Trees and Vines

Trees and Vines

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (Genesis 1:29).

Chinese Plant Compound Wipes out Cancer in 40 Days, Says New Research

Anthony Gucciardi
NaturalSociety
October 18, 2012

A little-known plant with a truly bizarre name is now making headlines as a cancer killer, with the compound of the plant vanishing tumors in mice with pancreatic cancer. Known as the ‘thunder god vine’ or lei gong teng, the Chinese plant is actually integrated into Chinese medicine and has been used for ages in remedying a number of conditions including rheumatoid arthritis.
According to the new research out of the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center, the thunder god plant compound led to no signs of tumors after a 40 day period — even after discontinuing the treatment. Published in the journal Science Translational Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health, even the scientists working on the project were stunned by the anti-cancer properties of the compound. Known to contain something known as triptolide, which has been identified as a cancer fighter in previous research, it is thought to be the key component that may be responsible for the anti-tumor capabilities.
Study leader and vice chairman of research at the Cancer Center explained to Bloomberg how he was blown away by the effects of the simple plant:
“This drug is just unbelievably potent in killing tumor cells,” he said.
And just like with numerous other powerful substances like turmeric and ginger, mainstream science is still slowly confirming what many traditional practitioners have known for their entire lives. This is, of course, due to the fact that there is simply no money for major corporations in researching the healing powers of natural herbs and compounds such as the compound found in the thunder god vine. Turmeric and ginger, for example, have been found to be amazing anti-cancer substances that are virtually free compared to expensive and dangerous cancer drugs.
Nevertheless, the Big Pharma sponsored corporate scientists have managed to ignore these spices as much as possible. In fact, they have even been caught time and time again faking thousands of studies to fraudulently demonstrate the supposed value of pharmaceutical drugs pushed by major pharma juggernauts — many of which are later forced to pay millions in fines which only slightly stack up against their billions in profits.
Profits that are threatened by the many real studies that were performed by scientists examining the rejeuvenating power of cheap ingredients like turmeric, which has been found by peer-reviewed research available on PubMed to positively influence over 590 conditions.
While it is great news that this study is bringing the beneficial effects of inexpensive and near-free plant compounds to light, the bad news is that the individuals responsible for the research are actually looking to create a pharmaceutical drug from the essential component triptolide. A drug that will seek FDA approval and ultimately be patented, nutritionally ruined, and sold for exorbitant amounts of cash. Instead, just get your hands on some thunder god vine for yourself.

Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/chinese-plant-compound-cancer-research/#ixzz2A2L6IXBH

            Yesterday, a long time friend called me from Florida. In a time span of three weeks he had buried his father, aunt, and sister, all died with cancer. It is hard to find an individual or family who has not been ravaged by this dreaded disease. Which, when I was young, in school, like diabetes, cancer was a very rare disease.

            When I was in school, care of the health of the body was scientific. Today's doctors are manipulated-controlled by "big Pharma." The ravaging effects of today's drugs-chemicals, in treatment, devastating.  We treat symptoms not the disease and the side effects are almost as atrocious as the disease. Doctors, those treating cancer, have the same rate of cancer as the general public. If doctors could cure cancer, they would cure themselves.

            Each of the 23 trillion cells in the human body is a complicated chemical factory, controlled by electrical impulse. Radiology kicks up the cancer and then the oncologist tries to cure the cancer with more radiology or, chemical therapy. Inflammation is the cause of all disease but the "big bucks" are not from the prevention of inflammation. In the world of fast foods, fast cars, fast living, "with assembly line treatment," when you are lucky to get 10 minutes with your doctor, there is really not much time for discussing your body-habits-nutrition-family history. It's like Christians, we love God and service to his church if it does not inconvenience us. The poor doctor does not want to be inconvenienced from his golf game.

            This is the information age. $80 billion dollars is spent each year by old people trying to look young.  With all our education, we have very little learning. Why not learn to eat correctly, keep toxins out of your body (inflammation causing agents)?

            We have heard about the French paradox. This writer, many times in France, I could never understand how the French spent so much time in cafe's, eating the wrong foods, smoking cigarettes, and always drinking wine. They have fewer cancer and other tragic diseases than most. We find that it is the salvestrols, a new class of natural anti-cancer chemicals found in certain dietary plants and fruits including grapes and organic wine. It is probably no coincidence that the first miracle of Jesus was the turning of water into wine, at a wedding feast, Cana of Galilee (John 4:46). The Apostle Paul's words to Timothy "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities" (1 Timothy 5:23).

            How well I remember the long time professor, UNC medical school, Chapel Hill, Dr. W.C George, I worked with him some out at his farm in Carrboro. One day, I was lamenting about the hard times and hard work on the farm. We had often talked about my family farm, the poverty of growing up, my poor preparation, from a country school, for college. He said, "You poor thing, all that hard work in the sun, sweating out toxins, fresh water-meat-vegetables-eggs, grapes from the vines, berries from the bushes, what better way for good health? You will probably live to be a very old man." 

Trigger Words

Trigger Words

            America has not won a war since WWII: Korean, Vietnam, Middle East, negotiated peace. You must identify an enemy in order to defeat him...usually a matter of uniforms-front lines. Today's wars, shock and awe with one hand, handing out sandwiches with the other. In dealing with tribes, an impossible system of nation rebuilding, putting uniforms and giving military weapons to one group while allowing an apposing force to steal uniforms...all these people confused, thinking they are fighters (uniforms-weapons-ammunition), naturally killing the wrong people. Cover Newsweek, 1972, entire Vietnam War changed because of one child running naked, burning from napalm. Phan Thi Kim Phúc now, nearing 50 years of age, Christian, talks about the atrocities of war. Think of the many who did not survive. As in Pakistan and other places this very day, drones dropping bombs.

