Lt. Col. Allen West about Islam terrorists
I agree with him! We need leadership in Washington who understand exactly what we are up against and be LOYAL to our Christian nation.
Dealing with anxious thinking...
I had to drag this out of archives. It is speaking to my heart especially today because I am dealing with anxious thinking. Of course, we all have things that happen, troubles that are common to man, but we can't help getting anxious sometimes.
There are times when a little fear is good... like when walking across a swinging bridge that has no guardrails and the drop down is about 100 feet or so to cold rushing water. Did that one time and my heart still pounds at the thought of it.Those times don't come around very often. God says we are not to worry. Jesus said, "Do not worry." Angels have told men, "Do not fear." I don't know how many times this is said in the Bible and we all do it. I do it.
Worry is a sin.
So how do we deal with worry? I love what Dale Carnegie said, "Figure out what's the worst thing that could happen, then make a plan if that thing happens and set the whole thing aside." We worry about things that 90% of the time do not happen. Why is that?
When we are anxious, it affects our thinking. It clouds our thought process and we are consumed about what might happen... then it never does, or rarely does.
Unfortunately, anxious thinking or negative thinking can become a habit and we never realize what we are doing to ourselves. When walking into a room, have you ever thought, "Gee, everyone is staring at me, I must look awlful." Or "No one will like me here, they all think I'm stupid."
Seriously... think about that. Maybe one person... maybe two, might think that but, trust me on this, a room full of people have a room full of thoughts and they are not all centered on you! Well, perhaps if you are the Governor or the President, they might. Get a grip on those negative thoughts! (I'm talking to myself, here.)
What are some other ones?
"If I don't do this with no mistakes, I've failed."
"This is a total disaster. I made an absolute mess."
"Everybody hates me, I'm going to go eat worms."
And lately, this one has been cropping up more and more:
"I can't find a job! No one wants to pay for my experience. I'm too old.
That is stinkin' thinkin'. Face the fact the world does not revolve around you. We do not live in a world of black and white... but in a myriad of colors and shades. The likelyhood of any event striking instant dislike for you in the breasts of a roomful of people is nil and none. You do not have to do a poll on that to find out.
The bald fact is, our thoughts should not revolve around our own selves, but we should consistently and constantly keep our eyes on Jesus. If Peter had never taken his eyes off Jesus, then he would never have sunk in the waves... or denied him three times.
Jeremiah 17:5 So says Jehovah, Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and who makes flesh his arm, and who turns aside his heart from Jehovah. 6 For he shall be like a juniper in the desert, and shall not see when good comes. But he shall live in parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land that is not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah, and Jehovah is his refuge. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters. It sends out its roots by the stream, and it will not fear when the heat comes; but its foliage will be green; and it is not anxious in the year of drought, nor will it cease from yielding fruit.
Birth control free under Obamacare
This month, a committee comprised of experts will meet to decide what preventive care should be provided to women free of charge under "Obama's medical overhaul". One of the things being considered is birth control, or using the nice term, Family Planning. What it really means is abortion in its most extreme sense and contraceptives in the less extreme.
Associate Press reporter Richard Alonso-Zaldivar asks the question, "But what part of that is preventive medicine?" I'd like to know the answer to that question as well.
How many senators and representatives stood up to Pelosi and Obama declaring they would not vote to use public funds for abortions? Enough to have ground that monolith to a legislative halt. Yet, how did that amendment under the guise of women's health make it into the bill? According to its author, Sen. Barbara Mikulski D-Md, it was clearly understood it was about family planning. Again, what is meant by family planning by every abortion clinic from here to Timbuktu? Abortion. Were the legislators horns waggled? Come now. Surely, they watch the news regularly. Surely, they knew what "family planning" meant. After all, Mikulski said it was clearly implied it was woman health. There is little doubt about the true meaning because our nation's largest provider of abortions, Planned Parenthood, is pushing their agenda in the matter.
Some physicians state emphatically that family planning saves lives and promotes health. Certainly, if we do not consider the life of the baby, that may be true. Do they mean by promoting health in the same way removing a tumor helps prevent cancer from spreading? Surely not. Yet, the morning after pill which aborts any fertilized egg is considered contraceptive by the Food and Drug Administration. Dressing it up and calling it something else doesn't change what it actually is, just like calling poop excrement doesn't change the smell.
Our society has lost so much self-control that abstinence isn't even considered as a viable solution to preventing pregnancies. Yet, it is the only contraceptive which is 100% effective that does not cause damage to the womb or death to a living human being who has no voice to say, "I want to live!"
Why was that amendment left in the bill? Because the U.S. government set a goal to reduce unplanned pregnancies by 30% by this year. The CDC also says one half of the 6,000,000 U.S. pregnancies each year are unplanned. Amazing statistics posted by the American Pregnancy Association; only 26,000 pregnancies end in a stillborn child. Does that resonate with anyone else?
I shiver to imagine what God thinks of this offering innocents to the god Convenience. How now shall we give honor to the LORD God Almighty and remain silent about those who are speechless?
Associate Press reporter Richard Alonso-Zaldivar asks the question, "But what part of that is preventive medicine?" I'd like to know the answer to that question as well.
How many senators and representatives stood up to Pelosi and Obama declaring they would not vote to use public funds for abortions? Enough to have ground that monolith to a legislative halt. Yet, how did that amendment under the guise of women's health make it into the bill? According to its author, Sen. Barbara Mikulski D-Md, it was clearly understood it was about family planning. Again, what is meant by family planning by every abortion clinic from here to Timbuktu? Abortion. Were the legislators horns waggled? Come now. Surely, they watch the news regularly. Surely, they knew what "family planning" meant. After all, Mikulski said it was clearly implied it was woman health. There is little doubt about the true meaning because our nation's largest provider of abortions, Planned Parenthood, is pushing their agenda in the matter.
Some physicians state emphatically that family planning saves lives and promotes health. Certainly, if we do not consider the life of the baby, that may be true. Do they mean by promoting health in the same way removing a tumor helps prevent cancer from spreading? Surely not. Yet, the morning after pill which aborts any fertilized egg is considered contraceptive by the Food and Drug Administration. Dressing it up and calling it something else doesn't change what it actually is, just like calling poop excrement doesn't change the smell.
Our society has lost so much self-control that abstinence isn't even considered as a viable solution to preventing pregnancies. Yet, it is the only contraceptive which is 100% effective that does not cause damage to the womb or death to a living human being who has no voice to say, "I want to live!"
Why was that amendment left in the bill? Because the U.S. government set a goal to reduce unplanned pregnancies by 30% by this year. The CDC also says one half of the 6,000,000 U.S. pregnancies each year are unplanned. Amazing statistics posted by the American Pregnancy Association; only 26,000 pregnancies end in a stillborn child. Does that resonate with anyone else?
