??
For example: How many people know that the Jewish homeland for over 3000 years is Israel. And that the nation of Palestine, who claims the land of Israel never existed? It was predicted 2500 years ago the Jews would be driven out of their land (fulfilled in 70AD), only to return in the final days (fulfilled in AD1948)! How many understand that Israel will never fall to another nation again, that never again will the Jews be driven out of their land, and God Himself has promised to protect His people Israel from all the enemies surrounding them until He returns. Yet Israel is being threatened by neighboring Iran (Persia) to be exterminated, just as predicted. (Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38, 39). Finally, does anybody know how this will affect them today? And how should they protect themselves in the upcoming world war?
How many know the disasters, natural and man made, that we experience now were predicted by Jesus 2000 years ago? (Matthew 24) Yes, we have always had natural disasters, just nowhere near the numbers we deal with today. And man made disasters are at all time highs; including wars and terrorist attacks, plagues, and famines; all manageable, but mankind is not dealing with any of them proactively, nor are they properly reacting to them.
Do you know about the scientific evidence that proves beyond any reasonable doubt the our universe was created with intelligent design? Studies in microbiology, astrophysics, quantum physics all point to a creator. Example: what is laminin; and how important is it for all life on earth? Why is it shaped like a cross? And how many clues to the wonders of this planet and the universe were inserted inside this Bible?
The same creator who inspired the Bible, (there is scientific evidence supporting this as well) made thousands of prophecies that have almost 100% come true (the only ones that haven’t come true are the ones that have to deal with our future! This same creator designed and created everything for His enjoyment and ours, and wants everyone to join Him in heaven, but He lets us make that choice. There are simply too many "coincidences", thousands of them in fact, to leave the creation of the universe to chance.
No other scriptual book makes the claim that every word was inspired by God. Only the Bible makes this claim, and it can back it up. The Q'ran cannot.
Churches must make the bible relevant. If yours doesn't, find one that does. You can get entertainment and socializing in a tavern; you don't need church for that. Make attending church inspiring, motivating, encouraging. Make your church relevant.
If the bible cannot be shown how important it is in these times, no one will hear and understand, which means no one will believe, and therefore, no one will have any hope. Without hope, governments replace god. Just ask any survivor of the USSR, or China under Chairman Mao.
What was true and relevant 2000, 3000, even 4000 years ago is still true and relevant today. Our founding fathers pleged their finances, their families and their very lives over the principles in the Bible. It was relevant to them. Make God's word, the Holy Bible relevant to you.
Is Jesus meaningless??
Is Church boring?
Today, less than 30% regularly attend church and that number is rapidly declining. It appears that more and more believers in God are seeing the local church as irrelevant to the world they live in. Surveys reveal that up to 90% of church members believe they are not being taught how to apply the Bible to the complex world of work where they spend 60-70% of their time.
It’s not that society has left the bible behind, those that teach the bible have failed to show its relevancy.
Are the ten commandments no longer relevant? Is fidelity, integrity, respectful of innocent life, personal property, monogamy, honesty and having lacking envy over the property of others no longer relevant? Is loving your neighbor as yourself unimportant? Is an understanding of world history to be trated like garbage (especially when it says things we don't like)??
For example: How many people know that the Jewish homeland for over 3000 years is Israel. And that the nation of Palestine, who claims the land of Israel never existed? It was predicted 2500 years ago the Jews would be driven out of their land (fulfilled in 70AD), only to return in the final days (fulfilled in AD1948)! How many understand that Israel will never fall to another nation again, that never again will the Jews be driven out of their land, and God Himself has promised to protect His people Israel from all the enemies surrounding them until He returns. Yet Israel is being threatened by neighboring Iran (Persia) to be exterminated, just as predicted. (Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38, 39). Finally, does anybody know how this will affect them today? And how should they protect themselves in the upcoming world war?
How many know the disasters, natural and man made, that we experience now were predicted by Jesus 2000 years ago? (Matthew 24) Yes, we have always had natural disasters, just nowhere near the numbers we deal with today. And man made disasters are at all time highs; including wars and terrorist attacks, plagues, and famines; all manageable, but mankind is not dealing with any of them proactively, nor are they properly reacting to them.
