Category Archives: Random Musings

August 26, 2018 · 10:00

Well-Fed Birds

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? (Matthew 6:26)

This weekend I refilled the bird feeder we keep in our backyard. That last time I filled it was more than a month ago. It seems strange that the birds do not come around as often as they did in the spring. Perhaps the late August heat saps their energy so that it is too much effort to hang on a feeder and peck at the seeds inside. Perhaps the feeder would be more inviting if I put up a birdbath nearby. A nice cool bath might make them hungry.

As I filled the feeder, I thought, “These ungrateful birds! Here I drag out this 40-pound bag of seed in the heat of the day to make sure they won’t go hungry, and they don’t even bother to come around and give me the pleasure of watching them feast! That’s gratitude for you!”

Last year I mentioned to my mother-in-law that I had seen a hummingbird flying around some flowers my wife keeps out back. I told her I enjoyed watching hummingbirds, so one afternoon, she and my wife went out shopping, and my mother-in-law returned with a hummingbird feeder. She showed me how to cook up the “nectar,” and we hung the feeder in the small live oak we have out back. Not a single hummingbird came to suck on the fake flowers. In fact, I have not seen any more hummingbirds around my wife’s real flowers. This year we tried it again and never got a single visitor. I wonder if my dogs are scaring the birds away?

As I mused on this while filling the bird feeder with fresh seed, I remembered what Jesus said about how the Father cares for birds. They do not sow or reap, yet the Father feeds them. He does such a great job of feeding them that apparently, the birds do fine without my feeder or me. That’s humbling!

You may know that I work for the Institute for Creation Research (ICR). Right now, ICR is in the middle of building the ICR Discovery Center for Science and Earth History. The generosity of our donors funds the $30-million plus project. God, working through His people, has provided the funds when they are needed and in the exact amount that is needed. Dr. Henry M. Morris III, our CEO, determined that the project will be completed without debt. So far, God has proven faithful, and we trust He will continue to be faithful.

The Discovery Center needs a little under $5-million to finish the project and open in the spring of 2019. Dr. Henry and I were talking about this last week, and Jesus’ words came to mind. God provides for His birds, and He will provide for us too. Dr. Henry told me that he has put out a lot of effort “fundraising,” but the funds have consistently come from sources he did not seek – kind of like me putting seed in the bird feeder but the birds are getting fed elsewhere. It reminded me that even though God provides for the birds, the birds still have to search and find their food. They do not sit in the tree with their beaks open to the sky expecting God to drop food into their mouths. That is a lesson for us. God does provide for us, but He expects us to do our part too.

By the way, the birds are not ungrateful. They show their gratitude to God by being exactly what God created them to be. We can show our gratitude to God in the same way. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2)

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July 8, 2018 · 22:01

Closed Borders

I found this meme on my Facebook news feed. I thought it was funny, so I shared it with my Facebook friends. One Christian brother was offended by the post, and his objection generated quite a conversation and inspired this blog post.

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; (Acts 17:26)

Images of small children separated from their “parents” caught crossing our southern border illegally, and held in “cages” have aroused the ire of many Americans lately, especially Americans of “Christian” leanings. Like the images of snotty-nosed, emaciated children with sad, tear-stained faces broadcast by the Christian Children’s Fund, UNICEF, and others, or the pictures of abused and neglected dogs and cats displayed by the American Humane Society, these images are intended to wrench the gut and stir the emotions to incite a response. They are manipulative, and they work!

No one likes seeing children separated from parents, and worse, to have them put into cages like animals. What the viewer of such images fails to consider is that the camera lens offers a very narrow field of view. The camera is subject to the photographer (or editor, in the case of the news media). The camera only shows what those who control it want the viewer to see, and not what can be seen if the viewer were present. God gave humans eyes that surpass any manmade or man-directed camera a thousandfold. The images of children in cages rip our hearts apart, but those images are designed to do just that.

What the cameras fail to show are children turned over to “coyotes” who will smuggle them across the border for a (large) fee and with no guarantees. Many of those children were separated from their parents long before crossing the border. What the cameras fail to show are the semi-trailers in which those children are transported by the “coyotes” to the border. Some do not survive the trip. The inhumanity of it all originated long before they arrive at our border. What the cameras fail to show is the “upgrade” when they arrive in the US. They are provided with good food, clean bedding, and clothing, showers, personal hygiene needs, medical exams, etc. All the cameras show are the “cages,” which are nothing more than an area closed off by a chain-link fence to keep them from wandering off. The cameras display only selective “truth.”

