For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."(Romans 1:16-17)
"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and unreasonable men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the wicked one." (2 Thessalonians 3:1-3)
"Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20)
"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength." (Isaiah 26:3-4)
"And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory and honor forever. Amen!" (2 Timothy 4:18)
"Yet in all these things we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29)
"Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies." (Psalm 60:11-12)
"But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." (I Corinthians 1:30-31)
"Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (2 Timothy 2:19)
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whosoever loses his life for My sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:24-25)
Author: Walter E. Williams Source:CNS News 5/14/2013
Brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who are accused of setting the
bombs that exploded at the Boston Marathon, attended the University of
Massachusetts. Maybe they hated our nation before college, but if you
want lessons on hating America, college attendance might be a good
start. Let's look at it.
"We need to think very, very clearly about who the enemy is. The enemy
is the United States of America and everyone who supports it." That's
taught to University of Hawaii students by Professor Haunani-Kay Trask.
Richard Falk, professor emeritus at Princeton University and the U.N.
Human Rights Council's Palestine monitor, explained the Boston bombings
by saying, "The American global domination project is bound to generate
all kinds of resistance in the post-colonial world." Professor Falk has
also stated that President George W. Bush ordered the destruction of the
twin towers. [Related Article: Zero Tolerance for Non-Conformity]
University of Southern California professor Darry Sragow preaches hate to his students
in his regulation of elections and political finance class, recently
telling them that Republicans are stupid, racist losers and that they
are angry old white people. [Related Article: Obama's Thug America]
A few years ago, Rod Swanson, a UCLA economics professor, told his
class, "The United States of America, backed by facts, is the greediest
and most selfish country in the world." Penn State University professor
Matt Jordan compared supporters of the voter ID laws to the Ku Klux
Klan. Professor Sharon Sweet, an algebra teacher at Brevard Community College,
told her students to sign a pledge that read, "I pledge to vote for
President Obama and Democrats up and down the ticket." Fortunately, the
college's trustees fired her. [Related Article: Shepherds and Sheep]
University of Rhode Island history professor Erik Loomis tweeted, "I
want (National Rifle Association executive vice president) Wayne
LaPierre's head on a stick." He asked, "Can (we) define NRA membership
as dues contributing to a terrorist organization?" Here's a sample of
how Professor Loomis frequently expresses himself: "Motherf---ing
f---heads f---ing f---."
Then there's Georgetown law professor Louis Michael Seidman, who
explained our national problems by saying, "But almost no one blames the
culprit: our insistence on obedience to the Constitution, with all its
archaic, idiosyncratic and downright evil provisions." Professor Seidman
worked for The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.
When he was sworn in as an officer of the court, I wonder what
constitution he swore to uphold and defend.
Parents don't have to wait for college admission for their youngsters to
receive America-hating lessons. Scott Compton, an English teacher at Chapin High School
in Chapin, S.C., was put on administrative leave after he allegedly
threw an American flag on the floor and stomped on it in front of his
students. He has chosen to resign.
An Advanced Placement world geography teacher at Lumberton High School in Texas
encouraged students to dress in Islamic clothing and instructed them to
refer to the 9/11 hijackers not as terrorists but as "freedom
fighters." They were also told to stop referring to the Holocaust as
genocide. John Valastro, the superintendent of the Lumberton Independent
School District, told Fox News that the teacher did absolutely nothing
wrong. [Related Article: Obama and Your New School Curriculum]
In McAllen, Texas, teachers tried to force a teenager
to sing the Mexican national anthem and recite Mexico's pledge of
allegiance. The teen refused, saying it was against her beliefs as an
American. She was thrown out of the class and given a failing grade for
that day's assignment. Her father has filed a lawsuit on behalf of his
daughter against the McAllen Independent School District.
Investor's Business Daily ran a story that shows student
indoctrination is official union policy: "A New Low From The California
Federation Of Teachers: Urine Indoctrination" (12/5/12). The union's
website has a cartoon narrated by leftist Hollywood actor Ed Asner. In
tones used when reading to children, Asner says: "(Rich people) love
their money more than anything in the whole world. ... Over time, rich
people decided they weren't rich enough, so they came up with ways to
get richer." The cartoon finishes its class warfare message by
graphically depicting "the rich" urinating on the poor. [Related Article: A Tribute to Communism]
These people running our education system are destroying the minds and values of our young people, and we allow them to do it. [Related Article: John Dewey, Education, and American Decay]
Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason
University in Fairfax, Va., and a member of the Board of Advisors for
the Media Research Center's Free Market Project.
Barack Obama once enjoyed a Teflon reputation in the mainstream media, where his allies were quick to deflect criticism of his presidency and bad news never seemed to stick.
But as scandal upon scandal have washed over his administration in recent
weeks �" first a floundering response to attacks in Benghazi that led to the death of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, then reports the IRS targeted his political opponents, then news the Justice Department seized phone records of Associated Press reporters �" even some of Obama’s most ardent supporters in the mainstream media are turning critical.
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, for example �" he of the infamous “thrill up my leg” comment during Obama’s 2008 campaign �" offered unusually harsh words earlier this week, complaining the president “obviously likes giving speeches more than he does running the executive branch.”
Politico �" certainly not a conservative-leaning news source �" described Matthews’ remarks as “a rare, unforgiving grilling of the president as severe as anything that might appear on Fox News.”
On another occasion this week, Matthews blasted testimony from former IRS chief Steve Miller, who suggested the agency’s behavior was inappropriate but denied any political targeting.
“That Mr. Miller guy,” Matthews said, “It’s like he didn’t see what he knew people certainly right, left and center could see, that when you target particular groups, you’re targeting particular groups. I mean, if this were on the other foot, and this was a George W. administration, they were targeting groups that were calling themselves progressives, I would say it’s prima facie evidence of targeting. I don’t think it’s complicated.”
As WND reported, even CNN talk-show host Piers Morgan paused in his relentless crusade for stricter gun-control laws to comment, “I’ve had some of the pro-gun lobbyists on here, saying to me, ‘Well, the reason we need to be armed is because of tyranny from our own government,’ and I’ve always laughed at them. I said, ‘Don’t be ridiculous! Your government won’t turn itself on you.
