Christina and I will be taking a few days off, but we will be back next week.
May the Lord bless and keep you,
Wayne
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
What's going to happen next
It was shocking, but I shouldn't say surprising when Barack Obama all but nationalized General Motors and Chrysler Corp. on Monday.
To see these venerable, if not troubled companies, became the latest object of the new president's quest. I am sure once the hand of government comes to bear on these companies they will not be long for this world.
If you think I'm bitter, then you are right. It appears, no check that, the government is taking control over every part of this nation and of our lives. The federal government is dictating we all switch to fluorescent light bulbs, and after 2012, we will no longer be able to buy or even own incandescent light bulbs. There is H.B. 875, which is nothing more than a bald attempt to control this nation's food supply. The consensus right now is the bill will not even make it out of committee, but what about next year or the year after that. Give it time and it will come to pass.
Here is another tidbit of information, the country's new education secretary, Arne Duncan, who came to Washington after being superintendent of Chicago schools, is proposing mayors take control of big city schools in urban areas.
Folks, Chicago schools are not known for being high performing institutions of learning. In fact, they were some of the most violent places in the country. Keeping fathers at home with their families would go farther than education initiative from Washington ever could.
It begins with the family, not the government. The government will only screw it up.
Just try and think, what has the government ever touched and made better? If you can think of something I am begging you to let me know. When the government gets involved things will only get worse, and I sure don't trust any elected politician to run anything, much less a public school system.
How about this, get rid of the politicians, let the educators discipline the children from Kindergarten on up. If the students don't pass, then make them learn a trade and not push them through a school and declare they are ready to enter society.
I could be wrong, most of the time I usually am, but I still have a better track record than the government.
To see these venerable, if not troubled companies, became the latest object of the new president's quest. I am sure once the hand of government comes to bear on these companies they will not be long for this world.
If you think I'm bitter, then you are right. It appears, no check that, the government is taking control over every part of this nation and of our lives. The federal government is dictating we all switch to fluorescent light bulbs, and after 2012, we will no longer be able to buy or even own incandescent light bulbs. There is H.B. 875, which is nothing more than a bald attempt to control this nation's food supply. The consensus right now is the bill will not even make it out of committee, but what about next year or the year after that. Give it time and it will come to pass.
Here is another tidbit of information, the country's new education secretary, Arne Duncan, who came to Washington after being superintendent of Chicago schools, is proposing mayors take control of big city schools in urban areas.
Folks, Chicago schools are not known for being high performing institutions of learning. In fact, they were some of the most violent places in the country. Keeping fathers at home with their families would go farther than education initiative from Washington ever could.
It begins with the family, not the government. The government will only screw it up.
Just try and think, what has the government ever touched and made better? If you can think of something I am begging you to let me know. When the government gets involved things will only get worse, and I sure don't trust any elected politician to run anything, much less a public school system.
How about this, get rid of the politicians, let the educators discipline the children from Kindergarten on up. If the students don't pass, then make them learn a trade and not push them through a school and declare they are ready to enter society.
I could be wrong, most of the time I usually am, but I still have a better track record than the government.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
More preaching
I will continue to comment on how Christians are not to be a part of this world.
During these rough times so many people are looking for answers. They elected a politician who promised hope and change. They look for banks, advisers and others to help solve their problems. It seems society is at a point where people will follow any thing if they think it will help them get ahead in this life.
The plain and simple truth is the world does not hold any answers — at best it only creates more questions.
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." — 1 John 2:15
Tough words from old John. I am sure there are people out there who think John is the apostle of love, but don't forget the name Jesus gave to John and his brother James — Sons of Thunder.
The command from John here is clear and simple, "do not love the world or anything in the world."
Now I don't think John means we have to walk around with a sour look on our face telling everybody they are going to hell because they like to eat peaches.
The problems arise when we place the priorities of the world over our relationship with God. Problems arise when we seek answers that are not God's answers. Problems arise when we refuse God in order to take our place in the world.
We must realize what the world is, let's let John tell us.
"For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." — 1 John 2:16-17
Riches mean nothing. Possessions mean nothing. The world's opinion of us means nothing. The only thing that means anything at all is our belief on the Lord Jesus Christ.
