Do we face difficult challenges in our land? Yes, it is looking more and more as though our country could become like one of those other socialist, communistic countries. I am reading postings on Facebook about our Founding Fathers and the Godly morals and values that this great United States of America was built on, and how people are seeing those morals and values continue to decline with the passing of each day. I understand and agree with the feelings of frustration and helplessness. It seems that we are unable to stop these things from happening. Our voices do not seem to matter to this liberally-controlled government. But, as I have said before, God is on His throne and He is in control.

I read a devotional the other day that referenced a poll that was done called the Barna Poll. They are a research group who polls our churches and those who claim to be Christians on their beliefs, etc. A recent poll by them shows that, “Half of Americans who call themselves “Christian” don’t believe Satan exists and fully one-third are confident that Jesus sinned while on Earth, Barna Group poll. (www.barna.org)

Another 40 percent say they do not have a responsibility to share their Christian faith with others, and 25 percent “dismiss the idea that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches,” the organization reports.

Pollster George Barna said the results have huge implications.

“Americans are increasingly comfortable picking and choosing what they deem to be helpful and accurate theological views and have become comfortable discarding the rest of the teachings in the Bible,” he said.

In other words, our country is going down the wrong path because “my people, which are called by my name” have not been humbling themselves, praying, seeking His face, and turning from their wicked ways for quite some time. They have chosen to pick and choose whatever theology makes them ‘feel good about their sin’, discarding most of God’s written Word.

Those of us who are refusing to go the ‘way of the world’ appear to be in the minority. Perhaps the “Tea Party” movement will continue to awaken the American people to bring about the change we really need. We will see how things play out in November.

As bad as things seem right now, and as bad as they could possible become in the near future, I am still very thankful and proud to be a free American citizen. Ours is still the best country on earth to live in.

My bigger picture is that “this is not my home, I am just passing through.” I will spend eternity in Heaven with my Lord and my God where no one will ever take away any freedoms from me again. While I am here, I will continue to stand on the true word of God and do my best to share His Good News with all that I can.

May God Once Again Have Reason to Bless America

“I’m 63 and I’m Tired”
by Robert A. Hall

I’m 63. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I’ve worked hard since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven’t called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn’t inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there’s no retirement in sight, and I’m tired. Very tired.

I’m tired of being told that I have to “spread the wealth” to people who don’t have my work ethic. I’m tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I’m tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to “keep people in their homes.” Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I’m willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off $250,000 condo on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their own money.

I’m tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood Entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Christian people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela.

I’m tired of being told that Islam is a “Religion of Peace,” when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family “honor”; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren’t “believers”; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for “adultery”; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur’an and Shari’a law tells them to.

I’m tired of being told that “race doesn’t matter” in the post-racial world of Obama, when it’s all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of U.S. Senators from Illinois.

I think it’s very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual, and less arrogantly of an all-knowing government.

I’m tired of a news media that thinks Bush’s fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama’s, at triple the cost, were wonderful; that thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress; that picked over every line of Bush’s military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his; that slammed Palin, with two years as governor, for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever. Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn’t vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.

I’m tired of being told that out of “tolerance for other cultures” we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America, while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

I’m tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore’s, and if you’re greener than Gore, you’re green enough.

I’m tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don’t think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies choose to take drugs. And I’m tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.

I’m tired of illegal aliens being called “undocumented workers,” especially the ones who aren’t working, but are living on welfare or crime. What’s next? Calling drug dealers, “Undocumented Pharmacists”? And, no, I’m not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it’s been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I’m willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person, who can speak English, doesn’t have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military…. Those are the citizens we need.

I’m tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than themselves.

Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and still are? Not even close.

So here’s the deal. I’ll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims, who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we’ll compare notes.

British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.

I’m tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums are bipartisan. And I’m tired of people telling me we need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois , where the “Illinois Combine” of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the tax cheats in Obama’s cabinet.

I’m tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I’m tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

Speaking of poor, I’m tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn’t have that in 1970, but we didn’t know we were “poor.” The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.

I’m real tired of people who don’t take responsibility for their lives and actions. I’m tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.

Yes, I’m damn tired. But I’m also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I’m not going to have to see the world these people are making. I’m just sorry for my granddaughter.

Thank Your Military Thank A Soldier Causes

I have seen “The Greatest Story Ever Told” many times over the years, and though it is a beautiful rendition of Jesus’ adult life and death, I know that it is a watered-down version of what He really went through. The part where they have Jesus nailed to the cross and stand it up and thump it into its whole brings me to tears every single time I see it. So I was not sure I would be able to make it through such a graphic portrayal as The Passion until now. Or so I thought; sigh.

I learned years ago that Jesus was literally beaten to an unrecognizable state, but to watch this take place for nearly two hours was totally devastating for me. I could barely breathe when He lay on his stomach; one arm chained to a stump, as they ripped his flesh on the back of his body open with the Cat of Nine Tails, and then turned him on his back and did the same to the front of him. He never once cried out. The actor played Jesus to a T as far as I am concerned. The look of love in his eyes when he caught the soldiers’ eyes as he took our stripes, clearly spoke, “I do this for you.”

I made myself sit through the movie, trying to choke back the sobs, while yelling, “Stop! Stop! Enough!” at the Romans who were spitting on Jesus, kicking him, mocking him, and whipping him all the way down the road to Golgotha. I tried to tell myself that this was a stark reminder of how really filthy and heinous our sin is to God and that our sin requires a sinless blood sacrifice. I contemplated the fact that they sacrificed animals in Old Testament times, but I thought, “They did not torture those animals, they just killed them. Stop torturing my Lord!”

For a while I was angry because I felt that God let it go on for too long. He is, after all God, He could have stopped it. Then I was furious that the Roman general only gave Jesus temporary reprieve when he told the other soldiers, “I said to punish him, not scourge him to death.” I have never had such a difficult time watching a movie before in my entire life. It is beyond amazing to me that He even lived to make it to the top of the hill. Yes, I know, He rose again on the third day, and I am oh, so happy that He did. I just wish He did not have to suffer as He did.

I shared my feelings (very strongly) with some dear sisters in the early morning ours of our recent church Ladies Retreat. Miss Bonnie gently reminded me that had Jesus just simply been put to death, it would not have the impact it does to save souls. I had to agree with her, but gee what does that say about us. Another sweet sister said something that finally got through to me, duh. It was something like this, “Remember that Satan was controlling those Romans and others who wanted Jesus crucified. He had many blinded. BUT, Jesus has the victory. He rose on the third day.” It was like it was the devil’s party. He is pure evil and what they did to my Lord was pure evil. Our sin is also pure evil.

I am overwhelmingly grateful that Jesus Christ paid the price that I could never pay for my sins. At the same time, I am so utterly sorry that I have such a sinful nature that required Him to go to such lengths for me. I am devastated to sobs when I think about the horrible beatings and mutilation He endured for my sake, but I will not dwell on that. I will be ever so thankful to the point that there are just no words to express my gladness that He thwarted that devil’s party and came back to life.

I find this scripture a great comfort, especially at this time of the year:

John 14: 1-3 (KJV) “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Jesus was the first to die and rise again, and when I die, I will rise to be with Him. With the signs we see in our world today, I may not even have to die, but be caught up to Him with The Rapture. “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!