I read an opinion piece in the Omaha World Herald today that just about made me physically sick. It was submitted in the "Public Pulse" section by someone that claimed to be a Christian. This woman was very upset about the Pro-Life, Pro-Choice debate. She felt that the proponents of the Pro-Life movement were making their decisions based on antiquated beliefs. She contends that the Pro-Life movement would not have come about if women had been consulted about whether or not they should have a say regarding their own bodies.
How does a professing Christian come to the conclusion that their own opinions supersede the Word of God?
I must admit that I read the article quickly as I was leaving work. I was not able to take it with me and I do not currently have a copy of it. If anyone has access to the article I would appreciate if they would share it in the comments section of this post. I know that this would require a fair amount of typing, but I would appreciate the accuracy of the article rather than my impression of what she was trying to say. My memory of the particulars is probably faulty.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Innocent Blood
I am going to post on one political issue today. For me there is one position that I see as more important than all others.
Deuteronomy 21:8-9 Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. 9So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
Psalm 139:13-19 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
I am going to include the ratings that special interest groups have given the two candidates. You decide which candidate fits best with scripture.
Senator Obama:
2007 In 2007 NARAL Pro-Choice America gave Senator Obama a grade of 100.
Name: NARAL Pro-Choice AmericaYear: 2007 Issue: Abortion IssuesWebsite: http://www.ProChoiceAmerica.orgEmail: CAN@ProChoiceAmerica.org
Address:1156 15th Street, NWSuite 700Washington, DC 20005
"For more than 30 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has been the leading national advocate for personal privacy and a woman’s right to choose. NARAL Pro-Choice America's mission is to develop and sustain a constituency that uses the political process to guarantee every woman the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. NARAL Pro-Choice America works to educate Americans and officeholders about the broad range of issues encompassing a woman’s right to choose and elect pro-choice candidates at all levels of government."
2006 Senator Obama supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2006.
2006 Senator Obama supported the interests of the Planned Parenthood 100 percent in 2006.
2005-2006 Senator Obama supported the interests of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association 100 percent in 2005-2006.
2005-2006 Senator Obama supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 0 percent in 2005-2006.
Name: National Right to Life CommitteeYear: 2005-2006 Issue: Abortion IssuesWebsite: http://www.nrlc.org/Email: Legfederal@aol.com
Address:512 10th Street, NorthwestWashington, DC 20004"The ultimate goal of the National Right to Life Committee is to restore legal protection to innocent human life. The primary interest of the National Right to Life Committee and its members has been the abortion controversy; however, it is also concerned with related matters of medical ethics which relate to the right to life issues of euthanasia and infanticide. The Committee does not have a position on issues such as contraception, sex education, capital punishment, and national defense."
On to John:
2007 In 2007 NARAL Pro-Choice America gave Senator McCain a grade of 0.
2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2006.
2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Planned Parenthood 0 percent in 2006.
2005-2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association 0 percent in 2005-2006.
2005-2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 75 percent in 2005-2006.
Name: National Right to Life CommitteeYear: 2005-2006 Issue: Abortion IssuesWebsite: http://www.nrlc.org/Email: Legfederal@aol.com
Address:512 10th Street, NorthwestWashington, DC 20004
"The ultimate goal of the National Right to Life Committee is to restore legal protection to innocent human life. The primary interest of the National Right to Life Committee and its members has been the abortion controversy; however, it is also concerned with related matters of medical ethics which relate to the right to life issues of euthanasia and infanticide. The Committee does not have a position on issues such as contraception, sex education, capital punishment, and national defense."
2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2005.
2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2004.
2003-2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 82 percent in 2003-2004.
Deuteronomy 21:8-9 Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. 9So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
Psalm 139:13-19 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
I am going to include the ratings that special interest groups have given the two candidates. You decide which candidate fits best with scripture.
Senator Obama:
2007 In 2007 NARAL Pro-Choice America gave Senator Obama a grade of 100.
Name: NARAL Pro-Choice AmericaYear: 2007 Issue: Abortion IssuesWebsite: http://www.ProChoiceAmerica.orgEmail: CAN@ProChoiceAmerica.org
Address:1156 15th Street, NWSuite 700Washington, DC 20005
"For more than 30 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has been the leading national advocate for personal privacy and a woman’s right to choose. NARAL Pro-Choice America's mission is to develop and sustain a constituency that uses the political process to guarantee every woman the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. NARAL Pro-Choice America works to educate Americans and officeholders about the broad range of issues encompassing a woman’s right to choose and elect pro-choice candidates at all levels of government."
2006 Senator Obama supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2006.
2006 Senator Obama supported the interests of the Planned Parenthood 100 percent in 2006.
2005-2006 Senator Obama supported the interests of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association 100 percent in 2005-2006.
2005-2006 Senator Obama supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 0 percent in 2005-2006.
Name: National Right to Life CommitteeYear: 2005-2006 Issue: Abortion IssuesWebsite: http://www.nrlc.org/Email: Legfederal@aol.com
Address:512 10th Street, NorthwestWashington, DC 20004"The ultimate goal of the National Right to Life Committee is to restore legal protection to innocent human life. The primary interest of the National Right to Life Committee and its members has been the abortion controversy; however, it is also concerned with related matters of medical ethics which relate to the right to life issues of euthanasia and infanticide. The Committee does not have a position on issues such as contraception, sex education, capital punishment, and national defense."
On to John:
2007 In 2007 NARAL Pro-Choice America gave Senator McCain a grade of 0.
2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2006.
2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Planned Parenthood 0 percent in 2006.
2005-2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association 0 percent in 2005-2006.
2005-2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 75 percent in 2005-2006.
Name: National Right to Life CommitteeYear: 2005-2006 Issue: Abortion IssuesWebsite: http://www.nrlc.org/Email: Legfederal@aol.com
Address:512 10th Street, NorthwestWashington, DC 20004
"The ultimate goal of the National Right to Life Committee is to restore legal protection to innocent human life. The primary interest of the National Right to Life Committee and its members has been the abortion controversy; however, it is also concerned with related matters of medical ethics which relate to the right to life issues of euthanasia and infanticide. The Committee does not have a position on issues such as contraception, sex education, capital punishment, and national defense."
2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2005.
2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2004.
2003-2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 82 percent in 2003-2004.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Not in favor
I am not one to forward emails that I receive. I will however post a letter here from an email that I received. The letter is signed, though I know nothing about the man that wrote it. I have also not researched his allegations. I will post it here, though I cannot speak to it's validity. I would encourage you to read it and if you have questions as to it's content, do your research. I will tell you, I will not vote for a man who does not believe in the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage (between one man and one woman), and does not think that America should be friends with Israel.
