Memorial Day In America: Weighed On the Scales and Found Wanting

There is hardly a day that goes by that we are not bombarded with new tragedies of one form or another.  We awake in the morning to the news of world-wide financial instability, riots breaking out in European cities over the economy, stock market woes in the United States and abroad, America's sovereignty being threatened, wars and skirmishes rising all across the globe, and natural disasters that threaten the lives of citizens and the balance of nature, to name just a few.   The challenges we face today are not unlike those that have struck the world in the past.  The difference is that they all appear to be occurring at once.  When we mentally list those we are aware of and the speed at which they are happening, it can leave our minds reeling with uncertainty and dread about the future to come.

The old adage, "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it",  seems to be one those in power, including the people who elect them, have chosen to ignore.  This does not surprise me, however, because those with a "progressive" mindset would rather ignore or redefine history and the lessons they could learn from it.  Set within the sacred confines of the hallowed halls of Washington D.C. are the elite who came up out of the ashes of the 60's radical revolution who were bent on the destruction of America and the re-interpretation of the time-honored documents that once guaranteed a stable and united nation.  Their desire was and always has been that of "changing" and restructuring America to fit into their twisted and wicked agendas; the global scheme of a world-wide economy and a world-wide form of governance.  They have effectively infiltrated every department and agency within the United States government and set in place the motions to bring America to its knees before them.  Perhaps their greatest achievement was their success of fooling the uneducated and misguided into placing their pawn, Barrack Obama, into the most powerful position this country has to offer.  As they manipulate his puppet strings, we have seen what he is capable of in just 17 short months.

The greatest threat to America, and the world for that matter, is their effective removal of God from every aspect of our society.  Our courts are crammed with litigation over what the secular world deems is God's proper place.  From prayer in public places to stifling church leader's voices over Godly guidance and Godly behavior, our nation has become one that blindly and stupidly follows the dictates of the Federal government and its courts.  To make matters worse, an attempt to legislate their twisted form of morality within the financial system is being undertaken by the current administration, forgetting that man has free will and a independent thinking process.  A corrupt man may give an outward impression of having a changed heart, but no one, other than God, is able to accurately determine it. 

The Federal government's desire is that Americans will look to them as their god who provides all their needs.  Like Nebuchadnezzar's towering golden statue (Daniel 3), they expect the American people to kneel before them and worship them and their benevolence.  After all, the Christian God is an unseen One, and He appears to have forgotten all about the masses He left behind.  Right?  Because this unhealthy perception and blatant lie has been perpetuated for the last fifty years or more, the masses are beginning to believe it as they watch their bank accounts dwindle  and the world turn upside down.  Instead of falling before the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in repentance, faith and trust, most Americans are kneeling before the alter of Obama's oily brand of "change" and hailing their newly-elected Messiah as the one that can save the world from the disaster to come.  Never wanting to "let a good crisis go to waste", the Obama administration has effectively convinced the American people that the past mistakes are behind us and that we must forge ahead in lockstep into a brave, new world order.

How are we to react to this?  Do we numbly submit to the governing authorities and allow them to dictate to us how we are to live, how much we can earn, and to Whom we worship?  Do we blindly accept all that is being forced upon us at such a rapid rate?  Or, in faith, do we turn to the only One Who has all of the answers to the world's woes and ask Him for help?

As Daniel languished in Babylon, the Lord gave him the ability to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dreams, those which revealed to the powerful dictator his eventual demise.  God also revealed Himself in ways that defy man's perception of the universal rules of order.  Following Nebuchadnezzar's reign and conversion, King Belshazzar shared rule with his father, Nabonidus, as co-regent of Babylon.  In Daniel 5, Belshazzar held a banquet and had the gold and silver goblets that had been stolen from the Temple brought in so that those in attendance could drink from them.  To make matters worse, the people who defiled these instruments used them to drink praise to their false gods and idols.  As they were doing so, a human hand appeared out of nowhere, writing on the wall the following words:

"Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin"

Because the diviners and sorcerers Belshazzar summoned were unable to interpret the words, Daniel was brought to the king.  Daniel proceeded to give Belshazzar a brief history lesson on the recent past failings of Nebuchadnezzar that he apparently chose to ignore, reminding him of Nebuchadnezzar's arrogance and pride and how the Lord had responded to it.  He then went on to reveal the condemnation God would bring upon Belshazzar for his own arrogance, insolence, and pride.  The defiance he demonstrated towards God was repaid to him "that very night" (v30).

