I WEEP FOR AMERICA……


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            As I was returning home Wednesday night from East Texas where we do a monthly program for the Nursing Home where our mother resides I incurred an incredible migraine headache.  The last 75 miles was almost more than I could endure due to the headache rendering me unable fully focus along with the nausea that accompanied this type of headache.  I was sick physically.  I went to bed early and got up late with the same persistent headache and nausea so again I was sick physically.  As I lay in the darkened bedroom I was overcome with “weeping” not because of the pain of the headache but for my country the United States of America.  Although I know that God does not get sick I wondered if maybe God felt the pain for America that I was feeling from the headache I was suffering. 

            I began to weep and that continued for most of the day as I would think about various aspects and conditions of our society, the government, and the deception that exists in this great land today.  I recalled hearing a lady call in on a talk show as I traveled back home on Wednesday and she would listen to no explanation or reason as to why her particular Fiscal and healthcare situation could be directly laid at the feet of Obama.  Her explanation was, “He’s black and he would never allow that to happen to me.”  When asked if she thought her comments were racist she replied, “No, only white people are racist.”  That made me angry initially and then incredibly sad and despondent.  I thought and prayed, “Oh God, how can this be? How can anyone be so blind to their own prejudice and bias?”  But, I see it virtually every day and not all the racism I hear comes from blacks I hear some from whites as well.  Liberal whites living in a “guilt complex” and wanting to impose that attitude on everyone else.  I also hear it from some that are on the other side and are so angry that they fall into the trap of categorizing every one of a particular race or gender in a certain manner.  Racism is alive and well in far too many hearts and minds and the President has encouraged that attitude in his actions, words, and demonstrated attitude as well as that of his Attorney General.  You can disagree and that is your right but that is how I see it.

            I see destruction of ‘HOPE’ for future generations due to the massive debt and deficit and the prospect that it is going to continue to spiral out of control to the point that we will literally be pushed over the edge of the ‘REAL FISCAL CLIFF.’  I weep for my grandchildren who, if this nation survives the next four years and  somehow the Congress and the next President wakes up and begins to move toward repealing some of the incredibly destructive things that have come out of this administration, I still wonder if they will have a future.  I wonder if they will, as we, look at the bleak dilemma our nation is in and begin to work to try to secure a hope for their grandchildren or great-grandchildren while realizing that there is NO FUTURE for them personally.  That makes me weep!

             I weep when I see a President who has promised to have the most “Transparent Administration” in history become so divisive, partisan, and secretive while clearly discernible laws are broken to hide information, as well as trashing the Constitution of this great nation.  I see the D.O.J. backing the President and vice-versa in ignoring the Rule of Law, the Constitution, Congress, and the American people.  I see his hand outstretched in friendship to those who would destroy us and his back turned to those who have befriended us through the years.  I weep!

            When it comes to getting control of the INSANE AND INSATIABLE SPENDING that is crippling this economy, destroying small businesses, and ruining millions of lives and hear the President declare that we cannot make a 2% cut which, is approximately what Sequester amounts to I weep!  The General Accounting Office and Congressional Budget Offices have identified several hundred billion in overlaps of agencies and programs and waste that could easily be cut and he laments that the dastardly Republicans are going to cause the World to End if they do not compromise and ignore cuts but give him more revenue.  When you realize that the cuts in Sequester would be less than the waste and overlap that those two agencies have identified you have to wonder what his motivation is for wanting to so deeply cut the Department of Defense while making no cuts to the EPA, HUD, or other agencies that he likes.  I weep!

            When I hear Republicans basically agree with him that Sequester is dire and dare not take place, I wonder if there is any hope for this nation and I weep!  When I hear people like Karl Rove attack the truly conservative candidates that we have elected and declare that only he and his billionaire buddies are capable of telling us who to nominate, I weep!  There was a time when Democrats and Republicans alike would ask “Is this Constitutional?”  There was a time when those on both sides of the aisle had at least a token interest in doing what was best for this nation and serving the people who sent them to Washington but that day seems to be gone forever and I weep!

             I am sick emotionally over the condition and position of our nation!  I am sick in my heart when I realize how far this nation has drifted from its foundational principles and core values.  I am sick when I realize that the seeming design of this administration and the left is to dismantle and destroy the opposition party, the Republicans and the Republicans playing into their hands and self-destructing.  All these are things that make me weep for my nation. 

            I dare not cease my intercession for the nation and the people of this nation.  I dare not lose my confidence in God and that someway somehow the American people will do what they have done for generations, rise up and stand together and stand tall to overcome this condition and situation.  I dare not lose my willingness to do whatever is required of me to help facilitate the recovery of our lost values, constitutional principles, and preserve our God-given rights, freedoms, and liberties.  But, as I work tirelessly to accomplish that I WEEP FOR MY COUNTRY!

             May God be with you, protect you, enlighten you, encourage you, and empower you to do what He would have  you do in this struggle both naturally and spiritually and may God deliver this nation!

AMERICA NEEDS LEADERS…..


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            Just a few days ago I attended the memorial service for former Navy Seal sniper Chief Chris Kyle at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.  Although I had never met Chief Kyle, as a Vietnam veteran and an American patriot I wanted to attend to show my respect to a true American hero and honor his memory as a way of saying “Thank You” to Chief Kyle and all who have served, are serving, or will serve in the future.  It was a very fitting service done with dignity, respect, and class.

             I sat and listened to the songs, the prayers, and the words of friends, classmates, Seal teammates, and his wife.  As I listened I heard about a man who had managed to meld the difficult line of being a committed warrior and a committed Christian.  I also heard the heart of the man himself as various ones spoke about his compassion and love for his fellow-man and especially those who had given of themselves to serve this nation.  I do not know the name of the Lt. Commander who spoke about The Man, The Myth, and The Legend but his words resonated with me in a way that I will never find words to fully describe.  Chief Kyle’s wife’s heartfelt words will ring in my heart for a long time and I will committedly pray for her and the children.  Now for days I have had something stirring in my spirit since the service that keeps growing and crying for release.  I came away from the service thinking America needs more people of the makeup of Chris Kyle.  I guess another way to say it is AMERICA NEEDS LEADERS who have commitment, loyalty, integrity, courage, valor, and serve with honor.  We have too many people who are in leadership positions that have none of those qualities and yet we sing accolades to them undeservedly.

