Saturday, November 03, 2007

Immediate Ways to Remedy the US Oil Shortage in 6 months

Let me be clear. The oil shortage is not about oil, it's about liquid fuels that we use every day to keep our economic engine running for transportation and heating. We don't have a fuel shortage, we have a liquid fuel shortage. Here are immediate remedies that we could and should implement at once to roll back our foolish usage. The USA is the biggest user of oil by a long shot. That means you we can make a huge impact with little change. It's time to see what can be done about all that without the blinders put on by global warming eco-nazis and the sycophantic politicians that bow to them. IF I were King:

Use ONE only year round formulation for gasoline and diesel. Only ONE. Allow the refiners to gear up and produce this in spades. The more they produce of one formulation the more efficient they will get recovering more and more from narrow cracking procedures.

Abolish public education under the age of 13 -- Full Stop. Home, church and chartered coop neighborhood schools do so much better than all the teacher union driven messes called schools do now. Oh, it would be publicly funded, but privately run. Think of the fuel just closing those big drafty buildings would save. PLUS, think of the savings from all the wasted money on school busing little kids. Then, if a child graduates from elementary school (8th grade) they can go on to "Prep" school or another route like a technical school for a couple years. That would use SOME of the buildings and we could bus some of those kids but some of those kids would stay in dorms on campuses. The better buildings could be used for Prep schools, the poorer ones in a city converted to living quarters. Public education has failed horribly in the USA, let's put a fork in it and save fuel we waste doing nothing.

Recognize that Kyoto, carbon dioxide reduction and all related is inconsequential to the natural cycle of climate change. Pollution in sparse population centers is not an issue. If a coal plant somewhere in the Dakotas or Wyoming is located a hundred miles from any Major population areas then let her rip. Take off all restraints, scrubbing, all the other foolishness. Burn all the coal you can an generate electricity. Some of that electricity can be used to create liquid fuels from coal.

Quit creating ethanol at a net BTU loss. It wastes fuel, unless we can do it burning other lost resources such as used tires. Tires should be used as a fuel source in coal plants and these ethanol plants to capture the liquid oil sluffed off for refining. You get a lot of liquid oil from a single tire when you burn it.

Make backhaul trucking a reality again. There are too many trucks making too many empty trips because they can charge consumers for the whole turn. Trucking has become an inefficient transportation system. Mandate a load both ways. Use the ICC to influence truckers to maximize the use of the fuel they are buying. Finding a back haul is a lost art for many truckers. Too many trucks are dead heading home wasting fuel.

Limit the amount of police do patrolling in vehicles (read that just driving around wasting gasoline). Put cops on the beat on feet. Use technology to dispatch for emergencies. There are too many cops on the road and not enough ready to respond. In the 50's the amount of driving around was unthinkable. And, some of that neighborhood patrolling can be done in very high mileage automobiles or on Segways, Bikes or electric vehicles. In Germany all the patrol cars are little tiny Volkswagens or Bicycles. Not the big gas guzzlers we use in the USA.

OFF ROAD. Agriculture should pay the same price for fuel as everyone else, tax included, as should construction. Fuel is fuel and the advantage causes uses that are not worthwhile. It's false competition for resources.

Burn wood instead of Heating oil in centralized outdoor boilers. Use high smoke stacks to shunt the smoke high into the air and avoid local pollution. If every freestanding community under 5000 population in America allowed this for homes heated currently using oil to heat hot water boilers it would save huge amounts of fuel for other purposes, not provide any serious pollution since it's only in very small towns and it has a zero net effect on CO2 generation if that's a concern for you. One wood boiler per block would heat all the homes on that block for far less money than we are spending now. Plus it would use surplus wood for fuel saving landfill space and cleaning up the underbrush in forests. Most of these big boilers only need to be stoked once per day. They are sophisticated operations. People would only pay based on the heat they use.

Make it legal with incentives to burn used engine oil, waste oil, lard, cooking oils, industrial oils, any oils for energy production. This could be implemented thru adaptive technologies for commercial businesses. Recovery of these oils adds back to liquid fuels. The fact that we waste ANY liquid oil in any form whatsoever in any way is a crime. It should all be burned.

