The Prince of Peace

The Display of Knowledge

2008-02-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

Psalm 19: 1-5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B04A7fV2gM

For All Mankind

2006-07-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

On the 35th anniversary of Apollo 15's blastoff on a moon mission, this post is to honor Lunar Module Pilot James Benson Irwin (March 17, 1930 – August 8, 1991).

"Irwin said that it was his experience exploring the moon on the Apollo 15 mission in July 1971 that moved him to devote the rest of his life to "spreading the good news of Jesus Christ."
(http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jbirwin.htm)

For All Mankind, Apollo Pictures, 1989
(Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.)
I felt like I was an alien as I traveled through space. But when I got on the moon I didn’t feel that, at all. I felt at home there even though the earth was a long ways away. We could see it directly above about the size of a marble and realized it was there but by the grace of God.

I felt like I was at the end of a thin cord that could be cut at any time. It was precarious but yet I felt comfortable. I felt something other than what we can visually sense. A spiritual presence was there. Perhaps it was because so many people on the earth were focusing their attention on us, they were maybe sending signals to us somehow.

I sensed, I guess in a way much like maybe the first man on the earth would have sensed. Like Adam, perhaps Eve, when they were standing on the earth and realized they were all alone, there was no one else on the earth, but yet they had that special communication. And I guess it was similar to the feeling I had on the moon when I realized that day that David Scott and I were the only two on this vast planet, another world, we were the only two there. We felt an unseen love. We are not alone.
James Benson Irwin, Apollo 15

James Irwin saluting the American Flag on the moon.

James Irwin on the moon.

“Beyond his achievements as an astronaut with NASA, Irwin is perhaps most notable for his attempts to use his experiences on the Moon to spread his belief in Christianity. He left NASA and retired from the Air Force with the rank of colonel in 1972 and founded High Flight, a Christian ministry. He frequently commented about how his experiences in space had made the presence of God even more real to him than before.”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Irwin)
(Apollo 15: http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/imagery/apollo/AS15/a15.htm)
He was buried in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemetery.

Open Your Eyes to the World all Around You

2006-06-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Open your eyes to the world all around you,
This world is much more than the things that surround you.
You must arise, and open your eyes.
Sometimes we're too busy to share, but Jesus wants to care.

Open your arms to the naked and shivering,
We need a little less taking, a whole lot more giving.
We're so safe and warm, we can open our arms.
And love a little bit stronger, and pray a little bit longer.

Open your hearts to the ones who are desperate,
They may never repay you, but their souls are worth it,
The life you impart when you open your heart.
Jesus loves all men the same,
So we've got to go out in His name.

Jesus says, when we touch someone in His name, we're touching Him.
Jesus says, when we love someone in His name, we're loving Him.
Jesus says, when we feed someone in His name, we're feeding Him.
And Jesus says, when we reach someone in His name,
He feels, He says, it's all for Him.

Open Your Eyes, Keith Green, Sparrow/Emd Records

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

End Times: The Great Deception and Falling Away from the Church

2006-06-19T23:48:00.000-07:00

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.
2 Thessalonians 2:3

The falling away mentioned above is the church away from the faith, which precedes the appearance of the Anti-Christ on the earth. Other translations call it the “apostasy.” Apostasy means the act of abandoning a party or cause, or abandoning your religious beliefs.

Departing from the Faith

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1 Tim 4:1-2

Is this not what we see occurring all across the world today? Many many people are abandoning the faith due to Darwinism, Secular Humanism, and other ism’s destructive to the faith.

A Picture of the End Times

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2 Tim 3:1-5

Matter of fact, in our children’s lifetime I expect the UN to eventually become the source of morality in the world. Expect the UN to eventually outlaw the bible and make it “hate-speech.” Don’t think it will happen? It already has happened in parts of Canada and other countries. Books are currently being written about the current suppression of the church and the bible.

The Changing of the Gospel

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2 Tim 4:3-4

Many are watering down the Gospel of Christ, causing the faithful to go to sleep spiritually and not be attentive and watch for the 2nd coming of Christ.

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-- bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2 Peter 2:1

Stand Strong Until the End

So in the end, be strong spiritually. Let no one deceive you in these perilous end times. This is only a small portion of the end times picture, but volumes upon volumes have been written and documented about the subject. But maybe it might open your eyes. Peter, speaking of Jesus and the last days:

For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.
1 Peter 1:20

So stay strong and do not believe what the world tells you regarding religion and the current times.

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.
2 Thessalonians 2:1

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2:8

Peter's Speech on the Last Days

Finally, we know that these are the last days. In the book of Acts, Peter addressed Jews from all over the world who were visiting Jerusalem:

But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them...but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says,
'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND;
AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY,
AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS,
AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;

BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME. AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.'
Acts 2:14-17, 21

Be Patient For Now

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.
James 5:7

Also, relax, God choose you:

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:13

Expect the End

For you yourselves know that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly...

