Breeding Poverty

While politics have little place here, sometimes they must be addressed, especially in areas where the church and politics intersect. It is safe to say that our nation's economy is pretty much going down the drain. We've been through a couple of different stimulus packages now and there has been no improvement. Why? Truthfully, there are many reasons. One of those is part of what lead this nation into this predicament.

It is no surprise to look at the statistics regarding the number of people on welfare. The fact is that we have everything from unwed mothers and the disabled to illegal immigrants who gave birth to a child in this country on welfare. Perhaps it can be said that the disabled have a "right" to be on welfare. However, save for the most extreme of cases, that is merely an excuse not to work.

Lets face it, people have become lazy and would prefer to live off of the work that somebody else does. Is it any wonder? Government almost encourages this recklessness. Currently there are thousands of otherwise able bodied single women who are living off of welfare, paid for by your tax dollars, and are pregnant, AGAIN! Why?

Part of the problem is that liberal politicians have been working hard to make it easier for unwed mothers to get help from the government, with little to no accountability required on the part of the recipient. The other part is that the church has begun to become lax in its responsibility to help the needy. Though it may be that part of this is because those who do not seek repentance and hence feel that the mandate to repent is too great a burden, yet they do not see that they burden those who do work by stealing their money. Thats right, stealing. Welfare is little more than a form of theft in which irresponsible behavior is rewarded by giving away money that belongs to those others, namely those that earned it.

It is shocking to hear a teenager crying "I didn't mean to get pregnant". WHAT? That is almost like saying that Hitler didn't mean to cause the Holocaust. Hitler knew full well what he was doing. Likewise anyone engaging in sexual activity must realize the potential consequences, including pregnancy. Don't be mistaken, sin can, will, and does happen. Even adultery can be forgiven. However, that doesn't excuse it or negate the consequences. It is even worse when it becomes habitual. Many are the tales that are told of unmarried women that give birth to a child and are soon pregnant again within a year of the birth of the first child. Then, a year later, yet another pregnancy and still unmarried.

Before this begins to seem too hateful and biased, this is merely looking at a harsh reality that some rarely ever see, unless they spend time in a Social Security Administration office. We, as Christians and Americans, should be ashamed of ourselves. How did we let this happen? Easy, by allowing the teaching of "safe sex" rather than abstinence in the public schools. Also, by allowing liberal politicians to give away tax money to organizations that support abortions on demand and distributing birth control on the high school and college campus.

What then is the hope of those who have made living on welfare a lifestyle? None. They simply spend their time doing as little as they can while they live off of the hard earned money of others. As for their children, they frequently end up living the exact same lifestyle that they saw their parents live. It is true that some can and do break this cycle, but those are more of an exception than the rule. This can be especially true in the case of illegal immigrants that are unable to speak English and have no real desire to work. Yet, because their child was born in this country, we are unable to deport them.

Truthfully, this is all madness. Sloth and adultery are being rewarded. When that happens, everyone loses. The amount of people living on welfare or some other form of public assistance is more than what the economy can or should have to support. It needs to end for the sake of everyone. The question is how? Truthfully, only the most extreme of measures are going to help, and those who have made living on the tax dollars of others are going to hate it.

1. All welfare cases should be carefully evaluated. Only those who are showing a genuine need and are working towards eventually being self sufficient should be helped, and only within a certain percentage.

2. A statute of limitations must be established with regards to how often and for how long one may receive such assistance. This must be handled on a case by case basis.

3. Deportation of all illegal immigrants and their children. If the parent is in the country illegally, then that child's citizenship is the same as that of the parent. No more declaring an illegal immigrants child a US citizen just because they were born here.

4. The church needs to wake up and take back its responsibility. God gave the church the responsibility to care for others. Christ Jesus said "That which you do for the least of these you did for me".

5. REPENT! Can that be any clearer? People need to be held responsible for their actions. No more laziness or wanton adultery. This only serves to hurt others.

Jesus Christians?

Some libraries are known for having an area in which there will be books that are for sale. Sometimes the titles quite interesting, other times not so interesting. Then there are those titles that fall somewhere in between. One such title is called "Survivors" and is written by a man named David McKay. Supposedly this book is meant at a refutation of Tim LaHaye. However, if one is careful enough to check, it can be learned that McKay is the leader of an organization known of as the "Jesus Christians".