            It is this writer's opinion, totally blind, 100% disabled, service connected, medical officer veteran, the world is totally insane...trigger words of war which have engulfed the entire world, bringing on ruin politically, economically, spiritually.

            None of this is a surprise to God. Everything has already happened in His mind. Man does not see as God sees. Sitting in the parade seat, watching history, what has already happened is history to man, future to God. What is going to happen is future for man, history to God. As I have reminded so many people, including my own mother, God is at every crossroad of your life before you get there, already predestined everything that will happen. It is a great consolation to the chosen-elect-those trusting in the grace of God (that is all he requires) to know that He is in charge of everything, HE IS BOSS. He gives what we need moment by moment, day after day. "As thy days, so shall thy strength be" (Deuteronomy 33:25). When God says something twice, you better listen. Twice, same chapter, "The LORD of hosts [is] with us; the God of Jacob [is] our refuge" (Psalm 46:7, 11).  Men have such hard heads, such slow learners.

            From the beginning, perfect garden-perfect world (God had established His rights with just one tree) man chose a serpent rather than God, a lie instead of the truth, death instead of life.

            The veterans administration has been so perfectly atrocious to me that I have disposed of my one, wonderful uniform I had kept for burial (I will be cremated, my ashes buried next to my parents, costing government zero). Living alone, in the night of 50 years plus, at mankind's night, I think of the horrors of war. Long after Korea-Vietnam, I was in Afghanistan when the Russians were there. Against international law, small camera in the palm of my hand, I have pictures of barefoot children on ice, parents carrying all their belongings in sacks on their backs. Today, still alive, the drones had not dropped their bombs.

            October 20th, Afghan police officer and cook poisoned six of their colleagues at a check point. October 19th, 19 killed in an Afghan wedding party.  This officer, always strict discipline, self and everyone else, shaved-shined, amazed that a fellow army medical officer psychiatrist not only killing fellow soldiers, but unshaved. 42 year old, Dr. Hassan, Ft. Hood.  What happened? At one time, everything measured with precision. 50 years ago, Cuban missile crisis, 25 miles of film taken by planes flying over Cuba, accuracy of missile links exact.

            My seminary professor's son, lectures all over the world, tells me that many American's find they can live on social security in third world countries. We know that Americans live in Costa Rica, Argentina, Thailand, attempting to escape the craziness taking over America. Often, when someone jumps ship to escape a bad ship, the sharks in the water make the ship look very good-safe. The disgraceful fortitude of other nations. The European Union (EU) with their euro dollar, politicians-elitists-bankers, scammed the public, putting forth national interest where the poor-working class pays all  taxes, the politicians who profit most, pay none. Now their economies are in shambles (pigs). American politicians-economists-academicians-good eyes, can not see the mosques being built in America at crossroads where there are no Muslims. My grandson lawyer-seminary student, returning from Asia, where parents were missionaries for many years (Dr. John and Grace Morris), Muslim nations build Mosques next to every Christian church. Like politicians, military leaders, the church will discover that the entire world is at war. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]" (Ephesians 6:12). There are many pagans-unbelievers-atheists, who do not believe it but the only hope for the Christian-one filled with the righteousness of the Holy Spirit, is to wear the whole armor of God (Eph 6:13) because "Greater is he that is in you than He that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Adam chose for us, spirit of death. Every generation from Adam until now, we should have seen a betterment of man's nature, the nature of God that can be instilled in us (after all, God could have put his nature in rocks or monkeys). Rather, we have seen a decadence....once-God totally destroying the world circa 5,000 B.C, destroying many cities because of sin, Sodom (Genesis 19:14). And so it has been, history of man, history of Christianity.

            This blind veteran, from the poverty of a tobacco farm in Eastern North Carolina, dissolute public school, 13 in my graduating class, working way entirely through eight years of professional schooling, jumping through every government regulation my entire life, a faither (I believe that Christian faith is a verb, action based on belief, sustained by confidence). The ancestors before me (landing-founding Morristown, NJ, Goodship Kent, 1677) fought the good fight. My two grandson's, Andrew and Paul, doing better than their father and grandfather.

            This writer worked his way through eight years of University training, selling Bibles door to door, up and down dirt roads. Up a dirt road near Rose Hill, NC, the father of a family told me that they no longer went to church. "You know my family fought hard times their entire lives but now we get a government check. We simply do not see the need for church anymore." "Make us glad according to the days [wherein] thou hast afflicted us, [and] the years [wherein] we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it" (Psalm 90:15-17).

Masada

Masada

            As every man hath received the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10).

            Only God knows but my great joy comes from sharing my world experiences with others. My first trip to the holy land was a mind bending experience. Tears came so easy as I walked the streets of places that I had read about as a child in a country church Sunday school in eastern North Carolina. The Freewill Baptist Church was built by my great grandparents, 1874.

            I was eating my lunch with an old couple from London. She, 88, was a professor at a London University, he, 92, a diamond cutter. They would first look up at Masada, then down towards the Dead Sea. He said, "This is the trip of our lifetime." Masada is the ancient fortress built by Herod the Great in 37 BC. My guide arranged for me to visit the palace, walls still showing sculptured pediments. This is where the Jews made their last stance against invading Romans-significant because Roman occupation during the life and crucifixion of Jesus. To this day, this is a Holy place for Judaism. The place where Israel's military officers receive their commissions.