"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? — Matthew 16:25-26
Can you bargain with God. Remember the old adage, "What do you get for a man who has everything? We don't have anything God wants, but still, he offers us the gift of life and that is through his Son Jesus Christ.
That is our ticket out of the world, but why do we, even those of us who are saved, look to the world and spend so much of our time obsessed with how to get from day to day.
We must remove our thoughts and minds and hearts from this evil place and look solely to Christ.
In the end, there really is no alternative.
During these rough times so many people are looking for answers. They elected a politician who promised hope and change. They look for banks, advisers and others to help solve their problems. It seems society is at a point where people will follow any thing if they think it will help them get ahead in this life.
The plain and simple truth is the world does not hold any answers — at best it only creates more questions.
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." — 1 John 2:15
Tough words from old John. I am sure there are people out there who think John is the apostle of love, but don't forget the name Jesus gave to John and his brother James — Sons of Thunder.
The command from John here is clear and simple, "do not love the world or anything in the world."
Now I don't think John means we have to walk around with a sour look on our face telling everybody they are going to hell because they like to eat peaches.
The problems arise when we place the priorities of the world over our relationship with God. Problems arise when we seek answers that are not God's answers. Problems arise when we refuse God in order to take our place in the world.
We must realize what the world is, let's let John tell us.
"For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." — 1 John 2:16-17
Riches mean nothing. Possessions mean nothing. The world's opinion of us means nothing. The only thing that means anything at all is our belief on the Lord Jesus Christ.
"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? — Matthew 16:25-26
Can you bargain with God. Remember the old adage, "What do you get for a man who has everything? We don't have anything God wants, but still, he offers us the gift of life and that is through his Son Jesus Christ.
That is our ticket out of the world, but why do we, even those of us who are saved, look to the world and spend so much of our time obsessed with how to get from day to day.
We must remove our thoughts and minds and hearts from this evil place and look solely to Christ.
In the end, there really is no alternative.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Catching up Time
Finally we are just about caught up with our gardening at the house.
Over the weekend we got some corn planted along with some beans.
In the small garden near the house we planted tomatoes, squash, peppers, some radishes and greens. It's a little late on those, but hey, we got them in. We still have some greens from last fall going so everything is looking good in that respect.
In the small garden we completely covered it with pine straw. Pine straw makes an excellent mulch, just check the pH every hear to make sure you are not adding too much acidity to the soil. If you are, just add some lime in the fall and winter months and everything should work itself out fine.
It's a lot of fun growing a garden. Christina and I are getting to do it together this year. Last year I was mostly on my own as she was expecting our little girl, who at just 8 months old is getting to spend quite a bit of time in the fields. Hopefully she will catch the gardening bug when she gets older. We could use another hand on the place.
Gardens are much more than a hobby, if things get worse, they will prove to be a necessity.
I know the past couple of weeks the stock market has been on the rise, but things still aren't good out there and it is only wise to trust God and go it alone rather than trust the inventions of man to save us.
Now, back to gardening, I highly recommend mulching, because it serves two purposes — it conserves water and cuts down on weed pressure. Two important things here in East Texas.
That's it for now, until next time.
Over the weekend we got some corn planted along with some beans.
In the small garden near the house we planted tomatoes, squash, peppers, some radishes and greens. It's a little late on those, but hey, we got them in. We still have some greens from last fall going so everything is looking good in that respect.
In the small garden we completely covered it with pine straw. Pine straw makes an excellent mulch, just check the pH every hear to make sure you are not adding too much acidity to the soil. If you are, just add some lime in the fall and winter months and everything should work itself out fine.
It's a lot of fun growing a garden. Christina and I are getting to do it together this year. Last year I was mostly on my own as she was expecting our little girl, who at just 8 months old is getting to spend quite a bit of time in the fields. Hopefully she will catch the gardening bug when she gets older. We could use another hand on the place.
Gardens are much more than a hobby, if things get worse, they will prove to be a necessity.
I know the past couple of weeks the stock market has been on the rise, but things still aren't good out there and it is only wise to trust God and go it alone rather than trust the inventions of man to save us.
Now, back to gardening, I highly recommend mulching, because it serves two purposes — it conserves water and cuts down on weed pressure. Two important things here in East Texas.
