Are all Politics Local?

The saying “All politics are local” is typically attributed to Tip O’Neill, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives in the 1970s and 1980s. This saying is still partially true, even with the vast amount of donations that pour in nationally for some state races, but the locals still do the voting (if you don’t count those who are bused in from out of state to vote multiple times). The out-of-state funding of local candidates has become the norm over the past few decades, but this strategy is now being extended to many local races

In the last few years, we’ve even seen George Soros backed funds buy many prosecutor races in targeted cities and counties. In just one example, a liberal prosecutor in North Carolina running on the platform of abolishing bail and refusing to prosecute most crimes received about $1.5 million dollars. In previous years by comparison, each candidate typically received only about $15 thousand. This strategy has led to an epidemic of increased crime and unrest across the country due to the Soros-backed prosecuters refusing to prosecute even serious crimes.

Power of the Majority Party

With the upcoming 2020 elections just around the bend and many voters have already begun to cast their ballots, we like to offer some brief thoughts about the importance of your vote, because you are voting for more than just a candidate. One of the single most misunderstood facts about voting is that when a person casts his or her vote, it is not just for a candidate, but for an entire party, and in the bigger picture, for an entire worldview.

Perhaps the easiest way to explain is to look at the 2108 mid-term elections. Prior to the election, the Republicans held a majority in the House and Senate. We should note that this fact doesn’t necessarily mean the Republicans had a solid majority, since as most people know, all Democrats are solid Democrats, but many Republicans are Republicans in Name Only (RINOs). A prime example was during the Republican’s attempt to repeal the expensive, one-size-fits-all Obamacare disaster and replace it with an individualized, more economical plan, RINO John McCain single-handly dealt one final blow to conservatism with his last vote in the Senate.

Be that as it may, the Democrats won the majority by running candidates proclaiming themselves to be “moderates” in over 30 precincts that had been carried by President Trump in 2016. Videos surfaced of aides to some of these candidates telling prospective voters that, “Our candidate is very liberal, but has to pretend otherwise due to the number of moderate voters in the district”. The “mainstream” media spiked the stories, and the candidates won by promising not to support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House, and to be an independent voice for their constituents.

Regarding the first of these promises, Ms Pelosi was able to win over enough of these new members by cutting individual special deals to be re-elected as Speaker of the House, and place herself third in line for the Presidency. Regarding the new candidate’s promise of being an independent voice, all but one voted the impeach the President over non-criminal, policy disagreements between Trump and the unelected deep-state bureaucrats.

We’ll come back to these “moderates”, but we first must understand the power of the majority party, or more accurately, the power of their leader(s). The leader of the majority party has enormous power, even if that party has only a one-member majority. First, he or she appoints the chairman for each committee and sub-committees. The majority party also holds a majority of members on each committee. Since any legislation must pass several procedural obstacles in the committees to even get to the legislative body, these committee heads also have tremendous authority. The minority party can’t even bring a bill to the floor without getting an agreement with a sufficient number of members from the other party. It’s not surprising that most legislation never makes it to the body for a vote.

So, for the sake of argument, let’s pretend that many of the new “moderates” were sincere in their promises to vote independently, they would still have no control over which legislation the committees and Speaker will bring to a vote. Even if a bill makes it out of committee and they decide to break with the leaders on a vote, they will typically be threatened to either vote the party line, or have the party back an opponent against them in the next primary election. Thus, once they compromised on their “No to Pelosi” pledge, they were basically powerless to keep their promise to their local voters, even if that had been their intention.

So, before you cast a ballot, please consider the entire ramification of your vote. We mentioned that when we cast our ballot, we’re also electing a worldview. Although specifics can vary somewhat by candidates, one party generally believes in natural law (from God), freedom of religion, state and local rights, free-market economics, the right to life, security, free speech and other liberties guaranteed by the constitution; while the other typically believes in federal government autonomous control (socially, economically and otherwise), judicial activism, the right to kill babies, and globalism.

Worldly and Godly Leaders

In 1998, pastor and teacher John MacArthur preached a sermon entitled Characteristics of an Effective Leader in which he painted a picture of an effective leader according to the two prevailing worldviews. The secular world typically prefers a leader with the following qualities. “Visionary – that is looking to the future and, in some degree or another, being able to forecast the future and plan ahead for the future. Action oriented – that is more than just someone who muses about things, more than someone who comes up with ideas and schemes, somebody who can make things happen… So, you have this typical picture of a leader: visionary, action oriented, courageous, energetic, objective oriented, paternalistic, egocentric, intolerant of incompetence in others, and indispensible.” Meanwhile, from a Christian worldview, he states, “What makes an effective leader? He’s respected/trusted, takes initiative, uses good judgment, speaks with authority, strengthens others, is enthusiastic and optimistic about triumph, never compromises absolutes, focuses on objectives not obstacles, and leads by example.” We need more candidates fitting Pastor MacArthur’s description of a leader in all levels of government today.

If I could add a personal observance, worldly leaders tend to be life-long politicians, while Godly leaders often serve for a few years, then return to the private sector. There are many exceptions of course, but as a rule, I believe this is often because worldly leaders often attempt to raise government to the level of diety. Witness Barack Obama’s infamous “You didn’t build that” statement implying that private citizens or corporations are basically powerless without government. One other example is the recent mandates closing houses of worship, mostly in the blue states. While liquor stores and marijuana selers are considered “essential” businesses, churches are considered as “non-essential”. In Pastor MacArthur’s state of California, churches are facing tens of thousands dollars in fines hold holding services.

Loud Dogma

This coming Monday, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to begin confirmation hearings. In her previous hearing, in which she was confirmed to the US Seventh Court of Appeals, Diane Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee, attached her for her faith with the now infamous statement, “The dogma lives loudly within you”. Of course, what went, and continues to go unsaid, is that the dogma also lives loudly within Sen Feinstein, albeit a completely different dogma. Still, a secular faith is just as much a dogma as is a religious one, even though it is not recognized as such by most people. Article VI, Section 2 of the US Constitution states “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or Public Trust under the United States”. The Constitution, as Obama once noted, can be a real inconvenience.

Finally, as the percentage of authentic Christians continues to drop in our country, we encourage all remaining believers to exercise their right and privilege to vote.

Honoring our Veterans – Veterans Day Weekend 2018

Each year, November 11 is recognized as a day of solemn reflection throughout many nations in honor of those who bravely served them. The day is known by many names, including Armistice Day, Remembrance Day in British Commonwealth countries, and Veterans Day in the United States. This year also marks the 100 year anniversary of the armistice to end World War 1, signed between the allied countries and Germany at Compiègne, France on November 11, in 1918. The armistice went into effect at 11am Paris time, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

In the United States this year, Monday, November 12 is set aside to commemorate and honor and recognize their service to the nation. Although we should honor our veterans every day, please make a special effort to thank all of those you know. Although most veterans don’t seek attention, it shouldn’t be difficult to find one. There are over 20 million former and active veterans in our country today. Even if you can’t thank them in person, please observe a moment to thank God for our brave men, women and their families.

Marine Corps Birthday 243rd Birthday

Coinciding with this Veteran’s Day weekend is the 243rd birthday of the US Marine Corps, whose origins trace from an October 1775 plan by the Continental Congress to use Marines to oversee a mission to intercept ammunition shipments from Britain during the Revolutionary War. The following month, a resolution was adopted that officially created a standing Marine Corps force on November 10, 1775, the date that became the USMC birthday. True to their humble roots, the Marine Corps Birthday is not a federal holiday, but observed only internally by the military branches; although some local government and civic organizations sometimes hold various events to honor the men and women of the Marines. The primary historical celebration is the traditional Marine Corps Birthday Ball. The first known Birthday Ball was held in 1925 Philadelphia, but is now held annually in our nation’s capital.

WWI Memorial Cross in Jeopardy

This Veterans Day Weekend also coincides with the recent Supreme Court’s agreement to hear arguments in the case of the Bladensburg Peace Cross. The dispute began in 2014 when members of the American Humanist Association filed a lawsuit to have the memorial removed, claiming it discriminates against soldiers who were not Christian. The humanists were later joined by the Council on American-Islamic Relations in their efforts to destroy the cross that has stood for almost 100 years, and was financed by the American Legion and private donors.