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thess 5:1-5, 9

Redeem the time while there's still time.

The Coming Ice Age

2006-06-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Time magazine recently had a front page article on the end of the world due to global warming. A key piece of data on the article was that global co2 emmissions fossil fuels went from a modest 1 metric ton a year in 1950 to 7 metric tons a year in 2000. Other emission types have slightly risen to 2 or 3 metric tons.

However, from 1923 on, Time repeatedly contained stories from scientists and climatologists said that we were heading into an ice age. Can they make up their minds? Its actually funny.

Here are some highlights and excerpts of contradiction, as reported by Time Magazine.

MacMillan Heard From, Sep. 10, 1923
The discoveries of changes in the sun's heat ( TIME, issue from May 5) and the southward advance of glaciers in recent years have given rise to conjectures of the possible advent of a new ice age.

In the Arctic, Sep. 7, 1925
While learned British scientists expatiated at Southampton a new Ice Age that will drive civilization to the earth's poles for warmth...

Cold England? Aug. 20, 1928
From London's smart Mayfair to Scotland's dour Hebrides, every Britishman knows that the only thing which keeps him reasonably warm is the Gulf Stream. Alarming, therefore, was a report last week by two White Star Line skippers that, according to their observations, the Gulf Stream has recently changed its course ten points. Should it swerve away from the British Isles entirely, they would become semi-Arctic. Stern old duchesses and gouty earls would have to flee, pellmell, with cockneys and Irishmen before a new Ice Age. Cold England would have to be abandoned, and Britishmen would seek refuge in their Dominions.

Greenland Sunrise, Feb. 20, 1933
Feb. 3 required some jubilation at Peary Lodge, Polar Year station midway up Greenland's west coast. University of Michigan & Pan American Airways maintain the post: 1) to cooperate with European agencies in studying world-wide weather conditions, 2) to determine whether the northern hemisphere is recovering from the last Ice Age or is beginning another Ice cycle,...

Runaway Glacier, Mar. 1, 1937 (global warming before 1950? That don't make sense.)
- Alaska's glaciers are survivals of the ice age on the North American continent. Washburn believes that Alaska's glaciers are dwindling, will eventually disappear.
- When the impulse has expended itself, there follows a period of very rapid shrinkage at the foot of the glacier. Black Rapids Glacier may continue to move for six months to two years. Then it will recede. Five years hence it will have dwindled five miles back up its valley.

Warmer World, Jan. 2, 1939 (global warming before 1950, again?, before the increase of greenhouse gases, that don't make sense...)
- Weather men have no doubt that the world at least for the time being is growing warmer. A group of Soviet meteorologists, who have recorded Arctic temperatures for a decade, reported last fortnight that the Arctic is warmer.
- The continental ice sheet which once covered the northern United States still exists in Greenland where it is STILL retreating. Despite various speculations, the reason for such climate changes is obscure. (key word here, STILL)
- In 1932 the U. S. Weather Bureau assembled all available records covering a century or more, found that they showed a trend towards warmth. (warmth trend since 1832? global warming before 1950, say it with me now: that don't make sense...)

Adventuring, May 20, 1940
- Adventures of a Biologist. Famed problem child of British scientists, prolific science writer, expert on poison gas, big, bristly-tempered, 47-year-old Biologist John Burdon Sanderson Haldane...
- Besides essays on the biologist in relation to everything from town-planning to death, Biologist Haldane speculates on the effect of weather on history, on the possibility of a new ice age...

Reproduction, Rings, Rivers Sep. 30, 1940
- Geologists know that during the Ice Age, which began to recede some 20,000 years ago, the ocean level was lower than it is now, because great masses of water were locked up in the land glaciers. But the continents could hardly have stored water masses tremendous enough to have raised the sea level from one and a half to two miles.
- Geologist Roy Dickerson of Atlantic Refining Co. favors the sapping-spring theory, believes the Ice Age drainage to the sea was inconsiderable.
- So Dr. Dickerson concludes that the seas must have risen less than 300 ft. since the Ice Age

Greenland's Icy Mountains, Apr. 21, 1941
So little is known about the ice cap itself (almost two miles deep, spreading over more than 80% of the island, the birthplace of storms and icebergs) that scientists cannot agree whether it is a vanishing segment of the last Ice Age, or a forerunner of the next.

News Quiz, Jun. 19, 1950 - 85
On the question of whether the U.S. climate is getting warmer, U.S. meteorologists are:
1. Agreed that it is.
2. Agreed that there has been no change.
3. Agreed that it is getting colder.
4. No closer to agreement than their predecessors of a century ago.
5. Predicting another Ice Age.