The debate, when faced with such heart-wrenching images, is complex, and there are no simple answers especially when our immigration laws have been neglected for decades. (Laws which are not intended to be enforced should never be written!). The “hard” truth of the matter is that we are a nation of laws, and immigration law says, that immigrants to this country must enter with proper documentation and “permission.” The US is not unique in this respect. Mexico, who supplies most of these invaders[1] of our southern border (they are not all Mexican) enforces stricter immigration laws than the US. I would remind the reader of the Marine who recently went on a hunting expedition in Southern California and took a wrong turn ending up in Tijuana, Mexico. As he attempted to turn around, he was apprehended by Mexican police and immediately thrown into a Mexican prison. Thanks to the Obama administration, our honored service veteran remained in that Mexican prison for over one year before private citizens funded his release. Obviously, Mexico does not offer the same tolerance that it demands of the US.

What should the Christian response be on the question of the illegal invasion of our southern border? First, reject the false messages displayed by the television cameras, and try to separate emotions from reality. This does not mean we refuse to supply for the needs of our “uninvited” guests. We can help by supplying for their physical and especially for their spiritual needs.

Understand that borders are God’s design. God, “hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation” (Acts 17:26, emphasis mine). This is NOT a racist statement because the first part of this verse clearly rejects the notion of “races.” God “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26, emphasis mine). The source of these “bounds” goes all the way back to Genesis 11:1 when “the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.” God’s desire was for people to multiply and fill the earth. Instead, “they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4, emphasis mine). Because of their rebellion against God’s command, God confused the one language into 70 basic languages and nations, and they all scattered across the face of the earth. Nations, languages, and their borders are by God’s design from the beginning, so the notion of open borders is contrary to God’s design.

So, what does God have to say about how we treat uninvited invaders? The first example of how a “stranger” should be treated is provided in Exodus. The Passover (Law) was to be observed by Israelite and stranger alike (Exodus 12:48-49) – so much for “diversity.” Strangers are not to be mistreated. “Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:21).

Many who protest against our “unjust” immigration laws cry out that “we are a nation of immigrants!” While this is true, what they forget (or purposely omit) is that in the past, immigrants entered by legal means. A visit to Ellis Island in New York tells the story of what immigrants of the past had to endure to gain entry into the US. Among other requirements, they had to demonstrate a desire to become “Americans,” to assimilate into the American society, and to obey American law. This is not at all what we see happening at our southern border.

Some suggest that these invaders are “asylum seekers.” While that may be true for some, it is a fallacy to characterize them all that way. Most of them are simply seeking a better life for themselves and their families, and who can blame them! They only want a chance at the American dream, but there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Entering the country by breaking the law makes them criminals from the start. Let’s get real here! Even American citizens who break the law get separated from their children. Why is this any different? Some complain that the immigration laws are unjust. Fine! Change the law, but while there is law, it should be enforced equally for all. In the meantime, instead of complaining about the perceived mistreatment of the invaders, perhaps what Christians should do is minister to the needs of the illegal border crossers until they are returned to their homes or legal arrangements can be made for them to stay.

By the way, I am the son of an immigrant who came from Mexico. My father entered the US legally and carried a “green card” for many years until he became a naturalized citizen. He instilled in his sons love for this country, and he would strongly disapprove of waving the Mexican flag over the flag of the United States. One of the happiest days of his life was when he obtained his US citizenship. So as I approach this subject, it is not from a position of “hate” for people from south of our border. How could that be? I am of Mexican descent. As an American, I see the need for secure borders as a matter of national security, and as a Christian, I recognize that borders are God’s idea. Those who would open our borders to the world are no different than the people who attempted to build the Tower of  Babel. Additionally, open borders are a globalist ideology that will find its ultimate end in the reign of Antichrist. Think carefully before jumping on the open borders bandwagon.

 Notes:

[1]  “Invaders” seems like a harsh term. Nevertheless, it is an accurate term.