Do you know about the scientific evidence that proves beyond any reasonable doubt the our universe was created with intelligent design? Studies in microbiology, astrophysics, quantum physics all point to a creator. Example: what is laminin; and how important is it for all life on earth? Why is it shaped like a cross? And how many clues to the wonders of this planet and the universe were inserted inside this Bible?
The same creator who inspired the Bible, (there is scientific evidence supporting this as well) made thousands of prophecies that have almost 100% come true (the only ones that haven’t come true are the ones that have to deal with our future! This same creator designed and created everything for His enjoyment and ours, and wants everyone to join Him in heaven, but He lets us make that choice. There are simply too many "coincidences", thousands of them in fact, to leave the creation of the universe to chance.
No other scriptual book makes the claim that every word was inspired by God. Only the Bible makes this claim, and it can back it up. The Q'ran cannot.
Churches must make the bible relevant. If yours doesn't, find one that does. You can get entertainment and socializing in a tavern; you don't need church for that. Make attending church inspiring, motivating, encouraging. Make your church relevant.
If the bible cannot be shown how important it is in these times, no one will hear and understand, which means no one will believe, and therefore, no one will have any hope. Without hope, governments replace god. Just ask any survivor of the USSR, or China under Chairman Mao.
What was true and relevant 2000, 3000, even 4000 years ago is still true and relevant today. Our founding fathers pleged their finances, their families and their very lives over the principles in the Bible. It was relevant to them. Make God's word, the Holy Bible relevant to you.
May 7, 2010
Seven Days To Jesus
It has been asked, “What would you do if you knew Jesus would return in the next seven days?” This simple exercise gets you to think not of this world, but of the world to come, as if everything in and of this world we are living in will have no value at all.
For me, the first thing I would do is quit my job. Hey, I make little spiritual impact at my job anyway…seeing only 25-35 people a day. I spend too much time in solitude, driving around making deliveries. On the other hand, if I was the UPS or FedEx guy, bouncing in and out of my van 100+ times a day, I’d think otherwise. Imagine the witnessing I could do at that job! But the job itself would have no more meaning, as there would be no more bills to pay and I have more than a week’s worth of food in the pantry. I don’t need no stinking job for only seven days of living!
Second, what I do have, I would give away. It won’t do me any good anyway, and for a non believer, the stuff would make a great testimony. Jesus is coming in seven (or fewer) days, here, take my stuff. I won’t need it where I’m going. By the way, do you want to join me? There’s plenty of room, plenty of everything, for that matter. You will never need or want anything else for eternity! Yes, God is real, Jesus is real, and He doesn’t want anyone to be left behind (1). He wants everybody to join Him! And you won’t need my used stuff, there’s better things waiting for both of us where I’m going, and you can come, too!
Third, I’d make signs, stand on street corners, and pass out bible verses of encouragement…or words of invitation. Jesus is coming in 7 days. He’s taking me with Him. Want to join me? I’m going to Jesus’ house, and everyone is invited, too!(1) I’d write and blog and print and hand out flyers and spend my last week telling anyone and everyone I meet this is your last chance to accept Jesus as your Lord and God, just as hundreds of millions of others have done before. Forget the inhibitions or the embarrassment. A week later and it’s all moot. I’d be a “carney barker” for Jesus. A very friendly, and cheerful carney barker.
Finally, I’d wait…and pray. Pray for His return.
Now, isn’t that great?! Come to think about it, anyone can stay that focused in Jesus for seven days with the proper motivation. After all, didn’t Jesus Himself remind us that if we knew the hour and the day the thief would break in, we would be ready, right?
So, let’s not say Jesus will return in seven days, but seven years. Personally, I believe seven years is very realistic. In fact, I expect to be raptured in the next seven years, although I’m not foolish enough to bet on it (besides, if I win, I wouldn’t care about collecting such a wager!). Furthermore, if there is more than seven years of life left on earth for my brothers and sisters in Christ and I, then I should do all I can to be that “carney barker” for Jesus that I possibly can. Speaking up for Jesus will sew some seeds of faith and water others. God will do the growing.
