Captured from the Drudge Report a couple days ago...



Here is a young man, new to the world of professional football. And he's admittedly Christian. Like Tebow. Is his stand as a Christian the reason for all the nastiness being thrown his way? Few, if anyone, are going to come out and admit that such is the case, and I can't say definitively that it IS the case. All I can speak to is what I see, and what I believe.

What I see is a cancer that has metastasized in the bones and deep tissue of our nations soul... a spiritual vacuum. Many will deny that it exists, but that doesn't change the fact--the FACT--that there is a growing disdain (to put it mildly), and a growing hostility for anything and anyone that "pushes" a belief that calls for a separated life; that asks its followers to live holy and separated lives unto God. The accusation is, invariably, that such people are hypocrites because so many of "them" commit sin. But here's the rub. It is impossible to NOT commit sin, and especially for Christians, because they are under far greater spiritual pressure AND attack than are the unsaved. After all, what need do the forces of evil have, truly, of attacking the unsaved? They are already dead-- spiritually speaking. Those who attack Christians for being "holier than thou" and "hypocrites" only demonstrate their ignorance in matters of grace. Those who attack Christians are actually trying to extinguish any light that may shine upon their own lives.

So, the lost have the temerity to mock, decry and defame anyone of, or anything proposed by faith in God, yet they call out to God in grief (as they rightly should) when a young man enters a school and murders twenty-six living souls. They call out to God on the one hand...

...but live as though he doesn't exist on the other.

Jesus said to the religious hypocrites of his day, paraphrasing... 'you claim that had you lived in the time of the prophets you would not have been partakers in their murders; but you proudly claim descent from those same men who murdered the prophets, and even now plot to kill me!' In other words, you play at righteousness by putting on an outward robe, but do nothing in your heart, let alone your consistent actions, to demonstrate there is any validity in your outward claim.

Jesus, then, said, "You who murdered the prophets...," but he could just as easily say today, "you who slaughter the innocent... tens of millions of them and still counting!"

Not a single one of those slain Sandy Hook children are in hell. I know that's small comfort to anyone with a heart, and especially the victim's families. I know it sounds insensitive, but I can't worry about that right now. There's a reason I'm writing this, and that is to point out something most of you have missed. This nation has spent the last several decades pushing God away, especially from our schools. Is it then any wonder that someone, some twenty year old young man, felt the need to walk into a school and murder children?

No... not a single one of those children are absent from the presence of God. That cannot, however, be said of a certainty of any of the adults who also died, even those who shielded the children with their bodies. Jesus said 'wide is the road to destruction, but narrow is the path to salvation, and few there are that find it.' It is my sincerest hope that not a single adult died without Christ, but...

When entire generations grow up within a godless system of education, what can we expect but godlessness? Many are questioning God's love because of what has happened, but few if any are questioning themselves. Take God out of the equation and something will, invariably, fill the vacuum. If we don't train our children up to fear and reverence God, they will grow up to be empty, and eventually bitter. They will look to find something to fill the void. For a few, when that search leaves them emptier still, they will resort to the unthinkable.

We mock those who fear God. And when we deny our children the right to carry Him with them to school, Sandy Hook Elementary is the result. In response to Sandy Hook America won't think to institute a bible reading program into the nation's school curricula. Instead, this nation will seek to deny firearms to its people. It was the gun which killed all those innocent people at Sandy Hook, not the shooter. Instead of teaching our children to fish, we're blindly lashing out and simply giving them a fish to eat... taking away the gun. We haven't taught them how to cope with the hopelessness that is living in a godless vacuum... we haven't taught them how to fish.

We claim to be Christian, but we don't do anything 'Christiany'. We drink, we smoke, we "sleep" around, we steal, we lie, and we kill. We allow abortion to continue unabated for decades. We allow just about every immoral penchant imaginable into our eyes, ears, hearts, minds, and homes. Then we get up on Sunday morning, put on church clothes, listen to the pastor preach for approximately twenty minutes, and think ourselves good Christians for sacrificing our Sunday mornings for the appearance of Godliness. In other words, we white-wash the sepulchers of our bodies without bothering to clean out the dead and rot contained therein.

Men who claim to be holy-- who choose to acknowledge God publicly --are ridiculed and discounted, while others who merely pretend at holiness, hold themselves up as paragons of virtue... all the while standing up for nothing but political parties, and the socials mores they defend.

To fix what is wrong with America would require teaching our students love and reverence God. The students have the ultimate say, of course, as to whether they want God or not, but they need to have a moral compass implanted into their hearts, or at the very least have some directions installed in their minds. Because what we saw at Sandy Hook can be traced directly to a lack of faith in the classroom. It can be traced all the way back to when prayer and the Bible were removed from the classroom.

