Christian persecution in America is becoming a greater and greater issue. Now, for followers in Christ living in Africa, the Middle East, or China, they have to be thinking “Persecution? You call this persecution?? Americans have no idea what persecution is!!!”
Fortunately for us in the United States, they would be correct by a huge margin. In America, we don’t imprison Christians simply because they preach the gospel on our streets (though some have been cited or even arrested for street preaching in some cities), nor set on fire entire towns of Christians nor crucify Christians because they won't submit to Islam. Persecution of this magnitude does not happen, and I believe it’s mainly because of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, founded by a mostly Christian body almost 230 years ago, makes such actions illegal. Even the state and local governments cannot “prohibit the free exercise of any religion”
The problem has been, for over 50 years, Christianity has been under attack, and the Christian body in the US has been strangely silent. Christians have been told so many times that “this world is not our home”, Christians have not only stopped voting, we have stopped participating in the government process. As a result, us Christians, in the name of tolerance, are allowing ourselves to be overrun in society by anti God, atheistic principles that want nothing to do with God or Christ, and want to silence any believer in Christ by any means possible, including accusing them of being “intolerant”. Go figure.
To date, Christian organizations wanting to achieve non profit status are being delayed or even denied such status by the IRS. Liberal, anti Christian organizations get rapid approval. Conservative, Christian individuals starting such groups are being investigated, harassed and intimidated into withdrawing their applications for non profit status by these government agencies. But that is about to end.
There is a “new Sheriff” in Washington DC. Put in place by many people in America who are fed up with the status quo being shoved down our throats by a few elitists, Donald Trump may be a man, put in place by God, to lead us out of our mediocrity and encourage us to put God first in the way we live, work and govern ourselves. (I say this with caution: he may also be just another bully and tyrant; only time will tell)
As Christians in the United States, we need to stand up to these “bullies”. We need to proclaim to all that the United States of America was in fact founded by Christians, to be a Christian nation, showing no prejudice against any religion including islam and atheism. The challenge is, that followers of these other religions need to know and understand this; that if they want to live in the freest society on earth, they need to live within these Judeo - Christian rules, and assimilate into this culture. This has not been happening over the last 50 years, all in the names of tolerance, equality, multiculturalism and for the benefit of the global community. Anything short of this will result in a one world, global communistic dictatorship. A dictatorship the rest of the world seems to desire.
December 25, 2016
December 11, 2016
Have faith, God is in control.
How can a supporter of Hillary Clinton consider themselves to be Christian? This is a question many of my conservative friends ask repeatedly. After all, she is pro-abortion; including abortion up to the moment before birth. She cannot be trusted for anything, and everything she has tried to do in her political and professional life has pretty much failed.
While I agree with these sentiments, I have liberal, Christian friends that ask me how, as a Christian, could I even vote for a selfish, greedy, racist, phobic, womanizing, schmuck like Donald Trump?
Good point...and it makes you wonder.
Most of us who voted in this election voted for one reason; they distrusted the other candidate more than the one they chose. Some surveys reported as many as 90% of the voters were motivated by fear; fear of the opponent winning. But it appears the reasons most Christians supported Donald Trump came from his support of Israel, the potential for eliminating taxpayer funded abortion, securing our borders (like every other nation has on earth), and tax reductions for all Americans who pay income taxes. Most of all; however, the concept of potentially overthrowing the overgrown, corrupt politics as usual was very appealing. Time will tell if we replaced a tyranical despotic government with a despotical, tyranical one.
But keep this in mind: in 587 BC, a corrupt, pagan King Nebuchadnezzar breached the walls of Jerusalem and destroyed the city - God's sacred city. God permitted it and said it would happen throughHis prophet Jeremiah. The oint is, God used an even more pagan society than the nation of Judah at that time to overthrow Judah. And if God can use Nebuchadnezzar for His good, to humble and preserve His remnant, then he can even use a Donald Trump to humble us and get our hearts right before God. (Keep in mind, Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself before God as well; as he himself wrote in Daniel 4. It appears Trump may be humbling himself to God as well; time again will tell on this.)