That's it for now, until next time.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
More on the disaster brewing concerning farmers
Though I have never met him in person, I would consider Ray Gano a friend of mine. Ray has dedicated his life to studying prophecy and showing how it fits into our lives. The time in which we are living is running short and we need watchmen like Ray and his family. Ray and his wife and family live on a ranch in Central Texas, occupying until the Lord returns for his church. Read his commentary concerning the Food Safety Modernization Act and see if it doesn't send chills down your spine.
May we all pray that Jesus will return for us quickly.
Wayne
H.R. 875 Rides A Black Horse
Updated 03-20-09 12:41 AM CST
United States Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) has proposed legislation, H.R. 875, which would literally prohibit Americans from raising food for themselves, their families, or even for their animals, without the national government's permission!
H.R. 875, the so-called Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (FSMA) sounds innocent enough at first blush, with language purporting to "protect the public health by preventing food-borne illness, ensuring the safety of food, improving research on contaminants leading to food-borne illness, and improving security of food from intentional contamination, and for other purposes." In reality, the FSMA is an extensive and all-controlling abomination that must be stopped!
The FSMA mandates registration of every "food production facility," which the bill defines as "any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation;" and every "food establishment," which the bill defines as "a slaughterhouse..., factory, warehouse, or facility owned or operated by a person located in any State that processes food or a facility that holds, stores, or transports food or food ingredients."
In the last several months I have been seeing a drastic increase in the cost of food. Milk is sitting at $4.25 a gallon, Cheese has gone up $2.00 for a quarter pound block and butter is sitting at $4.65 a box.
Folks, we are coming to the end of the age. We are beginning to see the foundations that have been put in place, start to take effect.
During the tribulation we know that food will become scarce and the cost will sky rocket.
We read in Revelation 6:5-6…
Revelation 6:5 – 6 (KJV) And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Christ himself stated..
Matthew 24:8 (KJV) All these are the beginning of sorrows.
In this Christ was speaking of wars, rumors of wars, false Christ’s, earthquakes, famines, pestilences. He was speaking about now, the end of the age.
Matthew 24:7 (KJV) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
When one does a study on this verse we learn that he is using verbiage which equates to that of a woman about to give birth, or the birth pangs as it is commonly stated.
Birth pangs do not slow down, ask any mother, she will attest to the fact that they increase in strength and timing. They get harder and more painful as well as coming more frequently.
That is exactly what we are seeing today, read on…
Forget Oil, the New Global Crisis is Food
BMO strategist Donald Coxe warns credit crunch and soaring oil prices will pale in comparison to looming catastrophe.
A new crisis is emerging, a global food catastrophe that will reach further and be more crippling than anything the world has ever seen. The credit crunch and the reverberations of soaring oil prices around the world will pale in comparison to what is about to transpire, Donald Coxe, global portfolio strategist at BMO Financial Group said at the Empire Club's 14th annual investment outlook in Toronto on Thursday.
"It's not a matter of if, but when," he warned investors. "It's going to hit this year hard."
Mr. Coxe said the sharp rise in raw food prices in the past year will intensify in the next few years amid increased demand for meat and dairy products from the growing middle classes of countries such as China and India as well as heavy demand from the biofuels industry.
"The greatest challenge to the world is not US$100 oil; it's getting enough food so that the new middle class can eat the way our middle class does, and that means we've got to expand food output dramatically," he said.
The impact of tighter food supply is already evident in raw food prices, which have risen 22% in the past year.
Source - http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=213343
In this article Mr.Coxe is pointing out the production of biofuel / biodiesel is one of his primary concerns. If you do not know, biofuel / biodiesels are produced by using corn, wheat, sugar beets, ect. Many of the grains and produce used to make biofuel / biodiesel is also the same thing we use to feed the livestock thus promoting a healthy food supply.
Living here on the Gano Ranch, we have seen this directly as well as having an effect on us as these prices go up. In fact this was my main topic for this week’s Prophezine’s This Week In Bible Prophecy Show.
Watch Now - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbDntNOq3G0
We have noticed the cost of our chicken feed going up and even our dog food, which is also predominately made from grains.
With the continued cost of rising livestock feed going up, the products such as meat, diary, poultry and eggs are also going up.