I shiver to imagine what God thinks of this offering innocents to the god Convenience. How now shall we give honor to the LORD God Almighty and remain silent about those who are speechless?
Fetuses found in a dumpster...
Every time I think mankind can't get anymore deviant I hear of another atrocity. An ABC affiliate ran a story about a Pro-Life group finding aborted fetuses tagged with the mother's name and the date of the abortion in a dumpster behind an abortion clinic.
I cannot imagine the pain those babies felt, nor the pain of the mother's after the abortion. I can only cringe in horror at what that group found inside garbage bags inside the dumpster. It reminds me of the Holocaust. Blatant disregard for life is bad enough, and God says punishable by death. But to toss those little bodies in the trash can and then in the dumpster is coldness to the nth degree. Although, I shouldn't be surprised or shocked because its abortion and the abortion thought process is that it is merely tissue and a parasite within the mother's womb.
If that is truly the case, then why do so many women have such terrible feelings of loss after an abortion? Why do they have groups now that gather together to support one another, name their baby and let balloons go with their baby's name attached?
I know those aborted babies will be in heaven, just like those babies in ancient times that were offered to Molech, as the Bible says "caused to pass through the fire." In other words those infants were placed in the stone or metal hands that were close to a burning furnace and were roasted to death, an offering to a demon.
This is just another symptom of the End Times. The love of man has gone cold, yet while there is life there is still hope. I do not know how much longer God will hold His wrath in check, but I'm praying it won't be much longer. I'm praying that those women who have had an abortion will find peace within their souls and will speak out on the issue. I'm praying for our soldiers being forced into something they never wanted. Mostly, I'm praying for our country that God will have mercy on us.
I cannot imagine the pain those babies felt, nor the pain of the mother's after the abortion. I can only cringe in horror at what that group found inside garbage bags inside the dumpster. It reminds me of the Holocaust. Blatant disregard for life is bad enough, and God says punishable by death. But to toss those little bodies in the trash can and then in the dumpster is coldness to the nth degree. Although, I shouldn't be surprised or shocked because its abortion and the abortion thought process is that it is merely tissue and a parasite within the mother's womb.
If that is truly the case, then why do so many women have such terrible feelings of loss after an abortion? Why do they have groups now that gather together to support one another, name their baby and let balloons go with their baby's name attached?
I know those aborted babies will be in heaven, just like those babies in ancient times that were offered to Molech, as the Bible says "caused to pass through the fire." In other words those infants were placed in the stone or metal hands that were close to a burning furnace and were roasted to death, an offering to a demon.
This is just another symptom of the End Times. The love of man has gone cold, yet while there is life there is still hope. I do not know how much longer God will hold His wrath in check, but I'm praying it won't be much longer. I'm praying that those women who have had an abortion will find peace within their souls and will speak out on the issue. I'm praying for our soldiers being forced into something they never wanted. Mostly, I'm praying for our country that God will have mercy on us.
Dr. David Jeremiah and the White House disagree on economics
Yesterday, the White House liaison, Joshua DuBois spoke with Dr. Jeremiah about his remarks concerning the direction Pres. Obama's economic policies is taking the U.S.
David Jeremiah is currently preaching a sermon series on the Last Days, and his new book The Coming Economic Armageddon: What Bible Prophecy Warns about the New Global Economy he is rather vocal about the coming disasters predicted by the Bible concerning global economy as well as events that must happen which set the stage for the Great Tribulation. (You can watch his sermons on ION Television at 7:00 AM Central Time.)
OneNewsNow reports David Jeremiah spoke with DuBois and he said, their conversation was "cordial" and that they had to agree to disagree about the economic policies. In Jeremiah's statement, he said,
Our nation is taking giant leaps toward socialism. It is not a place where we would like to reside no matter how attractive the marketing package makes it sound. All we need do is learn from history, the most recent is Spain and Greece. More distant, but still memorable, is Russia. Can we forget the long lines where a size 8 foot was handed a pair of size 11 boots? Can we forget the way the Russian government ordered people to jobs they had no affinity for? Regardless of artistic talent, some were forced into something else. The discontent rose to the same level as the end of the Czar era which is why the collapse of the old Russia. It is also why the Berlin Wall fell.
Obama's lack of laissez fair, which is “leave it alone and it will work itself out”which means equilibrium is the natural state and shifts in supply and demand will bobble the economy but not devastate it, exhibited in printing more paper dollars thus reducing the value of the dollar only perpetrates inflation. Why he can't see that baffles me. He's got PhD-advisers who have spent thousands of hours studying economics and they can't see it? Why can't we ever learn from history? Why is human nature so ego-centric that we must believe that even though it happened in the past, we're smarter now and we can keep it from happening. Poppycock!
So, Dr. Jeremiah, I salute you. Please keep voicing your opinion and I will keep praying for your safety and for the safety of these great United States.
David Jeremiah is currently preaching a sermon series on the Last Days, and his new book The Coming Economic Armageddon: What Bible Prophecy Warns about the New Global Economy he is rather vocal about the coming disasters predicted by the Bible concerning global economy as well as events that must happen which set the stage for the Great Tribulation. (You can watch his sermons on ION Television at 7:00 AM Central Time.)
OneNewsNow reports David Jeremiah spoke with DuBois and he said, their conversation was "cordial" and that they had to agree to disagree about the economic policies. In Jeremiah's statement, he said,
"In this important dialogue about the future of our country and the resolution of the issues that we are currently facing as a nation, there must be room for criticism and debate, and each of us should feel the responsibility to speak out. Joshua knows of my concerns and left the door open for further discussions in the future.Amen to that! Jeremiah also stated on AFR's Today's Issues that he meant what he had said. He also affirmed that all Americans should be able to voice their opinion without reprisal.
"Please remember to pray for our nation and for our president!"
Our nation is taking giant leaps toward socialism. It is not a place where we would like to reside no matter how attractive the marketing package makes it sound. All we need do is learn from history, the most recent is Spain and Greece. More distant, but still memorable, is Russia. Can we forget the long lines where a size 8 foot was handed a pair of size 11 boots? Can we forget the way the Russian government ordered people to jobs they had no affinity for? Regardless of artistic talent, some were forced into something else. The discontent rose to the same level as the end of the Czar era which is why the collapse of the old Russia. It is also why the Berlin Wall fell.
Obama's lack of laissez fair, which is “leave it alone and it will work itself out”which means equilibrium is the natural state and shifts in supply and demand will bobble the economy but not devastate it, exhibited in printing more paper dollars thus reducing the value of the dollar only perpetrates inflation. Why he can't see that baffles me. He's got PhD-advisers who have spent thousands of hours studying economics and they can't see it? Why can't we ever learn from history? Why is human nature so ego-centric that we must believe that even though it happened in the past, we're smarter now and we can keep it from happening. Poppycock!
