Category Archives: Random Musings

August 22, 2021 · 10:00

Paper Tiger

The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. (1 Samuel 2:4)

Unless you have completely isolated and insulated yourself from the outside world (and I would not blame you if you have; sometimes I wish I could completely detach from the constant flow of bad news), you know that Afghanistan has fallen into a complete state of chaos. Our puppet president, Joe Biden ordered a rapid withdrawal of our troops from that God-forsaken country. Granted, the move should have been made long ago – like shortly after we killed Osama Bin Laden. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to withdraw and he picked the wrong way.

Our government keeps making the same mistakes in these fruitless campaigns. The first is the foolish notion that we can go into a country and turn it into a “little America.” The Afghani culture has been around for thousands of years. What arrogance makes us think that we can go in there and teach them “our” ways overnight? If any change is to take place it must come from within and not imposed from without.

The second mistake our government keeps making is assuming that the enemy will respect our “rules of engagement.” We want our soldiers to “fight nice” and “play fair.” The Taliban perceives that as weakness. Furthermore, we are on their turf. They know every nook and cranny and can hide where our most sophisticated electronic surveillance systems cannot find them. They also have an abundance of patience and can wait us out indefinitely. They are defending their turf and we are the invaders.

Plenty of other problems could be listed in this fool’s errand, but the result remains that our nation is on display before the entire world as a big loser. The big and mighty superpower of the United States of America has been wadded up and tossed aside by a second-rate army of barbarians like a paper tiger as China gleefully refers to us.

Our enemies flex their muscles while our leaders vomit out a litany of incoherent excuses for the embarrassing debacle. China will soon take over Taiwan and warns us to stay out of it. Iran is ramping up their production of high-grade uranium for making nuclear weapons. Israel knows that it can no longer depend on America to have its back against its enemies. As a result, Russia has ordered Israel to stop aerial bombardment of Syria. That allows Iran to bring in weapons to attack Israel from the north. Ezekiel 38-39 predicts that Israel will be attacked from the north, and that it will be defenseless against the attack. The stage is set. Israel cannot depend on the U.S, and the armies led by Gog of Magog are moving into place. According to Ezekiel, Israel’s only help will come from God.

Does Russia fear the U.S.? Not a chance! They boast of hypersonic missiles for which the U.S. has no defenses. Our NATO allies have lost all faith in America, the paper tiger. In less than one week, America has become irrelevant and insignificant in the world. Yes, we may roar like a vicious tiger, but the roaring of a paper tiger means little.

It saddens me to see the suffering and desperation of the Afghani people. Christians are being beheaded. Muslim women are being beaten and raped. Little 12-year old girls are being taken as “wives” for the Taliban animals. I feel sad for the Christians, but at least they get a quick trip into the presence of our Lord. But these poor Muslims are lost and hell bound. I pray that through all of this some will come to the Lord.

It also saddens me to see America fall from its former place of prestige. However, this must be. America is not in end-times prophecy. It cannot be. Israel cannot be dependent on a superpower for protection. They need to come to the realization that their only help must come from God. They are not at that point yet.

While I am troubled by what I see, I am all the more encouraged knowing that our Lord’s return is very near. And if the Lord’s return is near, that means that the Rapture of the Church is even closer. If the paper tiger is weak now, think how much weaker it will become when millions of God’s people suddenly disappear in a “twinkling of an eye.” If you think things are chaotic now, just wait until the U.S. loses almost one-third of its population! I am ready for that!

Reader, are you prepared for what is ahead? You can miss the major mess if you attach yourself to the Savior. If you want to know how to do that, read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

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August 15, 2021 · 10:00

Where Can You Hide?

And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

Last Sunday morning, one of the members of our Sunday school class came down with the Wuhan Bug, this in spite of the fact that she had received the so called vaccination. Once diagnosed, she promptly informed the class and the church of her infection and of the possibility that she may have unwittingly exposed others. The church immediately contacted all class members and requested that we all self-quarantine for the next ten days. I will not say that our class is “old,” but most members are over 60. Also, a good majority are deathly afraid of the bug and were first in line to get the “jab.” Regardless, fear persists and the church suspended our in-person Bible study and requested that we not attend the live worship services until after our quarantine time.