“But, actually, this is vaguely tyrannical behavior by the American government,” Morgan concluded. “I think what the IRS did is bordering on tyrannical behavior. I think what the Department of Justice has done to the AP is bordering on tyrannical behavior.”
An Investor’s Business Daily editorial commented, “Many in the dominant press are indeed turning. Politico ran a chilling story headlined ‘The IRS Wants You to Share Everything’; NBC’s Andrea Mitchell accuses Obama of ‘the most outrageous excesses I’ve seen’ in her years in journalism, going back before Watergate; the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank accuses Obama of ‘a full frontal assault on the First Amendment.’”
“Let me tell you how bad it’s gotten,” NBC “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno quipped. “Fox News has changed its slogan from ‘Fair and Balanced’ to ‘See, I Told You So!’”
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow further noticed it’s not just the media, but also congressional allies jumping off the Obama bandwagon. When Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., announced plans to retire in 2014, he became the sixth Democrat to step down two years from now instead of running for re-election.
“Tell us if something is wrong there,” Maddow said rhetorically. “What is the secret about this place that has you fleeing like rats from a sinking ship?”
The trend, which may have begun when some Democrats started ducking for political cover from fallout over Obamacare, has only continued in the wake of Obama’s recent scandals.
Even Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid bristled over the AP phone-records story, telling Salon he “can’t really defend the Department of Justice at all” and, “I just think this has been handled so wrong.”
Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., agreed, telling MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, “I don’t think anyone truly believes that the president has given a sufficient answer for America, much less our press [about the AP scandal]. The president has to come forward and share why he did not alert the press that they were going to do this. He has to tell Americans, including me, what was this national security question? You just can’t raise the flag and expect us just to salute it every time without any reason, and the same thing applies to the IRS. We’ve got to give him an opportunity to root out any wrongdoing, whether it’s just negligence or it’s criminal.”
Other examples of criticism coming from typically left-leaning allies include the following:
- Even in the middle of a WND column defending the administration on Benghazi and the IRS scandal, left-wing author and journalist Bill Press declared, “The Justice Department’s raid of AP phone records is nothing less than a totally unjustified, wholesale trashing of the First Amendment.” - The Daily Beast �" a website merged with Newsweek �" ran a column from James Goodale, the attorney who defended the New York Times against President Richard Nixon in the famous Pentagon Papers trial, who asserted, “President Barack H. Obama’s outrageous seizure of the Associated Press’s phone records, allegedly to discover sources of leaks, should surprise no one. Obama has relentlessly pursued leakers ever since he became president. He is fast becoming the worst national security press president ever, and it may not get any better.” - In an interview with the New York Observer, Goodale added, “Obama has all these things that he’s done to the press on national security matters that Nixon never did.” - Lanny J. Davis, a former crisis manager for President Clinton who admits he voted for and backs Obama, told National Public Radio, “[Obama's] crisis-management communications team is absent without leave. Ever since we lost the message on health care, I’ve wondered if there’s anybody there trying to get out in front on the facts.” - NPR further reported Davis saying the IRS story goes to the heart of government abuse of power: “The president of the United States should hold a press conference and commit to a full, 100-percent investigation in concert with the Republican leadership of the House and say, ‘I want to have on my desk the list of anybody who recommended doing this. In the government, in the White House, or anywhere else.’” - Time political columnist Joe Klein wrote of the IRS news, even before the AP scandal broke, “Yet again, we have an example of Democrats simply not managing the government properly and with discipline. … This is just poisonous at a time of skepticism about the efficacy of government. … [Obama's] unwillingness to concentrate �" and I mean concentrate obsessively �" on making sure that government is managed efficiently will be part of his legacy.” - Dana Milbank of the Washington Post penned similar criticism of Obama. “President Passerby needs urgently to become a participant in his presidency,” Milbank wrote, arguing Obama was reacting to the scandals with a portrayed ignorance reminiscent of “just some bloke on a bar stool, getting his information from the evening news.” - Jim Kuhnhenn of the Associated Press leveled his criticism at White House Press Secretary Jay Carney at a May 14 press briefing: “The White House right now is confronting a confluence of issues �" Benghazi talking points, IRS reviews of political groups, Justice Department review of journalists’ phone records. And in every instance, either the president or you have placed the burden of responsibility someplace else. On the Benghazi talking points, it’s been political motivations on the Hill. On the IRS, it’s been the bureaucrats at the IRS. And on the Justice Department issue, yesterday in your statement you said those matters are handled independently by the Justice Department. But it is the president’s administration, so I wonder, doesn’t responsibility for setting tone and setting direction ultimately rest with the president on these matters?” - Other reporters at the same press briefing passed up softball questions for tougher lines of inquiry, including whether news of the IRS scandal was “withheld until after the election,” whether or not the AP subpoena’s constituted an “overreach,” whether the administration “might be hiding something,” if the IRS is being “truthful” and how the president feels about “being compared to President Nixon.” The press corps also grilled Carney relentlessly on the president’s reputation for prosecuting those who leak information to the press. - Michigan’s Rep. Sander Levin, ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, said in Friday’s hearings before the committee the IRS and its employees “have completely failed the American people” by “singling out organizations for review based on their name or political views, rather than their activity. … All of us are angry about this on behalf of the nation.” “As you know, it’s casual Friday, which means at the White House they’re casually going through everyone’s phone calls and records,” joked Leno on Friday. “Love him or hate him, you got to admit President Obama is a new kind of Democrat. I mean, think about it. He’s embroiled in three scandals, not one of them involves sex. That has never happened before. … It’s been a tough week for President Obama. In fact, this morning he called Mitt Romney and said, ‘Look, if you still want the job.’”
Despite the media’s change in tone from easy forgiveness to legitimate criticism of Obama, the Media Research Council’s Brent Bozell warns the media are not really “up in arms” with the Obama administration, but are simply having a “lover’s quarrel,” particularly over the AP flap.
“The Bill Clinton syndrome is going to be upon us,” Bozell predicted on CNBC’s May 16 “The Kudlow Report” program, “where it’s time to move on, we’ve covered it [the media will say] and they’re going to turn the fire right on Republicans as being obstructionists. … The zeal of going after Watergate with Woodward and Bernstein, that hasn’t been there.”
