tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72455026508490334862024-03-06T01:42:26.219-06:00Common Sense Commentary:This is a "life" investment site. I will never ask anything of you. God does not need anything you have and neither do I. My desire, here, is to help people in trouble, lost, guilty, desperate, lonely, fearful,or simply seeking the truths of God.I have been a seeker of truth for sixty three years since I was nineteen and I am still learning and seeking God's will for what is left of my life. I will answer questions and write commentary on most subjects. Psm.115:1, Pastor Blair Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.comBlogger2419125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-35657600009853366452023-02-18T06:35:00.036-06:002023-03-11T02:34:51.685-06:00Sweet Rayburn or Just an Old Dog with a low growl<div>Sweet doesn't fit me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here in this haven of old people, where Bettie and I now live, several people have addressed me as "Sweet Rayburn". Dementia is not uncommon among the elderly. I am no more "sweet" than an old Rottweiler protecting his Master's children. So, who, or what, am I at 92?</div><div>I am an unabashed truth-seeking realist who may be kind to little children, the elderly, and victims of the evil, but I am the frail nemesis of killers, criminals, rapists, communists and corrupt politicians. I am merciless to the merciless and intolerant of the intolerant. I will forgive my personal enemies, but not the enemies of God. That is His business. I am an ancient Marine, and sinner, who surrendered his life, at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in North Korea, to preach Jesus and the grace of God to other hopeless sinners. That I have done, but not without human flaws. I relate to the Apostle Paul who claimed to be "the chief of sinners" in 1 Tim. 1:15. But that did not stop him from preaching Jesus and God's grace to a lost world.</div><div><br /></div><div>I must confess that, in my final years of pastoring, when dealing with difficult and complaining old people, I often prayed that God would make me a sweet old man. But I remain an old Rottweiler with a lot of scars and little else to offer but sweet Jesus to the repentant and a low growl to His enemies.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-15029720811547333952023-02-10T07:32:00.000-06:002023-02-10T07:32:27.032-06:00The Woke Insanity Spreads Like A Plague<div><span style="font-size: large;">Incomprehensible, but proves Satan is real</span></div><div><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">That Canada is becoming less tolerant comes as no surprise, but even so a Catholic high school getting one of their 16-year-old students arrested is a bit of a shock, especially when the heart of the issue is his religious beliefs.</span></p><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></h2><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Josh Alexander was arrested by police Monday afternoon for breaching an exclusion order, but the real crime that the student is being punished for is upholding his Catholic beliefs and doing so in what some would no doubt think is a defiant and troublesome manner.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Josh, a Christian, believes there are only two genders, that people can’t switch genders, and that male students shouldn’t use girls’ washrooms. But expressing those views in a classroom discussion on gender at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School in Renfrew, Ont., got him suspended.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“I got suspended for comments made during a class discussion,” said Josh in an interview. “It was about male students using female washrooms, gender dysphoria and male breastfeeding. Everyone was sharing their opinions on it, any student who wanted to was participating, including the teacher.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></h2><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“I said there were only two genders and you were born either a male or a female and that got me into trouble. And then I said that gender doesn’t trump biology.”</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“Freedom once taken for granted is lost,” the Grade 11 student added. “Freedom of religion is probably one of our most important freedoms so I’m not going to surrender it in the face of persecution.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“It just goes to show how little freedom of expression we have in our country.”</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">James Kitchen, a lawyer from the Liberty Defense Fund which is representing Josh, said in a statement that the student was told he could only return to school “if he agreed not to use the ‘dead name’ of any transgender student and agreed to exclude himself from his two afternoon classes because those classes are attended by two transgender students who disapprove of Josh’s religious beliefs.”</p><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Josh said he had never “dead named” anyone, that is referred to their previous name before transitioning.</span></h2><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“Compelling Josh to utter falsehoods regarding gender contrary to his beliefs and segregating him from classes are repugnant manifestations of religious discrimination,” said Kitchen.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Matters escalated when Josh was later served with an exclusion order.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">On Monday, when he tried to go school, the cops were called and he got arrested.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“I walked into one of my classes. I sat down and everyone looked pretty surprised to see me there. Within two minutes the vice-principal was in the classroom asking me to leave,” Josh said.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">He left the class and “almost immediately I was met with the police.” Josh was put in the back of a cruiser, driven off property and later released and charged with trespassing.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></h2><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Some will say Josh knew what he was doing, that he was breaking the rules by trespassing and he suffered the consequences.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">But is that the society we want to become? Arresting 16-year-old kids for turning up at school when they’ve been suspended for their religious beliefs? Was there no other way? Could the school not have tried harder to find a solution? Was calling the police really the only option?</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">It appears we are now so intolerant that we cannot stand people defending their religious beliefs in a classroom at a supposedly religious school.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Josh doesn’t appear to be a shrinking violet. He obviously holds strong beliefs and is passionate about them.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Maybe he’s seen as troublesome. Maybe his religious principles seem quaint, outdated and decidedly un-woke. The principal of St Joseph’s probably wishes he had never heard of him.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></h2><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">But being a pain in the nether region shouldn’t be a criminal offence and we shouldn’t be using charges like trespassing to turn it into one.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“I think I used to be seen as a Christian kid following my beliefs, but now apparently I’m the rebel,” he said.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“The school knows I’m not trying to be a problematic kid. The police know that as well. They didn’t even put me in cuffs when they arrested me. They know that I wasn’t actually a threat to anybody.”</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">According to its website, St Joseph’s works to promote “education within a framework of a Catholic Christian environment.”</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">It adds, “We truly believe in the enhancement of the spiritual, moral, and emotional well-being of those belonging to our community.”</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Kitchen, Josh’s lawyer, would disagree.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></h2><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“Under the guise of ‘safety’, as that term has been revised by woke gender activists now pervasive in public institutions, Josh has been penalized for expressing his Christian beliefs regarding gender and modesty, beliefs which also happen to align with both objective truth and actual safety,” he said in a statement. “Josh not only has a right to express himself during class discussions and through public forums, he also has a right not to be discriminated against by his school for his sincere religious beliefs. Being suspended and excluded from attending classes is the height of discrimination.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“Josh will continue to courageously stand for his beliefs, for truth, and for girls whose voices of concern over their actual safety are being drowned out by the outraged nonsense of the woke mob, even if that means sacrificing his ability to attend St. Joseph’s.”</p><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></h2><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">In a statement, the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board said it “deeply respects religious freedoms. This is fundamental to our values as a Catholic school board. Our Mission states: ‘We are an inclusive Catholic learning community called to love unconditionally and educate hearts and minds in the way of Christ.”</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">The board said on human rights issues, it takes its guidance from the policies issued by the Ontario Human Rights (OHR) Commission and directives issued by the Ministry of Education.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Its washroom practices follow the OHR guidelines that state that trans people “have the right to access these facilities based on their lived gender identity.”</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">St. Joseph’s school principal Derek Lennox declined an interview saying in an email, “The information that you requested is protected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act as it deals with a specific student, therefore I am unable to respond to your request.”</p><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></h2><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">His email also contained a tagline under the signature which said, “Dear young people, do not bury your talents, the gifts that God has given you! Do not be afraid to dream of great things!” — Pope Francis.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Now that’s irony at its finest.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">St. Joseph’s may want Josh Alexander to hide his light under a bushel, but he’s listening to a different teacher.</span></p></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-45280629888442801502022-12-17T15:31:00.000-06:002022-12-17T15:31:48.776-06:00Be PreparedCommon Sense Commentary:<div><br /></div><div>One of my first memories is my mother saying, "Rayburn, we must get things ready for school tomorrow. You must be prepared to learn many new things." Then when I was a little older, my dad told me to run as fast as I could, every day, around the country mile of dirt roads around where we lived. He said it was important to prepare my body to endure future hardships. When I was about eleven, I joined the Boy Scouts and my Scout Master told us boys that the Boy Scout moto is "Be Prepared", and he began teaching us how to survive out in the open by building a shelter, finding water and food, and fire building. Nearly all my teachers and Pastors, back in the 1930s and 40s, by teaching us the various subjects, were preparing us for a useful and successful future. Most were also concerned with helping us prepare for our spiritual destiny and the preachers, with special emphasis, sought to prepare us to meet God. And then there was the Marine Corps DIs and Master Sergent veterans of WWII who wouldn't give an inch in preparing us to survive the next war and seeing that the enemies of our country did not. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is my opinion that the 1950-51 young Marines were the best prepared to fight a new war of any similar military force in history. The reason? We were trained and prepared for it just after WWII by the DIs and NCOs who had just fought the many Island battles of the South Pacific... Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Okinawa, Tarawa, Saipan, Peleliu, and a dozen more. We were prepared for the ultimate Battle of Chosin against the Chinese Communist veterans, in the mountains of North Korea, at the Chosin Reservoir in 20 to 40 degrees below zero. And though we had to withdraw because of the folding up of other UN units on our flanks, we killed or wounded 34,000 of the enemy, ten times more casualties than we suffered in that one two-week battle. We were PREPARED!</div><div><br /></div><div>That was exactly 72 years ago this month. Now there is another, much more serious, crisis just unfolding upon us. But this time it is a world-wide calamity and will affect every area of life in every nation. I don't have to tell you about it because it is in all the news and being commented on daily. If you are not prepared, you may still have time to if you don't delay. So, store up some long-life food, and do it now. A wise man once said, " It is better to store up and prepare for what does not happen than to neglect to prepare for what does happen."</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">"<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Arial;">And (Jesus) said also unto his disciples, there was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had </span><u style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;">wasted his goods.</u><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;">And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. </span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>I have been preparing since I left the Marine Corps in 1952 but such a crisis never happened ... util now. Two of the main ways I prepared was becoming frugal and saving resources. Frugality ... and becoming a saver are not an end within themselves. And they are not just good elements of character. They, like insurance, are elements of preparation for unexpected ... but <u>certain</u> storms of hard times to come... very difficult times of greater need. It may just be old age, or serious medical need. But it may be war, plague, starvation, world financial failure, or fire or flood, but the time of great need will arrive. And don't miss the fact that frugality and savings and timely, correct investment is simply Scriptural Stewardship. Pray for our nation and God's people around the world.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-8687388998450448012022-11-04T17:15:00.000-05:002022-11-04T17:15:11.159-05:00My Skys Are BlueBarbed Wire Fence Commentary: <div>No Complaints, Just Scratched Up A Bit<div><div><br /></div><div><b>I remember when </b> <b> But now I see ....</b></div><div> </div><div>My hair was thick My teeth are old</div><div>My eyes were bright I've lost my sight</div><div>My feet were quick My feet are slow</div><div>My teeth were white My hair is white</div><div> </div><div><b>A way back then </b> <b> There's more to tell....</b></div><div> </div><div>My back was strong My back is bent</div><div>My brain was too My brain is too</div><div>My walks were long My knees are spent</div><div>My Skys were blue But my Skys are blue</div><div> </div></div><div> It's No Complaints And </div><div> Hello Heaven Time</div></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-89910697746034773302022-10-20T20:37:00.000-05:002022-10-20T20:37:04.252-05:00A Black Swan? No ... A Whole Flock Of Them Circling The Earth Hungrily<div><span style="font-size: medium;">Looking for feasting places ...</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I don't have to give you a long list of the earth-shattering catastrophes suddenly plaguing this world, they cannot be ignored or unknown to any conscious, literate person alive anywhere on earth.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">All of these globally affecting black swan events which have suddenly fallen upon the entire world, at the same time, seem an obvious collusion of evil forces leading up to the biblical rapture and then the tribulation period. This flock of world-wide, hyper-crisis, occurrences are too many, too extensive, and too devastating to be a mere happenstance. They seem to be a unified precursor to the Antichrist's reign over the world which is also preceded by the rapture of Christians and will end after seven years with Christ's return to earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom. If that is what this is, things will get a lot worse ... but true Christians will not be here. The correct expectation is this, that Christians should be anticipating the appearance of Christ ... not the Antichrist. If you think these are the first days of the actual 7-year Tribulation Period, then you must believe that Christ's return "in the clouds", for the Rapture, will occur during the Tribulation and His return to earth to establish His Millennial Kingdom ... soon after in 2029-30. So, you have set a time for both, and you are looking for the reveling of Antichrist's identity instead of the first phase of Christ's return, to rapture His people, bride, church for its first universal assembly. If you can know the beginning of the Tribulation, you also will know when Christ will return to rapture, at mid-trib, in 3&1/2 years, if you are a mid-triber. If that is the case, you are not looking for the Rapture but for the Tribulation, and not for Christ's coming but for the Antichrist's coming. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Here is what Jesus said about the Last Days, Rapture, Tribulation, and Millennium in Matt.24 (KJV).</span></div><div><br /></div><div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-3" id="en-KJV-23961"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">3 </span>And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-4" id="en-KJV-23962"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">4 </span>And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-5" id="en-KJV-23963"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">5 </span>For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-6" id="en-KJV-23964"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">6 </span>And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-7" id="en-KJV-23965"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">7 </span>For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-8" id="en-KJV-23966"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">8 </span>All these are the beginning of sorrows.