Judgement of the Thankless Nation and other Musings

So many things have been going on lately it’s been nearly impossible to decide which are more important than the others so, here’s a few words about ones that have figured prominently in my mind recently.

It’s not long until Thanksgiving arrives and yet, if we were to determine approaching holidays by the sort of commercials airing on radio and T.V., one could come to believe that there is no such holiday called Thanksgiving in this country.

Is this an accident? Or, is it, perhaps, by design?

Romans 1:21 reads: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

Is this a description of society today? Many people say they believe in God (even members of the professing church), but their lives do not reflect such belief and neither to they give glory to Him. There are others who profess a spirituality that cannot be named. Since one cannot attach a name to it, it’s impossible to determine who is being worshiped and if there are any requirements placed upon those worshiping by the one being worshiped. Pointing out such inconsistencies is, of course, politically incorrect which only leaves those worshipers lost in the deceptiveness of their own vanity. Talk about foolish hearts being darkened, consider how the great commercial holidays are fast becoming Halloween and Christmas. Not Christmas, as in a feast to celebrate the birth of the Savior, but the pagan celebration of the Saturnalia.

Numbers 32:23 reads in part: "… ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

The world of sport saw some of it’s idols fall. The Penn State football program was revealed to be a haunt for homosexual pedophiles this past week, and the school’s team lost it’s first game since the perversion was revealed. It seems like, once again, the Word of God is proven true.

While, it was revealed recently that the Ft. Hood murder’s cowardly superior officers, having been clearly corrupted by political correctness, refused to stop the Islamic lunatic from trying to infect fellow troopers with his hateful rhetoric, children in public schools are prohibited by political correctness from wearing patriotic apparel on foreign holidays, such as the Mexican holiday of the Fifth of May. It’s okay though. Right? Because, we’re just like you: we’re Mormons. Yeah, right.

This nation is fast becoming an asylum run by the inmates. Contradictions are the rule of the day.

Republican presidential candidates all talk about all the things they will do to fix the problems of the nation. All, except for how they promise to obey the law of the land. The only candidate who makes such a promise, Ron Paul, is made a laughing stock by the other candidates and even the "friendly" media; ex: Fox News. The Democrats, not to be outdone, proceed down their Progressive path with their candidate Obama, leading them like Lemmings to the seaside cliff. Speaking of Obama, since we no longer manufacture anything of significance in this country, how is free trade with Asia going to maximize our exports? How is that going to help create jobs in this country? If our own citizens won’t by Government Motors products, what makes him believe that the Asians will?

It all makes me think of the record of I Samuel 8:11-18, where God’s reply to the people of Israel, concerning what the leader they chose would do to them, is recorded. Personally, I think our globalist, Progressive presidents have run far beyond what Israelite kings ever did. The last verse seems to be our fate after each election: "And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day". I Samuel 8:18. What if we chose a president who would honor both the Constitution and the Lord?

I Timothy 6:10 reads: "For the love of money is the root of all evil". That root has certainly reared it’s ugly head all over the country as these Occupy Wall Street protests continue. Greed (on the part of the rich) and ignorance (on the part of the protesters) have combined with criminals, trade unionists and socialists in an effort to disrupt as much of everything disrupt-able as possible. Toss in a few rapes here and a murder or two over there, and we’re looking at closing out 2011 in a time of such spiritual darkness as the country has not seen in decades.

Still, Psalm 83 sits there, mostly ignored in the pages of the Bible. The Arab Spring lays the groundwork towards the fulfillment of that prophecy as the radical Islamic Brotherhood infects all of those nations, inciting them to rush headlong towards their destruction, and one scarcely hears a murmur about it. The stock market is going up today and down tomorrow. A couple of mothers have passed her children through the fire to Molech recently. Poor them. They are victims of something or other, no doubt. Too bad. We don’t really care because we’re all too busy hanging-up on stupid robo-calls from political candidates clamoring for more money because it’s money you see that wins elections, not votes.

These are indeed just like the days of Noah. Everyone is doing whatever feels right to them, and no one dares to restrain evil any longer. These conditions will continue, I’m afraid, "… until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled". Luke 21:24.

I cannot leave you with such a depressing thought, and neither did God.

"But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:28 NASB.

Come Lord Jesus; Come.

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How Facebook Damages the Family

Hi Folks! How’s that for a catchy title? I got your attention with it, I’m sure.

So, you’re probably asking, what’s this posting going to be about. Maybe it’ll be all about my misspellings and abuses of grammar? No, not this time, besides, Blogilo utilizes gtkspell, which underlines all words not in the system dictionary with these cute little red squiggly lines. All I have to do is insure that the dictionary is correct and not add misspelled words to it.

This post has a single Biblical reference: “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. ” Prov. 22:6 (KJV).

The post is about Facebook and how the naivety of the founder, operators, and policy-makers of that Internet phenomenon have contributed to endangering children all across the country with their mis-guided, anarchist-like pursuit of “freedom”.