Drew Zahn is a WND news editor who cut his journalist teeth as a member of the award-winning staff of Leadership, Christianity Today's professional journal for church leaders. A former pastor, he is the editor of seven books, including Movie-Based Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching, which sparked his ongoing love affair with film and his weekly WND column, "Popcorn and a (world)view."
Confusion about the IRS scandal is distracting from its importance, so
that thinking conservatives should be prepared to debate the issue. Some
basics matter. Conservatives may need to share a summary such as this
article to help convince moderate friends.
Callers to C-SPAN badly misunderstood these details when Jenny Beth
Martin, Coordinator of Tea Party Patriots, appeared on C-SPAN television
last week. I interviewed Keli Carender of Tea Party Patriots on the
radio on May15, who helped clarify some of the pushback and distractions
from liberals.
First, don't let people forget: the IRS scandal is not about conservative accusations. The Inspector General of the U.S. Treasury issued a report
finding that the Internal Revenue Service sharply discriminated against
conservative organizations. This is confirmed by Treasury's Inspector
General.
Second, a group's political beliefs and positions ought to be totally irrelevant. Tax exemption must be based on what an organization does,
not what it believes or what positions it supports. Whether a group
teaches the Constitution or teaches union tactics doesn't matter, it is
educating either way. Therefore, the IRS should not have been looking at
the name of the organization, whether liberal or conservative, but on
the substance of the organization.
Third, many people don't realize that nearly all liberal
political organizations are tax exempt. There has been a lot of
distraction and diversion focused on whether or not the IRS should have
scrutinized tea party groups. However, MoveOn.org, NARAL Pro-Choice
America, People for the American Way, Planned Parenthood (which has been
active in partisan election campaigns), Media Matters, etc., are all
tax exempt. Organizations on the Left similar to tea party groups have
had tax exempt status forever.
Fourth, don't allow people to wander away from the central point
that the scandal is about a double standard -- not whether people
believe political organizations should be tax exempt. Conservatives
seeking tax exempt status were treated very differently from
similarly-situated liberal organizations. Sure, some liberal groups were
scrutinized. But conservatives were treated differently.
IRS official Lois Lerner fast-walked the tax-exempt application of
Barack Obama's half-brother, the best man at President Obama's wedding.
Abon'go "Roy' Malik Obama got tax-exempt status in a bureaucratic
breakneck speed, in only 30 days, in May 2011, even though it is unclear what if anything the Barack H. Obama Foundation actually does or has done since being approved.
When a conservative organization Media Trackers couldn't get approved
after 8 months, it changed its project to the liberal-sounding name
"Greenhouse Solutions." With the new name, the exact same project was approved within 3 weeks.
Liberal groups -- even with very political activities -- were
systematically approved, and quickly, with relatively little burden or
scrutiny, as reported byUSA Today.
Groups supporting Israel were discriminated against. In August 2010, a
pro-Israel group "Z Street" filed a Federal lawsuit when an IRS staff
member admitted that all Israel-related groups were singled out by the IRS
for extra scrutiny. There will be a hearing this July 2013, after the
case was transferred to the Federal district in Washington, D.C.
The IRS demanded that a Pro-Life group promote abortion
in order to get tax-exempt status. No liberal group has such a
requirement. NARAL and Planned Parenthood are not required to promote
abstinence, adoption, or Pro-Life Crisis Pregnancy Centers.
Fifth, there are many different types of tea party organizations.
Some tea party organizations are Political Action Committees (PAC's)
which are directly involved in election campaigns. Others focus purely
on training tea party organizers and members on how to be effective in
organizing events and lobbying on legislation. Some purely educate about
the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Federalist Papers, etc. Others lobby
on pending legislation.
So when the public hears about tea party organizations applying for tax
exempt status, they often imagine only campaigning for or against a
candidate. That is not tax exempt. Some tea party groups qualify. Some
don't.
Sixth, many have questioned whether the IRS wasn't doing the job
it should have done by asking questions of tea party groups seeking tax
exempt status. No one objects to the IRS obtaining basic information and
asking reasonable questions. The problem is that the IRS bombarded tea
party and conservative groups with multiple waves of a huge number of
very intrusive questions. And the wave after wave of questions seemed
aimed at never getting around to finishing the process or persuading
groups to simply give up and abandon their application.
Seventh, many don't recognize what 'tax exempt' means. It means
that if someone donates to a tea party group, the donations are not
taxed as income. Otherwise, any political organization would have to pay
income taxes on donations.
A tax-exempt organization may still have to pay taxes on other income,
such as sales of products or services. Some C-SPAN callers imagined that
people in such groups don't pay income taxes. Of course, people running
or working in tax-exempt groups pay income taxes on their salary the
same as everyone else.
There are four important categories:
1. A 501(c)(4) organization is tax-exempt (they don't pay income
taxes on donations). A 501(c)(4) organization is allowed to lobby for or
against legislation, but is not allowed to advocate for or against a
candidate. A 501(c)(4) also can do anything a 501(c)(3) can do.
2. A 501(c)(3) organization is both tax-exempt and
tax-deductible. That is, contributors can deduct their donations from
their income taxes. It is much more difficult to qualify for 501(c)(3)
status. A 501(c)(3) cannot lobby for or against legislation (except to
an insignificant extent) and may not engage in any partisan' (campaign)
activity. A 501(c)(3) can educate the public on policy, issues, the
advantages and disadvantages of various political policies and topics
like the Constitution, concepts of our Founding Fathers, etc. or train
citizens.
3. A Political Action Committee (PAC or Super-PAC) intervenes directly in partisan campaigns and does not qualify as tax exempt.
4. A 527 organization is a recent development, which also
intervenes directly in partisan campaigns and does not qualify as tax
exempt.
Eighth, many are not aware of the difference between 'political'
and 'partisan.' Tax exempt organizations are allowed to engage in public
discussion and lobbying of 'political' issues affecting society. That
is very different from 'partisan' activity. 'Partisan' means influencing
a campaign -- that is, advocating for or against a candidate in an
election (not necessarily just discussing policy or issues).
An example is the liberal Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in
Washington (CREW). CREW is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, tax deductible
foundation. Its head Melanie Sloan earns $230,000 per year. CREW does
nothing but slander conservative Republicans and a few Democrats who get
out of line with mostly false accusations.
