Is There A Doug In This Group?

Praise God For Giving Us A King

I’ve mentioned the dark sad story here before, and it’s easy to find and read for yourself in 1 Samuel chapter 8. Israel was led by God, His rule administrated through the “Judges”. Samuels’s sons, whom he had made judges, did evil: “did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.”
Which was all the Israelites needed to justify their desire for a king to lead them, a human king, such as all their neighboring countries had.
God warned them of what such a king would do to them instead of for them, but they demanded a king just the same and God, knowing the outcome, relented and Samuel was told to make Saul king over Israel. And he proved to be a Democrat. (Just Kidding!)
Praise God for giving us our King, once crowned with thorns, now sitting at the right hand of God the Father.
“3And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” Hebrews 1:3-4
But it gets even better. Not only is Christ crowned in Glory, but His Glory, His Kingdom shall someday be the same on earth as it is in Heaven. He will return and put an end to all evil, all sin, and all death.
“6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”
10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
11 Worship the LORD with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 2:6-12
Mt pastor noted today in his sermon that these are the ‘Last Days’, that we have been in the last days since Christ ascended to Heaven as recorded in Acts:
“9And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9-11
He will come back, just as He left, and He will rule as our King forever.
Praise God for giving us a King!

Touching Fire

Frank Zappa: “My best advice to anyone who wants to raise a happy, mentally healthy child is: Keep him or her as far away from a church as you can.”

Wrong And Dead. It’s just not Frank’s decade anymore. He died 15 years ago, but his quotes live on internetually. There! I made a word, just as Frank used to enjoy doing.
Great musician, lousy human being in many respects. Someone who made a career out of shaking his fist at God isn’t going to win kudos from me.
To be fair, Frank is nearly right in this quote-but it depends on the church.
Here’s how I see it: God makes us, and we are wonderful. But then we reach what some call the “age of accountability” in which we lose our innocence, our sinful nature taking charge. This happens pretty young for most-about the time we tell our first lie, and know that we are lying. But it’s a given, as “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.”
If a child reaches that age and is in a church which teaches salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, and His work on the cross, that child will be nurtured and raised on the fact that he or she needs salvation. And that child will not be told that they are already saved, simply by being born into a Christian family. Instead, they are taught Bible rules for living by parents who are also attempting to live up to those same rules, live by the same faith they are teaching their kids. Families, churches in right relationship with God. Result: ‘a happy, mentally healthy child’.
But then we have the other kids, ones who start out wonderful, but when they sin, as we all do, are taught that, in their church, everyone is going to Heaven if they act good and make it to church each Sunday, Saturday, whatever. Some are told that they must confess their sins to a priest and do penance to receive forgiveness-but the priest isn’t able to have even his own sins forgiven, so how can he administer forgiveness?
I’m not picking on Catholics here-any religion which bases Salvation on anything other that faith in Jesus Christ on His terms, not theirs…is dooming kids to hell, not just turning out maladjusted mentally unhealthy unhappy kids.
Frank grew up Catholic; see what a swell anti-Christian he turned out to be.
I grew up rotten in a Lutheran church, but God rescued me out of this world and that church. I pass it by every Sunday morning on my way to my church, to worship God with my church family. We have wonderful kids in our church, and though none of us are perfect, they are doing all right. Praise God for His Goodness to all of His children.

I Am Free

“The secret police will have full control, and will not hesitate to photograph citizens for evidence," he said.”

What? In this day and age, when we are all so free? What is this stuff from the past creeping into our present?
“But Doug,” you say, “We’ve never had secret police, photographing citizens for evidence.”
Some may argue that we have had such, with the CIA and FBI, but in truth, our populace is protected from abuses by our Government thanks to our wonderful Bill of Rights. My test liberal (if I ever wonder how an issue is seen by the Left, I ask my brother in law) had a bumper sicker on his car which I’m sure you have seen:
“I love my country but fear my Government”.
That sentiment would be better plastered on the vehicles in the country where I found the above quote.
Cuba? Was it Cuba, you might ask? The Soviet Union? Saudi Arabia? You’re getting warm.
Iran. Young people were taking advantage of a festival setting to decry their president, Ahmadinejad.
This is from United Press International:

TEHRAN, March 19 (UPI) -- Many Iranian youths rallied in streets across the country, shouting "Death to Ahmadinejad," in celebrations marking the end of the Persian calendar year.

The last Wednesday of the Persian calendar is celebrated as the Fire Festival in Iran, with bonfires and firecrackers marking the occasion.

In the western city of Ahvaz, angry mobs declared "Freedom is our legitimate right" while demonstrators in the western city of Sanandaj shouted "Death to (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad," Ynetnews reported Wednesday.

The police in Tehran were out in force and, though they were met with a barrage of firecrackers, the situation didn't escalate beyond what is typical for the Fire Festival, local reports cited in the news report said.

Ahmed Raza-Radan, the police chief in Tehran, warned demonstrators against violating the rule of law in a news conference.

"The police force has resolved to detain any party-goers who break the law. The secret police will have full control, and will not hesitate to photograph citizens for evidence," he said.

Freedom is not their legitimate right under Shariah Law. I know of nothing in the Iranian Constitution which protects it’s peoples from their government. Lacking a Bill of Rights, they have nothing. With our Bill of Rights, we have everything.

What's The Frequency, Kenneth?