First of all, there are some useful aspects to Facebook that I should point out. It can make it easy to find things to write about. For instance, the following little tidbit was found on a “Friend’s” posting:

“New Pledge of Allegiance”

Now I sit me down in school,

Where praying is against the rules

For this great nation under God,

Finds mention of Him very odd.

If scripture now the class recites,

It violates the Bill of Rights.

And anytime my head I bow,

Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,

That’s no offense; it’s a freedom scene.

The law is specific, the law is precise.

Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall,

 Might offend someone with no faith at all.

In silence alone we must meditate,

God’s name is prohibited by the state.

We’re allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,

And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.

They’ve outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.

To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,

And the ‘unwed daddy,’ our Senior King.

It’s ‘inappropriate’ to teach right from wrong,

We’re taught that such ‘judgments’ do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,

Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.

But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,

No word of God must reach this crowd.

It’s scary here I must confess,

When chaos reigns the school’s a mess.

So, Lord, this silent plea I make:

Should I be shot; My soul please take!

Amen .

Now, I could comment upon that until the cows come home and never run out of material, but that’s not why I started writing this post.

You see, I’m baffled at how Facebook believes the “rights” of 13-year olds need to be protected. First, where did 13-year olds get “rights” to do anything other than follow the rules of their parents, teachers, and others in authority? Facebook seems to think the Federal Government has bestowed these “rights” upon them. Consequently, if your child, without your knowledge or permission, creates a Facebook account, affirming that they are at least 13-years of age, (weather they are or not doesn’t matter), at a friends house, or at the Public or school Library, using a Gmail or Yahoo email account created in the same rebellious manner, and then proceeds to use that Facebook account, with it’s real-time chat (instant messaging) facility to conspire with their friends to do things they know their parents would forbid them to do, apparently, that’s okay with Facebook because, should you discover this subterfuge, Facebook will not help you regain control of your child by removing the account. Even if you prove to them beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are the one responsible for the child, they will defend to the death the “right” of the child to have this secret way to communicate behind your back with “friends” or to permit strangers who do not have the best interest of the child at heart, to see suggestive and sensual photographs of your child. Children with cell phones equipped with cameras will often photograph themselves in suggestive poses and wearing sensual clothing. They post these photos on Facebook for all the world to see, especially when the child in question believes the more friends they have on Facebook, the more popular they are. I personally know of a 13-year old girl who “friended” almost six-hundred people who sent her friend requests, because she believed that would raise her status among the crowd she associated with in school. Most of these people she did not really know. Her parents did not know them, and she was unconcerned about the repercussions of making her personal contact information available to whomever asked. She even gave her user name and password away so other people could access her account.

That’s the sort of mentality Facebook believes needs to be protected from parental limitations.

Mark Zuckerberg must be a complete idiot if he believes that 13-year olds are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually mature enough to do anything that is beyond the reach and control of their parents. Well, one has to excuse him somewhat. After all, he attended Harvard (where Facebook first reared it’s ugly head), and he was born in 1984.

Look, I really don’t care what adults do with Facebook but Zuckerberg apparently didn’t take any early childhood development classes, (maybe they don’t offer such classes at Harvard), because he seems to be completely ignoring all the evidence indicating that a 13-year old child’s brain isn’t quite fully developed at that age, and what happens to them during this period of time can easily mess them up for life.

My thesis here is that Facebook contributes to the Progressive/Fabian Socialist belief that children should be reared by the State and the Family is irrelevant. That’s why they fall back on some imagined Federal Law prohibiting parents from accessing a child’s Facebook (or any other) account. They do this by giving tools to children as young as 13, which they can use to conspire against and evade the rules, limitations and the structure created by their parents. They place themselves in dangerous and compromising situations because they are ignorant, easily-manipulated, thrill-seeking, popularity-hunters. Believe me, children much younger than 13 are using these tools and for the same nefarious reasons I’ve mentioned. Should you, Gentle Parent, discover this has happened with your child and should you try putting a stop to it, Zuckerberg and Company will not help you. They will blame you, to be sure, but they will not help you.

But I will; At least, I’ll try.

Start by removing as much of your child’s presence on the Internet as you can.

If you have access to a computer your child uses to access Facebook, you at least have a chance to put a stop to their activities. I’ll assume that it’s a Windows-based system that you’re dealing with, at least initially.

First, install a keystroke logger program. I used one developed by Award Software. They are one of the companies who developed a lot of the BIOS firmware that starts-up every computer. Once installed, the key logger records every key typed on the keyboard and saves it in a file you can examine later. Mind you, the file and the program is hidden from plain view so your child has no idea what’s happening, unless you chose to enable a little splash that informs the user that their activities are being monitored. This file will contain the user name and password your child uses to access Facebook.