For anyone who currently own an automobile older than 1987 can turn it in for a subsidized purchase of an automobile that gets 27 MPH highway. These transactions would have far more incentive and effect than the current foolish incentives to buy a hybrid car. The net effect would be getting a large number of 15 MPH vehicles off the road in favor of those that get 27 MPH. This is a financing tax incentive program and would have the most impact on the fuel use. It is a zero cost impact on the government.

All of these things could be done in 6 months and would have an impact on oil usage.

Other areas of examination shortly after that:

Commercial and municipal buildings heated by oil to be converted to Natural Gas, coal or some other form. Remember, the shortage is LIQUID fuel. Not gas.

Airlines should do ride consolidations. Some flights shouldn't be made. Before deregulation you could in fact fly any flight with any flight coupon. That saved fuel.

Get all permits for state of the art refining systems on line now. Same for all permits for Nuclear. If we are going to become energy independent we are going to need alternatives.

The conversion of poly and tires and any other organic materials to liquid oil and gas is very exciting. The technology exists.

The apparent practicality to take 10 million acres of the poorest desert (about 1/6th the size of Nevada) and waste land in areas near the ocean to produce algae that is 50% oil is an expensive undertaking but very practical. 10 million acres replaces all the oil we use now. It could be distributed into 250 acre farms. This is something needing to be done quickly.

Human and animal waste streams should be bioreduced to produce methane (natural gas). It is a crime to sluff off these gasses without making use of them.

We can and should be smarter in freeing up liquid fuels for transportation and use the easier to find gas and alternative fuels quickly. The technology exists to do all this.

I didn't mention wind and photo voltaic power. Frankly it's a long way off and still a pipe dream. IF there were a power shortage after we crank up more coal and nuclear plants in more places and let em rip. Supplement if you want the wind and solar but it's peanuts.

Anyone have any other ideas? I know there is stupid waste in the system I know someone can put their finger on and we can put our finger in the leaky liquid fuels dike.

Why Gasoline is not Going to be $5 anyttime soon


Look at this chart. It's the price of Oil for the last few years. We live under the impression that it just goes up and up and up.

That's not so. It goes up and down. The downs are as important as up. Now, in reality there is a lot of reason to expect that the trend is up. But there is a lot of sentiment that means it could go down. Notice the Retrenchments I have circled. These are consolidations and testing bottoms. They are also areas of weakness.

The most interesting of the bunch are those which have happened the last couple years. There is a lot of open interest in this market. Note the bottoms. That means that a lot of people believe these prices or at least are trading at these prices. The chart doesn't even show the most recent near hundred dollar levels.

The one I'm keeping my eye on is the $60 level which is lower than the previous retrenchment. This in chart formation is NOT a strong market. Most of the hundred buck oil we have is nervousness about Iran and Mexico and Africa. But of the 83,000,000 barrels per day we produce and consume globally they are a small component. Let just a little tiny bit of GOOD news hit the market and the crude price will fall like a stone. There is nothing fundamentally holding this market in place.

Besides, a little quiz. Who is the number ONE producer of Oil in the world far and away?
Saudi Arabia 9.45 Million Barrels
Number Two
Russia 9.4 Million Barrels
Who do YOU think is number three? Any guess?
Venezuela? NOPE.
Canada? Na.
Iran? They are number four.

We're Number Three.

GOOD OLD USA coming in at 7.6 Millon Barrels.

Listening to the media you would think we have no oil left. Baloney. We just discovered another 20 thousand barrels in North Dakota in the last few months.

North Dakota produces about 120,000 barrels per day and increasing all the time. As you read this there are 60 oil rigs drilling right now in western ND. Some will find a great deal of oil. One just did that increases production another 20,000 per day when it comes on line. This is happening everywhere and the high prices just push people to do something. Bahrain produces 183,000 barrels per day. North Dakota isn't far behind. We already are larger than Japan or Peru.

Oh, we drink too much oil. We waste far too much. IF we just cut back 10% it would be huge in global demand. That's the other think high prices do. Slow demand. The cure for high prices is high prices.

And, that is why I fill my tank with a smile on my face.

