F I R E R A N T

You Should Suffer with Christ?

2011-10-03T10:05:00.001-07:00

He jests at scars that never felt a wound

- William Shakespeare -

One of the myths that even those who buy into it are totally dissatisfied, and mystified with is we should suffer like Christ. The main scripture that is endorsed for this concept is Romans 8:17 but to encompass the whole we must start from Romans 8:1 through 8:17.

Romans 8:1-17

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [heal or resurrect] your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (KJV)

Now at first glance the words “we suffer with Him that we may be glorified together” sounds grim to say the least. But let’s take a look at a few truths to center our attention. It is important to point out that we have three types of suffering.

1.) What we do to ourselves

2.) What others do to us

3.) The curse of sickness, poverty, death

Number three was taken care of at the cross. Jesus died to defeat the works of the devil that include death, sickness, and poverty. It is written, “By His stripes we where healed” as written in Isaiah and later repeated again by Peter. And Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. [Prosper - to be successful or fortunate, esp. in financial respects; thrive; flourish. Archaic. To make successful or fortunate]. Romans 8 states if we steer clear of pursuing the flesh [the mind, will and emotions] as well as it’s appetites then the redemptive power that Jesus performed on the cross takes care of “the curse”. Sickness, disease, poverty and death are nullified. Now on the onset most do not believe this to be true hence they do not see any of the effects since many are living inside their own inner fence. That is where faith comes in as the major operative and another subject. But for the purpose of this text, structurally this is how God has set up system. Proverbs reminds us about our minds:

Proverbs 23:7

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: (KJV)

Matthew 12:34

...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (KJV)

Proverbs 4:23

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues [boundaries - fences] of life. (KJV)

However we think things are, so they are for us. We create our own fences.

Number two is taken care of in that it is known that others will mock you, kill you, hate you or disrespect you on what you believe about God and more important Jesus. An example would be 2 Timothy 3:11 as follows:

2 Timothy 3:11

Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. (KJV)

Contrasted by

Matthew 13:21

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. (KJV)

In 2 Timothy 3:11 we see these are problems that come from outside ones self [uncontrolled]. In Matthew 13:21 we see the problem is from the inside [controlled]. Now a popular concept is Christians are to learn to rejoice and give thanks for tribulations, because God uses suffering to produce patience in us or teaches a lesson to us. Well yes, and no. The use of wording like “God uses suffering” is a lie. We can use suffering to teach ourselves but God does not use suffering to teach us. Suffering is already embedded in the system of obedience whither you learn something or not. The more you obey God the less suffering you need to endure. Doing the Word is the umbrella. Suffering is the rain. Walk out from under the umbrella and the rain will fall on you - without fail. The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. Our perception is that God uses the rain to keep us under the umbrella when God wants us under His umbrella rain or shine. All suffering is man-made by omission or commission. If suffering was such a great tool, why does everyone want it to stop as soon as possible? If sickness teaches us then why don’t we just get on with it instead of running to the doctor or the medicine cabinet?

We can’t suffer “with” Jesus since He is not suffering currently. And since He suffered for us it seems a bit redundant that we still need to suffer regardless of all He did for us so we did not have to. So as far as suffering from outside causes we are instructed to forgive those who know not what they are doing. Forgiveness is paramount. Loving those who are loveless is key. Blessing those who abuse, persecute, and use us. Why? In doing those things we open the windows of heaven to us, and God is able to intervene on our behalf. Now I’m not talking about being a martyr. Martyrs, like Paul, know they are set up to be just that and operate willingly on a different set of purposes and anointing. They are the exception not the rule. The death of a martyr is planted so others can have life. So unless you are called to be a martyr you are called to have life more abundant. So number two is covered as far as those “sufferings” are concerned. What is done to us is circumvented by love and faith in God to deliver you out of the pot of boiling oil, fiery furnace, the den of lions, or the land of giants.

The first issue is the main culprit here. And that is what we do to ourselves. Since the Kingdom is a system there are those who operate within the system and have success and those who work outside the system and have complete or intermittent failure. Some failures can be unto death. God does not use suffering and death to teach us. Beside the fact there are no more lessons after death. In fact most suffering is not enough to teach those who go through it. Many times it goes around and around and the suffering is never ending. For some reason people don’t understand why God let’s them suffer even though they don’t want to change to His way of doings things. It is the spiritual mystery of our time. Let the following rest upon your spirit:

Proverbs 26:2

As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. [ every - curse has a cause] (KJV)

If we don’t take heed to God’s Kingdom principles then number three, the curse, is allowed to operate since we are out from under the umbrella. Being a magnet for trials, tribulations, death, and suffering is what Jesus went to the cross for. Christians have the opportunity to escape the lion. Satan goes about like a lion seeking whom he may devour. There is a standard of criteria as to what he can and can’t do. But when that criterion is met predictable results will occur. Can you learn a lesson? Sure if you go through the process you should have already gone through to avoid the problem in the first place. Bad things can happen to good people for at least three reasons if they are Christian. One is that they don’t do the things they know they should or they do things they know they shouldn’t. Two is they don’t know what is right or wrong on critical spiritual subjects because they don’t study scripture or lack proper teaching. The third reason is the inclusion of all the above reasons with the addition of a shallow prayer life.