             If I were to compare a Chris Kyle to Barack Obama the contrast would be so stark and sharp that it would be almost frightening especially when I realize that Barack Obama is President of these United States of America.  From the reports that I heard during the service, Chief Kyle disregarded his personal safety on so many occasions in the interest of defending those he was charged with protecting.  Barack Obama, in my view, seeks his own glorification and gratification without regard for those he is charged with leading.  When I review the SEAL Code, that is relatively new, it is easy to understand why the SEALs are among if not the most competent fighting force in the world.

 In brief the SEAL Code states:

  • Loyalty to Country, Team and Teammate
  • Serve with Honor and Integrity On and Off the Battlefield
  • Ready to Lead, Ready to Follow, Never Quit
  • Take responsibility for your actions and the actions of your teammates
  • Excel as Warriors through Discipline and Innovation
  • Train for War, Fight to Win, Defeat our Nation’s Enemies
  • Earn your Trident everyday
  •              That is such a complete contrast to what I see in this President and virtually all members of Congress in Washington.  True Leaders have an unquestioned and uncompromised LOYALTY to Country, Team and Teammate.  True Leaders always serve with HONOR and INTEGRITY 24/7/365.  True Leaders are always READY TO LEAD and LEAD but are capable and willing to follow and have such dogged determination and commitment to that which they have been charged to oversee THEY NEVER QUIT.  True Leaders always TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for their own actions rather than trying to “blame someone or something else.”  They also take responsibility for those with whom they are serving.  True Leaders EXCEL through discipline and innovation putting others ahead of their own ambitions or desires.  True Leaders TRAIN or WORK with a commitment to defeat the enemies and obstacles of our nation.  True Leaders earn RESPECT everyday they don’t just assume that it is to be given without any action or commitment on their part.

                 America needs Leaders!  We need men and women in Congress, the Courts, and the White House who demonstrate, those qualities listed above.  We need people who will HONOR the Constitution, RESPECT the American people, DEFEND this Nation, and ABIDE by the Rule of Law.  We need people (LEADERS) who will set aside their personal ambitions and egos and strive to be what they were elected to be, PUBLIC SERVANTS.  I am now praying specifically that God give us LEADERS who embody the characteristics described in the NAVY SEAL CODE.  God give us men and women who will HONOR God, LIVE BY the Constitution, and ABIDE BY the Rule of Law ethically, honestly, with integrity and honor.  Give us that and America will rise to greatness again.  Take that from us and this nation will fall into a deeper state of depravity and go farther and farther away from the foundation upon which this nation was established.

                 God it is my prayer that you bless each person and guide this nation back to the path upon which you would desire us to tread sending us the LEADERS needed to bring us to that place.

    COMMANDER-IN-ABSENTIA…..


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    In so many situations that defines and describes the sitting President of these United States not only now but back when he was a member of the State House in Illinois and while in the United States Senate where he was oft found to vote PRESENT rather than take a stand.

     

                ABSENTIA – is Latin for ‘in absence,’ or more fully, in one’s absence.  In the case of Benghazi and the attack on our embassy, the death of our ambassador and three other individuals including former Navy Seals he could only be referred to as “Commander-In-Absentia” because HE WAS NOT PRESENT and NOT INVOLVED in handling the matter as it unfolded.  I don’t just think that I take it from the testimony of the current Secretary of Defense in testimony given UNDER OATH to the United States Senate.

     

                When Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) asked Leon Panetta if he had direct communication with the President after their “pre-scheduled” meeting at 5 PM EDT, he said NO.  The assault on the consulate had already been underway an hour and a half by that time.  Panetta acknowledged that neither the President nor anyone else from the White House called afterward to check on what was happening.  Mr. Panetta said, “The Commander-in-Chief” left it up to us!  I am quite sure that Constitutional Law requires the President to give the orders militarily that would have been required but he was nowhere to be found.

     

                Mr. Obama has claimed that he gave “three directives” as soon as he learned what was happening but Mr. Panetta contradicts that assertion.  So who is lying and what would Panetta have to gain by lying?  Mr. Obama told a Denver reporter in October:

               

    “I gave three very clear directives. Number one, make sure we are securing our personnel and that we are doing whatever we need to. Number two, we are going to investigate exactly what happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Number three; find out who did this so we can bring them to justice.”

     

                His right hand man and compatriot in crime Rahm Emmanuel defended the president but my questions are as follows:

     

    1. 1.    Were those directives actually given?
    2. 2.    Where is the proof?  (There is always a paper trail to confirm such actions)
    3. 3.    If they were they must have been long after the attack not during the actual events.

     

    Senator Ted Cruz of Texas secured admission from both Dempsey and Panetta that they were not in touch with Secretary of State Clinton during the attacks and received ZERO HELP from the State Department.  They even expressed surprise at Secretary of State Clinton’s testimony UNDER OATH that she did not know about an URGENT CABLE from Ambassador Stevens last August about the seriousness of the situation.

     

    Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) received an admission from Panetta that no military action whatsoever had been ordered leaving the consulate on its own in the attack that lasted more than five hours.  When Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) quizzed Deputy National Security Advisor John Brennan about why the administration did nothing to question a suspect he was told that Tunisian authorities had arrested the suspect and there was no provision in Tunisian law to allow the United States to question him.  I do believe that we could have exerted enough pressure on the Tunisian government to elicit their cooperation in this matter had we desired to do so.

