 Oh heaven's. My daughter and her friend were setting off smoke bombs in the drive-way and a local preacher I didn't know came up to talk to us. I just went toe to toe with a preacher yet again. I at least know they always go away thinking. I don't think pastors realize I can be led of God without them and it blows their minds for someone else to commandeer the conversation. I interrupt too. Then when they see I know the end of their statements and can quote scripture at them too, it becomes really interesting. Oh I went there and back. We had a good discourse and told him/showed him some things he was unaware of such as SC State Sovereignty Bill and the Clergy Response Team etc etc. He made the mistake of opening up the "I believe women should not preach" can of worms and I asked him to consider why when Jesus first reappeared after his ascencion, did he first speak to 5 women?...and Jesus told them to "Go tell"? We did settle that little tiff and went on to have a good conversation. He seemed open to hear what I had to say but I had to get him to "come down" off his "sales pitch" and get him to see I was miles ahead of him. I'm no baby Christian and I would say prior to a few years ago, "so glazed-over Christian", I was apathetic to the fact that God helps those who help themselves. And indeed if anyone followed my crazy story of how I "reawakened", feel God put Liberty in my path. The pastor did not see it that way for himself and suggested I should try to change hearts and not minds and the mind will follow -- something for me to consider. I don't feel he happened here by mistake so I opened my heart and mind to see if I needed "polishing". The pastor leaned a lot on the "worrisome" part of running around with your political hair on fire and how he saw that as fruitless. I told him that perhaps he handled strangers his way by speaking of God first, but that I was a "walking billboard for Christ" and at least if I try to alert others, it should "show" my love for them, a demonstration of Christ's love. He did agree that his heart of a "pastor" was not the only "gift" God "distributes" and that he really admired people with convictions. (Sounds like what Ayn Rand describes.) He had no clue that he was blowing my mind mentioning the church youth theme park trips and social gatherings, while I was screaming within, "Start a food bank if you want to save the kids!". I was too tired by that time but imagine I'll see him again as he's trying to recruit skateboarders to go on skate park church trips....and my middle son loves the skate park. It was a total trip to give the preacher a Constitution and C4L pamphlet...isn't he supposed to be the one giving me a tract? :) |
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Hidden PlacesLife outside of the mainstream |
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1Peter 5:6-10 Humble
1Peter 5:6-10 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
To me, there is no straight answer to the "correctness" of one's Liberty, it is ultimately upon the individual to "cast his care", "be sober and vigilant", "resist" and "suffer a while". Through our individual relationships with God and His ultimate leading, be they peaceful or resistant to the world, but yet both "steadfast in the faith", we will be made perfect.
Choiring to the preacher?
Awesome.
Somewhere in Kenya, a village is missing it's idiot. Here in America, they are all present and registered to vote.
Hey wilberforce
I just wanted to tell you that I did read the first article :) My brain is churning.
SCButterfly...
a churning brain is a good thing...I wrote a lengthy response to Khomar - sorry - I didn't mean to curtail your post - but your meeting with the Pastor coupled with your stand for liberty prompted me posting the articles AND the fact that I really would like some like minded people to hash it out with...thanks...
Please by all means...
Help a sister out ;)
HEY!
Thanks for the pic of Wilberforce!!!!!
I'm in the same boat. I am eager to discuss this issue, but my mind is still working through it. I need a little bit of time to collect my thoughts.
I'm glad you said that
My brain is swirling. I'm here...I'm just really thinkin'...:) In trying to say everything at once, I'm stymied! :|
We can't change the heart,
only the Holy Sprit can do that. We speak the Truth and if the ground is fertile the heart is changed if the hearer believes. We water but God gives the increase.
SCButterfly - I am intrigued by your post and have been struggling with similar mindsets among Christendom (I hate that word).
I live in SC too.
Anyhow, I would like your opinion regarding two articles whose subject have to do with Christian Patriots. The newsletter itself is excellent - I have read it for 20 years and have been blessed by the wisdom of the men who write it. It is the Berean Call newsletter. Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon are the authors. Both articles in question were written by a guest author, Mark Dinsmore; the second and continuation of the first.