So, for my liberal and conservative friends, God is the one in control; not some human we voted for. He raises up nations and leaders, and brings them down. As long as we focus on the reality that none of us are citizens of this world...we are citizens of a kingdom not yet seen, but promised...we as individuals will be be strong enough to prevail even when the country goes in a direction we don't want it to.
Have faith, my friends.
While I agree with these sentiments, I have liberal, Christian friends that ask me how, as a Christian, could I even vote for a selfish, greedy, racist, phobic, womanizing, schmuck like Donald Trump?
Good point...and it makes you wonder.
Most of us who voted in this election voted for one reason; they distrusted the other candidate more than the one they chose. Some surveys reported as many as 90% of the voters were motivated by fear; fear of the opponent winning. But it appears the reasons most Christians supported Donald Trump came from his support of Israel, the potential for eliminating taxpayer funded abortion, securing our borders (like every other nation has on earth), and tax reductions for all Americans who pay income taxes. Most of all; however, the concept of potentially overthrowing the overgrown, corrupt politics as usual was very appealing. Time will tell if we replaced a tyranical despotic government with a despotical, tyranical one.
But keep this in mind: in 587 BC, a corrupt, pagan King Nebuchadnezzar breached the walls of Jerusalem and destroyed the city - God's sacred city. God permitted it and said it would happen throughHis prophet Jeremiah. The oint is, God used an even more pagan society than the nation of Judah at that time to overthrow Judah. And if God can use Nebuchadnezzar for His good, to humble and preserve His remnant, then he can even use a Donald Trump to humble us and get our hearts right before God. (Keep in mind, Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself before God as well; as he himself wrote in Daniel 4. It appears Trump may be humbling himself to God as well; time again will tell on this.)
So, for my liberal and conservative friends, God is the one in control; not some human we voted for. He raises up nations and leaders, and brings them down. As long as we focus on the reality that none of us are citizens of this world...we are citizens of a kingdom not yet seen, but promised...we as individuals will be be strong enough to prevail even when the country goes in a direction we don't want it to.
Have faith, my friends.
November 24, 2016
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank God it’s Thanksgiving!
I would personally like to thank my friends for being my friends, my wife for being my wife, and God for the abundant blessings I have received throughout my life. I have a wonderful house with rental income, good employment, everything I need and many of the things I want as well.
It wasn’t always that way. I used to have a bad attitude about everything. The result was few friends (or none, If I had nothing), lousy employment if any employment at all, and a small apartment in run down neighborhoods or even living out of my car from time to time.
What turned it around? My desire to change. With that, I was able to accept the help from a few key people to become a fairly successful person. These friends I value the most to this day.
These friends I am most thankful for; including my wife, who has been the biggest positive influence in my life overall.
With these blessings, I have also been blessed with the biggest blessing of all; learning to care about others. It’s still a long, uphill battle, but if I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me, and since empathy is a Christlike characteristic, it is something worth pursuing, and its success is inevitable. Again, I am thankful for important friends who encourage me.
That said, there are many angry people in this country right now, hurting people, frustrated people, because, politically speaking they did not get what we want. At the very least they should be singing that Rolling Stones song. “You can’t always get what you want, but sometimes, you might find, you get what you need.” At the most they should be humbling themselves before an almighty God, asking why He allowed this to happen to them. Unfortunately, most of them have chosen to reject God, and all God is doing is respecting their choice, and staying away from them. And if good only comes from God, they will not receive any blessings. They have nothing to be thankful for as a result. Been there, done that.
First I had to put my faith and trust in Christ. After that, God tore me down to my foundation, and then put key helpers in my path to help Him rebuild me. This rebuilt person is the person people see now, not the angry, bitter, frustrated man I used to be; but a kinder, more gentile, confident, person who still has a long, long way to go to be the humble servant I want to be.
