Nehemiah's America

There is a parallel between Jerusalem in Nehemiah's day and America in our day. Just as Jerusalem was in ruins; America is tattered. Nehemiah purposed in his heart and mind to rebuild Jerusalem. Here is his account.

 Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate.They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel.  The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.

 The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place.  Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs.  The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.

 The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.  Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates.  Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.

  Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him.  Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens.  Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.

 The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.

 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.

 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David.  Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.

 Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district.  Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah.  Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle of the wall. Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest.  Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.

 The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region.  Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house.  Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner,  and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh  and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.  Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel.

 Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house.  Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs.  Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters.  Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. 

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 

 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. 

Notice that the people, under Nehemiah's leadership purposed in their hearts and minds to rebuild there ruined city. They had a central purpose and common accord; yet they each saw to specific, individual goals that when brought together accomplished the rebuilding and securing of the city. When opposition arose, they set to defend the city, while still rebuilding.

We need to have the mind of Nehemiah and the people under his leadership in America today. Our common purpose should be the restoration of our nation in the spirit of its founding. How do we reach this goal? We determine in our hearts and minds to see to the small part of the rebuilding we are tasked with, and persevere regardless of obstacles or opposition. That's how. By each of us tackling our small part with determination and enthusiasm, the whole comes together.

May we operate as did Nehemiah did. First, with repentance. Then with supplication to the Almighty for success. Then we get about getting it done.

May the Lord of Heaven and earth rain favor and mercy upon our endeavor.

All Of You

There are two entities that desire all of you. All of your effort. All of your devotion. All of your resources.

The first of these entities is, of course, government. Government has its hooks in you and you have very little say in the matter. Government requires you to give, and give, and give, and give, and give. Government oppresses you. It condemns you. It enslaves you. It can destroy you.

Government mandates to you the following:

Income tax: You are penalized by your government for being productive.
Property tax: You never, ever, ever, own your home. Even after the mortgage is paid in full, you are still required to rent your property from government.
Ad valorem tax: Like your property, you never own your automobile. It to is rented from the government.
Sales tax: Government takes from you for simply engaging in the activity required to meet your needs. You must get "permission" from the government to feed and clothe yourself.
Gasoline tax: You must also have "permission" to operate your rented car.
Inheritance tax: You must pay the government for the death of your loved one. Talk about insult to injury!
Capital Gains tax: You must pay the government for the reward of taking a risk with the money they've already taxed once.

I could go on and on....but you get the picture. We won't even get into utility taxes, Obamacare taxes, penalties and fines of various and stupid natures, local option sales taxes, state taxes, carbon taxes, et cetera.

Nor will we get into burdensome regulations that are imposed by government to strangle the vitality and life out of men.

The second entity that desires all of you, of course, is God. He desires your trust. He desires your devotion. He desires your love. Your faith. He desires your hopes. He desires your dreams. He desires your friendship. He desires your sorrows. He desires your body. Your mind. Your heart. He is crazy about you. He loves you so much, in fact, that He will resign Himself to hurt and pain to honor your will. He doesn't force Himself on you. He doesn't oppress you. He doesn't condemn you. He doesn't enslave you. He doesn't destroy you.

1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. 1 Corinthians chapter 13 tells us about love. We've all heard the verses: Love is patient, love is kind; but I want to take a little liberty with those verses and substitute God for love.

God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He does not dishonor others, He is not self seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. He does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. He never fails......


He is love; and He desires all of you. Are you willing to give Him his desire?

Teachers, Police Officers & Firefighters

One of the biggest weaknesses has been state and local governments, which have laid off 450,000 Americans. These are teachers, and cops, and firefighters. Congress should pass a bill putting them back to work right now.--Barack Obama


Teachers, police officers, and firefighters are necessary. Our communities cannot function properly without them.


If you are a teacher, or a police officer, or a firefighter; President Obama would like you to believe that Mitt Romney wants to punish you. President Obama would like you to believe that he has your best interest at heart. President Obama isn't telling you the truth.


Barack Obama thinks that the loss of teacher, police, and firefighting  jobs is one of the economy's biggest weaknesses. He thinks that, just by Congress passing a bill, you will have a job. NEWSFLASH: It doesn't work that way.


