Dec 31, 2011

Rednecks Keep The Country In Working Order

Common Sense Commentary: "The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep." Ecc.5:12.  Could the sleep of the rich have been disturbed by worry over business, investments, competition, taxes, employee salaries, government agencies harassing them and over indulging of food and drink?  Probably.

Some spoiled, mommy's boy, heir to wealth,  first used the term "redneck" referring to
the class of Americans who work hard, out in the sun, six days a week and go to church on the seventh day. Rednecks are those red blooded Americans who make the country work and fix it when its broken. They aren't ashamed to sweat and put on no uppity airs. They are who they are and if you don't like common, ordinary, honest people ... go find some like yourself. When you are in a bind or need help or dial 911, its a redneck who usually shows up to save your hide or fix your problem. One of the biggest mistakes snobbish people make is judging a redneck by his less than smooth, sugar-coated way of talking. I've known many a redneck farmer, electrician, or plumber who didn't use good English but had more horse-sense and wisdom than those who like to use the word disparragingly. If you made a big deal out of my using two r's in "disparaging".... you don't qualify to be a redneck but do qualify to be a stiff necked critic of us rednecks. Why am I claiming to qualify? I have redneck ancestry and I worked all this week in the Texas sunshine helping build a barn to house goat and chicken feed, tools, and garden equipment. Now I have a deep red neck to wear to church in the morning with all "them" other rednecks who sing loud, shake hands hard love the lord and fixed or built a lot of useful stuff this week and made all your utilities work. RB
IN GOD WE TRUST!
                                                                   

Dec 26, 2011

God's Answers To Human Questions

Common Sense Commentary: "Then there arose a question ...." John 3:25.

God is not offended at us when we have doubts and questions.  Ask the questions, but do not doubt His answers.

I..... How did all this intricate, miraculous life, on this finite planet, in this vast and infinite universe get here, on its own?  Answer: It didn't; it was Created! "...God created the  heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1.

II.... Who is this Creator God?  Answer: The LORD alone! "Thou, even thou, art LORD (YHVH-Yehovah) alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts; the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all there is therein, and thou preservest them all..." Ne.9:6.

III... When did He Create it?  Answer:   "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."Gen.1:1.---- "And, thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands." Heb.1:10. 

IV... How did He create it? Answer: He spoke it into existence by the power/energy of His WORD!  Einstein put the tip of his finger on "How God did it" with his theory of e=mc2 ... energy equals mass and therefore mass equals energy (think a burning branch releasing light and heat with which God created it). God spoke the Word, ""And God said, let there be...." throughout Genesis 1, and God's "energy" or power went out upon His Word, and created as He commanded  it.  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten (Son) of the Father).... Jn.1:1,3,14. The Word here is capitalized meaning it is a proper name.  The 14th verse reveals the "Word" to be Jesus Christ, "the only begotten Son of God". Jn.3:16.
Also, in Heb.11:3, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the WORD of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."  They were made out of nothing visible but by the energy/power of God's Word.  e=mc2.

V..... Why did God create us?  Answer: For His own will, purpose, and pleasure. Rev.4:11 "...O Lord... thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created."

VI.... Where is God now?  He is Omnipresent ... everywhere. "...For the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath." Josh.2:11.  The Psalmist said, "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." Psm.139:8.

VII... Will Jesus Christ ever come again? Answer: "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." Jn.14:2-3.

VIII.. What must I do to be saved? Answer: The Philippian Jailer asked Paul and Silas that very question in Acts 16:30 ..."Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved...."

IX..... Can I Know that I have eternal life? Answer: "These things have I written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God ; that ye may KNOW that ye HAVE eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." 1Jn.5:13.

X...... Is there any other way to be saved? Answer: "Neither is there salvation in ANY other: for there is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

Most of the world is looking to other ways, other names of other gods to bless and save them.
There are many such false gods worshiped by millions of lost souls. But those little gods .... the vain pride and lust for beauty, sex, wealth, power, fame, food , drugs, stuff, and a little god they can see and touch, cannot forgive or cleanse or save themselves and surely not you or me.

Pass it on. RB

Dec 25, 2011

"Providence?" To What or Whom Did Our Founding Fathers Refer?

Common Sense Commentary:

 The word "provide" comes from the Latin "pro" (ahead) plus "vider" (to see).  So to "provide" means, "to see ahead" .... "foresight", which is what the word "providential" means. Another related word is "provident" which means, "making provisions for the future" or "provide forward".  This is what Joseph, son of Israel, did in Egypt.  God revealed to him that, for the next seven years, there would  be plentiful harvests followed by seven years of desperate famine; and then God promoted him to a position of power, next to the Pharoah, to store up grain for the first seven years to "provide" food for Egypt and for God's people, Joseph's family, for the seven years of famine. That, my friends is what our God does for his people. That kind of "foreknowledge/foresight" can be passed along to chosen men of God from his own foreknowledge of, or even determination of, future events.  That is what the word prophecy often, not always, means. More often it means, "forth telling" or "speaking forth" truth. From the prophets of God  even to the created creatures of God, he gives foresight.  In animals, it is ingrained in their nature to store up food for the future winter months. To certain people he gives" foresight" to forecast, by knowledge or revelation, future events.  Read the prophetic, signs of the latter times and a certain foresight will be yours.  In some tiny but marvelous way, God even gives "foresight" to the ants. "Go to the ant thou sluggard ... which having no guide, overseer or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in harvest." Pr.6:6-8.
According to that verse, those who neglect to "provide" for their future needs are "sluggards".  The Hebrew word for sluggard is "astel" and means "slothful" ... (lazy, negligent sloth). See verses at end.

So what did our founding fathers mean by "Providence"?   The word, when capitalized, means, "Divine guidance" and was used by them, in reference to God, in many of their letters and documents.
It is referenced in the climactic, last sentence of our nation's  Declaration Of Independence from the mighiest empire on earth and its King, George III.  They "declared" in the last sentence of it, "And for
the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor".