Soon the rule of supply and demand will impact us. But which demand will win out? Will the demand to run our machinery win or will the demand to feed our livestock win.
No matter what, in the end, we learn that food will become scarce.
Read HE RIDES A BLACK HORSE Here>>>
http://www.prophezine.com/PZArticles/HeRidesaBlackHorseByRayGano/tabid/679/Default.aspx
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Disturbing information
I read something quite disturbing today about the government's attempt to control the nation's food supply.
I will have more later, right now all I have is knee-jerk venom for what this administration is trying to do to private landowners and producers.
In essence, all farms will have to be numbered (recall National Animal Identification System) and all products leaving the farm (animal, vegetable and mineral) will be subject to inspection by the federal government. I am assuming this will also include environmental impacts and practices.
Beware of what's coming around the bend. I will more for you very soon.
I will have more later, right now all I have is knee-jerk venom for what this administration is trying to do to private landowners and producers.
In essence, all farms will have to be numbered (recall National Animal Identification System) and all products leaving the farm (animal, vegetable and mineral) will be subject to inspection by the federal government. I am assuming this will also include environmental impacts and practices.
Beware of what's coming around the bend. I will more for you very soon.
Come out from the world
I think as Christians it is high time we truly begin to separate ourselves from this world.
It's easy to say, in fact we have been saying it for 2,000 years, but it is even more important now as society around us becomes more perverse by the minute.
The U.S. has quit being a God fearing nation and is quickly becoming a God hating nation, so we must come out from the world as James said.
"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." — James 4:4-6
Notice the first thing James called the people who try and take part in the world, he called them adulterous. The definition of adultery is the voluntary relations between a married person and someone who is not his or her spouse.
Just a few years before James wrote this letter, Jesus had similar words for the people of Israel.
"An evil and adulterous nation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah. And he left them and went away." — Matthew 16:4
Here is what John Wesley said on the matter of that same verse.
"A wicked and adulterous generation — Ye would seek no farther sign, did not your wickedness, your love of the world, which is spiritual adultery, blind your understanding."
By taking part in the ways of the world, we are cheating on God. There is no other way around that.
Everything that goes on in the realm of this world stands in stark opposition to God and the gospel of Christ.
If some impartial being came here and observed us for just a normal day, not a Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon, would he be able to tell who was a Christian and who wasn't? Just because we claim the name of Christ does not mean we are in Christ. Do you get my point?
I am a big Houston Astros fan, but that doesn't mean I'm invited to take the field with the team. The same way with being a Christian. There are a lot of folks out there who like what Jesus had to say, but they will not accept what He did for them. They are not willing to leave this corrupt world behind for the free gift Christ offers us, paid for with his blood.
I wrote a few days ago that we cannot have dual citizenship. I am hitting on this topic again. Yes, it's fun to play politics and dream about how we would like to see things change. It is right for us to pray for this country, its leaders, and to pray that we would all turn back to God, it is right to vote and to exercise our other freedoms endowed to us by our Creator. But when we put this system of man in front of Jesus, even if we think we are accomplishing good, then we are committing adultery. We have to keep things in context. Christ comes first.
Peter called Christians "strangers in the world."
That is what we are, we should be recognizable by our actions. There should be no doubt in whose service we find ourselves.
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against you soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." — 1 Peter 2:9-12
We must all send our forwarding addresses to the world. Those in Christ are not long for this corrupt place, but before we go, let's take as many as we can with us, all we have to do is tell what Christ did and the Holy Spirit will do the rest.
It's easy to say, in fact we have been saying it for 2,000 years, but it is even more important now as society around us becomes more perverse by the minute.
The U.S. has quit being a God fearing nation and is quickly becoming a God hating nation, so we must come out from the world as James said.
"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." — James 4:4-6
Notice the first thing James called the people who try and take part in the world, he called them adulterous. The definition of adultery is the voluntary relations between a married person and someone who is not his or her spouse.
Just a few years before James wrote this letter, Jesus had similar words for the people of Israel.
"An evil and adulterous nation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah. And he left them and went away." — Matthew 16:4
Here is what John Wesley said on the matter of that same verse.