We also have an “aging” congregation where close to 50% (perhaps more) of our members are over the age of 60. A good percentage of those fear getting the bug. Our church “shut down” in the spring of 2020 when the two-week national shut down expanded to 30 days, then two months then six months and on. It is just now returning to “normal,” However, fear persists especially now that the “India” variant of the Wuhan Bug arrived on our shores. This variant is less deadly, but more contagious and the current “vaccine”[1] falls short in its efficacy against the new variant. And, oh by the way, other variants are coming.

So, are we to continue to live in fear? What can you do? Where can you hide? I do not know about you, but I refuse to live in fear. As a Christian, God instructs us to put our trust in Him for ALL of those things which are out of our control. “Fear not!” says God’s Word. We hear “Fear not!” from the pulpit. We sing hymns of faith encouraging us to “Fear not!” Our choir sings an anthem that proclaims, “I go to the rock of my salvation. I go to the stone that the builders rejected. I go to the mountain and the mountain stands by me! When the earth around me is sinking sand, upon the Solid Rock I stand. When I need a shelter, when I need a friend, I go to the Rock.”[2]

What good is God’s Word? What good is all that preaching? Of what value are all those “songs of faith” if they have no impact on our lives once we leave the cloistered walls of our churches? They are meaningless activities designed to momentarily distract us from the scary world outside. Christian, if your faith is real, then there is no place for fear in your life. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). If you truly believe, then act like it!

I refuse to live in fear, and it saddens me when the Church acquiesces to the fear mongering over this “pandemic.” I am not ignorant nor in denial of what the Wuhan Bug can do, but I refuse to let fear of the remote possibility of catching the Coronavirus dictate how I carry on my life. There are practical things one can do for this threat as well as for any other pathogen. God has blessed me with excellent health all of my life, and I have a well-functioning immune system – thank God! I am 71 years old (in the “high-risk” age group). I maintain a relatively active lifestyle (I do not sit around watching TV all day). I eat a healthy diet and take vitamins. Along with my regular multi-vitamins, I take extra Vitamin C, D, and Zinc to help boost my immune system. I have not, nor will I take the COVID “vaccine.” The main reason for refusing the “vaccine” is that all of them have been developed from cell lines of aborted fetuses.[3] As Christians, we claim to be “pro-life.” So, if we truly stand by that, why in the world would we inject something into our bodies developed from the sacrificed lives of the unborn! That one reason is sufficient for me to reject the jab. The other reason is noted below (Note 1).

For those at higher risk than I, common sense dictates extra precautions. Avoid crowded situations. Maintain a reasonable social distance. Wash your hands often. Take extra Vitamins C and D and Zinc. The efficacy of a mask for stopping the virus is highly questionable. The virus is very tiny, and it can easily penetrate the pores of almost any mask. Someone compared it to trying to stop a mosquito with a chain-link fence.[4] That said, a mask signals to others that you are, or at least “feel,” vulnerable, so they should not be offended if you do not shake hands or hug. Personally, I would still not take the jab. The government (NIH and CDC) is in cahoots with “big pharma” and “big tech” to suppress any negative reports on the jab. Reports of bad outcomes and even death resulting from the jab do not make it to regular media outlets. Take sensible precautions, but trust God. If you have not yet learned this in your life, the government DOES NOT care about you or your well being. The government is not God.

Christians should not live in fear. Fear demonstrates a lack of faith in God. It really does! Not only that but it is a poor witness to a lost world. If Christians are just as fearful as the “lost,” why should they put their trust in God? Christian, your life belongs to God, and your life is in His hands. You will not die until He is ready to call you home. You will not die a moment sooner or a minute later than the time He has determined for you. Furthermore, you do not get to choose the method by which you will go home – car wreck, a stray bullet, a heart attack, cancer, any one of a number of diseases, pneumonia from the flu, COVID, or He may choose to take you in your sleep. Then, when you open your eyes again, you will be in His presence. So why live your life in fear? Where can you hide from the unknown?

The “sweet psalmist of Israel” put it this way. “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee” (Psalm 139:7-12). Where can you hide? There is no place to hide except to hide in Him.

I refuse to live my life in fear. I hope you will join me in living a fearless life in Christ.

Reader, if you do not know the Savior in whom I have placed my life, please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1]  I put “vaccine” within quotation marks because the “jab” is not a vaccine in the traditional sense. In reality, it is “gene therapy” created in the laboratory by “scientists” who have a very incomplete knowledge of the human genome and how it works.