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-9" id="en-KJV-23967"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">9 </span>Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-10" id="en-KJV-23968"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">10 </span>And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-11" id="en-KJV-23969"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">11 </span>And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-12" id="en-KJV-23970"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">12 </span>And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-13" id="en-KJV-23971"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">13 </span>But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-14" id="en-KJV-23972"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">14 </span>And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-15" id="en-KJV-23973"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">15 </span>When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-16" id="en-KJV-23974"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">16 </span>Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-17" id="en-KJV-23975"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">17 </span>Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-18" id="en-KJV-23976"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">18 </span>Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-19" id="en-KJV-23977"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">19 </span>And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-20" id="en-KJV-23978"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">20 </span>But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-21" id="en-KJV-23979"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">21 </span>For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-22" id="en-KJV-23980"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">22 </span>And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-23" id="en-KJV-23981"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">23 </span>Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-24" id="en-KJV-23982"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">24 </span>For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-25" id="en-KJV-23983"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">25 </span>Behold, I have told you before.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-26" id="en-KJV-23984"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">26 </span>Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-27" id="en-KJV-23985"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">27 </span>For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-28" id="en-KJV-23986"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">28 </span>For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-29" id="en-KJV-23987"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">29 </span>Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-30" id="en-KJV-23988"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">30 </span>And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-31" id="en-KJV-23989"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">31 </span>And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-32" id="en-KJV-23990"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">32 </span>Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-33" id="en-KJV-23991"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">33 </span>So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-34" id="en-KJV-23992"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">34 </span>Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-35" id="en-KJV-23993"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">35 </span>Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-36" id="en-KJV-23994"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">36 </span>But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-37" id="en-KJV-23995"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">37 </span>But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-38" id="en-KJV-23996"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">38 </span>For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-39" id="en-KJV-23997"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">39 </span>And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-40" id="en-KJV-23998"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">40 </span>Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-41" id="en-KJV-23999"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">41 </span>Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-42" id="en-KJV-24000"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">42 </span>Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-43" id="en-KJV-24001"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">43 </span>But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text Matt-24-44" id="en-KJV-24002"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">44 </span>Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.</span></p></div><div><br /></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-18554852209704021242022-09-10T17:28:00.000-05:002022-09-10T17:28:29.804-05:00Democracy Is The Worse Form Of Government, Except For The Rest?<div><span style="font-size: large;">Quote Winston Churchill.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The following article by Brian Maher, in the Daily Reckoning, is, though more or less a spoof, very thought provoking, but must be read to the end to get his conclusion. For my readers, we must remember that, in the Bible, there were no Democracies, but many Monarchies or Autocracies, even among God's people, the Jews, King Solomon, King David, King Jesus etc. RB</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="wDYxhc" data-md="61" lang="en-US" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 8px; clear: none; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div aria-level="3" class="LGOjhe" data-attrid="wa:/description" data-hveid="CAoQAA" role="heading" style="overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 20px;"><span class="ILfuVd" lang="en" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="hgKElc" style="padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Two centuries ago, a somewhat obscure Scotsman named Tytler made this profound observation: "A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury." (I think we have arrived at our due date. RB)</span></span></span></div></div></div><div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 580px;"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; direction: ltr; padding: 5px 0px; text-align: center; word-break: normal;"><div class="yiv5245506016mj-column-per-100 yiv5245506016mj-outlook-group-fix" style="direction: ltr; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: 580px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; vertical-align: top; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 10px 25px 5px; word-break: normal;"><div style="font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">The queen of England’s demise has turned our </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">mind to <span style="color: #1d2228;">monarchy </span><span style="color: #1d2228;">— and democracy.</span></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">English royalty had long been defanged, declawed and </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">demoted. Today’s monarch is but a totem of sorts, an </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">ornament on the hood of an automobile or the top of </span></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">a Christmas tree.</span></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy. </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">It is therefore subject to all the glories, benefits, </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">advantages, swindles, vanities and preposterous-</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">-nesses that democracy offers.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Is democracy superior to monarchy? We have taken </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">up the question before (see below).</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Today we take up a related question: Is the profligate </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">central bank the creation of popular democracy?</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Writer Paul Rosenberg — author of <i>Production Versus </i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;"><i>Plunder:</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>The central issue here is that central banks were </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>made practical only by the modern version of </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>democracy. Given that “democracy” is a sacred </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>dogma these days, that message can be a hard fit.</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>Nonetheless, the fact is that central banking, and </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>giant banks in general, were impractical until </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>democracy was instituted.</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">You have captured our interest, sir. Please continue:</p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>Prior to democracy, loans were undertaken by </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>monarchs, who were personally responsible for </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>their loans… many rulers simply refused to pay </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>loans they had taken. King Philip II of Spain refused </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>to pay back his loans at least a dozen times.</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>Because of this, banking was seriously limited. </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>Bankers developed techniques of dealing with </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>sovereign defaults, of course, but central banking as </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>we know it was more or less impossible.</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>The institution of democracies and republics, however, </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>solved that problem.</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">But how?</p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>Under democracy, loans are not debited to an </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>individual, but to the nation as a whole.</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>This device of “public credit” makes all citizens, and </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>their children, responsible for repaying the loan. From </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>the institution of democracy and public credit onward, </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>loaning money to a government gave the banker a </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>legal and perpetual claim against the people.</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">That is, democracy “socialized” the banking system. </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">The citizen stands in back of the loan:</p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>The person who signs for the loan ends up bearing </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>almost no responsibility, and gets to spend all the </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>money.</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>Millions of people who never approved the debt are </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>left holding the bag, and passing the obligation to </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>their children.</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>This is how $30 trillion of debt can be piled up on </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>top of an otherwise reasonable populace. Under a </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>monarchy, this couldn’t have happened.</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Here Mr. Rosenberg cites the poet Percy Shelly:</p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>The device of public credit was first systematically </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>applied as an instrument of government... The most </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>despotic governments of antiquity were strangers </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>to this invention, which is a compendious method </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>of extorting from the people far more than praetorian </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>guards, and arbitrary tribunals... could ever wring.</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>Neither the Persian monarchy nor the Roman </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>empire, where the will of one person was acknow-</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>ledged as unappealable law, ever extorted a </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>twentieth part the proportion now extorted from the </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>property and labor of the inhabitants of Great Britain.</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Substitute the inhabitants of Great Britain for the inhabit-</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">ants of the United States — or any other “advanced” </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">nation — and you have the flavor of it.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Why haven’t we citizens seized our pitchforks and run </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">the central bankers through?</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Voting. Voting offers us the illusion of control. The </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">swindle is a self-swindle.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Here this Rosenberg fellow cites Mr. John K. Galbraith:</p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>When people put their ballots in the boxes, they are, </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>by that act, inoculated against the feeling that the </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>government is not theirs. They then accept, in some </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>measure, that its errors are their errors, its aberra-</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>tions their aberrations, that any revolt will be </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>against them.</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Ignorance is bliss, it is often said. There is your proof.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Yet as is also said: Ignorance is costly…</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Below, we republish our reflections on monarchy and </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">democracy. Which is superior? Read on.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Regards,</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Brian Maher<br />Managing Editor, <i>The Daily Reckonin</i></p></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 580px;"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; direction: ltr; padding: 5px 0px; text-align: center; word-break: normal;"><div class="yiv5245506016mj-column-per-100 yiv5245506016mj-outlook-group-fix" style="direction: ltr; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: 580px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; vertical-align: top; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 10px 25px 5px; word-break: normal;"><div style="font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><p class="yiv5245506016no-bottom-padding" style="margin: 13px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"><i>The Daily Reckoning Presents:</i></span> Is democracy truly </p><p class="yiv5245506016no-bottom-padding" style="margin: 13px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">superior to monarchy?…</p><p class="yiv5245506016centered yiv5245506016no-bottom-padding" style="margin: 13px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">******************************</span></p><p class="yiv5245506016centered yiv5245506016headline yiv5245506016no-bottom-padding" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 32px; margin: 13px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">Democracy vs. Monarchy</p><p class="yiv5245506016centered" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">By <b>Brian Maher</b></span></p><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; float: left;"><tbody><tr><th style="padding-right: 20px; text-align: center;"><img align="left" alt="Brian Maher" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.paradigmpressgroup.com%2Fheadshots%2Fbrian-maher.jpg&t=1662826375&ymreqid=1b75ec5e-bd40-c700-1ce8-8e0001015500&sig=Mc7a2V.YNoNCrMY3jlTQFw--~D" style="border: 0px; height: auto; line-height: 16px; outline: none; text-indent: -9999px;" /></th></tr><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; word-break: normal;"><p style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong>BRIAN<br />MAHER</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="yiv5245506016mso-margin" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Today we trample sacred ground… </p><p class="yiv5245506016mso-margin" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">trumpet a message of heresy… and </p><p class="yiv5245506016mso-margin" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">offend the pieties. For we challenge </p><p class="yiv5245506016mso-margin" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">the cherished and soothing assump-</p><p class="yiv5245506016mso-margin" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">tions of democracy.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">In 2001, academic Hans-Hermann Hoppe scribbled </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">a book bearing the soaring title <i>Democracy: The God </i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;"><i>That Failed. </i>Hoppe’s work is a dart leveled against that </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">holiest of secular divinities.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Hoppe’s primary tort against democracy?</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">It wastes. It exhausts its capital. It forever takes the </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">short view. Hoppe uses the economic concept of </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;"><i>time preference</i> to nail his point through.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">A Jill with low time preference delays her gratification </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">until the future. She is disciplined. She is willing to </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">have her cake later — only after she has tended to </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">her duties.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">But a Jack with high time preference orients toward </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">present consumption. He wants his cake now — and </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">the future can go scratching.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Democracy, in Hoppe’s regard, “wants it now.” It is a </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">spendthrift, a profligate, a child at large in a candy </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">store.