Absolutes.

Guess I may end up in jail one day.

Since I believe in absolutes I will most likely be labeled a nutjob, old fashioned, bigot, narrow minded, a homophobic and a racist. Since I believe that the God of the Bible is the One true God, and since I believe the only way to spend eternity with Him is by way of His Son, Jesus Christ, I will become a religious right wing nut. Since I believe that Jesus Christ will one day return and defeat the enemies of the Cross by shedding the blood of millions (see Revelation 14.20), I will probably be labeled a member of a right wing extremist group.

Since I am not progressive, since I believe that history repeats itself, since I think "enlightened men" are in the dark, then I will be considered old fashioned and "behind the times". Since I believe that God created all nations to be sovereign from one another and that the promotion of a one world government is against His principles, I will be considered dangerous and probably put on some watch list somewhere.

Since I like guns, like to shoot guns, buy guns, teach people how to shoot guns, and support the death penalty; I will be labeled, again, a right wing extremist.

Since, when it comes to my faith, I am not afraid to "rock the boat" and speak what I know to be facts from Scripture, I will be looked upon with contempt and may become the target of a jihad.
Since I think the whole "prosperity gospel" movement is a sham from hell, I will be labeled unloving, unforgiving, and unenlightened. The "progressive pastors of prosperity" can go right on deceiving the masses but I know their message for what it is, like I said, a sham from hell.

There is no one I need or want to impress. I could care less what people think about me. I DO care what Jesus Christ thinks of me. He is the one I must one day stand before. So join me if you will and become a member of the body of Christ. Persecution is guaranteed but the eternal benefits are beyond comprehension.

Run Forrest run.

I watched "Forrest Gump" tonight, this was my 4th or 5th time watching the movie. I love that movie. Forrest represents all of us in one sense or another. He is simple in everything he says yet his observations are profound. Everything he does are things that are, on the surface, common yet he excels in all of them. Yes, it is just a story, a novel, a fairy tale but the character speaks to all of us.



Why is it that we cheer and clap when the nobody gets the prize. Why is it that we love to see the "little guy" get the reward, the "underdog" win the game. Forrest, who in the movie has a low I.Q. succeeds at all he does. Have you ever wondered why that appeals to us.. I think it has something to do with "beating the odds". Forrest knew that he was "slow" yet he never let that get in the way of what he wanted to do. And everything he did he did it 100% all the way, no holds barred, no holding back.



Lt. Dan remained his "Lt." in spite of continuous ridicule. "Jenny" remained his lady love in spite of continuous rejection. Ahh, it is just a movie, but it explodes with truth, honesty, compassion, romance, and most of all...love.



There is a lesson in that for us all. Forrest was "slow" yet he focused on whatever the task was at the moment and gave his all. He did not care about social expectations or norms, he did not care about what people thought about him or his shortcomings, he did not care about the odds or failures...he just focused and got the job done.



Perhaps there is more to the "simple life" than meets the eye.

A Tribute to Grammy Lees.

This is a tribute to Leabelle Cody, born May 8th, 1911; died December 13th 2009.

Ms. Cody's great uncle was Buffalo Bill Cody. Ms. Cody married Forrest Lees Sr. who was a Navy Pilot stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7th 1941. Officer Lees was the first U.S. Navy pilot in the air on that fateful day. Ms. Cody, who married Forrest and was now Mrs. Lees, was hanging laundry in her back yard which was on a bluff; a bluff that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. With her in the yard that morning were two boys (ages 7 and 6). The 7 year old (Forrest Lees Jr.) was climbing a tree. He and his mother watched, as a large number of strange planes flew over their house headed for the Navy base.

The boys dad who was also Mrs. Lees husband also saw that formation of planes as they flew toward Pearl Harbor. He was in a plane, above the formation, on a training flight with a new pilot. He took a pipe out of his mouth, tapped the pilot next to him on the shoulder, and said, "those are not American planes, they are Japanese".

Over the next several hours, America was attacked and the Pacific fleet devastated by the Japanese Navy. Officer Lees survived. He returned home and gave his wife a revolver with three bullets. He told her, "don't let them take you alive". One bullet each for her and the two boys. Mrs. Lees and the boys were later evacuated to a commercial freighter which took them to San Francisco, they spent the entire trip on the deck of the ship. Mrs. Lees and the boys left their house in Hawaii with nothing but the clothes on their back. They arrived in California with nothing more than a dime which Mrs. Lees used to call relatives to come and get them.

Over the next four years, Officer and Mrs. Lees did not see one another; Officer Lees was busy serving his country in defense against the enemy. The two of them were reunited and went on to have three more boys.