            The Dead Sea (sea of salt) is the lowest point on the surface of the earth (1,388 feet below sea level). The sea at the end of the Jordan river, boarders the nation of Jordan. There is no outlet for the Dead Sea, no animals can live in the water. When Christ returns to the mount of olives, the earth will open to the Dead Sea.  Without question, and God knew exactly what he was doing, all in his eternal design, the narrowest strip of land connecting Asia and Africa, sight of all ancient trade routes, has always been the most important geography of earth.

            Diabolical people and nations have always surrounded this small area of land, millions of Arabs who hate Jews, extending from Abraham's sons Isaac and Ishmael.

            I remember arriving in Jerusalem, every street remarkable. Then, just 150 miles away, the city of Damascus which, like Jericho (16 miles from Jerusalem), the two oldest continuous cities of the world. Like the Apostle Paul, you can still walk down the street called "Straight" in Damascus (Acts 9:11). When you have been to these places (they are still there), have seen how the walls of Jericho fell, you have little empathy for the atheist, the non believer, their attacks on Christianity like their attacks on science. Evolutionists know that mutations can not reproduce. The 37 trillion cells in your body, each a chemical factory where everything must behave exactly as designed by God. One should study the Bible as they study the morning's newspaper, same cities, same historical conflicts. Syria, so important in history, like Egypt, now a cesspool of violence (20-80 thousand Syrian people just disappearing). These are not dumb people, King Assad, ophthalmologist-eye surgeon, was in a hospital residency in London when his father died and he became King. Although these Arab nations do not have the technical ability to build a bicycle, their scientific minds may develop biological's which may whip out the world.

            Like Petra in Jordan (fortified city built in rock), most of the world will learn to just leave these people alone. This writer will never forget visiting the city of Petra, only entrance, a very narrow passageway just wide enough for a horse. The visitor rides in on a horse led by an Arab, a long distance. The first thing you see is the large stone treasury building. Over the years, fortresses in this part of the world will grow dim in your memory but the hatred you saw in the eyes of the people will remind you forever why this part of the world stays in the headlines.

            Jews, more or less, Muslims (Arabs), not at all. Only the Christian understands the mercy, grace, divine design of God. Only the Christian understands that the Apostle Paul (writer of 27 books of the New Testament), a brilliant-legalistic Jew was a killer, admitted that he was chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).  Old Testament David, a man of God's own heart (Acts 13:22) was a killer. The Christian rejoices in the knowledge that God forgives sin (Luke 7:48), and therein lies our hope in the world. We are constantly amazed, Paul mostly in the jailhouse, David among the castaways of the world, such as the cave of Engedi, that a man transformed by the love, grace, power of God, can show so much tenderness.

            We find very few Christians among the male homosexual population. It has been the experience of this writer that the "gay guy" was never shown tenderness by his father. You never hear a male homosexual speak of his father. This writer has participated in some of the largest "brick and mortar" churches of the world-active males, and has seen Christianity under a brush arbor-active males. I know that male preachers-pastors are capable of showing tenderness-love to fellow family members, males as well as females in any congregation. There must be an answer for the rapid increase of homosexuality, unbelief as shown by minorities (blacks, homosexuals, protestors). We saw the disdain for Christianity, by democrats, at their convention. No intelligent person can explain how any group can voluntarily come together, expressing so much hatred that they can willingly kill innocent babies, promote the senseless "marriage" of two or more people of the same sex.

            We can understand long Hell hatreds, even tribalism, even strange religious beliefs, the pagan practices of the seven civilizations which the Jews faced as they conquered the promise land, even Zoroastrianism, even unusual philosophy such as that in Egypt, the early Roman Empire, the Greek civilizations, have disappeared or changed with time. God established His rights with one tree in the garden. There are non-negotiable truths, absolutes, right and wrongs, in the world. I have found that most religious systems, even Christian's, want a check-off list...."you can do this, you can't do that." Like Masada, there are times and places, ideas on which you must make a stand. God expects the Christian to put on his whole armor and not yield one inch (Eph 6:13).

Sons of Issachar

Sons Of Issachar

            William Kepler said, "God moves in mysterious ways his wonders to perform." Most who have heard my story just refuse to believe..."a totally blind, 100% disabled, service connected medical officer veteran of the Korean war era, traveling the world. There were many danger spots, New Guinea, once in India, but the most memorable, when the Holy Land as well as Jordan were in conflict (Jerusalem bifurcated between Israel and Jordan). I was attempting to go from Jerusalem to Hebron, attacked by dissidence, my vehicle required a United Nations escort (my objective to see the burial places of Abraham and Sarah).

            My first knowledge of the sons of Issachar (Issachar son of Jacob and Leah) came there. The sons of Issachar, about 200, exceptional men of the tribe who understood what was happening and knew exactly what to do. (1 Chronicles 12:32). Throughout Biblical history there have always been God's men who understood leadership.

            The word is discernment, the men of Issachar BLESSED WITH DISCERNMENT. Today's world, not just political, business, education, judicial, we seem to have lost our discernment, our ability to judge well, analyze, make good decisions.

            This writer must be honest about just giving up on the political, economic, scientific leaders of this nation. More heartbreaking, what has happened to God's churches. Long before I stopped speaking in various houses of worship, many years ago when I still had some vision, it had become increasingly difficult to even see the greatest symbol in the world, the Christian cross displayed for all worshippers to see, sickening, many times behind some fake artificial plants. If ever a place where the true meaning, discernment, understanding of the world...solution of its problems, totally evident, everyone looking at the symbol of redemption, the Christian cross, even the crucifix. We are sinners, born that way. When God breathed life into Adam he breathed into him a living soul and gave to him free will. Adam chose to believe the serpent instead of God, chose death instead of life, chose a lie instead of the truth. With one tree, God set up his rights to our lives and, as was the case with the first couple, with all the beauty and everything else needed for healthy helpful living, man continues to chose defiance, disobedience, death instead of life.

