Making a Difference in your Life, in the Parts that are for Keeps!
There is an observation in fact, that as you get older, peer pressure becomes less of an issue—because you have fewer peers.
Please don’t let that become a reason to excuse yourself from relationships and interaction with the peers you have left.
Peer pressure becomes less important.
Peer encouragement becomes more important—in both directions.
You can do it.
And you can receive it.
Seems that more and more, your ideas and contributions get overruled.
You can get in trouble, easily get depressed, if you let that get to you.
Phase out the relationships with people that negate what you say, that negate what you have to offer, that negate who you are, intentionally or not.
Make a goal to find people, young and old, who respect you and what you have to say—who appreciate your wisdom.
Remember that the tsunami of stuff coming at us faster and faster—information, entertainment, animation, sales, invitations, instant gratification, high pressure presentations, hidden agendas, dangerous ploys, traps, . . .—is not what counts, really—and you have what does count—what you learned slowly over a lifetime.
That gives you sanity as well as sadness when you see others settling for less, for nothing but sensory overload—so they can’t even live.
Others need to see you content, not competing with “stuff”.
And when you do have a chance, share your wisdom.
“Nostalgia is not all it used to be.”
—–Peter Rosenberger (Hope For The Caregiver, afr.net)
DO politics and religion mix ?
CAN politics and religion mix ?
Yes, politics and religion can mix !
Yes, politics and religion do mix !
Politics influences religion.
Religion influences politics.
Facts of history show both,
unmistakably, for good, for bad (evil).
Say whatever you want about avoiding religion and politics,
not mixing politics and religion.
It is a different story—to observe, talk, apply Christianity and politics.
Christians are called, commissioned to “go into all the world with influence, with the gospel.”
“Light not hidden” is not, cannot be, selective in its involvement, its reach, its impact.
Salt as well—presence is felt wherever it is (except inside the salt shaker).
The Christian church, from its beginning, influenced politics, locally and worldwide.
The people of the city (Thessalonica, in Greece) were extremely concerned that “these who have turned the world upside down have come here.”
In a few centuries, when the momentum, the pendulum, of politics swung with the growing church—in favor of the church—the church had the support of the government—with amazing developments.
Politics and religion not only mixed, they merged.
And that was good.
And that was bad.
And that was ugly.
Good—more people heard the gospel, the good news about Jesus, and joined the church.
Bad—the church grew, and grew powerful, and church leaders gained power, and wanted more power.
Ugly—the church, the church leaders with this power got control, absolute control of the people.
“Power corrupts—absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
The church leaders used their power to do anything they wanted to anyone who disagreed with them—ugly—deadly.
The worst, the ugliest, part of this:
This absolute power, this absolute control over the people, included absolute power and control of their spiritual lives.
X – The church prevented the people from reading the Bible in their own language, by limiting it to Latin only, in the church building only.
X – The church made up their own rules about sin and salvation, adding to the Bible, changing the Bible, against the teaching of the Bible.
X – The church made the people poor—deceiving, manipulating, blackmailing them with selling forgiveness for money—and this made the church rich, and the leaders very rich.
X – The church teachings and practices endangered more people’s souls than they saved.
Martin Luther became restless in his soul over the misguided teachings in the church—teachings from the devil, because he could not find peace, until he re-discovered grace alone through faith alone from the Bible alone.
The church does not save anyone.
The church does not set the rules to save anyone.
The church tells what the Bible says to get saved.
The church tells the people to read, study, obey what the Bible says.
Sad to say, much of the dangerous, misguided control over people by the church still runs rampant today.
Teaching and style and ritual and show and emotion and volume and belonging to something big, promise people they are okay with God—outright or implied.
Some churches get it right—they use the Bible for every teaching, every service, every message to their people, in every home, and to the community.
Many churches compromise the Bible—they do not clearly base everything on the Bible, and entertain a little of cultural ideas, and then a little more, until they fit in with the world around them.
So—Politics and Christianity ?
For Christians there is plenty in the Bible to convict us of our sin, for repentance from our sin, to power over our sin, to judging sin around us, to bringing others to Jesus, to “striving against sin” wherever we are, even “resisting to the point of shedding blood.”
“The Christian is to show the prince how to bear the sword.”—–Luther
Another ‘day after election reflection’.
I wrote most of this a few days ago, and thought it would be outdated after the election results from yesterday.
Then, we must remember the sobering, or scary, reality that the present government ‘leadership’ is still in power another two and a half months.
And, that gives all our enemies a window for the perfect storm—I cannot imagine they will all pass up the opportunity.