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April 8, 2018 · 10:00

Rain

… for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45)

As I sit here, I smell the scent of moist earth and feel the freshness of freshly washed ozone. For now, the night is quiet and peaceful save for the distant sound of a siren on its way to one emergency or another, but earlier it was not so. The same dark clouds that brought the much-needed moisture to my house also delivered large stones of ice to others. At this time of year, the same clouds that carry the welcomed precipitation can also harbor violent storms that wreak havoc on anything in their paths.

The rain, the hail, the violent storms do not discriminate. They bring blessing or blight to the righteous and the reproachable. While hail and tornados count for curses, rain generally adds up to a blessing. The Bible always regards rain as a blessing. In Bible times, before the advent of irrigation, farmers depended on the early and latter rains for the success of their crops. Both good and wicked men benefitted from the rainy seasons. In the days of Ahab, the wicked king of Israel (the Northern Kingdom), God withheld rain from the land for three years (1 Kings 17:1). Not everyone in the kingdom followed in the idolatrous ways of their king, but God withheld the rain, and many good people suffered the drought along with the wicked.

“The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works” (Psalm 145:9, emphasis mine). Sometimes we take note of the success of “sinful” people, and we wonder, “Why do the wicked proper when we do well just to get by?” The psalmist echoed the age-old question when he said:

  1. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
  2. For there are no [pain] in their death: but their strength is firm.
  3. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. (Psalm 73:3-5, emphasis mine)

The psalmist describes a common misconception we po folk have of the “well-to-do.” They do experience trouble even though the “window dressing” hides the pain inside. Trouble, like the sun and the rain, falls on the good and the bad.

Rain can be good or bad depending on one’s attitude toward it. The gardener appreciates the rain knowing that her garden prefers the nitrogen-enriched moisture from God’s distillery to the chlorine laden liquid that comes from a hose. The golfer may not appreciate the rain as much, especially when it interferes with his tee time.

Appreciation of God’s blessings, like rain, depends on the attitude of the recipient. God’s people, like the people of “the world.” come in all varieties – some poor, some rich and some anywhere in between. No matter what one’s financial status, God’s people recognize and appreciate the source of their blessings – their rain – and they are thankful. Recognizing that their blessings come from God, they use what God has given them to bless others.

Those of “the world” take God’s blessings, consume them on themselves, and use them for their gain and to further their desires. Of them the psalmist says:

  1. Therefore pride [surrounds] them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
  2. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
  3. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
  4. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. (Psalm 73:6-9, emphasis mine)

He goes on to say, “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches” (Psalm 73:12). However, their “prosperity” is for this world only. The psalmist lamented as he pondered the question, “it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end” (Psalm 73:17). Their end is not a pretty one: destruction, desolation, terror, despised of God (vv. 18-20). “When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever” (Psalm 92:7, emphasis mine). Do not envy the prosperity of the world; it is for this world only. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:16-17, emphasis mine).

The child of God, whether rich or poor by this world’s standards, enjoys God’s blessings in this life and for eternity. “The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy” (Psalm 145:20).

Rain, like God’s blessings, falls on good and bad alike. How it’s received depends on one’s perspective.

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January 14, 2018 · 10:00

Alien Intrusion Reviewed

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

Thursday evening I met some friends at a movie theater in Plano, TX to watch the documentary Alien Intrusion: Unmasking the Deception.[1] Since I read the book by the same name by author Gary Bates, I had a good understanding of the topic, so there were no surprises.

The documentary was very well done, and it employed excellent computer-generated animation (CGI) to carry the viewer onboard alien spacecraft to the far reaches of space. The documentary did an excellent job of debunking the notion of extraterrestrials (ET) visiting our planet from galaxies far, far away. Traveling at the speed of light is a physical impossibility that is well-known in modern physics. That, coupled with the astronomical distances in the known universe, even within our own Milky Way, makes such travel unthinkable. Minute particles of space debris would rip a spaceship to shreds traveling at such speeds. Our orbiting satellites sustain constant hits as they orbit at the “slow” speeds required to maintain their orbits.

So, if those aliens are not from “out there,” from where do they come?[2] The documentary does not deny the “reality” of these “alien entities.” However, the movie casts doubt on whether UFOs, i.e., the spacecraft, are real. While they (the movie producers) confess that many sightings remain unexplained, they suggest that most, if not all, can be explained by natural phenomena. Their focus zeros in on the alien entities.

