Provoking God

The following is a famous quote that I take on face value as being true. It does make sense and seems to fit the historical rise and apparent decline of our once great and blessed nation of America.

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policies followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's great civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence:

'From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage; .....1776
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to selfishness;

From selfishness to complacency; ......1960s

From complacency to apathy
From apathy to dependency; and, …………2000s
From dependency back to bondage.”

Alexander Fraser Tyler (1748-1813) in
The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic

America is at a precipice. We are in a free fall of moral decline. Here is a partial list of the sins of America that provokes God to bring judgment: Abortion (45 million since 1973 in America) , Fornication, Adultery, Pedophilia, Child Molestation, Greed, Homosexuality (there is a vigorous, unrelenting attempt to justify and to legitimatize this immoral behavior), the Justice System, Liars, Animal lovers, and Nature lovers. The latter two occur when regard animals more than we do people. What is the old saying? If we don't learn from history, we will be destined to repeat it.

“The Lost Tomb of Jesus,” a Slam, a Sham & a Shame

Those Danish cartoons poking fun at the prophet Mohammed irritated the Islamic world greatly causing even the death of 100s of “infidels” as the protectors of Mohammed’s reputation demonstrated their ire. Now we have an even greater insult to an even greater prophet, yes, to Almighty God Himself, in the Lord, Jesus Christ.

It is a crockumentary being shown during the most sacred Easter season, we have a further insult to the Creator and Savior of the world and to all His followers, who bear His name. This supposed “documentary” according to a recent email I received from the American Family Association “claims that the tombs of Jesus, Mary, Mary Magdalene and a supposed son of Jesus —Judah— have been found, thus making the Bible and two thousand years of history a lie.”

The AFA email continues, “According to the Discovery Channel's documentary "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" airing Sunday, March 4, the bones of Jesus-- buried with His family -- have been found. In addition, the documentary says that Mary Magdalene and Jesus might have had a son named Judah."

This is indeed part of an ongoing effort on the part of the enemies of Jesus Christ and His followers to discredit, to insult, to marginalize to ridicule all those that honor the true God. It amounts to the worst sort of blasphemy.

This new insult is part of an incessant systematic effort on the part of the Secular Humanist Leftist to destroy all vestiges of God, Jesus Christ and Christian influence in America today. The Da Vinci Code, the Gospel of Judas, Jesus Christ, Superstar and all the same attempt to discredit the one, true Gospel of Jesus. Our Secular Humanist friends cannot accept the exclusivity and truth of this message because it wars against their own creed and the basic pillars of their “faith” in god-man.

According to National Clergy Council president Rob Schenck in a OneNewsNow.com article observes that over the years, “Hollywood has attacked and mocked the Christian faith, and he suspects the makers of The Lost Tomb of Jesus may have similar intentions. However, the clergy leader notes, he tends to agree with critics who claim this new documentary makes a mockery of the archaeological profession."

Kerby Anderson in an article on the Probe Ministries website writes, “The foundational claim (of the Discovery documentary) is that they have discovered the family tomb of Jesus Christ. Is this really the tomb of Jesus or his family? There are many good reasons to believe this tomb has no relationship at all to Jesus and his family. Many are asking what to think about these claims. Therefore, I put together a quick two-page summary of some of the criticisms and concerns that surfaced in the first few hours after the announcement. Before we look at those criticisms, let’s first review the history of this tomb.

Anderson continues, “We have known about this tomb since it was discovered in 1980. Back then, Israeli construction workers were digging the foundation for a new building in a Jerusalem suburb. Their digging revealed a cave with ten limestone ossuaries. Archeologists removed the limestone caskets for examination.

Anderson adds, “When they were able to decipher the names on the ten ossuaries, they found: Jesua, son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Mathew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua. At the time, one of Israel’s most prominent archeologists (Professor Amos Kloner) didn’t associate the crypt with Jesus. He rightly argued that the father of Jesus was a humble carpenter who couldn’t afford a luxury crypt for his family. Moreover, the names on the crypt were common Jewish names.”

There is no “Lost Tomb” of Jesus Christ. But there is an “Empty Tomb”! This empty tomb is the essence of Christianity. It validates the Gospel message of Jesus who said of Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to (God) the Father except through Me.” This simple message has stood the test of time and will withstand this latest attack. However, it is time for Christians to “fight” back not using the Islamo-terrorist tactics like burning and beheading, but as righteously outraged and insulted followers of the God of the universe by praying for our enemies and by boycotting and by writing to the broadcasters. After all they blaspheme the one true God and we should not remain silent.

TAKE ACTION

Send your email in protest to this insulting so-called “documentary” to The Discovery Channel. Ask them to do the right thing and not air this most egregious insult to the world's only true God-honoring faith. john_hendricks@discovery.com John S. Hendricks, Chairman Discovery Channel. See also American Family Association website for "The Discovery Channel documentary says Christianity is a lie" article for further guidance in contacting The Discovery Channel.

Worlds Apart

Who is guilty of revising American history? It is the liberal elite or Secular-Humanists, who control and run education and academia. These liberals claim that our country was formed as a God-less and strictly secular a-moral nation, and that the Constitution grants freedom of religion yet restricts the government in preferring or in establishing religion. It is not those who contend that our Founding Fathers were believers in God and Jesus Christ and never intended that our nation be created or formed b strictly a-theistic, without God. These are not revising history but are accurately reporting history.

What would George Washington have done if he weren't a true Christian? He would have done everything differently had he not been the devout, practicing Christian that he was. Had not George Washington been a true believer in God, as I posited in an earlier article some of the consequences that would:

· He would have never endured the miserable Valley Forge experience. He more than likely would have cut and run without the courage and strength of his faith in his God.

