Enviros Trade In Human Misery

Ezekiel 14:2-3 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all?

The purposeful drying up of the San Joaquin Valley is part of a green utopian experiment. By STEVEN GREENHUT

SACRAMENTO – One of the most unusual vote-buying scams the Obama administration may have used to pass its health care socialization plan was an alleged promise to two Democratic congressmen to increase federal water supplies to the San Joaquin Valley. It's the nation's most fertile farm region, but a region now dotted with scenes that evoke images from the "Grapes of Wrath" thanks to a drought caused more by government policy than by nature.

Reps. Dennis Cardoza of Merced and Jim Costa of Fresno deny any Faustian bargain. But they agreed to vote yes on the health bill just as the administration made an earlier-than-planned announcement of an increase in federally controlled water supplies to the valley, from 5 percent of normal amounts to 25 percent. The congressmen thereby helped impose on the nation's health system the same type of government control and rationing that is killing their own region, but the irony is most likely lost on them. It wasn't lost on columnist George Will, who called this transaction "almost gorgeous ... [T]he party of expanding government secured two votes by increasing rations of the scarcity."

As the final arm-twisting for Obamacare took place last weekend, I was driving through the heart of the Valley, past the farms and gritty towns that define what Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, calls the Garden of Eden because of its world-renowned agricultural productivity and variety. Nunes has long been pointing out what was evident through the car window. Cuts in federal water supplies to protect a tiny fish, the Delta smelt, have dried up portions of a region that supplies the nation with much of its fruits and vegetables. I saw an entire orchard where the dead trees were being chipped into mulch. There were vast empty fields, tumbleweeds and farms going to seed, even though recent rainfall left the nearby hillsides a brilliant green.

The San Joaquin Valley is suffering. The latest figures put the unemployment rate at 21.3 percent in Merced County, 18.9 percent in Stanislaus County, 18.3 percent in Tulare County and 18.4 percent in San Joaquin County. Some smaller, agriculturally dependent towns have unemployment rates as high as 40 percent. These are higher rates than usual. It doesn't take any brilliance to realize that a 95-percent reduction in water supplies to a farming region will lead to severe unemployment.

Rep. Nunes raised some eyebrows for saying recently on Glenn Beck's show on the Fox News Channel that "it's important to note that there are a couple of examples, current recent examples, one being Saddam Hussein, who starved his people of water, and [Zimbabwe's president] Robert Mugabe, who currently starves his people of water."Nunes' main point is correct: Government control of resources puts the lives and fortunes of individuals in the hands of a nation's rulers. In California, liberal politicians are blaming the water problems on drought, but that drought is an act of legislators and judges. Our country has plenty of resources and wealth to store and move water around and to plan for those un-rainy days.

The environmental Left insists that the Valley's plight is caused by ever-scarce water resources, yet the state has not only neglected the construction of new water infrastructure, it has chosen to use the bulk of its water resources for conservation purposes. Rep. Nunes' senior policy advisor, Andrew House, said that 76 percent of the water that enters the Sacramento Delta – the estuary system formed at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers – flushes out to San Francisco Bay and is, essentially, wasted.
This purposeful drying up of the San Joaquin Valley is part of a "green utopian experiment," House argued. Since 1992, state policy has been pulling more and more water out of agricultural uses and diverting it to environmental protection. "They just keep coming at you."

Environmentalists couldn't care less about the smelt, a little bait fish. They will use any species or any excuse to shut down water resources to people and the farms that feed people. Environmentalists love doomsday scenarios, which give them the opportunity to control water (or land) to achieve their real goal of limiting growth and constraining the human use of nature. They want people to be crammed into high-density human islands and the rest of the land preserved under tight government control.

"The radical side of the environmental movement, working with their patrons in government, is fighting a war of attrition in the San Joaquin Valley of California," House said. "Their goal is to assume control of water resources ... and deny water to farmers in the Central Valley." Many environmentalists, he added, believe that there shouldn't be any farming in this arid region. If you think these are exaggerations, I'd suggest reading some of the environmental literature (and court pleadings) on the topic. Many enviros want an end to these "corporate farms," a destruction of the state's dams and a return of California's rural land to wilderness. They take aim at the rural Central Valley, while their allies in the Smart Growth movement take aim at the "evils" of suburban living.

A Los Angeles Times column from 2007 by author Gordy Slack echoes a common and revealingly elitist view of the Central Valley water wars: "If we drive [the Delta smelt] from existence, we will have obliterated an entire world, willingly, in order for a while longer to grow cotton, rice and alfalfa in the desert, to keep our swimming pools topped off and open, to keep the price of water cheap."
Note the reference to growing things in a desert and the sneering attack on people who have swimming pools and use "cheap water." Maybe it's telling that this "era of limits" nonsense is taking hold again as the state prepares for a possible return to the governorship of Jerry Brown, who first put these dubious ideas into practice during his 1975-83 administration.

Old-time progressives, House noted, put their names on dams and constructed infrastructure that created a great farming region. These days, progressives want to shut down human progress, and are comfortable creating human misery, as they try to create an environmental paradise through the politics of scarcity. And these same types of people will now be controlling your health care.
Steven Greenhut is director of the Pacific Published: March 26, 2010 Research Institute's Journalism Center (www.calwatchdog.com).