Your salary as a teacher, a police officer, or a firefighter comes from the taxpayer's pocket. Your occupation does not contribute to the growth of the economy. This isn't to say that what you do isn't vitally important; it simply doesn't produce a growth in the economy. "I pay into the public treasury", you may say. That is true, but the funds which you use to pay into the treasury came out of the treasury. That's like siphoning 10 gallons of gasoline out of your buddy's car and then putting 2 gallons back in and claiming that you've contributed toward his gasoline expenses.


It is true that there have been layoffs of teachers, police officers, and firefighters. That is because local county and city governments are facing severe budget shortfalls. They're simply out of money. Why is this? Let's explore that.


Where do governments get their money? Through taxation. Why are tax revenues down? Because taxpayers aren't paying as much in taxes. Why aren't taxpayers paying as much in taxes? Because their incomes are down. Less income means less income tax. It also means less sales tax, because belts get tightened and budgets get smaller. When the revenues are down, counties and municipalities have to do just like the taxpayers they depend on: tighten their belts. That belt tightening eventually leads to layoffs. Payroll is the largest expense of any enterprise, whether it's a corporation, small business, county, or municipality.


Now, let me go on record emphatically that I want to see every teacher, police officer, and firefighter put back to work. How will that happen? Well, it won't happen by Congress passing a bill to put them back to work. 


What will put teachers, police officers, and firefighters back to work is a strong and vibrant private sector. That's right, you want a healthy public sector? You have to have an even healthier, dynamic private sector. A private sector in which there is immense opportunity for all who seek it. A private sector in which the entrepreneur feels confident in taking risks. One in which free markets determine demand and cost, and in which competition is not only accepted, but encouraged. One in which new businesses are being started and in which established businesses are thriving.


How do you get there? Well, first and foremost, the government has to cease and desist. It must get out of the way of business. Onerous, overbearing, and outdated regulation needs to be repealed. Second, the government must get off the back of the taxpayer. This means lowering taxes and slashing government spending. Lowering taxes immediately leaves more disposable income in the hands of those who will use it most effectively to stimulate economic growth. Slashing spending lessens the liability of the taxpayer toward the government. When the individual taxpayer is prosperous, the economy grows naturally. As the economy grows, so does the tax base, by default. A greater tax base equals more tax revenue. More tax revenue equals more funds available for teachers, police officers, and firefighters.


Now ask yourselves: Has President Obama pursued policies that free the private sector to prosper, or has he pursued policies that hinder it? The answer is obviously the latter. You want to see more teachers, police officers, and firefighters on the job? Good. Vote for responsible people who understand simple economics. Vote for them on your city councils. Vote for them in your county commissions. Vote for them in your state legislature. Vote for them in the United States House of Representatives and the Senate. And for the love of your nation and your children, vote for Barack Obama's retirement on January 20, 2013.

Philadelphia and the National (un)Constitutional Center

I have a friend who just visited the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. What she found was disturbing. Here is her description of the visit:

By Ima Souperconservative 

Philadelphia and the National (un)Constitutional Center

Apoplectic.  That’s probably the best way to describe my emotions by the end of our Scouting trip to the Constitutional landmarks in Philadelphia yesterday.  I hope you’ll bear with me as I describe our trip, since I am hoping writing about it will be cathartic for me.  I’m still stunned about the things I saw at the end of our trip.

About 45 parents and elementary school aged Scouts (both Cub Scouts and American Heritage Girls) took our end-of-the-year trip to Philadelphia yesterday.  Our family – and me in particular, because of my love of both history and politics – were looking forward to the trip for some time.  We were awed, amazed, impressed, and moved by the historical sites we visited throughout the day.  And then we arrived at the National Constitutional Center.  I’ll post pictures so you can see some of what set me off.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Our first stop was Independence Hall.  Also in our tour group were people from all across America and several foreign countries, coming to learn more about our beautiful country and how and why it was founded.  Independence Hall is a beautiful, impressive old building with incredibly high ceilings.  I got a bit teary-eyed knowing I was in the same rooms where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed.  It was a bit overwhelming knowing that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin had once walked on the same floor I was walking on and had sat and debated for hours on end in the rooms I was standing in. 