So, Dr. Jeremiah, I salute you. Please keep voicing your opinion and I will keep praying for your safety and for the safety of these great United States.
Judge awards legal fees to lesbian teen
The article appears in the Sun Herald. I find it disheartening that our schools can't decide certain things for impressionable aged children. A child says that her rights were abused because she made an issue of wanting to bring her girlfriend to the prom.
This is the thing that bothers me the most, why must homosexuals insist on in-your-face tactics? If she'd just shown up at the prom with her girlfriend they probably wouldn't have said or done anything about it. But this girl, egged on by some homosexual rights activists and sanctioned by her parents thinks that she is forever a lesbian even before her body is completely matured and her mind is far from maturity.
I heard a psychologist, who specializes in this on American Family Radio (AFR) a while back, who stated teens often mistakenly assume feelings they have for friends are true homosexual feelings when actually they are confusing feelings of orientation with belonging and caring. A majority of teens are brain damaged until after age 20-23, how can they know?
The teen says she was tricked into going to a sham prom while everyone else went somewhere else. Really? How shocking that kids would treat her so when her big mouth had spoiled their prom plans.
To hear Ann Heche's story is quite an eyeopener. She slipped into that lifestyle because her father left her mother because he "just couldn't stand it any longer and had to live an openly gay lifestyle." He died from AIDS. She loved her father so much that she had to explore the lifestyle to identify with him. Her mother told the story in an interview on AFR. I think it so sad that people fall into the web of Satan's seduction.
This is the thing that bothers me the most, why must homosexuals insist on in-your-face tactics? If she'd just shown up at the prom with her girlfriend they probably wouldn't have said or done anything about it. But this girl, egged on by some homosexual rights activists and sanctioned by her parents thinks that she is forever a lesbian even before her body is completely matured and her mind is far from maturity.
I heard a psychologist, who specializes in this on American Family Radio (AFR) a while back, who stated teens often mistakenly assume feelings they have for friends are true homosexual feelings when actually they are confusing feelings of orientation with belonging and caring. A majority of teens are brain damaged until after age 20-23, how can they know?
The teen says she was tricked into going to a sham prom while everyone else went somewhere else. Really? How shocking that kids would treat her so when her big mouth had spoiled their prom plans.
To hear Ann Heche's story is quite an eyeopener. She slipped into that lifestyle because her father left her mother because he "just couldn't stand it any longer and had to live an openly gay lifestyle." He died from AIDS. She loved her father so much that she had to explore the lifestyle to identify with him. Her mother told the story in an interview on AFR. I think it so sad that people fall into the web of Satan's seduction.
Dr. David Jeremiah and the White House
It will be very interesting to see how this situation plays out.
Dr. Jeremiah indicated the dangerous direction this country is being led, and voiced his opinion of that while being interviewed about his new book. That isn't news. A call from the White House is.
Joshua DuBois is the presidential liason to faith-based organizations and it was he that put in the call to Dr. Jeremiah concerned about the comment. It will be very interesting to see what will happen next. I know Dr. Jeremiah well enough to know he won't back down from his comment. So what will happen next?
Dr. Jeremiah indicated the dangerous direction this country is being led, and voiced his opinion of that while being interviewed about his new book. That isn't news. A call from the White House is.
Joshua DuBois is the presidential liason to faith-based organizations and it was he that put in the call to Dr. Jeremiah concerned about the comment. It will be very interesting to see what will happen next. I know Dr. Jeremiah well enough to know he won't back down from his comment. So what will happen next?
It should be enough
I am studying some of my writings to see how I might coalesce them into a seamless coherent thought, mostly for my children, but possibly for a book when I found this treasure which I needed desperately to hear. How marvelous God is to give us just what we need when we need it for encouragement and strength and boost when we feel our lowest.
Is it so bad to want to see results of prayer?
We just cannot know or understand God's ways. We ask, and we receive. Then we ask, and then we receive. It seems to be a results motivated prayer life.
Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Why isn't that enough?
We are told in many different ways, but most clearly through Paul to, worry over nothing, to pray about everything.
Phi 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
So the mature Christian should be able to leave everything in God's hands and be comfortable with how He answers our prayers. It is rather difficult to just let go and let God. God showed me in no uncertain terms that His will is done for those who love Him. And sometimes... sometimes He is waiting on us to conform to His desires and to let go of our desires.
It all boils down to Trust. When we know our God has plans not to harm us, but for our good, then there is no way we can go wrong. It's just those trials and painful tribulations, and that dark valley of death that we know we must walk through that gets us all twisted into knots.
Has He ever failed me? Never.
Will He ever fail me? Never.
That must be enough. Take another breath. Live another day. See the sun, feel the rain and it will be for all our troubles are nothing to His power and His love.
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD rejoices over you. He will quiet you with His love. Or as The Message puts it, Your GOD is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.
The names of God
I have a list of God's names hanging on the wall; my sister gave it to me several years ago. I hunted down a more comprehensive list and this is what I found...
EL, Elohim, El Shaddah, Adonai, Jehovah-The LORD, Jehovah-Jireh- The LORD provides, Jehovah-Rophe=The LORD heals, Jehovah-Nissi=The LORD our banner, Jehovah-M'Kaddesh=The LORD Who sanctifies, Jehovah-Shalom=The LORD our peace, Shepherd, Judge, Jehovah Elohim=LORD God, Jehovah-Tsidkenu=The LORD our righteousness, Jehovah-Rohi=The LORD our Shepherd, Jehovah-Shammah=The LORD is there, Jehovah-Sabaoth=The LORD of Hosts, El Elyon=Most High, Abhir=Mighty One, Branch, Kadosh=Holy One, Shaphat=judge, El Roi=God of Seeing, Kanna=Jealous, Palet=Deliverer, Yeshua=Savior, Gaol=Redeemer, Magen=Shield, Stone, Eyaluth=Strength, Tsaddiq=Righteous One, El-Olam=Everlasting God, El Berith=God of the Covenant, El-Gibhor=Mighty God, Zur=God our Rock, Sun of Righteousness, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Ancient of Days, Melekh=King, Angel of the Lord, Father, Alpha Omega, The First and the Last, I AM, Word, Almighty, Jesus, Christ, Sophia=Wisdom of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit...The names of God are so powerful and bring a surge of assurance. Am I in turmoil? Jehovah Shalom will settle my spirit. Am I sick at heart or body? Jehovah Rophe will heal me. Do I need guidance down life's path? I must only follow the Shepherd's voice. Overwhelmed by attacks of the Enemy? El Elyon Abhir, the Most High Mighty One will fight the battle holding up the Shield to protect me, for the war has already been won. Sweating in the heat of battle? The Branch will shade and Jehovah Jireh will provide all I need. Sophi is ours for the asking says James. Lest we forget, Jehovah Sabaoth-The LORD of Hosts will certainly be sitting on the Great White Throne on that terrible day of judgement. But, never fear, ElOlam, our Everlasting God will spread His mighty wings, mounting us up and we shall reign forever with Christ our LORD.