Corrupt and idiotic manipulations of the laws by politicians as they seek to pay back and pay off their political lobbyists, cronies, and donors continues to destroy the lives and dreams of countless Americans. They can think of a thousand different ways to create a Delta Smelt-like crisis and phoney solutions that lead to destruction. On a personal level, actions by government have destroyed my career twice; cost me my personal residence twice; and cost me millions in personal assets including my retirement. If we did not have family in California, we would have moved out of here long before now.These are perilous times! “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall off, but the word of the Lord stands forever.”
God Bless You My Friends, Bob

The Reckoning That Counts

Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Have you even begun to grasp the depth of the power of the truths we have shared in the past two lessons? Not only did Christ die on the cross as atonement for our sins past present and future, but also; “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”

A friend once told me; I’ve tried to believe that to be true, but I don’t feel like I’m “free from sin”. I asked; “have you reckoned on the truth?” He just shook his head. In the next few posts, we will try to explain the Principles of Reckoning ... as I understand them. We will attempt to answer the question “How do I Reckon?” Reckoning is understood through learning principles. As an example, through the principle of knowledge, we come to understand our identification with the Lord Jesus Christ. The word Reckon means: “to regard as being, to count as true.” Romans 6 call upon us to count as true that our old sinful self died on the cross at Calvary. This would obviously be difficult for someone who believes that absolutes don't exist.

Now why is it so hard to grasp that fact when we were so completely able to accept other truths such as; “for by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” I have reckoned this to be truth. I am sure when I first heard it, it hardly made sense since I had always believed that I needed to be a good person and accomplish good works to get into heaven. In fact, my sister told me that when she first explained the gospel to me, it went right over my head … it made no sense to me at all. I was blind to this truth. In reality, to this day, I don't even remember the conversation. But now I am so certain of this truth that I have no fear of physical death whatsoever. By His grace, you and I reckoned on this truth and we received Jesus as our personal Savior.

Unfortunately for almost all of us, all goes well for a time, and then we just get busy, our focus shifts off of the living and written word and we begin to drift and before you know it, various areas of sin comes back into our lives. So if we want absolute victory over sin in our lives, we must reckon or believe that our old sin nature died with Christ on the cross. He will not only free us from the guilt and penalty of sin, but also from the power and domination of sin. The problem is that we will not and cannot reckon or believe the truths of God if we do not know and understand them and are not focused upon them. We are engaged in a battle: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

That is why God says: Joshua 4:7-9 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” We must renew and transform our mind with the truth and once our mind is no longer conformed to the world, then we can reckon on God’s truth with the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit. This doesn’t come by watching soap operas on TV or reading mystery novels or being overly focused on sports or games. These activities are not bad … they are just, not the best. Meditation and prayer and seeking out God’s guidance for our lives takes time, effort and our undivided attention … as do all meaningful endeavors. And of course being transformed by the renewing of our mind is the most meaningful and important challenge of our life and existence on earth.


The biggest barrier here is false expectation. The content of Romans 6 has to do with the reign of the principal of sin---not the symptom: sins. Reckoning is believing God’s promise: that the curse that has hung over us since the fall of Adam which was crucified on the cross at Calvary and that the power that Satan had over us has been broken … but it was not annihilated! When our hearts and minds are rightly focused on the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word ... Satan will flee us!
Reckoning is not saying: I reckon, I believe, I reckon, I believe. No …

The Reckoning That Counts requires three steps:

1. Know and Reckon on the identification truths
2. Abide and Rest in our liberator
3. Depend on and Walk in the Spirit

Reckoning is a three step process of transformation. Anything less leads to frustration and failure. We are delivered by belief in the liberation truths found in God’s word … by meditating on them and praying on them and memorizing them. When our hearts and minds and thoughts and beliefs and goals and priorities and values and judgments and relationships and world views are renewed and transformed by God’s word by the power of the Holy Spirit, we will absolutely believe or reckon God’s truths one by one. “Certainly we must believe and appropriate these truths, but the actual liberation comes as a result of our intimate, personal fellowship with the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
Simply put, the principle is: liberation is in the Liberator."
”The Reckoning That Counts” by Miles J. Stanford

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
God Bless You My Friends, Bob

In God We Still Trust ...

A song some radio stations are banning... The Song you are about to listen to is from a Diamond Rio concert held in Las Vegas. They received an immediate, resounding standing ovation, and continue to do so every time they perform it!

Sadly, major radio stations wouldn't play it because it was considered "Politically Incorrect." You already know what I think about the foolishness of bending to the rod of political correctness! Consequently, the song was never released to the public ... So, America, see what you think? Your comments are welcome! If this offering speaks to your heart and you feel you want to share it with friends and loved ones, please do.

My soul, waits in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.
God Bless You My Friends, Bob

The Second Most Important Truth

Romans 6: 1-10 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Do you really believe; “you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you?” Yes? Okay then, here is a good question for you. Do you have absolute victory over your old self? Have you actually put sin to death in your life once and for all? Or, are you still struggling with your Old self and your Old ways? Is sin continually coming back to hinder your daily walk with the Lord? Well, these truths are more Good News for us all!

One of my favorite authors, William R. Newell writes “To those who refuse or neglect to “reckon themselves dead to sin” as God commands, we press the question, how are you able to believe that Christ really bore the guilt of your sins and that you will not meet them at the judgment day? It is only God’s Word that tells you that Christ bore your sins in his body on the tree. And it is same Word that tells you that you as connected with Adam, died with Christ, that your old man was crucified, that since you are in Christ you shared his death unto sin, and are thus to reckon your present relation to sin in Christ—as one who is dead to it, and alive unto God” (Romans, Verse By Verse)

Although denying your old self, sound teaching, bible study, meditation, service, daily prayer and confession are all effective tools in building spiritual maturity … all of them together are not likely to completely neutralize the power of our enemy over our old self. In the denying of your old self, have you put to death your old self? Have you reckoned your old self dead on the Cross at Calvary? My own experience tells me that I still have a problem here. My old nature has a way of adjusting and figuring out new ways to come back to life. Sort of like cancer that has infected your body, lust and pride have innumerable ways of coming back to life. Even men who have hidden themselves away from the world and all of it’s temptations still meet up with their old self all alone in the wilderness. Only Jesus was able to totally defeat Satan when He met him in the wilderness. Our old Adam nature yields to nothing less than the death of our old man that happened at Calvary on the cross.