Having obtained this information, you can now take control of the account. Do it in this order. Change the contact email address to one your child does not know about. Be sure to delete any secondary addresses listed. Change the password. You’ll have to confirm this change by responding to a Facebook email sent to the email address you set for contact. Having done this, you can now disable the account. Once the account is disabled, proceed to request deletion. It’s important that once this has been done, do not log onto the account using the new information. That will reset the deletion request. The account must remain inactive for fourteen days, then it will be automatically deleted. The following is from the Facebook help center:

“If you deactivate your account from your Security Settings page, your profile and all information associated with it disappears from the Facebook service immediately. People on Facebook will not be able to search for you or view any of your information.

“In case you want to come back to Facebook at some point, we save your profile information (friends, photos, interests, etc.) so that your account will look just the way it did when you left. A lot of people deactivate their accounts for temporary reasons and expect their profiles to be there when they return to the service.

“If you do not think you will use Facebook again and would like your account deleted, keep in mind that you will not be able to reactivate your account or retrieve any of the content or information you have added. If you would like your account permanently deleted with no option for recovery, log in to your account and then submit your request here: http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account”

The thing to remember is DO NOT use the account for fourteen days. That’s why we change the contact information to something only we know about.

Now, let’s say the fourteen days have expired and the account is gone, do you let your child use the Internet again?

Sure, but you have to go at it a little differently than before.

To really keep your child safe, you’ll need the cooperation of anyone, anywhere, who might make computers available for your child’s use. This includes schools, libraries, and the parents of their friends. What we intend to do is restrict the child’s access to the Internet to the home only. That’s where we can control it best. Assuming that’s possible, let’s move on.

Get a hold of another computer. This computer will not be Windows-based, but it will run the Linux operating system. This computer will be the one your child will use for all their computer work, especially, accessing the Internet. If you’re not familiar with Linux, contact a computer geek in your area who is. Ask them to install the Mageia 1 Linux distribution (which you can download and burn to a DVD), along with the Firewall Builder program, which you can also download. Whatever they ask for compensation will be well worth the price. Firewall Builder is program is what you’ll use to configure the computer to restrict Internet sites and the times when the Web browser will be able to function (let you friendly geek set it up initially, and show you how to manipulate the parameters later, if you think you will want to). Blocking access to or from sites like Facebook, MySpace, MyYearbook, etc. It may sound daunting at first but it’s easy, once you’ve been shown how. You can also restrict the Internet access times. Be as restrictive or generous as you like. As they get older, more and more children will need to access the Internet to complete homework assignments, so we need to be sensitive to their legitimate needs in that area. The tools mentioned make this possible.

So, why do we have to take all these precautions with the children of a Christian home? Because, like it or not, (remember: just because a mouse grows up in a cookie jar, doesn’t make him a cookie), our children are all sinners. They will remain sinners until they understand what Sin is, what it has done to them, and they recognize that they have a need for salvation. That’s the only way repentance will be realized in them and, because God is not mocked, repentance is a necessary prerequisite to salvation.

Now mind you, you’ll probably be unleashing a hornets nest if you do this, especially, if your child has become deeply involved in this manifestation of sin, but we have to persevere, for our children’s sake. You’re better off to implement this strategy before the problem develops. I knew a church pastor once who said that “Sin makes you stupid.” It does and it also makes you behave like a heroin addict when it’s taken away, so be prepared for some rough road ahead.

The Internet is a wonderful tool, but it’s also like a loaded gun and you, Dear Parent Reader, would do well to treat it as such. You wouldn’t let your child play with a loaded gun. Would you? Of course not, so don’t let them stray into Internet traffic un-escorted. Be their pedagog, as that is one of your responsibilities towards your children. It’s part of training them up in the way that they should go.

Having taken the reins of control back from your child, let Mr. Zuckerberg know what you’ve had to go through and politely ask him to reconsider his position on the matter. The age of Internet majority should be at least 18, as it is for most all other things. Schools, libraries and all places that permit public access to computers or have WiFi access should demand ID from people who look very young, just as they do for cigarette and alcohol purchases. A parent should be able to access and delete if necessary anything their child has created on an Internet site. Sites like Facebook need to develop ways to verify the age of the people who desire to use their site, and they must make it clear from the get-go that the accounts of users under 18 are accessible to their parents and/or guardians who are responsible for them.

Before I go, I would like to suggest that, if you have given your child a cell phone, take it back. Hundreds of generations of people have lived quite successful lives without the questionable “benefits” of cell phone usage. Children, and by “children”, I am referring to anyone under the age of 18, do not need to have a cell phone. Don’t cave into the world’s propaganda. Explain to your child that they are being manipulated by evil propagandists, (Madison Avenue marketing trolls), into desiring to have a cell phone and that no good will come of it.

It’s an evil, wicked world out there folks. Stand your ground. Defend your family. You’ll not regret that decision.