Ecclesiastes 10:8

... who so breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him. (KJV)

For instance, lets look at an example involving finance. Many Christians ask God for money or help in paying bills or emergency financial needs and that is well and fine. But many are disappointed when little or nothing happens in relief. Yet the scriptural side concerning finances is in many many cases ignored. We are showed scripturaly not borrow (Deuteronomy 15:6) for if you do, you end up a servant to that lender. (Proverbs 22:7) And if you’re a servant to the lender then you are not a servant to God because a man can’t serve two masters. (Matthew 6:24). So now when or if you pray for finances God has to go through everything you have set up that is contrary to Him that caused the wall to be compromised and the serpent allowed in. That contrary separation of thought and deed toward God is called iniquity [a violation of right or duty]. In addition, if you don’t believe in tithing, giving or prosperity, you are going to hit a glass ceiling pretty fast on that need. But it is not uncommon for people to blame God regardless for leaving them in the lurch so to speak.

So the point here is to illustrate issue number one of three that how we think has more to do with our issues than anything. As a man thinks - so is he. The most common denominator in all of our issues is us. It is only by the renewing of our mind can we utilize the blessings in our life and recognize the system embedded in the Kingdom of Heaven that is upon us now. When all provision is located in the Kingdom then it is paramount to identify, know, and follow the Kingdom principles.

The suffering the scripture is talking about in Romans is the spiritual discomfort brought on by the renewing of the mind or flesh. In that renewal we are expected to resist pressure that Satan doles out to us to make us do the things we don’t want to do, and not do things we should. It is not a physical or mental suffering. Jesus died for that. If you still feel obligated to suffer, try to depend on God exclusively to meet your needs for real and not man. Most people can’t stand under that kind of pressure at all. Paul tells us flat out what suffering with Christ means.

Romans 12:1,2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (KJV)

You could even read this backward for extra punch. [To prove what is good and acceptable to the Lord, you have to renew your mind in order not to conform to this world. And this would be acceptable as a living sacrifice.] In short being a living sacrifice is not conforming to the world and being transformed in how you think about almost everything. And in this process you are able to prove [to give demonstration of by action] what is good, perfect and in God’s will for you. Everything inside will say get a loan, buy some smokes, watch that R rated movie, sleep with that girl or boy you just met, don’t pray over your food in public, don’t mention Jesus, Don’t give your money to that person, I can’t pray just fifteen minutes a day. These are the real sufferings people need to engage. If these sufferings where taken more serious the physical and mental sufferings would be less frequent and eventually diminish.

Our struggle isn't against flesh and blood. We spiritually stand against our own principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness, and wicked spirits in high places (Ephesians 6:12). The object of Satan is to actually put us under the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

Hopefully, as we go through these conversions in our mind the more we start to trust God. If we trust [steadfastness] in His Word our spirit will be strengthened. And in being strengthened we will be perfect [mature] and entire, lacking nothing. This is the joy of temptations and pressures. It means with every conquest we gain the position to move closer to maturity. Very few people learn lessons through sickness, disease, poverty, and death. In out hearts we know that to be true and the religious “suffer like Christ” has little or no comfort.

Beloved, I wish above all things that you will prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind. We have the mind of Christ. It is up to us to be renewed to that fact. We have the power to change. People struggle with quitting smoking but that does not mean they can’t quit. The struggle is the smoke screen to your destiny. You are pre-ordained to be a winner. You may walk through the shadow of death but remember that the shadow of a dog never bit anyone.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

2011-09-14T11:24:00.001-07:00

The most powerful reason, I believe, are the misnomers found in the Christian belief system. The first being that the word “good” as most people use it, is a relative term, not the Biblical definition. It is an arbitrary word. Values assessed as being “good” have no absolute foundation and are subject to culture, attitude, desire, willfulness, economic class, ego and self-centeredness. In general, everyone knows in his or her own heart, the difference between good and evil. What people disagree with is, how much evil is acceptable.

A related question is “why does God “allow” bad things to happen to good people”? The short answer is, He doesn’t. When wax is set in the sun it melts away. Is it the fault of the sun? Are we asking why does God allow wax to melt in the sun? Or should we be asking why would wax be placed in the sun if we have been told it will melt? God can “use” bad things to help us learn to avoid bad things in the future but He doesn’t initiate bad things to teach us.

If God punishes man directly because of sin, what about all the suffering of the innocents, children as well as adults? These questions, traditional apologetics fail to answer. The usual explanation is that God is responsible for everything and we have no responsibility to know or do anything. And on top of that you never know what God is going to do. After all God is an enigma, inside a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery. All of which is the most reasonable and powerful argument against becoming a Christian. You can’t rationalize the irrational.

What is missing is the understanding that, while God is sovereign, He created rules, ordinances, statutes, and covenants that placed Him in a restrictive posture to give us freedom of choice and dominion. Thus, placing Him in a position of not being able to do certain things, even though— technically He could.

By creating a self-imposed limitation, God made the rules regarding spiritual success the same for every man. Likewise, the same laws, ignored, produce failure for every man. In this sense, we are all created equal. Failure to read, follow and understand Biblical objectives, produces the same lack of success as it would in any human endeavor. Whether it be flying an airplane, becoming a doctor, or practicing law. At some point a person must learn what to do, when to do and why to do.