In further regard to our victory over our old self, Lewis Sperry Chafer writes; Romans 6:1-10 is the foundation as well as the key to the possibility of a walk in the spirit” (He that is Spiritual, p. 154). And in (Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret” p. 116) we read; “since Christ has dwelt in my heart by faith, how happy I have been. I am dead and buried with Christ—ay, and risen too! And now Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God , who loved me and gave himself up for me. Nor should we look upon this experience, these truths, as for the few. They are the birthright of every child of God, and no one can dispense with them without dishonoring our Lord.”

Here are a few more quotes. There is no way I can explain these truths as well as they have.

The believer has been united with Christ in his death. In this union with Christ, the flesh, the body of sin—the entire fallen sin ruined being with its intelligence, will and desires—is judged and crucified. By faith, the believer reckons (counts) himself dead unto sin. Alexander Hay, (Order for Church and Missionary p. 310.)

God says in effect, My Child, as you reckoned on the substitutionary work of the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, now go a step farther and reckon on his representative work for your victory day by day. You believe the Lord Jesus died for your sins because God said so. Now take the next step. Accept by faith the further fact that you died with Him--that your old man was crucified with him” Reginald Wallis (The New Life, p 51)

“Because He died, death hath no more dominion over Him and because of our union with Him, sin shall not have dominion over you, even though it is present in you. Our reckoning ourselves dead to sin in Jesus Christ does not make it a fact---it is already a fact through our union with Him. Our reckoning it to be true only makes us to begin to realize the fact in experience.” James R. McConkey, (The Way of Victory, p. 16)

“As we do this reckoning. “the Holy Spirit will begin to faithfully and effectively apply that finished work of the Cross to the self-life, thereby holding it in the place of death—inactive---resulting in the “Not I … But Christ” life.”

Now … what does all of this mean to you and me, here and now? God has a way for us to deny our old self, and it is not our old way of dealing with the challenges in our life. His way is to follow the principle of the finished work. He has already conquered and completed the work in us, on the cross at Calvary. It was at Calvary that God in Christ dealt fully and finally with our old man … the nature from which all of our sins flow. This is the “Second Most Important Truth” in the New Testament. We only need to reckon (believe) this fact to be true, just as we have believed that Christ’s blood washed our sins away at Calvary. Our old nature will always bow to Christ at the Cross when we stand on this truth … and to the contrary, standing against the devil in our own strength will always fail. We receive the deliverance from our old nature by simply reckoning these facts to be true, believing in and standing on the finished work of Christ on the Cross.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
God Bless You My Friend, Bob
Reference: Miles J Stanford, The Complete Green Letters

Not I ... But Christ

Galatians 2:20-21 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

The biggest challenge we will likely face as a Christian is our old self. Our natural carnal man is dead in trespasses and sin and he challenges us in hundreds of different ways daily in our walk with Christ. "Habits and ideas that are perfectly natural and ordinary in the world are contrary to the ways of Christ. Romans seven tells us “for I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh” and, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” In other words, I made a list of all of the things I want to do and not only do I not do them, I do exactly the opposite. Paul best describes this dilemma when he concludes; “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

The danger is that as we try to live out our commitment to Christ, we may fall into the trap of allowing our old nature to guide us to a worldly solution. The natural way to deal with daily challenges is to do what we have always done, respond from our strengths … we attempt to do good works, to be the good person. But in our striving, we do all of the right things for the wrong reasons, like the man we saw yesterday in 1 Corinthians 13. You or I will never be good enough, as long as we are still in the flesh. We may fail, give up and fall into sin, or we may become legalistic … "but there is only one way to victory … allowing the love of Christ to control us. We must crucify our old self and live by faith in the Son of God. We must again come to the conclusion that is reached in Romans seven: … “O wretched man that I am.” Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Once we see that we have no power of deliverance in ourselves, then we can see our old self for who we truly are (wretched and unworthy) and see Jesus Christ for who He is (our savior eternally and the new life here and now that has risen from the death of the old guiding us into his righteousness). His shed blood has delivered us (past tense) from our sins. And our old self has been crucified with Christ on the cross at Calvary. In order for us to get beyond our old self, we must learn to believe or reckon the old self-centered man dead and the new Christ-centered man risen from the dead and alive in us.

Bible scholar Dr. C.I. Scofield wrote; “It is a great blessing when a person gets into the seventh of Romans and begins to realize the awful conflict of its struggle and defeat; because the first step toward getting out of the struggle of the seventh chapter and into the victory of the eighth is to get into the seventh. Of all the needy classes of people, the neediest of this earth are not those who are having a heartbreaking, agonizing struggle for victory, but those who are having no struggle at all and no victory, and who do not know it, and who are satisfied and jogging along in a pitiable absence of almost all the possessions that belong to them in Christ.”

“God works by paradox. Success comes via failure; life springs out of death. The only element in the believer’s life that crumbles is that which has to go anyway—the new life can never be harmed or affected. The disintegration is something the believer cannot enter into or engineer on his own—self will never cast out self. He has to be led into it by the mercy of the Holy Spirit—into failure; abject and total. For we which live, are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” 2 Corinthians 4:11

“God can use a thousand and one different things to bring out the worst in us. It can be good times or bad, a favorite person or an adversary … in fact everything, to bring out the worst in us Romans 8:28-29, ultimately enabling us to see that the Christian life has to be Not I … But Christ.”People or circumstances are never the cause of failure. Self’s reaction to them is the cause and the one problem to be dealt with …
It’s me, It’s me, O Lord.”

John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Your old self must die, so that Christ can live through you.
Is your life bearing much fruit?

If not, Maybe it is time to revisit Romans seven so that you can have Romans eight become a reality in your life.