Why would they ALL dare to embrace and sign their names to such a pledge of absolute and final  commitment,  .... even their very lives?  Simply because of their "firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence".... God!   They simply believed that it was God's divine will, as reflected in God's word, that all men had a right to freedom and equality, having been created in His own image and likeness.  Their's was an act of OBEDIENCE TO GOD as also revealed in their equally powerful words, "Laws of Nature and of Nature's GOD" are self-evident "that all men are created equal" with "certain unalienable rights."

How utterly foolish can be the folly of those, who in the face of incontravertible facts, deny, debate and hate the clear and certain truth that our country was founded by Christian believers upon the foundational principles of God's Word?  Denial of that is a fool's errand... for "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God".  Psm.14:1.  The word "A theist" litterally means, "No God".  If you, as an American Atheist, have gone astray from these facts, God has not. "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny himself." 2Tim.2:13.  And, dear Atheist and Agnostic, the day shall come, at the Judgement Seat of God, that, "...As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Rom.14:11.  So if you will one day confess what you cannot, then, deny, but too late ... why not confess Him now and accept His remedy for sins ... Jesus Christ as your Saviour? ........(Verses on slothfulness = Prov.6:6-9, 10:26, 13:4, 20:4, 26:16, 1Tim.5:8.)

Would to God we all ... Americans, had the commitment to make the pledge of our Fore-Fathers, to fight, if necessary, for equality for all citizens of the United States and to preserve our God given right to freedom from overbearing government.  I, personally, have little to give at 81 but a few years at most, so I offer that which is left of my life and posessions to the cause our forefathers lived and died for. RB

Pass it on. RB

Dec 22, 2011

Easy To Please Old Marine Lookin....

Common Sense Commentary: Is "nation"divorce an option or is it "til death do us part"?

Dear Friend,
At 81, I have seen everything from the southwestern dust bowl and great depression of the 1930's to
World War II, several other wars and fought in one, saw the first Atomic bomb, first television, visited most nations on earth, lived out in 115 degree and minus -30 degree temps, flood, tornado, and hurricane.  I have 6 children and 65 or 66 grand and great grands and miraculously ... one wife and never broke either of my little fingers in the process.  But I've never seen, been told, read in history or had a nightmare compared to the world situation today.  It makes an old man's head spin around like a top.  Its downright unbelievable confusin.  I've always been a faithful flag-wavin patriot and love my America still, but she's startin to smell like an unfaithful wife comin in at 4:00 AM with whiskey on her breath and whisker burns on her cheeks.  I still love her but she ain't gittin any sweeter only meaner.  That makes a man feel like movin out cause SHE don't love ME anymore.  I must confess ... my rovin eye has been rovin ... lookin at other beauties like ... Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Belize, Dominica and even old Nicaragua ... down the street.  My sweet America must be goin through the change of life or maybe demon possession.  I mean, I saw her the other night with that Trojan Donkey in D.C.  So, bottom line, I'm lookin for a new place to jump.   My classified ad sums it up this away: "Easy to please old Marine, Bible believin, Texas preacher looking to buy a ranch of good farm land in a green valley on a high mountain in the desert overlooking the ocean on one side and a rain forest on the other, near a major hospital ... in Texas, South America."  I'm just waitin by the phone.  Your Friend, Rayburn

Dec 21, 2011

Socialism: Its Root and Fruit Are Common Non-Sense

Common Sense Commentary: Socialism is the politicized reaction and lowest common denominator of fleshly lust, laziness, greed and envy... In three words ... "me, my, mine" or "something for nothing". R.B.


An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

 The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan" ...All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A.... (substituting grades for dollars - something closer to home and more readily understood by all).
 
 After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy.
 When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.
 Could not be any simpler than that. (Please pass this on).
 Remember, there IS a test coming up. The 2012 elections.
  These are possibly the 5 best sentences you'll ever read and all applicable to this experiment:

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
 
 4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!

5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

How is it possible for a fallacy to be so simple and yet embraced by the multitudes??? RB
Pass it on. RB

Dec 20, 2011

What Kind Of Picture... Is Worth A Thousand Words?

Common Sense Commentary:

If a picture is worth a thousand words, two pictures, with few words, is worth a million pages of words whatever your politics.

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."  Pr.25:11



Think for yourself.

Pass it on ... if you agree.
RB

Dec 17, 2011

The Pivot Point Of Crisis

Common Sense Commentary: In every human crisis there are various, related phases which lead up to, accompany and follow in its wake.  I will call them Pivot Points.  There were pivot points preceding this impending crisis when we, as a nation, could have avoided it.  There will be other pivot points within it which will direct its course. Then, there will be pivot points during our recovery ... if there is to be a recovery.

At this point, everyone in America who has any intelligence at all has heard enough facts, concerning the State of our Union, to be convinced of imminent, national, financial disaster and its extended repercussions.  That being the case, it is now high time for the informed to prepare themselves financially, mentally, physically and most importantly, spiritually, to endure whatever the future holds and to be good "ambassadors" (2Cor.5:20) for Christ in the difficult times ahead.  That would include sharing His words of hope, introducing the lost to Him, praying for and with them, good stewardship, and rock solid faithfulness.  True Christians must be the curing salt and illuminating light in this darkening world of spiritual conflict.

We in America are indeed fortunate that we live in the one nation on earth where there are probably more truly born again Christians than in the rest of the world combined, but with some of the most wicked as well.  If the former is true, it is also true that we who have received Christ are also more  accountable to God for reaching the unsaved around us.

We must not overlook the fact that our very creation in Eden followed the greatest conflict of the ages ever enjoined.  It was the beginning of rebellion against our Creator God by Archangel Lucifer and his angels... evil against good,  Lucifer against Jehovah God.  We must also remember that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ founded and has built His church during the most difficult times of human history ... not the times of ease.  It is "tribulation that works patience (endurance/perseverance)" Rom.5:3.  Growing in God's grace, faith, strength and character always takes place during "the times that try men's souls." It is our souls  that will be tried ... more than any other human attribute. The quote above is the first sentence and declaration of the historical forefather, Christian patriot ... and co-founder of our nation, Thomas Paine.  The following is his famous, God honoring speech entitled "The Crisis" 235 years ago this week, Dec.23, 1776.


