I'm not from There anymore.

Being from North Dakota and about to embark on a long trip to the "Old Country" as my Grandma Lee used to call Norway, I read this column in the Chicago Tribune from an occasional correspondent of mine and a man who is of the same vintage as I who carries a well-written wisdom worthy of reading.

Read this:

Charles M. Madigan
Even in the familiar thicket, we're not from here anymore

Published December 12, 2006

A few weeks ago, we were in the town of Summit, Pa., which sits, appropriately, at the top of a mountain on the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, when I heard a comment that planted itself so firmly in my head I have not been able to forget it.

My wife and I were looking for directions to the burial place of a poet-theologian ancestor in her family. A woman at the library was helping us.

"We're not from here anymore," my wife said. "We need to get to Mercersburg."

That statement, "We're not from here anymore," struck me as profound.

Of course we are no longer "from" Pennsylvania. We are literally "from" Evanston now.

The less obvious part, and the one that applies to me, to my wife, to all of us as a matter of fact, is that the place we were from is no longer literally there anymore, not the way it was in our youth.

To say "We're not from here anymore" is a statement that recognizes the nature of change in one's own life, and in the life of the place where it all began.

Briefly put, there is no "here" in my life anymore.

My parents are gone. The railroad that built my hometown, Altoona, is gone. Most of my friends are gone. The old neighborhood is strange, not as meticulously kept as when the Pennsylvania Railroad employed 54,000 people at very ripe wages. My grade school is gone. The convent is gone.

My first newspaper is gone.

I still have my brother and my sisters. But everything else that was familiar exists in my head, not on the ground.

I found that a pretty sad thought until I concluded that what doesn't change much in the formula is the individual and some rituals.

That was why there was a powerful resonance for me in being in Pennsylvania in the woods on the opening day of deer season.

Hunting is a ritual, like church. Even though the weapons have changed and the gear is fancier, it's still about the season, the quest, the win or lose prospect of coming home with your deer.

A week into combined buck and doe season, hunters had worked the deer far up into the mountains. At altitude (2,000 feet is high in the Keystone State) it was not unusual to run into little herds of deer high-tailing it for the Maryland border. It was rainy and in the 60s, unusually warm for the post-Thanksgiving hunting season.

I had witnessed this season many times in my youth. The symbol used to be the front-fender deer carcass, which you would see all the time as hunters hauled their trophies down the highway. Now the hills are alive with sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks of every description, so the deer are stowed before the trip home begins.

Hunting season eve seemed pretty much unchanged, at least at the little store where we stopped to pick up some food. A long queue of hunters waited to pay, armed to the eyes with turkey and deer jerky, lots of canned food, meat for dinner. Some of them wore orange coveralls.

That, in retrospect, was somehow comforting.

I talked with a man in the checkout line. He said the deer were not as plentiful as in previous years. Lovely as they are, deer behave like 200-pound rodents. They are dangerously wild, especially if accidentally confined. A big herd causes trouble, and a good hunting season will solve much of the problem.

Because we planned to be in the woods with our cameras and our eyes as the season played out, we stopped at Wal-Mart and purchased, for $3 each, orange Wheaties "Breakfast of Champions" hats to warn hunters that we were not a part of the harvest.

Happily, this worked.

A few cabins away from us, I talked with a young man who was icing down a big buck and a doe that were tied to the porch rafters, legs spread to open their cavities.

He told me the story of his hunt for the buck, and how his dad, who had just joined him on the porch, shot the doe a few minutes later in the same location. He was proud and I was honored to hear the little saga.

To some, I know, hunting sounds brutal. But I also know families who depend on deer season for their winter's meat. We're not all townspeople. We're not all well paid.

I felt that sense of loss, deep in the woods, that I was not from there anymore.

But it was comforting to know that this part of life, the deer-hunting ritual and the stories it creates, has not changed.

We didn't get our deer this year, but we got deer meat. 5 of them, thanks to the Frankhauser Gang who never met a deer they didn't shoot.

So, venison is still on the plate if you come to visit the Redlins in 2007. But, I didn't shoot it, I'm not from There anymore.

Oh, and if we do invite you to a nice plate of Deer Liver, There are no hormones in Deer Meat; Other than Lead.

Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish

I am very pleased that Kofi Annan gave his LAST speech to the world yesterday. Pleased that is was his LAST!

He has been the most horrid leader of the UN, a disgraced entity, that is possible to imagine. He represents all that is bad about the UN. And that is saying a lot. It would please me if tomorrow the UN just dissolved. But that's another Story.

So the king of Corruption and inaction goes to Independance MO to the Truman Library and goes off on the USA, GWB and all things American. What an idiot.

What makes this so unique, this coming from a man with no discernible gonads. Whiny and hopeless. I only hold James Earl Carter ex pres ret in lesser standing. But that's another story.

Today's Chicago Tribune has a brilliant piece in it's lead editorial.

excerpts:

Annan said when the U.S. "appears to abandon its own ideals and objectives, its friends abroad are naturally troubled and confused." Translation: Have I told you this week how much I resent the U.S. for enforcing the 17 resolutions against Iraq that my Security Council adopted but then abandoned?

Paul Volcker called Annan's reign a "culture of inaction"--that aggravated one crisis after another:

- The corruption of Annan's bureaucracy in the oil-for-food scandal is Exhibit A. While UN swells slept (or shared in the booty), Saddam Hussein funneled fortunes looted from his own people to his influential pals in Russia, France, China and elsewhere.