Romans 8:1, 26-39 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. … In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God Bless you My Friend, Bob
The Complete Green Letters by Miles J. Stanford reference: pg. 40-41

Our Own Greek Tragedy

Mark Steyn

While President Obama was making his latest pitch for a brand new, even more unsustainable entitlement at the health care "summit," thousands of Greeks took to the streets to riot. An enterprising cable network might have shown the two scenes on a continuous split screen - because they're part of the same story. It's just that Greece is a little further along in the plot: They're at the point where the canoe is about to plunge over the falls. America is further upstream and can still pull for shore, but has decided instead that what it needs to do is catch up with the Greek canoe. Chapter One (the introduction of unsustainable entitlements) leads eventually to Chapter 20 (total societal collapse: The Greeks are at Chapter 17 or 18.

What's happening in the developed world today isn't so very hard to understand: The 20th century Bismarckian welfare state has run out of people to stick it to. In America, the feckless insatiable boobs in Washington, Sacramento, Albany and elsewhere are screwing over our kids and grandkids. In Europe, they've reached the next stage in social democratic evolution: There are no kids or grandkids to screw over. The United States has a fertility rate of around 2.1, or just over two kids per couple. Greece has a fertility rate of about 1.3: 10 grandparents have six kids have four grandkids - i.e., the family tree is upside down. Demographers call 1.3 "lowest-low" fertility - the point from which no society has ever recovered. And compared to Spain and Italy, Greece has the least worst fertility rate in Mediterranean Europe.

So you can't borrow against the future because, in the most basic sense, you don't have one. Greeks in the public sector retire at 58, which sounds great. But, when 10 grandparents have four grandchildren, who pays for you to spend the last third of your adult life loafing around?

By the way, you don't have to go to Greece to experience Greek-style retirement: The Athenian "public service" of California has been metaphorically face-down in the ouzo for a generation. Still, America as a whole is not yet Greece. A couple of years ago, when I wrote my book "America Alone," I put the Social Security debate in a bit of perspective: On 2005 figures, projected public pensions liabilities were expected to rise by 2040 to about 6.8 percent of GDP. In Greece, the figure was 25 percent. In other words, head for the hills, Armageddon, outta here, The End. Since then, the situation has worsened in both countries. And really the comparison is academic: Whereas America still has a choice, Greece isn't going to have a 2040 - not without a massive shot of Reality Juice.

Is that likely to happen? At such moments, I like to modify Gerald Ford. When seeking to ingratiate himself with conservative audiences, President Ford liked to say: "A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have." Which is true enough. But there's an intermediate stage: A government big enough to give you everything you want isn't big enough to get you to give any of it back. That's the point Greece is at. Its socialist government has been forced into supporting a package of austerity measures. The Greek people's response is: Nuts to that. Public sector workers have succeeded in redefining time itself: Every year, they receive 14 monthly payments. You do the math. And for about seven months' work - for many of them the workday ends at 2:30 p.m. When they retire, they get 14 monthly pension payments. In other words: Economic reality is not my problem. I want my benefits. And, if it bankrupts the entire state a generation from now, who cares as long as they keep the checks coming until I croak?

We hard-hearted, small-government guys are often damned as selfish types who care nothing for the general welfare. But, as the Greek protests make plain, nothing makes an individual more selfish than the socially equitable communitarianism of big government. Once a chap's enjoying the fruits of government health care, government-paid vacation, government-funded early retirement, and all the rest, he couldn't give a hoot about the general societal interest. He's got his, and to hell with everyone else. People's sense of entitlement endures long after the entitlement has ceased to make sense.

The perfect spokesman for the entitlement mentality is the deputy prime minister of Greece. The European Union has concluded that the Greek government's austerity measures are insufficient and, as a condition of bailout, has demanded something more robust. Greece is no longer a sovereign state: It's General Motors, and the EU is Washington, and the Greek electorate is happy to play the part of the United Auto Workers - everything's on the table except anything that would actually make a difference. In practice, because Spain, Portugal, Italy and Ireland are also on the brink of the abyss, a "European" bailout will be paid for by Germany. So the aforementioned Greek deputy prime minister, Theodoros Pangalos, has denounced the conditions of the EU deal on the grounds that the Germans stole all the bullion from the Bank of Greece during the Second World War. Welfare always breeds contempt, in nations as much as inner-city housing projects. How dare you tell us how to live! Just give us your money and push off.

Unfortunately, Germany is no longer an economic powerhouse. As Angela Merkel pointed out a year ago, for Germany, an Obama-sized stimulus was out of the question simply because its foreign creditors know there are not enough young Germans around ever to repay it. Over 30 percent of German women are childless; among German university graduates, it's over 40 percent. And for the ever dwindling band of young Germans who make it out of the maternity ward, there's precious little reason to stick around. Why be the last handsome blond lederhosen-clad Aryan lad working the late shift at the beer garden in order to prop up singlehandedly entire retirement homes? And that's before the EU decides to add the Greeks to your burdens. Germans, who retire at 67, are now expected to sustain the unsustainable 14 monthly payments per year for Greeks who retire at 58.

Think of Greece as California: Every year an irresponsible and corrupt bureaucracy awards itself higher pay and better benefits paid for by an ever-shrinking wealth-generating class. And think of Germany as one of the less profligate, still just about functioning corners of America such as my own state of New Hampshire: Responsibility doesn't pay. You'll wind up bailing out anyway. The problem is there are never enough of "the rich" to fund the entitlement state, because in the end, it disincentivizes everything from wealth creation to self-reliance to the basic survival instinct, as represented by the fertility rate. In Greece, they've run out Greeks, so they'll stick it to the Germans, like French farmers do. In Germany, the Germans have only been able to afford to subsidize French farming because they stick their defense tab to the Americans. And in America President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are saying we need to paddle faster to catch up with the Greeks and Germans. What could go wrong?