Friday, November 02, 2007

Everything Aches Except my Heart

All is well.  Peggy's back.  I did NOT beat her home from having to pick up some shrubs.  She was home when I got back so no Nose pressed against the window reunion.  I'm in deep weeds.  Not really but she did kid me about it.
 
It's great to have her home. 
I ran pretty hard today after sleeping fitfully all night.
 
I ache all over.  My nose is running and I need a nap.  I think I'll take one.  It's like my body feels like now that "taker of care" for Mr. Gene is returned it has the right to go south.  BOOOOO
Since I know he reads this, RBB:
 
Robert,
You are so kind, I don't know if you know this but I'm a HUGE Shakespeare fan.  Seen and Read nearly everything.  So your adaptation of R&J was apt and beautiful.
 
Despite our variance in Political Views which are wide, I think we would find we have much in common.
 
And
 
According to your test, John McCain as Pres and Tom Tancredo as VP would be my dream ticket.  I would rather vote for someone who can win.  Any one else, take Bob's test and let's see how it comes out.
 
Take care of yourself, hope the smoke has cleared from around you.
 
Gene

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Good Tidings of Comfort and Joy

When a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean.
Leviticus 13:40, NIV

It's not as much comfort as you think, but it's some.



End of Days

 I have been suffering for Jesus.  Well, maybe just suffering.  You see, it's been two long long weeks since Peggy went to see her dad. 
 
I have survived.  Barely.  We have talked almost every day.  I have been appreciative of her capacity for mercy, but I need some mercy. 
 
She is, as I write this, on the way home. Life will return to some kind of normal. When you have been married 42 years so much of who I am is wrapped up in her and vice versa.  She is the pleasant alter ego to cranky and sometimes mean Gene.  We not only finish one another's sentences, I can start to ask a question and she answers it.  Sometimes I have no idea how she knows what I'm about to ask.  And, I lose things.  She finds them.  She's a good finder.  We sometimes kid that we only have one brain between us, each of us has half.  So when she's gone I'm walking round with half a brain, "If I had half a brain I'd....."
 
It is the end of days alone. 

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Ann Coulter goes for the Throat

I appreciate Ann. Lots of people don't. But she represents the voice the left wants to silence.

Her latest take on Liberals who are also Jews. What a counter intuitive idea.

The Anti-Defamation League is to Jews what the National Organization for Women is to women and the ACLU is to civil libertarians. They represent not Jews or women or civil libertarians, but the left wing of the Democratic Party.

To hide the dirty little secret of the left's burgeoning anti-Semitism, liberals act as if they live in abject terror of right-wingers. When it comes to conservatives, the Anti-Defamation League is the Pro-Defamation League.

For decades, most Jews supported the left, and the left supported Jewish causes. But the left moved on long ago. For liberals, Jews are just so "last Holocaust."

The Democratic Party sleeps with anti-Semites every night, but groups like the ADL love to play-act their bravery at battling ghosts, as if it's the 1920s and they are still fighting quotas at Harvard.

Liberal Jews are on a collision course with themselves. They can't reconcile the survival of Israel with their conception of themselves as liberals. The liberal coalition has turned against them. Jews are out; Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is in. The new king knows not Joseph.

I should be angry, I should be jealous, I should be ashamed.

In the summer of 1995 I received an open vision from the Lord regarding what he was about to do in the Church of Jesus. It was rich and real. I changed my plans to move back to ND because of it.

It was a vision of a healing healthy church with spontaneous live worship, prophetic encouragement and needs being supernaturally met by the presence of God in the services. This church was not focused on teaching and preaching in it's worship services. Teaching and preaching were part of it all but at other times and in other venues. This was so powerful in outreach it meant it was going on much much much more than just on Sunday Mornings, Sunday Nights, Wednesday Nights and Friday Nights. It was an overflow that seemed to never stop.

I saw the place in my minds eye. Full of people. Passion for Jesus. I even saw the building. I saw the people. I saw the whole thing. It changed my life. I have told this story to many people and still have people call me from time to time and ask if I still believe. I do. How could I not. God will remove every obstacle to his plan. He will tear down the dividing walls that hinder unrestrained love.