I understand and believe that our first priority is serving the Lord but, but, but...I'll reserve my opinion until you read them.
Thanks for your time and your opinion - and to all who care to read and comment.
Sincerely,
A fellow disciple of Jesus Christ.
WOULD PAUL ANSWER THE CALL TO CHRISTIAN PATRIOTISM?
http://www.thebereancall.org/node/7641
"Christian Patriots," Are You Ready to Die?
http://www.thebereancall.org/node/7850
A couple observations on the first article
"My fear today is that if Christians answer a "call to arms" to fight whatever totalitarian regime is being plotted (in preparation for Antichrist), then godly men will be imprisoned or die, leaving women and children behind to be ravaged both physically and spiritually."
Most of us are still fighting a r3volution, and will only bear arms if force is brought to us. The Continental Congress is about a right to petition for redress of grievances, and the right to withhold taxes due if that right is denied. It is totally about peaceful, lawful behavior. The bit about women being left to be ravaged spiritually is insulting, my soul is just as immortal and beyond the constraints of this physical body as his. As for the physical ravaging, well, that is why you HAVE to fight if someone brings the fight to you. The men in my life will die on the front porch WITH me, we will all live peacefully as long as we are able. If they come to my door, I am not going with them. If this man is recommending the males in my family ought to submissively go to prison to protect me, he is way past nuts.
"We are in a spiritual battle, but we must choose on which hill we are willing to die. Dying for Nationalistic Pride or even for our "Rights" is not the same as dying for the cause of Christ. Far better for godly men to survive in a pagan nation and submit to rule of law (which God ordains) and to subsist by His Word—unless (or until) we are asked to bow down and worship a false god."
Did he miss the part where the nation is bowing down to a false god already? I call him "Fern" but spell it FRN.
And, I believe that my duty to Creation is my primary responsibility. Whatever is or is not beyond this world will be my primary responsibility when I get THERE. While I am HERE, I have a responsibility to care for this Creation, my tangible link to the Creator. I will die for what is RIGHT if I must. How he can dice that into dying for "Rights" versus "Christ" is beyond me.
I think I am going to skip the second article.
Somewhere in Kenya, a village is missing it's idiot. Here in America, they are all present and registered to vote.
I didn't like article two
and "poofed" it fairly quickly. This was a reference to Pastor Baldwin's article, "It is Getting Very Serious Now" and trying to "undo it".
http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin511.htm
My angle
And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty...
IMO it is wrong to think we know what is right for every individual. One may be a warrior, one may be a martyr but if we really "know whom I have believed", we're all good right? In some sense, does it matter what manner you arrive at the pearly gates? Death is a vehicle. Does it matter if you fight or concede? Sure "Thou Shalt Not Kill", yet are we not still "saved" if we're "saved". What can "unsave" us? Who can "unsave us"?
Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Rev 9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
Surely the author of article two isn't implying that we can be "unsaved" by our actions? Do we believe the Word or not? You cannot put the squirt back in the grapefruit. Once saved always saved. Some may argue "who's truly saved vs 'the truly saved'"...that is not our argument. We each have our own responsibility to work out our own salvation in fear and in trembling and let God be the Judge.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Rewards in heaven...is this our mission? "Scoring points" for the best mansion? I have a feeling that God enjoys this struggle. He made us this way. He allowed everything to happen that's happened. He allowed free will. And yes there is reward and not to say I'd not like my part. :)
Just saying...
2 Titus 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
and
Looks like "politics" to me...
Michael Card - Scandalon
I would agree, and I hope I was not coming across as being judgmental. God has gifted us all differently, and we will have our own paths to follow.
I have some deeply committed Christian friends of mine who I am sure will be taking up arms if the time comes. This is one of the things I liked about "The Mission", the movie I mentioned earlier. It portrayed both arguments well and really didn't choose sides. In the end, both men died, but they each died doing what they thought was best. (Yes, it is a terribly sad movie about a very tragic time in history.)