The interpretation of the words written by the hand of God should cause us to seriously consider them and apply them to our own situation here in America:

"Mene:  God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end."

"Tekel:  You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting."

"Peres:  Your kingdom is divided (parsin) and given to the Medes and Persians."

Because of our unfaithfulness and defiance toward God, America's glorious days of prosperity and sovereignty are in grave danger of coming to an end.  The disobedience by aligning ourselves with the global unification of the banking systems, economy, and world-wide governance is only part of the equation.  The unholy disrespect and disregard we demonstrate to the God of the universe by dangerously attempting to remove Him and His will from all of society is the most damning.  By attempting to blend the world religions into one, we are minimizing His sovereignty as the God of all creation.  These are the sole reasons we are seeing the things mentioned above.  America has "been weighed on the scales and found wanting."  We have become drunk from the corrupted wine poured into God's golden goblets and have worshiped at the altars of greed, corruption, and committed adultery with Godless nations.  And if we continue on this path, the "kingdom" we hold dear and that was so graciously granted by God will be given to others.

It behooves all of us to not forget the past as Belshazzar did.  God had compassion on Nebuchadnezzar because he ultimately chose Daniel's God.  Not so with the foolish and arrogant king that followed him.  His destruction was swift and sure, and America's will be just as certain and just as swift if we fail to remember the God Who established this great nation and placed His blessing upon it.

With repentant hearts on this Memorial Day weekend, let us all cry out to the God of all nations, peoples, and tongues, Who is the Lord of lords and King of kings, and Whose righteousness, holiness, and justice bears testimony to His Name.  As He looks down upon mankind, and weighs and considers our unfaithfulness to Him, let us pray that He will not find us "wanting".   Pray that we will not forget the mistakes of our past and foolishly repeat them.  And pray that He will once again return His blessing upon America.

"Return to us, O God Almighty!

Look down from heaven and see!

Watch over this vine, the root Your right hand has planted,

the son You have raised up for Yourself."

"Restore us, O LORD God Almighty;

make Your face shine upon us,

that we may be saved."

 

Psalm 80:14, 15, 19

A Strange Mix: Posner, Arizona, and Chinese Attorney Gao Zhi sheng

It seems the current Obama administration is not short of indiscretions, cow-towing and bowing to foreign heads of state, or for making verbal blunders that bode poorly on their worsening image.  Some people may not catch the undertones or innuendos, preferring to believe that the moves made by Obama's henchmen are for the best interest of America and the world.  But those who are listening closely do, further adding more distrust and a bad taste in their mouths over the rapid movement to destabilize and minimize our nation.

The latest flub came from the mouth of Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State to Hillary Clinton.  In a closed-door meeting with Chinese officials, Posner did the unthinkable.  He apologized to China for what he perceives to be the  United State's deplorable human rights offenses, specifically addressing the latest illegal immigration law that was signed by Arizona's governor.  You know, the one being touted as the cruelest form of punishment we could ever inflict on a person attempting to thwart the laws of the United States and illegally cross the Mexico border into the sovereign southern states.  

It does not matter that the majority of the illegals who are sneaking into our nation bring guns, drugs, and crime with them, and also destroy private property, rob people of their possessions, drive up the cost of services, threaten the safety of our citizens and, sadly, kill them.  Nor does it matter that our borders are so porous that it has also been proven that Islamic terrorists have slithered across the border in the dead of night, leaving their prayer rugs and their precious Korans in the dirt behind them.  The irony behind the foolishness of Posner's admission to China regarding America's human rights woes was that he gave it during a press conference and revealed how truly naive and stupid he really is.  Did he seriously think we would agree and give him kudos for his self-declared misguided ideologies?