As Jeremiah Wright was one heard to have said... "America's chickens have come home to roost."

And God help us all.

How Often Should We Partake of the Lord's Supper?

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) addresses delegates during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, September 4, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Reed


One has to wonder if the the DNC REALLY knew what image it was trying to project here. Harry Reid surrounded by hell fire? This is the image of the prosperous future the Democrats want to give a desperate nation? Milquetoast evil waving a fist to adoring crowds? In the midst of a burning landscape?

What were they thinking?

I'm guessing they weren't

John Cusack Interviews Law Professor Jonathan Turley About Obama Administration’s War On the Constitution

I guess it really is morning in America. A whole lot of people are beginning to wake up. Mr. Cusack is just one in a growing list of liberals who are finally beginning to see the light of day. Obama is not a breath of fresh air in the stagnant world of politics. He's just another bullfrog croaking for attention.

Black Bishop Encourages Christians to Leave Democratic Party


This one's more than a little one-sided... the only charge made against Republicans is that "some" Republican elected leaders require their staff to read books by some atheist authors, notably, Ayn Rand.

If this were truly the only objection some on the left have regarding the Christianity practiced by politicians on the right I would simply point to what Jesus said: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." [Matt 1-:16].

How can anyone be "wise" in threatening situations-- argumentatively speaking, figurative or literal --if one isn't at least knowledgeable of the devices, tactics, and philosophies employed by the enemy-- how he thinks in a general sense --if one doesn't read and understand the works of, and ideas about, those who believe differently? Asking ones staff to at least read works like Atlas Shrugged, is hardly a legitimate complaint against such a one's faith. But as I said, the article is one-sided... not enough balance is given to the Democrat point of view.

The works of atheist authors, for the Christian, are tools rather than maps for personal spiritual growth... by all means, read what you can, learn from what you read, and use that knowledge to combat the enemy. Satan uses scripture against the saved, should not the saved also understand their scriptures? One can successfully defend the faith without dipping into the works of unbelievers, but you can't convert a Jehovah's Witness unless you know what he believes, and know how to combat his beliefs with the genuine truth of the gospel. Being Christian doesn't mean stepping into a gunfight armed only with a knife. Miracles are very real, but good preparation and training are worth their weight in gold.



What Must Someone Believe in Order to Be Saved?

Perhaps too complicated in it's delivery, but essentially right.

Here's as simple an explanation of the gospel and salvation... genuine salvation... as I've found.

The Gospel: The most terrifying truth of Scripture



In a recent issue of the Voice of the Martyrs publication, the Bible was described thusly...

"The Bible is the most terrifying weapon on earth"

I like to believe... am actively enjoying... the idea of this project actually getting off the ground. I think it's bold, and more than very dangerous for anyone intrepid/crazy enough to agree to live out the rest of their lives on Mars... assuming they actually make it there alive and, assuming their lives are long and prosperous. It wouldn't make particularly good television if your stars die gasping for air, or dying of dehydration or worse... starvation. What will they use for toilet tissue? What about medical emergencies? Infection? Broken bones? Fresh fruit and vegetables? Meat? And those living quarters... they look awfully claustrophobic. What about child-bearing - assuming couples are going to Mars? Should something go wrong, will mothers die in childbirth without the services of a good doctor? Will we watch the first Martian die for lack of good pediatric care? What about surgery?

I could conjure a whole list of things that can go terribly wrong, but that would be the pessimist talking, and mankind, as a race, has become the embodiment of pessimism. We've lost that "stuff," the right stuff it took to get to the moon. We have become too timid in adventure. We've stopped believing. And that last, I believe, is the worst of all... we've stopped believing.

Well, "I want to believe," as the poster on Fox Mulder's office wall declared. Really, I do. But a lot of things can go wrong between today and April 2023. Encapsulated corpses could litter the vast distances between planets. And what a distinction to earn! To go down in history as the one who died in transit to Mars, body unrecoverable. But when you throw yourself headlong into the black you have to understand that events may not turn out as you'd like.

Our history is replete with examples of brave exploration.

I want to believe... truly.

I want to believe we haven't lost that spirit of bravery.

But.

So it really is true. Hollywood/Network Television is soooo out of new ideas that they have to resort to dredging up the past in order to draw and entertain viewers. It's true, I finally believe it.