However, since I cannot count on Jesus returning this week, I guess I shouldn’t quit my job. (Darn.) But I should promote and discuss Jesus (within reason…we can’t be good witnesses if we get fired for being too annoying!) at work, with my business contacts, on street corners, on my websites, in blogs, in comment sections of other blogs, anywhere and everywhere possible. Sewing seeds of faith. I should give more of my stuff away - more frequently - it makes living a lot lighter. I have too much stuff, too much clutter, and many others would enjoy a sliver of my excess. Most of us do. I should pray for my country daily, my work peers daily, my family hourly, and for God’s guidance and protection on us all continuously, every minute(2).
The biggest difference between seven years and seven days is with the latter, you still have to work and live within the world. But you know Jesus is coming, and you have to be ready at all times(3). That said, most of us (myself included) need to kick our relationship with the Lord into higher gear, and finish strong as His day draws near. And that’s what I’m doing
Are you ready? Are those around you ready? It’s time to get ready!
1. I Peter 3:9
2. I Thessalonians 5:17
3. Matthew 24:44
For me, the first thing I would do is quit my job. Hey, I make little spiritual impact at my job anyway…seeing only 25-35 people a day. I spend too much time in solitude, driving around making deliveries. On the other hand, if I was the UPS or FedEx guy, bouncing in and out of my van 100+ times a day, I’d think otherwise. Imagine the witnessing I could do at that job! But the job itself would have no more meaning, as there would be no more bills to pay and I have more than a week’s worth of food in the pantry. I don’t need no stinking job for only seven days of living!
Second, what I do have, I would give away. It won’t do me any good anyway, and for a non believer, the stuff would make a great testimony. Jesus is coming in seven (or fewer) days, here, take my stuff. I won’t need it where I’m going. By the way, do you want to join me? There’s plenty of room, plenty of everything, for that matter. You will never need or want anything else for eternity! Yes, God is real, Jesus is real, and He doesn’t want anyone to be left behind (1). He wants everybody to join Him! And you won’t need my used stuff, there’s better things waiting for both of us where I’m going, and you can come, too!
Third, I’d make signs, stand on street corners, and pass out bible verses of encouragement…or words of invitation. Jesus is coming in 7 days. He’s taking me with Him. Want to join me? I’m going to Jesus’ house, and everyone is invited, too!(1) I’d write and blog and print and hand out flyers and spend my last week telling anyone and everyone I meet this is your last chance to accept Jesus as your Lord and God, just as hundreds of millions of others have done before. Forget the inhibitions or the embarrassment. A week later and it’s all moot. I’d be a “carney barker” for Jesus. A very friendly, and cheerful carney barker.
Finally, I’d wait…and pray. Pray for His return.
Now, isn’t that great?! Come to think about it, anyone can stay that focused in Jesus for seven days with the proper motivation. After all, didn’t Jesus Himself remind us that if we knew the hour and the day the thief would break in, we would be ready, right?
So, let’s not say Jesus will return in seven days, but seven years. Personally, I believe seven years is very realistic. In fact, I expect to be raptured in the next seven years, although I’m not foolish enough to bet on it (besides, if I win, I wouldn’t care about collecting such a wager!). Furthermore, if there is more than seven years of life left on earth for my brothers and sisters in Christ and I, then I should do all I can to be that “carney barker” for Jesus that I possibly can. Speaking up for Jesus will sew some seeds of faith and water others. God will do the growing.
However, since I cannot count on Jesus returning this week, I guess I shouldn’t quit my job. (Darn.) But I should promote and discuss Jesus (within reason…we can’t be good witnesses if we get fired for being too annoying!) at work, with my business contacts, on street corners, on my websites, in blogs, in comment sections of other blogs, anywhere and everywhere possible. Sewing seeds of faith. I should give more of my stuff away - more frequently - it makes living a lot lighter. I have too much stuff, too much clutter, and many others would enjoy a sliver of my excess. Most of us do. I should pray for my country daily, my work peers daily, my family hourly, and for God’s guidance and protection on us all continuously, every minute(2).
The biggest difference between seven years and seven days is with the latter, you still have to work and live within the world. But you know Jesus is coming, and you have to be ready at all times(3). That said, most of us (myself included) need to kick our relationship with the Lord into higher gear, and finish strong as His day draws near. And that’s what I’m doing
Are you ready? Are those around you ready? It’s time to get ready!
1. I Peter 3:9
2. I Thessalonians 5:17
3. Matthew 24:44
February 7, 2010
It's God's Money - 5
Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 New Living Translation
Most Americans are in debt, over $30,000 per household. America is in debt. Over 12 Trillion dollars in debt, plus future obligations totaling another 102,000,000,000,000 more! These debts will continue to double every 7 – 10 years at the current pace, which should actually accelerate.