Stella Morabito at the Federalist has a must-read article in which she writes:

Sadly, precious few Americans today know a single thing about World War I. This is unconscionable, because we can still feel its aftershocks all over the world today. Forgetting our history has very damaging consequences if we ever hope to attain real progress in this world. And the point of war memorials is to remind us of such things, and to bid us never to forget.

So there is great poignancy in the timing of the Supreme Court’s recent agreement to consider the case of The American Legion et al. v. the American Humanist Association et al. The court will decide whether a World War I memorial in Bladensburg, Md., may remain standing, or if it constitutes an illegal mix of church and state. The American Legion is appealing the Oct 18, 2017, decision of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals that the memorial must go, which overturned a previous ruling allowing the memorial to stand.

Ms Morabito also explains the religious and historical aspects of why we need the memorial cross. Other excellent articles are from World Net Daily, a concise story on the SCOTUS taking the case, and the Daily Signal, who has the perspective from actual veterans on their thoughts about the efforts to remove the memorial cross.

Please be in prayer for the families of these veterans and all others involved in this very important religious freedom case.

WWI and Technology

We’ll end this post on a lighter note. I was reading through this month’s issue of Electrical Construction and Maintenance (EC&M) Magazine, when I came across an article on Electricity and World War I. The subject of the article was the pivotal role that electricity played in the First World War. This article is also the source of the old photos used in this post.

The article notes some of the “firsts” that were introduced into combat during the First World War, in addition to rapidly developing electrical technology such as warplanes for bombing, steel helmets, blood banks, and guide dogs. In 1917 and 1918, the Holt Manufacturing Co and General Electric Co collaborated to invent the Holt gas-electric tank, the first prototype tank built in the United States. The tank used a gasoline engine connected to an electric generator to provide power to its various parts. Unfortunately, the tank was prone to overheating and lacking maneuverability, so the machine was the only one of its kind built. Fortunately, it was not needed since not a single American-made tank ever saw service in the war, and the US dominated technical development and manufacturing afterward.

In other technological gains, incandescent and carbon-arc searchlights became game changers for the allies. These lights were crucial for nighttime operations such as navigation, illuminating enemy ships, blinding enemy troops to allow torpedo boats to navigate closer to enemy ships, and for spotting and guiding warplanes during bombing raids (no GPS in those days).

WWI battleships also benefited greatly from advancements in electrical technology. Most devices and equipment were electrically power and operated, many by remote control. In addition, electricity was now being used to pivot and aim guns, and to lift ammunition from the magazines up to the guns.

The various weapons such as rifles, machine guns, artillery, mortars, and flamethrowers, led to millions of human injuries and created a medical crisis. In response, Marie Curie, a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, invented the “radiological car” (aka the “Curie car”). This vehicle contained an X-ray machine (a recently invented medical diagnostic tool) and photographic darkroom equipment. This invention allowed medics to bring this new technology to the battlefield. Ms Curie also incorporated an electrical generator into the car to power the X-ray machine.

WWI also resulted in the establishment of the first blood bank. Oswald Robertson, a US Army doctor came up with the idea of storing blood prior to the arrival of casualties. He established the first blood bank on the Western Front in 1917, from where it was transported to various medical stations as needed. This idea is credited with preventing thousands of deaths.

Finally, we mention that after the war, Dr Kurt Huldschinsky, a German pediatrician of Polish descent, noticed that many of his young patients were extremely pale. In addition, it is thought that about half of Berlin’s children suffered from rickets (a softening, weakening and/or deformation of skeletal bones). Since sunlamps had been used throughout the war to help treat soldiers’ wounds, the doctor began placing a few of the children under mercury-quartz lamps which emitted ultraviolet (UV) light. His patient’s bones slowly became stronger and the following summer (1919), he also began having them sit in the sun. The doctor’s research eventually led to the discovery that the process of Vitamin D strengthens the bones with calcium is triggered by UV light. Thus, God used the circumstances of the war to cure this children’s ailment.

In closing, we ask once again that we pray for, and honor all our veterans and their families.

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church 2018

Today marks the annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), a day on which churches, Christian groups, and individuals across our nation and the world join together in prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters in the Faith. This year’s observance coincides with breaking news of another deadly attack on Christians in Egpyt, and a critical turning point in a decade-old case in Pakistan.

In Egypt, several Christians were killed and over a dozen injured in the second bus massacre in the past year. Two church buses were returning from a visit to a desert monastery when they were violently attacked by masked gunmen. One bus driver managed to escape with his passengers unharmed, but the second, including family members returning from a baptism, suffered the casualties.

The Islamic State, who frequently targets Egypt’s Coptic Christians, has claimed responsibility for the attack. This was merely the latest in a long string of attacks on the Coptic Christian community, who proclaim to trace their roots back to Mark, the companion of Peter and writer of the second Gospel. Let's please keep this group in our prayers.

The second story is undoubtedly one of the highest profile cases over the past decade. It involves the acquittal of a Christian woman, Asia “Bibi” Noreen, after spending eight years on death row in Pakistan for the false charge of blasphemy. Since her arrest, countless Christians, including ourselves, have been fervently praying for her release. This is a long story so we’ll give the highlights and include links for those interested in learning more details.

Ms Bibi’s ordeal began in 2009, when she brought a bucket of water to some Muslim co-laborers who were harvesting fruit. The women claimed that, since Ms Bibi was a Christian, she had made the cup “unclean” and as a result, they could no longer drink from it. They later beat Ms Bibi at her home, and after she refused to convert to Islam, her co-workers complained to the police. They accused her of “blasphemy” and claimed she even confessed during the beating. This resulted in to her arrest; after which she was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death by hanging.

Pakistan added blasphemy as a separate article to their penal codes in 1986. These blasphemy laws, which carry a recommended sentence of death or life imprisonment, are extremely controversial and almost impossible to defend against, since the law code does not even define what actually constitutes “blasphemy”. Thus, it is often used (or more accurately, abused) in disagreements with, and to target religious minorities.

After Ms Bibi’s conviction, she spent eight years in prison while her appeal hearing was repeatedly delayed, until finally receiving a hearing and being freed this past week (Oct 31, 2018). Yet, this could turn out to be only a temporary victory. The Tehreek-i-Labaik (TLP) party, an Islamic extremist group, immediately organized and launched nationwide protests calling for Ms Bibi’s execution. Due to these protests, her lawyer fled to Europe for his own safety. Even more troubling however, Pakistani officials, in an agreement with the extremists to stop the protests, agreed to ban Ms Bibi from leaving the Pakistan even though several countries have offered her asylum. We must continue to pray for Ms Bibi’s safety since many attempts have already been made on her life, and likely will continue until she is allowed to leave.

For more information, the BBC has a good article on Why Pakistani Christians are Targeted, and Open Doors USA writes about Five Things Christians Need to Know about Asia Bibi and the Church in Pakistan.

I find very few things as inspiring as listening to the stories of Christians that are being or have been imprisoned, persecuted and even martyred for their faith. I rarely hear them request prayers for their own comfort. Instead, they typically ask for grace to forgive their persecutors (Mt 5:43-44, Rom 12:14) and for courage to continue to spread the Word (Ac 4:29), even to those who are oppressing them. In these faithful saints, we’re seeing true first century Christianity displayed before our very eyes. Please pray for all those facing persecution (Heb 13:3).

Update:

As of May 2019, Ms Bibi has been re-united with her family in Canada; however, she must remain cautious since she is still receiving death threats. Please continue to pray for her safety.

Avoiding Scams while Helping the Victims of Hurricane Harvey

Natural disasters tend to bring out the best in most people, but the worst in others. For the past few days, most of us have marveled at the tireless efforts of the rescue workers (many are unpaid volunteers) in the wake of Hurricane Harvey's destruction and flooding in South Texas. We couldn't be prouder of our fellow Texans. We are also deeply appreciative of those from other states sacrificing their time and efforts for their fellow Americans.

Unfortunately, disasters also attract predators who typically exploit others for their own gain. No, I'm not talking about the "mainstream" media. Actually, many reporters did a pretty good job in their coverage, although the usual outlets (CNN, MSNBC etc) attempted to add their typical political spin, however unbelievable they may sound to any thinking person. I'm speaking instead of the charity scam artists, who take advantage of the generous charitable nature of people in order to bilk donors of monetary aid that is intended for the victims. It has been estimated that almost $2 billion dollars went to bogus charities after Hurricane Katrina.