I guess the question really comes down to this: what is worth dying for? As you say, we will not all draw the same lines -- and perhaps that is the way it should be.
Regarding politics, my thought is that Jesus didn't address human or secular government. He was talking about the politics of the kingdom of God. Should we force Christian values upon a secular nation that does not know God? When Jesus returns, the Bible teaches that He will do just that, but it will be with His perfect reign of justice and truth. As human ambassadors, our attempts at Christian justice often wildly miss the mark and we are easily deceived. After all, it was in the name of Christ that the Crusades were waged, and I do not think any of us would condone what happened there.
I think the problem is, once again, in definition. It seems that I have been thinking of the word "politics" in a more specific form -- and perhaps this is to my detriment as it tends to compartmentalize life into secular and sacred where no such division should exist. I will have to think about that one.
I'm thinking on y'all too :)
This is really a blessing. You all have really great points. We are all parts of the puzzle. :)
Interesting. I actually thought the second article made some very good points. There is a very real sense in which Christians in America have wrapped our religion so closely with our nation that it is hard to separate the two. It is interesting to note that during the time of Jesus' ministry, politics was the single biggest topic of the day -- particularly the Roman occupation. And yet, in his teachings, he mentioned Rome only once when asked if we should pay taxes:
Other than this reference, Jesus simply didn't address the issue of politics at all. His message was about the kingdom of God not the kingdoms of this world. I take from this that our focus really needs to be on God's kingdom not our nation's government.
Does this mean that we shouldn't be involved in politics at all? No, I think we should continue to stay informed, write or call our congressmen, and vote according to our conscience -- but we need to remember our priorities. The church has allowed politics to take the place of the gospel and serving our families, and we are currently paying the toll.
Further, by allying ourselves with political entities (ie. the Republican Party), we essentially endorsed the Iraq War and the subsequent purging of the church that once thrived there. There is a very real danger of the Constitution Party following the same path down the road if we allow our patriotism to America to trump our "patriotism" to God.
Khomar
I'm not sure I agree with you that Jesus never "talked politics" but suggest perhaps he "spanked the heart of politics". What about the Pharisees and Sadducees? Were they not held in the same esteem socially as today's imams, etc? He was constantly blasting them, challenging and defying them.
- "Take up thy bed and walk"
True, but they were the spiritual leaders. He never talked about rebellion against Rome or Pontius Pilate or King Herod. His interest was only on the spiritual needs of the people -- needs that the Pharisees and Sadducees were not meeting. The evangelical church really represents the Pharisees today, and just as Jesus attacked the church for apostasy and wrong teaching in the church, we should be "taking the plank out of our own eye" and cleaning up our act and getting into a correct relationship with God. Even his act of violence was not against the government but against greedy abuses in the temple. Maybe we should be overthrowing the coffee shops that have sprung up inside church buildings around the country. ;-)
But you bring up a good point -- by addressing the spiritual issues, Jesus was also addressing the heart of the people and therefore the heart of politics. It is not that politics are not important, but the heart of the people is far more important. A change in the heart of our nation would inevitably be felt in a change toward good in our government.
wilberforce hey hey hey!!! Palmetto Pal
I will read the articles and get back to you....I'm sorta ill-tailed right now, I just had a run-in with a public servant that has me a tad peeved...and I'm too spastic to really concentrate. I'll chill, read and get back with you on the articles. (Probably after my husband comes home and calms me down)
Good to see you here!! Thank you for contributing, check back on me and be blessed!! :)
Thank you for those two insightful posts. They echo the same thoughts that have been building in my mind over the past year or so. The examples of Joseph and Daniel are good ones of how godly men can thrive even in the worst of circumstances to bring glory to God.
I continue to wrestle with this issue, but this article has helped bring some peace to my mind about the direction I am heading.