If you are a believer, I hope that you would take those criteria as more important than either taxes or the economy.
To Barack Hussein Obama,
The New York Times carried a story on Saturday, October 4, 2008, that proved you had a significantly closer relationship with Bill Ayers than what you previously admitted. While the issue of your relationship is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about it.
The Chicago Sun reported on May 8, 2008, that FBI records showed that you had a significantly closer relationship with To ny Rezko than what you previously admitted. In the interview, you said that you only saw Mr. Rezko a couple of times a year. The FBI files showed that you saw him weekly. While the issue of your relationship is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about it.
Your speech in Philadelphia on March 18, 2008, about 'race' contradicted your statement to Anderson Cooper on March 14 when you said that you never heard Reverend Wright make his negative statements about white America. While your attendance at Trinity Church for 20 years is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America on March 14.
In your 1st debate with John McCain, you said that you never said that you would meet with the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and North Korea without 'preparations' at lower levels ... Joe Biden repeated your words in his debate with Sarah Palin ... while the video tape from your debate last February clearly shows that you answered 'I would' to the question of meeting with those leaders within 12 months without 'any' preconditions. While your judgement about meeting with enemies of the USA without pre-conditions is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America in the debate with McCain.
On July 14, 2008, you said that you always knew that the surge would work while the video tapes of you from more than a year ago show that you stated that the surge would not work. While your judgement about military strategy as a potential commander-in-chief is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America on July 14.
You now claim that your reason for voting against funding for the troops was because the bill did not include a time line for withdrawal, while the video tapes of you from more than a year ago show that you voted against additional funding because you wanted our troops to be removed immediately ... not in 16 months after the 2008 election as you now claim. While your judgement about removing our troops unilaterally in 2007 is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about your previous position.
You claim to have a record of working with Republicans while the record shows that the only bill that you sponsored with a Republican was with Chuck Lugar ... and it failed. The record shows that you vote 97% in concert with the Democrat party and that you have the most liberal voting record in the Senate. You joined Republicans only 13% of the time in your votes and those 13% were only after agreement from the Democrat party. While it is of concern that you fail to include conservatives in your actions and that you are such a liberal, the greater concern is that you distorted the truth.
In the primary debates of last Febru ary, 2008, you claimed to have talked with a 'Captain' of a platoon in Afghanistan 'the other day' when in fact you had a discussion in 2003 with a Lieutenant who had just been deployed to Afghanistan. You lied in that debate.
In your debates last spring, you claimed to have been a 'professor of Constitutional law' when in fact you have never been a professor of Constitutional law. In this last debate, you were careful to say that you 'taught a law class' and never mentioned being a 'professor of Constitutional law.' You lied last spring.
You and Joe Biden both claimed that John McCain voted against additional funding for our troops when the actual records show the opposite. You distorted the truth.
You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted against funding for alternate energy sources 20 times when the record shows that John McCain specifically voted against funding for bio fuels, especially corn ... and he was right .... corn is too expensive at producing ethanol, and using corn to make ethanol increased the price of corn from $2 a bushel to $6 a bushel for food. You distorted the truth.
You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted like both of you for a tax increase on those making as little as $42,000 per year while the voting record clearly shows that John McCain did not vote as you and Joe Biden. You lied to America.
You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted with George W. Bush 90% of the time when you know that Democrats also vote 90% of the time with the President (including Joe Biden) because the vast majority of the votes are procedural. You are one of the few who has not voted 90% of the time with the president because you have been missing from the Senate since the day you got elected. ; While your absence from your job in the Senate is of concern, the greater concern is that you spin the facts.
You did not take an active role in the rescue plan. You claimed that the Senate did not need you while the real reason that you abstained was because of your close relationships with the executives of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Countrywide, and Acorn ... who all helped cause the financial problems of today ... and they all made major contributions to your campaign. While your relationship with these executives and your protection of them for your brief 3 years in the Senate (along with Barney Frank, Chuck Schumer, Maxine Waters, and Chris Dodd) is of concern, the greater concern is that you are being deceitful.
You forgot to mention that you personally represented Tony Rezko and Acorn. Tony Rezko, an Arab and close friend to you, was convicted of fraud in Chicago real estate transactions that bilked millions of tax dollars from the Illinois government for renovation projects that you sponsored as a state senator ... and Acorn has been convicted of voter fraud, real estate sub prime loan intimidation, and illegal campaign contributions. Tony Rezko has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to your political campaigns. You personally used your political positions to steer money to both Tony Rezko and Acorn and you used Acorn to register thousands of phony voters for Democrats and you. While your relationships with Rezko and Acorn are of concern, the greater concern is that you omitted important facts about your relationships with them to America.
During your campaign, you said: 'typical white person.' 'They cling to their guns and religion.' 'They will say that I am black.' You played the race card. You tried to label any criticism about you as racist. You divide America.
You claim that you will reduce taxes for 95% of America, but you forgot to tell America that those reductions are after you remove the Bush tax reductions. You have requested close to $1 billion in earmarks and several mill ion for Acorn. Your social programs will cost America $1 trillion per year and you claim that a reduction in military spending ($100 billion for Iraq) can pay for it. While your economic plan of adding 30% to the size of our federal government is of concern, the greater concern is that you are deceiving America.
The drain to America's economy by foreign supplied oil is $700 billion per year (5% of GDP) while the war in Iraq is $100 billion (less than 1% of GDP). You voted against any increases to oil exploration for the last 3 years and any expansion of nuclear facilities. Yet today, you say that you have always been for more oil and more nuclear. You are lying to America.
Mr. Obama, you claimed that you 'changed' your mind about public financing for your campaign because of the money spent by Republican PACs in 2004. The truth is that the Democrat PACs in 2004, 2006, and 2008 spent twice as much as the Republican PACs (especially George Soros and MoveOn.org). You are lying to America.
Oh, Mr. Obama, Teddy Roosevelt said about a hundred years ago that we Americans should first look at the character of our leaders before anything else.
Your character looks horrible. While you make good speeches, motivating speeches, your character does not match your rhetoric. You talk the talk, but do not walk the walk.
1. You lied to America. You lied many times. You distorted facts. You parsed your answers like a lawyer.
2. You distorted the record of John McCain in your words and in your advertisements.
3. You had associations with some very bad people for your personal political gains and then lied about those associations.
4. You divide America about race and about class.
Now let me compare your record of lies, distortions, race baiting, and associations to John McCain: War hero. Annapolis graduate with 'Country first.' Operational leadership experience like all 43 previously elected presidents of the USA as a Navy officer for 22 years. 26 years in the Senate. Straight talk. Maverick. 54% of the time participated on bills with Democrats. Never asked for an earmark. The only blemish on his record is his part in the Keating 5 debacle about 25 years ago.