            We live in a world of agendas, political agendas of political parties, agenda of the homosexual crowd (same sex marriage, neutrality in the military), the 21 agenda (UN- international taxation for the environment), feminine and bi-sexual agenda (breakdown of all sexual inequity), agenda at the church house (women preachers, Madison Avenue program techniques), agenda at the school house (indoctrination-entertainment in the place of the fundamental education), agenda at the court house (imprisonment so pleasant that inmates do not mind staying there-returning there), agenda of Planned Parenthood (limiting population control), globalism where a few own and control everything. The richest people in the world, Gates, Buffet, Slim, The Rothschild's, 350 billion, The Rockefeller's, 340 billion,  may have had some discernment with money and the investing with money, may have even made life a little easier for the less fortunate people of the world but one thing I can guarantee each of these rich people, every poor person in the world, at the end, clinical death (second death for the unsaved) you can not buy one more second of life because you were born with the spirit of death, having been chosen for you. The garden was so beautiful, everything the innocent mind of man could want, even God himself walking and talking with them in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8).  God, knowing everything, knew that giving man free will would interfere with man's failing to understand that HE AND EVERYTHING HE THINKS HE OWNS, BELONGS TO GOD.  God set up his rights with just one tree, man failed, chose the word of the serpent instead of the WORD OF GOD and so it is until this moment.  Everything we are, everything we think we own, belongs to God...not just the tithe. The tithe is God's whether we give it or not. Satan knew, having been kicked out of Heaven, that man would be kicked out of the garden (Genesis 3:24) along with 1/3 of the other angels because they too, would not believe in the sovereignty of God. They were there, know the truth. Satan is a created being, created for Hell, and he is going to attempt to take as many with him as possible. We know now why Jesus said to Martha, outside the tomb of Lazarus, "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25).

            Put flesh and blood on both saints and sinners, God brings to our attention in his word, gospel of discernment.

More Than Coffee

More Than Coffee

(a bi-weekly SWBTS church publication)

FORT WORTH, Texas (SWBTS) – During a chapel service at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Samuel Stephens reported how he and fellow seminary student Paul Morris shared the Gospel at a nearby Starbucks with Mike and his girlfriend, Sin.

Like Stephens and Morris, many students have recently sown the Gospel and sometimes reaped a spiritual harvest because they prayed the soul winner’s prayer during chapel, Sept. 6. During this chapel service, President Paige Patterson challenged students to ask themselves if they are broken by the lostness of men and women throughout the world. They will never share the Gospel with people, he said, until they are burdened with this lostness.

“There are 7 billion people on the face of the earth today,” Patterson said. “The vast majority of them are on their way to hell. Does that make any difference to you? … Are you so involved doing your studies here at this institution that lost people are no longer of consequence to you? Are you so deeply involved in doing the work of God in the church that lost people don’t matter to you anymore?”

Patterson then asked students that, every day for 60 days, they would lift up to God what he called the soul winner’s prayer: “Dear God, give me an opportunity to share my faith today. Help me to recognize it when it happens, and give me the courage to proceed with it when I recognize it.”

Soon after Patterson challenged students to commit themselves to prayer, many students began to report how God was working among them. The afternoon after he voiced this prayer, one seminary student met a man whose truck ran out of gas at a grocery store and who had no money to refill it. Seeing this opportunity, the student bought him a tank of gas and led him to faith in Christ.

One college student prayed for the opportunity and courage to share the Gospel. That evening, while walking around campus, she met a teenage boy and his little brother and led them to faith in Christ.

During chapel, Sept. 19, Stephens shared how God answered the soul winner’s prayer when he and Morris met Mike and Sin.

One day, Stephens and Morris ordered coffee at a Starbucks and, as they were taking their seats outside the coffeehouse, they noticed a man had left his phone sitting on a nearby table. Stephens took the phone inside and returned it its owner, Mike. A few minutes later, Mike and Sin came outside to finish their coffees. They thanked Stephens and Morris again for their kindness in returning the phone.

Since they were both from other areas of the United States, Mike and Sin commented that people in Fort Worth seem very kind. Sin also observed that she often saw people reading the Bible at Starbucks, and Mike responded that there must be some religious school nearby.

At that instant, Stephens and Morris knew that God had given them an opportunity to share the Gospel. So they told Mike and his girlfriend, that they were seminary students, and as their conversation progressed Mike began to share his own story.

“This man that I didn’t even know began to weep and share about years of alcohol addiction and how he had gone through rehabilitation, with a little bit of religion sprinkled in there,” Stephens said in chapel. “He may have considered himself free from alcohol, but through his speech and demeanor and through the Spirit’s guidance, we knew that he was still bound by sin. And one word that he continued to use through that was, “Rock bottom. I have hit rock bottom.’”

After hearing Mike’s story, Stephens shared his own testimony, telling him how sinners at rock bottom can find grace and mercy in Christ Jesus. Although Mike and Sin did not come to faith in Christ that day, they commented again and again how much they liked the two seminary students. In reply, Morris said, “Mike, you don’t like us because of who we are. You like us because of who Christ is.”