Our own Greek tragedy

Originally published 06:18 p.m., February 26, 2010, updated 06:32 p.m., February 26, 2010 ... Mark Steyn

Each day we can watch the drama unfold on the news as riots break out in Greece. Retirees are being asked to cut back on their pensions and workers are asked to pay higher and higher taxes in the face of growing unemployment. The question is how long before the Greece of the present becomes California and then spreads to all of the USA. Some say Greece is enough to bring us all down ... all by itself, in a domino like crash.
That's a chilling thought ... We must pray for the people of Greece!
God Bless You My Friends, Bob

All The Right Reasons ...

1 Corinthians 3:1-4 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?

Sometimes, it becomes apparent to me that I am naive. This happens often when I miss the reality of the above verse in communicating with others in the course of daily life. For example, when I am talking to another Christian I assume they would want me to be truthful with them. The fact is that in many cases, nothing could be further from the truth. This can result in the loss of friendship with people you love as has been the case in my personal experience. People come to a false conclusion that since they are getting on in years that this aging somehow computes to spiritual maturity. They become successful in business, parents, and even grandparents and have gained wisdom in the ways of the world, and others come to them for advice and help. But all of this has little or nothing to do with spiritual maturity. Speak carefully, or you are liable you lose what you thought was a strong relationship with a supposed mature Christian over foolishness and pride.

In reality, spiritual maturity and aging might have no correlation whatsoever. Growing older does bring maturity in other ways though which causes confusion. This problem is especially true when the person in question is a Christian. How many Christians do you know that seldom meditate on verses that point out the ways that the Lord would have them change to grow spiritually. They religiously go to church and take notes, and they say prayers, which is a form of spiritual discipline, but when does the application that leads to spiritual transformation take place? To be able to say I have been a Christian for 25 years convinces the person that they have spiritual maturity, but the question needs to be how does Christ measure maturity?

A few years ago I was in a discussion with a Christian who was questioning another’s maturity due to the person’s young age. Without thinking, I replied that when considered from a spiritual maturity perspective, I am convinced that this young person is more mature than you are. Well … I did not mean this as an insult, but surely that was the way it was taken. I went on to explain that, age has nothing to do with it. If we measured the maturity of this young person from the perspective of being a loving person (Christ’s measure), she is far more mature spiritually than I am as well, I explained … so don’t take my comments personally. I am only trying to be honest. Needless to say, the person was insulted and the relationship has never been the same. I am convinced that one day when that person considers what it means to allow the love of Christ to control them, our relationship might be restored.

This is a big issue that can lead to all sorts of personal conflicts. First of all, I should not have said what I said … even if it is true. Although it was being said to someone who was judging someone else, if I was being a loving person, I would not have put them in their place. Speaking before I think is one of my biggest faults. But I must admit that it is hard not to challenge someone who is a Christian, but who is clearly not following the love of Christ. Understanding when Christ would want me to speak out and when he would want me to hold my tongue is something I need to meditate and pray about.

Even writing this post could easily be misunderstood. But wouldn’t that prove my point … if this post was offensive to someone? I have not attacked anyone here. A mature Christian should want to hear the truth from another’s perspective. If the person is controlled by the love of Christ, regardless of what someone else says, they would put on the mind of Christ and respond accordingly. A loving response would be evidence that would demonstrate that I am wrong. In any event, it should never end a friendship or family relationship. Christians should never allow the sun to go down over any issue that has angered them. This anger leads to bitterness which allows for the devil to come in and control their heart and mind. That is what the foolish people of the world do. But the fact is that many Christians are still controlled by their pride and react accordingly.

The fact of the matter is that we are all babes in Christ … for a period of time. We have the choice to take steps towards maturity or … not. Maturity differs from person to person. Some mature quickly, some never mature. We do not decide … I am mature. We can be a spiritually immature grandparent, a spiritually mature teenager, or many points of growth in between. Only God can ultimately conclude that we have reached maturity and He rewards us accordingly. How many church leaders or pastors have been confirmed by an entire congregation only to fall into disgrace in one area, or another. But we all can see it when Christ’s loving qualities become a reality in someone else. And it will also be apparent when these qualities are lacking. I have had the privilege of knowing a few Christians who are living the Love of Christ, day after day, year after year! ... I love you Kiki.
And I submit to you, this is the mark of a mature Christian.

Sometimes a person can try to be a loving person but the motivation is for all of the wrong reasons. Reread below from the previous post:

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

These verses describe a man who is a great communicator, a man filled with wisdom and knowledge, who has faith that can move mountains, who gives everything he owns of value to the poor, and who sacrifices his whole life for others. I know this description sounds like the most loving person you have ever met. Certainly a candidate for "Man of the Year" But apparently he did all of these things for all of the wrong reasons. This person lacked the type of loving heart that Jesus is talking about and as a result … it profits him nothing.

So this post begs the question: What motivations are all the right reasons?

We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf ... There's only one right reason!
God Bless You My Friends, Bob

Jesus Is Talking Directly To You ...

John 15:9-13 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Do you think the Love of Christ is controlling most Christians in today’s world? Jesus says; :He wants his joy to be in us and for our joy to be made full. His commandment is that “you love one another, just as I have loved you.”
Jesus has given us this charge. This is the Law of Christ … The primary instruction of the New Testament. When Jesus says this is my commandment (singular) the message is clear: one new commandment replaces all of the laws of the old testament. Rom. 13: 8-10 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

I had this driven home to me by my mother when I was a new Christian. I had a dispute with a relative and had gone to my attorney for advice. The attorney looked at the documents and advised me to sue, assuring me that the facts were clear and that I would win the dispute in court quickly and easily. When I explained to my mother that I intended to sue my relative, she told me I could not do it and quoted the verses above and one other to prove her point. She convinced me that right or wrong was not the issue, but living the love of Christ was the issue. I must say my mother was right. And although my decision cost me a large sum of money, I came out the winner on the issue because I did what I know Christ was leading me to do. The issue was then dead to me … because I turned it over to God and moved on. I could have won a foolish battle, but it would have caused the opposite of the love of Christ to rule in my family and my heart. Was this beyond comprehension for my unbelieving attorney and anyone else who understood the facts? … Yes, everyone except myself, Jesus Christ, and of course the person who chose not to honor our agreement. I imagine that person is still carrying the burden.