There are reasons, forgotten, never learned or taken seriously why bad things happen to good people. In scripture there are warnings that illustrate the problem and strip away the mystery. There are no less than twelve scriptures that show an illustration of a position of peril or power. The first is Proverbs 26:2. The curse without a cause or a reason does manifest. We ultimately decide what happens.

1 John 2:14
...because ye are strong, and the word of God [lives] in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. (KJV)

Ecclesiastes 8:5
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. (KJV)

1 John 5:18
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. (KJV)

Ephesians 4:27,29
Neither give place to the devil.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (KJV)

1 Peter 5:8-9
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (KJV)

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (KJV)

Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (KJV)

Psalm 34:6-7
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. (KJV)

Proverbs 1:33
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. (KJV)

2 Timothy 2:24-26
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure [perhaps] will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (KJV)

Proverbs 5:10-13
Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me. (KJV)

By deconstructing the above we can see how bad things could happen. If we are in constant violation of one or more of the safeguards given to us, then it would seem more unreasonable if nothing bad ever happened to us. Stand against, resist, and give no place to the devil. There are three clues as to why we may get negative results if we haven’t heeded the scriptures. We have evidence that what we do, or don’t do, is directly related to what we get, or don’t get. And what we get is our responsibility. A list of things we should be aware of in the end, becomes a list of possible reasons why bad things happen to good people. God has set a plan in motion consisting of blessing, curses, life, death, riches, poverty, sickness, and health. We must make choices.

The Beast From the Earth

2010-08-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

The events described in the Bible are more eerily faithful than all the predictions made by Michel de Nostredame or his ilk. Another case in point is 666.

Revelation 13:17-18
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six (KJV)

The UPC code is another sign to make you wonder. The first, middle and end bar of every number is always 6. Invented by George J. Laurer in 1973, the code that we see on all the products we buy, is based on the article classification of 666. When asked about this strange coincidence Mr. Laurer responded with, “Yes, they do “resemble” the code for a six. An even parity 6 is: 1 module wide black bar, 1 module wide white space, 1 module wide black bar, 4 module wide white space. There is nothing sinister about this nor does it have anything to do with the Bible's “mark of the beast” It is simply a coincidence like the fact that my first, middle, and last name all have 6 letters.” That’s comforting He also responded with “As of November 2000, I will no longer respond to questions concerning this subject.”

This can be read at his website; www.laurerupc.com in the FAQS and Questions link.

As of 2002 the FDA had approved the RFID chip that is used in animals and can now be used in humans. The chip silently stores data of the individual similar to the UPC code. Another startling movement related to this is the pressure being put on Amish farmers in Michigan who are being told by the Government they must have the RFID tag put in all their animals for sale [to track possible mad cow disease]. One of the Amish farmers said about the issue, “They're asking me to use this [UPC] number to be allowed to buy and sell”.

The chip pictured above is made of a special plastic that covers a hermeticly sealed glass capsule with RFID circuitry. The plastic is designed to bond with human tissue and prevent the capsule from moving once implanted. It has coils for an antenna and an ID Chip that modulates the amplitude of the current going through the antenna to continuously repeat a 128 -bit signal.

The Star Called Wormwood

2010-07-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Cherbobyl Victims - Photo by Gerd Ludwig

The Third Trumpet:
Revelation seems to be moving on with it's agenda with very strange thought provoking signs. One is the burning and meltdown of Chernobyl nuclear plant. Surrounding the facility are scores of Wormwood plants and hence the facility was called Wormwood or in Russian - Chernobyl.

Revelation 8:10-11
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. (KJV)

Our sun of course is a star and it burns by a nuclear fusion process in which hydrogen is converted into helium. On April 26, 1986 50 tons of nuclear fuel and 800 tons of reactor graphite formed a pit the size of a volcanic crater. Vast agricultural bodies of water have been poisoned with radioactive fallout. To date 8000 people have died and 2 million have suffered in some way as the result of the Wormwood explosion.

Today, the exclusion zone remains almost entirely empty of human life. The fruit orchards are heavy with unpicked, radioactive fruit that is left rotting on the branches. Picket fences are slowly succumbing to molecular decay and collapsing. Vegetation is taking over the streets. The city of Prypiat - once a bustling Soviet city - is now an image of absolute decay, its wide boulevards empty but for the wind and the occasional wild boar or feral dog. The majority of those temporarily living in Chernobyl are forestry workers. Should the forests around Chernobyl catch fire, a new radioactive cloud would be set free.

Blood of the Gulf

2010-07-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

The Second Trumpet:

The BP Gulf of Mexico oil crisis of 2010 has been the focus of Revelation lately as well as the Shell oil spill in Rukpoku, Nigeria. Conservative estimates of how much oil is being leaked into the Gulf is five thousand barrels a day more reasonable estimates are hovering around seventy thousand. The impact is greater than one can imagine given the state of the oceans before the leak.

Revelation 8:8-9
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. (KJV)

We have a great mountain or oil rig the size of a small town that explodes killing 14 people. Oil starts to leak and is continuing to leak at this writing after 83 days. The oil is carbon and black as oil should be but now with aerial shots it seems to be a coagulated red color as like blood. The red is from the dreaded red algae found in red tides. The red algae live off of the hydrocarbons in the oil. Hydrocarbons are plentiful from the oil and they're the thing to worry about in this situation. They kill everything including humans if ingested. The planes are spraying chemicals also to help break down this blood like goop but with dire affects to marine life contributing to the demise of the creatures of the sea.

