GOOD-BYE FREEDOM, HELLO FREEDOM, (PART 2)
Revolting against taxation without representation, against brutal control from afar, and against a lack of freedom in general, founding fathers of the United States made such statements as this one:
“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
― Patrick Henry
http://www.history.org/almanack/life/politics/giveme.cfm
Now, just a few generations later, Americans slouch on the couch as their tax burden continues to climb (remember that one supreme-court justice swung the court’s power behind Obamacare by calling it a “tax” *). Their representatives, busily spending their taxes, are increasingly distant and out of touch. They are numbered, filed, scrutinized and directed from before birth to after death, as their phone calls, emails, texts (and blog posts) are recorded and scanned. Thousands more laws are created annually. Americans get deeper and deeper into national debt, spending money that even their grand-children haven’t begun to work hard for yet (17 trillion dollars and rising) and deeper and deeper into personal debt, while only a few are aware or caring of the fact that:
“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).
Socialism is not the answer to this problem, because in it you will still have a ruling elite who take your money and your freedom to line their own nests, while preventing you from prospering.
In a land which once prided itself on freedom of speech, voices are increasingly silenced by political correctness.
Patrick Henry and his contemporaries would be horrified to see the results of their blood sweat and tears. A modern version of Henry’s statement may go something like this:
“Give me liberty or give me at least two hundred channels”.
SOCIETY OF TODAY
I rarely like songs – I prefer instrumentals – and this song isn’t exactly on the cutting edge of newness. But it’s refreshingly relevant and really hits a spot with me:
(EVO-LUTION “Society of Today”- KL Dark Recordings)
CHRISLAM OR CHRIS-SPAM?
Every way you look, humanity is searching for lowest common denominators, and this is no exception. “Chrislam” is a present-day attempt to merge Christianity with Islam, or at least to find common ground and bring the two together in harmony.
Islam holds that the Trinity is a blasphemous heresy, and that Jesus Christ was a prophet only. In direct contrast the Bible, written long before the Koran, states very clearly that
“No one who denies the Son has the Father” (1 John 2:23).
It tells us that Jesus, the Christ, the “Messiah”, called himself the “I AM”, a title only God can ascribe to himself (Exodus 3:13-14). Jesus said:
“I tell you the truth…before Abraham was born, I am!”(John 8:58)
Jesus was crucified because of his claim: the unbelieving Jews had Jesus killed because he made himself equal with God:
“Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’
‘We are not stoning you for any of these…but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God’” (John 10 31-32).
“Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied…
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered (Matthew 26:63-68).
Further than that, Jesus said:
“…if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24).
Only the Son of God can pay the price of sin. The deity of Christ is not something you can toss away to suit your agenda.
And if you throw away the Bible’s testimony, you’re wandering into the territory of creating your own religion or cult…of creating God in your or someone else’s image. But don’t tack the name of “Christ” onto it in an attempt to buy respectability. You can’t join the gospel of Christ and the beliefs of Islam without denying both.
COME ON DOWN, PLANET X!
Some alternative thinkers out there somewhere believe that there’s a huge, unwelcome and unseen member of our solar system, nick-named Planet X. It’s a brown dwarf – ignored, denied and hushed up by the government and NASA. Planet X, they say, is on a near-collision course with earth. In the next year or so, say its followers, it will pass by us so close as to cause enormous tsunamis, earth-quakes etc., devastating the population of our frail little home. The ruling and super-rich elite are in the know, and busily building shelters for their own survival (I can believe that part).
Well, after looking around at the world of men my view of Planet X is this: let it do its work-it’s time to start over anyway!
BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO OLD HYMNS?
Am I the only one to feel this way about hymns, or are they really being hijacked and then brutally abused? After declaring hymns to be out of date, out of touch and boring, the “Contemporary” Christian music industry digs them up, sticks a rhythm onto them- usually half-timing them (i.e. slower) – and gets a handsome guy or a cute gal to sing them with enough melodramatic huff and puff to pop (excuse the pun) a weather balloon .
At Christmas time it’s now almost impossible to sing a rousing carol without watching some wanna-be pop star watching you back and wondering why you aren’t wiggling to the beat.
Please, if you can’t revere the song and its inspiration write your own, don’t cash in on someone else’s!
COME BACK SMAUG-ALL IS FORGIVEN!
I wonder how many pet lizards have been named “Smaug” in recent months? My son’s Smaug, a bearded dragon, hasn’t yet learned how to breathe fire-unfortunately. I say “unfortunately” because it’s been so cold here a few fire-breathing dragons would be most welcome. Whatever happened to global warming?
There’s been a record increase in the polar ice cap:
Icebreakers have been getting stuck:
“Antarctica sets low temperature record”
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/12/10/antarctica-sets-low-temperature-record-1358-degrees/
“The Coldest Jan. 7 Ever: 15 Record Low Temperatures Set By The Polar Vortex”
http://www.ibtimes.com/coldest-jan-7-ever-15-record-low-temperatures-set-polar-vortex-1531012
Not to worry-I’m sure dear Mr. Gore and his pals in the Whitehouse are keeping toasty warm anyway, as they plan more taxes and laws to impose upon us in order to “combat climate change”, and as they BLAME THE ARCTIC FREEZE ON GLOBAL WARMING!
Ohh! Of course! It’s been so cold because it’s getting warmer! Why didn’t I think of that?
Fuel for Faith 