This list was compiled by Lambert Dolphin
Wife beating in the Muslim mindset
I read a singular interesting debate over on One Man’s Blog which I do not frequent but found by accident through a series of clicks. Does anyone identify with me here? I can get so lost in Internet Land by following links that I forget what my original quest was all about. Well, this morning, I did not forget. The subject is Wife Beating. I saw a video on YouTube in which two men were discussing the proper etiquette for beating one’s wife. It sickened me so I’m not putting up a link to it. You can find it easily by Googling wife beating.
The debate which I have linked depicts the seduction Satan has over Muslims. I do not know if Lalla is a man or a woman, although one reference seems to indicate female gender. The point of discussion was whether Islam allows wife beating as a form of chastisement and discipline within marriage. After reading this debate, I have come to understand that I do not understand the Islam mindset or Islam religion. Someone in the debate admonishes us to not gauge the religion by what Muslims say/do, but to read the Qur’an in its original language in order to get the full, proper meaning.
Just as we Christians preach context, context, and we study hundreds of commentaries, the Greek and Hebrew languages so that we get a proper understanding, and we are constantly saying not to judge Christianity by the plumbline of Believers but of the True Plumbline of Jesus Christ, it would seem the followers of Allah have the same mindset.
I have not studied the Qur’an. I have seen what Muslims can do in the fanatical state of the Taliban. I understand that Christians have done some bloody things in the name of Jesus, too. Things like the Inquisition come to mind. There are many who say, well those who were oppressing the humble back during the Inquisition were not Christian at all. I agree. While none of the Muslims who participated in this debate ever said that Muslim wife beaters were not true believers, they did imply that wife-beating Muslims did not understand the proper reading of the Qur’an. That the word in Arabic Daraba would properly be translated as to “set a clear example” in the verse that triggered the discussion Surah 4:34.
Also, these Allah followers insist that the Qur’an does not “allow” wife beating, but “limits” it. Really? Jesus told the Sons of Thunder, “He who is not against Me is for Me.” That is exactly what is happening here. When something is not forbidden, but limited then that something is being allowed. Period.
Can you see the subtlety here? The implication that is trying to be made is that wife beating is not allowed, not that it is forbidden. The problem with that is the accepting of sin and limiting of sin. God tells us the things that are forbidden, that are sinful both in exactitude as well as in implication. God points out the actions of man against man is the lack of love for man. God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. To disobey this command is to sin.
To treat another person in such a way that one would never treat himself is a sin. Regardless of any limits. God never put a limit of conduct on murder, or stealing, or rape, or incest. Because domestic violence is prevalent around the world, are we to take it as a normal happenstance? No, we are not. It isn’t just the wife that is being harmed here. It is the children who are being taught a way of life that is not normal and is wrong in the eyes of God and mankind.
Paul wrote to Timothy that the last days will be filled with self-indulgent humans whose love for mankind goes ever colder. If we Christians do not turn the fire up, we will be sucked into that cold and we’ll never hear those coveted words, “Well done My good and faithful servant.”
Transportation national bank
Did anyone else notice the story yesterday with the Triple A spokeswoman? "They" are talking about a national bank which would allow "private" investors fund public works, namely roads and bridges, and that would allow the market place to decide where/when/what public works should be done.
That is probably the scariest story yet.
We already have a huge government which pays workers almost twice what any private/corporate sector worker gets paid. Now, we'll be having a national bank with "private investors". Doesn't anyone understand that we already have a scandal concerning Obama campaign contributions? Now, a national bank in the works which will let the market place determine where roads and bridges will be built and fixed. That means rural America will be back to traveling gravel roads because everyone knows commerce centers will get their roads and bridges while farmers and "hicks", since we're used to gravel and dust, will get more of the same.
But that isn't the worst of it. The scariest part is having a national bank owned by the government, funded by private investors. Shudder. We already have people sleeping in welfare hammocks feeling entitled to money that I worked hard to earn, now the government wants private investors to fund public works that we already pay taxes for AND they want to raise taxes on gasoline by at least 25 cents per gallon. So which is it? Private investors or taxes? Will this be another, "Oh you have to pass it in order to find out what's in it" kind of bill?
No thank you. I've had enough of that to last two lifetimes... oh, wait, it's now a debt even our great grandchildren won't be able to pay. When is enough enough, America?
That is probably the scariest story yet.
We already have a huge government which pays workers almost twice what any private/corporate sector worker gets paid. Now, we'll be having a national bank with "private investors". Doesn't anyone understand that we already have a scandal concerning Obama campaign contributions? Now, a national bank in the works which will let the market place determine where roads and bridges will be built and fixed. That means rural America will be back to traveling gravel roads because everyone knows commerce centers will get their roads and bridges while farmers and "hicks", since we're used to gravel and dust, will get more of the same.
But that isn't the worst of it. The scariest part is having a national bank owned by the government, funded by private investors. Shudder. We already have people sleeping in welfare hammocks feeling entitled to money that I worked hard to earn, now the government wants private investors to fund public works that we already pay taxes for AND they want to raise taxes on gasoline by at least 25 cents per gallon. So which is it? Private investors or taxes? Will this be another, "Oh you have to pass it in order to find out what's in it" kind of bill?
No thank you. I've had enough of that to last two lifetimes... oh, wait, it's now a debt even our great grandchildren won't be able to pay. When is enough enough, America?
Mississippi Judge slaps criminal contempt on attorney
Judge Talmadge Littlejohn asked everyone in his courtroom to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance on Wednesday. A civil rights attorney refused.
Does the judge have the legal right to order the Pledge said and to order Attorney Daniel Lampley to jail with criminal contempt? In a word, yes. The legal definition of chancery is a court that can order acts performed, so technically, Judge Littlejohn can.
Respect for our Flag and for our National Anthem is not mandated or constitutionalized. It is traditional. You can check out Flag Etiquette here. It is common practice and patriotic. Americans love the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, we are mostly patriotic. Why wouldn't someone say the pledge of allegiance?
If he is a Jehovah Witness, then he is not allowed to salute the flag or say the pledge. It is what they believe. Does a judge's order win out over religious belief? How sad that this question should even come up.
No, I do not know this attorney's religious belief. I just happened to know one reason why a person would not stand during the National Anthem, salute the flag or say the pledge of allegiance. Would I go to jail if a judge ordered me to renounce Jesus? You betcha, I would. I would die for my beliefs. As it so happens, a lot of soldiers and sailors have died just so anyone could worship as their conscience leads them to worship. If that happens to be Jehovah Witness, then so be it, although I pray that all Americans would come to know Jesus Christ as their savior and LORD. You just cannot legislate religious belief.