We walked next to Christ Church, which was built in 1727 and was the church of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.  This is another beautiful old building and it is still in use for services today.  As the church guide told us about the church’s history, he pointed to the pew across from the pew I was sitting in and announced that it was George Washington’s family’s regular pew.  Fascinating! Overwhelming!  Humbling!

We toured the Betsy Ross House (tiny!)

We toured the cemetery where Benjamin Franklin is buried.  I asked a girl working a small souvenir booth at the cemetery entrance why people were tossing pennies on Ben Franklin’s grave, then smacked myself in the head when she replied, “Have you ever heard of his saying, ‘A penny saved is a penny earned’?”   The girl stated that the cemetery brings in about $3,000 a year in pennies from his grave towards the upkeep of the cemetery. 

Our family was having a terrific day and I couldn’t have been happier with all we had seen and heard.  Everything was very true to history, without the political or liberal taint that we see nearly everywhere today.  But that was about to change.

Our last stop was the National Constitution Center.  I was looking forward to this venue, excited to learn more about the Constitution and the men who had thoughtfully crafted such a miraculous document to guide our fledgling country.  I was expecting to see displays on each of the writers, perhaps displays of some of their clothing, books, and other personal items.  I wanted to see a pen Ben Franklin wrote with, an entry from George Washington’s diary, perhaps a bonnet worn by Thomas Jefferson’s wife.

As we approached the National Constitution Center, which (according to its website) bills itself as a “non-profit, non-partisan institution devoted to the U.S. Constitution and its legacy of freedom,” the first thing I notice is the immense banner on the exterior of the building promoting the Center’s current exhibit:  “The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen.”  Now, it’s no secret that Springsteen is a huge liberal and a huge union guy, so this caused me a moment of concern, but I figured I was simply being a bit tin-foil-hatty and tried to dismiss my moment of uneasiness. 

Once we were inside the Center, I was again disconcerted when I saw the name of the Center’s education room:  The Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach.  Annenberg?  Like Bill Ayers’ friend?   How many politically-involved Annenberg families are there in America?

We were ushered into a circular room with stadium-style seating and a large floor in the middle.  This was where the multi-media presentation took place.  Once we were seated, a young actress took her place in the middle of the floor and gave a live presentation while images flashed on the circular walls around the room and on the floor below.  The actress talked very briefly about why the Constitution was created and barely mentioned any of the men involved.  She then delved into how the Constitution is a LIVING, BREATHING DOCUMENT, how it took another 90 years after the Constitution was signed before slaves were freed, and how America is still trying to sort out whether to give rights to homosexuals and whether to take away abortion rights from women.  At this point my head was spinning.  On the walls and floor flashed images of our country’s history:  pictures of some of the Founding Fathers, pictures of slaves (lots of pictures of slaves), smiling images of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and a picture of a newspaper headline from when Nixon was forced to resign.

The presentation ends and I am pretty upset at this point.  We are ushered out of the multi-media room and into the museum gallery, where I had hoped to learn more about the Founding Fathers and see glimpses of their lives.  As we stepped out into the gallery, the first display is a very eye-catching, 20’ tall cone-shaped bank of about display screens that show the faces of “100 People Who Make America Great.”  The faces alternately light up and fade out.  All around the display are touch screens where you can touch on a person's face to learn more about them.  Keep in mind (because this will be very important in a moment), we were with a group of kids under the age of 11.  The first face I pressed to read about was Billy Graham.  I wanted to see how he was presented.  The little biography said he was a world famous preacher.   The Billy Graham quote that the Center chose to use at the end of his biography was that Jesus would not have had a political party.

The next face that was pressed was a smiling older gentleman.  Image my shock that this man who supposedly helps to make America great was Larry Flint.  Yes, the publisher of the pornography magazine, “Hustler.”  Jaw-dropping.  We are with a group of Scouts from a Baptist church and Larry Flint is someone the children are supposed to look up too.  The Scouts were quickly ushered on to another display but I decided to stay and see who else was on this list of wonderful Americans.  There were several people I was unfamiliar with, and then a face that nearly knocked me out of my shoes flashed on the screen.  So I clicked.  Here’s what I learned about George Soros:

“His true passion is democracy.  Soros plans to give away most of his money during this lifetime.  He began giving cash to grassroots organizations and dissidents in 1979, helping black students attend college in South Africa.  Many of his investments in open societies are simple; he donated 400 copy machines to Hungarian libraries and schools to make spreading ideas easier.  He’s funded dozens of independent radio and television stations in Eastern Europe, which elude government controls to promote democratic ideas.  The Soros Foundation has poured close to $3 billion into these activities since 1980.