Mrs. Lees first son, Forrest Lees Jr., married Sally May North. Forrest Jr. was the 7 year old boy in the tree, on Hawaii, who watched the Japanese Navy on it's way to attack Pearl Harbor. Forrest Jr. went on to become a Navy Pilot who won the Distinguished Flying Cross in Vietnam. Forrest Jr. and Sally May had five children, four girls and one boy. The third child born was a girl named Kathryn Anne Lees. On January 11th 1992 Kathryn married me, but that is a story for another day.

This post is in remembrance of Kathryn's grandmother, Leabelle Lees. I had the privilege of meeting "Grammy Lees" on several occasions. I remember her as a beautiful woman from another time and place. A time and place of honesty, substance, beauty, integrity, and genuineness that is rare today. She lived, on this planet for 98 years...WOW...that is a long time. She and Forrest Sr. had five boys who went on to become successful men.

These are my memories of what Kathryn has shared with me and what I have observed concerning Grammy Lees. What a life.

Grammy Lees died on December 13th, 2009.

I know that Kathryn is a relative of Buffalo Bill Cody because she shoots better that I do.

Oh, by the way, Grammy was a believer. I will see her again. I LOVE IT...

Content

The saying goes, "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence". That is not always the case. In fact, it has been my experience that the way things are often end up being the better side of the fence to live on.

I am not talking about striving to succeed in a business or desiring to "get better" at something. These are good things to do and to pursue. I am talking about being satisfied with what you have. If you have opportunity to gain wealth, or get a better job, or move to a different place or whatever, great..but do not get to the point to where you are never satisfied. That is a vicious cycle that never ends. Always wanting more, always wanting to "change", always wanting "what the other guy has". I have known people in my life who think: "if I just found another man/woman, I would be happier" or "If I just had a better job" or "a better car" or etc...Those people, most of them are not any happier and in some cases they are more miserable than before.

I think that living life by the principle of the long haul does a person good. I am 45 years old. I am getting grey hair on the sides and back of my head. It takes longer to recover after a good workout. It is harder to lose weight than it used to be. I need a new pair of glasses because my eyesight is changing so rapidly. But you know what, I am content. I am happy right where I am. I am in this life for the long haul. I may die in the next five minutes or I may die 40 years from now. I don't know and I don't worry about it. Why, because I am learning what Paul learned 2000 years ago, he wrote, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

For Paul, the key to his contentment was found in his relationship with Jesus Christ. It was that relationship that allowed Paul to be "content in all circumstances". When I choose to make my relationship with Christ my goal, I am content with my life. On the other hand, if that relationship with Christ is not in order, or is not my priority, I become miserable and dis-content. It really is that simple.

Change, as we are seeing in the headlines every day is not always a good thing. I am getting older and will one day die. But my relationship with Christ will last for eternity. Hmmmm...I think I will put all my hopes and dreams in His hands. Man, it feels better just saying it.

The end of the lord of the flies.

In Matthew 12.27, Jesus refers to satan as "beelzebul". The Aramaic root of this word is, "Baal-zebul" which means, "lord of the fly". Baal-zebul was a Philistine deity worshipped at Ekron. Therefore, the people that worshiped "baal-zebul" were in reality worshipping satan. But notice the meaning of "baal-zebul"..."lord of the fly". We all know that flies gather on dead things. So also, satan brings only death. He is the lord of the flies because like flies he is associated with death.

Jesus, on the other hand is life and has conquered death. He came into the world for one purpose only and that was to do the will of the Father. And the will of the Father was to impute the sins of the world onto Jesus Christ who in turn would die twice. He would die spiritually and pay for the imputed sins of the world. From noon until 3 p.m. is when this occurred. This is when the world was covered with darkness (the darkness of a cave) for three hours and Jesus screamed in agony because for the one and only time in the history of creation, He was separated from the Father. And then He died physically (at a time He chose, Luke 23.46) and was buried in a tomb.

Three days later He rose from the dead. Not because of what He had done but because of who He is. He had fulfilled the will of the Father through His death and burial. Paying for the sins of the world was an act of divine love (John 3.16). Rising from the dead (1 Corinthians 15.20) was inevitable because Jesus is God in the flesh (John 1.14).

The lord of the flies has been defeated by the Lord of eternal life. One day death itself will be defeated (Relation 20.13-14) and the lord of the flies will join death in the lake of fire (Revelation 20.10).

Acts 16.31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved". And everyone who exercises faith alone in Christ alone will be imputed with the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. And then you will only die once (physically) but never twice (spiritually).

That, my friends is something to shout about...

The Pulpit is not for Wimps..

1 Corinthians 16.13-14, "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all you do be done in love".

Gene Cunningham, a Pastor-Teacher and a friend of mine was teaching at a youth camp a couple of years ago. I remember him teaching from the passage above. In my Bible, I wrote down the following points from that lesson.

1. Be alert-for danger.
2. Stand firm-be ready to fight in the faith.
3. Act like men-be courageous.
4. Be strong-work against resistance.
5. All done in love-Sacrifice yourself for someone else.