I wrestle with it too...
mostly wondering where to draw the line. I do not know if the author can accurately say that those martyred centuries ago went humbly to their deaths (and likewise we should follow suit). Did they? Didn't they at least try to protect their children, wives, families? I don't know but I (as a human being) can imagine myself in that place and I know I would do what I could to protect them. There were no guns - I suspect they may have used them if they had them???
I know Daniel and Joseph were awesome exmples of honoring God in a pagan environment but how do we know when Nebuchadnezzer invaded Jerusalem that people just let him take it over? I would guess there was some struggle - especially from the lower class that was murdered by the invaders.
Didn't Paul get put into a basket and sent over a wall to prevent him being arrested?
Didn't the Pilgrims flee to Holland for religious freedom because of King James' persecution?
I have to wonder about the abolitionists - Wesley, Wilberforce, Newton, and many other Christian men and women - didn't they protest in word and writing against the government concerning slavery?
What about our smuggling Bibles into countries that forbid them? Should we just honor the laws of those other lands and not try to get God's Word to others? What if that happens here - our Bibles being taken??? Do we let them take the Word of God from us?
I am struggling with what balance is to be struck between being a godly citizen on earth (patriot, if you will) and a godly citizen of heaven (our true home).
I don't disgaree entirely with the author - I just wonder how we handle the very real possibilities that our Christian homes, including the minds of our chldren, could become property of the state. They can't take away our faith - I am concerned about the kids.
These are the real details in the broad picture - it's easy to say I'll merely let them arrest me, etc. But when it actually happenes...???
For example - the Nazi party came to power in 1933. This was the ruling body in Germany - the law of the land. When the German soldiers were commanded to remove the Jews from their homes, they raped the women and murdered entire families. Should there not have been a fight to stop such evil? Should the German parents have allowed their children to be brainwashed in the Hitler Youth? What would have been ungodly about protecting one's family in this situation? Who says it can't happen here?
I believe the reason so many are adamant about the Second Ammendment is that it is a deterrent - an unarmed citizenry is easier to subdue.
I know the Lord is in control but He has given us the mandate to care for and protect our families. I know we need to be a godly witness but does that rule out self-defense?
Proverbs 27:12
The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
I know there has to be a balance - where do we draw the line?
Thanks for listening...wilberforce
That proverb is one that I have very much taken to heart in the last few months. In fact, it is the very reason that we are looking to move from our current location out to the country.
It seems to me that there are three distinct examples described in the Bible as proper ways to react to events in the world: flee, fight, or stand.
Like the examples you mentioned, there are many times when God called His people to get away and hide from trouble. Jesus himself "ran away" when the Jews picked up rocks to stone him after he declared "before Abraham was, I AM!" There is also the example of Elijah who God told to go and hide from Ahab after he prophesied the three year drought.
Regarding fighting and standing, I think of these verses:
The most important principle here, I believe, is to recognize the shape of the battle. The real battle is not the economy or the government or the UN or Iran. The real battle is spiritual -- the age old battle between God and Satan. When I look at the Iraq War, I see a front that is perpendicular to the front that we are told about in the news. I see the Christians in our army and the Christian Arabs as fighting against the forces of darkness who torture others is Abu Ghraib or send suicide bombers to kill civilians.
There is a time to fight -- to resist the attacks that we see in this world. Our weapons are those mentioned further in this passage:
We should fight against evil with these weapons, just as those faithful and courageous people you mentioned did -- with truth, righteous lives, faith in God, and using the word of God to convict and correct. Smuggling in Bibles is a way of spreading truth and shining a light on otherwise dark nations. By the way, if you haven't read God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew, I would highly recommend it -- especially given the days we are living in. I believe the examples of the Christians behind the Iron Curtain may become a lifeline for those of us behind the new Iron Curtain in America. It should be noted that the Christians in those nations resisted their governments peacefully, and when the communist regimes fell, the church was strong and able to take positions of leadership going forward. It may be they who send missionaries and smuggle Bibles to us in the end.