The Federal Trade Commission offers the following common sense advice when dealing with Charities:

• Donate only to charities that you know and trust, and have a proven track record of dealing with disasters. Beware of those who use a very similar names to a well-known reputable charity.
• Check out the charity with the Better Business Bureau's (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or GuideStar.
• Avoid those who ask for donations in cash, ask you to wire money, or offer to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect the donation immediately.
• Specify the exact disaster that you would like your donation to go toward. Many charities, the Red Cross in particular, sometimes stockpiles donations during a disaster, then moves a portion to the general fund that goes to pay for expenses such huge salaries, fund raising, advertising etc.
• When texting to donate, confirm the number with the source before you donate. The charge will show up on your mobile phone bill, but donations are not immediate.

You can find many more tips at Before Giving to a Charity.

What about the Red Cross?

The Red Cross began as a Christian organization, but sadly has devolved primarily into a very profitable "non-profit" secular agency in order to work more closely with governmental agencies and large corporations that typically will not donate through the much more efficient Christian charitable agencies. I remember a few years ago when a Red Cross office worker was threatened with termination if she didn't remove an ornament from her desk that contained a bible verse.

After Katrina, a deputy marshal was asked to leave a Red Cross shelter because he was praying with stranded refugees. In addition, an Albany, Louisiana church shelter took in a family who stated that they were kicked out a Red Cross shelter because they were reading from their family bible. The Christian shelter workers thought that there must have been a misunderstanding, until three other families later arrived after being booted for the same reason. No one had complained about the prayers or bible readings, but Red Cross representatives defended the decisions with the usual statement that their shelters take in families from diverse backgrounds, and didn't want to offend anyone (except for the Christians that were kicked out to fend for themselves in the extreme weather conditions).

The Red Cross also has a history of mismanagement. After a year long congressional investigation into Red Cross activities following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, a congressional committee headed by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley released a report in June of 2016 showing that, of the $500 million in donations for earthquake relief, almost $125 million was spent on internal expenses. Many questions from investigators went unanswered, and the Red Cross was unable or unwilling to explain where the money went.

In addition, the Red Cross typically sends a much smaller percentage of received donations to the victims than various Christian charities such as Samaritan's Purse, The Salvation Army, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, or multiple other fine organizations.

This is not to say that the Red Cross does not provide good humanitarian aid, and we certainly would not group them with the scammers or frauds. We are troubled by the anti-Christian bias coming from their top management, but we also personally know of many dedicated Christians who are working very long hours with them at the regional and local levels. We choose to donate through various Christian charities because a larger portion of our donations generally go to the victims, but urge our readers to follow their own conscience regarding these matters.

Finally, we'd like to say "Thanks Again" for all those who are helping in so many ways. We also ask for your continued prayers for both the spiritual and physical needs of the victims and the dedicated workers.

Update: Shortly after posting this, we received info from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that many homeowners and renters are getting robocalls stating that their flood premiums are past due and that, in order to have coverage for Hurricane Harvey, the consumers are being told they must submit a payment immediately through various means. DO NOT do this. Contact your insurance agent instead. If you suspect fraud, you can also call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at 1-866-720-5721.

Light and Darkness on Presidents Day

The holiday popularly known as Presidents Day began as a celebration of George Washington’s Birthday, but with the Washington-Lincoln Recognition Act of 2001 (HR 420), we recognize all the presidents who have led our nation throughout our history. Unfortunately, we currently have an empty chair in the White House, so in this post, we’re once again forced to look to the past.

This year, we’ve chosen to highlight a portion of a speech by President Dwight D Eisenhower from October 24, 1954 marking the 75th Anniversary of the Incandescent Lamp. Text from the speech is courtesy of our friend, Bill Federer’s American Minute.

“IN GOD WE TRUST.” Often have we heard the words of this wonderful American motto. Let us make sure that familiarity has not made them meaningless for us. We carry the torch of freedom as a sacred trust for all mankind. We do not believe that God intended the light that He created to be put out by men.

The term “light” is used in many contexts in the Bible, beginning with the ordinary physical sense. Light was the first thing God created after the heavens and earth (Gn 1:3). Yet, its primary use is in the figurative, allegorical or metaphorical senses to portray spiritual realities. The late Dr Henry Morris, who established the Institute for Creation Research, notes

Light is the most fundamental and important form of energy, and energy includes every phenomenon in the physical universe. It is appropriate for John to affirm that God is light, because everything created must reflect the character of its Creator. The term “light,” therefore, has come to be applied not only to light in the physical sense, but also to that which is true in the intellectual realm, and holy in the moral realm as well. In addition, the term is often used in opposition to dark or darkness as symbolizing good and evil. We see this in the Apostle John’s application to God Himself, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 Jn 1:5).

Light is used to express knowledge, The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2Cor 4:4, see also Job 12:22 and Ps 119:130). Light and dark are also used to express morality or lack of, as illustrated by the Prophet Isaiah, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness (Is 5:20). Light can even symbolize eternal life itself. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12).

It is easy to see that, while much of the church sleeps and even looks to the government to assume part of her responsibilities, our country's “leaders” continue their quest to eliminate the spiritual light from our nation, replacing it with their own fundamental change. We could even say that our physical light is being dimmed as well. Radical environmental policies are condemning many to sickness or even death by depriving the poor of basic needs such as inexpensive utilities necessary for healthy food and clean water. Thus, please pray that God would again shed His Light on our once great nation. We should, like Job, long for the days when God watched over us; when His lamp shone on our head and by His light, we walked confidently through the darkness (Job 29:2-3).

Returning to Eisenhower’s speech, the former president also addressed the relation between faith and freedom:

Atheism substitutes men for the Supreme Creator and this leads inevitably to domination and dictatorship. But we believe - and it is because we believe that God intends all men to be free and equal that we demand free government.

Our Government is servant, not master, our chosen representatives are our equals, not our czars or commissars. We must jealously guard our foundation in faith.

For on it rests the ability of the American individual to live and thrive in this blessed land - and to be able to help other less fortunate people to achieve freedom and individual opportunity. These we take for granted, but to others they are often only a wistful dream.

Today, we see that Eisenhower’s prophetical words have been ignored or forgotten. As the current administration continues to drive God from our country, it is inevitable that American’s freedoms are also sliding away.

Still, we can be confident that God is in control. He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them (Job 12:23). Therefore, we must also continue to pray that God will turn the hearts of our nation back to Him, with the assurance that He alone controls the course of world events (Dan 2:21).

Spiritual State of the Union 2015

We recently witnessed B Hussein Obama’s State of the Union speech. For those who missed it, we’ll provide a brief paraphrase of what he said (and didn’t say):

The economy is booming and unemployment continues to drop (since we no longer consider those who’ve given up finding work, or who’ve taken part time jobs as unemployed – not to mention the fact that we have a record 92 million not in the workforce). I promise to veto any legislation that would cut Obamacare and thus deprive anyone of insurance coverage (even though Obamacare itself resulted in millions of people losing their insurance coverage with which they were well pleased). The deficit is shrinking (pay no attention to that pesky 18 trillion debt thingy, or the fact that I’ve added more debt than all other presidents combined). Russia and Al Qaeda are no longer a threat and we’ve stopped the (non-Islamic) Islamic State (even though IS has doubled their territory since US airstrikes began). In short, everything is rainbows and unicorns (are you going to believe what you see in the real world, or what I tell you?).

This post however, is not about the make-believe world in BHO’s imagination, but about the spiritual state of our union. As we move into 2015, we could acknowledge the erosion of morality in many areas but for the sake of brevity, we’ll only mention three.

Decreased freedom of religion - Never before in our history has the federal government taken such an active role in attacking the God-given rights of people of faith. Many, including those serving as chaplains in our military, are denied the right to pray in the name of Jesus. In some public organizations, God's name can't even be mentioned, unless it's used as an expression of profanity. Doctors and nurses are being forced to assist in abortions or risk losing their jobs. Religious organizations are being threatened with fines for not providing abortion-inducing drugs to their employees. Barriers that protect children from pornography are being systematically removed, but the children are “protected” from bringing a Bible to school. Parents rights are being stripped away by those who believe instilling them with Christian values is equivalent to child abuse.