Does the judge have the legal right to order the Pledge said and to order Attorney Daniel Lampley to jail with criminal contempt? In a word, yes. The legal definition of chancery is a court that can order acts performed, so technically, Judge Littlejohn can.
Respect for our Flag and for our National Anthem is not mandated or constitutionalized. It is traditional. You can check out Flag Etiquette here. It is common practice and patriotic. Americans love the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, we are mostly patriotic. Why wouldn't someone say the pledge of allegiance?
If he is a Jehovah Witness, then he is not allowed to salute the flag or say the pledge. It is what they believe. Does a judge's order win out over religious belief? How sad that this question should even come up.
No, I do not know this attorney's religious belief. I just happened to know one reason why a person would not stand during the National Anthem, salute the flag or say the pledge of allegiance. Would I go to jail if a judge ordered me to renounce Jesus? You betcha, I would. I would die for my beliefs. As it so happens, a lot of soldiers and sailors have died just so anyone could worship as their conscience leads them to worship. If that happens to be Jehovah Witness, then so be it, although I pray that all Americans would come to know Jesus Christ as their savior and LORD. You just cannot legislate religious belief.
Joy and pleasure
And here is a puzzle that I cannot seem to wrap my mind around, but it is true to the core, I can lose happiness and be sad but I have not lost my joy because I know that my joy comes from the Lord.
I can be depressed but I have not lost my joy. Despair flees because of my joy.
I have not lost my joy because I am so confident that He loves me.
And because He is love,
I understand love better.
Because I understand love better,
Without Him I would have no clue what pleasure actually is or how deep that it goes into the fibers of my being. I would never know the true difference between the fickleness of Happy and the permanence of Joy.
Isn't that an astounding thought? Selah.
Here on earth I have an inkling of what it will be like in Heaven and because of that clue, I yearn more for Him and my dissatisfaction comes not from lack of earthly things but from desiring a closer relationship with Him. But, if that relationship gets too intense, I have to draw back because I cannot hold it all, fathom it all.
The closer I get to Him the more I want Him, the more I want Him, the more I love Him. The more I love Him the greater is my desire to please Him.
All of this started from His first loving me. Selah. While I was wicked and filthy, He loved me.
My pleasure is a direct gift from God and is derived from abiding in Him as He abides in me. That is my heart attitude and there is no place for a splinter to come between us.
Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah!5 A voice came from the throne, saying: Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both small and great! 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying: Hallelujah because our Lord God, the Almighty, has begun to reign! 7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory,because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. 8 She was permitted to wear fine linen, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.9 Then he said to me, "Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!" He also said to me, "These words of God are true." 17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Anyone who hears should say, "Come!" And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift. Revelation 19
"For we will sing a song of celebration. We will shout out with praise for the Bridegroom will come, the Glorious One. We will look on His face; we will go to a much better place. So dance with all your might, lift up your hands and clap for joy, for the time’s drawing near when He will appear. And OH! We will stand by His side, a strong, pure, spotless Bride. And we will dance on the streets that are golden, the glorious bride and the great Son of Man. From every tongue and tribe and nation, we’ll join in the song of the Lamb." Living Proof Ministries II CD
I can be depressed but I have not lost my joy. Despair flees because of my joy.
I have not lost my joy because I am so confident that He loves me.
And because He is love,
I understand love better.
Because I understand love better,
I can live a more pleasing life to Him.
Living a pleasing life to Him gives me more joy.
More joy gives me more pleasure even when I am sad; and this all stems from my firm foundation in Him.
Living a pleasing life to Him gives me more joy.
More joy gives me more pleasure even when I am sad; and this all stems from my firm foundation in Him.
Without Him I would have no clue what pleasure actually is or how deep that it goes into the fibers of my being. I would never know the true difference between the fickleness of Happy and the permanence of Joy.
Isn't that an astounding thought? Selah.
Here on earth I have an inkling of what it will be like in Heaven and because of that clue, I yearn more for Him and my dissatisfaction comes not from lack of earthly things but from desiring a closer relationship with Him. But, if that relationship gets too intense, I have to draw back because I cannot hold it all, fathom it all.
The closer I get to Him the more I want Him, the more I want Him, the more I love Him. The more I love Him the greater is my desire to please Him.
All of this started from His first loving me. Selah. While I was wicked and filthy, He loved me.
My pleasure is a direct gift from God and is derived from abiding in Him as He abides in me. That is my heart attitude and there is no place for a splinter to come between us.
Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah!5 A voice came from the throne, saying: Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both small and great! 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying: Hallelujah because our Lord God, the Almighty, has begun to reign! 7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory,because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. 8 She was permitted to wear fine linen, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.9 Then he said to me, "Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!" He also said to me, "These words of God are true." 17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Anyone who hears should say, "Come!" And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift. Revelation 19"For we will sing a song of celebration. We will shout out with praise for the Bridegroom will come, the Glorious One. We will look on His face; we will go to a much better place. So dance with all your might, lift up your hands and clap for joy, for the time’s drawing near when He will appear. And OH! We will stand by His side, a strong, pure, spotless Bride. And we will dance on the streets that are golden, the glorious bride and the great Son of Man. From every tongue and tribe and nation, we’ll join in the song of the Lamb." Living Proof Ministries II CD
TV Weatherman lost his job because of his faith
This experienced (21 years of it) weatherman, Jon Cash, is an evangelist during his off hours at the station. Because of that, he was fired.
Imagine that… being fired for professing Jesus as LORD and caring enough about the Lost that you share Jesus regularly. Isn’t that what we are supposed to do? Absolutely. No qualifiers or quantifiers, it is our commission given by Jesus. He also said that we will be persecuted because of Him. That means no rose garden, folks.
Cash has reluctantly filed a law suit, not for himself particularly, “…but to vindicate our God-given right to worship as defined in the Constitution and federal law.”
But the station manager said if Cash was a full time evangelist, it was “bad for business”. So is it about worship? No. Is it about off hours time consumption? How could it be since he wasn’t taking time away from his duties at the station. Is it an image thing? Ah. Maybe that is the culprit. But, I believe what it actually boils down to is money. If what the station manager said about being an evangelist is bad for business, then it is all about money.
Since the morning show was the area’s top rated show, then how could it be about money?
I say good luck to him with the law suit. When I was fired because of my Christian beliefs, (actually said in a letter!), I realized it wasn’t my beliefs. Those were just an excuse. What it was really about was I was doing exactly what God wanted me to do, and those whose Lord was not God were offended by my obedience to Him. And they were exceedingly jealous. I have lost three jobs because of my beliefs. Two of those said it out loud, and another used another excuse.