I knew then that my spiritual destiny and call had just been give and I was to be part of ushering this new move of God into the earth. I have been such a part in Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Where I have failed is in Jerusalem. There is no church within an hour's drive of where we live that is part of this fresh move of God. That stinks when I know I was restrained from moving back to ND because of this
glorious vision and what he wants to do in Kane County.

Now, a young man describes in detail what is going on all around the world and I'm stuck here in spiritually cold dark dead St. Charles IL.

Here are a few excerpts from his piece that are exactly like the vision I had and exactly like what is going on elsewhere but not here:

We are living in the most exciting times in the history of mankind on the earth! All nations are streaming to the mountain of the Lord in worship. The global prayer movement is taking over churches, infusing passion and life into all believers. The acceptance of prophecy is at an all-time high in the Church and especially in the marketplace...outside the walls of the Church! The worship of God in the earth has morphed into a wonderfully creative, dynamic, free expression of all kinds of gifts, movement, color, sound, light, art, culture, language and glory!

Today, we see more and more churches, home groups, and individual believers singing the "song of the Lord" in worship as a dynamic two-way conversation with God that attracts His presence in a very intimate way as nothing else can.

Why is the Lord so captivated by this? God is a singing God! Prophetic Worship simply is listening for the songs and sounds of Heaven--and singing and playing those songs back to God.

In 1992, I saw a vision of congregational worship that has riveted my attention for fifteen years now.

I saw worship teams showing up with no song list, and the Holy Spirit simply gave each song to worshippers as they yielded to Him. There was great unity and harmony among the worshippers, and we all listened as much as we played and sang. We heard the sounds and songs of Heaven and simply joined in. Then I saw angels and the cloud of witnesses and God Himself joining us, as we sang these glorious melodies and harmonies.

This fantastic culture of worship matured to such a degree that most of the songs soon came from people in the congregation. The band and singers on the stage simply facilitated and supported what was happening among the people. There were times when hundreds of people would catch a song from Heaven at the same time, and all would sing together as one practiced voice!

As the presence of God grew stronger and more powerful, the literal glory of God descended in manifest form as a cloud that everyone could see with their eyes. Miracles, salivations and deliverance's all happened spontaneously in this electric atmosphere. No one in the congregation or on the stage was left standing, as we all were pressed down to the ground and unable to stand, because of the awesome power of God's manifest presence.

I have never recovered from this vision, and I believe that we are just beginning to touch the hem of His garment this year. Let's press in for all that He has for us!


HE had that vision in 1992. I had mine first in 1995. I shared it with many people. In the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses let a thing be confirmed. It is.

In 2001 I had a second vision. Charlie Ireland was the Worship Elder at our church. The vision I got was of Charlie coming on the platform getting ready to lead a prepared worship set. Then people from the congregation began to sing a spontaneous song. They came up on the platform and gathered around. The choir of voices in Holy Ghost praise lifted in unison. Charlie made an attempt to control things but it just came uncorked. People hit the floor, some danced, some sang, some wept but in the midst of it all marriages were healed, bodies made whole, depressions lifted, visions seen, hope, joy and peace.

All happening while everyone was in total spontaneous worship and adoration of the Bridegroom King. I shared that vision with the Church in a meeting. It scared some. Some didn't understand it. Some were hungry for it. I'm starving for it.

In the 2001 vision I had worked hard to prepare a word to bring that Sunday, suddenly I realized that if I preached in this atmosphere it would be sacrilege. I thew it on the floor and stepped on it.

A higher level in God erupted.

That was in 2001. Like young women who sometimes have a biological clock ticking in them to have a child, I have a spiritual clock ticking in me. God called me to do this thing. I'm a man on a mission. I'm not getting any younger. I'm where it's supposed to happen.

If I die before he does this thing I will have missed the chance to fulfill the call of God in my life. He will find someone else I'm sure. But Why not here, why not now, why not us? What hinderith us to be Baptised?

It's time to break the religious backbone in this area and allow God to do what he is doing many other places. I have to admit, I'm angry and ashamed and jealous of what others are doing. Oh, I could move, I could become part of what is going on in Rockford or Bolingbrook or Kansas city. But it wouldn't be what God called me to do.