                                             The CRISIS

                                              By Thomas Paine

December 23, 1776              

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER" and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God. (How appropriate for  today's crisis.RB)
Whether the independence of the continent was declared too soon, or delayed too long, I will not now enter into as an argument; my own simple opinion is, that had it been eight months earlier, it would have been much better. We did not make a proper use of last winter, neither could we, while we were in a dependent state. However, the fault, if it were one, was all our own; we have none to blame but ourselves. But no great deal is lost yet. All that Howe has been doing for this month past, is rather a ravage than a conquest, which the spirit of the Jerseys, a year ago, would have quickly repulsed, and which time and a little resolution will soon recover.
I have as little superstition in me as any man living, but my secret opinion has ever been, and still is, that God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupportedly to perish, who have so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to avoid the calamities of war, by every decent method which wisdom could invent. Neither have I so much of the infidel in me, as to suppose that He has relinquished the government of the world, and given us up to the care of devils; and as I do not, I cannot see on what grounds the king of Britain can look up to heaven for help against us: a common murderer, a highwayman, or a house-breaker, has as good a pretence as he.
'Tis surprising to see how rapidly a panic will sometimes run through a country. All nations and ages have been subject to them. Britain has trembled like an ague at the report of a French fleet of flat-bottomed boats; and But their peculiar advantage is, that they are the touchstones of sincerity and hypocrisy, and bring things and men to light, which might otherwise have lain forever undiscovered. In fact, they have the same effect on secret traitors, which an imaginary apparition would have upon a private murderer. They sift out the hidden thoughts of man, and hold them up in public to the world. Many a disguised Tory has lately shown his head, that shall penitentially solemnize with curses the day on which Howe arrived upon the Delaware.
As I was with the troops at Fort Lee, and marched with them to the edge of Pennsylvania, I am well acquainted with many circumstances, which those who live at a distance know but little or nothing of. Our situation there was exceedingly cramped, the place being a narrow neck of land between the North River and the Hackensack. Our force was inconsiderable, being not one-fourth so great as Howe could bring against us. We had no army at hand to have relieved the garrison, had we shut ourselves up and stood on our defence. Our ammunition, light artillery, and the best part of our stores, had been removed, on the apprehension that Howe would endeavor to penetrate the Jerseys, in which case Fort Lee could be of no use to us; for it must occur to every thinking man, whether in the army or not, that these kind of field forts are only for temporary purposes, and last in use no longer than the enemy directs his force against the particular object which such forts are raised to defend. Such was our situation and condition at Fort Lee on the morning of the 20th of November, when an officer arrived with information that the enemy with 200 boats had landed about seven miles above; Major General [Nathaniel] Green, who commanded the garrison, immediately ordered them under arms, and sent express to General Washington at the town of Hackensack, distant by the way of the ferry = six miles. Our first object was to secure the bridge over the Hackensack, which laid up the river between the enemy and us, about six miles from us, and three from them. General Washington arrived in about three-quarters of an hour, and marched at the head of the troops towards the bridge, which place I expected we should have a brush for; however, they did not choose to dispute it with us, and the greatest part of our troops went over the bridge, the rest over the ferry, except some which passed at a mill on a small creek, between the bridge and the ferry, and made their way through some marshy grounds up to the town of Hackensack, and there passed the river. We brought off as much baggage as the wagons could contain, the rest was lost. The simple object was to bring off the garrison, and march them on till they could be strengthened by the Jersey or Pennsylvania militia, so as to be enabled to make a stand. We staid four days at Newark, collected our out-posts with some of the Jersey militia, and marched out twice to meet the enemy, on being informed that they were advancing, though our numbers were greatly inferior to theirs. Howe, in my little opinion, committed a great error in generalship in not throwing a body of forces off from Staten Island through Amboy, by which means he might have seized all our stores at Brunswick, and intercepted our march into Pennsylvania; but if we believe the power of hell to be limited, we must likewise believe that their agents are under some providential control. ("The gates of hell shall not prevail" Mt.16:18 RB)
I shall not now attempt to give all the particulars of our retreat to the Delaware; suffice it for the present to say, that both officers and men, though greatly harassed and fatigued, frequently without rest, covering, or provision, the inevitable consequences of a long retreat, bore it with a manly and martial spirit. All their wishes centred in one, which was, that the country would turn out and help them to drive the enemy back. Voltaire has remarked that King William never appeared to full advantage but in difficulties and in action; the same remark may be made on General Washington, for the character fits him. There is a natural firmness in some minds which cannot be unlocked by trifles, but which, when unlocked, discovers a cabinet of fortitude; and I reckon it among those kind of public blessings, which we do not immediately see, that God hath blessed him with uninterrupted health, and given him a mind that can even flourish upon care.
I shall conclude this paper with some miscellaneous remarks on the state of our affairs; and shall begin with asking the following question, Why is it that the enemy have left the New England provinces, and made these middle ones the seat of war? The answer is easy: New England is not infested with Tories, and we are. I have been tender in raising the cry against these men, and used numberless arguments to show them their danger, but it will not do to sacrifice a world either to their folly or their baseness. The period is now arrived, in which either they or we must change our sentiments, or one or both must fall. And what is a Tory? Good God! What is he? I should not be afraid to go with a hundred Whigs against a thousand Tories, were they to attempt to get into arms. Every Tory is a coward; for servile, slavish, self-interested fear is the foundation of Toryism; and a man under such influence, though he may be cruel, never can be brave.
But, before the line of irrecoverable separation be drawn between us, let us reason the matter together: Your conduct is an invitation to the enemy, yet not one in a thousand of you has heart enough to join him. Howe is as much deceived by you as the American cause is injured by you. He expects you will all take up arms, and flock to his standard, with muskets on your shoulders. Your opinions are of no use to him, unless you support him personally, for 'tis soldiers, and not Tories, that he wants.
I once felt all that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against the mean principles that are held by the Tories: a noted one, who kept a tavern at Amboy, was standing at his door, with as pretty a child in his hand, about eight or nine years old, as I ever saw, and after speaking his mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression, "Well! give me peace in my day." Not a man lives on the continent but fully believes that a separation must some time or other finally take place, and a generous parent should have said, "If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace;" and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty. Not a place upon earth might be so happy as America. Her situation is remote from all the wrangling world, and she has nothing to do but to trade with them. A man can distinguish himself between temper and principle, and I am as confident, as I am that God governs the world, that America will never be happy till she gets clear of foreign dominion. Wars, without ceasing, will break out till that period arrives, and the continent must in the end be conqueror; for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.