So where do we go wrong here? Why is it so hard for us to NOT follow our lust and pride? You might think I was foolish to not prove my case in court. But learning how to love others the way Christ loves me is way more valuable to me than winning a silly lawsuit. On a personal level, I have a harder time with being honest with people. I have found that most people do not want you to tell them the truth. When you do tell them what you really think, they often take it personally. I convince myself that Jesus would be totally honest, and that is his example of love to follow … just like he was with Peter, when the cock crowed three times. But that does not change the results … tell someone the truth and end of relationship, and is some cases it can be much worse than that. Let’s look at the some of the qualities of Christ’s love and hopefully God will reveal where we all need to grow in our love. 1 Corinthians 13 … the love chapter, is probably the most quoted verse in all of scripture, but how many of us have really taken these verses personally. I am convinced that many listen to the poetry, but most do not apply the words personally. Don't get me wrong I have a hard time writing this one ... I stand convicted on multiple counts. But be sure about one thing ... Jesus is talking directly to you!

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

These first verses describe a man who is a great communicator, a man filled with wisdom and knowledge, has faith that moves mountains, who gives everything of value to the poor, and who sacrifices his whole life for others. I know this might sound like the most loving person you have ever met. But apparently he did all of these things for all of the wrong reasons. This person lacked the type of heart that Jesus is talking about and as a result … it profits him nothing. Now, that is a hard pill to swallow. Caution ... this next section is in your face!

Next, let’s look at what Jesus is looking for in a mature loving Christian, and personalize these verses so they speak directly to you.
Love is patient …Are you patient or impatient? Do you continually become irritated with others?
Love is kind … Are you kind or unkind? What acts of kindness have you performed lately?
Love is not jealous … Are you jealous? Are you sure your not jealous? Do you require exclusive loyalty? Are you envious, suspicious or slanderous?
Love does not brag … Do you build yourself up or do you build others up?
Love is not arrogant … Are you self-important? Are you prideful? Is your worth bound up in your possessions, accomplishments or your work?
Love does not act unbecomingly … Do you say or do things beneath the character of a Christian? Are you lacking Christian character qualities?
Love does not seek its own … do you truly care about other people? Or are you constantly focused on looking out for yourself?
Love is not provoked … Are you easily provoked? Do you let the sun go down on your anger? Do you allow things to lead you to bitterness?
Love does not take into account a wrong suffered … Do you hold grudges? Do you forgive others easily? Do you judge others and write people off?
Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness … hidden sin, immorality, blasphemy
Love rejoices with the truth … Do you get excited and encouraged when reading or studying God’s word? Discovering truth is cause for rejoicing!
Love bears all things … Do you stand it the face of adversity or give up easily? Do others look at you as a person who will do the right thing?
Love believes all things … Are you distrustful and suspicious? do others see you as an encourager?
Love hopes all things … Are you hopeful or are you despondent? do you turn everything over to Christ in prayer?
Love endures all things … Are you persistent? do you never give up? Are you an overcomer or a quitter?
Love never fails … do you have a spirit that lives above your worldly circumstances or are you continually defeated by them? Have you set your mind on the things in our heavenly kingdom?
Love does away with childish things … Are you focused on the things that are important to God or are you consumed by the issues of the world? Are the games of life most important to you? Or are you a mature person spiritually?

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
God Bless you, my friend … Bob

Biblical Faith Is Based On Facts

Hebrews 11:1-2, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. … 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

A number of years ago I was discussing the Bible with a friend and he explained his problem to me. He said that a pastor told him he just needed to believe, that he just needed to have faith. He then said to me that "unless you actually see something, there was no way you can really know for sure it is true, so then how can anyone have faith", he asked? I said, “you’ve got to be kidding” I can name a hundred things I have not seen that I know to be true. From that point on, we went around in circles. Frustrated, I sarcastically asked him, was Abraham Lincoln once president of the United States? He replied, “I can’t know that for sure” … I knew I had a big challenge here.

"Faith is the foundation on which all our hopes for the future are built." So the question is: "what type of faith are we to have as Christians?" At a low point in my career, a friend once said to me “I thought you were a Christian, I thought you had faith?” I responded, “I don’t have blind faith.” From my perspective, "my faith in Christ, and my faith in the future of my business" were two totally different issues. Reread: Positive Thinking is Biblical. Is Biblical Faith a matter of Positive Thinking? ... No! Biblical faith and positive thinking are distinct and different viewpoints. If my friend had said to me, that I had a negative attitude about the future success of my business, he would have been correct ... and in the end, sorry to say, my negative conclusions reflected a correct assessment on my part.

“Biblical faith is based solely on scriptural facts. Faith standing on the facts of the word of God substantiates and gives evidence of things not seen. And everyone knows that evidence must be founded on facts. Each of us who are Christians started on this principle when we were born again—our belief stood directly on the eternal fact of the redeeming death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15 1-4) This is the faith by which we began and it is the same faith by which we are to stand” 1 Cor. 16:13 and walk (2 Cor. 5:7) and live (Gal. 2:20b). As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him Col 2:6.

Our experiences, feelings, ideas, and the teachings of the world to a large degree will only get in the way of Biblical faith. Paul clearly explains this in: 1 Corinthians 3:19-21 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “the Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless. So then let no one boast in men." We must test our experiences, feelings, Ideas, and the teachings of the world against God’s word so that we will understand the truth and only then can we have the Biblical faith needed to stand upon God’s truth.