- Sudanese officials may have slaughtered Muslim villagers "with genocidal intent," a UN panel reported in 176 pages of blather. But the mass killings in Darfur aren't "genocide." How convenient for Annan. A finding of genocide by the UN would have forced the rest of the world to act. Russia, France and China didn't want embargoes or sanctions to gum up their trade with Sudan--and Annan didn't apply the muscular diplomacy that might have persuaded those governments to help stop the killing.

- A 2004 internal UN report admits that the body is hamstrung by "an unwillingness to get serious about preventing deadly violence." Two years later, nothing has changed.

- Iran ignores an Aug. 31 Security Council deadline to halt uranium enrichment. Does Annan demand sanctions? No, he flies to Tehran and, with the naivete of a 3-year-old, announces that Iran's president "reaffirmed to me Iran's preparedness and determination to negotiate" a solution to the nuclear confrontation. What? In Mahmoud Ahmadinejad we trust?

- North Korea sets off a nuclear device. Kofi Annan's UN ... blinks. No pressure, no punishment. How better to teach other rogue governments and their mad-hatter rulers that acquiring nukes is the best way to snub the world?

- A new UN Human Rights Council replaces a disgraced Human Rights Commission that coddled member nations with dreadful records of oppression. Except Annan's new panel blames almost every indignity it mulls on Israel. Even Annan fusses briefly. And then does nothing.

It has been said that if the oil-for-food scandal alone had occurred in any legitimate organization on Earth, its CEO long ago would have been ousted in disgrace.

Today Jeff Skilling began a 24 year prison sentence for the Enron situation. This in itself is a travesty. But if there was any justice Kofi Annan would be in the cell next to Skilling and I would hope he would find a nice 300 pound "girlfriend" named bubba.

As to Annan. I don't like him much. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

American Taliban

A few weeks ago I saw a sad video of a little girl from Gaza who was rehearsing for her parents her hatred of Jews and Americans. She rehearsed how they (The Jews) were pigs and apes.

It was horribly sad. I thought, it's going to take a great deal of reprogramming to get that child to even be partially accepting and adapted into the world at large. Or she will be marginalized and maybe die a homicide bomber.

Then I saw this video. An 8 year old child. Indoctrinated by the hate speech of the left.

I only have one question. True or False. The Taliban is alive and well in America. Destroying young minds with hatred and evil. If you think this is OK for this child to spew this kind of hate the liberal left routinely spews, you are a sick person.

Between Two Worlds

I am between two worlds right now.

I'm feeling more peaked than usual. Sniff, Cough, Ache.
But I'm a tough old goat, I'll get back to the otherworld of wholeness soon.

My business days are wrapped up for the year. We are in the process of finishing things up and beginning for next year. That is the nature of seasonality in the nursery business. Between two worlds. Good world in the year gone by, hopeful one in the year yet coming.

I'm back to a routine that is December for me, It's one I value and nurture. I was in Dallas. Another World. At a conference that opened my eye to a world I have long been a part of but on the outside looking in. Now I'm back in my world. Very interesting. Without elaboration, I was changed and see the world differently as a result of that conference.

During the Conference we stayed at what must be the largest resort hotel in the world. Maybe it isn't. But it was for me. The Gaylord Texan in Grapevine TX. WOW! I honestly have never seen anything that intentionally grandueresque (if that's a word) in my life. And, I'm hard to impress. I have traveled all over the world. I have been lots of places. It was another world. I found it interesting to go there but I wouldn't want to live there (in the hotel).

In about 13 days we make our occasional trip to ND for Christmas. It is going to be interesting, painful, difficult and perhaps enlightening. We will only be there for 5 days. Long enough and short enough. That is for me now another world. A world of familiarity and yet strangeness. Son Kevin is coming in to help drive his older than he parents to Dakota land. It's always good to go to that other world and then to return.

In the end, I'm happy where I am, doing what I do, with whom I do those things. I couldn't do what I do elsewhere. I feel sorry for those who are less than content with life as they know it. It's so short and so terminal, there is little reason to spend one minute of it in a world not of your first choice.

There are two worlds, choose carefully.

Leading From Courage

I just returned from a conference with several hundred spiritually like-minded people . One thing that continued to resonate in my ear were words spoken a couple days before I went to that conference by a friend of mine.

Leaders must always lead from courage.

Now that may not rattle your cage. It did mine. I've never been accused of being a wallflower (Much). But it is still resonating in my head.

My concern is what happens spiritually when we fail to walk in courage and confidence in the purposes placed in us. I can tell you; we miss our destiny. We fail to accomplish the mission God invested in our DNA when we were formed in our mothers womb. We fiddle around the edges and eventually take to the grave the undone things God expected us to do.

WHY?

Lack of courage, lack of conviction, lack of willingness to be a fool for Jesus when he calls you to step out. Fear, get alongism, don't push the envelope, just relax maybe no one will be offended, those are the attitudes that become the spiritual castration stopping the purposes of God you were meant to accomplish. I don't see as much courage as I wish I did in the Church of Jesus today.

It's easy to be a sideline sniper. I am trying to be one less than I have been in the past. I know what God has called me to do. I know he is faithful to accomplish his purposes if I am faithful to do what he asks without fearing what men say.

The fear of man is the greatest demonic oppression of men and women of God rendering them inert holding the dreams God gave them captive.

So, to those who I got notes from, and for those who were disdaining of the prophetic gift of the word of the Lord for 2006 in comments, I have this message:

1. I will pay the price to hear from God again for 2007. You don't have to read or heed it, but you should.

2. I will publish it and allow it to stand on it's own. It's not about me.

3. God will do or not do what he chooses. If I'm embarrassed, its ok. It's not about me.

4. I have read and heard many nationally recognized prophet's issuances. The fact that I am more precise than some who use fuzzy words and vagaries to cover their prophetic rear ends means I am more subject to criticism. The purpose of the prophetic is to demonstrate to unbelievers and those who walk in nominal Christianity the existence and omniscience of God as a sign and a wonder. If not this method, what would you suggest? This is the call and purpose for me. If you have another, you should pursue it.