The New York Times July 14, 2010:
Studies show that dispersants, which break down oil into tiny droplets and can also break down cell membranes, make oil more toxic for some animals. And the solvents they contain can break down red blood cells, causing hemorrhaging. A fresh dolphin carcass found in the Gulf was bleeding from the mouth and blowhole, according to Lori Deangelis, a dolphin tour operator in Perdido Bay. “Reports of dolphins dying painful, bloody deaths as a result of the Gulf oil spill can be particularly disturbing to residents of Tampa Bay, Florida.

Prior to the oil spill you could count on the next two issues to contribute to a one third oceanic die off.

Ocean Conservation Science 2008:
Mapping and modeling approaches developed by the Sea Around Us Project revealed that approximately one-third of globally produced and atmospherically-transported dioxins are annually deposited directly into marine environments. Forage fish exposure to these harmful carcinogens consequently poses health risks to animals and humans that consume small ocean-dwelling (pelagic) fish either directly or through fish meal and fish oil.
Annual Review of Environment and Resources:
One-third of the world's marine fish catches are ground up and fed to farm-raised fish, pigs, and poultry. The researchers involved say that this squandering of "forage fish" (anchovies, sardines, menhaden, and other small- to medium-sized fish) is rapidly worsening the already serious over fishing crisis in our oceans.

The bottom line can be summarized to how much more can the seas take before they collapse? The Gulf oil spill may be the answer.

Philippe Cousteau May 30th 2010 on Bill Maher:
That’s the question. That’s the issue Bill. You know the Florida Keys, third longest barrier reef in the world is a dead zone. 90% of the big fish, the tuna, the sharks and everything are already gone in the ocean. There’s a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico every summer [without an oil spill] the size of New Jersey where there’s not enough oxygen for things to live. So it’s not a question of can the oceans take any more.

''The threat of environmental crisis will be the international disaster key that will unlock the New World Order'' - Mikhail Gorbachev -

A video of Insanity in biblical proportions!
The Media Black Out part 1
The Media Black Out part 2

2009-11-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

Scissor Paper Stone

A lot of milk has been spilled over the last year as to our current Presidents policies toward changing in it’s entirety the face of our nation. It has not been as stealth like as one would imagine in taking over the moral, economical, and judicial building blocks of a nation. But we have made our bed, and now we lay ourselves down to sleep.

The Republican Party at best is responsible for cutting it’s own nose. Fiscal Conservatism has not been our friend. Wall street corruption has been rampant long enough. Yet many conservatives have yet seen the forest through the trees.

One of President Bush’s buddies Ken Lay [Enron] was responsible for bilking millions from thousands of people in stock, retirement and jobs. Eight years of green lighting Wall Street go about it’s business. Even Alan Greenspan had to admit he was wrong in putting the country in the direction it was going in before a Senate committee. But Clinton also had Mr. Greenspan and was running the Internet bubble till it popped months before Bush took office.

Republicans still have not understood there is a revolution going on in it’s own party. The same issues that made them loose the last election and run the country into bankruptcy for eight years prior hinders them from seeing that conservatives are no longer in the tent pissing out but are now outside the tent pissing in.

The movement to replace the old guard with the likes of Sarah Palin or Mike Huckabee scares the teeth of the party. They still want the old faithfully RHINO like Mitt Romney and the Free and Strong PAC [yawn…] to head the party to battle fiscal truth toward the current administration in 2012. If he is such a fiscal wizard why did he concede to Mike Huckabee after spending 45 million of his own money in the primary and Huckabee spent 4 million generated from a grass roots movement to defeat him?

Republicans are telling everyone that a third party will not be elected and that conservatives need to pal up with republicans. If conservatives go rouge the Republican Party may be the third party. The optimist knows this is true and the pessimist fears he may be correct.

The Blaming of Palin

2008-11-06T09:39:00.001-08:00

Why blame Palin?
The election is now history and the Republican base has earned it’s place in history as well. We have got everything we asked for. So now comes the blaming of Sarah.
As I voted for McCain I realized that I voted for a party not of conviction or desire for the candidate. I did however vote for Palin. The reason to vote at all was one out of scripture to take a stand on a platform regardless of outcomes out of my control. I didn’t vote for fiscal gain or welfare. My welfare and fiscal blessing comes from above, not from Washington. If Washington could control the economics no president would have it fly south on his or her watch. The Clinton prosperity years came form an Internet boom of new technology and commerce not from his presidency. Unless you believe that Gore invented the internet. The Internet boom also collapsed on the Clinton watch. Bush inherited that.
Regardless, The Republican base as well as the Christian conservative base has dropped the ball big time. Christian conservatives and there leaders voted for most candidates they have no business being associated with during the primaries. We finally settled for a "maverick”. All well and fine except he was not a true Republican and we all knew it eyes wide open. Working with Kennedy and Dianne Feinstein on a bill that for all intent screwed him as far as campaign funds were concerned, and with Joe Lieberman at his constant side during the election. Working working accross the isle is one thing, but not at the expense of the party. Reagan knew this well. No mistake Lieberman is a good ex-pat Democrat but an Independent at best, not a Republican. In fact McCain would have been sunk way back in time if Palin was not shored up beside him to give the Obama camp the shivers. She was the only Republican running. Most of the languid Christian base decided they would support her. They could not muster supporting McCain. Now the McCain camp is trying to blame her. Insane…
Former Maryland Lt. Gov. and GOPAC Chairman Michael Steele said Republicans need to get back to the basics and focus on the issues that made them popular during the Reagan years. "I think Reagan spoke very clearly to that which is why he was able to make conservatism cool. It was a cool thing to be a conservative and I think that is something we kind of lost sight of. We loaded it up with all kinds of things that probably weighed us down, and people didn't want to carry as baggage," he said. "No one wants to be judged by a political party."
Steele said Palin, former White House budget chief Rob Portman, 52, and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, 48, will help the party move forward.
Palin demurred when asked if she will be up next in 2012, saying it was too far off to start thinking about it and that she is just "anxious" to get back to the job of Alaska's governor.

