Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Should Pastor Rick Warren name the name of Christ in Prayer?

There are those in the media an throughout the nation who are trying to say that pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback church should not say the name of Jesus Christ during his prayer time at Barrack Obama's inauguration. Those who say they would be offended by the mentioning of Christ in the prayer are those who do not profess Him as their Lord and Savior. But what if Rick Warren doesn't say the name of Christ during his prayer time? Would he not be denying the one he claims to serve? The Bible states that if you deny Christ before men that He would deny you before the Father God.

What those who are opposing Rick Warren on this issue are forgetting is that this nation was founded on Christian principles. The Bible is still the most popular selling book throughout the land. What I find most interesting is that this type of attack is always against those who proclaim to have the truth. If a gay man or women wanted to pray in the name of their god there would be no outcry. After all, they are the ones who are being "oppressed". But when it comes to people of the Christian faith we are the ones who are being persecuted and held back because we "name the name above all names, which is, Jesus the Christ". Where is the outcry on that?

I say it is time for the church of Jesus Christ to rise up and stand and be counted in this hour. We can't afford to be silent no more. I pray that Rick Warren will stand up and pray with boldness and conviction on inagruation day and use the name of Jesus Christ. For that name has power. How do I know? How often is it cursed? How often is it suppressed? The name of Jesus Christ has the power to change men and the world we live in. Let us continue to proclaim it with boldness, conviction and love.

To read more on this topic read the following link.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Why does Israel have a right to exist?

The world at times appears united against the little nation of Israel. Why is that the case? Why does a nation that is about the size of New Jersey draw so much attention? After all the Arab nations that surround her have plenty of territory and oil to boot. The reason Israel is such a magnet for the rest of the world to wonder after is because of her relationship to the God of the Bible.

When Abraham accepted the call of God on his life to separate himself from the world and pursue what God had for him, which was to found the nation of Israel, he was not aware of his destiny and how the choices he was to make would impact the world from his time to the one we are living in now. For God promised Abraham a son, which in the natural world would seem impossible because when the promise came Abraham was nearly 80 years of age and Sarah his wife was close to 70. They waited nearly twenty years for the promise to be filled and along the way they tried to help God out. Sarah encouraged Abraham to take one of her servants and conceive with her. Obviously this was not God's plan. The result produced Ishmael, who became the father of the Arabs. The fight between the Jews and Arabs starts here.

But despite the failings of those who were following the God of Israel, the Lord granted the land that the Jews now inherit to be their land. The Canaanites were a sinful bunch that worshiped false gods and the Lord gave the land to Abraham and his descendants. Joshua and the generation he led were the ones who took possession and according to the promise made to Abraham, the Jews are the rightful owners.

So when you hear the president trying to give land to the Muslims and hoping to make peace between the Arabs and the Jews through this action realize that this is not in accordance to what the God of the Bible will is for the Jewish people. God laid out the boundaries of the land for His people from the Bible. Giving land for peace is not a part of the agreement. The Bible also states that once God puts His people back into their land that He will not allow them to be moved out of it again.

In 1948 the land of Israel was reestablished. The Jews are here to stay. Israel will not be removed from the land it now has possession of. No terrorists, Iranian threat or action will force them out. Because the Lord God is there defender and He will see them through any and all threats to their existence. Do you I believe that Israel should be able to defend herself? Absolutely! I truly believe that as the end of the world continues to draw closer and closer that the battle over Israel will only grow greater. Because the land she is on is the place where Satan and his minions were defeated. The cross trumped the power of sin, God redeemed mankind from this place. That is why the devil fights so hard to take this ground. He wants revenge and a hope to redeem himself from the defeat that was enforced there by Christ's sacrifice.

When all is said and done the final battle will be fought in Israel at the battle of Armageddon. And once again the enemy of mankind will taste defeat, as God, through Christ, will triumph. Keep trying devil. But no matter what you do or say, Israel is here to stay.

For further reading on this topic I recommend the following: Genesis chapter 12, Genesis chapter 15, Genesis chapter 17, Genesis chapters 21 and 22. Also read Revelation chapters 19 and 20.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Is the Reagan Revolution Over?

After the recent election of Barrack Obama there have been certain people proclaiming that the era of Reagan is over. I tend to disagree with professor West and others with his train of thought. The Reagan revolution did not end with the election of Barrack Obama. The conservative moment became divided and lost the horse it was riding on to people like John McCain, who were not truly conservative, but tried to give the appearance of being conservative, in hopes of gaining the White House.

Not only was the conservative moment betrayed by John McCain, but our current President, George W. Bush, and the Republican Congress also betrayed the movement, by boosting spending of taxpayer money to new heights and by wanting to allow illegal immigrants a free pass into this country.