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">As the drunkard cannot see beyond the next drink… </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">democracy cannot see past the next election.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">The problem, says Hoppe, is that democratic </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">leaders do not <i>own</i> the machinery of government. </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">It is theirs on </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">temporary loan. Thus the democratic politician is </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">a mere placeholder.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">But is that not our system’s cardinal virtue — that </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">power </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">is not permanently lodged in a single vessel? A </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">rotating </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">roster of rogues is far superior to one alone, you </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">counter.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Otherwise, the American Revolution was a vast </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">swindle, </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">and the Fourth of July is a blackguard’s holiday.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;"><b style="color: #1d2228; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; text-align: center;"><br /></b></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;"><b style="color: #1d2228; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; text-align: center;">A Prearranged Raid on the Treasury</b></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">But because a leader under democracy does not own </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">the government apparatus, argues Hoppe, he has no </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">incentive to maximize its value. Instead, he tends to </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">deplete it. His limited time horizon forces him toward </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">immediate gratification.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">That is, he must get while the getting is there to be gotten.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Consider the aspiring democratic official who seeks the </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">franchise of a demanding public.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">He may feel the tug of fiscal conscience. But should he </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">fail to gratify the crowd’s clamorings, he knows the other </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">fellow will. And our democratic aspirant will lose his </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">election.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">So he offers up the requisite sweets.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">If Social Security benefits must increase to sweep him </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">into office, they will increase. Will it take more Medicare </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">benefits, more unemployment insurance, more welfare? </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Then these you will see.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">His election represents a prearranged raid upon the </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Treasury. If the national purse is thin, if the burden </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">cannot be met from existing stocks, then let it go upon </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">the credit card.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Is the business sordid? Might it eventually throw the </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Republic into bankruptcy?</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Well, eventually is a long way off, he says. Let it fall </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">into the next fellow’s lap. Besides, we’ll simply grow </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">our way out of it.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">This is the office-seeker under modern democracy.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Compare, for a moment, democratic government </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">with a rented automobile…</p><p class="yiv5245506016centered yiv5245506016subhead" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 30px; margin: 13px 0px 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;"><b>Who Ever Washed a Rental Car?</b></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">The renter does not own the auto. He, therefore, has no </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">regard for its long-term health. So he over-accelerates </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">the engine. He pummels the brakes. Down its gullet, he </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">pours the lowest-test gasoline. Would he ever check the </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">oil?</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">And who, may we inquire, has ever run a rental through </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">a wash?</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Here Hoppe applies the theory to democratic govern-</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">ment:</p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>It must be regarded as unavoidable that public-govern-</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>ment ownership results in continual capital consump-</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>tion. Instead of maintaining or even enhancing the </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>value of the government estate, as a king would do, </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>a president (the government’s temporary caretaker </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>or trustee) will use up as much of the government </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>resources as quickly as possible, for what he does </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>not consume now, he may never be able to consume… </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>For a president, unlike for a king, moderation offers </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>only disadvantages.</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Hoppe speaks of a king.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Unlike democracy, Hoppe contends, monarchy takes the </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">long view. The monarch owns the apparatus of govern-</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">ment. As will his heirs. So he naturally inclines to policies </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">that increase the value of his property over time.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">If Social Security, Medicare and the rest begin to deplete </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">the government’s stocks, the monarch will announce a </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">halt to them. <u>(If his subjects ask for his help) RB</u></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">“It’s welfare you want, subject? I understand the church </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">runs a charity."</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">“Social Security, you seek? I suggest you begin planning </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">early for your retirement. And remember to save against </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">the rainy day".</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">“You say you want health care? I hope you don’t smoke </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">or drink too much. And let me mention it now — sugar is </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">a far-from-healthful substance. Besides, there are private </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">insurers. I can refer you to several if you wish.”</p></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 580px;"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; direction: ltr; padding: 5px 0px; text-align: center; word-break: normal;"><div class="yiv5245506016mj-column-per-100 yiv5245506016mj-outlook-group-fix" style="direction: ltr; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: 580px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 20px; vertical-align: top; word-break: normal;" valign="top"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 580px;"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; direction: ltr; padding: 5px 0px; text-align: center; word-break: normal;"><div class="yiv5245506016mj-column-per-100 yiv5245506016mj-outlook-group-fix" style="direction: ltr; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: 580px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; vertical-align: top; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 10px 25px 5px; word-break: normal;"><div style="font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><p class="yiv5245506016centered yiv5245506016subhead" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 30px; margin: 13px 0px 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;"><b>The People Tell the King to Get Bent</b></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Is such a system undemocratic? Certainly.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Callous, perhaps? Well, perhaps it is.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">But is it fiscally stable? Yes.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">In brief, monarchy may be better with money than </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">democracy. <span style="color: #1d2228;">It is a superior steward of wealth — at </span></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">least by this theory.</span></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Once again, Hoppe:</p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>While a king is by no means opposed to debt, </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>he is </i><i style="color: #1d2228;">constrained in this “natural” inclination by </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i style="color: #1d2228;">the fact that as </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>the government’s private owner, he and his heirs </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>are considered personally liable for the payment </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>of all </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>government debts (he can literally go bankrupt, </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>or be </i><i style="color: #1d2228;">forced by creditors to liquidate government </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i style="color: #1d2228;">assets).</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Consider, as one example:</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">In 1392, England's Richard II was in arrears to</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">the <span style="color: #1d2228;">Pope in Rome… and required 1,000 pounds </span></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">toward <span style="color: #1d2228;">satisfaction of </span><span style="color: #1d2228;">his debt. He did not have it.</span></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">So old Rich appeared before the citizens of </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">London <span style="color: #1d2228;">with </span><span style="color: #1d2228;">an open hat.</span></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Moreover, they refused him. Imagine it!</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Freeman Tilden, from his neglected 1936 </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">masterwork </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;"><i>A World in Debt</i>:</p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>Kings had power enough to contract </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>debts, </i><i style="color: #1d2228;">but found </i><i style="color: #1d2228;">it much more difficult </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i style="color: #1d2228;">to take advantage of that power</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>… The feudal system, with its insecurity </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>and constant </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>clash of petty divisions, was not calcu-</i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>lated to invite </i><i style="color: #1d2228;">credit.</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">In distinct contrast, Hoppe argues, we find </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">the <span style="color: #1d2228;">democratic president:</span></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>A presidential government caretaker is not held liable </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>for </i><i style="color: #1d2228;">debts incurred during his tenure of office. Rather, </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i style="color: #1d2228;">his </i><i style="color: #1d2228;">debts are considered “public,” to be repaid by </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i style="color: #1d2228;">future </i><i style="color: #1d2228;">(equally nonliable) governments.</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Perhaps this explains — pandemic aside — why the </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">national debt of the United States runs to some $31 </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">trillion?</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">It is a capital fact beyond all dispute:</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Most democratic nations groan beneath bloated </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">government… extortionate taxation… and </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Himalayan levels of debt.</p><p class="yiv5245506016centered yiv5245506016subhead" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 30px; margin: 13px 0px 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;"><b>Taxes</b></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">How does this lovely, lovely state compare with the </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">barbarous age of monarchs, Mr. Hoppe?</p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>During the entire monarchical age until the </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>second half of the 19th century… the tax burden </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>rarely exceeded 5% of national product. Since </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>then it has increased constantly. In Western </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>Europe it stood at 15–20% of national product </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>after World </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i style="color: #1d2228;">War I, and in the meantime it has risen to </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i style="color: #1d2228;">around 50%.</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Government spending ran to roughly 10% of GDP </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">prior to <span style="color: #1d2228;">World War I. It currently nears 50% in </span></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">many democratic </span></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">countries.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Total government spending in this Land of the </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Free amounts </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">to 36% of GDP — nearly 40%.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Perhaps in retrospect, the world might have been </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">made safe <span style="color: #1d2228;">for monarchy in 1917.</span></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">And maybe our Colonial forefathers should have </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">left old King George alone in 1775. His tax bite </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">was so light… it failed to </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">break the skin.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Our researches reveal that American Colonial </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">taxation ran to about 1% of total income — <i>1%.</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">And between 1764 and 1775, claims political </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">scientist Alvin Rabushka:</p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>The nearly 2 million white Colonists in America paid on </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>the order of about 1% of the annual taxes levied on the </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>roughly 8.5 million residents of Britain, or 1/25th, in per </i></p><p class="yiv5245506016blockquote" style="margin: 13px 0px 20px 20px;"><i>capita terms…</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">As traitorous as it may appear, we are half-tempted to </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">disinter King George’s innocent bones and throw them </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">a much overdue parade.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">But let us entertain no more thoughts of heresy.</p><p class="yiv5245506016centered yiv5245506016subhead" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 30px; margin: 13px 0px 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;"><b>The Worst System of Government… </b></p><p class="yiv5245506016centered yiv5245506016subhead" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 30px; margin: 13px 0px 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;"><b>Except for the Rest</b></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Hoppe’s book is actually no call for monarchy. </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">As the author himself states at the onset — </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">“I am not a monarchist and the following is not </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">a defense of monarchy.”</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">His primary purpose is to diagnose an illness </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">— not to prescribe a cure.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Hoppe’s sins against democracy are nonethe-</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">less of the mortal variety. And mainstream </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">academics put him under excommunication </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">for his blasphemies.