Can Any 'Christian Nation' Survive?

In America there has been a raging debate for half a century: Is America a 'Christian nation' or not? The original intentions of the Founders have been endlessly questioned, doubted, and challenged. There is no consensus on the issue today.

The latest authentic scholarship shows clearly and unambiguously that the Founders of most importance (Washington; John, Sam and Abigail Adams; Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Hancock, Rush, Wythe, Franklin, and others) believed in a divine Creator. They were sure that the Creator acted through Providence; that is, a worldly mechanism which provided necessary help when all human efforts seem hopeless. Our victory over the British and the successful establishment of a Constitutional government was so improbable that it was seen as evidence of God's interest in the world. The Declaration of Independence claimed that all our natural human rights were a gift of God.  Americans were then a very religious people, despite their differences, and they almost universally agreed with the Declaration.

The Founders constantly discussed religion and spirituality, and questioned exactly how the Creator acted in the world, but they had deep faith. They almost chose as a seal of the new United States an image of Moses at the Red Sea invoking God while Pharaoh's army was closing in on the Israelites. The Greco-Roman eagle won out, but the belief that America was the chosen nation of God permeated our identity for most of our history. That faith began to fail in the 1960's; ironically at just the time we dedicated ourselves to civil rights.

The United States gave religious freedom to all people, and there were many places of worship for those of all religions here - very early in our history. So the answer is yes, we were founded on liberal Judeo-Christian principles. But the ultimate question is can any nation survive if it emulates Christ faithfully?

No, it cannot. Christ loved his enemies unto death and never sought revenge. The world will always - and has many times - crucified (so to speak) pacifist nations. Just as police forces are mandatory in every town and city, so well-trained armies are mandatory for every nation. Laws are meaningless if they aren't enforced, and countries are little different from towns and cities. Self-defense is reason enough to kill and punish law breakers of all kinds.

Isn't it massively ironic that so many pacifists - many of whom are atheist and agnostic - would refuse to allow us to defend ourselves as a nation? This author has known and seen these people all his life, en masse, marching and protesting with vehemence. Very few of them, only the poorest, would disband their local police and surrender their property to criminals. Yet they demand that the United States unilaterally disarm in the face of criminal nations who brag of their hatred and evil intentions towards us. Iran today and the present Administration's cowardice and mendacity in dealing with Iran is a prime example of this.

So what is really going on? We are rotting at the core, that's what. Massive numbers of deluded Americans - such as those in the Occupy Wall Street movement - are cowards and ignoramuses unwilling to stand for any principle of right. They are faithless, slothful, silly, ignorant, and proud. They have the audacity to use the name of Jesus, and general Christian principles, to support their tyrannical Marxist-collectivist ideas. Millions of  innocent men and women have been murdered in the name of Marxism-collectivism. We cannot survive long as a nation if these people are not recognized and diminished significantly.

Birth of Christ

What do we really celebrate? The birth of that innocent baby, God incarnate, of course. But what else? Why does it have meaning? Because never before in history had anyone loved their enemy unto death, as Jesus did, and preached it to their followers. He refused to hate his murderers. Not only that, Jesus stood up to horrific torture and humiliation with perfect courage, honor, poise, and power. This stunned his enemies, and is the key to why Christianity - as it became known - thrived. Don't forget, people called him "Rabbi" while he lived, and he was initially called the "Jewish prophet of Galilee" The religion of Christ was an offshoot of Judaism. That is its root.

The power of Christmas is still strong, and this is borne out by the fact that families gather whenever possible during this season of the year. People travel thousands of miles to see family and friends. Many old quarrels and bitter feelings are dissipated by the renewal of friendship and good company. Many new relationships begin. Sure, many conflicts arise too, but this is a price worth paying and is often a sign of growth when people are hurting. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol epitomizes the power of the season, and the angry Scrooge is in us all at times. The redemption of Scrooge can always take place, and the angels are always at our side. Forgiveness and good cheer are given freer rein at Christmas than at any other time of the year.

If you haven't seen The Passion of the Christ, the movie by Mel Gibson, you really must. It's extraordinary in every way. This author has never seen any film make so many people cry, leaving the theater in tears; before or since. It makes one realize the epic proportions of the crucifixion, the resurrection,  and its implications.

The truth is we must love those who speak badly of us and insult us because sometimes they are right. Benjamin Franklin said, "Our enemies are our friends, for they show us our faults." How true this is, often. Even if we're good to the core, we still aren't perfect, and need to be corrected sometimes. If we love only those who flatter us we may be playing into the hands of our enemies. Flattery is often a terrible lie that deceives and hooks us. If we really love someone we won't put up with bad behavior, and will risk their friendship to tell them the truth. Always consider the possible truthfulness of harsh words.

The killers were certainly wrong about Jesus, but many converted afterward when they realized the enormity of what they had done. They saw the light. Forgiveness is an expression of love, and real love is a very great light.

Happiness For All - The Utopian Dream

Humankind has always ached for a world of happiness and comfort; a life with no pain, only pleasure. The Garden of Eden is one of many such stories told in all cultures, because life on earth is very hard. It's filled with discomfort, disappointment, loss, hardship, pain, and death.

People used to know how to suffer, and many mastered the art of suffering within their lifetimes. Yes, there is an art to it, and if we master it our lives become immensely richer and more meaningful. Mastering suffering guarantees you won't become bitter, angry, and broken by it.

Consider what happens to people who "have it all", and how often they wind up addicted, alone, and ruined. The truth is we can handle only so much pleasure before it becomes dull and boring, cloying, as when we have too much sugar. Sweetness can be awful in large quantities. Anything we desire can become too familiar, and too tedious to endure. Truth is, we thrive on change. Morning becomes evening, cold becomes warmth, heat becomes cool over time. Poverty can lead us to wealth, and wealth never lasts forever. A great sage once said, "Failure isn't fatal, and success isn't final". The only permanent thing in life is change. This is its rhythm.

If we never suffered we would never know real pleasure or joy. Pain and loss hollow us out and put us in touch with the depths of our souls, so that pleasure will be greater when it returns. This is one of the major purposes of our lives, to grow in understanding and the capacity to experience joy. And love. "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return." Joy, pain, love, and death all must be lived through and experienced in the deep recesses of our souls.

But there are evil people abroad in the world now who are trying to convince us that we are entitled to pleasure, and pleasure alone. That life can be painless, foolproof, and safe. If our lives are not full, it's because "the rich" have stolen from us. If we do not have abundance, then we have been wronged.  Cheated out of our rightful due.

This idea is promulgated by Marxists/Socialists today, and it's once again bringing ruin - as it always does - to every nation that embraces it. The socialist European Union is collapsing before our eyes, and America is not far behind if the present path is maintained. Russia and China both had to abandon their utopian ideals when they were on the brink of collapse.

Utopian plans are inevitably a fraud. Human nature has changed very little in two thousand years, and all successful systems of governance take into account the base motives of people. Ideally the use them to advantage, as Adam Smith showed in the 18th Century with his book on free market economics. It's a proven fact that greed and desire can be harnessed for the good of all, and they are in fact a mainspring of creativity when they are channeled through good education. Without wisdom, no system of government will work. We're facing a wisdom deficit now, greater than our economic ones. Wisdom teaches us to live in the real world and reject childish things.


