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".

DHS Document and it's implications for U.S. citizens.

I recently read a document published by the Department of Homeland Security titled: Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment. The document details the current "threat" in America of the resurgence of right wing extremist groups in the continental U.S.A. A right wing extremist group is usually a well armed, small group of individuals who propagate an ideology centered in nationalism or racism. Neo-nazi's, skinheads, etc.. fall into this category. The report warns that, because of the election of the first African American President and the down turn in the economy, these groups are seeking new recruits in the form of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who are disenheartened by the current state of the union. However, when one reads the document it is apparent that the current definition of "extremist" covers a wide variety of the U.S. population.

For example, the document indicates that the increase in the purchase of firearms and the "stockpiling" of ammunition may be indicative of the rise of right wing extremism. The increase in the purchase of firearms and ammunition can be directly linked to bills and policies that have been introduced or are about to be introduced by the current administration.

These bills such as the labeling of every bullet appear to me to be more Government infringement on our right to bear arms. Yet the Department of Homeland Security labels the rise in the sale of firearms and ammunition as a red flag indicator of the rise in right wing extremism. Therefore, according to DHS (Dept. of Homeland Security) if I buy more bullets I could easily fall under the umbrella of right wing extremism.

On pg. 4 of the document under the heading, "Economic Hardship and Extremism" you can read the following statement.

"Anti government conspiracy theories and "end times" prophecies could motivate extremist individuals and groups to stockpile food, ammunition, and weapons. The teachings also have been linked with the radicalization of domestic extremist individuals and groups in the past, such as violent Christian identity organizations and extremist members of the militia movement."

I'm not really sure what the DHS is trying to say with the reference to "end times" prophecies. I am currently teaching the book of Revelation at our church. The book has much to say on the "end times" of the current dispensation. Perhaps I'm being paranoid but it is not a far fetch for me to be labeled a right wing extremist because I am teaching what the Bible has to say about the "end times".

As a part of good planning for unexpected natural disasters such as earthquakes or hurricanes, a person will normally "stockpile" food and other items such as ammunition for hunting game etc. This to me and everyone I know is common sense.

So now, If I stockpile food and ammunition and teach the book of Revelation what am I; a man of common sense following the leadership of the Holy Spirit or a radical right wing extremist who is a member of a "violent Christian identity" organization.

Finally, the report closes with the assessment that "lone wolves and small terrorist cells" embracing violent right wing ideology are the most dangerous domestic terrorism threat in the U.S. Oh, OK, I guess all those violent Mexican drug gangs and members of Al-Queda crossing our southern border are not that big of a deal.

To read the document itself go here and click on "DHS Rightwing Extremism Report" on the center of the page.

I am a follower of Jesus Christ. He and He alone holds the destiny of this country and this world in His Awesome and Capable Hands. I have no idea how long Jesus will delay before He raptures His church Home. But I do know that the pressure on His Church will increase "as the day approaches". I do not put my trust in any government or man made institution. I put my trust in my Savior and King, Jesus Christ. And you know what...that brings me great Peace.

So cheer up, smile, and enjoy the ride.

God In The Flesh.

Philippians 2.5-8

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Lots of people believe that Jesus existed. Many religions teach that He was a great teacher and a good moral person. Islam even teaches that Jesus will return as the enforcer of the programs of the Mahdi. So to many, Jesus was a great man but nothing more and He certainly is not God. However, the passage above teaches something different altogether. In teaches us that Jesus is completely God and completely man in one unique person.

The phrase "in the form of God" and "to be grasped" could be paraphrased as: "Who, though of the same nature as God, did not think this something to be exploited to His own advantage". Jesus possesses the same nature and attributes of God yet while He was on the earth, He did not exploit His Divine power to His own advantage.

But instead He "emptied Himself" and took the form of a "bond-servant". The self emptying of Christ is the veiling or cloaking of His divine attributes. The phrase "bond-servant" in the Greek implies, "one who gives himself up to anothers will, devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests". So now we see that Jesus Christ never lost His divine nature but He chose, willingly to cloak it while He was on the earth. He then humbled Himself to the will of His Father, He gave Himself up to the will of another. And the will of the Father was for His Son to take on the form of a man and ultimately die on our behalf.

The Creator became one of His creatures.

Jesus Christ went beyond that. Not only did He veil His deity, not only did He humble Himself by becoming a man but He went so far as to die on our behalf. The Creator became one of His creatures and then allowed those creatures to nail Him to a cross on which He died.