America did not, nor does not want force; but she wanted a proper application of that force. Wisdom is not the purchase of a day, and it is no wonder that we should err at the first setting off. From an excess of tenderness, we were unwilling to raise an army, and trusted our cause to the temporary defence of a well-meaning militia. A summer's experience has now taught us better; yet with those troops, while they were collected, we were able to set bounds to the progress of the enemy, and, thank God! they are again assembling. I always considered militia as the best troops in the world for a sudden exertion, but they will not do for a long campaign. Howe, it is probable, will make an attempt on this city [Philadelphia]; should he fail on this side the Delaware, he is ruined. If he succeeds, our cause is not ruined. He stakes all on his side against a part on ours; admitting he succeeds, the consequence will be, that armies from both ends of the continent will march to assist their suffering friends in the middle states; for he cannot go everywhere, it is impossible. I consider Howe as the greatest enemy the Tories have; he is bringing a war into their country, which, had it not been for him and partly for themselves, they had been clear of. Should he now be expelled, I wish with all the devotion of a Christian, that the names of Whig and Tory may never more be mentioned; but should the Tories give him encouragement to come, or assistance if he come, I as sincerely wish that our next year's arms may expel them from the continent, and the Congress appropriate their possessions to the relief of those who have suffered in well-doing. A single successful battle next year will settle the whole. America could carry on a two years' war by the confiscation of the property of disaffected persons, and be made happy by their expulsion. Say not that this is revenge, call it rather the soft resentment of a suffering people, who, having no object in view but the good of all, have staked their own all upon a seemingly doubtful event. Yet it is folly to argue against determined hardness; eloquence may strike the ear, and the language of sorrow draw forth the tear of compassion, but nothing can reach the heart that is steeled with prejudice.
Quitting this class of men, I turn with the warm ardor of a friend to those who have nobly stood, and are yet determined to stand the matter out: I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state: up and help us; lay your shoulders to the wheel; better have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake. Let it be told to the future world, that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it. Say not that thousands are gone, turn out your tens of thousands; throw not the burden of the day upon Providence, but "show your faith by your works," that God may bless you. It matters not where you live, or what rank of life you hold, the evil or the blessing will reach you all. The far and the near, the home counties and the back, the rich and the poor, will suffer or rejoice alike. The heart that feels not now is dead; the blood of his children will curse his cowardice, who shrinks back at a time when a little might have saved the whole, and made them happy. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death. My own line of reasoning is to myself as straight and clear as a ray of light. Not all the treasures of the world, so far as I believe, could have induced me to support an offensive war, for I think it murder; but if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me, or those that are in it, and to "bind me in all cases whatsoever" to his absolute will, am I to suffer it? What signifies it to me, whether he who does it is a king or a common man; my countryman or not my countryman; whether it be done by an individual villain, or an army of them? If we reason to the root of things we shall find no difference; neither can any just cause be assigned why we should punish in the one case and pardon in the other. Let them call me rebel and welcome, I feel no concern from it; but I should suffer the misery of devils, were I to make a whore of my soul by swearing allegiance to one whose character is that of a sottish, stupid, stubborn, worthless, brutish man. I conceive likewise a horrid idea in receiving mercy from a being, who at the last day shall be shrieking to the rocks and mountains to cover him, and fleeing with terror from the orphan, the widow, and the slain of America.
There are cases which cannot be overdone by language, and this is one. There are persons, too, who see not the full extent of the evil which threatens them; they solace themselves with hopes that the enemy, if he succeed, will be merciful. It is the madness of folly, to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice; and even mercy, where conquest is the object, is only a trick of war; the cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf, and we ought to guard equally against both. Howe's first object is, partly by threats and partly by promises, to terrify or seduce the people to deliver up their arms and receive mercy. The ministry recommended the same plan to Gage, and this is what the Tories call making their peace, "a peace which passeth all understanding" indeed! A peace which would be the immediate forerunner of a worse ruin than any we have yet thought of. Ye men of Pennsylvania, do reason upon these things! Were the back counties to give up their arms, they would fall an easy prey to the Indians, who are all armed: this perhaps is what some Tories would not be sorry for. Were the home counties to deliver up their arms, they would be exposed to the resentment of the back counties who would then have it in their power to chastise their defection at pleasure. And were any one state to give up its arms, that state must be garrisoned by all Howe's army of Britons and Hessians to preserve it from the anger of the rest. Mutual fear is the principal link in the chain of mutual love, and woe be to that state that breaks the compact. Howe is mercifully inviting you to barbarous destruction, and men must be either rogues or fools that will not see it. I dwell not upon the vapors of imagination; I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as A, B, C, hold up truth to your eyes.
I thank God, that I fear not. I see no real cause for fear. I know our situation well, and can see the way out of it. While our army was collected, Howe dared not risk a battle; and it is no credit to him that he decamped from the White Plains, and waited a mean opportunity to ravage the defenceless Jerseys; but it is great credit to us, that, with a handful of men, we sustained an orderly retreat for near an hundred miles, brought off our ammunition, all our field pieces, the greatest part of our stores, and had four rivers to pass. None can say that our retreat was precipitate, for we were near three weeks in performing it, that the country might have time to come in. Twice we marched back to meet the enemy, and remained out till dark. The sign of fear was not seen in our camp, and had not some of the cowardly and disaffected inhabitants spread false alarms through the country, the Jerseys had never been ravaged. Once more we are again collected and collecting; our new army at both ends of the continent is recruiting fast, and we shall be able to open the next campaign with sixty thousand men, well armed and clothed. This is our situation, and who will may know it. By perseverance and fortitude we have the prospect of a glorious issue; by cowardice and submission, the sad choice of a variety of evils — a ravaged country — a depopulated city — habitations without safety, and slavery without hope — our homes turned into barracks and bawdy-houses for Hessians, and a future race to provide for, whose fathers we shall doubt of. Look on this picture and weep over it! and if there yet remains one thoughtless wretch who believes it not, let him suffer it unlamented.
December 23, 1776