He taught this verse to a group of men and male teenagers. He was making the point that a Godly man displays the principles above in his daily life.

I then read this article and realized that far too many men who occupy pulpits in this country today have forgotten what being a man of God entails. As Pastors, Teachers, and Evangelists, our job is to "TEACH" the Word of God...period.. I am fed up with wimpy, feel good, pandering pastors in this country who teach a touchy-feely Jesus. Men who tell their congregations what they want to hear instead what the Word of God states. As the author of the article writes, "the pulpit is not for wimps." Indeed, it is not.

Time grows short. As each day passes, we grow closer and closer to the rapture of the church. The lines are being drawn and each person must decide where he/she stands. As for Pastors, there is only ONE side we stand on and it better be the side of truth. For we have been given the responsibility of leading people in the ways of God, and we better get it right. There is absolutely no excuse for any man who stands in a pulpit to teach anything other than the truth as it is laid out in the Word of God.

In his first letter to Timothy (who was a young pastor-teacher) Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote this, "Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. 1 Timothy 6.12-16.

He concludes the letter to Timothy with this verse, "O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding world and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge", which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith". 1 Timothy 6.20-21.

Pulpits in this country (not all) are full of men who speak empty and worldly chatter and false knowledge.

Pastors:

Fish or cut bait. Play or sit on the bench but good grief get it right.

The Borg

How many of you have ever watched Star Trek? How many of you have ever watched the Star Trek remade that came out in the early 2000s? Do you remember Patrick Stewart who played Captain John Luke Picard of the star ship Enterprise, I do. He played the part beautifully. One of my favorite episodes was his fight against "the Borg". The Borg were a collective of half human half robot creatures that thought, acted, and responded to the same "signal". A signal that originated from some alien intelligence whose goal was the "assimilation" of anyone or anything in their path. They travel across the galaxy in a ship shaped like a cube. As they come to another spacecraft or planet they say one thing, "resistance is futile, surrender, or you will be assimilated".

In our world today we have our very own equivalent of the borg. Welcome to the U.N. (United Nations). The goal of the U.N. is the assimilation of the planet. They want every nation to join "the collective" and become a part of the global village.

In America the borg came calling at the turn of the century under the guise of "progressivism". And the sole desire of the progressive is to join the United States of America with the Borg...I mean the U.N.

I quote http://gunslingersjournal.blogspot.com/ below regarding this insanity.

They've Been To College. They Know Better.
The Progressive Statists in Washington will not be happy until every single facet of your life is under their control. Regulating individual liberty out of existence is their goal.

Never doubt it.

Here is their latest target. We will have No. Way. Out.

But one.

Read, my dears, the history of Progressivism. I suggest you start with this book:

American Progressivism: A Reader, by Ron Pestritto

Recognizing Progressivism, which leached into our public sphere about the turn of the last century from German universities via the American "elite" who attended them, helps to understand exactly what went wrong with our country, and why we have the "In the Public Interest/Social Justice/Bobble-Headed Boob as "President" who never met a person he didn't want to regulate.

And why Republican presidents.....aaaaaaahchewbush (God bless me)...have taken us down the same road, only a little more slowly.

Progressivism: The idea that government should run everything...because we've outgrown the Founders' nonsense of "tyrannical" government. We've "progressed", and government is now the only way that we can create the paradise on earth that all progressed and enlightened people want....collectively....don't you know.

Now....note, this is out of Germany. At the turn of the last century. Before Hitler.

Does anyone see the irony here? And yet, even the advent of the Nazi Government...making everything so nice for all its citizens...didn't make the irrational Progressives doubt their own propaganda.

The Progressives still believe that government control of all facets of life is not only the FASTEST way, or the BEST way, but the ONLY way to create the sort of happy, free, fulfilling life for all... that the Founders intended...but foolishly imagined their limited government would supply for all people in all ages.

Silly Founders. They were so limited. So short-sighted. So parochial. So Provincial.

And their stupid Constitution, which limits glorious government is the bane of the existence of Progressives. And they will do whatever they can get away with to undermine, distort, ignore and eventually, discard it.

International Law Treaties, anyone??

Read. Learn. Fight.

Obama is the dull, petulant, frustrated, scurvy face of the New American Progressive.

You have to be controlled so that those who know better can create the perfect society...in spite of your backward, selfish, individuality that undermines the perfection of the socially minded, cooperative collective. You only imagine you want individual freedom and independence because you have not "progressed" or "evolved" enough to understand what is really best for you. And since your so recalcitrant...you have to be made to "cooperate" for your own good.

But once you've been assimilated into the collective, you're going to be so content...and realize that they were right all along. But in the meantime, your criminal, anti-social insistence on "individual liberty" is just PISSING THEM SERIOUSLY OFF.

And it has got to stop.Welcome to the New America....that ZerO is busy "remaking".

The Gunslinger

And Mark says:

Jeremiah 33.3, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".