Posner's narrow-minded altruism prevents him from seeing the truth, especially the truth about the nation he was apologizing to.  China holds the worst human rights abuse record in the world.  That is an undisputed fact.  Having no concern or compassion for their people, they forbid peaceful dissent, arrest them without cause, torture them, seize possessions and property,  force abortion, enslave those who refuse to toe the Communist Chinese line, imprison them in "re-eduction through labor camps", inflicting a form of brain-washing to return them to subservience, murder those who fail to do so, and brutally shoot any North Korean for daring the freezing waters in an attempt to flee their own dark  and God-less nation.  Their bloated bodies floating in the river that borders China and North Korea testify  to China's own illegal immigration laws.

To top it off, China is extremely hostile to the true form of Christianity.  In an attempt to appease the Christian world in 1951, China initiated what is called the "Three Self Patriotic Church", claiming to allow Chinese Christians to practice Christianity.  It basically involves "self-governance, self-support, and self propagation."  In other words, it is all smoke and mirrors and bears no resemblance to the true form of Judeo-Christian doctrine and tenets because it forbids the preaching of Jesus Christ and strictly forbids any proselytizing.  Because of this, millions of Chinese Christians are forced underground in order to worship their Savior and further His Gospel. 

There used to be a time when China was condemned for their brutality against its citizens.  It appears that is no longer the case.  Posner, who held the position of president of the group Human Rights First, led the "Stop the Torture" brigade over Abu Graib, filing a lawsuit against former President George Bush for allowing what they deem to be torture, and was also brought up in the ranks and funded by that fine fellow, George Soros, wasted no time in denigrating America and creating an image of hateful, discriminating, violent Americans bent on using racial profiling and illegal means to stop the illegal immigration problem.  Nothing could be further from the truth but, the truth is not what the Obama administration wants any of us to know about.

As I attempted to sort out the devil in the details, I caught something that was said during a debate about Posner's statement on Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor.  O'Reilly's guest, Juan Williams, in his weak liberal defense of Posner, stated that the intent of the meeting was to discuss all human rights abuses, and that he was sure Posner had addressed China's own.  He then went on to say that a "Chinese attorney" who was being detained by the Chinese government was also discussed.  However, much to my dismay, O'Reilly was not interested and the conversation diverted to what he thought was more relevant.

It is my belief that Gao Zhi sheng, the Chinese Christian civil rights attorney that is profiled often here, is the one Williams spoke of.  Or, at least that is my hope.  As many of you know, China Aid Association has tirelessly worked on behalf of Gao to secure his release.   A flood of letters and petitions has been sent to our Congressmen, our President, and to the United Nations calling for China to, at the very least, reveal Gao's whereabouts and well-being.  A large number of Congressmen wrote and signed a letter to the Chinese government demanding his release.  And I am confident that China Aid will not rest until this information is provided and Gao is, at last, back in the arms of his family.

God often uses the worst of situations to bring about good.  We all know and understand this.  If you are not familiar with this truth, read the Old Testament that bears its testimony.  God's purpose for Gao's persecution is solely His own.  We cannot begin to understand why our God would allow the atrocities that are committed against His children.  But we accept it because, ultimately, His purpose and will is met.  We hold fast to the fact that because of who we are, Christians in an ever-darkening world, we will meet similar persecution, even as violent as what Gao and others have experienced.  Our responsibility is to cling to the Gospel, give it as the opportunities arise, and bear what comes by faith and prayer.

Even if deliverance from persecution is delayed, there are times when God reveals He is still working on our behalf.  Within the heated debate about a poorly misspoken  and inappropriate statement made by Posner were a few words that gave me hope for Gao.  The Lord used the opportunity and took a man bent on destroying America's reputation as being the most compassionate nation regarding human rights and used his words to speak His own:  Gao has not been forgotten.

Although the Obama administration has defended Posner's statement, those of us who stand with Gao and others like him will not remain silent.  Attempts may be made to silence Christians by intimidation, coercion, and threats of death.  But one thing is for certain:  God will be heard, even in the midst of the clamor of one simple sentence.