"A wicked and adulterous generation — Ye would seek no farther sign, did not your wickedness, your love of the world, which is spiritual adultery, blind your understanding."
By taking part in the ways of the world, we are cheating on God. There is no other way around that.
Everything that goes on in the realm of this world stands in stark opposition to God and the gospel of Christ.
If some impartial being came here and observed us for just a normal day, not a Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon, would he be able to tell who was a Christian and who wasn't? Just because we claim the name of Christ does not mean we are in Christ. Do you get my point?
I am a big Houston Astros fan, but that doesn't mean I'm invited to take the field with the team. The same way with being a Christian. There are a lot of folks out there who like what Jesus had to say, but they will not accept what He did for them. They are not willing to leave this corrupt world behind for the free gift Christ offers us, paid for with his blood.
I wrote a few days ago that we cannot have dual citizenship. I am hitting on this topic again. Yes, it's fun to play politics and dream about how we would like to see things change. It is right for us to pray for this country, its leaders, and to pray that we would all turn back to God, it is right to vote and to exercise our other freedoms endowed to us by our Creator. But when we put this system of man in front of Jesus, even if we think we are accomplishing good, then we are committing adultery. We have to keep things in context. Christ comes first.
Peter called Christians "strangers in the world."
That is what we are, we should be recognizable by our actions. There should be no doubt in whose service we find ourselves.
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against you soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." — 1 Peter 2:9-12
We must all send our forwarding addresses to the world. Those in Christ are not long for this corrupt place, but before we go, let's take as many as we can with us, all we have to do is tell what Christ did and the Holy Spirit will do the rest.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Shootings and their cause
With the shooting and killing of 12 people in South Alabama; five people hurt by gunfire in Gonzales and 15 killed by a gun-toting teen in Germany, and the shootings at an Illinois church there will be a new push to outlaw firearms in the U.S., including probably some stealthy attempts by the White House to limit gun ownership.
The problem is folks, guns didn't do any of the killing, they were just the instrument chosen in these deadly rampages. It was the evil will of men that ended these lives.
The cause, sin and the rejection of the one God sent to cleanse the world from sin — His son Jesus Christ.
If any one doubts we are in the end times, I challenge you to do nothing more than glance at the news on the Internet and see for yourself. Now, talking about the end times, here is what our Lord and Savior had to say on the matter.
"And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." — Matthew 24:10-13
Because of iniquity (sin) the love of many shall wax (grow) cold.
There no longer is any regard to others. Sure, the liberals claim compassion when they steal our money and give it to others, but it is nothing more than a means of control.
There is no respect as we look out for ourselves at the expense of everything else around us.
No, Jesus is right, as always, these are dire times indeed as we see the world unraveling around us.
As Christians, many of us find the love we have growing cold if we fail to keep Christ at the center of our lives. Divorce rates among professing Christians are about the same as the rest of society.
But back to Jesus' Olilvet discourse. In verse 10, Jesus said, "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."
Doesn't that sound like a snapshot of modern society. Many shall be offended. We can't turn on the TV these days without someone saying they were offended by a word, statement, picture or something like that. The worst part is, most folks are claiming the Word of God as the biggest offense.
I guess the old saying, "The truth hurts," really rings true. In this age of tolerance, though, the biggest things we see happening is hate.
While Christians are called hateful for being against homosexuality and other instances of ungodly behavior the vitriol spewed against us is simply called free speech.
Definitely we live in an upside down world,but there is good news.
Christ is the remedy for the sick. He can save us from a sin-imposed death sentence — just trust him.
Judgment is coming soon folks, I pray you all choose Christ instead of the god of this doomed world.
I would like to leave you with the words from one of my favorite hymns, "Only Trust Him."
"Come every soul by sin oppressed;
There's mercy with the Lord,
And He will surely give you rest
By trusting in His Word.
Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him now;
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.
For Jesus shed His precious blood
Rich blessings to bestow;
Plunge now into the crimson flood
That washes white as snow.
The problem is folks, guns didn't do any of the killing, they were just the instrument chosen in these deadly rampages. It was the evil will of men that ended these lives.
The cause, sin and the rejection of the one God sent to cleanse the world from sin — His son Jesus Christ.