Just this morning while scanning through Xfinity for available TV shows to watch, I stumbled upon Full Metal Jousting. Seriously. Real, honest-to-goodness jousting, with all the blood and danger inherent to what the History Channel is billing as the worlds most dangerous sport. The first episode itself is titled "The Ultimate Extreme sport".

Jousting, for crying out loud!  This is one 'remake' I can actually get into! So, sometimes the best idea really is an old idea. But what's next on the entertainment horizon? 

Watch full episodes here:    Full Metal Jousting

I've been known in the past to question the validity of species conservation at the expense of everyday people who wish only to utilize their land. Conservation is all well and good, but there is so much unused land in the world I question the motives of groups like the EPA, specifically, and PETA. But that's not to say I find fault will all such groups. Greenpeace, I feel, has the right of it in their fight against whaling. Even concerns about over-fishing and environmental conditions that lead to so-called 'dead-zones' have merit-- to me, at least.

So what can I say about Harry the pygmy hippo? Adorable... and the latest edition to a critically endangered species. I wonder sometimes whether we tend to care more for our own wants and needs, that the needs of others often dwindle in importance.

God gave Adam the garden to 'dress it and to keep it', or to cultivate and guard it. I believe we should, where and whenever possible, weigh the needs of the animal kingdom when deciding our progress forward. Are we enlarged or diminished by the loss a species in a given area? The answer is obvious when talking about extinction: we are diminished. But habitat is important. And there's nothing to say that some species can't be relocated. We do it everyday.

Still, some species cannot be moved. And it is then that we must consider ways in which to live with them, rather than force their extinction merely for our convenience. 

This is the man who both fascinated and inspired me-- more than any other artist --to be myself in everything I drew; to develop my own style and vision.


Most of you won't even know him... that is, until I tell you one of his stories can be found in the early 1980's film Heavy Metal.

I first met Moebius in Heavy Metal Magazine with the adventures of John Difool in "The Incal," and later with his graphic novel, "The Airtight Garage." I have always admired his work; his visionary worlds and concepts. He took the simple stroke of pen and made it beautiful. I wanted to draw like... still want to draw like him. I want his portion; the one God gave him.






A poster he painted for environmental conservation is directly responsible for the main element of a short story wrote eleven years ago; a story that is growing into a full length novel.

He took the ordinary and made it extraordinary by asking, "what if I...?" He paid attention to detail without drawing every detail. He extracted the beauty from the banal, forcing the simple lines to show what world-weary eyes often miss. to recognize And that's all I've been trying to do my entire life. Sometimes I've found my visions to be on the same par if not caliber. But his is the standard to which I've always looked.

There are certainly other artist I admire... Maxfield Parrish for one, Michael Parks, for another. Picasso before cubism (specifically his Rose Period)... but I can't help but love the man who gave sight to many of my own personal visions.

May God grant him peace.

[cross-posted from American Descent]


Liberalism.*

Prime example... Mike Malloy, a liberal talk show host, had this to say on Friday last:

“Their God … keeps smashing them into little grease spots on the pavement in Alabama, and Mississippi, and Arkansas, and Georgia, and Oklahoma... You know, the Bible belt, where [in a mocking voice] they ain’t gonna let no goddamned science get in the way, it says in the Bible, blah blah blah blah blah. So, according to their way of thinking, God with his omnipotent thumb reaches down here and so far tonight has smashed about 20 people into a grease spot on highway 12, or whatever the hell highway they live next to.”

On this same day, Rush Limbaugh stooped to the Left's level and called a woman advocating that government provide free birth control for promiscuity in addition to genuine medical need (some physical conditions suffered by women are greatly ameliorated by the use of birth control pills). Rush has since apologized, spending more than 30 minutes on air doing so. Will Mr. Malloy do likewise? Whether he will or not is beside the point. And that point being, there is something very wrong with America.

Liberalism is what is wrong. Liberalism has turned everything moral on its head; everything that was once immoral is now moral, and what was once moral is now immoral. Liberalism now (and has ever) pushes its new morality, and demands the rest of us both accept it as moral, and pay for it. All this while bashing everyone who disagrees; who cling to the genuine morality, and God's standard.


Homosexuality used to be an abomination; a public shame. Now it is a badge of honor, to be paraded every year in the city streets, and protected from discrimination every day. Homosexuality is now celebrated.


Out of wedlock births used to be considered a public shame because it violates God's standard of chasteness until marriage. Now it is rewarded with government benefits and grants, and is viewed as completely acceptable, despite studies which show that children born to single mothers, with no involved father figure tend to do more poorly in life (education, socially, and career-wise) than children born to involved married parents.


Abortion used to be considered a terrible moral crime, and a shame upon the women who got them. Today it is still considered such, by and large, but largely by Liberalism.