At this point I have a pit in my stomach and I feel like a caged animal.  I wanted to get out of this building and take a shower but I stayed to see what the rest of the displays are about.  There is a display where you can vote for President and a computerized banner provides “up to the moment” data based on your votes as to who would win the election.  Although 40 people from our group voted Republican, Obama’s 8% lead over the Republican ticket never changed – even though no one else was at that display voting.

The placard next to a KKK robe on display curiously did not specify that Democrats founded the KKK.  I wonder why?

A huge display on Nixon’s resignation and disgrace was quite prominent.  A bit further on in the room was another display about Nixon, conveniently located right next to a display about Reagan.  No mention of Reagan’s Cold War achievements, freeing the Iranian hostages, etc.  But the display pointed out that Reagan and the Moral Majority were anti-abortion and wanted to bring prayer back into school.

There was a display about Clinton’s intern scandal and how because it was a moral blunder it was excusable.  Clinton’s political party was not mentioned.  A quote from Barbara Boxer on the display: “The Constitution does not say to remove the President if he has not been a good role model for our children.”

“We debate presidential power in an age of terrorism” was the name of another display.  Featured at the top of the display was a quote from Sandra Day O’Connor: “ A state of war is not a blank check.”  The display then reads:  The President [Bush] has taken strong measures in the years since the 9/11 attacks.  He has ordered suspected terrorists to be held indefinitely without trial at the Guantanamo detention center, authorized harsh interrogation methods and approved secret surveillance of telephone calls without getting warrants.  (Note:  While I think DHS has WAY too much power, the display was obviously written to make Bush look like a criminal)

So what was missing from this display about the Constitution?  How about – THE CONSTITUTION?  How about information on the writers of the Constitution?  How about GOD?  God was not mentioned once in any presentation or display.  How about the Bill of Rights?  How about how amendments are created? Note: I am putting as many pictures of this liberal garbage as I can into our HARP photo file so you can see it for yourselves. I'm still apoplectic.

Our nation is effectively over.

Dr. Spooky's Magic Elixir

Snake oil salesmen. You know them. They promise you the world if you’ll just part with your hard earned money. Modern day snake oil salesmen can be found on early morning television harking their wares. There is everything from fat burning pills to male enhancement remedies; all 100% guaranteed to work as advertised or your money back. Snake oil salesmen of the past were known for harking elixirs that were said to remedy all sorts of ailments. Got leprosy? Try Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir. Indigestion? Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir. Receding hairline? Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir. Insomnia? Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir. Flatulence? Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir. 

Unfortunately snake oil salesmen aren’t delegated to the past or late night infomercials. The penultimate snake oil salesman can be found in the White House.

Flatlining housing market? Try Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir! Bankrupt automobile company? Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir! Outstanding student loans? Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir! Unaffordable contraception? Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir! Dr. Spooky makes his pitch and promises the world, if only you’ll pony up the dollars. You say you don’t have the money? No, problem. Dr. Spooky will help you secure a line of credit with Chinese benefactors. He doesn’t care where the money originates, as long as he pockets it. 

America bought Dr. Spooky’s sales pitch hook, line, and sinker back in 2008. We drank our fill of Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir. It did nothing, so we downed another dose. Nothing. Yet another dose. Nothing. Still another dose. Nothing. Three and a half years into our regimen of Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir, and still nothing.

Now we turn on our televisions and who do we see? Dr. Spooky. He’s still harking his elixir. He claims that we just haven’t given it enough time. Our healing is occurring. Our restoration is sure. We just have to be patient. Dr. Spooky underestimated the extent of our ailments. He simply didn’t formulate the elixir in strong enough dosages. Trust him, he’s a doctor; would he steer you wrong? Hey you look a little skeptical. You know what’s great for skepticism? Dr. Spooky’s Magic Elixir! 

Now, seriously, haven’t you had just about enough of Dr. Spooky and his elixir? It doesn’t work. It doesn’t do anything but separate you from your hard earned money. It is time for America to put her collective foot up Dr. Spooky’s rectal cavity and send him down the road to hark his snake oil somewhere else. 