As a result, we are indeed, slaves. Slaves to banks, foreign countries and their governments, and as a nation we are being forced do other nations’ bidding, across town and around the world. Imagine not being able to protact ourselves from China because China threatens us with economic retaliations that would be worse than a real, direct war against China. It is getting harder and harder for us to sell our government bonds to others, for everyone fears the dollar will be worthless in a few years. China and Japan both have recently stated they will no longer buy any of our bonds.
Because our now godless government continues to tax, print and spend like drunken sailors, we must learn to work more and live with less, if we are to survive this economic mess they have created for us.
First: Surrender to God. Consider all you have and all you own is truly “on loan from God”. You won’t be needing any of it when God invites you to live in His house anyway, so intellectually speaking, let go of it now.
Second: Tithe. It’s God’s money, he has just loaned it to you, right? Give the glory to God.
Third: reduce and eliminate all debt. Save 10% of your income to buy a home (a fourplex is preferred, so you can live in one unit, rent the other three units out) with at least 10% (20% is preferred) down.
Fourth: Save and invest at least 10% of your income. This is money that should work for you, so you will not have to always work for money. I have already mentioned in previous blogs where to invest; refer to “It’s God’s Money – 2” for these ideas.
It’s that simple…or is it??? To do these things, you must either work more hours or get a better paying job (10% plus unemployment out there and here I am saying these things, but this is where your faith is tested) or you must reduce your spending.
Negotiate with your landlord if you pay rent. Many property managers are accepting lower offers on rent if that means a good tenant does not move out. Find a less expensive place to live, or take in a roommate. Reduce your living expenses.
Buy food in bulk, and share perishable foods with others.
Reduce driving a car, by taking a bicycle or bus to work. Eliminate the car entirely if you can, or reduce the number of cars you own and drive.
Shop at thrift stores, buying used merchandise instead of new. Be careful, it’s easy to buy poor quality goods here, where you may need to replace almost immediately after you buy them.
Monitor and manage your utilities. Do you really need all those cable channels; the fancy, $500 cell phone; and the super broadband internet connection? (OK, you might need the internet connection). Can you reduce your heating and light bill? Maybe you should turn off the computer at night!
Can you eat at home more and at the fast food joint less? One meal eaten out per week usually costs $600 extra per year. And many of us eat out 3-5 times a week! Three coffee drinks per week cost the same…and some of us buy that many in a day! Do the math.
Surrender. Tithe. Save. Invest. Prosper. And do all of this to the glory of God. We did this after the Civil War, so it can be done. We can do this. We can do all things in Christ who strengthens us.
© 2009 David Etenburn. Non - commercial reproduction permitted.
Most Americans are in debt, over $30,000 per household. America is in debt. Over 12 Trillion dollars in debt, plus future obligations totaling another 102,000,000,000,000 more! These debts will continue to double every 7 – 10 years at the current pace, which should actually accelerate.
As a result, we are indeed, slaves. Slaves to banks, foreign countries and their governments, and as a nation we are being forced do other nations’ bidding, across town and around the world. Imagine not being able to protact ourselves from China because China threatens us with economic retaliations that would be worse than a real, direct war against China. It is getting harder and harder for us to sell our government bonds to others, for everyone fears the dollar will be worthless in a few years. China and Japan both have recently stated they will no longer buy any of our bonds.
Because our now godless government continues to tax, print and spend like drunken sailors, we must learn to work more and live with less, if we are to survive this economic mess they have created for us.
First: Surrender to God. Consider all you have and all you own is truly “on loan from God”. You won’t be needing any of it when God invites you to live in His house anyway, so intellectually speaking, let go of it now.
Second: Tithe. It’s God’s money, he has just loaned it to you, right? Give the glory to God.
Third: reduce and eliminate all debt. Save 10% of your income to buy a home (a fourplex is preferred, so you can live in one unit, rent the other three units out) with at least 10% (20% is preferred) down.
Fourth: Save and invest at least 10% of your income. This is money that should work for you, so you will not have to always work for money. I have already mentioned in previous blogs where to invest; refer to “It’s God’s Money – 2” for these ideas.