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My Middle East Land-for-Peace Plan

Why don’t we fix the “Palestinian Problem” properly? My land-for-peace suggestion involves flipping the half butterfly-wing of the West Bank over to the east into Jordan. Then the Palestinians can butt heads with the Jordanians over who will control Amman. Okay, so it doesn’t line-up perfectly, but hey; The Palestinians have to fight with someone. Right? Why not their great-great grandparents in Jordan? Next, let’s flip the Gaza Strip down to the southwest. The Palestinians of Gaza can then build their own towns in the “hanging chad” extending into Egypt. Sorry Syrians but you don’t get to build your missile launchers on the Golan Heights.
Were it not for the fact that the Arabs hate the Jews, something like my land-for-peace plan would work. Look at the areas I described on Google Earth. Nobody lives there, for the most part. Plenty of room for the Palestinians to live peacefully, if they really wanted peace.
It seems that Obama has the same desire to see the end of Israel as the Arabs do. Why else would he advocate Israel returning to the pre-1967 war borders as the way to implement Middle East peace? I don’t know. Maybe he’s just an idiot. One thing for sure is, he didn’t learn a thing from George Bush’s siding with Arabs against Israel back in 2005. Remember when George pressured Ariel Sharon to withdraw from Gaza and the West Bank? For that, God slapped President Bush with Hurricane Katrina. For Obama’s folly, he gets EF-5 tornadoes in the Great Plains.
I think the only reason these disasters don’t land on Washington, D.C., is that moral, honorable people still pray for the safety of our leaders. God bless them. Nobody else will, that’s for sure.

Harold Camping: False Prophet

It’s Sunday, May 22, 2011. This is the day of the “Great Disappointment of 2011” for FamilyRadio.com, Harold Camping, and his devoted followers. I am so confident that the Lord Jesus will not rapture the Church on May 21, that I started writing this on May 19. There is one thing, however, that may eventually make all of us wish that Camping would have been right. For on May 19, 2011, President Obama, President Barack Hussein Obama, openly and proudly invited the wrath of God upon our nation by his arrogant siding with the sons of Ishmael (the ARABS) against Israel. We’ll get to that later.

Now, I’m not one to gloat but Harold Camping was wrong (again) about the Rapture and the judgment to come. No matter how strongly you believe a thing, if it is not in accordance with God’s will, it’s not going to happen. God cannot be manipulated by human will.

Here in Spokane, Washington, where I live, we saw manifested our share of Camping’s deceived followers. Though not a large number, they were quite convinced in their belief. They walked through large parks, shopping malls and stood on street corners passing out fliers. They drove up and down the streets in their cars, bedecked with announcements of Camping’s prophecy.

I cannot help but wonder what they are doing today, after their version of the “Great Disappointment” has come to pass?

For those of you who don’t know, the “Great Disappointment” refers to the failed “prophecy” of the Rapture and the end of the world as told by William Miller in 1843.

Miller, who split off from the Baptists in the early 1800s, was a seminal element behind the Seventh Day Adventist movement.

Many of the “Millerites,” as they were called, quit their jobs, sold their possessions, donned white “Ascension Robes, ” and stood upon their roofs awaiting the fulfillment of their dream. When it didn’t happen, Miller made the expected excuses and set a new date: October 22, 1844. That day became known as the “Great Disappointment of 1844.”

Needless to say, Miller’s followers were disappointed and confused after both of his prophecies failed. Eventually, the Millerites disbanded and formed three different groups, one of which became the Seventh Day Adventests.

Jehovah’s Witnesses taught that the second coming of Christ took place in 1914.

More recently, Edgar Whisenant wrote a book entitled, 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988. Of course, the Lord did not come in 1988. Not to be outdone by the initial failure, he presented his new theory: 89 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Take Place in 1989. It was humorously surmised that the added reason given in the new book might be this: “Reason #89—Because He did not come in 1988.”

Even the Catholics are not immune.

I do not know what will become of FamilyRadio.com, Harold Camping, or his followers. I sincerely hope and pray that Camping’s disciples will recognize that their leader is a false prophet and will seek the Truth from the Lord through His Word, instead of listening to the imaginations of men like Harold Camping.

My prayer for Camping is that he would repent quickly, for God frowns upon those who lead his children astray (Matt. 18:6).

This should serve as a lesson to everyone who claims the Name of Christ. Hear what God has said and just believe it. You may not understand everything initially but, the danger of seeking out other sinful men to explain it to you is more dreadful than you can imagine.

Man can help you with translating the words and with the history and cluture. Those elements, combined with a consistent set of rules for interpretation, will allow you, with the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit (assuming that you believed God and are born again, of course), to understand that God says what he means and means what He says. You don’t need priests, pastors, popes, ministers, or professors to tell you what the Bible means. You don’t need college degrees in this-ology or that-ology; those “ologies” being nothing more than the imaginations of men who should have spent more time studying their Bibles and less time striving to have “ologies” named after themselves. Think about it for a moment. God wrote the book. Don’t you think that He’s the most qualified to explain it to you? Yes, I know. Sometimes God uses men to accomplish His will. Did you get that last part? “… accomplish His will.” I don’t believe that all the different denominations of Christianity, to say noting for all the different religions, work to accomplish God’s will. God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). This plethora beliefs do the exact opposite. Leaving believers and non-believers alike trying to sort-out the morass of contradictory doctrines, deceptive teachings, and corrupt organizations. Too many believers ignore the problems, preferring the social life and their friends and associates at church to embracing and being embraced by the Truth. Non-believers aren’t really interested in hearing what “we” have to say. They are happy not to be entangled in that mess. Now, all of us who have heard and believed God have to contend with the fallout of another person who set-out, in folly and bald-faced defiance of God’s written Word, to set a date for the up-ward call (Phil 3:14), thereby bringing even more ridicule upon the Body of Christ than we have suffered in the past.