     

    It is incredibly clear to me that Barack Obama the President of the United States of America for whatever reason did not care enough about the people in the embassy to be involved and take steps to protect and defend our consulate, which represent the United States of America itself.  Obama did NOTHING.  Clinton did NOTHING.  The Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff did NOTHING.  The Deputy National Security Advisor did NOTHING.  Not only did they DO NOTHING but they spun a lie to cover their FAILURE because the ELECTION was more important that our embassy and the lives of our citizens in Benghazi.  That is more than dereliction of duty it is criminal and treasonous, in my view!  Yet, sadly it seems that nothing will be done to HOLD THE PRESIDENT ACCOUNTABLE for his FAILURE in this or any other situation.

     

    God help us!  America and Americans if we do not exert enough pressure on our elected officials to get them to act we have LOST THE REPUBLIC.  I know many will tell me too late we already have but I must maintain a shred of hope that we can find enough men and women who are honorable and willing to follow the Constitution and the Law and DO THE RIGHT THING!

     

    Mr. Obama, I try to respect you but you make it impossible.  I do respect the Constitution, the office of the President but your actions are reprehensible to me and I have and will continue to call for my Senators and Congressman to take the necessary action to see you not only removed from office but tried for your crimes.

     

    God bless you and God bless America!

    DISRESPECTFUL AND INCONSIDERATE THE NEW NORM?


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                I believe that our society has declined to the point that the “new norm” of behavior is one of being DISRESPECTFUL and INCONSIDERATE.  I also believe that there are thousands who are totally shocked when they confronted with their own participation in that “new norm.”  There is a VERY HIGH COST in allowing our interpersonal and other relations decline to this point and I would like to point out some of the ways that I believe we are practicing this “new norm” and the “penalty” or “repercussions” that result from such behavior.  I write this with a broken heart for God’s people, our nation, and with a deep sense of shame that I too have been guilty, at times.

    LET ME EXPLAIN:

    • SOCIAL MEDIA      

              I have found that on Facebook alone many people, as a norm, arbitrarily add people  to groups without their permission or even asking if they would like to join or participate in that group.  Others, with regularity, post links and other items to people’s walls without first asking the owner of the wall their opinion or desire to have that link or post there.  (I’m not talking about wishing someone a happy birthday, anniversary, or innocuous posts of normal social interaction.)  Those aforementioned actions are, in my view, DISREPECTFUL and INCONSIDERATE.  They presume or assume a right on the part of the individual committing those actions to do whatever they desire irrespective of the feelings or desires of the other person.  It is virtually an expression that says “I know what’s best for you,” or “I like this so should you.”

    •  INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS.

               Frequently it appears that too many of us are not willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt before rendering judgment.  We react without the facts to support our reaction and demonstrate incredible DISRESPECT for that individual.  Likewise we demonstrate the IT’S ALL ABOUT ME attitude in simple things like highway driving when we refuse to allow someone to merge in front of us when we easily could.  At the checkout, stand when we notice someone with only a couple of items and we have a basket full we press forward without considering that by allowing them go to in front of us they might enable them to complete what could have been an urgent shopping event and get on with what their day held for them.  Husbands and wives too often fail to consider the needs or even desire of their partner and focus on WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?  On the job, from both directions,   ITS ALL ABOUT ME more than what is best for the company or others around me including the customer.  Even in the matter of financial obligations we sometimes fail to take proactive steps to insure that the debt is paid or there is an explanation as to why there is a delay, instead waiting until the collector harasses us.  In the Church, I’ve noticed through the years that a large portion of the congregation feel that the purpose of the church is to MEET THEIR NEEDS rather than what Jesus declared with regard to spreading the Gospel.  In our own personal spiritual relations with God we will demand or complain about not receiving what we asked for at the time we asked it without considering that God’s higher purpose might involve a delay or even a denial to our request.  Those are some simple and often minor examples of demonstrations of DISRESPECT and being INCONSIDERATE.

                To me, it would be the same as to entering someone’s home, propping your feet up on the coffee table and saying “Get me something to drink and something to eat.”  Or walking into a local congregation and taking over the service, declaring that “this is the way we are going to go” without channeling it through property God-assigned authority.  Can you imagine going into a place of business and stopping production of an item, presenting your item as the thing to be produced without the management agreeing that this is the way to go?  It would not only be rude, disrespectful, and inconsiderate it would get you thrown out on your ear and rightfully so.

                This type of attitude suggests that you believe you have the right to hijack someone else’s social media page, church responsibility, home, or business and suggests that you believe your idea or opinions are the only ones that have validity; therefore the right ones to be presented.  It is disrespectful and inconsiderate.  Your ideas, links, posts, etc. may be honorable, right, truthful, and even good but if they are presented without giving the proper RESPECT and CONSIDERATION to those whom the space, the home, the business, or the church either belong or fall within their sphere of responsibility and authority it is GROSSLY DISPRESPECTFUL but seems to be the ‘NEW NORM’ in today’s society.

                We see this in our politicians when they disrespect the Constitution, the rule of law, and the will of the people.  We see this in business when the customer is treated as a necessary evil, the employee is a dispensable tool, and the boss or management is the enemy.  We see this in relationships when the other party’s desires, wishes, and feelings are relegated to non-importance by our actions.  We see this in so many facets of life that it is incredibly alarming to me.

                The cost of this is that we will produce and are producing a generation who see this as NORMAL.  You do not matter if what you want interferes with my objective, thoughts, desires, ideas, or plans.  The result is that we develop a society in which it is EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF and everyone BECOMES A LAW UNTO HIMSELF and at that point we have anarchy and are a million miles from God’s Word, Will, and Way.

                I know that from an early age I was taught to consider others above myself and so were most of you.  The vast majority of us were taught, from early years, to RESPECT OTHERS, their space, property, and rights.  Yet, today’s ENTITLEMENT SOCIETY has adopted a philosophy that says – I DESERVE IT.  You owe it to me or I have a right to say and do whatever I please whenever and wherever I please.  That results in chaos and a total lack of cooperation and a complete disintegration of trust which is essential for a functional society.