– – –
AMERICA—VERY SERIOUS TURBULENCE STRAIGHT AHEAD—GRAB YOUR OXYGEN MASKS ! ! !
Actually, there is a better warning, that will do more good, make more difference.
AMERICANS—VERY SERIOUS TURBULENCE STRAIGHT AHEAD—GRAB YOUR OXYGEN MASKS ! ! !
Actually, there is an even better warning, that will do more good, make more difference.
AMERICAN CHRISTIANS—VERY SERIOUS TURBULENCE STRAIGHT AHEAD—GRAB YOUR OXYGEN MASKS* ! ! !
– – –
The first warning above might not make any difference.
America and its leadership probably wouldn’t recognize the oxygen masks, even if they dangled in their face.
Americans—some Americans who still believe in America might remember the oxygen masks in previous encounters with serious turbulence, when they seriously depended on the oxygen masks, temporarily, until we got past the turbulence.
Hmmm.
Most turbulence catches everyone by surprise.
If the pilots and weathermen are alert, they may be able to give a short notice warning.
What if the warning above is based on special inside information—like weather intelligence—and the turbulence is the worst ever—and survival is marginal ?
– – –
What’s with the third warning above ?
The country is about to encounter the worst turbulence ever experienced.
The pilots are sleeping or laughing with the crew.
The emergency safety measures on the plane designed to deal with turbulence are not turned on—haven’t been for some time, for many flights.
The oxygen masks have not been activated for years.
And, the warning alarm for the message about serious turbulence has not been sounded.
– – –
Okay, the truth is, America as a country, and all Americans, are about to encounter serious trouble from terrorists and from our enemies and from our government—all working together to take down the United States.
It could likely start with an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse bomb) and/or a surprise terrorist attack in a hundred places simultaneously.
The present government will be unable or unwilling to deal with it.
– – –
It remains a reality, and a cause for elevated anxiety for many Americans.
You could see it on the faces of nearly everyone before the election.
The relief, and promise of reprieve, is enormous—and we are very thankful.
But it may also explain why the enemies have waited to do the unthinkable.
The United States government is now in lame-duck session, with unknown options for nefarious action without accountability.
The United States citizens are now in sitting-duck session, with our own government AWOL for defending against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Seems very much like we’re in deep trouble—worried sick about what is about to happen.
– – –
*Except for one thing—grab our oxygen masks now—OUR BIBLES.
How do we operate them—OPEN AND READ AS LONG AS NEEDED.
And how long might that be—ALWAYS, THROUGH TURBULENCE AND AFTER.
MAGA victory – – – “. . . the goodness of God leads you to repentance.”
The Trump victory in 2016 and the turnaround of the next four years was a reprieve from the dangerous, downward spiral of America into evil socialism and government control and loss of freedom.
We thank God for the prayers answered and the mercy shown to this God-inspired and God-blessed country.
But the rebuilding that made America great again was not complete, and it was dismantled again in the following four years, which have not yet ended.
We desperately needed the election results of yesterday, and we thank God for the miracle, that many Americans are now awake and aware of the dangers, the evils, that we face.
– – –
ELECTION RESULTS 2024 – – – THE TRUTH
The election results do not equal or include repentance.
– – –
The 2024 election campaign was the wildest, the most expensive, the most vigorous, the most divisive, the most decisive for this country.
The results are the most amazing, miraculous, providential relief imaginable.
The easiest mistake Americans can make now is to relax in the election victory, enjoy the restoration of hope for normalcy, and return to our everyday lives the way they were – – – – – without addressing the wrongs that only Christians can right, with God.
– – –
Restoring truth was not complete in 2017-2021.
Making America Great Again did not include a call to national repentance before God and national revival then.
It did not include a call from leadership to national prayer and fasting—an example set by past leaders of this country in times of serious need for God’s help—which God honored !
– – –
The 2024 election results do not equal or include repentance.
This may be the most elusive campaign in American history, to enlist and engage national leaders and pastors and committed Christians in prayer and fasting over our sins, for which God will carry out His judgment without our repentance.
This morning on American Family Radio (afr.net “Real Truth for Today”), Jeff Shreve’s guest focused directly on the verse below, and I will passionately reinforce this truth.
– – –
And now the complete Bible verse we must take to heart and not forget:
“Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
If Israel had known about the October 7 attack before it happened, they would certainly not have been taken by surprise.
America knows about the coming terrorist attack, The Big One—and yet, we will be taken by surprise—a hundred times worse than October 7.
Israel had leadership and defense willing and ready and able to respond as needed—and it is working.
America has no such leadership and no resolve to deal with what’s coming.
In reality, the terrorists are welcomed by the administration with open doors* and red carpet*—they can have it their way, whatever they want.