Thus was the cause of our CHRISTIAN founding fathers

Dec 9, 2011

Imminent Crisis Demands Immediate Urgency... To Action

Common Sense Commentary: Yes, "There is a time to keep silent..." but when the big hand shows a minute to midnight on the Titanic ... this is not that time.

Politico Magazine suggests that a Presidential Candidate should, "Speak softly and carry a big stick", a quote from Theodore Roosevelt.  That is a good policy in more stable times when every thing is rosy, going along smoothly and you're dealing with a foreign power; But when the Titanic is sinking in the cold, dark North Atlantic, it requires a far more urgent, approach to be convincing to the sleeping passengers.  Who wants to jump out of a warm bed and rush into a freezing night to get in a life-boat?
At such times its easier to believe that loud, emphatic shout, "MAN THE LIFE BOATS" is just a drunk tourist pulling a prank or its a test or false alarm. "Go back to sleep." Ecc.3:7 warns, "There is a time to keep silent, and a time to speak".  I might add, "There is a time to speak softly and a time to shout"....."WAKE UP THE HOUSE IS BURNING".

The religious world agrees with Politico ... they want "soft spoken" preachers; But if its true that the lost world is going to hell, as the Bible says, Bible preachers must be convincingly shouting down the corridors of this sinking ship, "MAN THE LIFE-BOATS". There is a time for calm diplomacy and a time for urgent, clear warning ... "LOOK OUT". We have had enough diplomatic diplomacy to put this nation into a Rip Van Winkle coma concerning our present, national dilemma, and more importantly, the eternal destiny of our souls.

You may sleep your way into hell but you will not sleep through it.

Pass it on. RB

Dec 8, 2011

Come With A Dream ... And Leave With A Plan

Common Sense Commentary: "A dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words." Ecc.5:3.  As a letter or a life has a salutation and a valediction, this verse is the salutation of my many years of ministry.  It introduced me into the life of a Pastor and played a major part in whatever success I might have been used of God to accomplish.  A dream, hope, desire, goal comes true through the multitude, thousands, tens, hundreds of thousands of moments, hours, weeks, years, decades of business, planning, execution, effort, struggle, pain, sacrifice; but a fool's voice is known, recognized by multitude, volumes of endless words, words, words and more words but no action... no business ... no dreams come true.  The valediction of my ministry is Psm.115:1 "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake."

I.  We All Have A Dream

(1)  Wise King Solomon had a dream which he shared with Hiram, King of Tyre.  He said, my father, King David, was forced by his many enemies to defend our nation against them in numerous wars. Because my father had the blood of his enemies, and one loyal friend, upon his hands, our God would not let him build a holy Temple, house of God that He might dwell here among us.  Now, my father is dead and "the Lord hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence...." and I have a dream desire to build God a Temple, a house where he might dwell here in Jerusalem with us, His people. 1 Kings 5:1-4.

(2)  Wise King Solomon came to God with his dream and God sent him away with a purpose and a plan to fulfill his dream by a "multitude of business".  So Solomon told King Hiram, "Behold, I purpose (plan) to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name." 1 Kings 5:5.  Then Solomon laid out the plan, design, architectural plans and contents of God's house and he built it... now known as Solomon's Temple.

(3)  Wise King Solomon shared his experiences and knowledge of how great dreams and hopes come true through the multitude of business, planing and doing ... in Prov. 20:18 "Every purpose is established by counsel, and with good advice...."

II.  God Has A Dream and Plan For YOU!  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His PURPOSE (plan)."Rom.8:28God calls people to His Purpose and puts a yearning desire, a dream into our hearts "of things hoped for", to do  for Him. He Gives the "call", He gives the "dream", He gives the "faith", He gives the "plan" and He gives the "strength" to do those things "according to His Purpose."  The Apostle Paul defined it this way, "Faith is the .SUBSTANCE of things HOPED for, the EVIDENCE of things NOT SEEN." Heb.11:11.

III. Jesus Delivers the Dream and the Plan.  Jesus and His Apostles were across the Jordan River about twenty plus miles from Jerusalem and the small town where his good friend Lazarus lived near his two sisters, and was very sick.  The sisters sent word to Jesus that their brother was near death.  As critical as His presence there would have been, Jesus remained where He was and told his Apostles that He knew all about it and that Lazarus' sickness would not end in death but for the glory of God.  Two days later He told them that, indeed, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, TO THE INTENT (that) YE MIGHT BELIEVE."  Jesus had a plan! His plan was to do something which would remove any doubts of who He was, strengthen all his disciples' faith and draw many lost souls to believe in Him.  Jesus told the Apostles that He would resurrect Lazarus before them all that God might be glorified and many would believe. John 11:1-44.

My dear friends, Jesus has a dream, a ministry, and a plan for your life ... and mine ... even after 81 years ... He still has a plan for me.  And no matter how old or doubtful or disabled or fearful you might be, He has a plan for your life ... so stop dying by default and live up to your dream.

Pass it on. RB

Ethanol = One Step Forward And Two Steps Backward ... Is Progress?