I confess that I mean toward pacifism, but I continue to wrestle the concept of using arms for defense. If it comes down to an attack against my family, I do not yet know what I will do. I continue to pray for guidance on this issue. (BTW, The Mission is an interesting movie that explores this topic through two priests who are ministering to a local tribe when the Portuguese are coming to murder the village: one fights back and the other pursues peace.) I know that God desires that all men are saved, and so to take the life of another is in a sense taking the option of salvation away from them. While the Old Testament calls for the nation of Israel to take up arms, it was also written to a political nation. The New Testament does not have examples of that level of violence.
This is the passage that really comes to mind when considering these things:
As long as I can, I will continue to home-school my children to avoid indoctrination in the public schools. If I am forced to send them to school, then I will work to counteract the messages by working with my children at home and expose them to the truth. I pray it does not come to the point of having my children taken away from me, because I do not know what I would do at that point. There may come a point where I have to trust God to look over them and protect them (as Daniel's parents would have done when he and his friends were taken to Babylon), or perhaps God will call me to take up arms. But I believe peaceful resistance is the best answer, and we should strive for it before all other solutions.
Thanks for your thoughts.
I do not disagree - and I understand perfectly that our battle is a spiritual one.
Really, I find the New Testament quite silent regarding self-defense - Jesus did tell His disciples to bring a sword with them as they went to evangelize -though I would assume the use of it would be a last resort.
"But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." Luke 22:36
But then in Matthew 26:52 at His arrest He said:
"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."
We must seek the Lord's guidance in each unique situation.
I guess my issue is that we can not make a sweeping statement that Christians today should humbly go to the colosseum just as they did in the early days of the Church (like the article). Do we really know this to be true? And is it what the Lord would require of us?
When the mark of the beast is made into law - Christians will have to refuse it - but the government will require it - who must they obey? See my point?
The melding together of patriotism and Christianity is abused - especially when it blinds the Christian to putting God and His Word first - before country and flag.
As you said Khomar, we need to be on our knees seeking the Lord's leading. Interesting times we live in, eh?
This discussion has helped me sort some things out in my head and heart. Thanks.
PS. I did read about Brother Andrew in the book
To Russia With Love, by Dave Hunt; http://www.thebereancall.org/node/4887
Wonderful book.
Regarding the sword, I wonder if that passage is misunderstood:
I take this to mean that the swords were meant to implicate him for the authorities so that they could use them as an excuse to arrest him.
Yes, I do, and this is the point that I am currently wrestling with. My natural impulse would be to fight, but as I study scripture, this is not the example I see in the apostles or the exiles in Babylon. They resisted the government in that they did not submit to their laws, but they did not resist with violence. Consider Daniel when a law was written that no one should be allowed to pray to anyone but King Darius.
Two things here: 1) his daily prayers were a long standing tradition. He did not start praying simply to break the law; he simply continued to worship as he always had regardless of the law. He wasn't trying to pick a fight. 2) He obeyed God openly. There are times when we need to change what we do for safety (the underground church, for example), but there are also times when we take a public stand. Daniel did this knowing full well the penalty, and he made no move to resist arrest or the eventual punishment. He was thrown into lion's den, but God preserved him by shutting the lion's mouths.
I think we should always obey the law of God first, no matter the consequence. Our allegiance is to God, not to any nation. However, by following God's law, we will usually find ourselves following the laws of our nation as well. This is what Paul was talking about in Romans 13, but even he broke the law repeatedly when it conflicted with God's commands... and suffered the consequences of torture and imprisonment.
The ultimate example, of course, is Jesus. He had the ability and the power to free himself at any point, but he chose the path of love and forgiveness rather than vengeance and justice. He endured unbelievable suffering to demonstrate his love for us, and we are called to be like him.
It is easy to say such things, but it is different when we actually have to live out patience, endurance, and love when our flesh cries out for violence and vengeance. I pray that God will give me the strength to follow his example when my turn comes.
You know this but putting it plainly...
God says absolutely do not get the mark. So resistance unto death appears absolute to me. In the case of forced chipping, what other means does a man have but prayer and fleshly reaction to the intrusion of his body?