I think of this on Reformation Day. If I were to nail 95 thesis on the door of my heart it would contain a revisit of this vision. Come Lord Jesus.

Winning at any Cost


Lifted from Despair.com

By Grace Alone Through Faith Alone in Christ Alone

TODAY IS REFORMATION DAY - I have stood at the door of the Wittenburg Church (the original door is gone) and laid my hands on it hoping to receive an impartation of his anointing. I stood over the place where he is buried in the Church. I have twice walked with reverence thru the home Luther and family lived in. I stood in the little chapel where he taught. It was a Holy place.
I was there before the wall fell down. And after. With the 500th anniversary coming up I'm worried how much glitz the Germans will put on all this. It's already kind of schmaltzy.

I lifted this full post right from LaShawn Barber's blog. It's a good reminder:



95 Theses“I cannot submit my faith either to the Pope or to the Councils, because it is clear as day that they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless therefore, I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture…I cannot and will not retract…Here I stand, I can do no other. So help me God, Amen.” - Martin Luther

Today marks 490 years since Martin Luther hung his famous Ninety-Five Theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany.

Written in reaction to papal abuses and false teachings in the Roman Catholic Church, the document stands as the starting point for the momentous Protestant Reformation, a call for reform in the Roman Catholic Church.

Martin LutherA Catholic monk and theologian, Luther came to the realization, after reading and studying the Bible, that his so-called good works and dedication to the church would not save him from God’s wrath. The sinner’s only hope for salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Luther learned that salvation is a gift from God. Woeful sinners like you and me are justified - made righteous - by our faith in Jesus Christ. Neither “good” works nor the “intercession” of other sinful men can save us from God’s just wrath. Christ is our intercessor.

Luther translated the Bible to vernacular German so the common people could read and understand it for themselves instead of having it filtered through an “authority.” With the advent of the printing press, Luther’s call for reformation spread to the masses.

Biblical principles known as the “five solas” emerged from the Protestant Reformation, and these principles stand in contrast to what Rome teaches.

Soli Deo Gloria!

(Dan Phillips brings the comedy.)

Resources:


Posted by La Shawn @ 12:09 pm Permalink

Jimmy Carter is a shadow of the Man of Peace to Come

If you are interested in types and shadows you might want to consider how duped the left wing in America is by Jimmy Carter.

Here's a pretty good article exposing it all.

If they fell for a bad grinning peanut farmer, how much more will they fall for the "Man of Peace" when he comes on the scene.

Just read the book of Revelation. News in advance.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

John Piper on Church Rebirth

How would you help a spiritually stagnant church?

I would begin by preaching the gospel and displaying the infinite and all-satisfying worth of God. In other words, I wouldn't start at the symptom. Absence of love is a symptom of the absence of faith. And absence of faith is a symptom of the absence of seeing the beauty of God. It's the absence of truth.

You need to start at the bottom and just celebrate the glory of God—especially near the cross, because these people are going to need forgiveness. After that you move on to seeing the beauty of the cross. Then you work on being satisfied with and savoring the beauty of the cross. Finally you come to all of the fruits that begin to grow out of a happy church.

My goal in fixing the love problem is to fix the prior-satisfaction problem. The reason people aren't loving each other is because they think that satisfaction is found only in having the last word in arguments, revenge, or personal securities (which keep them people getting out of their comfort zone in order to bless other people). But all such satisfactions are lies of sin. They lie and say that more satisfaction is to be found in unloving ways than by going back to Jesus, finding complete satisfaction in him, and letting that spill over onto others, even if it costs you something.

You must start with what will make people happy in God, namely, a display of the beauty and the glory of God.

Hat tip to a good friend.

What a REAL Elder is

Churches have boards, and sometimes they are called elders.

Real biblical elders are more like my friend Mark describes.

When Monkeys Run the Zoo

What we have in Washington DC is a Zoo. IT no longer works.

Those who thought things would get better once the Dems were elected in 2006 are seeing this for what it really is.

Chimps in Charge.

OH, I shouldn't tell you, but I will. Have you wondered about all the resignations from congress and the senate, mostly Republicans in the last few months? What's up?