Here is the harsh reality, Christians. When we obey God, there are stormy seas ahead. He equips us with all the stormy weather gear, but it won’t do a bit of good if we don’t put it on. God will always provide for His children, and He will always provide for His will to be done. Rest in that and happy sailing. Always remember that we are ships with full sails—sails full with the Holy Spirit Wind, and the rudder of God’s Word.
Odds of life on another planet
I found this article to be very interesting and someone asked how this affected theology...
What an interesting question! We have several different angles to look at, but one of them is would life as we know it survive on this planet?
After reading the article we see a several things that would be detrimental to life as we know it, basically grass, trees, animals, humans. For one things the planet's orbit is about 37 days, and there is nothing said about a wobble in rotation. Our annual orbit coupled with the wobble in our rotation gives us our seasons and the different temperatures around the globe. That gives the earth, plants and such the opportunity for rest. Biblically, we know that the ground needs to lie fallow every seventh years in order to be optimally fruitful.
Next is the problem of temperature. Since the planet is tidally locked, meaning one side constantly faces the red dwarf sun and the other side constantly faces dark space, there is no relief or rest for the sunny side nor warmth for the dark side. The scientists estimate the average temperature is around -24 degrees to 10 degrees Fahrenheit which is the average between blazing sunny side and freezing dark side.
Can people live in that kind of environment? Yes. But, can they sustain themselves? I seriously doubt it.
I do not believe there a place in the universe exactly like earth, nor are there humans. We get this from the Bible. God tells us there is only one Satan. God has locked him to this earth. The perfect sacrifice of Jesus was here, for us, forever. Our purpose is to display the manifold wisdom of God to those principalities and powers of the heavenlies.
God may have a plan for those other planets at a later time, but the discovery of such does not change God's word or His character. He remains constant.
Stories I have written
Here are my stories which illustrate the Fruit of the Spirit. I wrote then in different order than Paul listed them, however, in studying this over the years, Paul listed the Fruit in several of his writings, but never as complete a list as in Galatians 5:22. I believe that is by divine design because I seriously doubt it is possible for Christians to exhibit the whole Fruit 100% of the time simply because we are human with human nature which we battle all the time. For us to truly be Christ-like having the mind of Christ, we must be pliable to God's will and when we do that, we become far above rubies.
Peace 1
Other stories that I have written...
Come Rejoice With Me -- fiction winner for September
AWARDS -- Come Rejoice With Me
My story won the September Editor's Choice Award. It is such an honor and I'm just thrilled! That story had such an impact on me while writing it. I am so thankful that God exhibits mercy, grace and rescues us through unconditional love. Amen.
sex education for kindergarteners on the radio
The United Nations has a program of sexuality education that is being promoted globally, which I talk about here. On George Barna's blog, I see him asking questions about how churches protect our children, comparing the British law, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act of 2006, to what many of us face when we volunteer to work in children's ministry in our churches. We rarely have to do anything, we rarely have to even fill out a form or submit to a back ground check.
The questions asked are simple, but quite frightening to me. Should we take a leaf from British law?
It terrifies me how much our government has torn from our hands in the education department. We parents, obviously, can't teach our children properly about proliferation. We don't know how to teach about sexual conduct or the sex act, so government in the form of public schools must teach this.
It is so scary that the president has embraced a person who has an agenda to make everyone in the U.S. accept that homosexuality is a normal lifestyle, and has made him the Education Czar with all the appropriate power to exercise his agenda.
I was incensed that the U.N. is pushing the idea that children as young as five years old should be introduced to sex education and that children should be assured that touching themselves, inappropriately in my opinion, is normal and natural. That just makes me sick at my stomach.
Slowly and insidiously our government is getting too big for its britches. Even now it is changing pants that have bigger and deeper pockets and is looking to fill them with our hard earned money. Big Government is not content with just our money, its long arm is reaching into the future to our grand children and our great-grandchildren. That gives me flu-like symptoms! Are we going to sit silently by and let it happen? Are we like blind Timaeus? Or will we be more like his son, Bartimaeus, who sits by the side of the road shouting for Jesus and asking for his sight?
We can't do anything within our own power, but we most certainly can ask God for help, and for the wisdom to do what He would have us do.
I’ve been invited to participate in a friendly debate concerning the merits of Sex Education in kindergarten…
It will be on BAM radio www.BAMRadioNetwork.com
SHOW: Body, Mind & Child (WMBK)
HOST: Rae Pica
HOST: Rae Pica
DATE: Monday, 10/4
TIME: 11:30a ET / 10:30a CT / 8:30a PT
TIME: 11:30a ET / 10:30a CT / 8:30a PT
TOPIC: Sex education in kindergarten
I beg you to please pray for me so that what I say will be God’s will and bring Him glory. It is a huge responsibility and I do not take it lightly. I’m studying right now, so please pray that I’ll be able to retain everything and to give a good, solid response to this gross attitude that 5-year olds should be taught sex education in school.
Will Solomon be in Heaven
To repent and turn from our wicked ways is the only way we can be fruitful. Solomon comes to my mind here. He was literally hell bound. In 1 Kings chapter 11 we find out God talked to Solomon twice about turning from his wicked ways. He did not wholly follow the Lord and His ways and the punishment God had for him was not Hell's Fire... but the punishment was physical. God raised up 2 enemies against Solomon. Hadad and Rezon. Then God promised to take away the united kingdom of Israel from Solomon's son.
I once thought that Solomon would not be in heaven. I thought because Solomon led the Israelites into idol worship and even worse by building worship places to Molech and Astoreth... the first to sacrifice human babies to and the second for prostitution of children and women that there was no way God could ever allow Solomon into heaven. How could He? What Solomon did was an abomination!
Of course, that road of thinking leads to works-based salvation and we all know that we are not working to get to Heaven, right? We only get there by grace and mercy from the LORD God Almighty.
I once thought that Solomon would not be in heaven. I thought because Solomon led the Israelites into idol worship and even worse by building worship places to Molech and Astoreth... the first to sacrifice human babies to and the second for prostitution of children and women that there was no way God could ever allow Solomon into heaven. How could He? What Solomon did was an abomination!
Of course, that road of thinking leads to works-based salvation and we all know that we are not working to get to Heaven, right? We only get there by grace and mercy from the LORD God Almighty.
Then I read--I mean really read Ecclesiastes 12. Solomon is very old when he writes this book and he writes it as repentance. He tells us that he did investigate everything and it was all in vain. Only the Lord God is worthy. His last words are very telling. "Fear God and obey His commands; there is no more to man than this. For God brings everything we do to judgment, and every secret, whether good or bad."