If you, Dear Reader, are one of Camping’s disciples, please don’t do something foolish. This event did not catch God unawares. He knew this would happen. He can help you get back on the Biblical rails, which lead to Truth, if you will but trust Him.

Obama Invites God’s Wrath Upon America

This is just a quick post. Today should be a sad day for all Americans and all Christians. President Obama openly and proudly invited the wrath of God upon our nation by arrogantly siding with the sons of Ishmael against Israel. This should be a clear sign to all Christian Americans that Barack Hussein Obama is NOT a Christian. He is a CINO (Christian In Name Only) for no true believer could stab Israel in the back the way he has. A true Believer knows what Genesis 12:3 says: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

May God forgive us our foolishness.

Christlam? Say What!?!

“Say What?!?”

Yeah, that’s what I said the first time I came across that expression. That’s what we’re going to look at in this entry.

So, before I go on any further, let me say this first. I believe that Islam, the religion of the Mohammedans, is Satan’s ANSWER TO Christianity, not something to be merged with it. The professors who have perpetrated this obscene and foolish attempt to corrupt what God has said with the doctrines of devils shall drink from bitter waters, not only in this life, but in the Judgment to come. The God of the Bible is not the god the Mohammedans worship! The Prophet Jesus of the Mohammedans is not the Only Begotten Son of the Living God and very God Himself! You CINOS (Christians In Name Only), who preach and teach that they are the same have deliberately violated the First Commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Ex. 20:3). Do you really think you’ll get away with this blasphemy? God will judge you and you’ll be found wanting.

1 Tim. 4:1 says: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”

Welcome to the “latter times”.

Luke 18:8 states in part: “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

The Lord was encouraging his listeners to pray about everything. The implication in the context here is that people were trusting too much in themselves (in their self-righteousness), to take the time to pray concerning any given situation. That phrase “when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth”, I think speaks loudly and clearly to the modern, Western church.

Leaders of the modern church seem to be either so preoccupied with fleecing the sheep that they cannot recognize the evil that has infiltrated their numbers; or, they are more concerned with getting a good Republican elected as President (things of this world), that they just have no time for the things of God.

Had the professing church actually heard what God has said and believed what He had said, they would have the indwelling Holy Spirit raising red flags left and right whenever the subject of ecumenicism comes up; Especially when the subject of said ecumenicism are Mohammedans.

Jesus Himself taught, as recorded in Matthew 7:15-20, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

It appears that today’s modern church member now looks to Wall Street, military might, politicians and their political schemes for their salvation, instead of to the One who shed His blood for their sake. Having the good life, in this life, is what counts to these. And is it any wonder? The gospel of prosperity they preach can save no one at all. The gospel of compromise with the world may increase their numbers but all they end up doing is making their converts twice the disciples of hell that they themselves are. Jesus said it so much better in Matthew 25:15, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”

Christians who are prayerfully and doctrinally lazy all run the risk of being deceived by the modern-day false prophets who sing the pretty, popular songs on stage, speak from behind pulpits and sit next to them in pews on Saturdays and Sundays.

It’s time that all who name the claim of Christ stop listening to these lies and the mouths from which they spew. It’s time to stop reading books ABOUT the Bible. Time to put down the commentaries; Open the Bible and learn from God Himself, without the interference of Man’s sordid opinions and his corrupt imaginations. There is still time to turn from the path that leads to destruction. The time is short. Chose wisely and chose quickly.

“But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.” (Deut. 4:29-31)

Testing A New Client

Well, I’m at it again using a new piece of software called QTM. It’s a Qt4 program. Because this is just a bit of a test, this post won’t contain anything of significance. I’m just trying to see how well it works.
I was using a Qt4/KDE4 program called Bilbo Blogger (the name’s been changed to blogio or something like that) but it’s strong attachment to the KDE4 desktop makes it useless for me (you wouldn’t believe what I was doing in order to use it the little bit I did).

Well, let’s see if this will post. Okay?

Okay. The client posted the article but I had to come here to actually post it. Oh bother. Maybe I can do something about that later. New software is like that, at least it is with me.

Harold Camping’s At It Again

Yes, you read that right. More of Camping’s May 21, 2011 Rapture date-setting nonsense has appeared. I wrote about this earlier in the year when it was reported that a woman had paid to have Camping’s message placed on a bunch of bus benches in Denver, Colorado, if memory serves me.