Common Sense Commentary: When is "diminishing returns" hyperbole?  When our mentally challenged politicians make a LAW that "All our gasoline must have at least 9% ethanol in it"
but don't bother to require proof that it is a beneficial, economic and correct thing to do.  Just
how large a black cloud of stupidity smoke can fill two chambers of Congress?  How is it
possible for our government to turn perfectly good food like corn and soybeans, needed by a
starving world, into ethanol which requires a gallon and a half of gasoline to produce one gallon
of ethanol? It is only possible because our tax dollars subsidize it.

A Cornell University ecologist's study finds that producing ethanol and bio diesel from corn and other crops is not worth the energy. The study says that 1-1/2 gallons of gasoline is used to produce each gallon of ethanol.

Article By Susan S. Lang


                Ecologist David Pimentel

In terms of energy output compared with energy input for ethanol production, the study found that:
  • corn requires 29 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced;
  • switch grass requires 45 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced; and
  • wood biomass requires 57 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced.

In terms of energy output compared with the energy input for bio diesel production, the study found that:
  • soybean plants requires 27 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced, and
  • sunflower plants requires 118 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced.
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Turning plants such as corn, soybeans and sunflowers into fuel uses much more energy than the resulting ethanol or bio diesel generates, according to a new Cornell University and University of California-Berkeley study.
"There is just no energy benefit to using plant biomass for liquid fuel," says David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agriculture at Cornell. "These strategies are not sustainable."

Dec 6, 2011

Un-named Accusations Hatch Evil Surmisings

Common Sense Commentary: "He/she is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, wherefore cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings (guess work)." 1 Tim.6:4.

"Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth...." Pr.6:2.

"The words of a talebearer are as wounds...." Pr.26;22.

"....By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Mt.12:37.

"I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement." Mt.12:26.
Senator Tom Coburn, from Oklahoma, was in the House of Representatives when Newt Gingrich was Speaker. Coburn was on Fox News Sunday (12/4/11) with Chris Wallace.  As I remember, Coburn said , “Look, Newt was a lousy leader.” Chris Wallace said, “Well, why? How?” “Well, I’m not gonna go there. I’m just gonna tell you he was a lousy leader. He was a horrible leader but I’m not gonna go say how.” “Well, come on, you can’t just leave it there!” “I’m not going there. He’s a lousy leader;” and Wallace said, “Okay, well, that’s it, we’re out of time.” 

My common sense comment is, "You've already been there and knocked on the door of suspicion like a haloween trickster who then ran and hid in the dark, Senator."
Coburn’s un-named charge against Newt reminds me of a notorious gossiper I know who uses the same diabolical tactic as Coburn. If she didn’t like someone she would say, “Oh, he did something awful. You wouldn’t believe it if I told you. We need to pray for him.” She never would say what the person had done, so the nit wits who believed her thought the worst. Surely the accused person was a molester, drug addict, homosexual or wife beater. When I, as a pastor, forced her to tell me exactly what the man had done … she spit it out … “He smokes behind his barn and called me a damn witch.” She is now campaigning for Obama by reminding everyone that, “Mutt Romney is a Mormon and Newt Grinch has been married three times" … which is true but the names are wrong. She also voted for Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton who, like Obama, have been married just once, as far as we know, and “They are good Baptists” she says. I too am a Baptist, but I prefer a true Constitutional Conservative, to that kind of Baptist,  who doesn’t make me feel … uh… sick. The Old Man of the Mountains, Rayburn Blair. Psm.115:1.       Added note (12/10/11)below:

Yes, Yes, here he is ... My kind of Baptist. Not this young Goliath,
but this 74 yr. old, short little David, American Hero, Buzz Aldren, Astronaut.
                                      Scroll Down ....

Short old guys with white hair are just waiting for
a Goliath idiot to prove a point on. "See, Now you don't
have any teeth either." RB
 
Buzz Aldrin, 74, punches out one more big moron
who preaches..."Buzz never walked on the moon".


http://dailybail.com/home/must-see-video-74-year-old-former-astronaut-buzz-aldrin-punc.html                                  
Sometimes a knuckle sandwich is the only Baptist solution to the idiot, counterfeit variety. "Here brother, let me give you a hand!" RB
       
                                                                   
 
 


 

 

Dec 5, 2011

When Life Deals You An Impossible Hand

Common Sense Commentary: Pray, Think and Work your way through it.

When life deals you an impossible hand;

And fate joins in to beat you down;

Then the Bank repossesses your house and land;

Don't cuss and fuss and whine around.

Stand tall and look like the Marine Corps band

Through fire, flood and blood, hold your ground.

Stretch your brain and take a righteous stand.

If you don't give up, a way will be found.

Everything on earth is dust, dirt and sand;

But we who believe are Heaven bound.

So invest  that  fearful, impossible hand

In the message music of Heaven...a glorious sound.

      Old Man of the Mountains, RB

Dec 4, 2011

New Twist In President's Birth Certificate Issue

Common Sense Commentary: Consider.... The world will find out within the next eight or nine months whether President Obama was actually born in Hawaii as he claims or is an illegal alien with false credentials. Either way, 2012 will be the Fourth of July all year long with barrel sized fire-crackers.
So what's new on the "Commander in Chief's" birth certificate?