Mr. Obama, at Harvard Law School, you learned that the end does not justify the means. You learned that perjury, false witness, dishonesty, distortion of truth are never tolerated. Yet, your dishonesty is overwhelming. Your dishonesty is tremendously greater than the dishonesty that caused the impeachment and disbarment of Bill Clinton. Your dishonesty is tremendously greater than the dishonesty of Scooter Libby. You should be ashamed.
Mr. Obama, it is time for us Americans to put aside our differences on political issues and vote against you because of your dishonest character. It is time for all of us Americans to put aside our political issues and vote for America first. It is time for America to vote for honesty.
Any people who vote for you after understanding that you are dishonest should be ashamed of themselves for making their personal political issues more important than character. Would these same people vote for the anti-Christ if the anti-Christ promised them riches? Would they make a golden calf while Moses was up the mountain? Would they hire some one for a job if that someone lied in an interview? Of course not. So why do some of these people justify their votes for you even though they know you are dishonest? Why do they excuse your dishonesty? Because some of these people are frightened about the future, the economy, and their financial security .... and you are preying on their fears with empty promises ... and because some (especially our young people) are consumed by your wonderful style and promises for 'change' like the Germans who voted for Adolf Hitler in 1932. The greed/envy by Germans in 1932 kept them from recognizing Hitler for who he was. They loved his style. Greed and envy are keeping many Americans from recognizing you ... your style has camouflaged your dishonesty .... but many of us see you for who you really are ... and we will not stop exposing who you are every day, forever if it is necessary.
Mr. Obama, you are dishonest. Anyone who votes for you is enabling dishonesty.
Mr. Obama, America cannot trust that you will put America first in your decisions about the future.
Mr. Obama, you are not the 'change' that America deserves. We cannot trust you.
Mr. Obama, You are not ready and not fit to be commander-in-chief.
Mr. Obama, John McCain does not have as much money as your campaign to refute all of your false statements. And for whatever reasons, the mainstream media will not give adequate coverage or research about your lies, distortions, word parsing, bad associations, race baiting, lack of operational leadership experience, and generally dishonest character. The media is diverting our attention from your relationships and ignoring the fact that you lied about those relationships. The fact that you lied is much more important than the relationships themselves .... just like with Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon ... Monica Lewinski and Watergate were not nearly as bad as the fact that those men lied about the events ... false witness ... perjury ... your relationships and bad judgements are bad on their own .... but your lies are even worse.
Therefore, by copy of this memo, We need to do the job that the media will not do. We need to expose your dishonesty so that every person in America understands who you really are before election day.
Mr. Obama, in a democracy, we get what we deserve. And God help America if we deserve you.
Michael Master
McLean, Virginia
If you are a believer, I hope that you would take those criteria as more important than either taxes or the economy.
To Barack Hussein Obama,
The New York Times carried a story on Saturday, October 4, 2008, that proved you had a significantly closer relationship with Bill Ayers than what you previously admitted. While the issue of your relationship is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about it.
The Chicago Sun reported on May 8, 2008, that FBI records showed that you had a significantly closer relationship with To ny Rezko than what you previously admitted. In the interview, you said that you only saw Mr. Rezko a couple of times a year. The FBI files showed that you saw him weekly. While the issue of your relationship is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about it.
Your speech in Philadelphia on March 18, 2008, about 'race' contradicted your statement to Anderson Cooper on March 14 when you said that you never heard Reverend Wright make his negative statements about white America. While your attendance at Trinity Church for 20 years is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America on March 14.
In your 1st debate with John McCain, you said that you never said that you would meet with the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and North Korea without 'preparations' at lower levels ... Joe Biden repeated your words in his debate with Sarah Palin ... while the video tape from your debate last February clearly shows that you answered 'I would' to the question of meeting with those leaders within 12 months without 'any' preconditions. While your judgement about meeting with enemies of the USA without pre-conditions is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America in the debate with McCain.
On July 14, 2008, you said that you always knew that the surge would work while the video tapes of you from more than a year ago show that you stated that the surge would not work. While your judgement about military strategy as a potential commander-in-chief is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America on July 14.
You now claim that your reason for voting against funding for the troops was because the bill did not include a time line for withdrawal, while the video tapes of you from more than a year ago show that you voted against additional funding because you wanted our troops to be removed immediately ... not in 16 months after the 2008 election as you now claim. While your judgement about removing our troops unilaterally in 2007 is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about your previous position.
You claim to have a record of working with Republicans while the record shows that the only bill that you sponsored with a Republican was with Chuck Lugar ... and it failed. The record shows that you vote 97% in concert with the Democrat party and that you have the most liberal voting record in the Senate. You joined Republicans only 13% of the time in your votes and those 13% were only after agreement from the Democrat party. While it is of concern that you fail to include conservatives in your actions and that you are such a liberal, the greater concern is that you distorted the truth.
In the primary debates of last Febru ary, 2008, you claimed to have talked with a 'Captain' of a platoon in Afghanistan 'the other day' when in fact you had a discussion in 2003 with a Lieutenant who had just been deployed to Afghanistan. You lied in that debate.
In your debates last spring, you claimed to have been a 'professor of Constitutional law' when in fact you have never been a professor of Constitutional law. In this last debate, you were careful to say that you 'taught a law class' and never mentioned being a 'professor of Constitutional law.' You lied last spring.
You and Joe Biden both claimed that John McCain voted against additional funding for our troops when the actual records show the opposite. You distorted the truth.
You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted against funding for alternate energy sources 20 times when the record shows that John McCain specifically voted against funding for bio fuels, especially corn ... and he was right .... corn is too expensive at producing ethanol, and using corn to make ethanol increased the price of corn from $2 a bushel to $6 a bushel for food. You distorted the truth.
You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted like both of you for a tax increase on those making as little as $42,000 per year while the voting record clearly shows that John McCain did not vote as you and Joe Biden. You lied to America.
You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted with George W. Bush 90% of the time when you know that Democrats also vote 90% of the time with the President (including Joe Biden) because the vast majority of the votes are procedural. You are one of the few who has not voted 90% of the time with the president because you have been missing from the Senate since the day you got elected. ; While your absence from your job in the Senate is of concern, the greater concern is that you spin the facts.
You did not take an active role in the rescue plan. You claimed that the Senate did not need you while the real reason that you abstained was because of your close relationships with the executives of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Countrywide, and Acorn ... who all helped cause the financial problems of today ... and they all made major contributions to your campaign. While your relationship with these executives and your protection of them for your brief 3 years in the Senate (along with Barney Frank, Chuck Schumer, Maxine Waters, and Chris Dodd) is of concern, the greater concern is that you are being deceitful.