God's ways are not our ways, and God's thoughts are not our thoughts. Neither shall I ever try to say "this one is saved and that one is not saved." However, I can say, "That person professes Jesus but his actions are far from Christ-like." A person's fruit is testimony to whether the tree (person) is a good tree or a bad tree.
Therefore, I'll throw this on the table for discussion: If a person habitually and continuously walks in the darkness while professing to live in the light--is that person is a liar and is not and never was a Christian to begin with?
God's ways are not our ways, and God's thoughts are not our thoughts. Neither shall I ever try to say "this one is saved and that one is not saved." However, I can say, "That person professes Jesus but his actions are far from Christ-like." A person's fruit is testimony to whether the tree (person) is a good tree or a bad tree.
Therefore, I'll throw this on the table for discussion: If a person habitually and continuously walks in the darkness while professing to live in the light--is that person is a liar and is not and never was a Christian to begin with?
A big mouth can cause big trouble
What is the one thing that usually gets us in trouble? James says it can light a fire. James 3:5 So also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how little a fire kindles how large a forest! I used to have a plaque that had an "Elroy-was-here" face on it. If you are too young to remember that, back during WWII, you could find this hand drawn icon in a lot of different places. It was a straight line with a huge nose draped over it and large round eyes and hands on each side of the nose gripping the fence. My plaque read, "Lord, help me to keep my big mouth shut and my nose out of other people's business." It was good for me to remember that.
Our mouth (or tongue) has a habit of running without our brains kicking in gear and that usually gets us in hot water. The same thing happens in our next funny story from the Bible.
Judges 9:26-41
What about Gaal? (Gaal means Loathing. He was the son of Ebed who was one of the sons of Adin who returned from exile with Ezra.) “In those days, there was no king in Israel, everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25
A little background here... Gideon saved Israel from the tyranny of the Mideonites with just 300 men -- a drop of water compared to a river. He had a lot of wives and those wives gave him 70 sons. After Gideon saved the Israelites, they begged him to rule over them. Even then, they wanted a king. Gideon told them "No way. GOD will rule over you." He was hardly cool in the tomb before Israel went back to worshiping Baal and bowing down in the high places. Then along comes Abimlech. He was Gideon's son, but his son by a concubine, not a wife, and she was from Shechem. Abimlech slew each of his brothers except one, Jotham, who managed to hide from Abimlech's slimy followers. Abimlech had gone to the leaders of Shechem and advised them they'd be better off being ruled by someone that was one of them.
Jotham gets up on his soapbox and tells the people of Shechem just how the cow eats the cabbage. He told a parable. (A most delicious way to teach and make a point, which Jesus used frequently.)
All the trees decided they needed a king so they asked the olive tree to be king. No way... said the olive tree, "No. I'll have to quit making my fruit so that I could do all that work. I'd no longer be servant to God." The other fruit trees said the same thing. Isn't it interesting that the fruit trees were asked and the fruit trees said no? The fruitful were the most valued. The oak and the pine and the cedar trees are only useful after they are cut down, but the fruit trees are more useful while producing fruit. Then all the trees ask the bramble to be king, to which the bramble scrambles to grab the crown. Just like Abimlech did. The worthless, scratching and destructive choking bramble trying to rule. He only ruled for three years. Compare that to the good judges who judged, not ruled, for at least 40 years.
Enter Gaal.
This dog... er, bramble... sniffs the wind and sees how it lays. Then his mouth runs way ahead of his brain.
Gaal gets the citizens of Shechem to transfer their allegiance to him. They go out and press grapes having a big ole party. Gaal obviously gets drunk and blasts Abimlech.
"Who is Abimlech? He's not so big as the Shechemites!" He beats his fists on his chest and with a great Tarzan imitation. “If I were in charge here, I would know how to get rid of Abimlech!" (Insert the Tarzan yell), "I would say to him, ‘Let's take this outside buster...let's fight!’ Nana nana boo boo... “ This type of taunt is usually accompanied with the behind wiggle and the finger waggle, hands held appropriately about ear level. Here is one drunk bramble trying to take over another bramble's territory.
Oh, and Governor Zebul hears all about it! "Ummmmmm! " You can just hear the wheels in the man's mind rattling around and 'round. "I'm tellinnnnn'!"
The Gov gets this brilliant idea and sends Abimlech a message and tattling all about it. Then tells Abimlech exactly what to do. He's the Governor after all and that's what governors are supposed to do? Right? Tell other people what to do. He tells Abimlech the basics of the classic Indian ambush! Hide in the bushes at night and when Gaal appears "do what the situation requires" in the morning. What was the Gov thinking? Do we have a three-way bramble brawl?
So when Gaal gets up in the morning probably not feeling very spiffy, probably with an exploding hangover, he downs his morning coffee, yawns, stretches, scratches the itches, then he goes and stands in the open gate! What a target. What a stupid thing to do. All night he was mouthing off about Abimlech to Abimlechs relatives. Didn't he know they were kith and kin? It was like "Uh, here I am...I'm the one in the red shirt!"
Any one who has had even the remotest contact with small towns, knows that everyone is related in some way, shape or form in small towns. This is how Abimlech became ruler... he was bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh. It just isn't wise to say anything about anybody in a small town because sure as you do, you'll step on a cat's tail and set up the squalling all over the place.
It didn't matter that Shechem's leaders had put violent men in the mountain passes to rob the passers-by to undermine Abimlech. That was just brotherly squabbling. Everyone knows you don't step in between brothers when they squabble. They'll turn on you with a united front and down you'll go in a TKO in three seconds flat.
Standing in the gate, Gaal sees this huge army outside the gate and panics. He runs behind Zebul's skirt...
He says all whiney, "Gov Zebul, baby, there are big men with knives and stuff coming!"
Gov. Zebul, knowing the plan and seeing that its working just fine says, "Oh, no. That's just shadows you're seeing." Can't you see that sly grin behind that hand? Can't you see those winking eyes and jabbing elbows?
Now, the hungover Gaal is probably seeing double through the pounding of his head and here is the classic case of seeing what you want to see. Whether Zebul was stalling for time, or was calling Gaal a scaridy cat for becoming alarmed at shadows is speculative. Gaal alarmed himself, it seems by pointing out they were surrounded by an army sporting war weapons.
Gov. Zebul looks at him with beady eyes and says, "All right Big Mouth, you wanted to be in charge here. You were the one that said Who is Abimlech? There he is [finger jabbing Gaal’s chest and a smirk on face] Go out and fight him!"
Then Gaal goes out the gate [knees trembling] and fights. But Abimlech basically says “BOO!” and chases Gaal. He flees with tail tucked between his legs after there are bodies strewn all the way to the gate. Zebul then bans Gaal and his brothers from living in Shechem.