CHRIST IN [R]EVOLUTION

2008-04-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Above: Rudy Giuliani in drag and "The Donald" from a YouTube video.

In 2008 an evangelical candidate emerged for the first time since who knows when that had the experience in government as a governor for 10 years as well as being a pastor. The Christian Coalition endorsed a New York mayor in fear of a 9/11 repeat. Fear is the key word here. To endorse out of fear and economics without considering what you flag wave to the public as a belief system is next to criminal. Many of the Religious Right backed a Mormon who waivered on abortion and gay rights. Focus on the family sat on the fence until it was all too late. A former Family Reaserch Council leader supported a TV star candidate and finaly a senator from Arizona. A GodTube™ poll indicated a swell of over 47% in favor of the pastor/govenor and 9% for the Arizona senator. Evangelical leaders started looking fearfilly at the secular polls and pundits and lost site of the charater of the candidates and themselves. The conservitive Club for Growth went as far as to hand out white papers against the pastor/govenor and spent close to $550,000 to campaign against the former govenor according the Los Angeles Times. A changing of the old guard is now on the move.

The pro-family movement and its ilk “has been” a paramount importance in establishing Christian values but that movement is passing to a new wineskin and no longer represents the Kingdom outside of its myopic vision. They have failed thier first love and mandate out of fear and concern for money. The fiscal conservitive can not sustain a vision outside of the social conservitive vision of total reliance upon God. Fiscal blessing comes from the top down not the bottom up. Its ironic also that prosperity is politicaly important but shunned from the pulpit. Prosperity is fine as long as you can do it under your own strength. If you say God wants to be envolved in doing that for you are are lible to a get a major tongue lashing from the churches anti-prosperity bunch.

It’s time to turn the campaign into a movememnt. No longer will the David be mocked for his small stature and left for dead when he is the only one that can stand against a Goliath. This is why a new paradigm of Christian ways and means must emerge in the world today. Some serious myth busting needs to take place. It is imperative to deconstruct Christianity and assemble it back using the illustrated directions. On the wing is a process of social, cultural, and political Christ in [r]evolution. You can’t reform what we have since reform is based on rebuilding on an old foundation. A revolution needs to be taking the old foundation out to build on the rock for a taller stronger building.

The Coronation of Citizen McCain - Vote for Me... It's easier than thinking.

2008-02-29T12:18:00.000-08:00

For decades we have been trying to give credence to the voting system in order to inspire an apathetic voting populace. “Your Vote Counts”, “One Person – One Vote”, “If You Don’t Vote You Can’t Complain”, “Every Vote Matters”, on and on. Yet in this 2008 election the fact remains that all of this is not true to those who are doing the voting.

Now I will admit I’m bias toward Mike Huckabee but you have to believe me here or we have nothing, that this is more serious than my own leanings. I am after all, a bit left to the right, and a social conservative. But I have an itch that will not go away about the coronation of Citizen McCain. I have seen over time more on Fox News than CNN a propensity to crown any leading candidate regardless of how much time there is or how many people have yet to vote. The double minded reporting of polls being heavy indicators while saying polls don’t mean a thing is looney. The Scriptures tell us a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. As well as a kingdom divided can’t stand. Why is McCain being shoved down our throat?

In this process we have decided that as far back as the first week of January that McCain is the candidate that will go against the Democrats. Bill O'Reilly of Fox said when asked by Laurie Dhue why he and others do not even mention Mike Huckabee on the show as a contender Mr. O’Reilly said, “because he is not going to win”. If this is true why is Texas even voting on Super Tuesday II?

Now for Mr. O’Reilly to brag about how Fox News is accurate and fair and boast of the millions who watch his show, then to say, “because he is not going to win” is irresponsible to the voting people. If that was the case then we do not need to go on with the process of voting or having and covering a Super Tuesday II. Texas, Rhode Island, Ohio, and Vermont need not go to the polls. Your vote is worthless and your vote now does not count for anything because there is no way mathematically Huckabee can get enough delegates. After this kind of push from others in the past my own state of Washington tossed out votes as too tedious to count because after all it looked like McCain was going to win. As a delegate I had to wonder after 2 hours of delegating was my vote one of those that got tossed out as being of no consequence?

It never, ever occurs to anyone (even to a Harvard guy like O’Reilly) that Huckabee does not need so many votes to win over McCain he only has to keep enough votes away from McCain so McCain does not win and then force the issue to go to the convention. My goodness how far away is the Republican Convention. Anything could happen to McCain before that. People come and go from grace in this business as frequent as non-stops from New York to Los Angeles.