It’s that simple…or is it??? To do these things, you must either work more hours or get a better paying job (10% plus unemployment out there and here I am saying these things, but this is where your faith is tested) or you must reduce your spending.
Negotiate with your landlord if you pay rent. Many property managers are accepting lower offers on rent if that means a good tenant does not move out. Find a less expensive place to live, or take in a roommate. Reduce your living expenses.
Buy food in bulk, and share perishable foods with others.
Reduce driving a car, by taking a bicycle or bus to work. Eliminate the car entirely if you can, or reduce the number of cars you own and drive.
Shop at thrift stores, buying used merchandise instead of new. Be careful, it’s easy to buy poor quality goods here, where you may need to replace almost immediately after you buy them.
Monitor and manage your utilities. Do you really need all those cable channels; the fancy, $500 cell phone; and the super broadband internet connection? (OK, you might need the internet connection). Can you reduce your heating and light bill? Maybe you should turn off the computer at night!
Can you eat at home more and at the fast food joint less? One meal eaten out per week usually costs $600 extra per year. And many of us eat out 3-5 times a week! Three coffee drinks per week cost the same…and some of us buy that many in a day! Do the math.
Surrender. Tithe. Save. Invest. Prosper. And do all of this to the glory of God. We did this after the Civil War, so it can be done. We can do this. We can do all things in Christ who strengthens us.
© 2009 David Etenburn. Non - commercial reproduction permitted.
Have You Prayed for your Country Today? 11
God is at work…again!
A terrorist sneaks onto a plane with 289 people on board. Not armed with any visible weapons, just a few ounces of a high explosive stuck in his underwear. Not enough to raise suspicion at the airport, but enough to do the job: to crash a passenger airplane over a major US city.
It almost worked. The airport security in Nigeria, having no idea what to look for, let terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallabon the plane. After all, just because somebody in our government had been warned he was a terrorist does not mean everybody else on the international counter terrorist front got the same memo. We all understand communication between government agencies, especially international agencies, is difficult if not impossible. Bomb sniffing dogs could have picked something up on this thug, as could have other explosive detection devices, yet nothing was done to stop him from boarding the plane.
While on decent, over suburban Detroit, after putting his explosive together in a restroom, he returned to his seat and tried to detonate it. It should have worked; but instead, a small fire was started and quickly put out, passengers subdued the terrorist, and another attempt on America was thwarted.
But wait. By all accounts, that plane should have never made it to Detroit Metro Airport. It should have gone down in flames - in an open field, or in a shopping district, industrial park or residential area – where specifically we won’t know. What we do know it that it took an act of God to turn this disaster into another wake up call for us. What we do know is that the Lord our God spared the lives of at least 289 people; not just God fearing Christians and Jews, but people of all faiths, including Moslems and Atheists. The detonator, you see, should have worked. There was no apparent reason for it to fail.
Calling this anything short of a terrorist attack is foolish. Calling this a failed terrorist attack is even more foolish. Al-Qaida succeeded here, and our government’s solution is to claim that it failed, and put in place more defense. God is ignored though all of this by our government; fortunately, America’s citizenry doesn’t ignore God.
In reality, all of us should be giving praise and glory to God for rescuing so many people from certain death. As we continue to pray for our nation, let us also give praises to the Lord for our deliverance from this and all other future attacks on America.
A terrorist sneaks onto a plane with 289 people on board. Not armed with any visible weapons, just a few ounces of a high explosive stuck in his underwear. Not enough to raise suspicion at the airport, but enough to do the job: to crash a passenger airplane over a major US city.
It almost worked. The airport security in Nigeria, having no idea what to look for, let terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallabon the plane. After all, just because somebody in our government had been warned he was a terrorist does not mean everybody else on the international counter terrorist front got the same memo. We all understand communication between government agencies, especially international agencies, is difficult if not impossible. Bomb sniffing dogs could have picked something up on this thug, as could have other explosive detection devices, yet nothing was done to stop him from boarding the plane.
While on decent, over suburban Detroit, after putting his explosive together in a restroom, he returned to his seat and tried to detonate it. It should have worked; but instead, a small fire was started and quickly put out, passengers subdued the terrorist, and another attempt on America was thwarted.