Three days later, Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead. He is currently sitting at the right hand of God and will one day return to establish His kingdom on the earth.

Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. That is what separates Christianity from the religions of men.

The Long Dark of Moria.

In the movie "The Two Towers" which is a part of the "Lord of the Rings" triology there is a scene where Gandalf leads the fellowship (those who chose to take the ring to Mordor) into the Misty mountains. The decision is made to go under the mountains through a tunnel that was constructed by the Dwarves. The place they enter is called "Moria". It is dark, musty, scary and frought with danger. As the fellowship begins the journey Gandalf sums up the mood of those around him and states, "and so begins the long dark of Moria".

Along about 900 A.D., Europe entered what became known as the dark ages. It was a time of serfs and lords, of papal authority and ignorant parishoners. It was a time of inquisition in the name of God. Disease and pestilence killed millions. Most of the population sank and slumbered into a miserable existence. Personal hygiene was non existent. The God given ability of ingenuity was a distant dream of another lifetime. Kings palaces were rife with corruption and a total inability to rule with fairness and justice. For hundreds of years life in Europe became a living hell. It was a time of violence and death. A time of bloodshed and heartbreak. Europe had entered the long dark of Moria.

Gandalf and the fellowship reach a point in their journey where a great and evil demon of another age, a Balrog, is awakened. The fellowship runs from the Balrog who in turn gives chase. The fellowship reaches a bridge called Khazak Doom. Gandalf sees the fellowship safely across and begins to cross himself. At the halfway point, he stops and faces the Balrog. The Balrog is many times the size of Gandalf. It exudes fire and heat and wields a great flaming sword and a whip made of fire. Gandalf armed with his wizard's staff and sword tells the Balrog, "You shall not pass....go back to the shadow". The Balrog raises it's flaming sword and brings it down on the Wizard. Gandalf stands his ground and blocks the strike and then raises his sword and staff together and strikes the bridge which makes the rock shake and shudder. Again Gandalf staes, "You shall not pass". The Balrog steps on the bridge, the bridge crumbles underneath it's weight and rock and demon fall into the abyss below. Gandalf turns to walk across the remaining bridge when suddenly the firery whip of the Balrog wraps around his leg and pulls him into the abyss. His last words to the fellowship, "run you fools....". The fellowship makes it through but without their leader. He has given his life to protect the fellowship.

In the Dark Ages there was a ray of hope. There was a company of men who still possessed honor, integrity, and fortitude. These men were known as the Knights of the Middle Ages. They lived by a code of conduct. This became known as the Knights code of Chivalry, it is:

The Ten Commandments of the Medieval Code of Chivalry:

• Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions.
• Thou shalt defend the Church.
• Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
• Thou shalt love the country in the which thou wast born.
• Thou shalt not recoil before the enemy.
• Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.
• Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God.
• Thou shalt never lie, and shalt remain faithful to thy pledged word.
• Thou shalt be generous, and give largesse to everyone.
• Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

Since the Knights were human they were not perfect. But at a time in human history when society was off the chain, the Knights provided a sense of decency and loyalty to a cause bigger than themselves. And beyond that, they treated women with respect and courtesy.

Like Gandalf the Knights stood in the gap to protect the fellowship.

Enough is Enough

The message below was written by a long time family friend, the Reverend Dr. James Brettell. Dr. Brettell met my dad in 1962 on the island of Trinidad. At that time, both of them were in the Navy. My dad was the Chaplain on the Navy base in Trinidad, Dr. Brettell was a Navy Corpsman. Dr. Brettell became a believer in Jesus Christ under my dad's ministry.

Dr. Brettell prefers to be addressed as Dr. Jim.

Dr. Jim wrote the message below. Please read it. I pray that everyone who reads it will comprehend the truth of what he writes.

Beloved friends,

Enough is enough. I have sent the following e-mail to my Congress-persons. Many in Congress have gone to Web-mail rather than e-mail, and some you would like to send to cannot be reached. If you are not in their district it’s nigh impossible to contact them without going through the U.S. mail, calling them by phone, or faxing them. My e-mail follows. It represents my thoughts as a citizen, who just happens to be a Christian and a Pastor.

Resting in Him,

Dr. Jim

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Beloved Congress-person:

I am 74 years old. I am a born-again Christian, a Pastor-Teacher, teaching God’s Holy Word to any who will hesitate long enough to listen. However, I write to you as a citizen of the United States. I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I am a conservative by choice. I am not persuaded by conservative talk-show hosts. I am an independent thinker. I need no one to tell me what to think or how to think. I am able to do that on my own. I have done so; I am doing so; and I’m quite disturbed.