The conservative movement will once again demonstrate its power when the Republicans are bold and daring enough to get a "true conservative" like Sarah Palin onto the top of the ticket. People like Palin are the ones who are able to "stir" the base of the party, which is made up of religious and social conservatives. For what Ronald Reagan believed is still what the base believes in. Lower taxes, a strong military defense, pro-life, a belief that America is still the greatest nation in the world, these are some of the things that Reagan espoused and believed.

Though the conservative movement did not surface as I had hoped it would in this past election cycle, I am confident that it will find itself again and will resurface in the upcoming election cycle. At that point what will professor West have to say when he sees the Reagan values once again trump the current leftists policies. For you see professor West, the values of Reagan are not something that are man made, they are something that is put into the hearts of man by our Creator and they are not just going to fade away.

If you are interested in knowing what Reagan believed in this link will give you more understanding. One more link that I am enclosing is from Hannity's America that might interest you.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

The Differences between the Gardens

Have you ever noticed in reading through the Bible that God speaks of two gardens? Everyone who has ever read the book of Genesis is familiar with the garden of Eden where the Lord placed the first two humans into.

The garden of Eden was a perfect place. Everything that man needed was there. God gave man the responsibility of taking care of it. That commandment is extended to you and I even now. We are responsible for the care of this planet until He comes back. It was in this garden that God also placed a tree there that was used as a test, that tree being the tree of good and evil. God is not one who will require a person to bow to Him, unless that person does so out of the realized need in their heart. Thus, the tree of good and evil allow man a choice. Obey God and have nothing to do with it, or chose to partake in its fruit.

Eventually Adam and Eve took of its fruit and ate it, as the enemy of God and man, Satan, lead them down the path of deception. At that point God had to remove the human race from the garden of Eden, for it they ate of the tree of Life man would have been trapped in his sinful state forever with no hope of redemption.

This brings us to the second garden, the garden of Gethsemane. God in His foreknowledge knew that man would fall from the position he was placed in by God, thus the Lord already had a plan in mind before the earth was formed. It was here, in the garden of Gethsemane, the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ would be tempted.

As Christ prayed His human nature knew what He was about to suffer and was struggling with the decision that needed to be made. For if Christ had given in to the temptation of not going to the cross for mankind's sins, you and I would have no hope of ever gaining redemption and reconnecting with the Father God. I believe the most crucial moment in this garden experience was when Christ prayed, " Not my will, but thine be done." It was here at that moment that eternal salvation for all mankind was made available. Jesus Christ went to the cross and arose three days later as the savior of all mankind. He had defeated sin, the grave and the devil in one fell swoop and as a result of this all who placed their faith in Him can enjoy victory in every area of life.

Is it not amazing how God can not only redeem man, but He will not even leave His creation out of the picture, He can even redeem the garden as well.

For further study of this please read the following scriptures: Genesis chapters 1-3 and Matthew chapters 26-28.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Should we be praying to Mary?

When it comes to prayer Catholics like to pray something that is called the rosary. One of the prayers they mention is called, "Hail Mary". The prayer goes like this, " Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen."

When it comes to praying to Mary there is no mention of this in the Bible. The Bible calls the Lord Jesus Christ are high priest and the one who is stands between us and God. When one prays, we should do so in the name of Jesus. Praying to Mary is the same as praying to a tree or stone or any other idol that one can come up with. Even if praying to Mary would make a difference why would one want to approach a third party, when you can directly communicate with the Father God through His son Jesus.

Most Catholics that I have discussed this with have argued that since Mary is the mother of Christ, because of her close relationship with Him, she is better able to get a hold of his "ear". But this shows a lack of faith and relationship. God wants us to spend time with Him, to know Him.

When Moses was on mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from God, Moses asked the Lord to see God's glory. God did not say to Moses that he could not grant his request, that he would have to find someone like Mary to take his request to the Father, no God spoke to Moses and said that He would allow Him to see His glory as He walked on by Moses after Moses was placed in the cleft of the rock.

If you are someone who is seeking to know God you can meet God personally. Just cry out to Him and ask Him to meet you where ever you are at. The Lord will come to meet you. After all He came to this world to die for sinners like you and me so that we can one day be where He is now. God does intervene daily in the affairs of men. You don't have to look for a third party to be a go between. He is waiting at the throne of heaven wanting to hear from you right now.

Further scripture references that will help one understand what has been spoken includes the following: Hebrews 7:25, John 3:16-17, Exodus 33:17-23.


Thursday, December 11, 2008

Is there Media Bias?