God honored Stephens and Morris’ prayers and, as Stephens told fellow seminary students during chapel, “the Savior was at Starbucks, and (Mike and Sin) saw Christ in us.”

Addition Dr. Morris:

            I want to share this with you, involving my younger grandson Paul, a grad student at University of Texas who also studies at Southwestern Seminary where his brother, Andrew, is studying for his PhD in music, and father, Dr. John Morris, is a PhD professor. The time has come for Christians to let the world know whose side they are on. We have always known that Jesus is the only hope of the world. I hope that none of you think that present day politicians, even presidential "debaters," have answers for anything. Surely you have sense enough to know that they are only interested in their own "tainted" welfare...adding more to their coughers.

            I recently heard the Catholic Bishop, the one in charge of the area where Paul Ryan is an active Catholic, talk about what a fine man the vice presidential candidate is. He ruined it all by saying, "Of course I can not be partisan." Like Dr. Jenkins, President of Notre Dame, who bestowed on Marxist-Muslim, Obama, an honorary doctrine from that Catholic institution, other Catholics such as Georgetown University, Joe Biden, Kathleen Sebelius, Nancy Pelosi, and all who support anti-Catholic Obama. The time has come to put on the whole armor of God and to stand against that very unpopular word spelled "S" "I" "N." Could there possibly be a greater sin than the killing of innocent babies?

            Catholics and Baptists have the numbers to elect a President IF they really believed what they are supposed to believe. The trouble is, sin is so attractive, compromise so enticing, popularity so desired. Most Christians care little about their own souls and certainly not much about the souls of the unsaved.

            I make it a practice to give a lapel cross to Christians with these words, "I want the world to know whose side I am on," and pray that God will help me to be a living epistle. 

Divine Rules

Divine Rules

           

            When Adam sinned against God, the human spirit died, but Adam continued to have children. Adam was 130 when Seth was born and lived 800 years after his birth. Adam died at age 930. You must put flesh and blood on the ancients to appreciate God's master plan for the world: Enos, Mahalaleel, Cainan, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah (who lived to be the oldest, 950), Lamech, Noah. By this time we have reached about 5,000 years of earth's history. "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). God instructed Noah to build an arc, a feat of 120 years, using blueprint given by God, "ratios" still used in ship building to this day (Genesis 6:15). God made arrangements for Noah's family and animals he chose to save to enter the arc and after the great flood, animal life on earth started over again. One professor, liberal at Eastern University asked one in his class to name an Old Testament figure of history...he named "Reverend Bill Graham."

            The dying spirit passed on from Adam when he believed the serpent instead of God, continues through the line of human kind...we all die, at the same rate of speed, sometime, each year nearer death, everyday. The mortality rate is still 100%. Mankind still has trouble, knowing full well the record following the divine rules. Satan is on the job, knows more scripture than you do and while you are sleeping, setting traps-snares for you.

            One of the world's greatest writers, C.S Lewis said, "To the believer, there will always be a battle with despondency, discouragement, despair." We all get the idea that Satan is winning, but the war has already been won, there are just battles to be fought. We join Joshua in claiming victory. "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15). Just as Deborah with the stars (Judges 5:20), Joshua commanded the sun to stand still...one man plus God and anything can happen. Gideon started out with 30,000 then 1,300 (his military advisor, God, set his troop strength at 300 and they won the battle): one man plus God. God's word, the manufacturers handbook, inerrant, omnificent, forever truth on either side of the cross. The joy of studying men such as Moses, raised until the age of 40 in Pharaoh's household. But, God had a special plan for his life. "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" (Hebrews 11:25).  Most men, even today's GQ-Esquire types, must be hit in the head for understanding. Moses saw The Nile turning to blood, frogs, flies, locusts, were a bother to Pharaoh, but it was the death of his son that made the difference. And so it has been throughout history to this very day, the cross, pivotal center of history, both horizontal and vertical. Just as God was grieved by sin before the flood, Jesus (eternal God) grieved, looking over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). So American's could easily weep over their nation, borrowing $57 thousand dollars every second, 47 million people on food stamps, 100 million or 1/3 of the population of the nation on entitlements, the world bank having stolen 95% of the world's wealth. This writer is tortured by the thoughts of his hardworking, parents, grandparents, ancestors in a day when the health care professions lament the detoxification of the human body because of synthetics and lack of motility, these folks never had that worry because they worked so hard that they would sweat out every toxisicity (they knew little about antiperspirants).

            More sickening than the wasteful spending of the taxes paid by God fearing producers, satanic agendas, frightening, the agenda of Planned Parenthood...52% of all black babies aborted. Since 1973, supreme court abortion decision, 53 million babies killed, citizens who today would be paying FACA taxes to support a defund social security-Medicare system.

            The homosexual agenda, defiant-disgusting to everything sacred, no wonder that the Democrats laughed and cheered, removing God and Jerusalem from their political platform when you consider same sex marriage, don't ask, don't tell, etc.

            Agenda 21, a United Nations scurge on governments to raise money (international flights, tax on bank accounts) to impose environmental climate controls.