Cheapening of Human Life - Approximately 4000 babies continue to be murdered each day while Planned Parenthood receives over 500 million dollars a year in government grants, almost half of its overall revenue. We’re now seeing a renewed push for assisted suicide or “death with dignity” as promoted by the media.

As the population continues to age and with over 62 million potential workers killed by abortionists, the ratio of workers to retirees has shrunk from 34-1 to about 2-1. So, something must be done about these old folks that will be increasing seen as a drain on society. This is where the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) comes in. I detailed this board three years ago in one of our most-read articles called ObamaCare Death Panels Coming in 2014. The IPAB will determine which patients will get (or not get) certain medical treatments based upon their estimate of the patient’s value to society. If the needed treatment is more expensive than the board's estimate of the patient’s worth (never mind the patient’s worth to his or her family or friends), the patient is out of luck. Members of the panel will be appointed by Obama, not elected, and I can pretty much guarantee that it will be comprised of accountants and lawyers instead of doctors since all decisions will be based strictly on monetary issues; although in swing states, whether or not the patient is a regular supporter of the democratic party could also be a determining factor. There is no oversight or appeals, so any IPAB decision is final.

Finally, and most importantly, we come to

Compromise in the Church - A few weeks ago, I heard the story of a church that was going up in flames. The townsfolk were running with their buckets of water in an attempt to extinguish the flames. It seemed like the entire town pitched in, including several known atheists. As they ran toward the church with their water buckets, one of the church deacons couldn't resist yelling at the group, “Wow, I’ve never seen atheists running to church before”. One of the atheists yelled back without breaking stride, “I’ve never seen a church on fire before”.

The lesson in the story is that, when a church is on fire spiritually, outsiders take notice. Now, there are some local churches across the country that are on fire, but for the most part, the Church as a whole has lost much of her influence over society in America. Call it weariness, discouragement, lack of faith, apathy or a host of other factors, but our modern culture has infiltrated and compromised the church rather than the church transforming the culture by boldly proclaiming the truth and fulfilling the great commission to make disciples.

We’re quick to blame the organizer-in-chief currently occupying the Oval Office for much of the nation’s spiritual problems. Granted, the current president and his administration are one of the most anti-biblical and anti-Christian in our history. BHO still refuses to acknowledge any terrorism committed by radical Muslims; yet at the Nation Prayer Breakfast last week, he was quick to assert that the Crusades, Inquisition, Jim Crow laws and slavery were all carried out “in the name of Christ”, failing to mention the minor detail that much of the Crusades were to defend Christian lands against Islamic aggression.

Still, we should not expect anything different from non-Christians. In Scripture, we constantly read of God taking vengeance on godless nations who were practicing similar abominations that are regularly occurring in America today, but when it came to judging His people of Israel, He often began in the sanctuary (Ez 9, 1Pe 4:17). Even so, He has also given us the promise that, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2Chr 7:14). Notice that this verse doesn’t say that “if the politicians”, or “if Hollywood”, or “if the abortionists” will get right with God, but “if my people”. So, God is looking to the Church House rather than the White House for leadership on spiritual issues. The spiritual state of the Church will determine the spiritual state of the union.

As believers, we know that God is sovereign over both humans (Ac 17:25-26) and the nations (Job 12:23, Ps 66:7, Jer 27:1-11, Ezk 29:13-16 and many more). In addition, we have been given a prophetic view of things to come in the Scriptures. We have assurances for our future and know that our Lord’s power and grace is the same yesterday, today and forever. Therefore, the church has no excuse for her impotence. With much prayer for revival, we must awaken and confidently go about doing His work until He returns.

Presidents Day - Our Biblical Foundations

Each February, we set aside a holiday that began as a celebration of George Washington’s Birthday, but later became popularly known as Presidents Day. Unfortunately, the philosophy and resulting policies of our current president has consistently been diagrammatically opposed to biblical principles and out-right hostile toward most Christian beliefs and freedoms. Historically however, this has rarely been the case.

Only a small percentage of our presidents have been evangelical Christians, but until the past 50 years or so, virtually all recognized the providential hand of God in the establishment of our nation, and the abundant contributions that Christianity has made throughout our nation’s history. Even in the last five decades, the majority have either been supportive of Christianity and religious freedoms, or at least remained relatively neutral.

To illustrate, we’ve assembled a small sampling of quotes by a number of US presidents on the subject of God, the Bible, and our country’s Christian foundation. As we read these, let’s pray for another great revival in America.

The Source of Abe Lincoln's Thanksgiving

From our country's early history, the Thanksgiving holiday was celebrated in many individual states. Finally in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation instituting the National Day of Thanksgiving as a official holiday. The October 3, 1863 proclamation began:

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

The empty suit currently occupying the White House often compares himself to Lincoln (aided by his adoring media), yet these words would be foreign to him. We've previously documented the differences between BHO and Lincoln on our National Day of Prayer. When asked by a reporter for a self-assessment in comparison with former leaders, BHO credited Lincoln as being only one of three presidents that has been as good a president as himself. The other two were FDR, whose war on free enterprise led to the Great Depression, and LBJ, whose "War on Poverty" has cost the country trillions of dollars and actually increased the poverty levels.

Yet, when our nation marked the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address earlier this week, BHO was a no-show. He did join with many other politicians, celebrities and others in filming a recital of the address to encourage the others to memorize the speech. Unlike every other participant however, he purposely left out the words "under God" in his version of the address. While Lincoln encouraged and defended religious freedom, BHO has used his influence to suppress freedom of belief and speech in the military, government, schools and other public venues. To Obama, it is the federal government rather than the Creator that is autonomous and responsible for the blessings we enjoy.

Further evidence for President Lincoln's reliance on the Almighty is seen in his proclamation issued the following year (Proclamation 118 on Thanksgiving Day, October 20, 1864).

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

It has pleased Almighty God to prolong our national life another year, defending us with His guardian care against unfriendly designs from abroad and vouchsafing to us in His mercy many and signal victories over the enemy, who is of our own household. It has also pleased our Heavenly Father to favor as well our citizens in their homes as our soldiers in their camps and our sailors on the rivers and seas with unusual health. He has largely augmented our free population by emancipation and by immigration, while He has opened to us new sources of wealth and has crowned the labor of our workingmen in every department of industry with abundant rewards. Moreover, He has been pleased to animate and inspire our minds and hearts with fortitude, courage, and resolution sufficient for the great trial of civil war into which we have been brought by our adherence as a nation to the cause of freedom and humanity, and to afford to us reasonable hopes of an ultimate and happy deliverance from all our dangers and afflictions:

Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby appoint and set apart the last Thursday in November next as a day which I desire to be observed by all my fellow-citizens, wherever they may then be, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe. And I do further recommend to my fellow-citizens aforesaid that on that occasion they do reverently humble themselves in the dust and from thence offer up penitent and fervent prayers and supplications to the Great Disposer of Events for a return of the inestimable blessings of peace, union, and harmony throughout the land which it has pleased Him to assign as a dwelling place for ourselves and for our posterity throughout all generations.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 20th day of October, AD 1864, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-ninth.

By the President: ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD,
Secretary of State

Unfortunately, the moral state our nation has deteriorated much over the past century. We must hope and pray that our nation will return to the worldview of reliance on God rather than government or self.

National Day of Prayer 2013

Tomorrow, May 2 marks the 62nd annual National Day of Prayer. This year’s theme is Pray for America and Greg Laurie is the Honorary Chairman. The theme is “In His name the nations will put their hope” from Matthew 12:21.

Pastor Laurie’s national prayer is

Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America.

How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” Yet we see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence.

Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we have done our best to remove Your Word and Your counsel from our courtrooms, classrooms and culture. It seems, as President Lincoln once said, that we have “forgotten God.” But Lord, You have not forgotten us! You can bless and help and revive our country again.

Scripture tells us that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Lord, in Your mercy, we ask that You would exalt our country again. We have had a number of great awakenings in America. We have experienced times of refreshing, and revivals that changed not only the spiritual but also the moral landscape. As the psalmist said, “Will You not revive us again, so that Your people may rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:6)

That is our prayer for America today, Lord. Send a mighty spiritual awakening that will turn the hearts of men and women, boys and girls back to you. You have told us if we will humble ourselves and pray, and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, that You will forgive our sins and heal our land. (2 Chronicles7:14)

Forgive us today, Lord, and heal this troubled land that we love so much.