I have given 9 years of my life in service to my country in the United States Navy. I served at the Naval Hospital in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, about a quarter of a mile from the now infamous prison. I have been inside that prison as a free-world sailor – but back around 1959, and that was before our President, Barack Obama, was born.

Barack Obama is my President. I will honor him as such, but I reserve the right to disagree with him – and contrary to popular opinion, if I happen to disagree with him, that does not make me a racist.

In addition, you, too, are an elected official responsible to represent your constituency. You were not elected to “vote your conscience,” although that idea is stated by many in your position. You are there to represent me and/or your constituents.

Are you blind? Do you suffer from spiritual myopia? Can you not see where this nation is headed? To this latter question, it appears that the answer is “No.”

If there is any truth to the following paragraph, I am overwhelmed with grief. I am not a violent man. I have not ulterior motives; but two weeks or so ago, I told my wife that I believe we are headed for a tax rebellion in this country. Lo, about a week later I learned that someone was being interviewed on the radio in the State of Arkansas and the one being interviewed had already collected 2,000 signatures in support of a tax rebellion. A few days later, I heard of another person somewhere on the east coast doing the same thing. Get it clear in your mind, there is opposition mounting out here at the grass roots level the likes of which you are not going to appreciate. It’s beginning. It’s here. It’s on the scene, and those of you in position of leadership had better get your eyes open and your heads on straight. You are either politically and economically naïve – I would hate you use the word ignorant – however, if that word describes you as an individual as someone who “just doesn’t get-it,” I suppose it would not hurt to use it.

Let's review some of our President’s most recent actions since he was inaugurated:

* His first call to any head of state as president was to Mahmoud Abbas, leader of Fatah party in the Palestinian territory.

* His first one on one interview with any news organization was with Al Arabia television.

* He ordered Guantanamo Bay closed and all military trials of detainees halted.

* He ordered all overseas CIA interrogation centers closed.

* He withdrew all charges against the masterminds behind the USS Cole and 9/11.

* Now, we learn that he is allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refuges to move to and live in the US at American taxpayer expense.

On another thought -- throw-in the following:

“H.R. 40: Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act”

You’ve got to be kidding me. I have read the entire text of H.R. 40. I had nothing to do with slavery in this country. No one alive today had anything to do with slavery in this country; and you are going to spend 8 million dollars to study whether or not the U.S. Government should apologize for slavery that ended in 1865. Excuse me. How ignorant do you think I and others are out here at the grass roots level? And you’re going to consider whether people alive today should receive some form of remuneration for something that ended in 1865. Excuse me once again.

Some of the highest paid people in this country are African-Americans – just check the pay-checks of contemporary athletes.

What about black advancement in all arenas of life: The President of the United States, Congressmen and Congresswomen, Supreme Court Judges, Cabinet Officers, Governors of States, Mayors of Cities, professional athletes, college professors, school teachers, military officers at the highest level, radio and television personalities, and we could go on and on. Give me a break, sirs. Don’t talk to me about discrimination. Life is tough, and then you die. The problem in our country is not discrimination. We have a morality problem – and it’s rampant among all races and permeates our entire society from the halls of Congress to the streets of the smallest city in the U.S. Shall we begin by listing some examples in the halls of Congress? Oh, excuse me. I forgot. Government leaders forget, and are absolved of guilt. It’s me that goes to jail for the same “oversight.” Sorry, a mental lapse on my part. Is it any wonder that government official’s approval rating is so low – and plummeting about as fast as DOW Jones.

The housing crisis and the banking crisis in this country was not caused by that “fumbling/bumbling” George Bush. You’ll find the source of the problem with the “group” that forced banks to loan money to people who didn’t qualify and could pay. Hhhhmmmmm???? I wonder who that “group” that was?

I have a prediction – and we’ll see just how free my speech really is. The present liberal bias in our country will last four years – just long enough for President Barack Obama and our present liberal Congress to completely destroy the freedoms of the people they were elected to serve. Keynesian economics will destroy capitalism and the free-market economy. Government will seek to control every area of our lives. The conservative element in our country will react with such things as tax rebellion and strong rhetoric that the liberals of this country will seek to put-down or silence – by legislation or other means. It won’t work. There are those out here who will once again die for their personal freedom. I am one of them. Death is the only way to completely stifle personal freedom and shut the mouths of opposition. Don’t think for a minute that the thought of being put to death to preserve the personal freedom guaranteed by our Constitution is a hasty and irrational thought. I had already penned this thought, and lo, just yesterday, I learned of a popular blog site where someone had written a statement that went like this: “How can we get rid of them?” – meaning the conservative element in this country – not the ones who hate government or hate government officials, but the ones that loathe government and government officials whose mind-set seeks control.