You forgot to mention that you personally represented Tony Rezko and Acorn. Tony Rezko, an Arab and close friend to you, was convicted of fraud in Chicago real estate transactions that bilked millions of tax dollars from the Illinois government for renovation projects that you sponsored as a state senator ... and Acorn has been convicted of voter fraud, real estate sub prime loan intimidation, and illegal campaign contributions. Tony Rezko has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to your political campaigns. You personally used your political positions to steer money to both Tony Rezko and Acorn and you used Acorn to register thousands of phony voters for Democrats and you. While your relationships with Rezko and Acorn are of concern, the greater concern is that you omitted important facts about your relationships with them to America.
During your campaign, you said: 'typical white person.' 'They cling to their guns and religion.' 'They will say that I am black.' You played the race card. You tried to label any criticism about you as racist. You divide America.
You claim that you will reduce taxes for 95% of America, but you forgot to tell America that those reductions are after you remove the Bush tax reductions. You have requested close to $1 billion in earmarks and several mill ion for Acorn. Your social programs will cost America $1 trillion per year and you claim that a reduction in military spending ($100 billion for Iraq) can pay for it. While your economic plan of adding 30% to the size of our federal government is of concern, the greater concern is that you are deceiving America.
The drain to America's economy by foreign supplied oil is $700 billion per year (5% of GDP) while the war in Iraq is $100 billion (less than 1% of GDP). You voted against any increases to oil exploration for the last 3 years and any expansion of nuclear facilities. Yet today, you say that you have always been for more oil and more nuclear. You are lying to America.
Mr. Obama, you claimed that you 'changed' your mind about public financing for your campaign because of the money spent by Republican PACs in 2004. The truth is that the Democrat PACs in 2004, 2006, and 2008 spent twice as much as the Republican PACs (especially George Soros and MoveOn.org). You are lying to America.
Oh, Mr. Obama, Teddy Roosevelt said about a hundred years ago that we Americans should first look at the character of our leaders before anything else.
Your character looks horrible. While you make good speeches, motivating speeches, your character does not match your rhetoric. You talk the talk, but do not walk the walk.
1. You lied to America. You lied many times. You distorted facts. You parsed your answers like a lawyer.
2. You distorted the record of John McCain in your words and in your advertisements.
3. You had associations with some very bad people for your personal political gains and then lied about those associations.
4. You divide America about race and about class.
Now let me compare your record of lies, distortions, race baiting, and associations to John McCain: War hero. Annapolis graduate with 'Country first.' Operational leadership experience like all 43 previously elected presidents of the USA as a Navy officer for 22 years. 26 years in the Senate. Straight talk. Maverick. 54% of the time participated on bills with Democrats. Never asked for an earmark. The only blemish on his record is his part in the Keating 5 debacle about 25 years ago.
Mr. Obama, at Harvard Law School, you learned that the end does not justify the means. You learned that perjury, false witness, dishonesty, distortion of truth are never tolerated. Yet, your dishonesty is overwhelming. Your dishonesty is tremendously greater than the dishonesty that caused the impeachment and disbarment of Bill Clinton. Your dishonesty is tremendously greater than the dishonesty of Scooter Libby. You should be ashamed.
Mr. Obama, it is time for us Americans to put aside our differences on political issues and vote against you because of your dishonest character. It is time for all of us Americans to put aside our political issues and vote for America first. It is time for America to vote for honesty.
Any people who vote for you after understanding that you are dishonest should be ashamed of themselves for making their personal political issues more important than character. Would these same people vote for the anti-Christ if the anti-Christ promised them riches? Would they make a golden calf while Moses was up the mountain? Would they hire some one for a job if that someone lied in an interview? Of course not. So why do some of these people justify their votes for you even though they know you are dishonest? Why do they excuse your dishonesty? Because some of these people are frightened about the future, the economy, and their financial security .... and you are preying on their fears with empty promises ... and because some (especially our young people) are consumed by your wonderful style and promises for 'change' like the Germans who voted for Adolf Hitler in 1932. The greed/envy by Germans in 1932 kept them from recognizing Hitler for who he was. They loved his style. Greed and envy are keeping many Americans from recognizing you ... your style has camouflaged your dishonesty .... but many of us see you for who you really are ... and we will not stop exposing who you are every day, forever if it is necessary.
Mr. Obama, you are dishonest. Anyone who votes for you is enabling dishonesty.
Mr. Obama, America cannot trust that you will put America first in your decisions about the future.
Mr. Obama, you are not the 'change' that America deserves. We cannot trust you.
Mr. Obama, You are not ready and not fit to be commander-in-chief.
Mr. Obama, John McCain does not have as much money as your campaign to refute all of your false statements. And for whatever reasons, the mainstream media will not give adequate coverage or research about your lies, distortions, word parsing, bad associations, race baiting, lack of operational leadership experience, and generally dishonest character. The media is diverting our attention from your relationships and ignoring the fact that you lied about those relationships. The fact that you lied is much more important than the relationships themselves .... just like with Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon ... Monica Lewinski and Watergate were not nearly as bad as the fact that those men lied about the events ... false witness ... perjury ... your relationships and bad judgements are bad on their own .... but your lies are even worse.
Therefore, by copy of this memo, We need to do the job that the media will not do. We need to expose your dishonesty so that every person in America understands who you really are before election day.
Mr. Obama, in a democracy, we get what we deserve. And God help America if we deserve you.
Michael Master
McLean, Virginia
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Lynx
I am not sure how the link on the word "teaching" got added to my last post. I am trying to find out how to remove it. If it shows up on your computer, please do not click on it as it is just an advertisement. (I recognize that by saying this, half of you will click on it out of curiosity)
It is nothing bad, it is just unwanted.
It is nothing bad, it is just unwanted.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Hebrews 7:5-24
Tonight I am going to be teaching out of Malachi 2:1-5
In these verses God says that he is giving a commandment to the priests. He warns them that if they do not take the commandment to heart, and give him glory, that he will send a curse upon them. He will also corrupt their seed and spread dung on their faces. In verse 4 he says that he is doing this so that his covenant might be with Levi. In verse 5 he says that his covenant was with him of life and peace.