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">But to repeat, Hoppe does not call for monarchy. </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Nor do we.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Beneath our seditious motley beats the heart of </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">an American patriot… and our blood runs true </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">under red, white and blue.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Besides, a king could be every inch the scoundrel </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">as an American president. And since he faces no </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">election, how could we possibly count upon him </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">to say amusing and idiotic things?</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Let us, therefore, not discount the comedic value </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">of democratic government.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">In addition, monarchy is certainly no guarantee </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">against bankruptcy — as history records well. </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">More than a few ne’er-do-well kings have driven </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">their realms to rack and ruin. Who can dispute it?</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">But it is due more to incompetent kingmanship </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">than kingmanship itself. A rascally Henry VIII can </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">inherit a throne as easily as a wise Solomon. </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Regardless, it matters little…</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Hoppe’s monarchic realm will never exist — not </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">in today’s age of mass democracy.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">But does it soften his case?</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Winston Churchill famously quipped that </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">democracy was the worst form of government </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">except for the rest.</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">But upon further reflection, perhaps monarchy </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">is the worst form of government… except for </p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">the rest…</p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Regards,</p></div></td></tr><tr><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 10px 25px 0px; word-break: normal;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 250px; word-break: normal;" width="250"><img alt="Brian Maher" height="auto" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.paradigmpressgroup.com%2Fsignatures%2Fbrian-maher.png&t=1662826375&ymreqid=1b75ec5e-bd40-c700-1ce8-8e0001015500&sig=o86y8jGuK345n02dAczkng--~D" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; line-height: 13px; outline: none; text-indent: -9999px; width: 250px;" width="250" /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 10px 25px 5px; word-break: normal;"><div style="font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;">Brian Maher<br />Managing Editor, <i>The Daily Reckoning</i></p><p style="margin: 13px 0px 20px;"><br /></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="background: rgb(254, 254, 235); color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 580px;"><table align="center" bgcolor="#fefeeb" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%px;"><tbody></tbody></table></div></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-44038254702379476712022-08-31T17:24:00.184-05:002022-09-03T11:01:13.703-05:00"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:<div><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><span>....</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><u> and let them have dominion</u> .... </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">over all the earth...</span></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">.... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and <u>subdue it</u>; and <u>have dominion over</u> .... every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Gen.1:26-28.</span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">One of the first things a young Seminary student learns is the three "Omni" characteristics of God, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent, He is All-Powerful, All-Knowing, and All Present. He did not create the first two members of the human race, in His own image and likeness, without a plan. This Hebrew word for "image" is "tselem" and is also translated as "form" and "show", and probably refers to God's "appearance". But "Demuth", translated as "likeness" here, is also translated as "manner" and seems to refer to His internal characteristics. In other words, we look a bit like the Father and also have micro, finite potential to His Macro Infinite attributes of knowledge, power, and presence. Ours is,,,, a small potential to know, do and be, likenesses to the Father. These things are infinite in our Creator but, though finite in us, they are still sometimes marvelous to behold in the vast accomplishments of a so endowed person occupying only 5 or 6 cubic feet of presence, with a cantaloupe-sized brain for knowledge and a few flimsy muscles of power. That is because this seed-sized chip of stone off of the universal-sized boulder, is in fact, like the seed, embedded with an eternity of potential for life, and like the chip, is as a precious stone of great value, </span><span style="background-color: white;">to God. He has created us in His image and likeness to carry out His original charge to go forth and replenish the race and take dominion over the world. This dominion is in the likeness of our Creator who has dominion over the universe. This human, dominion, </span><span style="background-color: white;">likeness to God, justifies and demands limited, just, and protective Civil Law and Order among all people. And since this dominion was not given to the few, but to all, Godly, Biblical, legitimate Law and Order requires a system of equal, unbiased, fairness, agreed upon by those affected, and locked into place, as is our US Constitution.</span></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">If God's "dominion" is another of His Omni qualities,, of which he gave humans abbreviated likenesses, to Himself, its effect would tend to justify our free will, but rein in its abusers.</span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">So, should we see our Creator's unrestricted, universal, free will, volition and His universal dominion as a fourth and fifth of His "Omni" attributes, of which He has given minute "likenesses" to us?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What about God's love and grace; are they not also omni qualities of God? Not if His grace and love ceased for Lucifer when He took away his light and cast him out into darkness, and not unless He still loves those evil sinners whom Jesus condemed, "Depart from me, I never knew you." Matt.7:23. In eternity, when every soul is either in heaven or hell, God's love and grace is omnigrace and omnilove for His born again saints, the bride of Christ</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">. In fact, since He is Omniscient, that is already true....now. RB</span></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-89668220297523785452022-08-26T13:24:00.015-05:002022-09-02T09:28:57.488-05:00Purpose: Choose You This Day Whom You Will Serve" Josh.24:15<div><span style="font-size: large;">There are only two ways to go in life, the Jesus way and all other ways. This choice of the way of life a person chooses, is the primary reason for human life, the Bible, and the birth and death of Jesus Christ. The way of Christ is singular and narrow, including width only wide enough for pure truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But wide enough for you and Jesus to walk together. All the other ways of life a person may choose are equal in disqualification and lead down the "broad way" to the same eternal destination. No matter how highly religious or deeply wicked, without Christ, all other ways, though they are many and broad, lead to the same destruction. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matt.7:13-14.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">"There</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">is</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">a</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">way</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">which</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">seemeth</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"> right unto </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">a</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"> man, but the end </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">there</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">of </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">a</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">re the </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">way</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">s of death." Prov.14:12.</span></div><div> </div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiV4vwWTrIVpJEvjU_h8SlEp7CmtkhTejhBtjrmQlcolk10hn8Le3vKBc5QAQ_HLKU_ZkQ0Nk3I3iak7NnbufrbsBji-fte8Rm4jZ_uFWuQyxqElvmv2K7gDuvfH8f4p380vZSGEdFuYrBjm2hOHibLw4EZxU4ilUFQEQ4CiEgmYJKhMz-QLV32iAd1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiV4vwWTrIVpJEvjU_h8SlEp7CmtkhTejhBtjrmQlcolk10hn8Le3vKBc5QAQ_HLKU_ZkQ0Nk3I3iak7NnbufrbsBji-fte8Rm4jZ_uFWuQyxqElvmv2K7gDuvfH8f4p380vZSGEdFuYrBjm2hOHibLw4EZxU4ilUFQEQ4CiEgmYJKhMz-QLV32iAd1=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: large;">But, then, if Jesus walks with you, you are never alone though He may not be visible to human eyes... He is always there.</span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">the</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"> door into </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">the</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"> sheepfold, but climbeth up <u>some other way</u>, the </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">same is a thief and a robber." John 10:1</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">"The</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">n said Jesus unto </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">the</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">m again, Verily, verily, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">I</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> say unto you, </span><u><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">I</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">am</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">the</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">door</span></u><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><u> </u>of </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">the</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> sheep." John 10:9</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-83940150621018000982022-08-15T17:38:00.002-05:002022-08-15T18:16:56.536-05:00Common Sense And Wisdom Are Sibling Twins <div><span style="font-size: large;">Who often reside with farmers and truckers</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>He who has no ear for true common sense,</span><div><span style="font-size: large;">I fear, my dear, from here to hence,</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">His epitaph will be "</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">too dead to convince".</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Prideful self-will is a barbed-wire fence,</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Dust &Snakes pass through but no horse-sense.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So let us climb off of our throne of pretense,</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Remove our royal crown of superior nonsense,</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And join these heroes in freedom's defense. (RB)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;">"If any </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;">of</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;"> you lack wisdom, </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;">let</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;">him</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;">ask</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;">of</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;">God</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;">, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;">him</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;">." James 1:5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">You too can help make history read .....</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> "Common Americans with Common Sense preserved freedom and saved their nation from regressive idiots who called themselves Progressive who slept through truth but called themselves Woke."</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">There will never be another opportunity to save our nation and our freedom. Right now is the time for action. Don't wait until November or 2024. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">a prideful will, </span></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-87651924638098935772022-08-12T13:55:00.063-05:002022-08-13T11:25:45.137-05:00What To Do Now? Kneel To God, Stand Up To Evil, Sit With The Righteous<div><span style="font-size: x-large;">And Endure Till Jesus Comes And Catches Us Up...</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>The hardest part of that is enduring faithfully through the long testing of pre-tribulation upheaval. The devil can and will develop ungodly conditions within the souls of men, and the majority of populations. Even as history records in past, national, environments; Germany under Hitler, Italy under Mussolini, and dozens of other vile dictatorships. Situations where the majority of misguided citizens install and support every diabolical wish of their devilish master even before he ascended to the pinnacle of political power. But the A</span><span>ntichrist will gain global power over nations, their politics, finances, industry, institutions, and even religions.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Christians will be here during the terrible months or years leading up to the tribulation period reign of the Antichrist. <u>The rapture itself will remove the Antichrist's Christian opposition and open the way for his unopposed ascendancy to world domination.</u> When the Christians, in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, are raptured into heaven, He goes with them and is <u>"taken out of the way"</u> leaving a void of spiritual presence which had not <u>"let"</u> Antichrist succeed previously.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">now</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">letteth</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">will</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">let</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> until he be taken out of the way." 2 Thess.2;7</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">So as long as Christians are present, and enduring, resisting the devil, influencing others, and praying ... in the Spirit, the Antichrist is outgunned. After the rapture of believers, he will be quickly accepted as the savior of the world. Until then we must grow in grace and glory, yes glory, in this pre-tribulation turbulence that builds endurance in us to do the work of God amid massive ungodliness. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;">"And not only so, but we glory in </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;">tribulation</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;">s also: knowing that </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;">tribulation</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;">worketh</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;">patience.' Rom.5:3. </span> The word </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">"patience" here is the Greek hupomone and means endurance.<span style="color: red;"> </span>That is, the kind of patience that derives from enduring hardship.<span style="color: red;"> </span></span></span><span>We are approaching the biblical last days of ultimate tribulation. And though we Christians, like Noah, will be lifted out, above the flood of Antichrist's seven-year reign of terror, we will be required to endure the </span><u>preliminary </u><span>dissimulation leading up to the rapture and Satan's seven-year rule over the world. The pre-tribulation months or years will not equal the horror of the seven years under his absolute dictatorship. But they will be bad enough, for all of us, even as we now see developing like a bank of heavy black clouds full of lightning and thunder, preceded by high winds, and hail already upon us.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">So what can we do, as Christians, during these times of pre-tribulation evil as we await the soon return of Christ to catch us up above the flood of evil destruction?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">"But </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">as</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> the days of </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">Noah</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> were, <u>so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."</u> Matt..24:37. </span></span></div><div><span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;">"For this is </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;">as</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;"> the waters of </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;">Noah</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;"> unto me: for </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;">as</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;"> I have sworn that the waters of </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: red;">Noah</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"> should no more go over the earth; </span><u style="color: red;">so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee."</u><span style="color: red;"> Isa.54:9. </span></span></span></div><div><span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">The flood of Noah's day was not for the few righteous of that day but for the almost unanimous wicked. Even so, the seven-year tribulation period is not for Christians but primarily for the Jews who will turn to their Messiah, Jesus, <u>because of the tribulation, and be saved.</u></span></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">"And these are the words that the LORD spake </span><u style="color: red;">concerning Israel and concerning Judah</u><span style="color: red;">. For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace... Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like </span><u style="color: red;">it; it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it."</u><span style="color: red;"> Jer.30:4-7</span> The tribulation is Jacob's trouble .... to bring them to Christ, not Christian's trouble. The flood was not for Noah. The ark was for Noah. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: red;">"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: red;">they</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: red;"> shall look upon me <u>whom they have </u></span><u style="color: red;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">pierced</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">, and </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">they</span></u><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"><u style="color: red;"> shall mourn for him</u><span style="color: red;">, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." Zech.12:10 </span> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">When, since the Jews had Jesus crucified, has "the house of David ever looked upon him and mourned over Him as their own?" Never! This verse will be fulfilled in the last half of the tribulation when Antichrist breaks his compact with religions.</span></span></div><div><span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">So, until the rapture, what must we do during these last days? Be Faithful and ENDURE. God will accomplish His purpose. Let us accomplish ours.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">we</span></div></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-64265321869917380182022-08-10T10:17:00.000-05:002022-08-10T10:17:51.736-05:00Cometh The Horsemen: Pandemic, Famine, War<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Common Sense Commentary from Michael Yon & Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, neither of whom is a Fundamentalist, fanatical, Christian ... like me, but both of whom are highly intelligent, invested in pure logic, truth, and unbridled courage. Thank God for our own answer to the elitist, left-wing educators, news moguls, billionaire Democrats, their crooked politicians, and spiritually dead voters.</span></span></span><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The present world situation, of global evil running rampant, is so obvious, in the extreme, that it's not just the most biblically informed Christians who see it clearly, as Satanic powers, but everyone else who is not sold out to the Devil. </span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jesus said, "And ye </span></span></span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">shall</span></span></span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> know the </span></span></span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">truth</span></span></span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">, and the truth shall make you </span></span></span><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">free</span></span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">." John 8:32</span></span></span></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large; vertical-align: inherit;">Here is a strong dose of truth from two honest, if not deeply spiritual men. If you can't see the devil's hand in what's now happening to the world, you need Jesus.</span></span></div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7gAEkzIgvw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7gAEkzIgvw</a></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-80776722957421358532022-08-08T13:04:00.000-05:002022-08-08T13:04:10.865-05:00On The Last Leg Of Your Life's Journey ...<div><span style="font-size: large;">Is never easy but don't look for a shortcut.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Having never yet died, I can't speak on how to die, but I can speak on the last leg of the journey getting to that final stop of the trip. As I see it, life, on this earth is rather like the wagon train adventure the Donner Party took crossing the western U.S. On April 15, 1846, the families of James Reed and George and Jacob Donner left Springfield, Illinois to start a new life in California. They joined a large wagon train crossing the Missouri river and headed west with the sun and their dreams of California livin ... like heaven on earth. Their journey started easy, happy, and fun, but slowly grew more difficult. There were breakdowns, lack of water, getting off course, and finally in the high Sierras, on the last leg, winter of their journey, and on a dead-end trail. Their shortcut had become hardship, hunger, and suffering long before death or "heaven on earth" in California.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">You see, it's the trip to heaven, the direction we take, and the trail we choose to get there that we must choose most carefully... and then deal with, as our travel into old age becomes more and more and more challenging, and then impossible. Heaven is, indeed, out there, but all trails do not lead to California ... or to heaven. The Donner Party got sidetracked, deceived, misled, and lost because all trails do not lead to life in California ... or to heaven. Even the right trail is hard ... but not as hard as the hundreds of wrong trails. All but one lead to greater suffering and end in hell.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Old age, even for the Christian, though blessed with long life, brings with it some unique hardships, if lived long enough. Things like your legs dying before you do. That's why they call it the last leg of life's passage ... I guess. Just be sure you are on the right trail though it be narrow and difficult, it leads to Jesus and perfect life.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So when you lose your legs, your sleep, your health, your mate, or almost your mind ... learn to rest in your hope in Jesus. And, as a teenage girl, who survived the Donner Party's dead-end death trap later wrote, to a friend back in Illinois, "Don't never take no short-cuts".</span></div><div> </div><div><br /></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-84158734587148827362022-07-13T12:23:00.000-05:002022-07-13T12:23:14.083-05:00All Truth Is God's Truth And Truth Is Light In The Darkness<div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">Let Your Little Light Shine...</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">God's word is the primary voice of truth. The Holy Spirit speaks that truth to the hearts, spirits, and minds of every human being. That light of truth is Jesus Christ ....</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">"That was the true Light, which </span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-weight: bolder;">lighteth</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-weight: bolder;">every</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-weight: bolder;">man</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> that cometh into the world." John 1:9</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">"The</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">n spake Jesus again unto </span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">the</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">m, saying, </span><b><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">I</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">am</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">the</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">light</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> of </span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">the</span></b><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><b> world</b>: he that followeth me shall not walk </span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">i</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">n darkness, but shall have </span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">the</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">light</span><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> of life."</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">In spite of the fact that Jesus, the "light of life" came into the world to enlighten the lost souls of sinners, most still love darkness and their "evil deeds" more than the light of truth.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large;">"And this </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large;">is</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large;"> the condemnation, that </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bolder;">light</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large;">is </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large;">come into the world, and men loved </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>dark</b></span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ness </b>rather than </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bolder;">light,</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large;"> because their deeds were evil." John 3:19</span></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></span></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">This is not only true of individual hu-mans but can spread across the land to include entire nations of people.</span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">"Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the </span><span class="small-caps" face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bolder;">backward</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">." Isa.1:4</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">The word "nation" in that verse is the Hebrew word "goi" and means a governed "corporate body" of people. In this case it was Israel; but the words apply to any nation, or person, who has "gone away backward" from the light God sent into the world to save them, Jesus Christ. So exactly what does "gone away backward" mean?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: x-large;">"Woe unto them that call <b>evil good, and good evil</b>; that put <b>darkness for light, and light for darkness</b>; that put <b>bitter for </b></span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">sweet</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">, and </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">sweet</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: x-large;"><b> for bitter!</b>" Isa. 5:20</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">There is a long list of such violations of God's word and truth in general ... even in the United States which has been known as a "Christian nation" for over 200 years. I call it a "wicked miracle".</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">But Here Is A Voice Of Reason from a she, her, female, girl, woman who has the courage to speak out.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQIL7bJ51mk" style="font-size: x-large;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQIL7bJ51mk</a></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-7785597664224763822022-07-03T12:43:00.001-05:002022-07-03T12:43:54.100-05:00May July 4, 2022 Be America's Turning Point Back To God And Truth<div><span style="font-size: large;">Human Condition Can Not Change Without Christ</span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Many humans know the problem but not the remedy</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">That too has always been the case.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Marcus Tullius Cicero was </span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">a </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; font-family: sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Ancient Rome">Roman</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> statesman, lawyer, scholar, and philosopher,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> who tried to uphold civil </span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">principles during </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_of_the_Roman_Republic" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; font-family: sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Crisis of the Roman Republic">the political crises</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> that led up to the establishment of the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; font-family: sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Roman Empire">Roman Empire</a> .... 2065 years ago.</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG-Z63QoBGC5UeUZN-5joThcWfAwx1JETZU7rne41Fv-maRYUcerw34MZpImUPbjTHZZJ3von2muHqJdIDRQgSDeCysz0KoSkoXz2Jskgu0wHKUgQ9iZUN5sqTFlYn7TZg7N96Z7MIRSuP3g9BASfJFUBv0krR8G9pBvns_AJqChm_K7MDtx6cG0JG" style="clear: left; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="T" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="315" height="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG-Z63QoBGC5UeUZN-5joThcWfAwx1JETZU7rne41Fv-maRYUcerw34MZpImUPbjTHZZJ3von2muHqJdIDRQgSDeCysz0KoSkoXz2Jskgu0wHKUgQ9iZUN5sqTFlYn7TZg7N96Z7MIRSuP3g9BASfJFUBv0krR8G9pBvns_AJqChm_K7MDtx6cG0JG=w394-h501" width="394" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Though Cicero was not a Christian or a Jew, but a Roman, he had managed to cultivate a lot of commendable elements of good character ... in difficult times (43BC). This is reflected in some of his famous comments which are just as pertinent today. Here are a few of them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #101010;">More law ... less justice.</span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #101010;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><p class="b-qt qt_118644" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;">The safety of the people shall be the highest law.</span></span></p><p class="b-qt qt_398109" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;">The greatest pleasures are only narrowly separated from disgust.</span></span></p><p class="b-qt qt_162763" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;">Glory follows virtue as if it were its shadow.</span></span></p><p class="b-qt qt_383649" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;">Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.</span></span></p><p class="b-qt qt_131308" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;">An unjust peace is better than a just war.</span></span></p><p class="b-qt qt_117967" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;">The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.</span></span></p><p class="b-qt qt_122152" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues; but the parent of all the others.</span></span></p><p class="b-qt qt_104340" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.</span></span></p><p class="b-qt qt_104340" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;">This last quote ... before supermarkets, TV, radio etc. was so true back in 43BC ... and very well may be true again ... very soon right here in America. Those little vegitable seed packs could make a big difference if America doesn't turn back to God and His word. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">(RB)</span></p><p class="b-qt qt_104340" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"> </p></div><div><br /></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-60148507054516743712022-06-23T13:26:00.000-05:002022-06-23T13:26:33.520-05:00Don't Consider Yourself Stupid If You Invested In CryptoCoin<div><span style="font-size: large;">Many Highly Intelligent People Did It Too.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Intelligence is not the same as wisdom or Logic.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Some of the most intelligent people I know, online, lost their shirts ... pants, and life savings thinking they would become wealthy buying Crypto Coin. Even an AI (Artificial Intelligence) company such as the one below lost two $Billion investing in Crypto Coins .... which are not even coins. Crypto is short for cryptography which is the art of solving codes. It could be that this Cryptocoin Code has now been solved and it is one gigantic zer</span><span><b style="font-size: xx-large;">O</b><span style="font-size: large;"> coin.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: large;">MicroStrategy, an application software company that has invested heavily in Bitcoin, lost a quarter of its value yesterday. The stock closed on December 31, 2021 at $544.49. After peaking at over $800 a share last November, it closed yesterday at $152.15. According to its 10-Q filing with the SEC for the period ending March 31, 2022, the company owned 129,218 Bitcoins, with a market value of $3.96 billion. Its average purchase price for Bitcoin on $3.7 billion of that amount was $30,159. Its average purchase price per Bitcoin on the balance was $44,645. It is seriously underwater on both lots. As of 8:10 CT this morning, Bitcoin front month futures were trading at $22,270 per Bitcoin.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;" /><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Adding to the strains on the company, MicroStrategy reports in its 10-Q that significant amounts of its Bitcoin purchases were financed by issuing debt securities and taking a term loan from Silvergate Bank.</span><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> (I took this off the internet. RB)</span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Yes, some of those who cashed out in time may have become millionaires, but that is not the end of the story. There is another adage that bolsters "There is no free lunch". It says, "Easy come easy go". But government taxation still applies to the Crypto heavy spenders. It matters not to the IRS that you lost all those gains you spent before the crash. </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">And if you borrowed to buy Crypto, you still have to deal with those loans. </span><span style="background-color: white;">And, yes, it may go back up later on, but later on, may be too late to help.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">God has provided a better way to enjoy the fruit of your labors. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif">"</span></span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">Give</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">, </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">and</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">it</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">shall</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">be</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">give</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">n unto you; good measure, pressed down, </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">and</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> shaken together, </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">and</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> running over, shall men give </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">it</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">shall</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">be</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> measured to you again." Jesus said it in Luke 6:38. It is a way of life, a believer blessed, not hit or miss, trial and error but a promise made and a promise kept. If you are going to invest in coins, make sure they are gold or silver, not paper or keystrokes. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">May God have mercy on those who were caught in this Crypto bear trap. May they survive financially and emotionally and gain in logic wisdom, and spiritual perception which is far more valuable than wealth anyway. RB</span></span></div><div><br /></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-6215551782093933852022-06-19T17:50:00.000-05:002022-06-19T17:50:38.298-05:00Prayer Is Talking To God, Not Preaching Or An Nouncement<div><span style="font-size: large;">Things that make an old Christian cringe:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>The praying believer speaks in the first person, "I, me, or maybe we", and talks to God in the second person, "thou, thee, or you". Or by calling on His name or title. </span><span>But if the public "prayer" addresses God in the third person, as "he or him" it is no longer prayer but is either for instruction or for influencing whoever else is present, be it a person, group, or congregation. In which case, it may either be detached preaching or teaching, but is clearly not prayer when we talk about Him instead of to Him, in public prayer. this isn't done in silent prayer, but is a common transgression in public prayer, and is cringeworthy. "</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">Our <b>Father </b>which art in heaven, <b>Hallowed </b>be </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"><b>thy </b>name. <b>Thy </b>kingdom come. <b>Thy </b>will </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">be</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> done ...." Lk.11:2</span></span></span></div><div><div class="bible-item-extras" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; min-width: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Another thing that makes an old Christian cringe is jokes about God or hell. There is nothing funny about hell. It is a real place where the unbelieving sinners will spend eternity suffering and separated from God. Neither is it ever appropriate to joke about our Creator, the </span><span>Almighty, Gloriously Holy, Ruler of the universe. Kittens and monkeys verify that God has a sense of humor, and he may laugh at us, but the mud doll, with the breath of God in it, does not use it to make fun of its resplendently holy Creator and King. Only worship, love, and submission are in order where God is concerned. </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;">"Thou shalt not take the name of the </span><span class="small-caps" face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white;"> thy God <b>in vain </b>...." </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Exodus 20:7</span>. "in vain" means "Lightly or without </span><span>reverence</span><span>." </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span> There are a lot of things done today in churches and in the lives of Christians that should make even sinners cringe, but the thing that makes me cringe almost violently is when a flesh-serving temptation flies into my eyes, ears, or thoughts like a beautiful, white dove but which I recognize as a sharp, hooked-beak messenger of Satan with talons and red eyes. At 91 a cringe like that is enough to burn up your last drop of oil, suck out your final breath of air, and slam the door on that </span><span>satin-lined box bed with your name on it.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-59735532313041887732022-06-17T18:48:00.002-05:002022-06-17T18:52:30.975-05:00Experience This Video By The Pilot Of Blackbird Spy Plane<div><span style="font-size: large;">It Is A Jolting Experience</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">A little late for the National Day Of Prayer, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, or Flag Day just past, all of which contributed to this video, so I'll just make it for Father's Day and Independence Day coming up. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wigZsFypdyI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wigZsFypdyI</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Do not miss this experience with the pilot of the Blackbird spy plane, invented in the 1960s it still holds the record of the fastest plane in history. That America, with God's grace, can overcome the fires of hell erupting across our land today. Rise up America. RB</span></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-6368928014062838792022-05-30T12:06:00.000-05:002022-05-30T12:06:20.802-05:001 Kings 19 Elijah Felt He Was The Last True Believer "I, even I only, am left"<div><span style="font-size: x-large;">But God had 1000s more ... plus an Elisha to take Elijah's place as God's prophet. RB</span></div><div><div class="post-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather; margin: 0.75em 0px;"><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">So cheer up all you old preachers: Here comes an Elisha. RB</span></div><h1 class="post-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.143; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></h1><h1 class="post-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.143; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Shooting and Liberal Utopian Society</span></h1><div class="post-byline" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="font-size: large;">MAY 27, 2022</span></div></div><div class="post-content" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather; margin-bottom: 1.125em; margin-top: 0.75em;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">by <a href="https://gab.com/BonifaceOption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #176db3; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s;">Pastor Andrew Isker</a></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In the last two weeks, there have been two mass shootings in the United States, and the second took place this week at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. These shootings have reignited the regime’s already intense desire for a disarmed populace. Even before the bodies of the dead children had been removed from the school, <a href="https://twitter.com/potus/status/1529261342011670535?s=12&t=y3FbW0dvZK7rY9a1zeIkLQ" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #176db3; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s;" target="_blank">our mentally diminished President spoke to the nation</a>, demanding that rifles (which he is not even able to accurately describe) be confiscated across a 330 million person country spanning an entire continent. This despicable man, and the legion of sociopathic ghouls arrayed behind him, are clearly overjoyed that there is a classroom full of young children lying dead in Texas. They don’t actually care about the anguish of parents who will never see their child grow up. Their deaths are merely a political prop for the most evil people on the planet.</span></p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="more-5072" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></span><hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: solid; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;" /><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It is hard to fully comprehend just how totalitarian such designs are. But these are the very same sadistic freaks who successfully locked those 330 million people in their homes for weeks or months, and then (mostly successfully) restricted their ability to provide for their families if they refused to get an extremely dangerous mRNA injection that does not even accomplish its intended purpose. All you are to them is a guinea pig or a rat in a social experiment. You do not matter. Your children do not matter. You only exist to provide them with power.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">You must understand that school shooters and other mass shooters are an extremely acute symptom of the disease that horribly afflicts the American nation. You live in an incredibly sick society, and since you are born into it and live in it every day, you go about your life mostly unaware of just how dreadful things really are. It is imperative for the people who manufacture the inversion of reality that you perceive everything through the lens of the now. This is why “The Current Thing” has such memetic power: it attacks reality distortion at its source, where obsession over what is, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">right now,</em> cuts you off from any sense of historical perspective. In the case of mass shootings, the exclusion of historical perspective keeps the masses from noticing that mass shootings are a very recent phenomenon and that decades ago, when the United States had vastly more liberal gun laws, and anyone could even purchase fully automatic submachine guns in the mail, this <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">never happened</em>. The question you should ask is, why not? What exactly was different about America 90 years ago compared to today?</span></p><figure class="wp-block-image size-full" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-5080" height="376" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 486px) 100vw, 486px" src="https://news.gab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/photo_2022-05-27_09-50-04.jpg" srcset="https://news.gab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/photo_2022-05-27_09-50-04.jpg 486w, https://news.gab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/photo_2022-05-27_09-50-04-300x232.jpg 300w" style="border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="486" /></span></figure><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The answer to that question is fairly obvious. Modern American society is a factory for psychopaths. The young man in the North American Continent is planted in a field fertilized by atomization, loneliness, and hopelessness. Many have never met their father, and most do not have anything remotely close to a “good relationship” with him. Most have no meaningful connection to the community in which they live, nor even the nation they inhabit. In school, they are social outcasts, driven to niche internet communities for the only semblance of human interaction in their lives. They are marinated in hardcore pornography from before they have even reached pubescence. They know (or at least perceive) that they will never know the love of a flesh-and-blood woman. They are on the kind of pharmacological cocktail that any premodern society would only ascribe to witchcraft and demon possession. They have nothing to live for and no one who loves them. Given how many young men our nation is producing like this, the question we ought to be asking is not “why does this happen?” but rather “why does it not happen a lot more?”</span></p><hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: solid; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;" /><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">America is an incredibly sick nation. There is a spiritual sickness that pervades everything like a dark cloud. The people who dominate every institution in our nation have held this power for at least sixty years. For these sixty years, they have treated this nation as a grand social experiment. They have made the natural family, the very bedrock of human civilization, an antiquated, outdated institution that we have progressed beyond. They have financialized and commodified all of human life, uprooting people from their homes and extended families, and making them mercenaries chasing after a rapidly devalued dollar. They have exported the industry of the nation impoverishing the heartland of the country and leaving them to languish in despair. They actively cheer the deaths and replacement of the hated population, while at the same time denying this was ever their intent. They have introduced racial and ethnic strife, and in the chaos actively undermined rule of law. Sixty years of full-spectrum control by utopian social engineers have transformed the most affluent society in human history into hell on earth.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">This did not happen by accident. These people are motivated by a deep hatred of humanity. Like the geriatric that currently occupies the Oval Office who well represents them, they simply do not care how much people suffer. You might think the progressive is merely mistaken, deluded by ideology. This is not the case. They have had more than sixty years to see the full extent of human misery their ideology produces when applied to the healthiest and most prosperous conditions. They know what they are doing.</span></p><hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: solid; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;" /><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">But what is to be done? The utopian bugmen that dominate our nation must be overcome. You must personally re-capture the same spirit of Christian America that built a great nation. You must do all within your personal sphere of influence to rebuild the things that our enemies have destroyed. You must rebuild churches dominated by liberals and weak-willed conservatives. You must rebuild neighborhoods and communities with people who, like you, love the nation that their great, great-grandparents built and who want to worship the same God who gave them such strength. You must devote your life to both retaking what institutions you can, and creating alternatives for the institutions you can’t. It is not simply enough to decry that the libs have ruined everything—of course they have, they are like cancer! You must have a vision for your people, you must provide for them the thing they have taken away: hope for the future. We can again have the world that the liberal globalist regime has destroyed. A world where the fear of the Triune God pervades the land and <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">not</strong> hopelessness and despair. You can have a world where things like mass shootings never happen again, but you must devote yourself to a life of repentance, faith, and an unquenchable passion for the true, good, and beautiful things God has given.</span></p><div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; display: grid; grid-template-columns: 50% 1fr; grid-template-rows: auto;"><div class="wp-block-media-text__content" style="align-self: center; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; grid-area: 1 / 2 / auto / auto; padding: 0px 16.7012px; word-break: break-word;"><p class="has-large-font-size" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Andrew Isker is the pastor of 4th Street Evangelical Church in Waseca, MN. He is a graduate of Minnesota State University and Greyfriar’s Hall Ministerial Training School, and he has served churches in Missouri, West Virginia, and Minnesota. He is the author of the forthcoming book, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Boniface Option. </em>Andrew, his wife Kara, and their five children reside in his hometown of Waseca, MN. He can be found on Gab <a href="https://gab.com/BonifaceOption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #176db3; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s;">@BonifaceOption</a>.</span></p></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8K7eK5VUZKfL27VhNhxlL6J905_Or6-rkGfMWb1_Qz6wGthW2wYC65A-LW7OEK5M12hWP9R3JZThIadJMLSoJau7GqikExeuvVtsZE7wWYl0c-FytiGA4yjR6EZjJVImK5dvh35wBxYyv2xiBvLdVS2Be14FiVH2VkrHYk6DPoY4RCYGBnM97I48z" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="953" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8K7eK5VUZKfL27VhNhxlL6J905_Or6-rkGfMWb1_Qz6wGthW2wYC65A-LW7OEK5M12hWP9R3JZThIadJMLSoJau7GqikExeuvVtsZE7wWYl0c-FytiGA4yjR6EZjJVImK5dvh35wBxYyv2xiBvLdVS2Be14FiVH2VkrHYk6DPoY4RCYGBnM97I48z" width="239" /></a></div><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-70573360399932901522022-05-25T12:26:00.000-05:002022-05-25T12:26:14.909-05:00What Hope Do I Have When I'm Nearer 100 Than 80<span style="font-size: large;">It is Called Blessed</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">"Looking for that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-weight: bolder;">blessed</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-weight: bolder;">hope</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13</span> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">My fading Memory loves the drumming music of God's rain upon the wooden shingles of the little house my father built in Sweetwater, Texas. And sometimes a divine wind blew a fearsome tune of whines and moans through cracks around the windows and doors. Even t</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;">he lightning and thunder harmonized with that symphonic and sweet natural music of God .... when I was a boy.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">I heard that comforting orchestration again last night and thought again of the wonderful parents and three siblings God gave me ... all in heaven now. I guess they weren't perfect, but only God knew that for sure. So, at 91 I still have so many good memories of them and, yes, of many of you, for which this old Preacher is eternally thankful in the lonely times of old age. But something else I have that is even better than good memories is that Blessed Hope in Jesus. It is a precious thought, of certain knowledge, that I will see them, and you my friends, there in the presence of our Savior, sweet Jesus, and our Heavenly Father in a great reunion "church" service in Heaven. And it is closer now than it ever has been.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">So what do I have now that I'm nearer 100 than 80? All that really matters. Praise Him!</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-34772612226608406962022-04-30T18:30:00.017-05:002022-05-01T09:13:16.125-05:00The Revelation 21:8 Liar Is Habitual And Unbelieving<div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">No Christian Is Either</span></div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">"But the <u>fearful</u>, and <u>unbelieving</u>, and the <u>abominable</u>, and <u>murderers</u>, and <u>whoremongers</u>, and <u>sorcerers</u>, and <u>idolaters</u>, and </span><u><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">all</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">liars</span></u><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">, </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">shall</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"> have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Rev. 21:8</span></span></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"><br /></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">This verse either sweeps every living soul into the lake of fire or requires explanation. Everyone has been fearful, had moments of unbelief, been abominable, or murdered, whoremongered, sorcerers (pharmakeus =drug abuse), lied, or idolized. Some unsaved sinners are, or were, all of these things before they came to Jesus and were forgiven. All Christians have sniffed, or touched some of these things but repented and will not be cast into the lake of fire for it.</span></div><div><span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">David not only lied but committed adultery and murder.