The Middle East is in the middle of bloody revolution largely because it has wasted the last 750 years trying to recapture the Islamic Caliphate, a supposed Golden Age of pleasure they once enjoyed. The Caliphate may have been real for a time, but it collapsed for reasons that lie in the human heart; the pride that makes us believe we are masters of the world.

We are not. There is a vastly more powerful force that rules us all. We will see it directly.

The Playbook of the Anti-Christ and the 'Occupy Wall Street' Movement

A deadly revolution is brewing in America, Europe, and the Middle East. Its goals were framed by Karl Marx in the 1840's, but they are as old as time: Create an angry mob and manipulate it to elevate yourself to power.  The foremost proponent of this idea - in the Western world - was a man named Saul Alinsky. He wrote a book fifty years ago called Rules For Radicals. The opening page has a dedication to Satan, and it's not a joke. The following are a few excerpts:

“Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history... the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom — Lucifer.”

---

Prologue

"The Revolutionary force today has two targets, moral as well as material. Its young protagonists are one moment reminiscent of the idealistic early Christians, yet they also urge violence and cry, 'Burn the system down!' They have no illusions about the system, but plenty of illusions about the way to change our world. It is to this point that I have written this book."

---

1. The Purpose

"In this book we are concerned with how to create mass organizations to seize power and give it to the people; to realize the democratic dream of equality, justice, peace.... This means revolution...

"A Marxist begins with his prime truth that all evils are caused by the exploitation of the proletariat by the capitalists. From this he logically proceeds to the revolution to end capitalism, then into the third stage of reorganization into a new social order of the dictatorship of the proletariat, and finally the last stage -- the political paradise of communism.
"An organizer working in and for an open society is in an ideological dilemma to begin with, he does not have a fixed truth -- truth to him is relative and changing; everything to him is relative and changing.... To the extent that he is free from the shackles of dogma, he can respond to the realities of the widely different situations...."

2. Of Means and Ends [Forget  moral or ethical considerations]

"The end is what you want, the means is how you get it. Whenever we think about social change, the question of means and ends arises. The man of action views the issue of means and ends in pragmatic and strategic terms. He has no other problem; he thinks only of his actual resources and the possibilities of various choices of action. He asks of ends only whether they are achievable and worth the cost; of means, only whether they will work. ... The real arena is corrupt and bloody.

"The means-and-ends moralists, constantly obsessed with the ethics of the means used by the Have-Nots against the Haves, should search themselves as to their real political position. In fact, they are passive — but real — allies of the Haves…. The most unethical of all means is the non-use of any means... The standards of judgment must be rooted in the whys and wherefores of life as it is lived, the world as it is, not our wished-for fantasy of the world as it should be...." 

In other words, idealism has absolutely nothing to do with this movement. It is entirely concerned with gaining raw power.

This author was an activist in the  1960's counter-culture in America, and has direct, personal experience with these individuals. They will subvert and destroy the Western Tradition and replace it with chaos and tyranny if they are not checked.

The track record of Marxist/collectivist/socialist societies in all of history is terrible. Because it is atheist and divorced from God, it is a deadly illusion and a cruel fraud.

Note: Hillary Clinton, who is now U.S. Secretary of State, did her college Masters Degree thesis on Saul Alinsky. She is - or was - such an admirer and advocate of Alinsky that she has made sure her thesis is sealed from all public scrutiny. She will not answer any questions about it.

Thanksgiving Is Critically Important For Life

This is why our revolution succeeded and made us great, while so many others have failed miserably, and have led to greater tyranny: 

George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

 

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted’ for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have show kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

President John Adams was a curmudgeon of epic proportions, but nevertheless was capable of gratitude: “Griefs upon griefs! Disappointments upon disappointments. What then? This is a gay, merry world notwithstanding.”

Our faith and gratitude kept us humble. Because we no longer believe in any gods other than power, money, technology, reason; and have lost gratitude – replacing it with a sense of entitlement – we are sinking into a new Dark Age.
 

We are no longer humble, and have no reason to be proud.

The 'Occupy Wall Street' Movement And Its Purpose

The occupiers have been at it now for months, and there are versions of the movement in cities all over the globe. Why? Because Wall Street is an icon of America and free market economics just as the World Trade Center was. The goal of the occupiers is the destruction of our economic system; finishing the job started on 9/11 by IslamoNazis and other dark forces in the world.

The occupiers have turned into angry mobs now. Filth, crime, drugs, and disease plague the encampments. They are becoming violent. This was always the plan of the powerful people funding the movement and supporting it. An amoral and craven media spurs it on.

The occupiers claim the right to protest, and they have that right. But seizing and holding property - whether public or private - is theft; unless you are a closet Marxist. Communism/collectivism preaches confiscation of all property; stealing from those who have, and gaining tyrannical power over others. Without private property rights we become nothing but slaves of an all-powerful State. Without private property rights, nobody has an incentive to work and produce abundantly. Collectivism has always failed throughout history, except in religious communities, and few ever prospered.

Some of the occupiers are deluded Utopians, out of work entertainers, or thrill seekers. But most are parasites looking for free food, lodging, and a chance to spread anarchy. A  few know precisely that this is their path to power, just as Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and others always did.

There is great evil at work here. Our entire Western Tradition of human freedom is under brutal, murderous assault, and the goal is the destruction of individuality, human rights, freedom of conscience, and the liberty and prosperity we've enjoyed for centuries. Judeo-Christianity and everything it stands for is marked for death. Free markets and the prosperity they bring evolved only in Judeo-Christian countries, and this has stirred rage and envy worldwide. Whether you are a believer or not, you are a target now.

Just over sixty years ago the Charter of the United Nations was drafted, and the ideas of the American Revolution were ratified by every nation on earth. The Charter is almost a Declaration of Independence for the people of the world. It promises freedom for all, regardless of skin color, sex, wealth, or family connections. If the nations of the world had followed through with their pledges, tyrannies of all kinds would have collapsed. Many of the signers of the U.N. Charter had no intention of allowing their people freedom, but the Charter gave them cover. "Hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue" - Matthew Arnold. 

We have sunk very far into a Dark Age now, where there is a nearly-complete loss of faith in God and the individual. Without God the individual doesn't stand a chance in this world.  The State is jealous beyond words, and won't allow for a god who is more powerful than it is. The State wants you to worship it, not the God of Creation.

"We can take away a person's gods, but only to replace them with others." - Carl Jung.

The State is becoming the world's only god, shockingly, even while states are going bankrupt everywhere on the planet.  Regardless of the horrific disasters of Marxism, Socialism, Maoism, and all the other godless and materialistic "isms", so-called "democratic" movements are fulminating like a cancerous tumor. And just like a tumor, they will suck the life out of us all, until death.

The Apostle Paul prophesied about our times in Second Thessalonians, II: "Concerning the coming of our Lord... we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us... asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.  He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

"Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?  And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.  The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness"

We are witnessing "the lawless one". The Anti-Christ is at work here exactly as predicted. Our time is now, and we will be well advised to make a stand for the Creator of All.

The Seduction and Banality Of Evil

Evil is a reality we face every day, and there's no way to avoid it. Pretending it isn't there is a strategy that will destroy us. Evil has many forms, but there are two different types: The seductive, alluring, and glamorous;  and the common, dull, and mind-numbing - the banal version. Banality means"lacking originality and freshness". Too much exposure to banality makes us zombies; while the glamorous version energizes entire populations to act like Nazis.