Crystal Ball of Ice, Oct. 1, 1951
- They had completed one more season of probing Alaska's great ice mass, clocking its slow motions, and trying to use it as a vast crystal ball to predict the earth's future climate.
- Out of the huge field (700 sq. mi.) flow at least eleven glaciers, ten of which are slowly receding. The eleventh, which particularly intrigued the scientists, is the great Taku glacier, which has advanced more than 3½ miles in the last 50 years. (One glacier advancing despite global warming, that don't make sense)
- At present the earth is enjoying a warm spell, with the northern regions more hospitable than they have been in 200 years. But no one yet knows whether the ice is gathering again to creep down out of the north.

Ice-Free Arctic?, May 17, 1954
- Last week Edward L. Gorton Jr. of the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office released the first results of a continuing analysis of the polar wasteland.
- Navy oceanographers found that one-tenth of the ice melts each summer, and the ice layer's thickness is reduced to two or three meters. At present, the pack contains only 6,500 cubic miles of ice (barely enough to cover the state of Texas with a 125-ft. layer), and it is steadily shrinking. Since 1900, the thickness of the polar icecap has decreased by three feet because of higher general temperatures.
- If the trend continues, predicts Gorton, the Arctic Ocean will eventually lose its permanent ice, freezing only in winter; at that point, none of the ice will reach the hard-core polar stage. The Navy's tentative long-range forecast: "Great changes in climate will take place. This change . . . may foreshadow the end of the current ice age, but no timetable is set for this development."

Glacial Thermostat, Jul. 9, 1956
If the Ewing-Donn theory is correct, human civilization may be headed for trouble in a few thousand years. At present there is pretty good communication between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Warm water is flowing northward at a steadily increasing clip. When the Arctic Ocean melts, the glaciers, well fed with snow, will start creeping south. The human species will have to move out of its favorite real estate−or try to set the glacial thermostat for another interglacial cycle.

Ocean Frontier, Jul. 6, 1959
New Ice Age? Oceanographers believe that man is approaching the point where he can try large-scale experiments on the ocean.

Mysteries of Antarctica, Dec. 1, 1961
In the present state of the world's evolution, Antarctica is the only continent that is overwhelmingly in the grip of an ice age....

The Galloping Glacier, Aug. 19, 1966
- Perhaps 20,000 years old, it looked much the same as any other glacier—until six weeks ago, when Upton gazed down and did a double take.
- Presently moving at what scientists described as a "spectacular" two feet an hour, the river of ice, 22 miles long and more than a mile wide, had traveled some five miles in "pulsating surges," shearing through adjacent mountains and destroying everything in its path. (perhaps this glacier didn't get the global warming memo...that don't make sense...)
- In any case, Steele hardly seemed to herald another Ice Age...

Losing Ground, Apr. 26, 1968
Ever since the end of the last ice age—when the grinding action of glaciers against rocks created much of the world's present sand—the oceans have been steadily rising. Fed by slowly melting ice, the level of the seas is now 300 ft. above what it was 18,000 years ago, and is still creeping up at something like 9 in. a century. (frightening, in a million years, the beach parking lot...will now be the beach!)

Muted Gaudeamus, Apr. 18, 1969
A scientist last week dispelled fears that a new Ice Age is about to engulf the world

Fighting to Save the Earth from Man, Feb. 2, 1970
- A few scientists feel that the outpouring of carbon dioxide, mainly from industry, is forming an invisible global filter in the atmosphere. This filter may act like a greenhouse: transparent to sunlight but opaque to heat radiation bouncing off the earth. In theory, the planet will warm up. (oh boy! the first sign of global warming, mark your calendars!)
- Other scientists argue the exact opposite: they point out that the earth's average temperature has dropped by .2° C. since 1945, though the carbon dioxide content of the air keeps increasing every year. To explain this phenomenon, many ecologists think that various particles in the atmosphere are reflecting sunlight away from the earth, thus cooling the planet. Since about 31% of the world's surface is covered by low clouds, increasing this cover to 36% through pollution would drop the temperature about 4° C.—enough to start a return to the ice age.

Another Ice Age?, Nov. 13, 1972
- If the earth's recent history is any clue, says Marine Geologist Cesare Emiliani of the University of Miami, a new ice age could become a reality. (how's that possible with all those co2 emissions floating around....? chuckle)
- We may soon be confronted with either a runaway glaciation or a runaway deglaciation, both of which would generate unacceptable environmental stresses."

Another Ice Age?, Jun. 24, 1974
- As they review the bizarre and unpredictable weather pattern of the past several years, a growing number of scientists are beginning to suspect that many seemingly contradictory meteorological fluctuations are actually part of a global climatic upheaval.
- Climatological Cassandras are becoming increasingly apprehensive, for the weather aberrations they are studying may be the harbinger of another ice age.
- Telltale signs are everywhere —from the unexpected persistence and thickness of pack ice in the waters around Iceland to the southward migration of a warmth-loving creature like the armadillo from the Midwest.Since the 1940s the mean global temperature has dropped about 2.7° F. Although that figure is at best an estimate, it is supported by other convincing data.
(but Al Gore, the weather expert, says that the temps were rising during the 70's, that don't make sense....)