</span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">"I said <u>in my haste</u>, All men are </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="font-weight: bolder;">liar</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">s." Psm.116:11. Here David confesses he lied when he said that "All men are liars". But did that one exaggeration (lie), said in his "haste" (not that he didn't know better) make David a "Rev. 21:8 Liar" doomed to hell? Of course not. He said it because, though all men are not Rev.21:8 liars, all men... and women and children have lied. David was guilty of violating three of those horrible sins, but we know he was a true believer and went to heaven. He was chosen by God to write Psalms and to be king of God's people. He knew he had sinned but also that he was the apple of God's eye and he prayed for God's mercy....</span></div><div><span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">"Keep me as the </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">apple</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"> of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings," Psm.17:8.</span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div>The fact is that a Rev. 21:8 liar is an unredeemed, perpetual, habitual liar. When you encounter such a person, you can know that though they say they are Catholic or Christian, they are again lying. To twist the word and holy things of God will bring God's judgment.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">"<span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." Prov.30:5-6</span></span></div><div> </div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"><u>The Rev.21:8 habitual liar is always, at heart, an unbeliever.</u></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">"<u>Who</u></span><u><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">is</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">a</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">liar</span></u><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"> but he that denieth that Jesus </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">is</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"> the Christ? He </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">is</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">a</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">ntichrist, that denieth the Father </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">a</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="color: #cc0000;">nd the Son." 1 Jn.2:22</span></div><div><br /></div><div><u>A Rev. 21:8 liar listens to and repeats lies habitually</u></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">"A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; a </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">liar</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"> giveth ear to a naughty tongue." Prov.17:4 </span></span></div></span></div><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"><div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><u>Why are some people so addicted to lying?</u></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. .... When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">liar:</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"> and the father of it." </span></span><span>Jn.8:44</span></span></div></span></div><div><br /></div><span><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span>I will quote a man's words, but God will be the Judge:</span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span><br /></span></span></div>1. “I will shut down the virus, not the economy.” – </span></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Campaign </span><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Rally in Tampa, Florida, October 29, 2020</span></b></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. “I don’t think [vaccine mandates] should be mandatory.” – </span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Press conference, December 4, 2020</b></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. “If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the </span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">best of us, not the worst. I will be an ally of the light, not the </span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">darkness. It is time for us, for we, the people, to come together. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">And make no mistake, united we can and will overcome this </span><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">season of darkness in America.” – </span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nomination Acceptance Address, August 20, 2020.</b></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">4. “No new taxes” for Americans making less than $400,000 – </span></span><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Interview, August 21, 2020</span></b></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span>5. “We will not conduct a hasty rush to the exit [out of Afghanistan]. </span></span><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">We’ll do it </span><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">- </span><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span>we’ll do it responsibly, deliberately, and safely.” – </span></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Remarks on Afghanistan, April 14, 2021</b></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">6. “We’re going to stay until we get [all Americans] out [of Afghanistan].” – </span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Interview with George Stephanopoulos, August 19, 2021</b></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">7. “America is back. The transatlantic alliance is back.” – </span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Virtual Munich Security Conference, February 19, 2021</b></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">8. “I will make it clear to the Kremlin that it must end its aggression toward and occupation of Ukraine.” – </span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Statement on Ukraine’s Independence Day, August 24, 2020</b></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">9. “[I will] end the opioid crisis.” – </span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Biden/Harris campaign website</b></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">10. “I will not…use the Justice Department as my vehicle to insist that something happen.” – </span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>NBC Interview with Lester Holt, November 25, 2020 </b></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Has President Biden kept his word and been honest?</b></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="g tF2Cxc" data-hveid="CBwQAA" data-ved="2ahUKEwj3to_t7Lz3AhVdLDQIHXGBAEkQFSgAegQIHBAA" style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; width: 600px;"><div class="jtfYYd" data-sokoban-container="SOKOBAN_17233128635728481679" style="contain: layout paint; display: flex; flex-direction: column; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="NJo7tc Z26q7c uUuwM" data-content-feature="1" style="flex-direction: row; flex: 1 1 100%; min-width: 0px;"><div class="VwiC3b yXK7lf MUxGbd yDYNvb lyLwlc lEBKkf" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; background-color: white; color: #4d5156; display: -webkit-box; margin-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0px;">Jesus said it ....</div><div class="VwiC3b yXK7lf MUxGbd yDYNvb lyLwlc lEBKkf" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; display: -webkit-box; margin-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #073763;">"For by thy words thou shalt be justified, </span></div><div class="VwiC3b yXK7lf MUxGbd yDYNvb lyLwlc lEBKkf" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; display: -webkit-box; margin-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #073763;">and by thy words, thou shalt be condemned." </span></div><div class="VwiC3b yXK7lf MUxGbd yDYNvb lyLwlc lEBKkf" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; display: -webkit-box; margin-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #073763;"> Matt. 12:37</span></div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><div class="bcw pR1 pL1 bLight2T bLight2B" style="border-bottom: 0.1em solid rgb(209, 209, 209); border-top: 0.1em solid rgb(209, 209, 209); font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; padding-left: 0.1em; padding-right: 0.1em;"><div id="divDraggable" style="width: 846px;"><div class="fr" id="divDragHandle" style="background-color: white; cursor: w-resize; float: right; height: 629px;"><div class="w19px fh bcw" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 50% 0%; background-repeat: repeat-y; background-size: initial; background: url("/Images/post_resize-background.gif") center top repeat-y; height: 628.993px; width: 19px;"><div class="fh" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 50% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; background: url("/Images/post_resize-arrows.png") center top no-repeat; height: 628.993px;"><div class="fh" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 50% 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; background: url("/Images/post_resize-arrows.png") center bottom no-repeat; height: 628.993px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="fh nb" style="border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; height: 628.993px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><tbody><tr><td class="w50px" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 50% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; background: url("/Images/post_resize-button.png") center center no-repeat; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 50px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-36385490827797369192022-04-26T14:38:00.003-05:002022-04-26T14:38:46.792-05:00Your Own Talent Is As Valuable As Any Hero, Expert, Or Genius <div><span style="font-size: x-large;">If you cultivate and use it ....</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Do not resent or fret if you can't star at sports or some other area of superior accomplishment. It is not the having of great talent that is so rare, but the cultivating of it and using it. Invest yourself in the greater good and you will shine. RB</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">When baseball greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">went on tour in baseball-crazy Japan </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">in 1934, some fans wondered why a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">third-string catcher named Moe Berg was included.</span></div><div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div id="yiv4735470180ydpc6e165fyiv9120136352ydpdad6eda8yiv4849668341"><div id="yiv4735470180ydpc6e165fyiv9120136352ydpdad6eda8yiv4849668341ydp70fff6dfyahoo_quoted_9606133071"><div id="yiv4735470180ydpc6e165fyiv9120136352ydpdad6eda8yiv4849668341ydp70fff6dfyiv6419702359"><div id="yiv4735470180ydpc6e165fyiv9120136352ydpdad6eda8yiv4849668341ydp70fff6dfyiv6419702359"><div id="yiv4735470180ydpc6e165fyiv9120136352ydpdad6eda8yiv4849668341ydp70fff6dfyiv6419702359"><div id="yiv4735470180ydpc6e165fyiv9120136352ydpdad6eda8yiv4849668341ydp70fff6dfyiv6419702359x_m_3069028734890107879x_yiv2306896428"><div id="yiv4735470180ydpc6e165fyiv9120136352ydpdad6eda8yiv4849668341ydp70fff6dfyiv6419702359x_m_3069028734890107879x_yiv2306896428m_237123638992754909m_-5256288598362843602yiv2668501817"><div id="yiv4735470180ydpc6e165fyiv9120136352ydpdad6eda8yiv4849668341ydp70fff6dfyiv6419702359x_m_3069028734890107879x_yiv2306896428m_237123638992754909m_-5256288598362843602yiv2668501817"><div id="yiv4735470180ydpc6e165fyiv9120136352ydpdad6eda8yiv4849668341ydp70fff6dfyiv6419702359x_m_3069028734890107879x_yiv2306896428m_237123638992754909m_-5256288598362843602yiv2668501817"><div style="border-color: currentcolor currentcolor currentcolor rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-width: 1pt; border-style: none none none solid; padding: 0in 0in 0in 11pt;"><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Although he played with five major-league teams from 1923 to 1939, he was a very mediocre ballplayer. but Moe was regarded as the </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">brainiest </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">ballplayer of all time. In fact, </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Casey Stengel once said, "That is the strangest man ever to play </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">baseball".</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">When all the baseball stars went to Japan, Moe</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;">Berg went with them and many people wondered why he went with </span><span style="font-size: 26.6667px;">“</span><span style="font-size: 20pt;">the </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">team."</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><img border="0" height="387" id="yiv4735470180_x0000_i1025" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Flinkprotect.cudasvc.com%2Furl%3Fa%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffiles.ctctcdn.com%252F38fbfe4e101%252F997b447f-bd6f-4ed2-a038-9ec510da43c6.jpg%26c%3DE%2C1%2CAZI6BttKNWU_9K6VFxdFLw_xouscCknG2o0vdzcqw5sCGppr2omsR_pl_JeZMkioqGv3v9EwRz5ye-l8WPaNKgAyIdnTDtZjqciHvdY1-fYxHo35bjL-%26typo%3D1&t=1650992348&ymreqid=1b75ec5e-bd40-c700-1c88-2f0001019e00&sig=pRzXudnbL2v6ftnjjNAIgg--~D" style="min-height: 4.0312in; text-indent: -9999px; width: 4.9479in;" width="475" /></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth</span></em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The answer was simple: Moe Berg was a United States spy</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">, working undercover with the Office of Strategic Services (predecessor of today's CIA).</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Moe spoke 15 languages - including Japanese.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">And he had two loves</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">: baseball and spying.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">In Tokyo, garbed in a kimono, Berg took flowers to the daughter of an American diplomat being treated in St. Luke's Hospital, the tallest building in the Japanese capital.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">He never delivered the flowers the ball player </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">ascended to the hospital roof and filmed key features: the harbor, military installations, railway yards, etc.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Eight years later, General Jimmy Doolittle studied Berg's films in planning his spectacular raid on Tokyo..</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><img border="0" height="363" id="yiv4735470180_x0000_i1026" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Flinkprotect.cudasvc.com%2Furl%3Fa%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffiles.ctctcdn.com%252F38fbfe4e101%252F64dc5888-2ad4-49fa-bea0-0f63d24e2932.jpg%26c%3DE%2C1%2C__iD_OcYTulqz0Ez4YeOgZ8gSVPyz68QLlbuOB3D3upVJzz4GJrU3npGVgJGNWdBzhHDL-BPyoL_lIkaCQ_Amnj1chdmFOm3rgrZ14YK-SEpRmFcBQ%2C%2C%26typo%3D1&t=1650992348&ymreqid=1b75ec5e-bd40-c700-1c88-2f0001019e00&sig=CZJEun9HYR7KNC2LgSrDQQ--~D" style="min-height: 3.7812in; text-indent: -9999px; width: 3.0312in;" width="291" /></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">His father disapproved and never once watched his son </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">play. In Barringer High School, Moe learned </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Latin, </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Greek, and French. Moe read at least 10 newspapers every day.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">He graduated magna cum laude from Princeton - having added </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Spanish, </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Italian, German, and Sanskrit to his linguistic quiver.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">During further studies at the </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Sorbonne, in Paris, and Columbia Law School, he picked</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> up Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Arabic, Portuguese and Hungarian, 15 languages in all, plus some regional dialects.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">While playing baseball for Princeton University, Moe Berg would describe plays in Latin or Sanskrit.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><img border="0" height="326" id="yiv4735470180_x0000_i1027" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Flinkprotect.cudasvc.com%2Furl%3Fa%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffiles.ctctcdn.com%252F38fbfe4e101%252F61496c26-27c1-4bff-bc2e-b1cf3c5e2cca.jpg%26c%3DE%2C1%2Cir1OVo81lExIV1uGFGqhrCGwJ0PWthZzoEMcQFaLVf0eiSJFfqEpDpMLohVgh6rYxOnFBZGEL8Iyw32yTDL2Q5ZPhHLZkXZ2wAqorCdTW0F77IKj%26typo%3D1&t=1650992348&ymreqid=1b75ec5e-bd40-c700-1c88-2f0001019e00&sig=rkoIeekM95WnZR2ESIV_4w--~D" style="min-height: 3.3958in; text-indent: -9999px; width: 4.875in;" width="468" /></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Tito's</span></em><i><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /><em>partisans</em></span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">During World War II, Moe was parachuted into Yugoslavia to assess</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> the value of the war effort of the two groups of partisans there. He reported back that Marshall</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> Tito's forces were widely supported by the people, and Winston Churchill ordered all-out support for</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> the Yugoslav underground fighter, rather than Mihajlovic's Serbians.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The parachute jump at age 41</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">undoubtedly was a challenge. But there</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> was more to come in that same year. Berg penetrated German-held Norway, met with members of the</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> underground, and located a secret </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">heavy-water plant -- part of the Nazis' effort to build an atomic bomb.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">His information guided the Royal Air Force in a bombing raid </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">to destroy that plant.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><img border="0" height="649" id="yiv4735470180_x0000_i1028" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Flinkprotect.cudasvc.com%2Furl%3Fa%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffiles.ctctcdn.com%252F38fbfe4e101%252Fa858ad35-d3ec-43d1-85bd-abf5a3ed7472.jpg%26c%3DE%2C1%2C6nGwydFDpvJK9FD2_y0caFp2wsVfvWpXhmwpD8_LPRaTwRX6SfifVD4F0dFJ5WB562YYm_CS6VAk2o6vyk1mX0nEnHzHpPn6lfZUQ-aUNfK2HhM2Qmgytw%2C%2C%26ty&t=1650992348&ymreqid=1b75ec5e-bd40-c700-1c88-2f0001019e00&sig=Q2ea7W40y8Vdrdbb60P7kg--~D" style="min-height: 6.7604in; text-indent: -9999px; width: 4.7395in;" width="455" /></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The R.A.F. destroys the Norwegian heavy water plant targeted by Moe Berg.</span></em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">There still remained the question of how far had the Nazis progressed in</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> the race to build the first Atomic bomb. If the Nazis were successful, they would win the war. Berg</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">(under the code name "Remus") was sent to Switzerland to hear leading German physicist Werner Heisenberg, a Nobel laureate</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">, lecture and determine if the Nazis were close to building an A-bomb. Moe managed to slip past the SS guards at</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> the auditorium, posing as a Swiss graduate student. The spy carried in his pocket a pistol and a cyanide pill.