                 Regarding Social Media my experience has been that people continually add me to groups without my permission or without asking me to consider the group.  That is grossly disrespectful and inconsiderate.  No matter how often I ask that it not happen it continues to happen and some will get angry when I do what I always do – LEAVE THE GROUP.  It may be one of the best and most noble groups in existence but if you add me without first asking me if I’d like to participate I consider that a gross demonstration of disrespect and inconsideration and will IMMEDIATELY LEAVE THE GROUP.  I would NEVER go to anyone’s wall and post a link, an article, or anything else without first asking them permission or asking them to review the information and see if they wanted it there.  Doing otherwise is disrespectful and inconsiderate not to mention incredibly rude, presumptuous and arrogant.  Your information may be fabulous but you did it in the wrong way.  I will do as with groups – DELETE your post if you do that. 

                I see this as a sign that those who function in this manner are presumptuous, self-willed, and demonstrating a lack of respect for others.  It is most definitely, in my view, incredibly inconsiderate.  That is a spiritual as well as a moral problem which is becoming a societal problem.  Although the perpetrator might not view such action as problematic – IT IS and should be addressed.  Only you can address it in your life.  Take it before God and I believe that He will confirm what I am saying.

                We need to work at being more RESPECTFUL and CONSIDERATE of others in our lives and interactions.  If I post something on Facebook you are more than welcome to say whatever you please (as long as you are not vulgar or make personal attacks on my friends).  I made it as a public statement and it is fair game.  But to post links, add to groups without asking, or other types of posts other than the common social media interaction communications is INCONSIDERATE, RUDE, and DISRESPECTFUL.  I WOULD NEVER do that to you and ask that you not do it to me or anyone else.  It is a flaw in our society that is costing us our ability to develop the type of Society that Jesus designed and desired as well as the type of Society where consideration, respect and moral decency prevail.  I believe that is one of the reasons that we see many of the violent acts of today – THE LACK OF RESPECT AND CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS.  Sadly, we have an entire generation that has witnessed this type of behavior from leaders, parents, and other segments of society so they see it as THE NORM and think nothing about conducting their life in that manner.  It is, to me, a key cog in the decline of the American and even World Civilization and something that even in the small and seemingly insignificant areas we should work to overcome.

                 Let’s all strive to be RESPECTFUL and CONSIDERATE.  We can disagree without being either.  We can have robust and even animated discussions about our disagreements without either of those elements.  We can have an open dialogue that is both RESPECTFUL and CONSIDERATE and in that atmosphere I believe we can come to some concrete conclusion as to the real problems and real solutions that we are facing individually and collectively.

                Thank you for allowing me to have my rant and may God bless you is my prayer and may God protect, defend, and guide this nation.

     

     

    COVENANT OR CONTRACT MENTALITY…..


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                There was a time when these two would have almost been the same but that is not the case in the 21st Century and has not been for a long time.  When I was a  young lad growing up my parents and grandparents taught us that your word and a handshake was a guarantee that you would fulfill whatever it was you had agreed to.  It did not need lawyers and reams of legal paperwork notarized and certified to be binding because you had given your word and sealed it with a handshake and that settled it as far as you were concerned.  You would never consider failing to fulfill your part of the agreement even if it was to your detriment to do so.  Your word was a representation of your character and your name was the most valued possession you had.  Truthfully, even in that generation there were unscrupulous individuals that were shysters and cheats who could not be trusted but for most people it was the normal and expected way of life and doing business. 

     

                 We had a small farm and one of the crops that we grew to sell was peas and dad would sell them by the bushel and had two prices.  One price if the individual picked their own and a slightly higher price if we picked them, and naturally we kids never thought the price was enough for us picking them.  Although Dad loved us and valued our labors he did not consider it an unreasonable expectation to send us to the field to pick peas for someone while he and they sat under the shade of the Sycamore trees beside the house drinking coffee or iced tea and chatting.  When we came in with the harvest he would frequently send us back to gather a few more peas because his bushel was “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.”  It was not a bushel it was at least a bushel and one-third to one-half more.  To him anything less would not have been honorable and I learned to appreciate his reasoning, especially after I became a Christian.  I have seen him refund money when someone would mention that some of the peas from a previous purchase were not 100% fully mature.  Often he and we knew that this complaint was nothing more than an attempt to get something for nothing but he never flinched and always went above and beyond in his business dealings.  He would say, “My reputation is worth more than a few dollars.”   He worked hard and gave more than a full day’s work for a day’s pay and expected the same from us.  Laziness was not tolerated and failure to keep your word was not excusable.

     

                 Today we see a CONTRACT as simply a piece of paper that has a negotiated arrangement that is only good until one side or the other decides that it needs to be altered.  I have always had a difficult time with that because of the way I was raised.  I have watched people break their contract because they decided that the other party benefited too much from the original agreement.  That should not, in my view, be a consideration because it was a negotiated agreement.  I have made deals with people before and realized that I would profit more than expected from the agreement and compensated the other party based on that in addition to the agreed contract because I considered it right not because I had to legally.  I have made deals and realized that I had grossly underestimated my costs and had some setbacks in the process and it resulted in me losing money in the deal but I did not complain nor try to renegotiate because I had made the deal and considered my word my bond.  Today that mentality is virtually non-existent for many.  This is true especially in the business, political, and sports worlds where contracts are virtually meaningless agreements broken with little thought of any sense of honor by either party.  As a minister I have watched the dissolution of marriages with almost no thought or remorse and often based on, “Well I grew tired of this or that.”

     

                 A CONTRACT can be defined as a “written or spoken agreement, especially one concerning employment, sales, or tenancy that is intended to be enforceable by law.”  Supposed synonyms are:  agreement, covenant, treaty, pact, or compact and I suggest that those are not appropriate.