· Since he presided over the formation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, those documents may never have been created. There would have never been a Bill of Rights, because Washington and the vast majority of the Founding Fathers recognized that our rights ultimately come from God, not from the state.

· There would have never been a United States of America and the great blessing of God lavished upon her due to the great faith that made George Washington the great leader that he became.

America was founded by true Christian believers who knew and practiced their faith. Many of the signors of the Declaration, in fact, were seminary graduates. These seminaries did not produce Reverends such as Al Sharpton or Barry Lynn or Katharine Jefferts Schori, but TRUE believers. There is a biblical principle that you shall know the tree by its fruit. Someone who supports and approves abortion and homosexuality and evolution indicate a belief system other than a biblically based, God honoring one.

Our laws and yes our Constitution and even the very structure of government were all based on a biblical model. Our laws were based on God's truth, morality and they recognized God as the absolute source of rights, not the state.

The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion including freedom to express one's faith, it does not guarantee freedom FROM religion as the leftist liberal elite (ACLU, People for the American Way and Americans for the Separation of Church and State) seem to want to interpret it.

The government never intended to restrict Christianity as a faith, but only to insure no single DENOMINATION gain the government's sanction as the state church, as the Church of England had done in Great Britain. You cannot equate Christianity with religion. Christianity transcends mere religion and is a way of life. Christianity is the way of life that our founders envisioned for our nation, not Presbyterianism or Methodism, Anglicanism or even Secular Humanism (Atheism), which is the religion that you want to see become the only sanctioned Sha’ria-like “law” of the land. No, it was Christianity that made America what it is, a Christian, God-honoring nation.

I understand this is an essential pillar in the Secular-Humanist religion/philosophy construct, because without this key component Secular Humanism is exposed for what it is - the inferior, wanton and wanting worldview. Secular humanism MUST marginalize, yes even remove God and true biblical Christianity completely out of the picture in order to thrive and complete its reshaping of America in the image of man rather than in the vision of the founders image of a God ordained and blessed nation.

Therefore a Christian view of America is directly opposite a Secular-Humanistic view of America. The two are worlds apart, literally!

A Force of Will

A force of will, that in a nutshell is the story of William Wilberforce as portrayed in the new movie, Amazing Grace (2007), which premiered across the United States this past Friday. It is an extraordinary portrayal of one man’s God-driven gut-wrenching passion to right the injustice of a popular and profitable slave trade.

It includes the intertwined story of the Reverend John Newton, who was himself a reformed and repentant slave trader. John Newton was also William Wilberforce’s Pastor as Wilberforce was growing up. By the way, John Newton is also the writer of the great hymn which also serves as the title of the movie.

This true story is inspiring to any politically activist or Conservative Christian politician, who wonders if one man can make a difference. The odds were greatly stacked against Wilberforce, who was a member of the British Parliament, and who stood nearly alone at first in his anti-slave trade cause. It challenges us never to give up, to keep pursuing and persisting.

At one point in the story after Wilberforce had recently become a born-again, true Christian believer he questioned what his role in politics was, if any. We wondered if God wanted him to be a preacher. Those around him, especially several abolitionists, provided him with a very convincing argument that he would be actually doing the Lord’s work in pursuing the cause to eliminate the slave trade in all of the British Empire.

Wilberforce gave a great deal of his youth, his vigor, his health to the cause. After a brief illness and accompanied discouragement he was encouraged and challenged by his future wife to continue in the battle. The relationship reinvigorated Wilberforce to continue in this mighty cause. Over a twenty-year period he went from being virtually alone in his battle in Parliament, 300 to one odds, to eventual victory with only 26 opposing votes leading to the passage of the act that stopped the slave trade across all of the Empire.

While watching the movie, especially the scenes depicting the boisterous debate in the Parliament, I could not help but think of present day injustices virtually being ignored by mainstream tenured politicos and their not so silent accomplices in the media.

Today’s anti-slave trade or the abolitionist movement is the pro-life or anti-abortion movement. Pro-life forces have been waging for 30 plus years battle to end this equally insidious heinous barbaric practice with seemingly little success. The forces of evil in the abortion axis of evil include the Supreme Court, the Democrat Party, the liberal elite throughout this country and powerful abortion and other left wing lobby and leftist organizations such as NARAL and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. They also include their socialist comrades in cahoots, the NEA, the ACLU, NOW, radical feminists, George Soros and other well heeled financiers of a life-destroying, society-destroying and values-destroying mindset.

Secondarily to the wickedness of abortion is the equally wrong proliferation of the sex slave trade involving woman and children, which is becoming more and more prevalent in America as well as the rest of the world. Both of these evils need champions both in and out of office to be a force, like Wilberforce was as he fought injustice and evil of his day.

Furthermore, while Wilberforce was battling the foes of abolution in England, George Washington and other founding Fathers wre establishing a new country, which would also embrace the anti-slave movement, but would have to fight a costly Civil War over it. The things that most of our Founders and Wilberforce had in common was a faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ. However, this is not acknowledged at all, if ever in today's modern "enlightened" age. This movie is a much needed reminder of a time when men where not afraid to hold and embrace their principles at all costs. They did not fear being politically incorrect, as so many do today.

These are the take-aways from the movie for me, the great lessonw that I took from this must-see movie. It was well worth the 70 miles I drove to see it! Look for it at a movie theater near you. If you like a fast moving picture, excellent acting, true heroism, true human struggle, and an uplifting and inspiring true historical account you would love this film. I highly recommend it to young and old and in-between. It brings history to life and to light.

My Movie Rating: * * * * *

TAKE ACTION

Chuck Norris asks us to take action by signing an anti-slavery petition. He challenges each of us to be a modern day Wilberforce or John Newton. See his article on WorldNetDaily. Sign the petition here: a worldwide petition.