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">If the German indicated the Nazis were close to building a weapon</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">, Berg was to shoot him - and then swallow the cyanide pill. Moe, sitting in the front row, determined that</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> the Germans were nowhere near their goal, so he complimented Heisenberg on his speech and walked him back</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> to his hotel.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><img border="0" height="375" id="yiv4735470180_x0000_i1029" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Flinkprotect.cudasvc.com%2Furl%3Fa%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffiles.ctctcdn.com%252F38fbfe4e101%252Ffd36e9f7-9098-418b-a5c8-e88014bdd257.jpg%26c%3DE%2C1%2CRQh2_1DgbYrsJSPUwQ1kxNECgA0b8TZgQ2FzGJUMJ4NdkT-U2ha7VI58T2o4KyRgWq8dOj0asrjZ6ZN8Z9-VewySpJ2fxtBkU6AkbYsdfOPt%26typo%3D1&t=1650992348&ymreqid=1b75ec5e-bd40-c700-1c88-2f0001019e00&sig=ZT3xsSQjFsDKJfgxW6kLuA--~D" style="min-height: 3.9062in; text-indent: -9999px; width: 3.2083in;" width="308" /></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Werner Heisenberg</span></em><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><i><br /><em>-</em><br /><em>he blocked the Nazis from acquiring an atomic bomb.</em></i></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Moe Berg's report was distributed to Britain's Prime Minister </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Winston </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Churchill, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and key figures in the team developing</span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> the Atomic Bomb. Roosevelt responded: "Give</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">my regards to the catcher.”</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Most of Germany's leading physicists had been Jewish and had fled the Nazis mainly to Britain and the United States. After the war, Moe Berg was awarded the Medal of Freedom -- America's </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">highest honor for a civilian in wartime. But Berg refused to accept it </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">because he couldn't tell </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">people about his exploits.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">After his death, his sister accepted the Medal. It now hangs </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">in the Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><img border="0" height="619" id="yiv4735470180_x0000_i1030" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Flinkprotect.cudasvc.com%2Furl%3Fa%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffiles.ctctcdn.com%252F38fbfe4e101%252F7c6c316c-bc19-43f3-a46b-ad14d099af1e.jpg%26c%3DE%2C1%2CkSdh9aE2Vx6ZNEtwU2cVZfIklqDrz_4EDF3OnMd-0WIDK3WMZ2IlY0oCnoP-6KvBvs8lszPt7VdRJmq55yBMvdlBbxnGWNrNtR0b_3DLxhO3vT_acU7D%26typo%3D1&t=1650992348&ymreqid=1b75ec5e-bd40-c700-1c88-2f0001019e00&sig=0xgWM9iLJeNHaHJkJgntyQ--~D" style="min-height: 6.4479in; text-indent: -9999px; width: 2.8437in;" width="273" /></span></b></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Presidential Medal of Freedom: the highest award given to civilians during wartime.</span></em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Moe Berg's baseball card is the only card on display at the</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">CIA Headquarters in Washington, DC.</span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><img border="0" height="458" id="yiv4735470180_x0000_i1031" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Flinkprotect.cudasvc.com%2Furl%3Fa%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffiles.ctctcdn.com%252F38fbfe4e101%252F53f24bc2-7444-4c45-bdf9-7d849e453f54.jpg%26c%3DE%2C1%2C1Opa7WGo86QTVEhBpymhXmWxg-N3MR1rZXhESM83K3i8_E1COwgEdk6QbLSNaUHCWzIRqVbhzOHYNFs-W9Bd0VcQlBpcbSmx3VLS7ozISlbYxvIRQdFJFg%2C%2C%26ty&t=1650992348&ymreqid=1b75ec5e-bd40-c700-1c88-2f0001019e00&sig=ATk0WhRlKnPAkpBp9Xoobw--~D" style="min-height: 4.7708in; text-indent: -9999px; width: 3.9166in;" width="376" /></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p class="yiv4735470180MsoNormal"><span style="color: #26282a; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">So now you know! So cultivate your own talents, and use them. RB</span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-57927384911587535032022-04-19T13:15:00.012-05:002022-04-26T16:47:00.803-05:00Everything Outside Of God's Truth Is a Lie Ozzing Corruption<span style="font-size: large;">This includes the entire earth and all that is in it .... </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">except for the truth as God knows it. The very moment a person willfully turns their back to God they turn their face to the lie and to corruption. All secular endeavors and most religious ones are flawed to the core and unredeemable. Only the eternal soul, breathed into the human body, by our Creator, is redeemable and is thus set apart from the corruption surrounding it. It has then become as an embedded light bulb on the ceiling of an otherwise cold and blindingly dark room. Darkness is nothing ... except the absence of light. And light is the sole purpose of a light bulb even as God's truth, His word, our Christian life, and Testimony ... our LIGHT is our purpose in this sin-darkened world. if we do not shine forth the revealing, vision, warmth, glory, and power of God, He may unscrew and replace us.</span><div><span style="font-size: large;">After our redemption, the only reason God leaves us in this corrupt and darkened world is to "Brighten the corner where we are" with His light.</span></div></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-18739937162427251202022-04-15T16:30:00.000-05:002022-04-15T16:30:26.201-05:00The Best Laid Plans Of Mice And Men<span style="font-size: large;"><span>Often Go Awry! </span><span>Common Sense Commentary</span></span><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The account below is from a friend concerning one of the first results of our Left-Wing leaders switching our power grid from red hot Fossil Fuel to wilting green. I know why God put the Solar Sun, Wind, and Rivers of water here ... but why did He put oceans of Fossil Fuels under our feet where He also put metals and hundreds of other useful resources we humans need? Of what earthly, human use are those Fossil Fuels? Ask Germany and all of Europe since Russia's Fossil Fuel pipelines to them have been shut down. RB </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">______________________________</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Here is what an engineer told my friend's friend</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif">I was talking this morning with an engineer at a South-eastern power utility. He is being retasked with trying to locate transformers and all the other items that keep the local grid up and running. "It's getting tough," he told me. It used to be that when a transformer blew, they'd just send it off to metal recyclers. Now, they're looking for people to refurbish them. A new transformer - lead times are now 2 years.</span><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;" /><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif">I asked, "How long, at the current rate, will it be before you start to have difficulties supplying power?" He said, that within 6 - 12 months, he thinks they'll have to start telling new developments that there will be a delay in supplying power. Not long after that, they might have to start telling existing customers there are problems supplying power.</span><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;" /><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif">Oh, and all that "green power" - he said they're taking resources that are making the problem worse.</span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.9999px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.9999px;">____________________________________</span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.9999px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.9999px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><div style="font-size: medium;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I will pick just one other example, of thousands of men's plans, or was it mice, which went astray. A most notable, global example is the U.S. world Reserve Currency status for the last 78 years, but alas, it too has gone awry because our politicians abused it in every possible way.</span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-size: large;">Reserve Currency </span><span>status has run its course in the US.</span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since WWII it has enriched our nation above all others.</span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">The rest of the world has paid the price to make us rich.</span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">But they did not cause our loss; we did it to ourselves. </span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now a</span><span style="font-size: large;"> global, digital, currency system awaits unveiling.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Control of all money will mean control of all people.</span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">The best-laid plans of mice and men have gone awry.</span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div><span>The changing Reserve Currency System:</span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ttmygh/status/1506012828133588995?cxt=HBwWhoCsgYSst-YpAAAA&cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw==&refsrc=email" style="color: #000064; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="https://twitter.com/ttmygh/status/1506012828133588995?cxt=HBwWhoCsgYSst-YpAAAA&cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw==&refsrc=email">https://twitter.com/ttmygh/status/1506012828133588995?cxt=HBwWhoCsgYSst-YpAAAA&cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw==&refsrc=email</a><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif"> </span></span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Reserve Currency</span><span> </span><span>status has run its course in the US.</span></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since WWII, (1944) at Bretton Woods, it has enriched our nation above all others. We are now looking at the caboose of that train as it passes out of America.</span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What is, or was the Bretton Woods Agreement, that went awry?</span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It is explained in the link below ... but, as usual ... the best-laid plans of mice and men have gone awry ... again. RB</span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-bretton-woods-agreement-definition-collapse.html?src=ppc_adwords_nonbrand&rcntxt=aws&crt=519972749261&kwd=&kwid=dsa-1253079156202&agid=125582019081&mt=&device=c&network=g&_campaign=SeoPPC">https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-bretton-woods-agreement-definition-collapse.html?src=ppc_adwords_nonbrand&rcntxt=aws&crt=519972749261&kwd=&kwid=dsa-1253079156202&agid=125582019081&mt=&device=c&network=g&_campaign=SeoPPC</a></span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif">Last thought, consider silver ... if you can find any... NOT PAPER in any form. </span><span>And pray for your country; It is in a mess, as is the whole world. If you have Christ, stop worrying, your destiny is glorious. RB</span></span></div></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.9999px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.9999px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.9999px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.9999px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.9999px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.9999px;"><br /></span></div></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-16091746798894675622022-04-05T10:13:00.000-05:002022-04-05T10:13:29.321-05:00My Salute To The Freedom Truckers Of CANADA<div><span style="font-size: x-large;">They have paid a heavy price</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">But the time <b>will</b> come when the elite, leftist, power brokers in government will pay an even greater price for their ruthless arrogance. RB</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><h1 style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; background: rgb(249, 249, 249); color: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-color,var(--yt-spec-text-primary)); display: -webkit-box; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-shadow: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-text-shadow,none); transform: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-transform,none);"><yt-formatted-string style="word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-size: large;">Freedom Convoy Tribute - Stand On Guard/Oh Canada </span></yt-formatted-string></h1></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPDX3cm7hhI&t=2s" style="color: #000064; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPDX3cm7hhI&t=2s</a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> \</span></div><div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><h1 style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; background: rgb(249, 249, 249); color: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-color,var(--yt-spec-text-primary)); display: -webkit-box; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-shadow: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-text-shadow,none); transform: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-transform,none);"><yt-formatted-string style="word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></yt-formatted-string></h1><h1 style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; background: rgb(249, 249, 249); color: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-color,var(--yt-spec-text-primary)); display: -webkit-box; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-shadow: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-text-shadow,none); transform: var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-transform,none);"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span></h1><div><br /></div></div></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245502650849033486.post-18854307847372036762022-04-03T12:50:00.010-05:002022-04-30T14:51:26.435-05:00 Faith's Logic And Reason Plus Facts Opens Truth's Door <div><span style="font-size: x-large;">All else is fiction </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">In Stephen Hawking's book "A Brief History of Time", he, a famous scientist, made an interesting observation ... </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;" /><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">In Chapter 3 of the book, Hawking introduces the reader to the Big Bang Theory and the concept of a gravitational singularity, which Wikipedia describes as “a condition in which gravity is so intense that spacetime itself breaks down catastrophically.” Essentially, since the laws of physics are eviscerated at a singularity, what happened before it is both irrelevant and unknowable, and one could consider such an event as having reset the universe’s clock. Here's how Hawking describes it in his book (emphasis added throughout):</span><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;" /><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">“This means that even if there were events before the big bang, one could not use them to determine what would happen afterward, because predictability would break down at the big bang. Correspondingly, if, as is the case, we know only what has happened since the big bang, we could not determine what happened beforehand. As far as we are concerned, events before the big bang can have no consequences, so they should not form part of a scientific model of the universe. We should therefore cut them out of the model and say that <u>time had a beginning at the big bang. Many people do not like the idea that time has a beginning, probably because it smacks of divine intervention.” </u></span></span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Stephen Hawking</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">So Hawking, one of the most famous scientists in human history, concluded, to the grievance of many evolutionists, that there was a "beginning" of the universe called The Big Bang. If there was a big bang that blew planets in all directions from a center point, it could have exploded into existence when God said, <span style="color: red;">"Let there be ..."</span> in Genesis one. I would not be surprised if there was some big noise caused when God spoke the universe into existence. Every word of our "eternally living", Almighty, all-knowing God has the power of life and truth in it. And if God's word, "Let there be...", resulted in "a great noise or big bang" of creation, it stands to reason that its obliteration would also result in a great noise. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">"But the day of the Lord will come .... in the which the heavens shall pass away with a </span><u><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">great</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">noise</span></u><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial">, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10.</span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">There are many Creationist Christians who have been forced by logic and reason to seek the God of Creation as their LORD ... and found Jesus as their Savior in the pursuit. Here is one of those, Lara Logan, a tough FOX News reporter</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">you know little about, making her own interesting observation, and there are many millions of others who agree. RB</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://rumble.com/vyyngn-lara-logan-points-out-darwin-was-hired-by-the-rothschilds-.html?mref=6zof&mc=dgip3&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Chief+Nerd&ep=2 " style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank"><div style="display: inline; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #000064;"><b>https://rumble.com/vyyngn-lara-logan-points-out-darwin-was-hired-by-the-rothschilds-.html?mref=6zof&mc=dgip3&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Chief+Nerd&ep=2</b></span> </div></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://rumble.com/vyyngn-lara-logan-points-out-darwin-was-hired-by-the-rothschilds-.html?mref=6zof&mc=dgip3&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Chief+Nerd&ep=2 " target="_blank"><blockquote style="border-left: 3px solid rgb(0, 0, 100); color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; padding-left: 0.75em;"></blockquote><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif"> </span></a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>Rayburn Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06628908857747719973noreply@blogger.com0