May God have mercy.
Ack
Sorry for hijacking your thread... I'm always happy to see a spiritual person confront a religious person ... :)
I'm happy to be on your team.. rip em up!
~Live life to its fullest... with open arms, an open heart and most importantly, an open mind.~
Go for it :)
I'm hearing "wheel within a wheel" with y'all two.
My Mom told me some jibberish that "they landed" and Eisenhower struck a deal to not come back for 50 years...and thus they have returned.
Shirley Maclaine tells a similar story
http://www.shirleymaclaine.com/articles/ufos/article-333
Personally, I prefer to leave the whole thing in the "I can't know" category, but I still try to take in information. If I ever have to deal with a UFO or an alien, I will make my call then, In the meantime, I don't have to "believe" anything, I can just try to be aware of the possibilities.
Dennis Kucinich also believes in UFOs, it was used to marginalize him. Oh, another brother of his died last week. That is 3 siblings in the past 2 years.
Somewhere in Kenya, a village is missing it's idiot. Here in America, they are all present and registered to vote.
YES
I got the e-mail just a while ago. Curiouser and curiouser on the Kucinich fam.
I believe Richard Hoagland actually talks about that in his interview with the Disclosure Project.
http://www.enterprisemission.com/
http://www.darkmission.net/dmmain.htm
Hoagland is an interesting dude whose information I of course cannot verify but like most things it's something to keep under the hat.
Maybe Mom's right about some stuff after all ;)
Maybe, maybe not...I do know that many times truth is stranger than fiction
oh and my bad it wasn't the Disclosure Project, which is realated, but instead it was Project Camelot who interviewed him. If you have some time to burn and want to hear some fascinating information, true or not, check it out http://www.projectcamelot.org/richard_hoagland.html
Actually...
I'm quite familiar with ProjectCamelot because of 911 and a few other side-topics... I'd just not done the Hoagland deal yet because I'd already figured out the UFO thing in my own mind... :)
~Live life to its fullest... with open arms, an open heart and most importantly, an open mind.~
Project Camelot definitely has some intriguing interviews. The one with John Lear is.....interesting to say the least.
Now y'see...
I've no idea about that part of it at all. Never even researched it... :(
I just know they've been a part of Hopi history since before the Hopi came to America... which was awhile ago.
The last rather spectacular UFO-calling we did was in the 70's. It ended up splitting up the Hopi tribe and our spiritual leader soon after walked into a canyon where UFO's were spotted and has never been seen again.
That was about when Hopi-American relationships went into the toilet completely.
~Live life to its fullest... with open arms, an open heart and most importantly, an open mind.~
Watch the video.
you'll see what is going on.
"a simple judgment of my character is how I treat a person who can do absolutely nothing for me." -Stephen Howard
"The most thoroughly wasted of all days is one in which you haven't laughed" -Julian Howard
Haa! HAA!!!
Send him this. And tell him jokingly your god is better than his god.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5980990221766439646
A million year old technologically advanced civilization would seem like gods to us.. Does that mean they created the universe.. Don't think so.
"a simple judgment of my character is how I treat a person who can do absolutely nothing for me." -Stephen Howard
"The most thoroughly wasted of all days is one in which you haven't laughed" -Julian Howard
omg.
dude. you nailed it.
Heehee
I'll be totally "unchurched" before I even go!!! LOL!
Haven't watched it...
But have bookmarked it and will.
Does it include anywhere in the movie that the Hopi do UFO-calling ceremonies and dances?
~Live life to its fullest... with open arms, an open heart and most importantly, an open mind.~
ooh ... dude...
someday ... we gotta have a chat about the 'pagan dance' discipline ram teaches.
We need to
I'll probably find out it's the same dance...lol
~Live life to its fullest... with open arms, an open heart and most importantly, an open mind.~
No it dosen't include Hopi.
But it does show some pretty damning evidence. Were are not alone and that the government is covering it up and have been for well over 60 years.