Christine O'Donnell won the Republican primary for United States Senate
from Delaware. This was learned at 8:00 PM on September 14, 2010. By
about 11:00 AM on September 15, 2010, CREW started attacking Christine
O'Donnell and publicly declaring that Christine belongs in jail not in
the Senate.
Advocating for or against a candidate is the test of 'partisan'
(campaign) activity that is prohibited for a tax-exempt organization.
CREW ignored Christine until she won the GOP Primary. But within hours
CREW started attacking her. CREW explicitly referenced her status as a
candidate, and specifically that she does not belong in the Senate.
Melanie Sloan explicitly said that the voters should know all this when
they go to vote in November 2010.
I noticed this pattern and conceived, developed, planned, and drafted
the complaint against CREW to the IRS, which ChristinePAC later filed
with the IRS in July 2011. Yet two years later, the IRS has done
nothing. Melanie Sloan's parents are big donors to former Delaware
Senator Joe Biden and CREW attacks conservatives. Don't expect the IRS
to hold liberals responsible for anything.
John Stuart Mill’s classic essay “On Liberty” gives reasons why some
people should not be taking over other people’s decisions about their
own lives. But Professor Cass Sunstein of Harvard has given reasons to
the contrary. He cites research showing “that people make a lot of
mistakes, and that those mistakes can prove extremely damaging.”
Professor Sunstein is undoubtedly correct that “people make a lot of
mistakes.” Most of us can look back over our own lives and see many
mistakes, including some that were very damaging.
What Cass Sunstein does not tell us is what sort of creatures, other
than people, are going to override our mistaken decisions for us. That
is the key flaw in the theory and agenda of the left.
Implicit in the wide range of efforts on the left to get government to
take over more of our decisions for us is the assumption that there is
some superior class of people who are either wiser or nobler than the
rest of us.
Yes, we all make mistakes. But do governments not make bigger and more catastrophic mistakes?
Think about the First World War, from which nations on both sides ended
up worse off than before, after an unprecedented carnage that killed
substantial fractions of whole younger generations and left millions
starving amid the rubble of war.
Think about the Holocaust, and about other government slaughters of even
more millions of innocent men, women and children under Communist
governments in the Soviet Union and China.
Even in the United States, government policies in the 1930s led to crops
being plowed under, thousands of little pigs being slaughtered and
buried, and milk being poured down sewers, at a time when many Americans
were suffering from hunger and diseases caused by malnutrition.
The Great Depression of the 1930s, in which millions of people were
plunged into poverty in even the most prosperous nations, was needlessly
prolonged by government policies now recognized in retrospect as
foolish and irresponsible.
One of the key differences between mistakes that we make in our own
lives and mistakes made by governments is that bad consequences force us
to correct our own mistakes. But government officials cannot admit to
making a mistake without jeopardizing their whole careers.
Can you imagine a President of the United States saying to the mothers
of America, “I am sorry your sons were killed in a war I never should
have gotten us into”?
What is even more relevant to Professor Sunstein’s desire to have our
betters tell us how to live our lives, is that so many oppressive and
even catastrophic government policies were cheered on by the
intelligentsia.
Back in the 1930s, for example, totalitarianism was considered to be
“the wave of the future” by much of the intelligentsia, not only in the
totalitarian countries themselves but in democratic nations as well.
The Soviet Union was being praised to the skies by such literary
luminaries as George Bernard Shaw in Britain and Edmund Wilson in
America, while literally millions of people were being systematically
starved to death by Stalin and masses of others were being shipped off
to slave labor camps.
Even Hitler and Mussolini had their supporters or apologists among
intellectuals in the Western democracies, including at one time Lincoln
Steffens and W.E.B. Du Bois.
An even larger array of the intellectual elite in the 1930s opposed the
efforts of Western democracies to respond to Hitler’s massive military
buildup with offsetting military defense buildups to deter Hitler or to
defend themselves if deterrence failed.
“Disarmament” was the mantra of the day among the intelligentsia, often
garnished with the suggestion that the Western democracies should “set
an example” for other nations — as if Nazi Germany or imperial Japan was
likely to follow their example.
Too many among today’s intellectual elite see themselves as our
shepherds and us as their sheep. Tragically, too many of us are
apparently willing to be sheep, in exchange for being taken care of,
being relieved of the burdens of adult responsibility and being supplied
with “free” stuff paid for by others.
Have we ever heard Obama speak lovingly of the U.S. or its people, with
deep appreciation and genuine respect for our history, our customs, our
sufferings and our blessings?
Has he ever revealed that, like most patriotic Americans, he gets "goose
bumps" when a band plays "The Star Spangled Banner," or sheds a tear
when he hears a beautiful rendition of "America the Beautiful?"
Does his heart burst with pride when millions of American flags wave on a
National holiday – or someone plays "taps" on a trumpet? Has he ever
shared the admiration of the military, as we as lovers of those who keep
us free, feel when soldiers march by? It is doubtful because Obama did
not grow up sharing our experiences or our values.
He did not sit at the knee of a Grandfather or Uncle who showed us his
medals and told us about the bravery of his fellow troops as they
tramped through foreign lands to keep us free. He didn't have
grandparents who told stories of suffering and then coming to America,
penniless, and the opportunities they had for building a business and
life for their children.
Away from this country as a young child, Obama didn't delight in being part of America and its greatness.
He wasn't singing our patriotic songs in kindergarten, or standing on
the roadside for a holiday parade and eating a hot dog, or lighting
sparklers around a campfire on July 4th as fireworks exploded over head,
or placing flags on the gravesites of fallen and beloved American
heroes.
Rather he was separated from all of these experiences and doesn't really
understand us and what it means to be an American. He is void of the
basic emotions that most feel regarding this country and insensitive to
the instinctive pride we have in our national heritage. His opinions
were formed by those who either envied us or wanted him to devalue the
United States and the traditions and patriotism that unites us.
He has never given a speech that is filled with calm, reassuring,
complimentary, heartfelt statements about all the people in the U.S. Or
one that inspires us to be better and grateful and proud that in a short
time our country became a leader, and a protector of many.
Quite the contrary, his speeches always degenerate into mocking,
ridiculing tirades as he faults our achievements as well as any critics
or opposition for the sake of a laugh, or to bolster his ego.