WEATHER CHANGE: POORER HARVESTS, Nov. 11, 1974
- more and more scientists are raising storm warnings for the future. At the very least, they foresee troublesome changes in global temperature and rainfall patterns that could seriously jeopardize the earth's ability to feed itself.
- From his studies of weather history, British Climatologist Hubert H. Lamb concludes that climate runs in roughly 200-year-long cycles, and that the earth is now entering one of its chilly phases. Perhaps the gloomiest of the weather prophets, Bryson speculates that the earth may be reverting to a frigid interlude comparable to what some scientists call the "little ice age" that cooled Europe from the 16th through 19th centuries. (entering a chilly phase???)

Forecast: Famine?, May 17, 1976
The CIA's forecast is largely based on studies conducted over the past several years by climatologists at the University of Wisconsin. They project that the world's climate, which for several decades had been ideal for agriculture, is returning to the conditions that existed from 1600 to 1850. That period was a "Little Ice Age" characterized by lower temperatures, shorter growing seasons and periods of famine.

The World's Climate: Unpredictable, Aug. 9, 1976
- Climatologists still disagree on whether earth's long-range outlook is another ice age, which could bring mass starvation and fuel shortages, or a warming trend, which could melt the polar icecaps and flood coastal cities.
- Cooling Trend. Do all of these abnormalities mean that something is happening to the world's climate? There is some evidence that the earth had cooled down—at least temporarily—in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1972, according to German Climatologist Horst Dronia, the atmosphere in the Northern Hemisphere was one full degree centigrade colder than in 1949.

The Big Freeze, Jan. 31, 1977
Alltime low temperatures were recorded last week in Cincinnati (—25), Miami Beach ( + 32), Palm Beach ( + 27). Single-day records for the date were set in New York City (—1); Dayton (—21); and Lynchburg, Va. ( — 8). At —19, Chicago experienced its coldest day in this century. Peoria, Ill. ( — 25), had not been so cold since 1884.

FORECAST: UNSETTLED WEATHER AHEAD, Jan. 31, 1977
- Among scientists who fear that significant worldwide climatic changes have already begun, there are those who believe that another Ice Age is not far ahead—as well as others who predict that a potentially devastating warming trend may occur. Ice Age doomsayers note evidence that average temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere dropped 1° Celsius during the 1950s and 1960s. Kukla found that the average snow and ice cover in the Northern Hemisphere increased sharply in 1971 compared with the years between 1967 and '70
- Global cooling might be explained by a link between ice ages and changes both in the earth's attitude and in its orbit around the sun. That concept was championed by Germany's Alfred Wegener (best known for his ideas about continental drift) and later refined by Yugoslav Mathematician Milutin Milankovitch, for whom the theory is now named.

Weather: Prediction and Control, Feb. 21, 1977
Krafft Ehricke, a German-born rocket engineer, has revived an earlier suggestion that huge orbiting mirrors be used to reflect sunlight onto the dark side of the earth, preventing crop freezes and perhaps raising average temperatures enough to forestall the new ice age that some climatologists believe lies ahead (TIME, Jan. 31).

Warming Earth?, Sep. 18, 1978
There is another wrinkle in these climatological complications. For about two decades ending in the early 1970s, the earth was in what seemed to be a cooling phase. Some climatologists suggested that the chill marked the beginning of a "little ice age," like the one that persisted in Europe from about 1550 to 1850. If they are right, then the cooling forces—which could be attributable to anything from increased atmospheric dust to subtle changes in the amount of heat received from the sun—will be pitted against the warming force of the so-called greenhouse effect. For a while, at least, these two opposites might balance each other neatly. ( how convenient)

The Deluge of Disastermania, Mar. 5, 1979
In an avalanche of recent books, polar caps melt, a new ice age begins,...

The Winter That Refused to Die, Apr. 19, 1982
The sudden plunge back into the ice age sent statisticians to the record books. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures for April plummeted to new lows in seven U.S. cities, including 6°F in Flint, Mich., and 26° in Augusta, Ga...

Pardon El Chichon's Dust, Jul. 5, 1982
Some scientists believe a very large amount of volcanic dust in the atmosphere could send the earth tumbling into another ice age. Fury on The Sun Jul. 3, 1989 Even small changes in solar-energy output could have a profound influence on the planet. A long-term variation in global temperatures of only a few degrees could melt the ice caps, inundating coastal cities -- or bringing on a new ice age.