             "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]" (Eph 6:12).  Satan's demon forces of darkness are in battle against us. The tragedy, most people even those on church pews, do not know we are at war. Our only hope, divine rule, putting on the whole armor of God (Eph 6:13) and not to retreat one inch. We will have no more success than did Adam and Eve with that old serpent unless, "Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

            The petty little wars of the Islamic terrorist, North Africa, Middle East..as expensive in blood and treasure as they are, are nothing compared to the next great battle which will be on American soil. Blessed with the technology of high-lazy living, cursed with the technology of warfare (nuclear power, drones), we look at the book of Deuteronomy, 28th chapter to find God's blessings and cursing concerning Jewish life. Of the 68 verses in the 28th chapter, only 14 pertain to blessings. Take a good look at your country via news media, your own senses. Do you think a nation so blessed will escape, drowning in entertainment, all schools more involved in indoctrination than in education  (many parents who love their children, home school them) coercion of the temporal with the secular, a "once" Christian nation, now, "playing church"?   God is not blind, deaf, does not require much sleep. He knows what is going on

Halloween

Halloween

            The world is about ready to celebrate the most satanic day of the year, Halloween. Christians proclaim "all saints day," the world-flesh-Devil celebrate "Satan's day," Halloween. Started in England, rebels against religion, druids-pagans wanted their day which they called "all hollows eve," honoring death. As always, the agnosticism that has had its mark on Christianity, "if you can't beat them, join them." So many Christian's always so attracted to paganism instead of being awe struck to have the righteousness of Christ because of the love of God in their life. Christians, so afraid they might be recognized celebrating paganism, wore masks, carried candles. When this writer was in African villages, often astounded to find Catholic Christian's, whom he had seen in church, celebrating voodoo culture right along with the heathen. Even today, liberal Christian denominations, wanting to be so inclusive-so afraid that their children do not think they are broadminded, will join the Halloween heathen practices by cutting their pumpkins with smiley faces, asking their "Christian" children not to participate in cemetery rituals (toppling tombstones, burning candles on graves, etc.)

            IF this writer, like so many adults, like so many sinners saved by the grace of God, could only obliterate memories of the past. When God forgives our sins, he forgets, remembers them no more (Hebrews 8:12). We still remember, he does not allow us to forget. IF we forgot evil, we would also forget good. We learn more from the "wrongs" of our life than the "rights" of our life.

            As a child, this old man remembers very clearly my father's reluctance to allow his children to participate in the satanic rituals of pagan Halloween. Nothing compared to today's pagan observances. It was something new at the country school house...ugliness, death, masks, tricking or treating. Today, beyond comparison with then, haunted houses, scariness, thrills from fear, poison in treats, etc.

            WHY, IN THE NAME OF GOD AND GOOD SENSE, would such clever presenting of Satan be included in church activity? Yet, some churches go right along with the Devil's big day. God's word, 365 times, tells us not to be afraid-fear. Yet, modernistic church workers-"supposed" believers, so afraid of not being politically correct like the Satanic takeover of observants. Rebellion involving Easter and Christmas go right along with the world-the flesh- The Devil. No wonder that young people, active in the church during their youth, regard religious faith as just feeling instead of fact as adults. They see more Santa Claus than saints, of whom the earth was not worthy in Christmas (Hebrews 11:38). They see the fiction of rabbits laying chocolate eggs, instead of a resurrected savior-empty tomb at Easter.

            We lose our young people, those who God guards, because of exposed hypocrisy. God's church has a firm foundation, his cross the most important symbol in the world. Why should the church join pagans in making a folly of death?

            "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:9).  (God has not changed His mind.) Most church members want a God who pleases them, bellhop type, around when you need Him. They want to live like the world, celebrate the world festivals, many even think there is nothing wrong with unbelievers observing Christian rituals, sacred events, Christian practices such as the memorial of the Lord's supper, even the initial ordinance of Baptism. The number one killer in the world, abortion. Some Christians actually condone the killing of innocent babies within the sanctuary of the mother's womb, the incredibly evil practice of same sex marriage.

            The Apostle Paul told us that we are "chosen out of the world" (John 15:19). When will the chosen, those elected to follow Christ in every way, "eat, drink or what so ever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31)? When will the church, bride of Christ, Christians-believers in Christ, ENJOY being different? If you have the desires of the world, desire for the things and activities of the world, in you, you are still of the Devil. You may put a mask on, think deep inside that you can separate both God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). You are a testimony, not only to God but to everyone around you that you are not a new creation in Christ conformed instead of transformed (Romans 12:2). The Christian life is a moment by moment blessing, a living epistle (2 Cor 3:2). On October 31 (Halloween) as well as every other day, there is no such thing as a vacation-lapse from discipleship.

            Whether the righteousness of Jesus permeates your heart or not, God loves you whether you want him to or not. Jesus is everything that Satan is not, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23). Our blessed Lord is all together beautiful (S of Sol 4:7). When Adam chose, for you and all mankind, to taste the bitter life of the old serpent the Devil, the thorns, thistles, sweat, troubles of this earth as well as death, those chosen before the foundation of the world to be redeemed-saved-eternal life, should have no desire for ugliness-deceitfulness-tricks.  This is the message of Halloween: The favorite-ness of Christ or the fatefulness of Satan, the faithfulness of God or the faithlessness of Satan.

RIP

RIP

"But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him"

(John 6:64-66).

            This writer is convinced that when the 650,000 conquered Jews, were on their way to their 70 year captivity in Babylon, they sang this verse, "The mighty God, [even] the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof" (Psalm 50:1).

            Every Jewish boy was intimately familiar, had memorized most of the scripture, pertaining to Jewish history. They knew the redemption from bondage of the 3 million enslaved in Egypt, 40 years in the wilderness, history of the conquest of the promise land. They had seen and experienced the feast, sacrifices of animals, most knew the glory and dedication of Solomon's temple. They could recite the longest Psalm, 119, knew the significance of the words, "This [is] my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me" (Psalm 119:50). They knew that every 8 verses of this greatest Psalm held special significance.