He uses his Office to threaten and create fear while demeaning and
degrading any American who oppose his policies and actions. A secure
leader, who has noble self-esteem and not false confidence, refrains
from showing such dread of critics and displaying a cocky, haughty
attitude.
Mostly, his time seems to be spent causing dissension, unrest, and
anxiety among the people of America, rather than uniting us (even though
he was presented to us as the "Great Uniter").
He creates chaos for the sake of keeping people separated, envious, aggrieved and ready to argue.
Under his leadership Americans have been kept on edge, rather than in a state of comfort and security.
He incites people to be aggressive toward, and disrespectful of, those of differing opinions.
And through such behavior, Obama has lowered the standards for
self-control and mature restraint to the level of street-fighting gangs,
when he should be raising the bar for people to strive toward becoming
more considerate, tolerant, self-disciplined, self-sustaining, and
self-assured.
Not a day goes by that he is not attempting to defy our laws, remove our
rights, over-ride established procedures, install controversial
appointees, enact divisive mandates, and assert a dictatorial form of
power.
Never has there been a leader of this great land who used such tactics to harm and hurt the people and this country.
Never have we had a President who spoke with a caustic, evil tongue
against the citizenry rather than present himself as a soothing, calming
and trustworthy force.
Never, in this country, have we experienced how much stress one man can cause a nation of people – on a daily basis!
Obama has promoted the degeneration of peace, civility, and quality of
cooperation between us. He thrives on tearing us down, rather than
building us up. He is the Architect of the decline of America, and the
epitome of a Demagogue.
"Obama comes from a community organizer background where it's us
against them. But that's not who we are. And that's not the position
the leader of our Nation should take." – Dr. Benjamin Carson
Obama appears to be a tormented man who is filled with resentment,
anger, and disdain for anyone of an opinion or view other than his. He
acts in the most hateful, spiteful, malevolent, vindictive ways in order
to manipulate and maintain power and control over others. Perhaps,
because, as a child, he grew up harboring an abiding bitterness toward
the U.S. that was instilled in him by his family and mentors. It seems
to have never left him.
It is not the color of his skin that is a problem – for anyone in
America. Rather it is the blackness that fills his soul and the
hollowness in his heart where there should be abiding pride and love for
this country.
The Three Whistleblowers at the Benghazi hearing spoke softly, but with
the emotional wallop of The Three Tenors. They told the truth, and it
blasted like thunder through Obama's tissue palace of lies.
Listening to these strong, solemn men, I heard the sound of old America:
a place of hardworking people who love their country and believe in
something bigger than their own power.
The America of Gregory Hicks, Mark Thompson, and Eric Nordstrom won
World War II, walked on the moon, and defeated Communism. But today,
their America is forced to serve a different god: a cold, smiling man
with a hollow heart and hands that get bloodier by the day.
Obama stands center stage in this tragic opera of America's downfall,
cheapening, endangering, and destroying the lives of the best among us.
The pile of corpses grows ever higher, and the lies more noxious.
Let's pay tribute to some of his many victims, and vow to honor their memory by holding him to account.
BENGHAZI: Ambassador Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods.
Obama failed to attend a single intelligence briefing
in the week before September 11, 2012. As the Libyan consulate in
Benghazi came under attack that day, he disappeared for the evening,
then jetted off the next day for a Las Vegas fundraiser.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Stevens was raped, murdered, and dragged through
the streets by al-Qaeda-linked terrorists, while three brave Americans
died trying to defend him.
Having ignored Ambassador Stevens's previous reports
of a "security vacuum" in Libya, Obama allowed the abortion of two
rescue missions ready to fly to Benghazi. Regional security officer
Eric Nordstrom testified that "... whether or not you're sitting off
at a post, requesting resources, preparing for testimony before this
committee, or standing on a building surrounding by an armed mob
attacking you, the message is the same: 'You're on your own.'"
BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING: Martin Richard (age 8), Krystle Campbell, Lu Lingzi, and Sean Collier.
The Russians and the Saudis both say they warned Obama's security team
about Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of two jihad-crazed brothers who set off
fatal bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line and then killed police
officer Sean Collier. The FBI interviewed Tamerlan, found nothing, and failed to inform the Boston police
of Russia's multiple warnings. The Tsarnaev brothers were free to
pursue their murderous plot, while living the high life on taxpayer
welfare.
After the city of Boston was put on lockdown, surviving brother Dzhokhar
Tsarnaev was captured and began to talk about his schemes. But this
potential life-saving information (reportedly, the brothers planned to
attack New York) was squelched when Obama's Department of Justice rushed
to charge him with a crime and read him his Miranda rights. Dzhokhar
immediately shut up.
The feds refuse to let the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth release
Dzhokhar's college records, claiming it would violate federal privacy
law. Meanwhile, two illegal aliens have been arrested as accomplices; Obama's Department of Homeland Security allowed one of them to re-enter the U.S. in January without a valid student visa.
OPERATION FAST AND FURIOUS: Brian Terry, Jaime Zapata, and hundreds of unnamed Mexicans.
Obama's attorney general, Eric Holder, conducted a secret gun-running
operation that supplied thousands of assault weapons to drug cartels in
Mexico. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and ICE Agent Jaime Zapata were
both murdered with Fast and Furious guns. Their families have filed
wrongful death lawsuits against the federal government.
The Terry lawsuit claims that the federal officials "created, organized,
implemented and/or participated in a plan - code named 'Operation Fast
and Furious' - to facilitate the distribution of dangerous firearms to
violent criminals" and that they "knew or should have known that their
actions would cause substantial injuries, significant harm, and even
death to Mexican and American civilians and law enforcement, but were
recklessly indifferent to the consequence of their actions." Eric
Holder has been found in contempt of Congress for refusing to release
requested documented to congressional investigators, and he appears to
have committed perjury in his testimony.
FORT HOOD: Juanita Warman, Libardo Caraveo, John P. Gaffaney, Russell
Seager, Justin Decrow, Amy Krueger, Jason Hunt, Frederick Greene, Aaron
Nemelka, Michael Pearson, Kham Xiong, Francheska Velez (and unborn
child, and Michael G. Cahill.
On November 5, 2009, Army Major Nidal Hasan opened fire on a group of
soldiers preparing to deploy to Iraq, killing 13 and wounding 32.