Here’s my prediction: You will see a rise of rhetorical opposition to Presidential and Congressional liberalism. That opposition will come from the conservative side of America. The liberals will be thrown-out of office in four years and supplanted by renewed and vigorous conservatives, and when the political and economic pendulum swings back toward conservativism, the liberal element of America will head for the streets in revolution that will approximate civil war. I’m talking about blood in the streets – not invasion from outside, but American against American – freedom haters against freedom lovers. Can you not see it coming? Or don’t you really care?

I am opposed to the so-called “stimulus” bill. I refer to it as “economic Viagra” – a poor substitute for the real deal.

I am asking you to consider the Constitution that you swore to uphold, and you can begin by voting to get government out-of-the-business of the peoples of America. You are sworn to protect us, not from ourselves, but from outside aggressors. GET OUT OF OUR BUSINESS. The ship-of-State is sinking, and those of you in Congress are a huge part of the problem. Get-it-together or you’ll sink with the ship you are sinking.

I, as a citizen of the United States, will support you when I believe you are right, BUT I, as a citizen of the United States, will oppose your thinking when I believe you are wrong. I will pray that God will give you the moral courage to stand against Congressional decisions that oppress the freedoms of the grass-roots American – people just like me.

In closing, you ought to see what has happened to my wife’s 401K after 40 years of work in the corporate world – and George Bush is not and was not the problem. Perhaps Congress needs to look in the mirror.

Respectfully,

Jim Brettell

(private citizen)

P.S. And please, do not have one of your staff members respond with a computerized response that does not address anything I have said in this e-mail. Thank you for this consideration.

Words Are Important

There is an online journal that I read on a regular basis at: http://www.withchrist.org/journal09a.htm  

When you get a chance, please read the article on the site dated 02/23/09.

Choices are everywhere.  Say for example I want to buy some cough medicine for a cough.  I go to the store and discover that there are dozens of brands of cough medicine.  Not only are there many different manufacturers but I can choose different flavors; grape, cherry, lemon etc..  On top of that I can choose if I want the drowsy or non-drowsy formula.  How about breakfast cereal? Need I say more..  Choices are everywhere.

Now, with the idea of choices in mind I urge you to visit a book store sometime soon and look at Bibles.  You will discover dozens of choices.  There is the King James version, the New International version, the New American Standard Bible, the Living translation, the Message...these barely scratch the surface of what is available for purchase.  And among these different versions there is a further division of translations and paraphrases.  A translation generally stays close to the original language of the Bible (Hebrew, Greek) whereas a paraphrase attempts to make the Bible "more readable", that is easier to understand.  

In the article above the importance of words becomes crystal clear.  The most vital thing on this planet is the Word of God.  The Bible is the road map for life.  It is the document that God has placed in the hands of believers for the church age.  Jesus is not currently walking among us.  We do not call down fire from Heaven as Elijah did.  We live by the Word of God (the Bible) under the direction of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Therefore, Words Are Important.

Read the article, it is short and right on the money.

  

Pay Attention

I grow weary of the Governmental malarkey.  I am sick of both parties, both of them have lost the identity of who they are and what they represent.  What happened to "Representative Republic", where did that form of government go...?  Since when have we become a "Democracy"..what a crock..A democracy by definition is "mob rule", nothing more.  Our leaders (do they have any idea what true leadership looks like?) think they know what is best. They think that MORE government will solve our problems.  They think that taking away our right to bear arms, and our right to free speech, will make America a better place....And please don't call me a "right wing wacko" because I mention "the right to bear arms" and "freedom of speech".  Tell me....Mr. government knows what is best.....what will you do when the bad guy comes?  Will you "dialogue" with him...will you "threaten him with a lawsuit" as he does whatever he pleases?

Guess what....I will shoot him with my gun or I will kick his criminal a&^ to sleep, but I will win.

PAY ATTENTION AMERICA.....our government DOES NOT have your best interest in mind. They have THEIR AGENDA in mind, nothing more.  

You can call me whatever you want...but, I challenge you, four years from now to ask yourself...Do I, as an individual American, have more freedom than I did four years ago?