Usury has always been immoral, yet everyone who provides you credit or loan, practices it daily.



I could cite more.

The point is, Liberalism is the problem*. It's mindset is aberrant and reprobate.

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.  --Romans 1:18-32

This is the why; the foundational reason for why America has fallen so far from God's grace; why judgment lies, even now, at the door. Edmund Burke said 'all that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.' And this is why America is in the sorry shape that it is... good men, for decades, have chosen to do nothing to fight back the encroachment of morality-eroding Liberalism.

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!  --Isaiah 5:20,21

And isn't this where we are today, in America? Liberals like Maher can call Sarah Palin a "c^nt" and not feel the slightest need to apologize; in Maher's case specifically, no pressure from HBO to apologize. Mike Malloy can mock Christians and the states they live in; in effect mocking God himself, but will likely never feel any personal remorse for having said the evil things he did. All the while Rush Limbaugh, recognizing a serious mistake on his part, is personally compelled to issue a written apology on Saturday, and take up considerable time on air yesterday to apologize further. 


Why is it Liberalism feels no remorse for it's daily slander of the right? for the millions of unborn murdered in what should be the safest place on earth... their mother's womb? How is it that Liberalism sees nothing immoral about forcing conscientious objectors to Obama's healthcare mandate to provide abortions and contraception to employees? How is it they cannot see that taxing one segment of society and increasingly exorbitant rates is immoral? How is it that there is one standard of conduct for Liberals in the public arena and quite another for Conservatives?


I'll tell you. Based on the verses quoted from Romans above, Liberalism is, as Michael Savage so apted stated, a mental disorder.


Here then is a warning to Liberals everywhere...

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption...  --Galatians 6:7,8

And with that warning comes hope...

...but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  --Galatians 6:8b

It doesn't have to end badly for you individually, or America. You have a choice. WE, as a nation, have a choice to turn away from our wickedness, repent, and turn again to God.



------------ UPDATED - 2:54pm -------------


This is what's wrong with Liberalism. It asks questions of people to which it already knows the answer. Case in point...

Christian actor Kirk Cameron was a guest on “Piers Morgan Tonight” over the weekend to discuss “Monumental,” his new project on the roots of America coming to theaters later this month, when the British host of the program suddenly turned subject and asked Cameron his views on homosexual marriage.

Cameron’s calm answer explaining his view that marriage “was defined by God a long time ago … one man, one woman for life” has drawn a firestorm of criticism from fellow celebrities, homosexual organizations and even rock musician Nikki Sixx, who blasted Cameron as “a–hole of the week” for his answer, and Roseanne Barr, who called Cameron “an accomplice to murder with his hate speech.”

Nikki Sixx? Reprobate. Roseanne Barr? Ditto. That's not a slam, it's a statement of truth. Why should folk with good moral values care about the opinions of those without? To a point because these folk are darlings of the media, and their voices carry weight with the rest of the unregenerate/degenerate populace, but we should only care to the point of being personally ready to give an answer for what and why Godly men and women believe. No Godly man or woman ever, except to confirm that righteousness and holy standards do exist in the mind of God, need care what the unregenerate think of them. People who spend their entire lives in the dark will invariably shield their eyes when the light of truth is shone upon them. Some will respond and desire the light but, sadly, many will not.

Cameron's response:

“In a recent interview about my film, “Monumental,” I was asked to share my views on homosexuality, gay marriage and abortion,” Cameron says. “I spoke as honestly as I could, but some people believe my responses were not loving toward those in the gay community. That is not true. I can assuredly say that it’s my life’s mission to love all people.

“The only way to properly answer these kind of questions is to begin the discussion with another question: Is life and sexuality sacred or are they not?” he continues. “If they are, then God has something to say about these things. If not, then everyone is entitled to their own opinion on the matter.

“I believe that freedom of speech and freedom of religion go hand-in-hand in America,” he continues. “I should be able to express moral views on social issues – especially those that have been the underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years – without being slandered, accused of hate speech and told from those who preach ‘tolerance’ that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I’m in the public square.

“In any society that is governed by the rule of law, some form of morality is always imposed. It’s inescapable,” Cameron asserts. “But it is also a complicated subject, and that is why I believe we need to learn how to debate these things with greater love and respect.

  
This much is so true of Liberalism... it demands, as Kirk Cameron says, that those of us whose moral underpinnings greatly differ from those of Liberalism must bend our beliefs to their moral standards or be silent. Tolerance to Liberalism is an oxymoron; it only tolerates its moral positions.