It’s go time.

America's Disease

     Is Barack Obama destroying this nation? Some say yes; some say no. I say not entirely. Barack Obama is like pneumonia in an AIDS patient. Pneumonia itself isn't usually enough to kill the body, but pneumonia in a system wracked with Human Immunodeficiency Virus is absolutely devastating. Barack Obama is pneumonia in an America suffering from HIV.

     America became infected with HIV in 1912 when Theodore Roosevelt split from the Republican party and formed the Progressive Party. The platform of the Progressive Party included:


     -a national health service
     -minimum wage laws
     -a federal securities commission
     -farm relief
     -an inheritance tax
     -a proposed constitutional amendment allowing for an income tax


     The Progressive Party helped to split the Republican vote in 1912, allowing for the election of Democrat Woodrow Wilson.

     Woodrow Wilson was a die hard Progressive. Under his administration, the Congress passed and he signed in to law these things:


     -The Federal Reserve Act
     -The Federal Trade Commission Act
     -The Federal Farm Loan Act
     
     The sixteenth amendment to the Constitution was also ratified, implementing a Federal income tax. Compare the accomplishments of Wilson with the party platform of Roosevelt. It's nearly identical.


     According to the Mayo Clinic, most people infected with HIV experience an episode of flu-like symptoms within a month or two of contraction. This is something that is easily overlooked by the patient as a simple cold or flu case. No worries. Unfortunately, the viral load (amount of virus in the bloodstream) is very high at this time, making transmission of the virus easy and efficient. 


     In 1912, America didn't see anything but a few sniffles. No big deal, but the virus was in the bloodstream, replicating, quietly assaulting the immune system of the nation, and waiting.


     America's illness went into a decade of remission from 1920-1929 under the presidencies of Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, but the invisible beast began it's covert attack in earnest once again with the election of Herbert Hoover, and continued at breakneck speed through the administration of Franklin Roosevelt, cousin of the initial source of infection.

     After the stock market crash of 1929, and 2 years of misery under Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt was elected President of the United States.  Roosevelt, with the aid of a yes man Congress began to enact his New Deal. Under the first New Deal massive amounts of new legislation were signed into law, including:


     -FDIC
     -The Federal Emergency Relief Agency
     -The Civilian Conservation Corps
     -The Agricultural Adjustment Administration
     -The National Industrial Recovery Act (which the Supreme Court found unconstitutional)
     -The Securities and Exchange Commission
     -The Tennessee Valley Authority


     Roosevelt also issued Executive Order 6102 which forced all privately held gold to be sold to the U.S. Treasury.


     After the 1934 midterm elections, the virus rampaged more with the inception of the second New Deal which included:


     -The Works Progress Administration
     -The Social Security Act
     -The National Labor Relations Act
     
     Without treatment, HIV usually progresses to AIDS in about ten years. With America, it has taken about 10 decades, but we are here. A strong, vibrant nation needs a strong immune system to stay that way:
     
     -a strong economy
     -a strong military
     -a strong work ethic
     -a good and moral populace


America once had these things, but they've been decimated by an infection that has attacked the heart of the nation.


     America's economy is a shambles. It has been attacked unmercifully by the mentality that businesses are just a feeding trough for government largess. All of those social programs enacted over the last century come with a hefty price tag, and that bill is laid on the backs of the entrepreneur and working taxpayer. Add to that the sheer volume of government interference and regulation into every aspect of the businessman's business, and it's a recipe for economic lethargy at best, and collapse at worst.


     America's military is the most advanced fighting force the world has ever known, but it is under assault as well. The military is spread thinner and thinner, with ongoing wars in the Middle East that no one seems to want to win. The military also suffers from the depression of the economy.


     America's work ethic has died. When half a population expects to be sustained by the other half, and the other half comes to the realization that they don't enjoy the fruits of their labors anymore, we have problems; big problems. Trouble is on the horizon.


     The morality of America is in decline. The faith of those who founded this nation and the Rock upon which they built that foundation is under constant assault. It has been under quiet attack for some time, but now the animosity is blatant. The underpinnings of this great nation are being sheared.