5. I always hold out the challenge to those who disregard the prophetic gift or criticize it, OK, show me how you can from reason or science make a set of statements more accurate than what comes thru the prophetic.

It can't be done. The challenge still stands.

6. To my good friend Karma, who actually in my opinion walks out the purposes of God in her own life in her passion for the prairie and the arts (although she would deny they are God's purposes), I couldn't disagree more with your evaluation of what did or did not come to pass. It is as I said. Your evaluation is done with blinders on. You are NOT famililiar with the vocabulary of the prophetic. A careful reading of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the "Minor" prophets will give you a flavor of how prophetic utterances have layers of meaning and fulfillment. God isn't doing anything different today. Without spiritual eyes to see and discern you will miss what was said and how it manifested in the light of the prophetic. It's not your fault. You don't speak or understand the language of the spirit.

7. To the others who were disdaining of all this: if you are not a Christian or make no pretense to being one, what you say has little meaning. Sorry, see above. You have no idea what you are saying.

8. If you are a Christian (or think you are one), you are in deep weeds. You don't have to believe me or not. You only have to do as Mary did and ponder on them in your heart. But, your attitude toward prophecy demonstrates a lack of understanding and a profound lack of spiritual depth that will be a direct limiting factor for you ever being used of God.

If He can't speak to you thru his prophets, even ones who don't get everything right, He can't speak to you at all and you will drift into spiritual oblivion, shipwrecked and alone. God will use his prophets to warn, encourage, correct and guide. Ignore them at your peril.

So, if not from me, seek to hear the word of the Lord, and ponder them.

Or ignore and laugh them off as so much mumbo jumbo and be cast aside (or even destroyed).

Most gifted leaders in the Body of Christ on a personal level are decidedly flawed and human. I have known many, I could write a book on them. Some of the most anointed powerful gifted men of God I have ever known were terribly flawed and vulnerable in the humanity they carried. But when they stepped into the gift God placed in them, they became another man. My hope for you is that you would become another man or woman as you walk out the purposes of God in your life and disregard the flawed vessel of clay He choose to place it in.

That is truly leading from courage. It's not about you.

One more thing, some prophetic instruction is purposely masked, there is some above for YOU if you have ears to hear. As my good friend Harold Hein said to me, "A prophet is assigned to say what God says."

I just did. Read and heed.

2006 Word of the Lord Prophetic Review (Out of a possible 54, the score is 45 God - 9 Others, God Wins)

Starting today, I will be out of touch until next Saturday. An ICA convention in Dallas. If you know what that is I may see you there. If you don't it doesn't matter.

As of this date 92% of the year has passed. There are 29 of 365 days left in 2006.

It's a good time to take a near-end-of-year review of the prophetic word given last January for fulfillment and accuracy. I am already engaged in fasting and prayer seeking the word for next year. If God wills and uses me once more I will have a complete "Word of the Lord for 2007" by the end of December. I don't want to have the two confused. This review is a clearing of the cobwebs .

There were 54 clear proclamations made in the 2006 prophecy.

45 of them have come to pass.

9 have not --- YET!

Website containing this Word is:

http://homehomes.blogspot.com/2006/12/11-months-of-2006-review-of-word.html

I expect doubting eyes to roll, poo-pooing to go on, the truth of all this to be discounted, the "Oh this is easy or anyone could do this" to be said with a sniff.

OK, let's see if you have the guts to put your 2007 predictions out there in print, naked without a net and no real god as your source. I have doubt anyone who doesn't know and hear from Father prophetically will be courageous enough to do this. I don't issue that challenge in anger. I just want you to know that when you know who it is that is speaking it's so much easier to have this kind of boldness. AND I am always eager for an Elijah style showdown with the priests of Baal "prophetically speaking".

Much of what was given me at the beginning of this year was criticized royally as being "out there" and even potentially embarrassing. An 83% prophetic accuracy shouldn't be sniffed at. God is God and I'm not, (and by the way neither are you).

Like all prophecy, much is best understood in a rear view mirror. Example: there is one about the 2006 fall elections. I thought it meant one thing when I got it in December; turns out it was right on as a prophecy but meant something else than I thought it did (or wished). Rear view mirror.

Prophecy is often misunderstood even by the prophet. The words heard and written down are what matters. The interpretation in the end is subject the events as they unfold. If not, Jesus would not have been such a surprise to most of the Jews of his day from his birth in Bethlehem to his death on the cross.

Spiritual gifts are put here to edify believers and as a sign and a wonder for unbelievers. Unlike tongues, the word of Knowledge and miracles the prophetic is not really a sign gift. It should make people wonder however. People who don't believe won't believe even if one should rise from the dead. Jesus said that and he rose. People still don't believe. I'm not going to try to convince them. I'll take the brickbats and ignore them.

For those who do believe and understand this is simply confirmation of the goodness of God speaking thru the prophetic gift. Go doesn't want you to be unaware or fearful. He places the prophetic gift at your access to give you hope and a future. And He never does anything without telling his prophets first.

Read the full review and comments for last December's prophecy for 2006 and then see the fulfillments of it as they came to pass.

Those who have ears to hear what the Spirit of the Lord says. You are destined to overcome, to partake of the tree of life, and to stand eternally in paradise.

The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.