It's fashionable in many circles to deny evil as a threat, and certainly it's socially fatal to say evil has a mind of its own, a Satan or Anti-Christ consciousness that controls and directs people. But how else can we explain the individual who leads a stable, ordinary life for many decades; then suddenly and without warning slaughters his or her family, or a dozen innocent bystanders? Modern science has no answer.

People of faith do, however. If God the Creator is good, then God's opposition must be the opposite, and Satan must exist. Because God created an arena of free will, the world we know, so we could learn; God had to allow the opposite to reign also.

Think of it as a police 'sting'. When the FBI wants to go after organized crime they generally set up a front organization and their own people as fake criminals also working in crime. Then the real criminals can be video recorded doing what they want to do of their own free will. The evidence against them is then incontrovertible.

All religions agree on this point: Evil dwells within us and must be rooted out. Two terrible flaws plague us all. One is hubris, the desire to be like God - all powerful. The other is projection, where we accuse others of the vices we ourselves harbor.

Our world is overrun by criminal organizations of every form, masquerading as businesses. churches, charities, and governments. It's often extremely difficult to recognize them for what they are. Only by comparing their words with their deeds and results can we be sure.

"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" - The Book of Matthew.

Darwin vs. Christ; The Massive Hypocrisy Award

Double-standards are so brazen these days that we really need to rank them by number. One of the worst is, "Minority groups can never be racist because they are victims of racism." Reverse racism is common now, as so-called "victimized groups" seek revenge and reparations. For this reason we have Black History Month, Black Entertainment Television, and so on. Some of the worst racism in the world is practiced by minority groups against other minority groups. The Japanese are legendary in their abuse of Koreans, and a Caucasian would never be accepted on equal terms in their society.

Here in the U.S. racism in the application of so-called Affirmative Action is accepted under American law, and is a deadly poison in the body politic. Martin Luther King's ideal of equality and color blindness has been discarded by the very people who still champion his name.

Ironically, the hallmark of those who are loudest in their condemnation of racism and unfairness is their policy of redressing grievances with new grievances, all in the name of "fairness".

The ultimate prize goes to the so-called progressives; mostly Democrats, but some Republicans too. I'm not talking about people who really believe in progress, because I'm one of them. I'm talking about extremists who narrowly define progress as liberal. It's anything but liberal, as liberality was originally defined. Liberalism originally meant human freedom and individual rights; non-obtrusive government and personal responsibility. Not anymore. Today it stands for hostility toward all conservatism, free market economies, religion, and individual excellence. It relentlessly expands government to tyrannical authority. Worst of all is the atheism and anti-theism in progressivism.

When we say "Christ", they say "Darwin". When we say "Darwin", they say "Christ".

Let me explain. Charles Darwin and his brilliant understanding of evolution appears to have disproved the Creation as understood by religious people everywhere. I say "appears to" because Darwin didn't actually disprove an intelligent Creator, he just forced us to change our understanding of how life on earth is perfected over geologic time. The hierarchy of life forms as described in Genesis doesn't conflict with Darwin at all.

Darwin is disconcerting to believers in God if they haven't thought about how to respond to his Theory of Evolution. It is still a theory, but the fundamental recognition of  "survival of the fittest" and the adaptations that life forms make cannot be doubted. The fossil record doesn't lie. Species either adapt or die. The ones who survive change shape over time.

Progressives and Liberals always pretend to honor Darwin and adhere faithfully to his theories; while directly working to undermine them with destructive social programs administered by powerful governments.

For this reason the idea of Social Darwinism was born in the 19th Century. It states that human beings also must make themselves fit to compete in the world, and that each one of us must learn to adapt to changes and difficulties on our own. If a parent or government steps in and 'saves' a child or grown person - particularly when that individual is suffering the consequences of their actions - they're actually harming them and enabling more bad actions. Subsidizing children out of wedlock and giving welfare checks to drug addicts are prime examples. In both cases, those evils grow exponentially.

We can learn only when we sow and reap, act and experience the results of our actions, good or bad. It's well known that addicts must "bottom out", and really experience the hell and degradation of their wrong choices and withdrawal before they can break the bonds of addiction.

This is where the progressive mindset really breaks down. Progressive do-gooders are forever trying to save people from themselves. Look at what's happening in Europe today. The whole economic foundation of modern socialism is crumbling, going bankrupt. The Chinese saw this coming years ago and told their people they must be more self-sufficient.

When we conservatives point out the validity of Darwin's "survival of the fittest" ideas, progressives always revert to an attack on our compassion, and yell "Christ!", as though Jesus was a socialist who believed in rescuing people from the consequences of their bad acts and choices. He absolutely did not. In fact, on many occasions Christ warned us that wrong moral choices will doom us forever. He correctly pointed out that the governments of this world are not godly, and more often than not are working against God.

It's critically important to the survival of civilization that people understand the deadly serious stakes of this game we're in, the game of life.

The harsh truth is that most progressives are tyrants, pandering to human vices to buy votes, get elected, and seize power.  If this were not true they would long ago have changed course, admitting that most of their schemes have been abject failures that are destructive to human progress and civilization itself.

Mocking God Degrades Us All

Look at what we've come to. All the leaders and rulers of the earth are clearly in over their heads and flailing. Their glowing promises and honeyed words are now seen as worthless. This is good, because it is the truth. We have far to go if we want to save ourselves and our souls.

Ever since Nietzsche declared in the 1890's that "God is dead", we have witnessed unimaginable horrors  The years since then abound with crimes against humanity perpetrated by the faithless. Inspired by Karl Marx - who unambiguously hated religion and sought to destroy all people of faith - his followers have murdered hundreds of millions.  When anti-theists are not openly warring against God, they are mocking Him.

Some openly ridicule God out of jealousy, but that's not by any means the worst thing they do. Persecuting those who believe is much worse, and trying to take God's place is worst of all.

Everyone is attracted to the idea of God; that is, the concept of an all-powerful, omnipotent, omnipresent creative force that rules our lives and the universe. The kings of the earth throughout history have drawn on the human need for an earthly god.  But the rise of industry and science created a new, educated middle class that refused to put up with the old belief in the "divine right of kings". Industrial democracies were born, but most devolved into tyrannies; and the age of modern dictators arrived. These deluded individuals and the people who kept them in power sought to be gods in a new, godless technological world.

The very definition of God has had to change in order to keep up with the powers and advancements of scientific knowledge. When the whole universe was thought to be no bigger than the Mediterranean world and the visible stars and planets in the sky, it was easy to imagine a human being competing with God. But today we know infinitely more, and know how puny the earth is. Still, the ancient Utopian dream of godlike power persists in spite of all failures. But it is so un-credible that we must wonder how it survives.

In order for God to exist - as humans have always imagined God would exist - requires that God be infinitely more powerful and intelligent than it is humanly possible to conceive.

The universe is far larger, more violent, deadly, and unruly than anyone imagined even a hundred years ago. Our own Milky Way galaxy was thought to be the whole universe until a century ago. At that point telescopes improved so much that we now know that our little Milky Way island galaxy is as a grain of sand on a veritable beach of galaxies, seemingly lost in a staggeringly huge void.