Mark it down..the date is 02/18/09.  Four years from now..how are things?  

Four years from now I may be dead, or raptured, or incarcerated, or an invalid, or doing what I'm doing now, or any number of things...but whoever reads this..ask yourself.  Am I "more free" or "less free" today, than I was four years ago.

What is "Freedom".  Freedom is the ability to make your own choices without the intrusion of ANYONE OR ANYTHING.  Socialized ANYTHING from the government is an INFRINGEMENT on your freedom, BEWARE of the enemy at the gates.

And pay attention to the subtle things.  Not the obvious, but the subtle.  Evil creeps....It does not attack unless it knows it has the advantage.  It the meantime, it creeps.  Slowly...it moves in, its goal being to make you, or society "compromise" until the line between right and wrong becomes blurred.  And when it has made you or society "compromise" it attacks and kills.....

Our government, for the last 100 years (at least) has been "sneak attacked" by the enemy. When America becomes 100% dependant on the government for ANYTHING...then America is no longer a free nation.

Mark It Down People. 

 

  

A Tribute To Our Dad

One of the most influential people in my life has been my dad. I want to write a tribute to him and the huge affect he has had on my life through the years. My brother and sisters all have different things to say about him and obviously I can only write about him in my own words. So, this blog entry is about him, the greatest dad a boy could ever have.

He was born in LaFollette, Tn. on January 22nd, 1926. He grew up in the mountains of northeast Tn. As a teenager, he once saved a friend from drowning in a creek and his singing voice was magical. He also played football in the days of leather helments without a facemask.

He has a split in his bottom teeth to prove it.

In 1944 at the age of 19, he joined the U.S. Navy. While in bootcamp in Great Lakes, Michigan, his platoon was granted a 72 hour leave. He hitch hiked all the way to LaFollette, gave my mom an engagement ring, and then hitch hiked back. He was assigned to Halsey's 7th fleet in the Pacific theatre of operations. He was with the fleet during the infamous storm that became known as "Halsey's Typhoon". During the storm, he spent 72 hours straight in the engine room helping to maintain the ship's headway in 60'-70' waves. When battle stations were called my 19 year old dad would man a 20mm anti aircraft gun shooting at dive bombing Japanese aircraft. He was with the fleet during the battle of Okinawa providing fire support for the Marines who were taking the island.

In 1950, he left the Navy in order to get his degree of divinity from Southern Theological Seminary. He re-entered the Navy in 1953 as an officer in the Chaplain Corps. During these years, my sister Becky, brother John, and sister Jody were born.

In 1966 he was sent to Vietnam as a chaplain assigned to the first Marine division. He spent a year on the beach in a place calleed "Chu-Lai". He would conduct sunday services and counsel Marines who were daily engaged in bloody and horrific firefights. He would also help collect dog tags off of marines who had died. He was a constant source of comfort and help to men who desperately needed it. He did a second tour of Vietnam in 1968, this time in Da-Nang. He never did talk about Vietnam much and knowing what I know now, I don't blame him. He did tell me of the time when early one morning, as the men were walking out of their tents, a good friend of his stepped on a mine which blew his legs off killing him. Dad also came across a marine who had died in a firefight. This marine happened to be the son of a fellow chaplain who was a good friend. My dad saw death and destruction up close and personal yet through it all, he was loved and honored by the men he served with. They looked to him for strength and answers in the hell known as war; and he was always there for them.

After his tour in 1968, dad returned to the states for good. He was now a Lt. Commander and eventually became a Captain. In 1977, he retired from the Navy with 33 years in service. He became a Pastor of a Baptist church in St. Mary's Ga. I remember him as an incredible Bible teacher and the best pastor that church ever employed. There are bad memories of that church because of what they did to him, but that is a story for another day. I choose to cling to the good times I had learning and growing spiritually under his instruction.

In my childhood, I remember my dad as a kind man whom I did not want to disappoint. My relationship with him was always a good one. He was always patient and loving toward me. During the turbulent years of my divorce and the time after when I entered the years of self induced misery and a frantic search for happinness, he (and my mother) were always there to lift me up, I will be forever grateful for that.

My dad always gave me wise counsel even though many times, I did not listen. He lived his faith. He understood doctrine to duty and his faith had feet. As the years went by, my dad's health deteriorated. In spite of it all, he maintained a positive attitude and was always ready with a quick joke or word of encouragement. He is the most kind and generous man I have ever known. He possessed a quiet strength that never wavered. He, more than any other person I have known, became like Christ in His humanity. My dad was a person who never criticized, always lifted up, provided wise counsel, led by example, lived what he believed, and underneath it all he had what it took to get the job done. He possessed what every man wants and that is the ability to always come through no matter what the circumstances.