The Ice Age Cometh?, Jan. 31, 1994
- Temperatures in dozens of cities dropped to all-time lows: -22 degreesF in Pittsburgh; -25 degrees in Akron, Ohio, and Clarksburg, West Virginia; -27 degrees in Indianapolis, Indiana. Chicago schools closed because of cold weather for the first time in history
- What ever happened to global warming?
- But if last week is any indication of winters to come, it might be more to the point to start worrying about the next Ice Age instead. After all, human-induced warming is still largely theoretical, while ice ages are an established part of the planet's history. In short, while there is no reason to think the next full-fledged Ice Age is upon us, a shorter episode of frigid conditions could happen at any time. The last interglacial period was warmer than this one and also, arguably, more unstable.

And Then How Cold?
Warming may affect sea currents, triggering an ice age, Nov. 8, 1999
There's a chance that global warming could plunge us into, of all things, an ice age...

Conclusion
It appears that an ice age is coming, not global warming. Don't throw out those winter cloths and skis!

you may be entertaining Angels unaware

The Separation of Church and State?

2006-06-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

US Constitution
Bill of Rights/Amendment I

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

In a nutshell, the US Constitution is saying that Congress shall not do the following:
- Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion
- Congress shall not prohibit the free exercise thereof
- Congress shall not abridge the freedom of speech, or of the press;
- Congress shall not stop the right of the people peaceably to assemble
- Congress shall not stop the people from petitioning the government for a redress of grievances.

The whole point of Amendment 1 is not that religion should be kept out of our Government, but that our Government should be kept out of religion. It is very clear that Congress cannot prohibit or limit the exercising of faith. Matter of fact, there is little they can do to prohibit the state and the church from melding together. However, today, the Government is taking away our religious freedoms. How?

The way the Left has gotten around the Constitution is to:

1) Hype up the separation of church and state via the constitution (even though it is not mentioned)
2) They use the judicial branch to thwart and issue commands that bind the church and limit the free exercise of Christianity.

The most serious threat to the church is the judicial branch, the branch of the US government responsible for the administration of justice. Judges with agendas are populating courts all over the land. Keeping religion and government separate is imperative to Secular Humanists, Atheists, Agnostics, and those from the far Left wing.

The doctrine of the separation of powers calls for the judiciary branch to interpret the law. So, if you have judges, magistrates and other adjudicators who have left wing agendas, you can feed into the hyping of the separation of church and state (even though it is not mentioned in the constitution). The US constitution is designed limit the powers of the government and prudently drafted to tell the government what NOT to do in matters of religion. The left wing circumvents this with their “judges with agendas.”

Truths to Know

1) The separation of church and state is not found in the constitution, PERIOD.

The separation of church and state is not found in any founding document remotely connected to the United States. It is not in the:
- Magna Carta, 1218
- The Mayflower Compact, November 11, 1620
- The Virginia Declaration of Rights, June 12, 1776
- The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
- Articles of Confederation, published in 1781
- The Constitution, ratified in 1788
- The Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791
- The Reconstruction Amendments, Ratified in 1865

2) The church and state are combined to the degree that God is honored but citizens are not legally required to honor or serve him.

The USA honors God by placing references to him:
- Endowed by our Creator: The Declaration of Independence, 1700s
- Supreme Judge of the world: The Declaration of Independence, 1700s
- The 10 commandments (basis for the rule of law) used to be placed in or near US courthouses (God help us, they are removing them), 1700s
- Thomas Jefferson’s famous Danbury letter quote: I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State. (meaning, Government should be kept out of religion, not visa-versa).
- From the Star Spangled Banner:

Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

- In God We Trust: the motto placed on U.S. currency since the late 1800s
- Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg quote, 1800s: that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth
- God Bless America: the de facto US anthem since the late 30s
- One nation under God: pledge of allegiance since the 50s

3) The USA has been declared a Christian nation.

The US Supreme Court: 1892
The case Holy Trinity Church vs United States, US Supreme Court justice David Brewer wrote, “No purpose of action against religion can be imputed to any legislation, state or national, because this is a religious people... This is a Christian nation."

House Judiciary Committee: 1854
Had the people, during the revolution, a suspicion of any attempt to war against Christianity, that revolution would have been strangled in its cradle... At the time of the adoption of the Constitution and its amendments, the universal sentiment was that Christianity should be encouraged, but not any one sect... In this age, there is no substitute for Christianity... That was the religion of the founders of the republic and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants
Added two months later:
The great, vital and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and the divine truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

4) Early State Constitutions Limited Public Office to Christians Only

Various state constitutions originally limited public office to Christians and Trinitarian Protestants only (too bad they didn’t keep that one) .

5) There is a Biblical Foundation for Church Tax Exemption

You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God. Ezra 7:24

6) The US was founded as a Christian Nation

- The Mayflower Compact, 1620:

Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith....