A temptation is for us to follow our human logic and make decisions according to what we want to be true. Another temptation is to assume that because we want for our plans to succeed and because we have prayed about it ... that our supposed need is God’s will. Understanding that America has big problems and thinking we are in for troubled times is not a lack of faith. Recognizing the consequences of foolish leadership or the problems that face the world is being realistic. Can God deliver America from the challenges that face our nation? Certainly. Will he deliver America? We can only pray. Biblical faith will lead each of us to seek out God’s wisdom and leading in light of the realities that he has placed before us and then hopefully we will have the courage to do what he leads each of us to do.

“The question must always be: Has God spoken it in his word?” Faith needs facts to give it power. Those facts are the word of God. How can I know these facts are true? That is where my faith comes in. I have chosen to take verses like these literally. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Also read: Psalm 139

Alexander Hay wrote: “Faith must be based upon certainty. There must be definite knowledge of God’s purpose and will. Without that there can be no true faith. For faith is not a force that we exercise or a striving to believe that something shall be, thinking that if we believe hard enough it will come to pass. That may be positive thinking but certainly not Biblical faith.”

I thank God that I did not quit witnessing to my friend that I mentioned at the beginning of this post … who could not be sure about whether Abraham Lincoln was president. Less than a month before he died, he prayed for Jesus Christ to be his Savior and Lord. Now I look forward to seeing him again in heaven.

1 Peter 1:7-9 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. God Bless You, My Friends … Bob

I NEED YOUR HELP! The growth of this blog has been fast in only two months. Now I am trying to consolidate my followers list. If you could just post a comment below, it will send me an email confirming your interest and I can update my list. The comment can say whatever you like. such as Amen or good post ... Positive is always good but it can be as simple as hi, I'm here, or yes or no email please. I want to keep you updated but I know some don't want email or have my posts automatically on their site. I will not send to you and will not be offended if you say no email. comment below or direct to talavera.bob@gmail.com Thanks for you help!

Reference: The Complete Green Letters by Miles J. Stanford

Just The Black Notes ...

Ephesians 2:4-10 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.


Here's one you will enjoy!

Black Notes ...

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
God Bless You My Friend, Bob

Are You Growing In The Lord?

Psalms 1: 1-3 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water – Assuming that you have received Christ as your savior, this verse gives a description God has of you that may or may not be a present reality. You are like a tree planted by streams of water. The Lord has planted a seed on planet earth and that seed is in your heart. How is your tree growing? Are you getting sufficient water? Is the person you are projecting to the world accomplishing God’s purpose? Are you yielding Godly fruit in your season, or are your leaves withered? Do you prosper in whatever you do? The stream of water you have been planted by is God’s Word. Are you watering you tree each day?

It is time for a spiritual check-up.

Are you growing in the Lord? The seed planted is the Gospel. We are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Meditating day and night is a key to your transformation. Our thinking guides our actions. We need to develop a list of the ideas and philosophies of the world and measure these issues against God’s word. Then God through his word will make it clear to each of us the ways we need to change our thinking in order to be the person God wants us to be. Meditating day and night means continually focusing on specific verses that speak to areas of sin and failure in your daily walk. If you are not consistent in your devotions, then meditating on any scripture consistently is a good first start. Begin by taking verses that have meaning to you. Write them down, read them over and over. Memorize them and silently concentrate on what God is saying to you personally and what he wants you to do. Ask yourself probing questions like: How does this apply to my family? My work? My role as a Christian? How does Jesus want me to change?

Here are some more questions that help us to determine if we are moving towards where Christ wants us to be. Is your life a positive witness for Christ? What would others say about your Christian witness? Would others point to you as someone that projects the love of Christ? What would Jesus say about your relationship with him? Are you discipling anyone? Have you shared you’re testimony or the Good News of Christ with anyone recently? Does the love of Christ control your life? Do you study the Bible daily? Do you pray to God daily? Do you attend church regularly? Are you growing in the fruit of the spirit and Christlike character qualities? Depending on the answers to these questions, we can better know if we are growing in our relationship with Christ. This list is meant to be a source of encouragement. If not, it can help you identify areas where you can focus to improve you walk with the Lord.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
God Bless You My Friend, Bob

You Be The Judge ...

Can We Trust Politicians With Our Money?

A clunker that travels 12,000 miles a year at 15 mpg uses 800 gallons of gas a year.
A vehicle that travels 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg uses 480 gallons a year.
So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction reduceD US gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.
They bought back 700,000 vehicles so that's 224 million gallons saved per year.
That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.
5 million barrels is about 5 hours worth of US consumption.
More importantly, 5 million barrels of oil at $70 per barrel costs about $350 million dollars.
So, the government paid $3 billion of our tax dollars to save $350 million.
We spent $8.57 for every dollar saved.

More questions for you.
Do you believe the $857 billion dollar economic stimulus plan has been miss-managed and miss-represented to the American people?
Do you believe permanent new jobs were created by the jobs stimulus plan?
What should America do to fix the problems in our country?


Wisdom from Proverbs

14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
14:16 A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless.
17:18 A man lacking in sense pledges and becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
21:5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
26:12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
27:12 A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty.
29:20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
God Bless You My friends, Bob

Meditate On the Truth

Psalms 1: 1-6 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

How is a man NOT to walk in the counsel of the wicked in our world today? Every way we turn, whether it is to our schools, television, the movies on the internet or in the daily newspaper … wherever we look we will receive a message from those who have rejected God and his word. The current generation of teachers, reporters and politicians have been programmed with the secular doctrine that for them has become their religion and it is a religion that is clearly anti-Christianity. Walking in the counsel of evil can come at us in a hundred different ways, and many that we may never have even considered. It may be as simple as foolishness or wrong information or ideas that lead us away from God. Psalms is a most important book because it is God’s truth put into songs. Untruth captured in a beautiful song can lead us away from God as well. I first realized this years ago, while listening to "Life's Been Good To Me So Far" by Joe Walsh. "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison is another obvious example. "Avatar" is a naturalist mother earth message captured in a breathtaking 3D movie, that leads the unsuspecting away from God's truth.