Here's what. It will be easy for dems to beat Republicans who have a record. Our chance of holding those seats will be better if we get the old guard out of there and bring in some young tigers.

This is a strategy to level the playing field and win back congress.

I shouldn't have told you. But, wait for the characterization of the incompetence of congress and new blood strategies in 2008. Charlie Rangel, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi will be easy to run against because they are such ready targets. And, the worse things get in Congress the better it is for the Right. I just wish a couple dozen more republicans would resign. How bout it Ron Paul?

She Wishes I Was a Catholic

One of my favorite reads is The Anchoress. I don't know much about her except what I read in her blog. She's a Catholic lady about my age living out east.

She says what I said, that Ann Coulter was right to say what she did.

Read her take on it all. It's good stuff.

"GOD HAS VISIONS OF YOUR FUTURE--HEALED, DELIVERED AND BLESSED"

I read this prophetic word this morning and was very encouraged.  I thought you would be too....

I HAD A VISION OF BEING SEATED IN A MOVIE THEATER

The lights were turned down and the show began. Astonishingly, the pictures on the screen were about my life, the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows, and the ultimate fulfillment of my destiny and all of God's plans concerning the calling He has on my life. As I watched in amazement and joy, others started to enter the theater and sit down. I thought, "Why would God want to let others see what is happening with my life?" Then I realized that He wasn't. Each person saw his or her "own" life. Even though there was only one screen, God was showing "faith photos" that could only be seen by the one whom the pictures pertained to.

God says: "YOU'RE INVITED TO SEE A PHOTO SHOOT I TOOK OF YOU AGES AGO...."

"I've always had a picture of you. My photo albums are full of special moments I have reserved for your life. In some of the pictures, you are crying, but I have saved every tear in a bottle (Psalm 56:8). Even though I wipe them all away (Isaiah 25:8), not one will be wasted. I even have the future pictures of you when you arrive at your Heavenly home...in every picture, you are smiling brightly because of the joy, and you can hardly contain yourself (Matthew 25:21, 23).

You have read: 'I saw you before you were in your mother's womb' (Psalm 139:16), but I also saw all the future days of your life because I predestined you for good works ages ago (Ephesians 2:10). I have pictures of every one of those days and for many of you, your works are not nearly done. You have mountains to move, fields to plant and reap from and rejoicing to do when you see your loved ones come to Me (Acts 16:31).

Many of you have not experienced the miracle I have for you. I have a picture (vision) of that too, so do not be discouraged. I'm in charge, so don't run from evil, but overcome it (Matthew 5:39), knowing that I already have a picture of you doing so (Hebrews 7:25)."

God says: "I HAVE PICTURES OF YOU--HEALED, DELIVERED AND MORE...."

"You've looked upon what the 'worldly theater' has to show you. Now look upon what I want you to see. I am inviting you into My 'Divine Theater.' The picture show I have for you will change your mind about wrong assumptions you may have had. Some of the worldly pictures you have of yourself show failure and oppression. My pictures show the real story...of you not only leaving a broken heart and the pain behind, but entering into a place of joy like you never thought possible.

Some of your worldly pictures are dismal negatives. Many have looked out of the window of their souls and have seen only pictures of darkness (Ecclesiastes 12:3). Yet, I am about to take a snapshot of you in your current condition, and the flash will cause all of the darkness to flee, because only I will do the developing and only My pictures count in My Kingdom.

Some of you will go to pick up your carnal pictures and they won't turn out. The enemy of your soul has tried to slip his false photos into your life's album, and he will be exposed for what he is...a liar. And although he may be the father of lies, you are a child of the Truth (1 John 3:19). I have pictures of you being so happy, laughing so hard, that you fall over in exhaustion. I have pictures of you being so healthy, you want to jog around the block. You might call them unreal or doubtful. I call them 'Heavenly snapshots' of future blessings about to be manifested. Say cheese."

God says: "SOME HAVE VISIONS OF ME, BUT I HAVE VISIONS OF YOU...FOR YOU."