Ths

- The Charter of New England: 1620

We according to our princely Inclination, favoring much their worthy Disposition, in Hope thereby to advance the in Largement of Christian Religion, to the Glory of God Almighty, as also by that Means to stretch out the Bounds of our Dominions...

Ths

- Charter of the Colony of New Plymouth: 1629

And now seeing that by the special providence of God...

Ths

-The Charter of Maryland: 1632

...whereby God's holy and true Christian Religion...

Ths

- The Articles of Confederation of the United Colonies of New England: 1643

Whereas we all came into these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, namely, to advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and to enjoy the liberties of the Gospel in purity with peace...

Ths

- Charter of Connecticut: 1662

Our said People Inhabitants there, may be so religiously, peaceably and civilly governed, as their good Life and orderly Conversation may win and invite the Natives of the Country to the Knowledge and Obedience of the only true GOD, and He Savior of Mankind, and the Christian Faith,...

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- Charter of Carolina: 1663

...being excited with a laudable and pious zeal for the propagation of the Christian faith, and the enlargement of our empire and dominions...

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- Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations: 1663

...that they, pursuing, with peaceable and loyal minces, their sober, serious and religious intentions, of goalie edifying themselves, and one another, in the holie Christian faith and worship as they were persuaded...

and to secure them in the free exercise and enjoyment of all their civil and religious rights, appertaining to them, as our loving subjects; and to preserve unto them that liberty, in the true Christian faith and worship of God,...

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- Charter for the Province of Pennsylvania: 1681

...promote such useful commodities as may bee of Benefit to us and Our Dominions, as also to reduce the savage Natives by gentle and just mamlers to the Love of Civil Society and Christian Religion...

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- Frame of Government of Pennsylvania: 1683

And that the inhabitants of this province and territories thereof may be accommodated with such food and sustenance, as God, in His providence, hath freely afforded...

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- The Charter of Massachusetts Bay: 1691

Conversation may win the Indians Natives of the Country to the knowledge and obedience of the only true God and Savior of Mankind and the Christian Faith...

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- The Virginia Declaration of Rights: 1776

That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it,...

...and that it is the mutual duty of all to practise Christian forbearance, love, and charity toward each other...

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- The Declaration of Independence: 1776

...the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights...

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- The First Continental Congress: 1777

Appropriated funds to import for the people 20,000 Holy Bibles as "the great political textbook of the patriots."

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- Founding Father, George Washington: 1787

Regarding the Constitution: "Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the event is in the hand of God."

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- 1st President, George Washington’s farewell address: I shall carry it with me to my grave as a strong incitement to unceasing vows that Heaven may continue to you the choicest tokens of its beneficence...

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- Founding Father, 2nd President, John Adams speech:

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and a religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

Conclusion

The USA is a Christian nation. The evidence is overwhelming, this is all just the tip of the iceberg! It would take days and days to sift through every piece of data. But why go any further. Simply understand that this is a Christian nation and that we need to maintain our heritage, lest it be removed and purposely lost forever.

But most importantly, the USA must continue striving to be a Christian nation, God's Word still holds true: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
2nd Chronicles 7:14

We are His workmanship, created for good works in Christ

Signs of the End Times

2006-06-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

We can see the ends times every time we check out the newspapers, or the local news.

Signs of the End Times

2000 years ago, Jesus Christ (i.e., the Son of God), gave us some clues as to the end times. In the book of Matthew (chapter 24), Jesus expounded on the end times.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."

Birth Pangs of Today

So you see, we certainly see the birth pangs today:

- Many claiming to be a Savior, or the Savior
- Wars and rumors of wars
- Nation rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom
- Famines and earthquakes in various places

But do not be alarmed, such things must happen, but the end is still to come. But before it does, did you notice the escalation (verses 9-13) and the reference to the Anti-Christ (verse 15)?

Escalation of Persecution

The escalation includes (most likely with the revealing of the Anti-Christ):
- You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death
- You will be hated by all nations because of me
- Many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other
- Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people

Stand Firm to the End

Despite everything, he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. But before it does, the Anti-Christ will be revealed (verse 15, also check out 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4) and the Rapture of the Church and Tribulation will occur. The Tribulation is two 3 1/2 year periods at the end of which, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ occurs.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

My mind is full of many thoughts that clutter and confuse. But standing firm, I will prevail, in faith that I'll be used.

DaVinci Code vs The Process of Copying Scripture

2006-06-04T23:27:00.000-07:00

The DaVinci Code, and skeptics galore say that there is no definitive version of the bible, that it has been through numerous translations, additions, and deletions. This is a very inaccurate assessment (does not the Devil mix a little truth in every lie?). Yes, there are many translations of the word of God (no problem with that), but no, never any additions or deletions.

Matter of fact, the Dead Sea Scrolls reveal concretely that the 39 OT books are accurate copies used by the Jews thousands of years ago. They reveal little or no corruption to the OT of today, which is pretty amazing.