Here at home on planet earth people still dream of unlimited power and wealth; godlike stature. Most who crave it are willing to commit any crime, no matter how heinous, to achieve that power. In order to defeat those who get in their way, people must become amoral and cruel. Imagine how absurd and pathetic that conceit must look to the real God of All Creation. 

The way is still open. We can know the Creator of the Universe, and share in God's power. But if we go it alone, trying to be like gods, we mock and degrade ourselves.

What Is The End Game?

It's a game, this life on earth and the battle between good and evil. It's a game with stakes so high we can't  imagine it. Our lives - this one now and the one to come - are at stake. The danger is very great. But what is so surprising about that? Life on earth has always been a dodgy proposition. We have many more comforts than our ancestors, but suffering and loss are always with us.

All the really important and worthy deeds of history involved great risk. Jesus risked all, and gave all. So have millions of Christians since. They well knew what they were doing. The greater the risk the greater the reward. God has an unimaginably wonderful Paradise prepared for us. The Old Testament story of Job spells it all out, how God and Satan are warring. Any good interpretation of this book makes great viewing:

Our world is a battleground, an arena for the conflict between good and evil; and we are players in that game whether we recognize it or not. If we become aware of the game and our role in it we gain enormous strength, and can influence its outcome. But we can help God only if we do His will, not our own, most of the time. If we voluntarily become pawns in God's hand our reward will be unutterably rich and wonderful. But many people are too proud to allow this, and they reject the subservient role, volunteering to work for the other side. They often announce that they're Satan worshipers, or Wiccans, performing what they think is good magic. Most have no clue what they're really doing. Some do, however.

The great poet John Milton wrote about this in his book Paradise Lost. Satan says to God early on, "I would rather rule in hell than serve in heaven!" And Lucifer falls.

Are you ready to serve heaven? Or do you insist on ruling in hell?

To say life on earth is a game does not trivialize it, but merely helps us to understand. Chess, too, is a game, but there are people who devote their whole lives to it and make a very good living. Many an epic chess game has been lost because a winning player couldn't visualize what's known as the "end game", the final combination of moves that seals their victory with a checkmate. In these cases the weaker player will win or draw.

Consider NFL Football. It's a multi-billion-dollar industry, and we fans know it's much more than a trivial game. It is lives and careers; a passion for us who love it. Love is the key, isn't it? That which we love we take very seriously.

We who are faithful know what the end game is. It's spelled out clearly in the last chapters of the New Testament. The Book of Revelation is very specific. There will be global conflict sparked in the Middle East, and everyone will be forced to choose sides. They will gleefully do so. But right up to the last day there will be deniers who won't face up to what's really happening. Persecutions, martyrdom, and great violence - natural and man-made - mark this time. But the message is clear. The world will not be destroyed. It will be remade.

All people of faith should celebrate the Apocalypse and even Armageddon. It's the evil ones who work against God, and life, and goodness, and joy, who are going to be destroyed.

Just for the sake of argument, let's say this is all a delusion, and nothing like this is happening or will happen. Consider your own life, and your last day on earth. For you, that's Judgment Day whether you acknowledge it or not. Are your life's joys, sufferings, successes, and agonizing losses meaningless? Does it all come to nothing? People of faith know that life has great meaning. It's the other side that tells you you are a worthless
nonentity.

Fact is, we've already lived through a century of extraordinary catastrophe and degradation. A time traveler from 1895 would be shocked and horrified beyond words at the cynicism, cruelty, hopelessness, cold heartedness, and anti-theism of the modern world.  The likelihood is we've already seen the Apocalypse (which means "unveiling"), and much of Armageddon. Don't forget, whole cities and nations have been laid waste, even vaporized in the last century. The spiritual and psychological damage is immeasurable.

Armageddon means the final battle between good and evil. This is exceedingly important to understand. Being an active player for God in this battle is inconceivably greater than being in the greatest Super Bowl ever played. You are a star, a key player of unimaginable privilege and significance. You cannot lose! Even if you die. The end game is already decided. It won't look easy or safe or pleasant, but the victory will be more thrilling and joyous than anything you've ever dreamed of.
Be there. Be awake. Play your best game! Billions are watching!  

"The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man."
  -  G.K. Chesterton 

Here is his more detailed assessment of the Book of Job:

Christianity Versus Socialism; They Aren't The Same

There is a new and sinister tactic being employed today worldwide, a final and desperate push to convince us that "Jesus was a socialist", that government hand-outs are no different from private or public charitable giving. There is a huge difference, and it has everything to do with personal moral choice and freedom.

First of all, God wants us to be free to make decisions on our own, to learn from our errors, and discover the joy of working, giving, socializing; and the value of a generous heart and a clean conscience. When governments become too powerful - as they are almost everywhere in the world - they take away our freedoms and make decisions for us by taxing and spending on a massive scale. This defeats God's purpose for us.  Always this is done under the false cover of "the public good", a "crisis", or in the name of  "fairness", or "it's for the children". This means that government bureaucracies are making decisions on what is "fair", who is "poor",  and what children really need. This is called progressivism, but it's tyranny; substantially similar to Marxist communism, and is - at its heart - disguised atheism or even anti-theism; a war against God.

It is all about power and human beings trying to become godlike; even challenging God by corrupting his finest creation, humankind. It is Satanic.

Even a cursory study of the New Testament proves that in Jesus' time there was no government social safety net, and the job of government was limited to military defense, law enforcement, public works (roads, aqueducts, baths, ports), and occasional festivals. Of course, corrupt leaders stole public funds, but at least they spent those funds within their own economies, which stimulated them.  The money didn't disappear. There were no Swiss bank accounts back then.

The Roman government - and almost all other ancient empires - were not involved with welfare programs, education, scientific research, labor, etc. Pagan religions with their priests and temples tried to take care of people and cure social ills. Jesus's new philosophy proved that they weren't effective and needed radical reform. Charitable giving of one's own goods and services was the highest expression of the new Christian religion, along with generous forgiveness. It succeeded spectacularly, and permeated the Roman Empire in two generations.

Christianity's success hinged on each individual's decision to give - or not. The State was seen as a necessary evil in Jesus' eyes. He said, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's... The ruler of this world will be cast out." And he added: "He has no hold on me."  - John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11.

All the rulers and governments of our present day are suspect and should be seen as working against God's purposes, unless they prove themselves otherwise. We're now experiencing the End Of Days as prophesied by Christ. Humankind's power and malevolence - as well its saintliness - are at their zenith.

Worldwide debt is beyond control and piling up. Life and prosperity everywhere are threatened due to the unintended consequences of government intrusion and outright theft of public funds. Even in the worst days of Rome's decline recovery was possible because the Romans lacked the technology to damage the environment or create unpayable generational debt. Unfortunately, the opposite is true today, and we are doing both.

What Is The Meaning Of Life?

The answer is simple to understand but difficult to face. We're here on earth to be refined and purified, much as gold and silver are purified.

Ah, but some people say, "What importance can we possibly have, being so small in the scheme of things? We're nothing compared to the vast universe." But consider this: We value rare objects highly, and the rarer they are the more we value them. It wasn't very long ago that astrophysicists - such  as the famous Carl Sagan - said, "The universe is brimming over with life!" He oversaw the initial SETI Program (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) which has been active for more than thirty years. Powerful radio telescopes all over the globe have been continually scanning the cosmos looking for radio waves that would mark any advanced civilization. To almost everyone's surprise there has been no sign at all. Turns out the universe is an incredibly violent and hostile environment for life as we know it. Huge Gamma Ray Bursts periodically sterilize and roast whole regions of our Milky Way galaxy.