We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ.

Please pray also for Pastor Laurie who has endured calls from the “tolerant” liberals and even the Obama military to resign as chairman due to his support for biblical defined marriage. Here are a few suggested prayers for our leaders or you may choose to offer your own requests.

• That God’s name will once again be hallowed (revered and kept holy) throughout our land rather than constantly profaned.
• For the return of religious freedom, that Christians would be given the same rights to express our beliefs in all public venues as are currently granted to atheists and humanists.
• That our leaders will respect and obey our Constitution, return to the biblical principles on which we were founded, and reject the current policies that weaken our defenses as a sovereign nation.
• That our leaders realize that they serve by God’s permission and will look to Him for wisdom and guidance.
• That our leaders transform the entitlement mentality and restore the Christian work ethic.
• That our president put aside his personal agenda and do what is best for the country.

The last election has shown that America is well beyond the tipping point of being able to hold our government leaders responsible for the godless path on which they continue to take our nation. With God as our only solution, our nation needs prayer more than ever. It is only through the consistent and fervent prayers of the Christian remnant that God may choose to bless this nation once again. We hope you will join us, not only for today, but each day of the year.

Happy Independence Day 2012

We'd like to wish all our readers a very Happy Independence day. While most modern liberals spend the day bashing America and complaining about the flags flying, there are still a great many folks who love our nation. We'd especially like to send out a thank you to those who have sacrificed so much from our beginning until today, so that we can enjoy our freedoms that were bought with such a cost.

At the same time, we're only a few days removed from the Supreme Court decision upholding ObamaCare, or at least the bill as re-defined by Chief Justice Roberts. I can't help but think about the contrast between today's liberal court and our original court. Consider the words of John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court:

“Unto Him who is the author and giver of all good, I render sincere and humble thanks for His manifold and unmerited blessings, and especially for our redemption and salvation by His beloved Son.”

It's ironic that the words of our first chief justice would probably be considered unconstitutional to utter in a public building by today's court. Still, even with this unprecedented power grab by the feds at the expense of local, state and individual rights, America remains one of the best countries on this earth.

We as Christians must continually work to bring back the Biblical principles on which our country was founded, including rights to life, religious freedom and personal liberties. Yet, we must not lose sight of the fact that this is not our true home. We must seek first the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 6:33) and carry out the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20). Only when hearts are changed can we expect a permanent change in our society.

Yet, we don't have to reform all of society to bring God's blessing on our country. When we quote 2nd Chronicles 7:14, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”, we often think first of reforming unbelievers in government, Hollywood, the media etc. But notice that this promise begins with "if my people", so it is contingent upon the heart and mind of the church, not on unbelievers. If we merely reform ourselves, our nation will be blessed (See our article, Can America claim the promises of 2Chr 7:14, or are they reserved exclusively for Israel? for additional information on this topic).

We'd also like to share one of our favorite videos on this Independence Day. Many have probably viewed this (it has almost 2 million viewings as of this writing), but it's always worth watching again. It is Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance and a great testimony of a time when the majority still respected the flag.

Mid-Year 2012 Review

We had planned to post a series of reviews of the first six months of 2012, featuring the talents and wits of many gifted and talented artists. We were to begin this series with a brief summary or overture of many of the events and issues, followed by additional posts on the various subjects over the next few weeks. After getting swamped on other projects, we decided to do a review of the full year instead. So, we're posting a preview at this time, and will be add the others toward the end of the year.

As we view these posts, we who are Christians should bear in mind that, even though we have the right to express our opinions, we should also pray for our government leaders and keep these issues in perspective. The Psalmist writes “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them -- the Lord, who remains faithful forever.” (Ps 146:3-6)

We should also remember that, our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12). Finally, we should not forget that it is only the grace of God that separates us from the unbelievers. The apostle Paul addresses believers: As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:1-7)

That said, enjoy the cartoons.

No, this is not all of the toons. In order to to post a greater number without interrupting the flow of the main blog pages, we are now loading our toons on a separate page. So, please see our Mid-year Toon Review page for additional toons on the economy, election year, religious freedom, Israel, foreign policy, right to life, jobs, healthcare, military, the media, energy and other topics.

End of 2011 Toons

Here's some year-ending cartoons.

These toons have been archived at End-year 2011 Toon Review. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

June 2011 Review

As the month of June comes to an end, we offer this review of some of the month's events. Enjoy.

The first is actually a holdover from May that didn’t make it into our 2011 Memorial Day Tribute.

Moving to June, the tolerance police continue to run wild, insisting on tolerance for everything except Christianity.

Our toons this month include the Fast and Furious, the economy, and others. See June 2011 Toon Review for the archive. Enjoy and God Bless.

Memorial Day 2011 - The Twilight’s Last Gleaming

We received a surprise gift for this Memorial Day. Our son and two other US marines decided to take a last-minute road trip home. One was dropped off with his family in Lubbock while the other two continued to their homes in the Dallas area for the holiday.

On this Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who have paid the ultimate price to preserve our freedoms. Yet, as we look around at what our country is becoming in the last few decades, we have to ask, “Is this what they died for?” Several years ago, Dr D James Kennedy preached a sermon entitled The Twilight’s Last Gleaming in which he stated:

Memorial Day is a day when we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, who have given their lives that we might enjoy the life and the freedom we have in America today. How prone we are to forget—to forget the terror that filled the hearts of young eighteen- and nineteen-year-old men when they landed on the beaches of strange islands that until a few weeks before they had never even heard of; to forget the anguish and blood of those who lay wounded in foxholes. All of that is forgotten in the midst of our modern pleasures.

One person wrote a striking Memorial Day letter-to-the-editor of a newspaper. The person asked: “What would the veterans who died in World War I, World War II, Vietnam and Korea—by the hundreds of thousands—say if they could see the lifestyle in the United States today? Would they say, ‘Is this what I gave my life for? Was it worth this?’”

In the decades since these died in battle, much has changed in America. Never in the history of the world, one writer said, has any nation so quickly jettisoned its system of belief. We have forgotten or rejected our nation’s Christian foundation and, as such, we are witnessing the demise of Christianity in America.

In less than fifty years, we have seen our Christian principles sift through our fingers like sand. The United States Supreme Court has banned from public schools prayer and Bible reading. We have removed the Ten Commandments from courthouses and pulled the plug on prayers at graduations and football games—each step has stripped our culture of the Christian roots of this nation.

A recent survey reveals that only 13 percent of Americans believe in all of the Ten Commandment… Morality is in steep decline and traditional values have become passé. The country many servicemen died to defend so that faith, family, and freedom would be upheld is quickly vanishing. “Is this what they gave their life for?” the letter-to-the-editor asked. Is this the America for which soldiers sacrificed?

Much of the blame for where our nation stands morally falls at the feet of Christians. America is in a moral crisis, and yet some Christians are “playing” church. The soul of our nation is at stake, and yet some of us have turned a blind eye to the moral decay gripping our culture.

The day may come when our grandchildren ask, “Whatever happened to Christianity in America?” It is sure to happen, unless we get down on our knees and earnestly pray. As we remember the great sacrifice made by so many hundreds of thousands, may we rededicate our lives to this nation and to those spiritual truths that made it great.

We may not give our lives on some bloody field or trench or rice paddy, but may God make us heroes of the faith who will be faithful to Jesus Christ, who will return our country to Christian values, who will be living heroes as brave as those who died for our country—those whose footsteps we follow in battle, those we remember.

There's not much that we'd like to add to Dr Kennedy's words at this time, but we'll briefly comment on a couple of related topics. First, the election season must be beginning. Mr Obama actually laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier earlier today instead of sending a representative as in previous years. Once that was out of the way, he then headed out to the Fort Belvoir golf course for his ninth golfing weekend in a row. We wonder, where are the media members who constantly denigrated President Bush for his occasional golf outings before he gave up the game early in his presidency out of respect for the families of those killed in Iraq?

Next, we got some good news this year when federal District Judge Lynn Hughes granted a restraining order inhibiting Veteran Affairs officials’ attempt to prevent the Rev Scott Rainey from mentioning Jesus’ name during Memorial Day prayers at Houston National Cemetery. After a warning from the judge, Assistant US Attorney Fred Hindrichs informed the court that VA would drop their demands

Finally for Christians, as we are honoring the brave soldiers that gave their lives for our country’s freedoms, let us not forget our Lord Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life so that we might enjoy freedom from the bondage of sin the second death (eternal separation from God). Instead, we have the gift of eternal life. Thank you Jesus, and God Bless our Troops.