Well this time, Camping’s convinced another woman, in Detroit this time, to pay to have these billboards erected in, not only Detroit but, eight other cities. Get this, apparently Camping believes that by lying about what the Bible says, he will convince the world that the Bible is the infallible Word of God! The extent of Camping’s lie will be revealed in just about six-months. Stay tuned and pray that his followers wake-up to the Truth and listen to what God has said, after their false prophet has been revealed to be the colossal fraud that he is.

I would that I could just ignore the Harold Campings of the world, but, as long as they are able to deceive people into supporting their nonsense, I have to say something.

Harold Camping is, as most informed Believers know, the brains behind "Family Radio," a shortwave outlet based in United States. His "ministry" serves as an outlet for some of the worse examples of professing Christianity and psudo-Christian cults one can find, such as the Aryan Nations-like "Identity Christianity" movement. Most of these people would rather drink the Kool-Aid than believe God loves anyone other than blond-haired, blue-eyed North Americans. Anyhow, that’s a subject best left for some other time.

In an article on the Detroit Free Press web site, "freep.com", the writer, one Niraj Warikoo, who clearly knows nothing about what the Bible has to say concerning the Rapture, tried to make some sense out of Camping’s message with what other people have said the Bible says. Of course, it sounds like the rantings of a lunatic, and of course, the writer attempts to tie sane Christians to it by referring to the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, which reports that four out of five Christians believe that Jesus will come back. Too bad Pew didn’t bother to mention that only idiots set dates for the Event because, you see, the Bible is pretty clear that no man knows when Jesus will return: Only God the Father knows, and he isn’t telling anybody, especially Harold Camping. Matthew 24:36 reads: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." Now, that quotation does not refer explicitly to the Rapture. It is a reference to the Second Coming; the date of which cannot be calculated until the Great Tribulation begins. Since the Great Tribulation does not begin until after the Rapture has taken place, the timing of the Rapture cannot be calculated either.

They also failed to mention that another date-setter, Edgar C. Whisenant produced a little pamphlet back in 1988, (the same year Camping says the Great Tribulation began,) entitled "88 REASONS Why The Rapture Will Be In 1988", with a subtitle of "The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh-Hash-Ana) September 11-12-13." Flipping the booklet over reveals a second booklet which contains Whisenant’s "proof" that his interpretation is "sound." Did World War III start on October 3, 1988, with a Syrian attack upon Israel? Don’t worry. You didn’t miss anything. It never happened. Another false prophet is unmasked.

Well, as you may have already determined, the Rapture didn’t happen in 1988 and neither did the Great Tribulation begin then, either. Can you guess who hasn’t written any subsequent books on the End Times?

Now, I know that my regular readers know that I have little patience for people like Camping and Whisenant. They misrepresent the Church and, more importantly, they misrepresent God before Mankind. They sew seeds of confusion in the hearts and minds of people who have not yet learned to avoid these date-setters. God knows, I spent quite a few years, when I was just a young Christian, in a state of terrible confusion, thanks, in part, to people like them. Thankfully, God was holding on tightly to me because I was ready to walk away from what seemed to be to be a bunch of greedy-for-gain, dysfunctional, control-freaks.

Remember that the Lord Jesus said that in the last days there would be false prophets all over the place. So as the Apostles reminded their readers, I am reminding whoever might read this post. Harold Camping is a false prophet, just as Edgar C. Whisenant was. DO NOT take anything they say seriously.

The freep reporter interviewed a Rev. Ed Rowe of the Central United Methodist Church. The "Rev" is reported to have said if "Jesus is coming, that’s cool," in addition to commenting that Christians should act out the message of Jesus, whatever that means. I suspect the "Rev" is a progressive advocate of the social gospel, which is more about politics than anything else. His comment about keeping "… people in their homes," has him standing alongside that ACORN crowd, which is very far from where the Lord Jesus would be standing. The "Rev" should read Matthew 18:6 again. "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." I would remind the "Rev" that the Word also councils him to examine himself to see if he’s still in the faith. (II Corinthians 13:5)

In spite of these lunatics, we should care about the Second Coming. The Apostle John tells us in his first general Epistle that "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself,even as he is pure." (I John 3:2-3.)

Likewise, the Apostle Peter writes in II Peter 3:13-14: "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

Nowhere are we instructed to be more concerned about the things of this world than we are about watching for the Lord’s return. The "Rev" has it wrong, which shouldn’t come as all that big a surprise. He has his own traditions (Matt. 15:3) that he believes are as authoritative as the Word of God itself. that, in spite of the fact that they contradict and substitute themselves for that very same Word.

So in the meantime, what’s a Christian to do? Do that which God has given us to do while we wait patiently on Him. God has His plan and it operates according to His timing. Creation will be fully redeemed and Sin completely expelled. I believe it will happen soon. That’s where my new home will be. I have His promise. That’s where my hope lies. I pray you will obtain from God that same hope, confidence and peace that He gave me. It won’t be long now.