    America now has full blown AIDS, and into that mix steps Barack Obama.

     Barack Obama is not the root cause of America's problems, he is pneumonia. He has attacked the lungs of an America whose immune system has been decimated by 100 years of progressive HIV. America's ability to breath is being choked off by Obama's progressive socialist policies:


     -Obamacare
     -The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
     -The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act


     In addition, Obama is choking off energy production by


     -placing a moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico
     -enacting crippling regulations on coal fired power plants
     -rejecting the Keystone pipeline
     -continuing to ban drilling in ANWR
     -opposing fracking


     Pneumonia can become the cause of death for the AIDS patient because the body's ability to fight has been decimated. America is an AIDS patient under the assault of pneumonia. Does she have enough left in her to fight it off? I don't know, but I sincerely hope so.

Passover

     In the days of Moses, Israel was in bondage in Egypt. Yahweh heard the cries of Israel and began to act toward their deliverance. The people of Israel were commanded to choose a lamb or goat for their families. The lamb or goat was to be a one year old male, without defect. At twilight, on the fourteenth day of the month, the lamb or goat was to be slaughtered. Some of the animal's blood was to be applied to the doorposts of the house in which the family was residing. The lamb was then to be roasted over fire and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. The meal was to be eaten while the family was fully dressed, with sandals on the feet and walking staff in hand. The people were to be prepared to move at moment's notice. 
     That very night Yahweh was to pass through the land of Egypt, reclaiming the life of every first born in Egypt; whether man or animal. Those in houses marked with blood, however, would suffer no harm; Yahweh would pass over that house. As promised, Yahweh did indeed pass through Egypt, and he did indeed pass over those protected by the blood. Judgment came only to those not covered by the blood.
     The Jewish people observe the Passover every year to this day, to remember the deliverance of their ancestors from the clutches of Pharaoh. 
     Now, if this was the end of the story, it would be an absolutely wonderful reason to celebrate and remember, but there is more. The Passover story points to an even greater truth. It is filled with symbolism that is vitally important for us even today.

     You see, Israel's bondage in Egypt is a microcosm of mankind's bondage to Satan. As he desired to deliver Israel from Pharaoh, Yahweh desires to deliver mankind from Satan. Yahweh has chosen a Lamb, a male without defect. That Lamb, the second Person of the Trinity, Yeshua Hamashiach, Jesus the Christ, has been slain, and his blood has been applied. Now, anyone protected by the blood will not suffer judgment, but will be passed over. 
     Just as those under the authority of Pharaoh who failed to apply the blood were judged along with Pharaoh, those under the authority of Satan who have not applied the blood of Yahweh's lamb, Yeshua Hamashiach, will be judged along with Satan.
     The good news is that the blood is available to all men. If you haven't already, won't you apply the blood today. Yahweh truly desires to pass over you today, to ensure your deliverance.


     For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.--John 3:16-18

Peter's Account

     Blood. Blood I tell you. I've never seen such a sight. His anguish, his dread, seeping from his pores. No, not sweat. Blood.  And we were sleeping. What excuse did we have? None. We were blind. He asked us to watch for him while he prayed, but we slept.  We didn't know, we didn't understand.  He told us this day was coming, but we didn't believe him.  Yet, here it was.  I heard the footsteps before I saw the light of the torches.  Soldiers.  Romans.  How I despised them.  And there, showing them the way was the traitor, the coward. Judas. 

     They confronted us there in Gethsemane. Judas betrayed him with a kiss. With a kiss. Can you believe that? As they went to arrest him, my anger welled up inside of me, or maybe it was fear and sheer adrenaline. I don't know; it doesn't matter.  I drew my sword and swung with all my might.  I cut off the ear of one of the soldiers. No. It wasn't my intent to remove his ear; I wanted to remove his head.  I would have done it too, but he commanded me to stop. Then he healed him. Right there, he healed his captor. Sense? No, it didn't make sense, but then again, a lot of things don't make sense to our feeble minds, do they?