Associates raised repeated questions about his strange behavior
but were squashed by what they call the Pentagon's "political
correctness." A devout Muslim, Hasan was in extensive communication
with al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki,
printed up business cards that read "Soldier of Allah," dressed in
Islamic martyrdom garb, and handed out korans the morning of the attack.
He screamed "Allahu Akbar" as he opened fire.
Nevertheless, Obama refuses to deem the largest attack on a U.S.
military installation in history a terrorist assault, insisting that it
be classified "workplace violence." Hasan's victims have been denied
Purple Hearts. Fort Hood hero Kimberly Munley told ABC News
that Obama "betrayed" her and the other victims. "Not to the least
little bit have the victims been taken care of," she said. "In fact,
they've been neglected."
NAVY SEAL TEAM VI HELICOPTER CRASH IN AFGHANISTAN, AUGUST 2011: Jonas
B. Kelsall, Louis J. Langlais, Thomas A. Ratzlaff, Kraig M. Vickers,
Brian R. Bill, John W. Faas, Kevin A. Houston, Matthew D. Mason, Stephen
M. Mills, Nicholas H. Null, Robert J. Reeves, Heath M. Robinson, Darrik
C. Benson, Christopher G. Campbell, Jared W. Day, John Douangdara,
Michael J. Strange, Jon T. Tumilson, Aaron C. Vaughn, Jason R. Workman,
Jesse D. Pittman, Nicholas P. Spehar, David R. Carter, Bryan J. Nichols,
Patrick D. Hamburger, Alexander J. Bennett, Spencer C. Duncan, John W.
Brown, Andrew W. Harvell, and Daniel L. Zerbe.
On May 2, 2011, members of SEAL Team VI invaded Osama bin Laden's
Pakistani compound and killed him. Three months later, 30 American
troops, most of them members of SEAL Team VI, were shot down by the
Taliban over Afghanistan.
On May 9, 2013, families of the fallen held a press conference to accuse Barack Obama of complicity in their deaths. They charged Obama with endangering SEAL Team VI by breaking protocol and revealing its identity
as bin Laden's killers. They also revealed that their sons were sent
to battle with inadequate equipment and air support and denied requested
pre-assault fire.
The families played a video of their sons' military funeral. No mention of the Judeo-Christian God was allowed, but the Pentagon invited a Muslim cleric to speak, who cursed their sons in Arabic as infidels condemned to hell.
Karen Vaughn, mother of fallen SEAL Aaron Vaughn, said, "Why
was there no pre-assault fire? We were told as families because
pre-assault fire damages our efforts to win the hearts and mind of our
enemy. In other words, the hearts and mind of our enemy are more valuable to this government than my son's blood."
Alas, I have no room to name all the troops killed by Obama's crippling Rules of Engagement. "American
troops are needlessly exposed to increased enemy attack, suffer
unnecessary casualties, cannot secure or control the indigenous
population and are not allowed to deny freedom of movement or maneuver
to the Taliban," according to a tactical commander in Afghanistan. As a result, more than twice as many American soldiers have died in Afghanistan under four years of Obama than in eight years under Bush.
Nor do I have room to list all the Americans murdered and maimed by the
illegal aliens to whom Obama shows such special devotion. This week, Chris Crane,
president of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers union,
said Obama has "attempted to shut down" border enforcement Obama released 5,000 criminal aliens from jail and "absolutely" tied law enforcement's hands. Recently, , blaming sequestration cuts, and created special protections against deportation for illegal aliens with "serious mental disorders."
In the White House lives the man with the blood-red hands. The screams and sobs of his victims grow louder by the day.
One might say that “reality” is “that which actually is.” In other
words, it is “truth.” We, as a society, are not living in reality. Most
people glide through life ignoring truth, and especially The Truth that comes from Almighty God. Like the ostrich, we hide our heads in the sand, thinking we can avoid what God says is true.
I have come to the conclusion that we as a society are indulging in one
big gigantic party, which reminds me of these verses from the
Scriptures:
“1 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.
2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring
in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken
from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his
wives and his concubines might drink from them.
3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from
the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives
and his concubines drank from them.
4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the
plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king
watched the hand as it wrote.
6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to
him, "Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from
Judah?
17 Then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your gifts for
yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will
read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
18 "Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.
22 "But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this.
23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven.
You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your
nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised
the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which
cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who
holds in his hand your life and all your ways.
24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25 "This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin
26 "Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
27Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
28Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain,
31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.”
These verses are taken from the book of Daniel, chapter five. If I didn’t know better, I would think they were written yesterday by just changing a few names.
The leaders of this once great nation are in party mode and leading us
to destruction. Generally speaking, our forefathers feared God and we
have been greatly blessed. However our present day leaders have ignored
the God of our forefathers and have gone after other gods. The golf
courses, beaches, night clubs, and secret hotel rooms are filled with
Godless politicians, while we the people are being sucked down the drain
of hopelessness for our country’s survival.
Even we lowly citizens, as a whole, who have put these rapscallions in
office, are in party mode, going through life like there will never be
an accountability.
I don’t know how God will ultimately judge us, but I do know we are long over-due.
From the back alleys to the White House, sin has saturated our nation.
Even our churches, in general, are dens of thieves and houses of harlots
before the God they “say” they worship. We have taken those things that
belong to God, and desecrated them with our frivolousness.
The people we call our heroes are usually, not always, degenerate in
their thinking and filled with hatred toward God, their Creator. The
holy name of God is mocked, while the “stars” of society are worshipped.
Our consciences have been seared with the hot iron of sin and we have
made Satan our king.
It is my opinion that God has been warning us even prior to September
11, 2001, but we would rather party. We were brought to our knees on
September 11, 2001 and rushed to the churches, but guess what? Nothing
happened. Oh really? We have had disaster after disaster; hurricanes,
tornadoes, flooding, drought, economic woes, loss of life, blizzards,
and it goes on and on.
We didn’t stay long at the churches after September 11, 2001, except for
those who stayed because they like being told what fine people they are
while they indulge in their sins.
Reality still has not set in for us as a nation. We still want to party,
but sooner or later the party will end and we will be left with nothing
but one huge hangover.