Who are they? In simple terms, they are a cult. In more complex terms, they are an organization that is centered about a single individual who is the group leader/teacher. Some may say "So what? Jesus was the sole leader and teacher of his disciples". True, however, unlike McKay, Jesus could back up his teachings with miracles demonstrating his authority.

Some of the teachings they have include such things as:

Sincerity is more important than being theologically correct. (Wrong)

The Holy Spirit is merely an expression of God's feminine side. (There is nothing in scripture to support this)

Non-Christians can be saved on the basis of their faith in God, even if they have never heard of Jesus. This was made possible through the death of Jesus on the cross. (This is a form of universalism)

Jesus never established water baptism as a form of sacrament, nor did he ordain other sacraments as such. (This violates several passages of scripture in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)


These and many other such things are false. Simply reading the Bible in plain terms demonstrates the falsehood of these things. However, for those that do which to dig deeper into it, the Epitome of Concord can help to further establish that the teachings of the Jesus Christians is a lie.

As a whole this organization should rightly be shunned. They have made frequent attempts at kidnapping young and naive teenagers, they frequently engage in "dumpster diving" or "bin raiding" as they put it, using the term "freeganism" to justify their actions. Bear in mind that "dumpster diving" is not only dangerous but it is also a form of theft. Furthermore, without the means of production, which they deny in their refusal to work a regular job, there would be nothing in those dumpsters for them to take, much less a dumpster to take from.

When encountering one of them, keep asking questions as they are conditioned to only be able to answer so many questions (this can be proven from what can be seen on their website, however no link will be posted). Sooner or later you are bound to ask a question that not only can't they answer, but it will likely expose them to the false belief's they have been following. Once that happens, they need to see what the Bible really says. As for McKay himself, reading through his teachings on their website, it becomes pretty evident that he believes himself a messiah type like David Koresh did. He is in dire need of therapy. Sooner or later whatever bubble he keeps himself in will burst and then he may likely lash out at those who presently follow him, possibly maiming or even killing them.




One must wonder if Obama could negotiate with McKay to disband the Jesus Christians. McKay is a terrorist of a sort himself.

End Times? Again?

It has been recently reported in the news of an outbreak of "swine flu". Some who are reasonably familiar with scripture are even starting to ask if this is the plague written of in the Apocalypse. It would be best it kill this quickly. Such being the case, a short answer is best. NO!

However, now then, lets also include a long answer for reason of explanation.

Anyone reading through the Apocalypse is pretty well familiar with the various judgments of God upon humanity just before the return of Christ Jesus. While it can be debated back and forth over whether the seals, bowls, and trumpets are all the same judgments or if they are three different sets of judgments, there is no doubt that the judgments are sequential. Looking strictly at the seven seals, we find that the first seal is opened and there is a being who goes out conquering and to conquer. Indeed, it may be that this first seal is the anti-Christ who is to rule the Earth just before Christ Jesus' return. If this is the case, that seal has not been opened quite yet (though some argue that Obama may be that ruler). Now then, the plagues written of in the Apocalypse are part of the fourth seal. If the first seal has not yet been opened, then it is unlikely that this "swine flu" is that plague, though it may likely be a predecessor of what is to come.

Rather than falling in hype and hysteria, slow down and think. God has given us his word to rely upon in these troubling times. If we truly trust in God and Christ Jesus his son as our saviour, then we can weather even the worst of the works of Satan. We need only trust what God has revealed to humanity through the Bible. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God if we are truly his children.

Teamwork?

A popular poster seen in many workplaces states "There is no "I" in "Team". Ironically, this statement isn't necessarily true. The truth is that there exists the letters "e" and "m" which when reversed spells "me" which is a synonym for "I". At least that is how many people may see it. This is because of the corruption called sin that is in the hearts of all humanity.


True teamwork means sacrifice. However, for most people this is unthinkable. Unfortunately, this is a concept that very few people seem to understand anymore. Rather, in a "team" setting, most people are more interested "what is in it for me?" Sadly, this is often the case in athletics as well. It is well documented that most professional athletes are paid millions of dollars doing something that most people claim that they'd be happy to be paid a few hundred thousand to do. Likewise it can be said of many musicians.