     When he didn't resist, we fled. Yes, we ran. I am ashamed of myself. I abandoned him in that hour.  But I followed them at a distance.  I joined in with a crowd outside, warming myself by a fire and not knowing what to do. I tried to blend in, but someone recognized me. They called me out as a follower, and I lied. I told them I didn't know him. Three times I told them, then the rooster crowed. It was too much. I was miserable, alone, and scared. I saw him then, through the window. He met my gaze, and I knew. I knew that he knew, and I couldn't bear it anymore. I had denied him. The Son of God, and I had denied him. I wanted then to die.

     They put him on trial. It was a corrupt affair to be sure. Then they scourged him, and crucified him. They treated him like a thief, like trash, like dung. The Son of God, and they treated him like dung.  A man from Arimathea took his body and laid it in his own tomb. Buried, forgotten by the world.  

     The next day was the Sabbath, but I found no joy. Nor the morning next. He was gone. What joy was left to be found? Then came the screaming! Not anguish or pain, but joy. Mary was here and she was jubilant. It took me a few minutes to calm her down enough to explain her condition. Not there! He's not there! No, not stolen; risen. How did she know? Angels. She said angels met her at the tomb. And then she saw him. Did I doubt her? Of course I did! Who ever heard of such? I ran to have a look myself, and sure enough. An empty tomb. How? I don't know how, and does it matter? 

    She said he told us to go to Galilee, so we did. I was fishing when he met us there. It was true! He was alive. He welcomed us with breakfast, but I couldn't look at him. My shame overwhelmed me, but then I heard him ask me, "Do you love me?" I could barely whisper in answer, "Yes." Once again, "Do you love me?" Yes. And again, "Do you love me?" I could take it no longer. Yes, Lord, yes. You know I love you. You know everything. You know this anguish of my heart. You know how I long for death's embrace. I am so ashamed! I am so unworthy! I am so wretched! Oh, Lord, I cannot take anymore! 

     Simon, my beloved one. Feed my sheep. Follow my lead. Tell them, Simon. Go, into all the world, and tell them. Tell them I love them. Tell them I've paid the price. Tell them I'm waiting, with anticipation. Will you do that for me, Simon? I love you; I love them. Tell them.......tell them.

Down the Rabbit Hole

   

     Hi Alice! Welcome to Wonderland, a land where almost everything is illogical. Here, let me take you on a little tour.  There, in the big White House over there lives the Mad Chatter. He's always giving speeches where he blames everyone and everything but himself for his shortcomings. You'll know the Mad Chatter is lying when he's doing one of two things. Stuttering like a fool, or reading words off his magic glass. The Mad Chatter is married to Ms. Lean Cuisine. She eats like a starving horse whilst demanding frugality in the diet of the citizens of Wonderland.


    Oh, what is that noise, you ask? Well that is the Misguided Mob. The Misguided Mob is a large group of citizens who chant stupid slogans proclaiming that Mr. Money Bags, a fictional character, is evil. They hate Mr. Money Bags and demand that he share his wealth with them. Hah, no. Don't waste breath explaining to them that if they have all of Mr. Money Bags' money, they won't have any more purpose in life. They're stupid that way.


    That creature lying on it's back making demands? Oh, that's a fluke. Flukes like to spend their time being, how shall we say, intimate. Flukes want to be pleasured all day, but without the responsibility or consequences of their actions. They want to have The Gathering make a declaration that promiscuity be subsidized by Wonderlandians.


    The Gathering? Yes, well; the Gathering is a large group of adolescents. They actually make the rules of Wonderland.  No, of course the Gathering doesn't follow it's own rules. That would be too much like right, and this is Wonderland, after all. The only thing the Gathering is good for is......well, I really can't think of anything. Mostly they argue with each other while half of them cheer the Mad Chatter and the other half jeer him while going along with him anyway. 

     See that long line of Wonderlandians there? Those are what are called Takers. Takers, well, they take from other Wonderlandians, usually with the help of the Gathering and the blessing of the Mad Chatter. They tend to be a lazy bunch who think that they are somehow special. They live in houses that the Gathering force working Wonderlandians to pay for. Their families are usually broken, headed by a female Wonderlandian who gets money confiscated from working Wonderlandians. They get a number of coins for each child they have, unless they take their children to the Disposition Center.


     That big black building over the hill there, that is the Disposition Center. That is where female Wonderlandians go to exercise the womens' right of disposing of little girls. Of course, they do dispose of little boys there too. Yes, illogical, I know. This is Wonderland.