If you are someone who is following the current scandal with the Illinois governor have you noticed that none of the major media outlets are stating that he is a Democrat? Why is this? Could I be detecting a little bias from the media here. Here is a story from the NY Times which backs up my claims. The link is http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/us/politics/11illinois.html?ref=todayspaper . Another link that backs my point of view is http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081211/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_analysis .

My main point in all of this is that if this had been a Republican official that was under fire the term Republican would have been mentioned throughout the story and would have been included in the headline to the news story. To prove my point I will use some of the recent media attention that has been directed to Senator Ted Stevens from Alaska regarding a scandal that he was involved in. The links are as follows http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/29/politics/main4303372.shtml and http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4AC8E320081113 .

Obviously in this nation there are two standards when it comes to those who fall into trouble. If you are a Democrat the media will support you and try to protect your reputation. If you are a Republican you will be examined so very closely that privacy may become an issue. What we need to see happen is a media that is balanced and willing to put all groups under the same microscope. This was the intention of the founders of our nation and the purpose that media inherited from the time of the creation of our nation until the recent times that we now live in. I hope and pray that the "new media" people like myself and the Rush Limbaugh's will continue to be able to exercise our views in the public marketplace of ideas. Because from what I have shown today the world is in need of people like myself. For if the salt has lost its saltiness than it is good for nothing but to be thrown out. And the world we live in today needs the "salt" of truth to keep the rot we are smelling from overwhelming us. So let us be Salt to this generation that needs its so very much in this crucial hour.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Did We Evolve from Apes?

When one considers our beginning most people think of either one of two things, either we were made by our Creator, which the Bible states in the book of Genesis or man came by random chance, which is what the theory of evolution states. For those of us who seek truth there can only be one answer. Both of these theories cannot coexist or merge and be correct. But how does one determine which is correct?


Let us approach this from the place of reason. First let us examine who God says He is. In John 14:6 Jesus Christ says the following, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but through Me." What Christ is saying here is that all Truth resides in Him. If Christ is God as He claims, then God is Truth. Anything outside of what God proclaims to be truth, has to be a lie. The Bible declares in John 8:44 that the devil is the father of lies. Now if God states that He creates us, then either He is telling the truth or He is lying. Now if God is lying to us, then He has just corrupted Himself and He cannot be God anymore because He just went against His nature, which is Truth.


Thus, if the creation story is based in Truth, which I believe it is, then evolution and its belief in it has to be based on a lie. The Bible also declares that, "where light is, darkness can not be." Thus the two theories of creationism and evolution cannot co-exist or be merged together as some in the Christian community has done. With this being said, did we evolve from apes? The answer is a resounding, "NO!"

For more information on this topic here are some articles you may be interested in reading:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2008/10/10/feedback-searching-for-truth

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/aid/v3/n1/creation-evolution-yes-we-have-to-choose

For those of you who are interested in the lyrics of a song written and preformed by a Christian band named David and the Giants, the song Evolution is Pollution might catch your fancy. The link is http://www.hotlyrics.net/lyrics/D/David__amp__The_Giants/Evolution_Is_Pollution.html Enjoy!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Why has there been Silence on the Abortion issue?

In the years that I have spent on this planet I have noticed that certain issues are wrestled about by various groups within a society over many years until the issue is decided one way or the other. If you are of my generation, people who grew up in the 1980's you can't help but remember the struggle between pro life groups and those who supported abortion. It was constantly in the news and was not uncommon to hear about people being arrested and placed in jail as a result of their demonstration.

Ever election cycle during this time we would hear how each candidate stood on this issue and each side vowed to get their man or woman into office. The issue of abortion remained a very important topic until we came to this election cycle.

I truly believe that this issue went by the way side because the mainstream media decided that this issue would be harmful to their candidate for president and as a result they buried it. There were a few attempts made by the pro life groups to bring this issue out, but they were unable to bring it to the forefront as in times past.

Does this now mean that abortion has become an accepted fact in our land? Though it may appear to have won out, I do believe that many Americans have this issue close to their hearts and will not let it die out. Could it be that since more young Americans are not choosing to go this route that abortion is now in decline and as a result has lost its place in society? I do believe this does have some effect, but until America can rid herself of this curse, America will not experience the true blessings that He has for us.

For America has just elected her first minority president. She has dealt with racism and slavery. Is it not the time to deal with abortion and recognize that life does not begin when someone is removed from the birth canal, but that life begins with conception. Once we recapture that ideal once again, than America will rise to new heights and proclaim to the world at large the greatness of our values, which are based in our heritage of faith and family. If you are interested in reading more of what I have written please check out http://www.thetruthteller.org