And this is a fine illustration of what's wrong with America.


--------------



*Liberalism is not the sole enemy of a would-be moral America. But it is pervasive throughout America's culture, its attitude toward God, and all things holy.

I spent much of the mid to late sixties in Spain, but I remember how delighted I was at just 9 years old to discover, upon returning to the states, that television in America did not feature endless reruns of Roger Ramjet, and the Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle. All of a sudden there were real Saturday morning cartoons like Johnny Quest, Scooby Doo, Here Comes the Grump, H.R. Puffinstuff and, of course, The Monkees.

I loved the show, loved their only movie Head, and even loved waxing nostalgic when MTV ran constant reruns way back when MTV was actually "Music Television." In that much simpler time, there were records on the back of cereal boxes; The Archies, Jackson 5, Josie & the Pussycats, Bobby Sherman, & The Monkees. I remember asking my mom to buy Honey Combs Cereal just to get the Monkees' Valleri. The quality was crap, but come on! Music on the back of a cereal box? What could be cooler than that to a 10-year old?

Years later, I remember an interview I saw with Davy Jones some years after the Monkees' reunion during which Davy spoke about how hard and lean the years were between the end of The Monkees and their reunion. He said, and I paraphrase, when you have money and fame, when you're on top of the world, everyone want to give you money. But when you're out of the limelight, you can't even get a bank loan; no one will give you anything, even if you really need it.

That bit of interview has stayed with me; mostly because it's a sad epitaph to our culture of celebrity.

In the end Davy Jones landed on his feet, and I love him for it. He leaves behind a wife and four daughters, and three band mates. His last performance was a solo gig on February 19th, in Oklahoma.

David Thomas "Davy" Jones

Just last August, when I was turning 51, Davy himself was quoted as saying, somewhat prophetically, "I used to be a heartthrob, now I'm a coronary." Oddly enough, he died on Leap Day. And, as Davy was himself a consummate joker, I feel free to add my own sad quip... He was kind enough to die on a day we won't have to think about more than once every four years. 

But that's not true. I'll remember him every time I listen to a Monkees CD, or watch (for the umpteenth time) the movie "Head," which I must say lives up to its billing in the film's intro... These guys were a class act, and never took themselves too seriously.



From the intro to Head:


"Ditty Diego - War Chant"
 [Listen]

Hey now wait a minute!
Now wait just a minute!

Hey hey we are the Monkees
You know we love to please
A manufactured image
With no philosophies

We hope you like our story
Although there isn't one
That is to say there's many
That way there is more fun

You told us you like action
And games of many kinds
You like to dance, we like to sing
So let's all lose our minds!

We know it doesn't matter,
Cause what you came to see
Is what we'd love to give you,
And give it one, two, three! 

But there may come three, two, one, two
Or jump from nine to five,
And when you see the end in sight
The beginning may arrive!

For those who look for meaning,
And form as they do facts,
We might tell you one thing
But we'd only take it back

Not back like in a box back
Not back like in a race,
Not back so we can keep it,
But back in time and space!

You say we're manufactured,
To that we all agree,
So make you choice and we'll rejoice
In never being free!

Hey hey we are the Monkees,
We've said it all before
The money's in we're made of tin
We're here to give you more!

The money's in we're made of tin
We're here to give you...


----------------------



Goodbye, Davy. It was all in good fun. Thanks for all the memories, and may God grant you peace and rest, and comfort to family and friends, and fans worldwide.

Because you were such a big part of our lives growing up, we are all Monkees now.

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California, and author of the best selling Purpose Driven Life, is an apostate. There is no other word to describe his defection from the truth.

According to Warren, Christians and Muslims worship the same god. This is simply false. Add to this his support and efforts toward ecumenical parity in a fusion of the two faiths called Chrislam and it's clear that apostasy has taken root at Saddleback Church.

Warren has, of course, vehemently denied any support or affiliation with the Chrislam movement (and it is a small movement), but if he truly believes Christians and Muslims worship the same god, then there is virtually no difference between one and the other. If there is no difference, then converting to Chrislam is the natural progression of faith for both Muslims and Christians.

But there is only one God. And His name is not Allah... it is YHWH, Yahweh... or Jehovah. There is no hope of life beyond this present world without Jesus of Nazareth-- the son of the living God --and His sacrifice. There is no atonement without the shedding of blood. And there is no blood efficacious enough to cover any man's sins, let alone the sins of the entire world and history of men, but that of Jesus alone.

Rick Warren needs to rethink his stance, and repent.