Evangelical Splits

I am grieved at a split taking place in the evangelical arm of the Church.  It was prophesied.  I didn't really want to believe it.

 

Up till recently you could count on most evangelical Christians to be conservative, maybe not in politics, but in approaches to things like, life (abortion), Stem Cell research using human embryos, end of life euthanasia, support for Israel, support of the President in his office, condemnation of evil as manifested by radical Islam, homosexuality as sin, homosexuality in the pulpit and church leadership, Church and state issues and many other culturally radical left wing ideas.

 

There has for a while been a wedge driven into the mainstream of evangelicalism by a group known as the Sojourners.  They have pumped compromise into the body of Christ until now many formerly well grounded leaders have tipped into apostasy.  I call it that because that's what it is.

 

A few weeks ago I raised the red flag on this blog regarding Rick Warren's foray into this arena.  Now the leader of Sojourners is identifying himself with left-wing politics.

 

I am frankly discouraged with this.  This isn't good for the Body of Christ. What fellowship can darkness have with light.  As they move away from truth I no longer can treat them other than how I would treat others of the world. These foolish people are hoping being lukewarm and middle of the road will win people. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. We were warned that in the last days many would exchange evil for good and good for evil.  We were warned that many people's love would grow cold.  We were warned that people, even ministers, would do things to puff themselves up.

 

Well, it's here.  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord and not the Sojourners.  It's always true, a tiny bit of compromise ultimately leads to apostasy.  It must.

 

So be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear, for the Father up above is looking down in love so be careful little eyes what you see.

 

Oh, and for those who will write me for causing splits, hatemongering, causing division, consider this:  I DIDN'T CHANGE, MOVE OR MODIFY MY POSITION, THEY DID.

 

Take your anger out on them.  They are causing this split and it grieves me terribly.  This WILL be held against them, by someone much more than me.  They were put in charge of souls, leading them down these paths is a terrible and fearsome thing.  Did HE ever know them.....................?

Scrooge Chapter 58

It's the season to consider the Spirit of Christmas.  Ghosts of Christmas past.  Scrooge and Tiny Tim.

 

A question:  How Much money did you spend on Christmas last year.  You, your wife and kids, tree, travel, gifts, food etc. 

 

Rough estimate:

 

Write it down.

 

How much money will you spend this year? 

 

Write it down.

 

Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just important to budget and realize what we spend at this time of year.  We’ll come back to this, so keep your notes.

 

I’ve been thinking about the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and I think I can summarize it in a sentence.

 

When you take care of Things God cares about, He takes care of things you care about.

 

We recently had a week of packaging and giving into a charity called feed the starving children.  The benefit to most of the people involved was not that it made them feel better, but that unanswered prayers were suddenly answered, relationships were strengthened, and favor with those who can offer you favor was found.  What’s that all about?  Let’s see if we can find out.

 

Now considering Ol Scrooge, after he saw the light he took care of people who had less than him.  He discovered that Christmas time could be a time of good will and of giving (and therefore receiving).  Why is it in fact more blessed** to give than receive?  Maybe there is a supernatural answer.  There is.

 

What are some things you could do to help someone, take care of the underprivileged you know?   What are charities and areas into which you can give where you know you make a difference?

 

Write down a couple.  Make sure they are worthy.

 

God wants to be God to us.  He wants us to expect, embrace and engage everything he has for us.    He does that when we are his hands for him.  What difference might it make to me you ask?  I mean, shouldn’t I do this selflessly and without expecting reward.  Oh, you could, but maybe knowing God has stored things up for you might help you step out in faith in this area.

 

Here's a list of the “More Blessed** things God wants to do for you” direct from the Bible (Isaiah Chapter 58)  and what they mean to you.

 

(Reader Tip: All of the below are from Isaiah 58.  Verses are often divided into sentences or thoughts.  Hence, a,b,c,d etc.  So 8c means the third thought in that verse.  Now, with that, read on)

 

1. You will shine brighter then you ever have (stand out.  Become exceptional.  Find favor.) v8a

 

2. You will recover from difficulty quickly  (When hard times come, you will not be a victim but a victor) v8b

 

3. You will be righteous and at peace.  (There will be peace in the midst of the storm and the accusations of the enemy will be silenced) v8c

 

4. God will watch your back and protect you (Times when you could have been hurt or injured you will be covered by grace and mercy.  The devil will find you are bulletproof)  v8d

 

5. He will hear and answer you when you pray (Things you have prayed about for years will suddenly start to happen.  He will answer in ways you never thought possible) v9a

 

6. He will reveal himself to you in a new way (You will find new facets of God's personality revealed to you in unusual ways.  You will become amazed at who he really is.) v9b

 

7. Your depression and sorrow will cease.  (God will strip depression and melancholy out of your life in supernatural ways) v10c

 

8. You will be guided by God’s hand (Somehow you will know what to do, when and how and you'll know it's the hand of God showing you.  You will get supernatural strategies you never did before.) v11a

 

9. You will be confident when hard times come (Because of the sense that God is truly Immanuel to you, you will have a higher level of confidence than ever before) v11b&c

 

10. Your provision will never fail.  (You will find that lack will leave your abode.  That is a promise directly from the word of God)  v11d

 

So, how do all these good things come to us?  Is it possible to earn the blessings of God:

By fasting and prayer?

By Going to Church more?

By  Taking communion more often?

By having others lay hands on you to release blessings?

By saying 55 hail Marys?

By hearing good Biblical Teaching?

By doing good works in the sight of all?

By humbling yourself, crawling on the floor?

By looking very pious, wearing a bigger cross than anyone else?

By wearing sackcloth and ashes?

By sleeping on a bed of nails?