The main issue here is that the Sean Hannitys, Laura Ingrahams, and Ann Coulters gripe and moan about McCain and act like Huckabee is the invisible man. They won’t even say they don’t like him and for what. They just act like McCain is the “only” candidate and threaten to vote Democratic if McCain is not replaced or changes his politics to match theirs. Sean Hannity said in effect about McCain, What am I supposed to do just give up everything I believe in all this time and let McCain just walk away with the nomination? What extreme fiscal conservatives believe is not what drives the Republican Party. And the votes for McCain so far show this to be true. Republicans are leaning left. We are willing to let a left riding Republican take office while we kick and scream and will not acknowledge a true conservative, right wing, Republican get noticed. We will in the end get what we deserve.

The whole picture here is insane. The bottom line is regardless of who you vote for is the manipulation and arrogance of the media to steal the vote of the people away in a hasty election process is discouraging if not outright smarmy. Everyone has the right to vote without the prescience of fiscal conservatives. The forgone conclusions that are generated are bad for this country and bad for the Republican Party. We already suffer from low voter turnout nearly 2 to 1 compared to Democrats.

Israel asked for a king over and over and God did not want them to have one. He wanted them to be ruled by Him. But they persisted in asking and moaning and crying. So God gave them the king they wanted. In the end it was the ruin of Israel. King after king corrupted and failed the nation and it’s people. Overtime God could no longer help them until they turned from their ways and got Him back into the program.

Got Jesus? Part II

2007-12-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

This present time in history is approaching critical mass for the coming of the Lord. The Body of Christ has been through 2007 years of trial and error in order to present our selves to a lost and dying world with little impact to society and culture as a whole. The time has come to turn a tired sub-culture into a counter-culture. Opposite of the worlds way of doing things. The misguided time of becoming like or imitating the world in order to be accepted or palatable is coming to a close.

The walk of Jesus was totally counter-culture not a vacuum. He did not act like a sinner saved by grace in order to attract sinners. He did not even try to look like one. He walked in power and changed the environment around Him so people could recognize God, His (our) Father. Over time we have got ourselves into a spiritual quandary of deception as a people group. We can no longer discern if we should be going to R-rated films or if it is biblical to tithe.

Pastors no longer feel it necessary to visit their own congregation members or flock in the hospital. Counseling has taken the place of discipline or working knowledge of the Word of God. People will wait for weeks to get a counseling appointment but still refuse to be doers of the Word. We will not be able to discern our deception, without at some time, coming to the conclusion, that something is between us and God. It may be television, videos, eating, computer games, newspapers, chatting on the phone, unneeded shopping, movies, work, or a number of other diversions. Then by indulging in the above diversions mentioned, we end up being impatient, rude, jealous, gluttonous, and prideful. We partake in the everyday fair of lying, bigotry, lewdness, unkindness, deceitfulness, and a sundry of other Christian attributes. Did you know that most Christians don’t even know what constitutes lying? Does it occur to anyone that if you smoke you are actually supporting the tobacco industry? You are now part of the problem and heir to all they inherit. If you buy tickets to an R rated or PG13 movie where the name of God or Jesus is taken in vain, you have “invested” God’s money into the work of perdition. And of course every investment produces dividends. You can’t cry out saying Hollywood is sinful and pay them to continue making the same movies. You can’t cry out against TV and watch sleazy mind-numbing sit-coms or crass and uncouth adult cartoons.

When will I hear last sermon or teaching based on The Matrix? What Neo said seems to be a total spiritual gee wow moment. While nobody knows what parable Jesus spoke when he said, “If you don’t understand this parallel you will not understand any of them”. We end up following the pattern of life dictated by the spirit of the world, or the god of this age if you will. Crafting our own Christianity as we go.

Lev 18:3-5

3.) You shall not do as was done in the land of Egypt in which you dwelt, nor shall you do as is done in the land of Canaan to which I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes.
4.) You shall do My ordinances and keep My statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God.
5. ) You shall therefore keep My statutes and My ordinances which, if a man does, he shall live by them. I am the Lord. (AMP)

A counter culture does things totally different from surrounding society. We have to walk in different ordinances. Christians do not let go of what they have because they can't see something better. Somehow we need a glimpse of heaven. To start a revolution of the spirit, mind and body. This counter culture is all that the world is looking for in a gray and lifeless environment.

With the exception of some powerful men and women of God who actually follow the examples of the Jesus set forth in the bible, much of the myth, tradition, and secularism must be put at the feet of Christian people and their leadership at large. We have created a soft-Jesus with a Santa Clausian personality or dismissed Him all together and formed an opinion of God as a giant Oz-like floating head waiting to punish every wrong doing we can perceived. And in doing so translated those ideas and images to a dying world we are ultimately responsible to influence. (To Be Continued...)

Vote for God's Sake!