     

                 A COVENANT is defined usually as “an agreement” but biblically a Covenant is far more than that especially a “Blood Covenant” which includes marriage.  Blood Covenants biblically could be defined as “a mutual understanding between two parties, each binding him/herself to the agreement, bond or pact and involves cutting the flesh.”  In the Old Testament the word “Beriyth” is used to describe a compact made by passing between pieces of flesh and is a “blood bond” from which the idea of “cutting the covenant” comes.  [Genesis 15:17; Jeremiah 34:18].  Covenants are made between men and between man and God.  In the New Testament two words are used:  “Distheke” which is a disposition, arrangement, testament or will.  “Suntithemai” which is to put together, place together, or to make arrangement and the purpose of a COVENANT was to establish an unbreakable bond, treaty, pact, or agreement between parties

     

     The Covenant always had:

     

     1.    The Words or Promises of the Covenant.  [The basis of the agreement]

     

             In this would be promises of blessing for keeping the covenant as well as promises or curses for breaking it.  The terms would be detailed and verbalized and there would be an “oath” or a “vow” – a solemn affirmation with an appeal to God to watch over the agreement and be the final judge and arbiter of the agreement.

    2.    The Blood of the Covenant.

     

            There were always sacrifices signifying that to break this covenant or agreement would result in death and could only be invalidated or death.  It was a signifying of the total involvement and investment of the individuals in the agreement.

    3.    The Seal of the Covenant.

     

            Very often would be a cutting of the flesh and at times gun powder or something of the like would be rubbed into the wound so that the scar would be forever noticeable and recognizable.  It was an identifying mark that one had “cut a covenant” and that they had bound their very lives to the fulfillment of that agreement.

     

                 Honestly we know almost nothing of that mentality in today’s world and our government has no thought of their Constitutional Covenant with the American people.  Their oath of office is virtually meaningless to them and there is no sense of obligation to keep it at all costs.  That is one of the reasons that we have such a mess politically in today’s world.  If every elected official recognized and acknowledged that when they take the “Oath of Office” to faithfully perform the duties of that position and uphold and honor the Constitution we would not be in the mess we are in today politically or economically.  Party distinction would be virtually unimportant and partisan politics and gamesmanship would be non-existent.  Those elected to office would truly be representatives of WE THE PEOPLE and the BEST GOOD of the nation and the people would be the top priority.  Instead we have a climate of cronyism, favoritism, corruption, and the insatiable desire and drive for power and position.

     

                 We have lost what our founders established and as far as I can see the old saying about used car salesmen applies to politicians – “You know they are lying when you see their lips moving.”  Honest Politician is deemed to be an oxymoron and that is a sad indictment on where we have declined as a people.  Many are crying out for a “Restored Constitutional America” but too many accept the modern Contract Mentality as normal instead of insisting on a Covenant Mentality in our dealings in the business, social, spiritual, and political arenas.  I will declare that UNTIL we come to the place that we fall on our faces before God and repent and demand and determine that we will not only be Covenant men and women who honor our Agreements we will NEVER see the America we so desire.  Will we ever see it? I do not know but if we do not strive for it we will leave a legacy for those who follow us that will go deeper and deeper into an amoral state that can only produce destruction and decay.

     

                 I have been wordy and possibly failed to communicate the deep cry of my heart to see men and women return to a mentality where we “honor our word” with one another, as a nation, and a people.  I want to see a society where the normal thing is people doing, the “right thing” even if it does not give them a particular edge or windfall profit.  I believe that this would give us a platform for “limited government”, a “massive reduction in violence”, and a “new civility” that would not only get the attention of the rest of the world but would produce a prosperity and growth in new innovations that many of the plagues that terrorize our world would be addressed in a significant way.  We can see “healing come to our land” but that healing must first begin in each of us.

     

                 If this resonates with you then all I ask is that you consider taking steps personally that will insure that you live as a Covenant Person who keeps their Contracts and Agreements – – KEEP YOUR WORD!  If enough of us demonstrate that lifestyle and insist on it from politicians, in business, socially, relationally, and spiritually we will see America the Beautiful returned to prominence and the Light of God will break through the dark clouds of despair that now enshroud this world producing a new and renewed hope that will be life changing.

     

                 That’s the end of my rant, sermon, political speech or whatever you choose to call it.  May God bless, protect, and provide for you and may God defend and deliver America!  Thank you for your time!

     

    LESSONS FROM THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT….


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    History is valuable if we learn from it.  It is a curse if we ignore the lessons it affords.  In the early years of this land and prior to our becoming a nation the foundation was laid for what kind of people we would become.  I want to share some quotes and some thoughts here.

     

               The Plymouth plantation had at its heart to honor God and believed that what they were doing glorified the Lord and would advance the Christian faith.  They perceived no eventual rebellion against England or the king’s authority, and declared that their foundation and loyalty was to God above all else and that very thing would help lead to the eventual Revolutionary War.

     

               In fact, the man credited with discovering America although inhabitants were already here so discovery is a misnomer to me.  He discovered not something that was lost or had never been seen but something that Europe did not believe existed and flew in the face of Science and Philosophy of that day regarding the Earth’s shape and size.  His very name means “Christ bearer.”  Think about the places that he named and the meaning of those names.  San Salvador – “Holy Savior” Vera Cruz – “True Cross” La Navidad – “Nativity” or “Christmas” Trinidad – “The Trinity”.  Let me give you a quote from his log:  “It was the Lord who put it into my mind to sail to the Indies. The fact that the Gospel Commission is to preach to the entire world is what convinced me. Charting the seas is but a necessary requsite for the fulfillment of the great commission of our Lord and Savior.”

     

     

                Fisher Ames the author of the 1st Amendment wrote an article called “School books” in the Pladium magazine in January 1801, “We have trouble in the classrooms we are putting in new text books.  Nothing wrong with new books but we are spending more time on them than the Bible; it is drifting to the back of the classroom.  We cannot tolerate this in American education.  The Bible’s pure morals, its examples are captivating and noble.”   My how far we have drifted from that today!  Today the Bible is banned completely from the classrooms in our public schools, something the founders would have never believed possible.

     

                George Washington in his farewell address on September 17, 1796 said, “The Bible…is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God and spiritual nature and need of men.  It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the right way of peace and salvation.  America was born a Christian nation.”  Wait, didn’t Barack Obama declare that America is no longer a Christian nation.  Mr. Washington what do you think of that?  George Washington went on to say, “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”  Additionally he said, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”  Can someone please remind Congress and the President that our 1st President and our founders did not want the Bible removed from schools or the government!  Does that sound like they believed the liberal left’s view of “Separation of Church and State?”