By studying your Bible twice as much?

By rebuking the enemy?

By having really great worship services?

By keeping the commandments of God?

By having prayer vigils to seek the wisdom of God?

By being really good people?

 

God doesn't condemn any of those, but none of them in and of themselves release the power of God.  They are not wrong but they try to manipulate God when he says to us, "I will not be manipulated, I will have a people who care about what I care about and when they do they will activate My Power in their lives".  He blesses us to be a blessing and when we bless others he blesses us and round and round it goes.

 

God’s not interested in rule followers; He’s interested in heart followers.  In fact if you become a follower after Jesus heart people will think you are just a little wacky.

 

Turn to Isaiah 58.  The secret to this is in there.  Read it from verse one and see if there's a clue as to what releases this power.

 

Here’s an article that will help you grasp a full meaning of Isaiah 58.

 

If you want to put into force the benefits shown above look at the story of Ebenezer Scrooge by Charles Dickens.  When he became giving and generous Tiny Tim didn't die, Scrooge became healthier, and his life was renewed.  Generosity is a rewarder to the generous.

 

Go back and look at how much money you are going to spend on Christmas, that calculation I had you do at the beginning.

 

I'm going to suggest you tithe 10% of that amount and use that money to give to the poor in some way.  In fact, spend 10% less to do so. 

 

If you take care of what God cares about he'll take care of what you care about.

 

That seems like a good deal to me.

 

Take the list of some ways you could give to the poor and make a value decision to do it now.  God’s is offering you the best deal since the creation of the earth and your salvation.

 

God has so much more for you.  He wants your heart.  I have often said, serving God will cost you everything and it's worth it all.

 

Here is a good guide to Caring for the Poor.

 

Now here’s what you can expect for the Christmas Season.

 

As Tiny Tim was heard to say, (Who did not die) “God Bless Us, Every One”. 

 

I expect him to be faithful to His word, so can you.

Greenhouse Church

This morning was 8 degrees. That is cold in IL. Probably shirtsleeve weather in ND. But, I'm in IL.

I was out tinking around in the greenhouse which is attached to my house. The temp in there is about 65 degrees. Cold enough to keep the plants thinking over blooming or not, warm enough to help them prosper.

How much like a church should be like a greenhouse.

It's a place of protection and refuge from the world.
It's a place where nurture and growth in safety can take place.
It's a place where no pests or predators are allowed.
There's always a gardner to make sure things are proper.
The water is always given in enough quantity and purity to allow for growth.
The nutrients needed to allow maximum growth are applied carefully, not one size fits all.
The temperature is exactly right for growth.
The sun can shine in and give warmth.
You are nurtured along with other plants.

I'm sure the list goes on, but the parallel struck me.

You may have more.

I Was Wrong!

I have come to my senses. I have been wrong all along. It’s hard for me to say this but the war in Iraq and my support for Israel has been misguided.

I have seen the light. A wiser man than I am has shown me the way.

Here are the facts that changed my way of thinking:

The real aggressor toward the Palestinians is Israel.

Israelis are making life more and more difficult for the rightful owners of the land of Palestine. In broad day-light, in front of cameras and before the eyes of the world, they are bombarding innocent defenseless civilians, bulldozing houses, firing machine guns at students in the streets and alleys, and subjecting their families to endless grief.

The war in Iraq is another thing I was wrong on.

Consider these truths: Since the commencement of the US military presence in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed, maimed or displaced. Terrorism in Iraq has grown exponentially. With the presence of the US military in Iraq, nothing has been done to rebuild the ruins, to restore the infrastructure or to alleviate poverty. The US Government used the pretext of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but later it became clear that that was just a lie and a deception.


What it has done to our country:

One hundred and fifty thousand American soldiers, separated from their families and loved ones, are operating under the command of the current US administration. A substantial number of them have been killed or wounded and their presence in Iraq has tarnished the image of the American people and government.


Even a beat of my heart goes out to Cindy Shehan:

Their mothers and relatives have, on numerous occasions, displayed their discontent with the presence of their sons and daughters in a land thousands of miles away from US shores. American soldiers often wonder why they have been sent to Iraq.

And the cost of war:

I no longer consent to the billions of dollars of annual expenditure from the treasury for this military misadventure.

Then there are the atrocities which continue to be uncovered being commited by our troops:

The US administration is kidnapping its presumed opponents from across the globe and arbitrarily holding them without trial or any international supervision in horrendous prisons that it has established in various parts of the world. God knows who these detainees actually are, and what terrible fate awaits them.

The worst are the Guantanamo and Abu-Ghraib prisons. The US administration attempts to justify them through its proclaimed "war on terror." But every one knows that such behavior, in fact, offends global public opinion, exacerbates resentment and thereby spreads terrorism, and tarnishes the US image and its credibility among nations.

Then there are the losses of civil liberties:

Under the pretext of "the war on terror," civil liberties in the United States are being increasingly curtailed. Even the privacy of individuals is fast losing its meaning. Judicial due process and fundamental rights are trampled upon. Private phones are tapped, suspects are arbitrarily arrested, sometimes beaten in the streets, or even shot to death.

It would be so much better if we spent the money we spend on the war on things at home:

Now that Iraq has a Constitution and an independent Assembly and Government, would it not be more beneficial to bring the US officers and soldiers home, and to spend the astronomical US military expenditures in Iraq for the welfare and prosperity of the American people? As we know very well, many victims of Katrina continue to suffer, and countless Americans continue to live in poverty and homelessness.