Great. Wonder-full. Someone has finally connected the DNA dots, showing us what our future holds. It shouldn’t come as too much of a shock that this theory (remember-it’s just a theory, even if fully believed) comes from the hinder regions of academia. Not hither regions-hinder, (hard ‘I’) hind-der. I mean…You’ll see.
“Sociologist declares: Autistics Prove Evolution!”
According to Grand Master Phiz-(I mean) Dr. Oratio T. Cuttle: Autistics are not developmentally disabled-they are the next great jump forward in Evolution, and are communicating with each other at levels above our (rather slow and gamey) level of thought. While we assume that they are impaired, to autistics we look like cavemen stumbling around, trying to build fires with rocks.
What started the bump? Why will convergent history mark this century for the rise of “The Au”?
Thank Al Gore and Bill Gates. While there have always been autistics (ahead of their time-their time is coming) they couldn’t do much singularly, but computer and internet advances ignited the spark of collective processing of information. The first humans to attach words to objects, creating language were superseded by our Tolstoys, our Shakespeares. We ‘built’ our evolutionary level; now they will build on ours). Proof of this advancement in evolution can be found in the fact that “Autism” is more widespread than ever, seeming almost epidemic. It’s not a problem, it’s the wave of the future, crashing on our shore, beginning the bettering of humanity as (they) step forward to claim pre-eminence.


I don’t doubt that this “flummery” sounds ridiculous-it is, made up out of the whole cloth of my imagination. But I also don’t doubt that such foolishness, if put forward by “A leading University Researcher” or an “Acclaimed Specialist in his field” would be printed as the Gospel Truth by newspapers,
Television News, other media. They can’t believe 1/237th of the tripe that they serve up.
Remember the Reporters Rule: “Dumber stuff always seems to happen on a slow news day.”

False Compassion, 5 cents a Dozen

To be compassionate, seeking good for others, being sensitive to needs-that’s all good. Commendable.
Right from God’s heart…when it is honest.
What I would label false compassion is that which is used to cloak ideologies and agendas which actually do much harm and little good.
“It’s for the CHILDREN!” Sounds compassionate and agreeable: who doesn’t want to nurture and protect children, feed and clothe, educate children? But the compassionate cry of “It’s for the CHILDREN!” has become cover for those who are more interested in growing government, adding layers of bureaucracy, especially in the school systems.
I’m all for children being protected, educated, etc. It is indeed odd that some of the greatest advocates for nurturing children are also staunch protectors of the ‘right’ to have abortions. As they deem unborn babies as ‘non-persons’ who can be destroyed without a quibble of conscience, their compassion for kids is suspect, at the very least.
Here we are in an election year, which has been preceded by seven years of outrage and (con) passionate anger directed at our President…why? Because he was so evil and vile, or because his election put an end to the “Clinton Years”?
2006 saw him so demonized that the Democrats rode their outrage right back into power. Firing up the emotions of the electorate, denigrating and disrespecting our President did much harm, needless harm to our country. It coarsened our nation, made us less than we were. Their passion, false or true, ran cover for their actual agenda-regaining power.
How sad.
Look at the passion displayed by all of the local enemies of the state of Israel. You can hardly say that their compassion is masking hatred, as the hatred shines through. But go to the news services and you can always find {false} stories of Jewish atrocities allegedly committed against the ’innocent Palestinians.’ Israel is the battleground of a spiritual war which has been in combat since A&E were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Those at odds with Israel are actually at odds with God, striving against Him. God is what makes Israel the center of the world, not the Jews who are hated for living there.
There are passionate anti-war Doves who shout out their screed in rallies around the world. But if they are so passionate against war, do they realize that their freedom to be Doves was won by Warriors? That aggressors faced and vanquished other aggressors who had made war on innocents?
I am passionately for compassion, even if it means I must take up arms and defend my country, or support those so engaged.
I care about children, protecting all children, including those as yet unborn. I want to see ‘Abortion’ go the way of ‘Slavery’ in this country, and for this country to lead the way for the rest of the world to stop killing children. Right from God’s heart to yours.

One Faced Christians In A Two Faced World

I don’t plan to ‘go political’ here very often, but I will be hitting the high points every once in a while on the ongoing goings-on. This past 24 hours have seen Huckabee drop out, Clinton rise again, Obama stumble. I can’t help but laugh, as I see God’s hand in all of this, and no matter how earnestly candidates fuss and fumble, shout and screech, denounce and announce…God is in charge, and will appoint whomever He wishes to carry out His purposes.
“ 1 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;
He turns it wherever He wishes.
2 Every man’s way is right in his own eyes,
But the LORD weighs the hearts.
3 To do righteousness and justice
Is desired by the LORD more than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
The lamp of the wicked, is sin.”
Proverbs 21:1-4
What is the guiding light of the wicked? Haughty eyes and a proud heart. Remind you of anyone you know running for President? They see “their vision for America” as the proper one to lead the country.
God weighs the hearts. And He accomplishes everything perfectly, whatever He Wills.
It may be that He will have HClinton or Obama lead the country into darker days, just as He raised up ‘bad kings’ in ancient Israel to chastise the people, lead them back to repentance, back to Himself.
Count it all Joy, loved ones of God. We live for Him, and in a deceitful dark world, we must remain true, honest, do righteousness and justice right where we live.
It is better to be chastised by God than lauded by the world.
I once was tempted, and I’ll mention it here as an example. I coveted a music CD which had I borrowed from the public library. I could have copied it to my computer and no one would have known. But God knew, and I knew that it was wrong. If I had copied (stolen) that music, and, upon returning to the library I were asked, “Did you make a copy of this CD?” I would have to either ‘fess up, or lie.
I avoided both possibilities by remaining honest.
Now…God does as He Wills, and although it was only a small thing, He decided to Bless me. Some time later I found that very CD, “Horowitz In Moscow” at the Goodwill Store for a dollar. If you think that that is co-incidence, I don’t believe in co-incidence; I believe in God.
Remain one faced in a two faced world.