So, like any and all of us who profess Christ crucified, God is not done with us. And regardless of the path God has us on, may it strengthen you, build you up, and be used to give glory and honor to God.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your wonderful gift of eternal life.
I would personally like to thank my friends for being my friends, my wife for being my wife, and God for the abundant blessings I have received throughout my life. I have a wonderful house with rental income, good employment, everything I need and many of the things I want as well.
It wasn’t always that way. I used to have a bad attitude about everything. The result was few friends (or none, If I had nothing), lousy employment if any employment at all, and a small apartment in run down neighborhoods or even living out of my car from time to time.
What turned it around? My desire to change. With that, I was able to accept the help from a few key people to become a fairly successful person. These friends I value the most to this day.
These friends I am most thankful for; including my wife, who has been the biggest positive influence in my life overall.
With these blessings, I have also been blessed with the biggest blessing of all; learning to care about others. It’s still a long, uphill battle, but if I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me, and since empathy is a Christlike characteristic, it is something worth pursuing, and its success is inevitable. Again, I am thankful for important friends who encourage me.
That said, there are many angry people in this country right now, hurting people, frustrated people, because, politically speaking they did not get what we want. At the very least they should be singing that Rolling Stones song. “You can’t always get what you want, but sometimes, you might find, you get what you need.” At the most they should be humbling themselves before an almighty God, asking why He allowed this to happen to them. Unfortunately, most of them have chosen to reject God, and all God is doing is respecting their choice, and staying away from them. And if good only comes from God, they will not receive any blessings. They have nothing to be thankful for as a result. Been there, done that.
First I had to put my faith and trust in Christ. After that, God tore me down to my foundation, and then put key helpers in my path to help Him rebuild me. This rebuilt person is the person people see now, not the angry, bitter, frustrated man I used to be; but a kinder, more gentile, confident, person who still has a long, long way to go to be the humble servant I want to be.
So, like any and all of us who profess Christ crucified, God is not done with us. And regardless of the path God has us on, may it strengthen you, build you up, and be used to give glory and honor to God.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your wonderful gift of eternal life.
November 12, 2016
Elections last for only a few years...
But who we choose to follow in spirit lasts for eternity.
For Etenity, we have another election to take place. This election only affects the individual as to how they vote; not all of society. You can choose to follow God, in Christ, or NOT to follow God. That's it; up or down; yes or no. A yes vote means you get to spend eternity with Jesus, and No vote (or abstention from voting) means you get to spend eternity apart from God. (That would be in the place prepared for Satan and his angels).
What has made the United States of America the shining light on a hill for the world? Not because we are perfectly good (heavens, we do a lot more wrong than good at times!) but because we for the most part, Americans feared God and tried to to what was right. We have been the most generous, the most tolerant, the biggest defender of freedom against tyranny, and have had the greatest inventors in the 19th and 20th centuries. And when compared to most nations, we have done more good around the world than all other nations combined.
Yet over the last 50 years, we have removed God from our public presence. And we have become less good. We have become less prosperous. We are less generous. We have become more ruthless, and what was once considered evil, is now considered right, and vice versa.
Today, less than half of Americans consider themselves Christian. I imagine there are much fewer than that who have a relationship with Christ.
So, In America, we voted for a Capitalist. A contrarian to politics as usual. Socially liberal, with a huge passion for business. And this election is good for only four years. (Got that Clinton supporters? Only four years. If Barak Obama's opponents can endure eight years, you can endure four. ;-). However, the choice each and every one of us makes in the eternal election lasts us for...well...eternity. If four years of fear from being a political opponent to Donald Trump is bad, how much worse will eternity be in opposition to God?
Cast that eternal vote for God, in Jesus Christ, today! This may be your last chance to vote!
For Etenity, we have another election to take place. This election only affects the individual as to how they vote; not all of society. You can choose to follow God, in Christ, or NOT to follow God. That's it; up or down; yes or no. A yes vote means you get to spend eternity with Jesus, and No vote (or abstention from voting) means you get to spend eternity apart from God. (That would be in the place prepared for Satan and his angels).