In Numbers 25 we find the story of God making the covenant with Levi. This is an interesting chapter because we find God instructing the Israelites to hang anyone that had intermarried with the Moabites (as an aside, this is after Balaam had turned them to committing this sin. Balaam is referred to again in Revelation 2 one verse before the Nicolaitans are mentioned). After the hangings, while people are in mourning, Phinehas (the grandson of Aaron) sees an Israelite man take a Midianitish woman into a tent. Phinehas followed them into the tent and thrust them both through with a javelin. Because he was "zealous" for the Lord, God made a covenant of peace with him. Numbers 25:12-13Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 13And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
How does this covenant of an everlasting priesthood fit with Malachi 2:4? And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
Is God saying that the fulfilment of the covenant is up to the obedience of the priests? He said in verse 2 that "if ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart...I will even send a curse upon you..."
Let me ask another question that may get you started on the right track. How is the everlasting priesthood going to be fulfilled?
In these verses God says that he is giving a commandment to the priests. He warns them that if they do not take the commandment to heart, and give him glory, that he will send a curse upon them. He will also corrupt their seed and spread dung on their faces. In verse 4 he says that he is doing this so that his covenant might be with Levi. In verse 5 he says that his covenant was with him of life and peace.
In Numbers 25 we find the story of God making the covenant with Levi. This is an interesting chapter because we find God instructing the Israelites to hang anyone that had intermarried with the Moabites (as an aside, this is after Balaam had turned them to committing this sin. Balaam is referred to again in Revelation 2 one verse before the Nicolaitans are mentioned). After the hangings, while people are in mourning, Phinehas (the grandson of Aaron) sees an Israelite man take a Midianitish woman into a tent. Phinehas followed them into the tent and thrust them both through with a javelin. Because he was "zealous" for the Lord, God made a covenant of peace with him. Numbers 25:12-13Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 13And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
How does this covenant of an everlasting priesthood fit with Malachi 2:4? And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
Is God saying that the fulfilment of the covenant is up to the obedience of the priests? He said in verse 2 that "if ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart...I will even send a curse upon you..."
Let me ask another question that may get you started on the right track. How is the everlasting priesthood going to be fulfilled?
Monday, October 20, 2008
Treed
Emily and I went deer hunting tonight! It was the first time I have been out this season. We hunted here at home in a double tree stand (Emily was a little concerned that the size of the tree was not enough to match the size of me) and were fortunate enough to see five deer. Unfortunately all of them were does and more than 50 yards away. Just a little too far for a bow.
The great thing about hunters though is that we are optimists. We always think that the next time out we will be successful! This is what keeps us in the trees even after the weather turns cold.
Let's see...
Tomorrow night-deacons meeting
Wednesday-prayer meeting
Thursday-fire station
Friday-ABF party
Saturday-fire station
Sunday-evening church service
Monday-fire station
Tuesday-hmmm, hunting session 2? (Optimistically speaking)
The great thing about hunters though is that we are optimists. We always think that the next time out we will be successful! This is what keeps us in the trees even after the weather turns cold.
Let's see...
Tomorrow night-deacons meeting
Wednesday-prayer meeting
Thursday-fire station
Friday-ABF party
Saturday-fire station
Sunday-evening church service
Monday-fire station
Tuesday-hmmm, hunting session 2? (Optimistically speaking)
Welcome to the Wedding
My last post was getting too long. I will shorten this one.
What is Jesus talking about here?
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14For many are called, but few are chosen.
Matthew 22:2-14
What is Jesus talking about here?
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14For many are called, but few are chosen.
Matthew 22:2-14
Can I say this in Church?
Well, I had a response to my last post which has prompted me to write more. In the previous post I included an excerpt from a letter that Paul had written to the Romans. In this letter Paul states that "I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits;" and then goes on to say that we have salvation for a time, but then "all Israel shall be saved".
I did not post some of the verses that appear earlier in the chapter. Look at Romans 11:11-12
"I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 12Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?"
This is what I believe is critical to our "rightly dividing the word of truth". "yourbrother" commented on it in the last post. I won"t quote him because he started with a maybe and I want to be more emphatic. I know that this will hurt the pride of some people and it will fly against the "mainstream" religious teachers of today. However, until shown otherwise, I believe it to be vital to correctly determining our doctrine.
The Bible is intended for the Jews, we are temporarily reaping the benefit of their unbelief. Now maybe that doesn't sound like a big deal on the surface, but it is! You see, we cannot have proper doctrine if we do not know where we fit into God's eternal scheme. God revealed it in the Old Testament with the prophets. Because I said that I was going to share out of the book of Malachi in the next few posts, I will use some verses out of his book to demonstrate this.
In Malachi 1:5 God shares his intent. "And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel." He then reprimands the Jews for giving him poor offerings. He says in verse 10 that he has "no pleasure" in them and that he won't "accept an offering" at their hands. In verse 11 he says "For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts."
The Lord then proceeds to "rip" the Jews for their behavior and for following other gods. This goes on for almost two whole chapters. He talks about sending them a "messenger" and he talks of sending them "the messenger of the covenant" (3:1) but he says " who may abide the day of his coming?" He tells them that he would like to bless them, but they are too busy robbing him of what he is due. At the end of chapter three though, we see these words: "16Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
I am tempted to add in here all of chapter 4 but I will save it for later. Instead, let's look ahead to the book of Romans again. "salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy."
Let me ask you, according to God, why have we been offered salvation, where do we fit in, and who is the Bible written for?
Before everyone gets upset at me, I want you to understand that I believe all of our doctrine for this age is to be found in the Bible. I believe that God loves us. I believe that we have salvation through Christ's death burial and resurrection. I believe that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for my sin. I believe that I will spend eternity with God. I also believe that my opportunity for salvation is not all about me, it is about God and a covenant that he made with Israel.
I did not post some of the verses that appear earlier in the chapter. Look at Romans 11:11-12
"I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 12Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?"
This is what I believe is critical to our "rightly dividing the word of truth". "yourbrother" commented on it in the last post. I won"t quote him because he started with a maybe and I want to be more emphatic. I know that this will hurt the pride of some people and it will fly against the "mainstream" religious teachers of today. However, until shown otherwise, I believe it to be vital to correctly determining our doctrine.
The Bible is intended for the Jews, we are temporarily reaping the benefit of their unbelief. Now maybe that doesn't sound like a big deal on the surface, but it is! You see, we cannot have proper doctrine if we do not know where we fit into God's eternal scheme. God revealed it in the Old Testament with the prophets. Because I said that I was going to share out of the book of Malachi in the next few posts, I will use some verses out of his book to demonstrate this.
In Malachi 1:5 God shares his intent. "And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel." He then reprimands the Jews for giving him poor offerings. He says in verse 10 that he has "no pleasure" in them and that he won't "accept an offering" at their hands. In verse 11 he says "For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts."