But wait. By all accounts, that plane should have never made it to Detroit Metro Airport. It should have gone down in flames - in an open field, or in a shopping district, industrial park or residential area – where specifically we won’t know. What we do know it that it took an act of God to turn this disaster into another wake up call for us. What we do know is that the Lord our God spared the lives of at least 289 people; not just God fearing Christians and Jews, but people of all faiths, including Moslems and Atheists. The detonator, you see, should have worked. There was no apparent reason for it to fail.
Calling this anything short of a terrorist attack is foolish. Calling this a failed terrorist attack is even more foolish. Al-Qaida succeeded here, and our government’s solution is to claim that it failed, and put in place more defense. God is ignored though all of this by our government; fortunately, America’s citizenry doesn’t ignore God.
In reality, all of us should be giving praise and glory to God for rescuing so many people from certain death. As we continue to pray for our nation, let us also give praises to the Lord for our deliverance from this and all other future attacks on America.
January 3, 2010
Have You Prayed for your Country Today? 10
…Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." - Matthew 6:10
I was reminded of this phrase earlier this week. Imagine: God’s will, being done on earth, as it already has been done in heaven.
No pain or suffering, no scarcity, no difficulties, no ugliness. Not just the good things in life, but only the better than the best things in life. In great abundance, as well.
That’s heaven. That’s God’s kingdom, God’s will. That eternal place where most of us reading this will enter. The eternal place where God wants all to enter, but He understands that’s our individual choice, not His to make.
There will come a day when America will become irrelevant, and a new world order will replace it. That may be this year, 100 years from now, or some other time. It's not for any of us to know, except it will happen in God’s perfect time. We can pray all we want for God to heal our land – and pray we should – but we all must understand God’s answer may be “No, not this time, I have something bigger and better for you”.
When we pray for America, let’s also pray for our Lord’s return, and His will be done, under His terms, not ours. The latter is greater than the former.
© 2009 David Etenburn. Non - commercial reproduction permitted
January 1, 2010
Have You Prayed for your Country Today? 9
Prayer Update: Our prayers are being answered. Give glory and thanks to God!
Over the past year, with the apparent public and substantial congressional majority, our government has attempted to impose an anti Christian, pro communist agenda on America. With few faith based supporters remaining in Congress, the only thing left for Christians to do was pray, and peacefully protest. And pray and protest we have done. Praying not just for America, but for our leaders as well.
Right from the start, laws and executive orders were passed that go against our US Constitution, against God, and against what our founding fathers wanted for our country. These politicians have repeatedly exchanged the truth for lies, called evil what has always been right, and declaring right that which always has been evil. (Isaiah 5:20) They turn challenges and mild problems into crisis’s that “we the people cannot handle” and only the government can solve. And they proceed to attempt to finish the destruction of the land of opportunity, and turn the land of the free into the land of the oppressed. But they cannot touch the home of the brave.
The 1000 + page stimulus bill is being exposed for the government control sham that it is. Same goes for the cap and trade legislation. The global warming crisis has just been identified as an international hoax designed to shake down the wealthy for more money and power. And support for the 2000+ page health care bill is grinding to a halt, as more and more Americans take to the streets protesting this government attempt to control the masses via “health care legislation” which has more to do with government control than anything else. Better still, the supporters of this program are now fighting amongst themselves, turning the congressional process into a poor "Three Stooges" movie.
But American citizens have been stepping up, praying, and letting their Lord and God take over. The result? All of this aggressive legislation gets gummed up, the supporters of the health care legislation start arguing amongst themselves so much it may possibly fail, our currency remains strong when it shouldn’t, and our president, as popular as he is, is losing support even among his cabinet, his congress, and the political base that put him in power. Psalm 7:14-16.
Even the terrorists can't blow up a plane right! The attempt to down a plane over Detroit on Christmas day should have been a huge success for Al-Qaida. But the detonator failed. Everything else worked for the terrorists except for this one detail. Call it what you want, but I say this has the hand of God Almighty written all over it!
This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. Both political parties are guilty of this mess. But our God is slow to anger, and abundant in love. He can and will forgive those who repent and turn to Him. He can repair the damage man has created; be it economically, environmentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually. Continue to pray, praising God, give thanks to God; encourage your neighbors who are lost and broken, and it may be possible that God will hear our prayers and heal our land. It's never too late, as long as we don't quit.