Our schools have become values neutral without teaching absolutes or right and wrong. It’s no wonder our children are confused. Parents don't understand why they can't communicate with their children ... one possible reason: are they being indoctrinated with somebody else's values? Values neutral thought has taken over our public school system as well as the mainstream media; and their liberal progressive agenda has become the rule rather than the exception. Right and wrong, and truth or lie, are not even part of the discussion, and now the children of those crazy ideas are the adults making laws and then ...all of a sudden ... the next thing we know, boys are allowed into the girls locker rooms and bathrooms, the reasoning is that confused boys that think they are a girl need a path to a healthy self esteem ... and this is now the law in California ... rather than a cause for expulsion. To the contrary, a challenge could lead to arrest. Abnormal is now normal. Kindergartners are exposed to deviant babble. This is what happens when we are forbidden from teaching basic human values, and forced to teach secular values to our children in pursuit of tolerance and inclusiveness.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. As we have just noted, this is difficult in our day. But God knew all of this, and He has a plan for our happiness in spite of the foolishness of the world. It means that we need to watch closely what we watch, read, listen to and accept as truth. This led me to enroll my daughters in Christian school. I know we can’t all do this. We also need to challenge and confront false teachings wherever they come from, especially in our public schools and confront our political leaders. We need to take back our country and our schools. This indoctrination in America has occurred over many years, and it will take many years to win America back to the values our country was founded upon.

Nor stand in the path of sinners. To walk in the counsel of the wicked means … to be exposed to it. To stand in the path of sinners means to actually begin to follow and do the things that we know that God would forbid. Is God against a clean healthy environment? Of course not. Would God be against creating any false premise and promoting it to the world as if it were the truth, even if it were for a worthy cause? It’s not even debatable. I have a Christian friend who defends global warming, by saying, “even if it isn’t true, it will be good for the environment … so therefore, promoting a false premise is acceptable.” NEVER!

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! This person has accepted a teaching contrary to God’s word such as homosexuality for example and followed this three step progression. 1. They listen to false teaching on the subject. 2. They begin experimenting with the act. 3. A scoffer is one who openly denies that God’s word teaches homosexuality is wrong and mocks those who read the truth to them. I have actually conversed online with men identifying themselves as practicing Christian homosexuals. Next thing I know, I’m likely to bump into a Christian atheist. It is one thing to say I am a Christian and that I stumbled and had an adulterous affair and pray for God's forgiveness. It is quite another thing to get to the point where one is contending that God does not condemn adultery or homosexuality, and that there is nothing wrong with what I have done or am doing.


And in His law he meditates day and night. People pay huge sums of money to get a good education. Others spend years training for their chosen field. Guy Spier and Mohnish Pabrai bid and paid $650,100 to have lunch with Warren Buffett in hopes to gain some wisdom from him. They swear it was worth it ... but I really rather doubt it. All of us can have free counsel anytime we wish, for as long as we choose, with the omniscient, all knowing, Creator of the universe. He has given us the riches of true knowledge and heavenly wisdom. It is yours for the taking. He has told you to meditate on it day and night. How could you fail if you followed this counsel? Why don’t you do it? What does it mean to meditate on his word? Have you ever even asked yourself that question? We are not talking about ommm here. Meditating on the word will lead to solutions against all temptations and the troubles of our mind and our conscience. The rich man may learn God’s plan for his riches in this meditation. The poor man will find full contentment. Both will find happiness and the Joy of the Lord beyond their comprehension and how to maintain it. He promises we will prosper in exceeding abundance. Why don’t we meditate on God’s word? He wants to speak to us. Why do we ignore God? Meditating on Gods word is considering deeply how it applies to you and the issues that you are facing. God has promised if we ask for his direction and guidance and meditate (look deeply) into his word, He will give us wisdom, knowledge, peace, joy, blessings, prosperity, answers to our prayers and happiness beyond all that we can imagine. He will send us a helper (the Holy Spirit) who is with us forever, and who will guide us in the ways of righteousness, truth, and prosperity in whatever we do.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD. We are to find delight in the truth which is revealed in the law of the Lord … What are you waiting for?
Meditate on the truth!

Ephesians 5: 6-11,14-17 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; For this reason it says,“Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
God Bless You My Friends, Bob

Thomas Jefferson Speaks ...

I have decided to add some political posts and humor to supplement my spiritual posts ... of which I can only write two or three weekly. I realize this brings potential controversy and I hope no one is offended by this change. These are most troubling times for our nation, and I have decided it is negligent of me to ignore the multiple challenges that are leading to America's destruction and the loss of our freedoms. These issues impact all of us and will shape the America that our children and grandchildren will be forced to live in. We must stand up for our freedoms! All of them! One goal is that the addition of these current affairs will encourage more comments from those of you who visit each day.

When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.
Thomas Jefferson

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Thomas Jefferson

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world. Thomas Jefferson

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. Thomas Jefferson

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. Thomas Jefferson

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. Thomas Jefferson

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. Thomas Jefferson

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.. Thomas Jefferson

To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802
I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered..'

Thomas Jefferson clearly had his faults, but he also possessed uncanny insights and wisdom regarding the events of the future. I am convinced that he got that understanding by looking at the most recent history as well as past history of the European continent. The nature of man does not change from one generation to the next.

Points to consider?
Does this post inspire your comments?
What is the number one problem facing America?
What do you think America needs to do to save our Republic?

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
God Bless You My Friends, Bob