The Lord then proceeds to "rip" the Jews for their behavior and for following other gods. This goes on for almost two whole chapters. He talks about sending them a "messenger" and he talks of sending them "the messenger of the covenant" (3:1) but he says " who may abide the day of his coming?" He tells them that he would like to bless them, but they are too busy robbing him of what he is due. At the end of chapter three though, we see these words: "16Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
I am tempted to add in here all of chapter 4 but I will save it for later. Instead, let's look ahead to the book of Romans again. "salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy."
Let me ask you, according to God, why have we been offered salvation, where do we fit in, and who is the Bible written for?
Before everyone gets upset at me, I want you to understand that I believe all of our doctrine for this age is to be found in the Bible. I believe that God loves us. I believe that we have salvation through Christ's death burial and resurrection. I believe that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for my sin. I believe that I will spend eternity with God. I also believe that my opportunity for salvation is not all about me, it is about God and a covenant that he made with Israel.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Is this meant for you?
I have gotten a little off track in the last couple of days because of the comments that have come in on my last post. I find this to be a great advantage because the original purpose of this blog was to challenge people in their biblical understanding.
I would ask that you read the comment section of my previous post before you finish reading this post.
Many times as believers in this "Age of Grace" (and I was guilty of this for years) we remember that the Old Testament was for the Jews (under the law) and we think of the New Testament (Matthew to Revelation) as intended for us. This has affected much of our church doctrine, and contributed to the plethora of denominational differences that are in existence today. Paul wrote a letter to the Romans almost two thousand years ago that I think we fail to heed. I am including an excerpt from that letter. I would encourage you to weigh in on what you think that Paul was trying to get across to those believers.
Romans 11:19 19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. 24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
I know that many of you have heard messages on these verses over the years, but are they properly applied? What is Paul talking about here? Is he talking about one individual at a time, or is he talking about a group? How should these verses affect our study and application of the Bible? Let me put it this way, For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
When the fulness of the Gentiles is come in, will the Bible then be outdated? If not, what part of the Bible will Israel turn to for instruction and doctrine? What part of the Bible are you currently using for doctrine? Let me warn you, if you begin to get a glimpse of what Paul is saying, you will no longer be able to read and study the Bible in a casual manner.
I will tie some of the ideas in this passage to the prophecy in Malachi as I write additional posts over the next several weeks. If you don't want to get lost, write in with your comments and questions. If I do not hear from people, you may get left behind because I will not know what to clarify.
I would ask that you read the comment section of my previous post before you finish reading this post.
Many times as believers in this "Age of Grace" (and I was guilty of this for years) we remember that the Old Testament was for the Jews (under the law) and we think of the New Testament (Matthew to Revelation) as intended for us. This has affected much of our church doctrine, and contributed to the plethora of denominational differences that are in existence today. Paul wrote a letter to the Romans almost two thousand years ago that I think we fail to heed. I am including an excerpt from that letter. I would encourage you to weigh in on what you think that Paul was trying to get across to those believers.
Romans 11:19 19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. 24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
I know that many of you have heard messages on these verses over the years, but are they properly applied? What is Paul talking about here? Is he talking about one individual at a time, or is he talking about a group? How should these verses affect our study and application of the Bible? Let me put it this way, For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
When the fulness of the Gentiles is come in, will the Bible then be outdated? If not, what part of the Bible will Israel turn to for instruction and doctrine? What part of the Bible are you currently using for doctrine? Let me warn you, if you begin to get a glimpse of what Paul is saying, you will no longer be able to read and study the Bible in a casual manner.
I will tie some of the ideas in this passage to the prophecy in Malachi as I write additional posts over the next several weeks. If you don't want to get lost, write in with your comments and questions. If I do not hear from people, you may get left behind because I will not know what to clarify.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Looking for a Revelation
On Monday morning of this week, when I came home from work, Karen had two questions ready for me when I walked through the door. These were not the scary type of questions but rather the fun type as they related to a sermon that she had heard the day before. In aswering her questions, I decided to put it to paper in order to share my answer with another fellow from church.
I have now decided to post the questions (and my answers) here. I am hoping that I may receive a response that will challenge my understanding. Please feel free to weigh in with your opinion.
Revelation Questions
1) Who are the angels that are referred to when it says “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write:”?
In Revelation 1:20 it says that the seven stars “symbolize” the seven angels. The Greek word here is “angelos” meaning “messenger”. How many times in the Bible did God use his angels as messengers? There are three common opinions as to who these angels were:
They are Guardian Angels assigned to watch over the churches.
They were the Pastors of these seven churches.
They were messengers sent from the seven churches to John.
In looking at these three ideas, which seems to fit the best with the Scriptures as a whole? All may be plausible, yet why would Christ address his message to celestial beings as would be the case if the “angels” were guardian angels?
We also know that Pastors are messengers. They are to feed the flock by Bible preaching. However, the church at Ephesus had many pastors (Acts 20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.) so why wouldn’t Revelation 2:1 read “Unto the angels of the church of Ephesus” In addition, as near as we can tell, most of the New Testament Churches had a plurality of Pastors. In fact, the Jews had a plurality of Elders throughout their long history. It would seem then, that all of the letters would have been “to the angels”.
The Bible also gives us evidence that the New Testament Churches used messengers.
II Corinthians 8:23 Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.
These messengers may have been Pastors as well, with their primary role being that of messenger. As a matter of fact, Paul himself is called an angel of God when he is referring to himself as a messenger and Pastor in Galatians 4:14 - And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
It appears then that these “angels” that were sent to the local churches were messengers of the churches. They may have pastors as well, though there is little reason to believe that they were the only pastors in each church.
2) Who were the Nicolaitans in Revelation 2:6, 15?
It is interesting to note that in chapter 2 of Revelation, we see a progression among the churches. The message to the church at Ephesus was that they “hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” This comes after they are commended for “trying” those who claimed to be apostles, and were not. However, two churches later in chapter 2 we see a problem. The church at Pergamos “hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate”.
It is interesting to note that this is the only information we have regarding the Nicolaitans. How do we determine who, or what, they were?
If we break the word down we find two Greek words:
Nikao-“to conquer” Laos-“laity” or “the people”
A literal definition could be “to conquer the people” or “to conquer the laity”. This would fit with what he was commending the Ephesus Church for. They “tried them which say they are apostles, and are not,”(2:2). Why would someone come to the church at Ephesus and claim to be an apostle if they were not an apostle? The only reason is that they had a desire to “rule” the people.
Today this is most commonly found in the Roman Catholic Church. The laity is not allowed to read the Bible or interpret it for themselves. They have to get their understanding of the Word of God from the Priest or the Pope. We need to be careful not to fall into this trap ourselves. We can do the same thing with some of the requirements that we place on people.