National Day of Prayer 2011 – A Mighty Fortress is our God

Tomorrow marks the 60th Anniversary of the Nation Day of Prayer, originally signed as a declaration in 1953 by Harry Truman. In 1988, Ronald Reagan signed a declaration designating the first Thursday in May as its annual observance.

Last year a Jimmy Carter appointed federal judge declared the day of prayer unconstitutional, but a recent ruling by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the constitutionality of the law. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, based in Chicago, ruled 3-0 that the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) and its plaintiffs do not have standing to continue their challenge of the 1952 congressional act that declared an annual National Day of Prayer.

This year, millions will participate in organized events to be held in thousands of public venues where citizens will unite in prayer for America and its leadership. This year’s theme, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” is based on Psalm 91:2, which states, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For a wealth of information, or to find a National Day of Prayer event in your area, visit the National Day of Prayer website.

The official 2011 National Prayer is by Joni Eareckson Tada, Honorary Chairman.

Almighty God, you are our Mighty Fortress, our refuge and the God in whom we place our trust. As our nation faces great distress and uncertainty, we ask your Holy Spirit to fall afresh upon your people — convict us of sin and inflame within us a passion to pray for our land and its people. Grant the leaders of our country an awareness of their desperate need of wisdom and salvation in You until sin becomes a reproach to all and righteousness exalts this nation.

Protect and defend us against our enemies and may the cause of Christ always prevail in our schools, courts, homes, and churches. Lord God, send a spirit of revival and may it begin in our own hearts.

Remember America, we pray. Remember the foundations on which this country was built. Remember the prayers of our nation’s fathers and mothers, and do not forget us in our time of need.

In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

With all the uncertainty in the world, along with the most anti-Christian administration in history currently in power, our country needs our prayers more than ever. The following is a video released by the Walton County Florida chapter.

Candles, Marxists, and the Word of Truth

As we witness the riots and unrest in Egypt, it brought to mind an incredible untold story (at least by our secular media) during the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Most of us remember the usual talking heads focusing on the surface themes of politics and economics, while denying that Ronald Reagan had anything to do with the event. Yet, as with most stories, the important underlying causes were ignored by the media.

It is true that political and economic conditions had reached critical mass in Eastern Europe and Asia by the late 1980s, but this emergency situation was the direct result of the moral and spiritual crises created by communism’s Marxist worldview. If we are open to the truth about this atheistic worldview, we can easily see that it must inevitably lead to this outcome.

A primary tenet of Marxism is the supposition that God only exists in the imagination of the economically downtrodden; that He is subjectively created as a wishful fantasy to remedy a person’s misery or unhappiness. Thus, while American liberals generally view religion as the root of all evil, a true Marxist would view religion as the imaginary, but ineffective solution to evil, with the primary evil being an unequal distribution of wealth. If one could build an alternative system (under government control); a new world order in which all persons were monetarily equal (except the ruling elite, of course), then there would be no further need for religion. After all, why would someone cling to fanciful thoughts of a joyful hereafter when they could have a utopian paradise in their present life on earth? We, of course, see this "government is the solution to all our problems" theory promoted by many today.

So, for Marxism to work, it must “kill God”, at least in the sense of replacing His memory in the minds of the people with reliance on the government. We’ve seen from history however, that any attempt to eradicate God is always doomed to failure. Just to give a few examples, at the beginning of the fourth century, Roman emperor Diocletian began possibly the most intense empire-wide persecution in an attempt to eradicate Christianity. Yet within a few years, Constantine took the throne and later made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. In the eighteenth century, the French philosopher Voltaire declared that within a hundred years, there would not be a single Bible left on earth. The house where he lived is now a distribution center for Bibles printed in many different languages. Finally, in 1966, the New York Times declared that “God is dead”, but as Ravi Zacharias so aptly noted, the Times was “dancing on an empty grave”.

Another major reason that Marxist socialism is destined to always fail is that it is based on the false assumption that man’s nature is inherently good; that putting man into a better environment will solve all his problems (one glance at the Garden of Eden experience disproves this presumption). It assumes that enough people will be willing to work hard while others are idle, and yet share everything equally. On the other hand, the Free Enterprise system thrives because it is consistent with man’s fallen nature, rightly assuming that most folks won’t work without reward. One of my former pastors, Dr Harold O’Chester from Austin, used to say that he could tell how a person would vote based upon the answer to one question, “Do you believe man is inherently good or evil?” As Adrian Rogers once said,

You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the industrious out of it. You don't multiply wealth by dividing it. Government cannot give anything to anybody that it doesn't first take from somebody else. Whenever somebody receives something without working for it, somebody else has to work for it without receiving. The worst thing that can happen to a nation is for half of the people to get the idea they don't have to work because somebody else will work for them, and the other half to get the idea that it does no good to work because they don't get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Perhaps the best account of the Soviet collapse is recorded in a book by Barbara von der Heydt entitled Candles behind the Wall: Heroes of the Peaceful Revolution That Shattered Communism. Ms von der Heydt had worked with the first displaced Eastern European refugees in 1989, and much of her account is based on personal interviews with everyday people involved in the struggle against those who were attempting to obliterate any traces of the Faith. She recounts the stories of individuals whose grass roots movements eventually challenged the very core of communism. We recommend everyone read this book who has the opportunity, but we’ll paraphrase a couple of examples here.

One of the stories that stood out to me was the account of Uwe Holmer, an East German pastor who, along with his wife, managed a Christian organization for the mentally and physically disabled. In 1989, Dictator Erich Honecker resigned due to health issues. Honecker was so hated that even his own daughter refused to take him in. Yet, the Holmers finally provided the former tyrant and his wife with shelter even though the pastor’s family was terribly persecuted during his reign. When asked why, Pastor Holmer replied

The Lord has charged us to follow him and to take in all those who are burdened ... to follow his commandment to love our enemies; and to live by the prayer he taught us in these words, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” ... We want to live by Christ’s example.

Ms von der Heydt also provides us the inside story on the tense situation outside the Russian parliament in August of 1991. The Soviets had recently lost control of Eastern Europe, so while Michael Gorbachev was in the Crimea, the totalitarian communist party seized control of the government. They dispersed tanks and their troops and surrounded the Russian parliament, trapping Boris Yeltsin and the legislators inside. The world watched anxiously as thousands of freedom-seeking civilians formed a human barricade around the building.

According to Ms Von Der Heydt, it was at this point that Iven Kharlanov and Anatoly Rudenko of the Bible society in Moscow called other Bible societies around the world asking for prayer before coming up with a brave but dangerous plan. They contacted other Christians and drove a truck full of New Testaments to the scene, arriving just as the military was about to storm the building.

Christians took the Bibles and began handing them out to the soldiers quoting Exodus 20:13, “thou shall not kill”. At the same time, others began going tank to tank, handing out the Scriptures and quoting the verse. Ms Von Der Heydt specifically mentions one woman, Shirinai Dossova, walking over to one of the tanks and banging on its side with her bare knuckles until the mystified driver finally opened the hatch. She held the Bible out to him and declared, "It says in this book that you shouldn't kill. Are you going to kill us?" The young soldier was obviously baffled, but nervously took the Bible while saying, "We not intending to kill anybody."

Ms Von Der Heydt also reported that very few of the soldiers refused the Bibles. Some tucked them in a pocket or bag, but others, who probably had never seen one but perhaps may have been wanting one, began reading right away.

Of course, we know from history that the attack on the parliament building was averted and the coup collapsed. Yet to this day, secular historians still puzzle in amazement as to why the almost certain attack failed to transpire. But now, as Paul Harvey would say, we know the rest of the story. It was the Hand and the Word of God.

A Silent and Holy Night

In modern times, the Christmas holiday season is filled with much hustle and bustle. We’re blasted by ads urging us to save money by buying our gifts from a particular source. I haven’t checked out any of the watchdog sites who inform us as to which retailers are hostile or supportive of using the word “Christmas” in their commercials and sale ads, but at least locally, there appeared to be more mentions of Christmas instead of the generic “holidays” or “seasons” this year. I even heard Best Buy use the word “Christmas” for the first time. I did notice that many such as Walgreens, who were using “holidays” in the past, stopped using either term and just urged customers to buy gifts without mentioning any occasion at all.