            From the dusts of the earth, God had created Adam, breathed into him not only life but a soul....a soul which would never die. Even though, after sin, the body of Adam and his descendants were dead until the rebirth, new creation of the messiah.

            The most difficult theology, basic Christianity, as we who are alive, even those of us who are chosen-elected-predestined, thrive on earth, we never understand that we are just dead people walking until reborn by belief in the redemption of Jesus Christ (on the cross the temple vale, his flesh, rent top to bottom), giving to all who repent and believe not only life but eternal life.

            In an eastern North Carolina newspaper, blind editor Henry Belk, always, a prominent person, would write an obituary with the letters R.I.P (rest in peace). He, and anyone else alive, could only have the hope of that peace. If, before the foundation of the world, God had given this individual as well as the chosen others to Jesus Christ, there would be that rest and that peace (John 6:64-66, 1 John 2:1-5, Eph 1:4).

            It was God's pleasure, his divine plan, to give life to man, freedom of will, and a soul which could live forever through Jesus Christ. Eternal life is a gift, nothing anyone can do to earn it.

            In this day of a "prosperity gospel" when the worship service gives more honor to man than to God (guitar player, drums, mystical music), man made drama like other matters regarding the courage of faith should be remembered at the large table, or following his example in Baptism.

            90% of faith is just raw courage, courage not only at the church house, school house, but even your house. Unless there is courage in the living of Christianity before children, they will consider the gospel message just an act, just an action at the church or other special occasions, even the barrel of a loved one. The reason most young people forsake the church, after being exposed to the world, the flesh, the Devil, all of which they will experience in one form or another is because they have a feeling instead of the fact of faith. Most young people have not been exposed to life...know nothing of the realities of food production, essentials of health.

            The blind leading the blind, college teachers. "[There is] a generation [that] curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.[There is] a generation [that are] pure in their own eyes, and [yet] is not washed from their filthiness.....The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid....The ants [are] a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer... A lion [which is] strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any" (Proverbs 30:11-30).

            Before R.I.P can be placed on anyone's grave marker, particularly one of advanced age, there is an appreciation of life and knowledge, which the activity of youth uses effectively as a barrier. The barrier is removed with time, space, and hardship. IF you have never faced the realities of life, and this world traveler has seen them on every world continent, relax, they are heading your way.

"For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89).

Keep Breathing

Keep Breathing

            In the spiritual battle, the opponents, those who are lost, are always the loudest mostly due to the lost secular news media. God's opponents get all the notoriety. God's chosen are not here for notoriety, here to honor the one who chose us (John 6:66-69). We can not throw in the towel, can not give up.

            If you take out all the worship sacrifices, offerings, feasts days of The Old Testament, you will have only 1/2 of The Old Testament left. In today's world, the unbelievers-atheists-agnostics-liberals, own all the big buildings, all forms of communication and transportation. The lost control all government agencies. If a federal-state-local government worker even suspects that you are a Christian, you get no help whatsoever. What was once a Christian nation, declared so by the supreme court from 1799 until 1892, has been taken over by satanic forces. This applies even to the military.

            The paradox, the mystery which would cause our ancestors who first landed on the shores of North America to turn in their graves (and, Mr. Romney got into much trouble by even to dare talk about this, I'M NOT RUNNING FOR ANYTHING), one half the population of America, now lives from entitlements paid by the taxes-sweat of the other half.  Government workers, receptors of entitlements (housing subsidies, food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, civil service retirements, military retirements) are paid by government checks, government funds (40 cents of each dollar, borrowed). Taxes paid from the sweat of hardworking, God fearing, businessmen and farmers who pay taxes from their profits, if any. From their sweat, risk taking, insurance, liabilities of every type, government controls of every type, they pay into the treasury the funds necessary to keep every agency-organization of government, operating.  As they pay their taxes, jump every barricade of government control, they suffer every indignity-insult, the self satisfied government workers can inflict on them. From the White House, to the state house, to the court house, to the school house, to the poor house, those who work, produce, take on the responsibility of life, in every sense of the word, enslaved. Certainly, the government does not want to imprison more than are already there (America has more people in prison than any other industrialized country). The government, federal-state-local, want you imprisoned in your own home where, unlike the government housing projects, you pay your own upkeep and maintenance, dance to every tune some bureaucrat plays while at the same time, actually believing that you are living in a free country. The 50% of the population who work for a living, take on the responsibility of living, never expect to retire, most want to eat.

            The most unforgettable retirement dinner this writer ever attended...and every military officer is entitled to a military retirement party, a retiring army colonel said, "The rest of you just keep breathing and you can retire too." In a few words, this military officer like every civil service worker, every government employee (school teachers, city and county employees, post office) after showing up for work for 20 or 30 years (the only people on earth who get all holidays, always a vacation), depending on years of their contract, until death, along with insurance and every other "perk" of organized government, they receive a retirement check. Some are even "double dippers," retiring after 20 years with the military, postal service, etc. then get another government position such as teaching in a school, college, university. Little wonder that most government, political, military employees give little regard to religion. Why would they need God? They have government. Why do they need Jesus, they have the justice system of the United States, protecting them in every way as they enjoy life? Why would these government bureaucrats think of Heaven or Hell or faith? Faith is often described as the security of a young baby bird under the mother bird's wing. This is the way this totally blind, 100% disabled, service connected, military officer veteran thinks of government workers, totally secure, protected under the wing of government.

            Speak the truth, correct error, every chance you get. IF the above is not truth, then you do not know what is going on.

            For the disabled-handicapped-veteran, life at its best is so difficult-brutal that when the storms come and you are hanging on by a thread, you are tempted to just let go.