If any one doubts we are in the end times, I challenge you to do nothing more than glance at the news on the Internet and see for yourself. Now, talking about the end times, here is what our Lord and Savior had to say on the matter.
"And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." — Matthew 24:10-13
Because of iniquity (sin) the love of many shall wax (grow) cold.
There no longer is any regard to others. Sure, the liberals claim compassion when they steal our money and give it to others, but it is nothing more than a means of control.
There is no respect as we look out for ourselves at the expense of everything else around us.
No, Jesus is right, as always, these are dire times indeed as we see the world unraveling around us.
As Christians, many of us find the love we have growing cold if we fail to keep Christ at the center of our lives. Divorce rates among professing Christians are about the same as the rest of society.
But back to Jesus' Olilvet discourse. In verse 10, Jesus said, "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."
Doesn't that sound like a snapshot of modern society. Many shall be offended. We can't turn on the TV these days without someone saying they were offended by a word, statement, picture or something like that. The worst part is, most folks are claiming the Word of God as the biggest offense.
I guess the old saying, "The truth hurts," really rings true. In this age of tolerance, though, the biggest things we see happening is hate.
While Christians are called hateful for being against homosexuality and other instances of ungodly behavior the vitriol spewed against us is simply called free speech.
Definitely we live in an upside down world,but there is good news.
Christ is the remedy for the sick. He can save us from a sin-imposed death sentence — just trust him.
Judgment is coming soon folks, I pray you all choose Christ instead of the god of this doomed world.
I would like to leave you with the words from one of my favorite hymns, "Only Trust Him."
"Come every soul by sin oppressed;
There's mercy with the Lord,
And He will surely give you rest
By trusting in His Word.
Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him now;
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.
For Jesus shed His precious blood
Rich blessings to bestow;
Plunge now into the crimson flood
That washes white as snow.
A Welcome Sight
The rain falling over East Texas today sure is a welcome sight and an answer to my prayers and I know of a lot of others out there.
Let us continue to pray God will bless us and that we will remember where those blessings originate.
Let us continue to pray God will bless us and that we will remember where those blessings originate.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Dual citizenship
I got a call from a sweet woman the other day. She had a few complaints about me, but not many.
Her main complaint was I was a little rough on the country's new president and I wasn't giving him a fair chance.
The woman said she voted twice for George Bush because she didn't like the policies of Al Gore or John Kerry.
I told her I wasn't a big George Bush fan either. I guess I don't fall in the "Republican" category. To me, the party has lost its way and it is nothing more than a less aggressive form of the Democrats.
I know, I know, there are major differences between the two parties, but there are many in the GOP who are in favor of moving more to the left, changing the party's stance on abortion, gay rights and all the other issues many right-minded Americans find repugnant.
There are many things I cannot stand about both parties, and that includes their constant intrusion into our lives. They have completely ignored the Constitution, a document meant to protect the people from the government, not to confer power on the government.
We have much to fear from the people in power of both parties.
Now, back to this woman who called me. She couldn't support Gore or Kerry, but she thinks Obama is worthy of my support.
Barack Obama is Gore and Kerry on steroids, plus he has much of the media in his corner, along with the millions of people who voted for him. He is a formidable opponent indeed.
I was told that instead of criticizing him I should pray for him like the Apostle Paul told the church to do.
I told her that is correct, but we also owe allegiance to God and not to man.
Now, today, I make this declaration and I urge all of you out there to join me.
While I am a resident of the United States, I am a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. My allegiance belongs to Jesus Christ alone, any other and I have betrayed Him and his sacrifice on the cross.
Yes, we are to pray for our leaders. I do, I pray that God changes the heart of Barack Obama who supports unfettered access to abortion, destroying the basis of human life under the guises of stem cell research. I pray that he will change his heart and convince him it is in this country's best interests to give our unflinching support to Israel. These are issues I am concerned about, and they are issues with which I stand in stark contrast with this president.
Those are my prayers, but when folks quote Paul about praying for leaders and obeying authorities we must remember Paul preached the gospel, something that was against the law in the Roman empire under Nero and other Roman emperors.
When we are told to offer this support to our leaders, this verse is often forgotten.
"Then they (Sanhedrin) called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God." — Acts 4:18-19
This is not a license to break the laws of men, but it is a call to action to follow God when the laws of men go against the laws of God.