I would like to conclude by saying that I received an update on Gao today by The Voice of the Martyr's Be-A-Voice Network.  It was disturbing in that it reported that Gao was once again missing and his whereabouts unknown.  In light of the recent Posner-China debaucle, it is my prayer that China is finally feeling the international Christian pressure on Gao's behalf and has only moved him out of the limelight in order to get the world to focus on America's so-called indiscretions as described by Posner.  (You can read China Aid's latest update here.)  I am positive that by doing so, China feels its dark secrets will remain unexposed or ignored.

Please continue to pray for Gao and others who are being held against their will in China.  Pray for their health, their well-being, and their faithfulness to their Savior Jesus Christ.  Pray, also, that the Chinese authorities who are detaining Christians will come to know their error, repent, and embrace the Lord as their Savior. 

By the way, while you are praying for Gao, you might offer one up for Michael Posner.

When Is Enough Enough?

During a recent speech on financial reform, our President raised the ire of many by insinuating there were those who have made enough money in their lifetime and that to further enrich themselves was unnecessary and revealed their greedy nature.  This statement was not intended to encourage those with less to reach for higher goals and aspirations.  Nor was it expressed to encourage those with more to continue to work hard and provide jobs that are so greatly needed at this time.  Instead, it was meant to belittle and denigrate those who have succeeded in attaining wealth through a lifetime of hard work and, more importantly, cause the lower income classes to resent those who are successful and demand they be given what they have not earned from the treasuries of those who have earned it.  In effect, Obama was placing a cap on how much he felt a person could amass in his lifetime, furthering his hatred for capitalism and his lust for control of the U.S. economy by using intimidation and finger-pointing.  Perhaps he should turn his accusing finger upon himself, considering his $5 million declaration of income last year.  Might I ask, Mr. President, if it was enough for you?

Although I strongly disagree with Obama’s entire socialist agenda and his attempt to tear down the America we know and love and unite the world into one giant global government and economy, the question “when is enough enough” should be asked by each of us.  Not in the way Obama wants us to apply it, but by Biblical standards.  It is not the “what” and “how much” we have in our lives that matters.  Rather it is the “Who” we hold claim to that should be the most vital asset we possess.  A person could be the most poverty-stricken soul on this earth yet, if he possesses the Lord, he has the riches of Solomon, the wealth of a thousand kingdoms.  Nothing more can be added that could possibly assure him of greater wealth, comfort, or stature, because he wears a crown of glory upon his head and is adorned with a white robe of righteousness wrapped around his shoulders by God Himself.

When we possess Jesus Christ, our treasury becomes an indestructible heavenly storehouse of riches.  It is eternal, everlasting.  It is divinely guarded and impenetrable.  Unlike our earthly possessions which our President wants to pilfer and give to others, our heavenly treasures cannot be taken from us (Matt 6:19-21).  They are diamonds and rubies fixed firmly in the purest gold that no man can ever pry from their setting.  They are pearls of great wisdom, and silver and gold refined and tested in eternity’s furnace.  And all is laid upon a foundation of the most precious gems, making it durable and everlasting (Rev. 21:19-21).

This, and more, is the answer to Obama’s arrogance in his statement.  He may want to take all that I have and put it into the hands of those who do not deserve it, but he will only temporarily harm me by doing so.  His actions may make my earthly life uncomfortable.  He and the world may even frighten me at times.  But I know when enough is enough for I have already attained it.  I have an eternal inheritance that can never be taxed or taken from me.  The “Who” I hold and claim as my greatest treasure is my Portion, my Savior Jesus Christ.  He is the answer.  He is enough for me.

Additional reading:

Genesis 33:9
Psalm 119:57

You can also read a commentary and watch Obama's speech here.

The Suffering Blog!

I thought I should post a quick note to let everyone know that I haven't abandoned the blog.  Last fall, my husband and I bought a boat - a big boat.  Well, at least it is big enough; almost too big because of the requirements to tow it.  But we knew this before tackling such a behemoth and are really looking forward to finishing the refurbishing we began when we got it home so we can get it in the water and enjoy it with our kids and grandkids.