We know the opposition political parties, and the press, know all about this. The press love him, so they are whistling through the graveyard pretending it isn't there and hoping to figure out a way to save their Savior. But why aren't the other parties exposing this heinous conspiracy ... if it is true? Even if it is true, if I were running the show, I would do exactly what they are doing at this point in time.... nothing .... until it is too late for him to resign leaving us with Hillary. Why not Biden? His electability is zero but Hilliary is shown to be electable in recent polls. Actually, Republican John Boehner , as House Speaker, is next in the line of succession after Biden. If he turned down the "opportunity" to be President of Mission Impossible for a month or so, everyone else in a long list of succession are Dems and read like a rogues gallery or roll call at a Super-max Prison. After Boehner is Dem. President of the Senate (pro tem) Daniel Inouye but the Dems would insist on Hillary who is next on the list....so Inouye would bow out.... if they are so dumb to want the job at all for the following four worst years in our history. But Hillary is trembling with desire for the Devil can't corner ya "Round Room" and could look good from appointment to election day and would likely win with Bill as First Husband. One can only imagine that strange scenario. You can't make this stuff up. Whoever is elected, in less than a year from today, will be voted out at the end of his/her 4 year term. Why? Because no one but God can stop what has become a runaway, political/Wall Street, corruption train going down this near vertical Mountain of trouble. Whoever it is, they will have to cut budgets to the bone ...and scrape the bone ... including the most sacrosanct programs, hurt every body's feelings, and not solve the unsolvable problems... plus dragging their whole party down the tube. Everyone running for that job is either mentally unbalanced or a super patriot who believes in miracles. So, if two or three of them are the latter, I love and pray for them ... because, as I said, "only God ... can kick that can between the goal posts." What a wonderful and amazing time to be standing on this ringie, mountain, railroad track ...at night... a heavenly light coming my way with a glorious roar like...like a speeding train.  But I now it is simply destiny.... history ... His story..... Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. RB

Here it is ......
E-mail "drive by" making the rounds: I didn't originate this.It begins with a question.RB


--- Why doesn’t Congress pursue this? They want their nose in everything else.. We could get the guy impeached, before he totally destroys our country and way of life..
New twist on Birth Certificate issue

Most interesting, and with verification links provided.
I'd say it deserves to be put into the light for questioning!

Sent by Korean War Vet, author, Degree in History.

New twist on Birth Certificate issue

It was brought to light that back in 1961 people of color were called 'Negroes.'
So how can this 'birth certificate' state he is 'African-American' when the term wasn't even used back then?? This isn't over! This is interesting!

Here is a comment from a reader to George Ure at Urban Survival.com :
"As you all know, Donald Trump made a big deal about Obama's birth certificate.

I will tell you right now that I had never given this "birther" issue any credit. I watched the hype and the crazies come out. I completely dismissed the entire
ordeal altogether.

In fact, it was not until the White House released the birth certificate that it had gained my attention. I am the studious sort of guy, and I have plenty of time on my hands. So, I took a close look at this document.

While I would have thought that this issue would have been closed for good (and, got the crazies to crawl back into their holes), I found two extremely strange inconsistencies that merit some attention.

First of all, the birth certificate that the White House released lists Obama's birth as August 4, 1961. It also lists Barack Hussein Obama as his father. No big deal, right? At the time of Obama's birth, it also shows that his father is aged 25 years old, and that Obama's father was born in "Kenya, East Africa".

This wouldn't seem like anything of concern, except the fact that Kenya did not even exist until 1963, two whole years after Obama's birth, and 27 years after his father's birth. How could Obama's father have been born in a country that did not yet exist?

Up and until Kenya was formed in 1963, it was known as the "British East Africa Protectorate". But, this is not the only thing that I found that just does not jive.

The second item that I looked into was the hospital that Obama was born in. On the birth certificate released by the White House, the listed place of birth is
"Kapi'olani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital".
This cannot be, because the hospital(s) in question in 1961 were called "Kaui KeolaniKapi'olani Maternity Home", respectively.

The name did not change to Kapi'olani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital until 1978, when these two hospitals merged. How can this particular name of the
hospital be on a birth certificate dated 1961 if this name had not yet been applied to it until 1978?

Go ahead, look it up. I am not talking crazy talk....these are the facts. Like I said, I thought that this was a non-issue until the actual certificate was released. Now that it has been released, of course I had to look into it. I have found these issues, now I know that something is up. If you doubt me, just look at the following resources:

Sure as heck, the hospital part is true, as you can read about the 1978 merger here.
http://www.kapiolani.org/women-and-children/about-us/default.aspx

Post-colonial history (from Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Kenya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya

The first direct elections for Africans to the Legislative Council took place in 1957.
Despite British hopes of handing power to "moderate" African rivals, it was the Kenya African National Union (KANU) of Jomo Kenyatta that formed a government shortly before Kenya became independent on 12 December 1963, on the same day forming the first Constitution of Kenya.

"In God We Trust" Remember to remember that.

Dec 2, 2011

A Strong Third Party? Only If It's Platform Is The U.S.Constitution

Common Sense Commentary: If neither the Democrats nor the Republicans return to our National Founding Document, the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the United States of America, then yes, I would be in favor of a "Constitution Party" if that is truly what it's Platform was composed of. RB
Is America Primed for a Third or Fourth Party Candidate?



For the most part, America has been a two political party country for over a century. Like fish and garbage, the two party system is yielding a foul stench that is permeating throughout the land. And like fish and garbage, the only way to eliminate the smell is to get rid of the source, and in this case, we are speaking about the Democratic and Republican Parties.

Washington DC has become a quagmire of unproductive ineptitude as a direct result of the two major political parties. Neither one of them are willing to work with the other for the greater good of the nation. And to be honest, our out of control super mega jumbo sized federal government is the product of both parties, not just the Democrats.
But who or should I say, what party or parties will replace them?
Searching online, I find at least forty different political parties listed, half of which I’ve never heard of and some I never want to hear of. One of every four political parties listed had communism, Nazism or socialism in their names.
One of the names that caught my attention was the Objectionist Party. Founded in 2008 by Dr Tom Stevens, this party states that it stands for Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectionism. Guess I’ll just to object to that party.
One of the more popular parties these days is the Libertarian Party of which presidential candidate Ron Paul is associated with. For the most part they have some descent fundamental values, but they also hold to some other values that I would define as being more liberal than conservative. Some of their platforms could be interpreted to justify such things as pedophilia, even though I’ve never heard or read anywhere that they would condone it.

Then we have a couple of different Independent parties, but the one that has my focus at the moment is the Constitution Party. Their basic platform is to restore America to the biblical and Constitutional form of government initially established by our nation’s founders over 230 years ago. I’ve been reading through their platform and I have found not one item to which I object and to be honest, I would whole heartedly support and cast my vote to anyone who stood for the same things that the Constitution Party spells out in their platform.