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." II Peter 3:10-16.

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So, What Is It Already?

It seems that drivers somewhere in New York City are getting an eyeful thanks to a group called the “American Atheists.”

Now, I listened to Fox News interview the president of the American Atheists and part of his argument actually held water. Adherents to the religion of Christendom have no one to blame but themselves for attacks like that.

In effect, what this fellow said was that Christianity was not the only religion that had tried hanging the birthday of their god on the winter solstice. Had Christendom not done just that, the atheists would have to look elsewhere for many of  their arguments.

So, what’s wrong with Christmas and the birth of the Lord Jesus? Our lord wasn’t born then, that’s all. The association between the two came about basically, as a political expediency (trying to please everyone), for the Roman Emperor Constantine’s government, which had recently made Christianity legitimate. Those events of history are well known. Alexander Hislop’s: “The Two Babylons” and Dave Hunt’s: “A Woman Rides the Beast” combine much of the history surrounding the so-called “Holy Roman Empire” and the merger and integration of pagan religions with the early organized Christianity which later became what we call Christendom, into a readable form.

To learn the season of the Lord’s birth, however, we have to go to the Scriptures. They are our final authority. If “facts” don’t fit the Scriptural record, either we are not rightly dividing the Word of truth, or our understanding of the “facts” is deficient.

In Luke, Chapter 1 we read of the events leading up to Jesus’ birth. In verse 5, we learn about a priest named Zacharias. Now this priest was part of the course of Abia(Gk) or Abijah(Heb). Now, what is a “course” and what is “Abia”? How do they relate to figuring out when Jesus was born.

In I Chronicles, Chapter 28, Verses 11-13 and 19, we learn that the courses of priests were given initially to King David, as part of a larger instruction concerning the Temple, who passed them down to his son, Solomon.

The organization of the Temple was quite complex and very detailed. Following are some of the divisions of service described in the Bible:

Priests (1 Chronicles 24:1-19)

Priests’ Assistants (1 Chronicles 23:4,28)

Singers (1 Chronicles 25:7-31)

Musicians (1 Chronicles 23:5)

Gatekeepers (1 Chronicles 26:1-19)

Keepers of the Treasure (1 Chronicles 26:20-28)

Officers and Judges (1 Chronicles 26:29-32).

The priests and the Levites were divided into 24 courses within their assigned class. Each course lasted 7 days (1 Chronicles 9:25). The service began and ended on the Sabbath (2 Chronicles 23:8). In addition, all the priests served for 3 extra weeks during the year (Deuteronomy 16:16).

We’re not going to get into all the details here because I want you to look up this stuff yourself. That way, you’ll own your results and you’ll be better able to share them with those you come into contact with.

Back to the Bible, we read in the account according to Luke, where we learn what Zacharias was doing and when he was doing it. This is why we need to understand the history of the Temple and how it worked. It contains the foundation of historical information we need to determine the season of the Advent.

I say the “season” because I do not believe we can ever really nail down the exact date. As we move further away in history from any event, our accuracy is diminished because memories fade, records are lost, corrupted, and destroyed. That too, is part of Sin.

Not being one to reinvent the wheel, there is a web site you can look at that lays this information out pretty clearly.

” http://biblelight.net/sukkoth.htm .”

Having studied the historical information, (You did study it. Right?), comprehending the material at the above web site should be a breeze.

Okay. Now, we should be able to understand that our Lord and Savior was really born sometime between late September and early October, not at the end of December. What does occur in late December is the Winter Solstice which has been a time of celebration for pagans, (people who worship nature and things associated with the natural world), since time immemorial. Hislop and Hunt explain in an understandable way, why early Christianity was joined to paganism, albeit kicking and screaming, by the religious and political leaders of the day, to eventually become the religion of Christendom, with Jesus being born on December 25th.

The religion of Christendom is intellectually dishonest and that fact was the major reason I separated myself from it. Tell me, ignoring the evidence, that red is black, for example, and I’ll assume you’re either blind or a deceiver, and walk rapidly away from you, whatever your rap happens to be. Organized religion is like that. Unfortunately, people, like the atheist group, see this and assume that all Christians are nothing more than a pack of idiots because they ignore the evidence of their own eyes and, in this case, the evidence presented by their own Scriptures! Is it any wonder we can’t sit and talk with them around the same table concerning, for example, origins?

The Holy Scriptures, rightly divided, do not stand in opposition to reason and common sense, even though they do record the miraculous. Those of us who rightly divide the Word need to rise above this Christmas controversy and promote an understanding of the truth. While we may never see the American Atheists change their billboard, we will see many of those who follow their philosophy soften their tone and even some will take time to listen to what God has said and be saved by receiving that knowledge. After all, we don’t want to take anything away from those pagans and atheists; We would, rather, have them walk away of their own free will, having found something better.

Some of the supplemental historical information for preparing this article comes from the book: “The Temple – Its Ministry and Services” by Alfred Edersheim. The book is a fascinating, accurate, look back in time to when our Lord and Savior walked the environs of Jerusalem and Israel. The book is available at:

” http://www.ccel.org/ccel/edersheim/temple.html .”