Jesus showed us the true meaning of sacrifice. He was never too busy to help others. He never asked what was in it for himself. This is how we should be, whether working alone or with others. Then and only then will truly see the true meaning of teamwork. Yes, true teamwork means humility and self sacrifice.

Christian Music

Perhaps one of the more interesting genres of music is that style known of as "Contemporary Christian". This genre includes rock, reggae, jazz, rap, and others. However, there are problems within the genre. Mostly the problems are of a theological nature. That is to say that a good bulk of the songs are little more than watered down gospel feel good songs that don't even mention Christ Jesus or the Lord God Almighty.

However, of greater concern are songs that are vindictive in tone. The "Need to Breathe" song "Washed by the Water" is one such example. The lyrics are mostly repetitive. However, the opening lines are highly vindictive. Indeed, what follows are those vindictive opening lyrics with a systematic line by line breakdown. The inappropriateness of the it should become evident rather quickly.

"Daddy was a preacher"

In and of itself, a seemingly innocent statement. However, for an opening line, it borders on being a form of self justification.

"She was his wife"

What is the relevance of bringing one's mother into the picture unless there is some form of sin involved? Again, the issue of self justification is of concern here.

"Just tryin(g) to make the world a little better"

Every Christian is called to seek to share the news of the gospel. In like manner, we are called to be stewards of what God has given us. However, there is nothing that specifically directs us to try and make things better, that is an implied response to the message of the gospel.

"You know, shine a light"

Shine a light? This isn't very clear, especially in the context of the previous statements. This lends to a very specific question. What were the artists parents doing? It would seem that whatever the unmentioned activity was, the artist is trying really hard to justify actions that may well be sin.

"People started talking"

People can and do talk. There is nothing new here. However, if the pastor is doing something and people begin to talk about it, likely there is a problem. Indeed, many are the stories that can be told of pastors who went rogue and did things that were contrary to scripture and the creed of the local parish.

"Trying to hear their own voice"

A rather accusatory statement. If anything, it would seem that discussion began because of a pastor doing something that was contrary to scripture. It is also a possibility that the pastor may have done something contrary to a decision of the church council or the belief statement of the church.

"Those people tried to accuse my father"

The moment the statement "those people" comes into play, the song automatically became vindictive and accusatory. Indeed, there is certainly no way for the listener to know what the accusation was or if it was justifiable. Hence, whatever the dispute, the artist is being irresponsible in making this statement.

"Said he made the wrong choice"

Perhaps that is the truth. Perhaps the pastor did make the wrong choice. A congregation has the right and responsibility to reprimand a pastor that goes astray. No church should tolerate a pastor that is engaging in either questionable or outright sinful behavior. However, given that the listener is being forced to accept whatever the artist is saying, it is irresponsible of the artist that the full story is not given.

"Though it might be painful"

Truthfully, it would seem that the artist is the one carrying the pain. Unfortunately, he is trying very hard to dump his pain upon the listener rather than cope with it appropriately, with a rather vain attempt to justify the actions of his father. Again, it seems likely that sin was involved and that perhaps even the artist was hurt by it and yet he did not dare question his father about his actions.

"You know that time will always tell"

Time is funny. The past is but a memory, the future is a dream, and all there will ever be is today. Yet, ironically, time does tend to eventually bring out the truth, though not very often is it in a way that we expect. Sometimes, the truth really isn't what we want it to be. Time does often reveal this. Unfortunately, when we reject that revelation, we attempt to put our own spin on it in order to justify ourselves or those we care about.

"Those people have long since gone"

There are two very distinct possibilities here. Either they left the church in frustration, disapproving of the actions of the pastor, or they died. Notwithstanding, they are no longer there. Given that they are gone, it allows for the artist to attempt to justify the actions of his father as there is no longer anyone who can hold him accountable. This is actually a case of pride. However this form of pride is rather sinful and needs to be repented of.

"My father never failed"

Really? Any honest Christian would, could, and should argue that failure to reconcile is still failure. Hence, now the artist resorts to lying in order to justify his father's actions.

An e-mail from a local "christian" radio station states that the station manager believes this song is about overcoming gossip. Not true. Anyone can break down this song and clearly see that likely gossip was not an issue, sin was. In like manner, anyone can also see rather clearly that overall tone and grammatical structure of the lyrics are vindictive in nature. One does not need a college level english class to see this.