From an article here

The article itself "exposes" Rick Santorum's grandfather as a "communist". This site-- specifically Joel McDurmon --supports Ron Paul. Personally speaking, I like Ron Paul; I like his constitutional stances, but with one caveat... his foreign policy stance as it relates to constitutionality. It's one thing to say we shouldn't be in all of the countries we are, war footing or otherwise, but it's quite another to publicly declare one's intention to close military bases worldwide and end all conflicts, period.

The object this November is to defeat Obama. But if, as American Vision advocates, you eliminate Romney (he's Mormon!), Gingrich (he's an adulterer!), and Santorum (his grandfather was a communist!), all you're left with is Paul.... who is unelectable. I am as equally tired of the left deciding for us who our candidate will be, as I am of many on the right deciding who our candidate shouldn't be. And I'm tired of sites like American Vision News, operating under the pretense of morality, and facade of Christianity, practicing the politics of personal destruction in the "noble" cause of pushing its own vision of America, rather than the America our Christian forefathers fought to give us.

Presently, American Vision, is pushing Ron Paul; so much so it bends over backward to paint him as the only saintly choice, at the expense of every other candidate who, according to, and distorted by American Vision, are unfit and undeserving of every man of conscience's vote.

My comment to the question of the relevance of Santorum's grandfather's association with the communist party in Italy during Mussolini's fascist regime...

It isn't relevant; we criticize the left for being blatant in their bias, but it would seem the "right" is just as biased, just as churlish as the left. The son is not the grandfather.

This site calls itself "American Vision", but I'm beginning to see the vision it purports to defend is its own... not America's. This site purports to be advancing "faith", but it forgets that our faith originates in Christ... not the republican party or any pet politician.

If you want to take a look at family backgrounds, why not look at Jesus'? One of his ancestors was a bastard, Pharez, whose mother 'played the harlot.' Another ancestor, Salmon-- David's great grandfather --whose mother was Rahab, a harlot. Ruth, another of Jesus' ancestors was a Moabitess-- whose ancestry began with one of Lot's sons.... through incest. The way this site portrays its least desired candidates, it's clear that Jesus himself couldn't get elected president in America, let alone offered a pastorship. Everywhere I look, I see Pharasees.

And, as I thought would happen. Mr. McDurmon has deleted my comment.

Not only does the left employ the crudest form of personal destruction, so too, it now appears, do many on the right.

I expect this kind of behavior from the left. I even expect it from many on the right. But when Christians resort to the politics of personal destruction it becomes obvious that there is something very wrong with Christianity in America. In truth, much of what passes for Christianity in America today is anything but Christian.

Amen! As in, I concur; it's true; so it is. But let me be clear: this is not about supporting CPAC, which is a political conference, but rather an exercise in approbation for those things that, as a Christian, I feel need repeating; or pointing out-- affixing a little punctuation to. Some who are watching CPAC will only see and hear the things that speak to Nov 6, 2012. I believe that's important too, but not near as important as stemming the godless tide that's rising in this nation.

Yes, I said, 'godless'. And I meant that exactly how you thought I meant it.



Jay Sekulow: “We are witnessing the the greatest attack on religious freedom and it goes way beyond the Catholic Church.”

“Compromise is not acceptable,” Sekulow said. “You don’t compromise on the First Amendment.”

Santorum to Conservatives: “You Are Blessed to Live In a Time When America Needs You.” [Video]

“It’s not about contraception... its about economic freedom, it’s about religious freedom. It is government controlling your life, and it’s got to stop.”

Kirk Cameron: The Founding of America is “Monumental” [video]

“The meaning of separation of church and state has lost its original meaning,” Cameron said. “It’s now a codeword for secularizing the state."

 [Amen, brother!]



Obama vs The Constitution: How a Harvard Law Graduate President is Shredding the Constitution

“Nowhere in the Constitution does it give the White House and a bunch of appointees the right to tell us where we can move as citizens, and businesses ought to be able to move where they want to create jobs."

The RIGHT View - Panel Discussion:
          Featuring.
S.E. Cupp, Author of "Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media's Attack on Christianity"
Michelle Duggar, from TLC's "19 Kinds & Counting"
Star Parker, founder & president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education
Kate Obenshain, vice president of the Young America's Foundation



Dinesh D.Souza - Where will we be in 2016

"[Obama] says, 'I can't have my dad, so I'll take his dream.' That's the meaning of Dreams From My Father. And I think that if you take the anti-colonial ideology from the father and apply it to the actions of the son, you will see a jigsaw pattern come together."