What has made the United States of America the shining light on a hill for the world? Not because we are perfectly good (heavens, we do a lot more wrong than good at times!) but because we for the most part, Americans feared God and tried to to what was right. We have been the most generous, the most tolerant, the biggest defender of freedom against tyranny, and have had the greatest inventors in the 19th and 20th centuries. And when compared to most nations, we have done more good around the world than all other nations combined.
Yet over the last 50 years, we have removed God from our public presence. And we have become less good. We have become less prosperous. We are less generous. We have become more ruthless, and what was once considered evil, is now considered right, and vice versa.
Today, less than half of Americans consider themselves Christian. I imagine there are much fewer than that who have a relationship with Christ.
So, In America, we voted for a Capitalist. A contrarian to politics as usual. Socially liberal, with a huge passion for business. And this election is good for only four years. (Got that Clinton supporters? Only four years. If Barak Obama's opponents can endure eight years, you can endure four. ;-). However, the choice each and every one of us makes in the eternal election lasts us for...well...eternity. If four years of fear from being a political opponent to Donald Trump is bad, how much worse will eternity be in opposition to God?
Cast that eternal vote for God, in Jesus Christ, today! This may be your last chance to vote!
November 6, 2016
Forgive this repentant, lazy, foolish servant...
I was reminded today of something. The parable of the rich and and his talents describes a rich man who gave each of his servants a sum of money (a talent is roughly 30 kilos of gold, worth about 2.5 million US dollars). The good servants double the rich man’s investment, the lazy one did nothing with his money. The rich man on his return congratulated the good servants and punished the lazy one.We all have talents
All of us in Christ have talent, on loan, from God. The question is, what do we do with our talent? For example; my wife’s gift is in art, and hospitality, She can put out an wonderfully decorated spread for Thanksgiving, Christmas, barbecues, birthdays and tea parties; which she does with a passion several days a year. So, she does her part. What is your talent that God has invested in you, that you are sharing…or burying?
I’m burying my talent. I have some pretty good speaking skills (when prepared) and I can write on the fly with reckless abandon, yet I am not putting these talents to work. When was the last time I posted anything here…FOUR YEARS AGO? When was the last time I encouraged anyone here? Wasting my talent. I’ve been that lazy, foolish servant.
What if no one reads what I write? Then I write for myself, to encourage myself. But I must offer up my talent, no matter how few read it. It only takes one person to be encouraged, to make my efforts worthwhile. And it doesn’t matter if I know about it. Getting “likes”, or “shares” may reward me with an inflated ego, and some personal satisfaction, but they don’t give God the glory.
So, forgive me for ignoring this page. At least once a week, I will write and share my some encouraging words; here, and on other groups and pages. May you enjoy and be encouraged by these words.
All of us in Christ have talent, on loan, from God. The question is, what do we do with our talent? For example; my wife’s gift is in art, and hospitality, She can put out an wonderfully decorated spread for Thanksgiving, Christmas, barbecues, birthdays and tea parties; which she does with a passion several days a year. So, she does her part. What is your talent that God has invested in you, that you are sharing…or burying?
I’m burying my talent. I have some pretty good speaking skills (when prepared) and I can write on the fly with reckless abandon, yet I am not putting these talents to work. When was the last time I posted anything here…FOUR YEARS AGO? When was the last time I encouraged anyone here? Wasting my talent. I’ve been that lazy, foolish servant.
What if no one reads what I write? Then I write for myself, to encourage myself. But I must offer up my talent, no matter how few read it. It only takes one person to be encouraged, to make my efforts worthwhile. And it doesn’t matter if I know about it. Getting “likes”, or “shares” may reward me with an inflated ego, and some personal satisfaction, but they don’t give God the glory.
So, forgive me for ignoring this page. At least once a week, I will write and share my some encouraging words; here, and on other groups and pages. May you enjoy and be encouraged by these words.
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