Of course, the hesitation or outright refusal to use the word “Christmas” is a part of the larger culture war against Christianity and any traditional or family values. Much of this hostility is led, or at least aided and abetted by our secular media. I'm usually not shocked anymore by many of the positions taken by the opposition, but I was mildly surprised by the angry tone of the comments posted on many mainstream websites by the "tolerant" left against the pro-Christmas programming by Fox News. The attitude of the media toward Christianity was probably best summed up by NPR’s Nina Totenberg who said last week that “I was at -- forgive the expression -- a Christmas party at the Department of Justice.”

Christians also receive much opposition and antagonism from our own government, a government originally founded on Biblical principles. Many large corporations, including some non-profit charities have followed their lead. In just the past week or so, we witnessed

--The Federal Reserve forced a bank in Oklahoma to stop displaying a Bible verse of the day and crosses on the teller’s counter, and ordered the removal of buttons that said "Merry Christmas, God With Us."
--The Red Cross banned Christmas in over 400 of their fund-raising shops, ordering the removal of decorations or any other signs that might remind anyone of Christmas.
--A school in Virginia ordered student members of a "Christmas Sweater Club" into detention for singing Christmas songs, handing out candy canes and generally spreading Christmas cheer.

But before we begin to accuse the feds of being completely hostile to religion, we should point out that Mr Obama’s Justice Dept recently filed suit against a school in Illinois on behalf of a Muslim teacher who wanted to abandon her students in order to make her once-in-a-lifetime trip to Mecca. Never mind that she could have taken the trip during summer break. The feds and ACLU are also strangely quiet when schools promote a day of tolerance, forcing students to dress in Muslim garb and adopt Muslim names. But, imagine the outcry if a school promoted a day in which students dressed as Bible characters. All involved, from the superintendent to the night janitors would be fired on the spot and possibly face civil and criminal penalties.

Yet, even with the hostilities toward Christianity, believers can peacefully rest in knowing that our sovereign God is in control. In contrast to the modern holiday chaos, we can look back at that silent and holy night when the Son of God came into the world as a little baby to continue the history of our redemption that was planned before the beginning of time. During a season of calamity and commercialization, we can joyfully sing "Joy to the World, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!"

We can take time to marvel, as did the shepherds as the angel accompanied by the angelic choir announced that a Savior had been born in the city of David. As they were probably too awed to speak, the only sound might have been an occasional bleating of sheep. They then followed the star on that clear night to find the Messiah in a manger. After worshiping him, they returned to their jobs, never to be the same again.

Perhaps the only time that some of us glimpse the true meaning and spirit of Christmas is at a Christmas Eve or Christmas Sunday service, but we should not limit ourselves however, to one day or week out of the year. Like the shepherds who returned to their daily lives praising God, we should attempt to glorify God with everything we do as we return to our “normal” routines for the rest of the year.

You are also welcome to read our The True Meaning of Christmas article.

Mr Obama’s Plan to Reduce Abortions

As I was reading a few recent stories from LifeNews, I couldn’t help but think back to a statement that Mr Obama used quite frequently during his campaign. He consistently stated to Christian and family groups that, although he favored the “right” of a woman to kill her baby, he was strongly committed to reducing the number of abortions. Many Obama apologists jumped on the bandwagon despite his record of being the most pro-death legislator to serve in the senate. Mr Obama consistently voted against bans on partial birth abortions, and in March of 2001, was the only Illinois senator to speak out against a bill that would have provided life-saving care to babies who survived botched abortions. Even though many anti-abortion groups were in favor of the bill, Mr Obama led the fight to defeat the bill and force physicians to allow the baby to die on the table.

So, what steps did Mr Obama take to reduce abortions? His first official act as president was to reverse Mr Bush’s executive order which prohibited federal funds from being used to fund international abortions. I’m not sure how providing federal funds for abortions would reduce the abortion rate. I’m also having trouble understanding how Mr Obama’s other positions, such as support for embryo-destruction research, revocation of religious liberty protection for pro-life doctors and other health care workers, elimination of parental notification and consent laws, and the funding of abortions through socialized healthcare would also reduce the number of abortions.

Yet, even today, Mr Obama’s political allies and his lapdogs in the media continue to parrot the line that he is committed to reduce abortions. The Obama administration has now filed a lawsuit against a pro-life counselor for offering alternatives to women seeking an abortion.

In January, David Hamilton was talking with women going into the EMW Women’s Surgical Center, the only abortion business in Louisville, Kentucky. Hamilton was arrested for moving the arm of a clinic escort out of his way as he attempted to present alternatives information to one woman going towards the center entrance. Although Hamilton told the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper he did not try to hurt or intimidate anyone, he was charged with disorderly conduct as police cited him for “pushing and shoving clinic escorts.” The misdemeanor charge was dismissed in May after Hamilton completed eight hours of community service.

The Obama Administration, months later, is now charging him with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, a 1994 law passed during the Clinton administration designed to take a more aggressive stance against sidewalk counselors and abortion protesters at abortion facilities. The lawsuit seeks a $15,000 penalty and $5,000 in compensatory damages. Hamilton moved to Houston, Texas in July and told the newspaper the lawsuit and its intent to deprive $20,000 from Hamilton for a dismissed misdemeanor charge, is a surprise to him. “I never touched the girl going into the clinic,” he said of what happened in January. “I didn’t come close to touching her. I said what I had to say and kept walking.”

Vincent Heuser Jr., the attorney who represented Hamilton in the January case, told the newspaper the lawsuit is “absolutely ludicrous” and he said Hamilton’s guilt in the incident was “seriously doubtful” because the officer who charged him with disorderly conduct was not in a position to see what happened. The incident was such a minor offense that Anne Ahola, the director of the abortion business, told the Louisville newspaper she doesn’t remember it and she is unfamiliar with the lawsuit.

The Obama administration’s lawsuit comes months after it partnered with leading pro-abortion organizations to host an FBI training seminar with the main focus of declaring as “violent” the free speech activities of pro-life Americans.

FBI and Obama administration officials provided participants with an 84-page document entitled “Resource Guide: Violence Against Reproductive Health Care Providers” that contained print copies of Power Point presentations prepared by the Justice Department and an analysis of alleged pro-life “violence” prepared by the pro-abortion groups. The so-called violence perpetrated by pro-life advocates mostly contained examples of constitutionally-protected free speech, including activities such as praying, providing women outside abortion centers with alternatives information, and peaceful protesting or picketing.

The EMW Women’s Surgical Center in Louisville is the abortion business that was caught on videotape covering up a potential case of sexual abuse of a minor.

Wow, filing lawsuits against anyone offering women alternatives should reduce the abortion rate considerably, or so these deluded individuals believe.

Not all liberal groups are publicly trumpeting Mr Obama’s claim, however. Several realize what a friend of the abortion industry they have in the white house, and are worried that his days may be numbered as more of the public begins to pay attention to his true agenda. Thus, many are acting now, before the Obama gold mine runs out.

For example, Planned Parenthood recently confirmed their plans for a nationwide expansion. A new mandate has been issued that all affiliates must operate at least one abortion center. One local chapter (Corpus Christi, TX) has resigned due to the new mandate because, according to the CEO, there was no need to duplicate the services of the abortion clinics in the area.

Lisa David, senior vice president of Health Services Support for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, confirmed the abortion expansion and the mandate — called a “new patient services initiative.” David said abortions must be offered by at least one center operated by every Planned Parenthood affiliate, except waivers would be granted in certain “unique local circumstances.”

The new mandate also calls for more emphasis on the non-abortion services of Planned Parenthood — used as method of attracting more abortion customers and painting a picture of Planned Parenthood as something other than an abortion business. David also confirmed that the national Planned Parenthood abortion business plans to expand into the territory of offering sexual assault examinations in order to boost its abortion business. The news outlet said Planned Parenthood “will expand immediate access to testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections.”

Jim Sedlack of Stop Planned Parenthood says Planned Parenthood is the last place women victimized by sexual assault or abuse should turn since the abortion business has a history of covering up such cases by doing abortions and failing to report them to authorities.