Matthew 23:4-12 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
I have now decided to post the questions (and my answers) here. I am hoping that I may receive a response that will challenge my understanding. Please feel free to weigh in with your opinion.
Revelation Questions
1) Who are the angels that are referred to when it says “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write:”?
In Revelation 1:20 it says that the seven stars “symbolize” the seven angels. The Greek word here is “angelos” meaning “messenger”. How many times in the Bible did God use his angels as messengers? There are three common opinions as to who these angels were:
They are Guardian Angels assigned to watch over the churches.
They were the Pastors of these seven churches.
They were messengers sent from the seven churches to John.
In looking at these three ideas, which seems to fit the best with the Scriptures as a whole? All may be plausible, yet why would Christ address his message to celestial beings as would be the case if the “angels” were guardian angels?
We also know that Pastors are messengers. They are to feed the flock by Bible preaching. However, the church at Ephesus had many pastors (Acts 20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.) so why wouldn’t Revelation 2:1 read “Unto the angels of the church of Ephesus” In addition, as near as we can tell, most of the New Testament Churches had a plurality of Pastors. In fact, the Jews had a plurality of Elders throughout their long history. It would seem then, that all of the letters would have been “to the angels”.
The Bible also gives us evidence that the New Testament Churches used messengers.
II Corinthians 8:23 Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.
These messengers may have been Pastors as well, with their primary role being that of messenger. As a matter of fact, Paul himself is called an angel of God when he is referring to himself as a messenger and Pastor in Galatians 4:14 - And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
It appears then that these “angels” that were sent to the local churches were messengers of the churches. They may have pastors as well, though there is little reason to believe that they were the only pastors in each church.
2) Who were the Nicolaitans in Revelation 2:6, 15?
It is interesting to note that in chapter 2 of Revelation, we see a progression among the churches. The message to the church at Ephesus was that they “hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” This comes after they are commended for “trying” those who claimed to be apostles, and were not. However, two churches later in chapter 2 we see a problem. The church at Pergamos “hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate”.
It is interesting to note that this is the only information we have regarding the Nicolaitans. How do we determine who, or what, they were?
If we break the word down we find two Greek words:
Nikao-“to conquer” Laos-“laity” or “the people”
A literal definition could be “to conquer the people” or “to conquer the laity”. This would fit with what he was commending the Ephesus Church for. They “tried them which say they are apostles, and are not,”(2:2). Why would someone come to the church at Ephesus and claim to be an apostle if they were not an apostle? The only reason is that they had a desire to “rule” the people.
Today this is most commonly found in the Roman Catholic Church. The laity is not allowed to read the Bible or interpret it for themselves. They have to get their understanding of the Word of God from the Priest or the Pope. We need to be careful not to fall into this trap ourselves. We can do the same thing with some of the requirements that we place on people.
Matthew 23:4-12 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Blind, lame, and sick; yet faster than you!
I am sitting in my office this morning trying to listen to CD sermons that have been sent to me by pastoral candidates. I know that this may never happen but I just keep hoping to hear a pastor that reminds me of my grandfather. I wouldn't expect his content to be the same (grandpa was one of a kind) but I would love to hear a similar level of excitement in the voice. Teaching the Word should be fun. That excitement should be evident to the listeners. Am I aiming too high?
In an unrelated matter, I have taught two lessons so far from the first chapter of Malachi. The first week I covered the first five verses. In those verses it appears that the Israelites thought God "owed" them love. After all, they were descendants of Abraham. God was very clear that Esau was a descendant as well. However, he loved Jacob, and hated Esau. God does not owe anything! God loves because that is his nature. This becomes very important as we get to the end of chapter 2 and into chapter 3. There will be more about this later.
The second week we covered verses 6-8
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? 7Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. 8And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.
The Lord has not let these verses out of my mind for almost two months now. I know that we are not "under the law" and that we are not sacrificing as in the Old Testament, but we still offer things to the Lord every day. Are we presenting our best to him? "offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person?" These words really hit home. If I gave my employer the time that I give to the Lord, would he be pleased? What does the Lord deserve, and what do we find reasonable?
You see, we are a reasonable people. It is not reasonable to think that we should give the Lord the time that we give to television. It is not reasonable to think that we should give the Lord the time that we give to our spouse or children. It is not reasonable to think that the Lord really requires the time that we are giving to our family, hobbies (hunting), relaxation, gossip, or sin. Surely the Lord understands that we are a busy people. Don't we have an excuse? Can't we be sold out on Sunday's? That's really all he wants, right? Oh, no, Sundays won't work; Sundays are family days!
Well, I'll tell you what...
No, before I share what I want to say, let me tell you a story first. This story may be new to you but the concept will be familiar.
I went backpacking with a group of men in the Wind River Range of Wyoming about 9 years ago. We were to be in the mountains for 6 days and had to carry in (and carry out) everything that we were going to need. Every man was supposed to be in good shape for the trip. The idea was that if we were all in good shape, we could cover more ground and easily make it to our chosen camping spot before dark each night. (We always tried to hike to a lake so that we could have fresh fish for dinner. I do not like fish but I figured that if I caught fish for everyone else, maybe they wouldn't finish the food that they brought to eat and I could help them with that.)
As we hiked in on the first day, you could see the men looking around and sizing each other up. They were trying to see who was working harder and where they fit in with everyone else's level of fitness. I was amused at the banter that was going on and told two of the men that if they wanted a challenge they could walk on ahead and the rest of the group would catch up later. They considered it for a minute but decided against it. When I asked them why they were staying with the group, one of the men looked at me and said "I am not sure that I am faster than Al, but I know that I am faster than you. We just saw bear tracks a little while ago and the way I figure it, if I stay with the group and we run across a bear, I don't need to be faster than everybody, I only need to be faster than one-body."
Now, I'll tell you what I am thinking. We have let that same mentality creep into our spiritual lives. It is not reasonable that we give God all of our time, lets just give him more than the guy next to us is giving him.
I have to tell you, I have been struggling lately with why I am doing what I am doing. If I am not doing it with joy, I am doing it for the wrong reasons. Am I giving to God, or am I giving to man? My actions may be right, I may be in the Lord's will, and yet my heart may still be wrong.
I do not want to offer the blind, the lame, or the sick. Do you?
Let's not compare ourselves to others, let's compare ourselves to Christ!
In an unrelated matter, I have taught two lessons so far from the first chapter of Malachi. The first week I covered the first five verses. In those verses it appears that the Israelites thought God "owed" them love. After all, they were descendants of Abraham. God was very clear that Esau was a descendant as well. However, he loved Jacob, and hated Esau. God does not owe anything! God loves because that is his nature. This becomes very important as we get to the end of chapter 2 and into chapter 3. There will be more about this later.