Regarding the 27 NT books (get a load of this....), the process that scholars use to evaluate the consistency of a document is to compare the copies, with the earliest as the most reliable. All the great documents of history from the same time period as the NT books, have generally 8 to 20 copies. Demosthenes’s book has 200 copies and Homer’s LLiad has 643. But!....(here we go), we have over 5,300 copies of the New Testament in Greek, we have over 15,000 copies of the NT in Syriac and Latin, all around the time very near to when the actual gospels were written! Scholars can compare all of those copies to the copies on the shelves in Barnes n Noble. They find very small minor alterations (nothing even remotely calling any tenant of faith into question, not one!).

Here is the key regarding the NT, in the early 200’s, Origen (an early church leader) listed all the accepted books of the New Testament, the list matches our list today. The NT was intact then, intact now, will remain intact until Jesus comes back (I’m a poet and I don’t....).

The question is, why the accuracy? Good question. The reason is that the Jewish scribes were amazing intense when producing copies of scripture.

The Process of Copying Scripture
Adapted from Ralph Muncaster: A Skeptic’s Search for God, pg 137-138

1. Scribes were trained until they were 30 years old.
2. Each letter of the scroll was visually confirmed, one by one with the master scroll.
3. A thread was often placed between letters to ensure separation and accuracy.
4. Each letter in each scroll was counted, and the count was compared to the master scroll.
5. Each word in the scroll was counted and compared to the master scroll.
6. The middle letter in each entire copied scroll was located and compared to the master.
7. If a single mistake was found, the scroll was destroyed.

Note: The DaVinci Code is a popular book and movie based on the notion that Jesus Christ was not God, but a man who married Mary Magdalene, with the Church covering it up. Furthermore, the plot includes the general smearing of Christianity from top to bottom. But, what happens when a Christian leader stands up to say they are offended, or tries to combat the smearing? The world chuckles and says, “don’t worry, its just entertainment.” Just entertainment? I will address this matter in a post very soon. Stay tuned.

The greatest people in the world just wouldn't come, So now we'll just have to invite the small.

THE BIG THREE

2006-05-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

The big three for every Christian boils down to the following:

- Prayer and supplication
- Study God's word and apply it into your life
- Be active supporting and being a part of God's work

How you implement the big three is between you and God. Just remember, all of us will be called to give an account of how we lived our lives and so forth. The bible has all the instructions for living. It's all there in black and white. Couldn't be easier to get to know, implementing might be difficult (you'll have to wrestle with your fleshly nature until the last breath on this planet, then all accounts are settled for the individual).

If you are having trouble understanding the bible or implementing God's word into your life or any other problem, be sure to ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you wisdom, which he will liberally. Finally, remember that we toil in this life. This imperfect world is filled with pitfalls and danger and traps and personal mountains and personal valleys.

If you have any questions, please email to theprinceofpeace789@hotmail.com.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
II Cor. 4:17-18

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Prayer 101

2006-05-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, sometimes I get confused on how to pray, when to pray, what to pray for, and so forth. Here are some helpful hints to guide you in your prayer life.

1. Prayer should be humble.
O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear. Psalm 10:17

2. Prayer should be bold.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. I John 5:13-15

3. Prayer should be in faith.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

4. Prayer should be sincere.
The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Psalm 145:18

5. Prayer should be simple.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. Matthew 6:7-8

6. Prayer should be persistent.
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Col 4:2

7. Prayer should be in accord with God's will.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

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If you are still breathing, read this...

2006-05-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hey, if you are reading this, that means you are still breathing, which means that you still have an opportunity to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, thereby receiving redemption (a pardon) from your sins.

What sins, you ask? Start with the 10 commandments. How many did you break so far today? Yesterday? Last week? Last year? I think you get the picture and I think you're reading me loud and clear. You (and I) have repeatedly broke God's laws and though you consider yourself a good person (others may have told you that you were a "good" person), you've fallen short of the standard by which you can gain entrance to heaven. God's standard is perfection.

So, for those of you who are perfect and have never broken one of the 10 commandments, disregard this message. You are perfect and do not require a Messiah or a Savior. For the rest of us, (actually, 100 percent of us), we indeed DO require a Messiah or Savior.

No worries though, Jesus Christ is Lord and action has been taken on your behalf. Kind of like a guy who walks into a courtroom when you are on trial for you life, and switches places with you. Jesus took the place for you and all your sins, every sin you've ever committed, is wiped clean by putting your faith in him. Your past, current, and future sins, all completely forgiven.

Further benefits include a way (Jesus), a truth (Jesus), a life (Jesus), joy, peace (i.e., the peace that passes all understanding), goodness, self control, abundant life (a topic of its own, to be discussed), a variety of blessings to come in Heaven, guidance via the Holy Spirit for the life on this planet, etc., etc., and so forth. Hey, I’ve only scratched the surface! What are you waiting for???