In closing this session, let me remind my readers that Christmas is not a significant day, theologically, in Biblical Christianity. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” I Corinthians 15:12-19.

It is Resurrection Day that should be celebrated by us. Notice I said Resurrection Day, not Easter. The latter is yet another day, like Christmas, that is the result of melding Christianity and paganism together; and just as the Scripture confirms, all you get by mixing something that is holy with something corrupt is more corruption. See Haggai 2:11-14.

Yes, there are difficulties associated with when and how to observe Resurrection Day. Most of those are creations of Christendom itself, in a continuing effort to preserve its power and wealth. Perhaps we will examine that controversy later.

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What Sort of Thanksgiving Do You Observe?

Yes, it’s that time of year again and, just as I did last year, and the year before, I wondered, as I listened to other people around me discussing the holiday, just how many different ways Thanksgiving was being observed. I came to the conclusion that there are essentially three, if you omit the atheists and other people who avoid holidays altogether.

The first group considers Thanksgiving as that one time during the year where family and friends come together, eat like pigs, watch football, and fall asleep on the couch. The name has been unofficially changed, for these folks, to “Turkey Day”; a perfect designation for their egocentric celebration. Why they make such a big deal over it is beyond me. It’s not as though Thanksgiving is different from any other Sunday they experience, even though Thanksgiving is always on Thursday. Maybe, for them, it’s like two football Sundays in the same week, or perhaps it has to do with it being, for many of them, the first day in a four-day weekend, and hence the special observance. I think it’s just another excuse these folks to engage in even more self-indulgent activities.

Next we’ll consider the second group. For them, Thanksgiving represents a peak of a crescendo in a materialistic musical holiday celebration, which began the day after Halloween and ends the day after the New Year. Another way of looking at it is that Thanksgiving, for them, is just another point on their gantt chart of holiday season goals, which culminate with shopping for deals on the second day of the New Year. This is the group for whom the acquisition of stuff is all important. Thankfulness, like charity, is about as far from them as it could be.

Now, we come to the third group. This group, of which I believe I could consider myself to be a part of, looks at Thanksgiving first, as a reminder to always Give Thanks to the One from whom all good things come, and secondly, as a time for giving out of our abundance, to those who are in need. This isn’t always money, because money can’t fulfill all the needs one encounters in those we meet.

Sometimes, all that’s need is a kind word and a smile. Often, spending time with a lonely, ill or elderly person and offering an attentive and sympathetic ear does the trick. Fix something that’s broken for someone else, without expecting anything in return. Share a meal with someone. Volunteer in a soup kitchen. I could go on but I think you get the idea. We all have natural, as well as spiritual gifts which God has given us to use in His service. The beauty of this kind of Thanksgiving holy day (the expression from which “holiday” is derived) is that it is celebrated each and every time we use one of our gifts to help someone else, but especially when we help those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).

I want to encourage all of you who are members of the One Body (I cannot speak to the professors and non-believers), to remember that Thanksgiving needs to be celebrated by us, each and every day of the year. You see, God has given us many things to do while we await His culminating act of redemption. All of humanity is struggling under the burden of Sin. God desires us to use the gifts He gave to us in the service of meeting the needs of others. Peradventure, through those acts of service, the light of God’s love for Mankind might be clearly seen by those whose lives we touch. Then that they would hear what God has said to all of us and receive the Gospel that truly saves.

Personally, I believe that we, who rightly divide the Word of Truth, gathering as the Church in the home, are best suited to present God’s Gospel of redemption to this lost and dying world. Ever increasing numbers of people are becoming ever so jaded towards the institutionalized churches since the recent exposure of all manner of corruption, sexual perversion and hypocritical & contradictory doctrines. We, to the contrary, come from no organization of human origin. We don’t want or need other people’s money. We have no buildings to consume the tithes of the faithful. No pompous “leaders” and their staff demand our attention, service and obedience. No one confuses the members with personal opinions while exercising pretended authority over the Body. We do not put on plays and pageants characterized by flashy showmanship, mediocre music and bad doctrine. Because we are constantly striving to be true to God’s Word in all we do (and we examine ourselves biblically to make sure we have not gone off the rails), we carry no baggage; intellectual, theological, or doctrinal, that causes people to stumble. We are just families who have been taught by God through His Word and we are everywhere.The practical, common sense things we can do for people in need are far more valuable than a lot of memorized religious platitudes, especially where sharing the Gospel is concerned.

My fellow house church dispensationalists, as you can see, we have been given a tremendous advantage, but it’s not one to be used upon ourselves. It’s to serve others for the sake of the Gospel. Those “others” are folks out of those first two groups I mentioned above, and even the atheists too. Eventually, all the false gods fail and people look for someone to explain it; Someone not sporting the trappings and hypocrisy of religion; Christendom in particular.

Be that someone with me.