America’s leadership is sold out to the terrorists and the regimes behind them.
The bad guys will do everything terrorists do, largely unopposed by our government.
Why ?
Partly because we can’t.
Largely because we won’t.
Afghanistan—here.
What we have seen in bits and pieces of the evil in our government—will suddenly be widespread, universally all across the country.
We will wake up to the brutal reality that America is over—freedom is replaced with tyranny—and leaders on the left will launch the dictatorship they have been planning for decades.
*open doors—open borders
*red carpet—all the perks and resources, stolen from Americans
(Note the date—day before election in America)
Styles—come and go like a pendulum
Faith, Freedom, History—come and go, repeat like a pendulum
Some pendulums swing back quickly, where things we don’t like don’t last, and good returns soon enough that we see it in our lifetime.
Then we exercise wishful thinking that bigger, ‘badder’ things getting bigger and ‘badder’ all around us will automatically get better because “everything always works out eventually.”
NOT ! ! !
What if we die watching evil grow and grow worse and worse—pendulum of life and justice still swinging hard left with no sign or effort to stop it or even slow it down.
[Israel in slavery four hundred years—six million Jews killed in the holocaust—10-7-23]
“Truth forever on the scaffold,
Wrong forever on the throne.”
Is life just a pendulum ?
Is history just a pendulum ?
Good wins—Good people win.
Bad wins—Bad people win.
Repeat.
Repeat.
And that’s all, folks ?
Good and Evil—two forces battling it out forever, and we’re stuck between in the middle of their perpetual fight ?
Some things that are less important that go out of style are just facts of life that don’t cause much trouble (except for businesses that counted on selling something after its prime).
Some things that are more important seem to simply come and go without regard to our effort or well-being.
We want to see things turn out right, and then we have to deal with it when they don’t.
But if we have historical perspective—and not spoiled by ease and comfort we have come to expect—we can consider sacrifice for the future and future generations, for our children and grandchildren.
Throughout history faith-full people have given everything and their lives for better lives for those living after them.
Price of freedom—done deal—handed to us on a silver platter (with a silver spoon, if you will)—price paid by millions before us.
Most of us have not paid much for freedom—some have.
Most do not want to pay to keep freedom.
Many in power seek to steal freedom from us.
Many are willing to surrender freedom.
We were handed freedom on a silver platter.
Now, willingness to surrender freedom is handing it over on a copper platter melted down from what was our means to protect it from evil power.
SACRIFICING ALL, FOR FREEDOM, IS OUT OF STYLE TODAY !
“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood, striving against sin.”—–Jesus Christ
“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. If they have called the master of the house satan, how much more shall they call them of his household?”—–Jesus Christ
“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”—–Jesus Christ
“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“You will be hated by all people for My Name’s sake.”—–Jesus Christ
“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“ Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”—–Jesus Christ
“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”—–Jesus Christ
“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”—–Paul
“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
“We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”—–Paul and Barnabas
– – –
Considering the words of George Washington and the words of Jesus Christ, reminds us that we live in two kingdoms at the same time.
The temporary kingdom of this world is opposed to the eternal kingdom of God.
Followers of Jesus will be citizens in heaven forever.
Citizens of the United States have this once-in-history gift of freedom, and the opportunity and responsibility to keep it.
Watching freedom wane and America be destroyed, and accepting that without a fight, is not what God had in mind when He created this continent and inspired the creation of this country.
If we engage in the fight, and if we lose in the fight, and if we are faithful to Jesus and His Word, He will be with us to the end, through persecution and martyrdom.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”—–Jesus Christ
“He who kills you will think He is doing God’s service.”—–Jesus Christ
“Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne,—Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.”—–James Russell Lowell
“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.”—–Jesus Christ
Pro-choice is a lie !
Pro-choice is wrong grammar !
Pro-choice is discrimination !
Pro-choice is nonscience !
Pro-choice is nonsense !
Pro-choice is dishonest !
Pro-choice is criminal !
Pro-choice is sinful !
Pro-choice is a lie !
Pro-choice is a lie !
— many lies, just tissue, won’t hurt, forget it
Pro-choice is wrong grammar !
— it’s not a choice, without choices
Pro-choice is discrimination !
— against baby human beings
Pro-choice is nonscience !
— claims, against science, “it’s not a baby”
Pro-choice is nonsense !
— every woman knows better, it’s a baby
Pro-choice is dishonest !
— withholds the truth, to make money
Pro-choice is criminal !
— propaganda promoting coverup for murder
Pro-choice is sinful !
— “you shall not murder”
Pro-choice is a lie !
— all lies, built on lies, feeds on lies
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