The second week we covered verses 6-8
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? 7Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. 8And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.
The Lord has not let these verses out of my mind for almost two months now. I know that we are not "under the law" and that we are not sacrificing as in the Old Testament, but we still offer things to the Lord every day. Are we presenting our best to him? "offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person?" These words really hit home. If I gave my employer the time that I give to the Lord, would he be pleased? What does the Lord deserve, and what do we find reasonable?
You see, we are a reasonable people. It is not reasonable to think that we should give the Lord the time that we give to television. It is not reasonable to think that we should give the Lord the time that we give to our spouse or children. It is not reasonable to think that the Lord really requires the time that we are giving to our family, hobbies (hunting), relaxation, gossip, or sin. Surely the Lord understands that we are a busy people. Don't we have an excuse? Can't we be sold out on Sunday's? That's really all he wants, right? Oh, no, Sundays won't work; Sundays are family days!
Well, I'll tell you what...
No, before I share what I want to say, let me tell you a story first. This story may be new to you but the concept will be familiar.
I went backpacking with a group of men in the Wind River Range of Wyoming about 9 years ago. We were to be in the mountains for 6 days and had to carry in (and carry out) everything that we were going to need. Every man was supposed to be in good shape for the trip. The idea was that if we were all in good shape, we could cover more ground and easily make it to our chosen camping spot before dark each night. (We always tried to hike to a lake so that we could have fresh fish for dinner. I do not like fish but I figured that if I caught fish for everyone else, maybe they wouldn't finish the food that they brought to eat and I could help them with that.)
As we hiked in on the first day, you could see the men looking around and sizing each other up. They were trying to see who was working harder and where they fit in with everyone else's level of fitness. I was amused at the banter that was going on and told two of the men that if they wanted a challenge they could walk on ahead and the rest of the group would catch up later. They considered it for a minute but decided against it. When I asked them why they were staying with the group, one of the men looked at me and said "I am not sure that I am faster than Al, but I know that I am faster than you. We just saw bear tracks a little while ago and the way I figure it, if I stay with the group and we run across a bear, I don't need to be faster than everybody, I only need to be faster than one-body."
Now, I'll tell you what I am thinking. We have let that same mentality creep into our spiritual lives. It is not reasonable that we give God all of our time, lets just give him more than the guy next to us is giving him.
I have to tell you, I have been struggling lately with why I am doing what I am doing. If I am not doing it with joy, I am doing it for the wrong reasons. Am I giving to God, or am I giving to man? My actions may be right, I may be in the Lord's will, and yet my heart may still be wrong.
I do not want to offer the blind, the lame, or the sick. Do you?
Let's not compare ourselves to others, let's compare ourselves to Christ!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Silver (forty) Dollar City
I just wanted to let everyone know that I had not dropped off the face of the earth. I have been meaning to write more often but life has gotten in the way. Our girls have started back to school (home school) and this has taken up some time. I have made an effort to be more involved, particularly in Emily's Bible class. I have really challenged her and she is doing well. I wish that I had the benefit of the knowledge she is gaining at her age. (The fact that I didn't was through no ones fault but my own) All of our girls are so faithful in their Bible reading that it puts my teenage years to shame.
I don't mean to get too personal but I know that the Lord is working in Kaylin's life as well. He has used several things over the last week to challenge her heart and her commitment. It is exciting to see how he uses her classes along with the messages at church to let her know that he has a plan for her life. She definitely has a heart for missions so we will see what develops as the years go by. When we hear the girls talk of their future, it is a good reminder to be in prayer for their future husbands. What lucky men!
We took the opportunity a week ago to attend the home school days at Silver Dollar City. In order to afford the trip, we sat through two separate "time-share" presentations. Most people do not have the patience to attend these presentations but they are well worth it (for the gifts). We were given three nights in a hotel, as well as dinner vouchers, and 4 two day passes to Silver Dollar City. This resulted in it only costing our family of five $40.00 total for our two day passes.
We had a good time as a family, though I can't believe people are willing to pay so much for tickets to a place where 80% of what they offer is shopping. You cannot leave a ride or an activity without passing through a store to get out. Apparently it is a wise marketing move, but after 2 days, I've had my fill. Maybe those future husbands I was talking about will be willing to take them again some day.
We are looking forward to this weekend as we have church activities going on at our house for two different churches this Friday and Saturday. Preparing for that has taken up much of our time the last few weeks as well. Karen wanted a new bonfire ring put in and it took me almost a month to complete it!
Wednesday evenings I have started a new series at church on the book of Malachi. In all honesty, as much as I love the Pauline epistles, I have thoroughly enjoyed preparing to teach through this book. What a great reminder it is to take an honest look at what we are giving to God. I may take the opportunity to write a condensed version of some of the messages here on the blog.
Thanks for taking the time to read this update, I will add more soon. (soon is relative)
Oh, deer season opened for the fall. Maybe I'll have another story to add before it's over!
I don't mean to get too personal but I know that the Lord is working in Kaylin's life as well. He has used several things over the last week to challenge her heart and her commitment. It is exciting to see how he uses her classes along with the messages at church to let her know that he has a plan for her life. She definitely has a heart for missions so we will see what develops as the years go by. When we hear the girls talk of their future, it is a good reminder to be in prayer for their future husbands. What lucky men!
We took the opportunity a week ago to attend the home school days at Silver Dollar City. In order to afford the trip, we sat through two separate "time-share" presentations. Most people do not have the patience to attend these presentations but they are well worth it (for the gifts). We were given three nights in a hotel, as well as dinner vouchers, and 4 two day passes to Silver Dollar City. This resulted in it only costing our family of five $40.00 total for our two day passes.
We had a good time as a family, though I can't believe people are willing to pay so much for tickets to a place where 80% of what they offer is shopping. You cannot leave a ride or an activity without passing through a store to get out. Apparently it is a wise marketing move, but after 2 days, I've had my fill. Maybe those future husbands I was talking about will be willing to take them again some day.
We are looking forward to this weekend as we have church activities going on at our house for two different churches this Friday and Saturday. Preparing for that has taken up much of our time the last few weeks as well. Karen wanted a new bonfire ring put in and it took me almost a month to complete it!
Wednesday evenings I have started a new series at church on the book of Malachi. In all honesty, as much as I love the Pauline epistles, I have thoroughly enjoyed preparing to teach through this book. What a great reminder it is to take an honest look at what we are giving to God. I may take the opportunity to write a condensed version of some of the messages here on the blog.
Thanks for taking the time to read this update, I will add more soon. (soon is relative)
Oh, deer season opened for the fall. Maybe I'll have another story to add before it's over!
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