     

                Moving forward we find Calvin Coolidge saying, The fundamental basis of this nation’s law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul. I don’t think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don’t have the proper fundamental moral background, we will finally wind up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody but the state.”  Wow, even closer to us than Washington and Presidents still believed that the Bible and God were important in our lives and in government.

     

                Fast forward to Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, 1954 and he said:  “I believe that no one can read the history of our country without realizing that the good book and the spirit of the savior, have from the beginning have been our guiding geniuses.”

     

                Okay my rant is this, we sat like the proverbial frog in the pan and allowed the slow heating of the water to the point of boiling and now we are dying and losing our nation while we have not done enough to prevent it.  It is time that we STAND UP and STEP UP to the task of reclaiming America.  Agree or disagree with me that is your right, but if you love America as a Free Nation then you should want the Constitution honored.  Demand our Freedoms be preserved and help us boot out all in elected offices that are not willing to defend and protect that.

     

                May God bless and protect you and may God preserve and protect America!

    WHERE HAS THE AMERICAN DREAM GONE?


    I do not ask that question believing that it no longer exists but rather I question the pathway it has taken and what the end result of that path will be. I believe that the vision, spirit, and dream of the Founding Fathers exists in the hearts of many Americans today, sadly too many have grown silent and become somewhat isolationist attempting self-preservation at the expense of the nation.

    Under George W. Bush, who made many mistakes and misguided decisions in governing, there was a successful painting of him and all conservatives as uncaring, unfeeling, money hungry, corporate stooges trampling on the dreams of the middle and lower classes. Obviously, not all Republicans, Libertarians, Independents, and those of a conservative mindset are a part of the so-called 1% and rich. The left-wing radicals painted us with a broad brush and they labeled the Tea Party as the most hate-filled organization of citizens since the Klu Klux Klan. They used class warfare, played the race card, and played on the fear and emotions of the masses to elect a Congress controlled by the Democrats during the mid-term election of Bush’s last four years. Then in 2008 that same paranoia and smear campaign produced Barack Obama as the President of the United States of America and at that point for two full years he and the Democrats controlled everything in two branches of the federal government. They had the Whitehouse and the Congress and had such a majority in Congress that they ignored the opposing voices and as Barack Obama told the leaders of the Republican Party – “Elections have consequences, you lost deal with it.” At that point we were force-fed numerous diabolical and destructive pieces of legislation including the “Affordable Health Care Bill” known as ObamaCare. At the time of voting on it in the House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “We have to pass the bill to find out what is in it.” How in the name of rational thinking could anyone accept that and the lame excuses from members of Congress that it was so large that they could not possible read it or even understand it, but they PASSED IT! In a family, classroom, or business that would have resulted in immediate repercussions including punishment, failure, and loss of one’s job or business but not in our government. We allowed our elected officials to get away with that and although we complained and the vast majority of Americans expressed they didn’t want it, WE GOT IT!

    In the time of our fledgling nation a French political thinker and historian named Alexis Charles Henri Clerel de Tocqueville wrote his now infamous book “Democracy in America,” in which he saw the dangers that our Founders had so adamantly warned us of and correctly identified the means whereby America could and would eventually fall. Although we have not yet fallen we are rapidly descending the ladder of destruction that de Tocqueville warned of as did many of our founders.

    His famous quote is glaringly accurate as we look at the world and this nation with regard to the peril that we are facing. He said: “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.” ― Alexis de Tocqueville If that is not where we are today I guess I’m completely out of touch with reality. We have seen this building for decades and it has reached the point where almost if not one-half of our nation receives all or most of its livelihood from the Federal Government. People vote according to how they are personally impacted it seems rather than based on principle or for what is in the best interest of this Free Nation.

    He also said: “Americans are so enamored of equality; they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.” ― Alexis de Tocqueville What insight, as we look back with hindsight. What is one of the major themes of Obama’s message? FAIRNESS and EQUALITY. Yet in seeking what he calls a level playing field he and the powers that be are robbing us of our individual liberties and freedoms and it seems that people are content to live equal in slavery rather than unequal in freedom. Life is not now nor has it ever been FAIR. God did not promise that life would be fair; He promised that He would be just.

    He further warned, “Democracy extends the sphere of individual freedom, socialism restricts it. Democracy attaches all possible value to each man; socialism makes each man a mere agent, a mere number. Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word: equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.” ― Alexis de Tocqueville I know that for me to address the policies and politics of Barack Obama as Socialist or worse is to open me up to the charge of racism. If that is the basis of being a racist, to disagree with a sitting president then I’m guilty as charged. However, I disagreed with many things that Bush did so was I a racist then? No! The left would applaud that criticism but not of Barack Obama he is immune from criticism or so the left and media would have us believe and agree to. Sorry, but my patriotism will not allow me to passively accept whatever Big Brother wants to send my way! I believe in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and above all the Bible and each of those propels me to a different line of thinking than that of the left.

    I want to give you four more quotes by Alexis de Tocqueville and then give you my final thoughts and you decide for yourself where the American Dream Has Gone.

    “There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.” ― Alexis de Tocqueville

    “Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.” ― Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

    “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” ― Alexis de Tocqueville

    “As I see it, only God can be all-powerful without danger, because his wisdom and justice are always equal to his power. Thus there is no authority on earth so inherently worthy of respect, or invested with a right so sacred, that I would want to let it act without oversight or rule without impediment (p. 290).” ― Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

    Political parties were an anathema to many of our Founding Fathers because they saw how they could evolve into machines that would be controlled by the corrupt and cost the individual his/her liberty and freedom. Are we not there? Many of our Founding Fathers agreed 100% with de Tocqueville that Liberty required morality and morality faith and could not be legislated. His grave warning concerning the greatness of America and when America would cease greatness is most sobering. As a nation and people we are demonstrating our propensity to depravity on a major scale and what will the end result of that be?