What’s the lesson here? Big mouths often cause big trouble. I think the better lesson here is choose carefully the person you follow or consort with because he's liable to cause you great pain or harm. I keep thinking about those fellows who followed Gaal. He ran and left them high and dry without so much as a horn-tooting-retreat. They wound up dead. It is crucial to know the character of the person you choose as a leader. How often do we vote without the first real thought of how that person votes on legislation? How well do we know how each candidate feels about each issue? Too often, we find out too late when the person is in office and we can't change it for years. Sometimes, the very bad choice made is because we are so apathetic to even voting. How sad. Arm chair critics are quick with their tongues, but slow with their fingers. Know the candidates and what they stand for. In my opinion, we've got too many brambles in Congress. Remember to VOTE!
Our mouth (or tongue) has a habit of running without our brains kicking in gear and that usually gets us in hot water. The same thing happens in our next funny story from the Bible.
Judges 9:26-41
What about Gaal? (Gaal means Loathing. He was the son of Ebed who was one of the sons of Adin who returned from exile with Ezra.) “In those days, there was no king in Israel, everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25
A little background here... Gideon saved Israel from the tyranny of the Mideonites with just 300 men -- a drop of water compared to a river. He had a lot of wives and those wives gave him 70 sons. After Gideon saved the Israelites, they begged him to rule over them. Even then, they wanted a king. Gideon told them "No way. GOD will rule over you." He was hardly cool in the tomb before Israel went back to worshiping Baal and bowing down in the high places. Then along comes Abimlech. He was Gideon's son, but his son by a concubine, not a wife, and she was from Shechem. Abimlech slew each of his brothers except one, Jotham, who managed to hide from Abimlech's slimy followers. Abimlech had gone to the leaders of Shechem and advised them they'd be better off being ruled by someone that was one of them.
Jotham gets up on his soapbox and tells the people of Shechem just how the cow eats the cabbage. He told a parable. (A most delicious way to teach and make a point, which Jesus used frequently.)
All the trees decided they needed a king so they asked the olive tree to be king. No way... said the olive tree, "No. I'll have to quit making my fruit so that I could do all that work. I'd no longer be servant to God." The other fruit trees said the same thing. Isn't it interesting that the fruit trees were asked and the fruit trees said no? The fruitful were the most valued. The oak and the pine and the cedar trees are only useful after they are cut down, but the fruit trees are more useful while producing fruit. Then all the trees ask the bramble to be king, to which the bramble scrambles to grab the crown. Just like Abimlech did. The worthless, scratching and destructive choking bramble trying to rule. He only ruled for three years. Compare that to the good judges who judged, not ruled, for at least 40 years.
Enter Gaal.
This dog... er, bramble... sniffs the wind and sees how it lays. Then his mouth runs way ahead of his brain.
Gaal gets the citizens of Shechem to transfer their allegiance to him. They go out and press grapes having a big ole party. Gaal obviously gets drunk and blasts Abimlech.
"Who is Abimlech? He's not so big as the Shechemites!" He beats his fists on his chest and with a great Tarzan imitation. “If I were in charge here, I would know how to get rid of Abimlech!" (Insert the Tarzan yell), "I would say to him, ‘Let's take this outside buster...let's fight!’ Nana nana boo boo... “ This type of taunt is usually accompanied with the behind wiggle and the finger waggle, hands held appropriately about ear level. Here is one drunk bramble trying to take over another bramble's territory.
Oh, and Governor Zebul hears all about it! "Ummmmmm! " You can just hear the wheels in the man's mind rattling around and 'round. "I'm tellinnnnn'!"
The Gov gets this brilliant idea and sends Abimlech a message and tattling all about it. Then tells Abimlech exactly what to do. He's the Governor after all and that's what governors are supposed to do? Right? Tell other people what to do. He tells Abimlech the basics of the classic Indian ambush! Hide in the bushes at night and when Gaal appears "do what the situation requires" in the morning. What was the Gov thinking? Do we have a three-way bramble brawl?
So when Gaal gets up in the morning probably not feeling very spiffy, probably with an exploding hangover, he downs his morning coffee, yawns, stretches, scratches the itches, then he goes and stands in the open gate! What a target. What a stupid thing to do. All night he was mouthing off about Abimlech to Abimlechs relatives. Didn't he know they were kith and kin? It was like "Uh, here I am...I'm the one in the red shirt!"
Any one who has had even the remotest contact with small towns, knows that everyone is related in some way, shape or form in small towns. This is how Abimlech became ruler... he was bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh. It just isn't wise to say anything about anybody in a small town because sure as you do, you'll step on a cat's tail and set up the squalling all over the place.
It didn't matter that Shechem's leaders had put violent men in the mountain passes to rob the passers-by to undermine Abimlech. That was just brotherly squabbling. Everyone knows you don't step in between brothers when they squabble. They'll turn on you with a united front and down you'll go in a TKO in three seconds flat.
Standing in the gate, Gaal sees this huge army outside the gate and panics. He runs behind Zebul's skirt...
He says all whiney, "Gov Zebul, baby, there are big men with knives and stuff coming!"
Gov. Zebul, knowing the plan and seeing that its working just fine says, "Oh, no. That's just shadows you're seeing." Can't you see that sly grin behind that hand? Can't you see those winking eyes and jabbing elbows?
Now, the hungover Gaal is probably seeing double through the pounding of his head and here is the classic case of seeing what you want to see. Whether Zebul was stalling for time, or was calling Gaal a scaridy cat for becoming alarmed at shadows is speculative. Gaal alarmed himself, it seems by pointing out they were surrounded by an army sporting war weapons.
Gov. Zebul looks at him with beady eyes and says, "All right Big Mouth, you wanted to be in charge here. You were the one that said Who is Abimlech? There he is [finger jabbing Gaal’s chest and a smirk on face] Go out and fight him!"
Then Gaal goes out the gate [knees trembling] and fights. But Abimlech basically says “BOO!” and chases Gaal. He flees with tail tucked between his legs after there are bodies strewn all the way to the gate. Zebul then bans Gaal and his brothers from living in Shechem.
What’s the lesson here? Big mouths often cause big trouble. I think the better lesson here is choose carefully the person you follow or consort with because he's liable to cause you great pain or harm. I keep thinking about those fellows who followed Gaal. He ran and left them high and dry without so much as a horn-tooting-retreat. They wound up dead. It is crucial to know the character of the person you choose as a leader. How often do we vote without the first real thought of how that person votes on legislation? How well do we know how each candidate feels about each issue? Too often, we find out too late when the person is in office and we can't change it for years. Sometimes, the very bad choice made is because we are so apathetic to even voting. How sad. Arm chair critics are quick with their tongues, but slow with their fingers. Know the candidates and what they stand for. In my opinion, we've got too many brambles in Congress. Remember to VOTE!
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