And what if we fail, and lose? Don’t worry. The same God we pray to, the same God that saved Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from Nebuchadnezzar and his fiery furnace has promised to protect us from eternal calamity. We may lose our life on earth, but we’ll gain treasure in heaven. Remain faithful. God is with us, and if God is with us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31; Psalms 118:6)
© 2009 David Etenburn. Non - commercial reproduction permitted
Over the past year, with the apparent public and substantial congressional majority, our government has attempted to impose an anti Christian, pro communist agenda on America. With few faith based supporters remaining in Congress, the only thing left for Christians to do was pray, and peacefully protest. And pray and protest we have done. Praying not just for America, but for our leaders as well.
Right from the start, laws and executive orders were passed that go against our US Constitution, against God, and against what our founding fathers wanted for our country. These politicians have repeatedly exchanged the truth for lies, called evil what has always been right, and declaring right that which always has been evil. (Isaiah 5:20) They turn challenges and mild problems into crisis’s that “we the people cannot handle” and only the government can solve. And they proceed to attempt to finish the destruction of the land of opportunity, and turn the land of the free into the land of the oppressed. But they cannot touch the home of the brave.
The 1000 + page stimulus bill is being exposed for the government control sham that it is. Same goes for the cap and trade legislation. The global warming crisis has just been identified as an international hoax designed to shake down the wealthy for more money and power. And support for the 2000+ page health care bill is grinding to a halt, as more and more Americans take to the streets protesting this government attempt to control the masses via “health care legislation” which has more to do with government control than anything else. Better still, the supporters of this program are now fighting amongst themselves, turning the congressional process into a poor "Three Stooges" movie.
But American citizens have been stepping up, praying, and letting their Lord and God take over. The result? All of this aggressive legislation gets gummed up, the supporters of the health care legislation start arguing amongst themselves so much it may possibly fail, our currency remains strong when it shouldn’t, and our president, as popular as he is, is losing support even among his cabinet, his congress, and the political base that put him in power. Psalm 7:14-16.
Even the terrorists can't blow up a plane right! The attempt to down a plane over Detroit on Christmas day should have been a huge success for Al-Qaida. But the detonator failed. Everything else worked for the terrorists except for this one detail. Call it what you want, but I say this has the hand of God Almighty written all over it!
This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. Both political parties are guilty of this mess. But our God is slow to anger, and abundant in love. He can and will forgive those who repent and turn to Him. He can repair the damage man has created; be it economically, environmentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually. Continue to pray, praising God, give thanks to God; encourage your neighbors who are lost and broken, and it may be possible that God will hear our prayers and heal our land. It's never too late, as long as we don't quit.
And what if we fail, and lose? Don’t worry. The same God we pray to, the same God that saved Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from Nebuchadnezzar and his fiery furnace has promised to protect us from eternal calamity. We may lose our life on earth, but we’ll gain treasure in heaven. Remain faithful. God is with us, and if God is with us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31; Psalms 118:6)
© 2009 David Etenburn. Non - commercial reproduction permitted
It's God's Money - 4
Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never forsake you. "Hebrews 13:5; New Living Translation
One of the things I have learned about many “self made millionaires” is that their motivation has been more about serving others, and less about earning money. Not only are they passionate in their pursuits in life, making their ability to earn money seem like child’s play; they are gracious; appreciative for others that serve them, and are positive and encouraging to one another; be they peers, mentors, servants or the indigent. They give willingly and freely to their church and/ or charities, open their homes to friends, colleagues and business associates, and often get involved in community service projects. Money and wealth is not the issue with them, and yet this money seems to attach itself to them.
How many of us have jobs that make us a good sum of money, yet we hate the job? How many of us have poor paying jobs that we like? Guess what? The worker with poor earnings is usually happier than the rich fat cat! Furthermore, if you are happy and passionate with your work; if you are content with your earnings and your lifestyle, and you appreciate what you do have, God will lift you up to a higher position, you will have more of everything you want or need (whether you like it or not!); and you too will be more appreciative of those around you, you will give more to God and your community, and share your home more often with others. And then, you will be truly blessed – not necessarily financially – but you will be blessed, and in ways greater than expected or even originally thought of.
It’s not about the money…it’s about serving God and mankind with a joyful heart, the best you can.
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