    The final quote that I gave you is so powerful it should touch our hearts and move us to a place of prayer in repentance before God, but so many believe that God is rightfully banned from all things political. Yet, the truth is, God’s involvement and investment in every dimension of human life is undeniable. In my view, without Him we will succumb to tyranny and be victimized on a scale that only the Book of Revelation can envision. Our government is running amok today and unless we somehow find a way to bring it in check we will have seen the Great America that we were given by those patriots who so valiantly fought and died, and those who in generations past have defended the right of freedom, liberty, and a Constitutional Republic will be forever lost. I sit in tears as I write today and pray to Almighty God for mercy and forgiveness. I too have been slack in times past and did not fully grasp the grave danger we were in and hope that it is not too late to stem the tide of this path to destruction that we are on.

    We each have choices. We each have responsibilities. We each have obligations to those who have gone before us and those who will follow, to do whatever it takes to defend and protect Liberty and Justice for All. I love America and would consider it a small price to pay to die defending her. I love God supremely and recognize that my rights and liberties did not come from government but from Him and with that mindset I seek His guidance and counsel as to what course of action I am to take in this present time! America’s destruction is an inside job and we dare not sit idly by and allow it to happen. We must do everything within our power and with God’s help to preserve our precious Freedom for those who are following in our footsteps. So I ask, “What Is America Worth To You?”

    May God bless and protect you and may God deliver America!

    DAY TWO AFTER THE DISASTER…..


    I am not coming here today to tell you that I have the answers to what happened or the clear direction of where we should go or what we should do. I am coming to say a couple of things in hope that it will help all of us move toward the next step.

    WE CAN EITHER CAVE IN OR RESIST.

    What do I mean? We can either fold up our tents and crawl into our own little worlds trying to protect what little we have left and watch the rest of the world go to “you know where” or we can resist and refuse life as rugs walked on.

    HOW DO WE DO THAT?

    One way, and the most important way, is to make “intercessory prayer” a part of our lives in a significant manner.

    A. Pray for the “leaders” even the ones we don’t believe are legitimate leaders, that God will move on them, expose them, or do whatever is necessary to bring them into the light.
    B. Pray for our “fellow believers” that God will protect and provide for them in this time of crisis.
    C. Pray for “lost souls” that God will somehow engineer their situations so that they will become receptive to the message of the Gospel.

    Another way is to selectively choose issues that are critical to us and go on a “letter writing campaign” to our elected officials.

    A. Pick an issue such as the “cover up” of Benghazi and the criminal and even murderous/treasonous actions of this administration and contact your elected officials with regular follow-up. Write, email, text, call them at least once a month or every couple of weeks expressing your desire to see Congress take action up to and including “criminal prosecution.”
    B. Make a list of issues and on a rotating basis – “weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly” contact your elected officials on these issues and not only request follow-up but follow-up yourself so that they will know that you are serious.

    A third way is to “become involved” in organizations such as a local Tea Party or start one and begin planning now for the next election cycle with potential candidates, campaign strategies, and efforts to raise funds.

    A final way is to “prepare” yourself spiritually, emotionally, financially, and physically to protect and defend that which is rightfully yours and your family. I won’t go into detail as to what that might include or involve I will leave that up to you. My family has been and will continue to seek to hedge against the dollar’s devaluation with things that will retain value and items with which we can barter. We also are securing generators that can operate should the power go out to give us some stability in our home. We are seeking to amass a supply of non-perishable food supplies and locate possible places we can turn to for the harvesting of game, fish, and producing vegetables should that type of crisis arise away from the city and in secluded areas. We are also prepared to defend our home and our persons against those who would come in and forcible take what does not belong to them. We cap that off with regular and consistent time of communion with the Lord, not making it last but making it the capstone of what we do.

    I cannot speak directly at this time to each of you as to what is right for you but we are working on possible contingency plans that address various scenarios and as the Lord nudges my heart I will share some of those. Until that time, I offer the aforementioned items as possibilities for you to consider any or all of them.

    America as we have known it faces doom without divine intervention from God and a unified, concerted effort by those of us who I would call “patriots.” We did not get out the vote in this election. There were millions that, for one reason or another, who opposed Barack Obama, chose not to go to the polls while his base and supporters did. That is a shame but a reality and we can’t change that now but we can work toward making sure it NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN!

    It is my genuine prayer that God bless and protect you and that God deliver America!

    GOODBYE FREEDOM OF SPEECH IF OBAMA GETS ANOTHER TERM….


    Not only will we lose our “Freedom of Speech” but there is an effort being entertained by the Whitehouse and the Justice (Injustice) Department to consider “Criminalizing Criticism of Religion” and the religion in point is ISLAM. Let me go further.

    Back in July Arizona Republican Representative Trent Franks asked Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez this simple question: “Will you tell us here today simply that this Administration’s Department of Justice will never entertain or advance a proposal that criminalizes speech against any religion?” Perez objected that there was “no context.” Franks asked the question a second time and Perez said “That’s a hard question… when you make threats against someone.” Remember that was not Mr. Frank’s question or assertion but that is the direction that Perez took it. Perez would never answer the question but danced around it all four times asked.

    Representative Franks was asking the question because Muslims are persuading American courts to consider Sharia law in making decisions, and prominent Muslim activists have openly declared that they want to “criminalize criticism of Islam” and follow Sharia law’s directive on how that person so charged would be punished. According to them “insults” against Islam is blasphemy and the penalty for that is death! Is that frightening or what?

    Perez and other officials from the Justice Department attended a meeting at George Washington University where an Egyptian-American (despise the hyphenation you are either American or you are not) lawyer was suggesting criminalizing speech against Islam. Then top Justice Department officials had a meeting where they invited Islamist advocates who want the Justice Department to make a legal declaration that any U.S. Citizen who criticizes Islam would be charged with “racial discrimination.” Now understand you can criticize Baptist, Pentecostals, Catholics, Jews or virtually anybody else but not ISLAM. The lawyer Sahar Azia, a female said: “The department’s ‘civil rights lawyers are top of the line’ I know that they can come up with a way to redefine criticism as discrimination.” Aziz the said, “I’d be willing to take a shot at it.” This is under consideration by the Department of Justice and the Whitehouse. I call that a complete violation of the Constitution and Treasonous.