2007-12-10T12:36:00.001-08:00

He who does not punish evil, commands it to be done.
- Leonardo da Vinci –

We have sat on our hands and allowed the legislation in this country to pass laws that legalize infanticide. If you take all the soldiers killed in Viet Nam, Korea, WWII, WWI, Spanish American War, Civil War, Mexican War, War of 1812, Barbary War and the American Revolution you will come up with about 1.3 million people killed. We kill that many infants in the womb every year.6 The last (AGI) Alan Guttmacher Institute numbers taken for how many abortions take place are for 1996. Totaling all of AGI’s figures for abortions from 1973 through 1996, we get an astonishing 35,316,203. That is 1,535,487 abortions a year for 23 years. The Church has to share in this problem. If you did not vote or you did not vote against people who do vote for this type of neo morality then you are part of the problem. Every person who does not vote is voting in some way or another. The pendulum swings both ways to make a complete cycle. When you vote, you vote for something and you vote against something else. When you do not vote, you have not voted for something. But also have not voted against anything, and in every way it becomes your responsibility if what you did not vote against goes wrong.

Let’s face it the only reason Rowe vs. Wade exist is because there was no Christian outcry in the voting booth or in public debate. For example, between 1992 and 1996 we had a 17% drop in the Christian vote. Between 1996 and 2000 we had an additional 23% drop, that’s a 40% drop in Christian voting power. Out of 60 million evangelicals only 15 million voted in 2000 – 1 out of 4. We rolled over and played dead. If immorality is raging through the lands of the United States, the pulpit is responsible. If Satan is pulling the strings in Congress, the pulpit is responsible. If the Church finds itself caught partaking of the appetites of the world and is trapped in it’s matrix, the pulpit is responsible. If our land becomes so corrupt at the core of life with infanticide, sexual perversion, and bench ruling Supream Court judges elected by a Senate that Christians are to busy to vote out, the pulpit is responsible.

This is why a new paradigm of Christian ways and means must emerge in the world today. Some serious myth busting needs to take place. It is imperative to deconstruct Christianity and assemble it back using the illustrated directions. It is a process of social evolution, that a spiritual revolution is on the wing. You can’t reform what we have since reform is based on rebuilding on an old foundation that is built on sand. A revolution needs to be taking the old foundation out to build on the rock for a taller stronger building.

Why Religion?

2007-06-22T15:35:00.001-07:00

We love all the incense, the stained glass windows, the organ music,

the vestments and all of that. I don’t want to give

all that up just because I don’t believe in God.

- Episcopalian atheist James Kelly –

The reason we have variations of standards is because as 2,007+ years have passed, relation with God has been replaced by religion. The main doctrine of love has been watered down or eliminated. The pretence being if we can keep all the rules that express a religious doctrine then we are a faith based or God based culture. This pretence is a bastion of the original Law of Moses. However if we are trying to follow the plan that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has set forth we would realize that If we live by the Law we must die by the Law. This leaves no room for grace, since it is not based on rules or laws but on, grace. Meaning you are able to obtain what you don’t deserve and you are spared from what you do deserve. It would seem much easier to pursue religion because it is so dogmatic and structured, as well as malleable to the human condition. But just the opposite is true. We find it very easy to mold religion around how we want to be or act. Over time this approach becomes less spiritual and more humanistic. It also requires huge amounts of maintenance, if you “feel” you are sincere about your personal belief structure. And no maintenance at all if you’re still in love with the kingdom that crucified Jesus.

We now have religions that are based on being a non-religion. We have Post-modern churches repackaging radical skepticism as neo change agents, Emerging churches talking continually and re affirming themselves as relevant. New religious theories abound around Re-formational justification-by-faith-alone. For most, demonstrations of power in the church has escaped detection for all accounts.

Religion in its “simplest” form is considered as a personal set, or institutionalized system of attitudes, beliefs, and practices. This definition can fit easily into a denomination that is considered non-religious. So even under this pre-disposition the potential to start a new religion is great. This is after all how all if not most denominations or religions or even cults start in the first place. Groups start to separate with new attitudes, practices, and beliefs to soon institutionalize and create a new religious value. This is happening today in an effort to break away from the church tradition. Less traditional methods of worship or non-worship church structures are emerging on the religious scene. Ultimately, once again a personal and communal set, or institutionalized system of attitudes, beliefs, and practices start to re-form again. Under the pretence that it is non-denominational or even global it in fact grows into a new denomination. Even if we consider mixing a number of denominational beliefs together we have still created another denomination.

Denomination practices are eventually based on an us and them “perception”. Over time they blend into the halls of historical choice. Azusa Street turns into Assembly of God, Assembly of God turns to Four Square; Four Square turns to Open Bible Standard Churches; Calvary Churches turns into Vineyard. Vineyard Churches are now distancing with Refreshing or Presence based churches they have spawned like the Calvary Churches did to them. Catholics turn into Episcopalians. Lutheranism come into play. We get Oriental Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Calvinism, Anabaptism, Anglicanism, the list goes on and on. This is why a reversion to who God is and not what people have done or have been doing in His name is most important. Some still promote denominations as necessary to reach all groups of people. Except for the fact that we have not pulled it off as positive gain. Jesus came to promote one Gospel. Paul repeated the fact that if anyone teaches you any other Gospel it is not of the Spirit, in so many words. Yet 70% of the people do not even know what the word “Gospel” means.

It would be hard to imagine in that case, that everyone knew what the actual Gospel was let alone if it was different than what Paul was referring to. How this affects the world that does not know God is one of the largest and most confusing millstones to be hung around the neck of Christian doctrine. We are in dire need of constraints on how to view the writings of scripture. These confusing issues are the foundation for sighting religious malpractice in order to support theories of non-belief in God. Religion has a huge potential to gather people groups together under different satellite beliefs of God. But its greater potential is to divide people, nations, and social structures as well as create political boundaries.