The reality for us as a nation is judgment. It is coming. The reality
for us individually is judgment if we don’t sober up and get our lives
right before Almighty God. [Related Article: The Sedgefield Community]
Soon, the Lord Jesus Christ is going to return for His Church. He will
remove His Church, the Bride, from this planet and take her to His
Father’s house in Heaven while He carries out judgment upon this fallen
world. It will be a time of absolute hell on earth.
You can laugh. You can mock. You can put your party hat back on and pour
yourself another cup of rebellion, but if you do not repent before
Jesus Christ, you will face reality.
The reality for those who are the Bride of Christ is salvation by God’s grace and fellowship with Him forever in Heaven.
“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath
spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled
against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib…:
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers,
children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have
provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
From the sole of the foot even unto the head [there is] no soundness in
it; [but] wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been
closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment,” (Isaiah 1:2 – 4, 6).
The Lord has spoken even to us living in the United States of
America and He expects us to pay attention to His warnings. But do we?
Not so you’d notice. What a privilege to have been born in America and
brought up in a nation of freedom and liberty. Now as America stands at
the precipice of time all we can see is corruption, deceit, hatred,
putrefying sores, unsoundness of mind. We are in a state of total
rebellion against out Creator.
“And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from
you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are
full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your
doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;” (Isaiah 1:15, 16).
God is pleading with His people to turn away from all evil. Here in
America and around the world His people’s hands are soiled. Even so He’s
beseeching us to return to Him and become clean once again.
What a wonderful place to live, this country of ours, and yet we
have become the corruptor of nations. We are so greedy that other
nations have become just like us, mirroring our greed. There does seem
to be an approaching end to our silver and gold which have certainly
been our idols for years now.
“Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither [is there any]
end of their treasures;… Their land also is full of idols; they worship
the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:” (Isaiah 2:7, 8). Billions spent to bailout greedy banking institutions bears witness to the systematic elimination of our silver and gold.
“The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of
men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that
day,” (Isaiah 2:11).
There’s a day coming, not too far into the future, which will bring men
to their knees. Our God – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – will,
very soon I’m afraid, put a stop to the pervasive evil that has
permeated the earth. How can man stand against God? What man has ever
prevailed against God?
Rebellion in our very young children at times is cute and at other times
quite annoying and brings about the possibility of some sort of
punishment. Rebellion against God is never cute, and there’s no
question God will bring His punishment to bear.
Isaiah was a prophet enlisted by God Himself to herald God’s
displeasure and remedies to the nation of Israel. We here in America can
certainly take stock in the fact that if God’s displeasure with Israel
brought devastating consequences to His chosen people, we Americans can
rest assured God’s wrath will come down on this rebellious gentile
nation as well.
The financial situation in our land is only a part of the overall
problem confronting each individual in America today. Once again God is
desperately attempting to get our attention. His word (the Holy Bible)
gives all indication that He is serious when He chastises His people.
Our Banks are failing in droves and huge conglomerates are taking
unheard of massive financial hits, the stock market reflecting a sense
of insecurity in our nation today is only a fraction of what we can
expect if we continue in our rebellion to our God.
We must look at the whole picture before our eyes. We are all aware
of the crises confronting us as Americans, and we can all understand why
this has happened if we just give it a little thought. As a nation, we
are steeped in immorality, deception, greed, hatred, and in false
religions that don’t glorify the one true God, the God who created
Heaven and Earth, the God who gave us His Word to live by.
Rebellion is spreading. When did this rebellion start? It started in
The Garden of Eden with two young adults who were given everything,
even the title deed to the earth. What else could they have wanted? They
already owned it all. It’s the same today, there are incredibly wealthy
people who are unsatisfied with what God has blessed them with, and
they want more. When they achieve more they still aren’t content and
strive for even more.
According to history, people won’t be satisfied even after they
obtain it all. Solomon who was the wealthiest man who ever lived penned
the following statement. “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
After it was all said and done Solomon wrote this admonition, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man," (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Satisfaction is only guaranteed when God’s people seek Him. “[Seek
him] that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of
death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth
for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the
earth: The LORD [is] his name:” (Amos 5:8).
As God’s people we should seek Him in our daily lives. No matter what
else happens in life, we must resolve to seek God’s presence and his
will, and this resolve should never be compromised.
There is a sense of urgency among commentators today, we can read
scores of articles on the subject of financial ruin and end times
scenarios, and no one can find the United States of America in the end
time prophecies. Just take a look around at all the confusion in this
country; certainly we must come to the conclusion that we aren’t
mentioned because we are no longer a viable entity. There really is no
simple answer to where the US will be during the end times and the 70th
week of Daniel. After so many years at the top of the heap will America
become subordinated to a lesser position, perhaps a position of say a
third world nation? It didn’t seem possible a few years ago but it sure
makes for interesting conversation now.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways;
then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land.” But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my
commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other
gods, and worship them; And this house, …which is high, shall be an
astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why
hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house? And it
shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers…
therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them,” (2 Chronicles 7:14, 19, 21, 22).
Jesus Christ is our God, and Christians who are called by His name must
humble themselves and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked
ways. [Related Article: The Antichrist Spirit and Richmond, VA]
Personally, my thoughts are that since God established this nation a
moral nation with Christian values, He has every right to disestablish
it. I believe we are currently living through God’s disestablishment of
America. If we would turn from our evil ways He would heal our land. How
can we, the body of Christ, convince over three hundred million people
that they need to turn from their wicked ways?
I’ve heard figures of approximately one third to one half of the US
are Christian. If that be the case, and if we each took on the
responsibility of speaking to two or three non-believers, we should have
this problem fixed in short order. On the other hand, when we confront
those who say they are Christian but then follow up with the statement “
But I’m not a practicing Christian”, then I see the figure of
one third to one half of all Americans proclaiming to be Christian,
dramatically reduced. By the way, what is someone who says “I’m not a
practicing Christian”? If we are truly born again, are we not practicing
Christians?
I know full well as do many who will be reading this commentary,
that this nation isn’t going to get down on their knees and begin to ask
God for forgiveness any time soon. Interestingly it won’t take the
whole nation. If we His people, that means those of us who are truly born again, born from above, will repent
and turn from our wicked ways He will heal our land. God isn’t calling
on the whole of the U.S., he’s singling out His people, those who bear
His Name. This is a corporate prayer He’s asking for. All believers
should examine themselves and willingly seek God’s face and repent of the rebellion that has taken over this land.