My hope is that the new leadership in congress will get a handle on this:

If the new US Government meets the current domestic and external challenges with an approach based on truth and Justice, it can remedy some of the past afflictions and alleviate some of the global resentment and hatred of America. But if the approach remains the same, it would not be unexpected that the American people would similarly reject the new electoral winners, although the recent elections, rather than reflecting a victory, in reality point to the failure of the current administration's policies.

And to be certain that these revelations come to you as well, these did not come from John Murtha, the New York Times, or Daily Kos. I didn’t trust them. You’ve heard all this from them. It took a Man of God to show me the error of my ways. You can read his letter to me that turned it all around.

It’s funny it all sounds so familiar. I can't remember where I've heard all this before.

Merrrrrrry Leftivus from the ACLU

I wish I had thought of this. From Worldnetdaily.com

Campus activists plan to display an "ACLU Nativity Scene" at the University of Texas in response to the civil liberties group's "extreme" campaign to remove Christmas from the public sphere.

"We've got Gary and Joseph instead of Mary and Joseph in order to symbolize ACLU support for homosexual marriage, and of course there isn't a Jesus in the manger," said Tony McDonald, chairman of the Young Conservatives of Texas branch on the Austin campus.

McDonald told WND his group has been working on the "crèche" at his apartment and plans to install it on the West Mall of the campus for display Monday and Tuesday.

The three Wise Men in the display are Lenin, Marx and Stalin, McDonald said, because ACLU founder Roger Baldwin was a backer of Soviet-style communism.

As director of the ACLU in 1934, Baldwin wrote an article entitled "Freedom in the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R." in which he said "the Soviet Union has already created liberties far greater than exist elsewhere in the world."

"The whole scene is a tongue-in-cheek way of showing the many ways that the ACLU and the far left are out of touch with the values of mainstream America," McDonald said in a statement.

The scene will also have a "terrorist shepherd" and an angel with Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi's face, using a photograph of the soon-to-be speaker of the House from San Francisco

"The ACLU and other left-wing extremist groups are working diligently to destroy Americans' rights to the free expression of religion," said the Young Conservatives' Executive Director Joseph Wyly.

Wyly pointed to the city of Chicago's decision this week to ban advertisements for "The Nativity Story" movie from a local Christmas festival, fearing they might offend non-Christians.

"It's just more evidence that there is a war on Christmas being waged by the far-left in this country," he said.

CyberChurch

DATELINE: Christmas 2020 AD

First Bapticostal Church opens it’s Premium Service, the Sunday Before Christmas in Geneva IL.

Many in attendance

Pastor Jimmy O’Donnell (who is actually located in Virginia Beach Va) preaches a sermon delivered holographically to the sanctuary. He is entertaining, clever, moving and the best high quality preaching you could ever hope to find.

First of Geneva is one of 177 holographic pulpits to see and hear Brother Jimmy “live”. Oh there had been some complaining when the Holographic Service was initiated, but PR Jimmy was so good and people said, “We need to have first class preaching when we have church”. So now First and 176 other churches have first class preaching.

What was even more amazing everyone heard the message in their own tounge. By a unique targeting method and recognition the image generator also generated the voice in a language you would understand. This eliminated the need for translators and made spreading the Gospel around the world much better without the need for human intervention.

One of the essentials in becoming part of First was having a chip implanted under your scalp. That’s how much of the ministry took place. The equipment knew who you were by the chip.

The giving system long ago moved to automated giving. Behind every seat in the sanctuary was a smart chip sweep reader and a keypad. When Br Jimmy took the offering people made a sweep by the chip reader. Some signed up to have a tithe directly drawn from their Amero Dollar accounts. Since the unification of North America the Amero Dollar was the universal currency.

It was communion Sunday. People filed past the Communimatic Machine. It was able to use the chip reader and in a clear and reassuring voice give individual communion to every person by name. This was much better than pastor Don who was the last human pastor of the church. By walking up to the beautiful spiritual-looking altar encasing the comminimatic, a wafer and a small cup of wine or grape juice was dispensed. It knew by a prior questionnaire which you preferred. The beauty of the communimatic was the fact that it never forgot a name. It always knew who you were.

And the music. Wow! Who could complain about it. In the same holographic presentation that PR Jimmy came to them, a complete worship team from the best churches in the world were displayed in holographic realism. Hillsong, Maranatha, Lakeland, Morningstar. When worship music was played it was the highest and best worship possible. Did God deserve any less? People from the congregation were invited to join the holographic worship team although they weren’t allowed to have their instruments or voices actually heard. But, those who did saw it as a privilege to be able to play along with such a good band, even if it was 10,000 miles away and 6 weeks ago. No one would ever have know the difference except for the one time when there was a lightning strike on a power transformer and the worship band melted away in front of the congregation.

Baptisms were automated. The immersion tanks had a leaning bar, the theological argument postualated was there was nothing scriptural about having human hands actually do the baptizing. In fact they were right. So the candidate after viewing an online preparation stepped into the tank and leaned back on the leaning bar. Baptism were thusly initiated, the person let down and lifted up with the words according to the creed selected, Jesus name only, or Jesus Name and Father Son and Holy Ghost or just Father Son and Holy Ghost. People accepted this and it was convenient. There became 24 hour baptistrys. A reasonable contribution allowed families at 3AM to bring a candidate to be Baptized. For Churches that sprinkled, the Rain Bird corporation had produced a wonderful machine that was sanitary and sprinkled at just the place a laser pointer would point to. You just held the baby and water and words were delivered.

People seeking a prophetic word from God were served by an Automatic Prophetic Word Generator. The theology that justified this was that God could cause the computer to give just the right word for that person at that time. People would come, make a small offering with the wave chip and presto a word like, “Lo the Lord is with you at all times, and the answer to your question is YES. Be bold be brave for the Lord our God is with you.” Sometimes this caused confusion when the word seemed to give approval and encouragement to a questioner contemplating divorce or suicide.