"When My Son told Nathanael, 'You believe because I said I saw you under the fig tree,' he didn't know it at the time, but Nathanael opened up Heaven. Simply for believing that My Son saw a picture (vision) of him under the fig tree, Nathanael would, from that time on, see Heaven open and My angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man (John 1:50-51).

Some of you are about to see Heaven open. There is a great reward for believing My pictures that I want to show you. Child, I am good (Psalm 143:10) and I have a good word for you. As you believe, I will show you more of My goodness, so resist the devil who has no power over you (Luke 10:19), and walk in My blessings. Prepare to see pictures of yourself from My Heavenly view because they are already etched in eternity.

Isaiah saw a picture of Me sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. He saw mighty angels and felt unworthy until a live coal came upon his lips to cleanse him (Isaiah 6:1-7). Yet, I have given you the precious Blood of My Son, which cleanses your entire being, spirit, soul and body, making you worthy of all blessings. Feel guilty no more (Romans 8:1).

Come forward, the entrance is free. I have pictures for you. Some of you will start to see these pictures in dreams (Joel 2:28), while others will see them in visions (Proverbs 29:18). You've heard it said, 'A picture is worth a thousand words,' but My pictures are worth more than gold...and I have reserved a seat for you at My Divine Theater. The Heavenly picture show is ready to begin and your life is about to hit the real big screen."

"...the Heavens were opened and I saw pictures from God." Ezekiel 1:1

Al Thomas
Celebrating His Life Ministries
Email: a.thomas@myactv.net

Pastor Appreciation Appreciated

I have received a number of notes and even a couple gifts for Pastor appreciation month.  I appreciate them all.
 
I'm not really a full time pastor.  I lead, encourage, support, direct, focus and minister to people who are willing to be led, encouraged, supported, directed, focused and ministered to. 
 
So, for them I am a Pastor who appreciates being appreciated.  Thanks.

Public Education is the Worst Value in America

Dropout Factories.  That's what public schools are.
 
Let's close them.  They don't work. 
 
This is an expensive tragedy.   Public education exists only for the educators and not for the kids.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Get Ready for Cheap Oil

It is impossible to maintain these near hundred dollar per barrel oil prices. There are no fundamentals to hold these prices here.

It should be $50 or maybe $60 which is 3 years ago $45 when the dollar was worth more. Then you could buy a Euro for about a buck. Today it will cost you a buck fourty. That's the real value of oil. Just hold on. Lower oil prices are on the way.

I don't know what to think about all this

My email is overflowing with warnings about some film called Golden Compass. Supposed to be bad for Christians and those who might be.

I will not see it. I would like to know more if this is another frontal assault and if I should put a Curse on it.

Any ideas?

In the Year 2121

I liked the song 2525. Looking ahead just a hundred twenty years (one long lifetime) is the world a better or worse place? I was thinking in particular about all the scary climate change and population explosions the MSM keeps harping on. I am not a doomsayer at any level. The are lying to you for control of your life. The UN, the most corrupt organization in the world, is at the heart of all this.

Here are some truthy truths for those who love VERITAS:
Forecasts of doom and gloom are bad Halloween tricks meant to scare you. Don't fall for them.

Now, where's my ALGORE costume...............

You can't get water out of a plugged hose

I got a vision in contrasts at churches this Sunday. 
 
Pastor Aaron was talking about the core values of the New Church Plant in Berwyn. 
 
Win
their Souls to a complete saving knowledge of Jesus the Christ
Restore
their Spirit, Soul, Body, Health, Emotions, Relationships, Family, Finances - the whole person
Disciple
them in the things of God, build them up on a firm foundation of sound understanding and a continuing lifetime path of Seeking God. 
Prepare
them for ministry.  Help them become responsible capable functioning parts of the full Body of Christ.  Release them in their ministry giftings prophetically.  Help them see themselves on a mission from God. 
Send
them out to do the work of the Ministry.
 
WIN  - RESTORE - DISCIPLE - PREPARE - SEND
 
More accurately said, this should be an active verb. 
 
Keep on winning, restoring, disciplining, preparing, and sending.
 
The E-4 Church is doing just that.  I'm proud of Pastor Aaron.  He's a good one.  His vision is clear.
 