The current Wall Street crisis is a call to arms. God is calling on all believers to put on His armor as in Ephesians 6,
and to intercede and pray for this nation, to get down on their knees
and repent before Him. If we will do this as a body, the body of Christ,
He will be faithful to forgive us and to heal our land. If we
stubbornly refuse to do this simple task, well then, God knows what the
future will hold for America and its stiff necked people.
Prayer Requests
Sedgefield Community of Ashland, VA
Constitution of the United States, Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The Sedgefield community of Ashland, VA:
Please pray for Mark B.,
that he would be convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Pray
that he would be delivered from spiritual blindness and self-deception.
Please pray that God would heal and bless him and his family.
Pray with me for my neighbor Wendy McCreary, and her brother Mike-pray
that the conviction of the Holy Spirit would descend upon their hearts
and penetrate the spiritual darkness...that they would be convicted of
sin, righteousness, and the final judgment to come...that they would
receive Jesus Christ and be saved; and that Wendy would be delivered
from the antichrist spirit which is controlling and manipulating her... Pray that Wendy would be delivered from her alcohol abuse...
Pray that her daughter would be delivered from the rebellion and ungodly worldviews which she has picked up from her mother...
Please pray that Wendy's shouting of profanity and blasphemy would be silenced. Pray that Wendy would be removed from the community to a place more suited to her lifestyle.
[Related Article: The Spirit of This Age]
Please pray for the individuals who are encouraging her lifestyle and behavior...
Pray for Brandon,
that he would be convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Pray
that he would repent and receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Please pray for Michelle; pray for her repentance and salvation. Pray
that there would be a complete surrender to Jesus Christ, and
deliverance from false doctrines. [Related Article: Repentance...the Missing Message]
Gabriel Gomez, the Republican nominee for the Senate in Massachusetts,
will be facing off against the Democratic nominee, Congressman Ed
Markey in the June 25th special election. Gomez is a former SEAL
Lieutenant, who served from 1991 to 1996.
As evidenced by his new ad,
Markey is obviously running scared, currently only four percentage
points ahead of Gomez. The ad has Gomez and Bin Laden side by side and
talks about how a group of former national security and military figures
"shamelessly" called out the president for leaking classified
information for political purposes. The ad atrociously links Gomez with
the terrorist and implies his comments were unpatriotic. The Democratic
tactics are obviously designed to distract attention from both the
congressman's and the Obama Administration's record on terrorism. American Thinker
had the pleasure of interviewing Gabriel Gomez to contrast his views
with the congressman, including how this ad and Markey's victory
comments show hypocrisy and distortion.
During his fifteen-minute victory speech, Markey basically takes a page
from the Liberal handbook. He spoke about his desire to overturn
Citizens United, a Supreme Court case allowing unlimited political
spending, and protecting entitlement programs; although he does not
mention how he will do it. He talks about his record on gun control,
stating, "We need to make the NRA (National Rifle Association) stand for Not Relevant Anymore," and listed climate change as one of the most important issues facing America today.
Gomez started the conversation with American Thinker by saying Ed Markey is a "poster boy for term limits,"
having served for thirty-seven years. When Markey was first elected in
1976, Gomez was playing Little League baseball, and the debt was less
than a trillion dollars, not even close to the seventeen trillion today.
"I want to pass off a better country to the next generation. If we
continue on the same economic path my four young children will not have
the same opportunities that I had as a youngster. Markey represents the
past, whereas I represent the future."
The former SEAL is not surprised by Markey's outrageous ad and personal
attacks, since the congressman does not want to talk about Democratic
policies toward terrorism. In looking at Markey's record, there are
several bills that he voted against which tied law enforcement and
intelligence officials' hands. He voted against a 2006 bill that would
have expanded the president's powers to conduct electronic surveillance
of suspected terrorists without obtaining a warrant from a secret court.
Markey also voted against reauthorizing or making permanent provisions
of the Patriot Act, voted against a bill that would have barred the use
of federal funds to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, and voted
to allow some Guantanamo detainees to stand trial in the U.S.
Markey's record and his campaign focus on everything but the economy and
terrorism. On the other hand, Gomez sees the Boston terrorist bombing
as a reminder to all Americans that "we live in a very dangerous
world. I finished running the Boston Marathon just before the bombs
exploded with my entire family watching. I spoke early of needing to
hold this terrorist as an enemy combatant. Now we hear there is a
connection to a Jihadi network. Since he [Dzhokhar Tsarnaev] was read
his Miranda Rights, something the Democrats make a habit of doing, he
has lawyered up, and we might never know the answer to the where, when,
how, and who he trained with. Delaying reading him Miranda Rights does
not mean he eventually could not have been tried in Federal Court. After
having four people killed and over 250 people hurt, some severely, I
don't think the people of Massachusetts want to hear about Mirandizing a
terrorist."
There is also the contrast between the two candidates on gun control.
Gomez noted that his experiences as a SEAL have influenced him
considerably regarding issues. He would never vote for a ban "on any
type of gun. I am a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment. Every
law-abiding citizen should be allowed to buy any type of gun they want. I
am coming from a unique position since as a Navy SEAL I have fired
every one of these weapons. It is not about the weapon. It is about
enforcing the laws and making sure background checks are thoroughly done
when a gun is sold, in all cases."
Being in the military, he knows how important national defense is to
this nation. He would not have voted for sequestration because "the
military cuts were not done in a thoughtful and balanced way. This
administration and Congress, through these cuts, have tied one arm
behind their backs as the world becomes more volatile. They called up a
virus and mailed it to themselves. Those that served this nation should
know we still have their back."
Gomez is hoping that the people of Massachusetts will realize him to be a
pragmatic candidate. He is the son of Columbian immigrants brought up
to be a proud American, and has dedicated his life to giving back to his
country. He wants everyone to understand, "I have had huge
challenges in my life, including becoming a SEAL. I am prepared and
focused on the mission at hand just as I was trained to do as part of a
SEAL team. I would rather be part of a solution than stay on the
sidelines and complain. I will approach this job with a military man's
discipline, a father's sensitivity, and a businessman's experience."