This has led to the formation of a new theory of life in the universe known as the Rare Earth Hypothesis. We on earth may very well be the only advanced life forms of our type in our galaxy; or within any reasonable range of communication. It's a sobering and lonely thought, that we're alone. On the other hand, that means  we're incredibly valuable, a miraculous anomaly. The kind of miraculous creation only God could perform.

Look what's happening outside of earth in the rest of the universe. The Hubble Space Telescope has been able to see back in time, 13.5 billion years, capturing light at the far outer reaches of our physical universe - left over from its creation. Everywhere Hubble looks the same physical laws apply - gravity, inertia, momentum, thermodynamics - and the materials are the same: hydrogen, oxygen, helium, iron, nickel, and so on.

The refining process unfolding in the trillions of stars in all the trillions of galaxies we see produces hierarchies of elements from the lightest hydrogen to the heaviest uranium and the garbage disposals which are black holes. They're so heavy and have such powerful gravity that  nothing can escape from them, not even light.

No doubt other mysterious things are happening out there in the unimaginably vast universe, but there's no dispute about the refining processes. All the heavy metals on earth we know - such as lead, silver, and gold - were created from dying stars that exploded billions of years before the earth was formed.  Materials are recycled and purified constantly.  The process is eternal and we are a part of it. Our suffering has a real purpose, just like the heat of a furnace; to force our consciousness into shape. If we have character, and can bear it, a moral conscience can be born in us. Just as gold and silver emerge brilliantly through heat and strife, so can we. God is the forger, the craftsman, and the purifier.

"You have wearied the LORD with your words. "How have we wearied him?" you ask. By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?" "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years. "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty. "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed." -  Malachi 2:17-3:6

Do We Have Too Much Freedom Of Expression?

The so-called progressives in our world are guilty of an amazing hypocrisy that is never mentioned. They always come down on the side of pornography, profanity, slanderous character assassination of their enemies, and entertainment that celebrates amoral behavior. Hollywood is the "dream factory" in their eyes. They furiously condemn people who dissent with this belief as "religious fanatics" or "hypocrites" because - they say - nobody can be perfectly moral, so even the attempt to be moral is doomed to failure. Therefore you are a "hypocrite" for trying. There's no God anyway, so believers are delusional as well.

At the same time, they have invented political correctness, which is nothing less than an attempt to control our thoughts. All over America and Europe certain types of speech are absolutely forbidden and can even earn you a jail sentence. Talking about IslamoNazism, minority racism (which progressives have ruled impossible), or the rising tide of illegal immigrants swamping many states and countries is condemned and actively prosecuted. Why? Because such speech will encourage and amplify racism and bigotry, they say.

Isn't that also true of amoral entertainment? Of course. Either we are affected by both or we are not. The problem with censorship is that it's difficult and dangerous to manage. Is the truth too much to handle? Can lies overwhelm a people? Who decides what's safe to hear, or true? That's too much power to give to any group, but many people are so fearful they would allow it.

This attitude is exactly what George Orwell's landmark book 1984 was all about. Orwell saw what was happening in the Soviet Union and saw, too, that Great Britain was drifting in that direction. (They have now arrived at it. Britons are the most spied upon people on earth. There are more video cameras watching them than any other place on earth, yet their crime rate soars). Orwell didn't exaggerate the results of such attempts at thought manipulation in his book. In fact, Joseph Stalin invented the idea of political correctness to cement his tyranny and control over the minds of his people, and many millions were murdered for their dissenting thoughts.

The actual goal of progressives is to replace God with the State. In this way they believe they will become gods. They are no different Nimrod, Nebuchadnezzar, Ramses, Nero, or Napoleon. There's nothing more evil than trying to unseat the Lord, and it always leads to disaster and death.

The question of human freedom - and how much we can safely handle - has annoyed and haunted Americans since the founding of our nation. The early days of the republic were almost as raucous and uncontrolled as they are now. Particularly in the election of 1796 hysterical and violent rhetoric reached frightening levels. Tom Paine accused George Washington of being "an agent of the British monarchy."  Newly-elected President John Adams pushed through The Alien and Sedition Act which prosecuted speech and jailed people for their opinions. It was very unpopular and probably cost Adams his presidency.

Thomas Jefferson and other Founders believed that relatively unfettered freedom of speech was the only answer. He wrote, "We are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it." --Thomas Jefferson to William Roscoe


People must be free to counter any and all scurrilous attacks with the truth. There are a few exceptions, of course. You cannot yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater or slander a private individual without risking serious punishment.

So what is the answer to the problem? Personal virtue. It sounds a bit trite, I know, but personal responsibility is our only hope. This is just one more reason why we need God in our lives.

If You Say "No" To God, Is That The End Of The Story?

Many of us - me included - have rejected God at one time or another. Some of the greatest prophets in history have also. But we can change our minds without losing face. It's acceptable to be angry with God, but not acceptable to stay angry. Jesus had a parable about this. He said to the priests and elders in the Temple:
"A man had two sons. Now he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’
  “‘No, I don’t want to,’ the son replied. But later he changed his mind and went.
 “The father said the same thing to the other son, who replied, ‘Yes, sir.’ But he didn’t go.
 “Which one of these two did his father’s will?” Jesus asked them.
   The priests and elders replied, “The first one.”
   Jesus said to them, “I assure you that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering God’s kingdom ahead of you. For John the Baptist came to you on the righteous road, and you didn’t believe him. But tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. Yet even after you saw this, you didn’t change your hearts and lives and you didn’t believe him." - Matthew 21:28

The Parable of the Tenant Farmers is another one, related to the first, but much more important. It's about the moral choices we're making right now on earth. Jesus said:

 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it to tenant farmers and took a trip. When it was time for harvest, he sent his servants to the tenant farmers to collect his fruit. But the tenant farmers grabbed his servants. They beat some of them, and some of them they killed. Some of them they stoned to death.  “Again he sent other servants, more than the first group. They treated them in the same way. “Finally he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

“But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let’s kill him and we’ll have his inheritance.’ They grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 

“When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenant farmers?”

The priests and elders said, “He will totally destroy those wicked farmers and rent the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruit when it’s ready.”

Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the scriptures, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord has done this, and it’s amazing in our eyes? Therefore, I tell you that God’s kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a people who produce its fruit.  Whoever falls on this stone will be crushed. And the stone will crush the person it falls on.”

Now when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard the parable, they knew Jesus was talking about them.  They were trying to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, who thought he was a prophet. - Matthew 21:32

We who bear witness to these world events now are in danger, but we have to learn to live with that danger, and not let ourselves be deterred by it. It's a hard task, I know. 

Who Is Worthy of Saving? We Cannot Know

Only God knows who is worthy, for only God knows our heart. The common wisdom today is that the Roman authorities of Christ's time - particularly the military - were cruel and heartless automatons who oppressed and tormented all their conquered peoples, particularly the people of Judea. But the Bible directly refutes that view in the Book of Luke, Chapter 7:

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.  And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.  So when the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving,  “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”

Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”  And those who were sent, returning to the house, found that the servant who had been sick was now well.