To the point, the documentary concludes that these entities are real, and they are from the spiritual realm, not from outer space. One of my friends was frustrated that they seemed to dance around the issue without outright naming the “entities” for what they are – demons. That point escaped me because I naturally understood that they were referring to demons. So did my friend, but her point was that people who are unfamiliar with Christianity and the Bible might miss that point. Perhaps that is a point the producers should have taken into consideration.

The documentary featured people who have experienced “close encounters of the third kind,” i.e, personal and physical contact with these “entities.” They describe abductions by these beings where they are taken into spaceships where physical experiments are performed on them. Often, the examinations involve sexual experimentation. The abductees report seeing incubation areas in the spaceships where the products of the sexual experimentations are grown. When psychiatrists examine these people, they are found to be telling the truth. However, the producers of the documentary, while believing the entities are real, suggest that the experience itself is a delusion induced by the entities. This is a reasonable conclusion since Satan himself is a deceiver and the “father of lies” (John 8:44); therefore, it stands to reason that his demons would also be expert liars. The movie producers conclude that the encounters are real, and the entities are real, but the UFOs are not.

L.A. Marzulli,[3] a Christian ufologist (UFO chaser), agrees that the “aliens” are demons, but he would disagree with the other conclusions presented in Alien Intrusion.  Based on the record of “the sons of God” marrying the “daughters of men” (Genesis 6:1-4), Marzulli believes that the abductions are real, and the sexual experiments performed on the abductees are for the purpose of creating hybrids like the Nephilim[4] of old. He also believes that the UFOs used by these “aliens” are real. Many expert witnesses – experienced pilots – have confirmed the reality of these craft but until recently, these reports have been suppressed by government agencies.

Recently, on “Tucker Carlson Tonight,”[5] a Navy pilot disclosed – complete with video footage – his encounter with a craft he claimed was “not from this world.”[6] Marzulli sees this “disclosure” as the government’s way of preparing the public for the arrival of ET. It is Marzulli’s contention that when the Rapture of the Church takes place, the ETs will “show up” to convince the world that the disappearances were their doing to rid the world of “undesirables.” That too makes sense. Demons possess high intelligence. They are not omniscient, like God, but they possess knowledge beyond that of man. So, can they manipulate DNA? Can they create “spacecraft” that defy the laws of physics? Of course, they can! Besides all of that, they are cunning deceivers.

Alien Intrusion: Unmasking the Deception[7] is a good documentary, but I do not think it went far enough. I agree more with L.A. Marzulli that the UFOs and abductions are real, not just simply demon-induced imaginations. The documentary also made a feeble attempt at presenting the Gospel. They did point out that the “visitations” stop if the victim calls out to Jesus. In addition, those who have experienced frequent abductions stop having the experiences when they trust Jesus as their Savior. However, the clear Gospel message was rather weak. Overall, the movie is well worth the time to watch. I am not sure if it will be shown in theaters again, but the DVDs will be available soon from their website.

Notes:

[1]  http://www.alienintrusion.com/

[2]  https://erniecarrasco.com/2013/06/16/aliens/

[3]  http://www.lamarzulli.net/

[4]  https://erniecarrasco.com/2017/08/13/giants/

[5]  http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/tucker-carlson-tonight/index.html

[6]  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=tucker+carlson+tonight+ufo+disclosure&view=detail&mid=BC0AF1D55B709984A042BC0AF1D55B709984A042&FORM=VIRE

[7]  http://www.alienintrusion.com/

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November 22, 2017 · 10:22

The ILLUMINATI: Once a Secret Society Now Recruiting For Members Online

I have often wondered if the Illuminati are “for real.” I’ve heard a lot of talk, but I have seen zero evidence. If they really are a “secret” society, their secret has been well kept. However, the more we see the “signs of the times,” this shouldn’t come as a big surprise. If it were not for HE that is within me, Who is greater than he that is in the world, (1 John 4:4) this could be a little spooky. As their commercial encourages, I have no fear, but not because of anything they have to promise.

via The ILLUMINATI: Once a Secret Society Now Recruiting For Members Online

“I began researching the internet to find this “Illuminati website.”  What I found shocked me to my core.  At first I thought that it was a hoax, but the more I searched, I realized that this once “secret” society had not only become open – but they were actually recruiting people to join. At least it seems this way.”

Read more … https://grandmageri422.me/2017/11/22/the-illuminati-once-a-secret-society-now-recruiting-for-members-online/

 

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