If a person needed healing there was the Healing Cloth Dispenser. Using the verse in Acts where Paul blessed cloths and they were laid on people for healing, the person in need of healing came forward, rehearsed into the HCD what the problem was. A dollop of anointing oil was delivered by a tube directly to the forehead in the sign of the cross while words of faith and deliverance for healing were played from the machine. People loved this. They took the cloths home and revered them. Testimonies were given about this wonderful administer of God’s grace. Little did they know that the machine and the cloths were made in China and the Oil came from a factory in Iran. The only blessing that ever happened was a priest from the old school visited the docks where shipping containers were being unloaded containing the cloths and machines were being unloaded. He would say a few words over them, make the sign of the cross and go home to watch reruns of Seinfeld.

If you wanted prayer, did they have a program for you. There was a realistic representation of a section of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. You could approach it and stand there alone or if you asked a loving man or woman image would appear holograhically. They would agree with you in prayer saying "Amen, Yes Lord and Help him/her Lord" as you poured out your heart. Those prayers were automatically transmitted via broadband to a receiver in Jerusalem that transmitted those words of prayer directly into the wailing wall. You could be sure God could hear you better if you prayed so that the God of the wall could hear. Voice recognition remembered your prayers and stored them. Pr Jimmy's Holograph could give assurance of God’s blessings as you left the service.

The beautiful part of this whole thing is Church never closed. It was open 24-7. Many of the other participants in the service were holographs from other churches piped in so that it looked like every service was full. The singing was exuberant. The amens from the congregation were lively. Every service was multicultural. It was such fun. Not real, but fun.

And when the service was over, a holographic image of Pastor Jimmy stood by the door and greeted you and your wife. He would aske about the kids, how your back problem was coming along, your job, how bout them Cubbies and was warm and caring. He missed absolutely no one. And never forgot a name. Never caught a cold, never was absent, never went on vacation and never was tired. The perfect Pastor. Of course all responses to Holograpic PR Jimmy were processed by voice recognition and stored for your next meeting. Pr Jimmy knew all, saw all. Better than Jesus some thought.

Of course all teaching, all Sunday school and all children’s activities were equally cyber-delivered. Keeping track of your kids was never a problem since the Nannybots had subdermal chip readers to know at all times where your kids were. And singing those troublesome Sunday School songs like Jesus Loves Me? No problem, the kids became part of a marvelous little cyber holograph kids singing group and even if they sang off key looked like they were brilliant at all times. No one attending any of the Sunday School Programs ever knew what or who was real or what was Memorex. The parents thought their little darlings were so brilliant.

You didn’t have to wonder what was going on at First. Long since any bulletins or announcements were obsolete, just log on to WWW.CYBERFIRSTGENEVA.ORG and you would learn everything you wanted to know. Or have announcements, prayer requests, and pleas for money send directly to your PDA.

If you had a virtual reality headset you didn’t actually have to leave home to attend First Bapticostal. You could enjoy the whole thing from your easy chair and no one knew that while in Church you also were enjoying a scotch and water and a nice cigar while singing along with the Holographic worship team from Austrailia. Besides, when you logged in a well groomed representation of you showed up in the congregation holographically. People thought you were actually there.

Funerals were given completly over to funeral providers. They did it so well and professionally as they published electronic reviews of a persons life, pictures, videos, imported a few canned holograpic singers of sad songs and family spoke. Many attendees of the funerals accessed and viewed them online with online condolences. Graves were considered messy. So all funerals became mandated to end in cremation. Funerals didn't fit into CyberChurch. It wasn't much of a loss. Funerals could be messy and unprofessional. I mean we can comfort one another can't we? Who needs a Church to do that?

Marriage was outlawed by President Lily M. Johnson D (IL). Weddings were considered discriminatory against homosexuals after the big battles over same sex marriage waged by Christians. So to avoid any sign of religious intervention in "Family" development all weddings were eliminated by an act of congress and the ACLU. There were a few underground weddings but not many. People would just move in together. The New North American Bible written in Spanglish the national language of North America was cleansed of all references to husbands and wives. "Others" was the replacement word for any references previously made about husbands and wives. So much neater and cleaner. Besides, marriages had become messy in the church what with the bitter divorce of the pope and his wife.

Oh there were subversive groups who insisted on doing things without all the electronic cyber froo froo. They were looked upon as old fashioned. Luddite in mentality. They dropped out of cyberchurch and formed little groups in homes. They were questioned and indicted at being anti social; even unchristian. There were laws past. House church became illegal. The government controlled what went on in CyberChurch. They took a piece of the "take" to protect them from Muslims and other alternative religions (like house church).

Sadly there weren’t many Pastors left to visit them. The offices and occupations of Pastor, Minister, Prophet, Teacher, Evangelist, Apostle, Sunday School Teachers and Worship leaders was all but eliminated by the CyberChurch revolution. George Barna III railed against these developments but was laughed off the platform by those insisting "that Jesus deserved the best" even if it did look like a Macys Store with fake decorations, fake muzak, fake friendliness.

Church had become perfect; high quality, clean, always starting and ending on time, professional, sterile, souless, empty and powerless. In other words having a form but nothing else. But, "Did Jesus deserve anything less than professional excellence?" proponents of CyberChurch asked. Opponents of CyberChurch said Jesus didn't die for computers. The computers laughed.