    Muslims who came to America “legally” to escape the discriminatory and cruel laws of Sharia have pleaded with the courts to afford them “equal protection under the laws and not subject them to the inhumane Sharia.” There have been over 50 cases thus far in which Sharia Law was deemed allowable in the U.S. courtroom. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?

    Now what does this mean to you and me? If Obama does this it will happen via Executive Order and an end run around the Constitution and the Legislative Branch. It would mean that this so-called “blasphemy law” would be in force and would effectively put an end to any resistance to jihad because we would all be muted and thus defenseless against its onslaught. (If this happens then if you want to talk to me or visit me you will have to do so at the local federal prison if they let me live which, is doubtful.) I’m sure some of you are thinking, surely the First Amendment will prevent this. NOPE! Enforcing the First Amendment is dependent upon those whose charge is guarding, protecting, and upholding it. When you have a President and DOJ that wants to do away with it you are up the proverbial creek without a paddle. It would make the First Amendment virtually void as is the Second Amendment in many parts of the U.S. today.

    Folks, I cannot stress enough how critical it is to defeat Obama and removed the man and his bunch from Washington! Getting good people in Congress is NOT ENOUGH we have to rid ourselves of this plague in the Whitehouse and the infectious poison that he is injecting into our society. Whatever we do we must vote in such a way as to OUST OBAMA in November. If we don’t there may well be an Islamic Flag flying over the Whitehouse as they have declared will be.

    May God bless you and may God bless America!

    ARE WE LOSING OUR MORAL COMPASS


    Just a few years ago, it seems, I was a child growing up in East Texas in a rural setting in a home with two loving parents who loved God, respected the rights of others, and gave us moral moorings that still anchor our lives today. I could not imagine seeing the calendar rolling over to the year 2000. We imagined via the Science Fiction movies and comic books a world that would have flying cars, teleportation devices, and other innovations that were way outside the box. Now we have computers and other devices that almost take us to those places but we are not advanced technologically to the point of the Sci-Fi world of our imaginations.

    In those times, growing up, the country as a whole had a “moral compass” and while there was corruption, crime, graft, deception, and dishonesty, there was a basic honesty or moral fabric to our society. We honored the sanctity of marriage, respected our elders, had a sense of pride that motivated us to “earn” what we received and did not expect a free ride. Today, it seems that we are losing that “moral compass” and are drifting if not rapidly declining into a society that is so “self-centered” and has such an “entitlement mentality” that we accept the ideology that “the end justifies the means” in all things.

    We were not coddled growing up, nor did our parents instill in us that any problems or difficulties we faced were the fault of someone or something else. They were obstacles that come to virtually everyone and it was up to us to overcome through hard work, honesty, and faith in God. Our parents taught us “self-sufficiency” in the sense that we took the talents and abilities God had given us and developed them and made the best of our situation. They instilled in us the “Fear God” in a reverential way. We learned that we were expected to give an honest day’s work for a day’s pay. Our parents and grandparents taught us to be courteous, helpful, considerate, respectful, and loyal. From early childhood respect women and giving them the place of honor taught in the Bible was ingrained in us. Patriotism was instilled in our hearts at an early age and we believed that America was a nation founded upon principles of Freedom, rooted in Bible truths, and that every American had the right to believe what they choose and express that in a civil manner.

    Today, it seems that we are losing our MORAL COMPASS and have abandoned the philosophy of earning a living through honest labor. It seems that we have abandoned the principle that God and His Word are foundational in our lives and society. We have allowed those who do not believe in God and want to transform this nation into something other than what the Founding Father’s established and envisioned to attempt to remove God completely from our Public Lives! We have abandoned the clear teachings of the Bible regarding many things and even enacted laws that strike down the commandments of God. As I muse over those things I am reminded of the disciples as they responded to commands to violate God’s directives – “Who shall we obey, God or man?”

    We have a President today, and I readily acknowledge that he is not the first, that has no respect for the Constitution or American Exceptionalism. He says on one hand that he is a Christian and then takes positions for political expediency that violate the very biblical principles he claims to espouse. So many in our society are so filled with hatred that complete annihilation of those they hate be it based on race, gender, sexual preference, or something else would be perfectly acceptable to them. We still claim to believe in God yet our actions suggest that if we do we do not consider Him to be OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT, or OMNIPRESENT. We have become isolationist in the sense that we are more interested in “What’s in it for me?” than we are in “What is right?”

    America is heading in a direction that breaks my heart and I know that it breaks the heart of God. We must return to our foundational roots and regain our moral compass or we will become nothing more than an afterthought in history. It is time that this nation, elect people to serve in the various offices from the lowest to the highest that recognize the sovereignty of God, the sanctity of human life, the God given rights of all people, and reestablish, a moral compass that moors us in the pursuit of honesty and right. I am not suggesting that we legislate that everyone believe in God or that we pass laws that mandate such, but I am suggesting that as individuals and a society of civilized people we must return to our MORAL FOUNDATION. I am convinced that we can make that transition and return to our foundation where we see a restored America again.

    I cannot change the world but I can allow the Holy Spirit to change me. I cannot live for the rest of society but I can allow the Holy Spirit to order my life according to the principles of God’s Word. I cannot eliminate all dishonesty from society but I can eliminate it from my life. Therefore, it is my objective to “cast all my care” upon the Lord and allow Him to transform my life molding it into that which He desires. I believe that the more I accomplish that the more my moral compass will become evident to others and as that transpires the Love of God will become more evident and more will be drawn to Him thus changing lives for good. It does not take everyone doing this but if I can motivate one and that one motivates one, over time, we will touch the world.

    Just a few thoughts about my life and life in general! May God bless you and may God bless America!