We are at such a cross roads. Choose this day whom you will serve.
Are you trying to hold dual citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven and in the United States of America, or are you willing to serve God above all others?
There is no inbetween. Pray for your leaders, but above all else, remain in the will of God.
Her main complaint was I was a little rough on the country's new president and I wasn't giving him a fair chance.
The woman said she voted twice for George Bush because she didn't like the policies of Al Gore or John Kerry.
I told her I wasn't a big George Bush fan either. I guess I don't fall in the "Republican" category. To me, the party has lost its way and it is nothing more than a less aggressive form of the Democrats.
I know, I know, there are major differences between the two parties, but there are many in the GOP who are in favor of moving more to the left, changing the party's stance on abortion, gay rights and all the other issues many right-minded Americans find repugnant.
There are many things I cannot stand about both parties, and that includes their constant intrusion into our lives. They have completely ignored the Constitution, a document meant to protect the people from the government, not to confer power on the government.
We have much to fear from the people in power of both parties.
Now, back to this woman who called me. She couldn't support Gore or Kerry, but she thinks Obama is worthy of my support.
Barack Obama is Gore and Kerry on steroids, plus he has much of the media in his corner, along with the millions of people who voted for him. He is a formidable opponent indeed.
I was told that instead of criticizing him I should pray for him like the Apostle Paul told the church to do.
I told her that is correct, but we also owe allegiance to God and not to man.
Now, today, I make this declaration and I urge all of you out there to join me.
While I am a resident of the United States, I am a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. My allegiance belongs to Jesus Christ alone, any other and I have betrayed Him and his sacrifice on the cross.
Yes, we are to pray for our leaders. I do, I pray that God changes the heart of Barack Obama who supports unfettered access to abortion, destroying the basis of human life under the guises of stem cell research. I pray that he will change his heart and convince him it is in this country's best interests to give our unflinching support to Israel. These are issues I am concerned about, and they are issues with which I stand in stark contrast with this president.
Those are my prayers, but when folks quote Paul about praying for leaders and obeying authorities we must remember Paul preached the gospel, something that was against the law in the Roman empire under Nero and other Roman emperors.
When we are told to offer this support to our leaders, this verse is often forgotten.
"Then they (Sanhedrin) called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God." — Acts 4:18-19
This is not a license to break the laws of men, but it is a call to action to follow God when the laws of men go against the laws of God.
We are at such a cross roads. Choose this day whom you will serve.
Are you trying to hold dual citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven and in the United States of America, or are you willing to serve God above all others?
There is no inbetween. Pray for your leaders, but above all else, remain in the will of God.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Back from a few days off
Back to work now after a few days off and hopefully there is a welcome sight over the horizon — rain.
Boy do we need it. I had planned on planting corn a week ago, but the ground was so dry I decided just to wait. So, if we get a good rain I will get it in the ground. Christina called Accuweather and talked with them and they said East Texas could expect up to three inches of rain.
I promise I won't turn any rain down, even if it means we have to suffer through some cooler temperatures for a few days.
On the homefront, we are building a cabin by a nearby creek to spend some quiet weekends talking to catfish and getting away from it all without having to go too far away. It will be a rough cabin and we are looking at putting solar panels on it to run a few lights and maybe a fan on those still lights.
Hopefully we can get off the grid, but still enjoy a few amenities.
I have a lot to say about what's going on in the country, but I will save that for tomorrow.
Boy do we need it. I had planned on planting corn a week ago, but the ground was so dry I decided just to wait. So, if we get a good rain I will get it in the ground. Christina called Accuweather and talked with them and they said East Texas could expect up to three inches of rain.
I promise I won't turn any rain down, even if it means we have to suffer through some cooler temperatures for a few days.
On the homefront, we are building a cabin by a nearby creek to spend some quiet weekends talking to catfish and getting away from it all without having to go too far away. It will be a rough cabin and we are looking at putting solar panels on it to run a few lights and maybe a fan on those still lights.
Hopefully we can get off the grid, but still enjoy a few amenities.
I have a lot to say about what's going on in the country, but I will save that for tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Results are In
For the past week I had a poll on this blog asking folks if they thought the stimulus package will work.