Do not delay. You are currently still breathing. You might not be breathing later today and the chance will have escaped you, forever. Do yourself the biggest favor and start the journey from darkness into light. Don't worry about the many obstacles, intrigues, worries, struggles, and other that comprise your life. God will make a way where there is no way.

First things first, get down on your knees and ask for forgiveness. Actually, begging is better (when you think of the magnitude of what he is doing and has down for you, it makes perfect sense). Confess every sin, put every burden on the Lord (he is more able to carry them than you), put every decision in his hands (let him decide, his decisions for your life always seem to work out in the end).

Next, get involved in your local church, begin studying the bible, surround yourself with loving and supportive Christians, let your friends know about your conversion, be proactive in your prayer life, support the church, give to the poor, let your good works shine so that glory will be given to the Lord, be humble, and share the gospel with others.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
Psalms 1:1-3

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Prayer for Family and Friends

2006-05-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

God watches over us and cares about our cares. When going through tough times God is there, ready to bless you in a way that only He can. Keep the faith. Prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. Let's continue to pray for one another, there is no cost but many blessings.

Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those I care deeply for who are reading this right now.

Show them a new revelation of Your love and power.

Where there is need I ask you to meet them. Bless their homes, their families, their finances and their comings and goings.

Where there is pain, give them your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release and a renewed confidence through Your grace.

In Jesus' precious name.

THS

Earning God's Favor?

2006-05-07T01:14:00.000-07:00

I laid awake at night deep in restless thought. My mind cluttered with the pressing needs and cares of this life. A mounting list of burdens stealing my joy and removing the daily satisfaction received from having a daily walk with the Lord. For a variety of reasons my mind was preoccupied with how to achieve God’s favor.

I had been working hard lately, doing extra things that I thought would make me more spiritual, a better Christian indeed. However, despite my best efforts I was struggling more than ever. Matter of fact, I was making a mess of things. And then it dawned on me. One of those crystal clear revelations that bring a sweeping wave of peace and reassurance over your mind and body.

I could never earn God’s favor. That is not what the Gospel is about. I already had God’s favor, despite myself. No matter how hard I tried, I could never earn it-but it was freely given to me, a sinner. What a comforting thought! Like a prodigal son, God sees me and is filled with compassion for me, he’s thrown the best robe over my shoulders, he’s put his ring on my hand, his sandals on my feet, and an incorruptible crown awaits me in heaven.

I have God’s favor, I just need to guard my heart and keep it pure. Then proceed forth in faith and run the race that God has laid out for me.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. Psalm 84:11-12

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalm 5:11-1

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Until That Final Day

2006-04-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

...and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 21:1

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
Hebrews 10:36

As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.
James 5:11

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.
Rev 2:2

Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Rev 2:10

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Tim 4:7

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Running the Race to Win

2006-04-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

I run into so many people who pray a lot but never read/study the bible a lot (if at all). This behavior can have serious ramifications in life. You need to know God, because,...His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him... 2 Peter 1:3

The key here is the “renewing of your mind.” That occurs when you read/study the bible, God’s word. The renewing of your mind plays a big part in helping you abide in him. How can you abide in him if you do not know how? Abiding is what Paul calls, running the race. Paul said run in such a way to win the race. So to run well you need to know how to run (abide).

How do we do this? It’s 50% prayer, 50% renewing (studying God’s word). You can’t run a great race without both occurring. You can, but you’ll be struggling.

An example would be the athlete. An athlete needs to do two things, eat right and exercise right. I akin the eating portion to studying the bible, the exercise to praying. A good athlete who does both is running the race to win.

So it is critical that you begin to open the bible and start studying and reading and meditating on the amazing scripture references. Then your faith will increase mightily. You will know what to pray for and your well being will be much better off. Here is another reference:
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Cor 4:16

Remember, you are renewing by reading and studying God’s word, along with your prayers. Not that I am being legalistic. Some days we are busy and do not have much time to read or study. However, you try to fit it in, try to make it a priority. Matter of fact, even just a few minutes a day will help immensely. I try to read for a few minutes before I shut out the light at night. Just that few minutes can be a big help to you spiritually. Makes you feel good, makes you feel clean spiritually, helps give you a clear conscience before God.

Do not worry, we are all behind you, rooting for you, praying for you. You are a part of us and we are a part of you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Romans 12:4-6

And finally, in all things give thanks to God...

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Note: Of course this message is directed to believers in Christ. If you do not know the joy of the Lord, or if find yourself thirsty spiritually, it is time for you to get off the fence and give your life to Christ. The adventure awaits you. Here is an excellent site to help answer a lot of your questions: http://www.intouch.org/myintouch/exploring/promises/index_77684.html