<sup>Is this not remarkable? A centurion of the Roman army - an officer in charge of one hundred soldiers - built a synagogue for the Jews; which was an extremely expensive undertaking. Jewish law required that many specific standards be met for a synagogue to be considered clean and holy. And when Jesus approached, the centurion sent his friends to tell Jesus he wasn't worthy to be seen by him. Jesus then held him up as a paragon of faith, greater than any he had yet seen in Israel. Can you believe it? A Roman soldier!

This is an extraordinary example of how preposterous and misguided our understanding of God and Scripture can be. Because often the most despised and criticized people in society turn out to be the most blessed and beloved by the Lord.</sup>   

As it says in Matthew 20:16, about Judgment Day: "So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last."

The Bible's Enigmatic 'Parable of the Talents', from Matthew 25:14

Jesus left us a puzzling story, puzzling in part because of the word talent, which in ancient times was a unit of measured weight, probably 71 pounds of precious metal.

Jesus said, "The kingdom is also like what happened when a wealthy master went away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. The master knew what each servant could do. So he handed five talents to the first servant, two talents to the second, and one to the third. Then he left the country.  As soon as the master had gone, the servant with the five used them to earn five more. The servant who had two did the same with his and earned two more. But the servant with one dug a hole and hid his master's talent in the ground.
  Some time later the master of those servants returned. He called them in and asked what they had done with the talents he gave them.  The servant who had been given five talents brought them in with the five that he had earned. He said, "Sir, you gave me five, and I have earned five more."
  "Wonderful!" his master replied. "You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my joy."
   Next, the servant who had been given two came in and said, "Sir, you gave me two, and I have earned two more."
   "Very good!" his master replied. "You are a fine and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more."
   The servant who had been given one then came in and said, "Sir, I know that you are hard to get along with. You harvest what you don't plant and gather crops where you haven't scattered seed. I was frightened and went out and hid your money in the ground. Here is the one you gave me"
   The master of the servant told him, "You are lazy and good-for-nothing! You know that I harvest what I don't plant and gather crops where I haven't scattered seed. You could have at least put my money in the bank, so that I could have earned interest on it."
   Then the master said, "Now yours will be taken away and given to the servant with ten. Everyone who has something will be given more, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken from those who don't earn anything. You are worthless, and you will be thrown out into the dark where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

It seems cruel, doesn't it? If you can't double the talents you're given, then you're doomed to pain and death. But the faithless servant did more than fail to earn. He insulted the master and his generosity by saying, "I know that you are hard... and harvest where you do not plant..."
The master is God in this parable, and this was a gift from the Creator of the Universe. It's not acceptable to be lazy, nonchalant, or suspicious. Better it is to refuse it on the spot.

There are many things in this parable that people don't think about; or that they misunderstand.  I often wondered - when I began my search for spiritual knowledge with Bible readings -  "What about the servant who invested the money and lost it through theft or bad luck?" He isn't mentioned. The answer is that the parable refers to spiritual endeavors, not the material world of the Judean economy. God's work can't fail to prosper if we apply ourselves with mindfulness.

Another thing is the word talent. It doesn't mean the ability to dance, manage a company, play music, or produce things. A talent (Latin: talentum, from Ancient Greek τάλαντον, talanton 'scale, balance') was approximately the mass of water required to fill an amphora. The Roman talent was 71 pounds.  In gold, that would be $21,600 per pound, or $1,533,000 per talent; in today's dollars. An incredible figure. The servant with ten talents - before the master returned - would be worth $15,333,000. So the translation is a bit off in the Bibles we use traditionally. It's been changed in newer, revised versions. The correct translation should be "bags of gold" that the master left for the servants.

Also, God considers martyrs to be the ultimate expression of spiritual courage, integrity, and effectiveness. Matthew 10:39: "He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it." So this means the world's definition of success is radically different from God's.

Here's the message: We cannot fail if we do God's work diligently. We may even be murdered. If that happens we have the ultimate reward granted to the most faithful servant. A somewhat troubling message!

Why Protestant Christianity Is The Most Viable Pattern For Civilization

The track record is indisputable: Our modern ideas of human rights for all men and women regardless of wealth, status, sex, religion or skin color originate in Protestant Christianity. Only in Christian countries that allow Protestants have these ideas worked; and they've worked brilliantly. The Charter of the United Nations, signed by every nation in the world, ratifies these ideas. Our Founders were all sympathetic to Protestantism even if they wavered in their belief in a pro-active God.

Why do these ideas work so well? Protestants genuinely believe in the intrinsic worth of the individual, free markets, economic freedom, equality of the sexes, eliminating racism, and technological advancement. The idea that slavery should be outlawed originated with Protestants in England and America. Great Britain acted in 1806 to do it, far ahead of any other country in the world.

Too many Catholics, Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims believe in submission to authority - particularly priests - and rigid dogma. Islam means 'submission'. They are steeped in the past - for the most part - seeking a lost Golden Age; and they are fatalistic; resistant to change, and suspicious of science.

But the one critical factor that distinguishes authentic Christians from all other peoples is their belief and commitment to forgiveness, particularly forgiveness of one's enemies. Probably the most perfect and successful example of this philosophy is Abe Lincoln.
Everyone agrees he was "slow to anger" and had a spine of steel. He knew that we don't really know who our enemies are much of the time. As Ben Franklin said,"Our enemies are our friends, for they show us our faults." The person who chides and insults you may be right. People who criticize us often do it out of love.
Lincoln always weighed his critics' words, and refused to respond in haste, vengefully, without great deliberation. General McClellan publicly humiliated Lincoln in front of his cabinet numerous times, but was allowed to get away with it - until the president had considered thoroughly. Then he sacked McClellan, exercising his spine of steel. McClellan then ran against Lincoln in 1864, and would have won if it weren't for a string of victories by Grant and Sherman.
Conversely, as a Congressman from Illinois, Lincoln once verbally eviscerated an opponent on the House floor and brought the man to tears.Later that night Lincoln felt so terrible about his cruelty that he vowed to make a public apology to the man the next day, and did. He asked for forgiveness.
When a nation largely conducts itself in this way, as America used to, it prospers mightily; accepting criticism, seeking harmony and cooperation, staying out of wars, and generating wealth in individuals who give of themselves. America is still the most generous nation on earth, in spite of its troubles.
If our civilization collapses, it will be because we have turned away from authentic Christian principles and embraced anti-theism, atheism, fanaticism, and suicidal 'diversity'. The worst-off nations in the world have turned away from God in just this way.

Is the Anti-Christ Real? Is He a Man or a Spirit?

"Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve"  Paul, Second Corinthians. 

Other than Jesus the most fascinating character in all of Scripture - for me - is the Anti-Christ; for several reasons. Firstly, he is the opposite of Jesus, whom people of almost all religions love for his humanity, generosity, and empathy. He will be selfish, power hungry, and cruel. But the Anti-Christ also will be loved and followed by the mass of people in the world. So powerful will be his powers to deceive that he will lead people of all nations to eternal destruction. He will be saying "Peace!" Peace!" But will bring strife and war. He is a serpent in disguise.