Got Jesus? Part I

2007-04-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

Nothing is impossible for the
man who will not listen to reason.
- John Belushi (Animal House) -

We see phrases on Christian t-shirts and posters that say Christ the King with the Calvin Kline® logo in a New York graphic print. Others display a popular youth club logo taken from O'Neil® Surfboards. We have seen Got Jesus in place of Got Milk. The ever-popular red ball cap that says Jesus Christ in the Cola logo across it. The worst seen to date is the Calvin cartoon character we have seen urinating on the Ford or Chevy logo is now doing the same on the name Satan.

So as the world goes, the Christian follows close behind. We have no way of seeing that the world is fresh out of ideas for it's culture to consume. Bell bottom pants, hair split down the middle and peace signs lost to a generation almost 40 years ago. Spiked hair, body piercing, black leather with an attitude lost to yet another generation 30 years ago. We have been classified as a sub culture without design. Christianity in itself has become a huge sub culture that mixes in the world of free choice. Do I like this or that, yes or no, take it or leave it. We did that, we don't want to do that etc. We are located in a huge bucket of sub culture choices for people to choose from. We have yet to turn society away from current trends in government, art, or lifestyle.

The last great influence was in the Jesus movement in the late sixties. This also, as large as it was, lost momentum over time as the times dissolved into the "Summer of Love", and the "hippies" went on to carve out a new society. The main reason that the "hippy" movement succeeded was that they had a new vision and a determination to go against what the world had to offer. They joined in mass and changed the world forever. Music, fashion, politics, art, and lifestyle. Free sex, free drugs, food stamps, government support, black rights, black lights, women rights, animal rights and more. The SLA was born and came head to head with the status quo of the current government as well as stepping up the political thermometer along with the likes of Jerry Ruben, Tim Leary, Huey Newton, Joan Baez, John Sinclair and others.

This is not said to glorify the movement, but simply putting into perspective the mechanics of social, and spiritual change. We can thank this changing trend in part, for the establishment of liberal politics, that is one of the players in helping to goad the suppression of Christianity today in media, with eyes open wide like an old painting by Margaret Keane, the innocents of flower power and an “all you need is love” attitude. The Republican Party is attempting to no longer reflect the likes of Richard Nixon, by stumbling forward with creating a kinder, gentler old party. On the same hand the Democrats no longer reflect the likes of John Kennedy and seem to be growing into more of an agitated terrier. All in all there seems to be a struggle for role reversal.

However since the times provoked revolution on the society at large in the sixties, Christianity was a valuable alternative. In fact this was the time of the last big Jesus movement. The Jesus movement itself was a revival. Some say it failed because of the lack of leadership and direction needed to hold it together. When revival comes we can’t let it slip through our fingers again. (to be continued...)

A Momentary Laps of Reason

2007-04-15T14:52:00.001-07:00

The Bible in all its complexity is in reality very simple in its intent. It has been made very complex, mystifying and some times stupefying through the ages. In the process some of the main components of logic and reason have been stripped away in order for it to become somewhat unreliable or unreasonable. Through history it has been remanufactured to be a fulcrum of power to lord over the perceived hoi polloi. The main hidden function up to the 15th century was to control the world population through fear, oppression, and superstition. The governing body of so-called righteous church leaders was bent on an agenda of world domination using some of the methods mentioned. Post Reformation showed a more clandestine movement to continue the same agenda, while in the process of losing many followers of the faith that now had the courage to make reformed choices. However the thrust of that reformation has pretty much faded to antiquity, and left the church for all intent, impotent, archaic and lacking basic truths People have parked so much dogma on scripture that anyone who would want to find the truth must wade through fathoms of literary carbuncles

It was not until the bible was printed in English from the original Hebrew and Greek text by William Tyndale and distributed in the 16th century that the common man, with the ability to read, could actually find out what God was really saying and not saying. He could finally comprehend the meaning of God’s plan and could open himself up for the plan of God to free him from poverty, sickness, and bondage. After all the word Gospel means “Good News”. It is really no surprise that the very fabric of the Gospel has been unraveled and then rolled back up into one big unmanageable ball. On the outside it is just a hodgepodge of multi-directional weavings and the inside is hardly discernable.

There are two sides of this coin of ignorance. The secular and the religious both mint the same coin. They are hidden, but they live. The religious, on one side, by their focus on sin and finger pointing. The secular by focusing on self preserving ideals and the security of science and education. The religious had and has a gospel that has it’s axis in fear for the non-believer and a disposition of apathy for the believer. They get saved from something but never get saved into anything.

Now for the most part religion has failed to convey this simple message and have turned into a segregated message of damnation. Most people come to Jesus, if at all, through fear and not hope. Over time a person can’t maintain this type of religion and slowly fade back to a carnal way of thinking. And in doing so reaffirm the suspicions of the secular populace on the ineffectiveness of the ministry of Jesus Christ and God. To coin the phrase, “the fact that people receive Jesus through their lips but deny Him with their lifestyle is something an unbelieving world finds unbelievable”, is not out of reach of reality. Of course God gets the brunt of this. People who say they don’t believe in God seem always to be the first ones shaking their fists at Him in scorn.