            Reared in poverty, on a country dirt road, I'm thankful for a faith that overcomes fear. I can still hear those old people, in that country church, singing, "All the way my savior leads me" or "Nothing between my soul and my savior."

            We thank God for the marvels of the mind. We know that Jesus will always be there. Young people want feeling not faith. They have watched so much television that they expect a production at the church house. If the Christian does not possess virtues and values then we are no better than the unbelievers.

            Americans should be accustomed to deceit...such a deceitful government. At the present, the imposter in the White House, Marxist-extremist, producing a maze of conflict in the Middle East while diverting attention from impending conflict in the Pacific (North Korea, China, Japan). The gold of today's world is oil and the areas where it is found.

            Not just international chaos, true fright is found in the mentality of Americans, that the largest political party would actually remove God from their platform. Even worse, the way we treat one another, mostly because of money. The large percent of the population who want nothing to do with God, his message-mission, will find eventually that his word is truth (John 17:17),and that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10), that obtaining money dishonestly is the same as putting it in a bag full of holes (Haggai 1:6).  Life is more than just breathing.

Contests

Contests

            This writer has often described life as a hectic interlude in an otherwise peaceful non-existence. We end each day, go to bed believing ourselves victors from another contest. Aware of news broadcasts, killings from criminals, surviving highways, even the escape from certain treatments and medications (meningitis injection)...IF just eating healthy, exercising, purity in our thought processes, still fortunate not to be a victim. Man was born with a survival instinct-testing. "We know the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." Many pay millions of dollars each year to sit either in the stands or in front of the television set to watch young-healthy millionaires challenge one another on the athletic field with every shape ball. This summer, London Olympic games, 10,820 Olympians contested one another for a gold, silver or bronze medal. This is healthy competition. Parents and grandparents thrive on seeing youngsters in the health-conduct of sports activity. Then, we have contests which should not thrill anyone....a 28 year old man, Coney Island, eating more hotdogs than any other contestant (62). This writer has never understood any glamour-glory of expensive cars always turning left, racing around a circle...spilling-killing. Perhaps the most disgusting contest, there may be one worse somewhere on earth, a 32 year old man eating insects-worms-roaches. It so happens that this ingestion of pests killed him almost instantly. The great 15th century monk, Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ, wrote, "I am what I am before God, no more, no less." I ask you, in the challenge of living, the healthy contest between one another-sports-business-professionals-even looks (beauty contests for women, fitness body building for men), should not common sense limit contest? I can understand wrestling (the moves, holes, etc.) but not the beating of one another by two men with boxing gloves. I can understand the accomplished ability after much practice, both failures and successes, pleasure with golf clubs, fencing swords, perhaps even walking a high wire. We understand that just driving down a two or more lane highway, where you are meeting fast traffic, most of the time, you are just six feet from almost certain death. But why do something so stupid as to kill yourself by eating insects? You run enough risk with microscopic insects eating you, without your even knowing it.

            So it is with warfare, earliest history, at least earliest biblical history, the children of Israel, humbled in the wilderness, with Joshua's leadership crossing the Jordan, conquering the seven tribal entities of a land of milk and honey. Most early civilizations avoided direct conflict, lived in walled cities. The 600,000 killed in American civil war were involved in direct, man to man-horse to horse, conflict. You were looking a fellow human being in the eyes when you used your sword on him and it was this way until WWII with the use of bayonets. There is a difference in warfare when close and personal, looking another man in the eyes before he is stabbed. The invention of fire-arms, breach loading equipment, cannons during the 18th century brought a new dimension to killing. Then, Alfred Nobel, his dynamite, bombs, explosives. Think of the paradox of Peace Awards being named for him.

            Even though the first born in the world, two brothers, one killed the other, warfare has been mostly a matter of control and power.

            The assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand brought on WWI in 1914, 16 million deaths. A small German man, 25 inch waistline, Catholic alter boy, never the less believer in eugenics and the ratio of certain people, brought Hitler and the Nazi access powers to the front lines of WWII, deaths of over 60 million human beings. Does anyone have an imagination for a number in the next world war which has already started? Using drones, nuclear power experimentation which we can not even imagine. Most of the population of the world will be killed. Why, where, who, the contest?  Do we stop to consider that all people on earth have souls, souls which live forever?

            I still remember, still in college, Bible salesmen living in a rooming house on New Bridge Street in Jacksonville, NC, young marines coming to that house because this is where they kept their communication-loud speaker systems stored, making presentations of the gospel on Saturday nights. Just as with biblical characters, you must put flesh and blood on men who are involved in warfare. IF, as this writer, you could hear the screams of the wounded in hospitals, know the destitution of veterans whose lives are forever mangled, the true concept of contests..those which are healthy and those which are disastrous would become a reality not perception-figment of the imagination-romantic magnetite in someone's book.

            Those who think they are prepared for the contest of warfare, money in the bank, excess food in the pantry should know that the vile horrors of war can reach them easily. Thinking oneself safe in the bed, there is a very short distance between your earthly existence and your eternal welfare with God.

            Northeast of the Persian Gulf, a small village, a boy named Cyrus, thinking named by parents but named by God in order to fulfill the prophecy of both Isaiah and Jeremiah, was born. Just as surely as God had named John the Baptist, so he named Cyrus, long before his birth. In the Catholic chambers of eternity, long before the creation of the world and everything in it, God, in his eternal mind, constructed history. Each of us are just actors on the stage. In all your learning, never forget your most precious possession, your soul, not in contest with anything.