Sunday Night, Faith Center. 
Faith Center's latest new church plant, Destiny Worship Center in Wisconsin was started only a few months is already running 70.  How?  Faith Center took several of it's most "Restored Disciple and Prepared" people (the kind most churches hate to lose) and SENT them.  Particularly if you are in the middle of a huge building project like Faith Center is and need all the contributions you can get.  Seems like a bad plan to be planting a new church.   On the other hand, when a church plateaus, planting a new church can be the very catalyst it needs to move to the next level.
 
If a church concentrates (and sadly many do) only on Winning Souls, Restoring and Discipling the hose is plugged up.  If they aren't preparing people for ministry and sending them out the door what you have is a stagnant pond to fish in.   It starts to putrefy and die.  Look around you.  The churches growing and prospering are PLANTING.  SENDING.  NEVER TO RETURN. 
 
I grow Amaryllis flowers.  Several years ago I started with ONE.  I now have a dozen and give them away all the time.  How? By splitting off and replanting the daughter bulbs.  Some of those daughter bulbs are bigger than the original which I still have.  Had I never divided the bulbs  the original would have died.  It must split or die. Just like many churches.
 
If you want a church to grow, see to preparing and sending.  Let new young vital blood come in and start all over again.  Learn to release in Ministry.  Turn on the hose, flush out the old, get some fresh water in there.  You will be surprised at the "OUTCOME".
 
WIN - RESTORE - DISCIPLE - PREPARE - SEND
 
REPEAT ----
 
If you have an "Easy Button" you may press it now. 

Sunday, October 28, 2007

My Spiritual Roots

I have roots in Jesus that go very deep.  Old world German Lutheran Roots.  Good solid roots.  But the renewal of my spirit that happened over 30 years ago has so revolutionized my life it's important to recognize the place where my roots have reached that I could only have faintly hoped for when my journey began. 
 
Those roots have people's names who were stepping stones for my new birth, life and growth.  Rod Hall, Dan Rothwell, Jim Bakker, Rodney Howard Browne, Todd Beery, Bob Schmidgall, Don Lyon and many others.  Men who have been catalysts that helped me find the place in Jesus I am today.  I have one on one spent time with and under them to have received an impartation of the vision of what God is doing in this day.
 
One of the ministries I appreciate and grasp the vision is the 24-7 prayer movement.  IHOP.  Todd Beery leads one such here in Chicago.  Mike Bickle is the founder of the original in Kansas City. 
 
Mike has connected himself with what I believe to be the most anointed Christian Television broadcasting outlet today, GOD TV.  Those who have Direct TV can watch or you can watch it online here.  Sure, all the usual suspects are there.  Hinn, Duplantis, Meyer, Jakes, Dollar, Hagee and Ed Young (who is one of the more creative guys on the planet).
 
I like these "Usual Suspects" for the most part. But they are everywhere on every Christian TV outlet.  And, bluntly for the most part they are old school and do not express what God is doing today.  Maybe Hinn a little as he uses the power of worship to release healing.  The rest are just good entertaining and clever creative teachers and preachers.  They do not represent the flavor God Channel is releasing that I so much appreciate. 
 
That flavor is more exemplified by prophetic voices and those of prayer who are on the channel.  Steve Hill, Reinhard Bonnke, Cindy Jacobs, Pat King, Che Ahn, Mahesh Chavda, Rick Joyner, Rodney Howard Browne and Ron Luce.
 
Of course, all over the God Channel schedule is the House of Prayer, Mike Bickle, IHOP in live broadcasts, devotionals, conferences and related ministries.
 
They are worth my support.  I am going to change out my satellite provider to access them.  They have been a powerful bold voice for the Gospel in countries all over the world.   They broadcast from Jerusalem.  Right now they are reaching more than 212 nations.  More effective in my opinion than all of the other broadcast and satellite TV networks combined to date.  How they began and what they went thru to get God TV up and running is truly amazing and inspiring.
 
They represent my Spiritual DNA in teaching and prophetically.  I'm not God TV.  I'm God's Gene and his genes are in me.  Those genes are present in the meristematic material at the very tips of the ever expanding roots of Gene.