Secondly, when the Anti-Christ does appear, it will be a sure and certain sign that the End of Times has arrived. Which means the rebirth of the world into something resembling perfect Paradise. Is it possible that this is happening right now? I think so.

The spirit of the Anti-Christ can be seen everywhere today. Lawlessness, violence, murder, pornography, child abuse, and other crimes are out of control. Nobody doubts that anymore. But is there a handsome and charismatic leader, admired by millions all around the world, promising peace and prosperity, dominating the media and smiling confidently? I see that person every day.

Our times are coming to an end soon, and there will be a new beginning.

From the times of Daniel and Isaiah in the Old Testament - hundreds of years before Jesus - the Anti-Christ prophecy was written. You see, the Anti-Christ always precedes the Christ. Just as in the refining of gold and silver, the purifying flame drives out the dross, or impurities in the metal. Malachi 3:2 says,"But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire..."

All things must be gathered together in the end, like with like. As Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand.... It must become all one thing, or all another."

First let's define Christ and his attributes. The word Christ means annointed by God. He is given power by God and rules with God. He came down to earth so that men and women could see the Divine Eternal Light, Lux Aeterna, and be reconciled with their Creator. We've been involved in a feud, a divorce, from the Lord, and it started a very long time ago. The original causes have been largely forgotten, which is typical with any longtime feud.

Christ gave entirely of himself, even to death, for our sake. He served faithfully all his days, healed the sick, spoke until he was exhausted, acquired no property, and didn't defend himself from horrible injustice and undeserved disgrace. He was humble and selfless above all things.

The Anti-Christ is the exact opposite. He is annointed by the prince of this world, Satan, to walk among us and deceive great masses of people. His job is to peel off the weak and faithless. He is proud and haughty above all things, loves power, dominates people, and charms them with his glittering personality. The Anti-Christ promises peace, happiness, wealth, and 'empowerment' to all, and wants you to imitate him. But his promises are lies, and all that will come of it is violence, death, strife, chaos, and destruction. This is foretold, and actually is a very good thing, required before The Second Coming.

Scripture says, "Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come [the Second Coming of Christ] until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God." -  Paul, 2 Thessalonians 2

We see these kinds of people everywhere. The Anti-Christ may not be one individual, but a spirit of our age. Awaken. Prepare to see the Lord your God.

Progressive/Socialists Have No Clue About Money Or the Real Nature of Wealth

It's tragic that we've become so disconnected from nature. Once we were farmers, and understood the rhythm of the seasons, and the ebb and flow of markets. We knew intimately the link between supply and demand; that when supply soared, prices dropped, and vice versa. With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution many Americans became factory workers, and still we understood the basic economics of free markets.

Today, though, Americans are far more disconnected from market forces. We work in offices and shuffle papers that - for the most part - have nothing to do with large-scale, real world markets. This is what caused the Soviet Union and Chairman Mao's China to disintegrate. They deluded themselves that bureaucrats in Moscow or Beijing could control and manipulate their nation's economies and people. For them, papers became very real, whether those papers were reports, orders to underlings, or the money they printed and sent out to the provinces. All those papers are dust now, and the dust has blown away.

The real wealth of nations is determined by the goods and services they produce, and what other nations are willing to pay for those products. Money is only a symbol of wealth, and usually declines in value. Which is why gold and silver - being commodities - increase in value. They are products of labor, and have intrinsic value. All religious scripture warns us about becoming disconnected from nature, and God who created its forces.

Progressive/Socialist/Democrats today think only of spending. They don't like to see people acting on their own to generate new wealth. They strangle production with idiotic regulations, and discourage wealth achievement. They're entirely clueless about the nature of wealth, and how it's created. Here's the proof: Whenever they identify a new type of poverty or grievance group they funnel a river of money to it, subsidizing it and inevitably inflating the price.

In the real world, supply and demand determine price. Increasing the supply of goods and services causes their price to decline; unless the market is being manipulated by powerful people or government regulation. We suffer from market interference, which is often deliberate and malicious.

Higher education is a perfect example. Rather than increase supply of higher education by making it easier to build new colleges, Democrat/Progressives pour money onto the problem, providing more money to "those in need". Thus, the costs of higher education have soared far beyond the rate of inflation, and another economic bubble has been created.
This is what happened with housing in this decade. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac poured money into the hands of low income people. Thus, the per-square-foot cost of entry level housing soared beyond reason, equaling the per-square-foot cost of the finest housing in many areas of the country. This was entirely unsustainable. The bubble's collapse affected lower cost housing far more than luxury housing.

It's just as terrible to be ignorant of basic economics as it is to be of reading and writing English.

Mistakes and Errors are Our Inheritance in This World

We didn't start the fire. You know what I mean? The world has been burning down from time immemorial, and a lot of people have worked very hard to put the fire out - to no avail. It was already burning when we were born. Our parents probably did their best to make it better, or not. But, alas, it's not in our power to do it. God alone can and will do it when the time is right.

A lot of us are very hard on ourselves, and unforgiving. There's nothing worse than knowing we blew a big opportunity, or brought a great loss into our lives. Some cultures and philosophies blame you for your bad luck; and make no mistake, luck is a powerful life factor.

It's really easy to fall into the trap of thinking we're not worthy or perfect or good enough to be doing God's work. Because we're human we make mistakes and blunders. The issue, though, is the magnitude of our mistakes. If we get the big things right - such as remaining faithful to God -  the other things pale in significance. We make many decisions every day and some have moral significance, but don't worry if you discover you were wrong about one or another. Perfection isn't possible in this world; though it is a worthy thing to strive for. Think of life as a craftsman would. Try to do your best, but know there is always room to improve. It's the effort and heart that count.

The truth is we don't really have certain knowledge of what God wants from us. Scripture and our conscience say we must be loving, kind, and generous, but those are only general qualities. For example, what is love? Is it the feeling of elation and affection that comes and goes?  Love must be more than that, and it is. The love God wants from us is actually expressed as 'steadfast loyalty', which means that through thick and thin, pain and pleasure, wealth or poverty, we remain faithful to God and believe in God's goodness. It's not easy to do that, but it's the most important thing we do in this life.

Carl Jung, the Greatest Scientist of the Human Mind - Prophet of God

Carl Jung (1875-1961) was a student of the great pioneering psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, but after a time Freud rejected him for being too liberal in his interpretations of dreams, among other things. Freud believed sex was dominant in the human mind, above all else.  Jung countered that the desire for bonding and belonging was greater; that religion proved it, and provided a path toward the worthiest of all human goals, union with God.   

Jung honored all the great religions and recognized the reality of evil in the modern world at a time when people flattered themselves that they had gone beyond religion and 'primitive' concepts of evil. Jung was proved right by the two World Wars he lived through, and attained an honored place in the Pantheon of great 20th Century thinkers. 

He saw atheism as a grave threat to civilization, because human beings are hard-wired for religion. If they deny it, they unconsciously create their own: money, power, sex, and so on. He wrote:

"As the highest value and supreme dominant in the psychic hierarchy, the God-image is immediately related to, or identical with, the self. and everything that happens to the God-image has an effect on the latter. Any uncertainty about the God-image causes a profound uneasiness in the self, for which reason the question is generally ignored because of its painfulness.