"a simple judgment of my character is how I treat a person who can do absolutely nothing for me." -Stephen Howard
"The most thoroughly wasted of all days is one in which you haven't laughed" -Julian Howard
OK...
I HAVE to wonder now that anyone that is a serious UFO-type person has never checked out the Hopi.
After all, they were promised that at the end of this time, they would be taken back to the Pieldes star system where they came from in wingless flying craft that go from star to star.
They told the white men that listened about the people that would take them there, the description exactly matches what you would call a ~grey~. Lookup ~ant people~ and Hopi.
These people came from a planet around Sirius B... a star with an elliptical orbit around Sirius A that was not discovered until a few hundred years after the Hopi told the white men about a star that revolved in an elliptical orbit around Sirius A that had planets.
This is not part of some prophecy.. it is what the Hopi were promised when they started carrying thier set of tablets.
I've really got to finish the new LLF.
~Live life to its fullest... with open arms, an open heart and most importantly, an open mind.~
oh whoa......dude....
that gives me the shivers.
i've never heard of that before but i know from its frequency its gonna happen.
Just wondering...
We have a ceremonial form and dance for calling UFO's.. we've been doing it a long damn time. They are a part of our entire documented history....lol
And it is never brought up, for some reason.
~Live life to its fullest... with open arms, an open heart and most importantly, an open mind.~
I have been praying that God would prepare a church for us in the place we are moving to. If not, I pity the pastor that I run into. The past three years, I have really been isolated from a lot of the standard Christian influences, and I am afraid that I have grown a bit "peculiar". ;-)
I imagine that if I were faced with a similar situation, I would probably respond in a very similar fashion. It saddens me what churches consider "outreach" these days with the high quality camps and upper-middle-class-style activities. It is all about status and money; love is barely present if it exists at all. You are right on regarding the food bank. Churches need to get into gear and get ready to help the poor again, because the government certainly won't. Even if they wanted to, soon they simply will no longer have the revenue to do so.
On one point, though, I have to agree somewhat with the good pastor. We need to be careful not to place too much emphasis on politics. It is interesting that in the time of Jesus, politics was the number one issue of the day. But Jesus barely even mentioned politics, and even then, it was in response to a direct question: should we pay taxes? Instead, he focused on expanding the Kingdom of God and following the commandments to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This is not to say that we should not keep tabs on politics or engage the culture through politics, but we need to remember why were are here -- and it is not to win elections. I think the freedom of an elected government is soon to be a thing of the past anyway (if it hasn't been already). We should strive for integrity, justice, and truth, but we should not look to politics for our hope. If we do, I fear we will only ever be disappointed (as I was after the last election... deeply).
Remember too that a lot of politics is personal opinion. While there are some fundamental truths (no stealing, upholding justice and impartiality, having integrity), a lot of the political debate is, in fact, debatable. For example, I can understand the desire of people to use the government to care for the poor because our culture has become so selfish that the individuals in this country rarely even consider them. Until we libertarians can step up and demonstrate individual and willing compassion on the poor, it will be hard to convince them that there is a better way than through government intervention. In the meantime, compromises must be made as we move our culture toward the better and higher way.
In other words, don't let politics get in the way of loving people. Don't let it be a barrier that keeps you from connecting with those around you. Once the friendship is formed, if there is merit in your worldview, they will come around in the end.
I probably need to hear this sermon more than you.
Awesome
We're in agreement. I do need to temper myself more I suppose but do not have that "give in" attitude. I trust God made me that way and knows my heart. Maybe I'm just on some other side of my faith that says "You've 'turned it over to Jesus' so much, now get out and do something." Yet it is only through Christ through whence my strength comes and I am in constant prayer for God's will. I'm feeling the "grit of Christ" and I've been a champion of "tiny injustices" all the days of my life. It's just that since Liberty, I've moved on to "Pharisees and Sadducees" along with the tiny injustices... :|
I often say to my friends who are stymied, "Get out of the boat and walk on the water"...
I'm afraid I'm having trouble getting back in the boat. ;)