[2]  “I Go to the Rock” performed by Whitney Houston – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpP1oaNWtKA

[3]  The reader can verify this claim by going to the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture these “vaccines.” Even though one will have to dig, they do not hide this information; however, they do not broadcast the fact openly.

[4]  Speaking of masks, you need to watch this video posted by a fellow blogger: https://grandmageri422.me/2021/08/14/this-will-shock-you-tiny-worms-found-embedded-in-blue-masks-from-china-children-and-others-are-breathing-in-these-parasites/

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July 18, 2021 · 10:00

Animals Do It

Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. (Jeremiah 8:7)

A couple of weeks ago, I enjoyed an outing to the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska. Like all zoos, they have a wide variety of animals from all over the world – birds, reptiles, mammals, and marine creatures. The “Desert Dome” houses all kinds of animals that make the desert their habitat. The dark catacombs beneath the dome feature an assortment of nocturnal creatures like bats and other mammals and reptiles that prefer dark places. The aquarium exhibits penguins, sharks, sea turtles, and a multiplicity of exotic fish. There is also a jungle enclosure set up to resemble a rain forest with all the creatures that would inhabit such a place. A butterfly enclosure offered an array of beautifully colored insects that flitted about from flower to flower displaying God’s artistry in design. Even butterflies of the same species varied in design; no two were alike. Outside, in open enclosures, we enjoyed large animals like giraffes, elephants, rhinos, zebras, etc.

All the animals did exactly what God created them to do. There were no surprises. The elephants did not behave like giraffes, and the giraffes did not behave like the rhinos. Monkeys swung from tree limbs and picked fleas off one another. Whatever they were created to do they did, and in keeping with their design purpose, they glorified their Creator.

Walking around a crowded zoo offers opportunity to observe the behavior of humans that come to observe the animals. Without going into specifics, it is interesting to note how so many humans fail to fulfill the purpose for which they were designed. One way is in the way they distort their appearance by markings, piercings, artificial coloration (hair color and makeup), or immodest dress. Another way is in their speech, conduct, or behavior. Having been created in the image of God, they do not glorify God in their actions.

Animals glorify God by doing what God created them to do; however, God says, “my people know not the judgment of the LORD” (Jeremiah 8:7). Humans designed and built the habitats for the animals in the zoo, and as humans, we can appreciate the beauty in the work of human minds and hands. The animals miss the aesthetics of the creation and only react in the way they were designed to act. Humans enjoy the aesthetics of the place and find entertainment in seeing all the animals, but they attribute it all to time and chance, rather than give glory to God who created humans with the ability to create and appreciate beauty, and who created all the animals for our enjoyment and His glory.

“Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel” (Psalm 22:23).

“If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart” (Malachi 2:2).

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

“Having your [conduct] honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12).

Glorify God with your life. Be what God created you to be. Do what God created you to do. Animals do it!

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April 25, 2021 · 10:00

Remember

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7)

The familiar rendition of Psalm 20:7 reads, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (emphasis mine) as equivocated by the New International Version (NIV). The first “trust” in the verse does not appear in the original Hebrew, but has been supplied by English translators for ease of reading and understanding. The addition of the word is in keeping with the context of the entire psalm which looks to God for provision, protection and salvation.

The second word rendered “trust” is from the Hebrew root zâkar which means “to remember, recall, or call to mind.” Other versions translate zâkar as “boast, depend, honor, mention, praise, rely, remember, shall call, take pride in, and trust.” The literal translation of zâkar is “to remember.” The Hebrew verb is in the Hiphil imperfect stem, so literally it means “to cause to remember,” but that would give it an awkward rendition in English.

However, we could argue that “trust” is a valid rendering, but only by going through some mental gymnastics. As we go through trials in our lives, God provides, protects, and saves us from harm. We may not sense God’s presence while we are going through our troubles, but when we look back on our lives, we can “see” and “remember” how God’s hand has been upon us to guide, direct, protect, provide, and ultimately, to save us from those times. My favorite Bible verse says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). As we “remember” the working of God in our past, we can “trust” Him with whatever we face in the present, and we can “trust” Him with whatever may come to us in the future.