On a beautiful October day, the 12th of the month in 1999 my mother called us to say that my dad had fallen. I remeber driving to the house 10 minutes away, rounding the corner and seeing a police officer running from his car into my dad's house. I remember going in the house and seeing my dad lying on the floor in the bathroom next to the tub. I remember cradling his head in my arms and looking into his eyes. I remember seeing a brief moment of recognition and then seeing his eyes go slightly in different directions. I remember feeling a sense that if he could, he would have said, "Its ok son, your turn has come, be the man, take care of your mother, I'll see you on the other side"..

Rescue took him to a hospital where we discovered he had suffered a massive hemmorrage in his brain. Looking at the x-ray, it was obvious that he was done. I remember that moments after they took him off the vent, he stopped breathing. I remember our family standing in a circle around his bed and my wife leading us in a verse of "Amazing Grace".

If I can be half the man that my dad was then I will have accomplished something worthwhile in this life.

It Is Finished

No, this is not a slam on President O'bama. This post is centered in the person of Jesus Christ.

"It is finished" are the last words Jesus spoke before he left this world. The word "finished" in the Greek indicates the paying of a debt.  Therefore, when Jesus stated, "it is finished" He acknowledged that the sin debt of the human race had been paid in full.  Jesus Christ left the throne of Heaven, became human, lived among us, and then took on a debt that we could never pay.  This debt that He took on cost Him His life, and beyond that it cost Him seperation from His Father.  Never in all of created history has Jesus been seperated from His Father yet that is exactly what happenned that day.  And when the last of the sins of the human race were poured out on Him, He could say, "IT IS FINISHED" once and for all, for all eternity.

If the debt has been paid in full, and it has, then the issue for the human race is, "do you believe in what Jesus did?" period..Do you believe that His sacrifice on the cross and His subsequent resurrection three days later is sufficient to make amends with God?  

You do not need to prayer the sinner's pray, or make Jesus Lord of your life, or walk an aisle, or be baptized or any of the other things that MEN require us to do.  According to the Bible all that is required for salvation is "Faith alone (nothing more) in Christ alone (no one else)". When a person SIMPLY BELIEVES in Jesus Christ that person is saved for all eternity by the SOVEREIGN CHOICE OF GOD not by anything that person does.  You see, God is the one who decided that faith alone in Chrit alone was the requirement for salvation, not men.  Anything added to it is "of men" and therefore false.     

    

Israel vs. Hamas

Israel has invaded the Gaza strip.  Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, which is based in the Gaza strip has refused to hold up a bargain it made with Israel.  Hamas was to cease hostile action against Israel.  Israel in turn would allow them (Palestinian people) to live and work in the Gaza strip. But alas, Hamas has not kept the deal.  For the past several months Hamas has continually launched mortars and rockets into the heartland of Israel.  After numerous warnings, Israel had no choice but to respond with force.

Hezbollah, which is a terrorist organization funded by Iran, is threatening to open a new front on Israel's northern border.  Hamas hopes that this will lead to a regional war involving Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran all teaming up against Israel.  If Iran attacks Israel the U.S. may get into the fray.  There are currently two U.S. carrier groups sitting in the Persian Gulf.  As time goes by, the world will continue to become a powder keg that could go off at any time.   

The issue for Israel has been and always will be land.  No matter what the media or heads of state believe (including the U.S.) Israel was promised the land it occupies, plus a great deal more by God, in the book of Genesis.  But, since most world leaders, media outlets, and the population in general does not believe in the God of the Bible, we will continue to see violence in Israel. Violence that will become more and more volatile and deadly until the entire planet is engulfed in wars and turmoil that will become the tribulation.  

Pretty picture, no it is not but it is the truth.  As believers in Jesus Christ the greatest weapon we possess is prayer.  It has been said that prayer moves the hand that moves the world.  Our greatest asset is to continually go before the throne of grace seeking Gods' provision and guidance.  In the crazy times in which we live, pray for wisdom, discernment, peace, protection, opportunity, and above all Grace which comes from the Father.  As the rapture approaches and times get tough opportunities to witness for our King will increase exponentially.  Stay in the Word, be led by the Holy Spirit, love one another, and follow our Warrior-King Jesus Christ to fields of victory and triumph which He has prepared for those that love Him.