"But that does not mean that it remains unasked in the unconscious. What is more, it is answered by views and beliefs like materialism, atheism, and similar substitutes, which spread like epidemics. They crop up wherever and whenever one waits in vain for the legitimate answer.  The ersatz product represses the real question into the unconsciousness and destroys the continuity of historical tradition which is the hallmark of civilization [emphasis mine]. The result is bewilderment and confusion. Christianity has insisted on God's goodness as a loving Father and has done its best to rob evil of substance.
   
"The early Christian prophecy concerning the Antichrist, and certain ideas in late Jewish theology, could have suggested to us that the Christian answer to the problem of Job omits to mention the corollary, the sinister reality of which is now being demonstrated before our eyes by the splitting of our world [emphasis mine]: the destruction of the God-image is followed by the annulment of the human personality. Materialistic atheism with its utopian chimeras forms the religion of all those rationalistic movements which delegate the freedom of personality to the masses and thereby extinguish it. The advocates of Christianity squander their energies in the mere preservation of what has come down to them, with no thought of building on to their house and making it roomier. Stagnation in these matters is threatened in the long run with a lethal end."

Who Is God? Can We Know?

The answer to this is what religion is all about. There is no general agreement. Even people of the same religion often disagree on some principles. It's the most difficult question anyone can ask. People largely agree to disagree. Language itself isn't competent to deal with this issue. Semantics - the assumed meanings of words - differ from one person to another.

But this author maintains that - as God says - we can find out who God is and expand our knowledge. The word Israel means wrestling with God, and God relishes the wrestling match, saying to Job (38:1-3), "Prepare yourself for action. I will question you, and you will answer me." After a long, painful, and arduous bout, God rewards Job with vastly more wealth than he had before all was taken away from him by God, through Satan. Who is this God who allows Satan to exist? And why?

The most extraordinary line in the Bible is Genesis 3:22, which says, "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

Every valid translation of the Bible - and there are over a dozen - says, "The man has now become like one of us..." People never speak about this because the implications are so mind boggling. There can be only one answer: God is a multitude, not a single entity. God doesn't say, "The man has become like me."  The Hebrew word 'Elohim' is often used in the
Torah, and it means the Heavenly Host. Let that sink in for a while.

It makes perfect sense. God tells Moses to call him "I AM that I AM" in Genesis 3:14. What does this mean? That everywhere consciousness exists, God is there. Every animal, every person, and perhaps every living thing to some degree. We cannot know how deep this consciousness goes, but it extends so far, to such multitudes of living things, that we cannot begin to conceive of it.

The most important thing to absorb from Scripture is this: We are the inheritors of God's creation, and were brought into existence to be with God and participate in God's Kingdom; to know God intimately. This isn't possible now, today, as the world is structured. But God has always promised a new world for us, a world without death, corruption, or violence. That world is coming. If it doesn't happen while we live, we will come into it after we die. Time is short. Be sure you wrestle with God and secure your place in the coming Kingdom.

Infinite Forgiveness and God's Injustice

Can we forgive God his injustice? That's right, God is not always just, and He admits it in the Old Testament book of Job. It's really quite incredible, this book. It says that Satan made a bet with God that he could make Job curse God to his face. The Lord bets Satan that he can't. Here it is, verbatim, from Job 1:6:

  One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.  The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
   Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
   “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.  But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
   The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”
Satan destroys Job's family, possessions, and wealth. But what's worse, Jobs friends tell him that God is always just, so he must deserve it. They don't offer comfort, only condemnation, and they tell Job to keep his mouth shut and be passive. Job's wife says,"Curse God and die!" Then she leaves.

Job does not accept this fate passively. He challenges God, and demands answers for his sufferings, knowing that they are unjust and undeserved. Essentially, he puts the Lord on trial, but the Lord, too, is not passive, and turns the tables on Job. God says,"Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man;
   I will question you, and you make it known to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
   Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
   Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
   or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
   and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
 Or who shut in the sea with doors
   when it burst out from the womb,
when I made clouds its garment
   and thick darkness its swaddling band,
and prescribed limits for it
   and set bars and doors,
and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
   and here shall your proud waves be stayed'?
 Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
   and caused the dawn to know its place..."
The word Israel means "wrestling with God". Job did indeed wrestle with God, and God rewarded him. But first, the Lord dealt very harshly with Job's 'friends' who did not offer him comfort during his affliction. The text continues:

"And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against you, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.
  Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job. [Note: Job's prayers for his friends are key].
 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

God is infinitely just because He can give us recompense that will more than justify any suffering we have to endure. In fact, if we knew just how good our reward is, we would gladly suffer any hardship or pain.

God will forgive you all things except your denial of Him. Can you forgive God?

World Famous Jewish Playwright, David Mamet:"Why I am no longer a brain dead liberal..."

We conservatives have a new ally, David Mamet. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter, movie director (Glengarry Glen Ross, The Untouchables, Hannibal, and others) has had an epiphany. A conservative rabbi recently challenged Mamet and got him to read Milton Friedman, Shelby Steele, and Thomas Sowell. The scales fell from his eyes.

Berthold Brecht - one of his earliest idols - he now describes as “a show dog of communism,” who attacked capitalism even as his royalties made him rich and comfortable.. He discovered that Karl Marx was an alcoholic tramp who never worked; sponging money from Friedrich Engels and his family. So much for "social justice".
Mamet's new book The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture, chronicles his conversion to free-market economics and awareness of the disaster of multiculturalism.

“The great wickedness of Liberalism,” he says, “was that those who devise the ever-new state Utopias … set out to bankrupt and restrict not themselves, but others.” Mamet first recognized his own hypocrisy, “talking Left and living Right". This led him to a collective indictment of himself and others in his generation, the "baby boomers", whose narcissistic ideology has always been out-of-sync with reality.
“As my generation did not live through the Depression, World War II, and the agony of the immigrants who are our grandparents or great-grandparents; as we were raised in the greatest plenty the world has ever known and in the most just of societies,” he writes, “we have grown lazy and entitled (not unlike Marx, who lived as a parasite upon Engels, and never worked a day in his life).”
He says that 'progressives' have replaced the Judeo-Christian roots of democracy with wishful Utopian thinking, and belief in the godlike powers of man. “We are told we need not produce, but may merely hope, we need not defend, but may hope, we must not consume, but are allowed, somehow, to hope for sustenance, magically, deriving from some unspecified actions of a government..."
Mamet criticizes Obama's 2008 campaign slogans of “hope” and “change” and exposes them for what they were, a triumph of advertising. “Hope is a very different exhortation than … save, work, co-operate, [and] sacrifice.” He compares these vacuous appeals of 'progressive' thinking to that of Mark Rudd, the leader of the radicals who seized an administration building at Columbia University during riots in the 1960s. “We got a good thing going here,” Mr. Rudd cried. “Now we’ve got to find out what it is.”
The federal government in its expanding power is “the zoning board writ large.”, Mamet says. His new hero is Friedrich Hayek, who maintained that man is limited and government should be, too. Good intentions aren't enough. They bring unintended consequences; whether in urban renewal, affirmative action, welfare, or busing. His ire focuses on 'liberal' education, which he claims is merely indoctrination into identity politics, where students are drugged with self-indulgence. He passionately praises patriotism, tradition, family, and the Bible.
'Progressives', Democrats, socialists, and crypto-Marxists everywhere are in shock. They've lost a cornerstone in the temple of 'modern' thought.