 

My husband, Steve, filled his unemployed time last winter by completely restoring the interior of the cabin and, I might pridefully add, has done a wonderful job.  After removing all the cabinetry and months of sanding the teak and mahogany that literally cried out for help, applying many new coats of varnish, and tearing out the original carpet and upholstery that absolutely needed to go and laying down new teak floor, she is almost ready for her christening and launch.  That is, after we get some outside work completed that required warmer weather and I get done reupholstering the interior. 

I wasn't sure I wanted to tackle such a project.  Mainly because I needed a heavy duty sewing machine to sew the #10 duck canvas I wanted to replace the old fabric with (grandkid-proof!) and I lacked the space needed to roll it out and cut it.  But the estimates we received convinced me that it would be prudent and cost-effective for me to do so!  (Ouch! they were high!)  So to EBay we went for the sewing machine, the fabric was ordered and the supplies I needed purchased, and that's currently where I'm at.  By doing the work myself, we have saved over two-thirds of the estimated cost!  It's a big project, but I am confident I can accomplish it.  My living room floor has become my cutting table and my dining table sports the sewing machine.  It's the moving everything around that's the biggest headache.  Oh, how nice it would be to have a room I could make a mess in and then close the door when I was done!
 
So, bear with me, folks!  I will try my hardest to post new articles as my work on the upholstery progresses.  When I'm done, I'll post a picture of the newly refurbished boat so you can see what we have done.  In the meantime, delight in the Lord and continue the work He has set before you! 

Crossing the Line: Should A Woman Preach In Church?

There is a question that is all-to-often ignored in today's churches.  It has spawned a great amount of debate in many denominational circles, including the Episcopal and Catholic churches.  It is also one that is blatantly ignored in churches that are influenced by the charismatic movement that have arisen over the last century; i.e., those who misinterpret and misuse the "gifts of the Spirit" (see 1Corinthians 12-14).  The question is whether or not women should preach or teach in the church.

I am a firm believer that God's divine plan was for women to be submissive to men.  Not in an authoritarian and oppressive way, or that a man should debase a woman by hovering supremacy over her, but in align with the structure God set forth from the beginning with Adam and Eve, and her being man's "helpmate".  The problem I have had in the past when hearing a woman assume the pastoral role when the body of Christ meets, or in any other situation that demonstrates a teaching position, has been one of extreme discomfort.  For no other reason than the obvious Biblical instruction, it greatly disturbs me to hear a woman preach and I will not take part in that setting, even rising and leaving the church that allows it.

To some, this may sound "legalistic".  On the contrary, it is Biblical and it is also God's will that in His wisdom in establishing governmental structure over His church as Scripture teaches us, there is divine influence regarding a woman's proper role :

"Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God."  (1Corinthians 11:3)

This does not mean that man is superior to woman other than he is the source of her existence (Genesis 2:4-25), and also the source she should seek for proper Godly instruction.

Peter defines God's will in this by stressing a woman's submissiveness to her husband in 1Peter 3:1-6.  Her true beauty will be found on the inside, not through adornment on the outside.  She will also show her husband tremendous respect and love by remaining obedient to the position she has been placed.  I must add, however, that there is also a responsibility with the husband to remain obedient to God and to share his Godliness and the instruction he has received with her in order that she be the wife to him that God desires.

Pastor John MacArthur does a much better job at explaining the Biblical instruction regarding this question.  I invite you to click here to read and, prayerfully, understand God's will, as spoken through the Apostle Paul where he addressed the church that was allowing the practice of women to speak during an assembly  (if you are not directly linked to the commentary relating to this subject, please see the right hand column on Pastor MacArthur's page that shows "Recent Q and A's" for the correct one).

Paul understood God's intention was to prevent disruptions during worship and a way for man and woman to work together for the betterment of the church body, rather than dividing it.  God established a line of authority that, if applied correctly, would keep the church unified and in agreement.  It is my firm belief that if this line of authority is crossed, the body of Christ suffers and is in peril of being deceived.

I encourage you to read God's Word and Pastor MacArthur's commentary so that you can determine this for yourself.