Sadly, this is just one example. Another such song is called "My Jesus". In it is the accusatory statement that if Jesus went into a modern church he would like be kicked out. In this particular case, it is a blanket accusation against the Christian church as a whole. Please note for clarification that there are actually two different and distinct songs by this title. The one referenced here has the singer(?) screaming frequently the words "I want to be like my Jesus".

Another song of worthy note, though not because of a vindictive tone, is "Nicole Nordeman" and her song "Brave". Beautiful song. However, there is no mention of Christ Jesus and his gospel. There is a vague line about "its your love that breaks the chains". However, that "your" is so unclear as to have little true meaning.

In a nutshell, when considering Christian music, content must be carefully considered. Songs like "Brave" are watered down feel good fluff that does nothing to carry the gospel message. Songs like"Washed by the Water" are vindictive and self justifying, having no proper place in Christian music. Honest, Bible believing Christians should shun songs like these. The fact that such songs even exist only serves to demonstrate how desperate the situation really is. Contemporary Christian music needs songs that speak directly of Christ Jesus and his sacrifice upon the cross. Christian music does not need songs that are watered down feel good fluff that can be played anywhere without offending people, for the cross is an offense to those who are perishing. Nor does Christian music need songs that attack the church and its people from within. Such songs only serve as ammunition for the forces of evil, death, and the devil. These songs serve only to keep people out of church, which is precisely what the devil wants.

If you are reading this, you are encouraged not to buy albums that contain songs like these. You are also encouraged to call your local "christian" radio station and urge them not to play songs like these. The church needs to stand up for the truth of the gospel and it needs to stand firm against those both within and without that would otherwise destroy it. There is and can be no middle ground.

Christian Idolatry

Whoa! That can't be right. How on earth can somebody who is a Christian be guilty of idolatry? That is really an easy question to answer. Best source for this answer? Money.

Simply put, American money states very clearly the words "In God We Trust". However, in recent years, more Americans now trust money more than the God whom we claim to trust. Christians are just as guilty of this as non-christians. Indeed, many are the tales of mega-churches and rural parishes in which the preacher makes a huge debacle with regards to tithes and offerings. Indeed, there are church that don't care how much you are suffering financially so long as you give at least 10% or more of either your gross or net income, depending upon the particular church body. When this happens, the worship of God the Almighty becomes worship of the almighty dollar, which is often the only "god" most Americans recognize anymore. Given the Christian heritage of this once mighty nation, things like this should not be and yet they are.

Here's where the rubber meets the road. Your money is WORTHLESS. The fact is, it isn't even worth the material its printed on (yes, material, not paper). Why then do you bow down and do anything for money which has no value rather than bow down in worship and serve God who can grant you forgiveness of sins and eternal life?

Placing your faith in money is a fools gambit. Money can and will fail you. The love of it will lead you to do things that are often times too vile to mention in polite company (Las Vegas is called "Sin City" for a reason). It is not in vain that it is written "The love of money is the root of all evil". If you do not believe this, it is easily proven, just watch the news.

Presidential (ir)responsiblity.

It would seem unlikely that anyone missed it. However, for those who did, let it be stated clearly. The so-called president of the United States is about to place this country another $3.6 TRILLION in debt. That's right. The national deficit is about to double in the next six months because of wasteful spending on the part of the executive branch of the government. Many thought that Obama was some sort of "saviour" who would rescue this nation and truly make us free. Many believed he was a christian, seeking to honor God via the national office. Everyone that believed in him is being proven wrong. Obama has only been in office for approximately two months and he is already doing everything that the conservatives had warned the United States would happen under him.

Obama is not seeking to honor God, or he would not want this new stimulus package, the one that is about to sink the United States another $3.6 TRILLION in debt. Obama is not a saviour, nothing he is proposing will help our nation, only hurt it. Obama is acting in a deliberate and diabolical manner, much like unto an anti-christ. There may be only one way to save this nation now, and that would be to impeach both the president and vice-president. Sadly, given that there is no direct reference and very little in the way of an indirect reference to the United States in Bible prophecy, it may be that Obama will be the last president this nation EVER has. His legacy? The destruction of the United States and paving the road to Meggido.