The Honorable Newt Gingrich

"This administration is waging war on religion. But so are the courts. This is why we need a movement that's bigger than just 'Beating Obama.' We need a movement that understands we're going to change congress, the White House, the buracracies, and where necessary, the courts.... If [Obama] wins reelection he will wage war on the Catholic church the morning after he's reelected. We cannot trust him."

Governor Bobby Jindal

"Yesterday the administration finally began backtracking on their most recent assault on religious liberty-- to some extent, finally realizing their mistake. But here's the important thing to understand: you and I know their mistake the Obama administration made here was to violate the first amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. But the administration doesn't even admit it; they don't even get it. They don't even understand what religious freedom means. The real mistake they actually made was this: the very briefly let the American people see what is behind that curtain; they gave us a glimpse of their true colors."

Europe Sees You in the Rearview Mirror
Daniel Hannan, Member, European Parliament and President, Young Britons' Foundation

"If you repeat [Europe's] mistakes; if you shift power from the fifty states to Washington; from the elected representative to the federal czar; from the citizen to the state, we know exactly what lies in store for you. 


"I've been a member of the European Parliament for twelve years. I am living in your future-- or at least the future toward which your present leaders seem intent on taking you. Believe me, my friends, you are not going to enjoy it."

The Honorable Sarah Palin - Closing Address of the 2012 CPAC Convention

"His plan isn't winning the future, it's losing the country."

Though this speech was made almost a year ago, it is much more relevant in its warnings about a nuclear Iran than yesteryear... and Israel's eventual decision to do what no other nation on earth has a willingness to do.

The entire debate speech is 11 minutes long, and all of it excellent, but the portion I wish to highlight begins at 9:10...



"When a tyrant says he wants to kill you... Believe him."
 
This is the lesson the Jewish people learned from World War 2; from Hitler's regime. How can the West sit back and watch it all unfold again? What shame would this nation have heaped upon itself had, upon hearing Jews in Hitler's Germany were defending themselves against that mad man's "Final Solution", condemning the Jews for their aggression, while doing nothing to stop Hitler but, rather, giving U.S. aid to Germany?

But that is exactly what we're doing today. Aiding those who attack Israel, while condemning Israel for defending itself.

There is something seriously wrong with this picture.

Why can't the West see it?

One word...



Oil.

This from our president at the National Prayer Breakfast? Really.. He really said it, and in doing so demonstrated his complete ignorance of biblical giving and taxation. There are any number of fools out there who believe Jesus was a liberal, but it's a shame our president is one of them. Ignorance of biblical tenet is nothing new in the halls of Liberal thought. Last year there was a tiff between Leftist MSNBC'er Lawrence O'Donnell and Rush Limbaugh on, of all things, the budget. O'Donnell's question: 'What would Jesus cut?' Limbaugh instead, and rightly so, asked, 'What would Jesus TAKE?'

Here's the video. At 1:53 in, O'Donnell scolds Rush, saying, he has "no working command of the Bible," then proceeds to brutally demonstrate his own complete ignorance as to the true meaning of Jesus' teaching.



Gary Demar, who is the last person I'd look to for proper exegesis of scripture, calls them all out with the opening of his piece at Godfather Politics...

"Don’t you just love it when Liberals turn to the Bible for support of their policies? How many times have you heard Liberals tell us that “Jesus never got mixed up in politics” or “We’re not supposed to Judge” or “You can’t impose your morality on other people” or “There’s a separation between church and state”? Liberal hypocrisy knows no bounds."

Over at American Vision is perhaps the best refutation I've encountered on the Left's love-affair with Jesus' non-existent Leftist philosophy... specifically concerning taxation.  Here's your link: What Would Jesus Take?, by Joel McDurmon.

...these leftists think Jesus is a leftist — that He would support the modern leftist Welfare State, take from the rich, cut from the rich, and give to the poor using government coercion.

In a nutshell: taxation is coerced "giving" and, when used to support an ideological stance that condones taking greater percentages from others in the name of charity, is antithetical to the biblical idea of tithes and giving. Jesus never supported taxation, though he did recognize the need of people to stay on the state's good side by obeying the laws the state imposed on them. In effect, render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, but this is not an endorsement of Caesar's theft.

Every verse with which O'Donnell used to chastise Limbaugh was both misapplied and misinterpreted. Jesus was not a Marxist. He wasn't a Liberal. Nor a progressive. He was God in human flesh, and even God doesn't ask for more than ten percent (or, to quote, Bono, "God's not short of cash, mister..."). If anything, as McDurmon points out, Jesus' policy is regressive, treating everyone the same; ten percent of one's income is harder on the poor than on the rich.