Personal Note:
I know those who know me well know I have grave misgivings about the direction the Church in America is taking. Me Church it’s called by some. Always in the name of doing things even more excellent for Jesus. In the end when you carry something to it’s logical extension you will see that where we are headed with the whole cyber-church phenomena that is invading the church is an abomination I want no part of.

What’s really sad is we aren’t far from much of this right now in the church. Worse, some of these “Ideas” are some that a person with fewer scruples will say, “Hey, that’s a good idea, lets do it”. Sadly many of these ideas are already common and accepted in the Church. We are in such deep doo doo.

Everything I talked about is linked to something that is already in place or contemplated. This is not theory. How far down this slippery slope are you willing to go?

Now that I’ve let the cat out of the bag I’ll probably see the Communimatic advertised in the next issue of Charisma.

Me and my big mouth.

I Find Romeo

Last Night Peggy and I went to see Romeo and Juliet (the Opera) by Gounod. We saw the Massenet iteration of this a few years ago and I was less than excited by it. Massenet can be good, I loved Thais.

Well, I was wowed. I don't mean impressed. Wowed. The singers were fabulous in every way. And the music, who can understand how anyone can write such beauty.

I will admit, I'm familiar with Faust and the Gounod Ave Maria. Both kept popping up. I guess like any composer who he is shows up over and over again. I once spoke with a prominent composer and asked him why his compositions all seemed to have a very similar sound. Didn't he ever just write something completely different.

He said music is like making love with the same woman, although each time is different there is a familiarly that makes it accessible and adds to the enjoyment.

This opera is also one of the great "date" operas of all time. La Boheme was made famous as a "Date" opera by "Moonstruck" the movie. I am here to say, I think this opera has it beat.

I wonder why I don't see it performed more? This was my first encounter.

Oh, and not to shock you, even Christians and Opera lovers think about love and sex. Just thought I'd let you know.

The Kingdom of Self - Most Churches

Next Saturday I am teaching on the true Spirit of Christmas. It should be the true Spirit in the Church. It should be a Spirit and Truth experience every time we darken the Church House Doors. It doesn't attract much because most of the Church in America is pretty putrid to God. And we are putrid to others.

I don't say this because I hate the Church. In fact I love it too much not to call it what it is. Lost and sinful. God will have a Church without spot or wrinkle at the end. It won't look much like the Church of today. I lifted this from a source I am using next Saturday. I'll not give attribution right yet.

Nations around have no reason to be attracted to the God of Israel because they see the constant hypocrisy of His people.

God's charge is that the people are busy pursuing their own pleasures and pursuing their own business as first priority. It was each man for himself. "It is OK for me to be a believer as long as God doesn't interfere with my plans and the way I want to live my life." "God helps those who help themselves, I'm only looking out for Number One."

This attitude in the Church produces FALSE WORSHIP

False Worship

* Religion that is impersonal, formal turned-inward, purely liturgical, program centered.
* Comes into place by habit and tradition. "This is the way we have always done things here." Seems logical, reasonable.
* Self-serving (what can God do for us?)
* Isolationist, Escapist (God will save us out of this awful evil world). Country-club Christianity
* Predictable, comfortable, controlled, orchestrated, no surprises, runs on autopilot
* Passive involvement by most of the members, (ignoring the reality that God is a deeply personal Being)

"...a religion which assumes a relationship with God while discounting a relationships with the people."
J Vernon McGee calls this "playing church."

"Religion that it pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit widows and orphans in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (James)

Ray Stedman says "the ultimate test of faith has always been: does it lead you to serve, to help somebody in need? Do you feel motivated to act? If you do, your faith is real. Otherwise, as James says, it is a "dead faith." The acid test is not, "What does my religion do for me?" but, "What does it make me do for others?"

A selfish life brings inevitable clashes with friends and family alike. We can not do things our way without violating the rights and boundaries of others. In the New Testament, James says that wars and violence are a direct consequence of a life lived hedonistically for one's own pleasures and goals. A self-centered life takes advantage of others--pressing onward and upward oblivious to the needs of others around us who are less fortunate than ourselves. But, a self-centered life brings frustration--it runs contrary to the way things were created. When we reach our goals we find them hollow and empty. The resulting frustration leaves us angry, resentful, and even murderous in our hearts. "I want 'my rights,'" "I deserve a good life, I earned it."

Liars Lie (again) and the MSM Spread the Lies

Yesterday a friend of mine called and was quite distraught with the situation deteriorating in Iraq. I listened to him and was quiet.

It had to do with a news story that Reuters had published that said 6 men were dragged from their mosque and burned alive. That the police stood by and did nothing. You have probably heard the story. As soon as Reuters went with it the AP picked it up and it has now been published round the world. Reaction has been predictable. Horrors.

Now, it seem that all this was a hoax. A reputed liar, Police Captain Jamil Hussein told this tall tale. He did so because it gets him publicity. So, now, we have people all over the world upset, frustrated and retaliation going on for something that didn't happen.

All over a lie.

Reuters should have vetted the story. They didn't. They just went with it without any check. The AP were sheep. That's our mainstream media for you. They report any lie as long as it made the war look futile and Bush look bad.

So, what? We must become critics of what we hear and read. The lies are deep and wide. It's not as bad as they report. It's not as good either. The truth is out there, but it's not easy to find.

Learn to see thru all the fog and look for the truth. That's always the issue, when people hear lies they go nuts. They jump to conclusions. They believe what is convenient.

It's like AL GORE and his goofy movie. No one wants that either. It's lies. The scientific community is running as fast as they can from his allegations.

There's always a hidden agenda, follow the agenda or follow the money and you will be safe. It's either self promotion (Al Gore) or it's money.

Liar Liar pants on fire, nose as long as a telephone wire.