The only problem I see with a Constitution Party presidential candidate at this stage of the game is that they would have little support in Congress with them being controlled by the Democrats and Republicans, but if more people started getting on board with this Party, then perhaps in a few more elections they could start getting Constitution Party members into Congress where they can start to make a difference.
The Constitution Party gratefully acknowledges the blessing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe and of these United States. We hereby appeal to Him for mercy, aid, comfort, guidance and the protection of His Providence as we work to restore and preserve these United States.

This great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been and are afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.

The goal of the Constitution Party is to restore American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations and to limit the federal government to its Constitutional boundaries.

The Constitution of these United States provides that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” The Constitution Party supports the original intent of this language. Therefore, the Constitution Party calls on all those who love liberty and value their inherent rights to join with us in the pursuit of these goals and in the restoration of these founding principles.

We affirm the principles of inherent individual rights upon which these United States of America were founded:
  • That each individual is endowed by his Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are the rights to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness;
  • That the freedom to own, use, exchange, control, protect, and freely dispose of property is a natural, necessary and inseparable extension of the individual’s unalienable rights;
  • That the legitimate function of government is to secure these rights through the preservation of domestic tranquility, the maintenance of a strong national defense, and the promotion of equal justice for all;
  • That history makes clear that left unchecked, it is the nature of government to usurp the liberty of its citizens and eventually become a major violator of the people’s rights; and
  • That, therefore, it is essential to bind government with the chains of the Constitution and carefully divide and jealously limit government powers to those assigned by the consent of the governed.


Read more: Is America Primed for a Third or Fourth Party Candidate? | Godfather Politics http://godfatherpolitics.com/2384/is-america-primed-for-a-third-or-fourth-party-candidate/#ixzz1fQ6aU3V2

Now THIS is Important! Wake Up & Take Action

Common Sense Commentary: We are all at a turning point of historical change ... for the worse. Our true and only hope is in the promises of God's Word and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Praise Him.


To all my friends and readers ... Wake up! Listen to this honest, brokerage firm owner and lady patriot. She is telling the truth ... She speaks from knowledge and experience. Take whatever action you must to secure yourself and family. And don't forget, it is in GOD we trust ... not our stuff. RB



Barnhardt closes her commodity brokerage firm in the wake of MF Global

Guest Expert12/01/2011
ann barnhardt
RealPlayer WinAmp Windows Media MP3 (click on one of these for audio)
Jim is joined by Ann Barnhardt, who recently closed her commodity brokerage firm Barnhardt Capital Management after the MF Global collapse. She believes that her client monies were no longer safe in the futures and options markets, and that the entire system has been 'utterly destroyed' by the MF Global collapse.

About the Author

President, Chief Investment Strategist at PFS Group
Primary Tel: 888.486.3939
Other Tel: 858.487.3939
Fax: 858.487.3969
PO Box 503147 San Diego CA 92150-3147 USA
jim @ puplava.com
http://www.puplava.com
 

Nov 29, 2011

Thorn Messengers

Common Sense Commentary: "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations (God has given me) there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure"  2Cor.12:7.  The Apostle Paul had been given a fantastic revelation of heaven and had been used of God to do marvelous things.  He was subject, therefore, to not only be proud within himself but exalted by other Christians for what God had done. So God let Satan touch his flesh, to bring him down a notch or two, as he did with our friend Job. I think that is why Paul said, "That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereto."  1Thess.3:3.  There must be many such "thorns" given us to keep us humble, repentant, and submissive to God.  Things like poor vision, bodily dysfunction, untrue slander, sickness, pain, physical impairment and so on.

During my 60 years of ministering to and counseling people, I heard just about everything you can possibly imagine.  My wife will tell you, I never discussed people's confidential matters with her. That would not only be unethical but also unkind to her.  She had our six children, church services, weddings, and baby showers to attend plus ME to keep her life overflowing .  Of all the amazing things I heard, in private, over many years, one which was more common than you might think, and which always puzzled me, was a kind of mental phenomenon which was causing the person to reject people in general. Their problem seemed akin to anorexia, bulimia or "fatphobia"... if there were such a word. I have a bit of the latter myself ... not that it keeps me from over indulging at the table.
The phobia I was referring to is when a person develops a revulsion to common, daily, human, bodily functions ... which everyone has ... equally; but which some people seem to be in denial of as a normal,
inescapable condition. "Bodily functions" are not one of my favorite subjects, and I really have an aversion to those who use bathroom and bedroom language as a substitute for conversation.

My point is, if you have any of these biological, body image distortions, please remember that God created us exactly as He wanted us to be, for His own reasons.  I think He "built in" some features and functions of our bodies to slap us in the face with when we get full of ourselves and start feeling self-righteous, superior and prideful.  As David said in Psm.119:67, "Before I was afflicted  I went astray; but now have I kept thy word."  Also, in Hebrews 12:11 says, "Now no chastening for the present
seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." I like that, "exercised thereby" phrase.

When we become so vain, proud, self-righteous, or superior to others, we are also in denial of our own secret failures, sins, and built in, human odiousness.  That is to belie a human common denominator that should keep us all humble as God intended us to be. We are what we are...human ... all of us.
Such "holier than thou, wonderful me measly you" attitudes, especially in Christians and more especially in Preachers will, in time, hit the brick wall of reality and leave a big pile of smelly mud where vanity was.

God has given me enough thorns to moderate the worst of cases.  It seems that every time I have an attack of viral superiority, God gives me a "thorn messenger" dream.  It comes in various scenes.  One is, I lie naked, dirty, hungry,  helpless and freezing on a blazing battlefield and wake up shivering.  Another is, I arrive in the pulpit ... having forgotten to cloth myself. There I stand, on the platform, bible in hand, before the TV world and the congregation ... naked  or in my underclothes. Yes, my memory IS failing but, not quite that bad... I hope.  My primary concern is not with my "thorn messenger" detractors and critics but with myself.  "Lord, send the thorns, even those from Satan, if that is what it takes to make me humble, submissive to your will and to care about others."

Pass it on. RB