There were four answer options:
• Yes, immediately
• Yes, but it will take time
• Never in a million years
• Don't know
The votes are in and the results are overwhelming. An eye-popping 13 people voted in this highly, extremely scientific poll with all 13 votes falling into the "Never in a million years" category.
Now I know the people who would enjoy reading this blog do not represent a broad cross section of the makeup of this country. What I do try to do is reflect common sentiments in East Texas.
Around here, we are highly skeptical of government being able to fix our problems, and we also are highly skeptical of some Chicago Yankee sitting in Washington trying to tell us what to do.
That stick won't float in these creeks.
If you want to get into our good graces come at us explaining how government is going to get out of our lives. Tell us how government is going to leave us alone and let us do what we please the way we please. Tell us the truth. Tell us our Social Security money won't be there when it comes time for us to retire. Tell us Texas is the greatest state in the Union, and because of that we get to go it alone now with no hard feelings.
If they would tell us that, then and I promise them I might send them a Christmas card.
There were four answer options:
• Yes, immediately
• Yes, but it will take time
• Never in a million years
• Don't know
The votes are in and the results are overwhelming. An eye-popping 13 people voted in this highly, extremely scientific poll with all 13 votes falling into the "Never in a million years" category.
Now I know the people who would enjoy reading this blog do not represent a broad cross section of the makeup of this country. What I do try to do is reflect common sentiments in East Texas.
Around here, we are highly skeptical of government being able to fix our problems, and we also are highly skeptical of some Chicago Yankee sitting in Washington trying to tell us what to do.
That stick won't float in these creeks.
If you want to get into our good graces come at us explaining how government is going to get out of our lives. Tell us how government is going to leave us alone and let us do what we please the way we please. Tell us the truth. Tell us our Social Security money won't be there when it comes time for us to retire. Tell us Texas is the greatest state in the Union, and because of that we get to go it alone now with no hard feelings.
If they would tell us that, then and I promise them I might send them a Christmas card.
Monday, March 2, 2009
When will it stop?
As the Dow plunged below 7,000 today and I read the reports coming out of New York and economists from around the country, you can almost hear the panic in their voices. They don't know where the bottom is and they do not know how bad things are going to get. I am not as smart as the experts are and I sure don't know how things are going to turn out. If I did I guess I wouldn't have to be a reporter for a living.
I know people are scared, but what good does it do. There have been a lot of people who blame the media, Washington, banks, lenders and a whole bunch of other folks for the problems out there, but the blame should lie on all of our shoulders.
I am not trying to be diplomatic, just truthful. We all bought into the, "we have to have it now, so let's mortgage everything to get it," attitude. Now it is coming back to haunt us.
The government is no help. These massive spending plans coming out of the Obama administration and begun by the Bush administration are only pouring gasoline onto the flames and I'm afraid eventually the chickens are going to come home and roost from all of this money the government is pulling out of thin air and burdening us with for generations to come. It is definitely apparent the nation's investors don't have a lot of faith in the plans this new Socialist government is putting forth.
There is an answer, though few now will believe it, and that is Jesus Christ.
Trillions of dollars will not fix the problem, but sincere repentance before the cross of Christ will put us on the road to redemption.
It may not solve our financial woes, but they are only temporary — Christ is eternal.
I know people are scared, but what good does it do. There have been a lot of people who blame the media, Washington, banks, lenders and a whole bunch of other folks for the problems out there, but the blame should lie on all of our shoulders.
I am not trying to be diplomatic, just truthful. We all bought into the, "we have to have it now, so let's mortgage everything to get it," attitude. Now it is coming back to haunt us.
The government is no help. These massive spending plans coming out of the Obama administration and begun by the Bush administration are only pouring gasoline onto the flames and I'm afraid eventually the chickens are going to come home and roost from all of this money the government is pulling out of thin air and burdening us with for generations to come. It is definitely apparent the nation's investors don't have a lot of faith in the plans this new Socialist government is putting forth.
There is an answer, though few now will believe it, and that is Jesus Christ.
Trillions of dollars will not fix the problem, but sincere repentance before the cross of Christ will put us on the road to redemption.
It may not solve our financial woes, but they are only temporary — Christ is eternal.
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