Reader, if you are feeling insecure about your future, please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

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January 24, 2021 · 10:00

Romans 13

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. (Romans 13:1)

January 20, 2021 saw the first successful coup d’état to unseat a legitimate sitting President of the United States in history, and replace him with an illegitimate puppet of the left. I realize that is a strong statement and many may disagree, but, for the time being, the First Amendment to the Constitution still grants me the right to say it.

I heard from a friend earlier this week who was upset with his pastor for condemning the President Trump supporters that showed up in Washington DC on January 6 as unlawful rioters. Trump supporters showed up by the thousands to “encourage” lawmakers to only count “legal” votes. They met on the Mall about a mile away from the Capitol and listened to speeches and raised their voices loudly hoping that “their representatives” in Congress would hear their voices. Their protests were vocal but peaceful. President Trump also spoke to the masses. He encouraged them to “fight” but the context, which the media overlooked, did not imply physical violence, but rather to struggle (“fight”) for the right through the means made available by our Constitution. President Trump did not incite the riot for which he has been accused.

Meanwhile, while President Trump was still speaking, a mile away from the Capitol Building, ANTIFA thugs dressed as Trump supporters surrounded the Capitol and began their assault on the Police guarding the Capitol. Later, many of the Trump supporters made their way to the Capitol to continue their peaceful protest. Several of them unwittingly got swept up with the ANTIFA thugs and ended up going into the Capitol Building with the real rioters. Because a small number of Trump supporters were implicated with the ANTIFA rioters, the media found an easy scapegoat to blame for the riot and assault on the nation’s Capitol. The Trump supporters got the blame and ANTIFA went unmentioned.

So, Pastor Bob (not his real name), my friend’s pastor, ignorantly hopped on the media bandwagon and condemned the Trump supporters for rioting and behaving unlawfully. Biblically, I believe that is called “bearing false witness” against your brother – brother because I am sure that many of the Trump supporters are Christians. From there, Pastor Bob launched into a sermon on Romans 13 that deals with a Christian’s responsibility to submit to the governing authorities.

I have wrestled with this passage for many years, probably since President Obama first took office. On its face, the passage could not be clearer. The “higher powers” are ordained by God and resisting them is resisting God.[1] God placed these rulers in place for our benefit.[2]

At the time Paul wrote this letter to the Romans, the Roman Empire ruled the western world. Nero was Emperor at the time, and he was no friend of Jews or Christians. All prior empires were ruled by a single monarch possessing absolute authority. Some early civilizations had codified laws, but they were laws made by the monarch. Subsequent to the Roman Empire, nations continued to be ruled by one kind of monarch or another. Romans 13 makes sense in all of these instances. The subjects of these kingdoms had no choice in who ruled over them. They had to submit or forfeit their lives, so the best advice was to submit.

The United States does not fit that pattern, although, arguably, there are those now working to change that. The United States is unique among all the nations of the world throughout world history. We do not have a ruler. We have a Constitution, a national code of laws, the “Law of the Land.” The preamble to the Constitution opens with the words “We the People.” Our form of governance comes from the people by way of representatives that legislate, supposedly, according to the dictates of the people. The Constitution makes clear that, while there are three equal branches of government that keep each other in check, the only rule comes with the consent of the people. We have no monarch ruling over us. The law of the land, the Constitution, ensures, supposedly, that those that govern and those that are governed are subject to the law.

So, how do we apply Romans 13 to our unique form of government? All citizens of the United States are subject to the Constitution, not to legislators, presidents, or judges. When our elected officials make laws that violate the Constitution, we, as Christians and citizens, are not bound to submit to laws that violate the supreme law of the land. We, as well as our leaders, are subject to the law. If our leaders fail to uphold their oath to the Constitution, then we the people are obligated to remove those leaders from office. We should not submit to unlawful legislation.

This new administration, empowered by a Demonrat Congress and Senate, a feckless Supreme Court, and promoted by left-wing media, will destroy the Constitution, and soon, the United States of America will become a nation like all the ones that have gone before. When that happens, Christians will have to take Romans 13 as Paul originally intended, but while the Constitution remains, Romans 13 implies that we are to defend it and submit to it. However, it could be that our time to do that has expired. If that is the case, Christians need to prepare for persecution as we wait for our Lord’s return. We need to pray as Jesus did in the Garden, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39). Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Notes:

[1]  Romans 13:2

[2]  Romans 13:4

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