     What? Where? Oh, my. A Renegade!! The Renegades are Wonderlandians who have stumbled upon the original law of Wonderland. They each carry a small copy of the law in their pockets.They are well versed in the original intent of Wonderland's founders. Why do they carry guns? Well, my dear, the Founders enshrined that right in the law of Wonderland. It's the reason the Renegades still have the ability to walk freely and speak their minds and give honor to the Great King. The Gathering and the Mad Chatter hate the Renegades. They stand in the way of the total domination of Wonderland. Yes, the Renegades are the last line of defense before Wonderland totally collapses from it's own hubris. Let us hope they can succeed.


     Alice, it was wonderful of you to visit. May your journey home be safe and happy. Goodbye, my dear.

Friend Of The Poor?

I mean, I do think at a certain point you've made enough money.--Barack Obama


I think when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody.
--Barack Obama


I'm a warrior for the middle class.--Barack Obama


If we choose to keep those tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, if we choose to keep a tax break for corporate jet owners, if we choose to keep tax breaks for oil and gas companies that are making hundreds of billions of dollars, then that means we've got to cut some kids off from getting a college scholarship.
--Barack Obama

   


     Barack Obama claims to support the well being of the poor and middle class in this nation. Barack Obama is lying. There is one thing, more than anything else, that would help the poor and middle class in this nation. It is the one thing that Barack Obama refuses to do. What is that one thing, you might ask?


                              ENERGY  


     Energy? Yes, energy. 

     The price of a gallon of gasoline is once again on the rise. We are looking at $4.00 a gallon by Memorial Day.  Middle class Americans are struggling hard with rising energy costs, and the poor are being devastated by them.  What the President, in his superior wisdom doesn't, or refuses, to grasp, is that energy is the key to our recovery.  You want companies to hire? They need low energy costs. You want consumers to consume? They need low energy costs. You want the poor to climb out of poverty? They don't need a government handout, they need low energy costs. 


     The poor in this country have to eat. They have to get to work. They have to clothe their families. They have to heat their homes. These are necessities, and everyone of them could cost poor families a lot less of their incomes if energy was abundant, and affordable.


     Take a look at the highways of America. What do you see? You see eighteen wheeled, steel beasts of burden carrying their wares. Every one of them is burning diesel fuel. They don't run on Skittles and empty solar panel promises. Everything, from the food we eat, to the cars we drive, to the shoes we wear, are transported to us across the backbone of those beautiful chrome addled monsters. The more it costs to feed those behemoths, the more it costs to feed our children. The more it costs to clothe our children. The more it costs the poor and middle class to simply live.


    In spite of this, Barack Obama, and his cronies in Congress, refuse to allow America to explore and utilize the massive stores of oil under our feet. Drilling in the Gulf? Nope. Drilling in ANWAR? Nope. Pipeline from Alberta to hungry U.S. markets? Nope.


     What about our homes? They run on kilowatts. America's poor and middle class need affordable electricity. How does Obama help in that regard? By targeting the coal industry for destruction. Onerous regulations on mining. Blatant disregard for the needs of America's poorest citizens when it comes to heating and cooling their homes. More demand for electricity, with no more generation of vital kilowatts. That just drives the price of flowing electrons through the roof. What about nuclear power? Only two permits in the last thirty years, and those just recently at Vogel nuclear plant near Augusta, Georgia; suspiciously as a Georgia case on Obama's eligibility in Georgia was thrown out. Payoff? Who knows, but given Obama's track record on energy..........well, draw your own conclusions.


    If we want a prosperous America, we need energy. We needs lots of it. We need it to be abundant. We need it to be affordable. And we need it to be domestic. We must break our dependence on unreliable sources of foreign oil. We must drill for our own oil and natural gas. We must mine and utilize our tremendous reserves of American coal. We must only supplement our reserves with oil from nations friendly to us, like our neighbors to the north. 


     Affordable and abundant energy is also vital to our national security. The United States Military consumes massive amounts of energy. The more affordable that energy is, the less of a burden the price of freedom is to the American taxpayer.


   Alas, Barack Obama is not interested in abundant, affordable American energy. The next time you hear him bloviating about the plight of America's poor and middle class, give him a middle finger, and duck; that growing nose could put your eye out.