It's true, as well, that 'to whom much is given, much shall be required,' but this is neither license nor endorsement of governments robbing the rich via a progressive tax system, for whatever reason, including the funding of social welfare programs.

Obama can believe what he wants about what the Bible has to say. Just because he's president, however, doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about. If Obama's faith had even a tibia of genuine biblical understanding he wouldn't have made such an egregious error.

Assuming the error wasn't intentional.

Deadly fallacy: abortion safer than giving birth, study says
--by Joel McDurmon

Reuters reports on a recent study released by the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology which concludes that “Legal induced abortion is markedly safer than childbirth.” The abstract for the article continues,

The risk of death associated with childbirth is approximately 14 times higher than that with abortion. Similarly, the overall morbidity associated with childbirth exceeds that with abortion.

The fallacy here is obvious, devious, and downright deadly: the study ignores the safety and death of the unborn child, and only considers the medical aspects of the mother. Pro-life websites have jumped on the heartless indifference of the study:

The study obviously concentrates solely on the medical risks for the mother, since an abortion always destroys the unborn child. So the study is based on a faulty premise, comparing two medical procedures that have different goals. In an abortion, one life is deliberately sacrificed. In childbirth, medical personnel do their utmost to preserve two healthy lives. It is not surprising that the latter operation is more challenging.

Accepting all of the real-life facts, of course, would lead any such study to conclude that abortion is “markedly” deadlier than child birth by a factor of hundreds of millions.

The liberal media does its best to abet the cold negligence of [this] murderous institution....

 [Read the entire article]

-------

Here's another fact, or inconvenient truth:

Only half of the patients that enter an abortion clinic
come out alive...

Which makes abortion deadlier than childbirth.

Here is a video posted on You Tube less than two weeks ago, which has already garnered more than 16 million views. It's powerful, and it's definitely a pearl.



Here's a link to the poem [pdf]

That's the good news!

Now for the bad (or not, depending on your perspective).

There are events happening in the world that don't care about dates or new years; they're oblivious to the landmarks we, with hearts and minds to do so, set for ourselves. It has always been this way. But events are guided by a hand larger than our own. Whether you believe it or not, I do.

I received an article in email last week that has opened my eyes a bit. Not because I didn't see the events it speaks of, but because I didn't make certain connections regarding their import in terms of where we are on God's timeline. The article itself can be found here: What You Can Expect in 2012.

Prophecy has always fascinated me-- I have occasional bouts of doubt, but I am an ardent believer in what the bible has to say about 'things to come;' or eschatology, nonetheless-- it is natural to doubt, but faith is greater than doubt. The linked article by Gary Kah has managed to wake me up, so to speak... I knew intellectually what was happening in the world, but it was like I had been lulled by the cacophony of growing waves of world and national events, so much so that I was missing their deeper meaning meaning... God is still in the process of guiding this raft to shore.

I'm not going to post the article in full, here, as it is too long., I will, however, respond to each of its four sections.

• The Occupy Movement
• Growing Unrest in Europe
• Nightmare in the Middle East
• The Road Ahead

Two, perhaps three years ago, I said (on another blog) that Europe was destined to grow in prominence and America must decline. Nothing since then and now has change my opinion. My assertion that the Euro would continue to strengthen and the dollar continue to fall, however, must be modified. In light of Europe's current troubles, it remains to be seen whether or not the Euro will actually survive; to say nothing of the Eurozone itself. America WILL continue to decline, and Europe WILL continue to grow, but again, it remains to be seen what form Europe will settle into-- when the dust settles, what will European Union look like? The countries within the EU aren't going away, and, according to bible prophecy, there is a union, in some form or other-- Daniel calls it a 'kingdom,' although 'empire' would be better (Daniel 2:31-44) --in existence during this time in history.

America, as well, is not mentioned anywhere in prophecy by name or allegoric reference; we are, however, included in Revelation 14:14,16, 19:19. America, with every other nation on the earth, toward the end of the Great Tribulation will be drawn (gathered) to Israel to make war against Jerusalem. However, it is an America wholly without God.

America is still destined to decline. How that comes about I cannot say. Perhaps Obama is president because God wants him there-- perhaps Obama loses in November and the next president is there by God's will; it doesn't really matter who's in charge as either man will be there because God wants him there. Europe is still destined to grow in stature and prominence, but again, how that comes about I cannot say. but there are signs... events... building and growing in number that hint at the 'how,' but, more importantly, warn us that time is short. How much time is left? Only God knows for certain, but Jesus did tell us that we could know when it was near, even at the door... (Matthew 24:33)

I'll begin my take on 'What to Expect in 2012' beginning with the next post.