David also told the Daily Caller that every Planned Parenthood center will be required to “provide the full range of birth control method options, such as the IUD, in addition to well-woman exams including critical cancer prevention screenings.” That would have the abortion business lining up more with the Komen for the Cure Foundation, which donated $730,000 to Planned Parenthood in 2009 for cancer screenings despite the fact that abortion increases the risk a woman will contract breast cancer.

“Planned Parenthood continues its massive expansion of its abortion business while phasing out those centers that do not commit surgical or medical abortions,” Sedlack says. “Planned Parenthood leaves no stone unturned in dredging up money to build its facilities and expand its abortion business. It is time to inundate our elected representatives with the message that we must defund and repeal ObamaCare and that no government funds should ever flow to Planned Parenthood, the world’s largest abortion chain.”

The newly-revealed abortion mandates come after Planned Parenthood released an annual report showing it received $363 million in grants and funds from federal, state and local governments, made more than $1 billion in profit, and upped its share of the national abortion business to more than 26 percent.

Meanwhile, Rep Michele Bachmann (R-MN) is calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to de-fund Planned Parenthood after the newly elected Republican majority takes charge next month. Now, that a positive step that should aid Mr Obama in his agenda to reduce abortion. I’m sure he’ll support this effort, won’t he? Rather than to delude ourselves into believing that he will, we must continue to pray for our country, for the parents who are faced with these decisions, and especially for the helpless babies who do not have a voice in the matter.

Third Lausanne World Evangelization Congress

Our friend Sherri, a missionary serving in the Far East, called our attention to the 3rd International Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization that begins today in Cape Town, South Africa and lasts through October 25. According to ChinaAid, the Chinese government has been harassing invited representatives from their country.

Over the past few months, the Chinese government has been suppressing the 200 house church representatives who have been invited to attend this year’s Lausanne Congress. According to information obtained by ChinaAid, all the representatives, whether Uyghur Christians from Xinjiang or Han Christians from Beijing, have been contacted by authorities for questioning. It is sad to report, but family members of the invitees have also been threatened.

Two house church Christians from Baotou City, Inner Mongolia were stopped by officials before they departed for South Africa. On October 9, one of them was placed under a 15-day detention. Five house church invitees were stopped by customs officials at the airport on October 10, and four had their passports confiscated. One was detained.

Dr. Fan Yafeng is a prominent legal scholar, leader of the Chinese Christian Legal Defense Association (defenders of religious freedom, human rights and rule of law in China for years), and winner of the 2009 John Leland Religious Liberty Award. He was harassed by Beijing police on October 12 after accepting an interview from National Public Radio pertaining to the Lausanne Congress. Twenty police officers were assigned to stop him from leaving his apartment.

Dr. Fan commented that underground Chinese Christians should not naively put hope in the Chinese Communist regime, and should place their trust in God, and continue to non-violently strive for religious freedom, human rights, rule of law and democracy in China. Dr. Fan strongly supports legal defense as a very effective tool. He also strongly criticized the persecution of 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mr. Liu Xiaobo and his wife by Chinese government.

It has been 21 years since the Manila gathering, and tens of millions of Christians in China are thriving in the Church of Jesus Christ, and China experiences the fastest growth of Christians. With that said, how long will we have to wait for the 200 unoccupied seats meant for representatives of China to be filled?

Article 13 of the Lausanne Covenant reads

”It is the God-appointed duty of every government to secure conditions of peace, justice and liberty in which the Church may obey God, serve the Lord Christ, and preach the gospel without interference. We therefore pray for the leaders of the nations and call upon them to guarantee freedom of thought and conscience, and freedom to practice and propagate religion in accordance with the will of God and as set forth in “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” We also express our deep concern for all who have been unjustly imprisoned, and especially for those who are suffering for their testimony to the Lord Jesus. We promise to pray and work for their freedom. At the same time we refuse to be intimidated by their fate. God helping us, we too will seek to stand against injustice and to remain faithful to the gospel, whatever the cost. We do not forget the warnings of Jesus that persecution is inevitable. (1 Tim. 2:1-4; Acts 4:19; 5:29; Col. 3:24; Heb. 13:1-3; Luke 4:18; Gal. 5:11; 6:12; Matt. 5:10-12; John 15:18-21).”

We would like to pass on a prayer request that is being sent out to Christians around the world to intercede on behalf of the China.

As the day is quickly approaching for Lausanne III to start in Cape Town on October 17, please remember the participants from Mainland China. Participants and volunteers from Mainland China have already purchased their tickets and reserved hotel rooms in preparation to join 4,500 Christian leaders at the Congress. In addition to raising their own support, the Mainland Chinese participants have also given scholarships for 100 neighboring country participants to attend.

There is a possibility that the Chinese participants will not be able to attend.

Please intercede on behalf of the Church in China, that God would have mercy and move the hearts of those who hold the power to change the situation. We serve a God who is above all human systems, understanding and authority. May His Will be done in the Church in China, and His Power known throughout the world.

Please pray for God to change hardened hearts and for the continued faithfulness of the Chinese Christians under persecution.

The First Un-American President

Like other bloggers, we often include short excerpts from other blogs to augment one of our own posts. This was my initial plan regarding an article posted yesterday by Alan Caruba on his Warning Signs blog entitled The First Un-American President. As a regular reader of Mr Caruba's works, I’ve often featured his articles in our “Picks” section, but wanted to include a few selections from his latest in our post. On this rare occasion however, after several attempts to reduce the article to a few selections, I finally gave up and decided to reproduce it in its entirety.

As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country.” – Barack Hussein Obama, spoken at a White House dinner to celebrate the beginning of Ramadan!

Well, of course, he does. Why wouldn’t someone who thinks the sound of the call to evening prayers from a nearby minaret is one of the sweetest sounds in the world? Why wouldn’t someone who spent his formative years, age six to twelve, in Indonesia, the step-son of a Muslim father and the son of a Muslim father who had deserted his wife and child.

But, I hear you say, he spent twenty years in a Christian church in Chicago. Yes, with a preacher who said of 9/11 that “the chickens had come home to roost”; a preacher who embraced Black Liberation theology and maintained close friendships with Nation of Islam leaders in Chicago.

“That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable.”

What a pompous hypocrite. He’s been president since January 20, 2009 and has yet to have selected a church to attend in Washington, D.C., like every other president before him has done, but he makes sure to celebrate Ramadan.

That’s what you get when you elect a man named Barack Hussein Obama about whom you know nothing other than the fawning, worshipful puke served up by the liberal media all through the campaign and for most of his first year and a half in office.

Too late! The majority of voters selected a complete stranger; a man with virtually no available paper trail, including the one item most people can produce on request, a legitimate birth certificate.

Obama is not an American. He is the son of a former British subject, a Kenyan of the same name. He is the step-son of an Indonesian who married his mother and adopted him. When his mother divorced for a second time, he was shipped off to live in Hawaii with his grandparents.

The only overseas trip he took that we know of was to Pakistan with a college friend from there. Did he travel on an American passport? The State Department records have conveniently disappeared.

He’s one of those people who enjoys all the benefits of American citizenship, but considers himself an internationalist, someone more at home in the bowels of the United Nations than the chamber of the U.S. Senate; a place where he spent very little time because he was so eager to seize the presidency and begin to “transform” America.

This statement regarding the defiling of Ground Zero, favoring a mosque where the same religion that spawned the 9/11 killers would be preached, may finally convince the deniers that Obama is and always has been a Muslim.

First interview as president was with Al Arabia. First official act was to sign paperwork to close down Guantanamo. First major overseas speech was given in Cairo. Et Cetera!

He’s letting you know he has the reins of power. He doesn’t care what you think. And he has the rest of his term to finish destroying the nation. He knows it. Now you do.

America, take a good look at the first truly un-American president to hold that high office.

A lot of Americans voted for him. Those that did not are desperately reading the Constitution to find a way to rid us of this enemy of the people.

While Mr Obama refuses to participate publicly in the National Day of Prayer, any Christian holiday, or traditions such as the Boy Scouts One Hundred Anniversary, he rarely misses a chance to headline any Muslin or GLBT function. At the same time that he is fighting for the rights of Muslins (in the name of religious freedom), he continues to systematically purge the country of Christian freedoms and traditional moral values, particular though his appointment of activist judges and non-confirmed czars. More than ever, as we oppose these radical agendas, we must continue to pray for our country, including its leaders.